THE DARK NIGHT

"That man..." Alistair suddenly stopped following Felicia as they headed out of the bar, looking at her in the eyes with his aura shifting into some kind of seriousness. What's with him so suddenly? "He looks like... You know what? Let's not just talk about it." He added, leaving her totally sullen as he didn't continue what he was going to say.

"What's with you? You look mad." She asked, waiting for Olivia to fetch her horse. She stood there, a few feet apart from Alistair who remained unmoving and just stared at her with his golden eyes that she could not seem to grasp what it meant. It felt like a staring competition where if any of them blinked, he or she lost.

Yet something was dancing into his golden eyes that she couldn't fathom as it was very unclear. Maybe because of how far he was but she was sure that there was something in his brain that kept thinking and working, but rather the centre of the focus of that thought seemed to be aimed directly at... her.

"Mistress, I bought the horseback. It's time for us to leave and head back towards the mansion, it's getting late. The young Master might be worried as to why we're late." Olivia came in, along with the horse on a leash while blushing at the sight of Alistair who was looking very meditatively towards her when he turned to face her.

Gosh, such handsomeness should be bagged and married, if not then kidnapped. Her mistress has a lot of men with such good looks circling around her, how to be her?

"Right... Let's go." Felicia mumbled as she took a step and walked with the intention of walking past him. But such a thing didn't happen when Felicia was stopped as a hand stopped her from ever walking away from Alistair, holding her wrist as he forbade her to take a step further away from him. It was not tight, but he sure did apply a force that made her stop and look at him in the eyes, questioning why he stopped her.

"What's the matter?" She asked as she didn't try to forcefully pull her arm back, knowing that he was in the right state of mind and he really wouldn't do anything that could possibly harm her in any way. 

"Do you want to... Explore the town with me, tomorrow?" He asked, which made her frozen in her spot. Her brows knitted, her eyes squinted as she couldn't believe he offered to take her into an exploration. 

"I'll see what I can do. But I'm not sure about it." Felicia responded calmly, didn't see the fact that Alistair's eyes glowed when she agreed. The joy in his eyes was glimmering as he bit his lips trying to maintain a casual expression. 

"Hm... I'll be waiting." He chuckled and let go of her hand, turning back as he waved his hand and smiled after leaving. That woman makes his every nerve active and hot. To the point that he's smiling over such a small response. 

She made him go crazy it seems. 

"Oh gosh, Mistress! Don't you see how the young Master is handsome than your partner?! Gee! I'm really jealous of you right now!" Olivia squealed in delight while jumping in a form of excitement. 

"Gosh! You two look so perfect together—"

"Stop it, Olivia or I'm deducting a raise." Felicia glared at Olivia as she sighed over her antics, grabbed the leash on the horse and managed to sit above it. 

"You coming or not?" She asked as she turned her head on Olivia who was silent while glaring at her slightly. Felicia chuckled, offering her hand to help Olivia get on the horse and sit comfortably before racing it. 

"Just so you know Mistress, we should be very careful—Kyaa!" She let out a yelp, wrapping her arms around Felicia and closing her eyes. She's controlling the speed of the horse and it's too much! She couldn't even open her eyes anymore while her mistress just laughed at how she was so scared of having fun. 

This is bullying and Olivia will never forget this. 

But of course, if her Mistress is having fun then who is she to even complain about it? Except for the fact that she'll ask for a damn raise because her life is on the line here because of her. 

—

The night had grown deep and the halls were dim, except for the light made by the torch on every wall, still lighting the hallway. The moon was not out as there was a heavy pouring happening outside, followed by thunder roars and lighting, signalling that it was bad weather. 

Yet, the place grew solemn and in peace. There was no preaching or praying. Everyone was sound asleep, except for the Pope who was currently making his way towards a certain room, meeting a certain person. 

Every clack of his heels was silenced by the loud thunder from the skies, the lightning gave him an additional light in the hallway, where the pour of the rain was harsher, making his every move silent. 

Soon enough, as he reached the double door, the knight guarding the place opened it up for him, revealing a dark room where only those who are allowed and of higher rank can enter the room. 

"It's been a while, Tyren." The Pope's cold voice rumbled in the dark room, followed by the twitch of the lights which revealed Tyren's state. 

The Pope's lips broke into a grin as he stared at the woman, lying on her bed, pale and malnourished. She had skin and bones, bloodshot eyes and was losing every energy she had. 

Attached to her were chains from her wrists and ankles, her neck leashed as she withered like a dying flower in her death bed. 

"Ahh... Don't look at me like that, Lady." The pope chuckled as he approached the dying woman, sitting next to her at the edge of the bed, scooping her skinned cheek while smiling like a creep. 

"After all, you helped your daughter. Was it not because of your soul that your daughter is being loved right now by His Highness and your useless husband? Look at her... Gaining her every right. So you should be thankful." The pope said, smiling at her while Tyren cried her heart out. 

"Oh dear... Why are you crying, hm? You're supposed to be happy hearing about how good of a mother you are, helping your child to become irreplaceable, loved within the nation." He mentioned.

His hand drops on her neck, tracing the leash attached to her neck as he then pulls it, making Tyren choke at what he did, couldn't utter a single word as she was depleted entirely. 

"You should be thankful and be grateful that I helped your daughter achieve what you wanted for her to achieve. Yet here you are, greeting me with a crying ugly face while begging me to let you go." The pope chuckled, letting go of the leash. 

"You're lucky that I'm very helpful... It was so helpful that everything that girl did, returned with great favour. You love the idea of giving your daughter everything, right?" He asked as he chuckled on his own, holding her wrist. 

"That reminds me... You've been here for a month already. Do you want to go home, already?" He asked once again after calming down, looking at the poor woman who barely had meat on her body. 

She was far from the woman who was brought here. 

"Yes... You want to go home now... I bet you want to..." He whispered. Tyren on the other hand nodded her head profusely, wanting to get out of this hell hole that she had set her foot into. 

From the past days when she begged the Pope to let her go home and ask the Duke for forgiveness on behalf of her, she really thought that the Pope would really help her, to get back off her track. 

But no... What he did was impure and evil. 

As the lightning once again strikes, so does the room being lit with a red magic circle on her bed, incantations begin to fill the room as Tyren tries to unrestrained herself and fight off from the shackles that bound her. 

But her weakened state didn't let her.

She cried and tried to yell for help yet her voice wouldn't come out. The pain, the burning sensation she felt as the magic circle started to glow even stronger than before, had made her body tremble like a fish out of water. 

Her eyes rolled back, her lungs deteriorated as the Pope continued to spew incantation. The nightmare has begun, with the Pope's head slowly becoming one hell of a feverish nightmare.

Large horns came out as his eyes glowed darker, his entire skin covered with archaic scriptures, with beastly fangs hovering on his lips. 

The light diminishes with her lifeless body. Her soul has completely been fed towards the Pope who returned back to his normal self, licking his lips after the delicious meal that he had. 

"There you go, Madame... You can go home." He whispered, as he leaned forward and gave Tyren's forehead a kiss before standing up from her bed. 

He felt strong... Immune and built differently. 

"Take her body and make her beautiful. Tell the Duke that his wife had passed away from refusing to eat and drink. She must have had an awful time staying in our holy church. We offered the best to serve her." The Pope said as soon as his deed was done, telling the knight stationed at the door to arrange a funeral for the Duchess. 

"Yes, Your Holy Eminence." The knight bowed his head and left, leaving the Pope standing right in front of the door while grinning from ear to ear. 

And of course, with his stomach full. 

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