Azaelith staggered down the alley, the world around her sharp and vibrant in a way she'd never experienced. Her body felt both fragile and powerful, like a raw wound pulsing with potential energy. As she walked through the city's bustling streets, she felt the eyes of the people on her—curious, fearful, intrigued. No one dared speak to her directly, but the rumors of her return spread like wildfire through the crowd.
She could hear them now, the whispers of those around her. "She's one of them," a man muttered. "The girl who was killed, the one they say rose from the dead."
"I heard she was part of some curse," another voice spoke, softer, more fearful. "They say she's a demon sent by Lucifa himself."
The mention of Lucifa sent a chill through her. Who was Lucifa? Why was she being linked to a demon lord?
Azaelith moved through the crowd like a shadow, unnoticed and unnoticed in the way only the desperate could understand. She was lost, uncertain, but a gnawing pull inside her urged her to keep moving. She had to find out what had happened. What had led to her brutal murder?
She remembered fragments: her family—her mother's loving face, her father's stern voice, the way they had always warned her of the dangers lurking in the world. But that warning had come too late. Her family had been destroyed by someone—a power greater than the royal bloodlines, someone who could wield death with a thought.
At the market square, she approached an old, crumbling statue of a woman holding scales. An older man, hunched over and wearing tattered clothing, sat nearby, his eyes vacant as he stared into nothingness.
"You look like someone who's been dead," the man rasped.
Azaelith tensed. "What do you mean?"
"The dead always come back with a purpose," he said slowly, his voice hoarse. "But what's your purpose, I wonder? The city speaks of a girl who rose from the dead—a noble daughter who was murdered by those she trusted."
Azaelith's breath hitched. "What do you know of that?"
"Everything," the man chuckled, the sound hollow and empty. "Your family made enemies of powers beyond your reckoning. They were foolish. But you…" His eyes flicked over her, noting the crimson glow in her gaze. "You're different. Something else entirely. And you'll have to face what's coming for you."