Mercy Cain The Liberator? 2
Ilena's Story
The screams of Commorragh were endless, a constant backdrop of misery that wrapped around Ilena like a suffocating shroud. She huddled in her cell, the jagged metal walls cold against her skin. Time had no meaning in this place of endless torment. Days, weeks—perhaps even years—blurred together into an unending nightmare.
Her body bore the marks of the Drukhari's cruelty: scars etched with deliberate precision, wounds inflicted for their amusement. She had long stopped wondering why. There was no reasoning with monsters who thrived on pain. Ilena had seen friends and strangers alike dragged away, their agonized cries lingering in the air long after their bodies were returned, broken or remade into grotesque mockeries of life.
She had lost hope.
Then, one day, something changed.
The walls of her cell began to shimmer, and the metallic floor beneath her rippled like water. Ilena's heart leapt, fear gripping her chest. Was this another Drukhari trick, another horror meant to break her further?
A brilliant light engulfed her, and suddenly the suffocating darkness of Commorragh was gone.
Ilena gasped as she fell onto soft grass, the sensation alien and overwhelming. Her hands gripped the earth, its cool, damp texture unlike anything she had felt in years. Around her, others appeared, their bodies flickering into existence like sparks of fire. She recognized some of them—fellow captives from the dark city—though most were strangers.
The air was warm, filled with the scent of blooming flowers and the distant hum of a bustling settlement. Ilena looked up to see a clear blue sky, its expanse so vast it made her dizzy.
"Where are we?" a voice nearby whispered.
"I... I don't know," Ilena replied, her voice trembling.
Figures emerged from the surrounding buildings, rushing toward the newly arrived. They were humans, dressed in clean, simple clothes, their faces filled with concern and relief.
"You're safe now," one of them said, kneeling beside Ilena and placing a hand on her shoulder. The warmth of the touch brought tears to her eyes. "You're free."
"Free?" Ilena repeated, the word foreign on her tongue.
"Yes. You've been rescued," the woman said, helping Ilena to her feet. "Come. We'll get you food, water, and rest. You're with the Protectorate now. No one will hurt you here."
The days that followed felt unreal. Ilena was given clean clothes, a bed, and food that didn't taste of ash and despair. She wept when she first tasted the warm stew, its flavors reminding her of a life she had thought lost forever.
The people of the Protectorate were kind, asking no questions of her past and offering help without hesitation. The settlement buzzed with activity, its streets filled with laughter and purpose. Ilena learned that this place was part of the Cainite Protectorate, a haven for those the Imperium had abandoned or oppressed.
She didn't understand it fully. The Imperium had always been the center of her world, a harsh but familiar constant. Yet here was a place free of its fearsome authority. It was strange, but Ilena found herself believing in it, in the promise of safety and freedom.
Still, questions lingered. Who had brought her here? How had she escaped Commorragh?
It was three days after her arrival that she saw her.
Ilena had been helping in the settlement's gardens, the simple act of planting seeds grounding her in this new reality. She looked up to see a girl walking through the streets, her presence drawing whispers and awed gazes.
The girl couldn't have been older than twenty, her golden hair gleaming in the sunlight. She moved with quiet confidence, her steps light yet purposeful. Ilena felt an inexplicable pull toward her, as if the girl radiated warmth and safety.
"Who is she?" Ilena asked one of the locals.
"That's Mercy," the woman replied, her voice reverent. "She's the one who brought you here."
Ilena's breath caught. She brought us here?
Mercy approached her, her bright eyes meeting Ilena's with a gentle smile. "You're Ilena, aren't you?"
Ilena nodded, struggling to find words. "You... you saved us?"
Mercy nodded. "I did. You were suffering in Commorragh, and I couldn't let that continue. You deserve to live, to be free."
Tears welled in Ilena's eyes, and she fell to her knees, her voice breaking. "Thank you. I thought... I thought I'd never leave that place. I thought I'd die there."
Mercy knelt beside her, placing a hand on Ilena's shoulder. "No one deserves what you went through. You're safe now. This is your home."
Ilena sobbed, her tears soaking the earth beneath her. For the first time in years, the fear and pain began to lift, replaced by a fragile but growing hope.
As Mercy helped her to her feet, Ilena felt something she hadn't known in so long: the belief that life could be good again.
"Thank you," she whispered again, clutching Mercy's hand.
Mercy smiled, her presence like a beacon of light. "You're welcome. Now, let's build something better together."
And for the first time, Ilena believed it was possible.