Taming the Dark Lord - Chapter 85
Chapter 85 – Her Only Chance (1)
Heavy raindrops dropped from the night sky like bullets, ceaselessly pouring down with no intention of stopping anytime soon. The horizon was covered with gray clouds and it was only illuminated by the blinding flashes of light that was emitted after the deafening roars of thunder.
The lamp attached to the wall flickered with the remaining magic that it had, casting the girl’s smooth skin a dim glow before ceasing completely, enveloping the bathroom a pitch-black darkness once again.
The room was quiet, save for the pouring rain and Amelia’s steady breathing.
Curious as to what the black spot was, Amelia pressed a finger directly on the flesh. The immediate contact instantly ripped a piercing pain throughout her body, making her screw her eyes shut and a muffled gasp slipped from her lips.
Her heart raced at the unexpected pain that managed to numb her in an instant, finally understanding why the infected howled the way they did. The image of the middle-aged woman wailing in pain and reeking of madness came surging back in her mind.
Amelia’s hands were clammy, shaking as she hastily put on a shirt to cover the black spot.
A series of knocks rapped outside her room, snapping her out of her senses. She pushed the bathroom door with her feet and went out, blonde hair still dripping wet from the bath she had taken earlier. There was no one inside the room. A cold breeze swept inside from the balcony door that was thrown wide open. She shivered and crossed her arms together.
Alfonso was nowhere in sight, and she had no idea where he went.
The knocks on her door became louder, more frantic as the knocks went on incessantly. Amelia rushed and opened the door, seeing Rita crying in fear. “Do you see this? What shall we do?” She sobbed as she stretched her arm towards Amelia.
Sizeable black spots run on her forearm down to her slender wrists, squirming on her skin like it was alive and breathing.
Rita’s cheeks were drenched with tears, and her voice cracked as she looked at Amelia. She never once cried in such a desperate manner. Even when her identity as an illegitimate daughter was revealed to the public, she wasn’t as horrified as she was right now.
Amelia was frozen in fear. Behind Rita was a long stretch of an expansive corridor, where the doors started to open one by one with people as agitated as Rita came sauntering out, all of them bearing the same black spots stuck on their skins.
“Don’t be scared.” Amelia said, placing her hands on Rita’s trembling shoulders. “I don’t think we’re the only ones who are infected.”
Amelia’s choice of words didn’t go amiss with Rita. She turned her head to Amelia, her eyes glassy as she asked in a defeated voice. “We?” Amelia didn’t need to confirm her suspicions for her to realize that the infection had already reached them. With this, Rita bawled even more louder.
They all stayed in the conference room that night, sobbing on their seats silently. They were too stricken with fear that no one bothered to light the magic candle on.
“It’s impossible… This can’t be happening… How…” One of the believers muttered repeatedly.
“Any news from the Church?” Amelia asked.
“None at all.” Debra shook her head, and the black spots growing on her face squirmed in tune with her movements, unpleasant and disgusting against her skin.
“Is it too late for us to be heard?” Someone asked.
No one in the room answered him. As they all knew, this was impossible. The God of Light never forsakes his people.
A minute sound of light fluttering reverberated in everyone’s ears, and they all looked around them as they asked in confusion. “What’s going on?” An idea was forming on top of their minds but they did not dare voice it out loud.
Amelia on the other hand, abruptly stood up and addressed the cowering group. “Since we have yet to hear from the Church, we have no one to depend to but ourselves.” Her eyes panned to the crowd wearily looking at her. The Chief Saint who was long overshadowed by Debra was now showing her brilliance, stirring a newfound respect within them. They regarded Amelia attentively as the latter continued. “Ladies and gentlemen, who don’t have much time. Staying here feeling bad for ourselves won’t do us any good. We need to go on and look for a way to survive.”
“Even the most merciful gods out there favors the strong, and despises the weak.” Amelia’s eyes drifted to the crowd, seeing the gears in their heads turn as they thought over her words. “You don’t want God to turn His back on you, do you?”
They looked up instantly, looking as if they’d been doused with cold water. Hearing the name of God immediately got their attention and it proved to be much more effective than any words of comfort. The notion of being abandoned by God was a thought they didn’t ever want to consider, as the idea was even more painful than death itself.
The crestfallen faces they exhibited moments before was now gone, replaced by a hopeful expression in its place. Amelia couldn’t help but smile at the quick shift in the surroundings.
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