Cherreads

Chapter 57 - Path of Memories

Here is the full translation of the text into English, keeping the formatting clear and scannable while strictly omitting all punctuation marks as requested

Arleen and the Destruction of the PlanetWhile little Arleen was trying to live her simple days she was noticing that peoples looks toward her were growing harsher day by day until even their treatment of her kind grandmother turned into contempt She felt as if the air itself was suffocating her as time went by

On a gloomy evening Arleen was sitting in her small home drawing new maps her only hobby that kept her busy from her worries when three masked men burst into the house They grabbed her violently as if she were a dangerous criminal and dragged her by her arms while she screamed to be led by force to a central city square where people had gathered

There among the crowd one of the masked men raised a collection of the maps she had made and shouted

This child is plotting against us She has mapped all our locations to hand them over to other planets She is a traitor

Chaos ensued and voices rose with insults and people began looking at her as a monster not a child Her grandmother rushed closer crying and screaming

Stop She is just a child She is my granddaughter Wake up you fools

But her words fell on deaf ears and instead the voice of a man rose from among the crowd

She is a curse walking among us Kill her before she destroys us

And people began pelting little Arleen with stones The old grandmother extended her arms to block the blows wounds opening in her frail body and blood splattering on her clothes As for the child she knelt on the ground crying and trembling from pain and shock unable to comprehend what was happening

A man carrying a dagger approached his eyes filled with hatred and lunged to stab Arleen But the grandmother threw her old body in front of him and took the stab to her chest She fell to the ground and the child shook from the horror of the shock her hands stained with her grandmothers blood as she tried to stop her bleeding

The grandmother extended her trembling hand to her granddaughters cheek and whispered in a fading voice

Run my little girl Do not look back Live for yourself

Then she closed her eyes forever

A sharp scream tore through the silence coming from the depths of the childs heart

Grandmother

With that scream a massive crimson energy exploded from Arleens body It was like a heavenly storm sweeping through the place in an instant Time froze for moments peoples hearts stopped and their eyes froze in place before they were swept away by the energy wave

The entire city shook then it was erased

Every stone every body every scream every trace vanished as if this planet had never once embraced life

Amid this deadly silence the little girl fell to her knees tears flooding her face Her weak body trembled as she screamed in pain hugging her grandmothers body which began to melt away along with everything around it

In the background the adult Arleen who was watching her memories had also collapsed Her face was pale her eyes tearful screaming as if she were living the same pain twice

Stop please I do not want to see this again

But no one hears her

No one answers

Only the echo of her screams as it bounces inside the void of her black memories

Wang and the Grand MasterIn a completely different place Wang was walking down a long corridor that seemed to have no end the floor extending and shadows dancing on the walls as if time itself had stopped After a long distance he spotted a small sign that read Open and because of it he decided to enter

He found himself in a strange restaurant unnaturally quiet Candles lit every corner and gentle music played without stopping but the place was completely empty Wang sat at a table trying to take in this strange atmosphere

Suddenly he noticed from the window that the rain had begun to pour outside its drops falling softly reflecting the light on the wet ground While he was watching the scene a strange man in a gray coat entered and sat at the neighboring table The man looked directly at Wang and said in a low voice

You know I want to play a game with you

Wang raised his eyebrows in surprise

And what is this game of yours

The man smiled and pulled out an old chessboard and placed it on the table

Chess a game of mind and control

They sat opposite each other and the match began Days pass Wang wins time after time then repeats the process as if time had stopped completely and the game was everything around them

After a while Wang looked at the opposing man in astonishment The man was none other than his father the Grand Master

Father what are you doing here

The Grand Master answered calmly without any sign of surprise

Nothing just playing with my genius son

But as soon as Wang turned to contemplate the place his father suddenly disappeared and suddenly he felt himself pulled downward He tried to resist but a giant hand carried him and placed him on a huge chessboard standing on one of the large squares

He looked around his astonishment growing all his other siblings were standing there like chess soldiers frozen moving only if the player moved them and the player clearly was the Grand Master himself

Wang was suddenly stuck in a game bigger than his life a game whose rules he did not fully know and he did not know whether he was just a piece on a board or a player trying to survive

Suddenly everything around him began to turn to gray every color every life everything lost its vitality Wang stood frozen his eyes widening as he saw his entire past before him as if time itself had restarted it anew

He saw how his father used to ruthlessly impose the roles of ideal children on him and his siblings no room for error no space for rebellion or self-expression His father never accepted his children being less than perfect and their daily routine was an unbreakable bond study training work without stopping Wang never knew rest never felt happiness did not even know the meaning of the word

Every picture every memory weighed heavier and heavier on his heart until he felt himself drowning in a sea of unconsciousness submerged in a pain he could not overcome He saw the punishments for the slightest mistakes which were barely worth mentioning and how he and his siblings were forced to become assistant judges against their will their personal lives stripped away to become tools in the project of ideal children to serve the ultimate ruler Karma

Then came the most painful memory He saw his mother thrown on her deathbed her final days possessing no strength to endure after giving birth to hundreds of children to serve the Grand Masters project She was bound by chains of energy trapped between her fathers will and the pain that never ended

Wang stood his eyes watching the child version of himself standing before the sick mother trying to feed her and feed his young siblings trying to smile despite the pain trying not to show his suffering before the children And the child did not realize but the adult Wang saw everything with painful clarity every moment of pain every suppressed tear every frustration

It was as if Wang were living those moments second after second his heart heavy and his soul bending under the weight of memories and everything around him gray without light without mercy just a dark past devouring every part of his soul

Wang stood stunned his eyes watching the unbearable Suddenly he saw his mother dying before his eyes without any ability to intervene without any chance for rescue He began calling her his voice choking with panic

Mother what is wrong with you Mother wake up

But the adult Wang was standing watching the scene from the outside unable to cry unable to show any emotion All emotions had been stripped from him every trace of childhood and mercy was lost

As for the younger children they were in a state of shock calling their mother with a trembling voice before their calling turned into a desperate scream They went after that and called their father The father arrived and told them coldly as if he were recounting a cold fact

Your mother is sleeping an eternal sleep

The children wondered in confusion with tears gathering in their eyes but the father replied with deadly coldness

She neglected herself this is the reason for what happened

At that moment everything around the adult Wang began to collapse The memory itself turns into a grim darkness coating every corner in black and a strange distortion fills the place devouring every picture every emotion every voice

The adult Wang stood in the midst of this darkness contemplating everything with empty eyes while all he knew of life of pain of love vanishes without a trace

Then suddenly everything closes everything around him disappears nothing remains except total darkness a limitless void that devours the soul and leaves him alone with himself and his past

Arissa and the Sins of the PastIn a distant and cold place Arissa walks amidst the heavy snow contemplating the silent settlements before her The freezing air bites her face but she feels something familiar about the place something connecting her to her forgotten past She approaches a huge mansion gleaming in the distance and enters the cold and dark corridors

Inside the mansion the echo of her footsteps reaches a spacious room filled with glass statues of a beautiful little girl a reflection of an innocent and deceptive past But the place is dark and blood stains the floor She follows its tracks to find a group of servants being led one by one into a locked room

Driven by curiosity and self-recognition the young Arissa enters the room to discover a horrifying truth The little girl herself was standing behind a series of merciless killings striking down whoever displeased her The adult Arissa smiled wickedly praising the brutality that had long attracted her since long ago

In another wing of the mansion the adult Arissa opens the door of a luxurious room to witness a heated argument between her father Kaiser and a beautiful woman with white hair and sharp features a mixture of purity and mystery Kaiser screams

I trusted you I loved you and you betrayed everything

The woman replies calmly despite her tears

I did not betray you it was not expected

The shocking truth clarifies before the adult Arissa she is not Kaisers biological daughter but rather the result of a mysterious relationship between her mother and an unknown person Scenes of the past merge with her present and she remembers moments of sitting with her young mother when she asked coldly

Mother who is my real father

The mother is shocked and shuts her mouth trying to maintain the lies

Of course your father is Kaiser

The young Arissa replies with deadly coldness a tone devoid of any innocence

I know everything and I know that you betrayed Kaiser with someone else this is expected of the filthy Celestine creatures

The mother grew angry and slapped her on her face

How dare you describe your mother as a traitor and insult my people

The young Arissa laughed coldly leaving her words like a sword

To hell with you and your people

The next day the young Arissa saw Kaiser hanging her mothers corpse on stakes after he killed her He approached her hugged her with a suspicious tenderness saying

There is no blame on you for what this traitor did she betrayed you and she betrayed me too

The young Arissa smiled with an indescribable wickedness saying coldly

The best deed you performed today you obedient dog

And suddenly everything closes leaving the scene in a grim silence and absolute absence of mercy as a symbol of the final transformation in Arissas character from the innocent child to the cunning mistress of darkness

Arissa casts a cold look at everything before her and suddenly everything begins to shatter around her as if the world itself reacts to her anger and the blackness of her heart She looks behind her to see a strange shadow standing directly opposite her With a cold smile she says

Ah ah is this you I have not seen you for a very long time

And suddenly everything around her disappears to quickly transfer the scene to Arius He stands in the midst of utter chaos sounds of collapses and disturbances surrounding him from every side He breathes deeply and whispers

Damn another chaotic place

He descends via a strange staircase the floor around him turning into infinite mirrors reflecting unclear images and he whispers to himself

Ah true my misery always exceeds my happiness

A large door appears before him with Welcome to the Dark Age written on it He opens it and enters to find himself sitting in a luxurious and strange room overlooking a huge network of buildings and mansions beneath it He walks cautiously contemplating the place and whispers

If this is a nightmare let someone rescue me from it

He deepens further and finds before him a young man fighting a group of people controlling them with complete ease Everyone applauds him and when the young man takes off his helmet Arius sees himself a version of his own self and whispers in astonishment

Damn this do not tell me that I returned to the past

His sight rises toward the top of the stairs where you see a lady of magnificent presence with a majestic beauty watching him coldly as if he were waiting for praise or recognition from her But she turns quickly and leaves leaving Arius in his astonishment

Arius walks and the scenes change once again to find himself inside a huge hall where the lady sits on her throne with all arrogance and condescension Respect bows before her while his other version bows too

She asks him in a harsh voice

Tell me Arius what is the greatest achievement you accomplished these days

Arius raises his head with pride and answers

Mother I was able to build a strong skill that enables me to manufacture loyal soldiers no matter what to serve me without will

The mother looks at him with a disgusting anxiety saying coldly

Ah is this all What is this absurdity that you waste your time with

Arius replies with steadfastness

But mother I exerted my effort in building this useful technique

The mother stands from the throne striking with the word and authority

Stop this childish play and learn from your siblings they are more useful than you

His brother Lucifer steps forward with an arrogant stride and says

While you play with absurd things like this I built a massive empire in my own layer and developed all the inhabitants of my layer to be more effective in serving our interests As for what you do it is mere childs play

Lucifer laughs out loud and looks around

Soldiers skill what an absurdity

The laughs follow from everyone in the hall as if it were a collective spiritual poisoning showing the deep gulf between Arius and his siblings and between his personal vision and ambitions and between the rules that society and his mother try to impose on him

Arius and the Door of DestinyArius stands in the hall tears glistening in his eyes and the echo of the sarcastic laughs still pierces his heart He screams with a shaking voice

No my abilities are not a failure You will see you will see

He runs outside the hall escaping from their eyes escaping from a shame that tore his pride but his inside was bleeding silently

On the other side the real Arius stands watching his memories manifest before him as if he were walking in a maze of ghosts of the past He walks more until he reaches his old room the place that witnessed his repeated attempts his failed experiments and his successive breakdowns

He sees his young version sitting surrounded by his scattered tools repeating attempt after attempt to make something of value but each time he breaks before the bitter truth failure was his permanent companion

The years pass in the blink of an eye and the memories change before the eyes of Arius He sees himself having married a beautiful girl named Laura the one who entered his life as a breath of hope in a world suffocating him He lived with her as far away as he could trying to build something that resembles the home whose meaning he never knew before

As the days went by Laura gave birth to his first child A rare moment of joy Arius carrying the infant in his hands his eyes filled with different tears this time tears of joy mixed with awe

He decided to go to his mother to show her her first grandson He entered upon her with hesitant steps to find her sitting in the darkness and around her a cold aura as if she were drowning in a void that has no end

He said with a faint smile his hand holding his child

Mother look this is my new son your first grandson

Hemera raised her look to him with deadly coldness and said

And what of that

Arius became confused but he held onto his words

He resembles you a lot mother

But she interrupted him with aloofness

Arius get out from before me I am not in a mood to endure your absurdities

Arius face froze for a moment as if his heart broke again under the weight of those words He left the room burdened with sadness silent while his inside was boiling from the wound

He sat beside his wife Laura who noticed his confusion She touched his hand and asked him gently

Darling what is the matter Are you okay

He raised his head to her with eyes drowning in sadness and a broken voice

Tell me Laura am I a bad person

She held him to her chest patted his hair like a tender mother and said

Who told you that darling

Arius muttered

No one but from the looks of everyone it seems obvious

She smiled with tenderness and raised his face toward her

You are not bad people are the bad ones Do not listen to what they say nor to what they see in you You are the master of yourself and you alone judge your own self

And while her words were echoing in his mind the real Arius stands in the corner of the room watching the scene in silence No tears no smile no reaction mere coldness and depression and questioning as if he sees something he wished he truly lived once again but he knows that the past cannot be repaired

The memories were passing before the eyes of Arius as if it were an endless tape moment after another of his failed attempts to impress his mother his silent pleas for her attention his frantic pursuit of a recognition that never came All of that used to always end in the same wall coldness neglect rejection

Until the ill-fated day arrived the day in which he was accused of treason He was not granted a chance to defend himself his voice was not heard everything was prepared in advance He sees himself being led fettered he sees the execution sword rising then descending with swift speed to end his life before the eyes of everyone

The scene vanishes suddenly and the darkness swallows everything

The real Arius stands his features rigid and his voice comes out with coldness like metal

This is enough

He turns his back on the memories and walks in the dark void his footsteps tapping on nothingness until he stands before a huge door topped with an inscription The Door of Destiny He raises his head toward it without hesitation and pushes it And as soon as he crosses it existence vanishes completely

On another side he finds himself walking inside a long glass corridor extending in the midst of an infinite void No walls no ground no sky only glass beneath his feet reflecting distorted images from his past Whenever he advanced a step it seemed as if he were diving deeper into his depths

But suddenly the corridor shakes the glass shatters beneath his feet and he falls toward a bottomless pit The scream did not come out of his mouth as if he were surrendered to the fall

He collides with a liquid body and drowns for a moment in a pool of blood

He opens his eyes while panting swimming in a viscous fluid coming out of it with great difficulty

Before he drowns more a strong hand extends to him from above He grabs it instinctively and he is pulled outside

He sits on the edge of the pool catching his breath raising his head

And his eyes widen in shock

The one who rescued him stands before him a version of him Same features same build but slightly different

His eyes carry a deeper darkness

His voice is calmer and more solemn

His smile is faint but saturated with a mysterious meaning

With astonishment Arius asks

Who are you and why do you resemble me

The other replies in a low voice deep as if it comes from inside him

Calm down first catch your breath You were lucky that I found you here before this pit swallows you

Arius sits on the ground his eyes do not leave his lookalike and his inside boils with endless questions

But that lookalike stands tall as if his existence here is not a coincidence but rather an inevitable matter

More Chapters