Blinded by the Lies: Awakening Short Stories
By Kirdie K
- 303 reads
I had really outdone myself this time. I stood over five corpses of my six fellow Aetherial council members, each with sizzling, ashen holes blown through their chests.
The remaining councilman stumbled back, shaking against a wall; molten tears streaming down his face,
"P-please T-tessari! Stop!! You don't need to resort to this! Think of our people! T-this is not fair to them! P-please don't k-kill me!!"
The fool was actually pleading with me to spare his life. I did a giddy little dance, almost overwhelmed by the sick layer of irony coating this diabolical scenario. Had he spared the millions of lost souls who called upon him in their time of need? Had he not voted in favor of their slaughter when they became the slightest inconvenience? Was he not responsible for mass genocide!? I laughed outright, lifting him into the air and slamming him to the ground, "We had a responsibility as the alpha species, Fenrir! This world depended on us, and we failed it!! Millions were left dead or dying because we neglected them in their time of need! What's more, we flat out murdered the survivors of that abandonment. Why, Fenrir, WHY!?". I grabbed each of his shoulders, pinning him against the wall hard enough to leave an indent.
He spat at me, leaving a scorch mark on my pale cheek, "I thought you knew better! We earned our place in this world! The younger races were to do the same. We did not fail them. They failed themselves, giving in to chaotic whims. If they could not control themselves, they deserved to die by each other's hands!”
I slammed him a second time, shattering bone. He coughed up heaps of simmering essence, staring me down defiantly.
My eyes became black slits, "Don't try to deny involvement in their undoing! That day still happened! We both watched our brothers and sisters murder them mercilessly!".
"We couldn't let them breach the city gates!"
"And do what!? They were harmless..."
I loosened my grip and allowed Fenrir to fall to the ground, watching as he attempted to crawl away, "You are selfish and nearsighted. Unable to see past the walls of our beloved utopian cocoon"
My former mentor struggled to his feet, clasping his sides, "I'm o-only doing w-what's best for a-all of us!! We must preserve our G-Golden Age!"
"The Golden Age is over! As you've lived your perfect life in the comfort of your home, the world has fallen apart around you. The damage is irrevocably done. It's... too late to change. All you can do now is pay the price."
Fenrir's eyes burned with what might have been a mix of rage and fear, "You hypocritical h-hybrid heretic! Turning against your o-own people for the sake of p-primordial scum!! You make me s-sick!!! This i-is why we warned against the union of factions all those years ago!! YOU ARE A MONSTER!!!"
I wrapped a dark, misty hand around his arm, wrenching it from its socket, "You forget that we were once no better than them. We were once young and new to this world. We once fought amongst ourselves. We were once foolish, Fenrir...". I solemnly released him, my hands falling to my sides and shaking from overwhelming sadness, "We still are. In fact we've only gotten worse with time. I fear that just might be the problem in and of itself. We've overstayed our welcome. Now we're just taking up space". With those words a blackened palm was raised to face my colleague, "I'm sorry, old friend. This was inevitable..." I reflexively averted my gaze.
"T-tess, don't... Jus-" his pleas were cut short as a bolt of condensed shadow ripped through the air and into the wall behind him. I heard the heavy thud of the lifeless mass bounce towards my ears. Only then did i loosen and take in a deep, fulfilling breath.
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