The others stood frozen, watching the painful scene unfold. The figure in the mist had begun to shift, its face contorting as it turned toward them. The faint whisper of Mirielle's name escaped its lips...but it was warped, twisted into something unholy. Then, the sound became a roar of fury, and the entire boundary trembled in answer.
Mirielle fell to her knees, her sobs breaking the heavy silence. "He was a good man," she whispered between gasps. "He didn't deserve this. He tried to protect everyone when the corruption came. How could it… how could it turn him into this?"
The Empress approached slowly, she placed a hand on Mirielle's shoulder, her touch both firm and compassionate. "The darkness consumes all it touches," she said softly. "Even the purest hearts can be twisted beyond recognition. Your father's soul is lost, but his love for you is not. You must hold onto that, or the same darkness will claim you too."
