Echoes of Torment

"Urrgh!"

"Mmmmph!"

Short groans could be heard from the long dark haired lady on the floor.

Chime!

[Ellen! You have to trust in him that nver sleeps nor slumbers] A voice that she so detested rang in her head. Turning her head ever so slightly, she groaned out some curses after which she started breathing heavily due to the strain of talking.

[Your stats are running critically low!] The voice informed once more. Ellen decied to stay silent before something that she would regret comes out from her mouth.

After about 20 seconds of silence, the monotonous voice rang out again

[Initiating confession before death mode]

"What the..?" Ellen quickly stopped her mouth from cursing. This stupid system would definitely give her an unreasonable punishment even in her near death scenario.

But, what the hell was 'confession before death mode'? Was the system trying to curse her to death?

DEATH MODE!

This daughter of a bitch system! It was actually asking her to get ready to die!.

It wasn't like her condition was really critical? It was just one of her near death experiences so why? It was just that this b**ch of a system didn't care if she was critically injured or not. Nope! It actually cared about some non-existential faith.

If her faith in God ran low, it'd start to go crazy and would do anything possible to bring it back up to the required levels even if it meant that extra injuries would be added.

Sure enough, Due to Ellen's overthinking, the system went into 'Gaga' mode.

[Detecting that host's emotions are rising and is on the level of anger]

[Host is getting angry before death]

[Host would definitely go to hell at this rate and that would be considered unfaithful of this system to the Lord]

[Beginning to initiate flashback of hopeless situations turned into joy and laughter]

[Simulating..... Initiation complete]

[Memories found and Scriptures of hope inserted]

[Charity and Endurance inserted]

[Ready to deliver…..]

[Delivery commencing…..Host should hold still because this might be blessedly painful]

Ellen just kept mute. Whatever, should happen, would definitely happen. What this crazy christian system was saying was none of her business because, even if she objects to it's actions, the result would remain the same. She could feel that she almost had no control over her own decisions and choices and even at the periods when she could make her own decisions, she had to make sure she incorporated the system's suggestions.

But, what did 'its going to be blessedly painful' mean?

Isn't being blessed a good thing? She might not have gone to church but at least, she knew that being blessed was a religious term that signified something good.

This system actually loved to make things that were bad look good and vice versa. Wasn't that what they called…..

All of a sudden, Ellen felt something prick her skin slightly and pass through the Calvary grade gloves on her wrist.

Gloves from Calvary were on another grade entirely and were not even destroyed during the explosions and all her fights, but now she just felt something breach it's almost impenetrable defense.

Before she could find out what happened, she experienced a strong sensation of tremendous pain that flowed slowly from her sides all the way to her head.

[Ellen try not to pass out too soon, this would only take a few seconds]

"Damn it! You made up daughter of a..." Before she could finish, the rate at which the pain expanded was threatening to overwhelm her brain, her mouth which opened a second ago to curse, just hung listlessly while her body convulsed in agony. Experiencing Pain explosions all over her body that left her twitching miserably on the floor made her want to cry out but unfortunately, she couldn't even control her muscles. Gritting her teeth, she closed her eyes and felt a familiar sensation of time slowing down amidst the pain.

Why was all these happening to her? If she had known, all of these would have been avoided from the beginning. Why did she have to go all out on that operation that night?.

As she thought of this, a single drop of tear rolled down her cheek as she tried to grit her teeth in pain but was left gasping. No muscles of her body were responding. But the year that rolled down her cheeks contained burning resentment and hate. It was all his fault!

Her most hated enemy! Redeemed Shadow had succeded in destabilizing and scattering her entire life's goal. Her dream of being the number one in the underworld had been cut short.

Her father could never fully trust her on missions any longer without being afraid of her screwing up. This was because anytime she went on missions, the system would interfere and make her helpless to trail people or even disclose their whereabouts. Whenever she disobeyed or took actions contrary to it's will, srange things would happen. The last time she did that, she was struck by thunder. That day, she couldn't talk as she realized that she had almost died even after she used one of the 'Elixir's of Grace' that helped to replenish her lost cells and restart her body system's functionality.

Whispers had begun to spread through the inner circle of the organisation that, she was no longer capable of leading S ranked missions and that she was slowly becoming an imbecile to her father.

In all of these, no living should knew that, one of the greatest demons of the underworld was being slowly converted into a holy goddess. Ellen had been too embarrased to tell anyone of her deepest secret even if it meant that she would be misunderstood.

She was afraid that she was quickly turning into one of those hysterical and over religious hypocrites. At this point she didn't know who she really was any longer. If she asked herself who she was, the system would chime in by calling her 'A child of grace binded by a crimson convenant'

"Arrgh!" She grunted and groaned as the injection of memories and bible verses came flooding her mind in an instant, and brought it back to the harsh reality of constant pain and suffering. The sudden influx of information, coupled with the pain that she was suffering threatened to turnher brain upside down.

'This was blessedly painful?'

This was f***ing painful! Ellen thought with hatred for the system embedded in her.

But all those thoughts started to fade away as her mind started entering a state of relaxation and tranquiilty. When Ellen reached a state of unprecedented clarity, she started remembering and recollecting vivid scenes and occurences of her life.

She remembered her childhood days of training, her father's constant care and strictness, his almost non-existent smile that he showed only on rare occassions such as when she became known as 'Traceless Demon'.

*Sigh!* Her naming ceremony had been spectacular! Her father's pride at that time was almost through the roof as he told her to come sit by his right hand and introduced her to most of his inportant connections all over the world.

Her thoughts shifted as she remembered the fateful encounter that would forever change her life.

That was the last memory and the most hurt inducing. It actually filled her mind with pain, rage and agony.

'I thought this was supposed to be some kind of happy dream? Why do I feel so sad? The system must have pulled a trick with it's words once more because I don't think I have laughed once during all of these memories' Ellen thought as she once again felt her ability to think returning.

{Flashback}

Three years ago, Alabod's garage, 3:00 am

It was a scene of destruction and carnage as cars were still on fire and bodies were strewn on the floor. There was a young lady in particular, who was still lying on the floor with her eyes wide open as if she had seen something unbelievable. She looked like a young woman in her prime with dark flowing hair like a waterfall and pure black eyes except that contained no light in them. They seemed to have lost their spirit and life as they remained unblinking even when a randon dirt fell on the retina.

All of a sudden, the young lady's finger twitched and her eyes snapped shut before reopening as swiftly as possible. Soon her eyes regained their lustre and she took in a deep breath that made her back arch up and her chest heave up and own. Then she felt it spreading through her body and then….

'Arrrgh!'