Chapter 87: The Scorching Wake
The village lay in ruins.
Ash blanketed the once-vibrant fields, and the air was thick with the acrid scent of burning wood and sorrow. Laxman stood amidst the devastation, his form towering and twisted, obsidian skin glistening with dark energy. Gone was the pretense of humanity; in its place stood a creature of pure malice.
He raised his arms, and tendrils of shadow erupted from his fingertips, lashing out and reducing the remaining structures to rubble. Villagers fled in terror, their screams swallowed by the cacophony of destruction. Laxman's laughter echoed, a chilling sound that resonated with the very earth.
---
Deep within the forest, Elara and Ariella trained beneath the cascading waterfall. The roar of the water masked the distant cries, but a sudden tremor beneath their feet halted their practice.
"Did you feel that?" Elara asked, eyes wide.
Ariella nodded, her expression grim. "Something's wrong."
A gust of wind, unnatural and cold, swept through the clearing, carrying with it the scent of smoke and despair. The Blue and White Queens materialized, their faces etched with urgency.
"The village is under siege," the White Queen announced.
"Laxman has embraced his true form," the Blue Queen added. "You must act now."
Without hesitation, the girls raced back, their hearts pounding with dread.
---
The sight that greeted them was harrowing.
Homes reduced to cinders, the once-lush fields scorched, and villagers huddled in fear. Laxman turned to face them, his eyes gleaming with malevolence.
"Ah, the prodigal flames return," he sneered.
Elara stepped forward, her hands igniting with fire. "This ends now."
Ariella summoned the wind, forming a protective barrier around the villagers.
The battle commenced, a clash of elemental forces. Fire met shadow, wind countered darkness. The ground trembled beneath their feet as the duel intensified.
Laxman unleashed a wave of dark energy, knocking Elara back. Ariella caught her mid-air, their powers intertwining. Together, they formed a vortex of flame and wind, a manifestation of their bond.
With a unified cry, they directed the vortex at Laxman. The force engulfed him, his screams piercing the air. As the light faded, only silence remained.
---
From the remnants of Laxman's form, a shadow emerged, amorphous and pulsing with residual energy. It hovered briefly before dissipating into the ether, leaving behind a single, ominous whisper:
"The vessel has failed. The flame has chosen anew."
The girls stood amidst the ruins, the weight of their victory heavy upon them. Villagers approached slowly, their faces painted with awe, fear, and guilt. One by one, they dropped to their knees before Elara and Ariella.
"Forgive us," an elder whispered. "We doubted you… and because of that, we lost so much."
Another woman sobbed, clutching the scorched remains of a shawl. "You saved us when we didn't deserve saving."
Elara's gaze softened, but Ariella's remained cold. Her arms were folded, her eyes distant.
"Your faith comes now? After everything?" Ariella said, voice low and bitter. "We've bled for this village. We've lost. I lost my mother… because of your fear."
The villagers lowered their heads in shame. Elara stepped beside her, gently placing a hand on her shoulder, but Ariella brushed it off.
"Don't," Ariella muttered.
That night, they sat in silence near the outskirts of the destroyed village, the flames from the dying fires flickering around them. Ariella broke the silence.
"I'm leaving, Elara."
Elara looked up, startled. "What?"
"I'm done fighting for people who only turn on us when it's convenient. No more saving ungrateful villagers."
"But we can't leave them," Elara argued. "They'll perish without help. The shadow isn't gone, Ariella. We both know it."
Ariella stood, dusting off her coat. "Then let them perish. Let the next evil swallow them whole. I won't lift a finger."
Elara rose too, heart pounding. "You don't mean that."
"I do," Ariella snapped. "I mean every word. This village doesn't deserve us. And if another threat comes, don't expect me to run in and save them again."
With that, she turned her back and walked away, leaving Elara standing in silence, the firelight reflecting the glint of tears in her eyes.
---
Days passed.
At first, the village was calm—eerily calm. But then, clouds began to gather. The sun disappeared behind a thick veil of darkness that refused to lift. Day and night blended into one long stretch of grey. The only river that flowed near the village turned blood red. The villagers tried to fetch water but returned with jugs of foul-smelling liquid.
Even worse, swarms of black insects arrived, feeding on what little crops remained after Laxman's fire. Any attempt to replant was destroyed overnight. Hunger crept into the village like a plague.
Elara, who had remained, tried her best to guide and calm the people. But every time she summoned her power, it flickered—weak, unstable, incomplete.
"We need both flames," she told them. "I can't protect you alone."
The villagers, now desperate and sick with regret, came to her door.
"Please," they begged. "Talk to Ariella. Bring her back. Save us."
Elara stood in the threshold, her face pale with exhaustion. "She won't return. Not after what happened. She's lost faith in all of you."
A man dropped to his knees. "But you're our only hope. You're still here."
She shook her head slowly. "My powers are tied to hers. We were chosen together. Divided, we are powerless. This is the price of mistrust."
The villagers wept openly. "Then we are doomed."
Elara didn't respond. Her silence said it all.
---
Later that night, the Blue and White Queens reappeared. Their forms flickered like unstable stars.
"You feel it worsening," the White Queen said gravely. "The shadow is no longer hiding. It walks the village freely now, unseen but present."
"The river, the insects, the endless dusk… these are just the beginning," the Blue Queen warned. "With Laxman gone, the shadow has taken a new path. One more direct. It may no longer need a vessel to bring ruin."
Elara sat with her head in her hands. "And without Ariella… I can't stop it."
"You can't," the White Queen confirmed. "Only together can you fight what's coming. That was the purpose of your bond. You are two flames. Apart, one flickers and fades."
"And Ariella?" Elara asked. "Will she come back?"
The Blue Queen's voice was soft, almost mournful. "Her heart is fractured. And unless mended, the shadow will win… without ever lifting a hand."