Chapter 15- Lizana's past

Despite the horrors she faced during her time in servitude – a blackness of soul and spirit she still could not shake to this day - Lizana wanted to create a sense of hope in the group; She wanted them to give kirito and Gilbert's plea of redemption serious thought, to act with courage and not allow themselves to make a decision they may regret.

'We must be cautious,' she said sternly. 'I know what it's like to be used as a puppet by the Dark King. If he can't be trusted, then he must not be trusted.'

A sudden flash of memories overwhelmed Lizana - though she had worked as a pyromage for the Dark King, she had escaped his control before his grasp could fully take hold. But the pain and horror of her past still lingered - the haunting feeling that even freedom may not be enough.

Lizana fondly remembered the day Oberon, a strong wizard in a small group called the blazing hawks who defended the town of nightrock from bandits - saved her from the Kingdom of the oppressive Dark King. She smiled, in recollection of his giant stature, relentless wit and the slight smirk he often wore.

[Flashback bracket

But she recalled the moment his fate changed, when Olivia the Black Scorpion - the tyrannical daughter of the Dark King - fatally killed him with her dark power:]

It was a moment frozen in time, a nightmare surfacing from a sickly dark pool of despair, envy and rage. He - the last hope of her life - was gone in a flurry of smoke and a cackle of venomous laughter.

[End Flashback bracket]

Lizana's point of view

I remember the horrors I witnessed while serving as a firemage for the Dark King. It was a dark and twisted world where fear and intimidation reigned supreme. The king would often summon me to his chambers to perform unspeakable acts of cruelty. I watched as he would order the execution of his own knights even the best knights, the Golden knights, for the slightest mistake. The sound of their screams still echoes in my mind, haunting me to this day.

the golden knight's are a group of very skilled swordsman, mage, archer and spearman. there are 5 swordsmen, 6 archers, 3 mages an 2 spearmen in the golden gaurd.

I remember one particular mission where we were sent to a neighboring kingdom to retrieve a powerful artifact. The king warned us that failure was not an option, and the consequences would be severe. We arrived at the kingdom and successfully retrieved the artifact, but on our way back we were ambushed by a group of orcs. The battle that ensued was brutal and bloody. we had los the artifact. When we returned I watched as my fellow soldiers were cut down one by one their screams of agony filling the air, while I was given a scar instead. out of guilt of survival I went to steal the artifact and take my own life. Oberon managed to save my life and convinced me to not take my own life.

The loss of Oberon was a void in my heart, I managed to escape with the artifact, but the memory of that day still haunts me. The Dark King's twisted world had taken its toll on me. I knew that I could no longer be a part of it. And so, I left and formed the Heaven's Guerrillas, determined to fight against, With Gilbert's plea of redemption - the rightness of doing the right thing - Lizana hoped the rebellion group would change the future, forging a new path of hope and possibility.

What would they do? What wouldn't they do?

Nonetheless, Lizana forced her fears to one side and asked if Gilbert could help the group hone their abilities.

'I shall gladly aid you,' he said, his gaze filled with hope.

Lily's heart was touched by his sincerity, and a warmth filled her chest.

After lily and Arthur left the room, the room rumbled with debate until a decision was reached and they gave Gilbert a chance - a way out of the Dark King's clutches.

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, Lizana allowed herself to feel hope, the kind of hope that was miles away from the darkness of her past. She wanted to believe that this could be a new beginning.