The Ocean Siege | Vol.2, The Eldenarian Artifacts ✓

3.

The black eyes staring back at her were unfamiliar; they looked like they belonged to someone else. Something else. Yet, she was the one looking through them. The mirror before her was enough proof of that.

She squeezed them shut, desperately trying to make them change back. The whispers came back. Since that terrible night in the forest, they had only gotten worse. They urged her to kill, to hunt, to eat. Her body yearned for the taste of flesh and blood. She had developed an addiction for it.

It sickened her whenever she thought about it.

She opened her eyes again. A sigh of relief left her lips upon noticing her golden irises were back. The bright color contrasted perfectly with her umber skin tone, which nearly matched the color of her black hair.

"Makaela."

The sound of her name being called pulled her away from her thoughts. She turned to see Thorian Thauvin standing in the doorway of her room.

She shuddered. Her room...

He told her his castle was her new home. He told her the members of his house were her people. The longer she stayed there, the more she started to believe him. It scared her.

The man stood in the doorway, his face covered by shadows. The sides of his head had been recently shaved and his silver hair was braided. His bony hands were clasped across his midsection. His mismatched eyes stared back at her. She resisted the urge to shudder.

"Are you alright." He sounded like he cared. The softness of his tone and the emotion on his face suggested that he did, but she could never be sure with him.

"I'm fine," she replied, her own voice dry and uncaring. It had been like that as of late. The sadness had vanished from it. All that remained was the guilt.

It ate away at her heart whenever she went to sleep. The betrayed faces of her friends pained her mind whenever she closed her eyes. She wished things didn't happen the way they did. But if she had the chance to do it all again, she wouldn't have changed a thing.

Her decision was necessary.

Had she not joined Thorian, their bodies would be rotting in a forgotten forest. She saved their lives. They wouldn't understand now, but they would. At least she hoped so. For now, she just wished for their forgiveness.

The deep, sinister voice in her head told her she didn't need their forgiveness. It told her that her friends were weak, and they deserved death. Gritting her teeth, she forced the thoughts into the darkest corners of her mind.

During her training session with Thorian and his Shades, the voice had grown in presence. They urged her to speak to it more; they wanted her to tap into her inner darkness and harness the power instead of letting it control her.

She often wondered if the voice was a separate entity entirely or it if it truly was an extension of herself. Lately, she was beginning to believe the latter option.

"Are you hearing it again?" Thorian's question brought her back to reality.

"It is me."

"Of course." Thorian slowly walked over to her. "Your inner demon will continue to try and control you. But with my continued help, I can help you master it completely."

Makaela didn't know how to respond. Did he want a 'thank you'? A 'how generous of you for teaching me how to assert dominance over the murderous demon within me'?

If that's what he wanted, he could keep holding his breath.

"Are you ready to begin today's training, Makaela?"