•CRIMSON VENDETTA•

CHAPTER 2: REMORSE AND RECOLLECTION

"In the tapestry of life, love and loss intertwine. Losing a loved one leaves an indelible ache, a void filled with echoes of shared moments. Grief becomes a quiet dialogue with memories, a bittersweet dance between pain and solace."

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After a four-day respite...

Myari awoke in a sterile hospital room bathed in muted light. The walls were a calming shade of pale blue, adorned with generic landscape paintings. The scent of antiseptic lingered in the air. Myari found herself in a crisp, white bed, surrounded by monitoring equipment softly humming. As her eyes adjusted, she noticed the rhythmic beeping of a heart monitor and the distant sounds of a bustling medical facility.

The room's large window allowed a glimpse of the outside world, where sunlight filtered through sheer curtains, casting a gentle glow. Myari's senses slowly came alive as she registered the distant murmur of conversations and the occasional clatter of carts in the hallway.

Myari's Perspective

Emerging from the cocoon of unconsciousness, I gingerly endeavored to rise from the hospital bed. Pain, an unwelcome companion, traversed my body, a cruel reminder of the recent tumult. Enveloped in bandages, my form cradled the aftermath of that harrowing night. My wrist pulsated with an insistent ache—a broken melody playing in sync with my heartbeat.
Casting a glance at my wounded wrist, I winced, fingers tracing the labyrinth of bandages. Memories flooded back—the horror, the loss. Silent tributes swelled within me, tears welling up for the family that had been cruelly taken. The door creaked open, revealing a vision. Long tresses, a canvas of contrasting white and black, framed a face adorned with cyan eyes that held a depth shrouded in mystery.
A soft smile adorned her features, a delicacy that scarcely concealed the enigma within. Subdued lighting accentuated the shadows on her pale complexion, adding to the intrigue that enveloped her.
"I'm pleased to find you awake. How do you fare?" she inquired gently.
"And who might you be? Certainly not a nurse," my tone carried a hint of aggression.
"Pardon my oversight. I am Saya, number six of FOX leaders. Delighted to make your acquaintance," she declared with eerie calmness.
"FOX," I mumbled, realization dawning.
Gazing at her with a mix of shock and anger, I summoned the strength to articulate the questions that reverberated within. "Are you the one who rendered me unconscious and conveyed me to this hospital?" I queried, aggression weaving through my words.
"Indeed. As a FOX leader, my duty encompasses saving citizens and neutralizing variables that imperil lives," she explained with unsettling tranquility.
A surge of fury propelled me to clench my fist, disregarding the searing pain in my broken wrist as I seized her collar. The punch I delivered carried the weight of my grief.
"This is your doing! If you had fulfilled your duty, my family would yet draw breath! An earlier intervention could have spared my siblings from this grisly fate!" The words escaped in a torrent of anguish.
Saya stood impassive, absorbing the cascade of my emotions. Amid tears and broken sobs, I demanded answers, yearning for her acknowledgment of the profound loss I endured.
"Answer me!" I implored, my voice strained.
"Miss Myari, you must quell your distress. Your injuries were severe," came her calm response, a stark juxtaposition to my tumult.
"You exacerbate my anguish! I am bereft of them forever; I stand alone!" I cried out, the pain in my voice mirroring the depth of my grief. With the weight of loss and anger pressing down, I raised my head, seeking understanding in the eyes of the woman who held the key to the enigma.
"Miss Myari, the pain is acute, is it not?" she interjected, breaking the heavy silence.
I regarded her with confusion, prepared to delve into the mystery of the variables. However, she steered the conversation.
"Variables are agents of death. FOX was convened for war. Humans, frail in comparison, led Her Majesty to create what we term a spiritual stone. This stone seeks out chosen ones, its element a reflection of their souls. By discerning the element, one can glean the contents of a person's heart," she elucidated.
Driven by curiosity, I probed further, "What signifies each element?"
She detailed the significance of each element with unwavering composure: "Fire symbolizes the hatred and grudge within a heart, with the intensity of flames mirroring the depth of that hatred. Water denotes a pure and innocent soul tainted by the blood of the defiled—a lament for soiled hands. Snow embodies hearts frozen in indifference after enduring irrevocable loss. Lightning represents the estranged, the outcasts challenging norms and resisting conformity. Finally, earth symbolizes those resolute in justice, steadfast in their rejection of injustice. Their will is unwavering as a rock."
As she unraveled the intricate meanings, a question lingered unspoken.
"Why share this with me? I am uninvolved in this ostensible war," I asserted, my tone frigid.
"Miss Myari, have you considered how you vanquished the variable?" she countered.
"Did you not rescue me?" confusion laced my response.
"No, you rescued yourself. In that moment, you acquired a spiritual stone," she affirmed with a gravity that belied the previous softness of her smile.
"The symbol on your cheek signifies an earth spiritual stone," she disclosed, locking eyes with me.
"But how, if it is earth, did flames consume half of my body? My skin burned," I questioned.
"That anomaly makes your situation intriguing," she remarked with a smirk. The shift in her demeanor left me unsettled. "What do you mean?" I inquired, discomfort mounting as her smile revealed dubious intentions.
"Having two spiritual stones is unprecedented. May I ask which stone you acquired first?" she probed.
"I cannot be certain, but I believe it was earth. When the variable attempted to decapitate me, my skin remained unscathed. My body felt impervious, and my kick crushed his entrails," I recounted.
"Fascinating," she commented, placing a finger to her lips, a smile that lacked innocence gracing her features. As she spoke again, the revelation was ominous.
"The variable slaughtered your family. You are not the first; variables routinely extinguish innocent lives. FOX soldiers combat them. However, it seems there were no soldiers in that vicinity, or perhaps they went unrecognized. After all, variables can emulate humans."
Anger surged within me as memories of that night resurfaced. Tearfully, I ruminated on the creatures that murdered my family without hesitation. Saya, or FOX leader—terminology was immaterial—extended her hand and offered a small smile. "Join me, Miss Myari. The variables took your family. You possess the potential. Avenge them."
In that moment, I deliberated. Everything aligned—I would annihilate them all, in the most sinister manner imaginable. I smiled and accepted her outstretched hands.
"I will join you," I declared with unwavering resolve.
She retained her pleasant smile and uttered, "Now, recover well. I shall attend to other matters. Welcome to our team, Miss Myari. It is a pleasure to collaborate with you."
"I eagerly anticipate working with you," I responded, offering a soft expression. With that, she excused herself, Alone in the quiet aftermath, I lay back on the hospital bed, sighing in relief. The journey ahead was uncertain, veiled in the intrigue of spiritual stones, variables, and a war waged in the shadows. As my mind grappled with the fragments of the conversation, a realization dawned – my life had entered a new chapter, one where the pursuit of revenge intertwined with a purpose larger than myself.

END OF MYARI'S PERSPECTIVE

Myari

Saya

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Note:i am not the good at digital drawing but I tried please give me your opinion