LIRO || completed

• 1.1 •

Roots were torn from their holdings and soil matted together as she clawed her way forwards, dirt finding its way underneath her nails. Her heart beat erratically, and the twitching in her limbs was brought on by the lack of feeling.

This was what it was like to be dead. To be stripped of one's identity, ripped apart limb from limb and slammed back together in a foreign, unsuitable match. 

Her breathing was uneven, the air scorching her windpipe and her lungs. She rolled onto her back, giving up entirely with finding her way. She was completely and utterly lost, doomed in a way that no one but her would ever know.

Her chest constricted and her back arched, her eyes flying wide. To anyone watching, it would have looked like she was under the pull of death, making her way to the final stages of torture. 

Yet she was alive. 

Breathing, whole and well, her mind working and spinning. Her fingers and flesh sensed the moss and mud beneath her. Every fibre of her being thrummed with energy of the newly born, her bones and heart taught with fresh tension.

Her sisters had abandoned her, leaving her in this makeshift body. Her skin stretched over her muscles wrongly, and though her body was young, her eyes contained the knowledge of a thousand moons. 

Undiluted rage filled her. After all she'd done, after all she'd accomplished ... they'd deserted her, gone back to their haven where the reeds and water thickened. An inhuman hiss escaped her throat, the sound burning her ears.

Even the way her tongue moved was sloppy. A fat, indelicate muscle that took up space, demanding strength and energy to move.  A sob lodged in her throat, but she clamped down on the sounds that want to escape. 

She couldn't handle the torture once more, the way it left gauges in her soul.

"You deserve this, sister, after the havoc you've wreaked," they'd whispered, their voices low and familiar. "It is better this way. You cannot harm what you cannot control. We have given you too much power over us."

She'd let out a shriek, disbelieving what her own ears were hearing. "You cannot mean it! You cannot do this!" 

She curled on her side, bringing her knees to her chest at the memory. So, so painful. So unforgettable. Her fingers dug into her hair and pressed against her ears, as if she could keep the thoughts out. The memory kept unfolding, relentlessly bringing back every second.

"For this betrayal, you shall suffer greater than any before you," they'd crooned. "With the pain of a thousand suns, and feel what our ancestors did when their bodies were split open and stitched back together." 

They'd moved on her, pinning her arms to her sides and dragging her to the pool. Shoved her under the water, waiting for the air to drain from her lungs. Always the weakest of the three, always believing that they would protect her. She had never thought that they would be the ones she'd need protection from. Her screams had died in her throat and her limbs had gone limp with the lack of energy.

Everything else was faint, vague. Moments that had eluded her upon her awakening, but were coming back with the clarity of time. She'd been dragged to the gateway of the illusion, lain there as they leered above her, taunting and teasing with pokes and prods with the tips of blades.

And she had indeed been split open. Her body shook with the recollection of it, the feeling as they had sliced down her arms and torso, freeing her soul. She had soared in that moment, her spirit light as it was freed from its body. 

And then they had put her in a cage of irons, capturing her once more.

She scrambled into a sitting position, her eyes wide and feral as she scanned the forest. Nothing was familiar, no streams or cliffs, no sign of life besides her own. A small whimper escaped her lips. 

Shivers ran down her bare back and legs, and she shook. This body was so frail, so vulnerable to its surroundings. It could sense the changes in the wind. She curled in upon herself, hugging her knees to her chest, fear bringing itself upon her heart.

Her sisters were watching. Somewhere in the woods, they were waiting. 

Liars. Murderers. Thieves. Torturers.

Blinding rage took over her, and she tried to stand. Her legs collapsed beneath her like a baby doe's, and her joints ached as they collided with the ground. Tears leaked from her eyes as panic overtook her.

There was no doubt in her mind. They were there. Smiling in the darkness, readying their knives and their excuses.

Preparing themselves for a battle that was already won.

She tried again, more slowly this time and yet filled with even more urgency. Her legs and muscles held, not giving way to the weakness that would soon overtake her. She had to move, while she could. Had to run, to get past the borders of the forest.

They wouldn't follow her there.

She ran, her knees bending and her ankles rolling with every step she took. The trees provided support, and she pushed off of one and let the motion take her to the next. It was slower than she'd ever moved in her life, and yet the fastest she'd ever gone.

Behind her, crashing footsteps and the sickly sweet, crooning voices of her nightmares filled the forest.

"Liro! Come here, baby sister, and meet us in this new body of yours!"

She ran faster, her heart climbing up her throat. Move move move move.

A hand clamped down on her shoulder, jerking her face to face with familiar dark eyes and a cruel, full mouth. She reeled backwards, but the grip was strong and unyielding. Her ankles twisted and she fell roughly on her backside, into a patch of leaves and twigs.

"Now now, baby sister," the woman lulled, disappointment lining her voice. "You wouldn't be trying to run from us, would you?"

Remember to vote or comment if you enjoyed this first chapter!

Also, at the end of the book, there is a part containing characters and quotes for LIRO. If you're interested in visualizing some of the characters, feel free to check them out :)