CHAPTER 29: CHAPTER 29: NIGHTMARE

Mr. Crow jolted out of his deep meditation state and stared in Lana’s direction with confusion.

Flapping his wing, he rushed in Lana’s direction. At first, he only flapped his wing with force, creating a strong and cold gust of wind; however, even then, Lana seemed oblivious.

What stressed him was the fear etched on Lana’s face.

’Just what kind of dream is she having?’

Sure, he had seen Lana doing weird dances under stress, and he had also seen her sassy side, as well as her venomous side.

Even when she was startled by his first appearance, she did not display such profound fear.

Mr. Crow stopped flapping his wings and perched on Lana’s stomach.

Seeing the sweat forming on Lana’s forehead, followed by her anxious expression, Mr. Crow used his wings to nudge Lana.

"Lana! Lana! Wake up!"

However, Lana’s heart was beating like the hooves of a horse, rapid and sharp. It felt as if her heart might pop out of her chest at any moment.

And instead of the normal body temperature, she was as cold as an icehouse.

’What’s happening?’

..........

Crimson hot blood flooded Lana’s vision. Her hand was trembling as it slowly moved to Lucian’s lifeless eyes.

Coldness was the most common emotion she had seen in those beautiful almond eyes, but that coldness always brought warmth to her heart.

Now those exact cold eyes seemed to have lost all their emotions permanently.

"Lucian... wake up." Her voice was hoarse and filled with raw emotion. It broke the peaceful yet dreadful atmosphere like a crack in the glass.

"Please... wake up." She pleaded again; this time, she could feel cold, wet tears slipping from her eyes. Freely.

The sound in the background turned static, and she desperately and selfishly wished that it was a dream.

Loss itself wasn’t a new emotion. But losing someone as important as Lucian made Lana feel disoriented.

A voice in the back of her mind shouted, ’Destroy everything... they destroyed your everything too.’

Yes, he was indeed everything to her.

During her darkest years, when hope itself seemed a luxury, he gave her justice. Sharp and precise justice.

A voice to rebel, power to stand courageously in front of her enemy, and... a hope to look forward to the future.

The burning emotions in her heart whispered in Lana’s heart,

’If Lucian isn’t here... then this world should be destroyed too.’

So... Lana did what she thought was correct. Went after those killers of her Lucian.

Killed each one of them. One by one. Using her own hand.

The number of deaths written on her hands rose to thousands. Each betrayer, each schemer, and each one of them who participated in Lucian’s murder... Lana killed them.

Some called her a witch. Some used their power and influence to put Lana behind bars. Others used their influence to make Lana’s life a living hell in jail.

Getting a bone broken was as ordinary as breathing. Being injected with agonizing chemicals was as common as spotting a ghost outside the safe zone.

Lana endured everything numbly. Each day she suffered, she made plans.

She wanted to drag everyone to hell. Her hatred had consumed her completely. No emotions ever came close to hatred.

Hatred was a corrupt emotion. Once it takes root in the heart of an innocent person, it drains them completely.

Once she escaped jail, Lana started her hunt again. She wasn’t a smart assassin, nor was she some powerful priest or exorcist.

What she excelled at, though, was weapon making. So she made a weapons blueprint. She specifically created the weapon for her enemy and gifted it to them through special channels.

They died. Each of her enemies, driven by power and greed, died while using the weapon she created.

When Lucian’s assistant found her, Lana had executed half of her plan and was planning her next move.

By then, Lana had become a vessel capable of only feeling hatred.

"Lana, stop this madness. Have you seen your appearance? How long are you planning to let that thing possess you?"

Her appearance? Of course, Lana had seen it. Her black hair thinned, and now only a few hairs were left; her skin had hollowed out, while her hands and legs seemed to have transformed into thin barks of a tree.

There was also a burning pain pulsing through her body every now and then.

These were all side effects of the chemicals implanted in her by those she had offended.

But did Lana care?

"Hahaha! Hector, you don’t understand. It’s fun. You know. I love it." Lana laughed, but it held no mirth. Her beautiful, melodious voice started to sound like the brittle sound of chalk against a blackboard.

"Lana... please... please come to your senses." Hector’s choked voice made Lana confused, her eyes falling on a nearby mirror, and she saw her appearance more clearly.

Beautiful young woman with shiny black hair, a bit messy, and yet... what caused Lana’s pupils to dilate was... her outfit. It was the same outfit she had worn when she confirmed Lucian’s death.

"No... no..." Lana muttered, her head filled with static.

Suddenly, Lana in the mirror started to smile, and she brought her hand to her sharp, glistening teeth.

"Let’s go to the burial; only 3 days have passed since Lucian’s death... Lana? What are you doing? Lana? Stop!" Hector’s loud-pitched voice echoed in the empty silence.

Yet Lana... as if under some spell, opened her mouth and bit it sharply.

"No... No! Don’t do it! Don’t!" She shouted as the familiar, sharp, biting pain shot through her hand. Blood poured out from her hand, while a force... possibly Hector, tried to stop her.

She could feel the firm yet brittle surface of her bone, and yet her teeth remained tightly clamped around her hand.

’I will always stay with you, Lana... I will help you take revenge... so what if it is imaginary? You can live and experience everything... and now is the time to experience pain...’

"No!" Lana woke up with a jolt, her heart hammering loudly in her chest. Pushing away the blanket, she immediately rushed toward the door.

"Help! Help! Help me!"