“Are you not ashamed of yourself?” A sister stared at me with pity.
I was only ten years old when I heard these words from others. It still pains me to this day. Me, Seraphina Feuer, to be told by them who I have known for so long.
“I mean, it is quite obvious that she is not up to our level.” A brother who seems to be older than me but younger than the woman said with a prideful tone.
I couldn’t look at their faces, when I did, I could only feel this immense pressure that each of them gaze at me.
their eyes towards my own actions melt any sense of self-confidence.
Acts that lead to disappointment as usual in the family.
“If she puts in a bit more effort then she could at least get closer, but still not enough.” Another sister with a quirky tone that makes an emotionless backhand remark that does not make things better.
As a Feuer, power is everything that proves our existence of what an ideal Feuer represents. A fiery passion for might, justice, and courage. But through this power, it is not possible to live a normal lifestyle that would have a cherishing family of equal proportions.
Instead, it is rigorous training and hyper-competition that destroy the ideals that define a family. Never a family of warm hearts, but fiery passions of winning and being the best keeps them from putting out the wildfire it spreads.
Another voice comes to mind, but more familiar, much older than the rest of them, the father. Much more significant.
“Seraphina, you must know that it pains me even more to see you like this,” He says with the same icy tone that never has an ignition of anger, but just a disappointed expression that can freeze hearts and break them apart.
The audacity they say! The utter shame they have given me! I don’t want to hear that, especially from them...
I am the youngest, and I am maybe the weakest amongst my siblings, but I just want to feel like I’m not useless…
“...Remember, Seraphina,” the cold tone of his voice flows through my ear. “To be a Feuer, especially in your position, you must find the flames, and never let it go…”
Such words, I never could figure out what it means…
<><><>
“As if you’ll kill us!” I shout at the Glitched-fiend.
Multiple arrows fly from my flaming bow toward this monstrosity, some of them were deflected by the ever-changing blade arm, but the rest pierced its galaxy-glitched body. Parts of the body, from leg to torso, nearly had holes like a shotgun in a point-blank range making huge circular holes.
Although I had blown most of its body away, there was no leakage of any fluids from the flare-like flesh of this entity.
“Ah, a Feuer. The always valorous, but arrogant beings,” It talks even though most of the body is torn by my fiery arrows like it is nothing to it. Especially badmouthing me.
“Hah, I don’t think you're one to talk to me while in the state.”
Its translucent teeth create a distasteful smile. “You assume that but...”
“What!” I could only react from what I saw.
A sudden reconstruction occurs upon the riddled body, but it swivels like pouring out the juice into a cup and seeing it revolve while it fills up whole. It healed so quickly that it looked as if I had not yet fired my fires. This is quite troublesome, was that a psionic ability? This Glitched-fiend regenerated their body into complete perfection. All I could blurt out was a murmur, “no way… Is that Psion?!”
“Hmm, well, it seems you just made me
“So you’re a psi-adept then?”
From my knowledge, a psi-adept is a type of user able to do metaphysical phenomena like telekinesis, duplication, teleportation, and especially those who have regeneration abilities. Though they should only be able to use one ability, never having two or more. And wouldn’t a psi-adept be using a sort of catalyst to control their abilities?
This creature doesn’t have one. What does this mean? But I can’t get away from the feeling that there is something more than what it appears to be. Something that tells a greater narrative with the composition of such unknown content within the creature itself. What in god’s name is this thing with a translucent substance of novas and glitched-up particles?
It keeps staring at me with that hungry smile, “...Oh, You’re incorrect, in so many ways…” It readies the arm blade and positions itself in an offensive stance, “...And now it’s my turn!”
“!!!” My body moves back out of instinct, an instinct of fear.
It was so fast as it glitched right at me with the blade swung horizontally that I barely torqued my body backwards like a person playing a limbo bar. I lift my body and back-step away from this demon to make more distance. But if that were only easy to distance myself…
“Where are you going, Feuer? Don’t tell me you’re gonna run away?” the other hand extends in abnormal proportions, it traces right at me and grapples the neck of mine.
It restricts my breathing as I struggle to escape such a grasp, but the thing had other plans when it slams me into the hard brick walls with great joy. So much joy that it constantly flings to walls, the ground, and other objects around the vicinity.
“Gah!” The impact was immense, but not enough to take me down.
It hurts like a truck ramming right at me and nearly being transported to another world.
What is worse is the feeling of my breath weakening and my body feeling this intense pain of emptiness as if something is getting eaten inside me!
Once lifted up before getting slammed to the ground I use the blades from the tips of my bow that glows bright orange to slice this annoying grip and delimb once again.
Falling from midair, I could hear it scream, but out of annoyance.
“Argh- there it is again! Ugh, you really don’t have any new tricks huh?” the Glitched-fiend screamed while the arm that once had a hand was already growing back. A damn shame… this demon is not going to die easy is it?
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I take a breather and look at the current situation: I am now farther from the Glitched-fiend, but the damn monster is right in front of Alder who has yet to notice his presence and is focusing on me… This thing has the abilities of body manipulation, regeneration, and some sort of speed or teleportation. What can I do here… Wait a minute, that thing is next to-
I regain my breath from that strangulation, but I look at the Glitched-fiend and notice a grave mistake…
Right behind the Glitched-fiend was the defenseless Alder who is now staring at the back of the Glitched-fiend with I assume in the most terrifying state he has ever been. I just incidentally switched places with this bastard.
“What’s the matter?” the Glitched-fiend asks while smiling, “It looks like you’ve just seen a ghost. Actually, maybe you do see me like a ghost with your point of view.”
It appears it has not noticed Alder, or maybe it does know and is just trying to screw with me. Obviously a trap that would lure me into saving him. But at the same time, this monster could kill him in a single second.
“Hmm…” The Glitched-fiend glances behind and sees a laid figure with shards of darkness stabbed through his back. “Well, what do we have here…” its attention turns away from me and looks at Alder. “A little recharge before I deal with you, little lady.”
“Stay away from him!” I yelled to reclaim its attention, but was ignored by the malicious delight it sees right in front of itself. I tried for a second time, “HEY IT’S ME YOU WANT RIGHT, HE DOESN’T HAVE ANY POWER THAT IS STRONGER THAN MINE!” but again it ignored me.
The Glitched-fiend’s finger’s grown thin and long like sharp needles. With a hungry smirk, it raises the needle-like fingers and readies to puncture the easy prey right in front, prone in a sorry state.
No! Still shaken by the repetition of being slammed, I struggle to stand as I was about to see this jerk, who humiliated me, get his mana absorbed by this already overpowered monster.
Why do I have to be the one to save this cretin? He’s the last person I would want to interact with after what he did. But at the same time, if it wasn’t for him I…
“Ugh, Dammit!” I don’t have the time to worry as the Glitched-fiend is now closer to Alder, who is still prone from injury.
I realize that there is no point in trying to distance myself as the enemy is right next to a “teammate”.
And it is nearly impervious to my ranged attacks. There is only one thing that I could do.
A shot of a fiery arrow pulls me into a rush as I clash toward the Glitched-fiend.
“Gghh!” the fiend reacts.
The Glitched-fiend is hit by a blast of fire as I shove it away from Alder. The Glitched-fiend grunts as parts of the body that had burn marks begin to fade into the unknown celestial substance that it is made out of.
“...Nice shove, but is that all you got?” With a swiping motion, the arm blade increases in length. It pulsates in a strange air that seems very mystical and foreign, like mist flowing around it.
Could that be Chi?
But there is no chance of pondering as this monster charges right for me.
With great movement, it dashes and horizontally slashes over the direction of my waist. Barely enough to react I had to jump as high as I could to avoid such intense pressure the air of the blade presented. I could even feel how sharp the sprinkles of that pressure gives out.
I do the same tactic while in mid-air, but the Glitched-fiend knew better than to fall for the same trick. When the Glitched-fiend swifts out of my range, the other hand began to flare up. A wide ball of fire blasted me as I was in the air.
A simple but painful fall landed me next to its feet. “Grh!” I could only grunt as I was burnt to a crisp by the surprising versatility of this demon. No, what if it is a god?
Not only it has psionic abilities, but has capabilities of both Chi and Mana!
I haven’t even done any damage to it and just easily messes with me by using all three powers. This monster just smiles…
…Waiting for my next move.
…My next mistake.
It hurts not only my body but also within me…
Why can’t I hurt it? What is this feeling? My heart tenses when I keep thinking about losing. Is this pride? Confidence? Or is this the feeling of what it’s like to lose…
“What’s wrong ‘Feuer’? Just realize the predicament that you’re in. Finally see me as what I truly am?”
“What are you…. truly?”
“Why, obviously, a god.” It smiles as though it was the most absolute answer to.
God… Its narcissistic comment is dreadful, but I don’t have the energy to rebuttal.
I can’t move, too burnt, as any movement only causes more pain, more feelings of misery.
“You Feuers, so much bravado and known for their burning courage. And yet, there’s you, not so much to show that pride of yours to even do a scratch.”
“Shut up!” but even my words have no power against it.
“You are, indeed, the lowest of the low.”
“...What?” Alder looks at it and back to me, all confused and shocked.
I was even confused. That was exactly what Ludio said as I eavesdropped on him… could it be…
Something inside me froze, as though my heart diminished its flame. I could feel the shiver, the tense that is very familiar. So familiar that when I look back at the Glitched-fiend, it blurs into 3 silhouettes.
The first was a girl of a stern stare right for me. The second is a man that postures himself with a sense of narcissism that is too close for comfort, it stares at me with contempt. The third is another girl but a bit shorter than the other girl looking at me with a smile.
But they all fade and fuse together into a singular being. This made the air around me shiver. He stares at me with a cold look.
“Aren’t you ashamed of yourself, Seraphina?” He coldly claims.
Wait, no that is not the person who said that, but why does this hurt me. Why are you still looking at me like that? Tell me something that I don’t know! Please… tell me…
“What are you staring at me for, huh?! Why are you still looking at me?”
His right hand raises and spawns a strange blade as it is aimed right above me…
Why look at me and even kill me, what did I do wrong to you…
“...Remember Seraphina, in your position, you will never be a true Feuer…”
Wait a minute, was it that he actually said… I… don’t want to think about it. I am tired of trying to become something that in the end I can never be.
No matter how much I try, they will never understand the struggle that I desire to be someone who can do anything. Anyone that I interacted with in the past just saw me as a brat and my own family… Not that it matters anymore.
I never found that flame…
…
…
…
…
“SERAPHINA, GET UP NOW!”
Something lit my sights behind the dark figure, it was blurry, but bright. What am I seeing?
That brightness decreases itself into a shape, a shape of a boy. He is carrying a staff, no it’s more like a spear and shaken to stand up with the pole as support.
He had dark violet hair and brown eyes that came with a worried look. He was bound to the floor by a strand of darkness and now he stands staring at me with fiery intent.
“What the hell are you doing, get up and beat the ever living crap out of this demon!”
Demon? I turned to that once was someone I felt shivers to my heart, but when I looked it was just the Glitched-fiend plunging towards its glowing arm blade above me.
“Damn you!!!” This humanoid of energy roars.
But that course of action is abrupt by an emerald windy spear soaring and stabbing right into the chest of this humanoid monstrosity.
The utter force blows the damn abomination away from me. But that leaves Alder falling to the floor again, but with a flare of hope in his eyes.
“C’mon, what are you waiting for?” He says as he is in a crawling position as the effects are still occurring. “Where is the girl with a fiery passion for beating bad people…”
His eyes were once filled with fear and the emptiness in his iris, but now it is flamed with clear consciousness of what needs to be done. What I need to do.
“What are you talking about?” I question him, but not the intent of animosity, but more, playing an act. “As if you know who I am. But…” Closing my distance to him and putting a helping hand. “... It seems that I can’t do this alone.”
“Seraphina?” He looks at me with a confused expression. Is he really this dense?
“As a servant, it is important to assist their master and provide support. So if you will…”
But he still looks at me all funny, maybe he doesn’t know if I was serious about what I said. Maybe I shouldn’t have worded it that way.
Alder places his hand which kind of gave me an odd feeling, even though I was just helping to get him up. But he stares at me with no confusion in his eyes, but determination.
“Then as a temporary servant I will provide what you need.”
Oh god! Why are you following this through? I was just making a ploy of our situation, you didn’t have to go that far. Although, he does look more confident than before.
“Great, seems like this is gonna be a two-player session…” the Glitched-fiend came back without a hole or scratch of any damage. The spear that Alder threw was in the possession of the beast. “Not that it matters in the slightest, you two are just fledglings that couldn’t even handle that wretch rogue.”
“Crap, I can’t help you fight that thing without my spear…” Alder points out after realizing his short-sighted idea of throwing his only weapon.
I sighed and then I turned my sights on this annoyed Glitched-fiend.
“I don’t know what you are and how you became this abomination. I do know one thing…” I readied my bow and once again aimed at this horrendous humanoid. “... And that I don’t like people who humiliate me!”
A fiery shot soars beautifully towards its target.