[Edanian Journey] Nymphamaré

Chapter 6: The Tragedy of the Merfolk "You know nothing of who I am. How many of my children... have your kind torn apart over the years? You two-legged beasts always betray us—in your hearts, with your steel." In the end, I had no choice but to stand against her. "She comes. The Primordial Darkness draws near. And with her... this world... shall return to nothing." Rusalka faded into dust, vanishing as if she had never existed. Tumaini's final cry echoed hollow and forlorn in my ears. I gathered Tumaini's necklace, then turned to examine the books placed near the throne. According to their contents, the Merfolk had been bound and controlled by the artifacts of the Orzeca Kingdom. Rusalka had fought desperately to break those chains, but the artifact's curse had turned kin against kin, forcing the Merfolk to slaughter one another. In despair, Rusalka turned her people to stone, leaving only a handful to conceal themselves in this place. "It spoke to me: 'You, stained with the blood of your kin, shall become Elvia's gateway.' Whether I'm being used or sacrificed doesn't matter. For this absurd world... deserves to be returned to the void." The Primordial Darkness, and the gateway to Elvia—greater and greater foes gather here in Edania. As the Black Spirit said, there is no time to linger. I must press on ahead. I must become stronger.