Raquel knuckles hurt as she threw the door another loud bang. This wasn't the first time she would be knocking the door, it had been going in for a while without an answer. She went for another knock again, while whispering through her quivering lips. "Your Majesty?"Then, abruptly, she stopped.He wasn't inside. Why hadn't she thought of that before?There was no response because he wasn't in his chambers. She turned around swiftly then stopped as her gaze lingered on the stairs for a while, her breath shaky with a thought.She would have to look for him, maybe even go inside the dungeon.The urge to involve Colin came back stronger than before. She feared the dungeon even more because of the presence of the dragon. That place was a deathtrap. The thought of her Mistress and the devasting state she must be in, flashed in her mind, and she bit her trembling lips, her whole body suddenly feeling shaky. She would risk it. Maybe sacrificing her life would help her conscience and m
She took a step back, and another, till she tripped and fell backwards.Her hand moved along the floor for anything that could help her, just desperate to not be so defenseless, while she mumbled a word she didn't even think would slip past her lips."Alaris?""I know. Just stay still and maybe it will go away." He sounded like he had moved, like he was in front of her instead, standing between her and the dragon.It gave her an odd sense of relief that he was still here and standing as a sought of shield for her too. But the fact that he was the one that brought her into this situation in the first place didn't make her appreciate that. Besides, his presence was practically useless. The dragon didn't seem to have observed him and that intense beastly gaze was still directed at her. Yet the thing that grinded her gears the most in this situation was the word he had used in his word of assurance.Maybe.Maybe?!What kind of mess was this that she had only a 'maybe' to hold unto and h
"Alaris!" The name cut sharply through her lips, as she jerked forward on her bed, her chest rasing and falling in the fear of an imminent danger that still crossed through her veins. Belladonna was quick to throw the blanket aside, and jump out of bed, looking around wearily to see if this was just yet against another illusion or if she had truly woken up. The room looked pretty normal but the Bride Thief was an expert at his illusions. The little things. She had to look for the little things. Her feet were quick, almost like she was flying, as she moved around to search for the little details of her room she was certain he wouldn't possibly he paying attention to when forming up this place. Her table was still how she had left it, there were still a couple of locked doors before her bathroom and the decor was still largely red, including the curtains. Yes, the curtains! She had to check for daylight. The pain that shot into her head as she pulled the curtains aside, for
Her slender hands patted her partly bare back but Belladonna remained stiff in her overpowering, calming embrace.Was this still an illusion?The door pushed open but with her face being buried into Lady Kestra's shoulder, she couldn't see anything. Belladonna wondered if the person stepping out was a bride and she struggled out of the embrace, pulling away only to see that it was Collin, leading Raquel out of the room.Was this still a dream?Why were there so many strange things happening? There was an unusual aura she could sense in the air though, it felt suspiciously calming. Too calming."Raquel." Her voice was breathy as she called out for her. Her legs taking stumbling desperate steps to quickly reach for the only person that felt a little close to home in this whole situation."You were screaming." Her hands reached out for her but hung in the air, then dropped to her sides, because of Collin who stood partly in the way with his back abruptly turned to her.Why was he doing
The grip around her wrist couldn't have loosened faster. Eli was a quite a distance away from them, down the hallway, his eyes brewing with rage the closer he got. Belladonna let out a shaky breath of relief as her gaze landed on him. Her Eli."Eli." She whispered underneath her breath while she pushed forward on her wobbly legs, that were getting weaker by the second. She didn't have to walk too far though, he was right by her side in a flashing, taking his cloak from his shoulders and wrapping it around her. It was as smooth as he had planned it though because for some reasons, she was trying to check him, as if to ensure that he was alright. It made him wonder if she knew where he had been. Even if she did, why would she think that he had been injured. His guards were the ones that had inflicted the pain and the traitors he had confronted were in the dungeon right now, only a floor away from Pamela. By the time he would question them again, they would have no choice but to spea
Belladonna woke up the next morning, feeling absolutely refreshed and her mind a blank slate. That might just be the most peaceful sleep she had ever had since she got to the Castle.Her face beamed with a smile, while she stretched and watched the red glow that slighty emitted from the curtains a few distance away. The sun was up already?!By Ignas, she had overslept. With swiftness, she pushed the blanket aside and jumped out of bed. Her head felt a little lightweight though and she almost swayed on her feet. Her hand came over her forehead, as she steadied herself, her smile slowly dwindling when she remembered why she had fallen asleep in the first place.She had wanted to help Eli find out more about the Bride Thief, then tell him the things she found out afterwards. It was strange that she hadn't dreamt about him at all, despite her determination. She wanted to keep on thinking about it but somehow, the importance of dwelling on that thought felt lacking, so she gave up on it
"Good morning, My Lady!" The tallest of them said, bowing her head lightly while the rest followed suit. "My Lady.""My Lady."Belladonna looked at the three ladies through narrowed eyes, they all seemed like her age mates. The tallest one had brown short wavy hair, equally warm brown eyes and a large, round birthmark that took up most part of her left cheek. Unlike someone that Belladonna couldn't remember at that moment, the lady didn't seem shy of it at all. Nice. The other was slightly the same height as Belladonna, she might be a little shorter or taller than she was though. The lady had a clean shaven head that Belladonna might catch her reflection on if she looked long enough, and an uneven set of teeth that seem to be chasing themselves around her mouth, her smile was just as friendly as the first one, her eyes even more stunning with the flecks of gold in it. The third one was quite plump and short, not by a long range though. Her hair was made into an all back cornrow an
With no more use for the bowl of water, Belladonna had to go back and return it. It was swift but coming back to the room didn't come with as much ease. Somehow, along the way, her steps had become clumsy, her sight a little blurry and the fogginess returning toback to her brain. She felt a great need to rest her weight upon something so she wouldn't fall, laughter bubbled from within her and chuckled for no reason, as it increasingly felt like the floor was playing jokes on her with it's unsteady movements.It was slight though, nothing she couldn't handle, at least now that she was in her bed and well fed, she might just sleep it off and get better when she wakes up.Before she could lay in bed though, there was knock, one that came in rapid succession. Why were there so many knockings this morning? She didn't remember always having so many knockings by this time. Eventually, she got the door and the person on the other side turned out to be..."Isn't that my masked lover?" Her sm
A pregnant woman's unwanted friends were swollen feet. Eli would usually help her massage them just as he was doing now. She was reading a book to him and he listened with rapt attention. His paintings adored the room, a piano at one corner, her sewing equipment at another corner with two studies joined to the room.He chuckled at something she read and she rolled her eyes. She had become quite irritable lately, little things would get on her nerves. It was just an interesting change to watch, especially because food was usually the cure, all kinds of food in their weirdest combinations. He had tried one once, it was terrible. She snapped the book shut. “By Ignas, do go on. I take back my laughter.”She seemed to have something else on her mind though. “Do you think I’m fat?”He smiled, “Like I always say, you are not fat, you are just pregnant.”“So you would want me like this?”He chuckled, the sound throaty as he buried his face into the crook of her neck. He moved quickly, she c
Eli and Belladonna had come a long way. After death pays a visit, who would expect a joining ceremony?The trail was only hours ago and everything still felt shocking to Belladonna. She was the Kore and Eli was the right-hand man to the UnderLord. She was no longer a ghost but a High Realm that could move from one realm to another, and grant to only those who deserved it a second chance at life. She was a Kore with no realm of her own but one she must build from scratch. The Fate had dissolved the Kore’s realm after they based their judgment on the previous one. Luna and Ama had promised to help her in all ways they could and Belladonna was grateful for the offer. She was more excited about her ability to move from one realm to another though. She couldn’t wait to see her sister, Arlo, and Alaris even though they might not be able to see her. As Eli had told her, the UnderLord didn’t have a right-hand man for a very long time. Many Thanatos had been trying to acquire the position.
“She passed two tests!” Ama sprung up from her seat., “There must be something—““You are not one of this council,” the Ghost High Being turned to her sharply, “so keep your voice out of the decisions.” Belladonna's eyes widened. Two tests! So Eli—- Ah by Ignas, she had been right. Where was Eli? Why hadn’t they let him come in yet?Ama smirked, “Still holding a grudge, Phosi? I see.”“Passed the two tests? It is obvious that she has failed. The rules are the rules,” The Sea High Being spoke, “she has failed. Pass the judgment, I have places to be.”Failed? Belladonna felt that painful jolt in her heart. What were they even talking about?!The hall seemed to share the same confusion as Belladonna, they whispered amongst one another. “Failed?!” Luna snapped. “How did she fail? It is not her fault that her soul didn’t align——““The rules are the rules! And you are not a part of this Council, stay out of it!” The High Being of the Sea snapped. “End this already,” he said to the Fates,
The days that followed were fast and the training was tedious, Luna helped as much as she could, probably more than any mentor ever would. Life in the Moonrealm was wonderful, but for the things that shattered her peace. After training in the Moonrealm for two moons, Luna had not-so-pleasant news for her. Eli was to undergo a test too, a single test.“He has to fight the UnderLord and defeat him.”“Who will train him?”“The UnderLord.”There was no way the UnderLord would train Eli enough to be able to defeat him. “He chose him to be his master.”Belladonna paused. Eli was definitely plotting something.“Also, the failure of one is the failure of both of you.”Belladonna blinked, the times and the trails were against them but Eli was no fool. He definitely had something planned. ——-——-[TRIAL DAY]The first thing Belladonna saw when she stepped into the hall was a woman on her knees screaming in agony, while three faceless people with the staff in their hands stood around her, the
Preparation“It is believed that holding the title of the Kore is a curse and there is a reason for that. Everyone that becomes the Kore always has a terrible end.” Luna paused as if considering her next words before she finally spoke. “Reincarnation should be beautiful, not filled with so many problems. Reincarnation and second chances, do you not think so, Belladonna?”Belladonna nodded, wanting to know about the Kore already, but instead of continuing with what she had to say, Luna drew a line in thin air, and a floating lightly illuminated map unraveled between them. There were different floating objects on the map, probably to signify places. “For your third test, you must be chosen as an apprenticeship for one of the Realm Lords.”“Chosen?”“It is quite tricky as it is your soul that chooses for you and if the Realm Lord of the one your soul along with thinks you are fit, then you will have passed the third test.”“I don’t understand. Something seems to be missing. What about t
“What?!” Belladonna yelled, grabbing Ama’s wrists tightly with rage. “How could not tell me?!”“How dare you disrespect me?!” Ama snapped her hands away from Belladonna’s grip, fury blazing in her eyes as she started getting bigger, losing the frame she had fitted herself into. Belladonna stayed firm, her anger refusing her to feel fear. How dare they drag Aniya into this? How dare they? If she had known, she wouldn't— By Ignas, she wouldn't have done this!To ruin another’s life for the sake of her happiness? Never!No.Then Ama stopped, looked at the castle, and was back to normal in a flash as if a thought had flashed into her mind to make her reconsider. “I will spare you the wrath of my mate only this once. You will not disrespect me again,” She said firmly but those were words Belladonna couldn't hear.They sounded like echoes in the background. Anger changed into fear, not for her but for Aniya.She fell to her knees and wept. “You must reverse it. Please, I am begging. Ask f
“Eli.” Tears were streaming down her face now.Finally, they could touch but this moment wouldn’t last forever, and they intended to exploit it for as long as they could.“Do you love me, Donna?” His hand cupped the side of her face.“You know I love you.” She slipped her fingers through his hair which had grown longer than she remembered. She had certainly not seen all of the real him when he possessed Jyris’ body. Now, he looked so different. “By Ignas, I do. I love you, Eli.”“And I love you too. No amount of this torture, nor of passage of time will take that away. I grant you the permission to forget me. You need not feel any guilt, it will be the best way of loving me.”Belladonna wiped her tears away. “It is ironic, you begged me to choose you in Gaya’s garden and I did not, and now that I want to choose you, you are begging not to.” The words spilled quickly out of mouth, as they tried to make the best use of their borrowed time.A glimmer of a smile snaked into his eyes. “It
The journey to Eli’s dungeon felt like a repeat of past events, it was like a flash of what had happened after the Red Moon Ritual, a reminder of the time Alaris had led her to his dungeon. She had followed Alaris with worry and love for him in her heart, then she found him in chains and finally, she left his presence betrayed, sad, and a grounded hatred for him.It felt sickening to be in this type of situation again though under different circumstances. She wished it was over, she wished she had seen him and saved him. She heard his voice before she saw him. A shout filled with agony. Her heart clenched with pain as she prepared herself to see the worst. Ama stopped walking and Belladonna who was following her did the same. Why had they stopped? She couldn’t see Eli anywhere, in fact, she could barely see her surroundings; she could still hear his voice though, and that in itself was too painful to bear. What type of torture were they putting him through? Suddenly, the growls of
The next thing Belladonna knew, her blindfold was ripped away from her and she was tossed roughly to the floor, her hands and knees bearing the brunt of the action. She expected pain but that never came. Oh, of course.The room was lit with red dim lights, however for Belladonna who had stayed in the dark for too long, the light felt blinding. The structure of the hall seemed like a throne room but it was of such an intricate design that she had no time to access it, the only thing that caught her eye was the strange, massive, dangling bed-like structure with curtains, connected with a chain to the roof of the hall; she could only assume that, it was too dark to see into the distance above. She rose to her feet and froze when she heard growls and gnashing behind her and she turned to look back, frightened. This beast, she had seen it before. Four-legged with three heads of mighty wild dogs, rough rocky skin with visible maps of the lava contained within. Vicious and ready to kill.