Chương 13: Chapter 10 part 2

Vanessa's eyes widened, a thrill of excitement cutting through her earlier unease like sunlight through storm clouds. Swordmasters were rare in the vast Zareth kingdom, elusive figures who wandered freely, unbound by territories or lords, their skills honed against both human foes and monstrous threats in equal measure. They passed on their arts only to those deemed truly worthy, and most kept their secrets within bloodlines or charged exorbitant fees that border houses like theirs could never afford.

The wandering ones were even rarer, driven by some inner calling to find heirs who could carry their legacy forward into the next generation. No wonder her father treated Sir Thorne with such deference; this was an opportunity that could elevate House Valerius from a respected but minor border family to something greater, something that might finally draw the capital's attention and support. The table erupted in enthusiasm, the news spreading like wildfire through the room.

Robert raised his goblet in a toast, his grin genuine and bright, no trace of jealousy in his voice as he spoke.

"To Vanessa, the future swordmaster of our house! May your blade be swift and your heart steadfast, little sister." Lady Elysa beamed, her eyes misting with maternal pride as she reached across the table to squeeze Vanessa's hand, her grip warm and steady.

"My clever girl. I always knew there was something special in you, something beyond what the rest of us could teach. This could be the chance you've been waiting for, the one that lets you spread your wings beyond these borders." Even the servants, lingering at the edges of the hall to serve and clear, exchanged excited whispers, their faces alight with the reflected glory of their young lady's potential.

Sir Thorne nodded modestly, his smile broadening in a way that seemed to reach his eyes this time, though the unease in Vanessa's chest refused to fully dissipate.

"Your daughter's reputation precedes her, Viscount. With the right guidance and a few years of dedicated training, she could become a legend in her own right, a name that even the capital would have to acknowledge."

Once dinner concluded with light desserts of creamy custards and fresh fruits from the orchard, Sir Thorne requested to examine Vanessa's constitution in private, a common practice among masters to assess a potential disciple's innate affinities before committing to the long and demanding process of training.

"Exceptional martial artists often possess special constitutions," he explained, his voice smooth as oiled silk, the sound of it making Vanessa's skin prickle again for reasons she couldn't name.

"Some allow mastery of both mana and Qi, birthing magic swordsmen who can channel energy through their blades. Others focus on one path, amplifying it to extraordinary heights that mundane training could never achieve. I believe your daughter may fall into the latter category, but I must confirm it before we proceed further." The viscount agreed eagerly, his face flushed with wine and pride, leading them to a quiet side chamber off the main hall lit by a single lantern that cast long shadows on the stone walls.

Vanessa sat on a cushioned stool in the center of the room, her heart pounding with a mix of anticipation and that lingering hunch that something about this man was not quite right, though she couldn't put her finger on what. Her parents stood nearby, their faces hopeful and excited, while Robert waited just outside the door, his presence comforting even if she couldn't see him.

"Try not to reject the foreign energy," Sir Thorne instructed, placing a calloused hand on hers, his palm rough from years of sword work and his grip firm but not painful.

"It will make the assessment smoother and less uncomfortable for you. Many young talents instinctively push back against the probing, which can muddy the results." She nodded, steeling herself against the revulsion that rose in her throat at his touch, forcing her body to remain still and her meridians open as he had asked. As his energy probed her meridians, a tendril of Qi threading through her like a searching vine seeking fertile soil, she felt an immediate and visceral revulsion that made her stomach turn.

It was foul, tainted, like rot hidden beneath fresh soil or poison mixed into sweet wine. Instinct screamed to reject it, to push back with all her will and expel the invading presence from her body, but trusting her father's judgment and not wanting to embarrass him in front of this potential mentor, she suppressed the urge, allowing the energy to flow deeper even as every fiber of her being rebelled against it.

Sir Thorne's eyes gleamed in the lantern light as he withdrew his hand, a manic grin splitting his face in a way that transformed his features into something almost unrecognizable, the mask of the courteous guest slipping to reveal something hungry and triumphant beneath.

"Hahaha! Finally, I found it! After all these years of searching, all these false leads and disappointments, the heavens have finally smiled upon me!" The viscount leaned forward, concern flickering in his eyes for a brief moment before giving way to hope and excitement.

"How is it, Sir Thorne? Is she suitable? Can you train her?"

"Congratulations," Thorne replied, his laughter echoing unnaturally loud in the small chamber, bouncing off the stone walls like the cries of something not quite human.

"Your daughter is a one-in-a-century genius, Viscount. The Heavenly Killing Star constitution! I had hoped for just something above average, a talented girl with potential worth investing a few years in, but this… this is perfection. This is the vessel I have been searching for all this time. My long journey ends here, in this forgotten border manor of all places. Call everyone, we must celebrate this momentous occasion properly!"

The festive mood swept through the manor like wildfire, spreading from the side chamber to the main hall and beyond as servants were summoned, goblets refilled with the best wine from the cellar, and toasts raised to Vanessa's future with increasing volume and enthusiasm. The air filled with laughter and cheers, the candle flames seeming brighter in the collective joy, the entire household caught up in the sudden windfall of having a potential legend in their midst.

Even Vanessa, despite the unease that still coiled in her gut like a sleeping serpent, felt a spark of genuine elation at the words. The Heavenly Killing Star? It sounded like something out of the old legends her mother used to tell her as a child, a power that could cut through armies and monsters alike, a gift that would let her protect everyone she loved and maybe even change the fate of the borderlands for the better.

But Thorne's manic expression lingered in her mind, that glimpse of something wrong behind the smile, and no amount of celebration could fully banish the chill that had settled in her bones. In that instant, everything shattered.

A flash of steel in the candlelight, so fast it was almost invisible, and Sir Thorne's sword pierced clean through Viscount Arnes Valerius's back, the blade erupting from his chest in a brutal spray of crimson that splattered across the white tablecloth and the faces of those nearest to him.

Arnes gasped, eyes widening in utter shock and disbelief, his mouth working soundlessly as if trying to form one last command or word of warning, before his body convulsed once and collapsed forward onto the dinner table with a heavy thud that seemed to shake the entire manor.

Blood pooled rapidly beneath him, soaking the fine cloth in a growing scarlet stain that spread like a living thing, the metallic scent of it filling the air and making Vanessa's stomach heave even as her mind refused to process what she was seeing. The entire hall froze in horrified silence, the laughter dying in throats mid-syllable, goblets halfway to lips, the world seeming to hold its breath in the face of such sudden and senseless violence. No one moved. No one screamed.

The festive atmosphere died instantly, as if the very air had been sucked out of the room and replaced with something cold and dead. Thorne kicked Arnes's lifeless body aside with casual disdain, letting it slump to the floor like discarded trash, as he turned to face the rest of the room with that same manic grin now fully unleashed, his eyes gleaming with a madness that had nothing to do with joy or celebration. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

With a single fluid swing of his longsword, his mana blade cleaved through half the servants and maids standing nearby, the blade moving so fast it left afterimages in the air. Heads tumbled to the floor with dull thuds, bodies crumpling in lifeless heaps, blood arcing through the air in horrifying sprays that painted the walls, the table, and the horrified faces of those still standing in grotesque patterns.

Lady Elysa opened her mouth to scream, a sound of pure anguish and denial, but Thorne's blade flashed again in a wide arc that seemed to cut through the very fabric of the world. She, Robert who had rushed in at the first sound of violence, and the rest of the servants were cut down in one merciless stroke, their bodies hitting the floor with sickening, wet thuds. Their eyes stared blankly at the ceiling, mouths frozen in expressions of shock and pain, the light fading from them even as the blood continued to flow.

Now, only Vanessa remained. She stood frozen amid the carnage of her entire family, surrounded by the mutilated bodies of servants who had been like extended family, her parents who had loved her and guided her, and her beloved brother who had been her anchor and her greatest supporter. The metallic stench of blood overwhelmed the room, thick and choking, mixing with the spilled wine and the acrid smell of fear-sweat to create a nauseating miasma.

The warm candlelight that had seemed so welcoming just moments before now illuminated nothing but horror, casting long shadows that seemed to reach for her with clawed hands.

"No…" Vanessa whispered, voice trembling and breaking, the word barely audible even to her own ears.

"This… this has to be a nightmare… Mother, Father, Robert… please, someone wake me up…" Tears streamed down her face as she stared at the bodies, her mind fracturing under the weight of what she had just witnessed, unable to reconcile the cheerful dinner and proud toasts with this sudden slaughter.

"Mom… Dad… Big Brother… Nanny… everyone… why? Why would you do this?" Thorne approached slowly, his boots leaving bloody footprints on the stone floor, the sword in his hand dripping with the lifeblood of her family. His previously courteous smile had twisted into something grotesque and manic, a rictus of triumph and hunger that made her want to scream until her throat bled.

"Don't worry, little girl," he sneered, voice dripping with cruel amusement, the words cutting deeper than any blade could.

"Soon, you'll be reborn as something far greater than this pathetic border trash. The Heavenly Killing Star will serve a much higher purpose. You should be grateful, really. Most would kill for the chance to become what you are about to become." He grabbed her by the throat with one hand, lifting her effortlessly off the ground as if she weighed nothing, his fingers like iron bands around her windpipe.

Vanessa kicked and clawed desperately at his arm, that only seemed to amuse him more, but her strength was nothing against his, her feet dangling uselessly above the blood-slick floor. Pain exploded through her neck as he slammed her down onto the blood-soaked floor with bone-jarring force, the impact driving the air from her lungs and sending stars exploding across her vision. The impact was bone-jarring, cracks spiderwebbing across the stone beneath her from the force of it.

She tasted blood in her mouth, felt something in her ribs give way with a sickening crunch, but the pain was distant, secondary to the horror and the rage that was beginning to bubble up from the depths of her soul like magma from a long-dormant volcano. Thorne raised his hand and began chanting in a guttural, ancient tongue that twisted the air itself, the words seeming to claw at reality and leave wounds in their wake.

Dark energy gathered around him, shadows deepening and writhing as if alive, the temperature in the room dropping sharply until her breath fogged in the air. The blood from all the corpses began to defy gravity, rising in crimson rivulets and flowing toward Vanessa like rivers seeking the sea, forming intricate, glowing magical patterns on the floor that bound her limbs like chains forged from her own family's essence.

The symbols burned with malevolent light, each one seeming to pulse in time with her frantic heartbeat, and she could feel them sinking into her skin, into her very soul. Grief and rage ignited inside her like wildfire, consuming everything else in their path. Her vision turned red, whether from blood or fury she couldn't tell.

Her long black hair suddenly flared crimson as if soaked in the blood of her loved ones, her green eyes shifting to a burning blood-red as the Heavenly Killing Star constitution awakened violently within her, responding to the trauma and the dark ritual with a power that threatened to tear her apart from the inside out.

"You monster!" she screamed, voice raw with primal fury, the sound tearing from her throat like a wounded animal's cry.

"I will kill you! I swear I'll kill you for what you've done! For my family, for everyone you murdered, I will end you!" Thorne laughed loudly, eyes gleaming with mad delight, the sound of it echoing through the chamber like the bells of hell.

"How lively! This is exactly what I expected from the Heavenly Killing Star constitution! The rage, the power, the beautiful, beautiful hatred! Yes, fight it, little vessel. The more you struggle, the more perfectly the ritual will take hold!" Vanessa strained against the bloody chains with everything she had, her muscles screaming, her newly awakened power surging through her veins like liquid fire.

With a desperate surge of will, the chains began to crack and snap, the glowing symbols flickering as her constitution pushed back against the foreign magic trying to bind it. She lunged forward, fists flying in a frenzied barrage fueled by grief and fury, but Thorne evaded effortlessly, his movements almost lazy as he toyed with her. He grabbed her by the neck again and slammed her into the floor with monstrous force, the impact shaking the entire room and sending dust raining from the ceiling.

Pain exploded through her body, paralyzing her limbs completely as something vital inside her seemed to break. Her crimson hair and eyes slowly faded back to their original colors as her brief burst of power extinguished under the overwhelming assault, the constitution retreating in the face of power it wasn't yet ready to face. Despair crashed over her like an icy wave, cold and all-consuming, threatening to drag her down into darkness where she wouldn't have to feel the pain anymore.

'I can't… I can't even avenge them…' she thought, tears mixing with blood on her cheeks, her voice a broken whisper in the silence.

'At least… I'll be with them soon… Mother, Father, Robert… wait for me…' But fate was crueler than death. The ritual continued unabated, the chanting growing louder and more frenzied as Thorne poured more of his power into it. The corpses around her rapidly dried out, every drop of blood sucked into the glowing formation encircling her until they were nothing but desiccated husks, empty shells that had once held the people she loved most in the world.

Strange, dark energy flooded into her body through the patterns, twisting and corrupting the nascent power of the Heavenly Killing Star even as it awakened it fully. Knowing this energy came from her slaughtered family made her want to vomit, to reject it with every fiber of her being, but she had no strength left to resist, no will left to fight against the inevitable.

The process lasted only minutes, yet it felt like hours of torment, each second stretching into an eternity of pain and violation as her very foundation was rewritten against her will. Something inside her was changing, transforming into something new and terrible. The tiny ball of energy she had always possessed in her dantian, the core of her being that had made her special, transformed dramatically, expanding into a small pond of thick, viscous red blood that pulsed with dark power.

Her meridians widened and twisted to accommodate the new energy, her body growing stronger even as her soul screamed in protest at the corruption taking root.

"Finally!" Thorne exclaimed, laughing triumphantly as he stepped back to admire his handiwork, his face flushed with exertion and ecstasy.

"A perfect vessel! With this Heavenly Killing Star constitution fully awakened and bound to my will, I only need to sacrifice another ten thousand souls before the Blood God can finally descend into the mortal world and claim what is rightfully his. You should be honored, girl. Your family's deaths were not in vain. They were the first of many, the foundation upon which a new era will be built."

A new voice suddenly spoke from the shadows near the door, calm and respectful in a way that made the horror even more surreal.

"Master Thorne." A second man stepped forward into the lantern light, tall, hooded, and radiating similar dark energy that made the air around him shimmer like heat haze. He moved with the same predator's grace as his master, his face hidden in the depths of his hood but his posture one of complete deference and loyalty.

"Everything is prepared as you ordered. The carriage awaits outside, and the wards I placed earlier will keep any curious eyes from seeing what transpired here tonight."

"Just in time, Thorus," Thorne said with a creepy smile, wiping his blade clean on a fallen servant's apron before sheathing it.

"Take the girl to the designated location. We will begin the full ritual next week, once I have gathered the necessary ingredients and prepared the site. By now, Theloca should already be finished, the troll horde I lured should have done its work, and the chaos will provide excellent cover for our activities. The kingdom is distracted, the borders are weak, and soon… soon the Great One will walk among us once more."

Thorne's eyes gleamed with fanatical madness, the light of true belief burning in them like twin flames from the abyss.

"Yes, Master," Thorus replied obediently, moving forward to lift Vanessa's broken body with surprising gentleness, as if she were something precious rather than a victim of atrocity.

"The preparations in the south are complete. She will be safe until the appointed time." That was the last thing Vanessa heard before darkness claimed her completely, the world fading to black as the last of her strength ebbed away. Her final conscious thought was not of pain or fear, but of the faces of her family, smiling, proud, alive, and a vow that burned in her heart like a brand even as consciousness fled.

'One day… I will kill them all… and I will make them suffer as I have suffered…' The road ahead was dark, and the destiny that awaited her was one of blood and shadow. But in the deepest part of her broken soul, the Heavenly Killing Star still burned, waiting for the day when it would rise again, not as a tool for darkness, but as a beacon of vengeance and hope for those who had been lost.