My Tender Tyrant

Lightning and thunder tore at the skies relentlessly. No one knew if there would be a public bus at all, given the turbulent conditions. It was definitely too dangerous for a woman like her to walk mindlessly through the forest in this weather. Shen Qianshu returned to the castle. It had begun to pour before she had even reached the entrance, soaking her to the bone.

Streaks of lightning intertwined with the thunderous roaring of the sky like a dangerous song; the rain falling torrentially without a care.

Shen Qianshu tried her best to make as little noise as possible as she entered the castle. She lightly picked up a towel and dried her hair with it. Afterwards, mindful of the mess she had made, she changed carefully out of her drenched clothing and into a set of dry pajamas before she hung the wet items up to dry.

The castle was completely silent. The darkness was like a black void and it was difficult to see in the absence of any source of light.

She had never spent a night in the castle. She never knew that in the night, the castle lamps would remain unlit. Where is Ye Ling?

What is he doing?

The thunderstorm raged on for two hours and the sky was pitch black. Shen Qianshu was about to switch on the lamp when a roaring sound came from upstairs. It sounded like growls from a wounded beast. Straight afterwards, a series of intense shattering and heart-pounding vibrations could be felt. It sounded like destruction personified.

Shen Qianshu was terrified.

She suddenly had a hazy recollection of something strange in the back of her mind. The layout of Ye Ling's room changed every single day. All the furnishings in the room seemed to appear only once. They were always replaced by something new the next day.

The growling became louder and louder. She could vaguely make out Ye Ling's voice but it seemed to be a much lower pitch than the voice she knew.

Although Ye Ling was bad-tempered and raged often, he had a high degree of self control. She had never seen him in such a violent state. Shen Qianshu was fearful yet extremely worried, her fingers twitching in anxiety. What's wrong with her? The shattering sounds coming from the level above were intensifying. It seemed as though a great beast was trapped in the castle.

Shen Qianshu's worry for Ye Ling surpassed her fears and she rushed upstairs immediately without another thought.

"Master, what's wrong?" When she spoke as she neared the door, the violent growling became stronger and clearer. Shen Qianshu calmed herself, taking a deep breath, and pushed the door open, hoping to see what was happening with Ye Ling. Just as it opened a crack, a beastial force suddenly pulled at her, throwing her forcefully into the stiff arms of a figure in the darkness. The person was fumbling to carry her and she grabbed onto him desperately to balance herself. A flash of lightning sparked through the air and in the chaos, she spotted a pair of familiar eyes, deep and amber and… a sinister face.

"Master?" Shen Qianshu stared at him, confused.

Eyes filled with fear, face deathly pale. There was nowhere to run or hide.

She sensed danger.

She wanted to escape, but it was all too late.

The castle was like an oppressive cage, imprisoning them both in its wild embrace.

The crisp fragrance that surrounded Shen Qianshu found its way into his nose, like a charm that could draw people closer and closer. Ye Ling went crazy, mesmerised by her scent and gripped onto her forcefully. He slammed her hard onto the big bed, holding her down. Getting thrown around made her head spin and she fumbled around, disoriented. As she tried to sit up, she was pushed back down and held tightly in place, unable to move. Her pajamas were ripped apart by Ye Ling.

"Master… You…" before she could finish, she was cut off forcefully.

Ye Ling kissed her lips aggressively. The crisp fragrance on her drew him closely to her like a mindless beast, triggering a savage response that was purely instinctive and irrational. He was like an uncontrollable beast, attacking the woman underneath him. In the darkness, his amber eyes darted around the room, alert and wary at the slightest movement and sound.

Shen Qianshu sensed the danger and struggled wildly to escape. Just as she had finally pushed Ye Ling away, the remaining shreds of clothing that were hanging on her body were torn aggressively to pieces. She tried to climb off of the bed, grasping at the sheets to escape, but was grabbed hard around the ankle by Ye Ling. She flinched, holding her ankle in great pain.

"Ahh…" She had lost all of her remaining energy.

"Master, what are you doing!" Shen Qianshu's terrified scream was stuck in her throat.

"Ahh…!" it was unexpected and forceful. It ripped her apart from the inside and her eyes widened before her mind shut down and went blank. The beast on top of her began to prey on her, plundering her body in the most primitive way. Like the god of war that conquered the universe, with all of the sins and cruelty hidden away in the darkness…