For the first time in a long while, Morgan felt anger. It had been a long time since he had felt this way, and it was all because of the story he had just heard. Adam and his wife immediately noticed the change in Morgan's temperament; the air felt heavy, and they became alert. Meanwhile, Morgan was thinking about what to do, how he should react.
Meanwhile, Ariel slowly approached a knife that had been left near where she had been washing dishes. Morgan noticed this and let out a big sigh.
—I understand what you did, it was wrong, very wrong. However, I am no one to reproach you for your actions.
(Morgan said with a very serious face)
—Tell me, do you regret what you did?
(Morgan said in a somewhat cold tone)
Adam lowered his head, beginning to sweat. He looked at Ariel and saw that Iliana was watching everything from behind the wall, peeking her head out, and with some regret, Adam responded:
—No.
As he said this, the atmosphere grew even tenser, and Morgan appeared even more upset. Ariel grabbed the knife and tightened her grip. Both of them felt threatened, sensing an imminent danger emanating from Morgan.
Morgan stood up, slamming his hand on the table, and in a deep voice said:
—I'm going out for a moment.
Morgan turned around and left the house, starting to walk. He was angry, really angry. He couldn't believe what Adam had done; it was a horrifying act in his eyes, something unforgivable. But not feeling any regret for his actions, Morgan didn't know what to do, what to think. At the same time, he wondered who he should blame for the brutality of those actions: Adam for committing them, or those who indirectly forced him to commit them.
After walking for a while, Morgan ventured deep into the forest. He found a rock and sat on it, thinking about what he should do, who he should blame, and how he should act toward Adam moving forward.
—Ahh, Father, I wish you could tell me what to do.
(Morgan said, looking at the sky in a melancholic way)
He heard some branches snap behind him and quickly turned his head. He saw Iliana, who had apparently followed him. Morgan calmed down and smiled at her.
—Oh, you followed me here?
(Morgan said kindly)
Iliana walked over to Morgan and sat beside him.
—What's wrong? Aren't you afraid anymore?
(Morgan said confused)
—No, I'm not afraid anymore.
(Iliana said sweetly)
—You're not a bad person, you definitely aren't bad.
(Iliana said cheerfully)
—Oh, what makes you think that?
(Morgan said, expecting Iliana's answer)
—I heard everything my dad said to you, and you seemed really upset about what happened to those people. Someone who cares and gets angry like that about something that happened to people they never knew can't be bad. Besides, you're too adorable to be evil.
(Iliana said, referring to his axolotl form)
That response surprised Morgan, who, moments later, burst out laughing. Iliana stared at him intently, smiling. Iliana suddenly jumped to her feet, turned to Morgan, and with a huge smile, said:
—See? That laugh, that smile, couldn't belong to someone evil.
Morgan was stunned for a moment. He saw his sister's silhouette reflected in Iliana.
—You look like her.
(Morgan said sadly)
This confused Iliana, who, with a puzzled look on her face, asked:
—Who?
Morgan stood up and gently patted Iliana's head.
—Someone very important to me.
Iliana was surprised but allowed Morgan to keep petting her head, as, for some strange reason, it gave her a peace she couldn't describe. It was such a gentle and soft touch, a feeling that couldn't be put into words. After a few moments, Iliana grabbed Morgan's hand and said:
—Come, let me show you something.
Iliana began to lead Morgan through the forest, holding his hand. They walked for a while until they reached a field of purple flowers. In the middle of this field was a rock. Iliana brought Morgan closer so he could see the rock. It had several names carved into it.
—Lena, Día, Paul, Alex, Yil, Ren—Morgan said, reading the names carved into the rock.
—What is this?
(Morgan said, surprised)
Iliana approached the rock, bent down, placed her hands together, and closed her eyes.
—My dad, from time to time, comes here and kneels before this rock, pressing his face to the ground. And he stays like that until nightfall, asking for forgiveness again and again, without stopping.
(Iliana said as she prayed)
—Maybe my dad doesn't regret what he did, but he has never forgotten it. He's never forgotten the names of all those people. I'm not asking you to forgive him, but to understand him. My dad wouldn't have done something like that if it weren't for the fact that they pushed him to do it.
Iliana stood up, turned around, and began walking.
—Please, think about it. I know you'll understand.
(Iliana said with a faint smile)
Morgan said nothing and remained silent, staring at the rock. Meanwhile, Iliana walked back the way they came and began heading home.
—I know he'll understand. He's different, he's not like them, he's not a monster.
(Iliana said happily as she walked toward home)
—Mom, Dad, I'm back...
Iliana couldn't finish the sentence. A lump formed in her throat as her eyes caught the image that left her paralyzed, breathless. Her home, her refuge, her safe place, was in ruins. The house that had always been her world was destroyed, ravaged by a force she couldn't even comprehend. The ground was soaked with blood, a red torrent that stained everything around her. And in the middle of it all, there he was.
A man, a beast, a monster, was holding her mother, Ariel, by the neck, crushing her with the strength of a god. The scene was so terrifying, so merciless, that horror took over Iliana immediately.
—My sweet Ariel, I've been looking for you for so long, and I've finally found you.
The voice of that creature was soft, silky, laden with malice that froze the blood. He looked at Ariel with a repulsive lust, as though enjoying her suffering.
—You know, you know... I missed you so much, my sweet Ariel. Tell me, why did you run away from me?
The Zorath tightened his grip, savoring every second as he took the life from the woman he once thought was his. Ariel could barely breathe, her eyes filled with fury, rage, and for a brief moment, fear. Fear for herself... but above all, for her daughter.
—Mom!
The word came from Iliana's throat, broken by tears and terror. At that very moment, Ariel looked at her. Just for a second, but it was enough. Her gaze said it all: Run. Go. Don't come closer.
He, noticing the gesture, quickly turned his head. His gaze fixed on Iliana, and a grotesque smile formed on his face.
—Well, look what we have here...
Iliana began to tremble, her legs barely responding. Before her stood the being her parents had spoken of so many times, the creature that dwelled in nightmares, now in all its horrible magnificence. An elegant Zorath, with green clothes and gold adornments, tall, with ghostly white skin. His ears were long, almost unnatural. His black hair, like the night, fell over his face, and his orange eyes gleamed with a malice that seemed to devour the air around him.
Iliana raised her trembling hands, as though at least attempting to face him gave her some courage.
The Zorath looked at her, and with a wicked laugh, threw Ariel forcefully. Her mother's body slammed against a tree, falling to the ground brutally. Without hurry, the Zorath began to walk toward Iliana, who, terrified, tried to gather strength to face him.
—Ahhh... so beautiful. You're so beautiful, just like her. So sweet... I want you, I desire you...
(The Zorath said, filled with perversity and lust)
Every word that came out of his mouth was tainted with a repugnant poison, a dark need that made Iliana want to vomit just by hearing it. But the worst was yet to come.
—Leave us alone. Leave us alone, monster!
Iliana screamed with fury, but the tears kept falling. What could she do? How could she fight something so monstrous?
At that moment, a weak but powerful voice was heard, a voice that filled her with desperation.
—Iliana... get out of here. Go with Morgan and run away.
It was Adam, her father, badly wounded and leaning against a tree, covered in blood.
—Dad?
(Iliana said with tears in her eyes)
The purest fear took over Iliana when she saw him in that state. What had that monster done to him?!
—What have you done to my dad?!
(Iliana said, filled with fury and rage)
The Zorath let out a cruel, cold laugh.
—He dared to steal my sweet Ariel. But the worst part is that this damn trash dared to stain her... Such a thing had to be punished. Don't you think?
(The Zorath said, with a devilish tone)
Iliana looked at him with rage, but also with helplessness. How could anyone be so cruel? So ruthless?
—And his punishment... isn't over yet. Oh, I can think of a thousand things I can do with him. My heart races just thinking about everything I can do to him.
(The Zorath said excitedly)
With his hands raised to the sky, the Zorath reveled in his words, his gaze returning to Iliana, as if it were all a game for him.
—MONSTER!
(Iliana screamed furiously).
Iliana, filled with rage, felt something ignite inside her. With strength, she raised her hands, and a small flash erupted from her palms. A fire began to burn, intense, bright.
—FLAMMAROS!
(Iliana shouted with all her might)
The flame shot toward the Zorath, who stood motionless for a moment. The explosion of fire illuminated the entire place, leaving a cloud of dust in its wake. Iliana expected to see the monster burned, but when the dust cleared, the terrifying truth was revealed: the Zorath was there, completely unharmed.
—Still using that primitive power?
(The Zorath said, disappointed)
The disappointment in his voice was palpable. With a snap of his fingers, the roots of the ground lifted, holding Iliana with crushing force. The Zorath moved closer to her, his gaze inspecting every part of her body with morbid fascination.
—You're a very bad girl, Iliana. And I'll make sure to teach you a good lesson...
(The Zorath said perversely and lustfully)
He snapped his fingers again. The trees around them began to move, rising from the ground and intertwining, forming a gigantic monster made of wood. Iliana looked in horror as the monstrous tree rose, a colossal being, while Ariel and Adam were trapped beneath its imposing arms, unable to do anything.
—It's a shame... I wanted to play with him a bit more, but I have to teach you a lesson, my naughty girl. Sorry, my sweet Ariel, but don't worry, I'll take very good care of her.
(The Zorath said in a macabre manner)
The Zorath touched Iliana's body, rubbing it in a repulsive manner, smelling it, licking it. Each touch, each lick was a violation of human dignity. It was a scene simply revolting.
—Don't worry, my sweet Iliana, I'll take care of you... very, very well.
(The Zorath said while licking Iliana's face)
—Stop, please! Help me, please!
(Iliana screamed, crying uncontrollably)
—It's time to go, my sweet Iliana. Much fun awaits us...
(The Zorath said with that macabre smile)
With another snap of his fingers, Adam began to crawl toward Ariel. The slow motion of their movements only increased the agony. Iliana could see the monster's arms drawing closer, ready to crush her parents.
—Ah... so this... this is the punishment I deserved for what I did...
(Adam said, accepting his fate)
Adam's voice faded as the monster's arms fell upon them. The impact was devastating. A tremor shook the earth. Iliana, broken, cried inconsolably, completely lost.
—Don't worry, my sweet Iliana... Now that it's just you and me, we can have all the fun we want...
But before the Zorath finished his words, something changed in the air. A shiver ran through the atmosphere, and suddenly, the Zorath felt a pressure, something that confused him. In the spot where Ariel and Adam had been, a man appeared, holding the monster's tree arms with strength.
—What the hell...?
(The Zorath said, confused)
The being that rose before him was covered in pink armor, which ran all over his body, even to his tail. Horns grew from his head, and his face, barely visible, was a whirlpool of fury. His eyes, deep pink with touches of black, shone with a fierce and penetrating intensity. A chill ran down Zorath's spine, for the first time in his life, feeling true danger.
With an imposing voice, the man, whose presence was almost divine, spoke, filling the air with unstoppable energy:
—Aztlan, first representation... Emperor of the cycle.
End of the chapter.
Next chapter: Scarabaeus sacer.