Lament 0 – A Child Unmourned. [6. Sin City]
On November 26, 2024 By Fang Dokja In Arc 6. Sin City
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Trigger and Content Warning:
The following story contains elements that may be distressing or triggering for some readers. Please proceed with caution.
1. Psychological Trauma: There are intense depictions of emotional and psychological distress, including mental breakdowns and trauma responses.
2. Child Abuse and Neglect: The story includes references to the mistreatment and neglect of a child, with harsh treatment and an emotionally cold atmosphere.
3. Violence and Threats: There are implied threats of violence and coercion, as well as tense confrontations.
4. Emotional Manipulation: Characters engage in manipulative behavior, using guilt and emotional pressure to control or influence others.
5. Death of a Loved One: The loss of a significant figure in a character’s life is a core element, with the aftermath being emotionally devastating.
6. Abusive Power Dynamics: The story includes themes of power imbalance, where figures of authority exploit their power over weaker characters.
7. Mental Health Struggles: There are descriptions of deteriorating mental health, including references to fractured identities and psychological instability.
Please be advised that these themes are explored in depth, and discretion is advised before continuing.
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Status: Draft #1
Last Edited: November 26, 2024
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The throne room of Eternity’s Edge was a vast expanse of unyielding metal and cold light. It stretched endlessly, its polished obsidian floors gleaming beneath the harsh illumination of suspended crystalline lights that cast sharp, surgical clarity over every surface. The throne itself was a monument to dominance: a jagged, towering construct of dark alloy and pulsating veins of emerald light that seemed to breathe. Seated atop it was the Imperial Empress Karmilya Nyx, her muscular frame taut and commanding in her perfectly pressed military uniform, adorned with insignias of victories so ancient they bordered on myth.
Her shoulder-length hair, a fiery cascade of red like bloodbath, shimmered like the edge of a burning sword. Her blood red eyes, devoid of warmth, fixed unerringly on the figure standing before her.
Leonardo Romano, Sovereign Advisor, leaned casually against the base of one of the towering support columns. His auburn hair, tipped with white like the crest of a breaking wave, seemed almost out of place in the sterile room. Dressed in his usual loose, pirate-like attire, he was the antithesis of Karmilya’s calculated perfection—relaxed yet razor-sharp. His golden eyes glinted with a mixture of humor and frustration, though his tone was steady, laced with a chilling edge of concern.
“Sending her to Sinthral two years earlier than planned is rash, even by your standards,” Leonardo said, his voice carrying a calmness that belied the sharpness of his words. “You know as well as I do that Deon is unraveling. Her mind is…” He paused, gesturing vaguely, his golden eyes flicking upward as if searching for the right term. “…fractured. Failing. She’s not a functional weapon right now, Karmilya, she’s a liability.”
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Karmilya’s eyes remained fixed ahead, her posture unyielding. “And liabilities can either be eliminated or reforged,” she said, her voice as cold and mechanical as the room around her. “Deon’s existence is too valuable to erase. Her flaws are a temporary inconvenience.”
Leonardo pushed off the column and began pacing, his boots clicking softly against the floor. “Temporary? The girl just lost Kruel Harz—the only person she’s ever considered family. You saw what it did to her. She shut down, and I don’t mean emotionally. Her entire psyche caved in. And now, you’re trusting that flawed patchwork system to separate her personalities and call it a day?” He stopped, spinning on his heel to face her fully. “It’s not a solution, it’s a gamble.”
“The system functions adequately for now,” Karmilya replied, her voice unwavering. “She does not need to remember. Emotions are the bane of control. Trauma is merely a weakness to be excised.”
Leonardo’s lips twitched, though it wasn’t a smile. “That’s rich, coming from you. You’ve let your feelings about Deon cloud your judgment from the start.”
Karmilya’s red eyes snapped to his, sharp as a dagger’s edge. “Careful, Leonardo.”
But Leonardo didn’t flinch. “Am I wrong? You despise her, Karmilya. You always have. She’s the weakest Methuselah to ever bear the title, a walking insult to your bloodline. And yet, because of her… quirks, you can’t get rid of her. I understand the politics, I do, but don’t pretend this is logic driving your decision. This is you wanting her out of your sight.”
Karmilya rose from her throne, her towering frame casting a long shadow that seemed to swallow the room. “You think I am so petty?” she asked, stepping forward slowly, each step reverberating through the chamber like the toll of a funeral bell. “You think I would risk the future of the Methuselah because of a grudge?”
“I think,” Leonardo said, his voice steady despite her looming presence, “that you see her as a scar on your perfect empire. And instead of letting the Sovereign Physician treat her properly, you’re shipping her off to Sinthral to let them deal with her. That’s not strategy, Karmilya. That’s negligence.”
Karmilya stopped just short of him, her eyes boring into his. “Deon’s survival is inconsequential compared to the survival of the Methuselah,” she said, her voice low, venomous. “If Sinthral can harden her into something useful, so be it. If she breaks entirely, then she was never worth saving.”
Leonardo sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “You talk about her like she’s a defective tool, but she’s an eight-year-old child, Karmilya. Yes, a Methuselah child, but still an immature child. Her mind wasn’t built for this kind of instability, and you know it. The bugs in that system aren’t just cracks—they’re fissures. If you keep pushing her like this, there won’t be anything left to salvage.”
“Then she will serve as a lesson,” Karmilya said, her tone chillingly casual. “Even failures have their uses.”
Leonardo’s golden eyes darkened, his usual humor extinguished. “You’re playing with fire. And I’m not talking about Deon. If Sinthral realizes what kind of instability you’ve sent their way—”
“They won’t,” Karmilya interrupted sharply. “Sage Yvonne is more than capable of handling a fractured Methuselah. Sinthral thrives on chaos, and I have every confidence they will do what is necessary.”
Leonardo stared at her for a long moment, his jaw tightening. “For someone who preaches control above all else, you’re awfully reckless when it comes to this girl.”
Karmilya turned away, her gaze returning to the vast emptiness of the throne room. “Recklessness,” she said, her voice echoing in the cold, cavernous space, “is the privilege of those who cannot afford to fail. Deon will either rise to the occasion… or prove that she was never worth the bloodline she inherited.”
Leonardo watched her for a moment longer, then shook his head, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. “You’re ruthless, Karmilya. Truly.”
“I am what I must be,” she replied without turning, her voice as unyielding as the empire she ruled.