CHAPTER 9

"Thank you for encouraging me. I appreciate it. Here" I said as I took something from my pocket and handed it to him. I saw his eyes widen at what I am offering him.

"Lollipop?" asked Brent

"It may be childish but I like how it tastes"

It brings sweet. Actually, I love sweets. My life is already full of bitterness and dullness at least in this way my life will have some little sweetness even for just a little bit of time. I put the lollipop in his hand then took another lollipop in my pocket then opened it and put it in my mouth.

"Thanks. You know I remembered something when you gave me a lollipop," he said while smiling when I look at the lollipop is already in his mouth. He was just looking at the sky while eating the lollipop.

"What?"

"Not what. It's who"

"Then who?"

"My first love. I met her in the mortal world. Do you know that you have similarities? That's why I was so happy that you became one of us" Brent said

As if. I scoffed in my mind. I never became one of you and I will never be.

"Thanks for accepting me even if you don't know me that much" I answered with a fake smile

"Don't mention it. You are not difficult to deal with, Raven. And one more thing we will not force you to open up with us. We understand if you won't easily open up with us you just only met us recently so it's only natural. We are ready to wait until you are ready. We are just always here for you."

"Thanks"

"Let's go back? Maybe they are already looking for us," said Brent and chuckled

Then he reached out his hand to help me. I look at him. What a gentleman. No wonder Liana likes him. I reached out my hand to his. He might say that I was rude if I didn't accept his hand and it will be a great bother to me.

"Thanks," I said as I faked a smile

"Let's go," he said and pulled my hand which he still does not release until now

We just kept walking until we saw them, Liana. I saw pain and jealousy cross her face but she easily hides it. Suddenly I felt as if someone was staring at me. I look at Ash. What is his problem again and he's glaring at me like that? He really looks like a devil especially when he's glaring at me like that I even imagine him with a horn. I really like to stab his eye. I just stare at him.

I heard the students muttering. Aren't they tired of gossiping about me?

"Yuck! Why are they together with prince brent and worst still holding hands! Eww!"

"Prince Brent just has no taste in women. There are a lot of beautiful people around him and yet he really chose an ugly nerd hahaha"

"Eww! Are they in a relationship? They aren't suited to each other. Prince Brent is more suited to a Princess like Princess Liana"

"I can't believe this! Tell me I'm just having nightmares! It can't be happening!"

"Bitch"

"Whore"

"Gold digger"

I have heard many comments but I have not listened to them. I will not step down to their level. They can say whatever they want to say now because when I finished playing with them they will not be able to say even a word. Because they are already dead before they can say what they want to say.

"Don't mind them" Brent said and smiled at me and he tightened his grip on my hand even more. I just smiled and nodded.

"Woah! Woah! What's going on with the two of you huh? Why are you holding each other's hands? Is there something we need to know?" Troy asked taunted us.

Brent released my hand and awkwardly scratched his nape and blushed.

I faked a laugh. I halted when I saw someone coming to me. I slightly avoided that but I made sure I would still be touched. I pretended to be surprised and scared then sat down.

"Raven!"

The Royalties frantically shouted of course except for Ash. They quickly joined me. Brent and Troy left immediately to go to the place where the kunai came from.

"Are you okay? Shit! We need to bring you to the clinic" Chloe said worriedly

"Zach! Take Raven to the clinic quickly! He might run out of blood" Liana said

I looked at my wound and pretended to be hurt. The truth is I am not I'm not hurt. I'm used to this. It's nothing compared to what I have gone through before. Also, I don't feel any pain or any such emotions. I saw Ash just staring at me instead of helping. This is man really indifferent towards me. It's not like I care about him. I'm just wondering why he's so hostile to me. Is it because of what I did when we first met? But I'm already paying for that. That's why I ended up being his slave, right? Also, it was not like it was actually my fault. He's the one to blame for my action because he's so rude. He didn't seem like a Prince to me that day he's more like a thug.

"I can't. I have to go somewhere else." Ash said and slowly walked away. This man is shameless. There is not even a single trace of gentleness on his body.

Brent and Troy came back right away.

"He escaped! When we arrived, no one was there" Troy said annoyed and even messing up his hair

"Let's discuss that later. We need to take Raven to the clinic first so she won't run out of blood" said Chloe agitatedly

Brent picked me up quickly and then immediately bring me to the clinic. The nurse quickly treated my wound. There is no communication. I just need to rest my arm because my wound might open. The kunai that hurt me is not a magical weapon. This wound is nothing it will heal quickly. Tomorrow there will be no wound nor scratch, not even a trace that I got hit in my arm.

I fell asleep for a while but I was wide awake when I felt something. I just let out a heavy sigh. Can't they just give me a break?

I quickly created the illusion that I was still asleep. I quickly hid on the side. I left my dorm. Then go to the forest then finish the tenebris who had been watching me before.

I swiftly turned to the remaining tenebris. His body was already full of wounds and he was almost crawling away. Poor creature. Don't worry I will end your suffering.

"I-I need to r-report it to the k-king," he said with difficulty

"Do you think I would let you do that?" I said smiling devilishly

I walked closer to him I quickly cut his head from his body. His body has turned to ashes. His head even rolled on my foot. I quickly stepped on it causing his insides to scatter in the whole room and turn to ashes.

I looked at myself and saw blood all over my body as well as my face. I quickly removed my wig along with my fake skin on the face. I removed my contact lens. I just smiled. Did she think I would not notice her? Huh! I can feel the trembling of her legs due to extreme fear here where I stand.

"Is the show I showed good enough? Do you know it's really for you?" I said

I felt her take a step back. Bitch! You are too inquisitive. She might be seeking death, then I shall fulfill her wish.

"Beatrice Salcedo"

--

RAVEN'S POV

"BEATRICE Salcedo, the woman who urged Chloe to turn her back on her best friend. You were the reason why Chloe was separated from the royalties," I said, and I turned in her direction. She fell to the ground in extreme fear. Now, where is your courage, huh?

"Y-you! You're a d-demon! A monster! The r-royalties need to know about this!" she shouted completely terrified.

"You know, for the person who dies, your tongue is too sharp. Do we need to cut it? Or do we just need to pull it out so that you can never use that sharp tongue of yours?" I said coldly and grinned while looking at my katana, which was full of blood. I saw that she even became more scared.

"Please! Spare me! I'm begging you! I promise I won't reveal your secret. Just spare me! I'm begging you, please! Have mercy on me. " Beatrice said while crying

"Shhhh... My dear. That's right just cry it makes me more thrilled. Where was your courage earlier? Your courage to hit me with kunai earlier and make pranks to embarrass me in front of many. Just an example of an invisible thread" I said and pretended to make him stay but in a cold voice. She quickly knelt.

"P-please I'm s-sorry! Pro-promise I won't do it again! Ju-just spare me! I'm begging you!" she stuttered as she cries

"Of course, I would spare you, "I said, and I saw she breathed a sigh of relief, which made me grin.

"Thank you, Raven! Thank you! I promise you I will not reveal your secret. " Beatrice said, while her face was full of joy. I suddenly laughed. However, the laughter is empty. I saw her look at me with confusion on her face.

"Do you really believe that? I didn't expect you to be this gullible, Beatrice. It's no fun if you keep on being like that. If only I had even just an ounce of mercy in my body, I might have spared you because you really look pathetic right now, but unfortunately, a demon-like me has no mercy," I said.

Which made her smile fade. There was fear in her eyes. She can't be able to stand up to run.

"Run! Run, Beatrice! Run as far as you can! But I assure you, wherever you hide, I can find you. You can never escape from me," I said coldly, and started walking. I let my katana scratch the ground as I dragged it, which made a loud screech. I saw that she was running more quickly, to the extent that she almost stumbled as she ran.

---

BEATRICE'S POV

I ran even faster because I could see that she was chasing after me. I quickly hid behind a tree. I covered my mouth with my hand to prevent letting out the sound of my crying. I peeked back and saw Raven there and roaming her eyes.

"Beatrice, where are you? Come out. We will only torture each other if you continue to hide from me. You too, I might get bored, and do you know that when I get bored I want to torture my victims even more?" Raven said, which made me tremble even more with fear.

My tears flowed even more. I was so scared. I peeked forward and was surprised to see that she was nearby. My breathing stopped. Her katana was the one that greeted me when I peeked. I looked at her and saw she was looking ahead and still rolling her eyes. I thought she had seen me. I touched my chest because my heart was beating so fast.

"Maybe I should pay your younger brother or maybe your parents a visit," Raven said and then laughed like a demon. No, let's remove the word 'like'. She is really a demon. A demon hiding behind her angelic face!

My family shouldn't be dragged into this matter! They have nothing to do with it! She's so cruel! I peeked in front again but she was no longer there. Wait! Where is she?! I peeked back but she wasn't there either! When I turned around her face is the one that immediately greeted me. I saw a knife pointed at me. I cried because of that.

"Shhhh... Don't cry. You should be thankful to me because I will end all your suffering." Raven said in a cold tone. It becomes creepier because she looks like she's soothing me with sweet words using a cold, menacing voice. Her voice seems to come from hell, but instead of a burning fire, the fire is made of ice.

"Please! Huhuhu... I'm begging you! I don't want to die! Let me go!" I said while crying.

"For what? So that you can report to the King of Darkness? Then what? My secret will be revealed? I am not a moron, Beatrice. I didn't endure those kinds of people just so you could ruin my plan just like that. It's no thrill if they already find out, and I hate getting bored because I tend to get extreme. Who knows, I might destroy the whole academy out of boredom, "Raven said as she tilted her head. My eyes widened because of what she said. She knows! She knows that I'm a spy! And what? Did she just say she'd destroy the whole academy if she got bored? This woman is deranged.

"Please! I promise I won't tell anyone! Just let me go!" I begged her while crying.

"You should be happy. I'm making everything easier for you. It's better for you to die at my hands than to die for betraying your race, right? Don't you see Beatrice? We are almost the same. The only difference between the two of us is that you are doing all of this for the man you love who was captured by the tenebris while I am doing it just to have fun," Raven said. How did she know that?! What is she?! Why does she know so much?!

"I'm begging you please!" I beg you as my tears continue to flow

"You know what I dislike the most? People like you. A weak and worthless creature. Acting so strong in front of others when, in fact, you are nothing," Raven said, then stood up and turned around. I moved quickly and took advantage of that by having my kunai attack her. I would have stabbed her when she stopped my hand while her back was facing me. She turned to me and twisted my arm, causing me to release my kunai.

"Aahhhhh!" I groaned because she quickly knelt on my stomach. I could already taste the blood in my mouth because of the force of her hit.

I grabbed my stomach and laid down in pain. She took my kunai. She scratched my right cheek with it.

"Maybe we should cut your right hand to match the wound on your right cheek," Raven said, and she cut my right hand, which made me whimper in pain. My blood even splattered right on my face.

"Please, I'm begging you. Stop playing with me. Just end this!" I said while crying.

"And that's what I was supposed to do earlier, but you're the one who wished for this. So don't be mistaken. In fact, I'm just granting you your wish. I'm generous, right?" Raven said with an innocent and sweet voice, while her eyes were obviously filled with bloodlust, which made it even more creepy. This bitch! She's a psycho! Her craziness is on a whole different level. I kept screaming in pain as she continuously stabbed me in different parts of my body. Until I can no longer move even a finger. My eyelids were already getting heavy and I was already losing too much blood. One last stab and I'll breathe my last. I closed my eyes when she was about to stab me. Finally, this suffering will end.

"Hmm... I think I made a mistake. Seeing your appearance right now, it doesn't seem to suit you. Maybe it would look better if I stabbed you on the other side. Let's see. Don't fret, I can fix this." Raven said with a devilish smile, which made me flinch. My eyes widen when she completely heals all my wounds.

"Now let's go back from the beginning, shall we?"

"N-no... No. No. Please! Let me die already! Stop tormenting me. I'm begging you." I begged as I cried.

"If you give me a pleasant scream, I might consider it" Raven answered with a mischievous grin.

This demon incarnate! She's clearly telling me 'not to waste your voice pleading with because that'll never happen.' She stabbed me countless times. She continuously plays with me to her heart's content. Every time she's not satisfied with my appearance, she will heal all my wounds and then she will stab me on the other side of my body. She'll cut my left hand, and if she's not satisfied, she'll heal it up and cut my right hand and right legs. My state right now is that all my fingers and left leg have already been cut. She'll make me feel unbearable pain, but she'll also make sure that she won't kill me. I just want to end this. I can't take it anymore. Stop this pain. Please, just end it already! She only stops when I am no longer able to open my eyes. I can't even think straight anymore. She put all the body parts that she cut above me.

"You may be torn apart from them, but you should still leave with them because they were once part of you; without these, your family may find it difficult to recognize you; just look at it as my token of appreciation for entertaining me today; you see, I'm a benevolent type of person," Raven said sweetly. I felt that she stepped back, maybe to look at my appearance right now. Then I heard her clapping.

"Perfect! Now, you look so beautiful to look at! I really am such a great artist." Raven said, while clapping.

"Now, die," Raven said in a cold voice, then stabbed me in the chest.

"See you in hell," Raven added, and with that, I had already lost my consciousness.