Death Sinner’s Truth (2)

"The girl was adopted into the royal family and even earned the right to call these masters her parents. I suddenly found myself with a sister in name, but I never once considered her as such. I was eager to see her realize her power and grow them to the level I knew she could reach. So I nurtured my sweet 'little sister' and helped her meet her true potential. She became a powerful warrior yet refined herself into a truly elegant beauty. She became a highly desired maiden by both men and women, but she longed for a different pleasure. She wanted to return 'home'."

Trinity leans forward with intrigue. "By home, you mean the place she came from before here?"

"Yes, that's right. She longed to return to the place where she last felt 'whole'. The problem was, she didn't know that place. She had nothing more than a feeling but didn't even know its name. She never truly felt like she belonged here, but she had nowhere else to go. Her home was gone. She soon accepted that fact and settled down as expected. She even agreed to become the bride of the crown prince, which the masters wholly supported by then. To bring about a 'new age'."

"So what happened to her? Did she marry the prince and live happily ever after?" She asks.

Amlith shakes her head sadly. "I'm afraid not. She couldn't give up on her dream, foolish as it was. She finally discovered where her home was, but it was still out of reach. To return to it, even for a brief time, she would have to pay a hefty price. She would have to offer her soul."

"Her soul?" Trinity is fully invested in the story now. "Was it really worth that much to her?"

"It would appear so. She paid the price and received the chance to return to that place once more for a limited time. She was to experience everything she wished to during that time, because after she returned, she'd become the wife of the prince and begin producing heirs for the rest of her eternity. They'd already given her a royal title and position as Death Sinner Queen, in which she was tasked with guiding the souls of these sinners and creating order in the neglected domain assigned to her. She was allowed to delegate a Domain Master to manage her royal affairs while she was gone, and she did so with little thought as to who she was choosing. A grave mistake."

"Oh no…did something bad happen? Did her selected domain master betray her somehow?"

"Worse than that. He ruined her and trapped her in eternal damnation. He was something known as a Transient Soul. A damned one at that. He killed himself during his life as a human, and so ended up bound to that domain. Damned Transient Souls cannot leave the domain as punishment for forsaking the gift of life. They cannot be granted judgment, permission to ascend to heaven, or allowed passage to the lower circles. They are damned in the truest sense of the word here."

"So what did he do? How did he trap her and damn her to eternity? He must've been cunning."

"Not really, he was actually quite crude and boorish. He lured her back under the guise of an urgent matter that required her attention, ambushed her, locked her away, and forced himself on her repeatedly until she became pregnant. It shouldn't have been possible, as Transient Souls are infertile, but she always seemed to breed anomaly after anomaly in her life. However, there were rules to this domain that couldn't be broken without consequence. So she paid dearly for it all."

"Oh my god, that poor woman…how cruel. What happened next? Did she ever escape him?"

"Well, she could have once she gave birth. You see, the law states that Transient Souls cannot enter the human realm ever again, least of all damned ones. This goes for their offspring as well. While it's rare, it's not impossible, so the rule was still present in the commandments from the dawn of this realm. Because that child was born of a damned Transient Soul, despite also being of a Living Soul, it would never be allowed to leave that domain. So the woman could leave at her will once the baby was born, but it would've meant leaving her child behind. This was something she couldn't bring herself to do, not even for her precious dream. So she stayed. I offered her a way out, but she refused. She couldn't see the bigger picture. I hope you can."

Trinity's mood suddenly becomes somber. "That's so unfair. I hope that man suffered a lot."

"Mhm, well, I'd say he did in the end." She smiles. "But you know better than me, don't you?"

Trinity finally becomes aware of her phrasing. "What do you mean? You make it sound as if I'm involved in this story somehow? I don't understand how I could be…." She begins, but soon falls silent. She replays Amlith's story in her head, and things begin to come together. "Queen, baby, trapped, suffering…no!" She clutches her head. "No, no, no, no, no!" She trembles. "It can't be!"

Amlith gently takes her hand. "I'm afraid it's true Trinity. That woman, she was your mother."