Distorted Memories Three
Sophia POV
The woman had long silver hair that seemed to float, as if there was a breeze. Her eyes, glowing like blue embers, carried a weight I had never seen before, as if she were very ancient, as if she had witnessed entire eras rise and fall. Her face was sculpted with refined features, beautiful and impenetrable, but her expression was a confusing mix of emotions: anger, sadness, shock, and some others I couldn't identify, something deep and immortal, as if her soul carried scars that time couldn't erase.
Her black robes flowed around her slender body, adorned with golden embroidery that sparkled in the light, like lightning illuminating details in a stormy sky. There was something mesmerizing about the way the fabric moved, as if it were alive, responding to the energy that vibrated in the air around her. In her steady hands, a staff shimmered with bluish sparks, small lightning bolts snaking its surface like living creatures, pulsing with ancient magic.
But even with so much power radiating from her, an aura so overwhelming that it could make anyone kneel, I felt calm looking at her. This mysterious woman brought me an inexplicable sense of security, as if, somehow, I knew she would protect me and that I didn't need to fear speaking the truth.
“Miss Naomi.” The woman's voice was velvety and had a delicate and patient touch, as if her tone was chosen with extreme care not to scare me.
She then extended her right hand, a simple gesture, but one that carried immense weight. Her fingers were long and elegant, but the strength that emanated from them was undeniable. Without hesitating, I took her hand, as if my life depended on it, and maybe it did.
“My name is Shangō Furen, I am the Elder of the Witches.” The woman said.
I found these words strange and tilted my head to the side. Something inside me stirred, a vestige of memory. Then, a discomfort quickly grew on the right side of my head. I brought my hand there, feeling a sharp pain, as if a sharp needle was penetrating my skull.
“Breathe deeply.” The woman asked, her voice filled with authority and calm.
A cold sensation traveled through my body, moving like a frozen river to the throbbing pain. Then, the pain suddenly disappeared, as if it had never existed, but something took its place. A strange memory emerged, a nebulous and fragmented recollection. I was in a completely empty place, a world where darkness dominated everything around me.
“Sophia…”
A man's voice echoed in my mind, distant and wrapped in unreal echoes.
“You are one of the strongest people I know… Your struggle until now has not been in vain… Don't let everything that is happening take over. I know you can fight against this thing, these misfortunes…”
“Khalid!” The name escaped my lips as a desperate whisper. My hands automatically went to my chest, and a metallic taste flooded my mouth. Blood.
Something was preventing me from remembering, something monstrously powerful. But I couldn't let that happen. I couldn't let my memories be taken from me as if they had never existed. Khalid was important, essential, and I couldn't allow his name to be erased from my mind.
But it wasn't just him.
Two other faces emerged in my mind, but they were distorted, wrapped in a thick fog. I knew they were crucial, that they were part of me, but their names eluded me, their features were blurs in an unattainable dream. I needed to remember. I had to remember.
“AHHHH!” A scream of frustration and pain escaped my throat, and I pulled my hand away from hers, bringing it to my head. My legs failed, and I fell to my knees, feeling like I was on the edge of an abyss.
The smell of rotting flesh invaded my nostrils, a suffocating presence that made my stomach churn. I was about to vomit, but I forced myself to stay strong. I couldn't falter now. I couldn't let these obstacles stop me. I needed to remember.
“Naomi! Hold my hand!” Shangō's voice reached me like a thunderclap.
I opened my eyes and saw her hand extended. My body trembled, my mind seemed like a storm in fury, but, with effort, I did as she asked. This time, the force that traveled through my body was brutal. It was like being hit by lightning, as if every cell in my body was being rewritten. But at the same time, there was a strange clarity in it, as if my brain was waking from a deep sleep.
Many memories came at once, like lightning breaking the darkness. But the pain I expected didn't come. Instead, I felt an absolute certainty taking over me.
“Perseus… Achilles…” I murmured the names of my companions, and then my eyes met the one I hated the most.
All the pain, confusion, fear… It all turned into pure rage. A burning, incandescent fury. I didn't care that Shangō was by my side, nor that she was an Elder. Nothing would stop me from killing this despicable being.
“I'm going to kill you!” I screamed as I lunged.
Ivar laughed, a laugh full of contempt, as if he thought it impossible that I would be a real threat. He tried to dodge, but I wasn't just a woman fighting. I was the companion of an Alpha and a Beta. The connection I shared with Perseus and Achilles allowed me to pull their strength, their speed. And that's why my punch hit his face with devastating force.
The impact was so brutal that Ivar was thrown against the wall, breaking it. The smell of fresh blood spread in the air, mixing with the putrid odor of his flesh. But I didn't stop. I advanced before he could get up, mounting him and delivering an implacable series of punches.
The sound of bones breaking echoed like music to my ears. He tried to transform, his body trembling in a last effort of resistance. But before he could complete the transition, I landed two simultaneous punches to his ribs, breaking them. He choked on the pain and, finally, fainted.
‘Kill him!’ A cadaverous voice whispered in my mind.
For a moment, I considered giving in. But then, I took a deep breath and ignored the dark call. I stood up, moving away from Ivar, and finally faced Shangō.
“My name is Sophia Turner… Naomi Blanchet was the innocent girl who was beaten and almost killed by Ivar Volkheim. She never knew he was a werewolf, much less an Alpha.” My voice was firm, filled with unwavering determination.