The Caliginous Villainess

Chapter 20

"Hello there!" She squeaked out. I expected a more terrifying voice. Wait! Won't looking at her directly turn me into stone??? I looked away and focused on my reflection on the water.

"Oh, relax. I won't turn anyone into stone. I'm just a descendant of the real deal. Moreover, we can control who we turn into stone. It usually depends on our emotions."

   I looked up a little hesitantly. She smiled at me. Oh, she was gorgeous. The snakes around her hair made her even more sparkling and highlighted her green eyes.

"You are so beautiful!" I said out loud unable to control my mouth.

"Wow, thanks. You too. So, I see you struggling with your attribute mix up huh? Nidas informed me so I crept into your mind. Sorry that I didn't get permission first. But, I really wanted to help you." Uhh, why are monsters more sweeter than wretched humans?

"You are also sweet! Ms. Medusa" I gawked out. And did she just mention Nidas?

"Oh, darling. Stop complimenting me. I might snatch you away from your guy for myself. And call me Medi. That's what my friends call me. We are only given the name of 'Medusa' for honor. Most of us use our own names." She told me with a sugar-coated smile.

    I didn't register her words at the moment because all the myths were lying about this amazing creature. Who could ever be scared? Or was it because I was naturally weird?

"So, how are you? Oh, should I have used honorifics?" She asked me in a sweet voice. Her voice reminded me of the kindergarten teachers.

"I'm doing good but what do you mean by honorifics?" I asked her, even though I still couldn't wrap my head around the situation before me.

"You, my dear, is the direct descendent of the prime darkness wielder. Your control over the black stripes? That was your dark attribute trying to help you. It was unstable at first but after you found your rightful body, I believe things started to get easier. And I should be calling you 'my lord' if so."

"Wait, rightful body?" Does that mean the original Rose did not have the dark attribute? I told her politely trying to counteract my previous outburst. 

"Yes, oh let me show you."

   She pointed her finger at the water and my reflection on it blurred. The water which was initially dark glowed brightly. A hissing sound came out of the water. Several images started to form on the shining water, magically. 

   The duel with the knights, the fight with the nobles at the hunting competition, the monster rampage and the fight with Alvin where I broke his sword into a hundred shrill pieces morphed on the shallow water. 

"Can you see the situations where the darkness tried to help you out? There is a common misconception that darkness is evil and light is good. But honestly, that's complete bullshit! Light and the darkness must both be present for the other to exist. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that you can control, create and manipulate the darkness to your own will. You keep resisting it. I'm asking you to give it a chance." She put on a hundred expressions.

"Can you give me a second to wrap this out and process first?"

"Of course, take as much time as you need." Medi told me.

"So, you are telling me that the black unknown energy I felt is the darkness. The most rarest attribute even exceeding the light?"

"Yes"

"And that, it is trying to help me?"

"Yes"

"In the same way, I talked to the monsters with its help?"

"Yes" 

"So, will I be dead if someone finds out?"

"Yes...I mean, no. NO! No one can kill you. I mean, sure they can, but you can fight back much stronger and faster and probably even disable them from your 'scientific knowledge' ." She winked at the last part. So she knows I am an 'imposter'.

"No, you are not an Imposter! This body will help you exist. That's all I can tell you for now. Otherwise, you might go insane." She replied, reading my mind again.

"So, what am I supposed to do now? I mean I get it. I'm one of the strongest in here considering my physical skills and now you drop a bomb on me that I could most probably control half the hemisphere right?"

"Wow, you understood it. Most people run away when they even hear that darkness is no joke. They hate even associating it. Yes, all I'm trying to say is that you should polish or develop your dark attribute as well. You don't have to attract attention in the least and all your plans will have an addition of 40% success too. "

"You told me the numbers to persuade me, didn't you?" I smirked at her, calling out on her cheap tricks.

"Hee-hee, I did. I wanted to tell you that we are all here for you through the thick and thin."

"So, that means, I don't have to fight the monsters in the Southern areas right?"

"What?! Why would you fight them? When they feel your presence, they would bow down on their knees to you. And why the southern areas?" 

"Okay, that would be a bit excessive but it feels good to not have enemies. Is that why I could subdue the monsters in the hunting competition?"

"Yes, girl. It was all you. Nidas had bragged a lot about you so much since that day, I wonder if my ears bled to their death already."  She told me with a chuckle.

"So, tell me, how do I polish it like you said?"

"Well, you can't go paw and bam like super heroes so first, sit down. Then, take a deep breath first. In and out." I did as I was instructed. The deep breath calmed me down and I closed my eyes shut.

"Okay, you are doing good. Feel the energy around you. Remember how you controlled the black stripes and pulled your sword towards you? That energy, right there. You should be able to feel it." 

   I took another deep breath. The frequency waves or according to Medi, the dark energy, came right at me. I mentally imagined a ball of black thread in front of me and put my full concentration to it. A gust of wind swept past me. My hair flapped against me and my eyes felt a cool breeze on them. Somehow, I felt like something was pushing me.

"That push is the dark energy. Let it flow and you take control. Most importantly, don't let it control you." I nodded at her. 

   The push intensified and left me in a hollow reverberation. My eyes were closed shut and I couldn't open them at all. I felt a piercing ache in my head. My body was numb. I couldn't move. I was immobilized.

Hello there!

-How was today's chapter? 
-Rose is finally going to obtain her full power now! Comment on what you think her new ability can do. Feel free to leave a vote. Have a nice day!