Third Time

"Mada-" a man stuttered, holding a scroll in his hand. He wanted to give it a try again but he felt someone nudged at his abdomen.

"Wait. If you don't, you must have a death wish." A woman said with a threatening smile. Her leg tapped a particular beat as she watched her master.

The wolf monster was being stabbed into and butchered in a split second. The lady went on to the other wave of monsters and killed them all with one slash. 

The wolves that crept up on her were easily eliminated. She had full control over the terrain of monsters that an adventurer's guild had trouble clearing. 

All by herself as she stood in the middle of the chaos. Her eyes glowed a wicked purple that corresponded with her impressive stance and skills. She wiped the blood off her face with her shirt.

The man that was struggling to speak up sneaked a peek at the lady who had suggested he stop. He didn't know why, but he felt obliged to listen.

"Wait." The lady repeated again, her eyebrows slightly furrowed as she whispered beneath her breath a string of numbers and countdowns.

Their master stabbed her blade into the ground as she closed her eyes. There wasn't enough. It all didn't add up for her. She waited. And sure enough, she heard a low growl.

"Step back." The lady suggested. 

And this time, even all the knights followed her command. The all stepped back uniformly.

The silver haired lady pulled back her dark black blade and slashed at the air. A wave of fire ignited from the tip of her blade and exploded at the nearby tree.

From behind the lady, a shadow sprouted from the ground and stood behind her. The shadow resembled the devil. With horns and a pair of bat-like wings.

It sprouted fire from it's trident and produced the most radioactive fire one could imagine. It swallowed up the trees in one big gulp.

It aligned it's attacks perfectly with it's caster. They were simultaneously in sync.

The wolf was large in build and had metal for its canines. But even that couldn't stand against the viciousness of the attacker. 

They were levels apart. It was never a good match up to begin with.

"Go." The lady instructed, leaning back with a more relaxed expression.

The man nodded meekly and stepped forward and immediately went down on his knees and held the scroll up respectfully.

"I am grateful to be in the presence of my Lord Whitlock. May I, William the humble subject of your rule, report my findings?"

The lady looked down and stared at the man beneath her feet. She looked at her sword, which was continuously dripping blood. 

"You're a different one from the usual." Victoria observed, looking at the man's handkerchief that was sticking out of his pocket. 

"Sir Henry had opted out from today's activity." William stated, he hasn't even glanced at her face yet but he could feel his heartbeat pound at the speed of light.

Victoria reached out her hands and held it there. Waiting.

"Yes?" William questioned, confused. 

"My sword is dirty. You shall do something about it, yes?" Victoria stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Panicked, William looked around for a fabric and felt through his pockets, only to find a handkerchief that was newly embroidered by his wife. Unwillingly, he offered it to the Lord.

She accepted it with grace and ruthlessly wiped her blade with the cloth, tearing the design apart with no consideration. "Report."

"The knight squadrons my lord has sent out has gathered a headcount of 9,088 potential suspects. Only 4,899 of which are imprisoned by your knight's orders." William reported immediately, his eyes reading the long scroll skillfully.

"7 of which are of relation to nobility, therefore, vindicated." He continued. "9 villages checked. 21 more to go. Knights are heading towards Bristol, Oslo, Havana and Clematite." He traced his fingers across the scroll.

"That's all?" Victoria asked, anger residing in her tone of speech.

"Yes..yes." William answered. Terrified.

Victoria threw the cloth on the ground and stomped on it. "You people can't even locate a mere child in a few days? Are you guys airheads? And your faction should've reported to me Lord Bellaire's death the moment he had died. What was the delay for? Tell me." 

Unable to come up with an answer, William peeked a look at the knights and the lady from before. He was desperate.

"LOOK at me." Victoria commanded, leaning down with her eyes wide opened. 

"So-sorry." William mustered out.

"I never asked for an apology. I asked why. This is why I should've never left my projects to incapable people. I should've just handled it myself. Let me tell you this." Victoria started whispering. 

"If I see that boy ever in my line of sight, or even catch a glimpse of his face and voice. You bet that you should start counting the seconds you get to live. So if I'm forced to take this small matter into my own hands..I'll feed your whole family to the dogs." She threatened without blinking once. 

"I will do my best t-to find Kai Whitlock! I thank your honour for giving me another chance." William immediately said.

"When did I allow you to speak?"

William paused. He had messed up in the midst of his panic. He had never been this terrified in his life. Was this why his dear friend refused to leave his bed this morning to report to this monster?

Before he could even muster another word, William saw his life flashed before his eyes. Blood splattered in his vision as he felt a roaring pain at his head. Whose blood was it? What was this strange sensation?

The half cut body fell apart. 

"Clean it up. Order another one to come in tomorrow." Victoria ordered, angered. How dare such a lowly creature insult her? 

The knights immediately cleaned up the body and buried it in the ground like it was their usual routine. They didn't speak a single word in the process of doing so nor did they think badly of their master. For she, knows all. 

Victoria stood in the middle of the bloodshed she had created. She swore that she was definitely going to kill the child. He was not getting in the way of her happily after again, ever. 

She couldn't believe she had pitted him and let him live for he was her blood. It was the wrong call. She refused to raise such an atrocity. Whether with care or with brute force, he'll dig her six feet underground.

Three times was certainly not enough to save her past. And neither was it enough to find a solution.

It was three times the trauma.

But the third time must be the charm. For there was no going back now.