Whispers of the Forgotten Soul

"Who… is Ruji?" Escarion whispered to himself, his breath misting in the cold air as the battlefield's dust slowly settled. The pounding of his heart matched the rhythm of the question echoing in his mind.

He clutched his chest, eyes wide with a strange mix of confusion and familiarity. Images flashed before him—fragments of a life long forgotten. Among them, one stood out clearer than the rest.

A soft, warm voice.A girl standing beneath a lone cherry tree swaying in the breeze.

"Ruji… I'm in love with you."

The young boy in the memory — that was him. But he was smiling, not as Escarion, the feared warrior, but as a simple village boy with no powers and no future.

Her name… Miyo.

"I have no powers," he remembered saying to her. "I'm poor, I have no talents at all."

But Miyo had only smiled, gently brushing a falling petal from his hair.

"That's not true, Ruji. You'll become stronger. I like your calmness, not your strength."

Her eyes held unwavering faith, and her words lingered like sunlight in his chest. She had leaned in closer and whispered with a serious tone, "Keep this a secret. If my Samodiva clan finds out… they'll kill both of us."

He had nodded, and they'd made a quiet promise to meet again, the next Sunday, by the riverside.

But that day never came.

Far away, beyond the lake and over the great stone bridge connecting the mainland to the Samodiva Island, Miyo was just returning to her clan base. She crossed the bridge quietly, her heart still fluttering from the brief moment with Ruji. But as she stepped into the main courtyard, a chilling stillness fell over her.

Her queen — Ellie, ruler of the Samodiva clan — was waiting.

Miyo immediately bowed. "My queen."

"I've been waiting for your arrival, Miyo," Ellie said, her voice calm yet commanding.

"Is something the matter?"

Ellie's red eyes gleamed in the dim torchlight. "We are preparing for a ritual… something our ancestors have spoken of only in shadows. Gather our strongest women. Tell them to come to the main hall immediately."

Without questioning further, Miyo did as she was told. In the Samodiva clan, obedience was life. The clan was ancient and sacred, comprised solely of women — no men were allowed, not even born.

Within minutes, the hall filled with the most skilled and powerful female warriors of the clan. The tension was thick. None of them had ever seen their queen like this — draped in ceremonial black robes, and holding something horrifying in her arms:

A terrifying doll, life-sized, with crimson glowing eyes.

The doll didn't move, yet its presence felt alive — like it was watching.

Ellie stepped forward. "My dear children…" her voice thundered through the chamber. "The age of waiting is over. Yamato has forgotten who we are. We were once feared, worshipped even. But now… the world mocks us. Today, we begin our rise."

The warriors murmured in confusion.

"To take control of Yamato, we must become more than warriors — we must become goddesses of war. And I shall be the first to offer my soul."

Miyo's eyes widened in horror.

Before anyone could react, Queen Ellie plunged her hand into her own chest, tearing it open without a sound. She held her still-beating heart in her palm… and with terrifying resolve, she crushed it into dust.

The doll's eyes lit up like a sun ignited in the underworld.

A deafening scream of dark energy burst through the hall, pouring into every woman present. Their eyes turned blood red, their aura surging with forbidden power. Their screams echoed like a demon choir.

Miyo fell to her knees, clutching her chest. Unlike the others, she had no desire to fight for darkness, yet she was bound to the curse. She could feel the black flame taking root inside her.

Far away, in the high halls of the elemental clans, leaders and elders of Yamato were holding counsel.

"What was that power?" one elder whispered, still trembling.

"It came from the island… the Samodiva clan."

A scout returned, breathless and wide-eyed. "The sky above their island is covered in… black mist. I saw red lights—like hundreds of demonic eyes. Something is wrong."

The hall grew silent. Then kuro, the head of the Hikari clan, stood up with authority. "They've broken the seal. They're trying to revive the King of Hell — Lord Satan himself."

The room erupted in shock and fear.

"We must act," said an elder from the kazan clan. "If they succeed, Yamato will fall into eternal night."

Back on the island, Miyo stood alone, looking out over the lake toward the village where she once met Ruji. Tears welled up in her eyes.

"Ruji… I'm sorry."