Ashes of Vile

014

CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The Undead of the Dead

"You come and you go, that's the beauty of it." Sung Mi explained. "How could there be beauty in such a cruel thing?" Abourne questioned. Sung Mi shifted her other leg and leaned slightly forward, catching Abourne's eyes. "You're paranoid, and I get it. Living with such power is not easy, but what matters is how you'll use it to your advantage. Bo, I can feel it in my bones. What you can do is raw power. And we've been striving so hard to get real power."

"WAKE THEM UP, BO." Sung Mi raised her voice. Abourne breathed in deeply and closed her eyes, trying her best to focus her mind on the acquired task: raising the poor stranger's dead body. Amidst the dark gray clouds and fog, the two stood confidently in the graveyard. Sung Mi flawlessly managed to bargain her way into the Ashgrim's cemetery. Despite the unsighted rankings of Ashgrim, the dead held greater power over the mortals. There was no such thing as superiority amongst them. Not even the richest and most powerful of all of Ashgrim could lay with the bodies clasping the royalties of this world. Everyone was equal, and everyone was extremely well protected. The Ashgrim cemeteries were well watched and well taken care of. Ashgrim had lots of respect for the dead, way more than the flesh and blood that works and suffers for its perseverance.

In the pursuit of sovereignty, the goal is to embark a road of redemption formidable and suitable to the eyes of both the shadow and light; there is nothing greater than the gain of weight that has been a loss but in the hands of a true winner. But Abourne was not feeling like a true winner that night, nor did it feel any better to know what she held in her hands was not something to be celebrated. The raw power everybody so craved for was her achilles heel. Her downfall. It was not the thought of what roads it could lead down that kept her up at night, it was what shadows will prevent her from following the sunlight.

"We are merely wasting our time on something pointless, Sung Mi." Abourne sighed. Sung Mi got down from previously sitting on the edge of a tombstone and disrespectfully dusting away the dirt that rested on her hands. "Have you seriously got doubt already entering your mind?" Sung Mi shot her a sharp look that suggested mockery of weakness, but it did not hit Aborne. It only challenged her to push the matter further. "There's been doubts since the start. You pushed those doubts in and pushed me here."

"You're useless, Bo." Sung Mi spoke with such electricity coursing through her words. Abourne looked at Sung Mi with more seriousness she could garner than her entire life's worth. "You're useless, and unfortunately that's the truth. So am I, Bo. But you've got something to offer. Screw Devin Ashdown and his money, screw August and her vile skill, screw Zakeen and his masterly hands of life. I'd even say screw Inez and her mouth, but now she's up ahead of everyone else except you."

"Both you and Inez were useless. It may sting you to hear it, but now, you can no longer be the ones to offer nothing in the group. Bo, you're not a killer. But do you really think that's enough in order for you to fight for power? It's not, Abourne. It's the opposite. You've seen these people. You've heard their true selves. Now you're hearing from me. And this is just barely the surface. You need to do what you can with all your power to gain more power. It is how it's always been, Abourne. This is what you've gotten yourself into. We are looking for power. We've never been good people. Stop worrying about the black and white problems. Look at the bigger picture, Bo."

But despite the big speech made by Sung Mi, Abourne had given up. Whether it was what Sung Mi had confronted her to be the cause of her backing out, or it could be entirely something else. Abourne Blaque knew how to feel better than everyone else. And that was precisely what was wrong with her. The ability to feel emotions was her barricade and she was determined to cut that loose. Back in her manor, away from the present not so welcoming hands, she buried deep into the familiar soft cotton weighted mattress. She took it upon herself to find the best version of herself in just a matter of days and return with more to offer.