Lord of Cages - Vessel

Chapter 2 - The Punishment

Chapter Two

The Punishment

The world around her was in chaos. As consciousness slowly returned, her senses started to awaken. She hoped she was finally dreaming. Everything felt surreal.

She heard and felt nothing but destruction. Her nose could sense the agonizing smell of smoke and fire. The ground was shaking and someone was yelling in pain and fear.

Finally, she was able to open her eyes, her heart beating with anxiety and a strange sense of urgency. She took a deep, troubled breath, as if it was her first. Nayara was lying on the cold ground and, looking up, she could see the ceiling of an old and fragile house with a large hole on it. She had fallen into it and landed there.

Something hit the building with strength and she suppressed a frightened scream as the sound and power of the impact hit her and her protective shell.

“Welcome to the world, little sister.”

“Who…”

She searched for the origin of the voice as frantically as she could, but her dizziness proved to be a worthy opponent. More than see, she sensed his presence right next to her and she lazily tried to focus her sight on him. Her vision was blurry but she could still see him sitting next to her, looking at the sky through the massive hole she had created on the ceiling. Nayara could see his golden hair and, once he looked back at her, his beautiful blue eyes and charming, kind smile. He looked remarkably calm, despite all the mayhem and ruin happening on the outside.

She would recognize those features, even if she couldn’t quite see them, anywhere.

“Elias?”

“You have to be careful now,” he said, his smile vanishing and a look of concern replacing it. “They can’t find out what you are. They will kill you.”

“What’s happening?” she begged, she had to know, she had to understand. Why were people screaming and running? Why was the ground shaking? Where was that horrible, terrifying roar coming from? Why could she smell fire?

“You are at your weakest now,” Elias replied, turning his gaze back at the sky. “You’re fragile. Mortal.”

“Elias, what is going on?” she asked again, trying to move and finding that every muscle in her body yelled in protest. Her skin ached and her head was threatening to explode, but she was determined to get up. Even the simple act of lifting her head was a struggle, it was like she weighted too much.

“Your Sins… They’re unleashed.”

Nayara’s eyes widened in shock.

“This is… This is me?”

“This is part of you,” he explained, looking at her with a kind sadness, though not making any movement to help her get up. “You have to get them back now, before the Hunters do. Before our brothers and sisters do.”

Nayara looked at him with strain and pain in her features and he smiled with encouragement.

“You have to be brave. He won’t help you.”

She knew he was talking about their Master and her guilt rekindled as she thought of him and the heartbreak her selfishness had certainly given him.

Elias got up from his broken chair. “You should leave this place. They always check the landing spot first.”

Nayara nodded and, with a painful moan, she finally found the strength to stand on both her burned feet.

“Be careful, little Naya. You have lost the right to his protection. And down here, you are nothing but a monster.” He walked closer to her and, with a darkness in him that she did not know he possessed, whispered, “And they will hunt you down.”