Elmira Sielstone: The Empress

Chapter Twenty-One

"Is he really Yves?" Savvy closed the gates of the cell as they had just removed the body of Gabby inside, lifeless as the Gemus had already got all his Qaraths. They teleported to the other side of the dungeon to transfer his body to the other cell where other dead bodies are.

"I don't know. But he's aged if he's really Yves." Sinn replied as they opened another gate of a cell inside the dungeon.

"Let's just ask her later…" He added.

They throw his body with the other bodies inside.

"Sid, pull the lever. This cell's already full. We need to bury them now." Savvy commanded as they closed the gates.

Sid pulled the lever down and as soon as he did, the inside of the cell rolled down slowly, going down the sands, under the ground.

After minutes of waiting, Sid pulled the lever up as they already buried the Hazzles and the cell was already empty.

After they had finished their task, they teleported again and visited the Hazzles from Crymph who had been left out as they had sinned to Elmira and to other Hazzles.

There were still many Hazzles left inside the dungeon from Crymph, not only the Rulers as they didn't let the sinners leave the dungeon.

"What's happening here?" They're walking in the hallway of the dungeon when they encounter one cell that seems to have troubles inside.

One Hazzle comes near them at the gate of their cell, fear is really visible all over her face, as her eyes are pleading, looking at them.

"Someone's… someone's trying to kill us… There have been two deaths since this afternoon. And someone just… just died." She said, tearing, "Help us… please." She barely stands straight, holding on to the gates to support her weight to stand still, not removing her eye contact from Savvy.

"What's happening here?" Elmira appears near them, and walks directly towards the cell where they are. The three looked at her but didn't answer and waited for her to get beside them to see it for herself.

Elmira stopped beside them, and directed her gaze inside the cell, and to the woman in front of them who's still pouring her heart out in front of them as she's still pleading.

"Please help us… Please." Elmira stared at her, directly through her eyes, with her blank expression flushed in her face.

"Stop trying too hard, Hazzle. It's not as if you'll die inside." Elmira said, Watching her in terror.

"But someone just died! There have already been three deaths since this afternoon! Everyone's gonna die here! Please save us."

Elmira chuckled as she watched her beg for her life, like she heard some kind of a joke.

"Everyone will die, Aya." She laughed. "Except you." Elmira changed her expression fast from having fun of what she had heard and watched, to her really serious facial expression, losing her smiles, and staring at her in humiliation, and anger.

Her gaze was sending shivers through her spine, but she didn't show any sign of terror, and controlled herself not to get swayed by her words.

"What… What do you mean? And how did you know my name?"

Elmira smirked as she was still pretending not to know what she was saying.

"You know what I mean, Hazzle." She said. "And I know your name, 'cause I know who you are. From the roots and end of your hair, up to your toe nails. I know everything, so stop pretending that you don't know what I mean, and stop pretending that you're a victim here." She added, staring at her with her burning gazes as she's grinning in front of her.

Elmira's full of disappointments towards her, and she couldn't digest her gaze towards her as she's still pouring tears, in her act like she's really afraid to get killed inside the cell because of her other companion inside.

"Get the Dead Hazzles inside, Sinn." Elmira commanded, and didn't even try to glance at him, as she was still staring at the Hazzle in front of her.

"And bring this woman out of her cell, Savvy. You know what to do." He nodded as they both entered the cell without opening the gates.

Sid was left with Elmira in the hallway, facing the Hazzle who was still looking at her intensely.

"Did she really kill them?" He asked, directing his gaze towards the Hazzles who had been shouting in terror as they were all terrified of what was happening and what may happen to them, though all of them inside the cell were destined to be killed, but not by other Hazzle.

"Yes. And she was still killing another Hazzle right now, even though she's here, begging to save her life… Help Sinn inside, Sid."

He nodded before going through the gates without opening it.

"Who are you? I can't read your mind." The Hazzle was looking directly through her eyes, as she tried to read her.

"You don't need to know." Savvy helped Sinn first to get the dead Hazzles without being seen, and when Sid was already there, he left and proceeded to the Hazzle in front of Elmira.

"You're not one of us." She said, as furrows formed in her brows.

Savvy was still waiting for Elmira's cue to finally get her, as they were still talking and he didn't want to intervene from her.

"Why would I be one of you? You're all a sinner, and I am not." She said, being proud, grinning from ear to ear as she's talking towards her.

She glanced at Savvy and nodded, giving him a sign to get her out already with her.

"Sid, and Sinn, get them out now." She said through their minds, as they all teleported out of the cell at once.

Once the Hazzle met Elmira without the gates in between them, she held her hands, and kneeled in front of her. Savvy didn't mind if she did it, even though he's still holding her.

"Spare my life… please." Elmira's just looking down at her as she knew what she was doing. She flashed a grin on her face and sat in front of her to level herself on her and meet her eyes.

"Tell me a reason why we should spare your life, Aya. But before that, let me tell you what you have done all through your life." She paused a little before she continued.

"When you were younger, you started to get greedy. You studied how to obtain a Qarath the fastest way. And you learned it, applied it to your family, killed everyone, getting all their Qaraths, their energy, and you didn't stop until you fed your greediness. You grew up, transferred from Tarfelli to Crymph, and then you started killing there, as you discovered that their Governor was doing the same thing, so you had your freedom there, and found the life you wanted. And up until now, you killed at least three Hazzles from your cell, and while acting out, you're still getting someone's Qarath. And… Now that you're here in front of me, holding my hand, you're still feeding your greed, trying to get my own Qarath."

The Hazzle in front of her, was slowly slipping out her hands from her, as she was so astounded from everything she's hearing coming from her mouth.

"H-how did you-" She couldn't even hide her fears now, looking at her, like she was killing her alive from her sharp stares.

"I told you, I know everything from you." She said grinning. Elmira stood up and nodded towards the three to proceed to the cells they needed to go. She was left in front of the cell where the Hazzle was from.

She turned her gaze towards them as she was feeling their gazes ever since they got the bodies inside, until now that Aya, the Hazzle, vanished right from their eyes.

She glared at them, darker as how she stared at Aya.

"Don't worry. Your time will come. Just wait for it." She said, sending them shivers, and ice-cold stares before she walks away from them.

All cells still have Hazzles in it, and they were all just looking at her as she passed by their cells, glaring at her with fear in their eyes, but Elmira didn't care at all, and never stopped to even glance at them. She was so disgusted, annoyed, disappointed, and most of all, sad, as her people, her very own people, whom she cherishes the most, had all sinned, and let their greed eat their whole being. Not only the Hazzles but also all her Gemus as she was having a hard time controlling them the most, and they needed to get back to Emerald as soon as possible. And to make it a success, she needed to suffer herself, from her limitations that she had inputted on their bodies, while she, herself, also has limitations on her Hazzle's body.

She stopped walking when she felt a pain, stinging inside her. The three Gemus appeared beside her at the same time, looking at her with worriedness in their eyes. But because they were still inside the dungeon, they couldn't even hold her to give her support as she didn't want anyone to see her being vulnerable.

She just concealed her pain, and walked again towards the hallway with the three, all looking at her, behind her.

"We'll start tomorrow, ten to fifteen. Remember that." She said as she knew that they were listening even though they didn't even react to what she had said.

"What happened to the rulers of Crymph?" She asked as they were still walking to get to the entrance of the dungeon.

"They had started their mission this afternoon, with Sid's supervision." Savvy reported, even though he knew that Elmira already knew what he was reporting.

"That's great. "

"But couldn't you give them another punishment, other than cleaning the whole dungeon? They have sinned tenfold." Sinn said as he was still confused by Elmira's decision on letting them clean the whole dungeon that is not even dirty at all.

"It's better to use them first, before they'll die, Sinn. They'll eventually die with Gemus' hands, so don't worry." She said, walking past cells.

They were already in the staircase going up to the entrance of the dungeon.

"We're just curious about one thing." Sinn said.

"What is it?"

"Is that really Yves that we had seen in the Hazzle's tent? He was looking at us like he knew us. We didn't mind, not until he said his name." He explained.

"You mean, Professor Yves." She was already grinning as they arrived outside the dungeon, in the Academy's ground.

The place was already dark, but the two moons were giving them light to see each other from the dark.

"Yes. Yves." He said, like it's just the same name, but without calling him Professor.

"Yes. That's him. The Yves that you three know very well." She didn't gain any reaction from them, but Sid asked her another question.

"Is he a Hazzle now?" Elmira smiled, before answering him.

"Yes. He is."

"How was that even possible? He was a Gemus before. We were just all taking your punishments at the same time because of your rage and frustrations towards us before, so how come he's a Hazzle now?" He asked again in confusion, forming furrows in his brows.

Elmira didn't even turn around to look at them, but she was still answering all their questions in life, their confusions, and most especially, how did Professor Yves become a Hazzle when he was just a Gemus just like them.

"Because he had chosen to live as a Hazzle in his next life so I granted it. He was a great servant afterall."

"But he could still remember us?" Sinn is now the one who's asking. There were just so many questions about Yves that they wanted to know, as they didn't even have the chance of knowing, before.

"Yes. He still wanted to remember me and everyone else even in his next life as a Hazzle, so I did. He was a great help until now that he's already a Hazzle, along with Travis, and Liah."

"They are all Hazzles now?" Sinn said, with exaggeration, his eyes widened, putting his palm in front of his mouth to cover it, gasping.

"Yes. And they govern the Academy now. Travis as the Headmaster, Yves as the head Professor, and Liah as the, well… the boss, as always. They all decided to be a Hazzle in their next life, so here they are. Still helping us even they aren't Gemus anymore." She said, smiling from ear to ear, having fun as she talked about them.

They arrived at the dormitory building, and walked up through the stairs, not even using the elevator of the building, or even their Qaraths to teleport to her room.

"Do you still trust them?" Savvy asked, which made her stop. It was an unusual question from him, but her smiles never faded into her face.

"Yes. And always will." She said as she continued walking up the staircase.

"They have seen how I am when I get mad, Savvy. And you six, had experienced it all since you were my very first Gemus in Emerald." She said. "And thank you to the three of you for staying beside me as a Gemus, even now." She continued, without looking at them as can already see their wide smiles behind her.

"I'll grant you a wish someday. After all of these. I'm giving each one of you one wish. So think about it carefully." They arrived in front of her room, and turned around to see their faces.

"Even your wish is to be a Hazzle in your next life."

She gave them a really genuine smile before she entered her room, closed her door, put up a barrier, and removed her concealing Qarath that she had applied on her body so she won't feel the pain.

As soon as she removed it, she fell on the floor, twisting in pain, and enduring it to the fullest. Leaving the three outside, full of worries, as they know what she's doing inside once she enters her room, leaving them behind.