“Chloe, please be a good girl for me and stay here and be quiet, no matter what you hear. Won’t you do that for me?”
A nervously smiling face fills my vision, the features of her face agonizingly unclear. I try to call out to her, scream a warning, but my small form only nods as the doors to the wardrobe close in front of me. As usual, they don't close fully, even when I wish they would sometimes. The vision I see through that crack haunts me to this day, as this nightmare of mine is a recurring one, even if the details become less and less distinct over time as I continue to forget what the face of my mother looks like. The events however, never.
“Don’t worry sweetie, it was probably a raccoon or something that made that noise. But just in case, hide here while I go check on it.”
The slightly muffled voice enters my ears through the wardrobe, and as always, my mother goes towards the door leading out of the only bedroom in this apartment. I know that I am dreaming, but the scene continues nonetheless, as the door creaks open, the hinges as old as the apartment is. A cry escapes my mothers lips as she is grabbed and tackled onto the bed behind her by her assailant, before being cut off as the hand covers her mouth.
The shadows of night obscure his features, but my mind knows what he looks like nevertheless due to what he did. Maybe it was an accident, maybe not. I don’t know what he intended to do to my mother that night, but as always whenever this night comes to me in my sleep, my mother doesn't notice the knife coming towards her neck as she struggles, her movements causing a large gash to open up and start bleeding fast.
As always, the man jerks back his hand holding the knife, but too late. My mother’s struggling ceases as her movements begin to slow, until stopping completely. Then, the man in full black clothing runs out of the room, dropping the knife that ended my mother’s life in his panic.
The scene then begins to fade, not showing me rushing to my mother and crying out as I press my hands to her neck. Not showing the red and blue lights filling up the room too late. Not showing my helpless flailing as an officer carries me away from my mother and takes me to the station. None of that is shown as the scene before me morphs into another scene to bring chills down my spine.
“Now Miss Wright, you can’t be causing trouble like this!”
The all-too-kind voice calls out to me as I sit in the office of the Matron of the orphanage that I used to stay at. Her face full of “kindness” is tainted by my knowledge of what comes next, but my bruised self snaps back regardless.
“He started it! It's not my fault he can’t take a punch.”
I grumble out petulantly, rubbing at the bruises received during the fistfight.
“That doesn't excuse your violence young lady, you’ll never find someone to adopt you at this rate. Those that come see you as a problem they don't want to deal with. Thankfully, someone from our sister orphanage has decided to come and help you out.”
A sickly-sweet smile covers her face as someone enters the room, and I turn to see a middle aged man in a button down shirt and dress pants walk in. The tingling of crawling insects covers my body as I see him, even though the me of the past wouldn't have known who he was. He comes and takes me to my room, where I pack my sparse belongings so I can go to the orphanage’s so-called sister location, the “Candyland Orphanage for Problem Children.” At least that's what it's called on official paperwork.
My younger self who hasn't even turned 13 yet enters the back seat of the man's car, and the trip is simultaneously long and over too soon. The car comes to a stop at a dock, next to a shipping crate where other young boys and girls linger awkwardly while a group of adults stand around them. I’m led towards the group, each step making the sinking feeling become worse and worse, until the doors of the shipping crate are opened and we are told to go inside. The scene then begins to fade once more, sparing me from the agony of hearing the cries and screams of the other children and teens as we are herded into the crate and shipped off to hell.
I’m enveloped in a warm hug as sobs escape my throat, the girl who is about to turn eighteen named Amelia, or Ammie for short, pats my head comfortingly as she embraces me.
“Shhh, it'll be alright. I know these months have been horrible for you, and you are scared now that they are planning to change your duties, but hang in there for me. In fact, after my birthday ‘celebrations’ tomorrow, how about we have a nice long bath together to relax.”
The smile on her face is a ray of sunshine in this hellish place, but as the tears of my teenage self begin to stop, the sorrow of my soul only deepens. After all, the celebrations that occur at the Candyland Brothel when one of its inhabitants turns eighteen is nothing to be happy about. For while this sick place has been putting Ammie to “work” for years, it's only going to get worse. Enough that she broke her promise to me, and left me behind. Thankfully, I'm spared the scene of tomorrow’s aftermath, possibly due to how that dreadful image had already come to me in the moments when I broke the Rusalka’s Skill, as the scene fades once more.
But surprise comes when I don’t wake, as that is usually when I do. Instead, a hand smacks across my face and I fall down, my head crashing into a table as my eyes lock onto Annie’s. A girl who I was quite protective of, all because of her name being similar to hers. Such a silly reason. The horrified expression on her face as she watches my neck twist dissolves into a skull with features like a rabbit would have, before turning to dust as a bright golden white encompasses everything, and then a stabbing pain around my neck comes through my dream and then-
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I jerk upright as ragged breaths escape my lips, my chest heaving from the nightmare. I stare into the slightly familiar dimly lit room as pain lingers on my neck. Reaching up, my finger brushes on it and feels a liquid, and bringing the hand into my sight reveals that it has been stained somewhat black. The pain soon fades as I sit there, and rubbing at my neck only reveals a couple more spots where bits of blood still linger. My mind then catches onto what I'm doing, rubbing my neck. My collar-less neck. Turning towards where I was laying before, I look down to see several shards of broken iron and a pillow stained black in several spots.
“Huh.”
That bit of eloquence comes out of my mouth as my sleep-addled brain tries to understand what is going on. An answer comes to me as a notification pops up, waking me up further.
[Skill [Rest] Has Gone From Level 8 To Level 14!]
[Skill [Free Spirit] Has Gone From Level 3 To Level 20!]
[Skill [Law Of Broken Chains] Has Gone From Level 1 To Level 5!]
[Skill [Enchantment Affinity] Has Gone From Level 24 To Level 30!]
[Skill [Unholy Affinity] Has Gone From Level 1 To Level 7!]
My eyes almost pop out of my head in surprise as I see the astronomical Level gain, before widening further as I realize I have never heard of that third Skill before. Pulling up the description of the Skill, my mouth drops open as I gape at the ridiculous Skill.
[Law Of Broken Chains]:
In your Domain, none shall fear becoming chained, and those that are shall be freed. Items that bind others are drained of Mana and Skills that do the same are less effective and cost more Mana to activate and maintain. Items that are completely drained of Mana and those that are mundane will decay until broken, removing any harmful components such as self destruction features first and foremost. As the Ruler of your Domain, you may choose areas or people that can ignore this effect, and the effect is also increased around you. This is a Skill under the (Holy), (Unholy) and (Enchantment) Categories.
When did I get this?
I then realize that I neglected checking my notifications since my encounter with the Rusalka in my haste. As I bring up said notification, muffled voices from below come up through the floorboards, and I almost close the notifications again to investigate, but decide that I can put them out of my mind long enough to check on things.
[You Have Destroyed (x1 Skeleton) And Have Been Granted Experience!]
[You Have Destroyed (x5 Zombies) And Have Been Granted Experience!]
[You Have Destroyed (x1 Desecrated Guardian Of Littlecreek) And Have Been Granted Experience!]
[You Have Killed {Blighted Rusalka Of Littlecreek: Level 53} And Have Been Granted Experience!]
[For Killing An Enemy Of A Higher Tier, You Have Been Granted Bonus Experience!]
[You Have Defeated {Domesticated Tigerkin: Level 50} And Have Been Granted Experience!]
[For Defeating An Enemy Of A Higher Tier, You Have Been Granted Bonus Experience!]
[For Saving Someone Suffering From An Existence Tortured By Injustice, Your Patron Goddess Iusti Has Granted You Bonus Experience!]
[You Have Defeated {Irongrip Thug: Level 38} And Have Been Granted Experience!]
[You Have Defeated {Beastkin Trader: Level 42} And Have Been Granted Experience!]
[You Have Defeated {Binding Rogue: Level 35} And Have Been Granted Experience!]
[{Countess Of Broken Chains} Has Risen From Level 30 To Level 42! (+48 Endurance +48 Recovery +24 Strength +24 Dexterity +36 Magic Power +36 Mana Control +48 Stat Points)]
[Skill [Alter Runes] Has Gone From Level 10 To Level 22!]
[Skill [Restful Touch] Has Gone From Level 21To Level 26!]
[Skill [Runic Vision] Has Gone From Level 25 To Level 30!]
[Skill [Shadows Of Doubt] Has Gone From Level 8 To Level 10!]
[Skill [Tail Whip] Has Gone From Level 26 To Level 32!]
[Skill [Nightvision] Has Gone From Level 11 To Level 16!]
[Skill [Subliminal Pheromones] Has Gone From Level 10 To Level 18!]
[Skill [Temptation’s Tongue] Has Gone From Level 17 To Level 20!]
[Skill [Versatile Tail] Has Gone From Level 23 To Level 30!]
[Skill [Light Of Justice] Has Gone From Level 23 To Level 33!]
[Skill [Power Slash] Has Gone From Level 17 To Level 20!]
[You Have Reached The Maximum Level For [Power Slash], If You Wish To Increase It Further, You Must Increase It To The Second Tier. Remaining Tier 2 General Points: 3]
[Skill [Analysis Resistance] Has Gone From Level 6 To Level 10!]
[Skill [Brawling] Has Gone From Level 25 To Level 32!]
[Skill [From The Brink] Has Gone From Level 17 To Level 20!]
[You Have Reached The Maximum Level For [From The Brink], If You Wish To Increase It Further, You Must Increase It To The Second Tier. Remaining Tier 2 General Points: 3]
[Skill [Holy Affinity] Has Gone From Level 21 To Level 30!]
[Skill [Ice Resistance] Has Gone From Level 2 To Level 8!]
[Skill [Light Affinity] Has Gone From Level 15 To Level 20!]
[You Have Reached The Maximum Level For [Light Affinity], If You Wish To Increase It Further, You Must Increase It To The Second Tier. Remaining Tier 2 General Points: 3]
[Skill [Shadow Ability] Has Gone From Level 1 To Level 2!]
[Due To Defeating The Domain Ruler Of {Rusalka’s Creek}, You Have Obtained Their Domain And Are Now The Domain Ruler Of (Temporary Name: Chloe’s Domain)]
[Due To Becoming A Domain Ruler, You Have Been Granted The Domain Skill [Law Of Broken Chains] Level 5!]
[Due To Increasing {Countess Of Broken Chains}’ Level, Your Passive Subspecies Skill [Subliminal Pheromones] Level 18 Has Evolved Into The Passive Subspecies Skill [Aura Of Broken Chains] Level 10!]
[Due To Increasing {Countess Of Broken Chains}’ Level, Your Active Subspecies Skill [Shadows Of Doubt] Level 10 Has Evolved Into The Active Subspecies Skill [Shadow Meld] Level 1!]
[Due To Repeated Actions, You Have Learned The Passive General Skill [Disease Resistance] Level 1!]
[Due To Repeated Actions, You Have Learned The Passive General Skill [Blood Resistance] Level 1!]
Name: Chloe Wright
Species: {Demon}
Age: 19
Displayed Title: (Lesser Demonic Noble)
Domain Ruler: (Temporary Name: Chloe’s Domain)
Unused Stat Points: 48
Unused Tier 2 General Points: 3
Endurance: 118 (113+5)
Recovery: 127
Strength: 73
Dexterity: 111
Magic Power: 98
Mana Control: 129
Subspecies: {Countess Of Broken Chains} Level 25 (MAX)
Domain Skill:
-[Law Of Broken Chains] Level 5
Active Skills (6/6):
-[Alter Runes] Level 22
-[I Shall Bear Thy Suffering] Level 1
-[Restful Touch] Level 26
-[Runic Vision] Level 30
-[Shadow Meld] Level 1
-[Tail Whip] Level 32
Passive Skills (6/6):
-[Aura Of Broken Chains] Level 10
-[Enchantment Affinity] Level 30
-[Free Spirit] Level 20
-[Nightvision] Level 16
-[Temptation’s Tongue] Level 20
-[Versatile Tail] Level 30
Active General Skills:
-[Light Of Justice] Level 33
-[Power Slash] Level 20 (MAX)
Passive General Skills:
-[Analysis Resistance] Level 10
-[Axe Handling] Level 6
-[Blood Resistance] Level 1
-[Brawling] Level 32
-[Disease Resistance] Level 1
-[From The Brink] Level 20 (MAX)
-[Holy Affinity] Level 30
-[Ice Resistance] Level 8
-[Light Affinity] Level 20 (MAX)
-[Poison Resistance] Level 5
-[Rest] Level 14
-[Shadow Ability] Level 2
-[Unholy Affinity] Level 7
