Ashes

Arch IV. Let There Be Fire. Paragraph 6. The Black Moon

In the Black Moon's Domain, people never slept. The city breathed like a living organism, its rhythm set by flickering neon lights and the endless hum of machines. On the upper levels of the city, where the towers of the nobles pierced the clouds, everything was sterile and cold. Here, in the very heart of power, the air was clean, but no less toxic. On the lower levels, in the slums, where light barely reached the ground, chaos reigned. Here, among rusty metal structures and wires hanging like vines, people survived as best they could, and death became commonplace for them. And next to the Domain there was a river into which all the rivers of the continents flowed, creating an endless stream capable of sinking this place to the cold bottom. But the water was held back by magic. Not simple magic. Dark magic, bestowed on a simple girl born into a poor family, but breaking through to the top, where Ahriman noticed her. He saw her desires, saw how desperately she tried to save what was dear to her - her younger sister, who was struck down by illness. But all magic comes with a price. That night, Stella paid a high price. She sacrificed her sister's life, but received unlimited power over this place. With her arrival, life in the Domain changed. The Black Moon was able to unite the two parts of the city, but this decision entailed an increase in crime. The poor began to die more often, and nobles began to die too. And then the girl issued one decree that stopped this chaos. She gave the poor a chance at a new life, provided them with work and created automatons driven by magic and mechanisms. They soon began to patrol the streets. But even this was not enough. Stella did not know how she could solve the problems of this place without consequences. And soon she came up with a plan. Orphans and those who won't be missed by their families, she invited to her central laboratory. From there, completely different creatures emerged, who obeyed only her will. They had no thoughts, could not make their own decisions. They were completely dependent on Stella. And it helped. These people were feared at first, but the Black Moon convinced the citizens that these creatures, the saurvas, were harmless and would only benefit the city.

And so it was. In a few years, her Domain, thanks to the saurvas, became one of the prosperous places, but the happiness did not last long. The Dragon flu appeared suddenly, taking thousands of lives. Stella did not risk sending her people to the city so that they could somehow help the citizens. Instead, she had a mass sacrifice ready. The entire city on one day at the same minute had to give their lives to the Darkness. But Ahriman did not allow this idea to be realized, although he madly liked it. The continent continued to die, but soon the virus disappeared as suddenly as it appeared. As if someone destroyed the source of all troubles.

-----

The river that flowed through the lowlands of the city was more like a sewer. Its waters, thick and oily, reflected the flickering neon lights, creating rainbow streaks on the surface. The smell was acrid - a mixture of chemicals and rotting organic. It was here, at the foot of a rusty pier, that the waves washed up on the shore of a body. Stella, walking nearby with her saurvas-nymphs (the only ones she gave the ability to think and make their own decisions), did not immediately understand what was happening. She thought that this was another resident of the Domain, killed by someone. But, looking closer, she realized that this was not so. It was the body of a girl, wounded and covered in deep cuts from a previous battle. Her skin was pale, and black veins were visible through it - the result of a mixture of blood and poison; and her hair, wet and tangled, stuck together on her face. But the strangest thing Moon saw was in the wounds themselves. Instead of blood, a thick, black substance similar to resin was oozing out of them. It slowly flowed down the skin, mixing with dirt and water, but did not dissolve, as if it had a will of its own. Stella knelt down next to her, her snow-white cloak lay on the dirty ground. She took off her glove and ran her hand over the girl's wounds. At that moment, a strange, unfamiliar pain pierced her, and she pulled her hand back. "This simply cannot be," she said, putting on the glove. "Poor girl... Still alive, but so close to death..." Stella sighed and without thinking lifted the girl's body into her arms. It was light, almost weightless, but the black resin flowing down the skin left dark stains on her dress that were difficult to wash off. She hurried to the laboratory located in the center of the Domain. On the way she passed several automatons, who, upon seeing her, immediately stepped aside. Her authority here was unquestionable.