Cartherina:"you just have to touch the crystal I am in, And repeat the chant after me."
I was worried.. But if what she said was true.. And "that thing" Is a mast need to die... I need to know more. So I placed my hand on her crystal and started to chant.
Cartherina:"when the tides meet the shore."
Darya:"when the tides meet the shores."
Cartherina:"the wind meets the tree leaves."
Darya:"the wind meets the tree leaves."
Cartherina:"the flame meets the ice."
Darya:"the flame meets the ice."
Cartherina:"the chaos turns into gift."
Darya:"the chaos turns into gift."
Cartherina:"the tyranny shall come out."
Darya:"the tyranny shall come out–... Wait what?!"
I suddenly got stuck with the crystal.. My hands got wrapped by the vines that came out of the crystal egg. And everything in the surrounding became red. Like crimson blood... And what scared me more... Was that cartherina was laughing.. Like a maniac.. A glitch.. And her body inside the crystal.
Darya:"wha–.. What. The. Hell."
Her body was turned into a black viscous fluid inside and the crystal was cracking little by little. The fluid was coming out drop by drop. And before I knew it. The fluid leaped onto me like a blanket, and I fell weak. Trembling and still trying to break free. Only my mouth and nose were open enough to breath.
Darya:".. IGH!.. Y–.. YOU LIED TO ME!."
Cartherina:"I did... AND YOU FELL FOR IT!... HAHAHAHA... FINALLY... AFTER 70,000 YEARS... I AM FREE AGAIN!!."
She was laughing so loud that it felt too strong, and heavy to stand.
Darya:"gulp~... Y–... B–.. But why? .... Why did you lie to me? ... D–.. Does that mean.. Y–.. You aren't my daughter?"
Cartherina:".. Hahaha... I didn't lie .. Mother... I am your daughter.. But not the way you think. Years ago... When you were a whole... A person complete with all emotions like a normal human,... But that thing changed... When you got blessed by divinity... You became a walking contradiction between your own self... A person with two personalities."
Darya:"I was... What?"
I couldn't understand anything. It was already getting hard to stand. And the vines were too hard to break..the black fluid was covering my whole body. And before I could do anything.. It disappeared.. Not like vapour.. But.. It went inside my body from my face opening.., eyes, nose, ears and mouth.
Darya:"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"
Cartherina:"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! .. HAHA.. I AM BACK!.. THE CHAOS SHALL BEGIN!"
I fell unconscious before I realized it. And my eyes open.. But.. I couldn't feel my body, and where I woke up wasn't the place I remember. But it was a place that felt familiar. I was in a field, a big sand filled field, like made for training. Big enough to hold Olympics in here, covered by circular walls, so big that could compare half the size of mount Everest.
My body wasn't in my control at all. It was moving on its own, And the thoughts, I could hear the thoughts that I don't remember.
???:"it's my 98th match today... I feel so tired~... Why can't I stop fighting.... All these people... They keep challenging me, and all I do is kill them... Tch–...WHY DO I HAVE TO KILL THEM?!"
Darya:"w–.. What is this.. Where am I?... And what are these thoughts?... I can't feel my body, and this place..... Just what is happening right now."
Cartherina:"this is your past... Mother~... This is the very beginning of your life... A beginning of your monstrous life."
Darya:".. What!?"
"Did I hear that right?, my–.. Past?.... How is this my past?... Wait.. Does that mean?... No way–... This is my first life!!?"
Darya:".. W–wait... So that means.... These thoughts?"
Cartherina:"they are your own, yes~"
I didn't know what to say anymore... So, I just kept observing.
The person who's perspective I was looking at finally let's out a sigh picks up her sword, that was stabbed into the ground. She walked forward, as the gate on the other side of the arena opened and what came out of it was another female warrior in a bronze armour, with a spear and a shield.
???:"another match, another victim... I feel sick... I feel sick, I feel sick, I feel sick.... Why can't I stop this?... Why does defeat means death?... Is there really nothing we can do without killing in the tournament?"
"What's the point of this victory, if all my fellow warriors die by my own hand, just because they loose the tournament from me."
"I don't want to kill anymore."
Suddenly the warrior called out to me.. Or rather.. The person who's P.O.V. I was looking at.
???:"General Enyo... This is like a dream come true for me.. I've waited 10 years, only for this day to come, where I ... Thearia augusta, shall take the title of "blood acon" from you."
Darya"wait.. Did she just call me a general?... And "enyo"?... Sounds Greek tho?"
Cartherina:"because it is.. This was your name in your first life."
Enyo:"... It's not a easy title you get from victory, warrior augusta.... The "blood acon" is not something anyone would get like the title of war God/goddess. It is a title you get from eliminating... Eliminating every single obstacles,.. Enemies,... Friends,.... Anyone or anything that comes in your way to become the acon... That is the very reason, for it having the name ... "blood acon"."
Augusta:"heh,.. General enyo... Don't get me wrong but, I've admired you since I was a child... And I don't plan to go down easily.. Even if it means death. So, it doesn't matter to me if it means I die, or I had to kill you to get that title."
Enyo:"..."
"Sigh~... Very well then,... Let's see if you can stand on your words."
I–.. I mean enyo raised the sword forward.. I don't know what expression she showed, but by her tone and attitude... It felt like she is going to kill Augusta right away.
I was more shocked by the intention I was feeling.. These were a intention of a killer... A merciless, ruthless killer.
Darya:"n–.. No way.. This... This was my attitude back then?"
Cartherina:"they were... And it was all because, you were whole... You had all the emotions, even the ones that you don't feel anytime... Anger, worry, sadness, happiness, and the most of them were blocked by your own mindset."
"You blocked you emotions.. To not feel sadness or worry when you kill your opponents."
Darya:"b–but why am I killing them in the first place?... And what the hell is blood acon?!"
Cartherina:"... That will take time to explain.. But think of it as a game.. A death game.. For which, you have to eliminate everyone so that, you can win."
Darya:"death... Game?!... Wh–why is there a game like this?... And why the hell am I playing it?!... And.. And.. And why am I a champion of this?!"
Cartherina:"because... You wanted to protect your people."
Darya:"... Protect.. My people?"
Cartherina:"yes,... You wanted to protect your town from the king... Because you came from a peasant origin... And in this era.. The peasants were seen as slave... And you were the only person... Who was able to rose from the very bottom.. To reach the top. But, the king couldn't let it get away so easily.. He knew that he can't throw you away just because you're a peasant, either. So he made this game.. The blood acon... And made you kill.. And kill... And kill."
"He did it so that you break out and leave being a general... But, to his surprise. It ended up making you numb.... You became ruthless after every victory... People were enjoying. Because for them. The weak is better of dead, than having to face defeat... But, you.. You kept mourning for their death, inside you're heart.. You were breaking up."
"By the time you became more of a cold winner in everyone's eyes, but what they didn't know.. Was that you had gotten dual personality... Without sword.. You were a gentle woman, who cared about her people.. But, when you holded a sword... You become a completely different person... It was until today... When you got blessed by both the gods and demons... Because.. You were the first person. Who had the same amount of sins as the amount of good deeds."
As I was talking with cartherina, I didn't even see when did I–... I mean enyo defeated Augusta.. Because what I saw froze my entire mind... Augusta was laying on the ground.. Cut open from her shoulder, all the way to her hips.
I didn't even know what to say anymore. I was just silent, as the eyes of enyo shifted to the proedria. Where the king was sitting on his throne. Looking down with solemn and defeat. Maybe because enyo didn't loose.
Darya:"..."
"Why am I–.. Why is enyo looking at the king."
Cartherina:"you'll see in few moments."
I was about ask about what does she mean. When suddenly I–enyo leaped with blurring speed. Before anyone could react. The gaurds were fallen down with brutal cuts on throat or torso. And I– enyo was standing on top of the king, whose face was covered in shadow. Only thing I could see was his big white beard.and his kingly outfit with red stripes on his belt.
Enyo just stabbed her sword in the kings throat without saying a word.
It was silence for few second before, a light.. No, maybe two came from the sky and fell on enyo... That splited her body... Completely. With one being.. Cartherina!?
So this is what she meant by being my daughter... She's a part of myself, cartherina's body fell down and turned into a black fluid... She is "that thing" Herself.
Enyo:"argh–... What happened... Wh–what is that thing?"
Cartherina(from the past) :"mo–mother~."
Enyo froze from hearing that.. When suddenly a voice came from above the skies.
???:"child enyo... We know that you are confused.. As to what happened just now.. But, worry not.. Because. You are a person who have both bad and good level equal... And you had got both the blessing of us gods.. And influence of demons.., which is why your body has been split in two.. This fluid like thing is your part, who's influenced by the demons."
Enyo:"what?"
Darya:"... That was the simplest explanation I've ever heard... There's no 'thou, thee, or any Shakespeare language'...."
Cartherina:"that's because I made it simple for you to understand... I mean, kids your age usually don't understand that type of language.. So I just made this whole past scenario in your language. That's why whatever you you heard was in your language... But in reality they are talking in greek."
I paused for a few seconds, then continued.
Darya:"why didn't you come when I was in school?... My English exams would've went smooth.. Tch–"
Cartherina:"this brat–!... Weren't you just cussing at me when you realized I lied to you and got you to make me free."
Darya:".. Uhm.. You did.. But doesn't matter to me actually... So was this everything?... Is there anything else besides this scene?"
Cartherina:"not much... There's only a part where you sealed me, after that messenger God told you that I am your complete evil part... Honestly, I didn't even knew what evil meant in that time... You just heard them say that I am evil, and used your magic to seal me away into that crystal."
Darya:"... Well, what magic did I use?"
Cartherina:".hm.. Let's see... Something like... Diamond plus ice magic... Why you ask?"
Darya:"I want to seal you again."
Cartherina's eyes twitch.
Cartherina(to herself):"I hate kids.... Especially this one."
After this past scenery, they came back out and Darya was standing alone.. Cartherina was nowhere... Or was she?
Darya:"where did she go?... Hmph.. Not like I care... It's better without her."
Cartherina:"missing me already?"
Darya:"EAA!"
Cartherina:"already sca–"
Darya:"EAA!"
Cartherina:"stop screami–"
Darya:"EAA!"
Cartherina:"what are you screaming for?"
Darya:"I don't know actually... Maybe because I can't see you but hear you."
Cartherina:"I hate you."
Darya:"the feeling is mutual. Where are you by the way?"
Cartherina:"inside you.. I mean your mind, we got connected through emotions."
They both came down of the mountain... Or rather... Just Darya, who now had cartherina in her head.
But bymistakenly they came down on the other side of the mountain, instead of coming down to where she climbed from.
Darya:"... What the hell are these?.... Soooo big."
She said looking at the buildings that were made as tall as half the size of the visible mountain.
Cartherina:"welcome to Russia... My dear mother."