p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 36px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 36px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"Trigger Warning: Mentioning of rape./span/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 36px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"Chapter Thirty-Five/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 36px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"Seleine P.O.V./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" Before my vision even returned, I knew we were no longer on the battlefield. It was dark and I couldn't tell where we were. I couldn't see my hand in front of my face, my senses were being overwhelmed with nothingness. We were someplace that I wasn't in control. I needed to get out, now./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" "Relax my dear," my father purred behind me. "We'll only be here for a short stroll down memory lane."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" My father's fingers clenched around my soul as the atmosphere around us rippled. I squeezed my eyes shut as I started spinning./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" I opened my eyes to find myself in a dark room. I felt other souls surrounding me. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" "Get out of here, now," I shouted to the people in the room, but no one moved. It dawned on me that this was a memory, and I was unable to do anything but watch. I just wasn't sure if this was my memory, or my father's. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" Light started to invade the room as candles sprang to life. I immediately noticed that my grandmother was standing with the other robed women in the circle. She was looking past my father and me. She sighed as footsteps approached the room. I turned to find my mother and father walking into the room. My mother's silver hair was unbound and flowing gracefully behind her. Her skin was nearly as pale as the white nightgown she wore. She was smiling down at the baby cradled in her arms, my father's hand placed on the small of her back./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" Figures started arising from the smoke of the candles. The great queens of the past suddenly appeared./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" The baby started cooing as she neared the women in robes. A woman with long brown hair stepped forward to a small table. My mother stepped up to the table and slowly lifted her fragile arms to deposit the baby on the table. She stepped back down and reached for my father's hand to steady her./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" The robed woman smiled and looked for someone in the room. A dark-skinned woman in a lavender dress stepped up to the table./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" The woman barely placed her fingers on the child's forehead before she shrieked. When she took a step back in fear, she nearly fell down the steps she'd just climbed, but the other women in purple dresses came up behind her to catch her from the fall. My mother ran to the child and cradled her in her arms. My father protectively placed his arms around her./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" "This child carries darkness in her soul," the woman said. The remaining people gasped. The robed woman looked from the priestess to my mother. My mother stared at the woman. It was as if she were waiting for someone to say "Gotcha." My mother turned to the priestess. The priestess' eyes were on the child. My mother looked down in horror, she stared at the baby for a moment before she tightened her arms./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" "The child you bore bears the darkness from the prophecy. It would be best to rid the world of the abomination immediately."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" "She's just a baby," my mother seethed. "She was not born evil. Hikari and I can raise her the right way."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" "The child bears the mark of darkness," the woman shouted. My mother looked down and sure enough, there was a scar on the child's brow. "There is no stopping this darkness."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" My mother's face fell as tears came to her eyes./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" I stepped forward to look at the baby. It was strange to see myself as a baby. My cheeks were so chubby, and I had very little hair. I touched the scar on my left brow. As the years went on the scar had gotten lighter, but it remained just the same./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" I looked up from the babe and gazed at my mother. She was so young. The bags under her eyes hinted at the intense labor she had gone through to have me. Her baby trembled as she crashed to the ground in utter agony. A loud cry came from my tiny body as the shock of the fall reached me. My father dropped to the floor to ensure my safety./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" At some point, I had stopped listening to the conversation around me. I knew that this was when one of the priestesses in training came up with a counter curse. She reasoned of putting another curse on me to prevent tragedy. If I remained pure for all eternity, the darkness inside me wouldn't remain contained. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"While I wanted to hear all the details, I couldn't stop glaring at my father. He had his arms shielding my mother and me from the harsh words of the priestesses. He showed everyone around him that he was just a concerned father. He displayed grief to those in the room, but I could see in his eyes that he felt triumphant./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;""That was the happiest day of my life," my father said behind me. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"He sounded sincere. He sounded like he actually wanted our family to be happy. But the protective embrace wasn't for my mother or even me, but for the power he so desperately wanted. My eyes settled on my mother and father's hands still clutching at each other. My mother's kindness and my father's strength were fighting to stay together but ultimately would end up failing./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"The atmosphere shifted as my father conjured another memory. The scene before me was all too familiar. I was in my early years, or what mortals would call my teenage years. My long red hair was tied back into two braids. I wore a white dress with puffed sleeves, gold trip molded with the white cotton under my nonexistent breasts. I don't know why, but for some reason, after I became the heart of darkness, my breasts grew. Suddenly my hormones hit a huge spike, but at this point, it was still at least one hundred years in my future. At this point, I had no curves whatsoever. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"I was volunteering with the maidens, attempting to maintain my good girl image. I had just met one of the new guards, her name was Gideon. She had cropped black hair and had the most serene blue eyes. She was the tall, strong, silent type, and my new personal guard. She was always by my side and was always able to give me guidance. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"I had just gotten out of training; I'd had a particularly rough day. That day, a child had grown very sick and had become my new patient. I was to take care of the child and hopefully heal them. I was doing a simple healing procedure; I was to put some of my healthy energy into the small child so it could fight the illness. My energy nearly killed the child. Needless to say, that was my last day with the maidens./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"I had run out of the temple crying. I was so overcome with sadness, that I didn't even notice that in a matter of minutes, I was in my chambers. I was lying on my bed crying into my pillow when I felt a strong yet gentle hand graze my shoulder. I felt her warmth pouring into me just from the simple touch./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"I jumped out of my bed and turned to face her. I wanted to tell her to get out and to never touch me again. I wanted to tell her to keep her distance because I could kill her. But I couldn't force myself to say anything./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"She didn't need to say anything to calm the turbulence in my heart. Her baby blue eyes managed to comfort me from afar. Her eyes spoke of the patience she was willing to surrender to in order for me to collect myself./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"We had been subtly flirting for weeks. The butterflies in my stomach overwhelmed me every time I saw her. She was still sitting on the bed when I walked toward her. She was so much taller than me that when she was sitting, we were the same height./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"My heart continued to race as I made the last step. I was so close to her that I could see a hint of silver wrapped around her iris. I could smell her peppermint fragrance that she'd begun to wear recently. Eventually, our lips lightly touched. I'd never kissed anyone before. I wasn't sure if I was doing it right or not. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"I began to pull away when I felt her hand on my waist. She pulled me against her and deepened our kiss. My hands drifted up around her shoulders to pull her closer. The butterflies in my stomach had grown more intense. I felt like I was going to faint but in a good way./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"We pushed ourselves apart and stared at one another for a moment. There were beads of sweat rolling from her hairline. Her breath was on my lips. Slowly a grin embraced her mouth. She stood up and gently lifted me and pressed her lips to mine. Despite the shaking sensation coursing through my body, my fingers managed to snake their way into her hair. She opened her mouth, and I was astounded at her sweetness. Our kiss turned more urgent as our hands itched to travel./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"I couldn't help but grin at how innocent I was then. Gideon was the first person I ever felt that way about. My mother never let me have male guards because of this very situation. I chuckled softly at my clumsiness as my former self accidentally pulled Gideon's hair. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;""Seleine, I heard about what happened today-" My mother said as she entered the room. When this was happening to me at the time, my mother looked furious, but now, she just looked constipated. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"My mother sent Gideon away immediately. Setsuna then became my only guard and I never saw Gideon again./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;""I sent suitor after suitor to you, but the ones your mother didn't turn away, you showed no interest in," my father chuckled behind me. Knots began to form in my stomach at his words. "I decided to take a chance and send a woman. I was delighted to finally see you go against your mother's wishes even for a fraction of a second. If only your mother had stayed downstairs for a few moments longer."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"I turned toward him to scream obscene things but was greeted with another memory. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;""Kaorinite," I said to the redheaded girl before me. A splash of water soaked the boots I had just purchased. "You were supposed to turn the water into an object of your choice. Let me show you." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"The day I met Kylian, I also met Kaorinite. She was the child that stole food from a merchant and was nearly bludgeoned to death. She'd grown so much since that day./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"I opened my palm to urge the water to move with my energy. I had just come back from a distant planet of element benders, there, I managed to learn how to use my energy to control the elements. I moved my fingers till they created what I willed. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;""It's Vidia!" Kaorinite giggled./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"I grinned and turned to the Kitsune behind me. I lightly scratched her crimson fur on her head as she pushed against my hand. Her tails curled around my hand and I scratched the spot on the middle of her back and her tail began to pulse in different shades of red. Kaori's eyes widened at the sight./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"I had found Invidia on the elemental planet I had traveled to. The city that I pursued to learn my fire magic was intense. They were very wealthy in this city. The man who was to teach me this magic was the most prosperous merchant in the city. He was rather popular in the city since he had many friends and colleagues. He hosted many parties as well./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"For his most recent party, he captured a small kitsune outside the city. He locked her in a cage inside his house to entertain his guests. I didn't care about how brash the man was until I saw the kitsune locked in the cage. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"Upon first seeing her I was overcome with grief. One of her ears was torn and she was curled up in the corner licking one of her many wounds. When she spotted me, she hissed and her tail grew aflame. While her ears bent down as she snarled at me, I could see the fear in her eyes. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"Eventually, I learned how to control enough fire magic to destroy her cage and set her free. She slowly stepped out of her cage. She stayed low to the ground in case I was playing her. I sat down on my knees and leveled with her. She growled and her tail started glowing. I didn't move so much as an inch, for I didn't intend on being incinerated just yet./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"She stared at me for a moment, then ran off into the city. That night, she burned the entire city to the ground. Everyone who tried to run away from the fires, she ripped to pieces. I had never seen such wrath in my entire life. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"I hadn't anticipated for her to follow me. After waking up every morning in the wilderness on my many travels I would find her sleeping next to the fire, I grew used to her presence and decided she'd make good company. I had decided to name her Invidia, after the Roman goddess of retribution. It seemed to fit and she responded well to the name./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"I smiled while watching my past-self attempt to teach Kaorinite how to use her energy. Invidia stood by watching and would sometimes come and nudge Kaorinite. I had always enjoyed teaching the senshi and the witches how to use magic. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"The smile didn't last long. My expression turned somber as Kylian approached and put his hand on my shoulder. I turned to look at him. He smiled and kissed my cheek. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;""Enough father," I said. I turned on my heel to walk away from what was about to unfold in front of me, but the time just sped up and it was now after dinner. Kylian had walked me to my room. I had opened the door and was standing in the doorway. A tremor began to course through my body as I watched how foolish I was being./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"Kylian had pleaded with me, saying he had something important to talk about and that it would only take a minute. He held my hand and fiddled with the ring he'd give me for our engagement, his mother's ring. I foolishly let him in the room. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"I had been rebelling against my mother since Gideon, but I didn't want to cross the line. I watched my former self and Kylian chatting lightly. I watched him walk to my window and check the curtains. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"I'd known he'd been acting strangely throughout the dinner; I didn't know then but I know why now. This night had been seared into my soul for eternity. Kylian strode to me and began to kiss me. At first, I kissed him back. The intensity had made my heart race and I wanted more, but this needed to stop./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"I told him to stop and saw his body immediately freeze. I pulled away and stood by my bedpost. I said goodnight and waited for him to leave./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"He didn't move. Until this moment, I had never seen him so still. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;""What did you expect, Lena?" He asked me. Suddenly he turned around and took two giant leaps till he was grasping my arms. "We're getting married soon. Did you really think that we would never make love?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"I watched my former self fail to come up with something to say. My mother had allowed us to get married because we swore our marriage wasn't going to be like that. We told her that neither one of us cared for the physical aspects of marriage. She made me swear an oath to never be intimate with him./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;""As my future wife, your responsibility is to do anything to make me happy and provide me heirs."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"I turned away knowing what happened next. There was a scuffle. Then there were blankets being ruffled. Then there were my pleas of reasoning with him. I heard myself beg him to stop. Then I heard a cry./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"The grunting eventually stopped. I heard the door open and close. I had closed my eyes as tightly as I could so I didn't have to relive what had happened. Tears started to stream down my face. Snot began to drip from my nose as I stifled a sob erupting from my body. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"I turned toward my former self and saw a lifeless body on the bed. Her legs were spread and she was bleeding profusely. She wasn't blinking or breathing. She just laid there. Her violated body began to grow pale. Her nails and hair grew longer. Her eyes started to turn red. Eventually, there was a dark mist surrounding the girl./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"At one point I could no longer stand and dropped to the floor. "Look at what you did to me," I whispered. "You did this to me."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"I stared at his blank face and clenched fists. I launched myself at him and berated his body with my fists. I slammed my fists into his body as hard as I could manage, but my emotions were too much. I dropped to the floor and let out a stifled whimper. My body began to shake. The room began to get colder. I brushed my hands up onto my arms as a chill crept up my body./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;""Why?" I whispered. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"He turned toward me. A tear slowly rolled down his cheek./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;""Because you were meant to be great. Because you were destined to become the Heart of Darkness."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 36px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"Trigger Warning: Mentioning of rape./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 36px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"Chapter Thirty-Five/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 36px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"Seleine P.O.V./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" Before my vision even returned, I knew we were no longer on the battlefield. It was dark and I couldn't tell where we were. I couldn't see my hand in front of my face, my senses were being overwhelmed with nothingness. We were someplace that I wasn't in control. I needed to get out, now./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" "Relax my dear," my father purred behind me. "We'll only be here for a short stroll down memory lane."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" My father's fingers clenched around my soul as the atmosphere around us rippled. I squeezed my eyes shut as I started spinning./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" I opened my eyes to find myself in a dark room. I felt other souls surrounding me. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" "Get out of here, now," I shouted to the people in the room, but no one moved. It dawned on me that this was a memory, and I was unable to do anything but watch. I just wasn't sure if this was my memory, or my father's. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" Light started to invade the room as candles sprang to life. I immediately noticed that my grandmother was standing with the other robed women in the circle. She was looking past my father and me. She sighed as footsteps approached the room. I turned to find my mother and father walking into the room. My mother's silver hair was unbound and flowing gracefully behind her. Her skin was nearly as pale as the white nightgown she wore. She was smiling down at the baby cradled in her arms, my father's hand placed on the small of her back./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" Figures started arising from the smoke of the candles. The great queens of the past suddenly appeared./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" The baby started cooing as she neared the women in robes. A woman with long brown hair stepped forward to a small table. My mother stepped up to the table and slowly lifted her fragile arms to deposit the baby on the table. She stepped back down and reached for my father's hand to steady her./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" The robed woman smiled and looked for someone in the room. A dark-skinned woman in a lavender dress stepped up to the table./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" The woman barely placed her fingers on the child's forehead before she shrieked. When she took a step back in fear, she nearly fell down the steps she'd just climbed, but the other women in purple dresses came up behind her to catch her from the fall. My mother ran to the child and cradled her in her arms. My father protectively placed his arms around her./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" "This child carries darkness in her soul," the woman said. The remaining people gasped. The robed woman looked from the priestess to my mother. My mother stared at the woman. It was as if she were waiting for someone to say "Gotcha." My mother turned to the priestess. The priestess' eyes were on the child. My mother looked down in horror, she stared at the baby for a moment before she tightened her arms./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" "The child you bore bears the darkness from the prophecy. It would be best to rid the world of the abomination immediately."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" "She's just a baby," my mother seethed. "She was not born evil. Hikari and I can raise her the right way."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" "The child bears the mark of darkness," the woman shouted. My mother looked down and sure enough, there was a scar on the child's brow. "There is no stopping this darkness."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" My mother's face fell as tears came to her eyes./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" I stepped forward to look at the baby. It was strange to see myself as a baby. My cheeks were so chubby, and I had very little hair. I touched the scar on my left brow. As the years went on the scar had gotten lighter, but it remained just the same./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" I looked up from the babe and gazed at my mother. She was so young. The bags under her eyes hinted at the intense labor she had gone through to have me. Her baby trembled as she crashed to the ground in utter agony. A loud cry came from my tiny body as the shock of the fall reached me. My father dropped to the floor to ensure my safety./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" At some point, I had stopped listening to the conversation around me. I knew that this was when one of the priestesses in training came up with a counter curse. She reasoned of putting another curse on me to prevent tragedy. If I remained pure for all eternity, the darkness inside me wouldn't remain contained. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"While I wanted to hear all the details, I couldn't stop glaring at my father. He had his arms shielding my mother and me from the harsh words of the priestesses. He showed everyone around him that he was just a concerned father. He displayed grief to those in the room, but I could see in his eyes that he felt triumphant./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;""That was the happiest day of my life," my father said behind me. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"He sounded sincere. He sounded like he actually wanted our family to be happy. But the protective embrace wasn't for my mother or even me, but for the power he so desperately wanted. My eyes settled on my mother and father's hands still clutching at each other. My mother's kindness and my father's strength were fighting to stay together but ultimately would end up failing./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"The atmosphere shifted as my father conjured another memory. The scene before me was all too familiar. I was in my early years, or what mortals would call my teenage years. My long red hair was tied back into two braids. I wore a white dress with puffed sleeves, gold trip molded with the white cotton under my nonexistent breasts. I don't know why, but for some reason, after I became the heart of darkness, my breasts grew. Suddenly my hormones hit a huge spike, but at this point, it was still at least one hundred years in my future. At this point, I had no curves whatsoever. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"I was volunteering with the maidens, attempting to maintain my good girl image. I had just met one of the new guards, her name was Gideon. She had cropped black hair and had the most serene blue eyes. She was the tall, strong, silent type, and my new personal guard. She was always by my side and was always able to give me guidance. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"I had just gotten out of training; I'd had a particularly rough day. That day, a child had grown very sick and had become my new patient. I was to take care of the child and hopefully heal them. I was doing a simple healing procedure; I was to put some of my healthy energy into the small child so it could fight the illness. My energy nearly killed the child. Needless to say, that was my last day with the maidens./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"I had run out of the temple crying. I was so overcome with sadness, that I didn't even notice that in a matter of minutes, I was in my chambers. I was lying on my bed crying into my pillow when I felt a strong yet gentle hand graze my shoulder. I felt her warmth pouring into me just from the simple touch./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"I jumped out of my bed and turned to face her. I wanted to tell her to get out and to never touch me again. I wanted to tell her to keep her distance because I could kill her. But I couldn't force myself to say anything./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"She didn't need to say anything to calm the turbulence in my heart. Her baby blue eyes managed to comfort me from afar. Her eyes spoke of the patience she was willing to surrender to in order for me to collect myself./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"We had been subtly flirting for weeks. The butterflies in my stomach overwhelmed me every time I saw her. She was still sitting on the bed when I walked toward her. She was so much taller than me that when she was sitting, we were the same height./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"My heart continued to race as I made the last step. I was so close to her that I could see a hint of silver wrapped around her iris. I could smell her peppermint fragrance that she'd begun to wear recently. Eventually, our lips lightly touched. I'd never kissed anyone before. I wasn't sure if I was doing it right or not. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"I began to pull away when I felt her hand on my waist. She pulled me against her and deepened our kiss. My hands drifted up around her shoulders to pull her closer. The butterflies in my stomach had grown more intense. I felt like I was going to faint but in a good way./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"We pushed ourselves apart and stared at one another for a moment. There were beads of sweat rolling from her hairline. Her breath was on my lips. Slowly a grin embraced her mouth. She stood up and gently lifted me and pressed her lips to mine. Despite the shaking sensation coursing through my body, my fingers managed to snake their way into her hair. She opened her mouth, and I was astounded at her sweetness. Our kiss turned more urgent as our hands itched to travel./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"I couldn't help but grin at how innocent I was then. Gideon was the first person I ever felt that way about. My mother never let me have male guards because of this very situation. I chuckled softly at my clumsiness as my former self accidentally pulled Gideon's hair. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;""Seleine, I heard about what happened today-" My mother said as she entered the room. When this was happening to me at the time, my mother looked furious, but now, she just looked constipated. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"My mother sent Gideon away immediately. Setsuna then became my only guard and I never saw Gideon again./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;""I sent suitor after suitor to you, but the ones your mother didn't turn away, you showed no interest in," my father chuckled behind me. Knots began to form in my stomach at his words. "I decided to take a chance and send a woman. I was delighted to finally see you go against your mother's wishes even for a fraction of a second. If only your mother had stayed downstairs for a few moments longer."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"I turned toward him to scream obscene things but was greeted with another memory. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;""Kaorinite," I said to the redheaded girl before me. A splash of water soaked the boots I had just purchased. "You were supposed to turn the water into an object of your choice. Let me show you." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"The day I met Kylian, I also met Kaorinite. She was the child that stole food from a merchant and was nearly bludgeoned to death. She'd grown so much since that day./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"I opened my palm to urge the water to move with my energy. I had just come back from a distant planet of element benders, there, I managed to learn how to use my energy to control the elements. I moved my fingers till they created what I willed. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;""It's Vidia!" Kaorinite giggled./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"I grinned and turned to the Kitsune behind me. I lightly scratched her crimson fur on her head as she pushed against my hand. Her tails curled around my hand and I scratched the spot on the middle of her back and her tail began to pulse in different shades of red. Kaori's eyes widened at the sight./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"I had found Invidia on the elemental planet I had traveled to. The city that I pursued to learn my fire magic was intense. They were very wealthy in this city. The man who was to teach me this magic was the most prosperous merchant in the city. He was rather popular in the city since he had many friends and colleagues. He hosted many parties as well./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"For his most recent party, he captured a small kitsune outside the city. He locked her in a cage inside his house to entertain his guests. I didn't care about how brash the man was until I saw the kitsune locked in the cage. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"Upon first seeing her I was overcome with grief. One of her ears was torn and she was curled up in the corner licking one of her many wounds. When she spotted me, she hissed and her tail grew aflame. While her ears bent down as she snarled at me, I could see the fear in her eyes. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"Eventually, I learned how to control enough fire magic to destroy her cage and set her free. She slowly stepped out of her cage. She stayed low to the ground in case I was playing her. I sat down on my knees and leveled with her. She growled and her tail started glowing. I didn't move so much as an inch, for I didn't intend on being incinerated just yet./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"She stared at me for a moment, then ran off into the city. That night, she burned the entire city to the ground. Everyone who tried to run away from the fires, she ripped to pieces. I had never seen such wrath in my entire life. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"I hadn't anticipated for her to follow me. After waking up every morning in the wilderness on my many travels I would find her sleeping next to the fire, I grew used to her presence and decided she'd make good company. I had decided to name her Invidia, after the Roman goddess of retribution. It seemed to fit and she responded well to the name./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"I smiled while watching my past-self attempt to teach Kaorinite how to use her energy. Invidia stood by watching and would sometimes come and nudge Kaorinite. I had always enjoyed teaching the senshi and the witches how to use magic. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"The smile didn't last long. My expression turned somber as Kylian approached and put his hand on my shoulder. I turned to look at him. He smiled and kissed my cheek. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;""Enough father," I said. I turned on my heel to walk away from what was about to unfold in front of me, but the time just sped up and it was now after dinner. Kylian had walked me to my room. I had opened the door and was standing in the doorway. A tremor began to course through my body as I watched how foolish I was being./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"Kylian had pleaded with me, saying he had something important to talk about and that it would only take a minute. He held my hand and fiddled with the ring he'd give me for our engagement, his mother's ring. I foolishly let him in the room. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"I had been rebelling against my mother since Gideon, but I didn't want to cross the line. I watched my former self and Kylian chatting lightly. I watched him walk to my window and check the curtains. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"I'd known he'd been acting strangely throughout the dinner; I didn't know then but I know why now. This night had been seared into my soul for eternity. Kylian strode to me and began to kiss me. At first, I kissed him back. The intensity had made my heart race and I wanted more, but this needed to stop./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"I told him to stop and saw his body immediately freeze. I pulled away and stood by my bedpost. I said goodnight and waited for him to leave./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"He didn't move. Until this moment, I had never seen him so still. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;""What did you expect, Lena?" He asked me. Suddenly he turned around and took two giant leaps till he was grasping my arms. "We're getting married soon. Did you really think that we would never make love?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"I watched my former self fail to come up with something to say. My mother had allowed us to get married because we swore our marriage wasn't going to be like that. We told her that neither one of us cared for the physical aspects of marriage. She made me swear an oath to never be intimate with him./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;""As my future wife, your responsibility is to do anything to make me happy and provide me heirs."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"I turned away knowing what happened next. There was a scuffle. Then there were blankets being ruffled. Then there were my pleas of reasoning with him. I heard myself beg him to stop. Then I heard a cry./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"The grunting eventually stopped. I heard the door open and close. I had closed my eyes as tightly as I could so I didn't have to relive what had happened. Tears started to stream down my face. Snot began to drip from my nose as I stifled a sob erupting from my body. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"I turned toward my former self and saw a lifeless body on the bed. Her legs were spread and she was bleeding profusely. She wasn't blinking or breathing. She just laid there. Her violated body began to grow pale. Her nails and hair grew longer. Her eyes started to turn red. Eventually, there was a dark mist surrounding the girl./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"At one point I could no longer stand and dropped to the floor. "Look at what you did to me," I whispered. "You did this to me."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"I stared at his blank face and clenched fists. I launched myself at him and berated his body with my fists. I slammed my fists into his body as hard as I could manage, but my emotions were too much. I dropped to the floor and let out a stifled whimper. My body began to shake. The room began to get colder. I brushed my hands up onto my arms as a chill crept up my body./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;""Why?" I whispered. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"He turned toward me. A tear slowly rolled down his cheek./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 32px;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;""Because you were meant to be great. Because you were destined to become the Heart of Darkness."/span/p