Chương 24: One Step Forward

Helen woke suddenly, springing to a seated position and breathing heavily. She was soaked with sweat, and her heart was beating so fast it felt like it was trying to escape her chest. It took a full minute for her panicked mind to calm down and fully realize where she was. Her room was bright, as it always was. Right now, most of the light came from the window, but even at night, she had magical lamps to keep the room lit. It helped, at least a little. She took another minute just to take in her surroundings.

The luxurious seats, the bed so large and soft it felt like a warm hug, the vaulted ceiling with its gilded supports and painted floral patterns, the desk made of wood so fine and durable she wasn't even sure if she could damage it… After how she had lived for the past ten years—if it could even be called "living"—it didn't feel real. Like she had died and woken up in Paradise. And that was only the interior.

She slid over to the side of the bed, taking a moment to enjoy the soft carpet under her bare feet, then strode over to the window. The window faced the town of Orevogorsk, which had once been a tiny, backwater village on the verge of extinction and was now… not that. The streets that had once been more mud than dirt were now paved; the dilapidated houses had been replaced by new construction. The architecture was nothing special, but it was clean, it was new, and it was sturdy.

On the far side of the city, three larger buildings stood out above the rest. They were a bunch of factories—the cornerstone of Orevogorsk's burgeoning economic revolution. Those three buildings and the businesses that sprang up around them had already brought in thousands of Vaelrin looking for work, with dozens more arriving every day. The palace where Helen stayed was still slightly detached from the rest of the town, but it was close enough she could just barely hear the murmur of activity.

Workers calling out to their comrades, children laughing as they played in the streets, parents shouting after their children for playing in the streets, wagons and carriages rolling up and down… It was a happy, healthy, prosperous town. For Vaelrin. It shouldn't have been possible, but there it was, right before her eyes. Sometimes, Helen truly did wonder if she had died and gone to Paradise. Or maybe this was just another drug-induced hallucination.

Every night when she went to bed, she half expected to wake up blind and crippled again, at the mercy of a human whose name she didn't even know. But that never happened. Day after day, week after week, month after month, she woke up in the same room with the same window overlooking an idyllic town where Vaelrin could be free and happy. She glanced down at a nearby street where a young imp girl was helping her mother sell flowers.

She beamed widely as an elderly gargoyle pressed a coin into her hands and gratefully accepted a bundle of purple tulips while the mother made flower arrangements behind her. Helen felt a tightness in her chest and quickly turned away, walking back away from the window. Soon, she found herself in the bathroom attached to her room, letting warm water run down her back, washing the night's sweat away. She still had not gotten used to the fact that she had a shower.

Even before the war, she couldn't remember the last time she was able to just stand under a torrent of hot water for as long as she'd liked. The first day she realized she had it, she had stayed there for hours. Today, she only did it for an hour, finally washing her hair at the end. Her outfit for the day was beyond modest. A simple white dress made of thick fabric with long sleeves and a pair of gloves to cover her hands.

The dress had been made specifically for her, with slots for the wings and buttons that magically clasped in the back without her even needing to touch them. She had never had a dress like that. She didn't even know where they got it. The virtuous races with the magical expertise to make something like this would never make something for a "demon." Once she was ready to go out, she walked up to the door, reaching for the handle, then froze.

For a long time, she just stood there, hand on the door, but unable to turn it. She didn't want to leave. Lyra said she should, because it was good for her, and she had already gotten all dressed up, but she was now filled with dread. What would she even do? Take a lap around the palace again and retreat into her room? She had done it a dozen times already, and it never helped. It only ever made her feel worse. No, I told Lyra I would. I have to. I just need to go see her. Then I can come back.

She nodded to herself, then finally turned the door handle, emerging into an empty hallway. The rest of the palace was just as luxurious as her room, if not more so. Crystal chandeliers hung in every hall, paintings taller than she was lined the walls, and the velvet-like curtains on the tall windows were softer than anything she had ever felt, other than the blanket in her new bed. Slowly, she started walking down the hall, trying her best to make her steps silent.

There was no one here to disturb, even if she wasn't quiet, but she still felt like she had to. She turned a corner and hesitated a moment before continuing. There was an imp maid cleaning one of the windows. She had not seen Helen yet, and Helen took extra care to be quiet as she continued. She had come too far to turn around now, but she didn't want to be noticed. With luck, the maid would never know she was there.

Please don't turn, she thought as she neared the maid, who was still busy running her squeegee along the window. For a second, it almost seemed like she would make it. Then, the maid turned to wet the squeegee and did a double take as she saw Helen.

"Oh, good afternoon, Lady Helen!" she said with a bright smile.

"It's good to see you out and about!"

'Lady,' thought Helen. What Lady? She schooled her expression and gave the maid a polite nod before moving up, trying to hide her guilt within. Lady? What right did she have to be called that? They had called her 'General' once, but Lyra and the palace owner thought Helen found the title burdensome, and she became 'Lady' instead. They had been correct, and it helped for a time, but now, 'Lady' almost felt worse. It implied she had some kind of inherent status that put her above the other.

Don't waste your respect on me. Helen might have been a general, but not anymore. Now, she was nothing. A shattered sword whose wielder had died long ago. A broken relic of a dark past that was best left forgotten. She should have died back then. Why had she surrendered? To save her subordinates? It would have been better had they all died on the battlefield than suffered as war prisoners. If the others had gone through half the things she had…

She walked down a half dozen more halls, trying to be silent and unseen like the ghost she wished she was, but every servant she passed greeted her, and each time, it felt like a stake to the heart. These servants should not have been wasting their time or energy on her. They were infinitely more valuable than she was. All she did was waste away while they were hard at work, making something out of their lives. By the time she reached Lyra's office, she was utterly defeated.

She was ready to turn right back around and sleep the rest of the day away. Maybe she would try again at night when everyone else was asleep. At least that way, she could pretend she was alone.

"Helen!" said Lyra, leaping to her feet as soon as Helen entered. Lyra set down her pen and rushed toward the door, stopping just short of Helen and smiling widely. She kept her hands in front of her, fidgeting. Helen knew that she wanted to go in for a hug. She had done it a few times in the early days, but Helen put a stop to it. It was one of her biggest regrets since coming there. Just raise your arms, she told herself. Just a bit. It will make Lyra happy.

But her arms stayed firmly at her side, and then Lyra started speaking, and the opportunity passed. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

"You're up! And your dress is lovely today! It looks so good on you!"

"Thank you," said Helen quietly with a perfunctory smile. She looked over her sister's outfit, which was much less basic. It was still modest, as Lyra was a working woman who often served as the palace owner's mouthpiece, but it was much more open than Helen's. It was more colorful, more casual, and more inviting. She's adjusted well…

"How are you feeling?" asked Lyra.

"Fine."

"Have you eaten yet?"

"No."

"Perfect! Me neither. Let's go get some lunch!" Lyra talked all the way to the dining hall, telling Helen about the various developments around the town. They had a similar conversation most every day, but Lyra somehow always had new things to talk about. Anecdotes from the previous day, business developments, complaints about uncooperative merchants, and the like. Today was no different, and even as they ate, Lyra was talking between bites.

Helen smiled and nodded along as Lyra spoke, but inside, she felt like disappearing. Lyra had adjusted well. She had work, she had friends, and she was growing into an important pillar for the town. Helen thought back to when they were young. Two young succubi without parents was a recipe for disaster, which is why Helen had to get strong. Lyra was always so timid and shy, so Helen had to be her rock and keep her safe. But now… She doesn't need me anymore…

All the food they ate was better than Helen had ever had, but she had barely tasted any of it. She just ate mechanically until her plate was empty, then followed Lyra back to the office, trying her best to ignore the stares she got from the other palace employees. When they got back to the office, Lyra stopped just inside, turning around to face Helen with a smile. Her hands were still fidgeting, and her smile was more strained than before.

Helen did not raise her arms for a hug, and Lyra did not try to give her one.

"I'm glad to see you're doing well," said Lyra.

"I have to get back to work now, but if you ever need anything, just let me know! I'll always make time for you! And I know that Alicia would too." Lyra leaned in close to whisper.

"She's actually a lot friendlier than you'd think." Helen smiled and nodded.

"I will."

"And you should go out and take a look at the town sometime! I know you can see it all from your room, but seeing it and being there are toootally different. I bet you'd love it. It might not be what we dreamed about yet, but with Alicia, I know it will be!"

"Maybe."

"Well…" said Lyra, still fidgeting.

"If you have nowhere else to go, you can stay in here? Maybe you could—""I don't want to be in the way."

"Oh, you wouldn't be," said Lyra.

"It's totally fine."

"I was just about to get going." I would just be a distraction. Lyra's face fell for a moment, but it quickly turned back into a smile.

"Well, then, if I don't see you again today, then I'll see you tomorrow!"

"Bye." Helen turned away and walked out, trying not to imagine what Lyra's face must have looked like behind her. It would be better if I just disappeared. She was just a burden. A piece of the past weighing Lyra down and distracting her from the future. She was being treated like someone special while contributing nothing. The world didn't need her. She barely paid any attention as she started walking back to her room and ended up walking too close to a passing maid.

The maid was carrying a basket of laundry and walking slightly haphazardly, and as she walked past Helen, she leaned a bit too far to the side, and her shoulder brushed Helen's wing. The next moment, Helen had her back pressed against the wall, eyes wide and chest heaving.

"Oh my goodness, Lady Helen!" said the maid.

"I'm so sorry!" Helen stayed where she was for a moment, then turned away, power walking down the hall without looking back. The maid called after her, but Helen ignored it, focused on getting as far away from people as she could. Whenever she came to a new hallway, she turned whichever direction had no one else in it, paying no attention to whether she was actually getting close to her room or not.

When she finally calmed down and slowed her pace, she looked around and realized she had somehow gotten to the top floor, a place she had only ever been a couple times. It was much quieter here, with fewer roaming servants and larger rooms. This was where the palace owner stayed, and when Helen stopped, she saw that right at the end of the hallway was the owner's office. The door was partly propped open, and there was a vague humming noise that Helen couldn't quite hear coming from within.

Without really knowing why, Helen walked toward the open door, stopping just outside and peering inside. The palace owner, the vampire named Alicia, was sitting behind the desk in a custom-built swivel chair. She was slowly spinning around and staring up at the ceiling with a pen held between her upper lip and nose, and the humming noise was coming from her, in a tune that Helen had never heard before but was oddly catchy. Helen stared, dumbfounded.

Alicia was the most powerful existence that Helen had ever encountered. Helen was one of the highest-level mages in the world, and the magic Alicia had used back at the arena was beyond her comprehension. Her skill was unfathomable, and yet looking at her now, she would have never known it. She looked more like a young girl, bored out of her mind at a job where she had nothing to do. What am I even doing here?

She had a reason for approaching—she knew she did—but seeing Alicia had somehow driven the thought from her mind. Now, she was just spying on a person who could very well have been the most powerful existence in Vael for no reason.

"Ahem." Helen flinched and turned to find the draco Vittorio standing a few feet behind her. At the same time, she heard a gasp from the office and the sound of something small hitting the ground. Vittorio regarded her with silence for a few seconds, and his eyes carried some kind of unreadable emotion that Helen couldn't quite place.

"Helen, is that you?" said a voice from inside the office.

"And Vittorio too. Come in, come in!" Helen obeyed the order without even thinking, despite the sinking feeling in her stomach. The moment she started walking, she remembered why she had approached the office.

"Helen, it's been a while!" said Alicia with a smile as Helen stopped in front of the desk.

"Did you need something? A room cleaning?" Helen glanced over at Vittorio, who had taken a position next to Alicia's desk.

"Oh, it's alright," said Alicia, catching her gaze.

"It's not urgent. Just tell me what you need." Kill me.

"I…wanted to ask a question."

"Shoot." Just end it.

"Why am I here?" Alicia frowned.

"What do you mean? Didn't you want to ask me something?"

"No, I—" Just say it.

"What am I doing here? Why do you keep me around?"

"Well, I—" Alicia started. At that moment, Vittorio suddenly stepped toward the vampire and leaned down to whisper in her ear. Helen watched as Alicia's eyes widened in shock, and then her expression turned grim. She couldn't make out what the draco was saying, but from Alicia's reactions, she got the gist of it. It was gruesome, but it made sense. He was the head of Orevogorsk's militia and hunting force, and Helen knew that despite the town's advancements, the levels of their warriors were still lagging behind.

Alicia herself had to go out hunting semi-regularly to make sure the town had enough food. But if she had them kill Helen, her death would give them enough experience points to be more self-sufficient. Vittorio finally finished speaking, and Alicia nodded, her expression as cold as ice. Here it comes.

"The reason I've kept you around was because I thought you would be useful to me," said the vampire.

"You are the highest-leveled person in all of Orevogorsk other than me. Even if not directly suited for town development, I'm certain that we can find a good place for you." What?

"I hadn't said anything until now because I wanted to make sure you were recovered. And now it seems like you have. I don't have a position for you ready at the moment, but Lyra has been quite busy lately. Why don't you go see what she needs help with? I'm sure she'll have something for you to do."

"I—" started Helen.

"That's not—" She stopped herself.

"That's not what?" asked Alicia. That's not what I wanted.

"Nevermind," said Helen.

"I'll do as you say, Your Grace." She glanced over at Vittorio again. She still couldn't read his gaze, and she was more confused than ever. What had he said? Why did he want her to work with Lyra? She did not say anything. Whatever his reasons, it didn't matter. She had been given an order. Alicia finally wanted her to earn her keep, if that was even possible. At least Lyra will be happy…