“Cindy… What do you want now after making my life miserable?”
“I came to apologize, it shouldn’t have gone this way, but if you didn’t run away we wouldn’t have done it. And you should have just accepted the blame, that way Kent could have protected you,” Cindy said plainly. Aurianna couldn’t see still but she felt like she could sense a slight smirk with her words. As if to say ‘you brought this on yourself.’
“So what you’re telling me is I should take the blame for a crime I didn’t commit? Who do you think I am,” Aurianna gritted her teeth, bitterness and anger in her voice.
Cindy sighed, “Listen. You still have a chance, just say you did it, and we the heroes can save you.”
“You? The Heroes? You were all useless without me and now that I’m powerless you think I need your charity!? That I’d rely on the same people who backstabbed, raped, and spread lies about me!?”
Aurianna had tried to stay as calm as possible despite her blood boiling on the inside. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She was powerless, and everyone knew that so it wasn’t surprising they would take her in. So she could be their personal plaything. She understood, but somehow, she couldn’t contain her rage.
“Leave me alone, I don’t want to be near you!” Aurianna shouted out.
Cindy slightly flinched, before regaining her composure. She clearly didn’t expect her to react that way.
“Aurianna, Don’t you understand? They’re talking about killing you! And I don’t want you to die. Neither do the other heroes.”
“Sure. Let’s say I confess and you save me. What happens then? Am I going to get healed just so I become a sex slave for you sick heroes?”
Cindy twitched a bit in irritation. ‘Why is Aurianna being so difficult!’ She thought to herself, ‘She isn’t wrong. That’s exactly what we had planned for her but who knew. I’m surprised not only that she saw through our motives but how prepared she seems to die instead.’
Cindy finally stopped her facade, realizing that her plan to coerce her would fail no matter what.
She shouted at her, “Fine! If you want to die then so be it, but don’t come begging later for me or Kent to save you!” Cindy released her silencing magica that had been activated, to keep their conversation confidential before storming off angrily.
Now that Aurianna lay in her cell all alone, as she waited for her death, many thoughts swirled in her head.
As she sat and reflected she realized something. She wasn’t as mad at the heroes, or even the King as she thought she was. She was more angry with herself.
Azarath had warned her of what would happen, yet she didn’t listen. Maybe it was her pride or confidence that being a Saintess, something she had devoted her whole life to, meant something, but in the end it didn’t.
She had done so much, sacrificed so much, just for it to be pointless. She wanted to believe in her father, the king, but it turned out he wasn’t even her real father. Everything she had trusted in, or believed in either proved to be worthless, a lie, or a fleeting joy.
____________
However, her brief time of solitude didn’t last long, as Aurrianna was dragged out of her cell getting led to the front gates of the castle where she heard a mass of people screaming her name calling her witch, monster, traitor and a slut.
Aurrianna was already numb to these insults, but it still hurt since no one was willing to listen to her story. Even her personal guard, who seemed to be on her side, wasn’t anywhere to be seen. It seemed even he gave up on her as well when everything was said and done.
The worst part about his absence at the execution was since Aurianna couldn’t see, she still thought he was there. Maybe not to save her or anything bold, but at least to show he cared to be there for her last moments.
As she was under the onslaught of insults, she remembered Vatiums words, “Once you lose your purpose they will abandon you.”
Aurrianna laughed in a hysterical tone. Her mind was broken.
She regretted her choice to fight for these people.
Ever since she lost her powers they all discarded her like she was trash, but since she was part of the royal family, they wouldn’t sell her as a slave.
“Burn that saintess, burn the church!!” The crowd of citizens shouted out in anger.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t save you, Aurrianna,” She turned to her left as she heard the voice of the head priest, Deille, who she assumed was held up the same as her.
Priest Deille looked at Aurianna with a regretful look on his face as he saw the unbridled malice aimed at him, Aurianna, and the rest of his followers who were hung up as well.
She shook her head, “There’s no need to apologize. I was the foolish one to never join you from the beginning.”
Deille nodded in gratitude that she held no ill will before looking at the crowd before him.
Many of his followers who were strung up had their eyes closed, tears flowing out of them as they whispered their prayers.
Deille shouted out, “Oh goddess please if you see this, save their poor souls and save us too.”
Aurianna lowered her head at the crowd, wearing a cold expression, “It’s no use Head Priest. The goddess won’t listen to our prayers since she has abandoned us,” Aurrianna mumbled.
Even though she was powerless, her Saintess’ sense remained. She could hear the mocking laughter of the goddess from above as she looked down on her and the church members.
Aurianna closed her eyes, letting the sounds of cheering fade as she prepared for death.
“Do you have any regrets, Saintess?” a knight asked as he looked at Arianna.
She clenched her fist, “My only regret is wasting my whole life to save a bunch of ungrateful leeches like you all!!”
The people, angered by her insult at them, started chanting, “Burn her, burn her!” over and over.
“Start burning them,” The king commanded as fires lit under the people of the church who were captured.
Scream of pain pierced the air as those around her burned.
The screams were getting closer and closer, as if they were getting set on fire in order. She heard screams from her left, and right. She came to a realization, they were saving the best to die for last, her.
Eventually she heard Deille’s pained scream as well, he cried out for salvation from the Goddess with his very last breath.
Tears streamed down her face as Aurianna now awaited her own death. She just wanted the pain and shame to end. She heard footsteps behind her as the gaurd prepared to light the fire under her.
“Why kill the Saintess? Isn’t death too good for her?” A voice in the crowd inquired. The chanting had quieted down once it was Aurianna’s turn so the man’s suggestion reached Aurianna’s ears.
Many in the crowd shook their heads in agreement to the man’s idea.
“Yeah let’s sell her to a brothel, even though she was disfigured they could still find a healer from overseas to heal her,” one person shouted out.
Aurianna shuddered as she heard their words, she was still a princess, so couldn’t they let her die in peace. These people were more sick than she had imagined.
But all of a sudden fire began to burn underneath her, engulfing her whole body in flames,
Aurianna laughed maniacally as the flames burned her. It was a laugh of relief that she wouldn’t meet the fate those in the crowd so desperately wanted. But her laugh slowly turned to one of nervous fear. As she felt her skin burning it finally hit her.
She was dying.
Teardrops fell down her face, but they instantly evaporated due to the intense heat, “I don’t want to die, not like this. Please, if there is something out there please save me!”
Ding
[ Requirement has been fulfilled ]
[ Diamond Pearl has been summoned ]
Aurianna saw the screen before her as she stared at it in shock. The world around her seemed to have stopped as well as the people, who appeared to be frozen.
The first thing she wondered was how she could see now but besides that, her attention was on one specific thing.
Before her was a beautiful woman who smiled at her, holding her face sweetly. It felt warm, like that of a mother’s embrace.
The woman had short white hair and beautiful dark skin with a white pearl on her forehead. She had a set of pale purple eyes, each with a golden clock in them. She wore a white mechanical dress and four strange robotic heads with horns on them floated around her.
She looked at Aurianna with a smile on her face as she said, “Restart,” and once those words left her lips the world around Aurianna turned dark.
