Chapter 11: Chapter-10: Rinnearth

Alenor was standing in a tunnel, old moss-covered the brick walls. A cobblestone path, a few inches deep in Red water. Alenor took a few steps back, panicked. Her shoe splashed water, sound echoing through the tunnel. Damp humid hum in the air.

"Alenor, Come to us. We wish for a word with you." 

A voice called her, she turned around. There was a shining exit at the end of the tunnel. She started to walk forward, toward the voice that called her. What was it? She wondered. As she walked, her heart thrummed every time her feet dove into the red water, fear clenching in her core. Panic that her feet would be burned, cut apart, torn through. She never feared pain as much as she did now. Spirit’s Blood—the word alone made her stop in her tracks. Was it over? Pain was there, but she did not feel it, as if she was watching it from afar through a window. Was it not her body? She raised her hand and caught sight of a crack line running through her hand, white glowing crack. Her body shivered; it was the source of her pain. Just seeing it made her heart heavy. Most hurtful thing she had ever felt. She snapped her head away and hid her hand in the pocket. She walked toward the end. She did not need to see it anymore.

Through the light, Alenor reached her destination, a massive dome. She stood on nothing, even though her feet registered the solid mass, there was nothing, just pitch black. Obsidian. Her mind cogitated. 

A grand red throne stood in the middle, demanding attention. It was visible as soon as she passed through the light. Statues lined on the edge of the dome, Fire stone; they were made off. The largest statue watched her from behind the throne. It had real eyes, blinking, gazing at her. Twelve pairs of hands holding a different weapon in each. Everything lit by fireflies. White and blue, they flew around; they sat on the chandelier in the middle, lighting up the dome. No, rather they lit up statues in the Dome. The Obsidian below her was pitch black, as it should be. 

On the grand red throne sat someone wearing clothes that were not like any she had seen. Her first instinct was to go on her knees and bow. Just like how she  behaved in the royal castle. But the figure on the throne gestured to her to come in as soon as they saw her. She walked forward and stood before the throne. From this distance, the figure appeared to be a female. She bowed, her head touched obsidian. She did not have the courage to look at her. She was not royal, they would not call her in so casually. But, she had a throne, and that was enough for Alenor to bow. To behave with manners, she had been taught.

The girl laughed; her laugh did not match her appearance; it was melodious yet inhumane, and it rang through the dome. The fireflies shone brighter.  

" For someone who kept her sanity even after drinking Spirit’s blood, you sure lack backbone and Ego."

"..."

Alenor did not say anything; she could not unless explicitly ordered to.

"Humans and their inhumane customs," she grumbled, "we are what you call a spirit, named Rinnearth. You may address us as Rinn and act without fear; treat us as someone unfamiliar without your customs and finds it aggravating. In this dome everything is equal, stand up."

Alenor raised her head and stood up. Rinnearth was staring at her, her eyes; ever changing. Her hair was white, like white flames. She was very small in contrast to such a grand throne. She looked young, younger than her. She wore a flaming red tunic, the end of which looked like flames. It looked more expensive than anything she had ever seen.  And a white skirt that appeared to be made of flames. She was not what Alenor had expected; the sayings described Spirits as a mythical creature with long wings that resembled a bird at times and a butterfly at others. And they were the most beautiful things in the world, she agreed with that statement. Rin looked completely human except for her eyes and hair. Alenor tried to speak but couldn't; her throat was ruined; she couldn't see, but her throat was probably swollen to her chin. Her mouth opened and closed. 

" hm.. It seems trauma renders you impotent to produce words. Regardless, we can hear whatever you say in your mind. That’s how you are here, A place where physical body cannot enter."

‘Can you, Miss Rinn?’

"Yes, now, do you know why We have invited you here?"

‘No.’

"To ask you a Question. Even though we are spirits, why are you more beautiful than us? Our ancestor demanded of the creator that the Spirit should be unrivaled in beauty, yet you contradict the wish. And it irks us to no end. Thus, we decided to ask about it."

‘I do not understand.’ Was she really that beautiful that even spirits hated her? Is that why the Spirit’s Blood hurts so much?

"It was just a passing thought we had after seeing you. Never mind it. What we called you here for is…" She smiled slyly.

"To grant you your wish."

‘My wish..?’

"Yes, your wish. One you desired even after drinking Spirit's Blood."

‘I don't have one; perhaps resting in peace can be called that. Yet that is not something to be granted. I need to earn my release, to rest, to not suffer. From someone worthy. Someone whom I deem worthy.’

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Rinn smiled as she stood up from her throne. And floated towards her and stood on the obsidian floor, right in front of her. she was shorter than her, reaching her shoulder. Her eyes stared at hers; they were blue now. Like a moonlit sky. 

"Why call it a rest? You know it's the death you wish for—one that does not bring you any suffering. One that comes when you’re in deep slumber away from your body. It's a twisted thing, if we really give it a thought. But, death is not earned, it’s granted. Strong grants it, the king grants it. And We can grant you one if that’s what you truly wanted. Yet, that’s not what prompted us to invite you here."

She backed away a few steps. On to the stairs. Her height, now similar to hers.

"Even in pain, most excruciating pain. One that is truly beyond human.  You maintained a semblance of sanity. And that sanity wished one thing, that is to protect Celine, to make sure she lived. If she were your lover, we would have ignored you; that is understandable. But the duality in you makes us fascinated. You wish to protect someone, yet you fear the same, feel disgusted. You’d rather be parched than drink her given water,"

"Yet, you do want to protect her with a loyalty that even the most generous king cannot earn and without a semblance of greed or malice. You do not even know her full name. How does that even work? Even after reading your thoughts, we find it hard to believe. So we have decided we will grant you a time, time that your body can harness mana, once it expires, you will relive this hell till you die"

‘Thank you, Miss Rin’

"You accepted it? Just like that—to relive that suffering, when you could have asked for release. Do you know why?" Rinn asked, her gaze burning with unhidden curiosity, like a child seeing a butterfly for the first time. 

‘I do not know’ Even though she did. Celine was kind, and that was enough. She would not give her that answer; it would disappoint her. She needs the time.

"Of course, you don’t. If you did, it would not be so fascinating. you hide yourself from you." She flew toward her, and Alenor could swear her eyes were glowing. Rin reached out and grabbed her face from both sides. Forcing her to look into her eyes and whispered as if she was a devil from the fairy tales. "And it enthralls us; you lie to yourself; you make yourself think it is so because she is kind. Even though in reality she is not. Just like when she asked you for tea and you lied. To yourself as much to her. A fascinating human, complex and a liar." Rinn let go of her and sat back down on the grand throne. She rested her cheek on her hand as she looked down at her. Her eyes lost all their glow as she looked at her. 

"We want you to break, accept, and grovel at the ground, begging for death. So we will grant you time, a clock ticking in the back of your head that will remind you of the inescapable hell that awaits. And when the ticking stops, you will feel everything all over again. And before the ticking stops, you are free to implore us, and we shall grant you your ‘earned’ rest"

“Now that door is your way out, return to your realm.”

Alenor did not move, she should, she was ordered to but a question stopped her. She could not bring herself to inquire. Rin regarded her curiously. 

“You wish to know the cause of this situation.” Alenor nodded. “Very well, I shall explain you”

"As you’ve guessed, Spirit’s blood is saturated mana; we spirits are superior beings, closer to the astral world than any other. and our presence creates a chain of reactions in the atmosphere that results in the formation of condensed mana. Spirit’s blood you consumed was saturated from our mana. Thus, we can hear everything you ponder. In a way, we house in you at the same time we don’t. You are not first to consume it nor will you be last. Everyone that consumes our blood goes through the same pain you tasted."

"Every single one of them had a common thought, an entitlement, unlike you, who accepted that it was your doing and your suffering was punishment. They all think it's a test they need to conquer. Their very desire is unimpressive. Glory, kingdom, carnal desire, or the title of Warlord. They are all cut out of the same piece. So they die in agony. Once you consume Spirit’s blood, we spirit cannot stop the end result. So death is invariable, but delaying is not out of the question. But that too is not free; it costs us very dearly. Thus, most of us, the spirits, simply let it happen. You just happen to be in a peculiar spot. You’re fascinating and your desire is very easily grantable. Besides, it will be very entertaining to watch you suffer. Do not be mistaken, and think of yourself as special." She never thought of herself as special; she's a banal; her existence is undesirable.

"But you're, no one has consumed the spirit's blood without knowing it,  Most people know about Spirit’s Blood. Like Your ‘Client’. You’re the first misinformed consumer. Your disposition and lack of knowledge lead you to fulfilling the condition, that is accepting you’re a sinner and this is a punishment. Any warrior regardless of knowledge would always think of it as a conquest, leading to their demise.”

‘Miss Celine knew this would happen, yet she did not stop her.’ 

“That concludes our explanation, you may leave.”

 Alenor nodded, bowed, and walked back. She walked through that door, everywhere was darkness. She opened her eyes, and a dark blue sky greeted her—no clouds, no stars—blank. Everywhere was pain, not unbearable unlike before.

[Author note: So, from this week onwards, I will be posting chapters on Sunday to Wednesday.  4 chapters every week. My schedule has been quite hectic so I cannot commit to a fixed time of posting as of now.  Also if someone is thinking of rating this series pls wait till the first arc ends.  it would end in 25-26 chapters. so please wait till that time]

 

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