Poisoned Mind

Nedeira hesitated, glancing at the ornate dagger hanging from her belt. "Are you sure about this?"

Karyan nodded, "It's the perfect bait. The sorcerer won't be able to resist investigating, and I'll be ready for him."

"But if you don't kill him, he will kill me…"

"There's something I need you to do, so I won't let you die so quickly, don't worry." 

"Something like what?" 

Karyan paused, "you see, I died not long ago, but I managed to come back to life," Nedeira listened, Sin leaned closer and Reverie stared at her empty glass. 

"The person who took everything away from me, I promised to take everything from him this time. As per my knowledge, the last time I knew he was studying for elements and was trying to possess their power." 

"But that's impossible!" Reverie shouted, "we're only bound to one element for life!" 

"It's not impossible, but it's hard. So I want Nedeira to teach me the mind controlling element as soon as I'm done with the king." 

A heavy silence entered the room, and everyone was quiet as the morning after the flames. 

"But don't you think revenge would make you weaker?" Nedeira had to ask. 

"No, Revenge is the only purpose I have left…" 

"You wanted to be reborn just for revenge?" Sin asked. 

"Yes…" 

"Why?" 

"Because my soul wouldn't be able to find peace afterwards…it was filled with vengeance and hate, it's something that I was reborn with immediately and something I've died fighting to experience." 

"Were you a good person?" Nedeira looked at him, "I msan in your previous life?" 

Karyan let out a short sigh, and looked back at her, "you could say so…" 

"So why are you this angry and hateful now?" 

"Because how much poison could I take before I die?" 

Another moment of silence went through the bar. 

Karyan leaned forward, the dim light of the tavern casted shadows over his face, making his scars appear deeper, his gaze was more intense. 

"Sometimes, in order to cleanse the wound, you must first confront the infection. My heart, filled with darkness, seeks the dawn of vengeance. Only then can I find solace."

Nedeira frowned, the weight of his words was heavy and it felt like a thick dagger, stabbing her heart. 

She couldn't understand how someone could be so consumed by revenge, yet she somehow still sympathized. 

Sin, who had been quietly listening, finally spoke with a steady and clear tone, cutting through the heavy atmosphere. "Wielding more than one element isn't just about power or skill. It's about balance. You seek to control mind and fire, yet your soul is tumultuous, like a storm. To master such forces, you must first master yourself."

Karyan looked at Sin, "And how do you suggest I do that?"

"Find the equilibrium within. Your vengeance, your anger, it unbalances you. If you wish to wield dual elements, you must harmonize your inner hate. Only then can you truly harness their power," Sin replied slowly. 

It was a weird statement coming from a demon. 

Reverie, who had been silent, finally spoke up too, "It's like dancing on a blade's edge. One wrong step, and you could fall."

Karyan nodded, listening to their words. "Then I shall become the blade."

Nedeira couldn't help but admire him right now, even if it was fueled by vengeance. "And what of your soul? Will revenge truly bring you peace?"

Karyan's look softened, "Perhaps not. But it's a path I'm willing to walk, to see where it leads. Maybe, just maybe, at the end of this journey, I'll find what I'm truly searching for."

The group fell into a thoughtful silence, each one were thinking of of power, revenge, and redemption

Karyan finally broke the silence, "I will master these elements, not for the sake of revenge alone, but to forge a new world, an empty one without a spirit too."

Sin smiled. 

He liked the idea of silent chaos, "Then let your revenge begin with balance. Seek not only the strength of the elements but the strength within. Only then can you truly become unstoppable."

Nedeira and Reverie exchanged glances. 

They would support Karyan on his plan, not just for the sake of his vengeance, but for the hope of a better future.

"So the dagger, eh?" Nedeira stared at it, "take it. But save me from him," she passed it to Karyan. 

"You will not die now, and hopefully you will stay alive for long enough to witness the new world I will build for you." 

"I have no purpose in life, but I can do my best to stay when that happens, so let me be with you until then." 

"You will hate the violence I'm going to bring, Nedeira." 

"Violence or not, let me be useful to you, maybe my power could bring me happiness later on? Who knows?" 

"So for that…I will harm you now."