Guardian: The Great Beginning

Chapter Thirteen - A Dark Turn

Chapter Thirteen

A Dark Turn

After Asura left, Akilah found herself left alone with her thoughts inside the Dark Castle. At this point, she didn't know for sure where any of her five siblings had gone at this point in time – although she had a hunch.

Obviously, her siblings had been forced to go somewhere safe from the blast, so she figured they went straight back to the Castle of Light – Asura was a tad more difficult to guess.

Perhaps tracking him down wasn't meant to be Akilah's main priority. Going after Asura at this time would only result in more conflict, and thus eventually more escalation of the already dire situation. A pointless, vicious cycle that would only grow exponentially worse with each cycle.

She needed to fall back on her final plan – of which Akilah wasn't sure whether or not it had any chance of succeeding.

But did that truly matter at this point? It was the only way out Akilah could think of at this moment in time, and if she didn't do anything, Lunaria and Asura would go down anyway.

So whether this final plan would ultimately prove salvation or another failure, it didn't really matter.

It was a given chance, and Akilah had no choice but to take it. She had to keep fighting, no matter what.

Akilah decided she would leave both her four siblings and Asura alone for now. She could only hope they wouldn't confront each other again while she worked on her plan to save everyone.

Yes, it was a last resort. But Akilah was willing to do anything to save those she loved at this point.

In order to get this plan into action, Akilah needed help. She knew her siblings would be willing to help her eventually, but she had to make preparations in secret first. Yet, still, she couldn't make those preparations alone. She needed an ally.

Luckily, there was one woman Akilah knew she could always rely on. She quickly gathered the things she'd need and headed out to find her oldest friend.

*

In the meantime, Asura had decided to return to Linmor one last time. He no longer believed Aoife's claim that the villagers had asked Asura to help them – although he knew the letter she'd been brandishing was real, and the villagers had in fact asked for help.

From his siblings, to defeat him. Quite the opposite from what Aoife had claimed it to be.

For this, Asura felt the villagers deserved a punishment. It was only just; they were trying to undermine Asura's hard work. He was willing to be forgiving, but this felt like a stab in the back.

They didn't like him, fine. But they didn't have to act like a tattletale briefing his siblings on everything he did. His siblings were on his tail enough already. He didn't need any more opposition.

The villages looked silent, desolate. Most people had gone into hiding. The ones that had been affected by the Dark and had decided to become criminals – a term only the Spirits understood until now – had left to find new places to raid.

Asura didn't have to guess where the village elders were. Of course they'd stayed behind, trying to protect whatever was left of their villages. It was them, and only them whom Asura had set his sights on. They had to take the punishment.

Asura merely meant to send a message, but if the only thing these elders understood was violence, then so be it.

They truly left him no choice but to respond with force. As of right now, Asura no longer cared.