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Her Name Was Merlin

Author: Nives
last update Last Updated: 2025-05-30 17:40:56

Then I saw it—blood. A sharp trail disappearing into the trees. My heart pounded. Not again. I couldn't lose him. I followed the crimson line until I spotted him—just past the old oak. But he didn't come to me. He turned, barking sharply, then stepped aside.

A voice spoke, soft and strained. "It's okay… I won't hurt you."

Behind the brush, a woman lay trapped, her leg mangled in the bear trap I'd set.

She was beautiful in that raw, wild way—blonde curls tangled across her face, black turtleneck stained with sweat and blood. Her eyes, though—sharp, almost defiant beneath the pain.

"Please," she whispered. "Help me."

I ran. Grabbed the key. Unlocked the trap with shaking hands. She gasped, clutching her leg.

"What the hell was that doing out here?" she said, half-laughing through the pain.

"Well, you see…nowhere is really safe these days" I replied, slipping an arm around her waist. "You have to protect yourself somehow."

She leaned into me—warm, alive. It was strange, feeling someone again.

Back at the cabin, I helped her sit. Keli circled, still uncertain. I checked her clothes for weapons. She didn't fight me. Just arched a brow and smirked.

"Is this how you greet your guests?"

"I don't have guests," I muttered. "Just ghosts."

I patched her up, carefully binding the wound. Her leg trembled beneath my hands.

"You're good at this," she murmured.

"I've had practice."

We shared silence, thick with things unsaid. Then, I asked, "Who are you? What are you doing out here?"

"From Lobring," she said casually. "Stayed there with some guy named Autin. Not much to say."

My hands froze.

"Lobring?" My voice cracked.

She noticed. Her eyes narrowed just slightly. "Why? Is that a problem?"

I stepped back, reaching for the knife again.

"Tell me the truth," I said, my voice low.

She didn't flinch. Instead, she smiled—slow, dangerous.

"What are you gonna do with that?" she asked, stepping closer. "Kill me like you killed the others?"

Keli erupted with a growl. I shoved her hard, and she stumbled—but not for long. Her hand shot into her pocket, pulling out a syringe.

"You're finished," she hissed, producing cuffs from under her shirt.

I fought. I swung. But everything blurred. The syringe pierced my skin, and warmth spread fast, too fast.

She caught me as I collapsed. "Name's Merlin," she whispered in my ear, breath hot. "You really don't remember anything like they said? I can't fucking believe."

Everything went dark. Consciousness slipped away from me like a fading dream, leaving me suspended in the haze between awareness and oblivion. My body had grown lifeless, a hollow shell drained of all vitality, while my mind faded entirely into darkness — as if I was slowly sinking into a void where neither thought nor feeling could reach me. Though my mind hovered on the edge of unconsciousness, some dim thread of awareness remained — just enough to sense rough hands beneath me, lifting me as though I were weightless. The world around me was muffled, distant, as if wrapped in cotton. I could feel the sway of movement, the uneven rhythm of footsteps beneath me, the cold bite of air brushing against my skin as I was carried away, powerless to resist, trapped in the fragile stillness of my unraveling self.

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  • Beneath The Burning Silence    The Waking Lie

    I no longer knew where the dream ended and the nightmare began. Something was wrong—terribly wrong. My breathing was rapid and shallow, as though a heavy weight pressed against my chest, stealing the air from my lungs. Each breath felt like it might be the last. My heart thundered in my ribcage, pounding as if I had been running for miles, and I could feel the blood coursing through my veins, heat radiating, then giving way to a tingling numbness. The air was thick, sticky, almost alive. The ground beneath me felt unstable, as if I were standing on clouds that might give way at any second. I lowered my gaze to my hands—my fingers, my skin—they looked wrong, distant, not entirely mine. Around me, the scent of burnt leaves, wood smoke, and damp earth lingered, like a memory fighting not to be forgotten. I stood still in the center of the abandoned village, its silence louder than any scream."Is anyone here?!" I cried out, my voice sharp and panicked, echoing across the empty space.Not

  • Beneath The Burning Silence    Where Loyalty Falters

    "What’s going on?" I asked Eron."Wait, I’ll explain everything," he replied, glancing at the watch strapped to his wrist.Suddenly, the cabin door creaked open and Elia appeared, visibly alarmed."I’m listening," she said."There’s a Norton among us. Someone is feeding them information. We have a traitor," he said coldly."How do you know?" Elia asked, her voice tinged with anger."At one point, I noticed an unfamiliar device connected to our communications channel. It wasn’t easy to spot — the signal would appear for just a moment, then vanish, almost like it was trying to erase its own traces. The signal came directly from the village.""I saw Tavien using a device I didn’t recognize today," I added. "I assumed it was for communication. He got very angry when he saw me watching — it made me suspicious.""What about Merlin?" Elia asked, thoughtful. "If what you’re saying is true, Devin, what if the two of them are working together? What if we’ve already lost?"I stood speechless. Co

  • Beneath The Burning Silence    Trust The Silence

    Tavien greeted me every morning without a word. At first, he didn't even say “good morning.” He would simply stand in front of me and toss me a wooden staff. The training was brutal—I often ended up on the ground, my body covered in bruises. But I never gave up. Even when every movement hurt, I would always get back on my feet, silently.Over time, he began offering brief instructions. “Lower,” “wrist higher,” “keep your balance.” They weren’t praise, but they were signs—signs that he no longer saw me as a threat. Perhaps not even as an intruder. The days were hard, filled with work, sweat, and relentless effort. But the nights... the nights were the hardest of all.One evening, I dreamed of the laboratory. It was cold, sterile, white. The air was thick with the scent of metal and alcohol. I lay strapped to a table, a harsh light blazing down on me. Voices echoed around me—technical commands, numbers, orders. Then, suddenly, I was alone. Everyone had left the room. And just as abruptl

  • Beneath The Burning Silence    The Weight Of Absence

    The room in the house Elia had given us felt somber, imbued with a quiet sorrow, yet oddly peaceful. It offered solace while simultaneously stirring unease. I sat alone on my bed; Merlin's bed was neatly made. I didn't know where she was—it was already late into the night. The last time I saw her was at the tavern, when she tried to comfort me. Perhaps I shouldn't have just left; after all, she had done so much for me. I was deep in thought, guilt gnawing at me. Fatigue weighed heavy on my eyes, and I drifted into sleep.In the midst of a dream, I heard the creaking of the door. "Merlin, where are you?" I murmured, half-asleep. The room remained silent. I heard footsteps approaching my bed and felt someone sit beside my head. "I'm sorry, Devin, for what I'm about to do. I hope you'll understand. I love you," she whispered. I felt her lips on mine. I awoke abruptly. Looking over at Merlin's bed, it was still empty. Had I dreamed it, or was it real? I threw on my tunic and ran outside,

  • Beneath The Burning Silence    To Be Forgiven

    The tavern was packed, its air thick with tension and the scent of sweat, oil, and stale beer. People crowded onto benches, leaned against walls, some clutching weapons—not out of threat, but habit. Maps, faded photographs, and handwritten notes adorned the walls, silent witnesses to the community's struggles.I stood at the edge of the circle right next to Merlin and Elia stood at the center, her voice calm yet firm, resonating through the room like ripples across water."We know who they are. We know where they come from. We know what they represent. And that's why we're here—to decide. Not to argue. Not to shout. To decide."A man with a red scar across his face rose first, his voice laced with bitterness."My child died because of those experiments, died before my eyes, because of you—especially you, Devin, or should I say Delta Seventeen. I saw her in that white uniform, soulless, empty-eyed, bloodied knife in hand. He wasn't even ten. And her? She was their face. Their message t

  • Beneath The Burning Silence    Before The Judgment

    In front of Merlin and me stood a small house, tucked beside Elia’s own. It looked smaller than most others, though its exterior bore the same earthy simplicity—wooden walls, moss-covered roof, nearly swallowed by the landscape.“Go on in,” Elia said softly, pushing open the old wooden door.Inside, the room was modest. A single square window let in the fading light. Two beds sat against opposite walls, each with a thin mattress, a blanket, and a worn pillow. Below the window stood a worktable, aged but sturdy, and atop it, a lamp—surprisingly still functional. In the far corner stood a large wooden wardrobe, and at the center of the room, a handwoven rug stretched out like a memory preserved in thread.“I know it’s nothing special,” Elia said with a gentle smile, “but I think it will suit you—for now.”She lingered at the door, fingers resting on the frame as if reluctant to leave.“I’ll give you two some space. I have to speak with the others… they’re not going to accept this easily

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