The Dark Before The Light

"Sounds like a risk-taker," Kel commented, a hint of awe in his voice.

'He is,' Daemonis confirmed.

"Don't spark my curiosity," Acacia warned, though a familiar itch began to stir within her. 'I just want to deal with Lucian, but the bastard is out of reach even when so close. I could just barge in instead of sneaking, but my mana would dwindle if I spent too long fighting those heroes before facing him. No doubt he'll face me last, especially since I don't look that different. His curiosity must be eating him right now on whether I'm his sister or not, but he wouldn't face me directly. He'd plan a way to trap me; he's patient when he wants something.'

'If I go to Lalan, I want to come back stronger, strong enough to be able to protect those close to me. But I don't want to risk travelling for a lost cause. Are you certain that whatever I might find will be worth it?'

'If it's him, then yes,' Daemonis confirmed again, his tone unwavering.

"Ugh..." Acacia groaned aloud, succumbing to the undeniable pull of her curiosity. She stretched her legs leisurely and sighed. "I will follow you to Lalan. Someone needs to make sure you get there safely anyway. Then I will come back immediately and get what I'm looking for."

'I also need to know where they got their information from,' Acacia added silently to herself. 'I might find more answers about Ciflith and the gods since you're not exactly helpful in that department. I hope it's not a useless journey for me.'

"I was actually hoping you'd say yes. I need someone to have my back," Edwin confessed, a rare vulnerability in his voice.

"Aren't you just lovely?" Acacia teased.

"Oh hush, you'll be fine with your blessing from the gods," Edwin retorted, a hint of his usual gruffness returning.

"So when will you both go?" Kel asked, turning serious again.

"Not sure, but not immediately. I'm far too tired to start a journey back home, and we need transport to get us there," Edwin admitted, rubbing his neck.

"That's true," Bella nodded in agreement.

"We do have transport..." Acacia said, her brow furrowed in thought.

"Which is?" Jahir prompted, leaning forward slightly.

"Our guests. And before you object, they're easy to control. We can't start searching for beasts, and I can't fly for that long without getting tired eventually. They're very fast and rarely get tired; we'll be saving months of travel," Acacia suggested, a pragmatic glint in her eyes.

"I don't want to ride those things," Edwin said with an audible shudder of disgust.

"Just think of them as an aid towards your goal. Or do you have a better idea?" Bella challenged, a mischievous glint in her eye. Edwin narrowed his eyes at her. "And I'm sure you don't want to walk for a long distance either."

"Especially given the fact about monsters overwhelming the south, we don't know where they are currently. Are they spreading or moving slowly? We have to use our resources," Kel added, reinforcing Acacia's point.

"Fine. And you," Edwin snapped, turning his head sharply towards Bella, "you kept saying I should make a decision, but you're secretly taking care of that bastard while claiming you hate him."

"I am not taking care of him. I haven't gone to him in two days." Bella defended herself, crossing her arms.

"Then let's decide what to do with the bastard; his presence grates on my nerves," Edwin declared, his voice tight with barely suppressed anger. "Seeing him reminds me of what happened to Zephyra."

"Then let's cut off his legs. Killing him would be too easy. And throw him out of this place to survive on his own," Bella said, her voice surprisingly cold, earning shocked expressions from everyone in the room.

"Since when were you brutal?" Acacia asked, her eyes wide.

"Women are scary after a breakup," Kel muttered, shaking his head.

"Are you sure?" Jahir asked, his brow raised in genuine surprise at Bella's ferocity.

"I am. He has used everyone for years, and he doesn't care about what happened to anyone, not about the people who considered him family. Zephyra died because of him and because of me. Telling him how we utilize the crystals as barriers was a mistake. Maybe she would still be fine if I hadn't been so foolish. I lost my leg as a consequence of my foolishness. Edwin lost his eye, and we all lost someone that loved us. I'm done clinging to the past; he needs to suffer for his actions," Bella stated, her voice trembling slightly with suppressed rage.

'I guess I'm not the only one that feels guilty. If only I'd paid attention to him in the beginning,' Acacia thought, a familiar pang in her chest.

"...It wasn't your fault. You couldn't have known," Acacia said in a soft voice, reaching out instinctively.

"Yeah, Zephyra wouldn't blame you either. He was with us for three years, I also trusted him." Kel walked towards her, patting her shoulder reassuringly.

"Thanks." Bella offered a soft smile.

"I volunteer to do the chopping. My sword has been inactive for a while," Kel suggested, a grim smile playing on his lips.

"And you call women scary," Edwin scoffed, rolling his eyes.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

"They are, anyway. Would you let me do the honours?" Kel asked, a glint in his eye.

"Sure," Bella shrugged, a faint smirk playing on her lips.

"It's going to be quite loud," Acacia commented as Kel disappeared into the kitchen, only to reappear moments later with his sword.

"Do you want me to cut from the ankles or the knees?" Kel asked Bella, who shuddered visibly at the suggestion.

"Just do it. You treat everything like food once you don't care," Jahir stated, rolling his eyes.

"It helps the mood, though," Kel pouted playfully before heading towards the room where Elric was confined. "I guess I'll improvise."

With that, he shut the door behind him. For a few minutes, nothing but muffled thuds could be heard, then a sharp, piercing scream erupted, abruptly cut short. Soon after, Kel emerged, his sword now serving as a casual walking stick, its blade stained with fresh blood. Splatters adorned his shoes and pants.

"You might wanna step in before he dies of blood loss, doc," Kel said, gesturing towards Jahir. "Don't worry, it's not messy."

"Your definition of messy and mine are very different," Jahir retorted, standing up. He placed his fingers in his mouth, drawing out a thick, glistening web before entering the room.

"How do you feel?" Acacia asked, glancing at Bella, whose expression was unreadable.

Bella shrugged. "I don't feel anything, I do feel disturbed, but nothing major."

"That's the first step of healing, desensitization—" Kel began, but Edwin clamped a hand over his mouth, cutting him off.

"That's enough from you today," Edwin stated, then removed his hand.

Jahir emerged from the room a few minutes later, his hands and jaw stained with blood. "I managed to stop the bleeding with a lot of webbing."

"As expected of our doctor," Kel complimented.

"Alright, let's dump him out." Edwin walked towards the room and reappeared, dragging Elric by his shirt. Elric's mouth was muffled with a cloth, and he was clearly in pain. Acacia stood up, and they all followed Edwin outside. People stared with wide eyes as the group passed, but no one spoke.

They reached the edge of the wall, where guards let them pass. Once outside, Edwin unceremoniously tossed Elric onto the ground, the cloth fell out of his mouth.

"You... you can't leave me like this! How will I live?!" Elric spat, gesturing wildly at his mangled legs, his voice choked with pain and despair.

"Bella lived just fine. I'm sure you can handle it," Kel retorted.

"You are all crazy... damn crazy," Elric seethed, glaring at them. His gaze then fixed on Acacia. "Where's Erla? You can't hold her captive forever!"

"Erla? Who is that?" Acacia raised a brow in confusion.

"Has he finally gone nuts?" Edwin muttered, his gaze fixed on Elric.

"Who is Erla?" Bella asked, genuinely perplexed.

"I think it's his lover. He was so protective and threatened me when I was asking about her," Acacia said with a shrug, dismissing the matter.

"Lover? Shameless," Jahir stated, his voice flat with disapproval.

Elric stared at Acacia, confusion clouding his pain-racked face. "No, you wore her dress, and you told me you were holding her captive! I gave you the information you needed!"

"Has it ever occurred to you that I might've lied? I don't know Erla. I saw your attachment and used it against you. Simple as that," Acacia replied, her voice cool and detached. Elric froze, his mouth dropping open, comprehension dawning on his face.

"Let's leave him alone. He should be able to survive with his teleportation," Kel said, turning away, followed by Jahir and Edwin. Bella looked down at Elric, her expression one of utter disdain.

"Bella... she is using you. Using me, trying to make me crazy. Please, you have to save Erla!" Elric groaned, crawling painfully forward, trying to reach for her legs. Bella simply kicked his hand away with her good leg.

"You disgust me," Bella spat at him before turning sharply and walking back inside the wall. Acacia turned her head, seeing no one else behind her, then looked down at Elric.

"If anything happens to Erla... I swear I will make you pay, I will destroy you—" Elric's voice, raw with anguish and fury, trailed off as Acacia stared at him, her face unreadable.

"What are you talking about, Elric? I'm right here." Acacia's voice shifted, no longer her own but something softer, sweeter, unmistakably Erla's. Her dark brown hair shimmered, turning blonde, and her red eyes softened to a warm honey-brown. "Don't you remember me?"

Elric's eyes widened, looking as though they might pop from his skull. His nails dug into the earth as he stared up at Acacia, a solitary tear tracing a path down his pain-streaked cheek.

"By the way, I was serious. Your life in Encer is ruined," Acacia continued, her voice still Erla's, laced with a chilling sweetness. "They think you're my accomplice, and seeing you now, you probably lack value to them. There are also monsters around. I hope you have enough energy to teleport." A smile touched her lips as her face and voice snapped back to normal. "Bye."

Acacia turned and walked away, leaving a stunned Elric groaning in pain and disbelief. The door instantly closed behind her.

"Alright, let's handle our other guests," Edwin announced, breaking the silence.

"They were eleven, and since four are dead, only seven remain. Four are kids, two females, and one male," Jahir accounted as they all followed Edwin towards the building housing the captured monsters.

"What happened to Jia?" Acacia glanced at Kel, curious about the state of the volatile monster.

"She's in there with them. Henry did a number on her face. The kid's got spunk! She was difficult to deal with; her body kept growing faces. I had to chain her down and force her unconscious before dumping her inside the building, but everyone saw the spectacle, so..." Kel explained, shrugging.

"She didn't transform into a bird?" Acacia asked, recalling Jia's earlier partial transformation.

"Nope," Kel confirmed.

"I guess she's still too young to handle her body," Acacia murmured as they stopped in front of the building. The front door was blocked by a heavy wooden wardrobe.

"Help me push this aside," Edwin grunted, positioning himself at one end. Kel took the other, straining with effort as they dragged the wardrobe little by little. Jahir immediately moved to assist Edwin, pushing until the obstacle was finally out of the way.

"One of the times I actually needed Maximus," Kel panted heavily, wiping sweat from his brow.

Bella walked towards the door and gently pushed it open. Her face wrinkled in disgust at the sight of a half-eaten green bird sprawled on the floor. They all peered into the room, taking in the gruesome scene and the blood-stained faces of the monster children.

"They were hungry," Vincent said, stepping towards them, his voice low.

Acacia stared at the dead bird, then her gaze sharpened on Vincent. "So you decided to eat your own?"

Vincent averted his gaze under their collective scrutiny. The silence stretched, thick and heavy, until Bella finally spoke.

"You and your... kind are far too dangerous to live amongst us. Sooner or later, we'll all end up... in your bellies. To save ourselves, we will give you the grace to go far... far away from here."

"We also need your help to travel to Lalan. Do you know where that is?" Acacia asked, her voice calm despite the tense situation.

"Yes, but why would we?" Vincent countered, his eyes narrowed.

"I could very much kill every single one of you, but I want to negotiate. You take us to Lalan, drop us close by, and from there you disappear from our sights. That is the least we will do," Acacia stated, her voice flat and unwavering. Vincent pursed his lips, considering her offer.

"Okay, but if you see Ciflith by any chance, listen to him. He is the true one," Vincent conceded, a flicker of conviction in his eyes.

"Like I said, I will judge him when I see him," Acacia replied dismissively.

"We will leave in two weeks, but before then, you will be in here and not allowed to leave until that day," Edwin stated, his voice firm.

"We will manage," Vincent replied, a hint of resignation in his tone.

"Then, that's all. Good day." Bella slowly closed the heavy door, stepping away as the guys strained, pushing the wardrobe back into its original position, panting heavily once it was secured.

"But I'm gonna miss you guys when you go," Kel said, a touch of genuine sadness in his voice.