Zuria Elenfond
As the chaos subsided, the arena lay in shambles, a haunting testament to the destruction that had unfolded.
The once-roaring crowd was now a scattering of wounded and frightened individuals, their faces etched with shock and terror. I helped evacuate the remaining few, my senses on high alert for any signs of Einar, my heart racing with every passing moment.
"Did you find Einar?" Lyra asked, her tone laced with concern, her eyes scanning the area with a mix of fear and desperation.
I shook my head, my eyes scanning the area, my mind racing with worst-case scenarios. "No."
Her face fell and her expression darkened, I could tell she too was coming to the worst case scenario.
Lyra tended to the wounded as I assisted the elderly and children in escaping the arena. The air was thick with the smell of blood and sweat, the stench of death hanging heavy over the scene. Every step felt like a struggle, every breath a reminder of the lives lost.
Just as I was helping an elderly woman evacuate, a girl with a hoodie and a smirk blocked our path. Her eyes gleamed with a malevolent intensity, her presence seeming to draw the very light out of the air. "Looks like that Benedict boy failed to capture you. Useless rich kid," she said, her voice dripping with malice, her words cutting deep.
"Amy," I uttered my voice filled with resentment.
I narrowed my eyes, my grip on my blade tightening, my heart pounding in my chest. "Hmm, hey princess, do you mind coming with me?" she added on, her tone mocking, her smile twisted.
The girl's uncouth behavior grated on my nerves, her very presence seeming to offend everything I held dear. I positioned myself protectively in front of the elderly woman, my blade at the ready, my eyes locked on the girl. "Aww, how cute," the girl cooed, removing her hands from her pockets, her eyes glinting with sadistic pleasure.
As I took a step forward, prepared to attack, the girl licked her lips seductively and unleashed a blood-curdling scream. The sound was like nothing I had ever heard before – a piercing, ultrasonic wail that sent me crashing to my knees, my ears ringing, my vision blurring.
The world around me dissolved into chaos, the sound echoing through my mind like a mantra of pain. I felt my sanity slipping, my grip on reality tenuous at best. Despite my efforts to cover my ears, the sound still echoed through my mind, a constant reminder of my helplessness.
When she finally stopped, I was left reeling, my body shaking, my mind reeling. The girl walked towards me, her eyes gleaming with sadistic pleasure, her smile twisted. She grasped my shoulder, pushing me down with an inhuman strength that felt like a mountain crushing me.
"Now, now, princess, don't be too hasty. We don't want more people dying, now do we?" she whispered, her breath cold against my ear, her words dripping with malice.
I turned my head, and my eyes widened in horror. The elderly woman I had been protecting lay dead on the floor, her body broken and battered, her lifeless eyes staring up at me with a haunting accusation. Blood poured from her ears, eyes, and nose, forming a gruesome puddle around her lifeless form.
My vision blurred, and tears streamed down my face, my heart shattering into a million pieces. I felt responsible for the woman's death, my strength and protection insufficient to save her. The weight of my failure crushed me, leaving me gasping for air.
The girl's laughter echoed through my mind, a cold, mirthless sound that seemed to mock my helplessness.
"I just love that expression of yours... The realization of your helplessness and the fact you can't do anything about it.... It's so... satisfying...
To be honest with you.... I love it when people die. It makes me feel whole again."
Her words were a dagger to my heart, twisting and turning with each passing moment. I watched in horror as she began to massacre more of my people, her scream slicing through the air like a blade with deadly precision, leaving a trail of death and destruction in her wake.
Just what kind of monster was this girl? What depths of depravity had she sunk to, that she could take pleasure in the suffering of others? I felt a cold dread creeping up my spine as I realized that I was face to face with pure, unadulterated evil.