Bound to the Gargoyle

Chapter 1

Berna

I crouch low and trace my fingers on the cold ground feeling for any sign of Mortiz. The earth is damp beneath my fingertips and the faint scent of decay lingers in the air. It's a stark reminder of the destruction I hunt. My eyes soon flick toward the horizon, where the trees twist like claws against the blood-red sky.

The other women stand around me, their faces hard, determined. Six of them—each scarred by Mortiz's experiments, bonded by our shared suffering. They speak in hushed tones. Their voices are steady but laced with a quiet fury.

"We find his assistants," Lyra says, her voice tight. "We burn everything he's built."

I nod, my jaw clenched. I have no time for speeches. No time for anything except vengeance. "We split up," I say, my voice sharp and unwavering. "I'll take the direct route. Mortiz is mine."

The others exchange glances but don't argue. They know better. They've seen the fire in my eyes, the fury that drives me. They know I won't stop. Can't stop.

I rise abruptly and my muscles coil tight like a spring ready to snap. The dark energy within me pulses, a constant reminder of what Mortiz did to me. To us. I push it down, not trusting it fully, but knowing I might need it soon.

"Ren, take the east path," I command, pointing to a barely visible trail snaking through the twisted trees. "Mira and Sora, you're on the west. Lyra, Kira, and Asha, circle around to the north. If you find anything—"

"We know," Ren interrupts, her scarred face set in grim determination. "We'll signal."

I nod, appreciating their resolve. These women are my sisters in pain and purpose. Yet, I can't let myself feel too much for them. Attachment is a luxury I can't afford.

"Be on the lookout," I say. "Mortiz's traps are everywhere. Trust nothing."

I watch as my sisters-in-arms disappear into the twisted forest. The heaviness of our shared mission hangs heavy in the air, but I push it aside. Alone is how I work best. Alone means no one else gets caught in the crossfire of my vendetta.

As their footsteps fade, the silence of the forest creeps in. It's oppressive, almost suffocating. I clench my fists and feel the rough calluses on my palms—a testament to years of survival and training. My nails dig into my skin, and I welcome the sharp pain. It grounds me and keeps me focused.

I take a moment to center myself. The wind whispers through the gnarled branches and carries the metallic tang of blood. It's familiar, almost comforting in its horror. I've lived with this scent for so long that it's become a part of me.

Suddenly, the memories come rushing back, crashing over me like a tidal wave. The pain, the screams, the sickening smell of chemicals and fear. Mortiz's face swims before my eyes, his mismatched gaze—one eye sharp and cruel, the other milky and unseeing—boring into me. I hear the echo of his laughter and see the glint of metal instruments in the dim light of his lab.

"You're special, Berna," his voice whispers in my mind. "You'll be my greatest creation."

I shake my head violently, trying to dislodge the memory. My hand instinctively goes to my left forearm, tracing the raised scar there. It's one of many, but this one... this one was the first.

The phantom pain of the crystal's insertion makes me wince. I remember the searing agony as Mortiz embedded it into my flesh, the way my screams echoed off the cold stone walls. The dark magic that now courses through my veins—his "gift" to me—pulses in response to the memory.

"Fuck you, Mortiz," I spit out. "I'm nobody's creation but my own."

I force myself to breathe deeply, pushing the memories back into the dark corners of my mind where they belong. I must focus on the present. On the hunt. On my goal. There's no room for weakness now. Not when I'm so close to ending this nightmare once and for all.

"I'm coming for you, Mortiz," I whisper to the blood-red sky.

I start moving purposefully forward. My steps are silent on the forest floor. Years of tracking and hunting have made me one with the shadows. Each movement is calculated, efficient. Every sense in my body is on high alert as I scan for the slightest hint of danger. I'm not just a survivor anymore—I'm a predator, and Mortiz is my prey.

As I move deeper into the forest, the darkness seems to thicken. The air grows heavy, charged with an energy that makes my skin crawl. It's familiar—the taint of dark magic. Mortiz's magic.

I pause and close my eyes, reaching out with my senses. The dark energy within me responds, pulsing in time with the magic in the air. It's a beacon that guides me straight to my target.

"I’m onto you," I mutter, a grim smile tugging at my lips.

I pick up my pace and move swiftly through the underbrush. The forest seems to bend around me, shadows stretching and twisting in impossible ways. Mortiz's influence is strong here, but I won't let it deter me.

As I navigate through the twisted landscape, I can't help but think of the others. Lyra, Ren, Mira, Sora, Kira, Asha—all of them scarred, all of them driven by the same burning need for vengeance. Part of me wishes I could have kept them close, protected them. But I know better. In this world, in this fight, we're all alone.

I turn on my heel, each step more purposeful than the last. I am more determined than ever. Mortiz will soon pay, and I will be the one to make him suffer for his horrible deeds.

As I continue to move through the dense forest, the ghost of my past once again brushes against my consciousness. I remember the night I escaped from Mortiz's clutches. The laboratory, a twisted playground for his madness, was alight with the glow of strange crystals. Their power was pulsing through the air like a living thing. I had been strapped to a cold metal table, the icy bite of the surface seeping into my bones. Mortiz loomed over me, his one good eye alight with sickening delight as he prepared to delve deeper into his vile experiments.

But I had refused to be a mere victim anymore. The dark energy he had so carelessly injected into my veins had surged to the surface, fueled by desperation and a primal will to live. It had coursed through me, wild and uncontrolled, shattering my bonds and giving me the strength to fight back. I had struck out, my blows filled with rage and terror, and in the chaos, I had escaped.

Yet even as I fled into the night, I knew that I had left a piece of myself behind—a piece that was forever marked by Mortiz's cruelty. I had never felt truly free. How could I, when the threat of Mortiz still loomed large, casting a long shadow over my life? He was out there, doing unspeakable things to innocent people, and as long as he drew breath, there would be no peace for me. No closure.

The forest around me grows even denser. The trees twist and gnarl as if they too have been touched by Mortiz's dark magic. I can feel the heaviness of his presence, a malignant force that seems to seep from the very earth itself. My skin prickles with a mixture of dread and anticipation. I am closing in on him, and soon, very soon, I will have my revenge.

I pause, my gaze drawn to something in the distance—a jagged silhouette hidden deep within the mountains. At first, it's nothing more than a shadow, a dark blemish against the starkness of the stone. But as I squint against the harsh light of the setting sun, the details begin to emerge. It's a structure, large and imposing, with high walls that seem to claw at the sky. Mortiz's new base. I can feel it in my bones.

A sense of grim satisfaction settles over me. All these years, I have been hunting a ghost, a specter that haunted my every waking moment. But now, I have a target. A location. Mortiz's lair, where he no doubt continues his vile experiments, believing himself to be untouchable.

I take a deep breath, steeling myself for the confrontation to come. I am no longer the frightened girl who fled from Mortiz's lab. I am a hunter, honed by years of survival and hardened by an unquenchable thirst for justice. I will infiltrate his stronghold, and I will bring him to his knees.

As I stand at the edge of the forest, the shadows of the twisted trees stretch out before me like reaching fingers. The sun, a fiery orb sinking beneath the horizon, casts the world in a somber light. It's in these moments of stillness that the heaviness of my journey presses down on me. The sacrifices I've made, the life I've left behind—all for the chance to stare into Mortiz's mismatched gaze and end his reign of terror.

The wind picks up, carrying with it the scent of pine and something more sinister—the lingering stench of Mortiz's dark magic. It's a smell that's been etched into my memory, a constant reminder of the pain he's inflicted upon so many. I've walked through the ashes of burnt villages, seen the hollow eyes of those who've lost everything to his madness. And with each step I've taken, the dark magic he implanted within me has grown more restless, more unpredictable.

I've had to harden myself, become a weapon in human form. Love, friendship, a sense of belonging—these are luxuries I can't afford. My heart, once tender and open, now beats to a rhythm of revenge. The few times I've let someone in, Mortiz has been there to rip them away, proving that attachment is a vulnerability I can't allow myself.

The scars that crisscross my body are proof of my resolve. Each mark, a souvenir from Mortiz's lab, serves as a stark reminder of the night I escaped. That night, I left more than just my innocence behind. I left pieces of my sanity, my sense of self. And in their place, I gained a purpose that has consumed every waking moment since.

My journey has been marked by long nights spent tracking Mortiz's movements and even longer days honing my skills. I've learned to survive, to trust only in the certainty of my blade and the dark power that simmers beneath my skin. It's a constant battle to keep that power in check, to prevent it from swallowing me whole.

As the last sliver of sunlight disappears, the world is plunged into darkness. The fortress looms in the distance, a monolith of malice. It's there, within those stone walls, that Mortiz believes himself to be safe. He's wrong. I've come too far, sacrificed too much, to let fear hold me back now.

I take another deep breath, feeling the cool night air fill my lungs. My hand instinctively goes to the hilt of my dagger—a simple weapon, but one that has served me well. I'm ready. I've been ready for this moment since the day I escaped Mortiz's grasp.

The time for hiding is over. It's time to face the monster that haunts my dreams, to look him in the eye and show him that I am no longer his plaything. I am Berna, his greatest failure, and tonight, I will be his downfall.

With a final glance at the moonlit path that leads to Mortiz's lair, I step forward. The darkness welcomes me like an old friend, and I move with silent purpose, each step bringing me closer to my destiny. The hunt is over. The time for revenge has come.