Chapter 14: Shrine of Corruption _ Elegy of Corruption
When Alfiran woke from her coma that had lasted three days and nights, her body was cold as ice. The flames of revenge within her had been extinguished, for she had eliminated corruption, sacrificing her feelings and her memory. She rose from the bed, unsteady. The people had chosen her to be their new queen. Wealth or power did not matter to her; what mattered was freeing the people from the tyranny of corruption—and she had done it.
She walked toward the piano to release the poisons that surpassed mountains. She wanted to play a melody that would make bodies wither, and to remind those who had forgotten to stand against corruption. She stepped slowly, step by step, until she reached the piano. She sat at the seat, placing her numb fingers on the keys, whispering:
"I am the story of a human…
I am the wound of time…
I am Alfiran…"
(The piano responds with a sorrowful tone; every key touches his soul, every echo reflects his loneliness)
"I live in longing for the sound of rain…
For the light of the moon…
I draw destiny…"
(Her fingers move gently; the keys scream with longing, every note travels through his heart like a cold breeze)
"O light of hope rising instead of the sorrows of life…
So we may glimpse the light of dawn…
So we may dream like flowers…"
(Each note becomes a small glimmer of hope in the darkness; the piano becomes a companion, embracing his sorrow)
(The playing intensifies, as if the sound itself flows from his heart, from within him, singing his soul without anyone hearing it)
Fifth verse –
"I am the echo of pain…
And I am the flame of hidden power…
I am the past and the present…
I am the melody that never dies…"
When she finished, she heard footsteps behind her—tick… tick… tick. When she turned, she found herself drenched in her own blood, a dagger embedded in her back. Alfiran said, "Who did this?" A familiar voice answered. She said, "Who are you?" The voice replied, "I am the one who exploited your purity and your pursuit of justice. I was with you everywhere. You were merely a tool I used to cleanse the field so I could rebuild hell."
The traitor stood before her, and what she had not expected began to unfold. Alfiran struggled to catch her breath until the traitor's face became clear. She looked and found Alindra standing before her, a sinister smile drawn upon her face.
In her final despair, Alfiran began to play the Symphony of Terrors:
(Opening: slow, funeral notes; the sound of keys fragmented like dying breaths)
"O silence of this universe… do you hear my moaning?
My fingers have died… and the cold in my veins burns me
Three nights in absence… and the soul was being crushed
I returned to you as a queen… and my heart shatters behind me
For the fingers have died… and the soul no longer feels pain
I played for you a lifetime of light amid the darkness…
Yet I reaped nothing but betrayal… in the form of mercy."
(Slow rise: a breaking note, as if collapsing with every strike)
"They chanted my name in the crowd… while poison dripped from their mouths
They elected my body to rule… while my soul was buried within
Dance upon my wound… O you who chose me as an angel
I am the one who burned my heart… so you would not perish
I gave them my purity… and they gifted me ruin and doom
I burned my days… to light their night
But the hell in their blood… is not quenched by light
A world that loves its executioner… and despises the loyal."
(Middle section: heavy… slow… each word falls like a stab)
"Ah, a stab in the back… sunk in the silence of serpents
Who drew their blade… and tore the thread of my courage?
Who drank the toast of my victory… then fed the earth my blood?
Was it the distant enemy? Or the one who wiped my pain?
Speak, O death… for the voice of fate has become familiar
I am the one who defeated tyrants… and was defeated by exposed betrayal."
(Climax: the melody ignites… then suddenly calms at realization)
"Now I see… and blood washes my eyes and the piano
I saw the face of 'Alindra'… where deception resides
O child I raised… O monster I created with my own hands
You built an empire from my bones… and watered it from my veins
Smile, O daughter of shadows… for hell has triumphed
But my soul will remain a sun… in this barren night."
(Descent: the melody softens… but the pain becomes clearer)
"Farewell to a city… that feeds on the flesh of those who protect it
Farewell to hopes… in whose eyes ruin was growing
Farewell, O those who cheered for me… tomorrow you will weep blood
Farewell, O throne of thorns… that became a mouth for my death
I am the one departing… my back straight like mountains
I am the truth that was crucified… in a world of illusion."
(Finale: one strike on the piano… silence… then a final whisper)
"Wash yourselves with my blood… build your hell anew
For I have cleansed my hands of a world… that worships chains and iron
My smile is the sun… and ruin is my shroud
I played my death…
Let ruin live."
When she finished playing, the piano fell silent. The air grew heavy. Alfiran sat upright, her heart had stopped beating.
And here stood the shrine of the one who suppressed corruption.
A message from the author – 1Shinigami1
Dear reader,
Look around you… this world is corrupted to its very depths. Every innocent soul is taken daily, every crime committed in silence, everything forbidden is sold in plain sight, and people hear, know, and see… yet they turn a blind eye. Everyone is complicit, from the greatest leaders to the smallest officials, and corruption devours every corner of our lives.
Alfiran was not just a hero, but a symbol of absolute dark justice. She stood against the evil rooted in every heart, struck with an iron hand against all corruption, and showed that there are those who do not fear, who face injustice without hesitation. Yet she did not break the chain… corruption is eternal, it does not die easily. She sacrificed herself—her body and soul, everything she had—only to witness evil return stronger, more savage, and more bloodthirsty than before.
But this is not the end of the story… Alfiran now looks at you, and at everyone who refuses silence and submission to corruption. She stood, and now it is your turn to stand as well. Do not wait, do not fear, do not remain still before evil—and when you stand, stand like her with all your strength, even if everything seems lost.
This is her lesson, and this is what true justice is… loud, harsh, and epic.
With my sincere regards,
1Shinigami1