A/N: Sorry to all my readers for not uploading regularly. I had some personal issues to take care of and could not dedicate the time and effort I always put into my story. But no worries, I have dealt with the things on my end, so the chapters should be uploaded regularly, if not for some unseen events. I am planning to upload a minimum of one chapter a week. So, stay tuned, everyone.
Seraphina woke up, barely managing to lift her heavy eyelids. It seemed that a long time had passed since her victorious but suicidal ‘children’s fight’ as it took her quite the effort to remember the events that had occurred before she lost consciousness. By the time her groggy mind gradually cleared, her hand subconsciously reached to her shoulder and forearm where the bite wound left by Ysir, her eldest brother’s shadow wolf beast, was at. But, her hand failed to find the long, bumpy, and presumably hideous scar, which she naturally expected. Quite contrarily, her dainty little fingers landed on an incredibly smooth and unblemished surface with no signs of skin trauma or injury, causing her serene eyes to glint with a chilling light for a second.
She blinked her ethereal golden eyes a few times and slowly rose to a sitting position while solemnly observing her surroundings.
It was night, a mute night adorned with a beguiling moon. The silver-cold rays of the moonlight dyed the high-ceilinged bedroom with a distinct beauty of loneliness and seclusion yet failed to drown the grandeur of the place, even in the slightest. The spacious room was gorgeous, to say the least, with a unique air of unexcelled splendor and imposing sovereignty. In fact, any single one of the possessions inside the bedroom could feed a commoner’s family of three for a lifetime. Yet, such spectacular opulence and prosperity did not diminish the elegance of the place, none the least.
Regrettably, in the eyes of the little girl, all seemed to be mundane as she threw no more than a fleeting glance around before arising from the bed. Her short white legs landed steadily on the soft rug, and she pitter-pattered towards the heavy door before pushing it open at once.
The mansion was unmistakably her home, the estate of the grand duchy, a place she longed and ached to be at, yet at the moment, there were no joy or delight visible in her shimmering golden eyes.
In the deadly silence of the night, Seraphina made her way to the wast garden with a bone-seeped familiarity. For a homesick wandering girl, such familiarity should have brought her euphoria, but the ominous feeling only intensified.
Seraphina passed the various flowers and trees, which were meticulously taken care of, and reached the densely flowering magnolia black tulip trees before halting her steps completely. As her tiny body stood surrounded by the dark purple goblet-shaped blooms of the magnolia, she was the incarnation of a goddess, descended into the mortal world with a beauty that was simply unworldly. Unfortunately, this soul-stirring picture would only cause heartache to the onlookers as, inside her big doe eyes with upturned ends, there was nothing but dense brewing grief, forming into misty tears. Inside these lovely moist pupils, the visage of two figures, standing face-to-face not far from her, was reflected.
“Indeed, it was a dream,” her soft whisper fell, sinking in the gentle breeze that carried the faint fragrance of the dramatic yet noble blooms of the magnolia black tulips.
“Seraphina,” a deep, mature, and velvety voice called, causing Seraphina’s tiny body to tremble with a shiver.
Hearing this steady gentle voice once again, she shut her mesmerizing eyes tightly in shame, fear, sorrow, and regret, and her tightly clenched little hands turned ghastly white as if to mourn for what was to happen.
“Father,” a delicate voice responded.
However, it was not a sweet childish call of a 7-year-old, but an alluring feminine voice of a young woman. Hearing that indefinitely familiar yet outrageously distant voice, the little girl once again opened her eyes, and locked them onto that blazing figure, this time, her gaze still like a deep well.
It was a woman, a beautiful woman with fiery crimson hair and soul-snatching golden irises. Her bewitching figure was clothed in silk and velvet, adorned with priceless treasures and gems, and her enthralling features were far more delicate than the wild roses surrounding them. Unfortunately, despite possessing an appearance of an immortal, the young woman was shrouded in gloom and lacked the vitality of the others of her age. The woman was none other than herself, Seraphina Callenso, but from the previous life.
A man with silver hair and the same golden eyes stood in front of the woman with his gaze carrying a gentle worry and reprimand that were indiscernible from his stoic expression and cold aura. Unlike his daughter standing in front of him, his body was void of indulgence and luxury with a simple white linen shirt and loose black pants. Despite this, his body exuded a charisma of power and wealth, along with a steadiness of a mature man.
“You’re finally home,” his voice laced with tenderness fell inside the garden.
The young woman stood silent for a moment before lifting her head, showing her exquisite face that could not conceal the overwhelming disappointment and grievance.
“Why? Why did you send elder brothers to fight for that man? You never acknowledged Reagan. Your indifference… your cold shoulder, I accepted them all because I know I am but an outsider. But, how… how can you help his enemy? Am I not your child?!” She cried out whimperingly, her stunning face twisting with the outburst of emotions that caused her stifling suffocation and loss.
The little girl stood still, silently watching everything from the sidelines. She understood the woman’s pain, sorrow, and the weight of her tears more than anyone else, but she neither had the means of drying her tears nor the intention of doing so. After all, this was a memory. And the memory had turned into a dream, which would then become a nightmare.
The young Seraphina lifted her tranquil gaze from the wailing woman and shifted it to the man who was standing tall and proud. In her previous life, she was too immersed in her own misery that she failed to see the emotions of the man who stood in front of her. Now, finally, she saw with her own eyes how her father’s golden eyes lost their breathtaking luster, dimming in heartache at the sight of his one and only daughter weeping in agony.
“Seraphina,” he called helplessly before striding towards his daughter.
However, the moment his long legs took a step, a black glowing light shot out from the woman’s chest, transforming into a circle and surrounding the two. It was precisely an array for summoning. As soon as the ominous dark glow encircled the father and daughter pair, the young woman collapsed to the ground, her slender fingers clutching at her chest in pain. Her face drained off of color, ashen pale, and her lips could not stop the gruesome screams escaping her mouth. It was evident that she was withstanding immeasurable torture of pain.
“Seraphina!” The grand duke leaped towards his daughter before taking her into a tight embrace.
Almost instantly, a gigantic black beast rose from his shadow, released its beastly golden energy, and attacked the black glowing array. Seraphina’s miserable shriek followed. The instant the golden energy collided with the black one, the young woman shrieked in pain, her body spasming as if the offense of the beast fell on her.
Immediately, the shadow winged lion beast withdrew its attacks, its roar dense with agitation and fury.
Amaris Callenso was the grand duke, a capable one at that. Therefore, at once, he realized that the power source of the array was his daughter’s life force and that the slightest damage to the array could cost him her life.
The young woman in his embrace was unresponsive, taking sharp breaths to fight the pain. Her lovely eyes were red with fear and torment, tears falling unceremoniously as she looked at her father in a silent pleading to stop the pain.
“Seraphina,” Amaris called again, his voice laced with panic and despair.
The despair, he might have felt it when his three sons lost their mother at such young ages and their bitter wails drowned the grand duchy. But, the panic he felt at this moment was the first in his chaotic life.
I am probably the most unfilial daughter to have ever lived, the little girl amused with bitterness.
A good show never lacks an audience. This was precisely the case, as the other spectator finally decided to reveal himself. Approaching footsteps were heard as a dazzling man with untainted golden hair and stunningly bright azure eyes appeared. His azure eyes looked at the menacing black array, which was steadily forming into a completion, before shifting to the father and daughter pair enclosed within it.
“What did you do?” Amaris’s frigid voice, much like that of a caged beast near insanity, fell as his frosty gaze landed on the young man.
The young man laughed. His low laughter was drenched in a thirsty thrill and baleful menace, and it seemed he was quite satiated with the scene.
A damned pervert, the little girl cursed silently.
The moment Reagan’s ridiculing cold laughter fell, the ferocious shadow lion lunged at the young man with speed incomprehensible with naked eyes. The radiating pressure of its giant body shook the ground, and the energy force released from its wings uprooted the surrounding vegetation ruthlessly. Its might was truly one in a million as even the little Seraphina, the dreamer and the master of the memory, could not help feeling a slight tremor in her core.
However, before the black beast’s deadly fangs and steel-slicing claws could sink into the young man’s flesh, an ear-splitting roar descended from the clouds, and a humongous creature dived right into the said beast as if the sky itself had collapsed.
The collision was bone-shattering. The lightning-like golden energy of the shadow beast and the pristine blue glacial aura of the second prince burst into all directions through the air, destroying everything in its path.
The little Seraphina crossed her arms in front of her face from the impact, despite being well aware that it was but a dream. Only after a moment had passed did she lower her hands and confronted the sight that caused her heart to tremble.
The ground was split open like fragile glass, and the previously majestic mansion had ruptures all over, which resulted from the clash of the two explosive forces. The magnificent garden was destroyed thoroughly, leaving only debris covered in ice. However, what caused the little girl’s body to stiffen and her blood to heat was the sight of the two creatures that stood amidst all of this, each shielding their respective masters behind their unrelenting backs. One was Ratuna, a shadow winged lion beast, who was constantly emitting fatal golden energy while baring its fangs and stretching its wings threateningly, and the other was a dragon.
The dragon was a few times bigger than the shadow beast, and its body was completely made of ice. With every breath it took, a chilling misty fog would leave its flaring nostrils, and in its eyes, Reagan’s blue aura swirled, condensing into a beautiful yet dreadful sight.
The grown-up Reagan… indeed, is powerful. Hatefully formidable and ruthless. The little girl contemplated, her gaze not hiding the contempt and, above all, the mockery.
After all, though dragon, it was fake, a block of ice, and lifeless.
The one who broke the murderous deadlock was the young woman who was held in her father’s embrace. The summoning array finally reached its completion, and she gasped in a sharp exclamation as the excruciating pain once again assailed her heart. She pushed away her father forcefully, and retched violently, allowing a thick black fluid to surge out from her throat. After the last drop of it hit the ground, as if having a life of its own, the thick liquid gradually widened into a puddle of black wriggling thing, which permeated a nauseating stench of decayed flesh. Unfortunately, that was not the end, as the squirming black thing slowly manifested itself into a figure of a person.
“Aklis,” the grand duke’s unbelieving yet affirmative voice fell.
He looked at his barely conscious daughter, whose life was draining out of her body bit by bit, and shifted his sight onto the young man, who had a satisfied smirk adorning his lips.
“Aklis, the fallen one,” Reagan’s cold voice called out.
The thing that stood in front of them was not a person. Its skin was blackish grey with wriggling worms visible underneath, eyes and mouth stitched tight, and hands and feet missing all fingers. Most startlingly, on his thin back, two protruding boney structures; once were mighty wings but now cut off brutally, hanged lifelessly.
At once, Grand Duke Amaris understood the situation. Previously, there was a spine-chilling murderous glint in his mesmerizing golden orbs, but now, only tranquility and composure remained. He slowly laid his daughter on the ground and strode towards the fallen angel, Aklis.
“Aklis, the fallen one, your curse on my daughter, I will bear it. Only the blood of the cursed can unbind the chain. So, release my daughter, and take me instead,” his low voice spoke without the slightest trace of hesitation or the fear of the consequences.
Aklis was the fallen angel who betrayed his goddess. As a punishment, he was exiled to hell with no way of returning home. Only with his goddess’s forgiveness he would then ascend to his original place and obtain his destined fate. However, the mortal world was not entirely out of his reach. After all, the world itself was full of evil and sinners, and eventually, the humans discovered a way to summon him into the mortal world. As a fallen angel, he had no power to give blessings to humans but only a curse of death. Because of his former origin and divine physique, the curse was inevitably too powerful that only the saints and saintesses, the ones, who received the goddess’s holy power, were able to undo it. Ironically, the traitorous subject, Aklis, refused to do the bidding for the treacherous and demanded two conditions to be fulfilled for the curse. To summon Aklis, a sacrifice, one’s closest kin, had to be offered. Moreover, the curse would only befall the willing. Just like how the second prince, who was praised for his gentleness, sacrificed his only full-blooded younger sister, Princess Wyvern, to summon Aklis and how the grand duke, Amaris Callenso, was willing to bear its curse for his daughter.
The little girl stood unmoving. At this moment in her previous life, she could not grasp what was happening, and even staying conscious was like a lost war. Her eyes were blurry, and she could not see a thing, but her hearing was alright. After this night had passed, she was thrown into the imperial dungeon, sullied, and humiliated. Spending endless nights with nothing but pain to accompany her, she often reminisced about this night.
Her father, whom she believed to disdain her, whom she feared to hurt her and her beloved, and whom she hated at one point, was willing to surrender his life for her. Night after night, she would question ‘why.’ But the answer to this question always made her heart writhe in ache. At the end of the sleepless nights, she understood that he had loved her, and she was beloved and precious to him. As for how the curse befell her in the first place, she only had herself to blame for being blind. Before this incident, she had sworn an oath to be loyal to Reagan for a lifetime and to give him all of her, including her ‘life.’ And this oath itself fulfilled Aklis’s second condition to be willing. To her, the oath was a wish for a lifetime of happiness with her love, but to the man, it was nothing but an opportunity and necessity to obtain his goal.
Aklis raised his one hand, palm facing the sky, and his bluish-grey rotten skin slowly broke open. As a slash formed on his mutilated hand, his palm formed a tiny pool of decaying black blood. He raised his bloodied palm towards Amaris, an obvious gesture for him to drink the blood.
Amaris took the rotten hand and bowed his head to drink the completely black blood. Even though maggots were wriggling within it, his face showed no disgust, and his movement was steady and determined. When his pale lips were close to reaching the pool of blood, a childish yet extremely cold voice fell, and everything froze in place as if time had stopped.
“Enough playing, Aklis,” Seraphina’s tender voice sounded, but this time, with no sorrow, regret, or fury.
If one were to note the only emotion discernible from her immature voice, it was boredom. Sure enough, hearing the little girl’s strange tone of voice, which was tinged with nothing but apathy, the horrifying stitched face turned in her direction almost instantly.
“What? Surprised?” The little girl asked with a half-taunting and half-teasing sneer.
A/N: Sorry to all my readers for not uploading regularly. I had some personal issues to take care of and could not dedicate the time and effort I always put into my story. But no worries, I have dealt with the things on my end, so the chapters should be uploaded regularly, if not for some unseen events. I am planning to upload a minimum of one chapter a week. So, stay tuned, everyone.
Seraphina woke up, barely managing to lift her heavy eyelids. It seemed that a long time had passed since her victorious but suicidal ‘children’s fight’ as it took her quite the effort to remember the events that had occurred before she lost consciousness. By the time her groggy mind gradually cleared, her hand subconsciously reached to her shoulder and forearm where the bite wound left by Ysir, her eldest brother’s shadow wolf beast, was at. But, her hand failed to find the long, bumpy, and presumably hideous scar, which she naturally expected. Quite contrarily, her dainty little fingers landed on an incredibly smooth and unblemished surface with no signs of skin trauma or injury, causing her serene eyes to glint with a chilling light for a second.
She blinked her ethereal golden eyes a few times and slowly rose to a sitting position while solemnly observing her surroundings.
It was night, a mute night adorned with a beguiling moon. The silver-cold rays of the moonlight dyed the high-ceilinged bedroom with a distinct beauty of loneliness and seclusion yet failed to drown the grandeur of the place, even in the slightest. The spacious room was gorgeous, to say the least, with a unique air of unexcelled splendor and imposing sovereignty. In fact, any single one of the possessions inside the bedroom could feed a commoner’s family of three for a lifetime. Yet, such spectacular opulence and prosperity did not diminish the elegance of the place, none the least.
Regrettably, in the eyes of the little girl, all seemed to be mundane as she threw no more than a fleeting glance around before arising from the bed. Her short white legs landed steadily on the soft rug, and she pitter-pattered towards the heavy door before pushing it open at once.
The mansion was unmistakably her home, the estate of the grand duchy, a place she longed and ached to be at, yet at the moment, there were no joy or delight visible in her shimmering golden eyes.
In the deadly silence of the night, Seraphina made her way to the wast garden with a bone-seeped familiarity. For a homesick wandering girl, such familiarity should have brought her euphoria, but the ominous feeling only intensified.
Seraphina passed the various flowers and trees, which were meticulously taken care of, and reached the densely flowering magnolia black tulip trees before halting her steps completely. As her tiny body stood surrounded by the dark purple goblet-shaped blooms of the magnolia, she was the incarnation of a goddess, descended into the mortal world with a beauty that was simply unworldly. Unfortunately, this soul-stirring picture would only cause heartache to the onlookers as, inside her big doe eyes with upturned ends, there was nothing but dense brewing grief, forming into misty tears. Inside these lovely moist pupils, the visage of two figures, standing face-to-face not far from her, was reflected.
“Indeed, it was a dream,” her soft whisper fell, sinking in the gentle breeze that carried the faint fragrance of the dramatic yet noble blooms of the magnolia black tulips.
“Seraphina,” a deep, mature, and velvety voice called, causing Seraphina’s tiny body to tremble with a shiver.
Hearing this steady gentle voice once again, she shut her mesmerizing eyes tightly in shame, fear, sorrow, and regret, and her tightly clenched little hands turned ghastly white as if to mourn for what was to happen.
“Father,” a delicate voice responded.
However, it was not a sweet childish call of a 7-year-old, but an alluring feminine voice of a young woman. Hearing that indefinitely familiar yet outrageously distant voice, the little girl once again opened her eyes, and locked them onto that blazing figure, this time, her gaze still like a deep well.
It was a woman, a beautiful woman with fiery crimson hair and soul-snatching golden irises. Her bewitching figure was clothed in silk and velvet, adorned with priceless treasures and gems, and her enthralling features were far more delicate than the wild roses surrounding them. Unfortunately, despite possessing an appearance of an immortal, the young woman was shrouded in gloom and lacked the vitality of the others of her age. The woman was none other than herself, Seraphina Callenso, but from the previous life.
A man with silver hair and the same golden eyes stood in front of the woman with his gaze carrying a gentle worry and reprimand that were indiscernible from his stoic expression and cold aura. Unlike his daughter standing in front of him, his body was void of indulgence and luxury with a simple white linen shirt and loose black pants. Despite this, his body exuded a charisma of power and wealth, along with a steadiness of a mature man.
“You’re finally home,” his voice laced with tenderness fell inside the garden.
The young woman stood silent for a moment before lifting her head, showing her exquisite face that could not conceal the overwhelming disappointment and grievance.
“Why? Why did you send elder brothers to fight for that man? You never acknowledged Reagan. Your indifference… your cold shoulder, I accepted them all because I know I am but an outsider. But, how… how can you help his enemy? Am I not your child?!” She cried out whimperingly, her stunning face twisting with the outburst of emotions that caused her stifling suffocation and loss.
The little girl stood still, silently watching everything from the sidelines. She understood the woman’s pain, sorrow, and the weight of her tears more than anyone else, but she neither had the means of drying her tears nor the intention of doing so. After all, this was a memory. And the memory had turned into a dream, which would then become a nightmare.
The young Seraphina lifted her tranquil gaze from the wailing woman and shifted it to the man who was standing tall and proud. In her previous life, she was too immersed in her own misery that she failed to see the emotions of the man who stood in front of her. Now, finally, she saw with her own eyes how her father’s golden eyes lost their breathtaking luster, dimming in heartache at the sight of his one and only daughter weeping in agony.
“Seraphina,” he called helplessly before striding towards his daughter.
However, the moment his long legs took a step, a black glowing light shot out from the woman’s chest, transforming into a circle and surrounding the two. It was precisely an array for summoning. As soon as the ominous dark glow encircled the father and daughter pair, the young woman collapsed to the ground, her slender fingers clutching at her chest in pain. Her face drained off of color, ashen pale, and her lips could not stop the gruesome screams escaping her mouth. It was evident that she was withstanding immeasurable torture of pain.
“Seraphina!” The grand duke leaped towards his daughter before taking her into a tight embrace.
Almost instantly, a gigantic black beast rose from his shadow, released its beastly golden energy, and attacked the black glowing array. Seraphina’s miserable shriek followed. The instant the golden energy collided with the black one, the young woman shrieked in pain, her body spasming as if the offense of the beast fell on her.
Immediately, the shadow winged lion beast withdrew its attacks, its roar dense with agitation and fury.
Amaris Callenso was the grand duke, a capable one at that. Therefore, at once, he realized that the power source of the array was his daughter’s life force and that the slightest damage to the array could cost him her life.
The young woman in his embrace was unresponsive, taking sharp breaths to fight the pain. Her lovely eyes were red with fear and torment, tears falling unceremoniously as she looked at her father in a silent pleading to stop the pain.
“Seraphina,” Amaris called again, his voice laced with panic and despair.
The despair, he might have felt it when his three sons lost their mother at such young ages and their bitter wails drowned the grand duchy. But, the panic he felt at this moment was the first in his chaotic life.
I am probably the most unfilial daughter to have ever lived, the little girl amused with bitterness.
A good show never lacks an audience. This was precisely the case, as the other spectator finally decided to reveal himself. Approaching footsteps were heard as a dazzling man with untainted golden hair and stunningly bright azure eyes appeared. His azure eyes looked at the menacing black array, which was steadily forming into a completion, before shifting to the father and daughter pair enclosed within it.
“What did you do?” Amaris’s frigid voice, much like that of a caged beast near insanity, fell as his frosty gaze landed on the young man.
The young man laughed. His low laughter was drenched in a thirsty thrill and baleful menace, and it seemed he was quite satiated with the scene.
A damned pervert, the little girl cursed silently.
The moment Reagan’s ridiculing cold laughter fell, the ferocious shadow lion lunged at the young man with speed incomprehensible with naked eyes. The radiating pressure of its giant body shook the ground, and the energy force released from its wings uprooted the surrounding vegetation ruthlessly. Its might was truly one in a million as even the little Seraphina, the dreamer and the master of the memory, could not help feeling a slight tremor in her core.
However, before the black beast’s deadly fangs and steel-slicing claws could sink into the young man’s flesh, an ear-splitting roar descended from the clouds, and a humongous creature dived right into the said beast as if the sky itself had collapsed.
The collision was bone-shattering. The lightning-like golden energy of the shadow beast and the pristine blue glacial aura of the second prince burst into all directions through the air, destroying everything in its path.
The little Seraphina crossed her arms in front of her face from the impact, despite being well aware that it was but a dream. Only after a moment had passed did she lower her hands and confronted the sight that caused her heart to tremble.
The ground was split open like fragile glass, and the previously majestic mansion had ruptures all over, which resulted from the clash of the two explosive forces. The magnificent garden was destroyed thoroughly, leaving only debris covered in ice. However, what caused the little girl’s body to stiffen and her blood to heat was the sight of the two creatures that stood amidst all of this, each shielding their respective masters behind their unrelenting backs. One was Ratuna, a shadow winged lion beast, who was constantly emitting fatal golden energy while baring its fangs and stretching its wings threateningly, and the other was a dragon.
The dragon was a few times bigger than the shadow beast, and its body was completely made of ice. With every breath it took, a chilling misty fog would leave its flaring nostrils, and in its eyes, Reagan’s blue aura swirled, condensing into a beautiful yet dreadful sight.
The grown-up Reagan… indeed, is powerful. Hatefully formidable and ruthless. The little girl contemplated, her gaze not hiding the contempt and, above all, the mockery.
After all, though dragon, it was fake, a block of ice, and lifeless.
The one who broke the murderous deadlock was the young woman who was held in her father’s embrace. The summoning array finally reached its completion, and she gasped in a sharp exclamation as the excruciating pain once again assailed her heart. She pushed away her father forcefully, and retched violently, allowing a thick black fluid to surge out from her throat. After the last drop of it hit the ground, as if having a life of its own, the thick liquid gradually widened into a puddle of black wriggling thing, which permeated a nauseating stench of decayed flesh. Unfortunately, that was not the end, as the squirming black thing slowly manifested itself into a figure of a person.
“Aklis,” the grand duke’s unbelieving yet affirmative voice fell.
He looked at his barely conscious daughter, whose life was draining out of her body bit by bit, and shifted his sight onto the young man, who had a satisfied smirk adorning his lips.
“Aklis, the fallen one,” Reagan’s cold voice called out.
The thing that stood in front of them was not a person. Its skin was blackish grey with wriggling worms visible underneath, eyes and mouth stitched tight, and hands and feet missing all fingers. Most startlingly, on his thin back, two protruding boney structures; once were mighty wings but now cut off brutally, hanged lifelessly.
At once, Grand Duke Amaris understood the situation. Previously, there was a spine-chilling murderous glint in his mesmerizing golden orbs, but now, only tranquility and composure remained. He slowly laid his daughter on the ground and strode towards the fallen angel, Aklis.
“Aklis, the fallen one, your curse on my daughter, I will bear it. Only the blood of the cursed can unbind the chain. So, release my daughter, and take me instead,” his low voice spoke without the slightest trace of hesitation or the fear of the consequences.
Aklis was the fallen angel who betrayed his goddess. As a punishment, he was exiled to hell with no way of returning home. Only with his goddess’s forgiveness he would then ascend to his original place and obtain his destined fate. However, the mortal world was not entirely out of his reach. After all, the world itself was full of evil and sinners, and eventually, the humans discovered a way to summon him into the mortal world. As a fallen angel, he had no power to give blessings to humans but only a curse of death. Because of his former origin and divine physique, the curse was inevitably too powerful that only the saints and saintesses, the ones, who received the goddess’s holy power, were able to undo it. Ironically, the traitorous subject, Aklis, refused to do the bidding for the treacherous and demanded two conditions to be fulfilled for the curse. To summon Aklis, a sacrifice, one’s closest kin, had to be offered. Moreover, the curse would only befall the willing. Just like how the second prince, who was praised for his gentleness, sacrificed his only full-blooded younger sister, Princess Wyvern, to summon Aklis and how the grand duke, Amaris Callenso, was willing to bear its curse for his daughter.
The little girl stood unmoving. At this moment in her previous life, she could not grasp what was happening, and even staying conscious was like a lost war. Her eyes were blurry, and she could not see a thing, but her hearing was alright. After this night had passed, she was thrown into the imperial dungeon, sullied, and humiliated. Spending endless nights with nothing but pain to accompany her, she often reminisced about this night.
Her father, whom she believed to disdain her, whom she feared to hurt her and her beloved, and whom she hated at one point, was willing to surrender his life for her. Night after night, she would question ‘why.’ But the answer to this question always made her heart writhe in ache. At the end of the sleepless nights, she understood that he had loved her, and she was beloved and precious to him. As for how the curse befell her in the first place, she only had herself to blame for being blind. Before this incident, she had sworn an oath to be loyal to Reagan for a lifetime and to give him all of her, including her ‘life.’ And this oath itself fulfilled Aklis’s second condition to be willing. To her, the oath was a wish for a lifetime of happiness with her love, but to the man, it was nothing but an opportunity and necessity to obtain his goal.
Aklis raised his one hand, palm facing the sky, and his bluish-grey rotten skin slowly broke open. As a slash formed on his mutilated hand, his palm formed a tiny pool of decaying black blood. He raised his bloodied palm towards Amaris, an obvious gesture for him to drink the blood.
Amaris took the rotten hand and bowed his head to drink the completely black blood. Even though maggots were wriggling within it, his face showed no disgust, and his movement was steady and determined. When his pale lips were close to reaching the pool of blood, a childish yet extremely cold voice fell, and everything froze in place as if time had stopped.
“Enough playing, Aklis,” Seraphina’s tender voice sounded, but this time, with no sorrow, regret, or fury.
If one were to note the only emotion discernible from her immature voice, it was boredom. Sure enough, hearing the little girl’s strange tone of voice, which was tinged with nothing but apathy, the horrifying stitched face turned in her direction almost instantly.
“What? Surprised?” The little girl asked with a half-taunting and half-teasing sneer.
