Testing the Queen's Monster: Unveiling the Power of the Orb

Lachlan pulled my hand back, along with the blade, and then let go as I dropped the knife and fell to the floor. My breaths were coming out in ragged gasps, but even though I was in pain, there was something happening inside my body. I reached up and placed my hand over where I had been stabbed, not wanting to look at it, but then froze.

There was blood, but there was no wound.

I looked down, and sure enough, there was a cut in my shirt with blood on it and my skin, but no stab wound.

"What is going on?" I asked no one as I stared and fingered the spot where I should have a slit from the dagger.

"Follow me. I told the Queen that I would test you today to see what kind of skills you have and how much training you might need before you are ready."

"Really? You just stabbed me, and that is it? Now we go training?" I asked, looking up at the man.

Something from memory seemed to poke through, and I remembered a word for men like this. Cunts.

"I do not have time to waste. You are a monster, but I had to prove that you were the right one," he said and was about to leave as I got up, but I went to grab at his arm with a bloody hand, but he pulled back, dodging my attempt.

"You keep calling me a monster, but I am no different than you!" I growled, and Lachlan lifted his nose and gave me a sideways look.

"Tell yourself whatever you would like, but you will follow me, or I will start testing other weapons on you," He said in a cold voice, and I sighed.

Yup, cunt sounded like the right word. Even if I didn't know what it meant, something told me that it was just the word.

Lachlan led me out of the room and then down a different path than I had come. I was taken down a long hallway lined with doors on either side, but the place was silent. Lord Lachlan never hesitated or slowed his pace, even when he would turn to take another path. He made it clear that he expected me to follow him without question.

The thing that I found the most strange was the fact that he knew his way around the castle. Not only did he know his way, but Lachlan also knew about things like that hidden wall in the room I had waited in. That was extremely strange, but I wasn't really sure what it meant. Melodious said that the castle was ours, but it was peculiar that Lachlan knew it so well.

Eventually, we came to a stop in front of a door at the very end of the hallway, and Lord Lachlan finally turned to face me.

"This is going to be a test of your reflexes, speed, and stamina," he explained shortly before reaching out and grabbing hold of my arm with one hand while he used his other hand to push open the door.

He all but dragged me into the room beyond before releasing me abruptly and taking several steps back away from me.

I looked around warily, trying to figure out what exactly was going on here. The room was empty except for a pedestal that was in the center of the room. The only thing that looked even remotely out of place was a small black object sitting in the very center of the room on top of a small table.

I had no idea what it was or what it could be used for, but Lord Lachlan's next words told me everything I needed to know.

"That's a magical artifact," he said calmly, gesturing towards the object in question as if it were nothing more than an everyday household item. "Your goal is simple: unlock its power to gain supernatural abilities."

I stared at him in disbelief for a moment before quickly shaking my head. "I can't. I don't know how."

Lord Lachlan's lips quirked up into a small smirk. "That's the whole point of this exercise, Azriel. You're not supposed to know how. This is to see if you can think on your feet and come up with a solution under pressure."

"Pressure? What do you mean? What is this thing exactly?!" I asked, thinking about how he had just stabbed me to see if I could heal. If that was his method of training, then I was terrified to know what that orb was going to do to me!

"It is a magical orb," Lachlan said and then pointed to it. "If you mess up, it will cause severe pain and immobilize you. All you have to do is activate its power. Something that a monster like yourself should have no problem doing if you are actually an Allgora. So far, nothing I have seen about you other than your survival skills matches with the creature. I need proof that you are what your monster Queen promised, or I will not be training you. Do I make myself clear?"

I just looked at him for a bit, but the cold and indifferent look never changed as he stared back. I was really starting to not like this guy.

With a sigh, I turned to the black orb in the center of the room and walked over to it. As I got closer, I started to feel a strange force coming from the object, but it was hard to name the feeling. Even though I couldn't name the feeling, it was strangely familiar.

"We do not have all day," Lachlan growled from behind me, not helping.

I ignored him, knowing that if I let myself get distracted, then there was no way I would be able to figure this out. It was already hard enough trying to concentrate with Lord Lachlan standing there watching me so intently, boring holes in my back.