Squabee and Maria walked up the palace stairs to reach the guards at the front door. Maria’s armor was dirtied but still in pristine condition. The guards noticed she didn’t have a weapon and eased their shoulders slightly.
"Stop where you are, citizens. What brings you to the palace?"
"We ca to look for my mom. Her na is Lidia Rose. Does that ring any bells?"
"What does she look like?"
"She’s tall, has tan skin, brown hair, she has a very... vibrant personality. She was probably walking around with a tall handso guy with dark hair and blue eyes."
The guard studied Squabee, who was still being carried comfortably on Maria’s back.
"What about you?"
"Sa thing. We’re a package deal!"
The guard grabbed a dagger that was sheathed in by Squabee’s waist.
"No weapons allowed in the palace from citizens. I’m sure you understand."
Both Squabee and Maria checked themselves for any weapons around them, but the guard had taken the only one they had.
"I think we’re clean. Can we pass?"
"You may enter. That Lidia person you were talking about was given an assignnt by the queen herself. It’s possible she may not even be in the palace currently."
Maria slouched.
"You could’ve started with that..."
She looked back at Squabee.
"What do you think?"
"Might as well check the palace first."
"Good point. We’ll be on our way then."
The guard allowed them to pass.
"No funny business, or you both must reap the consequences."
Maria and Squabee continued down a long hallway. Everything about the palace scread luxury. Maria was baffled by the condition of the place. It looked as if it was being cleaned ten tis a day minimum. As her and Squabee rounded the first corner, they both gasped.
Laying on the floor were two massive piles of flesh and crushed bone. There were small pieces of sharp gold littered across the floor, all painted dark red with dried blood. Sitting next to them with her eyes closed, was none other than Lidia. She was unconscious but visibly breathing. Her fists looked torn and mangled. Even though she was asleep, her eyes were slightly open.
Maria rushed over to her and started shaking her.
"Mom? Are you okay? Hello?"
Lidia groaned and coughed into her hands. She slowly looked up and t Maria’s distraught gaze with a desperate look of her own.
"Maria? Is it really you?"
Looking past Maria, she saw Sqaubee, who also looked terrified at the scene in front of her.
"How long has it been? How many days have passed since I was gone?"
Maria looked at her confused.
"What do you an? You never went anywhere. Weren’t you supposed to be here with Slimo?"
Hearing his na, Lidia’s eyes widened and she tried to sit up.
"Where is he?! Is he with that howrecker?!"
Maria pushed Lidia back down softly.
"Well... I need to talk to you about that in a mont. Can you tell us what happened here first?"
Lidia looked around at the bloody scene in front of her, as if she was recognizing it for the first ti.
"...I happened."
Maria looked at her confused.
"You an, you did this? What even are those creatures? Why is there random gold shards everywhere with dried blood?"
"Those were elite palace guards. Whatever you see is all that’s left of them."
Maria’s stomach dropped.
"You an, you did this?"
Lidia looked emotionlessly at the scene once more.
"They got what they deserved. This place... we need to leave this place. It’s not safe for us here. It’s not safe for anyone."
Maria slapped Lidia in the face. Lidia held her cheek and looked at Maria in shock.
"Shut the hell up and tell what happened already!! Why are you acting so... creepy?! Snap out of it, mom!"
Lidia’s eyes widened for a mont before taking a deep breath.
"I got stuck in a ti loop. The queen put in charge of looking for broken enchantnts around the walls, but I got stuck here instead. It felt like every ten seconds the loop would be reset, and I would be brought back to the start of the hallway. However, my mories persisted through every loop I did... but so did the guards. They ruthlessly killed hundreds of thousands of tis, but every ti they did, I was brought back at the start of the loop."
Maria held her stomach, trying not to vomit.
"I killed them thousands of tis too, but it was difficult each and every ti. The only way I was able to escape was to destroy a strange shimring crystal I found in the room at the end of the hall. I could’ve escaped earlier, but I wanted the guards to die as gruesoly as possible before I left. I lost count of how many loops I did, but it felt like I was in there for dozens of days. I..."
Lidia looked at her bloodied hands.
"... don’t know who I am anymore. It’s strange. I should feel regret; I should feel guilt for wanting to kill those two guards so badly in such a horrid manner. Yet, I am happy. In fact, I am ecstatic that they are gone and their bodies are beyond recognizable. Those hours of anguish, those days of tornt, being killed thousands of tis... can soone really be the sa person after going through that? Wouldn’t anyone be happy to see their captors in such a state? Part of hopes so...But I am not your mom anymore. I am... a monster."
Maria looked at her mom with a bitter smile.
"All that matters is that you’re free. I don’t know how to feel hearing my mom being killed thousands of tis, but for being dead, you sure do seem pretty alive to ."
A small chuckle escaped Lidia’s lips. She looked at the grueso bodies of the guards one last ti.
"Monster... maybe all of us have sothing like that residing in us, waiting to co out at the perfect mont. But if being a monster ant seeing you one last ti, I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again. I am not sorry for what I’ve done."
Maria embraced her mom. Squabee got on the other side of her to join the hug.
After three monts, Maria let her go and offered a hand up.
"I’m sorry to make move so more, but there’s one last thing I need you to do for today. Do you think you’ll be up for it?"
Lidia grasped Maria’s hand and stood tall. Her hand stung with pain as Maria pulled her up.
"What is it?"
"It’s Slimo. His hair turned white and he ran off sowhere. We need you to bring him back."
Lidia sighed.
"Tell where he went."
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