The Chimeric Ascension of Lyudmila Springfield-Intermission – Niva – Niva’s Choice – Part Three

The Chimeric Ascension of Lyudmila Springfield-Intermission – Niva – Niva’s Choice – Part Three

I saw it in his eyes… His last-ditch effort to stave off the inevitable failed. How heavy was the nail that scratched his heart? It wasn't enough because he didn’t accept his fate.
“You—You’re from Barbil. I can help you find your family! The strongest mercenaries? Consider them contracted! They can take you home! They—"
“The strongest? We live in different worlds when it comes to strength. You haven’t seen true power. You don’t know what it is like to see the unimaginable before your very eyes. The only thing stopping me from returning to Barbil is myself. I could leave now. The ones I travel with would understand, but I’m not yet ready to face that part of my past. I’ll confront this, though.”
“Why?!” demanded Cedric. “The longer you wait… Why wouldn’t you jump at the chance?!”
“The answer is simple. It’s because I know my family is dead.”
Really, how could they not be dead?
“The village was on the decline. It’s not likely it would’ve survived much longer. It’s a tale as old as time. Villages are built when the storms settle and destroyed when the squalls pick up. Not everyone can drop everything and move because sustenance is scarce. The Frostpeak Barony produced much of Barbil’s food. The laborers got the scraps. They work hard to grow it, and the ones who sit back and relax reap the rewards. When one village goes under, they tempt others into starting a new one with false promises of wealth and glory, only to be held captive. You’re not slaves. But you’re not free. You work to survive. And you survive to work.”
I knew that much, but Aetos was a scholar. It was through him and Sera that I received an education. Or something of one. An hour of real-time doesn’t equate to an hour when you’re dreaming. It’s variable. So, even if a few days had passed, it had been weeks if you accounted for dream time, which let me learn more about my home country. I wasn’t an expert, but I knew more than the average farmer.
“That’s no excuse,” argued Lillian, urging me to change my mind. “You must have hope. If you’ve survived thus far, why can’t your family do the same? You must come from a lineage of strong-willed people! I believe your family is full of fighters—of people who would never give up! Just like you! So, please don’t give up on them because you can’t give up on yourself!”
Myself? She’s reaching for the bottom of the barrel. Anything to make me reconsider, huh?
“That’s where you’re wrong. Refusing to act would mean giving up. Refusing revenge would mean denying myself what made me want to hold on for so long.”
That shattered something inside Lillian. She threw a tantrum, uncharacteristically cursing a storm—a tirade that surprised her family. Her mother, especially, looked gravely concerned. She was about to say something when her daughter suddenly stopped. She looked at me, her hair lifelessly obscuring her vacant eyes.
“You have a list, don’t you?”
“Of the ones I want to kill? I do.”
“Is…my father at the bottom?”
“Near it,” I replied.
“Then… Can you start at the top? Kill those first. Work your way down.”
“I don’t know you well, but that suggestion should go against what you stand for.”
“Just do it! Please! They’re the ones who hurt you first, so shouldn’t they die first?! I want to help you, Niva. You’ll see the error of your ways if you kill them! You feel like throwing up the more you go down the list! At some point? You find it hard to live with yourself. You’ll think: ‘What was the point of it all?’ when it turns out your abusers had forgotten about you. They’ve already let go! Vengeance will consume you! You'll realize the time you devoted to this senseless journey should’ve been spent on the things that mattered far more!”
“Is that your last argument?”
“What?!”
“I’ve gotten this far, so why wouldn’t I see it through? Why wouldn’t I start from the bottom? Noelia’s dead. She had me after your father. Logically, he should be next in reverse order. You can talk all you want. You can beg. You can plead. You can crawl on your hands and knees and kiss my feet… It won’t change my mind. Besides, you talk all this shit about family, but there’s something I haven’t said. Your father added me to the registry. My true name is Niva Mesalitos. I’m sure it was a precaution if I succeeded in my task. The true registry is hidden since I doubt your father would want this failure on his record. Don’t be alarmed, Father.”
The genuine registry manifested when I tapped the table—courtesy of Tris. I slid it to Valeria. “Look at it. Confirm my words with your own eyes.”
“Mother? Is…” Cedric couldn’t finish his question before she nodded.
“Niva speaks the truth. Adoption notwithstanding… She’s…part of this family. She’s a Mesalitos. Lord Gloria’s seal is present beside ours.”
“He went through the process of making me his own…only to give me to Gloria when the Spirit Realm blacklisted me. At no point did he or anyone else stop and talk to me. Or treat me like a person. Maybe that’s all I wanted. Maybe if I knew the truth… I could’ve done something…”
“…”
“But no. No one said anything. From the moment Hymn captured me in Barbil… It was beating after beating, abuse after abuse, neglect after neglect. For years, Lillian. For years, and years, and years.”
“…” The foolish girl hid her eyes behind her bangs. She clenched her fists, though. However, I doubted my words reached her.
“Your father didn’t lose sleep. He didn’t have the nightmares I did because he was an orchestrator.  It was just another day of the week to him. Putting my spirits to the sword was the cost of doing business. Except for me? It was the worst period of my life. Being regarded as something less than living, but not quite a corpse. Something with potential, yet having nothing. Bringing life into this realm…to see it snuffed by someone who never told me my goal.”
“…”
“Now I should forgive him because he’s sorry? Because you won’t forgive me if I kill him? Because he found time to fuck your mother? Why should I care when he offered literally NOTHING TO ME?!”
Lillian screamed in frantic peril. Maybe she thought there was some magic phrase or sentence to make me reconsider, but my mind was already made up.
“I know the consequences of my actions. I know I’m destroying your family. I know… you’ll hate me. I know you’ll probably seek me out to kill me because why wouldn’t you? I’d do the same if our circumstances were switched.”
“But it doesn’t have to be this way… I don’t have to hate you. I don’t want to hate you. I don’t like the idea of…having negative thoughts about people. I was always told to be positive. I like…being that way. I’m sorry for what you endured, Niva. I really am. I wish life had been easier for you. It can, you know… It still can…”
I lowered my gun…
…but not because Lillian’s words reached me. No—the sparkling relief in those vibrant eyes was stained when I rang the nearby bell. A maid appeared, unsure if she should’ve actually entered the room. I was sure she did so out of instinct, but I didn’t hate her.
“Can you fetch Cassandra and her husband?”
The maid looked to Thaddeus, who repeated my command after nodding.
“What…” Thaddeus shut his mouth once the maid departed. His frustrated expression angered me more than I thought possible. He probably knew that, so he turned to his son’s wound. He began nursing it after asking permission.
I had no reason to deny it.
The two blinking dots on Tris’s waypoint map followed behind a third, so the maid was successful.
“The children are asleep,” said Cassandra when she entered behind the maid and husband. “It took more sleeping powder than usual. I doubt their respite will be restful.” She turned my way, her voice a mix of sorrowful determination after pondering the inevitable. “Are we to die by your hands?”
“You can leave us,” I told the maid, who hastily made herself scarce. “Are you to die?” I repeated the question. “No. Not at the moment. I want you here to witness the truth of Thaddeus Mesalitos…”
Familiar expressions of disgust blanketed my audience’s faces as the past—mine and Thaddeus’s— were summarized.
“Where we go from here is what we’re here to discuss.  I’ve thought long and hard about what I wanted to do. The obvious solution is as follows: I pull this trigger, and the walls become splattered with your brain. You’d die, Thaddeus, before your mind even registers the gunshot. However, death is sometimes a luxury. It’s not always a punishment. It can even be a mercy, so what do you do when you’re out of mercy? Do you know?”
The question was rhetorical. I still paused, though. Not for some extra emphasis. Because I needed to steel myself for what was to come.
“That was the first option. This is the second. Your family is wealthy, so you’re no stranger to deeds, land ownership contracts, and documents verifying your owned assets.” I tapped the table—the gesture signaled Tris to warp in our most damaging legalese.
“These papers have been signed and stamped with your seal, Father. They grant me—Niva Mesalitos—ownership of every asset in the Mesalitos name. That includes this estate, your other properties spread throughout Dirge, everything within the bank’s vaults… Everything. It all belongs to me. Do you know what this entails? You’re poor. You have nothing but the coins in your pocket.”
“That’s preposterous!  I never did such a thing!” Thaddeus’s reaction was bolder than expected. Then again, was it a surprise? Everything he had worked for no longer—as of this moment—belonged to him. I gaslit him into thinking otherwise. Memory manipulation magic existed. How could he remember signing it if that was removed from his mind? That magecraft was rare, but if anyone knew how to use it, wouldn’t it be a Vredi?
In a cruel, crude way, I spoke the truth because Mila had used a clone, assigned it Thaddeus’s Status Menu with [Status Cloak], replicated his unique mana signature,  and signed everything over to me. For what the world cared…
A man named Thaddeus Mesalitos had given everything to his adopted daughter, Niva Mesalitos. I hated that last name. It appeared on my forward-facing Status Menu, but it didn’t dare tarnish the truthful one only I could see.
Thaddeus could go to the court. Tris had said there was a non-zero chance Thaddeus could successfully argue his way out of this, but the percentage was far closer to 0 than 1%. But going to trial would mean putting this all out in the open. Mila could ask Lord Enele to oversee it and use his powers as the Dark Lord of Justice to enforce that only the truth could be spoken. The secrets Thaddeus and Gloria wanted to hide would have no choice but to be cast into the spotlight.
So, really...
“That’s the second option. Everything this family has ever owned will be relinquished to me—for me to use at my discretion. You’d leave here alive. Poor, but with that awful man still breathing. Except it’s not all sunshine. You have enemies, Thaddeus. People beside me want to see you dead. So, what will they do when they realize you’re without ten copper to your name and can no longer pay for protection?”
“You’d really put my younger siblings out?!” Lillian stepped forward, thrusting her arms out. “They’re too young—too small and unprepared to be homeless!”
“So what? Was it fair when he slaughtered my spirits? Be real, Lillian. Grow up. Life’s hard. You can blame me. But know that this all happened because your father is a disgusting pig that shouldn't be called a man.  He hunted people like livestock because he found it thrilling. He’s this powerful noble who gets off on hurting the weak—on throwing around their power, status, and influence.” Of course, there was only one reason why I even brought this up.
My sole target was obvious.
The only thing anyone said was: ‘Gloria won’t stand for this!’
“Why do I care?” I didn’t even know who spoke. “This was a legitimate transaction. Thaddeus Mesalitos signed everything over to his adopted daughter, Niva Mesalitos. How else would I have his seal or signature? You should know your father isn’t the man you think he is. Thaddeus is a coward. He’s a pathetic whelp.  He’s less of a man and more of a worm that lives in the dirt. No, even a worm has more worth than him. He’s a leech that sucks off the strong to get power. He has no pride or morals.”
Thaddeus, dejected, depressed, and desolate, spoke barely louder than an audible whisper. “I… It’s true.” He was backed into a corner, so what else could he do but play along? He didn’t know the truth. Yet to be confronted with a reality that he wasn’t involved in? A truth that, in his mind, he believed to be a part of?
No. That was giving the bastard too much credit. I couldn’t claim he was doing it for his family, either. It was probably to save his own dirty hide.
“I’ll give—I gave, I mean… I gave you it all. You can have it. Every last copper… Every last deed…”
“Aren’t you a kind one? Your words have little depth because you don’t have a choice. Except you do. Because this second option isn’t my chosen path. Do you know why? It’s because I don’t want your children’s deaths on my hands. You’re being shown mercy, Thaddeus. Is it a foreign concept? You, of course, never offered any to the poor souls you hunted. Stop leering at the window. Gloria won’t swoop in to save you. Interfering would not be in her best interest.”
“…”
“So, if I’m not killing you, and I’m not taking my inheritance… That leaves me with one or two options. I thought about forcing you to confess your crimes to the city. You’d call a conference to reveal your wicked whims and depraved sins to everyone, casting light on Dirge’s darkened underbelly. You’d lay it all out so everyone can see what a heartless bastard you are. But that would cast the spotlight on your family.”
I looked at them all before continuing.  I wanted my words—the potential threat to manifest in their mind before revealing it.
“Maybe there’s a father whose daughter went missing. Maybe he believed Hymn had something to do with it after learning the truth. A vengeful parent thinks the worst, so he could think you paid to hunt his precious little girl. He has nothing to lose, so why not make you feel his pain? Rather, others could conspire to make you suffer. Your children may become targets. They’d have to be watched at all times. Added security means less freedom. That’s no more social life. That’s no more academy—just a long life of constantly looking over your shoulder.”
“So…” I couldn’t hear the remainder of Lillian’s frail sentence. No doubt, she pictured the worst. Her mother’s expression…said too well what flashed through her mind. The eldest daughter discovered her voice, though unsteady it was, and asked—pleaded with me to stop beating around the bush.
I figured I could grant them the relief of knowing what I genuinely wanted to do to punish this pathetic bastard.
“It’s simple. Really, it’s obvious in hindsight because I spent far too long pondering these abstract punishments when the most fitting one was always right there. I will curse you, Thaddeus. The malediction’s designed to inflict terrible agony if you venture too close to anyone who knows you well.”
My target understood what I had planned. How could he not? Especially when he was there…during it all. The realization hit his daughter’s eyes.
“You isolated me. For so long…you and others refused to look at me… Refused to make me think like I’m worth anything.  You’ll be alone, Thaddeus. You can’t stay in Requiesta because the pain would drive you mad. So, you’ll leave. Maybe you find a village. You stay there for a month or two, but as soon as they know you… You’ll be forced to leave. You’ll become a wandering nomad, roaming without rest…condemned to never again form any emotional bond lest you suffer the punishment of my vexation.”
As much as I wanted to believe this was my doing—of my own power—courtesy of abilities I had fostered…
It wasn’t.
Mila was watching. As the only one I trusted who could use [Conferment]—besides Sekh— who knew of this plan—inscribing this cruel rule onto the world fell to her. She had offered support, so why wouldn’t I take her up?
I just…
I wish this came from
my
power.
My
ability.
My
magical strength…
It seemed like I was always…forever relying on others…and not my own strength.
“You could discuss your options, but I don’t have mercy. You have no choice in this matter. None. At. All.”
As expected, the family erupted into an uproar of conflicting yells and harsh tones until the target raised his voice. Thaddeus was a whimpering coward who never fought fair—who valued hunting the weak. But he was the family’s head. Naturally, he commanded an
ounce
of respect. Everyone went quiet while waiting to hear his choice.
“It isn’t right for the family to suffer for my sins. I also don’t want to die.”
“Coward,” I said, spitting in disgust. “You can kill. You’re fine with ordering your soldiers to do your slaughtering. But you’re afraid?”
We’re ready on our end, Niva. Begin the ‘curse’ whenever you like by raising your staff.
Tris’s waypoint message hammered the final metaphorical nail in this empty coffin. The only determining factor was…
Me.
The stage was set…
Primrose tossed me her staff as I raised it high. Waypoints masquerading as summoning circles appeared, visible to everyone in the room. The designs were intricate, the patterns squirming like gooey black ink as they combined into one. This conjoined circle gave rise to a hideous black monster. Its flesh shimmered like shadows. It didn’t talk because it was, at its core, an illusion. Yet it didn’t stop its grotesqueness from spreading an aura of disgust amongst the frightened audience.
It raised a long, slender finger towards Thaddeus as a black light swallowed his body. It ‘exploded,’ at which I lowered my staff, marking the ‘death’ of this ‘cursed beast.’
“It’s done. I hope you enjoy being cursed,” I said, taunting the heartless bastard.
Thaddeus turned to his wife, but the very second he saw her was when incredible pain struck his body like lightning.  He clutched his face, dropping to one knee as his wife rushed to her husband’s aid. She touched his arm, but that fleeting, brushing moment, while tenderhearted, was enough to scorch his skin.
That wasn’t an illusion. That noxious smoke wasn’t a trick.
His arm really was burning.
Thaddeus tried to speak, but he made a fatal mistake. His words were directed to someone who knew him—who loved him. His lips bubbled, partially exploding as blood oozed down his chin.
His concerned family had good intentions, yet their involvement made his agony that much worse. Thaddeus’s eyes bulged like they were about to pop the more he looked at his loved ones.
“It’s an isolation curse. You’re a pariah, Thaddeus. The touch of those you cherish feels like you’re being branded. Speaking makes blood erupt from your throat and threatens to drown you.” I didn’t know what expression I wore. “The time for regret is over.” Thaddeus covered his eyes. Groans of pain almost burned holes through his throat. Gritting in agony, he ran for the door Surtr guarded, who took two steps to the left. Since he couldn’t see, the foolish whelp battered his knee against the frame, tripping like an idiot before redoubling his efforts to get as far away as possible.
“YOU’RE A MONSTER!!” screamed Lillian. She shrieked, her hand grabbing a wine bottle, but Cassandra was faster.
A better aimer, too. Primrose smacked it away using a second staff. The glass fragments brushed my cloak, but it didn’t harm it.
I didn’t reply to the monster comment because it was true. I should’ve left, but I didn’t know why I let the insults rain upon me like a waterfall. Eventually…
I just had enough, I suppose. The transfer ownership documents were still on the table, so I tossed them to Surtr to burn. “I don’t go back on my word,” I said, watching the ash dance upon the floor.
If looks could kill.
“That’s one thing this monster doesn’t do. Keep that in mind. I didn’t have to do this. Congratulations. You can continue to live your luxurious life. Just imagine your dear Thaddeus has died. People die all the time. You’ll get over it.”
I had nothing left to say, so I left. The walk through the hallway was coldly silent. The soldiers we had encountered weren’t present, meaning it was just us. Tris probably knew where they had gone.
I didn’t care.
I just wanted to go to sleep. I entered the carriage as Surtr transformed into a lion, the fearsome flames forming a harness that attached him to it. Primrose joined me after giving the building one last glance, and then we departed this awful estate...
Tonight’s fatality? The gift of innocence.

Intermission – Niva – Niva’s Choice – Part Three