"Mom..." Mina's voice, a fragile whisper amidst the carnage, shattered the illusion I had constructed. She clung to a grotesque mockery of humanity, a being I had reduced to this with my own hands. My mind reeled. I had failed my mission. Catastrophically.

I had incapacitated Mina's mother.

My knees buckled, and I collapsed to the ground, my vision blurring at the edges. The weight of my actions was a crushing burden. Mina's sobs were a mournful dirge, a haunting echo of my own despair. Her mother, a sliced lower body laying further in the hall, only a reduced upper body, a mere shell of a woman, repeated the same chilling phrase, "Kill me, kill me," her voice a ghostly whisper carried on the wind.

The enormity of my failure consumed me. I had been sent on a mission to get more intel, and I had become the harbinger of destruction. How could I have been so blind? How could I have caused such irreparable damage?

Mina, still clinging to her mother's lifeless form yet clinging soul of no reason, was a stark reminder of the innocence I had shattered. My heart ached with a pain I had never known, something that threatened to consume me whole. What was it? Was it guilt? Suffering? Sympathy toward Mina? Or was it… Was it simply the same as back then? The unwanted aftertaste of failing a mission?

What now? How could I possibly rectify this? How could I protect Mina, the only remnant of intel in this forsaken place? The questions echoed in my mind, a relentless torment.

Mina finally pulled herself away from the grotesque remnants of her mother. Her face, streaked with tears, was a haunting portrait of grief. With trembling steps, she approached me, her small figure a stark contrast to my own form. Her eyes, red and swollen, met mine, a silent question hanging in the air.

I was a monster, a destroyer of worlds. I had taken everything from her in a matter of moments. What right did I have to look her in the eye? My throat burned with the words I wanted to say, but none would come. I was a statue of despair, my mind a desolate wasteland.

Finally, the dam broke. "I... I'm sorry," I choked out, my voice barely a whisper. The words were hollow, a pathetic attempt at redemption. Yet, they were all I could muster.

Mina's hands, cold and wet with her mother's blood, found their way to my cheeks. Gently, she cupped my face, her touch a stark contrast to the horror that surrounded us. I forced my eyes open, dreading what I might see. But what met my gaze was not the anger or hatred I expected. It was something far more complex, a mixture of sorrow and... understanding?

"Why..." Mina's voice was a fragile whisper, her grip on my face tightening. Her question hung in the air, a heavy weight between us, “Why are you putting the blame on yourself?”

"I... I mean... I'm the one who turned your mother... Like that," I stammered, my voice barely audible. Shame washed over me, a tidal wave of guilt that threatened to drown me. "I was supposed to help you reunite with her. And yet..."

Her grip tightened further, forcing me to look into her eyes. Tears streamed down her face, but her gaze held a strange intensity. "I'm mad at you!" she declared, her voice trembling. "I don't know how I'm supposed to act now that Mom is in such a state!"

A flicker of hope ignited within me. Perhaps there was a chance for redemption after all.

"Still... I can't put the blame on you," she continued, her voice breaking. My heart pounded in my chest, disbelief washing over me. "It's not your fault, Lina!" Her tears flowed freely now, but her tone was surprisingly firm. "As you can see, Mom and the others aren't really themselves. No mother would attack her daughter after all. They've been changed, transformed into something unrecognizable. I only recognized Mom by her Mana, not by how she looked."

Her words were a balm to my wounded soul. "And if I were in your shoes, I would have done the same thing. I would end up killing someone else’s family," she added, her voice filled with a wisdom beyond her years. "You had no choice."

Her sobs were a tempest, her small body shaking violently as she buried her face in my chest. My heart ached with every wail, a symphony of sorrow that echoed my own despair. I wrapped an arm around her, offering what little comfort I could muster. My other hand gently stroked her hair, a feeble attempt to soothe her pain.

"There, there, Mina," I whispered, my voice barely audible over her cries. "I'm so sorry for what happened. I know this is incredibly painful for you."

Her sobs gradually subsided, replaced by deep, shuddering breaths. I held her close, feeling a profound sense of failure and inadequacy. I had been consumed by my own darkness, my mission, and had lost sight of what truly mattered. I had become the very thing I despised.

A wave of self-loathing washed over me. I had abandoned the path of light, the path I had vowed to follow. I forgot that I promised my parents that I would become a person worthy of their trust, someone they would be proud of. I had become a shadow of my former self, a cold-blooded killer driven by a thirst for purpose.

"Thank you, little girl," I murmured, my voice thick with emotion. "Thank you for reminding me of what truly matters.”

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Time seemed to stretch as I held Mina close, her trembling form a silent plea for solace. I yearned to unravel the knots of sorrow twisting within her, to offer a sanctuary where her emotions could finally find release. But the passage of moments, however fleeting, proved insufficient. Our shared burden of anguish was too heavy to bear.

A cataclysmic explosion ripped through the left wall, shattering the serene moment. Instinctively, I shielded Mina, my body a fortress against the chaos. The ensuing scene was a grotesque tableau: a horde of monstrous figures emerged from the breach, their forms twisted and alien. What dark alchemy had birthed these abominations? How did they wield the essence of Mana and Flow, yet remain devoid of their power? The answers lay hidden within these creatures, intertwined with the enigma of Gloria's vanished citizens.

A surge of energy, distinct from the chaos, pulsed through the horde. It was a beacon of hope, a promise of revelation. My senses honed in on the source, a figure cloaked in shadow. The air crackled with anticipation as the dust thickened and the darkness deepened, shrouding the hall in an ominous veil. I stood poised, my heart pounding a relentless rhythm, eager to pierce the obscurity and confront the architect of this nightmare.

The veil of obscurity was shattered not by my hand, but by a preemptive strike. A deafening explosion erupted from the ground, and a torrent of incandescent orange Flow erupted, hurtling toward me with blinding speed. I barely managed to drag Mina with me out of the path of destruction. The ground trembled again as another explosion tore through the floor once the wielder of that Flow gained his foothold, the earth convulsing beneath our feet.

"Stay here, Mina," I commanded, my voice a low growl. The Morphblade hummed in my grasp as I channeled a dagger of pure Flow, gripping it tightly. With a surge of adrenaline, I launched myself at the enemy, my dagger aimed for a kill shot.

The dust settled to reveal a man, his throat hastily protected by a crude earthen shield. My attack had been thwarted. "Flow weapons, huh? Impressive," he sneered, a hint of arrogance in his voice. "But consuming Flow like that is reckless. You'll run dry before this is over."

Ignoring his taunts, I unleashed a powerful kick, aiming for his chest. To my surprise, he countered with a swift movement, encasing his torso in a stone shell. The impact sent me reeling, but he remained unscathed. This was no ordinary man. He just kept absorbing the earth’s Flow and then using it right away. A true master of Flow exchange indeed.

"Short-tempered, aren't we?" he chuckled, his voice echoing in the cavernous hall. His arms, swollen and veined like monstrous tree roots, pushed back his unruly blue hair. They were disproportionate to his body, almost inhuman in their size. A shiver ran down my spine. Something was terribly wrong.

"Like I have time for this!" I snarled, leaping backward to extend my dagger into a longsword. With a furious swing, I aimed for his head. He countered with a wicked grin, stretching his arm back before lashing out with a palm encased in an ominous orange membrane. Our weapons collided with a deafening clang, his force sending shockwaves up my arm. I retaliated with another strike, only to be met with the same impenetrable barrier. Seizing the opportunity, he launched his second membrane-clad arm towards my gut. I barely managed to deflect the blow with my sword, but the sheer force behind it sent me flying back several meters.

I landed hard on my feet, my mind racing. That membrane... it was like Lou's Eidos, but amplified, twisted into something far more sinister. A shield? A weapon?

The monstrous man cackled, his eyes gleaming with sadistic pleasure. "You're quick, I'll give you that," he taunted, stretching his arms out like a grotesque puppet master. "And you're a real spendthrift with your Flow. Impressive!"

"You're kidding me, right?" I snarled, my voice laced with irritation. The behemoth lunged again, his massive hands aiming to crush my skull like a grape. With a blur of motion, I executed a perfect backflip, my body arcing through the air just inches above his grasping fingers. The ground erupted in another explosion as his fists connected, sending shockwaves through the chamber. I landed lightly on my feet, my senses on high alert. This guy was clearly more than just brute strength.

With a swift counterattack, I unleashed a powerful heel kick that caught him flush on the cheek. The impact sent him staggering back, but his monstrous grin remained undiminished. "Impressive," he rumbled, his voice echoing through the chamber. "You've got some moves there, kid."

As I regained my footing, I noticed his eyes widen in apparent surprise. "Hey, your hair," he exclaimed, pointing at the loose strands that had escaped my ponytail. "It's two colors! Black and blonde! That’s pretty cool." He ran a hand through his own blue hair, attempting a nonchalant pose that was utterly ridiculous given his size. "Are you interested in hair bleaching, like me? " he added, his tone oddly earnest.

Mina, starting to worry, moved closer to me, clutching my coat, her eyes fixed on the towering monstrosity. It was clear she sensed the danger.

"I was born like this…" I replied, my voice dripping with sarcasm. My attention was briefly diverted as a fresh wave of monstrous creatures closed in from behind. With a swift movement, I transformed my Morphblade into a whip, lashing out with deadly precision. Their bodies split in half, their dark essence dissipating into the air. This was a distraction I didn't need.

"You're the one who's been cleaning house, incapacitating all those Ghouls?" the behemoth observed, his voice laced with a hint of admiration. "But you've made quite a mess with all their blood."

His words sent a chill down my spine. "Ghouls?" I repeated, my voice low and dangerous. These were people, citizens of Gloria. To refer to them so casually, so dismissively... as Ghouls? it was unforgivable.

The monstrous man froze, his laughter abruptly cut short. His eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, come on," he stammered, his bravado momentarily shaken. "Don't be so dramatic."

His attempt at deflection only fueled my anger. This was more than just a fight. It was a battle for the very soul of Gloria.

“I mean…” his laughter turned into a snicker as he wiped a tear from his eye. "They’re failed experiments," he explained, his grin widening to reveal a mouthful of jagged teeth. "Couldn't handle their drugs, lost their minds. Can you believe it?" His voice echoed in the cavernous hall, mingling with the mournful groans of the creatures. "They were slaves, too. Can't even die in peace now. Talk about a bad deal, huh?"

The moment those words left his lips, my blood ran cold. Mina's ragged sobs were a dagger to my heart. This monster was the reason behind those tears. This monster… had pushed me too far.

With a roar of fury, I lashed out with the whip, ensnaring his massive form. I yanked him towards me with all my might, my eyes burning with rage. As he drew closer, I unleashed a devastating kick that connected with his jaw. The impact sent him flying backward, his body crashing into the wall with a thunderous thud.

"Alright nough games," I growled, my voice low and menacing. "Imma kill you now."