I was bawling, tears streaming down my face. I hit the ground with all my might, my face still buried in the dirt. I was suffocating, but it wasn't because of the dirt that was blocking my airway.
Intense grief and sorrow permeated every facet of my being. It's a heavy, palpable weight on my chest. An ache that lingered in my soul. The pain isn't only emotional but physical; as if every cell in my body mourns the absence of her.
I would never have the chance to see her again.
This is way worse and more painful than what I felt before.
I rolled to the side and curled up on myself. I stayed like that for a while, starting sightlessly at my knees. There were no more tears to shed but silent sobs.
As I recalled the fact that she wouldn't be there for me anymore, I only felt more miserable. I felt helpless. I felt weak. I felt sad and desperate. And among all of these miserable feelings, something was building up inside me. A new feeling that I had never felt before.
Feelings of intense anger, hostility, hatred, bitterness, rage, and resentment flowed through me like a tempest. Roiling waves of anger crashed against the walls of my reason. I felt the desire for revenge as an ember, smoldering with intensity. I had nothing in my mind but his picture. It was imprinted in the deepest part of my memory. I will never forget that demon.
I stood up, clenching my fists. Blood dripped through my fists as I gritted my teeth.
"I WILL KILL HIM!" I shouted with all my might, vengefully.
"I will murder him. I will annihilate his whole tribe. I will follow him to the deepest part of hell. And if someone kills him, I'll revive him and kill him with my own hands!" I muttered, my voice cold and devoid of sentiments.
Taking in my surroundings, I was still in a forest. Glancing down, the egg and the other feather were still dropped there. As I picked up the egg, something I never expected happened!
"Test, test! Hello Lilium, this is Lucy!" I heard her voice in my head!
I spun around in every direction looking for her. "Lucy! Where-"
"My child, this is a pre-recorded memory I had stored in the egg previously. If what I was afraid of happened, that means that I entrusted you with this. My child, as hopeless as it may seem for you, the sun sets and rises again, and so do we in the face of life's challenges. Do not give up because you have lost something. Do not close your heart. Do not fear the emotion of love. Do not let revenge be your resolve to live on and do not be overwhelmed by your emotions. I'd like you to be happy in this life, and if you can't no matter how much you strive for it, then don't make the people around you experience the same feelings as you. You'll find happiness when you help others feel happy.
Lilium, my child! You are strong. I know that you feel helpless and weak because of what happened, but learn to share the weight of the burden you feel. It's fine to make other people responsible a little bit. You won't be able to take on life by only centering the blame on yourself. As for what happened, it was by no means your fault. My only wish for you is to be happy and live your life to the fullest.
There is a friend of mine in the land of Selanmere. I want you to go to that place. You will know more about me, about the egg you are holding, and about your power too as he trains you. You can form your core soon, but it's better to merge it with my Phoenix Legacy first before advancing through the stages. So be sure not to slack! Showing him my feathers will clear any misunderstanding. He has quite a temper!
I feel ashamed of telling you what to do. Even after my death, I am still selfish. I'm such a bad mother hehehe! My child, I have no balm for your pain, but you will hear from me once again when you reach the ethereal stage. And please don't use the third stage of my power, your body will not be able to withstand it! It is a true farewell for now my little Lilium.
I am sorry... and thank you for everything!" The voice dissipated.
I was left in desolation. I didn't mind her taking advantage of me. I wouldn't object to her selfishness as well. If anything, I would die for her if she wanted me to. It is her selfishness that made me feel needed. I never contemplated the idea of fulfilling her wishes. I'd climb a mountain of needles and thorns barehanded if she wanted me to.
So why? Why are you apologizing? Did you think that I would blame you for such a trivial matter? And how am I supposed to not be overwhelmed by vengeance? That monster killed you in front of me! He dared to lay a hand on my family.
Also, she said something about her legacy. What is that? The third stage of her power? I can't feel anything in my sternum though. So I couldn't quite get what she meant.
Sigh~
I shook my head and made up my mind. Lucy entrusted me with a mission. I need to find that friend of hers and ask him for further details.
I took a deep breath, wiping out my face of dirt and tears. I climbed into a high tree. Looking around, I found a close village to my north. I made my way to it. I have the money I saved up from working in that cursed place with me, so finding a dorm to sleep in shouldn't be an issue. I heard all kinds of sounds while I was sprinting in the village direction. I knew very well that I might die at any moment if a powerful mana beast found me.
After what seemed to be half an hour, I arrived at the village safely. I was panting. Running at full speed through the forest was exhausting. I couldn't risk getting hunted by a mana beast. I don't even know any martial arts yet.
This village seems a bit weird though. I can't see any guards around. As I stepped onto the main road, I was looking around for any dorms or motels.
Oh here is one!
I opened the door and saw a small hall. A massive bald guy with a huge axe on his back was leaning on the wall to my left. He was staring at me with wary eyes.
"Hey kid, where are your parents? How did you end up in such a place? Leave before the owner comes back." He said impatiently.
"I am here to rent a dorm. I am an orphan." I said, not paying much attention to my tone.
He was still glaring at me. What's wrong with him? Whatever, I am not here to wreak havoc.
"Brat! Do you even know where you are? This is a brothel! Not an inn," he said while crossing the room towards me.
"It doesn't matter if it is a brothel or an inn, as long as I can sleep here tonight!" I said firmly while looking straight into his eyes. I wasn't scared of him.
"Oh I see, it seems like you'll be staying the night with me. I was looking for a partner anyway!" He smirked.
Wait, what? Was he after me- after my body from the beginning? What a creep.
"Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not into men," I said while looking around for the owner.
"No, no, you got it all wrong kid. Today you will learn how to accept advice from your elders!" His smirk turned into a creepy smile.
"First lesson: do NOT stare at your elders' eyes," he threw his fist at my face. I could see it slowly coming. He was clearly trying to smash my face, maybe even kill me!
Without even knowing, I shifted my body to the left evading it. This was my first fight ever. I had never experienced a quarrel beforehand. But my body seemed to know what to do naturally!
My eyes are full open, I see nothing but him in my sight. Almost as if we were in a whole different place where there is nothing around.
"Hoo? I think I have missed you. I won't make the same mistake again!" He shifted his body a bit. This man is dead serious about bullying a child!
I was startled. How did we even end up in this situation? It was him who talked to me first! I had nothing to do with him. I only wanted to find a place to sleep in!
I need to find a way to escape this place. My whole body was trembling, but it wasn't out of fear...
Rather, I felt existed... and a bit delighted? Almost as if my body was craving this moment!
I had no idea what to do, so I only followed what my senses were telling me.
With a subtle shift, I felt my muscles tensing and coiling beneath the surface of my skin. I raised my hands in a defensive stance, curling my fingers in a fist form. My eyes narrowed, solely focused on the massive guy in front of me. The world around me blurred. My breathing was steady, calm and slow.
As he moved his body, my senses screamed at me to dash to the right, so I did. He threw a low kick with his left leg. The time seemed to slow down as I was staring at his back.
Focusing on my right leg, I shifted my weight once again. I dashed towards him. He was startled to see me behind him. He panicked and turned to face me. As I saw him covering his face, I made him think that I was trying to aim for his head. In that brief moment, I grounded my left leg, transferring all the strength in me to my right one. I couldn't think of a better place to hit him. He wanted to spend the night with me anyway!
*Crack*
I heard his eggs shatter as I landed my kick. He stood completely frozen. I heard nothing. There weren't any moans, screams or tears to be shed. I saw his soul leave his body as he fainted on the ground lifelessly.
Getting back to reality, I saw some people circling us. There was a crowd watching! I hadn't noticed any of them, I was fully immersed in that fight. Coming back to my senses, I felt my heart pumping so hard. Glancing down, my limbs were still trembling in shock. I felt my facial features turn into a wide grin.
"That felt great!" I said in ecstasy.