A Mournful Withdrawal
"So, which one would you choose?" Azalea inquired, her eyebrows arching upwards as she awaited Ren Haoyu's response.
Despite her seemingly gentle gaze, Ren Haoyu felt a bead of sweat forming on his back under the weight of her intense stare.
Sensing Ren Haoyu's growing discomfort, Azalea rose from her seat and made her way to the door. With a slight tilt of her head, she added, "I'll step out for a smoke. Make sure you have your answer ready when I return."
Without waiting for Ren Haoyu's response, Azalea exited the room and shut the door behind her.
As she entered the living room, her eyes briefly scanned over the motionless figure of Han Peipei slumped on the couch before making her way toward her.
The sound of her footsteps echoed softly on the wooden floorboards.
When she was just inches away from Han Peipei, Azalea suddenly grasped the former's chin and whispered, "I'm well aware that you're awake. Stop feigning paralysis."
No response...
"Hmm? Are you sure you wanted to continue to act this way? I've never been a very patient person, and I suggest you not test my limits," Azalea warned, her voice possessing a seductive quality that could charm any man, but at the moment, it sounded more like that of a slithering devil.
"Since you're insistent on feigning paralysis, I'll make you one for real," Azalea threatened, placing her thumb gently on Han Peipei's forehead.
"I'm going to count one to three and if you still don't comply, don't blame me for what's gonna happen."
"One."
"Two."
"Thr-"
"You won," Han Peipei's eyelashes fluttered, and her black pupils gradually came into view.
"H-how did you know?" Han Peipei stuttered, her breathing becoming increasingly labored as she spoke, indicating that it was a struggle for her to even speak in her current condition.
"I don't." Azalea flashed a smile.
"T-then? How did you..."
"I was just bluffing," Azalea shrugged nonchalantly. "But it seems to have worked."
Han Peipei's face contorted with a mixture of agony and rage, causing her complexion to turn beet red. She had been fooled by Azalea twice now, and the frustration was overwhelming. "Why are you doing this to me?!" she demanded, her voice trembling with emotion.
"Why? Weren't you the one who initiated violence? If you had just talked to me instead of trying to push me off the boat, things wouldn't have escalated to this point," Azalea retorted, her tone laced with a hint of annoyance.
"Regardless, the rice has been cooked, and the blood has been spilled. I'm afraid I can no longer trust you."
Azalea tapped her foot twice, each strike sending ripples through the floorboards. As if in response, a portal appeared before her, a gaping hole in reality that emitted a low, menacing hum. Whispers, like the rasping breaths of a dying man, seeped from the rift and coiled around her like tendrils of smoke.
From the depths of the portal slithered a creature, sinuous and serpentine, its body coiling and uncoiling like a writhing snake. Its skin was smooth and iridescent, shimmering with sickly greens and purples, and its eyes glowed like molten gold.
As it emerged fully from the portal, its form became more defined, revealing razor-sharp fangs protruding from its elongated jaw, and a long, flickering tongue that darted in and out of its gaping maw. Its scales were sleek and glossy, and it moved with a silent, fluid grace that was both mesmerizing and terrifying.
As the serpentine creature slithered out of the portal, Azalea's face twisted into a frown of disapproval, but she quickly composed herself and hid her expression.
She then reached out to take the creature, her fingers hovering just above its glistening scales. She wore gloves, as if even she was wary of touching the thing. The creature hissed softly, its tongue flickering in and out, as if it could sense the fear emanating from Han Peipei.
Han Peipei could feel her heart pounding in her chest, her breath coming in short, shallow gasps. She wanted to scream, to beg Azalea to stop, but her body was frozen, held in place by some unknown force.
As Azalea lifted the creature towards her, Han Peipei could see the faint outline of a tiny mouth at the end of its tail.
Afterwards, under Han Peipei's horrified gaze, Azalea deftly removed her left-hand glove, revealing her bare thumb. She approached the serpent-like creature with the mouth at the end of its tail, which eagerly latched onto Azalea's thumb with precision, its sharp teeth piercing through her skin without a drop of blood. Han Peipei watched in dread as the creature released its hold and slowly slithered towards her. Without warning, it sunk its front fangs into her wrist, and Han Peipei felt a cold, numbing sensation spread throughout her body as the creature disappeared beneath her skin.
As the creature faded under her skin, Han Peipei felt a heavy weight settle on her chest. It was as if she was suddenly bound by an invisible chain, one that tugged at her very soul. She tried to scream, but her voice caught in her throat, and all she could manage was a strangled gasp.
Han Peipei gasped for air a few more times before her breathing began to steady. She looked up at Azalea, her eyes wide with fear and confusion. With a low voice, she asked, "What did you do to me?"
Azalea regarded her with a cool, detached expression. "I have bound your soul to mine," she said simply. "You are now under my geas."
Han Peipei's eyes widened even further at this revelation. She struggled to sit up, but found that her body was still paralyzed. "What...what does that mean?" she managed to choke out.
"It means that you are now bound to my will," Azalea said, her voice taking on a dark, almost sinister tone. "You will do as I say, without question or hesitation. And if you try to resist, you will suffer greatly."
Han Peipei felt a cold shiver run down her spine at Azalea's words.
How did things come like this?
For a moment, a wave of memories washed over her, leaving her feeling distraught and disoriented.
Azalea's expression remained impassive as she gazed at Han Peipei, her eyes cold and unforgiving. She felt no pity for the woman's desperate state. It was Han Peipei's own fault, after all. If only she hadn't pushed Azalea off the boat, she wouldn't have resorted to such an abominable measure.
Azalea's voice was cold and detached, as if she was speaking to a mere object instead of a human being. "Regret won't change anything now," she said, her eyes narrowing as she looked at Han Peipei. "But I'll give you a chance to make it right. Just promise me that you won't betray me, and the geas won't affect you negatively. I'm not a petty person, as long as you behave yourself."
She paused for a moment, studying Han Peipei's face carefully. "And trust me, you don't want to know what will happen if you break your promise," she added with a hint of menace in her voice.
Han Peipei didn't say anything in response to Azalea's words. Her eyes were fixed on her wrist, where the faint outline of the serpentine creature could still be seen, as if imprinted on her skin. Azalea knew that the geas had taken hold, and there was no going back now.
With a heavy heart, Azalea left the cabin and headed for the lake bank. The night breeze was cool and refreshing, but it did nothing to ease the weight on her shoulders. She couldn't help but think of all the things that had led up to this moment, all the choices and actions that had brought them here.
The view in front of her was breathtaking, with the moon reflecting off the calm waters of the lake and the stars twinkling overhead. But Azalea could not appreciate it fully, not with the knowledge of what lay beneath the surface.
As she reached for her pack of cigarettes, Azalea felt a pang of regret. She couldn't even smoke properly now, not with the weight of the geas on her conscience.
As she gazed out at the serene scene before her, Azalea let out a long, resigned sigh. It was the sigh of someone who had been through too much, seen too much, and felt too much. For the first time in a long time, she allowed herself to act her age, to feel the weight of the world and the pain of her past.