Trissy's laughter faded, leaving only the eerie silence of the forest as the last purple sparks of her fireworks disappeared into the night. She felt a strange satisfaction settle over her, a hollow calm that spread through her entire body.
She turned her gaze in the direction of the village, a smile tugging at her lips. The place that had cast her away was not far. "Why not pay a visit?" she murmured, her voice light.
Guided by a strange, almost carefree urge, Trissy made her way through the forest, her glowing hair and eyes casting a faint purple glow in the darkness. She barely noticed as the days passed. Hunger and sleep no longer concerned her; her only thought was of the village.
At last, she reached it, standing still as she gazed at the familiar cottages under the starlit sky. She let her fingers trail along the fences, her touch leaving small purple sparks. Her steps took her to her old home, its cracked door and faded wood standing as a reminder of a life she had left far behind.
The door creaked open, and her mother stepped outside, squinting into the darkness. When her eyes met Trissy's glowing purple gaze, she froze, fear spreading over her face.
"T-Trissy? Is... that you?" her mother stammered, her voice trembling.
Trissy tilted her head, her mouth curving into a soft smile. "Why so surprised, Mother? It's just me, back home where I belong."
Behind her mother, her father appeared, his face turning pale. He opened his mouth, but only a soft whisper escaped. "Trissy... what... what happened to you?"
Trissy's smile widened. "What happened to me?" She chuckled, purple flames sparking at her fingertips. "I just... found myself."
Her mother took a hesitant step forward, reaching out, her voice almost pleading. "We... we thought you were lost... or... taken. Your father and I—"
"Lost?" Trissy's voice was soft, almost kind. "Taken?" She let her gaze drift, her purple eyes glinting as she looked at them both, amusement flickering in her expression. "Taken... by the very people you sold me to?"
Her mother's face twisted, guilt flashing in her eyes. "Trissy... we didn't have a choice. There was no food, no money..."
Trissy's eyes sparkled, and she clapped her hands softly. "Of course, of course. There's always a reason, isn't there?" She took a step forward, her smile widening as her mother took a step back. "Always a reason to sell off your own child, right?"
"Trissy... please," her father muttered, his voice breaking. "We thought... we thought it was for the best..."
"Oh, I can see that," Trissy whispered, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "But tell me, did you ever miss me?"
Her mother's hands shook, her face growing pale as she struggled to speak. "Yes... yes, we did. Every day, we—"
"Missed me? Really?" She tilted her head, raising her hand as purple flames ignited at her fingertips. "You've got a strange way of showing love, Mother."
She snapped her fingers, and a small burst of flames shot toward her father, catching onto his sleeve. He screamed, slapping at the fire, his eyes wide with horror.
Trissy watched, her smile never wavering. "Oh, don't worry. I'll make this quick... eventually."
Her mother lunged forward, reaching for Trissy with trembling hands. "Please, Trissy! We're your family! We raised you!"
Trissy's gaze turned cold. "Family doesn't abandon family." She took a step closer, letting the flames spread across her fingertips. "Now, stand back, Mother."
The fire leaped from her hands, curling around her mother's ankles, the purple flames twisting up her legs. Her mother's face contorted in agony as she fell to her knees, her scream filling the night air.
"Ahhhhhhh!! Please, Trissy, stop! I'm begging you!" she cried, clawing at the flames, her voice hoarse with terror.
Trissy stepped back, watching her mother writhe on the ground, her screams echoing through the night. Her father's face paled, and he stumbled back, eyes wide as he took in the scene. "No... this can't be happening. You're our daughter... our little girl..."
Trissy chuckled, "Little girl?" She tilted her head, purple eyes glinting in the firelight. "No, I'm something much better."
She turned her gaze on him, her lips curving into a dark smile. With a flick of her wrist, the flames jumped toward him, catching onto his clothing, climbing up his arms as he flailed, his mouth opening in a desperate, terrified scream.
"Ahhhhhhh!! Nooooo!! Trissy, please, no! Stop this!" he shouted, his voice cracking.
Trissy's laughter rang out,"What's wrong, Father? Not enjoying the heat?"
Her mother's body convulsed, her voice breaking into sobs as the flames licked higher, devouring her. "Please... Trissy... please, have mercy..."
Trissy's gaze softened, almost mockingly. "Mercy?" She took a step closer, crouching down beside her mother, her smile cold. "Did you have mercy when you sold me?"
Her mother's sobs grew weaker as the flames consumed her, her desperate cries fading into silence. Trissy watched until the last flicker of life left her mother's eyes, then turned to her father, who was crawling away, his body twisted in pain.
"Leaving so soon?" she whispered, stepping closer as he whimpered, his eyes wide with terror. She extended her hand, purple flames dancing at her fingertips. "Oh, Father, you're not going anywhere."
She snapped her fingers, and the flames surged, wrapping around his legs, pinning him in place as he screamed. "No, noooo!! Trissy, stop! Please!!"
However, Trissy's only reaction was laughter, which reverberated throughout the night as her mother's and father's cries combined to create an eerie symphony of fire and suffering. She watched, unfazed, as they struggled and writhed, the flames devouring their bodies.
Finally, the fire burned out, leaving nothing but ash and silence. Trissy straightened, brushing the soot from her hands as she turned away.
"Farewell, Mother... Father. May you find peace... wherever you end up," she murmured, her voice soft.
She stepped outside, breathing in the crisp night air as she glanced around the village, her gaze drifting lazily over the cottages. She hummed to herself, feeling strangely at ease.
The villagers, awakened by the glow and smell of smoke, stumbled out of their homes, eyes wide with confusion and fear. They whispered to one another, their faces pale as they caught sight of Trissy standing in the middle of it all, purple flames swirling around her.
A woman stepped forward, her voice quivering. "Trissy… what's happening?"
Trissy gave her a dreamy look, "Oh, just a little fun. I thought I'd bring some light to the village. Isn't it beautiful?"
The woman's confusion turned to terror. "Trissy, this isn't you…"
Trissy's smile grew, and she looked at the flames dancing higher around her. "Maybe it is. Or maybe it isn't. Does it matter?" She glanced back at the villagers, her eyes shining with an eerie delight. "Now, who wants to join the fun?"
One man stepped forward, his voice trembling, "Please… we can talk about this. Just stop the fire!"
Trissy's gaze softened, and for a moment, it almost seemed like she might listen. But then her eyes sparkled with a dangerous light, and she laughed, a sharp, delighted sound. "Oh, but where's the fun in that?"
She flicked her wrist, sending a wave of purple flames across the ground, igniting the nearby cottages. Screams filled the air as the flames spread, climbing up walls and curling around roofs. The villagers cried out, scrambling to escape the fire's deadly reach.
"Aaaaaahhh! No, no, please!" a voice shrieked as a man tried to douse the flames, but they only grew stronger, leaping from building to building, casting the village in an unearthly purple glow.
Trissy watched the chaos with a fascinated smile, her laughter rising above the cries. "It's almost like a festival," she murmured, purple flames lighting up her face.
One by one, the villagers fell, their screams echoing through the night. A man tried to crawl away, his face twisted with terror, but Trissy crouched beside him, tilting her head with a soft smile.
"Leaving already?" she whispered, brushing a finger across his cheek, purple flames sparking on his skin. "But the fun's just starting."
As the flames engulfed him, his scream tore through the night. Trissy laughed, a joyful sound that only grew louder as more voices joined in.
"Ahhhhhhhhh! Help me! Noooo!" another voice cried, fading as flames consumed it.
One by one, the flames began to spread, swallowing adults and children alike.
"Ahh, such a beautiful scene, don't you think so too?" Trissy said, her voice light as she watched the villagers screaming and rolling on the ground, desperately trying to escape the blaze.
But there was no mercy in the fire. The screams faded, one by one, as the flames claimed everything in their path. Adults, elders, and little children—all were burned alive, their cries silenced by the relentless fire.
All around her, the village huts were on fire, transforming the place she once called home into a smoldering ruin. In the midst of it all, Trissy stood alone, her figure silhouetted against the firelight, her eyes filled with a strange satisfaction as she took in the scene.
Consumed by flames , the village dies
Lost in the screams, smoke filled skies
Dreams turned to ashes, hopes torn apart
The twisted end, and her twisted heart
------------------------
Present
Malice regained consciousness after some time. She rubbed her aching head as she struggled to her feet.
"What a nightmare!" Malice sighed.
"That was such an edgy and embarrassing thing to do, glad that everyone who saw me like that is already dead," she said, shaking her head slightly as she emerged from the ruins.
'I have been rotting here for a few years; if nothing can be done about those damn runes, let's leave. Who knows, maybe I will discover something interesting. '
Her typical grin reappeared as she vanished from the scene.