Shattered Kingdoms | Book 2 ✔ (REWRITING AS 'THE EXILED KING')

Chapter 34 - Darkness Within

*Note: This song fit so well with the chapter. I URGE you to play it while reading this chapter! Ao no Exorcist: Exorcist - Hiroyuki Sawano*

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Lirya was stunned. She could only watch as the events unfolded. As Jason appeared motionless and bloody. As Halian flew out of control and as spectral beings appeared on the battlefield.

Hopeless...

That's what she was. Hopeless. Destined to stand and watch as her friends did everything, and got hurt because of her.

"Hey... Lirya. You're strong. You know that? Just... let everything out. Darkness is the strongest," An alluring voice whispered.

As if in a trance, Lirya's lips loved as she mouthed the words. "Strong... let... everything out..."

She glanced at her black bracelet, the symbol of both her power and her chain. Her power... what power?

She could hear spirits and unnatural things. She could heal, but nothing about her power made sense. Since that day, so long ago now, when Jon had been on the brink of death, she'd been unable to summon so much as a spark of her power. Eyes glowing with bright blue sparks and the hum of power - had disappeared months ago. She'd tried, time and time again, to summon forth her powers and her quarterstaff, but to no avail. Hiding it from everyone had been hard, but she'd endured it, and no one questioned.

Was it because they naturally expected her to be weak? To need their protection and to not use whatever powers she had?

What use was being Etherborn if she couldn't even use her power?!

"That's right... doubt, despair, suffer... let it all out..." The voice whispered.

A figure faded into view. She had long dark hair and was dressed in obsidian armour. She wore long black boots with white outlines and had a purple cape wound around her shoulders. A circlet set with a ruby in the center glinted on her forehead and delicate gold chains connected to it, holding her hair back. She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. A cold aura surrounded her - cold enough to kill.

"W-Who are you?" Lirya stuttered. She looked around, but no one heard. No one moved. It was as if they were all frozen in time.

The lady chuckled, saying, "I'm the thoughts you try to bury. I'm sadness, hatred, anguish and pain. I'm greed, envy and jealousy."

Lirya squinted... something about that woman radiated power, but there was something familiar about her too. She recalled the only daughter of Nutaku, from the first volume of Chronicle of the Gods, a novel that had existed since the beginning. No one knew who had scribed it, but descriptions had been written about the beginning of time. About the first Guardians and of the first Demon War. It had been left on display in the Holy Church and was said to magically fill in the pages of history.

Lirya remembered the day when the High Priest had read out passages of the book to the town's children. He'd read about the Father of all Gods, Haert, and of his daughter, Nutaku. The book had also described Nutaku's three children, Aeliyas, Pelos and Gilan.

Aeliyas...

Lirya looked at the goddess again, "Are you... Aeliyas?"

Aeliyas smirked, "Indeed. I am Aeliyas. Goddess of Darkness and Light."

"...And light?" Lirya asked, frowning.

Aeliyas stepped forward towards Lirya, placing a hand on Lirya's cheek, "I'll tell you a secret, girl," She whispered.