BLITHE  —  Devourer of Worlds
Chapter I.I

Blithe stood in the middle of the ruins of the star cluster she just destroyed.

The large flames that had engulfed the place had already died down. They were reduced to small embers clinging on charred wood from the houses and buildings her henchmen destroyed.

The skies were downcast with thunder quietly grumbling and lightning partially illuminating the sky. Rain could pour down at any moment.

The place was littered with bodies of Luminars, not a sign of life in sight. They no longer emitted or reflected light.

It was the calm after the chaos and it would only be a matter of time before the place they were in would start crumbling.

Blithe stood still, her eyes observing the result of their work. The place was silent, save for the henchmen running around the place and a ticking sound she could not pinpoint where it's coming from.

It was business as usual after a job—the footsteps running around checking for survivors and escapees, the burned-down houses, the destroyed buildings, the lifeless bodies scattered in the ruins, and the henchmen talking and laughing.

It was supposed to be business as usual, but it wasn't for Blithe.

For the past couple of jobs, there has been a feeling eating at her—a weight she can't explain and understand.

It often came to her in the aftermath of their job when everything was already destroyed and the light of the people's eyes laying on the ground had already dimmed.

It came to her when she was standing there, alone in her thoughts.

It came to her when she was surveying the ruins and watching her henchmen run around.

It felt like it was creeping behind her, always there, just hovering close to her back.

The indifference she displayed outside betrayed what was inside her at the moment.

She couldn't understand what that feeling was or why she was experiencing it. For the longest time, she had always witnessed the same thing on every job she was assigned to. What was so different now?

It didn't feel good.

She wanted the feeling to go away.

She looked around once more.

Burned-down houses.

Destroyed buildings.

Lifeless bodies.

Pocket watch ticking.

Everything seemed so off.

“Your Highness, it is done,” one of her henchmen approached her side and bowed. The necklace hanging around his neck collided with the thin metal armor he was wearing on his torso.

CLINK — the pendant hung and swayed.

Blithe's eye twitched in response to the sound.

“We checked everywhere, and—” he stood straight and paused for a while before continuing, his necklace once again bumping into his armor.

CLINK — Blithe closed her eyes and furrowed her eyebrows.

“—there are no survivors. All Luminars inhabiting this star cluster have been eliminated.”

Blithe pushed down what she was thinking earlier and nodded, masking her emotions and going back to what she was supposed to do.

“Acknowledged. You may go back. I will follow shortly. Tell the Dark Emperor that I will be reporting as soon as I return,” Blithe said.

The henchman didn't leave immediately. He stood there for a while but eventually turned his back and left with her command.

Blithe stared ahead of her as she heard her henchmen shout orders at each other to leave. They each pulled out a warp stone that allowed a one-way ticket back to their empire.

Everyone left one by one until Blithe was the only one left.

She surveyed her surroundings again.

Burned-down houses.

Destroyed buildings.

Lifeless bodies.

Pocket watch ticking.

Rain.

Blithe looked up for a moment as she felt a drop of water fall from above. It wasn't the first time she experienced getting rained on but somehow she relished at how the rain drowned out all the noise. It gave her a moment of peace and a reprise from all those thoughts earlier.

Then, she heard it again—the ticking of a pocket watch. No matter how much the rain consumed all her senses, that ticking sound still made its way towards her.

The star cluster started collapsing around her.

Tick.

Burned-down houses.

Tick.

Destroyed buildings.

Tick.

Lifeless bodies.

Tick.

Pocket watch ticking.

Tick.

Rain.

TICK.

The gradual ringing in her ears brought up a sense of dread within her she has never felt before.

Blithe tightly closed her eyes, the visuals and sounds overwhelming her.

“What is wrong with me…?”