The temple loomed, a place of growth and risk. She carried her fears, her hopes, into the unknown as Sister Edith led her forward. The corridor narrowed, peridot light glowing ahead, a flicker of venom's craft.
Edith's green cloak rustled softly. Her gaunt face stayed calm, her acidic scent sharper now, a sign of the Poison wing's influence.
"This is your path, Gloria," she said. Her voice was steady, guiding her into the wing's shadowed depths.
Gloria followed, her boots echoing on the stone. The air grew heavy, a sharp tang biting her nose, her Poison stirring in her body. Fear flickered, her Shadow whispering beneath the current of her thinking.
The Poison area opened before them, a vast chamber of glass enclosures. Snakes slithered, their emerald scales glinting, spiders skittered, tarantulas with legs like needles, scorpions clicked, tails arched high.
Their movements were a quiet threat, venom dripping into vials, a green glow against the glass. The air hissed with their presence, a living poison that filled the space.
Gloria froze, her breath catching. Awe gripped her, her Poison pulsing, but fear surged too, her Shadow stirring in the dark.
She thought to herself. These creatures were a mirror to her venom, a danger she couldn't yet grasp.
Edith stepped closer to a viper's enclosure, her calm unshaken. "Our blood can carry toxins, Gloria," she said. "Our Poison magic binds us to them, a shared affinity."
"It's not an element most recognize," Edith continued. "They see these as bad, but they're part of nature, like us."
Gloria listened, her mind racing. She felt the weight of those words, awe for the connection, fear of its meaning.
She wondered silently. Was her Poison a curse, or a strength she didn't yet understand?
Edith turned, her eyes sharp, piercing the dim light. "Every human feels a slurry of emotions," she said. "Some are stronger, like your jealousy, your envy, your spite."
"These are real, Gloria," Edith added. "They're valid, and here, they will be heard."
Gloria's heart thudded, her emotions laid bare. Hope sparked, frail but bright, as she felt seen for the first time.
She thought to herself. Her feelings weren't wrong, they were hers, a part of who she was.
Edith's voice softened, her tone deep, deliberate. "Knowing human nature is knowing yourself," she said. "Your emotions drive your Poison, and that's your strength."
"We harness what others fear," Edith continued. "That's what makes us powerful, what makes you powerful."
Gloria nodded, her breath steadying. Awe filled her, envy for Edith's wisdom, but a flicker of hope took root.
She wondered if she could truly embrace this, or if it would consume her.
Edith stepped back, her gaze steady, unyielding. "My role here is assassination," she said. "And that's the art you'll learn from me, Gloria."
"Poison is subtle, unsuspected," Edith added. "No one sees us coming, and that's our true craft."
Gloria's eyes widened, shock gripping her. Her Poison pulsed, a burn she hadn't named, now tied to killing.
She thought to herself. Assassination was a path she hadn't seen, a dark truth clicking into place.
The pieces fell together in her mind. No one would suspect them, Poison Sisters, for foul play, so why not use it?
Her Shadow stirred, a whisper of fear, but awe grew too. She saw the strategy, the power in their secrecy.
Edith locked eyes with her, her gaze like steel. "How would you like to become the Countess when you get back?" she asked.
"And not share anything," Edith added, her voice a low command. She closed the iron door with a heavy thud.
Gloria's breath caught, her heart racing. Hope and fear collided, the Countess title a promise of power, a deadly path.
She thought to herself. Her family's control could end, but at what cost to her soul?
The iron door's echo lingered, sealing their pact. The Poison area's hisses surrounded her, a reminder of her new craft.
Her Poison burned, a tool for assassination now. She stood in the dim light, her future shifting, heavy with choice.