The Chronicles of Onyx: Book 2

Chapter Fourteen

Smoldering eyes locked onto Onyx with an angry glint in his golden irises as he watched her gradually stirred from her unconscious state. Her golden eyes fluttered open, the pain from her wound throbbed in rhythm with her heartbeat. The room seemed to hold its breath, anticipating the moment she would awaken. The flickering candlelight cast shadows on her face, highlighting the weariness and pain etched in her features.

As Onyx propped herself up on her elbows, she found herself met with the intensity of her father's eyes. With Dezenym's simmering gaze boring a mixture of anger, concern, and disappointment.

"Onyx," he began, his voice a low growl carrying the weight of unspoken frustrations. "Do you comprehend the gravity of your actions? Your reckless pursuit has put not only yourself but others in jeopardy."

Onyx winced, feeling the sting of guilt prick at her conscience. Memories of the fiery storm, Sith's arrow, and the desperate struggle to shield Rok for the hungry flames, flooded back. She looked away, unable to meet her father's accusatory gaze.

"I had it under control, Father. I could have handle Sith alone," Onyx retorted, her voice tinged with defensiveness.

"Handle Sith?" Dezenym's tone grew stern. "You endangered not only your own life, but Roks, whom had almost perished due to your choices."

Onyx's golden gaze flashed with frustration, but even more, was a longing and painful sadness visible in those golden eyes. "I won't.." she paused, closing her with a shuttered sigh. "I can't stand by while others suffer. While that monster makes her mark even deeper."

"And at what cost, Onyx?" Dezenym countered with a calmer tone. "The path you tread is fraught with peril, and you risk losing more than you gain. Your actions have consequences, and not just for those who care about you, but for yourself. You risk losing yourself Onyx." His words hardened.

Onyx's jaw tensed as she absorbed her father's words. "I refuse to let fear dictate my choices, Father. I won't hide from what needs to be done" Onyx declared, her gaze defiant.

Dezenym sighed, his expression softening with a mixture of sadness and understanding. "It's not about hiding, Onyx. It's about understanding what you will lose if you continue on with this misguided path."

Onyx's frustration deepened, as she pushed herself up to a sitting position on the table, wincing slightly in pain as she did so. "I won't be confined by your fears, Father. I have a duty, and I won't shy away from it."

Dezenym stood, his gaze meeting hers. "And who said this was your duty."

A charged silence settled between them, the weight of unspoken words hanging in the air. Onyx clenched her jaw, the pain in her side momentarily forgotten in the heat of their argument.

"You are my daughter," Dezenym's voice softened, "And it is my duty to teach you how to wield your powers responsibly, not recklessly."

Onyx pushed herself off the table, her eyes ablaze with frustration. "I can't sit back and watch as everything falls apart. I won't let Demeter and her puppets destroy everything that is left."

"You think vengeance is the answer?" Dezenym's voice rose with incredulity. "It only leads to more pain and suffering. You're heading down a dangerous path, Onyx, and I won't stand idly by and watch you destroy yourself."

"I won't be the one destroyed when it is over father, that I can promise you," Onyx retorted, her determination unwavering.

Dezenym hung his head low, his eyes carrying pain and grief as he listened to Onyx's familiar words. A heavy silence stretched between them before he finally spoke, his voice filled with a deep sadness.

"Onyx," Dezenym's voice trembled with a sadness that cut through the charged air. "I once walked a path similar to yours."

Onyx looked at her father, confusion etched on her face.

"After your mother was killed, I lost myself. I became a dark monster, did things I can never take back—a mistake I have to live with. A regret a will die with" Dezenym's eyes held the weight of his past.

"I understand the pain you feel, the desire for retribution. But it cost me everything I had to lose."

"I don't want you to go through what I did. I can't bear to see you lose yourself, to become a shadow of the person you are meant to be." Dezenym's voice cracked with emotion. 'This is not the only path, Onyx. There's another way, a way that won't cost you everything."

Onyx's gaze softened, as though she was listening for once, truly listening.

"I did something that is irreversible, something I will never forgive myself for, don't add to that my dear. Don't be foolish out of anger, it will only bring forth pain and regret."

"What did you do?" she asked hesitantly, perhaps fearing the answer she would receive.

The air grow still before Dezenym's voice cut through like a whip, "I brought the dead back into life. Out of purely rage."