Brainwash

Branches, roots, mud, and stones tore at her skin and clothing as she was dragged across the ground, leaving a trail of blood in her wake. However, Mara barely felt the physical pain; adrenaline and terror overwhelmed her, blocking out any other sensations. Her heart beat frantically and her thoughts were chaotic due to panic.

Despite realizing the futility of her efforts, she frantically reached out her hands in a desperate attempt to seize anything within reach, refusing to succumb to the terrifying fate that awaited her in the clutches of the monstrous creature that had trapped her.

When Mara saw a thick root sticking out of the ground, she clung tightly to it. The sticky threads tied around her ankles pulled her legs several times. She cried out in pain, feeling as if her body was going to tear apart, but she didn't let go. She hugged the root so tightly that the rough bark was buried in her chest.

The pulling soon stopped, but the slimy threads coiled up to her knees so she couldn't escape. Mara had a foreboding that she would soon die since the life of a simple servant was worthless compared to the apostle's safety.

'I don't want to die. Please, eloah, help me, protect me, I beg you,' Mara prayed constantly in search of salvation.

Earlier —while she was dragged—, she hadn't taken her eyes off Elisha, desperately crying out for her help, but she didn't look at her even once. Mara's heart froze at her lacerating indifference, but soon the ice melted, turning into a blazing fire of anger and resentment, burning every drop of her blood.

When she met Elisha, she felt sorry for the apostle. She was just a jarlar girl of the lowest rank, who overnight had been thrust into a high position with demanding obligations. Elisha then had to adapt to a life different from her naive expectations.

Since she was the first apostle, her position was —in fact— an empty shell. She held a great title among the members of the Creed, but her reputation and recognition were non-existent, so she was forced to establish herself from scratch.

She was alone and vulnerable in an unknown place, surrounded by strangers who could be enemies or allies. Every day was a constant struggle against the hostility and envy of those who believed that her title was undeserved, having to satisfy the absurd demands of her superiors and loyal followers.

Mara became her support, comforting her in moments of weakness, defending her from those who wanted to harm or use her, and even celebrating her achievements, no matter how small and insignificant they were in others' eyes.

Mara's initial pity and compassion transformed into loyalty and companionship toward Elisha. She wanted to be the little apostle's haven; a place where she could rest, where only her well-being mattered. This desire led Elisha to become increasingly dependent on Mara.

However, over time, the simple expressions of venting from a fearful and isolated child gradually evolved into demands and reproaches when Mara did not meet her expectations. This included times of need when Mara was unavailable, when she did not behave as Elisha expected, or when she showed empathy toward others instead of siding with her master.

The relationship between the two became suffocating, with Elisha controlling every aspect of Mara's life: who she associated with, where she went, and what she did in her free time. Despite this, Mara continued to serve her faithfully, believing that Elisha's erratic behavior was due to her loneliness and insecurity.

One day, when the maid couldn't take it anymore, she mustered up the courage and confronted her. However, Mara regretted it when she saw Elisha's disappointed and hurt expression as she cried uncontrollably saying it was all a misunderstanding and that her accusations were unfair.

"My dear Mara, you are the only one who understands me, and that's why I consider you so important. I'm afraid of losing you," the apostle smiled sadly after Mara appeased her. "I have always accepted you, even with all your flaws, and I have forgiven each of your mistakes. I'm the only one who recognizes your worth in this place, you know that."

The justification Mara received from her was overwhelming, further undermining what little self-esteem she had left, and making her feel guilty for criticizing the only person who accepted her.

"Everyone else is dirty, obnoxious, and only knows how to demand and complain." Repulsion shone in the lovely pink eyes, but they became more affectionate as they rested on the nervous maid. "You must always remember your place. You're the servant of the apostle of the Sacred Creed. Don't let others sully you, because that means they'll be defiling me too, understand? It's for your sake, for our sake. Don't betray my expectations."

From that day on, everything went downhill.

Humiliating punishments and constant criticism became the norm, transforming Mara into a shadow of her former self. When she least noticed it, the only one left by her side was Elisha. This reaffirmed her words in her head; only Elisha understood and accepted her.

'Is it really like that?' A crack appeared in Mara's distorted vision. Being on the brink of death led her to question her beliefs and the nature of her relationship with whom she believed was her only friend.

Mara now hung upside down high in the trees. All traces of hope had left her clouded brown eyes. Sweat and blood poured down her aching body, creating unbearable pressure on her head and increasing her heart rate.

Nearby were huge yellow cocoons hanging from the tops of palm-like trees with huge yellow leaves. Some of the larger cocoons moved as if something inside was writhing, while the smaller ones were still.

The slimy threads that tied her ankles had wrapped around half of her body, beginning to take the same shape as the other cocoons. Only then could Mara finally see what she was dealing with.

What she previously thought were roots or leaves began to move in her direction. Hundreds of phasmid insect-like creatures the size of an adult human's head appeared, their movements slow and silent.

This was a creature she had never seen, not even in the bestiaries that the Sacred Creed possessed.

Some had thin, elongated bodies, and their skin resembled the bark of white roots but was covered with protrusions in the form of small thorns. While others had wider bodies and their wings resembled the ivy leaves entwined along the vines. From the top of the flat heads protruded a pair of antennae that moved continually in search of something, and the maid intuitively knew that something was her.

"Stay away from me, don't come near me!" Mara screamed in horror and continued struggling to free herself.

The antennae moved quickly and pointed in her direction with circular movements. The previously slow-moving insects took off in a race, competing with each other to reach their prey. Mara felt nauseous as she noticed the small pincers opening and closing under their stomachs.

Even though her end was imminent, she was determined to fight until the last second. With the little aether she could gather, she summoned strong gusts and used them to send all the insects in a five-meter radius around her flying.

This was repeated until she consumed almost all the aether in her body. With her mind dulled, dizzy, and in pain, Mara finally succumbed to her enemy.