Seeds of The Seven (Rubia)

46. Rise of Darkness

The moon hung high over the Healing Sanctum of Solstara Sands, casting a ghostly light over the desolate scene. The seductrix Lindsey moved with an eerie grace, her movements almost otherworldly as she buried the five healers and two guards beside the Sanctum.

She was nearly done. The last to be buried was a young healer with vibrant red hair, her face serene even in death. As Lindsey placed the final mound of earth over the healer, she froze. A voice, young and frantic, echoed through the night. The seductrix’s eyes widened, and she swiftly concealed herself through blending her physical form to the night sky. Just a shadowy figure.

The young man, breathless and terrified, stumbled into view. His eyes scanned the scene, taking in the bloodstains and the disturbed earth. Horror etched on his face, he turned and ran, his footsteps fading as he hurried to report the grim discovery.

Once the coast was clear, Lindsey emerged from her hiding spot. Her form shimmered and twisted as she transformed into the likeness of the young red-haired healer she had just buried. Every detail, down to the healer's gentle eyes and flowing hair, was meticulously replicated.

With her new guise, Lindsey walked out of the Solstara Sands, her steps determined yet burdened with the weight of her choice. The mission she and her twin sisters had set upon—to bring the young red healer to Rubia—was now abandoned. Lindsey's path was her own now, the echoes of the past buried along with the bodies she left behind.

That same night, somewhere in Solstara Sands, the ancient ruins stood silent, half-buried by the shifting sands. The night air was cool, a harsh contrast to the day's relentless heat. Moonlight cast haunting shadows across the broken columns and crumbling walls, remnants of a once-great civilization.

In the heart of the ruins, Lilith and Lithany stood before an ancient, rune-covered altar. Lithany's eyes glinted with malevolent purpose as she began to chant, her voice weaving a dark and seductive melody that echoed through the night. The ground trembled, and from the depths of the earth, a deep, resonant growl emerged.

A fissure opened at their feet, and a cloud of dark energy surged forth. Sol'I Tude, a lower demon born from the anguished cries of aerodivine who had perished in the divine war, emerged from his long slumber. His form was a shifting mass of shadows and sand, his eyes burning with an unholy light.

"Welcome back, Sol'I Tude," Lilith purred, her voice dripping with allure. "The time has come for you to rise and fulfill your destiny."

Lithany stepped closer, her hand gently caressing the demon's ethereal form. "Engulf Solstara Sands in darkness. Bring chaos and despair to these lands. It is what you were born to do. And inform us the whereabouts of the Carnelian Agate Gem."

Sol'I Tude's eyes flickered with recognition and desire. The demon princesses' seductive words and promises fueled his dark cravings. He nodded, the sands around him swirling violently as he accepted their command.

"As you wish, my mistresses," Sol'I Tude rumbled, his voice like the grinding of ancient stones. He turned towards the vast expanse of Solstara Sands, summoning his power. The sands began to shift and rise, forming hollowed soldiers from the unrested souls that wandered the realm. These sand-formed beings, resembling humans, stood ready to obey their dark master's will.

With their task in Solstara Sands set in motion, Lilith and Lithany vanished into the night, their next destination clear in their minds.

In the heart of the Amethyst Arcanum, the great divide of the forest lay cloaked in darkness. The air buzzed with a faint hum of magic, the tension between the nation's technological and pure magic factions tangible even in the silence.

Lilith and Lithany arrived at a hidden grove, a place where the energies of the divided nation converged. Lilith began her chant once more, calling forth a being born from the constant strife and discord.