Lustful_Rose

Slightly Dark Chapter Ahead.

Multiple flickers of light hovered around December, numbering in the thousands, and from each one she could feel surging negative emotions that made her shiver.

"What do I d-" December didn't complete her sentence, because the lights began coalescing and before long, a city with beneath a starry sky appeared.

"This was one of the outlier cities on the edge of our territory. It was said that if one went far enough south, you could actually see the sunrises." A voice sounded and the woman's crimson eyes squinted as is recalling something.

"Who are you?" December asked softly to the woman who turned and then looked at the people who had appeared at some point, going about their lives happily.

"Me? I'm no one now... At best, I can try to calm the seething emotions of the people here, but in the end they're still angry and vengeful." The woman shook her head and watched the city full of people.

December wasn't sure how much time passed, but then everything was different. Then as if something had changed, the scene faded and the city reappeared again after a few minutes, the people still going about their days happily.

"What happened?" Before the scene shifted, December could see flames and spells, blood flowing and hear people screaming before it faded like a bad dream.

"The people here are in a dream I created, one where they can have some semblance of happiness until they can die completely..." The woman explained, her eyes looking at the passing people wistfully.

"How long?" To live in a dream like this didn't seem at all healthy to December, but if the alternative was a simply endless pain, December could understand it.

"I don't know? A little after the Religion of Light formed. Time becomes meaningless in this place, where everything is simply a dream." The woman then walked into a building and sat at a table.

"A Princess actually wandered into this place? I can't detect the outside world at all, so I don't know what became of those raiders and thieves. But since I still need to keep restarting the dream, I know they haven't died." The woman tapped the table and then looked at December with mild amusement.

"Do you think it's cruel to kill them all?" December instinctively wanted to say it was wrong, but then considered the question carefully and then spoke.

"I don't know what happened, so I don't think I'm the best person to ask. I'm sorry..." December knew the Blood Clan lost towns and cities, but she didn't know much beyond it aside from how bad it was.

"Oh, it's fine. Some people, whether they're elves, human, merfolk, fairies, or even our own race. If it's not particularly relevant to them, it's just a side thought." Although the woman's words weren't outright accusatory, December felt her fists clenching.

"It's not that I don't care, I'm... I can't justify slaughter, even if it's in retaliation?" December said with a frown, earning a chuckle from the woman.

"Slaughter? If we simply died then, it would be different. But instead Princess, we were drained of our blood, then had it implanted into others, keeping our existences going, even in our splintered and almost dying states." The woman then sighed and gave December a look.

"You're very kind." Then the surroundings became blurry and chaotic, then flames burst through and consumed everything. December opened her eyes and saw the blond woman sitting on a rooftop looking out longingly in the distance.

"Even now, I wonder about the world beyond our little town. How big would it be, how long it would take to explore it, if I could? In the end, I didn't even leave my town." The bitterness in the words made December's eyes begin to tear up.

"It's been a long time since I could talk to anyone, it's nice to have a conversation." December turned to the golden haired woman with a question in her eyes.

"Why can't you talk to them?" Then she realized how silly her question sounded. Everyone she could see was simply dreaming, one dream over and over, even if she could talk to them, the conversations would always be the same.

"As long as the dream continues, I need to maintain it. I can't dream like they do, instead I watch over them and keep them from reliving their tragedies." The woman's eyes were calm, and didn't seem to change at all when seeing December's horrified expression.

"Since then, you've maintained this world?" December felt pain thinking of how painful it must've been for her and shut her eyes tightly and tried to calm her breathing.

"If I don't, the people here will also suffer. I also wish to dream, but I can't." The world brightened and then flames exploded everywhere and the surroundings were different again when December opened her eyes.

"What are the flam-" Before the question could leave her lips, December saw a burnt and injured figure, with strands of blond hair and tired eyes watching her from the distance with each limb chained to the ground, the the scene inexplicably changed.

"It's the beginning of the attack. When we were attacked, we didn't have any warning, nor did our strong people come because they sealed the areas, so we were all captured." Her appearance was restored, but December could forget the one she saw, with charred skin covered in various wounds and injuries and chained to the spot.

"Aren't you tired?" December knew the others in the dream weren't experiencing the pain, but until she saw the woman in that moment, she begun to understand that in exchange for everyone's dreams, she experienced her own pain over and over again endlessly.

"You saw it? As expected of a Princess, even when I tried my best to hide it?" The woman chuckled but December extended a hand and held it, her tears already flowing.

"This isn't your true appearance is it? The you I saw then was smaller." Then December couldn't help crying, pulling her into a hug, even though the latter was rather stiff in her arms.

"Don't cry, it's already happened. If anything, it's simply something from the past, an echo if anything. Bearing the pain of everyone so they can be happy is why I did it." The woman's form flickered and then a girl about December's age with more youthful innocence appeared.

"Wh- No, I know that killing is wrong. But this is unbearable!" December said with a choked voice, looking at the crimson red eyes staring at her curiously.

"Don't be sad Princess, it's already happened. Even if I experience it, it's already happened." The girl reassured December, but the more she did so, the more December felt her heart twisting.

"The pain, the agony I feel, it's not theirs, is it? It's yours?" The girl's crimson eyes narrowed, then she stood up and looked into the distance, at the world she had never seen and then smiled sadly.

"Don't be sad for me. I chose to give everyone good dreams, they were all good to me. I'm not a savior or anything Princess, I just didn't want everyone to suffer." 

"W-What's your name?" December took a deep breath and asked the girl who then frowned and thought for a moment, then the world blurred and flames reappeared once more.

"Madison." The words came from a distance, then the scene faded and December stood across from Ephy who looked at her with trepidation.

"Sometimes you can't do anything, only try to ease people's pain." Ephy said before December could say anything, which made December's face turn haggard.

"She shouldn't have to go through that!" December argued and Ephy nodded, her moon like eyes holding no hints of deceit as she nodded with an uncomfortable expression on her face.

"She shouldn't, but in order to help others, she chose to suffer herself. She's such a gentle child." Ephy said with bitterness and then frowned at December.

"You should leave the dream now. It's not safe for you, and the longer you stay, the more dangerous it will be for you." Ephy said seriously and December felt the scene around her collapsing into nothingness.

"Will she continue to suffer?!" December almost shouted at Ephy who looked just as upset about it but nodded anyway.

"Can I help her?" December's words were almost instantaneous. Ephy's eyes widened but she shook her head as the surroundings became dim.

"No, no matter what, every being has a soul and a soul has limits." Ephy wanted to comfort December somehow, seeing her unwilling expression, but then December surprised her.

"She said she dreamed of the world beyond her town, and she can't dream because she's the anchor for everyone else..." December felt her fangs digging into her lips and tasted blood in her mouth as a trickle ran down her chin.

"She's done so much for them, while I, a Princess can't do anything?" December felt her heart aching, and in a burst of irrationality, instead of allowing the world to collapse around her completely, she reached out and grabbed towards it.

"Do no-!" Ephy's voice boomed like thunder but the world began to shudder. Ephy's form began to fade quickly and her expression was one of fright.

"Doing this, do you know you won't be the same?! If yo-" Ephy's body vanished and December felt herself falling downwards into nothingness and then she woke up.

"Madison? How are you dear?" A woman with blond hair and crimson red eyes, looking in her early twenties smiled warmly at December who looked up in confusion because it was exactly the appearance Madison used when they spoke.

"I'm fine mom, did you sleep well?" December spoke, or rather she thought she did. The voice wasn't hers, it was the voice she heard just before Ephy arrived.

"That's good dear, Marius and the others wanted to drag you off to play earlier, but I thought you might want to sleep in." Madison's mother patted December's head gently and then her eyes widened.

"I heard that you've awakened the Class Illusionist? It's a good class I'm told." Then Madison's mother left the room, and Madison got out of bed, December realizing she couldn't control the body, she was simply along for the ride.

"When I reach level 50, I can ask mom to travel outside our town." Madison said to herself and then clenched her fists tightly, quickly getting dressed and then running out of her house, the starry skies above and familiar city letting December know exactly where she was.

'This is the same day! The day they all die?' December frowned, but Madison couldn't hear her, still excited about her future, one December knew she wouldn't get to have.

"It's a bit chilly..." Madison murmured, entering a building which December realized was the one she'd entered with Madison before, sitting at the table and eating a quick meal.

The people around her was happy and carefree, their pale skin and handsome and beautiful appearances very eye catching, but December wasn't paying much attention because she too felt cold when Madison did.

'W-will I feel what Madison did?' Dread crept into her mind, recalling how horrific Madison looked when she saw her true self in the dream, she wanted to do something, but Madison didn't and couldn't know what would unfold, and December could only move forward in time until that point.