The fire was hungry as it wanted to eat her alive."Any last words, witch?" Lord Marcus Ravencrest said as he stood in front of the wooden pile.
His armor shined bright but his blue eyes were cold as winter and he didn't care that she was only twenty-one.
"I curse you." Seraphina could barely speak as her lips were bleeding. Her hands were tied so tight they hurt. "I curse your whole family. Forever."
Marcus laughed. "You can't do anything. You're about to die." He said as he dropped the torch.
The fire ate her herbs first. Lavender then sage.All the plants she used for healing. They crackled and turned black as the crowd cheered like it was a festival.
Then the flames found her dress. Her skin as she screamed.
But even dying, her magic was still there. It poured out of her like blood from a wound. Hot, angry and desperate.
"I'll come back!" The words ripped from her throat. "Death won't stop me! Your children will pay! Their children will pay! All of them!"
The crowd went quiet as Marcus stepped back.Her vision went dark. But her rage burned brighter than the fire.
I promise. I'll return. I'll make them suffer as she vowed as everything stopped.
Years later
Something cold touched her face as Lyra opened her eyes. Where was she? She should smell smoke, she should feel fire. Instead, the air was old and dusty.
She sat up fast as her head spun. She was lying on a cold stone that was smooth like a table. Symbols were carved into it as moonlight came through a crack above her head.
This looked like..."A tomb." Her voice was different, it sounded tougher. "I'm in a tomb."
She should be dead. She remembered the fire, the pain, Marcus Ravencrest's cruel face.
"But I'm not dead." She touched her face with shaking hands. Her cheeks. Her arms. Her chest. No burns anywhere. But her skin...
"What happened to me?"
Her skin was see-through. Like fog in a moonlight. She could see blue lines under it as veins that glowed soft in the dark.
She crawled to a puddle of water in the corner as she looked at her face.
Red hair fell past her shoulders. Not brown like before. Her eyes glowed blue-white like stars. Her face was different too. Sharper, beautiful but scary.
"I'm dead." The words felt wrong as she spoke. "I died. I know I died."
But dead people don't think. Don't feel cold stone under their feet. Don't smell musty air.
A memory hit her hard. Marcus dropping the torch. People cheered for her death as the fire burnt her alive.
"Ravencrest." Anger exploded in her chest. Hot and bright. "He killed me."
She pressed her hands against the stone wall and tried to remember. The last thing was burning and cursing his family. Then nothing.
"Three hundred years."
The voice came from everywhere. From the walls, the air as Lyra spun around. "Who's there?"
"You slept for three hundred years, Seraphina."
"That's not my name." She backed up until she hit the wall. "My name is..."But what was her name? She remembered being Seraphina. The magic. The coven. Burning. But something else was there too. Another life.
"Lyra." It came out without thinking. "I'm Lyra."
"Yes. Lyra Soulrend. That's who you are now."
"Soulrend?" She shook her head hard. "I don't understand. What happened?"
"You came back. Your curse was so strong it brought you back. You're not human anymore."
"Then what am I?"
No answer. Lyra's heart beat too loud as she asked out loud. "What am I?"
"You are revenge, you are death's messenger. You are"Pain exploded in her head as if someone was stabbing her brain with hot knives. She screamed as she fell to her knees. Pictures flashed behind her eyes. Symbols. Numbers. Words she'd never seen but understood anyway.
The pain stopped as Lyra got up slowly and wiped tears from her face. Floating in front of her were glowing red words:
DEATH PROPHECY SYSTEM ACTIVATED
HOST: LYRA SOULREND
SPECIES: BANSHEE (REINCARNATED)
LEVEL: 1
PRIMARY MISSION: ELIMINATE RAVENCREST BLOODLINE
SECONDARY ABILITIES: LOCKED
WARNING: SYSTEM INTEGRATION INCOMPLETE
She stared as she blinked hard and rubbed her eyes. The words stayed there. Burning bright like fire. "What is this?" Her voice broke down. "What's happening to me?"
The words changed:
WELCOME TO YOUR SECOND LIFE, LYRA SOULREND.
YOUR REVENGE BEGINS NOW.