(Revised) [B1] Chapter 14: The Shackled Beauty
With a resounding thud, a cloud of dust and debris rose from the spot where Theo was thrown. It swirled around him like a storm, momentarily covering his vision.
Pain enveloped his senses. It was sharp and immediate, coursing through his body and causing blood to leak from the side of his lips. He groaned in agony, his teeth gritted so tightly that his jaw ached, his face contorted in a grimace.
He was then flung violently into the wall. His body writhed in pain as the impact cracked the stone surface behind him, sending a spiderweb of fractures racing across it.
Slowly, he slumped onto the floor. His massive body felt like a dead-weight. This immense size, which should work as a source of strength, now seemed to magnify his pain; the increased momentum due to his heavy body weight of around 150 kg made each throw and crash all the more punishing.
Strangely, he was being hurled around like a leaf in a storm, and he couldn't even discover who was doing this to him. The attacks were relentless, allowing him no moment to align himself to look or counter. His attacker remained unseen, a shadowy figure that didn't pause in its merciless assault.
Before he could get his bearings, before he could even draw a full breath, he was tossed again. This time, he crashed into one of the statues, sending it teetering before it too collapsed, shattering into pieces alongside him.
Each assault seemed to drain him further, his strength diminishing away, until he felt himself hanging on the brink of consciousness. Warm blood filled his mouth as his face darkened.
The boy lay sprawled on the cold-dusty floor, his breaths coming out in desperate gasps.
Barely managing to keep his eyes open, Theo felt a soft, unexpected weight settle onto his waist. Blinking to clear his vision, he looked down and found a girl straddling him, her presence so close and intimate it was almost startling.
She had hair that glowed a silvery-white, even when tarnished by dust, under the dim light. Her deep scarlet eyes seemed to hold a universe of emotions, yet exuded an otherworldly calm.
Her lips, naturally rosy, were irresistibly soft, a beauty not even marred by the grime on her face. Her figure, a tantalizing blend of soft curves, was draped in an embroidered tunic and a flowing skirt, cinched at her waist by a finely-crafted belt. Despite all the dust, the rich quality of her dress was unmistakable.
Her bosom was round and of ample size, yet not overly large. They were of an ideal, dreamlike size, yet in flawless balance with the rest of her figure.
She was elegant, like a celestial being in the middle of a dusty basement. Yet, her body and attire were covered with the grime and dust. It was as if a divine beauty, straight from a fairy tale, here in this forsaken place, sitting atop him with blood-lust in her eyes.
She was bound in long chains, which seemed to cruelly constrict her. Despite her constrained state, she moved with a grace as she adjusted her position atop him.
Theo’s eyes remained for a moment longer than he intended. In another circumstance, she might have been a vision he’d have been entranced by.
But here and now, Theo's instincts screamed a clear warning: this scary lady was his enemy, the one who had brought him to his knees.
The girl began to lean in with a predatory gaze, closing the gap between them. He could feel the warmth of her breath brushing against the skin of his neck.
Then he felt it. The sharp, searing pain of wet teeth sinking into his flesh. He could almost sense each particular icy tooth stabbing into his neck. His warm blood seeping out, being drawn into her as she bit into him, causing him to wince in pain.
Gradually, the world around him started to become a blurry haze with the sensation of his life essence seeping out. The intimate and violent act was intensely personal, and it sent a shockwave of sensations through his body.
But as she tasted his blood, she abruptly let go of him. He felt the cool wind brushing against the wet wounded skin.
Her eyes widened as she fixed her gaze on him, as if seeing him for the first time. A droplet of his blood slid from her lips, staining her chin.
"This... This is not pure human blood. but..." she muttered, her voice trailing off in surprise and excitement.
The chilling smile that crept upon her face, combined with the crimson smear on her lips, made her look both hauntingly beautiful and terrifying.
In that fleeting moment, as her attention wavered, Theo felt a surge of adrenaline. He recognized the sliver of chance before him, with the girl momentarily distracted and her movements hindered by the heavy chains. This was it, his critical moment to act.
Seizing the opportunity, Theo marshaled every ounce of his strength, igniting a fierce determination that coursed through his weary muscles.
With his heart pounding against his chest like a war drum, he propelled himself forward, his legs pumping with a vigor spurred by the primal need for survival. Escape was his sole focus, distance was his ally.
"What—!" she gasped, her voice trailing off, her senses still seemingly dulled by the intoxication of his blood.
As Theo bolted, his body protested every movement with jolts of pain that he forcefully pushed to the back of his mind. There was no time for hesitation, no moment to spare. The haunting possibility of further torment at the hands of that demoness spurred him on, lending speed to his desperate flight. He mentally berated the quest giver for landing him in this perilous situation.
He darted through the dimly lit space, his breaths ragged but determined. A look over his shoulder revealed the surprising truth: the girl had not pursued him. She remained where he had left her, a still figure amidst the chaos of their confrontation.
The realization that he had managed to create a substantial gap between them brought him relief. Theo's mind raced with questions, but the throbbing of his chest and the burning in his lungs allowed room for only one thought, to get as far away as possible from the danger that had nearly ensnared him.
However, as Theo stole a backward glance at the girl once more, he noticed she was still not pursuing him. Even if she harbored any intent to give chase, the distance between them was now generous enough to assure his safety.
He studied her expression from afar and surmised she was probably in a weakened state. Otherwise, her assault surely would have been lethal. There had to be a significant reason for her being chained here, perhaps she was too formidable, and sealing her away had been the only option for those who feared her power.
Theo was ready to depart, yet the expected notification signaling the completion of his quest was strangely absent.
Moreover, a glance at the girl revealed a sorrowful look in her eyes as they met his. For some inexplicable reason, he felt a twinge of sympathy begin to stir within him, subtly transforming the tension between them.
Why did he feel this reluctant compassion for the same person who had so viciously attacked him? Could there be a link to his past? The portrait, was it of this very girl? The similarity in their hair color suggested a connection, yet It was hard to be certain just based on that.
In that moment, Theo's perception started to shift. He no longer saw a fearsome demoness but a distressed young woman whose tears now began to fall freely. Unwittingly, at some unmarked point in time, she had started to weep, a prisoner of these chains and possibly of time itself, ensnared within this dungeon for untold years.
(Revised) [B1] Chapter 14: The Shackled Beauty
With a resounding thud, a cloud of dust and debris rose from the spot where Theo was thrown. It swirled around him like a storm, momentarily covering his vision.
Pain enveloped his senses. It was sharp and immediate, coursing through his body and causing blood to leak from the side of his lips. He groaned in agony, his teeth gritted so tightly that his jaw ached, his face contorted in a grimace.
He was then flung violently into the wall. His body writhed in pain as the impact cracked the stone surface behind him, sending a spiderweb of fractures racing across it.
Slowly, he slumped onto the floor. His massive body felt like a dead-weight. This immense size, which should work as a source of strength, now seemed to magnify his pain; the increased momentum due to his heavy body weight of around 150 kg made each throw and crash all the more punishing.
Strangely, he was being hurled around like a leaf in a storm, and he couldn't even discover who was doing this to him. The attacks were relentless, allowing him no moment to align himself to look or counter. His attacker remained unseen, a shadowy figure that didn't pause in its merciless assault.
Before he could get his bearings, before he could even draw a full breath, he was tossed again. This time, he crashed into one of the statues, sending it teetering before it too collapsed, shattering into pieces alongside him.
Each assault seemed to drain him further, his strength diminishing away, until he felt himself hanging on the brink of consciousness. Warm blood filled his mouth as his face darkened.
The boy lay sprawled on the cold-dusty floor, his breaths coming out in desperate gasps.
Barely managing to keep his eyes open, Theo felt a soft, unexpected weight settle onto his waist. Blinking to clear his vision, he looked down and found a girl straddling him, her presence so close and intimate it was almost startling.
She had hair that glowed a silvery-white, even when tarnished by dust, under the dim light. Her deep scarlet eyes seemed to hold a universe of emotions, yet exuded an otherworldly calm.
Her lips, naturally rosy, were irresistibly soft, a beauty not even marred by the grime on her face. Her figure, a tantalizing blend of soft curves, was draped in an embroidered tunic and a flowing skirt, cinched at her waist by a finely-crafted belt. Despite all the dust, the rich quality of her dress was unmistakable.
Her bosom was round and of ample size, yet not overly large. They were of an ideal, dreamlike size, yet in flawless balance with the rest of her figure.
She was elegant, like a celestial being in the middle of a dusty basement. Yet, her body and attire were covered with the grime and dust. It was as if a divine beauty, straight from a fairy tale, here in this forsaken place, sitting atop him with blood-lust in her eyes.
She was bound in long chains, which seemed to cruelly constrict her. Despite her constrained state, she moved with a grace as she adjusted her position atop him.
Theo’s eyes remained for a moment longer than he intended. In another circumstance, she might have been a vision he’d have been entranced by.
But here and now, Theo's instincts screamed a clear warning: this scary lady was his enemy, the one who had brought him to his knees.
The girl began to lean in with a predatory gaze, closing the gap between them. He could feel the warmth of her breath brushing against the skin of his neck.
Then he felt it. The sharp, searing pain of wet teeth sinking into his flesh. He could almost sense each particular icy tooth stabbing into his neck. His warm blood seeping out, being drawn into her as she bit into him, causing him to wince in pain.
Gradually, the world around him started to become a blurry haze with the sensation of his life essence seeping out. The intimate and violent act was intensely personal, and it sent a shockwave of sensations through his body.
But as she tasted his blood, she abruptly let go of him. He felt the cool wind brushing against the wet wounded skin.
Her eyes widened as she fixed her gaze on him, as if seeing him for the first time. A droplet of his blood slid from her lips, staining her chin.
"This... This is not pure human blood. but..." she muttered, her voice trailing off in surprise and excitement.
The chilling smile that crept upon her face, combined with the crimson smear on her lips, made her look both hauntingly beautiful and terrifying.
In that fleeting moment, as her attention wavered, Theo felt a surge of adrenaline. He recognized the sliver of chance before him, with the girl momentarily distracted and her movements hindered by the heavy chains. This was it, his critical moment to act.
Seizing the opportunity, Theo marshaled every ounce of his strength, igniting a fierce determination that coursed through his weary muscles.
With his heart pounding against his chest like a war drum, he propelled himself forward, his legs pumping with a vigor spurred by the primal need for survival. Escape was his sole focus, distance was his ally.
"What—!" she gasped, her voice trailing off, her senses still seemingly dulled by the intoxication of his blood.
As Theo bolted, his body protested every movement with jolts of pain that he forcefully pushed to the back of his mind. There was no time for hesitation, no moment to spare. The haunting possibility of further torment at the hands of that demoness spurred him on, lending speed to his desperate flight. He mentally berated the quest giver for landing him in this perilous situation.
He darted through the dimly lit space, his breaths ragged but determined. A look over his shoulder revealed the surprising truth: the girl had not pursued him. She remained where he had left her, a still figure amidst the chaos of their confrontation.
The realization that he had managed to create a substantial gap between them brought him relief. Theo's mind raced with questions, but the throbbing of his chest and the burning in his lungs allowed room for only one thought, to get as far away as possible from the danger that had nearly ensnared him.
However, as Theo stole a backward glance at the girl once more, he noticed she was still not pursuing him. Even if she harbored any intent to give chase, the distance between them was now generous enough to assure his safety.
He studied her expression from afar and surmised she was probably in a weakened state. Otherwise, her assault surely would have been lethal. There had to be a significant reason for her being chained here, perhaps she was too formidable, and sealing her away had been the only option for those who feared her power.
Theo was ready to depart, yet the expected notification signaling the completion of his quest was strangely absent.
Moreover, a glance at the girl revealed a sorrowful look in her eyes as they met his. For some inexplicable reason, he felt a twinge of sympathy begin to stir within him, subtly transforming the tension between them.
Why did he feel this reluctant compassion for the same person who had so viciously attacked him? Could there be a link to his past? The portrait, was it of this very girl? The similarity in their hair color suggested a connection, yet It was hard to be certain just based on that.
In that moment, Theo's perception started to shift. He no longer saw a fearsome demoness but a distressed young woman whose tears now began to fall freely. Unwittingly, at some unmarked point in time, she had started to weep, a prisoner of these chains and possibly of time itself, ensnared within this dungeon for untold years.
