BLITHE  —  Devourer of Worlds
Chapter I.V

It was finally time for Blithe and her henchmen to venture out farther to larger star systems.

Blithe and her group stood in the center of the castle hall as they listened to the Dark Emperor give out his speech on a pedestal.

She looked at the man, enthusiastically speaking words of motivation with a loud, firm and authoritative voice.

Her mind constantly shifted to the conversation she heard that one night—the conversation that left her mind in more turmoil.

She snapped back when she realized her father was walking towards her.

Pushing the thoughts aside, she forced herself to look at him attentively as if she was listening to him all along.

“My beloved daughter,” he softly called out to her as he put both of his hands on her shoulders.

Blithe almost flinched at the way he addressed her.

She looked him in the eyes—the same red eyes that looked exactly like hers.

“I trust in the abilities you have. Make me proud,” he smiled.

Blithe kept quiet for a while, her gaze stuck on his face.

Ever since learning what her name might’ve meant in his eyes, she couldn't help over-analyze every single thing he says.

“I trust in the abilities I gave you. Don't be a failure and don't disappoint me.”

This was what her mind translated from what he said.

The Dark Emperor’s smile faded and raised his eyebrows at her silence.

“Blithe,” his voice carried out a tone of impatience and suspicion.

“Of course, Father,” she answered immediately.

“I will make you proud.”

The Dark Emperor smiled and patted one of her shoulders.

He placed his hands behind him as he walked back to his pedestal.

“Go! I will await all of your good news!” he grinned as he spread his arms out in grandeur.

“FOR THE DARK EMPIRE!”

The henchmen howled and shouted, cheering in excitement as they prepared to venture out.

Blithe's eyes remained forward, vacantly staring at the space in front of her.

As the cheers around her grew louder, a noise started to ring in her ear that muffled every sound around her.

Her face remained impassive, but the storm within her grew.

She placed her hands behind her as her fists clenched tightly, her nails digging into her palm through her black gloves.

No one knew the thoughts that were threatening to break her at that moment and she won't allow it to come out either.

—

For the next few years, Blithe and her henchmen jumped from star system to star system to do what her father ordered, and star system she was on right now—

Was the last star cluster on their agenda before going back to the Dark Empire.

She stood in the middle of the war-torn star cluster.

This star cluster was larger than the other ones they attacked, close to becoming a galaxy.

There were stars, planets and even meteoroids inhabiting it, which meant they had some sort of army, albeit small.

It was more difficult to destroy, but still, it was no match for Blithe and her power and forces.

It should still be an easy task for her, save for the fact that Blithe was crumbling within.

Her mind was reeling with thoughts of these past months.

Everything in her head was like a glass mirror. The thoughts saying it didn't matter constantly kept getting broken up into shards and then put back together in an attempt to shield her from something.

This was something that was happening for a long time and it worked. Her wandering thoughts were pushed aside, replaced by the thought that it didn't matter and her only job was to follow her father's orders.

Only, as the shards were put back, the cracks kept getting more noticeable and the glass pieces kept getting smaller and harder to piece back.

She desperately wanted the feelings to go away—to go back to the way it was before.

She wanted it to go back to the time when she didn't care.

Didn't care about the burned down houses.

Didn't care about the bodies on the ground.

Didn't care about her name.

She wanted the horrible feeling gnawing at her to go away.

She couldn't understand it, but there it was clawing at her, making her do things she wasn't supposed to do and making her do something outside her father's orders.

Letting survivors slip away, delaying schedules, redirecting manpower to deserted places.

Blithe closed her eyes and let out a shaky breath...

“This is the last star system for this job… Then, I could go back and take a break,” she thought, comforting herself.

She massaged the area between her eyebrows. She has never felt so tired before.

“Everything will go back to normal once I return.”

Then, footsteps closed in on her from behind and stopped.

She turned to look behind her and saw that they were soldiers and guards of the star cluster—most were meteoroids that were tasked to defend this place.

They brandished their weapons against her with gritted teeth.

“We’ve heard stories of you,” one of them said as he pointed his spear at her.

“Countless star clusters have suffered because of you, countless lives destroyed because of your ruthlessness… Other star clusters have lived in fear of your arrival…” his hands trembled.

“FOR WHAT!? WHY!? WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE DARK EMPIRE FOR DOING THESE!?” he shouted in anguish.

Blithe looked at him, her heart stopping at his wrenching wail.

She sweated, the glass mirror in her mind cracking, desperately trying to keep everything together.

“I-I… I-It’s… My father told me…”

The soldiers were momentarily stunned that she answered.

Blithe was too. For the first time, someone asked her out oud why she was doing this and for the first time, she verbally acknowledged the excuse that was in her mind.

Her answer felt so wrong once it passed her lips.

“Everything else… doesn't matter. As long as I did my… job…”

C-R-A-C-K.

“Doesn’t matter? How could you say that about living beings!?” another soldier angrily asked.

“Survivors have told me of your name — quite a fitting one for someone as indifferent as you,” an older soldier straightened his back as he looked at her with anger and resolve.

“Blithe, Devourer of Worlds.”

Blithe flinched.

Blithe.

Blight.

Blithe.

Blight.

Blithe.

Blight.

Blithe.

The two words repeated in her mind.

Destruction.

Disease.

Emotionless.

Indifferent.

Burned down houses.

Destroyed buildings.

Lifeless bodies.

Screams of horror and terror.

She took a step back.

“Your reign of terror and ruthlessness ends here! Even if we lose our life, we’ll take you with us!” they gripped their weapons tightly and charged towards her.

It doesn't bother her.

It doesn't bother her.

It doesn't bother her.

They don't matter.

Blithe lifted her hands to form a black hole in front of them.

Just do your job.

Everything will go back to normal once you finish this.

It doesn't bother her.

It doesn't bother h—

“Doesn’t matter? How could you say that about living beings!?”

The black hole in front of them disappeared.

Instead, she created a black hole portal behind her, stepping back into it to escape.