《Incanto Anima》


 Chapter 1

    Incanto Anima


    Chapter 1: The Puppeteer


    She shouldn''t be here; she didn''t belong here. Yet Dear Mater insisted she attend church because it was a duty, an obligation. They needed to keep up the pretense of spirituality in this ancient town, which harbored several rituals and deep religious devotion to God. It started as far back as the medieval ages, where religion was the accepted worldview of the time. So Victorique clasped her hands together in prayer, bowing her head so aureoles of golden wisps veiled her face. Even if the people of the Church would burn and condemn her for being here, considering the arts that she was a practitioner of, Victorique actually liked the meditative silence of the church, the smell of incense and burning candles.


    She didn''t actually pray to God when the priest told the people in church to kneel and pray. To Victorique, God wasn''t real. What was real, what was in front of her, was a dreary town with lethargic people and gray skies. Withered plants, crows everywhere on the rooftops and rafters and church steeples. They watched with beady black eyes. The townspeople regarded them as an ill omen. The crows came when old Severus died. People didn''t like Severus, since people thought that he practiced the dark arts. He was a rather odd man, one that isolated himself in his house with all its dust and books and loneliness.


    Victorique didn''t talk to any of the townspeople, really. Their minds were dull from the dreariness of this life. Everything about this forsaken place reeked of ennui. So Victorique continually repeated to herself how bored she was with this place, how the people were boring and how God was boring and wasn''t even real in the first place. Then her thoughts drifted to the void, the stillness, absolute nothingness. The end of the world-death. The people here feared death. They feared being condemned to a life of eternal damnation. But really, what was there to fear about death?


    There were no demons with pitchforks waiting to spur the sinners into working in flames, nor was there a heaven with singing angels and the benevolent hand of God. While life was a presence, death was an absence. When Victorique saw death with her own eyes, she saw the dead souls walking through the shadowed lands. There was no sadness, no pain. Yet people who wandered in the shadows lands moved without purpose, aimless. Souls that were once lovers passed by one another, a mother and her son didn''t even walk hand in hand with one another. Yes, there was no pain or sadness, but there was also no recognition and love either. Death was the absence of all things. After seeing all this, the people in this town, in the land of the living, might as well be dead.


    As the churchgoers murmured their ''amens'' and rose, Victorique simply stood up without uttering the word. She brushed off dust from the frills of her dress, before she turned to leave. Alas, these poor people thought that their God would save them from their deaths. No matter how devoted someone was, no matter if someone believed in God or not, no matter how good or sinful a person was, they all ended up in the same place in the end.


    When Victorique opened the doors and made her way out into the gray afternoon, crows scattered about in a tethered frenzy, leaving a flurry of black feathers in their wake. A girl with brown curls and dark eyes stood by the entrance, beneath the stairs. A smile remained on her lips, though it didn''t reach her eyes. Upon closer inspection, Victorique noticed something odd about the girl''s eyes. Simply put, they looked dead. Black tunnels, absence of light and vitality and warmth. Cold eyes, chilling even, even though the smile could be seen as pleasant.


    Victorique flicked her golden hair with a single hand, before she descended down the steps and walked straight up to the girl, making direct eye contact with her. The girl stared back, and Victorique remembered the shadowed lands, the souls of people blurred like something half-forgotten, the unmoving stars above the deathly realm. Even if those stars cast a semblance of light into that world, they were a cold comfort, unchanging. Everything in death was a standstill.


    "Good day. My name is Marionette. And you are Victorique, are you not?"


    Victorique''s lips curled into a vicious smile and her eyes glinted with a hint of madness in them. "You have no soul. You''re stuck between two worlds, the living and the dead. Pitiful girl, wretched girl. I feel sorry for you."


    The pleasant smile on the other girl''s face never changed. "Good day. My name is Marionette. How do you do?"


    "A fitting name for someone who is nothing more than a doll. Dolls are hollow, you see? Hollow in body and soul, which connects you with death. But since you are stuck in the void between life and death, you try to seek something that will fill your emptiness. Even now as we speak, you''re trying to draw something from me. But dear Marionette¡­" Victorique placed her hands on Marionette''s porcelain cheeks. "I am death. The Grim Reaper. Hades. Tartarus. I draw the life out of living things and use that soul residue to imbue life into hollow things. That''s why you''re here."


    "Should you be talking about such things in front of a church, I wonder?" Marionette said with that same smile on her face. Her eyes fluttered once, giving the illusion of life to her face. Marionette then took her face away from Victorique''s hands and plucked a fallen feather from the ground. "Such a shame they fly away. I wonder what they look like on the inside? They have such pretty colors inside, don''t they?"


    Victorique leaned back and let out a laugh. This girl really was a treasure! She liked her already. Victorique then put a hand on Marionette''s shoulder while giving her a conspiratorial smile. "I think that you''ll do. I need someone like you around. I think that you can help ease my boredom around this place. Do you understand how dull it is to have these people do nothing but go to Church and pray and then live fearfully of the inevitably of death? Come, we''ll go to the graveyard and I''ll show you something special."


    Marionette then faithfully followed Victorique to the ancient cemetery with iron gates and ancient tombstones. There was a statue of an angel that looked like it was weeping, after it has been weathered down from the elements of nature, from rain and snow and eroding wind. Victorique took a glance to make sure that Marionette followed, before she opened the grate gates and then twirled on the little dirt path that led to various sections to the cemetery.


    Nobody bothered to take care of the cemetery. The people of this town were afraid of death, and they think that the graveyard had ill omens. The crows liked to gather around here as well, but once they caught sight of Marionette, they fluttered off into a tethered frenzy of feathers. Victorique managed to pick up a stone and throw one, braining a crow directly in the head. The poor thing fell down bonelessly, a crumpled heap of feathers on the ground.


    Marionette seemed impressed with this display and clapped her hands together. "Oh, nicely done. I wonder, I wonder, could I take this little thing apart and see what''s inside?"


    "Not yet. But I''m going to show you what I can do for you if you promise to work under me," Victorique said with a secretive smile, before she plucked the crow from the ground and held it in the palm of her hand. "It''s dead, see. This is nothing but an empty vessel. In the meantime, its soul has departed into the shadow lands. It shouldn''t have wandered too far-the more recent something has been killed, the easier it is to bring its soul back. But of course, with my powers, I can go even further into the shadowed lands without losing my soul and make my way back into the land of the living. That is the power of a necromancer."


    Victorique then closed her eyes and went into a kind of meditative trance. She listened for that subtle vibration that echoed with soul resonance, trying to find the crow''s soul before it departed into the shadowed lands and then made its way into the void, where none shall return. Using her magnetic will, Victorique managed to draw the soul towards herself. However, as she did so, the paltry grasses in the cemetery turned withered and eventually crumbled into dust, and an ancient tree turned completely black liked a rotted thing. In a heartbeat, in a single pulse, the crow let out a terrible caw and fluttered away into the grey skies. Rain started to pour from the darkened underbellies of the clouds.


    "That was wonderful, Miss Victorique," Marionette said while clapping her hands together, that same strange smile on her face. If anybody else would have witnessed what just happened, they would have ran screaming ''Witch! Witch'' and then burned her at stake. "However, it''s a shame that I couldn''t dissect it."This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "This was a mere parlor trick in comparison to the other stuff that I can do. Watch this."


    Victorique then swished her hand in the air like a theatrical piece, making a wide loop which caused the crow to spin around in midair and come circling back to them. Marionette clapped her hands again, seeming impressed with this display. Victorique then held out a finger, inviting the crow to land there. The crow landed there obediently, though its dark eye reflected Victorique''s sharp-toothed smile. Victorique then mentally willed the crow to dance on the palm of her hand, as though the bird were a marionette and she a puppeteer. Marionette continued clapping, watching in amusement. That smile remained, yet those eyes never flickered with any sign of emotion, voidless, empty.


    "I''m an avatar between worlds, you can say," Victorique said as she finally relinquished her will on the crow and let it fly off again. "I was able to bring the crow''s soul back, at the cost of the trees and the grass there. Then again, the crow has such a meager soul resonance that it didn''t require much. A human, on the other hand, has such a beautiful soul resonance that is vibrant with so much life."


    Victorique twirled again in childish glee, letting her hair stream all about her like a golden banner. "Don''t you see? Death requires compensation. I told you before that hollow things try to fill in their emptiness."


    Marionette cocked her head to the side, before saying. "Poor Miss. You say you feel sorry for me, though I feel more sorrow for you than for me. I was already a doll when I came into existence. Though you, you are becoming one. I wonder..."


    Victorique looked up to the gray cast, before she nodded in agreement with Marionette. "Yes. I am becoming a doll. That is the price with the art of necromancy. But you know, I can still have my fun all the same."


    She then turned around clasped her hands around Marionette''s. "Say, Marionette. I can give you life, unlike your Master."


    "Can you? I wonder."


    Victorique then gently placed a hand against Marionette''s cheek, tenderly. How strange, she felt warm even though she was a doll. Victorique then smirked, before she leaned forward and captured Marionette''s lips in her own. A hunger gleamed in her eyes and something inside them sought to devour, to overtake everything until there was nothing left.


    --x--


    Victorique used to live a wonderful life. Everything seemed to vibrant and wonderful-colors seemed brighter, sounds more vivid, and food delicious. Yet as Victorique grew older, as she became more aware of the powers that she was capable of, these things started to decay-colors became gray, sounds muted and dull, and food tasted like ashes. No, Victorique ate very little if at all. No, there was a greater sustenance than food, and that was life, the soul resonance that emanated from things. Even inanimate things like rocks and dirt had a certain soul resonance to them, but their vibrations were so muted and slow that they weren''t worth much.


    Victorique first experimented on animals. Birds, cats, dogs, squirrels, anything that happened to cross her path. She especially like cats. A black kitten came to her once, a starved thing with ribs flashing underneath matted fur. Poor thing, Victorique thought. It was suffering. Victorique then gave it a saucer of milk and watched the cat lap it up greedily, curling its tongue and splashing white droplets on its whiskers. She took care of it, lending it a saucer of milk each day to help stave its hunger. Yet no matter how much it drank, that hunger could not be sated. There was nothing here for the poor thing.


    While Victorique was lying in her bed at night, staring up at the ceiling and letting the sounds of the house comfort her into a lolling drowse, a vision came to Victorique. She sensed something, an inner world of psychic vibrations and a beautiful music that she never heard before. Victorique sensed these sounds coming from the things around her-the oak dresser vibrated with the muted tones of something that once lived but turned into something else, a mere hollow of its former self. Spiders weaving their webs in the dark corners of the mansion vibrated with a particular resonance that was like the flicker of a candle flame. Mindless things, dumb things that weren''t aware of their self-existence, and their life force could be snuffed out like a candle flame and they wouldn''t even contemplate their passing.


    The greatest music of the soul vibrations came from her. It was beautiful, heartwrenching, and there was a greater self beyond the scope of the universe, and Victorique felt that she extended through all the infinite black of space and all through the world and even in the narrow spaces like rabbit holes and even the microscopic spaces that filled the world. Victorique woke from this weeping, holding her hands to her face and feeling a gentle ache in her throat.


    Everything was so beautiful, that soul resonance. She wanted to listen to that music forever.


    Victorique went out and tried to look for the kitten, though it wouldn''t come when she called its name. So when Victorique looked around and tried to find it, she found it in a dark alleyway where it had been stoned to death. The villagers probably thought that the cat belonged to a witch or someone with dark powers. The poor thing lay so still, so still, its soul resonance cut off. No pulse, no music.


    She knelt down by the cat, before another startling vision of clarity overcame her. The poor thing was starving before, a filthy thing with matted fur and such forlorn looking eyes-though on the ground here, it looked like it was merely sleeping. Victorique then realized, at that one point in time, at that very moment, that the cat was released from pain. Death embraced it, and took away all the pain and torment the cat endured during life.


    Death was the absence of pain. Death was the absence of misery. Victorique saw this beautiful, startling truth before her, as she cradled the little kitten in her arms and held it in her hands. She wept, not because the kitten had died, but because the cat had finally found peace.


    No more pain. No more misery.


    Victorique didn''t bother giving the thing a proper burial. It was only an empty shell. Its true self, the soul, was long gone and crossed the shadowed lands. She could have brought the cat back from life, but what good would have that done? It would have to spend its life hiding from the cruel boys that stoned it to death, believing it to be the servant of a witch. No. it was in a better place now.


    Its body would be food for the crows. The crows would pick at the eyes and the vulnerable flesh, but even as the body turned into nothing but a pile of bones, it was only a mere shadow of what it had once been.


    That is, unless if Victorique decided to bring the cat''s soul from death. When Victorique revived things from the dead, they are merely shadows of their former selves. Though they still live, if you can call it that. It was after that incident happened that Victorique learned not to fear death.


    --x--


    Marionette blink as Victorique pulled back. Victorique simply gave her a secretive smile before the church bell tolled in the distance. Crows fluttered from the sound, cawing in desperation.


    "What I just saw right now," Marionette said while folding her hands in front of her. "Was that your memory?"


    Victorique twirled again, dancing on the dirt path through the cemetery before stopping, her dress billowing about her.


    "Yes, what you just saw was a memory of me when I was eight years old. I liked that cat. I wanted to help it. But death cuts off your ties in this world."


    "Oh?"


    "When we have an attachment to someone or something, we suffer for it. That is why¡­.if we have a lack of desire and attachment, we are truly free. Death frees us from desire, attachment."


    "You have no desire or attachment? How strange. What about your family or friends? Isn''t that a lonely existence?"


    Victorique sighed, before rolling her blue eyes to the heavens. "In death, you don''t recognize the face of your mother or father, your brother and sister in death. Death cuts ties with everyone. Everyone is equal in death. When you are a soul, you look just like everyone else."


    Marionette bowed her head. "Should you be talking about such things, I wonder?"


    Victorique smiled. "Even if the townspeople put me at stake and burned me alive, I will not die."


    "Then you are immortal?"


    Victorique smiled. "That''s a secret. But between you and me, the flames don''t burn."


    Marionette bowed her head, her brown curls bouncing. "As you say, Mistress. I believe you."


    Victorique then flicked a golden curl idly with her fingers, taking on a bored expression now. She had her little bit of fun, though the idleness and ennui started to take over again. As she thought before, the town was dull full of dull people full of dull dreams. Actually, she wasn''t sure these people even dreamed. They might as well have been marionettes (to make a pun) moving with stiff awkward limbs. Damn, this was so boring. When was she going to find some entertainment?


    Then an idea bubbled into her consciousness, a brilliant idea that involved risk. But that was the thrill of it all-what was the point of excitement if there wasn''t any risk involved. It was so beautiful, the idea of re-enacting the scene that happened centuries ago, in another lifetime, when Victorique was a village witch that provided healing instead of bringing death, but because of her strange magic, she was condemned, put at stake, and then burned. Victorique remembered this in vivid detail, though sometimes the memory would leave a bitter taste in her mouth.


    "My dear, sweet Marionette," Victorique said in honeyed tones. "I believe that you will be the perfect candidate for being my companion. I am sure that, as long as I am with you, that I won''t be bored."


    Marionette clasped her hands in front of her before saying. "Whatever are you thinking about, my Mistress?"


    "I''m thinking about stirring up a bit of excitement in this dull, dull town," Victorique said with a secretive smile. "I will tell you more about it later. For now, my dear puppet, we shall play the part of good citizens until the time has come."

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2: Marked for Death


    The crows cawed from the rafters, casting their silent vigil on the villagers below as they made their way to and fro from their daily comings and goings. Victorique and Marionette happened to be among these people, who were gathering to the center of the town for a town meeting. The mayor of the town looked haggard and elderly, with a drooping primrose in the buttonhole of his suit. A crow settled down onto his shoulder, though he took no heed of it as it began to eye him with its beady black eye. The mayor coughed, stuttered and wheezed, to which the crow flew backwards a few moments before settling on his shoulder. Victorique glanced at the mayor and knew that he was coming on in years--eventually he will die and become a rotting corpse in the ground, unless if she decided to tinker with him and bring him back from the dead.


    ¡°My dear citizens,¡± the man said in a creaky voice that was like a rusted door coming off its hinges. ¡°We¡¯re gathered here today for the unfortunate death of Severus. He may have been an eccentric man, though I¡¯m sure that no one here would have wished him ill will or harm.¡±


    The townspeople muttered about themselves when they heard this announcement. Victorique lingered by and absorbed in their conversations, relishing the fearful superstitions they harbored towards Old Man Severus.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t he practice sorcery?¡± a woman called out into the crowd, and the crowd rippled with nods and murmurs at this.


    The mayor coughed and hemmed, before taking a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiping his mouth with it. The crow cawed when the mayor began to cough, and ceased its noise when he spoke. ¡°Those are rumors. I¡¯m sure that Severus was an ordinary, elderly man who acquired an unfortunate reputation for being a conjurer.¡±


    ¡°How do you explain all these crows all around us in this town?¡± one of the women shuddered in terror. ¡°It¡¯s like an omen of death, I¡¯m telling you.¡±


    ¡°I admit that the crows are unusual, though I¡¯m sure that this has nothing to do with Severus¡¯s death. There is no reason to panic among you. All the citizens in this city are in a safe sanctuary that will protect us from dark magics, wild animals from the mountainsides, or natural disasters that are common in other areas of the world. We¡¯ve lived here in peace and harmony for a while, staying out of danger¡¯s way and keeping out of the wars that the other countries that are involved in. We may have isolated ourselves in our beloved Saberia, though we will live prosperous lives under the protection of God.¡±


    Victorique watched with a smirk on her lips while the sheep squabble amongst themselves. Little did they know that she was a wolf in a sheep¡¯ s skin. Their God wouldn¡¯t protect them now, oh no.


    ¡°Then¡­¡± a frightened woman said as she suckled a babe on her bare breast. ¡°In God we pray, that you keep us sinful children of Saberia under you protection from the wrath of war.¡±


    Victorique knew that even Saberia wouldn¡¯t be protected from the onslaught of war. War ravaged across the nations, taking countless lives and souls. There was an afterlife, though it was an empty place. A place devoid of warmth and comfort. Then again, this world wasn¡¯t any much better, was it? Still¡­if there was a God, he probably was murdered by the endless wishes and fathomless greed of humans. Victorique suddenly thought of a newspaper article writ as thus: GOD FOUND DEAD ALL OF HUMANITY DEEMED RESPONSIBLE. Victorique almost chuckled aloud at this, though she restrained herself, less the villagers thought her mad.


    There would be a lot of corpses to harvest after this. Victorique often found herself to places that were likely to be places of war and death. It seemed like this world wanted nothing more than its own destruction. Constant warfare, gunfire and smoke, flames and forest fires to flush out villagers and the sheep, food shortages to starve the children and woman. It was definitely a world resplendent with death. Her heart thrilled at the prospect of digging out dead bodies to use for her experiments.


    She wanted to learn more about this Death, the place where the World Ended. There was a place where the End of the World happened, and she happened to be a Witch that originated from there. Dim memories of this place flashed through her mind. It was a beautiful place, with white structures of pearl and diamond reaching spires to the sky. Some people might have called it heaven, she supposed, though what it really was called was the Radiant Garden by those who lived there.


    Victorique was banished from there for eternity. In this lifetime, unless if she managed to reset the karma that she placed upon herself, then she would never return there. Though Victorique didn¡¯t care. She destroyed the Radiant Garden a long time ago, to become immortal.


    In this backwards world from the various that worlds have spawned from the destruction of the Radiant Garden, souls have stagnated and Death itself became an absence rather than a cycle of reincarnation and rebirth. Victorique¡¯s soul was stained so black from her fit of madness that she were to live forever to serve penance and never truly die.


    She wondered why Marionette truly wanted to live. To live in such a world. A world where no hope of restoration or peace remained. Marionette piqued her curiosity, made her ask questions and consider things that she hadn¡¯t thought about before. Suppose she were to restore her lost karma, the black taint that spawned several centuries back towards the Radiant Garden. This world, which hunted witches and necromancers alike, was not even supposed to exist. Just like she wasn¡¯t meant to exist.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Victorique frowned. She wouldn¡¯t think of that now. The only thing that she cared about was relieving her boredom. Because this place was boring, everything was boring ever since you¡¯ve seen all there was to see. She didn¡¯t care about her karma or restoring this world to it¡¯s proper place or being a hero. The last time that she played hero, she ended up being betrayed and dying the stupidest of deaths¡­before being resurrected and betrayed again. No, life was full of betrayal and angst and misery.


    Marionette prodded Victorique when she dazed off into space with a blank stare as the other villagers departed from the mayor, squabbling amongst themselves. Victorique must¡¯ve gotten so lost in her thoughts that she didn¡¯t realize that Marionette and the others were the only ones left standing on the cobblestoned streets.


    ¡°Mistress,¡± Marionette whispered to the golden girl. ¡°Do you think that you could give me a soul? Anyone will do. If I were to become alive¡­I would feel emotions. Wouldn¡¯t that be wonderful?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not as wonderful as you think,¡± Victorique said. ¡°I could do without my emotions, for one. They¡¯re troublesome and don¡¯t lead to anything but heartache. Endless thinking and endless ponds of reflection; I¡¯m better off without them.¡±


    ¡°If you can help just one person¡­¡± Marionette whispered. ¡°Then shouldn¡¯t that redeem yourself from your blackest of sins?¡±


    Victorique looked Marionette in the eyes. ¡°Tell me more about your master. Why he has sent you. How much he knows.¡±


    ¡°He is a Master of Death and Shadows,¡± Marionette recalled. ¡°He said that he can restore your karma, but only if you do something for him in return. He wants to understand how you achieved immortality and are protected from Death.¡±


    Victorique shook her head. ¡°Well, I¡¯m afraid that I can¡¯t do much about that. I think it sounds too good to be true, and I refuse to believe that the depths of my sins can be replenished through just one act. No, my sins would take an eternity to be redeemed. Or more eternities beyond that.¡±


    ¡°Mistress,¡± Marionette said kindly. ¡°Your Fate is not to be stuck in a stagnant world. You are meant to cause a great change that will ripple throughout the various worlds and cause changes that will span dimensions and parallel universes. If you can work together with my master, I¡¯m sure that things will be set right again.¡±


    ¡°What if I have no interest in setting things right again?¡± Victorique said with a sharp toothed smile. ¡°Maybe my heart is just too wicked. Maybe I just want to watch all the worlds and dimensions burn.¡±


    ¡°Because,¡± Marionette said patiently. ¡°You took this curse upon yourself as punishment. You were secretly hoping for an opportunity to present itself in your long suffering punishment that you could redeem yourself for what you did, even if you had to suffer through it for an eternity or more. I think that, Mistress, you¡¯re trying to numb your emotions and run away, but you still have enough of a heart to realize that you can be the change that you see in the worlds and dimensions. Will you help our master save this doomed world and set things right again?¡±


    ¡°What¡­¡± Victorique said. ¡°Just start afresh? Start anew? Is that even possible? I would much rather prolong my suffering rather than live with the possilbility that I may die and never come back. I care about myself and only love myself; that¡¯s the only person that I could rely on the most.¡±


    ¡°That is such a shame, Miss Victorique,¡± Marionette said while shaking her head. ¡°Instead of drowning in your own personal woes and sorrow, why don¡¯t you help others? Even the blackest of sins can be redeemed as long as you take consistent small actions to improve yourself.¡±


    ¡°Some sins are too great,¡± Victorique said in a serious tone. ¡°As long as I¡¯m stuck in this world, it¡¯s a personal purgatory for myself. I will live forever while those that I even remotely care for pass away and I see it all. Mankind hasn¡¯t changed and there¡¯s still warfare, greed, and darkness no matter what dimension you go to. I¡¯m tired of it. I just want to take a nice long nap and be rid of it all, but no, I¡¯m not even allowed that small mercy.¡±


    ¡°Then, Miss Victorique,¡± Marionette said with a polite bow of her head. ¡°Surely you will listen to a story I have to tell. It is the story about Enkidu and Gilgamesh.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve read it in its original language, though some versions may differ across universes. But essentially they are all about a man who is trying to find ultimate meaning in existence, and you¡¯re saying that I¡¯m like Gilgamesh? Are you perhaps my Enkidu, then?¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily,¡± Marionette said. ¡°But the story seemingly ends in tragedy, Gilgamesh has indeed achieved immortality. Through people¡¯s hearts and memory. Mistress, you can be remembered as a great being across the universes and dimensions. Your story needn¡¯t end in tragedy; you can rewrite your story. You¡¯ve been gifted the opportunity to do so.¡±


    ¡°What good does it do, Marionette,¡± Victorique pondered aloud. ¡°As I struggle futilely against my fate and only see the same results over and over again? They say that insanity is doing the same thing several times with the same results. That would be rather dunderheaded of me, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    Marionette bowed again.


    ¡°Do you perhaps, think that time will soothe your heart? Or do you need a little divine intervention, should I put it? An angel to save you, perhaps?¡±


    Victorique laughed at the notion. Someone? Save her? Who could? Nobody could erase her black karma. She would live with it forever, lingering over her and carrying it behind her like her own shadow. It loomed over and eclipsed the world.


    ¡°There is no saving me. I¡¯m done for.¡±


    ¡°All this wallowing is doing you no good, Mistress. The Master has a task for you, to help save this world and yourself.¡±


    ¡°And what is that?¡± Victorique asked.


    ¡°My master could give you death, as promised,¡± Marionette said. ¡°So long as you do this one request of his.¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯m a tool in the end.¡±


    ¡°Even if there is death for you in the end, wouldn¡¯t you like to relinquish the bad karma around you? There might be hope for a reincarnation even if you do die if you do this for him,¡± Marionette said kindly. ¡°You must make a decision.¡±


    Victorique held her head high, golden hair with curls swaying gently. She looked Marionette straight in the eye, her own eyes gem-like from unshed tears.


    ¡°Please¡­help me. If your master can help me, then I will do anything.¡±

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3


    Marionette¡¯s gaze softened towards her. Victorique hated showing weakness in front of anyone, of being so vulnerable and pitiful. The last time that she opened up her heart to anybody, she was betrayed. And Marionette was a mere puppet, after all, she wasn¡¯t a real person. She was crying to someone with no sense of emotions or soul. This was so appallingly stupid, and Victorique hated stupidity, especially in herself. There was a chance that she couldn¡¯t trust this master of Death and Shadows¡­but what other choice did she have? She was so desperate to live a semblance of a normal life again that she would willingly traverse Hell for it. Talking about the legend of Gilgamesh and Enkidu¡­she didn¡¯t care about immortality, whether it was living way past her expiration date or being a hero sung through ballades by the bards, she didn¡¯t care.


    This would be the case if Victorique really were a weak-minded girl. But alas, Victoriuque was neither stupid nor weak-minded, and it was unfortunate for Marionette and the Masters of Shadows and Death, but Victorique would play the role of the good girl for now. Victorique loved wearing the guises and skins of other people as much as she changed clothes, bedecked in lacy dresses with ribbons and frocks and bonnets. She was like a chameleon, taking on the qualities and consistencies of other people while keeping her real facade hidden underneath. It was under there, beneath the surface, but all the world¡¯s a stage, or so they say. Victorique didn¡¯t care so much for comedies and tragedies, but rather the spectacle. She wanted flash and bangs and fireworks. She wanted to watch the world slowly burn down around her.


    Victorique wanted to laugh in this gullible girl¡¯s face. She thought that just because someone shed crocodile tears that meant they could be trusted. Well, tears like these were pretty convincing; Victorique learned how to cry on command a long time ago to get whatever she wanted. It was too easy, really. If someone saw a pretty girl crying, they wanted to help her. Just a few shed tears and pretending to be vulnerably opened up people to others. It was pathetically easy, and she thought people with their good-hearted natures were weak and soft and maybe a bit dunderheaded. Why be good when you could take whatever you wanted with your own power and cleverness? Smart people didn¡¯t follow the rules; they MADE their own rules.


    ¡°Please, Marionette,¡± Victorique said as she clutched Marionette¡¯s hands within her own, holding her tears in slightly just so they spilled a little. ¡°Won¡¯t you help me find my redemption? I think that¡­you¡¯ve opened my heart and eyes. I thought the way that I lived before was normal, but you¡¯ve shown me a new path that I could walk. I solemnly swear that I will become a good girl, now.¡±


    ¡°Mistress Victorique,¡± Marionette said, the pleasant smile on her face returning. Victorique liked how empty her eyes were though, but she was sure the poor thing was trying to emulate her emotions in return. ¡°You speak truly. I have a feeling that you wouldn¡¯t refuse our Master¡¯s offer. I promise I will do everything to protect you and make sure that you have a safe journey to meet him. I¡¯ve traveled far to Saberia to find you, Mistress.¡±


    ¡°Hmhm,¡± Victorique said before she lifted a hand to wipe away a tear. ¡°Marionette, you¡¯re so kind. You¡¯re like¡­the big sister that I never had. I truly hope that we can become friends.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that we will,¡± Marionette said, blossoming towards Victorique as though she were a flower rising to the sunlight. ¡°Will you say goodbye to the villagers before you go?¡±


    Victorique stretched her limbs and said in a cheerful tone. ¡°I guess I should say my final farewells. Saberia was my home, after all."


    Even though the people are miserable shitheads that don¡¯t think for themselves and pray to ¡®God¡¯ for all their problems instead of working things out on their own.


    Victorique walked down the cemetery path and made her way towards the Church, where she found the Mayor looking gloomily eyed at the crows. He would die soon. She could sense it. But he was clinging pitifully to life so that he wouldn¡¯t face regrets in an afterlife that he thought where shining heaven awaited him in all its glittering gold gates and silver clouds. How funny! It was hilarious! She could meet him again in the afterlife if she so wished, or use his body as a plaything. She liked when people were dead. They were easy to talk to and they didn¡¯t talk themselves unless if she willed it. That was the best part.


    ¡°Oh, Victorique,¡± the Mayor said with some relief. ¡°I¡¯ve lived in this town for quite some time¡­grateful that we didn¡¯t have to participate in the war outside.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Mayor Cromwell, you¡¯ve been ever so good to me,¡± Victorique said wide-eyed innocence. Whenever Victorique wore this expression, which she practiced in the mirrevery dayday by lifting up the corners of her mouth with her fingers, she could look genuine and sweet. That¡¯s the fact that she¡¯ll wear now. ¡°I hope that you are doing well. I just wanted to let you know that I¡¯m going on a journey. Yes¡­I¡¯m going to join the war effort.¡±


    The Mayor looked surprised. ¡°Victorique, I always knew that you were a good girl, and it¡¯s honorable that you want to help out the soldiers, but it¡¯s tragic to see women on the battlefield where they could be killed or other unsavory things.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have someone accompanying me,¡± Victorique said with a curtsy, but inside she fumed at this man¡¯s stupidity. How simple-headed. What a dunderhead, wasn¡¯t he? But gosh, she couldn¡¯t help but think that sometimes it would be better if she were as dunderheaded as the whole lot of them. Stupidity is bliss, or so they say.


    Cromwell put a hand on her shoulder. Victorique bore a smile through it all.


    Don¡¯t touch me, old man.


    ¡°You remind me of my granddaughter,¡± Cromwell said somewhat fondly. ¡°She was a good girl, just like you. I¡¯m not going to stop someone doing the Will of God, though I do wish that you would be careful. The world outside Saberia is a dangerous place.¡±


    Victorique¡¯s eyes widened. Her grin grew slightly sharper.


    ¡°Yes, I am¡­doing God¡¯s work. Yes, that¡¯s my mission statement. That I¡¯m going to reform this world so that there is peace. That there is no more war. My only wish is to see a peaceful world with no violence.¡±The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Off you get, Miss Victorique. I pray you have a safe journey.¡±


    Victorique then skipped away from the Mayor. It was so tiring smiling like that, especially when these people in the village displeased her so. The whole lot of them were sheep, none of them had a mind of their own. Just God this, God that, the war effort, helping others and being rewarded in Heaven just for being ¡®good¡¯. She knew the secret vices of this town, but she would depart from it soon enough. Everywhere was reeking with corruption.


    Marionette was waiting for her through the outside gate. She folded her hands in front of her and bowed to Victorique when she approached.


    ¡°I said my goodbyes,¡± Victorique said sweetly. ¡°I will miss this beloved town of Saberia. But the Mayor was right. I am¡­doing the Lord¡¯s work¡­"


    ¡°You found your faith, Miss Victorique?¡± Marionette said with widened eyes, and that smile appeared on her face. Eyes still seemed soulless though. There was no way that this Doll could ever become a human. ¡°It must be nice to have faith in something. I do everything for my beloved Master, and he promises me that I will become real and have a heart one day. I would so love to have a heart and become human. I do not wish for Mistress to lose her humanity.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Victorique said, clasping her hands within Marionette¡¯s. ¡°You are looking after me, dear sister Marionette.¡±


    Marionette smiled kindly.


    ¡°You are a good girl, Victorique. Shall we go on our journey? We will have to traverse through the Elfwood Forest. It certainly doesn¡¯t look like what it used to though, does it? I¡¯ve seen pictures of the Elfwood Forest when it was full of life and vibrant. It was so beautiful.¡±


    ¡°The Elfwood Forest?¡± Victorique said before her smile grew sharp. ¡°You mean there used to be Elves and Faries in this forest, right? That was just a legend.¡±


    Marionette shook her head.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t just a legend, Miss Victorique. This world was so green and verdant, full of creatures and life. It¡¯s a shame that it¡¯s all gone now, though.¡±


    ¡°I would imagine that war does that,¡± Victorique said, suddenly caught in the throes of passion. ¡°I want to bring back the magic of the forest and the world. The war has been going on for so long¡­I think that God finally delivered a message to me that I would be the Savior of this world. Even if it means sacrificing myself to do it, I will bring peace. I do so love the thought of a sinner rising up from the pits of hell to redemption.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Marionette said while bowing. ¡°I believe it¡¯s about time that we get going.¡±


    ¡°Marionette¡­¡± Victorique said as she huddled closer to the Doll. ¡°You said that you would protect me?¡±


    ¡°That is indeed what I said, Mistress.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a good sense of direction? The forest has misdirectional spells within it to prevent enemy soldiers from finding Saberia.¡±


    ¡°Directional spells don¡¯t work on me,¡± Marionette said with a faint smile. ¡°I¡¯ve an unerring sense of direction. I can find anyone and everyone. It¡¯s all a matter of observance and mindset.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think many people possess such an ability,¡± Victorique said with a light giggle.


    Oh, so Marionette has more depth to her than a sheep.


    Time to play up the good girl act, then. At least for now. Besides, it might even be fun being one of the sheep for a while. Though really, she was a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing. She will never truly be among the sheep; they grazed in green pastures thinking mindless things, though wolves pruned the sheep population and took what they wanted. Was it time that she did a little reaping and chafing of the wheat?


    ¡°Marionette!¡± Victorique gasped when she heard something crushing the fallen twigs and leaves in the underfoot of the forest. ¡°What do you suppose that could be?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m standing on guard,¡± Marionette said as she took out a blade she inserted into her thigh high boot. ¡°I won¡¯t let any harm come to you, mistress.¡±


    ¡°My God,¡± Victorique said, her bottom lip trembling and her eyes widening as the brush rustled and quivered. Standing upright was a gigantic bear that roamed this forest. The bear was the reason why soldiers didn¡¯t enter the forest or why people in Saberia left through the woods. Besides the misdirectional spells, this bear had a ferocity that was far beyond normal bears. It normally spent most of its time sleeping and eating fish in a brook that ran through the forest, but when roused from its slumber, the horrid thing became a terror that slashed down everything in sight, whether it¡¯s trees, animal, or human alike.


    Victorique pondered what Marionette could possibly do with that pathetic blade against the mighty bear. Maybe she had hidden combat prowess that she didn¡¯t reveal until desperate situations? She did traverse this forest after all; maybe she had means of fighting against the bear. She didn¡¯t encounter him on her first trek through the forest, fortunately; but what about now? Victorique pretended to tremble. She had nothing to worry about¡ªbut Marionette did.


    Probably Old Man Severus¡¯s work. They say that he had the ability to communicate with animals, and it was whispered that he would run wild with a bear in the forest. A cursed bloodline of his, to communicate with animals. People with the ability to talk to animals and summon them must be as simpleminded, she supposed.


    Victorique wanted to know how Marionette would handle the bear. She wasn¡¯t frightened, though being mauled by a bear would be a most unpleasant experience, she imagined. And Marionette had one life to worry about, as well. Why was the Doll so willing to risk her one meager life for the likes of her anyway? To score karma points? To have a guaranteed ticket to Heaven? What a laugh. Life was so pointless, death was pointless, so the only thing that you could survive. Even beasts had more self-preservation than Marionette.


    Yet when Marionette brandished her blades, she swooped forth with blinding speed and rushed through the bear and past it. The bear seemed to be intact, though, after a while, various gouges ripped upon the bear¡¯s skin through its mass of fur and hide. It roared in agony as blood splattered everywhere, and Marionette¡¯s pleasant smile still remained on her face as she fought the bear, though her eyes seemed more fierce, somehow. Manic. Victorique¡¯s grin only widened.


    What a psychopath! She obviously loved to kill things. The savor of taking the life out of something, or watching it fall limp and gasp for its last breath in a pathetic, crumpled form. Marionette was a grim reaper of death in her own way as well; the angel that bestowed merciless death upon those who crossed her. The bear suddenly crumpled and fell on the ground, lying in a pool of its own blood. Victorique circled around it, examining it closely. Its eyes fixated on Victorique, before she heard the bear speak in a familiar voice.


    ¡°Victorique¡­¡± the bear said in Old Man Severus¡¯s voice. ¡°Your karma will only blacken. You may have killed the soul of an old man in a bear¡¯s body, but you cannot do as you please for too long. My only wish was to see you die¡­¡±


    ¡°Old man Severus,¡± Victorique said pleasantly. ¡°Rejoice, for I have turned over a new leaf. In your passing, I¡¯ll be sure to harvest your body for nourishment. That¡¯s the least you can do for us, Marionette and I, when your soul departs from the bear¡¯s body that you shared.¡±


    ¡°You have no respect for life¡­or death¡­¡± Severus said, to which a sharp toothed grin appeared on Victorique¡¯s face.


    Victorique put her practiced smile for Severus¡¯s sake. ¡°Oh, old man, just lay down and rest, you poor thing.¡±


    With that she laid Old Man Severus to rest. When Marionette came over, Victorique didn¡¯t mention a thing. When Marionette gutted and skinned the bear, Victorique certainly had a wonderful time eating the succulent meat.


    Absolutely delectable. What a feast for a Queen like me.

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4


    Victorique licked her fingers. It was uncouth to do so, but she was positively ravenous, Marionette washed up in a little brook that was nearby, and even caught some fish for them to nibble on while they journeyed through the forest. Victorique hummed a merry tune while she skipped along the forest path.


    Food also gave her energy for her necromancy. She needed the nourishment. Perhaps she could¡¯ve used the bear as a pawn in her Domination ability, but they needed food and they had plenty of rations to store for their long journey ahead.


    ¡°Marionette,¡± Victorique said sweetly. ¡°I think that we¡¯re beyond the edges of the forest. But from here on out, it will be a warzone. Do you think you can do your best to protect me from any harm?¡±


    ¡°That I will do, Mistress,¡± Marionette said with a fond smile towards her. ¡°I will slice down any soldier that attempts to do anything to you.¡±


    ¡°Good. I¡¯m going to do a little technique which will ensure both our safety.¡±


    With that, Victorique started shaping some dirt golems to act as their meat puppets for the war ahead. It was a small, meager effort that didn¡¯t take much energy, and Victorique already prepared some hearts for the dumb things as well. They were mindless things that only did as they were instructed, though that should be enough to serve her purposes, after all. The heart she prepared came from a crow that Victorique brained earlier¡­and she saved the heart from the bear they took down as well. The bear would serve as a big strong bulky defender while the crow golem¡¯s heart would be their scout. Very useful indeed.


    Marionette clapped.


    ¡°Mistress, what kind of technique is that?¡±


    ¡°I can make inanimate things into living things as long as I have a heart,¡± Victorique said. ¡°I imagine that your master animated you as well, though he purposely didn¡¯t give you a heart, did he? Cause I can see that something with you is greatly different from the things I animate¡±


    Marionette shrugged. ¡°I would like to have a heart, even if it¡¯s not my own. The heart is the centerpiece of a living being. When I become human, I hope to give spare others from death, as long as I can.¡±


    ¡°Oh Marionette,¡± Vicotrique said as she lovingly put a hand against Marionette¡¯s cheek. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that death is inevitable? That nothing can conquer death?¡±


    ¡°Mistress,¡± Marionette said kindly. ¡°I try to ease suffering as best as I can. Even if it means putting things to death. I could tell that bear was suffering; so put it out of its misery, I killed it as swiftly s I could. Blades are more visceral than syringes, but feeling a little pain before they die is proof that they have lived.¡±


    ¡°Then, you cannot feel pain, Marionette?¡±


    Marionette nodded.


    ¡°I have no sensation in my nerves. Perhaps it¡¯s because I lack a heart, perhaps not. But what truly matters is, Mistress Victorique, is that I will do the killing for you so that you don¡¯t tarnish your humanity further. Humanity is a beautiful, yet fleeting, thing.¡±


    Victorique nodded as they edged their way out of the forest. The burst of cannon fire could finally be heard outside of the unnatural silence of the forest, and gunshots rattled through the smoky air. Death everywhere. Senseless war.


    ¡°Mistress, it was a brilliant idea to make golems,¡± Marionette said with admiration


    ¡°Always be prepared so they say. First, we¡¯re going to have the golem with the crow¡¯s heart scout out the area and determine the safest route for us,¡± Victorique said as she said the miniature floating golem aloft and sent it high in the sky where it overlooked vast grasslands and boulders and valleys for coverage of possible enemy soldiers.


    When the golem floated in the air and sent back images to Victorique¡¯s eye, Victorique saw a stray bullet tear through the golem¡¯s hide. IT was a pathetic thing really, but at least they knew what direction the sniper was at. Victorique had a feeling that the sniper was hiding somewhere beyond the edge of the forest. The golem with the bear¡¯s heart would lead first and they¡¯d trek their way to the sniper¡¯s location so that they didn¡¯t have to worry about him. Or her.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Victorique slowly motioned for Marionette to follow her behind the gigantic golem that Victorique prepared, making sure to use a few stray trees for coverage and hiding in the tall grass. They trekked further outward from the forest into the more open land area, which was an ideal location for a sniper to pick off anyone who dashed off for easy pickings. But that¡¯s why Victorique prepared the clay golems.


    ¡°Okay, Marionette,¡± Victorique whispered as she hid behind a large rock that provided coverage against bombs and smoke and snipers. ¡°I want you to flush out the sniper. When you do, make sure that you do not kill them. We need information out of this guy.¡±


    ¡°Will do, Mistress,¡± Marionette said in a whisper before she darted in the open area. She avoided any bullet that came to her direction with inhuman speed or sometimes deflected them with her blades. Victorique smirked as she lay in her hiding place.


    She heard a boot crunching into the dirt. She was careless!


    Before Victorique could escape, she was grabbed by an enemy soldier who held her by the wrist.


    ¡°What do we have here?¡± he said in a lazy drawl while Victorique struggled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me, you filth!¡± Victorique screamed as she punched him in the chest. It was like soft dough pounding against his chest.


    ¡°You¡¯re far too valuable to let go,¡± the soldier said. ¡°We heard that there was a witch from Saberia coming out of the forest.¡±


    Victorique gritted her teeth and cursed. Old Man Severus¡¯s work, no doubt. Did he send a messenger crow outside of the village towards the soldiers about her? Even in death, he was still a nuisance.


    ¡°Marionette will come,¡± Victorique said before the soldier chuckled.


    ¡°Marionette is the one who betrayed you to our cause,¡± The man said. ¡°Come here, little girl. We¡¯ll reconsider taking your life if you answer some questions very carefully.¡±


    Victorique¡¯s breath stilled. How dare they question her! She was the one who should be stepping on them like the cockroaches they were underneath her heel, no the other way around!


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Victorique said in a bland tone.


    ¡°We want you to please kindly die,¡± the soldier said. ¡°If that¡¯s not too much trouble. Of course, you always have to go and make everything inconvenient. You have not died at all, but instead, plague like a pestilence.¡±


    ¡°You are the blight of this earth,¡± Victorique spat. ¡°How dare you suggest that I¡¯m the defective one?!¡±


    ¡°Marionette did well,¡± the soldier said admiringly. ¡°First of all; is it true that you¡¯re immortal?¡±


    Victorique spat. He wrenched her wrist. Victorique didn¡¯t give him the satisfaction of crying out, but saints and sinners, that hurt.


    ¡°I¡¯m not telling you a thing,¡± Victorique said with bitterness in her tone.


    ¡°Is it true that you can bring back the dead into the world of the living?¡±


    Victorique showed a sharp-toothed grin towards the man. ¡°Poor wretched man. You will eventually become one with the bones and dust of this place.¡±


    He slapped her.


    Victorique laughed.


    ¡°You would not handle the Grim Reaper so lightly if you knew what she was capable of,¡± Victorique said as she slowly unhinged and began to cackle slowly, then more fiercely and intensely.


    Victorique then kissed the man.


    The man¡¯s eyes widened.


    Victorique started to purge the man¡¯s soul from his body into her own. He struggled against her, but Victorique clasped onto him tightly and fed on him. He became a withered dried husk and turned into dust and ashes after she drained every single droplet of life from him.


    She sensed Marionette behind her.


    Victorique turned and grinned, a manic smile on her face.


    ¡°Oh Marionette¡­.who¡¯s been a naughty girl? Trying to backstab the Grim Reaper herself? Ha, you¡¯re a riot! I like you girl, but it¡¯s time for your punishment.¡±


    Vicotrique saw uncertainty in the brunette¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Mistress¡­¡± Marionette said slowly. ¡°What do you intend to do with me? I¡¯m merely disposable.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to keep you around,¡± Victorique said lightly. ¡°But I want you to wait on me hand and foot. There¡¯s no overpowering me, you see? Poor pitiful Doll that you are, you were hoping to send me off with the soldiers so that you could make money, could you? How much money did these people pay you off with to end my life, you wretched girl?¡±


    ¡°A lot,¡± Marionette said. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t matter now. Mistress will continue being an intriguing person to follow, for her soul is one that I cannot swallow and savor. I will make a deal with the Devil right here and right now.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Victorique said wit ha sharp-toothed grin. ¡°Why should I trust anything that you have to say, especially you¡¯ve been paid off through greedy satisfaction?¡±


    ¡°That is true, Mistress, though I hereby make an oath right now that I offer myself to you thoroughly and totally,¡± Marionette said while bowing towards the blond-haired girl. ¡°You use your ability Dominate on me, can¡¯t you? If Mistress so wishes, she can Dominate me and know that I speak truly right now.¡±


    ¡°If you insist,¡± Victorique said sweetly, before she used her domination magic on Marionette.


    Marionette¡¯s eyes fluttered slowly, then they became blank. After a while, they shone again wit ha new vigor and light, and Victorique was most pleased to find that there was something inside of Marionette in place of a soul. So the Master of Shadows and Death displaced her soul with a Relic that was said to be cursed by the demons? No wonder why Victorique sensed that Marionette was trying to take her soul from her. She was an abomination.


    ¡°As you have willingly given yourself up to me,¡± Victorique said, her grin stretching farther on her face.


    ¡°My first order for you is to kill yourself.


    ¡°As you wish, Mistress,¡± Marionette said, before she stabbed herself through the heart.

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5


    Marionette stabbed herself. Victorique smiled as Marionette unflinchingly took a knife to her chest, ripping through flesh and muscles and sinew to penetrate her core.


    Victorique¡¯s smirk widened.


    She confirmed what she needed. Marionette proved it to her right then.


    For Marionette did not die. There was no heart in her chest cavity at all. In fact, no blood seeped from her wound, and she was as Hollow as a Doll, as Dolls should be. She was a homunculus of some kind, probably created from a dead body and reinforced with life. However, Marionette didn¡¯t need a beating heart to sustain her¡ª she was living and moving and thinking with a will of her own without a heart. Perhaps a blessing of an angel? Was her master more than what he seemed? What a delight.


    Victorique then patted Marionette on the head and kissed her.


    ¡°Thank you, Marionette,¡± Victorique said sweetly. ¡°You just confirmed something for me.¡±


    ¡°Mistress,¡± Marionette said as she glanced at the knife in her hands.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Victorique said as her grin grew wider and wider. ¡°I thought that I destroyed them all, but you¡­you¡¯re living proof that they still exist. This is too rich!¡±


    Victorique laughed, while Marionette bowed her head.


    ¡°Mistress, whatever are you going to do now?¡±


    The golden-haired girl stopped laughing for a moment, pausing to breathe, before she laced her hand together behind her back and said in her sweetest voice. ¡°What? Well, I¡¯m going to appeal to this angel master of yours. If he doesn¡¯t fulfill my wish than I will destroy him like I did his brethren; I want him to let me to continue to live for a little while longer, or else I will extract all the information out of you and destroy his precious creation.¡±


    ¡°Mistress, I do not fear dying for my master,¡± Marionette said. ¡°But it would be inconvenient if you simply took his life away. I think that you two would have a mutually beneficial relationship with one another¡­if you would top and listen to my humble proposal. Would you listen, Mistress?¡±


    ¡°Maybe I will, maybe I won¡¯t,¡± Victorique said in a sing song voice, before she leaned forward to kiss Marioeette on the lips. ¡°Maybe I¡¯d like to have you for myself. I don¡¯t like to share¡±


    Marionette smiled. Victorique saw that she truly did not fear Death, because she didn¡¯t know what life was. Wasn¡¯t it cruel of her master to give her a half life like the one that she had? But she wondered, why exactly, did the angel that was the overseer over Marionette acting as the master of Death and Shadows would try to revive a dead body on a human. Perhaps he was thinking of trying something bigger? Maybe she was an experiment? Or was¡­he trying to revive the angels again?


    ¡°Dear Marionette,¡± Victorique said as she whispered towards her ear, her lips barely brushing the lobe. ¡°Call your Master here. Right now.¡±


    Marionette¡¯s eyes fluttered, the only signaling factor that she weasn¡¯t a complete doll, or that she had once been human.


    ¡°What¡¯re you going to do, Mistress?¡±


    ¡°Oh, just have a little chat,¡± Victorique said while looking at her nails. ¡°I want to see him with my very eyes.¡±


    Marionette nodded. She folded her hands in prayer, closing her eyes and kneeling in supplication. A flurry of feathers appeared, that disappeared and melted into the ground like snow, and just like that, the angel appeared before her.


    His eyes were silvery, almost colorless, and his long white hair flowed freely down his shoulders. Victorique smiled.


    ¡°Why hello, Varus. I remember you.¡±


    ¡°Victorique,¡± Varus said with a stiff nod towards her. ¡°I prefer that you refer to me as the Master of Shadows and Death. If I were to be revealed as an angel, then..¡±


    ¡°People will imprison you and keep you captive,¡± Victorique said pleasantl. ¡°Or worse, harvest your bones and organs for the magical properties that they bear.¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°So you understand,¡± Varus said.


    ¡°Give me your Marionette,¡± Victorique said while looking at her nails. ¡°Or else I will kill you.¡±


    ¡°Just like you killed my brethren,¡± Varus said in a cold voice. ¡°Why do you want Marionette.¡±


    Victorique preened herself. ¡°Oh, she is very fascinating. One of your wonderful creations.¡±


    ¡°She is¡­very important to me¡­¡± Varus said.


    Victorique smiled. ¡°Do you know why I castrated you and eliminated most of the angels?¡±


    ¡°I can only guess at the dark mechanisms behind your mind.¡±


    Victorique cocked her head to the side, before she hummed to herself. Was there something that she was overlooking? She leaned close to the Master of Shadows and Death, smiling sweetly at him. His face remaiend impassive like stone.


    Then, without warning, Victorique grabbed him directly in the crotch.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Victorique said as her smile widened even further. ¡°So they DO grow back. How fascinating.¡±


    Varus flushed.


    ¡°What in the nine hells are you doing,¡± He hissed.


    Victorique smirked again. ¡°Oh, were you planning on keeping her ignorant of the wonderful joys of life? Just like you, Varus. A stuffy old man in the guise of an angelic youth. Did he impregnate YOU, Marionette?¡±


    Marionette curtseyed. ¡°He hasn¡¯t touched me in an inapprorpiate manner in any way whatsoever, Mistress. In fact, he has been ever a gentleman to me and says that I shouldn¡¯t let men touch me.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean he allows women to touch you?¡± Victorique purred, before Varus slapped Victorique¡¯s hands away from Marionette.


    ¡°Get your hands off of her,¡± Varus frowned.


    Victorique laughed. ¡°I take very good care of my toys when I¡¯ve found one that I like. But tell me, Varus¡­what are YOU planning on doing?¡±


    ¡°I should think it would be in my best interest not to reveal anything,¡± Varus said.


    ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s the only leverage that you have against me,¡± Victorique said with a smile, her sharp toothed grin turning more wicked by the moment. ¡°It¡¯s through Marionette that we meet together again at last. Do you remember our last conversation?¡±


    ¡°That was centuries ago, I believe,¡± Varus said stiffly.


    Victorique laughed again. ¡°Well, you have a sharp memory, or are you playing the part of a senile old man?¡±


    ¡°There was one thing that I always wanted to try, before I go out in a blaze of glory,¡± Victorique said as she looked t her nails. ¡°I want to start the revival of the Golden Witch. I¡¯m also ensuring the safety of the people underneath my domination ability as we form an empire. Those who do not submit underneath my will are to be crushed underfoot like the cockroaches that they are.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Varus said. ¡°Perhaps I should¡¯ve eliminated you a long time ago back then. But it was through my ignorance and naivete that I allowed you to flourish and become the person that you are today.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Victorique said as she chuckled behind a hand. ¡°What do you propose to do about me, Mister Varus? You have nothing left except dear sweet Marionette.¡±


    ¡°Marionette will carry on my legacy,¡± Varus whispered.


    ¡°She is fascinating, to be sure. Though she has no concept of humanity because she had no true humanity to begin with. You love her, though her personality twisted out of control from your grasp. Poor Varus, I bet you¡¯re in despair right now.


    Marionette bowed. ¡°Master Varus, I¡¯m sure that you¡¯re very weary, but please don¡¯t tire yourself further. It¡¯s been a long day. I¡¯m sure that we can convince Victorique to our side. I see hope and redemption for Victorique yet.¡±


    ¡°Your optimism is misplaced, Marionette,¡± Varus said sourly. ¡°Though Victorique, I have a proposal for you.¡±


    ¡°I might be inclined to listen, if you give me something interesting,¡± Victorique purred.


    ¡°I will give you something of great interest if you answer a question. I just want to know¡­why? Why did you destroy the angels and the afterlife?¡±


    Victorique turned, as something flashed through her head. White hot pain seared through her, and she squeezed her eyes shut in pain as she put a hand to her forehead. Now wasn¡¯t the time to succumb to something as lowly as a headache!


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you like to know, Varus,¡± Victorique said as she struggled to regain her composure and sneered at the angel. ¡°I destroyed them because I could, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Varus frowned.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a satisfactory answer, Victorique.¡±


    ¡°Then, whatever you have probably has no value that I couldn¡¯t gain by myself,¡± Victorique said with a lazy smirk. ¡°I will create a utopia in my vision. Whether you are a part of those plans is still to be determined. You need to plead your case to me if you want to live with your life¡ªinstead of being a mere hollow Doll.¡±


    ¡°I will revive the Witch Sopheria,¡± Varus said stiffly. ¡°For you to so generously spare my life.¡±


    ¡°Now that is an interesting proposal,¡± Victorique said. ¡°I did miss dear old Sophie, after all.¡±


    ¡°However,¡± Varus said. ¡°I will place Marionette as a piece in our little duel with one another. If you manage to break me complete and dominate me to your will, then you are free to do whatever you like with humanity as you please. However, if I manage to convince you that humanity is worth saving despite the fact that the may do truly evil deeds and atrocities, then I will put you to rest.¡±


    ¡°A game, you say,¡± Victorique said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m always willing to gamble.¡±


    ¡°This is no game,¡± Varus said seriously. ¡°Life and death is a very serious matter.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m always willing to gamble, even if it is my own life,¡± Victorique said with a sharp toothed smile. ¡°Tell me, Varus, what are you planning to do with a broken world such as this one? Is humanity even worth redeeming?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I believe so,¡± Varus said. ¡°I will defend humanity from the likes of you.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± Victorique said. ¡°Let¡¯s use our magic to amass armies then. Marionette will be the pawn that balances everything together. Whoever gets her soul first is the one who wins.¡±