The Return of a Hunchback

Chapter 10. Goddess of Light and Darkness

Flashback: When Light and Darkness coalesce

Hovering over the village of Dhavize, the shrill scream of terror shreds through the air. The unceasing cacophony of cries and entreaty for help reverberated from every direction. People are drowning in the abyss of bloody war; some tried to fight back but ended up lifeless in the sea of their own blood.

Amidst the chaos was the woman named Aerendel, standing while painfully watching the most harrowing scenario she's ever seen in her entire life. She couldn't stop shaking as she stared at the carnage with wide eyes. She stayed rigid; her hand was frozen on the cold metal handle of her weapon. In front of her were the dead bodies of her friends and families; some were brutally mutilated; the swords of the knights had decapacitated others. Those evil murderers were working together to commit the heinous act that would end humanity. They are controlled by the powerful witches led by the evil Queen Eleanor and King Abrosco.

Her tears were streaming uncontrollably. Her heart was shattered in agony with no stain of hope and bravery. She lifted her head only to see the sky shrouded with red clouds like blood smoke coming out of hell. She yearned to end this gruesome war, considering she is not just an ordinary human but a powerful being who can conjure magic. Unfortunately, she doesn't know how to start. She knew she couldn't control anything and thought of herself as a coward. She wanted to try, but whatever happened next, she couldn't do anything to bring the lives of her loved ones back; they were all now gone.

"Power will not suffice to heal my wounded heart... not even enough to persist breathing," Aerendel muttered under he breath as she knelt in despair. "I-I must die..."

She was about to impale herself onto the sword with her hands but stopped midway when the wind began to blow violently, enough to ruffle her hair, and she tossed the weapon from her hands and flung it across the ground.

She tried to seize the weapon but ended up being controlled by the invisible force which pushed her backward.

Her cries turned into even more agonizing screams. "Why can't I die?!"

She attempted grabbing the weapon again, yearning to end her life finally, but a sudden peculiar voice interrupted and halted her. It wasn't loud, but there was a sense of power resonating within it.

"You must persist."

"Be well advised that on this very night, you are bound to live. Nor surrender, stop, but stand in silent despair and have faith in your power."

Those words struck Aerendel like a spear, piercing her heart.

"But I can't..." She stumbled, falling to her knees in anguish. "There is nothing left for me. Nothing!"

"There will always be a way, Aerendel. You just need a strong perseverance. I know this bloody war is powerful, grieving, and poignant. But you are the hope, and you're not alone."

"No! I am useless... a wretched creature living in a place I'm not supposed to be. I-I am nothing."

"The adversary wears horn and will beguile you into the dept of succumb, but you, Aerendel, have the power of control. You can control everything and make it right."

After hearing her articulation, the robust wind ceased, bringing back the noise of war filled with death and mayhem. And for the last time, she watched the entire surroundings while the excruciating pain kept penetrating her body, burning her alive.

Suddenly, an emotional pain morphed into a physical ache as if her chest tightened from lack of oxygen. As if something was trying to rip her heart from her ribcage and suffocate her from its own weight. She shut her eyes until a flashback of memories surfaced, showing her those blissful times. A life where only bliss and hope existed, where her family and friends were safe, happy, and content. The more these memories invaded her mind, the more enraged the feeling in her chest grew.

Without her control, her hands automatically touched the ground. She grabbed hold of the soil and dug her fingers deep, relishing the burning sensation, the juices of rage, while gradually summoning the light and darkness and coalescing it into the air.

The red sky earlier turned into a white and dark ominous haze, slowly swirling above the village of Dhavize. And that mystical energy invaded Aerendel's body, spreading throughout her veins. As soon as she fluttered her eyes open, her dark eyes became vibrant white and black, glowing brightly with the same luminosity, radiating a powerful energy that made the atmosphere change.

She dragged in a deep breath to steady her nerves and swallowed hard to dislodge the lamp of misery in her throat. This time, she felt unusual. She felt confident and powerful as she looked up at the sky.

"Stop the bloody war! Let there be no more pain!"

Her outburst reverberated in the entire Land when she screamed in anger and forlorn. The ground around her started to crack and split, creating a huge rift. Everyone inside the battlefield stopped what they were doing and gawked at the scene of a magnificent spectacle until they fell backward, with their body slowly turning into ashes, leading their existence into complete oblivion. It took her another few moments to realize what had just happened and to grasp the magnitude of her deed fully.

The deafening silence engulfed the surroundings again, but this time, there was no more annihilation from the knights and no more bloody war. The scenario appeared like nothing tragedy had happened.

Suddenly, she heard the sound of footsteps pounding behind her, making her veer around, and there she saw the two beings she loathed the most. It was Queen Eleanor and King Abrosco, the instigators of this entire disaster.

"Who brought you here?!" the Queen's eyes burned with fury as she scrutinized the surroundings while the King stood straight beside her with a sword. Aerendel gradually stood up from his kneeling position and cast a frigid stare that signified she was unperturbed. "Tell me!"

"Nothing matters to you, so what's the point of asking?" she halted midstep, and the cold zephyr became electrifying, enough to rustle her raven hair like soft waves.

"You are nothing but a mere creature that does not even have the right to be in the Land of Renesia. Whoever decreed you to wreak havoc in my domain will be penalized! Summon your God, and have farewell!" she laughed evilly as she raised her hand and pulled the black energy out of the air until it formed an orb of darkness the size of a head, its shape distorted by the distortion of time around it. She let out another shrill laughter, preparing her vicious attack.

"Have you forgotten who you were before?" Aerendel grinned evilly. "You are just a concubine who believes life is about affluence and notoriety. But your fate cannot condone such idiotic conviction."

"Stop!"

"Oh, you can't! Just as you can't abdicate your throne under the influence of your first husband. You don't love him. The only way to embezzle everything is to relinquish yourself to a demon in exchange for ceaseless darkness. That itself proves everyone can be a sovereign."

"What the hell are you implying, stupid being?!"

Aarendel took a few more steps until all her torments engulfed her senses. All the memories kept flashing back, including the tragic occurrences of her friends and families, drowning her in the depth of torture. Finally, her avidity to show her true colors became impossible to ignore. "You perceive yourself as a mighty being... and so am I."

From the ground, she rose slowly, summoning the light and darkness, creating a thick vortex of light and dark energy of which she could unleash anything. That power caused an earthquake, causing everything in her surroundings to shatter, while a thunderous sound shook the ground. 

She threw a giant, deadly sphere at the Queen and King. The impact caused the King and Queen to stumble, but they managed to remain standing because the Queen used a giant shield made of an invisible barrier. She hurled another energy, and this time, the shield broke apart.

Aerendel was about to make another attack when a sudden voice interrupted her.

"Reinforce your sentiments, Aerendel. This is not the right time!"

"Why? Why did you give me power when you can't condone me to use it now?" she queried, bewildered and furious.

But as soon as the answer came, she knew the right thing to do was obey.

"Because the Pernicious Creations needs you. The unending hopes lie in you. Find them, and you'll be able to find your true destiny."