Chapter 7: Descent into Madness

Chapter 7: Descent into Madness

Weeks and months passed.

Elyndra became Rachel’s mentor.

They spent long days practicing spells in the open fields, the sky tinted gold by the setting sun.

Rachel struggled, her hands trembling as she tried to control her mana.

Rina stepped into the room as Rachel was getting lessons from Elyndra.

Elyndra noticed Rina’s approach and turned toward Rachel.

“Go ahead and take a break. I am going to speak to your mother for a moment.”

Rachel nodded.

“Yes, Auntie Elyndra. I will get myself a snack and be back in a bit.”

Elyndra smiled at her.

“That is a good girl. Go on, then.”

As Rachel left the desk she was sitting at, she turned and ran out of the room, full of energy.

Elyndra fluttered closer to Rina as she looked at her worriedly.

“So how are you feeling? I can tell by the dark circles underneath your eyes. Are you still struggling from that voice or whatever it is?”

“Yes,” Rina said. “No matter what I do, nothing helps. The only thing I can do is take some potions to help numb my mind. I had an alchemist create some mind-numbing potions for me. That is the only thing I can do to stop myself from going crazy from whatever this thing is.”

Rina let out a tired sigh before continuing.

“But anyways, I came here to see how Rachel has been doing. Is she getting any closer to learning healing magic?”

Elyndra looked down as she sighed.

“No, not at all. She is not gifted in magic. So far, she has been unsuccessful at conjuring healing spells. It might take a few more years before she can successfully cast even a basic healing spell, or any spell for that matter, but with all the effort she has been putting in, she should eventually get it. We just have to keep encouraging her, and eventually she will be able to cast it.”

As they were continuing to talk, all of a sudden, the sound of shattering glass came from the kitchen, along with a loud, painful scream from Rachel.

Rina and Elyndra quickly turned toward the direction of the sound as they ran to see what had happened.

As they entered the kitchen, they saw Rachel with a giant gash above her left eye.

Shattered glass covered the kitchen floor, and blood was splattered across the corner of the kitchen table.

Rachel looked extremely scared as she stumbled around the kitchen, looking completely disoriented while blood streamed down her face.

“Mommy… where are you? I cannot see,” Rachel cried, reaching blindly with shaking hands.

Rina’s scream tore from her throat.

She rushed to her daughter, holding her as gently as she could, terror gripping her heart.

“I am here. I am right here, Rachel.”

Elyndra quickly fluttered over, examining Rachel, as Rina did her best to stop the blood leaking from the giant gash above her left eye.

It only took one look from Elyndra to notice that the light in Rachel’s eyes was gone.

Rina looked at Elyndra worriedly.

“What is wrong with her?”

Elyndra held her hand up as magic pulsed from her palm, quickly scanning Rachel’s body as she spoke.

“She was struck with a modified curse of blindness. It seems another one of the dormant curses within her body has become activated, but this one will not stay active for long. This curse seems to have a duration and should go away within an hour or two, but the curse also seems to have a random activation, so she will need to be more careful, as it can afflict her at any time.”

Rina then started to have a massive headache as an accursed voice slithered through the back of her mind, speaking to her like it always did.

Look, another curse placed on your child. How many more are you going to allow to affect her before you finally accept my deal?

The voice continued to whisper like poison in her ears.

She is only going to get worse and worse, and you will never find a cure for her. So just take my power, and we can end the goddess once and for all.

“Get out of my head. I need to care for my daughter right now.”

Years had gone by as Rachel studied under Elyndra, and the time had finally come where she had started to show progress.

As her magic power grew stronger, the day had finally come.

Rachel rushed into the room in front of Elyndra, Sophie, and Rina as she smiled happily.

“Look! Look, everybody!”

Rachel then held out her hand as a spark of magic finally formed within her palm.

“I can do it! I can finally form magic in my hand!”

They were all really happy for her, and Elyndra spoke.

“Now, do you remember the healing spell I taught you?”

“Yes,” Rachel said excitedly. “Light Heal.”

“That is the one. Now all you need to do is focus on the magic in your hand, remember the spell you learned from the book, and call it out.”

Rachel had a bright smile on her face as the magic sparkled in her eyes while she stared at it.

She held her hand forward and called out the name of the spell.

“Light Heal!”

The glowing orb of magic in her hand turned into sparkling green light as she pressed the spell against her chest, causing her body to glow with healing magic.

But then, after the spell affected Rachel, everything went wrong.

Rachel suddenly coughed up black blood.

Then the veins throughout her body slowly turned black as dark vein-like lines slithered up her arms, into her face, and toward her eyes.

Her eyes turned black as thick black blood seeped from them as well.

Red bursts of light pulsed within the dark veins spreading across her body.

Rachel screamed out in pain as she fell backwards against the wall before sliding to the ground.

She clawed at the black veins desperately, trying to scratch at her own skin to make the pain go away.

“Mommy, it hurts! It hurts! It hurts a lot!” as tears ran down Rachels face.

Rina quickly ran toward Rachel in a panic as Elyndra flew close to examine her while Sophie looked extremely worried from her wheelchair.

Rina started to cry as she spoke through her tears.

“What is wrong with her now?”

Elyndra carefully examined Rachel before speaking.

“It looks to be a modified curse of mana backlash. It seems whenever she casts a spell, it is going to cause a backlash throughout the mana veins in her body.”

Elyndra’s expression darkened as she looked at the glowing red bursts pulsing beneath Rachel’s skin.

“Those little red lights you see within the black veins are tiny explosions of mana going off throughout her body, causing her immense pain.”

“But then...”

Rachel’s fingers brushed the tears from Rina’s cheek.

“Do not cry, Mommy. I finally did it. I cast healing magic. I will continue to get stronger. I promise. I will be strong like Daddy. So do not cry.”

Her small, trembling voice shattered Rina completely.

Rina hovered close without touching her.

“You are the bravest soul in this world, Rachel. My heart. My light.”

And what will her bravery earn her?

The whispers spoke.

More scars. More pain. Accept my gift, and you can save her. Refuse, and she will drown in misery forever.

The whispers coiled around her mind like smoke.

The goddess laughs at you. She filled your child with curses for amusement. I bet she is watching now, enjoying your child’s suffering. How long will you allow this?

This time, Rina did not resist.

Her voice was barely a breath.

“How do I kill the goddess? I am nothing. I am weak.”

The whispers answered with intoxicating sweetness.

Become the new Demon Lord. Raise an army with my power. Tear the goddess from her throne. End your child’s suffering forever.

Everything she had buried, every moment of pain, fear, anger, and helplessness, rose like a storm.

Rina broke.

Her rage surged through every vein, hotter than flame, heavier than grief.

Darkness rushed in and wrapped itself around her heart.

Her skin turned a light grey.

Her hair turned purple.

Her eyes turned completely black, then her pupils shined through the darkness with a violet glow.

Two horns tore through her skull.

Overwhelming power flooded her body.

Then a rage tore through her chest as she roared as loud as she could.

Then everything became silent.

Rina was no longer a helpless elf.

She had become a Demon Lord.