The Rise of The Powers vol. 1

Chapter 21: Wrong

Chapter 21: Wrong

I was back in The Empire. The real Empire. I wasn't in the cloud above The Empire where all of the souls were trapped. I just saw The Empire differently now.

It wasn't sunny. There was no happiness.

That is except for Essence's happiness, but her happiness wasn't the good kind of happiness. It was the happiness that came from death, destruction, annihilation, and despair.

All the true happiness was drained out of it.

The people weren't even happy.

Sure, they smiled, they laughed, they talked amongst themselves. There were never fights, never unhappiness.

But none of that was real.

When you're tricked into being happy, into thinking everything is perfect, when you can't really feel, you couldn't possibly be happy.

The people of The Empire think nothing is wrong.

But something is terribly, horribly wrong, when not even the slightest thing is out of place. When not the slightest thing is wrong.

Wrong.

I walked toward The House of Edinite. I knew the way by heart. I was tempted to go to Mrs.Whitings, but that would've been just too painful. To see her so clueless when I know so much would be too unbearable.

The House loomed menacingly in the dark clouds. It would be the perfect horror scenario if thunder cracked, lightning struck, and it was raining. But, of course, no, it never rained here.

Never.

Essence's laughter cackled in the eerie silence that enwrapped the town.

I walked slowly up the steps of The House of Edinite. I had never actually been in The House, just seen it from the outside view.

I paused at the door. Would the Powers see me? This was just a dream, it probably wasn't even true.

But still . . .

Here in Alembria, I have learned that the things that seem impossible, are actually quite possible.

The door creaked open. I gulped. Only darkness lay ahead. Each footstep sounded like a gong, but no one came rushing around the corner with a giant knife. No one screamed a painful death spell.

I was invisible here.

I followed the sound of Essence's laughter. I walked into one of the many rooms in The House.

No one saw me.

But I saw them.

Surprisingly, Soren and Ethel were there with Essence, and they weren't being unbelievably tortured either. That was when I decided that all of this was fake, Lilith had told me that Essence had kicked out her whole family out of shame, despite the rules. And that seemed vey believable of her. But a small voice inside me argued that Essence cared more about power than about a shameful family; she would never kick her family out if it meant loosing her power. I decided to ignore that voice, and instead focus on the horror seen in front of me.

Don't ask me how, but a Shae was being tortured, slowly killed by Essence-and Ethel and Soren, despite the fact that I thought they weren't evil-in front of me.

How the Powers got hold of the Shae I didn't know, bit I decided to dwell on that later. What really shocked me was the fact that I knew this Shae.

It was Farrogan, Nyx's best man. What the Powers did to him was almost too unbearable to watch.

They slitted his throat; they slitted his wrists. They carved out his heart, and then placed it back in, and yet, he did not die. Instead he just screamed with agony, until his voice was so hoarse he could only tremble with fear.

"It's like its impossible to kill!" Ethel exclaimed, while Farrogan continued to whimper.

"No," Essence said, coldly. "He can be killed. Can't you Farrogan?"

Farrogan blubbered, blood spurt out of his mouth. "Yes, my lord-"

My lord? I thought.

"We Shae can be killed, but right after you are born, your mother tells the Tembqui the only spot where you can be killed. Then the tembqui places a magical spell over your body, so the Shae can only be killed at that one spot. At the age of 120, the Shae's mother finally tells the child."

Soren spat at him, like he was scum. "Well, Water Shae, where's your spot?"

Farrogan let out another whimper. "She died, before she could tell me. I have no idea."

Essence held up her hand. Farrogan held his head, and let out a hoarse scream. "He's not lying; he really has no idea."

Farrogan continued to cry softly. Soren looked at him in disgust, and spoke coldly. "Well, mother, what do we do? Continue to poke at him, until he dies?"

Essence barked a laugh. "Of course not. We deprive him of water; we starve him. We let him die of asphyxiation."

Instead of Farrogan, it was Ethel who answered, shaking his head sadly. "I'm afraid that won't work, dear, Shae can only die at that one spot."

Essence frowned. "Well, then, Soren, Ethel, we continue to dice him and slice him, until he stills at our feet. And then, and only then, will we drink his blood."

Soren smiled coldly. Ethel gulped, but continued to work. I sat there and watched them. I listened to Farrogan scream, holler, and whimper until at last, he was silenced.

After all three of the Powers drank poor Farrogan's blood, Essence looked over to the exact spot where I was standing.

I froze. It wasn't possible that Essence could have seen me, but yet, she was a powerful women. She probably knew that I was there the whole time.

But why wouldn't she have stopped me? Sent me back spiraling into The Forest, out of my sleep?

It was because she wanted me there. She wanted me to see her and what she was planning. She wasn't afraid of me and I wasn't afraid of her.

Essence smiled coldly at me and mouthed two words.

You're dead.