I've been trapped for as long as I can remember. The first time I realized I was alive, I was surrounded by darkness. I felt like I was floating through the air without feeling my limbs. That was the first time I saw her.
A little girl with long, straight black hair was hugging her knees alone. There was nothing in that place except the two of us. She didn't seem to be able to see me. Her gaze was always sad. There were no tears. But I felt that sadness as part of me, which bothered me. That was when I started hearing voices.
That irritated me...
Every day, voices echoed around me. Angry voices full of hate or contempt. The girl sitting ahead of me gradually lost the ability to express sadness. That was when I felt that sadness take over me, and it wasn't the only feeling I felt.
Pain...
Hatred...
Disappointment...
All of this affected me in a way that I couldn't control. Until one day, I screamed.
It was the first time the girl seemed to see me, irritating me even more. She didn't talk to me, she didn't move closer, she didn't do anything. From that day on, images of people began to appear together with the voices. Images showed the girl being punished, mistreated, and abused, and she did nothing about it.
That irritated me even more.
For the first time, I felt what blood would taste like. It ran from that girl's eyes and spread towards me. That was when I became that girl, but I didn't have her dark skin or her dull, messy hair. What I finally saw was a body made of pure darkness.
Why? Because I was just like her? I didn't know what to think. I just kept feeling everything she felt. Then one day, I saw the image of the girl in a place holding an object that looked sharp, two voices echoed in the room where she was, and tears ran down her face. Her expression surprised me because that sadness, that agony, permeated my body and drove me crazy.
That made me feel hateful.
I screamed. I knew that all those people were somehow hurting that girl, and even if they didn't know it, they were hurting me even more. They were responsible for me being here, for all the suffering I experienced, for everything that went wrong with that girl.
That made me scream.
The girl then seemed surprised and looked directly at me. A spark of happiness exploded inside; she heard me, she saw me! I talked to her, but she never answered, but I knew she had heard me; that's why I kept going.
The girl and I grew up at the same pace and appearance. I no longer felt the same intense emotions that I felt before. Those voices still hurt me, but that girl didn't care; she no longer smiled or got sad, she went on with her life without reacting. I didn't feel at peace, and my hatred grew for all those who hurt the girl and for her. Why didn't she fight back? Why didn't she fight back against those who hurt her so much? This indifference made me hate her. If it were me, they would be in pieces at my feet.
To my surprise, she answered me, saying she couldn't do that, it would only make her situation worse. Every day, I tried to convince her that I was sure she could eliminate each of her tormentors one by one, but she refused. For some time, she continued to ignore me, refusing to hear my advice. One night, she was attacked so cruelly that she was on the verge of death. I helped her recover; if it weren't for this help, she would have disappeared, and probably so would I.
From that night on, she showed me new emotions, and images of new people appeared around me, but she could no longer hear me or ignored me completely. I felt something wonderful in the company of a person who always accompanied her; it was as if a lightning bolt ran through our bodies and a flame burned our hearts. It was strange, but I couldn't complain, for the first time in my existence, I experienced something that made me want more and more.
That was temporary, because I soon felt pain again, just like the night she almost disappeared forever. I heard her voice asking for help, and I answered. The world was no longer dark around me. I felt my arms, hands, and entire body at my command, but there was an intruder who was trying to violate what was now rightfully mine. Without thinking, I tore off part of his body. He was gigantic, but I could feel his essence, and he was weak. I smiled and saw the terror in that man's eyes, which filled me with happiness. He wasn't the one who had hurt that girl before, but he would serve as an example.
I couldn't see his face while I was having fun with that fool. I saw the faces of those I had seen so many times in that dark room. When I finally finished, that huge meat was no longer breathing. I looked around and saw more people approaching, but there was one hiding, or rather pretending not to be conscious, but something inside me was stopping me from going towards that essence.
Without worrying, I continued having fun. With each cut, a new wave of ecstasy permeated my body. What a wonderful feeling! More and more targets appeared until it was all over. The smell of iron was intense, and I was covered in the fluids they had poured on me when they fell lifeless. What an end. Everything went dark again, and I could no longer feel my body. What a shame. Life went on, but one thing had changed: she was afraid of me and could no longer ignore me.
We started talking more often, little by little, and she didn't fear me anymore. When she gave me a name, Milla, something different happened. I no longer saw a dark room. I saw everything she saw, I felt what she felt, and that filled me with joy. It's a shame she didn't do it in a happier moment, but now she needs me. She's part of me, or rather, I'm part of her, and now I'm in charge.
Get plenty of sleep, my dear Manila. If you wake up one day, I hope you like what I'm doing and what I'm going to do. Don't worry, I'll keep my promise not to hurt those you love, but as for the others...
Luccio's lifeless body was spread all over that cell, her hand covered in blood. Milla looked at the cart with food. Like a hungry beast, she began to devour everything she could. She didn't need etiquette. She just needed to eat, no matter if the food had some of Luccio's blood on it. If she didn't eat, they wouldn't survive.
"Now..." She sucks on her fingers, not wanting to waste anything. "The fun will continue."
Four loud knocks shake the metal door, and the muffled voice of one of her captors can be heard on the other side.
"Young master, is everything okay over there?"
Milla grabs the wooden chair and breaks its legs to use it as a weapon. The noise and the lack of response from Luccio make the door open urgently, as Luccio's lackeys fear that he is injured again, and before they can react, she attacks them. Her quick and brutal movements kill the men who tried to enter the cell, and with each blow, one by one fall to the ground, lifeless. Before dying, the last one in line managed to sound his emergency horn, indicating that something had gone wrong, which was exactly what she wanted.
Grabbing a sword from one of the bodies, she ran down the torchlit corridor. The structure was rustic, as if it had been built in a hurry. The floor was poorly covered with loose planks of softwood. Luccio probably ordered them to use this place in a hurry to punish Manila, but that doesn't matter now. Other guards run towards her and are killed without much trouble, which causes panic among them, until she recognizes a voice coming from along the corridor.
"Don't let her escape, look for the bows and just block the exit, don't try to be heroes!"
"Woltur..." Mila starts laughing. "Wooooooooltuuuuuuuur! Weeee neeeeeed toooo taaaaalk!
A shiver ran down his spine when he heard Milla's voice. He had known her for a long time, but he had never felt such a strong bloodlust coming from her. He needed to escape from that place. He had to warn Miss Amiliath about this. But his feet couldn't move. A paralyzing fear took over him.
One by one, he saw other soldiers who had served Luccio and Amiliath being killed with quick and brutal blows. Even though he was used to battles, he had never witnessed a bloodbath like that.
With each death, she got closer, with each scream of agony, he knew his end was approaching. He remembered the beginning of his training, the promises of Miss Amiliath if he helped her watch over Commander Boltu and later Manila. He felt special for having been chosen; he knew it was his best chance to become a noble and thus try to help the kingdom in the best way.
Her hair was soaked in blood; the vision of that quiet girl he had met in the mansion had changed completely. Her eyes were terrifying, and her maniacal smile froze him. In his mind only one thought: He should have left the day before as planned, but Luccio asked him to stay one more day, damn him.
"Hello..." She waved one hand with a strangely innocent smile.
"You know, she considered you as a colleague, and after the festival she even considered thinking of you as a friend, then you came and..." -She picks up a dead soldier from the ground and stabs him in the chest.
"You made her sad, Woltur. Even if she didn't show it, you made her sad..." - With a finger shaking in denial. "You don't do that to a friend."
His body seemed to relax, accepting that he could no longer escape that situation. Partially recovering his movements, he then leaves the guard position and tries to appear in control.
"Friends? You disappoint me, Manila. We are just members of the same regiment, we are not the same."
"I was raised as a noble and educated to be a servant of the kingdom, which I owe my nobility to the less fortunate, so I am a servant to create a better future for the peasants of this glorious king..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Milla punched him hard, breaking his nose. Unlike the others she attacked, she controlled her strength masterfully. She would not let him escape punishment so easily.
"You're not going to start with that speech that you only did what you did for the greater good. I've heard this nonsense so many times from people like you. It's funny that they all acted like you, without any form of scruple or morality as long as their goals were achieved." She punches Woltur again.
"It's always like this with people like you. You betray, hurt, do everything that a good person would never do, but in your head, it's all okay because it's for the greatest good!" The anger in her voice increases, and she continues to punch him without stopping, but keeping him conscious.
It was starting to get difficult to recognize Woltur; his face was slowly distorting with each punch. He no longer had the strength to resist, just wanting that agonizing pain to end. He remembered his father's teachings, the long conversations in the garden with his mother, and the crying of his younger brothers when he decided to serve the house of Felnatus. Perhaps things would have been different if he hadn't lost his patience and tried in any way to achieve his title of nobility.
Milla then threw him to the ground with the little life he had left; with a look of disgust and fury, she observed him for a few minutes.
"I don't know how much longer you'll stay alive, but I hope you're feeling agony and pain like you've never felt in your life. I know you won't regret what happened, but that doesn't matter to me. When she wakes up, she'll be happy with your end."
She took her time to eliminate everyone who was still alive in that cave, not leaving a single room unturned. She put on clean clothes that fit her, equipped herself with weapons and pieces of plate armor that she collected from the bodies, filled two backpacks with as many provisions as she could, and headed for the iron door where Woltur had tried to escape. He was breathing weakly; he had lost a lot of blood.
She searched him and took some items that she considered important. With her strength, she kicked the door several times until she managed to unlock it. For the first time in many days, natural light passed through her eyes, momentarily blinding her, and fresh air entered her lungs.
Taking a deep breath and being filled with a wonderful feeling, Milla walked with joy; she didn't know where, but she knew that now she was in control.