[88.3] Zephyr's POV: The Great Zephyr's Grandest Sin

***Disclaimer: Mentions of forced cannibalization, murder, and slight gore.

[Author's note: This chapter is still from Zephyr's perspective.]

Vira had frozen, her eyes glazed over as an illusion was reflected in them.

Before her, the scenery changed from bricks and buildings to sand and trees. Houses were created using crude methods and every person was walking around with a goal in mind. It was a high-functioning village that was desperately trying to recreate another culture to make it feel more homely.

A woman with long, thick brown hair was walking down the street. On her umber skin was a single white scar that brightened in the sunlight. Her eyes were genuinely kind as she checked on each person and ensured they were all doing well. The aura exuding from her gentle demeanor was so warm and comforting that it drove everyone to her.

Behind her, a young girl with platinum blonde hair and opaque blue eyes scurried after her. She hugged a sword larger than herself and was much too afraid to raise her head.

"Miss Abadi… Am I a bad person?"

"No, darling. Why would you think that?"

Her eyes shifted fearfully, "B-But I can't remember my last life like everyone else… So what if I was bad?"

"Do you think you were bad?"

"I… I don't know." She hugged the sword tighter, "I… All I remember is helping Mother with laundry at the river."

"See? It doesn't sound like you were bad."

She pursed her lips, "But why can't I remember my previous life? Maybe… Maybe I'm not an arriver-"

"-Darling, you are. There's no need to worry about that. It's possible you died young and don't have the memories because there aren't any."

If Vira had taken her eyes off the ground, she would have seen the look of concern in Abadi's eyes. Unfortunately, she had always been an anxious child who never strayed too far away from Abadi, and she would never make eye contact even if forced.

Abadi saw her brooding expression and rubbed her head, "This life is about second chances. That is why we are given gifts."

This only made her feel more anxious, "B-But I don't know my gift… I don't even know if I'm chaos or order."

"Chaos… Order… They are the same thing in the end."

"But-"

"-Don't worry, Vira. Your gift will present itself when you are ready to inherit it."

Vira nodded in understanding, but there was a flash of jealousy as she saw everyone else using their gift as they pleased.

She clutched the sword tighter.

That day was her strongest, and most guarded, memory.

In a blink of an eye, bodies were strewn around. Most were dead or barely breathing.

Vira's back was pressed against a wall as she clutched her sword to her chest. Her knees shook uncontrollably as a group of people crept near her.

"Please…" Her voice cracked, "Please don't kill me…"

They answered:

"Will you join us?"

"Are you chaos or order?"

"I…" Golden tears rolled down her cheeks, causing the people across from her to start becoming more energized. She couldn't stop the tears as she croaked, "I… I don't know."

"How can you not know?"

"She must be neutral. Kill her."

As an arriver sent a spike using psychokinesis, Vira's eyes closed shut as she prepared to be killed like everyone around her.

However…

It never happened.

As the world became silent, she forced herself to be brave and slowly opened her eyes.

As soon as she saw the reason why the spike never pierced her, her pupils shrunk.

"Vira…" Abadi stood in front of her, blocking her from the spike. She collapsed to the ground, but didn't turn to face her, "Run… Live… For us…"

Abadi fell forward, unconscious from the blood loss.

"NOOO! ABADI!"

Emotions rushed forward as everything around her became secondary.

A ball of light burst from her body just like a nuclear bomb, it cleared everyone from its path. Yet, the people who had lived in the village remained and those who had trespassed were now balls of light drifting to the sky or becoming nourishment for the earth.

Vira breathed heavily as the sword beside her started to glow with a faint light. However, she ignored it and knelt next to Abadi.

"Abadi! Abadi! Please wake up!"

As she shook her, a droplet of blood rolled from her wounds and landed on the hole in Abadi's abdomen.

As soon as the blood touched the wound, the skin started growing as if alive. Vira held her breath as she saw the color return to Abadi's face.

Her voice was hoarse, "I… I can heal… I can save them…"

She rushed to each person and cut her palm using the glowing sword. Without hesitation, she started feeding each person with blood.

Sure enough, her body was a natural tonic. 

However, in their poor condition, blood wasn't enough to save them. She started cutting off her flesh and feeding it to them. If she fed anyone clinging to death her flesh, they would heal miraculously.

The only problem was…

With each person she brought back to life, there was a voice slowly getting louder and louder in her head.

At first, it started as an inaudible whisper.

-you…-

-you are…-

-...are a…-

Her eyes glazed over as she desperately tried to hear that distant voice, "I'm… What am I?"

Entranced by the otherworldly voice, she closed her eyes and tried to listen to the distant voices. At this point, her flesh was gone and only her skeleton, head, and a beating heart remained.

However…

She wasn't scared.

She wasn't scared because of that tantalizing voice whispering to her from a distant part of the world.

When everyone awakened, her body had already returned to normal as if nothing had ever happened. Yet, the damage had already been done and she would never be the same again. She had broken the rules that the world had put in to protect itself.

The memory suddenly darkened and in that darkness, a hand with a golden light held something beating.

Vira stepped towards it, enchanted by the harmonious thumping.

-...am a…-

She whispered, "What am I?"

-I am a…-

-...a…-

She stepped closer to the outstretched hand.

-...a…-

Only when she got close did she realize what it was.

A beating heart was in the palm as blood slowly dripped down the thin wrist, splattering on the ground. The person holding it didn't squeeze it, but instead, held it out for her to grab.

Greed flashed through her eyes as she slowly reached out for it.

As her fingertips brushed the moist surface, the owner of the voice who had been speaking from the distance finally echoed out of her own mouth.

"I am a god."

Vira was suddenly jolted awake, her body covered in a cold sweat. She clung to the sweat-soaked silken sheets as she struggled to catch her breath.

Her skin was porcelain with a slight glow, and no inch of it was covered.

Her eyelids fluttered, "I am…"

"What are you?"

Her head slowly turned to see a devilishly handsome guy lying next to her with no sense of shame.

"Elam…"

Her voice was as soft as a pillow. Anyone who heard her speak their name would instantly fall to their knees to declare their love.

Unfortunately, this pillow was filled with knives.

A violent flash of light slashed the image of Elam and stabbed him repeatedly. She continued stabbing him, laughing hysterically as he cried for her to stop.

"VIRA! VIRA STOP! PLEASE!"

Hearing his cries only energized her crazed state more. As she was covered in blood, she slowly raised her head revealing eyes that were no longer hazy.

"You d*mned fox."

She swung her sword violently, destroying the illusion at the same time as she slashed open my chest.

I fell back and coughed out a mouthful of blood, "Ugh…"

The illusion finally dispersed and only the mind-splitting pain remained. Blood poured down my forehead as her footsteps came closer to me.

"You almost had me for a moment."

I forced myself to look at her, "What gave it away?"

She sneered, "You had Elam come to me. Do you think I care about him? I want him to die more than anything."

I forced a grin, revealing my bloody teeth that once were pearly white, "If you want to kill him so badly, why are you coming after me?"

Her eyes were detached as she spoke, "You are his offspring. You demons are all scourges that need to be eliminated."

"Seriously!? How can you blame us for that!? You're crazy!"

She ignored this, "Although, killing him was very therapeutic. If it wasn't for who you are, a descendant of that sinful man, I would have kept you as a pet to keep giving me that therapy."

"So what? You want to kill me just because I'm supposedly from your ex!? That's nuts! You are a psycho!! And not in a good way!"

"Not supposedly." She pointed her sword at me, "You are the fruit of his sin."

"WHAT!?"

"Sin comes from sin. You must meet retribution to cleanse your soul."

"B*tch! I never did a thing to your crazy a**! What possible sin could I have committed!?"

"You defiled my daughter and turned her against me."

"Oh that?" I smirked cockily as I held my chest, "Hell yeah I defiled her. I defiled her all night long. Best s*x ever too. 10/10 would recommend-"

"YOU DEPRAVED BASTARD!" She kicked me in the chest so hard I was sent flying back.

I rolled on the ground clinging to consciousness. I groaned as I flipped over, "F*ck… That hurts worse than Moni's kick."

When I forced my head to rise, I was greeted by a sword pointed straight at me.

Vira's wicked smile leered down at me, "It's finally time for you to pay for your mistake."

As I stared at that blade, oddly enough, I didn't feel afraid.

By now, the children and elderly had already evacuated.

They were safe.

I…

The Great Demon Zephyr…

Had succeeded in something.

A smile crawled across my cheeks that was bloody and bruised, "If loving your daughter was a mistake, it was the best mistake of my life."