The cambion raised her arms to the sky, wings unfurling in a sweeping, majestic arc. But before Nyssala could blink, the camp around them dissolved into nothing, replaced by an unnatural darkness so intense that even Nyssala’s eyes — so used to shadowy places — couldn't see through it.
It wasn't long until she realized that it wasn't simply darkness. When Mizora spoke, it all clickled. She was dragged to the hells. Again. For the second time in less than six months. Nyssala’s stomach dropped. It wasn’t the first time she’d messed up with a careless remark, but this time? This time, she’d really outdone herself.
Her heart thudded violently against her ribs, each beat a panicked drum warning her of impending doom. Her breath came in sharp, shallow bursts as if her lungs forgot how to work properly. A cold sweat trickled down her spine, making her shiver despite the heat radiating from the smoke. Terror wrapped around her like a vice, freezing her limbs and locking her voice in her throat as Mizora raised her hand at her with bright, unnatural flames dancing through her fingers.
"Taste it, if you are brave enough."
No, I’m not brave! I’m a coward, a complete fucking coward! Get me out of here, pleeeease!! — She wanted to scream, to yell out anything, but her mouth stayed stubbornly shut, paralyzed by sheer, bone-deep fear. Every instinct screamed at her to move, to do something, but she stood there, mute and wide-eyed, trapped in the silence of her own dread.
Mizora said she would keep her safe... So maaaaaybe she had nothing to fear, right?
Well, obviously, some would say that it wasn’t exactly wise to trust a devil. Then again, cracking jokes at a devil was not the best move either. Spacing out while that same devil spoke was even dumber. And of course, blindly agreeing to whatever the devil said was peak idiocy. So what's one more unwise choice, among the sea of horrible decisions that defined Nyssala's life until this very moment?
Nyssala forced herself to close her eyes and take a deep breath. The air was heavy, hot, almost suffocating, and alive with a palpable rage that seemed to seep into the skin and course through the blood. It forced an unrelenting tide of emotions into her mind — terror, fury, desperation, and an insatiable lust. But not the kind of lust she was used to, not the kind of lust she profited from — it was lust... for battle. For blood. For the searing thrill of violence. The yearning to feel the weight of a sharp blade in her grasp, to drive it deep into yielding flesh, to twist until the slick, visceral squelch of entrails pulsed between her fingers. It was overwhelming, almost unbearable, and it took her completely by surprise.
Violence was woven into drow life — bloodshed was as familiar to Nyssala as breathing, something she had witnessed countless times since childhood. But she had never truly embraced it. Even when she felt the urge to harm someone (on purpose, that is), she'd never mustered the courage to do so. Instead, what clung to her more fiercely was the unshakable belief that she was weak, powerless, a helpless creature destined to fail. Her mother had made sure of that, repeating it endlessly: no one expected her to survive long enough to make it into adulthood.
Her eyes widened, and a strange exhilaration took hold. The terror was somehow still there, but it was overshadowed by a raw, primal rage that throbbed in her veins. An electric surge of power coursed through her, making her muscles tense and her blood sing as the fear was replaced by a savage, untamed anger. For the very first time in her life, she didn’t feel vulnerable or small. She felt invincible, unstoppable, like she could tear apart anything foolish enough to stand in her path. And it felt so... good. A wicked grin split her face as she reveled in this newfound, fierce feeling.
Gods, she didn't want it to end.
Every cruel face that ever sneered at her came rushing back: the mean cousins who tried to drown her in the Donigarten and mocked her, the siblings who beated her, the priestesses whose whips sang against her skin, the matrons whose cold eyes promised death. Then came the lecherous men in taverns with their dirty grins, the nobles at their depraved parties who thought her nothing more than a plaything. One by one, they flashed before her mind, and she felt as if she could take them all.
"This... is incredible..." Her voice was barely above a whisper, carrying an almost child-like wonder, except for the vicious glint of her eyes. "Every whip, every bruise, every disgusting smirk — it's like I could repay them ten times over! Hahaha! I could split Gortash in half with my bare hands right now!"
So this is how it would be, to feel the hot, coppery tang of blood on her tongue, watch their bodies pile at her feet? Oh, how she loved it.
A vivid melody unfurled in her mind, sharp and insistent. She could clearly hear the pounding of drums in a deep, thunderous rhythm driving the pace while gravelly lute chords rasped out a raw, almost metallic undertone, a dark edge that scratched at the ears. Layered over this, a violin's notes sliced through, swift and sinuous, adding a tense, almost manic elegance that danced over the deep rumble. The composition thrummed with life, each element weaving together in a powerful harmony that hinted at both danger and exhilaration. She would have to remember to write it down afterwards, along with the lyrics that came rushing through her thoughts.
"Red, red river, come and rise,
Bathe me deep, baptize my lies
Flesh and bone, they bend, they break,
In this symphony of blood I take."
A wild, unexpected laugh burst from her throat as she realized she had been singing aloud. For a moment, she felt so proud of herself for it… But suddenly a flicker of doubt tugged at her, making her smile falter. Was this right, though? She never thought this way before. Never thought about these... Things. Not like that. This bloodlust, this craving for carnage — it wasn’t who she was. Or was it? The feeling thrummed through her, insistent, off-putting. But why did it feel so right?
She brushed the doubt aside, shutting her eyes and reveling in the rush. It wasn’t a problem if it stayed in her head, was it? Just thoughts. Just fantasies. Harmless... wasn’t it? She wasn’t truly hurting anyone. And once whatever Mizora was doing is over, nothing of that would matter.
She would go back to her life, as if nothing happened.
Back to the weak, powerless, pityful chunk of reality she called a life.