The two grotesque creatures surged forward, their sharp teeth bared and their high-pitched screams filling the air. They would have been an easy opponent for my former self, but as a mortal child, facing them was a certain death. Despite their sluggish movements, their malformed bodies still managed to close the gap between us.
Frantically scanning my surroundings for a weapon, I spotted a group of farmers frozen in time nearby, their hands frozen mid-motion as they gathered hay. A single pitchfork stood atop one of the haystacks, and I seized it with trembling hands. Glancing back, I saw that the creatures had abandoned the pursuit of me, instead, they circled Iris, as their monstrous faces sniffed at her like a pair of dogs. When one of them attempted to sink its teeth into her, I let out a scream, driving it away.
"Stay away from her!" I charged toward Iris, brandishing the pitchfork at the creature.
The pitchfork struck the creature's back but merely bounced off, leaving no mark.
"You'll have to do better than that! Let me offer you some advice: aim for the front! Their backs are too slimy and gross for most attacks to work!" the boy called out in a playful tone.
What was his game? Why had he unleashed these beasts only to now offer me advice on how to defeat them? None of it made sense.
"Hey! Over here!" I shouted, hoping to lure the creatures away from Iris.
They took the bait, their heads swaying from side to side as they charged toward me with alarming speed. One of them stumbled, hindered by its malformed leg, and resorted to crawling on all fours. With each forceful swing of its arms, it propelled itself forward at an alarming pace. It was a sight so chilling, I had never witnessed anything like it before.
The crawling creature closed in on me, its hands reaching out in a desperate attempt to seize my leg. Reacting swiftly, I plunged the trident into its neck, but it remained alive, gripping my leg tightly and yanking me off balance. I tumbled to the ground, the pitchfork slipping from my grasp. Despite the creature's pierced neck, it held on tenaciously.
As I struggled to free myself, the other creature approached, looming over me with outstretched arms. Its stiff, unnatural posture prevented it from reaching me, but it collapsed atop me nonetheless. Its pale eyes bore into mine, its mouth gaping open in a deafening scream. The piercing sound left my ears ringing, and I fought desperately to break free, but my efforts were futile. I was overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness, realizing my own weakness.
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A bitter smile formed on my lips as I resigned myself to fate.
The sharp sound of fingers snapping filled the air, shattering the silence that hung heavily around us. The dark clouds remained motionless, and the grotesque creatures stood frozen in place as the sound of footsteps drew nearer. And just like before, the time seemed to stop, and my life was spared for now.
"I expected more from you, dear Valerian. Is your life truly that insignificant to you?" The boy knelt beside me, his gaze dripping with malice.
"What do you want from me?" I demanded, my voice barely above a whisper.
"Well, I had hoped you would defeat these mundane demons and reawaken your true powers in the process. Then, I would dispose of this little girl over there. You would lose all hope and will to live, becoming the perfect vessel for my glorious return. But alas, it seems I overestimated your capabilities. A pity, isn't it?" The boy's smile widened, his words oozing with disdain.
Reawaken my powers? Did I hear him correctly? Once an avian is banished and stripped of celestial essence, regaining former powers becomes an impossibility. The more he spoke, the more enigmatic he became. In this dire situation, all I could do was dance to the tune of his sinister melody. I was completely at his mercy, and I despised that thought more than anything.
The boy shifted his gaze to the two demons, and with a single glance, his eyes blazed with a bright red light, causing the demons to vanish into thin air.
"Are you a demon as well?" I questioned.
"Me? A demon? Don't be ridiculous! I am much more than that, but you will come to understand everything in due time. For now, let's focus on restoring your powers."
"And how do you propose we do that?"
"Well, since a direct confrontation didn't yield results, we'll have to explore other ideas. Ah, I have an excellent one!" The boy suddenly teleported behind Iris, his hand tightening around her throat.
"What are you doing!? Leave her out of this!" I shouted, charging at him.
With a casual wave of his hand, an unseen force sent me hurtling into the creek, my head colliding with the rocks. Dizzy and disoriented, I struggled to my feet and charged back, leaving a trail of blood in my wake. My body swayed uncontrollably, but my focus remained on the crimson-eyed boy. As I neared him, he waved his hand once more, unleashing energy from above, sending me crashing down before him. His nails transformed into sharp claws as he dug them into my sister's neck. Her blood dripped from her neck and onto my face.
"Why? I said why!?"I screamed, unleashing a torrent of hatred that surged from the depths of my being.
A dark pool of smoke began to swirl around me, a familiar presence. With each surge of hatred, the smoke grew denser. What had I expected? To lead an ordinary life? From the moment of my birth, I had been fated to thread a path filled with thorns. I had longed for freedom, only to have it cruelly snatched away. No matter my efforts, freedom remained elusive, slipping through my fingers like sand. But no more. I will no longer strive to achieve it, instead; I will tame it by any means necessary. If that meant tearing down the very foundations of existence itself, then so be it. And it would start with the crimson-eyed brat before me. He stood in my path, an obstacle to be obliterated.
Pain rippled across my back, bones splintering and reforming. They burst through my skin, sprouting a pair of black feathers that unfurled into new wings.