Chapter 6: The Beast Within
A sharp sting jolted Lirian from her sleep.
Her hand throbbed where something had bitten her, but when she looked, there was no mark—just the memory of pain under her skin.
The room was quiet, save for the rustling of trees outside.
She sat up; her mind felt blurry.
Something felt... wrong.
The sound of clashing metal broke the stillness, distant but distinct—fighting.
Lirian threw on a cloak and slipped into her boots, her pulse quickening as the muffled situation outside grew louder.
She pushed the door open; the cold air bit at her skin.
Shadows danced against the moonlight, but the noise came from farther off.
"Where is it coming from?" she muttered, her breath turning visible in the frigid air.
A voice startled her. "Lady Lirian!"
She spun around to see a man in dark robes rushing toward her—Gabriel's advisor, Lord Rathian.
His thin frame bent as though burdened by every secret in the world.
"You shouldn't be out here," he said urgently.
"What's going on?" Lirian demanded. "There's fighting—"
"Come with me." He grabbed her arm, pulling her with surprising strength.
"Rathian, what is it?" she pressed, struggling to keep pace.
"We don't have time. Gabriel is on the battlefield. He's... handling the situation."
Lirian frowned.
Gabriel was as much a mystery as herself.
"What kind of situation?" she asked, but Rathian didn't answer.
As they crested the hill, the battlefield—which was more like a training ground—came into view.
Soldiers clashed with weird creatures—monstrous beings unlike anything Lirian had ever seen.
"What are those things?" she breathed, her eyes widening.
Ahead, Gabriel stood at the center of the fray, his sword cutting through the monsters mercilessly, ruthlessly.
Behind him, cages were lined, some empty, others housing more of the monstrous creatures.
Lirian's stomach turned as the truth dawned on her.
"He's breeding them," she whispered.
Rathian's silence confirmed it.
Suddenly, one of the creatures turned, its glowing red eyes focused on her.
"Gaaaaaaaaaaaah!" It let out a piercing shriek, a sound so unnatural it made her ears ring.
"Lirian, step back," Rathian warned, pulling her behind him.
The creature lunged but stopped short, as if sensing something.
Its shriek grew louder, more frantic, drawing the attention of the other monsters.
One by one, they turned toward her, their howls harmonizing into a horrifying sound.
"Why are they—"
Before she could finish, the creatures charged, raging solely at her.
"Lirian!" Rathian shouted, pulling her back.
A gust of wind whipped around her, throwing her hair into disarray.
Gabriel's voice cut through them.
"Stay still!"
She turned to see him standing atop a nearby ridge, his hand outstretched.
The wind surged again, forming a protective barrier around her.
The creatures clawed and snapped at the invisible wall—angry, aggressive, fast—but they couldn't reach her.
"Gabriel, what's happening?" she shouted in a trembling voice.
He didn't answer.
Gabriel continued watching the barrier as the monsters grew more desperate, their bodies thrashing against the unseen force.
Then, without warning, they began to tremble.
One by one, their grotesque forms contorted and twisted until they exploded in bursts of light and ash.
Gooh Poooh Gaaah
Everything went silent, save for the crackle of dying flames.
Lirian stared in shock; her knees threatened to give out.
Around her, soldiers started murmuring.
"What was that?" she whispered.
Gabriel descended the ridge, his face shadowed with anger. "You shouldn't have come here."
"They... they were trying to attack me," she stuttered.
"Exactly why you should have stayed inside," he snapped.
"Gabriel," Rathian interrupted, stepping forward.
He addressed him so casually without the need for formalities.
"Did you see that? The way they reacted to her?"
"I saw," Gabriel said grimly.
"What does it mean?" Lirian raised an eyebrow. "Why did they—"
"Enough," Gabriel cut her off. "This isn't the place to discuss it."
Rathian smirked.
"Interesting, isn't it? They're drawn to her... and yet, they couldn't touch her."
"That's enough, Rathian," Gabriel warned.
Rathian raised his hands in surrender.
"Just an observation. You might want to figure out why before it happens again."
Lirian's chest tightened as Gabriel took her arm, pulling her away from the place.
"Gabriel," she began, but he silenced her with a look.
"Not here."
The walk back to the manor was heavier than the rocks that built the castle.
When they finally reached her chambers, Gabriel turned to face her.
"What happened out there?" she demanded.
Gabriel sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I don't know."
"You're lying," she accused. "You and Rathian—both of you know something."
"I don't have time for this, Lirian."
"Make time!" she snapped. "I deserve to know what's going on. Those things wanted to kill me. Why?"
"I don't know why they reacted to you. But I'll find out. Until then, you need to stay away from the battlefield—and from monsters."
"What do I have to do with this? Why do I need to stay away? You can't tell me what to do."
Gabriel's jaw tightened. "Just trust me."
Lirian laughed bitterly. "Trust you? You keep me in the dark at every turn, Gabriel. How am I supposed to trust you when you won't tell me anything?"
"Stay in your chambers tonight. Don't leave, no matter what you hear."
Before she could protest, he was gone, leaving her alone with more questions than answers.
Lirian sank onto the edge of her bed, thinking of what had just happened.
The image of the monsters' glowing eyes haunted her, as did the memory of their explosive end.
"What am I to them?" she whispered into the empty room.
Somewhere in the distance, she swore she heard the faint echo of that piercing shriek, as if the monsters' rage had not yet faded.
"Lirian didn't have any magic... or did she?" she muttered to herself.
As she pulled her blanket closer to herself, she felt it harder and heavier. As if something was holding it.
"What? Gabriel!?"