40 [Bonus chapter]Chapter 40: Manticore [2]
Raven's body twisted, his heart racing as this woman could see into his soul, knowing his thoughts.
'This woman...'
He began to recognise her, the strange images from the mural, the rejected manticore... her brutal and evil method of devouring the essence of both men and women without a care.
Yet his mind also remembered her torture... the things they did to her, no longer a mere black painting on the wall, he could see her...
See Eve being tortured, begging for help, asking where "He" was... desperately trying to endure before she broke as a porcelain doll dropped on the floor.
'They wanted to use Eve. For what?' The question echoed within his skull as he stared blankly at her, unable to answer himself.
But he knew, and he felt sick.
For a long time, neither spoke nor moved, leaving the silence to fill this writhing void, her eyes strange, glowing purple lights watching his weird changes.
The distorted song ended as she realised he was spilling tears down his cheeks, his monstrous face, like a demon, yet those neon-blue eyes looked at her; they were gentle...
The shadowy figure tried to move back, her body pulsating and quivering.
"What are those tears... Why are you looking at me with such a face? Don't look at me that way!"
She screamed and lunged forward, grabbing him by the neck and squeezing hard, crushing his windpipe in her grasp, the bones of his neck squeaking from her force.
Her fake smile now distorted into a twisted and sorrowful face; Eve couldn't read his mind; she just knew his thoughts the moment her blessing and bloodline entered his body; anything after that point, she could only guess and entice him with half-truths.
Her fingers were cold, like a lonely glacier in a world of molten heat, floating alone in her sea of darkness, the marks of her torture still visible when this close, stitches... thick and black ripping and tearing along her flesh even now.
Now wearing a distorted smile because of their cruel torture, forcing her to swallow nails and slice her mouth open wide, like the slit-mouthed woman, glueing the flesh together.
When he saw her broken form, he thought of Lilith, but unlike Lilith, this woman had been tortured beyond recognition. As if her body had melted away, but the scars remained a reminder of their cruelty and formed the current Eve.
His eyes burned with hatred, his hands shaking with rage; he grabbed her wrists and squeezed until the pain became unbearable, her grip loosening slightly as he forced her to release her death grip upon him, his eyes watering from the pressure.
Eve's eyes widened as he shouldn't be able to move or touch her, as he lifted her hands over her head.
Raven's height in this strange monstrous form was over 7ft tall, as the 5ft 11 Eve was lifted into the air, her body swaying as she looked up towards him, her face no longer showing emotion, a broken porcelain doll's emotionless face.
"Now what?" Her sultry and deep voice sounded, those soft red lips broken and filled with scars as she looked at him with golden eyes.
She was no longer pretending to be Lilith, or rather, unable to show the false look to confuse him with their bodies touching.
As she gazed at him, she felt a sense of calm wash through her; a strange energy began to flood her body as if he were pouring a brilliant, warm light into her chest.
Eve could feel her broken body begin to feel a tingling sensation, the damaged nerves... her destroyed organs all began to repair, slowly... feeling a tickling sensation in her chest, stomach and thighs as her eyes widened, huge black pupils staring at the beast facing her.
"What are you hoping to achieve... Is it fun to reveal my true form, the disgusting shell of a once beautiful queen?"
She became limp, swaying to the side, the sensation inside her body still raging as the purple energy began to swarm through her body, flooding her muscles and flesh; the wounds of old were healing at a visible sight, and her clouded yellow eyes became brilliant golden orbs filled with vibrance and obsession.
"Hahahahahaha!"
She opened her mouth, releasing a high-pitched shriek of delight as the skin covering her face began to restore, the scars on her lips, the wounds from their torture all began to vanish the more he overworked himself and pumped her with purple energy, the more her changes became apparent.
While he poured energy into her, a thick, almost liquid pink point began to move into his body, something far denser and more powerful than he could withstand.
A single drop caused his skin to crack, his purple scales broken with blood seeping through the gaps... his powerful muscles tensing and convulsing as blood oozed from his nose and eyes.
"Ahh... Ahhh..." She moaned, drooling as she felt his thick energy filling every inch of her body; her entire figure finally changed, no longer a complete image of Lilith.
Still, they looked familiar, close to sisters, with Eve being older in her atmosphere and look.
"Haa....Ha...." Raven began to exhale, no longer the distorted voice of a monster, as the void around them began to tremble with her body, the stars and moon shining from above as the mirage-like dream started to fade.
Long silky black hair swayed in the dark void, the strands glistening as if crafted by the gap. Yet, now they were softer, cascading on her body as she looked down at the colossal beast... no... to the beautiful man with almond skin.
His figure was now Raven and not the strange monster, blood covering his broken flesh, the torture wounds and scars filling his chest and body, as the existence known as the first manticore trembled to her very core.
"Why....?"
She watched as he looked at her, with his broken, bloody smile as the wounds slowly healed, but the scars of his body remained even as they were healed.
He was different but not entirely gone; he was still there. But why...? What did he hope to gain? Did he think he would return to life again after dying twice already!?
Eve couldn't understand.... this man was her fate, once again reborn for the first time in aeons... since that fateful day, her dungeon appeared in the wrong timeline, world, and life.
Eve would be born, then suffer tragedy, her skin, body and insides damaged, sometimes becoming a disgusting monster, other's a deformed humanoid.
How many times will she have to suffer the same fate? How many lives must she live through this hellish torment and suffering before her accursed curse is broken forever?
She used to think that, looking at her disgusting body, no matter how many times she was reborn... No matter the world, the time...
'No, this isn't right... This isn't how it's supposed to be!'
She couldn't accept this strange occurrence.... why was he the one now scarred? Why did he take the suffering and pain from her body?
Now free to breathe without pain, but why did she feel no happiness seeing his tormented form?
"See... now look at how pretty you are, not using another's form."
A strange voice cut off her thoughts, causing her to blink several times; she turned to a young woman with dark brown skin.
Her beautiful body shimmered under the pure moonlight as if with each step she took, the void began to recede, standing next to him, her hand reaching out to caress his cheek, smiling gently.
"It hurts me too, dear sister. To know our beloved has suffered so much..."
"...Lilith."
Those words seemed to echo across the void, echoing in his ears as he shook with fear. Her nightmare returned.
Lilith was dead! Reincarnated countless times, reincarnated endlessly...
Her twin sister... the one who was supposed to become her support... but instead took her place, became the beloved first... reborn beside him in the first life... "he" the only male manticore ever to exist.
An experiment of cruel rituals and sacrifice, but Lilith became his betrothed, became the beloved Manticore empress.
And now, here she stood before him, alive and well.
Her nightmares came to life; her worst fears made a reality. If Lilith was resurrected... standing beside him... What place was there for her? Who should be the first manticore? Was this fair?
Was she cursed to relive the same horror over and over again? Will her heart break for eternity, living out a horrible cycle of despair and misery?
"Big sister... I...." Lilith tried to speak, but suddenly Raven's body struggled forward, blood oozing from his body, but his eyes were different.
They began to glow with deep blue light; his pupils now slits as they locked upon the figure of Eve, her solitary body hovering in the darkness; she returned to the mature form of Lilith, her eyes shining as they watched him with confusion.
"We can't continue like this, Lilith... Me of this life... He wants to save you both..."
"No... if you do that..."
"It's fine... Alistair is our name this time.... well... your feelings of compassion... the screams of your heart..... I will leave everything to you, me from the future, that wishes to do what I was too scared to do."
The voice was distorted; if Raven were conscious, he would know it as the voice encouraging him to follow his desires when running to meet Lilith.
"Must you disappear? We've waited so many years to be reunited finally! I don't want this!" Lilith? Begged with a voice filled with sorrow."
The former reincarnation of Raven, also named Alistair, stopped his steps only a few inches from Eve, her body now trembling as she realised who stood before her, no longer her haughty self but a quiet and shy girl filled with a sense of fear.
Alistair turned towards Lilith, his face a serene and solemn look.
"How many times have we been reborn, each time doing the same thing repeatedly...?"
"But!"
"No buts! Me of this life.... his heart is so pure... so accepting. Have you not seen how wonderful he is compared to the past ones?"
"That's true... but he is not you!"
"ENOUGH, LILITH!"
"I am not discussing with you, this boy... I cannot compete with him! He is far more than I could ever wish to become..."
"No, you are special... why must another man take your place?"
"Do you not remember...?"
"Eh?"
"Eve... you remember, right?"
"!!!"
Eve's face lifted, her eyes filled with terror upon seeing the aura of Alistair's body, no longer the beautiful purple light that made her feel warmth and joy, but the cold icy blue atmosphere... it made her remember those days."
Alistair turned back towards Lilith, his smile wry after seeing Eve's state and feelings, remembering the horrific things he did to her.
"Lilith... do you not remember the one that tortured and killed Eve...."
"Was me!"
"!!!"
His body spread its arms, the broken flesh now pristine and almond-coloured, as he turned to face the shocked girl with her white hair swaying in the moonlight, a look of disbelief on her face as she covered her ears, shaking it.
"not true, it can't be... not true... it's a lie!"
"hahaha... Always the child... Lilith... the first thought that came into this boy's mind... the deepest and most honest thought, was not anger... nor hatred from the pain she caused him."
Alistair walked towards the stunned Lilith, his feet moving with each spoken word until he stood less than an inch from her face, looking up at him with the mature and slightly more traditional-looking clothing.
"Lilith, he wanted to save her, to heal her wounds no matter the cost... The Raven of this world wanted to save her, even at the cost of his own life."
"!!!"
Eve was the most affected by his words, the fear shown towards the man who tortured her; she looked not at the former shadow just taking control during this dream, watery eyes as she felt the warm purple light flowing through her body.
It cycled around her body before wrapping her heart gently and filling her body with delight, then performing another cycle.
"But Alistair... How can we defeat THEM without taking Eves's power into your body and merging!?"
"Haha... Truly... Whether by luck or fate, that failed technique you tried to create... Eve finished it...."
"The incomplete gates of bliss!?"
"Ah..."
"But how!? Tearing their bodies apart, draining them dry of vitality and all energy! It wasn't finished... the technique would kill the one who tried to learn it! How many people did we kill to deem it a failure!"
"Lilith... our time is over... this is the sign... we should rest. Leave the future to our new selves."
"Hah!? You want me to leave it to that girl who spends the day with her fingers buried inside herself as she watches videos of you fucking that damn elf!?"
Her anger was understandable, but he merely smiled at her gently.
Slowly the form of the Alistair changed, becoming a more humanoid look, with elven ears and purple eyes, as he held Lilith tightly, her skin also becoming fairer, her eyes now blue as she held onto his back tightly.
"I don't want to disappear..."
"It's alright; we will go together... leave everything to Raven."
"Will it be okay... If they don't defeat them..."
"It's no longer our battle to fight... leave her all your knowledge if you are worried; I know you secretly adored her like a daughter."
"She's too tragic... Will they be alright..."
The two bodies began to fade slowly, the strange Lilith and Alistair ascending into the air as if they were fluttering in the wind and vanishing into the moonlight above.
Only Raven and Eve remained in the darkness, her eyes shocked... as her figure began to fade, the dream would soon end... but she was confused...
'It wasn't that bastard that healed me... but this boy....'
"Raven... Raven...? Is he my fated one? No wonder! Finally... you came... all along I was mistaken.... all the pain and suffering... It was to guide me to you! Ah... I cannot wait to find you... when my host awakens, she will indeed make you love her! Please wait for me... Raven~"
The darkness began to waver, like a lightbulb on its way out, blinking before it burst.
A sudden honk of a car sounded as Raven's mind stopped feeling foggy; he quickly checked his hands only to find they were fine; there were no talons, hooves or strange scales.
Honk!
"Oi buddy, are you fucking wasted? Get off the damn road!"
Raven's head turned towards the car, his body slowly moving out of the way as he looked around, only to find himself a few steps from his apartment.
The dizzy feeling slowly faded as the full memories of that strange encounter were vividly imprinted in his mind... the peculiar form that looked like him as an elf...
But the older Lilith seemed to be a little racist and mean.
'So much strange shit... But I am glad... that girl was beautiful in the end...' Raven thought as he remembered the black-haired girl, with golden eyes, like a little black cat.
"She said we would meet again...."
"Raven!"
His head turned to see Lilith in her pyjamas and a pair of rabbit slippers as she dashed over to him, rushing at full speed.
Her eyes filled with tears and her nose full of snot as she jumped through the air, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly, rubbing her face against his chest, sobbing and whimpering like a lost puppy.
"You're okay... thank god... oh gods... please forgive me..."
He wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her tight as she sobbed against his chest. His cheeks reddened as he wiped away some of her tears and kissed her forehead gently.
"It's okay... It's okay... why are you so upset...?" He asked softly, this body slowly walking to his apartment.
Lilith took a moment to reply... as she tried to compose herself, those purple eyes, unique to her, glowed under the moonlight as she looked prettier than before; her height seemed a little taller, too, as she wrapped both legs around his waist.
"I saw you... you vanished... in my dream... there was another Raven.... he changed and became an elf..."
"There was a nasty me... she wanted you to vanish... I was so scared when I woke up... it was dark like a dream... you were gone... I tried to call, but your phone didn't connect..."
"Then the beep.... and honk.... and you were there! I'm so glad.... thank you for taking me in.... for not asking anything of me..."
"But I want to help you... I want to work hard... I don't want to wait at home anymore..... Let me go with you...!"
Raven's steps were slow, he listened intently to every word, her sniffles, tears and cries, all of it as he understood that things might have been different, and this girl arriving beside him was some twisted fate, but choosing to keep her with him like this, was his own choice.
He learned this much from the vague memories of that strange alternate Alistair.
"Hey, Lilith..."
"Mmmm?"
He stepped through the doorway, his handsome face looking down on her, illuminated by the moonlight with a gentle smile.
If there were issues in the future, should Emily be upset, he would work hard and convince her; should Philis return, Raven would make her accept the situation.
Raven couldn't lie and say he loved this girl, but he wanted her to remain close and wished to protect her. For now, that was enough, at least for him.
"Let's have dinner together."
"Idiot... I cry so much, and all you think of is that....stupid....! Hahahaha.....idiot... put me down bastard... your cock is all hard and hurts....!"
Lilith escaped his grasp, rushing away as she began to cackle and laugh manically as she entered the kitchen for a few minutes before popping her body out, wearing the apron she always borrowed, while holding his "Most Handsome Chef" apron out towards him.
"Come on then! Let's cook together, perverted Orc!"
Raven didn't know what the future would bring, nor who "They" were, all he knew was that he didn't want to see that girl cry and suffer, nor would he wish the same for Lilith and the women around him.
He would fight, like his mother, until his last breath.
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So there might be a lot of confusion in this chapter; that's how I intended it to be. From the start, I wanted the link between the murals and Raven to be revealed earlier.
Thus I chose the finale of Volume 1.
The "Alistair" and "Lilith" that appeared were the people from the first mural who fell in love, but the reason he died was not her power. Instead, he was killed by a mysterious enemy.
Lilith was jealous of how Alistair and Eve were initially supposed to be married, as they were engaged before their world was destroyed.
When they fled using the dungeons, she set Eve to appear 100 years later, and in that time, she developed a trap, corrupted the first reincarnation of "Alistair", and twisted his mind to kill and torture her.
Thus the second mural was fake! It was manipulated and changed by Lilith!
Those two have now moved on; they will enjoy their future together in another dimension, never to be reincarnated in the lower or divine realms again!
It's scary to think they seemed to want to originally overtake our boy's body and the cute Lilith to live another life!!
Many things don't make sense, but those after for the future volumes; I hope you enjoyed the novel's first volume!
From Volume 2, we have Lilith entering the dungeon! Emily is moving in with them, and more Miriam and Philis!
Volume 2 - "To You Who Guides My Path!" Coming soon!
