Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Ash and Carnage

The wasteland was alive with chaos. A raiding party, vicious and unrelenting, had descended upon a small trading caravan just as Arlen approached it. From her vantage point atop a jagged hill of rubble, she watched the scene unfold: wagons ablaze, screams piercing the thick, acrid air, and bodies crumpling beneath crude weapons.

For a moment, she froze, her glowing arm throbbing with anticipation. These were the kinds of people who had taken from her, who had left her hollow and desperate. The shard pulsed against her skin, its energy coursing through her like liquid fire.

"You can stop this," it whispered, its tone laced with dark promise. "You can be the weapon they need."

Arlen's jaw clenched. She didn't know the people in the caravan, but their terror mirrored the countless nights she'd spent hiding, praying to survive. This time, she wouldn't cower.

She wouldn't run.

Gripping her blade tightly in her unaltered hand, she surged forward, the shard's power blazing through her veins.

The first raider didn't see her coming. Arlen's blade sliced through his throat with brutal precision, his lifeblood spilling onto the dirt. The others turned, their faces twisted with rage and surprise, but she was already moving.

A heavyset man swung a rusted axe at her, but she ducked under it, her shard-enhanced arm striking out with impossible force. The blow shattered his ribs, sending him sprawling to the ground with a guttural scream.

Another raider charged at her from the side, a spear aimed for her chest. Arlen caught it with her glowing hand, the shard's energy coursing into the weapon. It splintered beneath her grip, and before the man could react, she drove her blade into his stomach.

Her breaths came in ragged gasps as she stood amidst the carnage, her glowing arm pulsing like a beacon of destruction.

"Who the hell are you?" a voice barked.

Arlen turned to see a woman standing atop one of the wagons, her crossbow aimed squarely at Arlen's chest. She was clearly a leader, her armor pieced together from scraps of leather and steel, her eyes sharp and calculating.

"You don't need to know," Arlen said, her voice cold and steady.

The woman sneered. "You've got some guts taking on my crew, but you're out of your depth, girl."

As if on cue, more raiders emerged from the shadows, encircling her. Arlen counted at least seven, each armed and ready. The leader smirked, lowering her crossbow slightly.

"Last chance to walk away," the woman said, her tone mocking. "Or we'll make you regret it."

Arlen didn't answer.

Instead, she let the shard take over.

The air seemed to vibrate as the shard's power surged through her, its glow intensifying. Arlen's vision blurred at the edges, the world narrowing to a single, savage focus.

She lunged at the nearest raider, her enhanced arm slamming into his chest with a sickening crunch. He crumpled instantly, his weapon clattering to the ground.

The others rushed her at once.

A blade nicked her side, tearing through her coat, but she barely felt it. Her glowing arm swung out, catching another raider in the jaw and sending him flying into a pile of debris. Her blade flashed in the dim light, carving through flesh and bone with terrifying precision.

The leader cursed, firing her crossbow. The bolt struck Arlen's shoulder, but the shard absorbed the impact, the energy radiating through her like a shield.

"Monster!" the woman screamed, her voice tinged with fear.

Arlen turned to her, blood dripping from her blade, her glowing arm raised. The shard pulsed violently, urging her forward.

"End her," it whispered. "Prove what you've become."

Arlen hesitated. The woman's face twisted in terror as she fumbled for another bolt, her hands shaking. For a brief moment, Arlen saw herself reflected in those wide, desperate eyes—a scared, powerless girl fighting to survive.

But the shard's voice drowned out the doubt.

"*She wouldn't hesitate to kill you. Do it.*"

With a roar, Arlen surged forward, her blade piercing the woman's chest. The leader's scream turned to a gurgle as she fell backward, lifeless.

The battlefield was silent now, save for the crackle of flames and the moans of the dying. Arlen stood amidst the carnage, her chest heaving, her arm glowing brighter than ever.

The survivors from the caravan peeked out from their hiding places, their faces pale and frightened.

One of them, a young boy clutching a tattered teddy bear, stared at her with wide, unblinking eyes.

"Thank you," a woman whispered, her voice trembling.

Arlen didn't respond. The shard's power still pulsed within her, its warmth intoxicating. She felt invincible, unstoppable. But beneath the euphoria was a growing unease, a small, persistent voice that asked, What have you done?

She turned and walked away without a word, leaving the caravan survivors to their fate.

As the shard's glow dimmed, its voice echoed in her mind:

"This is what you are now. And it's only the beginning."

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***