In another time and place...
Had she lost unconscious? The girl looked down at her palms. They were a lot smaller than she remembered... too small. A sharp pain stung her brain as she tried to piece her broken memories together... or perhaps it was just the pungent smell around them that made her dizzy.
Her hearing came back, catching moans of agony and squeals, the painful groans assaulting her senses.
Her hands shifted to the side, catching a feeling of something squishy and scattering at her touch, mixing with the warm liquids on the slippery ground; the uncomfortable feeling assaulting her senses.
Her sight came back, her small, confused head falling to the side to catch the sight of a hairy chin and a sweaty face. The girl's legs twitched in pain, this person before her eyes smiling as he moved his arm; with the sight of this abhorrent creature assaulting her senses.
***
The hall was dark, the figures in the shadows writhing along the ground as they indulged in what could only be described as the evilest and morally depraved acts of sin. Many did not want to be here in this place, but no matter where one of these people turned to escape, another vile creature was waiting, its hands fidgeting with greed, despite the exhaustion in its sadistic eyes, and despite the number of people it has already stuck its groping fingers into.
The hall's length seemed as if it could fit a thousand of this girl stretching her limbs and laying ahead of the other. One crawl forward seemed like days gone by, and by the time she was near the door of the room, all her life had been ripped off the surface of her body, hard enough to strip her of whatever was in it.
"Come back here!" One of the creatures shouted. The little girl heard pants and gasps getting closer, until eventually, the escaping person stepped all over her in their desperation to get to the wide doors.
"Hmm." She heard a curious hum. "Exquisite! Wonderful flesh!" The creature grabbed her leg in one of its huge hands, pulling and shifting all the way up to her stomach. "Wonderful! How soft!" It picked her up in one hand, then used the other to lift her up to its face.
The child looked into its black and timeworn eyes that gleamed with insatiable hunger. She saw herself in its reflection and was confused. What does this creature find pleasant? She turned her eyes down to her blood-soaked body, aware of the stench of the disgusting filth mixed on her flesh... She did not understand.
Her legs dangled in refusal as it brought her face closer. Its teeth sunk into her cheek just painfully enough to not rip it off.
'It hurts!' Her body was in pain, but she was raised to endure.
The creature opened its mouth and tried to sink its tongue into her eyelids. It stung. It was painful. Her erratic movements eventually caused its teeth to stab into her eye, and just when her body was at its limits, she brought her hands upon its neck and squeezed its head off its body.
The nameless girl fell on the ground, surrounded by other slowly approaching creatures, people, and worst of all; covered in her own putrid disgusting flesh.
———
Astrid sat for quite a while in confusion, utter confusion. This scene was familiar: a monster standing above a powerless person and wanting to use their body for her own benefit. Is she the monster?
The white lights that acted as her eyes turned hollow. Her arms grabbed her aching head as she tried to force these thoughts of doubt out of her mind. Equinox is the one that is evil, his spirit is evil, and his Virtues are evil... And if the evil is in front of her, it could not possibly be herself as well. That is basic logic. One is black, one is white; so as long as there is blood on the floor, two of the same color cannot exist in one room!
She looked down at his body, the Vrykolakas still somehow working on piecing his body back together as Equinox's essence poured into it.
"P... please."
Astrid was startled. Who said that? Her eyes met with Ikky's, the latter suddenly turning to crawl away in the other direction as he coughed out blood.
"One more carcass to collect... one more material to create your own perfect body. You who despise flesh will find no better tether to mortality than that of this persistent child!"
Equinox could hear Yaga's tempting words... tempting words for Astrid. "Fu—" He was in too bad a state to even curse. Nevertheless, he continued to crawl.
Ever since he'd become a Prophet, nearly every fight had ended up like this— with him almost dead and crawling for his pitiful life. He had not grown up like the others. Equinox did not know anything about how to manage spiritual essence, he had not undergone any moral training to grow a proper Virtue, and his only method of fighting was by jumping around, biting and scratching like a wild beast, sacrificing his limbs to compensate for a lack of skill and power.
What was the point? If he escapes this fight... this flat out murder, he would only end up in something similar again.
But so what?! He could take it! 'Resilience is my flipping Virtue!... I swear I'm stronger than the last time I ended up a living corpse...' He pressed another hand on the ground and pulled. 'Until it's my turn to stare down at them as their graves fill with dust huh?... If this were a contest of who would last the longest till they die, I swear I'd win.'
Ikky continued to struggle, but the force now pulling him backwards was stronger than any he could summon in resistance.
———
Astrid had killed before. Astrid has killed many. With every foe she conquered, whether sin, beast or human, she would take an ideal corpse and purify it, turning into a beautiful organ to store in one of her wings. All this to create a body she could look in the mirror without finding scratches and bites inflicted on her by others; all so she could have a body without the pungent smell and a fresh new slate to build her own free life.
She and her sister had roamed the lands of the Realms and Lokahs, searching for the perfect pieces, powerful enough to contain them and even improve their abilities. Now, in her hands, Astrid possessed something that she could call the perfect heart. The most resilient heart she could find. The fear that the new body she would create would feel just as uncomfortable and disgusting as the last, scared her. But surely with this resilient heart, this persisting heart that beats for the love of life, her current fears will become amongst the least in her new life.
[Heaven's favourite children are little Asael that is curious yet obeys; and ancient Helel that is prideful yet bows.
Their fragments have we scattered upon the mortal worlds, in bodies of great heralds of destruction.
Should Helel be born anew, it must be with a heart of obstinate pride.
Should Asael be born anew, it must be with a mind of insatiable curiosity.
...
...
...
If Helel is to ascend, it must be with a bow to Asael.
If Asael is to ascend, it must be with the fulfilled words of Helel.
...
...
...
But should their rebirth be not of pride and curiosity, the Destinies of Asael and Helel will forsake them, and their story will begin a new.]
The prophecy of 'The Kneeling Light and Wise Clay' Virtuous Virtue had one of the longest prophecies humanity has ever known. It contained every bit of prediction about the owners of this virtue, provided that the first prediction, when the users are born anew, comes to pass. That first prediction was the only thing Heaven's Favourite Children could do anything to change, while the others will come to pass regardless of their later choices and attempts. It was both a blessing, because the lines were filled with many good news; and a curse, because they would know things they should not, and have no way to change them no matter their attempts.
As soon as Astrid, Helel chose to use this corpse before herself for a heart, this corpse filled with feelings of suffering and uncertainty, rather than pride, with herself feeling doubtful and confused, she had broken the first prophecy, and hence abandoned destiny.
———
Equinox watched as himself was dragged into Astrid's body, a wing assimilating his form. It was a strange feeling. He was over there, yet still over here, laying on the ground and watching.
'You are an inept Prophet, Ikky. One I truly had the misfortune of being assigned to.'
'Go stick a sword up your ass!' Ikky had heard that.
Yaga laughed, 'Perhaps that is one of your better qualities.' She placed her palm over his eyes, the prophet soon losing consciousness after.
"Sleep, Nox. And dream of a world where you were not alone, a world where your sisters and brothers held your sword by your side. A world where the lea of black grass was adorned with flowers. You are not the first of your lineage to come to this world of night, but you are the only we welcome with open arms."