Reborn As An Evolving Monster

"I don't appreciate being treated this way. I haven't done anything warranting-"

"Not what he asked."

The Spirit's voice was as joyful as it could be.

Elisa stared into Mark's eyes.

"So that's your answer? I offer a Contract, and this is your answer?"

The next second, digital messages appeared in front of her.

[Who are you exactly?]

"I told you. I'm Elisa."

[That's not nearly enough.]

"I'm telling you it is."

[Answer quickly.]

"I'm about to do something both of us will regret, so how about you step back."

[Sometimes, my body moves faster than I can think.]

[So answer before this goes badly.]

"What more do you need? I'm trying really hard not to mess up this whole situation right now."

[Are you with them or with us?]

"Who's them? Tsk. Whether you mean the one or the other, I'm not. I'm in the same boat as you all."

[One or the other?]

"By them, you meant the other Elves and the who put us here, no? I'm with neither, alright? My people are dead. And that fucker is outside. So I'm with neither, alright?"

[That fucker?]

[Who are you talking about?]

Elisa stared sternly.

"Step back if you want a discussion, otherwise..."

The wind around her suddenly started moving.

And Mark's claws got closer to her skin.

[Who are you?]

"I'm not getting through to you, huh? What do you want me to say? I'm goddamn Elf just like all the others."

[You're not anything like the others.]

[You can talk, you have a name, and it seems you were waiting for me inside that tower.]

"Get your head out of your ass, alright?" Her eyes burned. "Waiting for you? You're not special, and neither am I."

The winds turned violent.

"Talk? I can see others around who can do the same."

[They're different.]

Elisa suddenly yanked her head.

Drip-

A drop of blood went down her face, as her forehead collided with Mark's.

She stared down his eyes and into his soul.

"Fuck you. I don't need to justify my existence to you. I was cursed by Corruption Magic, just like all the others. I was brought here, just like all the others. I was trapped, just like all the others. And while they've lost their reason, I managed to keep my own. But I watched them lose theirs little by little. Just like I watched you kill every single one of them. I decided not to hold that against you, but you're making it very difficult. And don't ever talk to me about having a name, cause there are nights where the Corruption fucks with my brain SO BAD THAT IT'S THE ONLY GODDAMN THING I HAVE LEFT, SO HOW ABOUT YOU STEP BACK AND GIVE ME SOME FUCKING SPACE!"

Neither moved.

Both stared at each other, silently.

[You really can't remember?]

Elisa gritted her teeth.

Pure anger filled her heart as her teary eyes stared.

The purple Aura oozing out of Mark's body faded away.

And he took a step back.

"Well finally, you bastard." Elisa whispered as she proudly held back her tears.

'She can't remember... Just her name... Just like I was at first... Was she brought to this world too...? No. Just like the rest, huh? Then...'

Mark looked away.

He glanced over the destroyed village around him.

'They were brought here. They were broken...'

"Anything you'd like to say?"

'To become... For me-'

"Would you look at that? A peaceful encounter. Didn't think you had it in you." The Fire Spirit snickered.

'Yeah. Whatever.'

"They're ignoring me...? After...?" Elisa whispered to herself.

She stared, and the rage bubbling up inside her for who knows how long started bleeding out.

"My Lord." Levi kneeled in front of Mark.

'Anything stood out to you?'

"I couldn't say, my Lord. She-"

The wind that reigned over the whole area started moving.

Faster and faster, into a spiral.

"Wow... That's got some power." The Fire Spirit commented, seemingly impressed.

A tornado had been had appeared, and at its center, Elisa hovered in the air.

[No reason to fight.]

"No... Reason...? That's not... You call to-"

[I can't remember my past either.]

And the storm settled.

As if the air under her had turned into an invisible staircase, Elisa jumped down step by step, until her feet gracefully landed on the ground.

She stood, inches away from Mark.

"They did it to you too?"

[Something like that.]

"Mm, yes. You don't reek of Corruption. So it must be different."

[It is.]

"But you're trying to make it out of here, right?"

[We are.]

Mark felt weird about using "we" in this situation. Levi becoming his Guard was a big part of it.

"I can help with that."

[I can see that.]

Elisa chuckled.

"But... I will need something from you. Once we're outside."

[What is it?]

"I'd rather not say."

[I reserve myself the right to deny your request if it's an unfair one.]

"Reserve yourself the right, huh? That's what I wrote in our Contract. Too bad it fell apart when you read it so carefully."

[Agreed?]

Elisa smiled brightly.

"Agreed."

[So I can trust you to have my back?]

"You can. I'm not sure I can trust you with mine though. It was only minutes ago that you had your claws to my neck."

[As long as you don't purposefully mess up, get in the way, or change targets, you can trust us.]

"Well, that's good to know. But I'll be the judge of that. Happy we managed to reach an agreement though."

[Just know that if you cross any one of us, I will kill you.]

Elisa laughed out loud.

"Same. Same. Now, can we move on?" She gracefully spun a half circle and started walking away. "I've spent too much time locked in that room. I'll be wandering in the forest if you need me."

'Corruption. I'd like to know a bit more...' Mark thought.

[Can I come with?]

Elisa stopped dead in her tracks.

"Didn't think you were the type to ask for permission. Well sure, why not?"

[So now that we have something in common, we're playing friends?]

"Hahaha! Ahh that's a good one. You're better than that crystal bore. Playing friends, huh? Yeah."

She turned back, a smile on her face.

"That's how it starts, doesn't it?"