Elena awoke to the melancholy stillness of the morning. The sun filtered weakly through the dense canopy of trees surrounding her secluded home in the forest, casting long shadows on the floor. The clock ticked softly in the background—another day. But for Elena, it felt like the weight of ten years had settled heavily on her shoulders, and the void left by her parents' brutal deaths still haunted every breath she took. It had been ten years since that fateful day, and yet the pain hadn't dulled, only morphed into a quiet, constant ache that lived within her.
She swung her legs off the bed, feet meeting the cold wooden floor. The day had begun, and with it, her routines—some for physical strength, others for mental clarity. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she stood. Her body and mind were both weapons, after all. She began with a long meditation session, letting the rhythm of her breath calm the storm within. Slowly, she focused on her sorcery, calling on the magic inherited from her parents, allowing its familiar, comforting warmth to wrap around her like a protective blanket. The magic pulsed softly in her veins, ancient and powerful, a gift—and a curse.
After the quiet meditative state, Elena moved into her physical regimen. A few deep stretches, then a series of body workouts, each more intense than the last. Her muscles screamed in protest, but she refused to yield. She pushed herself further, until the sweat poured from her, glistening in the light like liquid fire. But as always, the exhaustion that would have overwhelmed any other person seemed to pass her by. Her body was capable of more than mere human endurance—hers was the body of someone forged by years of relentless training and supernatural heritage.
When the physical exertion came to a close, Elena moved to the next part of her morning: cleaning. The forest, though beautiful and serene, had no mercy. It was wild, untamed, and so too was her life. Alone in the woods, she had no one to help with the chores, no one to share the weight of the silence. It was always just her—sweeping the floor, organizing the sparse furnishings, tending to the small vegetable garden she'd managed to cultivate. Her home was modest, but it was her sanctuary, and she kept it immaculate. She took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of the fresh air outside the cabin, before preparing a light breakfast of simple fruit and herbal tea.
But even as she ate, Elena's mind wandered. The sorrow, the loneliness, the anger—it gnawed at her insides. She found no peace, even in moments meant for rest. Her thoughts drifted back to that day ten years ago, when her world had been shattered. The loss was something she could never escape, no matter how many years passed.
She set the unfinished breakfast aside and decided a walk through the woods would bring some semblance of peace. The forest, with its towering trees and whispering leaves, had always been her refuge. There, among the quiet of nature, she could almost forget—almost. As she walked, her boots crunching softly against the underbrush, her senses sharpened, alert. But the woods were familiar, comforting, until something caught her attention.
A figure emerged from the shadows, a creature of distorted, haunting form—its eyes gleamed with a hunger that sent a chill through Elena's spine. It was a Yōgoe. But not just any Yōgoe. At first, she couldn't place the creature, its form shifting with a grotesque grace. But then, with a flicker of recognition, she realized it was a Desire Yōgoe. A creature born from corrupted desires, feeding on the inner turmoil of its prey.
With swift precision, Elena summoned her magic and her martial skills. The Yōgoe was quick, but not quick enough. With a swift strike and a burst of sorcery, she felled the creature, sending its dark form crumpling to the ground. But as it died, something extraordinary happened.
The world around her began to warp, and before she could make sense of it, Elena found herself standing in a different place altogether. The air was heavier, thick with the smell of smoke and fear. She looked around and realized she had been transported back in time, back to the night of her parents' death—a night she had always wished to forget but could never quite escape.
She stood at the edge of a small corridor, the very same place her parents had hidden her, tucked away in a small, hidden safe house. This time, however, she was not a child, unable to move, unable to speak. She was free to roam. The echoes of voices in the next room reached her ears. She crept forward, drawn to the voices like a moth to a flame. It was her father's voice, low and strained, speaking urgently to someone.
Her heart skipped a beat as she recognized the man with him—the one who had helped kill her parents. He was part of the group that had betrayed them, and her blood boiled at the thought. But there was more. Elena listened as the conversation unfolded, each word like a blade cutting deeper into her chest. Her father's voice trembled with realization—his life, and hers, had been sacrificed for something far darker. The men who had killed them had been sent by her grandparents, the very people who had been entrusted with her safety.
Her hands trembled as the weight of the truth hit her. Her parents had fought not just for their own lives but for something much bigger. And their deaths were part of a much more elaborate, twisted scheme. But before she could process the full extent of the revelation, a new sound interrupted her—a soft, heart-wrenching sob.
Her mother.
Elena's heart seized in her chest. She moved swiftly toward the sound, her footsteps silent as she pushed open a door to find her mother in the next room. Her heart shattered at the sight: her uncles, the very men who had once sworn to protect their family, were forcing themselves upon her mother. Elena froze, her entire body trembling with rage, with helplessness. She wanted to strike, to make them pay, but she couldn't. Her body was not from this world. The laws of time and space held her in place, unable to act.
Tears welled in her eyes, but she wiped them away, forcing herself to think. Evidence. She had to gather something—anything that would show the world the true nature of what had happened. But before she could take another step, the world around her began to shift once more. The moment was over. The time had passed, and she was forced to return to her own time.
Back in the present, Elena stood frozen, her breath coming in heavy gasps. The truth had been revealed, but it left her with more questions than answers. Yet one thing was clear—her parents had been part of a larger fight, and their deaths had been the catalyst for something far more sinister. It was time to fight back. It was time to seek revenge.
She turned away from the forest, her resolve as sharp as steel. They would pay. Every last one of them. Elena knew what she had to do now. The truth was out, and the time for vengeance had come. The demons, the betrayal, her grandparents—none of it mattered anymore. Only one thing did: justice for her parents, and for herself.