BELLRAM V02 - Ambivalence of Light and Shadow II

BP004-P04 - Subjugation 04

Falko walked off to his wagon. Violet stayed where she was. Meia would continue to watch her, but she was distracted, because in the meantime the fairy had arrived and it seemed as if she wanted something. She had just put her bowl on the bench, but hadn't sat down herself. She looked at Meia and said nothing. Meia had already recognized it from a distance: The fairy looked as if she hadn't slept for days. Dark shadows hung under her eyes like rain clouds. There were red veins in the whites. She looked completely exhausted.

The fairy floated away from the square and came in front of Meia. At the same time, Meia noticed that Violet had looked up at them. When the fairy was in front of her, she looked into her eyes and then suddenly smiled. It was the kind of smile that made you embarrassed when you got it. Meia swallowed. What did she want? She still didn't say anything. She just looked into her eyes.

It was strange. Meia felt like she was drowning in a lake. The stars shimmered on the surface. The water was bright blue. - It was not a good feeling.

The lake seemed infinitely deep. The blackness stretched out its fingers. And there was a shadow above the surface.

Meia drowned out of fear. A flap of wings stirred up the night sky. The stars fell into the lake and drowned with her. The air was exhausted and Meia caught her breath. At that moment, she felt a tingling sensation on her tongue and in her nose, then down her throat and all the way into her lungs. She bent over out of reflex. Then she did nothing anymore. Her body stopped moving. The stars sank into the blackness like grains of sand in a watch glass. Everything vanished into it. All her problems. All thoughts. The whole world. All that remained was darkness. Was that how it felt to drown?

Meia was not alone. In the blackness, the shadow lurked. But Meia was no longer afraid. Why should she be? Had she ever been afraid? This place was where she belonged. She was where she was supposed to be. A deep inner peace filled her. She waited quietly. Little by little, the shadow filled with colors. It was as if the colors were being poured into a mold. They were all the colors there were. They were precious, since there were no others. After a certain amount of time, the body was complete. Giant wings emerged from the darkness. Glittering dust gently trickled from them. They were the most beautiful thing Meia had ever seen and she recognized them immediately - the wings of her master.

Meia was overcome with joy. It seemed her master had an order for her. Any would do. She would do anything to make her master happy. The wings flapped inwards, right towards her. Meia caught a breeze and waited eagerly to hear the words the wind brought her. But she couldn't hear anything. She hadn't heard the voice. Something had distracted her. There was a small crack in the world beneath her knees. Where had it come from? Nothing should be here. It had colors Meia didn't know. Nothing should have colors.

Meia put her hand on the crack to feel what it should be. As she did, the crack got longer and longer. The crack spread out abruptly. Meia panicked. It was unstoppable. The world was like a broken mirror. She had betrayed her master. Why hadn't she obeyed as she should? Someone had seduced her, but it was her mistake. It was an unforgivable mistake. Meia spat out blood and collapsed. With the last of her strength, she reached out for her master. Meia died.

The light shattered the darkness. The wings disintegrated like dried leaves. The blackness dissipated like black smoke in the wind. Meia sat on the carriage again.

"Fufu, looks like she resisted you."

"Don't get any ideas."

Meia was threatened. She didn't even really know where she was. She felt as if she hadn't been in control of her senses for a moment.

"Subjugation was probably a bit much. Why don't you try it the other way around, Lyr?"

"Probably rusty. Hahaha..."