Chapter 30 - AzonesBefore Luxana could eborate on her cryptic decration, Cillian's form became a blur of motion. With a dispy of superhuman agility, he unched himself from the staircase, his body arg through the air in defiance of the ws of physibsp;The hell- what's up with this guy again? Leaping from almost a 50 ft high staircase like it's a child's py again. Luxana's thoughts raced as she regained her posure. As Cillian's feet met the marble floor with preternatural grace, he surged forward, closing the distaween them with inhuman speed. The metallig of blood grew more pronounced with each step, a harbinger of the violehat g to him like a sed skin. In a heartbeat, Cillian's bloodstained hands seized Luxana's face, his grip unyielding as he drew her close. His gaze, intense and probing, bore into the depths of her zir blue eyes, searg for truths hidden within their crystallihs. The force of his grasp was excruciating, Luxana's delicate features torted by the pressure of his fingers. The cloying st of blood assailed her senses, its presence a visceral reminder of the dahat lurked beh Cilliaerior. With desperate strength born of pain and revulsion, Luxana grasped at Cillian's wrists, her slender fingers seeking purchase on his blood-slicked ski her efforts were in vain, for Cillian's strength, even at the limits of his endurance, far surpassed her own. As the agony intensified, Luxana's resolve crumbled. Tears welled up and spilled over, trag glistening paths down her cheeks, a sileament to the physical aional torment she e Cillian's hands."Do you truly uand the weight behind the words you've dared to speak?" Cillian's voice cut through the silence like a bde, each sylble heavy and dark with a mehat dripped into the very marrow of my bones. His gaze – sharp, icy, and so deeply peing – locked onto mih an uing iy. It felt as if he was trag the line of my very existence, as if those aquamarine eyes could pinpoint the fragile point where my soul g to life itself. That look – a look that felt like drowning, a look that stripped me bare, down to every hidden fear, every breath I held in my lungs – was matched by a grip that felt unbreakable, as though he could, with his hands alone, shatter me. His face hovered inches from mine, his breaths grazing my cheek in hot, measured bursts, mingling with the dread settling over me like a shroud. The air between us was thick, almost suffog, filled with a tension so visceral that it felt like my very heartbeat reverberated in the silenbsp;“L-li-s-n… to… me,” I mao choke out, my voice breaking into gasps, pleading, trembling. My words stumbled over themselves as I clutched at the edges of my remaining strength. Tears streamed down my cheeks like rivers bursting their banks, spilling over his hands in desperate, silent protest. But Cillian remained unmoved, unyielding, lost in a search so deep within my eyes that he seemed to have no room left for uanding, let alone merbsp;Then, without warning, his grip loosened. I felt the fai shift, a sliver of freedom, and before I could think, I threw myself backward, breaking free from his grasp, colpsing to the ground with a thud. My body ached as I struggled for air, for sense, for anything but the hollow terror left in his wake. "Why... why, Cillian? What’s wrong with you? Why are you doing this?” The words tumbled out as I stammered through my tears, wiping them away with frantic, trembling hands, only to feel them falling again, unstoppable, like the pathetic, broken remnants of trol I had left. Each sob felt like it tore me open further, yet there was e, no release, only that relentless anguish that left me ging to some scrap of hope. Without hesitation, Cillian stepped forward. His t presence filled the space before me, shadowed and unyielding. He bent down, hands reag out, and seized both of mine, pinnihere as he pulled me ba. His aquamarine eyes were fixed on me again, their ess burning like i bare skin. But this time, something snapped in me. I yanked my right arm free from his iron grip, my body surging with a sudden rush of defiahat I couldn’t tain. And then I spped him. The sound cracked through the room, eg off the walls like a shot. My palm collided with his cheek in a bze of fury, my hand stinging with the force of it. His head jerked to the side, a fsh of red blooming across his cheek as he stood there, stunned into silehe servants around us gasped, their wide eyes fixed on the impossible se unfolding in the hall, helpless to interveoo stuo evehe. I turned, ready to escape, to put distaween us. But Cillian was faster. His hands gripped me again, strohis time, unfiving, and he forced me down, pressing me against the cold, unyielding marble of the floor. His hand encircled my neck with a brutal force that left no room for breath, no room for thought. His fiightened like a vice, squeezing out every ounce of air, every flicker of resistaars exploded before my eyes, light fshing iic bursts as darkness cwed its way over me, dragging me under. As I y there, enveloped in the soft embrace of unfamiliar sheets, my sciousness slowly began to stir. The world around me was a hazy blur, my senses gradually awakening to the gentle caress of a cool breeze against my skin. The air carried with it the faint st of cherry blossoms, a delicate fragrahat tickled my nostrils and stirred memories I couldn't quite grasp. Suddenly, cutting through the peaceful silence, a voice as gentle as a spring rain reached my ears. "Watashi no, watashi no ojōsama!" The words, though fn to my uanding, resonated with a familiarity that sent a shiver down my spihe melodies danced in the air, ing around me like a f b.My mind, still clouded with the remnants of sleep, began to race. Where had I heard this voice before? The question echoed in the chambers of my thoughts, boung off the walls of my sciousness. I y there, eyes firmly shut, as if keeping them closed would somehow help me grasp the elusive memory that danced just out of reabsp;And then, like a bolt of lightning illuminating a dark sky, realization struck. My eyes flew open, the sudden influx of light momentarily blinding me. I bolted upright, my heart pounding in my chest like a drum, the sheets falling away from my body. As I turo my right, my gaze fell upon a sight that made my breath cat my throat. There she was, the woman from Omeen, her presence as ued as it was wele. Her face, a vas of delicate features and warm expressions, was exactly as I remembered it. Her eyes, pools of kindness and , locked onto mine. A tidal wave of emotion crashed over me, relief and joy mingling in a potent cocktail that overwhelmed my senses. Without warning, tears began to well up in my eyes, spilling over and casg down my cheeks like a waterfall. The iy of my emotional response surprised even me, but I owerless to stop it. The floodgates had opened, and all I could do was ride the wave. "Ojōsan! Naze naite iru nodesu ka?" her voice, ced with worry, reached out to me. Though I couldn't uand her words, the ione was unmistakable. Her brow furrowed, creating delicate lines on her forehead that only served to atuate her beauty. My tears flowed more freely now, my body wracked with sobs that I couldn't trol. In respoo my obvious distress, she didn't hesitate for a moment. With a grace that belied her urgency, she enveloped me in an embrace so warm and f that it felt like ing home after a long, arduous journey. As she held me, she whispered softly, "Goshinpainaku, ojōsama. Subete umaku ikimasu." The fn words washed over me like a soothing balm. Though I couldn't decipher their meaning, the se behind them was clear. She was trying to e, to assure me that everything would be alright. In that moment, I was struck by the incredible kindness of this woman. Here she was, sod fort to someone she barely knew, bridging the gap of nguage and culture with nothing but the pure iion of her heart. The realization only made me cry harder, but now my tears were a mixture of gratitude and relief. I allowed myself to melt into her embrace, my arms finding their way around her body. She held me tightly, her warmth seeping into my very bones. We stayed like that, locked in an embrace that transded words, as I wept out all the fear, fusion, and lonelihat had been building up inside me. Time seemed to stand still, the world outside our little bubble ceasing to exist. Eventually, as all storms must, my tears began to subside. My breathing, which had been ragged and uneven, slowly steadied. As I pulled back slightly, I saw her face, a picture of passion and care. "Kibun wa yoku narimashita ka, ojōsama?" she asked, her voice as soft as silk. Her smile, pure ale, told me all I o know about the meaning behind her words. Feeling a surge of warmth in my chest, I nodded rapidly, a smile breaking ay face like the sun emerging from behind storm clouds. The simple aili like a revetion, as if I was redisc a part of myself I had fotten. "Thank you for all the care you've shown me up until now. I'm really grateful to you," I said, my voice hoarse fr but filled with sincere gratitude. My smile grew brighter, mirr the radiance of her own. Though we spoke different nguages, in that moment, I felt certain that she uood the depth of my appreciation.Her response was a smile that seemed to light up the entire room, her eyes kling at the ers in a way that made my heart swell with affe. She then spoke again, her words flowing like a geream, "Nigenaide kudasai, ojōsama. Nanika tabemono o motte kimasu." With a graceful bow that seemed to embody all the elegand respect of her culture, she turned ahe room, her movements as fluid as water. As the door closed behind her, I found myself alone once more, but the warmth of her presence lingered. I leaned back against the wall where the bed was attached, my mind a whirlwind of thoughts aions. As grateful as I was for the kindness of this woman, I couldn't help but wonder about Cillian. Azones...In the mists of antiquity, the legend of the Azones persists, a haunting narrative of ambition, inquisitiveness, and the perilous sequeneddling with powers beyond mortal grasp. Oeemed as masterful sorcerers, the Azones' reputation became forever tarheir name synonymous with devastation and the corrupting influence of dark magibsp;During an era when magical prowess was revered and knowledge coveted, a cadre of mages embarked on a perilous expedition to the enigmatic western mountains. Their quest tered on an a being, sealed away by their predecessors, whose very essence pulsed with the primordial energies of the earth. Among these intrepid explorers rodigious young mage, whose insatiable curiosity about this mysterious entity bordered on obsession. As twilight paihe craggy peaks in hues of violet and indigo, the young mage's heart quied with anticipation. Uhe cover of darkness, he would steal away from the sanctuary of their encampment, drawn inexorably by the siren song of the entombed creature. With eatation woven and ritual performed, he felt the intoxig surge of dark magic c through his veins, a seductive force that whispered promises of enlighte and dominion. The noal air crackled with are energy, his spells reverberating through the valleys like the echoes of long-fotteies. Yet, with every attempt to rouse the slumbering titan, the earth itself seemed to tremble in warning, as if beseeg him to desist. His fellow mages, growing increasingly uneasy with his frequent absences and the ominous atmosphere, began to search for him with hearts heavy with foreboding. Oeful final night, beh the watchful gaze of a swollen moon, the young mage stood before the sealed creature, a figure both awe-inspiring and terrifying. As he raised his hands, dark energies swirling around him like a tempest of shadows, the ground vulsed violently. From the depths of the earth, the a being stirred, awakening from its aeons-long slumber. Drawn by the tremors and the cacophony of unleashed power, the es arrived just in time to withe unthinkable. The creature, a monstrous amalgamation of scales and shadows, emerged, its eyes gleaming with the wisdom of tless millennia. In a heartbeat, it towered over the assembled mages, who had e to rescue their rade but now found themselves face to face with the harbinger of their doom. With a swift and terrible huhe creature ed them, their anguished cries melding with the roar of the earth as the boundaries between life ah blurred into obscurity. The young mage's unbridled ambition had unleashed a force beyond tai, and in that moment, the Azones were irrevocably transformed. From that day forward, the empire cast a pall over the Azones, branding them as outcasts, their once-celebrated talents now feared and reviled. The practice of bck magic was outwed, its practitioners hunted and ostracized as the empire sought to expunge all memory of the cataclysm that had unfolded in the mountains. The tale of the Azones became a cautionary legend, a stark reminder of the perils of unchecked curiosity and the allure of forbidden power, resonating through the ages as a testament to the fragility of human ambition when fronted with the unfathomable.If you're w how I know all of this, it's because the books I was lent by the doll-like maids on the day of my arrival in Elmir, were all about the History of Elmir. It bared all sorts of things, from the rise and fall of kingdoms to the intricate tapestry of magic that wove through the lives of its inhabitants. Each page ortal to a time long past, filled with tales of valor and treachery, love and loss. The maids, with their por skin ahereal grace, had guided me to the library, their eyes glinting with a knowing spark as they handed me the dusty tomes, as if they uood the weight of the knowledge tained within.Haaaaah......So, I'm neck-deep in this crap, and guess what? I freakin' hate Cillian. Dude's just a pretty face with zero substance. I gotta stop obsessing over his worthless ass and focus on the real shit going down. And, oh yeah, I'm in Omeen now! Maybe I should hit up my mom, but damn, that's a whole emotional minefield waiting to explode. HAHHHH.....To be tinued...