Heiress Of His Abyss: Unmasking The Beast

The Sliqruki paused.

A moment of tense silence shrouded the eerie atmosphere between them; even the surrounding Forest Hounds halted in surprised suspense.

Sylteena stood with clenched fists as her watering eyes remained fixed on the back of the Sliqruki's head.

The towering creature slowly craned its head over its shoulder.

Despite its face curtained by the long drape of black hair, Sylteena's skin crawled to an uneasy sense of its hidden glare.

"How dare you!"

Sylteena's eyes snapped to the side at the sound of Aislinn's exclaim.

The twins locked slitted eyes on her.

Aidan frowned, "How dare you raise your voice at our Master!"

A film of green sorcery coated their marbled skins as their ember eyes gleamed with murderous intent.

Sylteena looked back at the Sliqruki that remained still standing before her. With its head still craned in her direction, it slowly turned to face her properly.

Aidan and Aislinn stepped forward to pose in the offense — their Master raised a hand, gesturing their halt.

They snarled in gnawing wrath.

The creature seemed to be staring into Sylteena's determined eyes as her stand remained unwavering and her frown only deepening.

"You speak as if to brag of your innate wisdom..." Sylteena began, taking a step closer. "... Yet you turn your back to taunt me with life when you are aware death would be mercy!"

Her eyes burned to the fresh roll of tears that drenched her cheek, gulping the bitter words matted on her tongue.

She sniffled as her vision blurred. "Is it not enough to know that I have suffered?... That I am still suffering?..." Her voice cracked, "That... I- I will continue to suffer?..."

The Sliqruki only observed in silence.

"Must I continue to endure it?... J- Just because you chose to be as cruel as I imagined you since I was a child?!"

It crooked its head.

Taking a moment to lower her head as she wiped her burning eyes, Sylteena then took in a deep breath.

"I have always feared you. My worst nightmare. The only horror I always hoped never to face... No matter how ruined my life becomes. Yet here I stand... At your disposal. Weak! Vulnerable! Small!! Broken!!!"

Vines trailed the strained muscles of her neck. "So why don't you do what I most feared and just KILL ME!!?"

The rim of sorcery coating the twins' skin instantly flared in provocation, ready to retaliate against their master's disrespect.

The Sliqruki remained still and mute.

Sylteena only watched it as a flood of tears poured from her swollen eyes, blurring her vision alongside the swell in her chest from unspoken words.

The Sliqruki let a few moments of dreaded silence drag between them before speaking, "I do not kill the weak."

Sylteena's brows quirked.

Feeling the words strike her like a physical slap across her face, she let out a bitter laugh, her shoulders bouncing softly. "It... It doesn't even require much of an effort..." A pained smile stretched on her lips. "Just a foot on my head is the bare minimum you require—"

"No."

Sylteena froze to its sharp tone.

It leaned down. "I have no interest in fulfilling your suicidal desires..."

The pain in her chest pierced deeper.

It added, "Besides, the death of one who sees no value in life is insignificant to the thou who bestowed it."

Her eyes widened.

Slowly pulling away to stand up straight with its head still staring in her direction, Sylteena only watched it with wide eyes.

Her mind momentarily halted to the implications of its words and heavy dawn of reality as she thought to herself...

Even her worst nightmare saw no worth in her life to take...

A sudden force tugged her arm from behind, causing her to stagger. "Your audacity has crossed far enough," Aislinn tutted with a scowl as a swirl of neon green mist enveloped their bodies before dispersing into specs of dust.

In an instant, Sylteena's eyes snapped open to welcome the warm orange light of the palace library, standing feet from the now-closed window.

Her lids fluttered twice as she gazed over her shoulder and back, taking a moment to sort the shards of her orientation.

The piercing pain in her chest seemed to only burrow deeper as her gut curled.

Sylteena stepped forward.

Pacing steadily in the direction of the shelf where she hid the Chronicle and her father's papers, Sylteena's hand unconsciously grasped the fabric of her dress over her chest as she strode.

Lessening her pace to finally halt, she clutched tighter onto her dress before lowering herself to her knees.

It took Sylteena a moment of delirium to realize the wetness on the collar of her dress was from the continuous flow pouring from her eyes.

She touched the tears on her cheek in a dazed motion, as if trying to confirm her own state of mind.

Sylteena's reddened eyes slowly trailed to the bag as she stretched forth to pull it out. Staring at the bag for a few silent moments, she suddenly grasped her lips to hold back the cry lumped in her throat.

She broke into tears as she muffled her screams between her fingers, digging her nails into the hide-skin of the bag.

Her shoulders bounced to the uncontrollable series of sobs that built up in her chest as she sniffled, curling herself into a ball as she laid on the bare floor — she clutched the bag to her chest.

She wept bitterly to the unbearable pain poundering the broken pieces of her heart.

In the cascading pool of swirling emotions in her, one particular shrouded her being and very soul to the last fiber — misery.

She felt helpless. Lost. Sad. Hurt. Alone. And stranded.

Left in this bitter world where she remained unwanted everywhere she went, regardless of the title attached to her name, her presence alone bore the repulsive significance of a pile of feces to every person she came across.

Not having a single shelter of solitude and safety from the venomous society, Sylteena wanted nothing more than to huddle into a pit of the earth that would lead her to the safe heaven her parents left her for.

For anywhere without the living would be safer.

She yearned for the love and affection of a mother she never met. She craved the protection and reassurance of the father she'd always loved.

She wanted anything similar to a source of joy to forget the unfortunate reality of her life.

Anything that would take away the pain. The pain. The sorrow. The agony.

Sleeping six feet underneath a beast's feet would surely have done far greater of a favor than she'd hoped for...

At least she wouldn't have to return to the obliged marriage to a man who sees her as an infection, in a household who wards her like a pest, and in a kingdom who sees her as a stain to their harmony.

Sylteena's cries echoed through the empty library.

She wanted to die... She needed to die...

She had to die... Before the last strand of sanity in her would be snapped loose within the palace walls...

Sylteena continued to weep to her heart's yearning plead in torment.

Losing the ticking track of time in the comfort of the cold wooden structures around her, Sylteena's puffed eyes finally dried up from how much they could pour with her throat already sore and dry.

She slowly opened her eyes to look at the space before her as she remained on the floor.

Sylteena's brows furrowed.

Peeking out from the corner where she hid the bag, was a folded parchment that resembled one of her father's research papers.

She carefully wiped her eyes, looking down at the bag she hugged to her chest and back.

How did that one fall out? She questioned internally before mentally poking herself for her carelessness with her father's precious works.

Sylteena carefully stretched out and picked it, about to shove it into the bag before a pricking hunch made her decide to unfold it and read its content.

Her eyes peeled wide.