38 A Trip Down Memory Lane (Part 2)

Reaching her mansion, Ariam grabbed onto the unconscious girl in her arms and entered in. Placing the girl on the huge red couch in the living room, she proceeded to shower, wiping off the blood of her enemies she killed.

The moment the water from the shower fell on her face, her usual seductive smile vanished. It was replaced with anger and jealousy.

She reminisced the times with Indra, and the only person she ever admired and hated. Being an intelligent individual, her emotions were quite ironic and illogical.

Anger turned to jealousy and from jealousy turned to hatred. Then, where was the love amidst all of this? Her love was buried deep within many of these emotions which she maintained for years.

A brother she wished she never had. Despite his supposed death against his final battle with Daemon a thousand years ago, she had a very strong feeling he was out there alive.

Was it possible? Absolutely possible, but not probable, however. She knew her brother all too well. A being which towered the pinnacle of all of humanity, and a man who stood by the people.

Only for the people. Should he be on the verge of dying, he would easily place his line on the life. Forget injuries, his life itself meant nothing compared those he wanted to protect.

Of all these years she hadn't seen him once. Not even his body was found. Everyone eventually accepted his death and grieved. She was very much ecstatic in the beginning, and still is. So why was she quite terrified of the future? A future, where she was unable to see herself in?

Banging the wall slightly without cracking it, she screamed like a mad woman within the bathroom. Her memories of him were not about to leave her. Not just yet.

"When will I ever be free from you? You were everything I desired, and you are the cause of what I am today!" A bit of self-monologuing was something she took fond of.

Nonetheless, a monologue she chanted every day in the bathroom. A cry, a plea none were able to hear nor understand.

"I did everything to make you suffer. I went as far as killing mom and dad. I thought you would falter and pick them instead. NO, I was wrong again! I was this close to winning, proving you wrong and yet you chose the lives of the others!" She bit her lips as she leaned forward with on hand against the shower wall.

"Now, not only did you beat Daemon and save the world, but you also eradicated the pillar of Dark Wolf Faction proving me wrong again and again and again! Curse you Indra, wherever you are! With you hopefully dead, the Dark Wolf Faction will now rise to a higher and more powerful place. None will be able to stop us!" Returning to her usual cunning laughter, she turned the shower off and stepped out of bathroom.

Perking her ears, she noticed the little girl outside the door who unexpectedly listened on to her conversation.

Smirking, she tied her towel around and slowly opened the door and tilted her head down towards the girl.

"Awake already?" Ariam asked.

"Where am I?"

"This is my house, and you will be living here with me."

"Re-Really?" The girl looked around as she looked at the beautiful house.

Despite her injuries and exhaustion, she was unable to take her eyes off this huge mansion, covered with huge glasses all over. Floors which were shiny and stairs which went up until it couldn't be seen. However, she still loved her old house of hers by the trash bin.

"I still... like my old-" Looking at the girl struggling intensely, Ariam pricked her finger with her nail and placed it in front of the girl.

"Stop talking and drink this, you'll feel better." Without any hesitation, the girl stepped forward and drank the dripping blood on the finger. Within moments, the girl's injuries healed within seconds. Moreover, her entire body rejuvenated with much energy.

"How did you do that, can I learn it?" The girl asked with a little excitement. She was very much eager to learn this fancy ability of hers.

"Sorry little one, but you cannot. It is a special ability of mine. Plus, this is my own secret." Ariam winked as she placed a finger over her lips.

"That is so cool!"

"Do you have a name?" Ariam asked as she walked up the stairs and headed towards her room.

"I-"

"Hmm?"

"I just remembered, it's Ema." The girl saddened as she placed her head down. Bending down, Ariam hugged Ema and caressed her head.

"What's wrong little one?"

"No one has asked for my name before. Pretty lady was the first one to ask so I am very happy." Ariam's smile behind Ema turned bigger.

'Dealing with this toy is going to be very easy…'

"Well, let's get you showered then, can't have my favorite toy looking all dirty." Hearing her, Ema tilted her head o the side in confusion.

"Why am I a toy pretty lady? Am I not a girl?"

"Why of course you are sweetie, but to me you are very special and that's why you're my toy. Someone I can play with in this lonely house of mine." Having misunderstood her line for something entirely different, Ema smiled as she held her pinky finger out.

"Pinky promise?" Locking her pinky with Ema's Ariam softly whispered:

"Pinky promise."

--

Dodging a strike from behind, Ema gripped her blue dagger tightly and slashed at Ariam. Alas, much to her disappointment, she was unable to graze her even the slightest bit. Her talent was indeed quite the surprise. A year had passed since she started staying with Ariam and her talent began surfacing.

Truth be told, she found happiness as well as misery. Happiness by the fact that someone in her life had accepted her and cared for her. Misery because her training was intense to the point, she had almost died from it.

Ariam herself took up her training and taught her Assassin Arts. An art which was extremely difficult to learn. Not only did it require patience, but talent was also the other necessity.

A pity, only one other subordinate of Ariam's had the knack for it. Ema was the second. However, though she had the talent to learn it, she was not fast enough to undergo the advanced levels of the arts.

Should any cultivator do so, their Achilles and other tendons in their legs would burst, and would never be able to walk for the rest of their lives.

Ariam was fully aware of the consequences, and trained Ema hellishly to overcome her physical limitations. Once done, she would finally be ready for demonification.

"Oh dear, here I thought you were the most gifted toy I had. Hope you don't disappoint me." Having said so, she rushed towards Ema and aimed a kick towards her belly. Sensing danger, Ema gritted her teeth and erected her small barrier and stepped back simultaneously.

Impressed by her thinking, Ariam's kick shattered the barrier and delayed the impact of her kick ever so slightly and allowed Ema to successfully dodge the kick just in time. She grasped for air, as she wiped the sweat on her forehead.

"I… dodged… it!"

"My, I'm impressed. You have successfully dodged a strike for the very first time. Right now, you're at the initial stage of Guardian's Realm. Once you undergo partial demonification, you shall be ready to learn the intermediate and the advanced versions of Assassin Arts. "

"What is this partial demonification?" Ema asked.

"You don't need to know that sweetie. You just need to listen, is that clear?" Gulping in trepidation, Ema nodded and laid on the floor in the training room. Drenched in her black sleeveless attire with long black pants, her entire being screamed in pain and soreness.

"Get some rest, we'll start again tomorrow-"

"Master wait, why do I have to undergo this partial transformation to learn the higher stages of Assassin Arts?" A clever ten-year old girl indeed. Not many could think like her at this age. Ariam chose to answer this time.

"It will make you stronger, and right now you are so weak, learning a tiny portion of those arts could kill you." Ariam smiled as she walked away without providing further chances for Ema.

Though she was indeed talented and intelligent, she was still a ten-year-old and coughing out a plan to a little kid was nothing but idiotic. She could ruin all of her plans. To her, a toy was just a toy.

Stepping out of the training room in her mansion, Ariam was greeted by a slim looking man. Wearing a black suit and sunglasses, the man appeared without the slightest noise and bend down on one knee.

"My lord, I have some news regarding our new find within the forest." The man replied.

"Those are some nice shades Orion. Though mine are Ray-Ban, what are yours?" The man slightly tilted his head high as he noticed Ariam holding onto the railing by the stairs as she continued to bask under the sunlight from the ceiling glass above. To him, she was simply a goddess.

"With all due respect my lord, they are Oakley. They started about six years ago and are becoming quite popular."

"I'll need to add that to my collection, why don't you get me one?"

"As you wish. My lord, may this unfilial servant ask you a question?" Orion immediately placed his head back down as soon as Ariam turned towards him. Lifting his head up, she smiled at him surprising him instantly.

"What is it my servant?"

"Why her? Being a spy of Golden Enterprises myself, I am more than capable of destroying them. So why is she considered the most important, to our upcoming mission?" Ariam took a few steps back and returned to her usual position.

His trust for her was immense and yet, was he inept or unworthy?

"None of what you are thinking of Orion." Orion was astonished as he prostrated in front of her.

"This one truly apologizes for doubting you. Allow me to kill myself, right here and now!" Taking his short sword out, he placed his blade at his own neck. Ariam held her hand out and signaled him to halt.

"You are just as important as she is. As of now, destroying Golden Enterprises is practically impossible. Even I would have quite the trouble, being at the peak Emperor's realm myself."

"…" He had many questions but refrained from disobeying his master.

"Tell me Orion, what is much worse? Aware of the fact that someone is out there to kill you or unaware of the fact, that certain someone would ever try to do such an ordeal?" Having understood her question Orion said:

"Unaware of that fact, my lord. Their guard is usually dropped during such moments."

"Wonderful my servant. It is exactly as you said, right now you are but an employee at their company. What I truly need is for someone to not only be part of the company but be a part of their lives. Especially Richard. Their greatest weakness, will be our greatest strength to crush them." Orion now completely understood Ariam's master plan.

A plan so devious and calculative, he never expected such a plan from her.

"Praise to you my lord. A wonderful plan indeed, and with this we shall crush them."

"Indeed, and what news have you got for me?"

"We have managed to venture deeper into the cave within the forest and found many demonic crystals. There were hordes of them. Congratulations once again, my lord. We have finally succeeded and with this, our power shall grow to higher levels!" Despite his stoic demeanor, his excitement couldn't be hidden.

Ariam's smile grew wider as she laughed to her heart's content.

"Good, let us begin our other operation. Have our men secure the cave, and make sure no one finds out about this. I need my strongest servants out there. No outsider should be aware of this. Do it discretely and be alert."

"As you wish!" With that said, Orion vanished in an instant and Ariam went towards the landline phone by the couch and dialed a number.

"It's me Ariam, we found it."

"Very good, now as per planned I will have my miners and science team head there and have them investigate it. These hundreds of years of searching have finally bore fruit for us." The man on the other line replied.

"Indeed, we shall split the crystals equally. After all, someone has been growing ambitious quite lately." Hearing her reply, the man cursed at her in the worst possible way.

"What I do with them is none of your concerns, for now we work together and then we shall decide what to do with the crystals."

"Whatever you say Aaron, whatever you say." Disconnecting the call, Ariam looked at Ema who ran to her and hugged her with all her might.

"Who were you talking to on the phone?" Ema asked innocently, as she remained in Ariam's embrace.

"Just an acquaintance." Seated on the couch, Ariam leaned her head back as a small tear escaped her eyes. It was time for Him to wake up.