An Eye For An Eye

Part Two: After the truth

Lilin wakes up hours later, the moon shining bright above; she’s tied up with a copper chain to a massive stone table with runes carved on the side and thick beds of moss dangling from the edges. Lilin struggled in her chains for what seemed like an eternity. She screamed out several times, but no one could hear except for the trees and winds circling her. A small whisper came out of the corner holding a jeweled dagger in her frail, wrinkly hands and a heavy regret in her aging heart.

“Grandmother is that you ?!” Lilin cried out

“My dear, i'm so sorry. may Sharaz guide you” Glin spoke in a sincere voice. Her legs were trembling, but her hands were tied. Shortly after, her grandfather stepped onto the altar, but unlike Glin, he wasn’t worried he carried a stoic face and a steady hand. He took the dagger from Glin's hands, and without hesitation, he plunged it into Lilin’s heart, carving it out. Lilin desperately grasped for air, but her efforts were in vain. The last thing Lilin saw before she “died” was her grandfather’s wicked grin and her heart lying motionless on the cold ground beside a gold rimmed mirror.

“How am I not dead!” Lilin screamed as she woke up. She was surrounded by nothing but darkness except for a light at the end of the tunnel. She could do nothing but follow that light. It led her to a massive room with enormous stone pillars that were a thousand times the size of a hyperion and a floor that resembled the stars. Near the walls was a heavenly creature with the body of a sphinx and diamond eyes. It had sapphire hair with a tint amethyst and waves of time that covered most of the floor. Above her was a clock, but it was no ordinary clock. It shone like the sun and had hands more heavenly than cupid’s golden arrows. “Who are you?” Lilin nervously asked the sphinx, but she got no response. From the corner of her eye, she spotted something large, and it was coming straight for her. It had a thousand eyes, poppy red wings, and a lengthy tongue coming out of its razor-sharp mouth. As the beast got closer, it became clear that there were more than one there were hundreds that all varied in size. They formed a circle around Lilin and the biggest one spoke in a soft voice “hello we’re the fae of Reflequa we act as Sharaz, our mother’s mouth and talk for her you however have no business here. you must be lost little lamb” After the fae finished speaking, it extended its enormous, torn wings adorned with rubies and began to close in on Lilin. Then, a thick cloud of smoke flooded the room, and from the center emerged a tall, muscular figure. As Lilin stood there helplessly, She felt a hand cover her mouth, and her eyes began to blur as she fell asleep in his cold, powerful arms. Then he pulls her over his shoulder and begins to walk away, his left hand gently placed on her thigh. “You're safe now, Lili,” he softly whispered. Suddenly, a glow ascended from his back, his eyes began to glow a golden light, and two angelic wings sprouted from his collar bone. Swiftly, he flew towards the pitch black walls. The moment his feathery wings made contact with the midnight stone, it shattered into a million pieces, revealing the shine of a golden moon floating above a blanket of sunset clouds.

Lilin wakes up in front of a blazing campfire under a tree, her body being tightly embraced by a fur blanket. Beside her was that mysterious boy. His eyes were a deep blue, and his hair was a hazel brown in an ocean of waves

“Good morning Lilin” he whispered, turning his head towards her

“Who are you?” Lilin anxiously asked

“My name is Lucas, and i'm a friend, or at least i'd like to be” he replied with a comforting smile and glistening eyes. The two felt a feeling that neither had felt before and just as Lucas was leaning in Nil rolls out of a nearby bush like an unhinged wheel from a cart

“Hello Lillin, I see you’ve met Lucas. I'm so relieved you both made it out in one piece” Nil said with a soft voice as she got up. “Was I interrupting something?” she added.

“no!” the two swiftly replied, looking at each other with a blank face. After a few hours the three realized the danger of staying there and they decided the best course of action would be to confront Lilin’s grandparents so together they headed towards the moon’s golden light there they would find their way out.

Waiting for them was a dragon guarding an ancient archway, it had tar black scales that apeared red in the sun’s light, wings the size of a cathedral and spear like talons coming out of its tree stump legs.

“If you let us pass, we have no trouble with you. Oh great dragon” said Lucas, trying to negotiate with the “mindless monster”. Just as he was about to step through the archway thinking all was fine, the dragon pounced up and from his fiery jaws came out a blood curdling roar that shook the earth.

“You little imbeciles do you really think I would let your blood stained hands through my pristine gates. after all you’ve done to my kind, you expect me to show mercy when you gave them none! '' screamed the dragon through a roar filled with hatred and sorrow. Just as they were backing away, the dragon grabbed Nil and brought her up to his mouth. Smoke ascended from his heart, and fire was inevitable

“Go! just leave me I’ve dealt with far worse… Ok, I haven’t but that doesn’t matter” said Nil with a worried smile on her face. Just as Lilin was about to throw a rock towards the dragon’s eyes, Lucas grabbed her chained up wrist and pushed her through the archway.

“Why would you do that, Lucas? I could’ve helped!” Lilin whimpered as she fell on her knees,staring into nothing, and just as her heart felt complete, it was broken once again.

“I'm not a villain” explained lucas whilst consoling her “As long as you live, Nil will too. Don’t you get it by now, Nil isn’t a person. She's your reflection, and that's how she appeared to you before the game.” Lilin couldn’t believe what Lucas had just said, but in her heart, she held onto that tiny glimmer of hope. Perhaps Nil didn’t die, and perhaps it wasn’t her fault for being so incompetent.

“Let's finish what we started” whispered Lilin with a faint smile on her bruised face.

After what seemed like an eternity of walking, the two finally arrived at Mindrai it was a place that Lilin once called home, but it was different. The air had lost its pungent smell, and the grass was a vibrant, lush green. What was once a rotting carcass was now a thriving flower bed. A familiar face called out to them

“Lilin? how are you not dead we killed you”

Sinu and Glin were standing at their old porch, their eyes looked in disbelief, and their minds twisted in confusion. Just as Lilin was about to go to her grandparents, a circle of blood surrounded Sinu and Glin, and from it came a thousand fae with anger in their many eyes

“You two egotistical, narcissistic, dim-witted fools will pay for this wrong deed. Your self preservation has now cost many years you could’ve spent together now you will never again feel free from the warmth of the sun” said the fae in unison and just as these words were spoken a curse caused the them to transform into two separate parallel rivers, just in reach of each other but never to meet again.

*two years later* rains of roses came down from the sky as a calming feeling surrounds the room. Lilin and Lucas stood under a marble archway adorned with roses, and together, they tied a silk cloth into a knot. The end.