A Cursed Rage

Cara's Mind

After making the second deal, Cara found herself back in the cave of the first, the hellfire still burning at her back. It was eerily similar to her nightmare, with the darkness creeping in. But where the bodies of her friends had been, there were only shadows and smoke, their vague forms swirling, bound by invisible walls. Forever on the brink of death.
What had she done? Could it have gone any better? If she hadn’t taken that second deal, she could have been able to stop whatever the demon had in mind. At the very least she could try. What did they have planned? Please don’t kill. Please don’t kill her friends. Don’t kill Sai. The words became a mantra in her mind, echoing from thought to tangible phrases that reverberated against the stone walls. They repeated over and over, getting louder and louder until a new thought came. "Does it matter?" She had no way of knowing if she had made an impact on the real world, the deal made certain of that. All that was left now was the location of her first mistake.
The cave reflected her uncertainties back at her from all directions, but it never lingered for long. Here, she was numb. Her thoughts were just thoughts, existing only in the moment. No more pain. Just as the demon had promised.
However, her own thoughts were still a plague as long as they raced by. So many, too fast. But in the midst of all that internal chaos, there was a shining thread of reason. Mentally, she tugged at the hopeful thought. As it grew, she remembered previous moments of calm. But one thought that stayed with her, the only one, was when she meditated in front of the fire, watching over Sai. Cara turned to face the fire at the centre of the cavern, the warmth feeling so similar to that night.
With stiff limbs that did not ache, Cara settled herself upon the hard floor facing towards the fire, the crackling wood echoing against the stone cavern walls. Slowly, she let out a deep sigh as she closed her eyes.
This was almost peace. Although her mind had settled, the fire's heat threatened to scorch her features, but there was something else. Something unknown existed within the space, interrupting her focus, preventing her from reaching true tranquility.
There was a shift in the air. The fire's heat no longer invaded her space; it was a reassuring warmth. Its crackling no longer echoed off the walls, enveloping her in sound. Instead, it was localised, right in front of her. The very air seemed to emanate comfort, that unknown nuisance suddenly gone. She opened her eyes.
The fire was smaller now, contained within a brick fireplace of muted brown. The ground beneath her had changed to plush carpet, as blue as the sky at night. Cara cautiously turned her head to look behind her. Instead of a stone enclosure, she found bookshelves that lined every wall, rising above and beyond her line of sight as they blurred together. In the centre of it all was a couch, where a woman sat reading a book. She wore modest, dark blue clothing made of the softest material; the type that you could hug on a person and not want to let go. The woman looked up in Cara’s direction with the same face that had been seen before. The Mother gently closed her book and placed it on a small side-table. “Hello, dear.” She smiled.
At the sound of that one simple phrase, Cara felt her muscles relax. But memories came back. The last time she had heard that voice, she was being dragged away by the demon. The same demon that she made yet another deal with. Immediately, Cara tensed. “I’ve done something wrong again. I’m so sorry.”
“You have nothing to apologise for. I’m only sorry I couldn’t do more than this.” The Mother gestured to the library around her. “I hope it’s comforting for you.” She then patted the cushions next to her. “Come take a seat if you’d like.” Cara nodded, lifting herself from the carpet. She gazed around the walls, trying to see how far up they went, only seeing endless patterns disappearing into a cluster of lights, far above. She eased herself onto the couch next to the ancient deity.
“What exactly is this place?” She asked.
“This is a smaller recreation of a library in your world that contains all of history, including fictional stories too.” The Mother looked up at the bookshelves, entranced by the quantity. Without removing her gaze, she muttered to herself. “We learn from history. We can only do so if we remember it, or its truth is told to us.” Cara had no idea what to say in response to the cryptic phrase. She fidgeted in place, looking around at the many volumes. But that book The Mother had been reading stood out against the wooden side table.
“What is it that you were reading?” Cara nodded to the book. Snapping back, The Mother blinked slowly, taking a deep breath.
“Oh, this?” She reached over to where she had set down the book. Taking a closer look, it had a brown leather cover with ancient runes etched in gold on the front that seemed to constantly change shape, rendering them incomprehensible. “It’s about a certain period in history, a long time ago. Shortened a fair amount, as it was my summary of my own memories of the events of the past.” Cara tried to focus on the runes but they just wouldn’t stay still long enough for her to understand them. The Mother noticed, her expression softening. She patted the book gently. “Would you like me to read it to you?” Cara couldn’t find any more words, resulting in nodding her head.
The Mother carefully opened the book, readjusting it in her hands to keep it balanced, then cleared her throat. “There were once a pair of human twins.” She paused and chuckled to herself. “I always loved it when people started their stories like that. I've found that something nice usually followed that phrase. In those cases, 'there was once' implies something existed. I like to think that means it could exist again.” She continued to smile down at the words, as if reading them over and over again brought her immense joy. Eventually, she tore her eyes away from the page to Cara. She took a deep breath and returned her gentle gaze to the ever hanging words. “Anyway, there was once a pair of human twins, a boy and a girl, in the newly formed world. Civilisations were growing, people were exploring. They were happy for a time. But there was so much to improve upon. As the population grew, so did the possibility of evil. There existed those who would use the freedom they had to restrict that of others. They would execute without reason. They would keep people from seeing the truth beyond the walls of their confinement.
    “These twins were not the evil-doers. Instead, when everyone around them had given in, they stood up against it. The sister spoke about the endless possibilities and freedom that lay beyond their borders. The brother attempted to convince the people that they deserved to be treated better than they were; that civilisation should be built on morality and justice. Against all adversity, these twins fought for these ideals.
“Alas, the world was not ready for them. Those in power had corrupted the minds of the masses, causing them to fight for the benefit of the few. The twins were exiled from their community, taking many injuries on the way. And yet, they persevered. Against all odds, they held onto hope. For this trait, I smiled upon them. I wished to see more of this in the world, people willing to stand up against injustice and educate for the betterment of humanity. That was not their time, but it didn’t mean it was their end.
“Attaining god-hood is a tricky business. The ritual was taxing, but their righteous spirits carried them through. Afterwards, however, they have to come to terms with their longevity. Loved ones come and go, but it meant they were able to improve the world as a whole. Those twins were the first to be raised to god-hood, but they were not the last. They met other people who spent their lives trying to make the world a better place. They fought for joy, freedom, strength and redemption.
“Sadly, in a world with so much good, the opposite had already existed. Without evil, good might not have been made. Nonetheless, it still seeped throughout the land, infecting and corrupting good people. At one point, it even corrupted the brother of the twins. But the thing I always loved about the people I created was their ability to grow and improve beyond what they once were. With the help of the others, he was brought to his true self, bringing true justice back to civilisation. But this time, he had the experience and insight that had never been available before. Even so, with him restored, there was still a personification of evil and destruction, my equal and opposite. His name… is Vol.”
At the very mention of the name, the firelight dimmed and the shadows began to creep in. Cara brought her feet up to the couch as the darkness crawled towards the pair. The Mother looked up from the book with the first negative expression Cara had seen. Eyes narrowed to glare the oncoming wave at their feet, a deep hatred burning within. The lights far above began to dim, then extinguish, a wall of pitch balc accelerating towards them. In a swift motion, the ancient deity pointed a finger skywards, shooting out a beam of light, piercing through the dark. The lights reignited, the fire burned bright once again. Cara realised she had been holding onto her deity tightly, far closer than she had ever been before. She averted her gaze and began to edge away but The Mother simply smiled and placed a gentle hand on her back, accepting a side embrace. “Shall we continue?” She asked, all negativity gone from her features. Cara nodded, thankful tears in her eyes.
“During the corruption of Justice, He stole the ritual of god-hood, amplifying the evil that He had caused within my creation. He gave power to people whose only purpose was manipulation, greed and malice. Luckily for humanity, hope still existed within the people that the twins had found, who had dedicated their lengthened lives to protecting everything they held dear.
“One by one, the corrupters and manipulators were defeated in the only way an immortal could have been; by sending these maliciously powered individuals into hiding, scattering their influence to obscurity. In the end, there was only one left; the original, my opposite. Even on His own, His influence poisoned the very land He walked upon, spreading hate far and wide. All my gifted children went into battle. The earth shook with each strike as the gods fought with every inch of hope they had. Then one strike from Vol against the brother was far more powerful than expected. At that moment, Justice was taken from the material realm.
“I am not usually one for anger; this all my followers know. But in this instance, my rage was capable of shattering the boundaries between worlds. In fact, it did. I burst my way through to the material plane and smite Vol where He stood. Thanks to the efforts of Justice and his allies, He was already in a weakened state, allowing me to bury Him deep within the earth. However, every second that I stayed to ensure His defeat, I could feel His power returning. That is the down-side to being the Goddess of Creation; you can’t help but give power to those around you. So, I returned to the Outer Realms, sealing myself away so that Destruction could not return.” With a sigh, The Mother closed the book and set in gently in her lap. She turned to face Cara.
“Now, the original ritual for god-hood was lost to time. However, I know someone who had quite a knack for book-keeping, documenting all of history as it passed her by. Your friends ended up meeting her in pursuit of your demon. You can rest assured, I have faith that they will take the correct path.”
“Oh no. Where are they? Are my friends alright?”
“They have taken some damage, I’m afraid. But they will be brought together by their mutual desire to help you.”
“I miss them. I wish there was a way to see them.” Cara looked down at her hands in her lap.
“I might be able to help with that.” The Mother clasped her hands together. Sparks of light escaped from the space between. As she brought them apart, threads stretched between her fingertips. Looking between the lines of light, Cara saw a distorted version of the bookshelves beyond. The Mother slowly pulled at these threads, expanding the window between until the scenery beyond was a blur. She positioned her hands between Cara and the fireplace. The window brightened. A new scenery began to develop. A battlefield. Beasts made of wings, scorpion tails and lion bodies roared and pounced upon armoured soldiers, cutting long lives short with a single swipe of their claws. Between the fray, someone was running towards them, as if they could see her beyond the screen. Their hood flew back, revealing pointed, elven ears and a focused expression. They ducked beneath a scorpion tail, dodged a reflected sword and continued running, with a roar louder than the monsters their allies fought. Before Cara could recognise their face, a finger jabbed from the screen towards the person, sending a missile of dark energy. As it hit, the elf froze to the spot, glaring at the screen with pure hatred. Echo was stuck in their moment of anger and pain.
As her chest tightened, Cara noticed another person joining the pursuit. An orange tiefling. It took a moment to recognise her, as she wore a hard set frown so intense it could have been permanent. Tango only briefly glanced at Cara through the screen before noticing Echo fixed to the spot. The tiefling had barely begun checking their friend before the pointing finger adjusted to her instead. Shuddering, Echo turned to Tango, raising a dagger with a trembling fist. Tango made the connection, but looked at the hand that pointed, black smoke growing around its form. As Echo fought back their own actions, Tango fumbled for her flute at her side. The shadows continued to grow as darkness pulsed around Echo's form.
Cara had been hoping for reassurance of safety, but saw only desperation and pain. A scream rose up from deep inside her, fighting its way to the surface. A crack shot across the screen. As Tango played her ear-piercing note, more spidered across its span. Cara could see only a blurred image of her friends before the screen shattered, the pieces fading into nothing.
There were no remnants of what had just occurred. No roars. No cries of the battlefield. But the image of pain had been burned into her mind. Cara collapsed against the back of the seat, staring into space.
There were no words. Only the crackling fire betrayed the passing of time. The ancient deity could only watch as Cara’s emotions stewed within. 
“I feel like there is something I could be doing to help them.” Cara mumbled. She fidgeted in place, eventually leaning forward, cradling her head in her hands, staring into the fire. She sighed. “Sitting here, I’m useless.”
“Now, Cara.” The Mother started in a voice like silk. “You have given so much of yourself. You saved Sai from certain death! In this battle, you have done all you can.” The Mother placed a gentle hand upon Cara’s shoulder. She looked up at the bookshelves. “Would you like to hear another story?”
Cara released a shivering sigh before lifting herself up onto the couch. “Yes please.” she breathed in response.