[ ROXINA ]
The sky, once a serene expanse of blue, now loomed ominously with dark clouds, signaling an impending deluge over the region. Rain had been making occasional visits to Necropolis now that summer had begun, much to everyone's delight. With the sun shining, people could enjoy their outdoor activities to the fullest.
Except for one.
Unlike most people, though, Roxina preferred the rain more than anyone. Having to see those large drops of rain falling one after another, Roxina's face glimmered with appreciation at the scene he was looking at now.
Roxina raised her finger high above her head and effortlessly caught the first droplet in her palm. "It won't be much longer, I see," she pondered.
A hint of sorrow appeared on her face. Because it was the identical sensation she experienced on that fateful evening when she was unable to fulfill the task assigned to her by the grand necromancer.
She vividly recalled the moment when the grand necromancer, himself, personally asked her to do the mission. This was Roxina's first-ever mission, assigned to turf out some infected souls that had become deeply tainted by the Jinnxes in the mortal realm. And Arex Carceri was the final name on her list.
Unfortunately, Roxina was unable to complete the mission, leading her to realize that the grand necromancer might not have faith in her abilities for future tasks. She recalled her excitement as she prepared to inform the powerful necromancer had she even triumph on the mission.
Roxina's standing hinges on that undertaking, as most of the other lords harbored doubts about her ability to successfully accomplish it. She accepted the task given to her by the grand necromancer in order to prove her worth to the others as one of the seven lords of the Black Parade.
However, it seemed that the opinions of the other lords regarding her failure in this mission were justified, particularly when Roxina was unsuccessful in her endeavor to remove the corrupted soul of Arex Carceri.
Not only did she fail at that, but she even made a huge mistake when she screwed up from preventing Arex transforming into a jinnx, and not just any jinnx, but an aberrant one. This even caused the grand necromancer to be summoned from the Necropolis and be burdened by cleaning up the mess she created.
"What shame I have brought upon the high lord and the whole Necropolis." Roxina let out a sigh, feeling the soft touch of raindrops on her cheeks as they descended from the sky. "To think I am even one of the seven lords of the black parade. How pathetic of me!" she lamented in despair, her hands tightly gripping her side as they quivered with a mix of anger and irritation.
And as if the heavens above her understood her frustrations, it suddenly rained even harder, soaking Roxina in an instant. But she didn't seem to care. Instead, Roxina found solace in the relentless downpour, as if it offered a temporary respite from her overwhelming frustration.
Roxina lifted her chin proudly, embracing the torrential rain on her face. For Roxina, there was a certain tranquility in standing in the rain, surrounded by the sound of footsteps fading as people seek shelter from the downpour. It was a moment of serenity amidst the chaos.
She felt isolated, distant from the prying gazes of those who could recognize her and criticize her, just like the rest of the other lords of the Black Parade.
Suddenly, Roxina was taken aback by the sight of a mysterious dark green orb hovering in front of her. She typically responded with fear, instinctively recoiling from the glowing sphere. But moments after recognizing it, Roxina immediately straightened her posture and humbly knelt before it as if she was revering it.
"My apologies, high lord, for my impolite response." Roxina quickly exclaimed when she realized that the hovering, deep green sphere was none other than their esteemed ruler, the powerful necromancer, Grecko Rowin.
As Roxina spoke, the orb emitted a brilliant beam of light that resembled a life-sized portal. Grecko utilized this portal to rendezvous with Roxina amidst the pouring rain. While Roxina found herself completely soaked after being caught in the rain for an extended period of time, Grecko appeared to be unaffected, as if he had a mysterious force field protecting him from the downpour.
It seems that Grecko utilized his orb to protect himself from getting completely soaked.
"Oh, there you are after all this time, Roxina. I've been searching for you, actually." Grecko replied, brushing off Roxina's earlier disrespectful action.
Grecko humbly knelt before Roxina, eager to meet her at eye level and peer into her shimmering emerald eyes, brimming with tears.
"Pardon me, high lord, but did I hear correctly that you were looking for me?" Roxina inquired, attempting to comprehend the information Grecko had shared with her moments before.
And Grecko quickly replied, saying, "Yes, I was. I thought you were in your chambers, but your shikaris there informed me that you went out. And with the heavy downpour, I can't help but worry about you being outside in the rain. Isn't it that you are scared of the rain, Roxina? I can't help but wonder why though you're out here all alone."
The manner in which Grecko approached Roxina was imbued with such tenderness that it nearly brought tears to Roxina's eyes in the presence of the high lord. She struggled to hold back tears, fearing that crying would only diminish her in the eyes of the powerful necromancer she had admired since she became a shikari.
"I'm sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused you, high lord. Yes, I used to be quite scared when it rained, but tonight felt different as the rain fell upon me. It seemed as though all the negativity that had been driving me crazy had been washed away."
Grecko became even more concerned about Roxina after hearing her response. He couldn't resist placing his right hand above her head and inquired, "Is this still regarding your unsuccessful mission?" he inquired, to which Roxina simply gazed at him, providing a sufficient response to his query.
"I assumed it would be, naturally." Grecko eventually said, looking at her with a hint of regret, "I must take some responsibility for what happened as well. I assigned you a mission that should have been completed by a greater number of people. It's clear that Arex Carceri had an unusual Jinnx lurking within him long before I asked you to deal with it. However, I couldn't help but feel unsure if it was truly an aberrant one, considering how resilient Arex's physical body must be to endure the presence of the aberrant Jinnx for such a long time."
"What do you mean, high lord?" Roxina inquired, feeling a bit perplexed by the unexpected disclosure from the high lord.
"Come with me, Roxina, I'll show you something." Grecko said, however.
Without giving Roxina a chance to respond, he swiftly activated the black orb and transported them both to the depths of the dungeon beneath the Necropolis, where the formidable fortress stood.
Upon their arrival, Roxina and Grecko stood before the cell where they had caged the unconscious Arex inside.
"So, he's still alive after all." Roxina observed, her gaze fixed on Arex who lay motionless on the ground, oblivious to the recent events that had transpired.
Roxina's intense gaze held a hint of danger, as if she was considering seizing the chance to end Arex's life, were it not for Grecko's presence by her side.
"Seems like my orb couldn't even figure out how to finish him off for good. As I mentioned before, his body endured the presence of the Jinnx for a long time, making it difficult for any of us, myself included, to determine if the Jinnx within him was on an abnormal level. Arex seemed destined for death from the moment he entered the world due to the aberrant jinnx residing within him. However, against all odds, this mysterious force chose to coexist with Arex, drawing strength from his negative energy instead."
"Does this mean that he's much stronger than us now?" Roxina started to draw a conclusion based on Grecko's explanation.
"There is still some uncertainty surrounding it. We needed to find out a way if that would be possible, and for that reason, I would be needing your help, Roxina." Grecko finally responded, quickly turning his eyes from Arex to Roxina.
"My help? But how am I even going to be of any help with this, high lord? I mean I was the reason why this mortal became like this. It was because of my incompetence which was why we now have this problem. I don't think—"
Roxina was abruptly interrupted by Grecko, who promptly responded, "That's exactly why I needed your assistance, Roxina. It was your actions that triggered the unusual Jinnx within Arex to emerge. If we can attempt to do it once more, we might actually have another chance to try and fight it along with the other lords and see if it would certain surpass our powers as well."
Roxina found Grecko's suggestion quite unsettling. Although she didn't fear the high lord's request, she couldn't help but feel anxious about potentially making another mistake. Although deep down, Roxina had a lingering belief that she could make a valuable contribution to the plan. And that she hoped that by doing so, she could find a way to redeem herself once again.
With that, Roxina eventually responded with a question, asking, "How can I accomplish that, though, high lord?" as if it was her way of showing some interest in the high lord's plan.
"It would be very simple, Roxina. You'll just need to play the role of the blind." Grecko responded promptly.
Roxina was left perplexed by the high lord's sudden suggestion for her to take on a role typically reserved for a game played by ordinary shikari during their training exercises.
"The blind, high lord? Are you referring to the role in the shikari's hunting game?" Roxina inquired, her brow furrowed with a growing sense of perplexity.
But Grecko merely smirked at her and responded with a simple "Yes," before redirecting his attention to Arex. "After Arex awakens, I'm certain his first instinct would be to seek out both of us. Rest assured, I'm confident he wouldn't be in his aberrant Jinnx form. I managed to condense him back into his human awareness. And while we're at it, I would persuade Arex to join in the shikari's hunting game. It's the ideal option to grant us the freedom to prompt Arex to revert to his jinnx form without facing any judgment for our decision. No one would suspect that we had deliberately orchestrated the entire event. And that's where you will come in, Roxina, as the blind who shall be the key to awaken the dormant Jinnx residing within Arex once again."