Ch 16: Shadows in the Mind

The clearing was still as Rui faced Fenrir, her heart pounding in her chest. His offer hung in the air like a dark specter, suffocating and inescapable.

"Join me, Rui," Fenrir said, his voice smooth yet carrying an edge of finality. "This is your last chance. You belong at my side, not wandering aimlessly in denial of what you are."

"I don't belong anywhere near you," Rui snapped, her voice trembling with suppressed emotion. "I won't turn into… whatever it is you've become. You're no longer human, Fenrir. You're a monster."

Fenrir chuckled softly, a sound that sent chills down her spine. "You speak as though you're any different. Tell me, Rui, what do you crave? Is it food? Drink? Or is it something far more… primal?"

Rui's breath hitched as his words hit their mark. She had felt the hunger building, the gnawing need for blood that she could barely control. She tried to mask it, but the truth was undeniable.

"You don't know what you're talking about," she said, her voice wavering.

"Don't I?" Fenrir leaned forward slightly, his pale eyes boring into hers. "You're already a monster, Rui. Your thirst betrays you. You can fight it, pretend it isn't there, but it will consume you. The only way to survive, to pass as human, is to join me. Let me guide you."

Rui shook her head violently. "I'd rather die than become like you."

Fenrir's expression hardened, the warmth draining from his voice. "Very well. I won't waste any more time on someone who refuses to see the truth. In the end, you will follow me yourself."

Without another word, Fenrir turned his wheelchair toward the faint glow of a dirt road in the distance. Mary Ann followed silently, her possessed form moving with unnatural grace. Rui watched them go, her chest tight with a mix of relief and something she couldn't quite name.

She had rejected him, yet a part of her ached as he left. It wasn't admiration or affection—she hated him for what he had done, for what he represented. But there was an undeniable connection between them, a pull she couldn't entirely resist.

She forced herself to turn away, determined to leave him behind.

Hours passed, and Rui wandered aimlessly through the forest, her mind racing. No matter how hard she tried to focus on anything else, her thoughts kept returning to Fenrir. His words echoed in her mind, stoking a mix of fear and curiosity.

Finally, she found herself near the road again, her feet moving as if of their own accord. She stayed hidden in the shadows, watching as Fenrir and Mary Ann boarded a wagon bound for the next town.

The horses neighed softly as the wagon lurched into motion. Rui's heart sank as it disappeared down the road, but she couldn't bring herself to turn away. She followed, her steps quickening as the wagon gained distance.

By midday, the sun was high in the sky, its heat sapping her strength. Rui stumbled, her body growing sluggish. The hunger inside her was a constant companion now, clawing at her insides. She fought against it, unwilling to give in.

The hours dragged on, and the wagon remained just out of reach. Rui's legs ached, and her breath came in ragged gasps, but she refused to stop.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, the forest was bathed in shadows. Rui felt the change immediately. Her body grew lighter, her movements more fluid. The exhaustion of the day melted away, replaced by a strange vitality.

She stopped for a moment, staring at her hands in the dim light. Her nails glinted faintly, sharper than she remembered. Her senses sharpened, the rustle of leaves and the distant hoot of an owl suddenly crystal clear.

"No," she whispered to herself. "This isn't real. It's not happening."

But the truth was undeniable. She was changing, just as Fenrir had said.

Her hunger surged as the night deepened, her resolve weakening with every passing moment. She could no longer deny the connection she felt to Fenrir, nor the pull to follow him.

In the distance, the wagon came to a halt. The driver climbed down, tending to the horses while Fenrir and Mary Ann remained inside. Rui crept closer, her movements silent as the forest around her.

She could see him through the window of the wagon, seated calmly as if he had been expecting her all along. For a moment, she froze, torn between the instinct to flee and the growing need to confront the man who had created her.

As the stars filled the night sky, Rui made her decision.

______

Fenrir leaned back in his wheelchair, the dim interior of the wagon illuminated only by the flickering light of a lantern. The rhythmic creak of the wooden wheels and the soft clopping of the horses filled the silence. Opposite him sat Mary Ann, her lifeless face now animated by the Lady of Sorrow's possession.

"Are you aware of her?" Mary Ann's voice was laced with malice, though the demon's tone remained composed.

Fenrir's lips curled into a faint smile. "Of course. Rui is drawn to me as a moth is to flame. She believes herself to be resisting, yet here she is, trailing us through the night."

"And what will you do with her?" the demon asked, tilting Mary Ann's head in a disturbingly human gesture of curiosity.

Fenrir's smile widened. "I intend to use her, of course. Rui may despise me, but she's already entangled in this web. The temple will come, sooner or later. They always do when something disrupts their precious balance. And when they do…"

"She will be your distraction," the demon finished, her voice dark with approval. "A bait to lead them astray while you move forward with your plans."

Fenrir nodded. "Precisely. Rui is impulsive, emotional. The temple will see her as an anomaly, an easy target. They'll focus on her while I slip away to the next stage."

The Lady of Sorrow laughed softly, the sound sending chills through the air. "You're as cunning as ever, Fenrir. But be careful—bait can turn on its master."

Fenrir's eyes narrowed, his smile never faltering. "Let her try. She will fall sooner or later - they all end up that way sooner or later if they chose to side with the wrong person."

______

Miles away, in a towering citadel of white stone, the air was thick with tension. A chamber of robed figures sat in a semi-circle, their expressions grim as they listened to the report.

"The fire at the Countess Mary Ann's castle was no ordinary accident," said the messenger, his voice steady despite the weight of his words. "All the nobles in attendance perished, and no survivors were found."

One of the elders, an aging man with a scarred face, leaned forward. "And what of Mary Ann herself?"

The messenger hesitated before answering. "Her body was not recovered. But the presence of dark energy at the site suggests…"

"That she may have been taken," the elder finished grimly.

The chamber fell silent, the gravity of the situation sinking in. After a moment, a woman in the robes of a high priestess spoke. Her voice was calm but carried an undeniable authority.

"This cannot go unanswered. If a dark force is at work, it must be eradicated before it spreads."

Another elder nodded. "We should send a saintess to investigate. Someone with the strength to uncover the truth and deal with whatever evil lingers."

The high priestess closed her eyes in thought, and then her gaze settled on one of the figures standing at the edge of the chamber. A young woman with golden hair and piercing blue eyes stepped forward, her expression resolute.

"Catherene," the high priestess said. "You will go to the site of the fire. Find out what happened and ensure that whatever caused this destruction does not spread further."

Catherene bowed deeply. "As you command, High Priestess."

Back in the wagon, Fenrir felt a faint ripple of energy—a distant shift in the fabric of the world. He tilted his head, his smile deepening.

"They've heard of the fire," he murmured, his tone almost playful.

"Of course they have," the Lady of Sorrow replied. "You set the stage too perfectly for them to ignore."

Fenrir's gaze drifted to the window, the faint outline of trees rushing past in the moonlight. "It's only a matter of time before they send someone. Rui will draw them in, and when they take the bait, I will be long gone."

Mary Ann's head tilted once more, her black eyes glinting in the lantern light. "And the saintess they send? What if she is more… capable than you expect?"

Fenrir's expression darkened for a moment, his fingers drumming lightly on the armrest of his wheelchair. "Then I'll deal with her. But I suspect she will focus on Rui. After all, the temple fears what they don't understand. A fledgling like her will draw their attention far more than a mere servant in a wheelchair."

"And what of Mary Ann's relative in the city?" the demon asked.

Fenrir's smile returned. "A loose end. One that I intend to tie up when we arrive."