HEX: Aspect Of The Void

I wanted to be a hero... A champion of justice.

My whole life I grew up with that hope, that dream. Of course many people laughed at it when I told them about my heart's desire, but it didn't matter to me. After all... I had 'them'.

My loving parents who cherished me, their only daughter. They supported me and believed in my dream, never once making fun of me for it.

My bright smile and optimistic nature was like a light which radiated around my household. We were poor, just like everyone in our little town. However, we were happy... I was happy. And someday, I was going to change everything and make sure everyone lived a life of comfort which we all desired.

"Oh? Our daughter is gonna save the world someday, isn't that right?" Dad would always say.

"She'll catch all the bad guys and make sure we common folk have a better life" Mom would always respond.

"I promise! I'll be a hero who will save everyone and make everybody happy, that way... There'll be justice for everyone" I would always, always answer them.

"If everyone is happy, then I'll also be happy as well!"

How wrong I was...

There's no such thing as justice for everyone, and... Not everyone deserves happiness!

It happened a week before my 9th birthday. The Raiders came to our town in the dead of night, pillaging all our crops, destroying our homes with fire as they filled the air with screams of pain and fear along with their cheers of pleasure.

They were warriors from another region, barbarians in their own right. They took among us, male for slaves and they raped our women, taking them away only after satisfying their lusts. The healthy looking children were also taken for unknown reasons.

My father was killed trying to defend my mother and myself from them. He was killed mercilessly in front of me, causing my body to break down and I could not move a muscle after I witnessed his death. My mother, she was raped and tortured before my very eyes.

The men passed her around among themselves and defiled her over and over again as she begged them to stop. I watched them from a small distance while on my knees, unable to move. I couldn't even shed tears or let out a croak. My body just couldn't stop trembling.

After she was used up by fifteen or so men, she was discarded and tossed aside.

"She'll soon die anyway" They said.

"Ah, what a waste. She was a beauty too"

"Maybe we overdid it a bit, she's all messed up now."

"Nah, if we don't take our time to enjoy some of them, the boss will hoard all the good ones for himself."

"Hehehehe, you're right about that. Ah, I feel so refreshed now."

After having their way with my own mother... She was tossed aside like a broken doll. My father's dead body was on the floor as his eyes were wide open and seemed to be looking at me.

"Run" His eyes told me.

However, I couldn't... The fear and despair had seeped into me. It was so deep that I couldn't do a thing about my body as I slowly watched the men approach me with the same lustful expression they had when they gazed upon my mom.

"Should we have fun with this one too?" One of them asked, licking his lips in anticipation.

I could smell their terrible breath and bloody musk from where I knelt. It felt so unpleasant and terrible. The entire room felt so disgusting, I thought I would puke. But I swallowed it, unable to even release the pent up disgust which swirled within me.

"No, let's stop here. If we take too long the boss might get suspicious" Another replied the man.

"Ohhh, that's a good point. Looks like I get to pass up on enjoying another beauty." The man said with his lustful gaze still on me.

"Whoah, For real? You know she's old enough to be your your daughter right? You pervert"

"Oi, don't pretend as if you're not thinking the same thing I am"

"Well, I can't deny that"

"Hahahahahahaha" They bellowed, enjoying the thrill.

"How can they laugh like that?" My younger self asked herself countless times.

My mother had just been raped mercilessly, my father was killed in cold blood, yet these men seemed to be fine. They were happy... Happiness... They had it. But, I wasn't happy... How could I be? Even though I said the happiness of others made me happy... This wasn't what I wanted. The depraved men enjoyed themselves...

But at what cost?!

They caused us to experience pain in exchange for their own pleasure.

That was when it started dawning on me... Happiness isn't for everyone.

After I experienced this, I was rounded up by their group and was put in a cage with fellow children such as myself. They all had empty looks of despair in their eyes. One of them turned to me and asked me with the voice of emptiness.

"Hey, Lana... You said you wanted to make everyone happy... Does that include these men?"

His words hit me. I couldn't respond to his words and he didn't say any more than that.

We were taken to a labor camp, a place where I spent the next year of my life living, if you could call it that.

We were used as manual laborers. The male among us had to go through rigorous training, killing a lot of them. While the females... We... We were told we were to be raised as nothing more than breeding tools.

Every night, I had to service at least a man until he was pleased. I adapted quicker than most for some reason. I didn't want to die, but... That wasn't all. By rendering my services to them, even at the expense of my own body and pride... I made them happy. Wasn't this what I wanted?

The sentence carried out by me, I carried it out dutifully. Before long the men began to make personal requests for my services. I began to service even more than the rest of us did. I did what I was asked dutifully.

"Good girl"

"You're the only one for me"

"Ahhh, I'm so happy right now. You really are the best!"

I received compliments like them, signifying I did a job well done.

"Are you happy? Am I doing it right? Should I do it this way? Do you prefer it that way?" I asked them, pleasing them in whatever they desired as they burnt out their lust on me.

It finally got to the point where the men no longer wanted any other girl but me.

"No one does it like Lana" They said.

I was relieved... At least the other girls wouldn't have to go through what I was going through. And by sacrificing myself, I would make both the girls and the men happy. Making everyone happy... Maybe that was possible after all.

I was wrong!

"Who does she think she is?"

"She's just some used up slut like the rest of us."

"She thinks she's so special because they all want her instead? Who knows what she does with them?"

"I bet it's so so disgusting! Just look at her"

"Some hero she is"

These words that came from the very girls I tried to save. They weren't happy, they were dissatisfied. I tried to help them, yet they hated me for it.

"It's... it's not like that... Everyone, I just wanted to..."

No one heard me out. In the end, I was left all alone, nothing but a toy to be used and used until I ended up being broken and tossed aside... Just like my mother.

"Maybe... I deserve this" I thought to myself.

I gave myself up to the inhumane treatment I received... This continued until I became 10 years old.

Then... Salvation came!

"All of you are now under the judgement of the hands of god, the Apostles! Surrender now and allow yourselves to be purged by god's gracious mercy"

Without any prior signs, these people clad in white appeared at our labor camp.

"Intruders! Get them!!!"

The men all charged and armed themselves to fight the people in white. However... Within moments, they were done for. The men stood no chance, the strong men we grew to fear and obey... They were all nothing but specks of dust before the brightness and power of the people on white.

"Foolish creatures. Die, and atone for your sins in the afterlife!" One of the white robed people said.

Using strange powers and techniques I had never seen before, they immediately cleaned up the entire labor camp. They let us children, survivors, live.

They assembled us to the camp square and lined us up in rows. I looked around myself and the view was so surprising and strange to me

"Were we always this few?" I asked myself.

Out of over a hundred children taken, I could barely see 30 left.

Were the rest ...?!

"We're so sorry we didn't arrive here on time. A lot of you have been lost due to our lack of diligence. We apologize" The ones in white said, bowing their heads to us in apology.

I didn't know what to say.

"W-Who a-re you people?" One of the children asked the strange people who killed the men of our labor camp.

A white robed woman, who stood out among the rest, stepped forward, creating a miniscule distance between herself and the rest.

"We are Apostles, little ones. Sent here by the gods themselves! We have come to save everyone and make you happy!" She said with a warm smile.

From that moment on, my life changed once again....