Legacy World 4.1 Vengeance

Luna opened her eyes to find herself in complete darkness. If not for the intense ravenous hunger she was feeling, she would have thought that she was still in the same space from before. 

This hunger, unlike the previous world's, drove her crazy. She clenched her jaw and fists hard. It took up all the self control she had to prevent herself from going berserk and going on a rampage. What made matters worse was that she smelt a tantalizing meal nearby.

Feeling it odd, she wanted to know what she was dealing with first before she did anything. /BaoBao!/

BaoBao immediately knew that she was ready to receive the information and so stimulated the memories of this body.

The original soul of this body was a human named Vanora. An only child born to a poor but happy couple. Her parents did all they could to provide her the best but that did not mean they spoilt her. She had to earn it by helping out with the household and work. Her father was also tough on her when he taught her how to fight with her fists, a sword, a bow and arrow, an axe and more. She was not bad at it but could never meet the standard he wished for her to attain. Her mother may not win her father in strength but she always has him beat in wits, and that was what her mother tried to impart to her. 

Vanora initially struggled with their high expectations and became emotionally unstable at one point, however she knew that they were being hard on her for her own good. They were living among the poor where crimes and unrest was everywhere. If she could not protect herself, she would end up being taken advantaged of. Some people depended on the arrival of an angel but her parents taught her to never rely on one. After all, it depended on serendipity and luck if one would grace a village with their presence. You may not even live to the day when the angel would come to the village. 

Moreover, despite the fact that she kept failing to meet their high expectations, they never blamed or faulted her, and never stopped loving and encouraging her. 

When the war started, Vanora started feeling the pressure to be even better. Her lack of ability eventually led to an emotional breakdown. 

Her parents immediately knew that something was wrong and took a day off their training and work to attend to her emotions. Her parents hugged her, one on each side, with their heads gently resting on the top of her head.

Her mom started talking. "Vanora dear, you just do what you can. Don't worry if you fail. There's nothing wrong with it. Whenever you fail, we'll be here to support you. Whenever you mess up, we'll be here to clean it up." 

"And we love doing these for you because you're our darling child."

"Besides, we only survived till today because we have each other. So there's nothing to worry about not being able to stand by yourself, we're here for each other."

"All we wish for you is to survive and live freely and happily."

Vanora felt overwhelmed with their love and tears flowed uncontrollably while she nodded her head. She felt a renewed drive to become better but now she felt lighter as if a burden was lifted off her shoulders. She improved even more and not long later news of an angel at their village traveled to their house near the outskirts of the village.

The people around them started rushing to the centre of the village to meet the said angel. The family had been focusing on their work in the fields - planting, fertilising, harvesting, and maintaining. 

Vanora's excited gaze met her father's excited gaze and they were ready to go with the rest to meet the angel. However, when they looked at her mother's worried expression, their excitement cooled. 

"Mom?"

"Love?"

Father and daughter spoke at the same time. 

"I'm afraid it may not be good news. Why would an angel be here now? All of them are involved in the war. Vanora, hide."

"No! I'm staying with the both of you!"

"Things around here may get dangerous." Her mother tried to persuade her.

"Then hide with me!" 

"If all of us hide, we'd be mistaken as camouflaged demons or corrupted souls."

"Then I'm going with you! Remember how you told me that we'd survive together by looking out for each other? I won't be a burden!"

Her parents looked at each other with an expression that revealed their conflict inside.

"It's your call." Her father trusted her mother's judgement.

Her mother stared at Vanora for awhile before breaking into a proud smile. "You've really grown up to be strong and confident." She held Vanora's face tenderly while instructing, "Always stay behind us."

On their way to the centre of the village, they ran into the angel and the rest of the villagers walking towards their direction. 

Her mother immediately let out a surprised cry. "Oh my gosh! It's really an angel! I told you that we should have followed everyone earlier!"

Her father winced a little and looked apologetic. "Sorry love, I was just too engrossed in the field."

Vanora had been stumped but quickly caught on. She acted as an innocent young girl gaping at the pretty angel with olive brown hair and striking clear blue eyes that seemed to look into her soul.

"You can drop the act. I know that you do not truly revere me." Her voice was light and clear. 

Vanora's smile faltered a little but her mother carried on. "Forgive us, our hearts must have been corrupted. We can only be saved by your teachings now."

"Yes, we've been feeling lost and aimless. It's truly great to have this chance to meet you in our lifetime before we die."

"Will you help us?" Vanora finally added in with hopeful eyes.

"I've received word that a demon is hiding in this village. I'm only here to catch it. Do you know where it is?"

The family of three were shocked and shook their heads in unison. 

"Now you're truthful." The angel slowly brandished her sword with emotionless eyes then swung it at the three of them. A gigantic slash of light flew towards them and her parents turned around to cover her. Her father took the full brunt of the slash followed by her mother. Vanora also heard the sound of somebody else's flesh tearing.

Vanora looked behind and saw an injured demon on the run. The angel flew after it but Vanora quickly grabbed onto the ends of her robe, begging her to save her parents. However, she was met with a look of disdain and annoyance that was burned into her memory. 

"I told you I'm only here to catch a demon. That attack wouldn't have hurt true believers. Since your family believes in surviving by your own strength so much, survive till I come back on a mission to save instead. If they die, consider it their luck to have died by my sword. It was their only other method of salvation."

Vanora's grip slackened with the shock she received from getting such a heartless reply and the angel flew off. She did not remain stunned for long though. Her parents were in dire straits. She looked around and asked for help, but they were already walking away. The "good" ones shunned them for they were shunned by the angel. The "bad" ones left without a care as it meant less competition.

"Dad! Mum! Please hold on for awhile, I'll go get the medicine! Our house isn't far from here!" She yelled while she desperately tried to stop the blood that was flowing freely out of the large gash on her father's back and the small but unfortunate and deep wound on her mother's neck. 

She ran off and came back with medicine. Sitting in a pool of her parents' blood, she sewed the wounds close and applied salves that would stop the bleeding. However, both became paler and less conscious by the second. The wound on her father's back was too large. She could not sew it shut properly. Her mother could not seem to breathe properly. Vanora cried and cursed herself for not having enough skills and knowledge.

"No no no no, this won't work...! I'll get a doctor! I will!"

Just as she stood up, her mother touched her foot and her father whispered out her name. 

"Sorry, Vanora... We can't make it..." Her father weakly said.

Vanora shook her head ferociously in denial.

"Sur- Vive." Her mother said in between gasps for air. "Live. For. Us."

Vanora's tears poured forth. She wanted to say something but her voice only came out as choked sobs and croaks.

"We love you." Her father's voice was barely a whisper now. He smiled tenderly and his eyes glistened with tears.

Her mother inched her hand closer to her father's hand. Vanora quickly moved to help her then held onto their hands tightly. She finally managed to squeeze out the words among her sobs. "I- I- promise. I lo- I love- love you! Tha- Thank you! For- For every- everything!" Her parents smiled warmly and the light in their eyes went out as they breathed their last. Vanora screamed and wailed in agony with her body bent over her parents.

Vanora remained oblivious to the time passing as she mourned her parents' death wholeheartedly. Her tears finally started to dry when night fell. Their blood has all been soaked up by Vanora's clothes and the ground. Vanora's body was covered in their dried up blood. The stench filled her nostrils. She got up lifelessly but moved with a purpose. With a shovel in hand, she independently gave her parents a proper burial.

Once she was done, she took a slow look around her. Her eyes were as lifeless as her motions. /Everyone should just die./

With that thought, she silently trapped every villager in their house and set the entire village ablaze. Everyone woke up from their deep slumber and tried to escape, only to find every escape route sealed up. 

Vanora stood on the edge of the village. The scorching heat scalded her skin. The flames reflected in her lifeless eyes. She only started moving when all that was left of the village was nothing but cinders and ashes.

She found another village and started life anew. She got by fine and survived well with everything that her parents had taught her. Until the day when a fight between an angel and a strong demon much taller than all the trees in the vicinity came to their village. Vanora had been escaping with many others but the demon's body flew towards them after receiving a strong blow from the angel. The demon squashed the humans like they were nothing but bugs. Vanora's legs were crushed by his arm. She cried out in pain and fear. There was nothing more she wanted than she fulfil her parents' wish for her. She did not want to die. The angel arrived to finish the demon off. Slashes of light rained down on the demon. A short prayer was heard before a pillar of light shot down, causing the demon to explode into pieces. 

Vanora was sent flying and tumbling a short distance away along with the demon's flesh and blood. Feeling numb everywhere and the strange intensifying pull of sleep, she knew that she was goner. She used the last of her energy to look at the angel responsible for it all. Now that she took a good look, she realised that it was the same angel that had also forsaken her parents. Her pupils constricted and her hate shot to new levels. The memory from that day flashed clearly in her mind. The angel looked straight at Vanora as if sensing her death glare, but the look in her eyes were still as nonchalant and derisive as the day her parents died. 

"How sinful." She spat before flying away. 

Vanora dug her fingers into the soil.

/I can't die. Not yet! There's still one living person who abandoned my parents to die! She must pay!/

A malicious laughter was suddenly heard in her head. The voice then spoke. /I smell a strong hate and an intense thirst for vengeance... Do you want to live?/

Vanora was initially shocked but the question caught her attention. /Of course!/

/Then you shall, but on the condition that you will kill that angel from before./

She realised the voice likely belonged to the dead demon. At least it was supposed to be dead. She looked at the half of the head that had landed near her. Its eye was glowing bright yellow and its sharp dark pupils staring straight at her. However, she did not get any chills. Instead, she felt a sense of thrill. She replied with hatred clear in her voice. /She's MY target./

/How splendidly wonderful./ The voice said with utter glee. /Drink my blood and eat my flesh. You shall be reborn with my will!/

However, try as she might, Vanora could not move her broken body. So, she resorted to biting down into the dirt at her mouth that has his blood and bits of his flesh, then swallowed it. 

Suddenly, her body burned with an unbearable heat. A thousand needles pricked her skin all over. Her head felt like it was splitting apart. After a long struggle, she blacked out.