Daughter of the Devil

Chapter 5

At this point, everyone was wondering the same thing. Everyone was wondering where I had come from. Officials in Onia who were just learning of my existence and formulating a plan to deal with the situation. High ranking military officials in Ridland who transported me to the City of Light. Will who was so sure he was doing the right thing. My father with his inhuman emotions and never ending analysis. Colin, who had just received proof that Selten were indeed evil and could pop out of nowhere. My mother. To this day I don't know if she was feeling scared, concerned, pride, joy, or something else entirely. And me. Who was just as clueless as everyone else. And even more terrified.

We were all confused. Up to then, there had been no confirmed Selten with more than one type of power. I was, indeed, quite an anomaly. We were all confused.

As I was transported to the City of Light, various things were happening across the continent that I would only find out about later. Selten in Onia were readying a party to go into Ridland and see what the fuss was about. A cell was being cleared out in the dark underside of Bellinor. The Selten that had been housed before me had already been executed. A Ridlandian attack was being readied on the East side of Onia. Rumors were spreading across the continent about the prisoner that had rocked the world. Rumors about a Devil. And as I entered that city, the supposed City of Light, a bell rang four times in quick succession. A Selten with the power of four had just been captured. The Daughter of the Devil had been found.

I suppose "found" is the wrong word. I just appeared. There were no prophecies foretelling my arrival. No one was waiting for me to arrive. No one asked me to exist. I just came. I came into existence without anyone's permission. In some ways, that made it harder. I had no clue what my supposed destiny was. There was no way for me to truly know who I was.

In other ways, it was easier. People had lower expectations. I got to set the bar in most cases. I could set my own limits. There were no prophecies that laid out exactly what I was to do in my life. In many ways, I was freer. Freer to live my own life and not try to live up to some impossible standard set by a prophet who lived hundreds of years ago.

There are several religions across the continent. Many of them revolve around waiting for some kind of savior or God to come down to Earth. I am not any of them. I am not a God. I am not humanity's savior. I'm not even a leader. I'm certainly not the leader to lead their troops into battle and win against all odds. I am just here. I am just doing the best I can with what I have. And so is everyone else.

I have vague memories of the journey to Bellinor. Of men laughing and taunting. Someone called me the Daughter of the Devil for the first time. One man replied that I wasn't worthy of such a title, weak as I was. Another responded that he shouldn't be so careless. I think he was the leader. But I was unconscious for most of the expedition. I can't be sure. But I am sure they said worse.

I woke up in a cell. Underground. About five by ten feet. Walls made of stone. A perpetual dampness. A copper chain holding my hand to the wall.

There was no light. No plants. No wind. Just stone and dampness. And the sour smell of hopelessness and madness.

I don't like to think about what happened. For a while I thought I had just forgotten. But it was always there, the memories of that place. Like a poisoned root that refused to leave the tree, sickening me, holding me back without me ever knowing it.

There is only so much a single person can take before breaking. Before losing everything that makes them human and becoming a monster. A few hours, a few days, a few weeks. But no one lasts forever. They always break you before killing you. Always.

I wish I could say that I was the exception. I wish I could say that I didn't break. I wish I could say that they didn't get the best of me, that I was brave and strong enough to stay. But I wasn't. There are no exceptions.