Chapter 133: The Queen of Ghosts

Chapter 133: The Queen of Ghosts
Chapter 133: The Queen of Ghosts

Melissa’s POV

My every step reverberated in the icy solitude as I ventured more into the ruins. The whispers that had before troubled me had subsided, but now there was a heavy, oppressive presence in the air. My grip tightened around my blade as my heart raced.

Then I caught sight of her.

She was only a flicker at first, a shadow standing in the corner of the ruin with her silhouette just barely discernible. However, she became more visible as I moved closer, like fog dissipating in the early sun.

In front of me was a towering, majestic woman wearing old robes. Her eyes were as deep and dark as the night, and she stared at me without blinking, her long hair floating around her as if she were underwater.

"Who... are you?" I succeeded, trying to speak steadily but my voice quivered.

The spectral woman grinned, but her face was dejected. She whispered, "I am the first one to wield the power you now hold," in a voice as silky as the wind. "I was once known as Queen Elara of the Shadowlands."

As I looked at her, things began to make sense. It was more than a gift, the power pulsing through my veins. It left a legacy. Her heritage.

"You... you fought him too?" I was unable to control my terror and whispered.

With a small change in her ethereal form, she nodded. "Long ago, before the world was destroyed, I battled the dark deity. Like you do now, I thought triumph was within reach. But, Melissa, power has a price.

I stepped back as her words sent a shiver down my spine. "What do you mean?"

As if to show me something from the depths of her memory, Queen Elara's eyes darkened as she gently lifted her hand. "I used my authority too carelessly, and now you find yourself standing in the ruins of an empire that fell. One should not undervalue the dark god. He has always waited for the ideal opportunity and been patient. The point at which the powerful person would believe they could overcome him.

I took a deep breath. "But I can’t—"

"You cannot defeat him without paying the ultimate price," she said, her voice roaring through the stone's fissures like the wind. "At one point, I believed I could stop the flood, but the darkness within him—and all of us—will always seek what it desires. It will devour you, as it devoured me.

As Queen Elara's words took hold, the surrounding air grew colder and the shadows grew darker. I tried to get rid of the dread, but it stuck to me like a second skin.

"What... what happened to you?" My question was hardly audible above a whisper.

I could feel Queen Elara's presence more strongly than ever before as her gaze softened and she stepped toward me. "I fought the dark deity, just as you will. I made an effort to save my people. I did everything in my power to keep them safe. However, it wasn't sufficient in the end. She averted her gaze, seemingly perceiving something distant from me. "He took everything. My kingdom. My life. My spirit. In exchange, I was reduced to a ghost, confined here and forgotten by everyone but a select few.

My heart tightened. "But I won’t—"

I was silenced as she held up a hand. Melissa, you'll be tempted. Being in a position of authority is not an easy task. Although it is a weapon, it is also a curse. Additionally, the dark deity will give you something in exchange for your battle. A means of winning without abandoning your values. He'll make you a worldly promise. Her gaze pierced my own. "But keep in mind, kid—he is an expert at telling lies. You will be lost once you accept his gift. as I was.

"But... how do I stop him?" With a hint of urgency in my voice, I asked.

Elara, Queen, shut her eyes. "You have to make your own decision. There is no simple solution. No sorcery. You can't be saved by any weapon. You have to confront the reality of your inner darkness and decide whether or not to give in to it.

My stomach began to turn into knots. "And if I don’t?"

"You die," was her blunt response. "Or worse, you become like me—trapped, unable to escape the weight of your own choices."

I refused to believe it and shook my head. "There has to be another way."

The ghost queen had a sad, weak grin. "Child, I wish there was. I wish there was.

The shadows surrounding us appeared to suddenly awaken. The air was more oppressive and thicker. The silence was filled by an odd murmur.

"Do you hear that?" Instinctively, I reached for my sword and asked.

Queen Elara's eyes were wide with concern. "He’s coming."

My heart leaped into my throat as I whirled around. A loud, ominous growl resounded from the ruins' gloomy doorway, followed by the sound of heavy footfall.

"Melissa," Queen Elara uttered in a hurry, her figure wavering. "You have to decide right now. The dark deity won't wait indefinitely.

Stretching toward me like fingers grabbing for my soul, the shadows twisted and bent.

Time was not on my side.

The ground shook beneath me before I could even comprehend Queen Elara's warning. Darkness grew in the air, and I had a gut feeling that the creatures of the dark god were around. I had to get out of this spooky place quickly.

I needed to locate Kane.

However, the dark strands of the world around me changed as I turned to go. I sensed their draw, around me and closing closer. The whispers were almost intolerable; they were no longer gentle but persistent. Someone is pursuing Kane.

I went cold. The insight came to me suddenly. Kane was in danger if he was being pursued. I had to help him deal with this.

With my pulse pounding, I rushed forward as panic swept through my chest. The monsters of the evil god were pursuing Kane in addition to me. Before they did, I had to locate him.

As I raced, the wreckage twisted about me. The route I had previously taken appeared to have changed. Time itself seemed shattered and warped as if the world were attempting to tear itself to pieces. I tripped and collided with a wall that was collapsing.

Kane, where are you?

I tried to cry out to him by reaching out and using my inner strength. Kane... Can you hear me, Kane?

No response. The only things that chilled me were the roaring wind and the echoes of faraway growls.

Then, off in the distance, came a voice, a cry of anguish and rage. Kane was the one.

With every step, my legs burned as I ran faster. His voice was becoming more urgent and louder. He was being hunted, not fighting.

He was there when I turned a corner. Bloodied and kneeling, Kane was fighting to keep his head above the battleground. He was encircled by dark creatures, nightmare creatures with eyes like fire, their claws scraping the earth. They were moving too fast.

"Kane!" I let out a yell and rushed at him, brandishing my sword.

When he saw me, his eyes brightened, but his face was troubled. "Remain back, Melissa! You don’t know what you're up against!"

The beasts' eyes flickered with a malicious hunger as they turned to face me.

This is it, I thought, gasping for air. The monsters of the dark deity were attempting to destroy us both, not just pursue Kane.

With all of my strength, I swung my sword and cut through one of the beasts. It burst into black smoke and yelled. However, there were too many. They continued to arrive, increasing in number.

Kane's voice sounded frantic and strained. "You're not getting it! They appear weaker than they are.

His eyes told me that he was struggling to hold on. What's the worst? He was correct. They were more powerful. However, I had to continue to fight and move forward. After everything we had worked for, I wouldn't let him go.

I let out my inner might with a yell. Waves of energy exploded from my palms and slammed into the shadowy monsters as the ground shook. They dropped, one by one, turning to ash.

Still, more arrived.

"We need to go, Melissa!" Kane yelled. "This place is a trap!"

I looked over at him. His vitality was sapped, and his face looked pallid. His eyes, however, were unwavering. "We need to find a way out before it’s too late."

But how could we? This realm—this prison of shadows—was moving and changing. Every stride forward appeared to bring us more into the unknown.

"We’re not alone in this," I said, my teeth clenched. "Kane, we fight together. We always have.

However, the ground shook fiercely beneath our feet and the sky above us cracked once more before Kane could respond.

There will be something soon.

I could feel the world around me distorting and bending as the ground shook beneath us. As if the very fabric of reality were being ripped apart, everything appeared to shift and shatter.

The whispers abruptly came back, louder than before. They were memories rather than merely voices. Around me, forgotten fragments of the past whirl. I caught glimpses of ancient conflicts, vanished kingdoms, and a queen wearing a crown of thorns.

Then the image changed, coming into focus on me.

Wearing his crown, I stood next to the dark deity and ruled with him. The world below me was cold, desolate, and lifeless. Neither light nor warmth was present. Just emptiness.

My heart stopped.

If I give in, this is what will occur. If I agree to his offer.

"Melissa." In the vision, Queen Elara's voice could be heard. "If you let him rule you, this is the route you will go. You'll be in charge of an ash kingdom. He wants you to be a conduit for his power, and you will become just that. You will be the reason the world dies.

I blinked, and my vision broke, causing me to gasp for breath. I turned to see Queen Elara standing in front of me, soft light shining on her spectral form. Her face was sad as she reached out to me.

She said, "I've seen this before." "This burden has been carried by others before you. However, you have to decide whether to fight or to give up. There won't be a way back if you decide to fight.

I could feel the weight of her words pressing down on me. My thoughts were racing. Which decision was correct? How much did victory cost? Would I truly be able to defeat the dark god without suffering any losses?

I heard Kane's voice behind me, and his tone was urgent. "Melissa! The creatures are closing in again!"

But as I turned to face him, I saw a shadow rising in the distance. The dark god’s creatures weren’t just hunting us. They were driving us toward something worse.

The sky shattered once more, and a gigantic shadow emerged from the fracture. A terrible presence filled the air, and I knew that whatever came through the torn sky would be far worse than anything we had fought before.

I felt the weight of Queen Elara’s words pressing on me as I raised my blade, preparing for what came next.

The choice was mine. Would I fight? Or would I submit to the darkness?