9 Did It Taste Good?

Alina felt as if she was floating on water. Her drowsing consciousness felt cradled by a melodious lullaby. She let the peaceful yet strange foreign feeling delve into her as it continued to envelop her body.

Suddenly, she felt breathless as if she was being pulled deeper into the sea, where the air wouldnt be able to reach her. She felt herself being dragged deeper by the suffocating feeling until a scene abruptly came into view

A little girl's panicked face came into sight as her little hands brushed off the tears of the woman infront of her. Her tiny face was filled with worry and confusion as she asked "Mommy, why are you crying? "

"Promise mommy that you will be a good girl okay?" Her mother said in a broken voice as she grabbed her daughters soft hands and pressed it on her cheeks.

"Will mommy stop crying if I will be a good girl? " The little girl tilted her head as her sweet and innocent eyes glittered.

The woman in the scene paused before a smile bloomed on her beautiful face that was similar to the girl in front of her.

"Ofcourse dear. Mommy will just go meet someone downstairs, so whatever you do, you must stay quite and stay in the closet so you wont disturb mommy's talk okay? " The woman said as she put on a strained smile.

"En! Alina will definitely behave! "

The scene immediately cutted off and Alina's body was submerged in pain. Her body ached all over and her back felt extremely painful to the point of shedding tears.

She abruptly opened her eyes as she bit her teeth together in reflex. Her jaw hurt as her taste buds were suddenly invaded by a grimey flavor. She instictively wanted to throw up but she ended up chocking, swallowing the unknown object in her mouth.

She hadn't much time to worry about what she had swallowed for much longer as felt slight tremors on the ground beneath. She was immediately alarmed. She instinctively went to reach for her sword but she only managed to grab a handful of air.

She propped herself up with much effort then sglanced around her surrounding. She saw a tree shaking as its leaves fell from its brances. Roots that emerged from the ground also vehemently squirmed like earthworms sprinkled with salt.

Alina: ".... "

Luke was currently screaming inside as overwhelming amount of curses filled his thoughts.

It damn hurts! Better yet, It feels like he was being torn into two pieces with his legs apart. The feeling was just too torturous that even imagining it felt as if it can mentally scar him for life.

He had gotten into plenty of fights in his early days. He was punched in areas that wouldve even ended his future generations. However, That cant even compare to the pain he was experiencing right now!

Alina was watching the tree in its painful frenzy. Her eyes went towards the direction where a shiny glint radiated and she saw her sword lying on the ground. She forced herself to stand up, sweat breaking out from her forehead. She clenched her teeth from the sudden pain with her abrupt movement. She managed to stand up, ensuing drops of blood to fall onto ground, tainting it with it's crimson color.

Just as when she attempted but step forward, her legs lost all strength as they gave in like a new born fawn.

Luke saw all this from the corner of his vision. He was still feeling painful and resentful but he couldnt bare to just watch a beauty suffer so he extend all his roots towarfs her except for the other whose tips has been bitten.

As Alina saw the roots extendtowards her, she only inched backwards using her hands. Her untrusting and unrelenting eyes stared at him in vigilance.

Lukes roots froze as he saw her peicing gaze. 'Woman, were you not the one who bit me in the first place. Why are you acting like am I'm going to do something indecent! This is clearly not OK!'

He felt indignant and wronged however he cant just lush out on a woman. After all he was a gentlemen with golden manners.

He suddenly thought of something as he used the tips of his roots to write on the ground. His handwriting was bold and resolute as he formed words with his root's every stroke.

Alina saw all this and her usually impassive and aloof face couldnt help but show utter astonishment. She read the words written on the ground out loud.

"Can you read this" Alina was dumbfounded but she eventually nodded

Luke internally heaved a sigh of relief. He used his roots to wipe off the words before continuing to write.

"Did my root taste good? "

"....."