Karyan stood slowly, his eyes were focused on the floor as he composed his response. "Nedeira," he began, "there are things in this world that are hard to understand. Choices that seem cruel but serve a greater purpose."
Nedeira's eyes were red and swollen from crying, she looked up at him, searching for a hint of compassion. "But those children... they were innocent. How could that serve any purpose?"
Karyan moved closer.
"Those children were a means to an end. The sorcerer's ritual required innocent lives. By tricking him into thinking he succeeded, we've bought ourselves more time."
We didn't trick him…and they're dead because of us," she insisted, her voice trembled. "How is that justifiable?"
Karyan's face hardened. "It's not about being justifiable. It's about one's survival. It's about power. We live in a world ruled by those who can take what they want. I intend to be one of those people, and you... you're a part of it too."
Nedeira struggled to her feet, wincing from the pain. "And what about me? Am I just another pawn in your game?"
He glanced at her. "You're important, Nedeira. More than you know. But sometimes, we must endure pain to achieve our goals." He looked down.
She shook her head, tears started streaming down her face. "I don't know if I can be a part of this...it's hard…"
Karyan stepped forward, his voice softened a little. "I know it's hard. I know it hurts. But think about the bigger picture. Once we have enough power, we can change things for the better. We can make sure no one else has to suffer like those children did."
He was lying.
Nedeira looked away, her thoughts were drowning in a tumultuous sea. "And what if we become just like the sorcerer? We are no better than him, killing people for something we can't have ourselves."
Karyan started to understand her character a little bit…Nedeira's life was always controlled by others, like Karyan in his previous life, she never had experienced any type of freedom.
It was hard for her to make her choices, since one part of her wanted to be free and another one was too scared, so she obeyed.
"You won't," Karyan said, almost convincingly. "Because you have me to guide you. And I need you to be strong. Can you be strong for me, Nedeira?"
She met his eyes again, "I can try," she whispered, the weight of their deeds felt heavy on her heart.
Nedeira knew and remembered her victims…even if she was blinded by her own element, with every slash of the dagger, her mind and eyes were crying inside.
"Good," Karyan replied, "Now, go clean yourself up. We have to maintain our appearances. And remember, call for Sera if the manager tries to hurt you again."
Nedeira nodded, "And what will you do?"
"I have plans to set in motion," he said, turning away from her. "The sorcerer's trust in his ritual was shaken, but he's not defeated. I need to prepare for our next move."
As Karyan left the room, Nedeira couldn't help but wonder if Karyan's heart had any warmth left, or if his pursuit of power had already consumed him.
She knew she was in too deep to turn back now, but she promised to herself a long time ago to find a way to bring light to her dark life.
~
Nedeira cleaned up her face, wiping away the tears and the red marks left by the manager's stick.
She tried to cover the bruises with her long sleeves as she stepped out of her room.
The house was waking up, and as she walked down the hall, she could feel eyes on her.
"Hey, look, it's the freak," one of the house workers sneered as she passed by.
She wasn't well liked, even though she was the main income source in the entertainment house.
"Yeah, the 'great' Nedeira," another mocked. "More like a walking disaster."
She kept her head down, trying to ignore them, but their words stung like the stick had.
As she made her way to the kitchen to grab something to eat, the cook glanced over and shook his head. "You're bad luck, girl. Nothing but trouble since you got here."
'He already knows about the fire…' she thought to herself.
Nedeira didn't respond. She grabbed an apple and left quickly, feeling their eyes burning into her back.
Throughout the day, wherever she went, the whispers followed. "Murderer," some said under their breath, thinking she couldn't hear. But she did. Each word was a blow to her already fragile spirit.
She found a quiet corner in the garden and sat there alone, nibbling on the apple.
A couple of the housemaids walked by, and their conversation drifted over to her.
"Did you hear about the fire?" one asked the other.
"Of course, who hasn't? They're saying she's behind it. That she burned those poor kids alive."
Nedeira squeezed the apple so hard it bruised, but she said nothing.
"What kind of monster does that?" the second maid said, and they both laughed as they walked away.
Tears threatened to spill from Nedeira's eyes again, but she held them back.
She felt like she was suffocating under the weight of her actions and their judgment.
Everyone in this house thought that Nedeira's job was to sexually attend to men and their needs, only four people knew exactly what was happening insidr at night.
Later, as she walked back inside, the manager spotted her.
He didn't say anything, just gave her a look that said she was nothing but trash to him now.
Nedeira looked away and kept walking, feeling smaller and smaller with each step.
The day dragged on, heavy and long. Nedeira couldn't shake off the feeling of being an outcast, of being hated.
She did her chores, kept to herself, and tried not to listen to the names they called her.
But as night fell and she lay in her bed, the voices came back to haunt her. Freak. Trash. Murderer.
The words echoed in her mind, and this time, she couldn't hold back the tears.
She cried herself to sleep, alone and lost in a world that seemed to have no place for her…
"I should just kill myself…"