Aftermath

News regarding the gruesome fate of Duke Arsheid spread throughout the kingdom. Dahlia, who is the main perpetrator of the act, was also regarded as a victim because there were no witnesses left alive.

One couldn't possibly suspect her responsible for the grisly massacre, for she seemed to be a harmless little girl. Rumours began to circulate.

Many subjected that it was instigated by the Duke's enemies or it was retribution for the death of the conspirators.It was known that the Duke was one of the informants.

Many rejected this idea because the methods of how the victims died, were of question. When they investigated the crime scene, they were baffled by how heinous the massacre was. Bodies with  broken bones, torn limbs, and decapitated heads were scattered and some were piled up.

They were also disturbed to see the Duke's corpse which was barely recognizable. His hands and legs were cut off , the legs were missing but were soon found in the forest along with the butler's corpse. They found his head near the body.

The people could not fathom how terrifying the killer was, they assumed that it was done by an army or a group of mercenary killers. Unknown to the fact that it was done by Dahlia, who was regarded as one of the deceased victims.

The King grew suspicious of the events. He thought that there were other forces that wanted to overthrow him. Therefore, he declared a kingdom-wide search for the culprit. Who knew what might happen once the criminals strike again.

Soon the events that night was soon known throughout the kingdom as "The Massacre of Conspiracy ".

After the events that transpired that night, Dahlia found herself lying on the ground. She found out that she was in the deepest part of the forest where many wild animals resided.

She wasn't afraid to be caught here since no one would dare enter this part of the forest. Besides, she was careful enough to not leave any traces. She slowly got up and shivered. She remembered that her gown was torn;therefore, her undergarments were exposed. She looked like she wore a brown robe but it was, in fact, blood that dried up.

She looked around. Sunlight struck her face and birds chirped. Everything felt serene. She started walking. She knew that there was a lake near where she was.

She could hear the sound of water from a distance. It was because a bird clawed a fish out of the water. Her senses were extremely sensitive. She could sense any creature alive within a wide range.

She had the ability to hear their heartbeats and sense their blood. It was one of the abilities she gained after the awakening. She also remembered that she had superspeed. Her body also seemed to be made out of metal for no weapon even seemed to injure her .

She looked at her feet. She remembered that she stepped on something sharp last night. However when she checked it, it was gone. It disappeared as if it wasn't there in the first place.

One of the abilities that she also have is that she heals faster. It was like she wasn't human. Dahlia continued walking towards the lake. Leaves rustled as she stepped on them. The whole area was peaceful. It was beautiful sight. Rays of the sun peeked through the swaying leaves.

Birds soared and butterflies flocked towards the wild flowers. Dahlia found herself staring at her reflection in the water. She was so out of place.

Compared to this scene, her bloody-self looked like an eyesore. She was like dirt stuck to a beautiful painting. It was irritating. She frowned. She looked liked she rolled on sh*t.

She dipped her feet in the cold water them decided to bathe herself. She felt sticky. She removed her torn gown and underwear. Completely naked, she submerged herself into the water. The blood started to come off her body. The water around her turned brown and slightly red.

She rubbed her skin using her knuckles to thoroughly clean herself. As she did this, she got lost in thought.

She remembered everything that transpired that night. The screams and the looks on those people's eyes when she slayed them...Their begging expressions.

She wondered why she didn't feel any pity. In fact she didn't feel anything. It was just her desire to kill that mattered to her. For her it was shocking however she realized that she knew what she was doing.

It wasn't like she was unconscious or like she was possessed. No. It was like she was still in control but it was her will to kill them. She tried to feel any remorse towards her victims however deep down she knew she couldn't.

She felt like she lost some of her emotions...like sympathy. The feelings she felt while she killed them was as if killing was secondary to hunger. That after being finished, you will feel full. Same as killing, which gave her a sense of satisfaction and lingering pleasure. And she can choose which food she could eat. But she still needed it.

And her, deciding to kill all of them, was also because of revenge. She wanted the Duke to experience what her father experienced. She thought it wasn't enough.

She scrubbed the ends of her hair where there was hardened, thick blood. After she was done with cleaning her hair and body, she decided to wash her clothes as well.

She figured that walking around naked in the deepest part the of the forest wasn't a problem. Besides she would know if there was anyone present. She would likely kill that person if she caught him.

Night fell, Dahlia was busy roasting the rabbits she caught. She used the furs and put it on the ground. It served as a mat. She planned to stay her for days before going back to civilization.

She looked the other dead animals she killed. She hunted down at least ten wild animals. Most were deers but she also caught some foxes and a mountain lion. She planned to sell their skins and fur.

'Mountain... Lion'

Lion. The symbol of the Royal family. She remembered the face that look at her with pity. Her thoughts were lost again. It dwelled in her thirst for revenge.

Her revenge wasn't complete yet for there was another person in her mind. And he needed to pay. She didn't care even if he was the King. However she knew that it was impossible to kill him easily.

Surely there are strong people that protected him. She also didn't want to be labeled as a criminal because she would be hunted down for sure.

There must be a way to have her revenge without staining her hands. There must be. She also didn't want him to die just like that. She wanted him to suffer.