Arpious of the Planes

The Dark Heroes cloth that wrapped around her face had been sliced in half. It slowly unravels itself before falling into the water below as I take a few steps back. A woman's face was slowly shown. Tan skin, dark green eyes, dark brown hair, and a white tattoo that began at her cheeks.

"M-mom?" I stutter, my jaw dropping instantly, with tears welling up in the corner of my eye.

"Who's your mom?" The Dark Hero responds.

"I-It's me… S-Sophia. Your daughter," I manage to squeeze out as I choke on shock.

B-but I saw mom die all those years ago. I can still remember her figure defending the Amazonians from the Blood Crawler attack when I was only just a toddler.

It was the only memory I could remember from my childhood.

My mother's figure was covered in blood with both of her daggers in hand. She was the one who allowed the surviving Amazonians to escape and create our new village, which was inevitably destroyed again by Blood Crawlers.

And… she was the previous chieftess of our village. Women mainly run Amazonian tribes as they are seen as stronger than men, which is normally true in most cases. The only reason my dad was allowed to become chief was because of his overwhelming power, relationship with the last chieftess, and me… who was going to be the next chieftess.

"Sophia? I-Is that really you? What happened? Why are you a Lesser Spirit of the Forest?" Mom asks, lowering her daggers.

"I-I was able to evolve and become a new species. I'm much stronger than before… but most of all… w-why are you working with humans? I stutter, swallowing a gulp of saliva.

"I-It's a long story… Just as I thought. I am not allowed to face you as I am now. I have already sworn my loyalty to the king… so I can't come back to the tribe," Mom says, looking down at her feet in shame.

"M-mom… the tribe has been long gone,"

"W-what!"

"Yes… half of it was wiped out by another batch of Blood Crawlers, and the remaining had to swear loyalty to Master as she was the one who saved the rest of us…."

My face grew grim as I realized our similar situations, and just for a split second, my reliance and loyalty for Master wavered for just a second.

"I see… It seems we must fight to the death-"

Mom was cut off by a massive explosion of water due to a shadowed figure with wings landing right in between us. But, of course, it was Master…

"Sophia, please introduce me to this traitor," Master says with a smile filled with malicious intent.

"M-MASTER! P-please forgive me… this is my mother who I thought had died… but… it seems she is really alive," I say, kneeling on the water, tears leaking from my eyes.

"Is your mom's name Alexandra?"

"Y-yes… I-it really is, mom…."

"Sophia, let me tell you something… she is a traitor who has worked with humans. She even came to this battlefield with the intent of killing every intelligent monster as well… and it seems she was even ready to kill Amazonians," Master says, taking a few glances at Mom.

"M-mom… is that true?"

Mom doesn't respond but looks down in shame, not even meeting my eyes.

"Traitors have to die. Either you kill her or I do," Master says mercilessly, looking at me with ice-cold eyes.

"N-no! I can't choose! I don't want mom to die when we just met again!" I shout in protest.

I was scared to go against Master, but my overflowing feelings that I buried deep into my heart started to flow out. I couldn't stop them as if they were rushing waves that were trying to be stopped with a tiny log.

I started to cry even harder as my heart sank deeper. It hurt. I felt like throwing up. Masters cold eyes. Mom, who can't even look into my eyes… I hate it.

I'm scared.

What should I do… No, I can't choose.

It's too hard...

"I'm disappointed," Master says.

My tears turned into an ugly cry as the only noise that escaped from my mouth was when I gasped for air. I felt the bloody air enter my lungs, clouding my mind and thoughts…

"P-please, Master! I'm begging you! I'll do anything! Become your slave! Become your pet! Become your footrest! Become your chair! Become your personal toy! Become your personal punching bag… just as long as Mom doesn't leave again… I'm begging you… please," I shout.

Despite my vision clouded by my flowing tears, I could see my mother crying as well. But I couldn't hear her due to the clanging of metal, cries of bloodshed, and blood-curdling screams of the soldiers taking their last breaths.

"Let me tell you something… she has already become the servant of someone, and I believe it is the king of the kingdom she serves," Master says, fully glaring at Mom.

"Please… Please… Please… Please don't make me choose…." I mutter.

…

(Alexandra POV)

Ah, I'm such a bad mother… I didn't even get to raise my daughter properly because I selfishly decided to hold back the Blood Crawlers as long as I could.

Once I saw that all my tribe members were out of the way, I held the entire wave back for 2 days and 2 nights before getting trampled on. After that, I barely managed to crawl away from the horde due to them losing sight of me in the pile of Blood Crawler corpses.

I then laid there for another 2 days and 2 nights before crawling out of the [Blood Swamp]. It was without a doubt the worst experience of my life… until a hand reached out to me. It was King Uxtan who saved me.

He healed me and attended to my wounds, waiting for me to recover despite knowing I was an Amazonian. I was on my guard the entire time until he offered for me to become his servant and work under him as the Dark Hero since I already used [Shadow Magic].

Of course… I declined his offer. But after declining, my mind went hazy, and the world around me spun. When I woke up, my body was walking on its own, talking on its own, and fighting on its own. It was a strange and frightening experience. I wanted to see my family. My daughter. But I couldn't even move a limb of my own will.

I also learned that the king had [Brainwashing], which I could only assume was the skill that turned me into this state.

Until… 2 months ago, I was finally able to move my right pinky finger. Then a few days later, I was able to move my hand. And then, a few days after that, I was able to move my arm. Then it was my shoulder. Then my chest. Then my other arm. Then my torso. Then my legs. And then finally, my neck and head.

I had to act the same way I did before. Otherwise, the King would've redone the brainwashing.

I came to this current war and was faced with a being with a frightening amount of power. It was the second time I had felt that sense of death ever since that time I crawled away from the Blood Crawlers.

I then fought with a mysterious girl who had the same name as my daughter… and she ended up being my actual daughter. The being with unimaginable power was her Master and conflicted between her feelings, she could only cry and beg for my mercy.

I wanted to talk with my daughter. I wanted to tell her my stories. I wanted her to tell me her stories… but we met as enemies on the battlefield in the end. I had already prepared myself to slaughter my own brethren… I was tainted.

There's no way I'm allowed to keep living… I hope that my daughter can live a better life.

"Sophia… kill me. The king's personal assassins are watching over this battle, and if the king finds out I've joined the enemy side, he'll order me to kill myself through the system. I am his servant, and he is my master, so he has full control over me… So please listen to my last request… please kill me," I say, tears flowing down my face.

Sophia looks up at me with tear-dried and swollen eyes. She stumbles to her feet and holds out a hardened piece of the vine in the shape of a knife. Her hands were shaking as she clearly felt heartbroken.

"I-I can't do it," Sophia mutters.

After hearing her hesitation, I decided to take the first step and plunge myself into the knife. I coughed up blood, and my consciousness wavered. The great being that is Sophia's Master looked at me with cold eyes.

"MOM! NO! NO! NO! NO! PLEASE DON'T LEAVE! PLEASE DON'T GO! I HAVE SO MANY STORIES TO TELL YOU! AND I HAVE SO MANY THINGS TO SAY!" My daughter cries into my collar bone.

"With this, you'll become the next chieftess of the Amazonians… stay strong, Sophia," I say, kissing my daughter on the cheek.

My daughter cries out loud, almost bursting my numbing eardrums.

"Please take care of my daughter… this is not a request but a wish…." I mumble, feeling my end drawing closer.

The great being's cold eyes soon relax, and a warm smile surprisingly greets me.

"It's alright… you can rest in peace. Your daughter will grow to be even stronger than you. So please watch over her,"

The great being's warm smile was the last thing I saw before losing all my vision. After that, my senses dulled, and the last thing I felt was somebody closing my eyelids softly.

Sophia… it seems you are in good hands…