A Demented Admirer
The constant pacing around the foreign room was starting to wear out the floor. She had been all alone for quite some time now, but no one was coming to retrieve her.
She had tried to open the doors and the windows, but they were all shut tight. They must've been taking some extra measures in case Zeya and Varen decided to scheme something behind the elder's backs, there wasn't any other rational cause otherwise.
Just as she was about to try the doors again, the room disappeared, and the space was replaced with the same court room from before.
As if they never moved, the elder council remained in the same position as the last time Zeya saw them, unmoving like shadows in a room without any wind.
"Took them long enough to make up their mind." She muttered under her breath in annoyance despite feeling an immense sense of relief.
"We are satisfied with the decision you've made." The council spoke up first, its voice blasting against Zeya's fragile ear. "So, tell us. What is it that you wish to know?"
"I want to know everything." She replied instantly, her eyebrows furrowed into a serious frown. "Lex claimed that this monster was once part of his kingdom that became corrupted, is what he said true?"
"It is just as he claims, Lady Reyes." The elders confirmed, its eyes narrowing into thin slits. "This monster used to be an elder just like all of us, before it decided to turn its back on the kingdom." Zeya could've sworn she saw immense sadness swell up in their eyes as they reminisced the past.
"He was known to the Queen as Tvar."
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"Is... is that it's true name?" She stammered at the thought of the possibility. If it was its real name, Zeya could immediately start the process of eliminating this monster.
"Unfortunately, even we do not know it's true name. As close as we were, using our birth names was like a death sentence, it was far too personal to be used. Only the Queen knew of its true identity and even then, she only used it in private."
"Tvar was the previous leader of the elders and was one of the first creatures to have walked this world. It worked closely with the Queen to rule over the shadow realm and was one of the Queen's closest friends." Thousands of pairs of eyes landed at Zeya as it spoke. "It was also the one responsible for your ruling during the trial before it turned."
'I hardly even remember that day.' She thought, quickly stopping the past memories from flooding in. 'It was far too sudden, I couldn't even think straight for a few weeks because of the grief.'
"Everything started to fall apart when the war began." They began their story in a low, solemn voice. There was no sign of the otherworldly and apathetic beings that greeted Zeya when she first set foot in the realm. The creatures before her now were still grieving the loss of their creator, Zeya's mother. Something in her heart stirred at the sight, she was not the only one still suffering from the loss after all.
"Something changed with Tvar the day the news of Her Majesty's death reached the realm." It said with a grave tone, the ground shaking as it spoke. "We managed to calm it down in time, but it was ready to start a war with the humans. It knew that we were neutral in the war between the humans and Roseabelles, but its anger got the best of its reasoning in the end."
"We will never forget the look on its face. It was so full of pain and so full of hatred. It was unlike anything we've witnessed in a shadow creature. Tvar learned how to feel, it managed to break free from its nature."
They all closed their eyes in unison, apparently grieving for Tvar.
"We knew then that it would be far too dangerous to let it live with this state of mind, so we decided to kill it... exile it to the land of the light however, the plan backfired." The elders shook its head in shame. "Tvar managed to live against all odds and ran away from us, never to be seen again... until now."
"We believe he chose to curse you for a reason, Lady Reyes." They looked at the Roseabelle with curious eyes, the slits of their eyes getting larger. "What we do not know is why it chose you... which, we hoped you could answer that for us."
"I'd like to know as well, honestly." She admitted, hanging her head in defeat. "But I see no reason as to why I became its target except for the fact that I was my mother's daughter."
"You were brought back to deal with this monster, was it not?" It asked, unsatisfied by the lack of information Zeya had about Tvar. "Was there a different reason you were freed from exile?"
"I was freed just to take the vacant throne." She admitted, reminded of the time Arius told her of her father's passing. "But you could say that as well."
"It was as if it waited until everything unfolded before revealing itself to me." Zeya confessed, feeling the same sense of unease she felt when she had first met Tvar face to face. "That can be the only explanation as to why it knew every single detail about me."
"It even knew of the nightmares I suffered from ever since I was reborn." She revealed, remembering the times she had been tormented by the repeating scenes every time she closed her eyes. "In fact, each interaction with this creature has worsened it and now, I'm far too scared to close my eyes even for a short while."
"Tvar is a creature of many abilities, Lady Reyes. The Queen cherished him dearly so in return for their friendship, she taught it many talents, including the ability to cast spells. But there is something that can stop it." They explained as they pull a thin piece of a web-like thread from their wrists.
The leader raised its hands to reveal an illusion of an oddly familiar book that seemed to Zeya, but she remained quiet.
"We believe Tvar's true name is written in this book." It explained as the image flew closer for Zeya to inspect. "Once it's found, we believe Tvar can finally be erased, ending his horrible reign of terror."
"However, if Tvar finds it first... it will be indestructible." The image vanished abruptly as they finished their sentence. "We're afraid not even the strongest of your kind will be able to stop it once that happens."
"Do you at least know where we should look?"
"... Perhaps." They answered vaguely all of a sudden. "However, that is something we believe you should not concern yourself with."
Her head was slowly starting to spin as she struggled to remain focused, she just knew her time was starting to run out.
"It is my duty to protect Stygia from any danger." She managed to speak even though the dulling ache in her abdomen suddenly began to grow inside her. "And hunting Tvar down is what I need to do so please, tell me where I can find the book."
"It appears your time is starting to run out." The elders stated the obvious, actively ignoring the empress's desperate pleas. "It is unfortunate, but we cannot let you go, Lady Reyes."
"W-what?" Zeya groaned in pain as she began to cough up blood, falling to her knees. She desperately heaved for air; her airway blocked thanks to the blood that couldn't seem to stop pouring out of her mouth and nose.
"You seem to be of high importance to Tvar's plan." The elders started to loom closer and closer to Zeya until she was fully surrounded. "We cannot let it get any stronger. We are sorry, but this is the only way to stop it. If you were no longer here, we might have a chance to capture it again. We hope you understand, Lady Reyes. We are doing this for the sake of Her Majesty's legacy."
"Liars, all of you!" Her cries almost sounded like gurgled nonsense, as she used her remaining strength to push away the shadowy hands that were grabbing onto her limbs. "Let go of me!"
Her strength was starting to visibly wear off when each kick and pull started to weaken. Her vision blurred as she struggled to keep her eyes open, the sharp pain in her abdomen was persistently clawing at her intestines, making matters worse.
Just as she was about to give up, a blurry figure came into view from above.
"You can't die yet, or else I'll be in too much shit with that Kaxarene of yours." A familiar voice echoed just as she was on the verge of consciousness.
The last thing she remembered before blacking out from the immense pain were the screeches of the elders, and then it went dead silent.