The First Dragon God-Chapter 86: The Trail Of Black Water (III)

Tatiana’s surroundings shifted suddenly, the fiery chaos of her mother’s final moments dissolving into a blur of colors and sensations.

Her body felt heavy, as though the weight of her grief had seeped into her very bones.

The next moment, she stood in a vast, opulent hallway bathed in muted crimson light.

She immediately recognized the place. The intricate black and gold walls, the towering windows that stretched from floor to ceiling, casting faint moonlight over the marble floors—this was the royal palace.

This was her home. Or at least, what used to feel like home.

Tatiana’s heart sank as familiar voices echoed from the far end of the corridor. The voices were filled with scorn.

"Well, well, look who’s here. The little orphaned princess."

The taunting voice belonged to Lucien, her eldest half-brother. Beside her was his sister, her half-sister, Liliana, who has her face twisted in mocking smirks.

Tatiana stiffened, her fists clenching at her sides as she turned to face them. Her chest still burned with the fresh memory of her mother’s death, and the sight of her half-siblings only stoked the flames of her turmoil.

"What do you want?" she asked coldly, doing her best to keep her voice calm despite the storm raging within her.

Liliana stepped forward, twirling a lock of her silver hair around her finger. Her expression was deceptively sweet, but her eyes gleamed with malice.

""Still crying about your mother, Tatiana?" Lucien sneered, leaning casually against the doorway to her chambers. His voice dripped with mockery. "She’s not coming back, you know. Maybe if she hadn’t been so eager to—"

"Don’t," Tatiana said, her voice low and trembling.

"Why not?" Liliana chimed in, her tone falsely sweet. "She was just a whore who got lucky, wasn’t she? Honestly, it’s embarrassing. The great Lord of Crimson Fall, falling for someone like—"

The crack of Tatiana’s fist across Liliana’s cheek silenced her. She stumbled backward, clutching his face in shock.

"You will not speak about her like that!" Tatiana shouted, her voice trembling with rage.

Liliana lunged at her, but Tatiana was ready. The pent-up grief, anger, and frustration surged through her, fueling her movements.

She fought them with a ferocity she hadn’t known she possessed, her strikes unrelenting and deadly.

When the dust settled, her siblings lay sprawled on the floor, groaning in pain. Tatiana stood over them, her chest heaving as she glared down at their defeated forms.

But the victory was short-lived.

"You’ll regret this," Lucien hissed, his voice filled with venom.

They scrambled to their feet and stormed off, leaving Tatiana standing alone in the hallway. She knew exactly where they were going—to their father. More exactly, their mother, her step-mother.

Her stepmother, Queen Althea, made her move as Tatiana’s life became a living nightmare.

Althea’s influence over the palace staff ensured that Tatiana was isolated, treated like an outcast. Servants avoided her, whispering behind her back.

Her once-grand chambers were stripped of their comforts, leaving her in a cold, barren room.

If it wasn’t did to how much her father loves her, her stepmother would had succeeded in sending her out of the palace. Through it all, the one constant in Tatiana’s life was Elda.

She remained steadfast by her side, offering support and companionship when no one else would. She would attend to her injuries and help her out in any way she can, and Tatiana was very grateful.

One night, after yet another humiliating encounter with her stepmother, Tatiana sat alone in her chamber, her heart heavy with despair.

"Why are you still here, Elda?" she asked quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Elda knelt beside her, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Because I was told by your mother to protect you. I can’t leave and you can’t push me away."

Tatiana’s eyes glistened with unshed tears as she nodded, the weight of Elda’s words sinking into her heart.

From that moment on, Tatiana resolved to take back control of her life. She confronted her stepmother and half-siblings, standing her ground with unwavering determination. Though the conflict left scars, it also changed her into a stronger, more resilient person.

...

Tatiana’s surroundings shifted once more, the mists of the Black River retreating to reveal an alien and oppressive landscape.

The air was suffocating, charged with a foreboding energy that prickled her skin.

The sky above was an unrelenting black void, broken only by faint, pulsating lights that seemed to flicker like dying stars.

The terrain beneath her boots felt uneven, alive—like something ancient and hostile was watching her every move.

Beside her, Elda drew her weapon instinctively, her body tense and alert.

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"This isn’t real," Elda murmured, her eyes scanning the darkened surroundings.

Before Tatiana could respond, the shadows shifted. Shapes materialized from the void, grotesque figures cloaked in writhing tendrils of darkness.

Their forms were warped, barely humanoid, and their glowing eyes burned with a sickly green and red light.

Tatiana’s stomach tightened as the familiarity and recognition dawned.

"This is a trap," Tatiana hissed.

"Not just a trap. This is a cage. They have locked us in." Elda said grimly, positioning herself in front of Tatiana.

The figures finally made their move. Their leader—a towering figure draped in jagged armor made of shadow—stepped forward, the ground trembling beneath his feet.

His voice was a guttural rasp, echoing like a thousand screams layered atop one another.

"Your soul reeks of potential, princess," he said, his gaze fixed on Tatiana. "Our master has use for it."

Elda didn’t wait for him to finish. She surged forward with a battle cry, her blade slashing through the air. Two of them fell back, their forms dissolving into inky black mist, but more swarmed in to take their place.

Tatiana joined the fray, moving with the grace of a warrior despite the lack of her usual power.

For every one they struck down, more seemed to take its place, their laughter and whispers growing louder with every blow.

Minutes passed like hours, and exhaustion began to creep in. Tatiana’s breathing grew labored, her arms trembling as she parried strike after strike.

Elda fought like a hurricane, her blade flashing with desperate fury, but even she was slowing down.

"They’re wearing us down," Elda muttered, her voice strained.

Tatiana gritted her teeth, her heart pounding as she realized the truth. Their opponents weren’t just attacking—they were toying with them, drawing the fight out.

The towering leader of the dark, inky figure raised his hand, and the air thickened further, pressing down on them like a weight. Shadows began to coil around their feet, rooting them in place.

Elda’s eyes widened as she realized the trap was closing in. She slashed at the shadows, but they reformed instantly, binding her movements further.

Tatiana struggled against the tendrils, her heart racing as the whispers grew deafening.

Elda’s voice broke through her spiraling thoughts.

"Tatiana! Listen to me!"

Tatiana turned to her, and her heart sank at the sight. Elda’s body was covered in deep gashes, her movements sluggish. But her eyes burned with determination.

"I’ll create an opening," Elda said firmly, slashing at the cultists that drew closer. "When I do, you need to escape. Do you understand?"

For a moment, she saw flashes of her mother’s face in the darkness, her voice echoing in her mind:

"Tia! I said! Run!"

"No!" Tatiana snapped, her voice rising with desperation. "We’re not doing this! I’m not leaving you behind!"

Elda’s expression softened, a rare moment of tenderness breaking through the chaos.

"You have to, princess. You’re the one who matters. You have to survive."

Tears blurred Tatiana’s vision as she shook her head violently.

"I can’t lose you too. Please! No!"

But Elda wasn’t listening. With a roar, she unleashed the last of her strength, breaking free from the shadows and charging toward the dark figures. Her blade flashed as she cut down several in her path, carving a way through.

"Go!" Elda shouted, her voice cracking with the weight of her sacrifice. "Now!"

Tatiana hesitated for a fraction of a second, torn between her instinct to stay and the weight of Elda’s words. Then, with a cry of anguish, she turned and ran toward the glowing portal Elda had forced open with the last of her strength.

The whispers rose into a cacophony as Tatiana crossed the threshold, the portal snapping shut behind her. The last thing she saw was Elda standing tall, her blade raised defiantly against the cultists.

And then she was alone.

.....

Escaping from the trap, Tatiana saw herself in a dark, empty space.

Her chest heaved as sobs wracked her body, the weight of Elda’s sacrifice crushing her.

Her mind replayed the moment over and over, merging with the memory of her mother’s death until she could no longer tell them apart.

"Why… why does it always end like this?" she whispered, her voice broken.

The shadows of grief clawed at her, threatening to drag her into a dark abyss. She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms, but it wasn’t enough to ground her. She was falling, spiraling into despair.

And then… a voice.

It was soft, barely a whisper, but it cut through the darkness like a blade with its familiarity.

"Yeah. Friends with benefits but I’m not exactly getting any benefits."

She froze, her tears halting as she looked up. The voice and words were familiar but she had no idea where she has heard it before.

She noticed that the darkness around her began to part, revealing a something she couldn’t make out completely.

The voice spoke again.

"What a shame. I was actually ready to get down to work."

Tatiana’s breath hitched as she finally remembered.

"That shameless bastard," she said with a small smile.

The memories of her mother and Elda remained, but they no longer suffocated her. Instead, they burned within her like a flame—a source of strength, not sorrow.

She rose to her feet, her body trembling. The darkness around her has already cleared and she found herself back at the edge of the Black River. The emissary stood waiting, its glowing gaze unreadable.

And beside it… Elda.

Tatiana’s breath caught in her throat as she stared at her protector, whole and unscathed. Elda offered her a small, knowing smile, and Tatiana felt her heart swell with gratitude.

"You passed," the emissary intoned, its voice echoing through the silence. "The trial is complete. The Lords will meet with you."

Tatiana nodded with a smile on her face.