Reign of Embers

Chapter 26- Lena

Fenrys

The girl takes another shaky step through the wooden door, shadows curling around her lithe frame, tangled wavy dark hair moving as if on a phantom breeze. Through the shadows her pale dirt covered skin frames piercing blue eyes, now vacant and ringed with black. Her worn clothes sag from her body which is peppered with cuts and bruises.

I start to make my way through the crowd towards her, pushing past people scrambling both to and away from her. It's clear the girl is looking for something, for someone, and as her shadow imprisoned eyes scan the room I feel a sense of unease wash over me.

I push past one last person and she locks her gaze with mine.

Her eyes begin to darken, clouds of black swirling out from her pupils. A flash of fear passes over her exhausted features, then her eyes turn fully black.

The shadows which first delicately swirled around her like barbed wire, now become impenetrable iron bars. I resist the temptation to take a step back, to look away, as I watch this transformation. I can sense everyone else scrambling to escape her electrifying presence.

"LENA!" I here someone scream, sobs beginning to break free from their body, but still I do not break eye contact.

With one final gasp Lena becomes completely controlled by the darkness, and although her brain and body try and fail to fight to regain conscious thought, it's no use. Through the pain her mouth opens, and she begins to speak.

She begins to speak in a tone that does not belong to her, it's rasp cuts through the room like a blade, causing a few whimpers of fear. Yet I do not look away, even as the words she speaks sends chills through my bones.

"Give this message to your queen.
Every day you spend rejoicing over your victories in the war, every day you think of your past, present, and future, remember this:
No matter what you do, you cannot conquer darkness. Darkness is a part of you, and you cannot conquer what has become one with our soul.
You've already lost your highness. Accept your fate. Accept your punishment. Accept my revenge.
For what? I'm sure everyone wants revenge on you - you're a coward, You're weak, and you're unfit to rule.
You murdered my father in cold blood. This I will never forget.
You turned your back on me, on him, so I will turn your people against you, until you are reduced to nothing.
And if you try to stop it. Well let's just say you'll have a few more deaths on your hands.

Oh, and let my big brother know I say hi."

Deafening silence fills the room as everyone takes in the words. The world stops around me as I begin to realise what this means. My heart is beating so fast I can hardly breathe, yet I'm still staring into the dark abyss of Lena's eyes. I will my mind to work and break her gaze, taking a step away.

The moment I take that step, Lena's eyes start to lighten, the darkness retreating back into her pupil. I hear a weep of gratitude from behind me as her eyes begin to resort back to blue, but I stay put. Her eyes clear, momentarily one of the most dazzling shades I've ever seen, before they start to dull. Her eyes begin to lose their light, her hair begins to wilt, colour leaching from it like it's been bleached, her skin turns as fragile as paper before crumbling like ash. Her face convulses in fear as her eyes once again meet mine, my heart breaks at the tears rising in her eyes as she mutters a final prayer to whichever gods are listening. I can do nothing to help Lena as her body slowly crumbles around her. I can do nothing as she takes her last breath, and the light leaves her eyes forever. Yet I still keep watching. I keep watching this young woman who suffered a horrible death just for a past action. Shadows swirl around her faster and faster, taking the life and colour from every part of her being. Her body gives way and as she hits the floor, it fractures beyond repair - ash like skin flys around the room carried by the winds of death. As the body breaks into millions of pieces, the mass of darkness is given a form.