Magic poured from her fingertips.

She knew the power would be intense, but she hadn’t expected it to manifest like this.

The darkness, such an overwhelming amount slipped through the cracks.

The once starry skies turned pitch black. Dark clouds covered the brightly shining crescent in the sky.

“Mama? Papa? Anyone?” Yurei begged, collapsing to her knees. She didn’t mean to hurt them, it just happened. Swirling tendrils of darkness encircled them, sliding into any opening it could find. Sparkling eyes turned black. Terrified expressions smoothened. They were stiff, and moved like puppets.

It was like the silence would never end.

“Please,” Yurei sobbed, burying her face in her hand as her snowy white hair faded into an inky black. The long strands slipped past her ear, falling around her in waves.

She could almost see the blood on her hands. The red, sticky substance that she all but imagined.

“How could you do this to us?” Her mother asked. Yurei wanted to escape her thoughts. She was destroying herself on the inside.

“This isn’t real,” Yurei mumbled, clutching her head in her hands as she shook. “You’re not real. You’re in my head.”

“We loved you,” He mother cried. “We cared for you. I gave birth to you. And this is how you repay us? You- you monster!”

Yurei felt her heart collapse. Monster. The last time she was called that was years ago. The last time she let her powers out of control resulted in a devastating tragedy.

The death of her baby brother.

It was a little past the boy’s second birthday. His first word was “Rei,” and Yurei was beyond ecstatic at hearing that. When he took his first steps, he walked toward Yurei instead of his parents, stumbling with his tiny stubby arms reaching out.

The family was happy. Their lives were perfect, and they couldn’t want more.

Until that night.

Yurei couldn’t explain what had happened, even hours later what had happened.

One second, the sun was in the sky, illuminating the small town of Lythera, and the other, absolute darkness.

Storm clouds rolled in, and thunder resonated through the air.

Tentacles of pure darkness swirled around. They grasped whoever they could find- children, pregnant women, the elderly- and slipped into their minds, taking control over their body, and slowly eating them up from the inside.

The strings of darkness refused to move from those they touched.

And one, just a single one touched him. It barely grazed his skin, but only that was enough.

His young, fragile mind couldn’t handle it. Cracks lined up along the edges, and all at once, it shattered.

Yurei gasped, being thrown out of her murky state. She fell to her knees in front of her baby brother, tears gathering in her arms as she clutched his limp body.

“No. No, no, no, no, NO!” She pressed her forehead against his chest, shaking violently as she sobbed.

“I’m sorry,” Yurei was mumbling, her eyes crazed. “I’m so sorry. Please, just come back. Rei wants you to come back.” She rocked back and forth. “Rei loves you so, so much.” He didn’t move. His small terrified eyes were open as they gazed at nothing. White. Unmovingly, frozen, white.

“You killed him!” A shrill voice screamed, pointing at Yurei accusingly. She kept her head down, unable to find the strength to defend herself.

Her innocent, sweet, bright little brother who never thought a single bad thing about anyone was gone.

Dead.

And it was all her fault.

“Murderer! Monster!” The woman shrieked.

“Stop!” Yurei could feel her mothers arms circle around her. “I’ll deal with her. Go find the dead.” She said grimly.

Yurei cried even harder. How many people had she killed? How many mothers, how many brothers, and how many wives? How many people had lost someone so very dear to them, just as Yurei had?

After that day, no one said a word about Yurei’s abilities.

It was as if it was completely forgotten.

“I don’t know why your father and I protected you!” Her mother, despite being only a figment of her imagination, managed to pierce Yurei’s heart.

“I should have let them kill you!” She snarled. “They we’re going to bury to alive, to drown you, to burn you on a stake, just like a witch like you deserve! Instead, what did I do? I saved your worthless life! I erased their memories, the memories of your evil and their dead friends and family! I regret that now. If I had known how you would repay me, I would have never saved you, you pathetic, cowardly-“

Yurei clenched her fist, her sadness turning into anger immediately.

Cowardly?

She was anything but a coward.

She had swam oceans, climbed mountains, almost died for the chance of survival for her village, and that was what they thought of her? As a monster? Just when she thought things were going better, they had once again knocked her down.

But this time, she was going to get up.

A single blinding streak of lightning flashed across the dark sky, landing only a few inches in front of Yurei, briefly illuminating her flowing black locks and the scowl that seemed permanently etched onto her face. She didn’t flinch the slightest, instead twisting her face into a sadistic smile. Scars and bruises lined her once porcelain skin, but she looked as beautiful as always.

Like a fallen angel.

An angel that was unjustly exiled from her home for being what she was. For being something she couldn’t help but be.

Yes, that was exactly what Yurei was.

They had left her in their dust.

And she would make them regret that.

Her eye was fixated on the large bustling city in the near distance. It was no longer just the small town it had started as when Yurei still lived there. After her exile, people from all places flocked to see the place that the “demons goddess” lived.

She nearly scoffed at the reminder.

Demon goddess. Really? That was the best they could do? How unoriginal.

First came the adventurers, since only the most daring braved the journey to the seemingly cursed town. Then came the tourists, when the adventurers deemed it safe. More apartments were built for those who wished to stay and move their life into the town, closely followed by an explosion of restaurants, markets, and shopping centers. The once tiny community was starting to grow, and even two schools were added.

The people were happy.

It seemed like they had all but forgotten about Yurei.

Poor, poor Yurei who was sacrificed in an attempt to secure their safety.

Home, sweet home. She thought bitterly, her lips twitching into a scowl. When Yurei was younger, she would never dream of using her powers against her own people, but those people were not hers. Not anymore.

Like all heroes, she tried to forgive and forget.

But like all villains, the odds were stacked against her.

After her exile, Yurei had escaped into the woods, where large trees towered much above her. She had survived out there alone for days, until what minimum amount of luck she had ran out.

Just when the sky was getting dark, and Yurei was preparing herself for sleep, a snarl ripped through the cold night air.

She had stiffened immediately, glancing around warily as she realized her mistake.

Yurei had made a fire every night before the sun had even gone down. It had successfully kept away all of the predators that had her as their prey.

But Yurei had been lured under a false sense of security. She had grown sloppy, and had forgotten to make a fire.

And she would soon pay the price.

A flash of gray pounced of her, making her cry out in slight pain at the claws digging into her stomach, but also shock.

She didn’t even have time to yell for help.

There would have been no point, anyways. No one would be able to help her. Yurei was much too far into the forest for anyone to hear, but even if they could, they wouldn’t. After all, why would they? She was the devil spawn, the witch, the demon.

The other claw sighed into her eye socket. At this point, it was impossible to hold back the shout of agony. Her scream was short, abruptly cut off when the animal was thrown off of her, as if by an invisible force. With her one good eye, Yurei glanced up, her hands cupped over her other eye. It was messy, with blood gushing out of the wound. The scar would most definitely stay.

It was no invisible force. It was the darkness pouring through her very hands, causing the wolf to writhe in pain.

Instead of feeling any guilt or shame, Yurei felt satisfaction. It had taken something from her, and in return, she would take something back.

Yurei’s frown turned into a cruel, sadistic smile.

Demon.

Huh. She liked the sound of that.

“Milady,” A small voice said meekly, snapping Yurei out of her thoughts.

Yurei glanced in his direction coldly.

“What.” It wasn’t a question- it was a demand. She despised being interrupted.

“Your soldiers are ready.” He muttered quietly. He shook, intimidated to be in her presence.

Ah, Yurei mused to herself, smirking. This must have been the new messenger, since the last one died in an unfortunate accident where he interrupted Yurei in the middle of a speech. Obviously, that was the end of him.

The other recruits were most likely telling the poor soul tales of her victories and her viciousness in battle.

“Get them into formation,” She ordered, tearing her gaze away from them as she stared at the city again.

“I must get my armor.”

Yurei stood proudly, her back straight and hair whipping around in the wind. She looked dangerous in her shining silver armor, but yet so ethereal with such otherworldly beauty. She had so much power at her command. Not just over magic, but over men who would fall on their own sword if she so asked. She raised her gleaming golden-hilted sword up into the air.

“Advance! Take the city!”

And so they did.

For the first time in a decade, she was happy. She was feeling true, real, actual joy. Yurei burned down everything she crossed, watching with satisfaction was she ashes settled on the ground. Everything was going just as planned.

Until-

“Yure, my dear child!” Yurei visibly flinched back, glancing at the wobbling old woman in disgust. Who was she, and how dare she approach Yurei so casually?

“You don’t recognize me? Oh, baby, what happened to you?” The old woman spread her arms, as if waiting for an embrace.

Wait.

Yurei’s mouth opened with shock.

That was no mere old woman.

That was her mother.

“Yes, dear,” The woman smiled, when a flash of recognition crossed Yurei’s face.

Yurei saw red.

That was no mother of hers.

A real mother would never abandon her child.

A real mother would always be there for her.

A real mother…

Yurei narrowed her eyes. She could’ve sworn that she had accidentally killed her with her magic. She was dead. Unless…

She had faked her death.

Which had caused Yurei to be deemed a witch.

Which caused her to be exiled.

No, that was definitely not her mother. Her mother was gone the moment she discovered her son’s body, Yurei was sure of that.

She turned away from the person claiming to be her mother, but in reality was no more than the vessel that gave birth to her.

Two words escaped Yurei’s mouth.

“Kill her.”