Chains No More

The past hours flashed through her mind, rushing through the manor, flinging open every hidden door she knew, rescuing those who could still be saved, and granting mercy to those beyond help.

She had burned it all down, leaving behind nothing but ashes and vengeance. When they reached the last dreaded door, Laverna hesitated only briefly before grasping the handle. Taking a deep breath, she pushed it open, with Shin following behind her.

Inside, the cages stood empty. The prisoners had been freed, likely fleeing with the others by now. Laverna exhaled, a small wave of relief washing over her.

At least some had escaped this nightmare. But as Shin looked around, he saw more than just an empty room.

He saw the lingering spirits of those they had freed, some clinging to life, others already drifting into the next realm. Each time Laverna had opened a hidden door, releasing someone from their torment, their spirits seemed to follow her, as if drawn to her presence.

And when she had granted mercy to those beyond saving, their souls did not depart immediately. Instead, they lingered in her wake, silent sentinels watching her every move.

The more he watched, the more unsettling it became. They followed her with reverence, with sorrow, with something eerily similar to devotion.

It reminded him of his mother and how she had spirits gently following her. She was elegant and beautiful, their ethereal forms floating behind her like silent guardians, protecting the family.

She did not call for followers, yet they came. Not of the living, but of the dead.

Disturbed by the sight, Shin attempted to purify the spirits, murmuring an incantation under his breath to send them beyond. But the moment he tried, an unnatural force resisted him.

The spirits clung to Laverna, their presence growing heavier, their eyes burning with unyielding purpose. Each attempt to banish them only stirred their rage, the air around them thickening with hostility.

It was as if they refused to leave as if they had chosen their vessel and would not be denied. Realizing his efforts were futile, Shin fell silent for the remainder of their excursion.

He kept his thoughts to himself, his unease growing with every step. Laverna, none the wiser to what he had attempted, simply ignored him, focused solely on her duty, setting the people free.

Laverna moved swiftly, grabbing two torches. Firelight flickered in her eyes as she stepped toward the pit where bodies had been discarded. Lifting the lid, a wave of putrid air hit her, decay, filth, and the remnants of unspeakable acts.

Her nose wrinkled in disgust. The horror of what had transpired here clung to the very walls. "I'm sorry, lost ones," she whispered, murmuring a small prayer before tossing the torches into the hole.

A loud thunk echoed as the hay ignited, flames spreading rapidly. Panicked screams erupted from within as fire engulfed the enclosure.

The creatures inside howled in agony, their cries merging with the crackling of burning flesh and fur. The spell placed upon the women forced them to embrace the pain, their moans of twisted pleasure mingling with the wails of the dying.

The sickening stench filled the room, replacing the foul odor of blood and filth with the acrid scent of charred bodies and burning wood. The heat was oppressive, searing their skin as the flames devoured everything in their path.

Laverna clasped her hands together, lowering her head in silent prayer. She whispered a plea to the heavens, hoping that the spirits of the tormented would finally find peace in the afterlife.

The weight of their suffering pressed upon her chest, but she could only offer them this final farewell. Silent tears welled in her eyes, slipping down her cheeks as the overwhelming emotions washed over her.

The grief, the regret, the fury, it all burned within her, just as the flames devoured everything in their path. As the fire rose higher, she stood unmoving, letting the warmth engulf her, as if cleansing her of the past, yet knowing the scars would remain.

Shin's gaze flickered to the spirits surrounding Laverna. He could see them more clearly now, their forms less translucent, their presence more solid.

The fire reflected in their eyes, and they watched her, not with fear, but with something like understanding. With every hidden room freed, with every life released from suffering, Laverna's emotions threatened to overwhelm her.

Regret gnawed at her, regret for those she had not saved, for the moments when fear had paralyzed her, afraid that lifting a finger against the Lichtensteins would bring even greater punishment upon her. Now, as she moved forward, those regrets burned alongside the manor.

The spirits that followed her whispered, their voices curling around her like smoke. They called for vengeance and murmured of justice long denied.

They urged her to call upon them, to let them aid her in ways beyond mortal means. Their whispers grew insistent, promising power, promising retribution.

"Call us, daughter of wrath... let us strike in your name."

"They will suffer as we have suffered. Let us take their flesh as they took ours."

"The blood price must be paid. You need only ask."

The voices coiled around her mind, intoxicating and relentless, a chorus of the forsaken crying for justice. And though she did not answer them, she did not reject them either.

A shift in the air sent a shiver down Shin's spine. The negative energy thickened, stirring the spirits within the manor. It was as if something unnatural was being summoned, as though the corruption itself was about to manifest.

Laverna instinctively called upon the spirits of vengeance. The restless souls of the tormented heard her cry, their whispers rising into a cacophony that resonated through the room. The spirits that had been following her moved with purpose, encircling her, merging with her presence.

The memories clawed at her mind, each one a fresh wound reopening. The endless nights of terror, the broken screams of those who suffered beside her, the helplessness that had weighed down her soul like chains, everything she had endured, every moment of pain she had swallowed to survive, came rushing back in a flood so overwhelming that it threatened to consume her.

She had been powerless for so long, too afraid to act, too afraid to lift a hand against her captors. How many had suffered because she had hesitated? How many had died because she had been too afraid to fight?

The spirits fed on her agony, whispering promises of vengeance, of justice long denied. They did not pity her. They did not console her. They demanded action. They demanded blood.

She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms, drawing fresh lines of pain that only fueled the storm inside her. She had waited long enough. She had endured enough. No more.

"We are yours to command," the voices intoned, their whispers carrying the weight of centuries of suffering. "Accept us, and we will strike in your name. Give in, and vengeance shall be absolute."

The intoxicating power pressed against her mind, wrapping around her like a dark embrace. The voices were insistent, each syllable sending shivers through her bones. She clutched her head, her breath ragged, overwhelmed by the sheer force of their will.

A sob tore from her lips, her body shaking with the weight of all she had endured. The pain, the suffering, the helplessness.

It all came flooding back, unrelenting. And in that moment, she broke. A wailing, pained cry escaped her throat, echoing through the ruined manor as the spirits surged forward, answering the call she hadn't realized she had given.

Shin's breath hitched. "Oh no..."

He knew what was happening. He had to stop it before it was too late. He sprinted toward her, but a powerful gust of wind knocked him backward before he could reach her. Laverna screamed, her voice laced with pain, as the spirits surged into her.

The very foundations of the manor trembled as the spirits swirled around her, their spectral forms flickering like dying embers. Shin struggled to his feet, shielding his eyes from the blinding light radiating from her body.

The spirits didn't just answer her call, they fused with her, unlocking something buried deep within. Something dangerous. Something primal. Their energy surged through her, their memories, their pain, their rage seeping into her very being.

She roared, her voice resonating with unnatural power. The air vibrated with its force, a cry of agony and wrath that shook the walls.

Shadows twisted and coiled around her, taking the shape of the ghosts who had suffered. The spirits howled with her, their wails blending into a terrible symphony of vengeance.

Shin watched in horror as the transformation solidified. Her body glowed with ethereal energy, and for a brief moment, the spirits surrounding her took on physical forms, their faces contorted with pain and fury. It was as if they were reliving their final moments, their suffering manifesting in reality.

Then she stood there, transformed. An overwhelming force had awakened inside her. The spirits of the vengeful dead had found a vessel.

Shin swallowed hard, realization settling over him. This was no mere possession.

This was something far older, far more terrifying. He had seen powerful magic before, but this was unlike anything he had ever encountered.

And whatever Laverna had become, she would never be the same again.