Wraith

Once upon a time, Kirea had been alive and well in Darkfrost, until tragedy formed an emperor. For a while, she lived out an illusion of life alongside her sister and mother in the afterlife - that is, until the shade managed to find a way in through the cracks and started corrupting not just the body, but the very souls of countless dragons, Kirea amongst them...

1. The prey must be cleansed. Kill those who refuse. 2. Grant the innocent polite deaths; quick and with little pain. 3. One begging for death must never be denied. 4. The silence is too loud; drown out the noise, make it go quiet. Then it screams. ____________________________________________________________________

Kill 0 , Hunt 1. Woke up, covered with a blanket of blood, and snow. My body didn't decay. How long was I gone? Father must have buried me. His scent is gone, save for my blood red blanket. I'll find him.

Kill 1 , Hunt 1. Branch attacked me. Screamed. I panicked. Threw it into the fire. It squirmed, howling. Then it died. I just wanted warmth. Then the smell? So hungry. But I can't- I didn't even mean to kill- No. I sit here, weeping, hungry, with the branch. Its cold, blue eyes stare at me. I can't. I'm sorry.

Kill 1 , Hunt 2. Not hungry today. Woke up eating branch flesh. Distressing. Am I losing control? Must eat well, then. Can't afford to lose control when I find father. Sister's grave is empty too. Find her.

Kill 4 , Hunt 2. The branch had friends. They say it was no branch. But if that's true, I can't, never should have, EYES AND THROAT BURNING- Lies. Lies. Lies. Killed the lying branches.

Kill 4 , Hunt 0. I remembered. Things don't bleed here. Branches don't bleed. Why couldn't I remember it sooner? The sky grows light here. I needn't hide from the dark. So why do I still hear the shadows singing...?

Kill 4 , Hunt 11. Darkness nearby. A large cave, covered in it. Our cave. Claimed by the whispering dark. I must find the gods, or even just one. Tell them. They have to help. They have to.

Kill 9 , Hunt 11. More branches. Greedy branches, who want my blood. But it's mine. They should grow their own blood, I said. They looked funny. Tasted funny too. They attacked first.

Kill 9 , Hunt 0. Found the icy domain's heart. I could taste the power flowing through the air. It lifted the fog off my thoughts, freed me from my foolishness. Even if I find the gods, what would I do? What could I say? They'd smell the taint on me and crush me before I'd have a chance warn them. But we need help. Death was never supposed to be a punishment. At this rate it will be our doom.

Kill 10 , Hunt 0. Had to eat. The fishy are not dragons, so it's fine. I'm fine. No more branches though.

Kill 10 , Hunt 1. I was wandering the shore. Saw the most mesmerizing light in the distance. Like the sun, but... not blinding? It lifted the fog again. I hadn't even noticed its return. What is that?

Kill 0, Hunt 0. The Sun. My sun. It listened to my pleas. It forgave me. And then it burned away the darkness that had taken over my soul. Never had I thought pain to taste so incredibly freeing.

Kill 0, Hunt ∞. My sun returned. Told me to seek out the infested, burn away their corruption and free them. My sun will fight back the darkness that has taken the city. I will hunt for my sun. Bring us peace.

[.... the journal's next pages, barely legible before, are smudged with blood, and some are torn out.]

Killed 48 , Saved 3 , Hunting 2. Picked up a new trail today. They're fairly young. I don't fancy killing them, but so few survive the cleansing. Still, I must try. If either their body or mind remains untainted, they may have a chance. I pray to my sun. May they find peace, whatever their fates.