House of Amarin

"How weak…" Laupa exclaimed with disappointment after seeing the bounded soul arriving at them.

"Can't help it; this one did not even know how to train his soul!" Kyaranin laughed, watching the man surrounded by thick strands of miasma burrowing into his essence that was half-transparent. It was partially feeding him and also acting as a restraint.

"What is your name?" Che asked, ignoring the rest and looking into the eyes of the old teacher of Lia, Zorgan.

He fell in the previous battle when the joined armies of three Houses tried to assault the occupied central region of the Berisons territory but were beaten back by the Undead. It was their first significant loss, resulting in many injuries and death. They sounded the retreat when they lost twenty-three Three Ri experts and were in danger of being encircled by an Undead army outburst made entirely of Intelligent Variants. His squad was utterly wiped out when their left flank collapsed… he fought valiantly and wasn't afraid of death, accepting it proudly, but what happened after was worse than anybody could have imagined.

He woke up, being transported through No-Space against his will. He saw many other souls flying past, invisible strings burrowing into them, looking like veins… no, not strings. They were more like tree roots. The otherworldy tendrils were siphoning them to an unknown location while also invading their mind and reading their memories and feelings. When his time in the Academy was 'read through,' the process changed, and he was separated from the rest and delivered to a different place. There, a dozen Undead waited for him, bounding his soul and bringing him away… as for why? He could not ask. He could only await his fate, whatever it may be.

"I asked you a question!" Che raised his voice, but no answer came from Zorgan. The moment he refused once again, the miasma bounding him contracted, and although he no longer had any flesh or bones, it hurt just as much. His soul was being squeezed and brought to its breaking point… but Zorgan just bit his lips and refused to say anything.

"Come on Che…" Kyaranin placed a hand on his shoulder, pulling him back a little. "You don't know how to interrogate a man! Let me handle him… look at his state! Even though his soul is weakened, he has a strong will! A strong conviction about his life! It is what coursing through his ethereal veins! Such guys are worthy of caring for!"

"You just want to breed with him," Laupa interjected, but Kyaranin wasn't bothered by it.

"Oh yes, yes, I want to! I would love to! But… his heart is… closed~!"

"What does that mean?" The two men looked at each other, waiting for her to continue.

"Just feel his thoughts… don't you see it? He loved somebody… somebody who died and…" While speaking slowly, walking towards Zorgan, Kyaranin took multiple deep breaths, and every time she did, the miasma around Zorgan's body pulsed in response. "And it was him who killed her! Ahhh… how wonderful! The tale of love that had no chance to bloom and ended in tragic misery! If I had a body, I would be wet right now!"

"Explain without the fluff, woman!" Laupa snorted, annoyed the moment she opened her mouth to speak.

"You have the emotional range of a wet sponge, you thick-headed bastard." Kyaranin looked over her shoulder, her face contorted by disgust. "Shut your mouth and watch!"

With that, she touched Zorgan's head, who had no way to struggle. Her fingers sunk into his soul as she drew him closer, right up to the point of them kissing. There was nothing intimate or exciting about it. Her lips were cold and dreadful as he felt her invading his heart and reading out all he had ever experienced, sucking out all his feelings, joy, and happiness, making it her own.

"Show it to me…" She whispered into his ear as everything went blank.

…
….
…..

"Another day, another detention."

"Hmph…"

It was a sunny day inside the Academy while Zorgan looked at the young Olivia kneeling alone inside a dull chamber with only one window to the outside world. She, once again, caused a big ruckus in the training field, injuring four students so severely that they were out for the year. She only got here a month ago, yet by now, her notoriety rivaled those who were in their fourth years.

"If you keep this up, you will be expelled. You can't hurt them like this!" He tried to explain, crouching before her, looking at the young, defiant face earnestly.

"They were weak. The weak perishes."

"No. The weak get protection from those who are strong. From us." Zorgan corrected her at once.

"My family didn't get any protection."

"Your family got punished, Olivia."

"They were massacred!" She fought back with words and her gaze, not backing down, even when looking at one of the Lords of the Eight Towers of the Institute.

"They deserved it!"

With that, Olivia's fuse was lit, and she, without hesitation, conjured flames around her body, attacking Zorgan. She was wild as a firestorm, battling her teacher, who gently changed the direction of her punches and kicks, letting her blow off steam until she collapsed from exhaustion. The room was set ablaze, burning in an orange fire as if they were in the depths of hell while she sat on the floor, panting, sweating, her clothes looking as if she was ravaged.

"Better?" Zorgan asked, looking into her eyes, never taking advantage of her state or starting ogling at her curves.

"No. Not at all…"

"I see. You have too many problems, Olivia. You are on the path towards death. A death that would also sentence not just you but everyone you know to the same fate."

"Unfair…"

"Maybe. Maybe not." He sighed, and once again, he crouched down, watching her with affection flickering in his gaze. "I want to help you, Olivia. Let me help you… Let me teach you self-control and how to get through this! You have great talent, one of the best fire mages who attended the Academy in centuries! I will help you learn to control your inner fire and direct it towards those who are the true enemies of us all!"

"What if I want to direct at-?" She opened her mouth, but Zorgan raised a hand, warning her with a slightly angry voice.

"Don't even think about it. I don't want to be your executioner!"

…
….
……

When Zorgan regained some clarity and remembered he was not a teacher anymore, and Olivia was long dead, killed by his fire, he felt a soul-splitting pain coursing through his veins. It was worse than anything he had ever felt before, but when she looked up, a new horror looked back at him.

"Olivia?" He asked, speaking up for the first time since he realized what happened to him.

"Master!" She hugged him, keeping him close, pulling his head between her giant breasts. "I longed to see you! Finally, it is happening!"

"You… died..." Zorgan whispered, confused, not realizing that the miasma around him loosened just enough to let him hug back. "I killed you!"

"You know, and I do too, that you did it under orders! You were used by the Houses!"

"I…"

"They are evil, Master; they use talented and gifted mages like you to do their dirty work! Those who they can't control, like me, are then 'sentenced' and disposed of!"

"No… your family did horrible things… you were warned… you were always warned! Every time you didn't listen! I, myself, cautioned you so, so many times, Olivia!"

"You did, but Master, you were manipulated! And… then you killed me…" She held her head even tighter, letting it be buried between her soft breasts.

Zorgan felt his soul beginning to shake, disturbed and confused. The multiple strands of miasma in his essence were wriggling and burrowing themselves into him like maggots, yet he didn't notice it at all. He was trying to focus and think, but it was becoming harder and harder. Something… something was not right. He could feel it, but he could barely fight back against it. Then it suddenly clicked.

"Palvina."

"Huh?" Olivia flinched, suddenly finding her influence rebound from Zorgan's mind so fiercely it made her nauseous.

"I wasn't in love with Olivia like that. I loved her as a father would love his child. I cared for her as she was a broken genius... I wanted to get her on the right track… but failed. She didn't love me like that; she wouldn't do something like this… She was in love with Palvina… somebody you turned and used her body as mockery! Was it similar? Did you promise her she could be reunited with Olivia?!"

By now, Zorgan had wholly shaken off her arms, stepped away from the hug, and saw the 'Olivia' before him morphing, returning to Kyaranin's original appearance.

"Tsk… my bad!"

"We waited for this?" Laupa scoffed, continuing to ignore Kyaradin's angry look. "We should have broken his mind and turned him into an automaton. Send him in, follow, and use him as bait."

"Subtlety, you jerk!" She rolled her eyes as the Supreme Elders ignored Zorgan, not that he could do anything. With a flick of her fingers, the miasma restrained him again, stopping every movement of his soul. He was powerless… without knowing how he couldn't even draw on any of his strength, he was nothing more but a tool in the Undead's possession. "If I could have broken him, he would see his precious little student in me! Even if I change how I look, he wouldn't notice! I could have twisted him to our cause easily… tsk, tsk!"

"Yet you didn't."

"Okay, enough of you two." Che stepped forward, stopping them with a chuckle, putting his hand on the top of Zorgan's head.

The pain that surged forth was nothing he ever imagined possible. He couldn't hold back his ghostly cries of pain, howling like a madman, wriggling in place, but it wasn't ending. He wasn't fainting, and the intensity wasn't subsiding at all. Death was the only thing Zorgan was wishing for in that moment, but it refused to come.

"Surprisingly strong," Che exclaimed, raising an eyebrow, now thinking about not maiming him and instead reforming his memories to make him join his side. This soul… could be raised up to a satisfactory level and could be a great asset to him in the future. He is loyal, his convictions are firm, and he has a fire inside of him that can burn away anything.

He was about to continue cleansing Zorgan of his past self when all three of the Supreme Elders erected their strongest defense, reacting to the sudden energy surge appearing from nowhere. The golden-black beam parted the clouds around it as it reached Zorgan and caught both him and Che in its way.

The former teacher looked toward its source, and even though he couldn't see who it was, he suddenly heard a familiar voice that made him relax altogether. It was calling for him, and this time, he knew it wasn't fake and let his soul be dispersed by the golden, holy light. While Zorgan's soul was being destroyed without pain, the black portion was cracking against Che's defenses, flinging him away like a bug.

"ERIAAAAAAAS!" He howled, enraged, knowing who it was, but he only regained his balance when the attack finally dispersed. "AFTER HIM!"

With a hurried flash, the trio flung themselves into the orange clouds, following the residue of the attack, wanting to get back to its source and find the thorn that had been in their side for an eternity by now.

"Thanks," Lia whispered as the two were flying away, knowing they were being chased by three angry bloodhounds.

The moment Zorgan appeared, Lia somehow felt his soul. She couldn't explain it, but she knew that someone who she personally knew was there. Following her instincts, they realized what was going on, but Erias stopped her from interfering… at least, until he saw that Lia was about to attack. Not the three Supreme Elders, but she was taking aim at Zorgan, wanting to help him and end his suffering. That was when he pulled her back and unleashed an attack with his full powers.

"Don't mention it… but now we need to shake them off; you are far from ready!"

“I know… I…”

"I said, don't mention it!" Erias chuckled. "Go! Keep flying straight; I will find you! Let me tango with these motherfuckers…"

"Are you… sure?" She looked at him, but after Erias nodded, she no longer hesitated, disappearing while her ancestor cracked his shoulders with a savage grin.

"Come on bitches… Let's dance!"