Castien rushed towards Xanali and knelt beside her unconscious body. Tears streamed down his face as he gently brushed her hair back from her face, his heart heavy with the weight of despair.
"My dear Xanali," he sobbed, "How could this happen to you? To us?"
Gaya stood over them, her face twisted into a cruel smile as she watched the scene play out. She had achieved her revenge, and it tasted sweet. But Castien's anguished cries pierced through her triumph, and she felt a pang of guilt.
Castien lifted Xanali into his arms and turned to Gaya, his eyes filled with a mix of love and anger.
"How could you do this to your own family?" he shouted, his voice shaking with emotion. "Xanali was only trying to do what was best for the kingdom. And you...you have destroyed everything."
The stormy weather mirrored Castien's turbulent emotions, with thunder and lightning crackling in the distance. But Gaya remained unmoved, her eyes cold and empty.
"I asked you the same three years ago," she spat, her words like venom. "You chose her over me, always. And now, I've made you feel the same pain that I've felt my whole life."
Castien's heart twisted in agony as he held Xanali close, her body limp in his arms. The world around them seemed to fade away as he mourned the loss of his beloved daughter, and the betrayal of his other.
"How could I have been so blind?" he whispered, his voice barely audible over the raging storm. "How could I have let this happen?"
Castien's eyes blazed with fury as Gaya's words hit him like a knife in the gut. He cradled Xanali's limp form protectively, glaring up at Gaya.
"You are no daughter of mine. You are a devil, heartless and cruel. How could I have ever loved you?" Castien spat out the words like poison, his voice hoarse with rage.
Gaya's face twisted with anger at his words. "I am what you made me, father. You always favored Xanali over me, even when I was the rightful heir. You never cared for me, only for your precious Xanali."
Castien's anger boiled over, and he cursed and spat out vile words at Gaya. "I wish I had killed you instead of breaking your meridians. You are a curse upon this world, just as Selesi warned me."
The stormy weather matched Castien's tumultuous emotions, lightning illuminating the sky and thunder shaking the earth. Xanali lay still in Castien's arms, her fate uncertain, as the two remaining members of the royal family stood facing each other in the midst of chaos and destruction.
As the news reporters watched the scene unfold before them, they couldn't help but feel a sense of horror and disbelief. They had heard of Gaya's reputation as a ruthless warrior, but seeing her break her own sister's meridians with such ease was truly chilling.
The memories of Castien breaking Gaya's meridians three years ago came flooding back, and it was clear that Gaya had not forgotten that betrayal. The reporters couldn't help but draw parallels between the two incidents, and it was clear that Gaya was now seeking revenge on her own family.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtAs they watched Gaya's cold and heartless demeanor, the reporters couldn't help but feel a sense of fear and unease. This was not the actions of a hero, but of a villain. Gaya had earned her title as the Dark Queen, and it was clear that she would stop at nothing to achieve her goals.
The reporters knew that they had to be careful when reporting on Gaya's actions, as they didn't want to become her next targets. But they also knew that the world needed to know about the danger that the Dark Queen posed. They could only hope that someone would be brave enough to stand up to her and put an end to her reign of terror.
As they watched Gaya break Xanali's meridians, the reporters were horrified by the ruthless display of power.
"I can't believe what I'm seeing," one whispered, her eyes glued to the screen. "This is beyond cruel."
"Remember when Castien broke Gaya's meridians three years ago?" another chimed in. "It's like she's returning the favor, but ten times worse."
"I always knew there was something off about her," a third added, shaking her head. "Selesi was right all along. Gaya is pure evil."
As the scene played out, the reporters couldn't help but feel a sense of fear and dread. This was not a woman to be trifled with, and they knew that the title of Dark Queen was well deserved.
"She's unstoppable," one muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. "What hope do we have against her?"
"None," another replied grimly.
Some of the news reporters began to speculate about the Dark Lord's whereabouts. They whispered amongst themselves, wondering if he was lurking in the shadows, waiting to make his grand entrance.
"If the Dark Queen is this ruthless without the Dark Lord by her side, imagine how much worse things could get," one reporter muttered.
Another chimed in, "We haven't seen the last of him. He's out there somewhere, pulling the strings from behind the scenes."
They all looked around nervously, fearing the worst. The thought of the Dark Lord's arrival sent shivers down their spines.
Castien's heart sank as he looked at his daughter's unconscious form. His sorrow quickly turned to anger, and in a fit of rage, he ordered his soldiers to slaughter Gaya.
"Kill her!" he screamed, tears still streaming down his face. "Kill that heartless devil!"
Some of the royal guards hesitated at the order, unsure if they could carry out such a brutal act against the princess. But as Castien continued to shout and cry, the guards finally made their move, dashing towards Gaya with their weapons drawn.
Gaya, however, was not caught off guard. She had been trained to be a warrior since birth, and her skills were unmatched. In a blur of movement, she easily dodged the guards' attacks and countered them with brutal precision. Her sword sliced through the air, tearing flesh and bone alike.
Blood spattered everywhere as the guards fell one by one, their bodies mutilated by Gaya's deadly strikes. Castien watched in horror as the once loyal soldiers were torn apart before his eyes, their lifeless bodies hitting the ground with a sickening thud.
As Gaya approached Castien, his face was splattered with the blood of his own men. He could barely look at her, his eyes filled with a mixture of fear and sadness.
But Gaya showed no remorse. Her eyes burned with fierce determination as she approached her father.
"Is this what you want?" she spat, her voice filled with venom. "More bloodshed? More death?"
Castien could only stare at her in shock, unable to find the words to respond. The scene around them was utter devastation, and he knew there was no going back from this.
Gaya snickered, wiping the blood of her sword with a piece of cloth as Castien looked at her with a mixture of anger and fear.
"You see, Castien, there is no one in this kingdom who can stop me," she said, her voice filled with arrogance. "And Xanali's fate? That's your fault. You should never have listened to that old hag Salesi and that weakling Xanali. You should have grown a spine like a king should."
Castien's face contorted with rage as he lunged at Gaya, but she sidestepped him easily and brought her sword down on his shoulder, slicing through the armor and drawing blood.
"You will pay for what you've done," he growled, clenching his teeth against the pain.
Gaya chuckled, twirling her sword in her hand. "Oh, I already have, Castien. Revenge is sweet, isn't it?"
Castien's anger reached a boiling point as he saw the cold, cruel smile on Gaya's face. In that moment, his eyes briefly glowed white, but the light quickly faded. Without hesitation, he charged at Gaya with Xanali's sword tightly clenched in his hand. Gaya dodged Castien's sword strikes with ease, dancing around him effortlessly like a leaf in the wind. Castien was screaming and roaring like a wild beast in anger, driven by the fury of his loss and the injustice of Gaya's actions.
"You heartless devil!" he shouted, lunging at her once more. "You'll pay for what you've done!"
But Gaya was too quick for him. She sidestepped his attack and delivered a swift kick to the back of his knee, sending him crashing to the ground. Castien gritted his teeth and tried to get up, but Gaya was already on top of him, pressing her boot down on his chest.
"You're nothing but a pathetic, weak king," she sneered down at him, her voice dripping with contempt. "And now, you'll pay the price for your incompetence."
Castien struggled to free himself from Gaya's grip, but it was no use. She was too strong for him. He kept trying to strike her with his sword, but each blow was effortlessly parried by Gaya.
"Is that the best you can do?" Gaya taunted, laughing cruelly. "You really are a pitiful excuse for a king."
Despite his failing strength, Castien continued to fight with all his might, driven by his love for Xanali and his hatred for Gaya. But Gaya was too powerful, too skilled, and too determined to be defeated. With a final, brutal blow, she knocked Castien's sword from his hand and held him at her mercy.
Gaya picked up Castien by his neck, lifting him off the ground effortlessly as he clawed and scratched at her with his bare hands. But Gaya simply smirked and swatted his feeble attempts away.
"You're nothing but a weak, pathetic excuse for a king," she sneered. "And now, you're mine to play with."
The soldiers of Nagaland looked on in shock and horror as they watched Gaya, the once-beloved princess of their kingdom, holding their king by the neck and beating him mercilessly. They hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to do, but then one by one, they began to step forward, drawing their weapons.
But Gaya simply laughed and tossed Castien aside like a ragdoll, her eyes flashing with a cold, ruthless determination.
"Come and get me, if you dare," she taunted, her voice echoing across the battlefield.
With a sudden, swift movement, Gaya drew the sword from her hip and held it in her free hand. She raised the blade high, ready to strike down upon Castien. But before she could, the soldiers found their courage and rushed forward, intent on stopping Gaya.
Gaya was too quick for them, her movements fluid and precise. With one hand holding Castien's neck and the other wielding her sword, she effortlessly struck down the soldiers one by one, their bodies falling lifelessly to the ground.
And through it all, Castien remained in her grasp, his struggles growing weaker and weaker with each passing moment. Gaya smiled cruelly as she watched him, knowing that she had finally achieved her revenge.
Gaya slowly pushed her sword through Castien's heart, her eyes cold and unfeeling. Castien gasped for breath, his eyes widening in shock and pain. He reached up to Gaya's face, trying to claw at her with his fingers, but she easily batted his hand away.
As Castien's life slowly slipped away, he glared up at Gaya with pure hatred in his eyes. "I...I...curse you...Gaya...you...heartless...devil," he stuttered, his voice weak and rasping.
The soldiers and news reporters watched in horror, unable to comprehend the brutality before them. Some of the soldiers hesitated, unsure of what to do, while others tried to rush forward to stop Gaya, only to be cut down by her sword.
The news reporters hovered in the distance, shivering, capturing the scene with recording crystal for all the world to see. Their faces were a mix of shock and disbelief as they watched Gaya kill the man who was once their king.
"How could she do this?" one reporter muttered under her breath, tears streaming down her face. "How could anyone be so heartless?"
Another reporter shook his head in disbelief. "This is a dark day for Nagaland," he said.
As Gaya slowly pulled her sword out of Castien's lifeless body, the sky rumbled with thunder, and lightning flashed across the darkened sky. The soldiers stood in stunned silence, their faces etched with horror and disbelief.
Gaya turned to face them, a cold smile on her lips. "Don't look so surprised," she said. "You knew this was coming."
The soldiers and news reporters remained silent, too afraid to speak. They had never seen such ruthless and brutal behavior before and feared what Gaya was capable of.
Gaya turned her attention to Xanali, who still lay unconscious on the ground. "I could have killed her too," she said, her voice dripping with malice. "But I want Salesi to see her daughter suffer every time she lays eyes on her. Death would have been a mercy for Xanali. And for Salesi, well...this is just the beginning."
The soldiers and news reporters watched in horror as Gaya walked away, her eyes filled with cold, empty hatred. They knew that there was no stopping her now, that she was capable of anything.
And as they looked down at Castien's lifeless body, they knew that their kingdom would never be the same again. Xanali was still alive, but her meridians had been shattered beyond repair. Except for the Dark Lord, no one could heal her, and Gaya saw Xanali as a tool that she could use in the future if needed. And so, she left her lying there, broken and powerless, a constant reminder of her own cruelty and ruthlessness.