In a prison cell

Lynn raised her head as if some invisible force had prompted her to do so. Her eyes went straight to the long-haired pale man's. A strange and vague memory of a person playing an elegant piano in a grand ballroom came to her mind. It was as if she had seen his exceptional hair and his sleek figure before. But the strangest thing was the sensation he gave her, which sent chills down her spine. He wasn't human. The extraordinary beauty of his features said so.

¿Who was the newly arrived phenomenon? ¿Was he the famous lord Zhutak had talked about? Or ¿was he another lackey? Lynn began to wonder, but soon she assured herself that none of it mattered. Because that being was looking at her with an exquisite, refined, and pure hatred. Lynn was taken aback because it was the first time she had been the subject of such a gaze. ¿Why was it like this? ¿Was it because she had run away?

By his appearance, the strange one seemed to be in his twenties. However, since he was a Scaz creature, Lynn did not trust his image.

The books assured that some creatures looked like children, but in reality: they had hundreds of years.

"Zhutak" Finally, the man or creature spoke. His exquisite voice caused Lynn a slight tremble. - "We will talk in my office this dawn." The words were pronounced with perfect composure, and the man's tone had no inflection. However, Lynn's hair stood on end at the back of her neck. Lynn did not know the exact reason, but with all his exquisite beauty, the man inspired her pure fear.

"Take the old woman with Nordack."

¡Oh no...! Lynn knew it even before he moved towards them: he was going to grab her. However, she didn't have time to react because, in one moment, he was about ten meters away, and then he had her grasped and lifted without effort as if she were a small child. With the lightest of movements, he tore her from Zhutak's back. However, the gorgeous man dropped Lynn to the ground as if the contact with her had been torturous.

The aching parts of Lynn's body immediately complained. However, she swallowed any complaint that tried to come out of her throat.

"¿What are you waiting for, Zhutak?" The man spoke with energy, and then Lynn heard a whimper from Nana. Immediately she looked for her nanny, and when their gazes met, Lynn tried to reassure her with a confident expression that, in reality, she didn't know if she could achieve. So, Lynn also tried to smile but failed miserably. In any case, she rose from the floor gently. The wood was damp and cold and felt unpleasant against her bare legs. Moreover, it was a big contrast compared to the warm and fluffy body of Zhutak.

"My lord." - Zhutak released solemnly, and if Lynn had any doubts that she was in the presence of this Rigel, now she no longer had them. ¿What was he going to do with her? ¿Would she be reprimanded? ¿Would he hit her? Well, she couldn't be more beaten, ¿or could she?

Without taking her eyes off the floor, she felt the steps of the great animal getting farther away. Lynn couldn't help but briefly think about how great the ride had been. And the great power she had perceived emanating from the beast's incredible body. Then she felt her breath getting shorter again, and she looked up.

Rigel was looking at her, to be more exact: his gaze roamed all over her. Now she was aware of her half-undressed state. It wasn't the same if Zhutak was looking at her after all. An uncomfortable feeling seized Lynn, and she felt the urge to bury herself in a hole. Finally, he reached her eyes, so they both stayed looking at each other for some time.

The fury did not seem to leave the perfect face of the man. Lynn did not know how long she could bear it. Exhausted as Lynn was, she just wanted to get rid of the dirt and throw herself on a bed. And the truth was the order of such actions mattered very little to her.

"If you run away again, I'm going to cut one of your feet off."

Rigel spoke softly, looking as if making an effort to control himself. At his warning, Lynn was first horrified by the vehemence such a terrible threat had been declared until she ended up being indignant.

"How can you think, I'm going to stay with my arms crossed? I will escape at the first opportunity I have." She challenged him.

As expected, the man, or whatever he was, seemed to explode with rage. A long-fingered hand gripped her arm and pulled Lynn unceremoniously. He said no more and just limited himself to dragging her. He was going to break her arm, but she didn't complain. Lynn didn't resist, knowing it would be in vain. However, they didn't walk much more because, after hearing a murmur, everything in Lynn's eyes seemed to turn. Suddenly she found herself in a dark room.

Lynn narrowed her eyes, trying to see something in the darkness. No, it wasn't a room: it was a dungeon. Then Rigel pushed her away, and she groped a few steps until the man's claw squeezing her shoulder signaled her to stop.

By then, Lynn's eyes had adjusted to the dark, and she could distinguish a human form in a corner.

The stranger was sitting on the stone floor with his legs extended while his hands remained chained to the wall above his head. The prisoner dangled limp, and Lynn suddenly trembled, fearing he was one of her own.

However, she calmed down when she got a better look. The stranger was undoubtedly a young man. He couldn't be his father because he lacked robustness. Let alone, Joshua.

"¿What do you intend to do?" - Lynn didn't know how she did it, but she finally faced her companion. - "¿Are you thinking of chaining me?"

Her words had no response but made her interlocutor smile evilly. And that couldn't be a good sign.

"Listen: I have the right to..." - Lynn tried to keep talking, encouraged by her companion's silence. However, the look she received made her voice fade away. ¿Did he intend to chain her? ¿Really? Lynn swallowed; she had never felt her mouth so dry, and it wasn't until that moment that she thought about how badly she wanted to drink water. Luckily a movement next to her quickly made Lynn forget about that detail.

Without warning, Rigel grabbed her by the hand and pulled her. He was expecting obedience, but this time she resisted. Lynn resisted because she didn't intend to let herself be chained as if nothing had happened. She frowned but avoided those gray eyes at all costs. She immediately thought she heard a growl, and then the man's hand pressed her wrist until he got a whimper and her obedience. So, she followed him while chewing and swallowing her shattered pride. Then, when they both reached the corner where the chained one was, the prisoner raised his face.

Lynn almost let out a cry. But instead, she bit down her lips, sealing her mouth shut. Despite having his face all bruised and inflamed, she recognized that young man. It was a family friend: Mr. Archill.

"¿Do you know this man?" Rigel's voice was filled with cruelty. Yet he managed to sound like a magical chant, like a soft caress. ¡Heavens! Lynn thought. ¿Was he a creature that charmed humans with its vocal cords? In any case, the grim reality brought her back to her senses. Lynn was left not knowing what to do. ¿How to respond? ¿What was the right thing to say? She tried to let go of her hand with no result.

"¿Who is he?" - Lynn chose to test.

"¡How bold are you! I'm the one asking the questions. So merely answer, woman."

"No..." ¿What was she supposed to say? Trembling, Lynn racked her brains. However, Rigel was quicker to speak:

"¿Are you sure? I think you lie." - While saying this, Rigel tightened his grip on her wrist more and more until Lynn had to protest with a groan.

"¿Why am I supposed to recognize him...?"

"¡Insolent woman!"

"Stop offending me."

"Then tell me the truth." He commanded. Lynn would have loved to stomp on one of his feet. She hated his authoritative way of speaking. She felt that it gave him some power over her.

"I don't want to keep talking to you. That's it."

It is better to cut to the chase. Lynn told herself, however, that didn't seem to fix things because the lord's reaction was to throw her against the rock wall. Lynn bumped painfully and bounced only to bump into his harsh physic. She had him right in front and so close that she could feel his breath. Cocoa and mint. Lynn thought suddenly, but she forgot everything when a cruel hand grabbed her face and lifted it. Although she was considered a rather tall young woman, Rigel was about three heads taller than her.

"Don't dare tell me what to do, woman, ever." He mumbled, his voice sounding slightly altered for the first time. Then Rigel abruptly released his grip before continuing to speak: "Well then. This stranger here, Mr. Archill, was responsible for the Straugh's Manor being breached two days ago, just before sunset."

"¿What...?!" Lynn couldn't keep the panic out of her voice.

Oh, dear God...