Don't become so nice in this world where everyone around you is wearing masks to fool you. Demons are sometimes real. Usually, they live inside us. But sometimes, they are around us. In this case, this demon is currently ruling the country.
Lilith sighed deeply as she gazed upon the lifeless body of the noble she had slain. Using the sharp edge of her sword, she meticulously carved butterfly wings into its back. Typically, she only left small carvings on the bodies of her victims. But in the intensity of her anger at that moment, she spent extra time on it.
"Something's strange..." she halted her carving. "It's like I'm not getting tired tonight. Like I'm not running out of strength." She muttered to herself.
After she killed the Seige family, chaos further ensued in the town. It was inevitable that the palace would be shaken, especially since the Seige family was in charge of the new weapons and arms being sent there.
On the other hand, she couldn't help but feel pleased, especially since everything was going according to her plan. To catch the king's attention and start to overthrow his selfish rule.
She heard rustling in the darkness. She adjusted the cloak covering her face and started to feel her surroundings. She quickly ran behind a large tree and began to scan her surroundings.
A cold breeze blew. Again, she heard the rustling. She strained her eyes to make out the dark foliage. Light peeked through from the full moon. She felt movement to her left and swiftly aimed her sword at her face.
A metallic object collided with her weapon. She quickly dodged subsequent attacks from the darkness and started to retreat from her hiding spot.
"You're too cowardly to attack from the shadows," she taunted before flames flowed onto her palm. She immediately threw it towards the figure moving in the darkness.
She glimpsed its evasion. She quickly recoiled as she saw the metal blades heading towards her position. She managed to deflect some, but due to the successive throws, she couldn't avoid being grazed by one of them.
She felt a chill in her feet. She furrowed her brow, trying to move herself from where she stood.
"Fuck, another noble?"
She let the fire flow onto her sword and swung it towards the forming ice at her position. She almost cursed as she was grazed again on her arm. Blood trickled from her wound, and she quickly staunched it.
From left and right, she heard rustling. When the moonlight peeked through the thick clouds, she discerned two figures before her.
"You must be the rumored assassin in the palace," she heard a familiar voice.
Fear coursed through her system. She tightened her grip on her wound and blinked rapidly.
"This can't be." It felt like she had been doused with cold water when she saw their faces.
"Are you okay, Kat?" a man beside the voice asked.
"Her fire won't work on my water, Julio," the companion sneered.
"What the actual fuck." She tightened her grip on her weapon. All she could hear was her heart pounding. It seemed like everything came rushing back to her as she saw their familiar faces.
She forced herself to calm down. She straightened her posture and raised her head as she faced them, tightening the cloak covering her face.
"And who might you two be?" She tried to steady her voice amidst the anxiety.
"Us?" the girl glanced at her male companion. "We're here to assassinate the assassin."
"So, we're assassins now? I thought we were Knights of Cornelia," the young man laughed.
A mix of emotions flooded her as she observed the two. Even though years had passed, she couldn't forget the faces of her childhood friends, the close companions who often visited her.
She had thought they were dead due to the Markeus family's control in the palace, especially for nobles opposed to Markeus's rule.
She was glad they were still alive, but what she couldn't understand was why they were following the orders of the king she despised.
"Are you both messing with me?" she retorted, irritation evident in her voice. "I have no time for the two of you, and you're not my concern."
"But you're our concern," their tone shifted to seriousness. "We're sure to face dire consequences if we return to the palace empty-handed."
A barrage of curses filled her mind. She didn't want to harm them. But she also couldn't afford to be endangered because of them. She hadn't prepared for this situation. It wasn't part of her plan, and only Xavier was on her mind.
"Why didn't he tell me about this kind of situation?"
She needed to go no matter what. Memories rushed through her mind like rushing water—fast, abundant, and consecutive. Memories she had almost forgotten over time. Memories she had been trying to erase from her mind because they reminded her of all the painful and sad things that had happened to her.
"Are you betraying me, Xavier?" she angrily muttered to herself. "Is this a fucking trap to catch me?"
She almost blinked when she saw droplets of water floating around her. She tightened her grip on her weapon when she saw them. She took a deep breath as she saw Julio's hand pointed towards her.
Shapes formed from the droplets, extending and sharpening gradually from circles. As Katrina opened her palm, the droplets around her began to freeze and quickly headed toward her.
She stepped back, her sword deflecting the ice that came at her with every move she made. The fire crawled back onto her sword, diminishing the ice's strength and starting to melt it before it could reach her.
She created a large fire and quickly threw it towards where the two were standing. It spread and blocked their path. She noticed the two also retreated from where they stood. Without hesitation, she ran away towards the dark forest.
"What a freaking night. Why do they suddenly appear out of nowhere!" she cursed as she held onto the cloak covering her face, which almost slipped off.
She heard the two chasing after her. She glimpsed their figures and caught a glimpse of the smoke behind her. Her fire disappeared quickly due to Julio's magical water.
She paused when she saw the high part of the cliff. Her jaw tightened, and she needed to make a quick decision. She glanced back again and saw the two figures approaching.
She almost cursed. If she didn't jump off the cliff, she might be caught by the two. She carefully observed her landing spot if she jumped. A cluster of lush and tall trees. She took a deep breath, clenched her fist, and bit her lip gently. With every passing second, the pounding in her chest grew stronger as the edge drew nearer.
She stepped back slightly and didn't hesitate to jump.
Julio and Katrina stopped in their tracks when they saw her leap off the cliff. They couldn't catch up to the girl, and all they could do was watch her descend until she vanished from their sight.
"Do you think she'll survive that jump?" Katrina asked.
"Do you want to jump too to find out the answer?"
She shot a glance at her friend and nudged him slightly. "You go first if you're so eager. It was your idea."
The young man sighed as he observed the lower part of the cliff. He scratched the back of his neck and looked troubled. "I'm sure the king won't be pleased when we return."
"Surely, the king won't be in a good mood when we return," Katrina remarked.
Lilith stood in a daze as she gazed at the vast sky. The only sound she could hear was the chirping of birds and the gentle rustle of the wind around her. The light began to break through after the deep night. The bleeding from her wounds, acquired from the cliff jump, had stopped.
She had no strength left in that moment. She quietly observed the movement of clouds in the sky.
"Betray them before they betray you, indeed," she thought to herself before taking a deep breath.
She didn't return to her dwelling. Nor did she head to the secret passage in the church. She had a bad feeling about what happened, especially since she hadn't received any information from Xavier.
She slowly sat up from lying on the grass, glancing briefly at the pile of rocks beside her. The wind blew, causing some grass to sway beside her.
"It looks like I need to act alone now, Dad," she said, brushing off some dry leaves around her. "I don't know if there's anyone left I can trust now. Even my old friends have sided with Markeus."
Every time his name crossed her mind, anger surged through her system. She didn't notice her fists clenching, causing the dry leaves she held to crumble.
"Why did they have to side with the one who killed you, Dad? Don't they know what happened or was everything planned from the beginning?"
Since she lost everything, she couldn't remember the last time she cried. It seemed like she had forgotten and lost all emotion about what happened. Crying won't resolve anything, right?
She heard rapid footsteps not far away, prompting her to snatch her sword. Despite the difficulty in moving, she tried to stand up and adjust the cloak covering her face.
She paused upon seeing who arrived. Even they stopped running and gasped for breath, hands on their knees, before straightening up.
"What are you doing here?" she asked coldly.
She furrowed her brow as she observed their expression. Why were they looking at her like that? They quickly approached her. It seemed like her feet froze, and she couldn't step back.In an instant, she found herself enveloped in their embrace. The cloak covering her face was pushed aside, and her eyes welled up.
"I've been looking for you everywhere! I thought something happened to you," they whispered.
Her heart raced. It was as if she were deafened by every beat. When they let her go, they immediately held her face, examining each of her wounds.
"Why is this person worried? Why is he looking at me like this?"
She saw Xavier in a frenzy, talking, but she couldn't hear him. She was temporarily deafened by the pounding in her chest.
"Lilith!" She recoiled when she heard his faint shout. She quickly pushed him away and pointed her sword at him.
Even though she was surprised, she couldn't understand what she was feeling.
"What happened to you? Why didn't you go to the church and seek treatment? You're covered in wounds!"
"Stop pretending. It's annoying."
Xavier furrowed his brow. "Pretending? What are you talking about?"
"I know what I mean. Is this part of your plan with Markeus?"There was a momentary silence. She stared directly into his eyes, trying to read his reaction.
"Now you're doubting me, Lilith? I've been with you and helped you for years. Why would I let you come to harm?" He tried to approach her, but she stepped back.
"I know that you could betray me at any moment. So if you're planning to do that, let's end our relationship now."
"I don't know what's going through your mind to think that," he brushed his hair in frustration. He stepped towards her again, enough for the edge of her sword to touch his skin. "I won't do what you're thinking."
They locked eyes. She returned his gaze, unable to look away from his eyes staring directly at her. She lowered the sword and pointed at him. She retrieved it from being tucked at her side and turned away from him.
"I saw them," she whispered. "The Knights of Cornelia."
She heard his soft sigh. She glanced at him and saw his troubled expression.
"I also don't know how to tell you about that. I was surprised to see them too," she frowned as he took her hand. "I only recently learned that Markeus had imprisoned them in a hidden part of the palace where they couldn't use magic."
He took out a handkerchief and wiped away some dry blood and wounds she acquired from the altercation. She watched him, feeling his concern as he cleaned her injuries.
"I know the next few days will be difficult for you, especially as parts of your past slowly return, Avery."
"Avery has been dead for a long time." She withdrew her hand from his and looked away. "You shouldn't mention that name anymore."
"She didn't die, you hid her. I know I can't stop you from your decision. You can't hide forever behind that cloak as Lilith. You also need to prepare for the day when you'll face the people you've escaped from."
She felt his grip on her again. She tried to avoid it, but he pulled her and quickly faced her. Her eyes softened as she approached him. She froze and couldn't help but stare.
"Sometimes, your worst enemy is your memory. Learn to let it go or you might lose yourself in the process."
"People will forget, karma will not. I'll give them the karma they deserve. I'm still showing mercy by killing those stupid nobles first. They took everything from me and this is me being reasonable," she spoke directly into his eyes. "I'm willing to do anything to see Markeus fall and regret everything as Avery or Lilith."
Xavier released his grip on the girl's arm. People change after experiencing pain. Those loving, kind eyes now seemed sharp enough to kill somebody.
"I'll support you no matter how hard the path is. Your secrets are always safe. But if I see you in danger because of what you're doing, I won't hesitate to stop you."
The girl chuckled lightly. "As if I'll let you stop me."
"I'm serious. I promise here at King Argus' tomb that I won't abandon you."
"What are you talking about?!" She saw him blush at what he said, which made her smile slightly.
"We better treat those wounds of yours first." He chuckled and pulled her away.