Villainess x Grimoire

They took a fourth, a fifth, and a sixth step.

Ruthlessly, they stripped me of my clothes with their sharp claws.

"Aurora..." I began crying, desperate for the indelicate position left by my careless actions.

They laughed excitedly.

Their hands approached my face and other parts of my body, which were half visible.

It brought nausea, a fast-propagating sense of tightening all the muscles within me, wanting in some way to shelter myself.

I threw up right into the face of the closest one, causing him to trip backwards.

The threads of the darkness I had freed from began consuming me from within.

"I hope you'll all die!" My shout reached them unfazed.

They made some happy noises, ignoring the meaning of my words as if they didn't matter.

Did they have enough intelligence to comprehend me?

But in the face of despair, none of it mattered.

Their ugly, darkened green nails plundered the warmth of my skin with a colder, scratchy touch.

"Die!" A shout escaped my lips, uncontrollable fear propagating through the surrounding not-too-warm air.

A slap followed, slamming my cheek and leaving a mark.

They grabbed my boobs and arms. One of them knelt and held my closed legs and tried to push them apart. None of what they did to me brought pleasure, only an immeasurable shame.

My teeth gritted like they never did, to the point of hurting my jaw.

Notice: Your class has resonated with your emotions; lust and helplessness seeds have been planted within your soul. Further growth might germinate something related to your fame and disgrace.

Laughter and coughing followed, and the goblins stood there watching, pausing their incomprehensible deeds.

'I'm so sorry for being so useless.'

Notice: Soul-bound has reacted. An unknown effect has bolstered its master.

And in my memories, I remembered what I had done to the goblins before. Pushing them against the slime, finding ways to kill them, seeing them as nothing more than experience.

'That's not right...'

The way they were preoccupied with their fellow kin had struck a piece of me. Had made me see them as something alive, human-like.

'And I still killed them...' Was this the gods' justice? Karma? 'Even then... I'll never forgive any of you!'

The surrounding laughter got heavier, madness engulfing the entirety of my leftover sanity.

Gruesome sight, those of the green creatures before me.

It made me laugh even more at their confusion.

I could tell they became wary of me taking a certain defensive posture while moving a step back.

'If I survive... I won't stop till I hunt you all! 

And then I shouted with all the force my lungs could muster.

Notice: Your health points have reached zero.

Hence, I mercilessly fainted, helplessly, hopelessly, abiding by faith's will, and the mercy of those who rolled the dice of fate: gods.

Year 5015, day 80 of the flowering season.

I opened my eyes thanks to the annoyance driven by the humming and soft pecking of small-winged creatures.

"Where...?" And everything looked familiar, tender, and warm.

"Home?" I used what little strength my muscles could exert to sit. "How?"

"You were saved by a party that was passing close by. You were barely alive, soaked in blood, injuries from top to bottom."

I turned my face to the left as her voice told me what had gone by. I found my sister sitting in front of a small table with some papers on top. Next to them, a small pot with ink and a white feather between her index and thumb. Objects that we didn't generally have.

My body shuddered, finding everything repulsive, remembering the creatures who had held me prisoner.

I cried as my fingers passed over my entire body, part by part, disgusted and angry at the goblins.

Especially mad about myself.

"Your reckless actions could have brought the end of us."

"I don't-" and my voice halted, knowing she was right. Unreasonably strict but righteous nonetheless.

"You almost lost everything you had. Both as an adventurer and as a woman." She didn't hesitate with her scolding. 

Each word pierced my ears as if she were poking me with needles, deeply enough to bleed and turn me deaf.

"Stop! I... don't want to hear!" My body shook violently like a thundering storm in the moon season.

"You didn't respect the dangers of this world despite the many warnings you received."

Tears overflowed across my cheeks, falling atop my legs like a soft rain.

I curved my back, hiding my head underneath my arms and below my palms.

I had fucked up.

In ways that wouldn't come to ever pass again.

"I... I..."

Aurora pushed my wording attempt with a sigh.

My blurry sight stood fixed on her, seeing her getting smaller or bigger. 

I wasn't sure.

"Oh, pitiful little sister. The things the world will show you are much worse than what you've gone through."

I saw her approaching, placing one knee after the other on top of the bed, holding the back of my head with her right hand by pulling my hair.

"You've been naively living here in Artana."

"I've-" and she placed a finger vertically on my lips, followed by a shushing sound.

"Enjoy a carefree life out here on the outskirts. I've found a way to improve this kingdom to keep our family safe."

I juked her finger, pulling my head backward. "I can help. I can..."

"Iris."

Her long sleeve passed below my eyes, removing the tears that didn't cease.

"I need you alive. Just that. Alive."

Aurora made me feel insignificant, as if everything that I was fond of and wanted to do no longer mattered.

"Need help to get up?" Her question came ruthlessly calm.

I pushed Aurora's hand away. "I'm fine." I angrily lied and as I attempted to leave bed. My feeble body felt like giving up on me, just like she had.

Despite falling a few times along the way to the kitchen, my sister didn't move an inch or say anything. She didn't even follow me to check how I was.

At some point, something within me boiled, and the tears that were flowing ceased to course.

The hate I built for the current me kept skyrocketing, no longer willing to wear this skin or anything else that was part of me.

'I don't need your help. I can do it myself. You'll see.'

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