I ran in the direction of Noelle's screams.
Noelle! Noelle!! NOELLE!!!
I ran as fast as I could.
"AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"
I sprinted past decaying walls, rusty doors and falling bricks.
Please be alright Noelle.
I zigzagged in the dark labyrinths, the orb of light long forgotten behind me.
I stopped in a dead end. My breaths came out in loud pants. My legs were aching for running so long. I couldn't find them. Tears pricked my eyes when: "AGHHHH!!! BURNNSSSS!!!!"
Michel! And it was coming directly above me.
"O' Holy Heavens! With darkness behind and the path forward is sealed, give me strength to shatter the obstacle that stands before me!"
A golden glow covered both my fists. Clenching and unclenching them I aimed a strike on the low ceiling.
I punched the ceiling, instantly a crack formed. Again. Again. Noelle, Michel, Lucian! Please wait, I am coming to save you now.
Again.
Again.
One last punch and the ceiling fell open.
I leapt upwards as rotted bricks crumbled to small stones. I had been right. I was right under them.
The place I had landed on was a different throne room. Hear there was no roof or any fallen debris, just raised pillars. Where the throne should have been were seven sharpened spears. Overhead was the rumble of thunder. A storm was brewing near.
In the middle of the room was Claudina a metal crown with deadly sharp spires. Laying unconscious in front of her was Lucian. He was uninjured but his sword was on the floor as well. I felt relieved at the sight of him unharmed.
"Oh one of the guests of our tea party has joined us~"
I glared at Claudina. Her monster servants were nowhere near. I need to land one hit before escaping with the others. Wait…where's Noelle and Michel?
As if reading my mind Claudina pointed to a direction "Your dear friends had already arrived before the party so I served some small refreshments"
I turned to where she was pointing and got the shock of my life. Lying on the floor were Noelle and Michel. They were groaning in pain.
I briefly felt the sudden drop in temperature from the cold rain. My core was shaking.
I felt sick.
I felt lost.
I felt hopelessly alone.
I felt numb. More numb from Syrus' death. Because at the very least Syrus' suffering had ended.
I fell down to my knees. Why does she do such things? What does she gain from my despair? My misery? My downfall?
In a sense, I think I deserve this pain.
Noelle's limbs were elongated until they reach 12ft. Several broken bones were sticking out from arms. Her nimble fingers were crushed with a nearby brick. Michel was beside her. Both of his arms were burnt to crisp. His legs were missing. I blankly searched for his legs before I found them. Hidden under a shadow was a monster feeding on them.
Oh... there they are. Can I reattach them? No maybe not the monster has eaten it. I am not able to heal any serious injuries unless I kill them myself before resurrecting them. Do I need to…kill them? I have done it before I should be able to do it again.
"Hehehe~" I looked up from where I had been staring.
It's Claudina. She must really like my suffering. No wonder she recreated something similar to the incident from fourteen years ago.
"What will you do now, Little Mouse~"
I thought about the incident from fourteen years ago. "Is this your revenge?" I was completely drained. I don't think I would be able to cast magic let alone Holy magic at this point.
She was completely disgusted. "My revenge isn't this small scale."
"Makes sense. It's you after all." I closed my eyes.
"The Briar Rose of High Society. You like all things grand and extravagant." An image passed behind my closed eyes. An image of Claudina dancing under bright lights, wearing a billowing ball gown and exchanging secrets of the senators behind her fan.
I opened my eyes again and saw her face contorted in rage. The rain was falling heavily now. Her fluffy white hair was dampened into straight locks. She pushed away her wet hair from her face.
"Silence!" she hissed. She still can't tolerate when the joke is on her. Talking with her seems somewhat cheery.
Multiple footsteps came from behind me. I didn't had any energy to look so I stayed there kneeling. Although Claudina's face lit up with joy. It was ironic how quickly her expressions changed while as the Briar Rose there was only a coy smile.
As the owner of the footsteps passed me I glanced at what it was. Two Heider Spiders passed. Carrying between them in a slivery web were…Orion and Melany!
Melany was awake while Orion was unconscious. "Finally all of my guests have arrived! Let's start the tea party now!"
"You damn witch!" Melany hissed. "What did you do to him?!"
"Only caring about your lover, not your friends over there. Well if you had considered them as friends perhaps they wouldn't been in this state."
"W-what do you mean he is my lover?! And where are my friends?!"
"No need to shout. There are right there." Claudina pressed her hands to her ears.
Melany gasped when she saw them. Her face was in completed horror, then calculating before erupting in anger. Strangely though the anger was directed to me.
"You! It is all because of you! Had you listened to the plan none of this would have happened. We should have escaped without you."
"Oh do shut up." Claudina yawned. "This tea party is boring enough as it is. Don't bring useless blabber into it."
"No you shut up you witch. I have the right to say whatever I want in the last moments of my death. In The Valleys of Shade a convict is always allowed a few last words." Here she gave her perpetual sneer. "But the opinion of a lowly being never matters to you now does it?"
"You're right. It doesn't matter but Melany your opinion also doesn't matter since you have always agreed on whatever Orion says."
"The likes of you ha -" she was cut off before she could finish. "The likes of me can say his name however I want. It is not something an unrefined, hideous lap dog should debate about now should she? Unless of course you don't want Orion to hate you in your last moments. You know how he feels about rumors."
Melany fell silent. Her entire face was red at this point. It was not a hidden fact of what Melany feel about Orion although he dismissed it a long time ago.
I wanted to move as the spiders dragged them to Claudina. I wanted to move when the groaning bodies of Noelle and Michel were set up beside Melany and Orion. I wanted to move when she harshly slapped Orion awake.
I wanted to move.
I wanted to save them.
I wanted to protect them.
Because only by protecting others will I have meaning in my life. That's why I became a saintess in the first place. I killed someone to get here. And I want to repay that sin by saving others.
But if I am not able to save my friends how am I supposed to save others? Why can't I do anything? Why must I be so useless? In the face of adversity I am the one that needs to be protected. When did I ever protect something properly in the first place?
So why aren't I moving? Is this entrancement? Or something else?
I blankly looked on as Claudina gorged out Michel's eyes. I looked on when she ripped out Melany's tongue. I looked on she tore off Orion and Noelle's skin from their faces. I looked on when she finally cut of their heads. I looked on when she pierced the top of their heads by pushing them on sharp stakes. I looked on when one of the monsters had bought Syrus' head to join the others.
For some reason I no longer felt sick or recoiled at the sight of blood.
Well…that is a good thing. I may be able to properly heal people.
Everything hurt though. As the saintess any injury, be it internal or external would be healed in an instant. But my healing powers weren't working. Even my own powers abandoned me.
I stared at Claudina. The rain was falling heavily now. She was humming under her breath as she angled the heads in a better position.
What song was she humming? It sounds similar to the temple hymn. No it's more close to a lullaby. Maybe a waltz song? Whatever it is, it sounds peaceful. It would be nice if she kills me next. This pain is insufferable.
A cold hand touched mine. I was able to look down. Lucian had crawled all the way here. I jolted awake as if I had woken up from a bad dream.
"Lu..cian…?"
"Ophelia…" He was breathing hard. I saw that his side was bleeding. A needle was lodged at the wound. Poisoned!
This time my conscious of healing him first didn't take a hold of me. I kept on staring blankly at him gasping breaths.
"Ophelia…listen to me." He reached deep in his coat with his other hand. "You need to escape. No you must escape." Deep underneath his pocket he pulled out two small crystal objects and a scrap of paper. He pressed one of the crystal and note to my hand. The other crystal he kept to himself.
With great difficulty he raised himself while pulling me up with him.
He panted. The poison must have started its effect.
He glanced at me and gave an adoring smile before turning straight ahead "Claudina!" She looked at us immediately. "Our dual isn't over!" She smirked.
She walked over to where his fallen sword was and took it by using her foot. She did this carefully with the tip resting on her toes. She grabbed the hilt and threw it in the air. Lucian managed to catch it.
He smiled at me once more. Why would he smile at me? I killed them. He should hate me.
"It's not your fault." My hot tears mixed with the cold rain. Although I was crying before I am now more aware of it.
He clasped my hand. "However if you wish to make amends then I want you to escape and never look back."
Before I could get any words he broke the crystal in his hand. "Valkir!" he screamed.
A bright glow shone from the hand he broke the crystal was. The light was too blinding. I had to cover my face with my fingers. But I recognized this powerful light. This light resembled to a god level holy light. From between my fingers I could see the monsters screaming, being eradicated in an instant. Only Claudina looked unfazed by it. Almost as if she could not see the light. Holy magic no longer has any affect on her.
In a moment Lucian threw the light at my feet. It exploded in stardust, covering me floating, sparking multicolored lights. I briefly thought my feet were no longer touching the ground while it covered me in warmth.
In some way the light treated my tiredness as well as the mental trauma of people dying. I already knew people died with or without my intervention. The reality that it can happen so cruelly, just for blatant sadism is what scares me the most. The concept of it hit me like a brick. And I hate it.
I hate it. I hate it. I hate it. I hate it. I hate it. I hate it. I hate it. I hate it. I hate it. I hate it. I hate it. I hate it. I hate it. I hate it. I hate it.
Furthermore I hate myself for not being able to protect them.
Being a saintess is all about protecting others. I do not deserve this position. I never deserved it in the first place.
I sent my friends to the gallows. Lucien will also die because of me. I am not a saintess but a murderer.
I wholly heartedly loathe myself.