Lost Land (GL)

Chapter 41

Those memories were shrouded in a gray haze, a constant reminder of the horrors she had endured, no amount of scrubbing could erase the stains from her body, the physical and emotional scars that ran deep. Crying and begging had only fueled the man's excitement, a twisted game of power and control.

Every time she looked in the mirror, she felt disgusted by her own body, a vessel of filth, a constant reminder of the abuse she had suffered. She would have rather been dead, but Zhi's presence had kept her clinging to life, a fragile thread in a world devoid of hope.

Finally, one day, she had taken her own fate into her hands, ending the reign of terror that had consumed her life. She killed the researcher, a desperate act of defiance, a final act of rebellion against the darkness that had enveloped her.

Test subjects who killed researchers had no chance of survival, their fate sealed, their lives extinguished. She and Zhi had embraced, their bodies trembling, their souls intertwined, waiting for death to claim them, for the darkness to consume them. But to their surprise, the doctor didn't kill them, a strange twist of fate, a glimmer of hope in the abyss of despair.

Instead, they were treated like normal people, a bizarre anomaly in a world where they were considered less than human. As her abilities grew, she became a force to be reckoned with, a warrior in a world that had tried to break her. No researcher on Blue Star dared to touch them again, their fear a testament to her power.

Later, she cut off her long, beautiful hair, a symbol of her femininity, a reminder of the abuse she had suffered. She had become a warrior, a protector, a force of nature, her spirit unyielding, her determination unwavering.

She hated her own womanly form, a constant reminder of the vulnerability she had been forced to endure, and she loathed the bodies of men, a symbol of the pain and suffering she had experienced.

The pain of her existence had subsided, yet the world remained a bleak, monochrome canvas. Everything had lost its meaning, its vibrancy.

When had it all become so desolate? She could only see Zhi, her presence the sole splash of color in her world.

Memories flickered, fragmented and elusive, like fireflies in the night. Qi Kui's eyelids grew heavy, her mind struggling to grasp the fleeting images of a bright, vivacious girl. The memories, once a tapestry of vivid details, had faded to a single, haunting impression.

"You must be in pain," a voice whispered, a gentle caress against her fading consciousness. "Shall I end it for you?"

"Zhi..." she murmured, her voice a barely audible whisper, her lips forming the name of her beloved friend.

Lin Keren knelt beside her, her heart heavy with sorrow. She noticed Qi Kui's lips moving, a faint whisper escaping her lips. Leaning closer, she strained to hear the barely audible sound. It was a single name, repeated over and over, a desperate plea for a lost connection.

"Zhi..."

A sigh escaped Lin Keren's lips as she gazed upon the purple hues that had crept across Qi Kui's face, a testament to the poison that coursed through her veins. With a swift, decisive movement, she reached out, her fingers closing around Qi Kui's neck, her touch gentle yet firm. The life force ebbed away, a silent, peaceful transition.

A cascade of shimmering light, like a thousand fireflies, emanated from Qi Kui's lifeless form, a ethereal glow that faded as quickly as it had appeared. Her once vibrant, golden-yellow eyes, a reflection of her beastly form, returned to their natural black, the color of her soul. Her hair, once a vibrant gold, slowly faded back to its original black, a somber reminder of her mortality.