The Master of Souls (Ahri x OC)

Chapter 21: Plan

"Don't do it, boy," The Devourer of Souls spoke in a serious tone, "you wouldn't be able to handle the amount of hatred this object has. Look at what it did to me."

Even though the Devourer of Souls had no eyes, the entity felt his eyes staring at him with intensity. "It will burn and devour you, particle by particle until there is nothing left of you."

The entity stared at his burning form and smiled maliciously.

"Don't worry about it," the entity finally said smugly, and he started to fade. "You may be the devourer—" the Devourer of Souls saw the now almost faint silhouette of the entity raising his hand in front of his eyes and balling it into a fist "—but I will be the master."

Then, the entity disappeared completely.

I placed a cloth soaked with all sorts of herb juices on Ahri's back, where the wolf claws had made their marks.

Ahri winced while letting out a silent cry of pain.

"A-Are you ok?" I asked her, concern in my voice.

"Yes." Ahri winced again. "I'm fine . . . thank you."

I carefully and slowly rubbed the cloth on the slash marks, trying hard to not cause pain again.

A moment later, I removed the cloth.

The scars weren't had stopped bleeding, but I had to take precautions for them not to be infected.

"Don't move around frequently, Ahri," I said while standing up from the bed, feeling that the slash marks were there because of me, "you might open up the scars."

"Don't worry about me, Iminha." Ahri smiled gratefully at me, her golden eyes twinkling with sadness and gratitude.

"I'll go now." I crouched down and started to put all the bottles of colored substances and the brushes in the sack while picking up the unfinished painting of the tree.

When I stood up again, Ahri had already stood up from the bed and she leaned forward and kissed my forehead. "Have a nice day, Jeffric."

I smiled at her, to look as if everything was ok. "You too, Ahri."

Then I left, feeling empty and weak.

Ahri looked at Jeffric walking out of the cave and when he was gone, she collapsed onto her knees while bowing her head.

She failed him.

She wished that nothing bad would happen to that poor boy, but because of her, he experienced what causing a massacre felt like.

She still didn't know how his arms changed into those nightmarish things, but she didn't care.

She suddenly remembered herself devouring all the life essence of the inhabitance of an entire coastal village. She remembered the lifeless bodies lying on the ground, their empty eyes staring into nothingness.

Ahri had felt a feeling of deep sorrow that forced her to question her own existence after she had done that. Now, she was feeling it again.

Is my existence just harm to others . . . ?

That thought echoed through her mind as she stared at the cave ground and saw a tear landing on its sandy surface.

She wiped her eyes while trying hard not to sob.

It isn't time for self-pity, Ahri! Wake up! She told herself in her mind. Look at Jeffric . . . he is going to the village to earn things in order to improve your life in this cave even though what he'd experienced yesterday . . . you need to comfort him, not yourself! So come up with an idea, Ahri!