The Twenty Virtues Book 1- The Twenty Generals

30-The Most Fearsome of the Beasts

Helena, Pedro, Emily, and Clark were still trying to find the courage to face the abomination before them. Ordep watched them with complete curiosity, not approaching, just standing there, staring at them with utter fascination.

"Kihihihihi, well, well, if i'm not facing such dangerous people, but the extent of your power is nothing compared to what you fear. For fear does not come from what you conquer, but from what you cannot control, from what you do not know. Fear comes from your desire, from your expectation. If you not have those things, you will not be afraid."

None of them spoke, nor did they even try to move. They only looked at the creature, their attention particularly directed at the absence of eyes, at those black and dark craters where there should be a reflection of their souls... But perhaps it was there, and that was the reflection of his soul, only darkness.

No... look a little closer and you will see, bit by bit you will see. Still not understanding? This being before you only has one desire, if you seek to see what he seeks, you will see. By looking into what should be his eyes, you feel as if you are entering that darkness. There you will see what he seeks, he seeks what you flee from, so by looking there, you will encounter what you desperately try to flee from...

Pedro

"Uh?" Pedro blinked and found himself alone in a forest, how strange, he could have sworn he was in the ruins of a destroyed castle. "Where is everyone? HELENA? EMILY? CLARK? Ah, actually, if you heard Clark, please stay where you are."

But nothing answered, it was so quiet. Too quiet. Even the trees were not making a sound, they just remained silent. An ominous feeling hung in the air. But don't worry, silence doesn't last forever; soon the echo of laughter washes and purifies all the loneliness. How nice it is to just hear people being happy.

Wait... the laughter is near, follow it a little. You want to laugh too, you want to be part of that joy. So you start walking towards the laughter, towards the joy.

"Don't go." A voice whispered in the forest, a voice Pedro recognized, a sweet and poisonous voice, a lady he could never, ever forget. He looked back and there she was, so beautiful and so dangerous, the young woman had long black hair, a more rosy Caucasian skin, a piece of Wisteria resting in her hair, and she was hiding part of her face with a fan.

"M-Margaret?" No, she couldn't be here. Anyone but her, get her away. Please, kill him but don't leave him alone with her. Pedro wanted to run but his legs wouldn't move, he wanted to escape as fast as he could, but... it was her. It was really her. She was back, with her eyes brightly dark. She repeated what she had said.

"Strange..." Don't call him that. "... don't go towards the laughter."

Pedro knew what was coming now; he had lived with her for almost a year, he knew what was going to happen. Quickly Pedro, cover your ears, don't listen to what she says. But why? Why, even with his ears covered, could he still hear her as if it were nothing?

"If you go there, you'll only cause destruction Pedro. Your curse will only make things worse."

Run Pedro! If covering your ears doesn't help, get away from that woman. Run, for everything you know, don't listen to her voice, you know the poison she emanates. She is wrong, she lies, she distorts, she hurts, she mocks. But no matter how much you run towards the happy laughter, it seems to get more muffled, further away, and another covers their voices. The laughter of a witch that could easily be mistaken for the song of a nymph. And you can't stop hearing her.

"How many times do you need to hear it before you understand? Without me, you have no one. Only I care about you, only I am interested in you. Even if you disappear, the rest of the world will not notice."