The doctor didn't notice anything unusual - not until a strip of cloth tightened around his neck. His eyes widened, and instinctively, he struggled and thrashed to loosen it - but Audreya's fierce grip quashed any resistance.
She didn't stop there. Every second was precious. She further began to press the sides of his neck. Long ago, she had learned that the sides were the key to proper blood flow and cutting it off efficiently handicapped the person faster. It was the only practical advantage for a woman to subdue a healthy man.
It demanded everything from her, and beads of sweat began to form on her forehead. Her fingers and arms numbed and burned with the exertion. Her muscles screamed and she gasped, breathless.
Before he could make a sound, she had already pulled him away from things he could knock down so he couldn't reach her or scratch her. She pressed so hard that even a muffled cry for help couldn't escape his lips.
A few moments later, he went limp and slid down, unconscious. She gasped, staggering backward, pain and exhaustion hitting her all at once. She took a moment to catch her breath, then grabbed a knife from the counter. She listened to the door but heard nothing. She eased it open and stepped out, scanning in every direction.
Clasping the knife in her hand, she tiptoed. Suddenly a cry shook her and her lips parted, stunned.
What was that…?
She edged towards the room it had come from and peered inside. Apart from a lone woman sitting against the wall, cradling a small child in her arms, the room was empty. Horror seeped through her veins.
These people are abducting young mothers too!? How much more depraved they could get!
She couldn't stop herself from entering the room. The young woman flinched and gasped in horror.
"I'm not here to hurt you! Did they…bring you here to sell you off too?"
The woman's back further pressed to the bed, terrified. Tears streamed silently as she clutched the infant tighter. Audreya approached the bed with slow steps.
"Will you come with me? We'll escape together! "I'll do everything to protect you and-"
Audreya's gaze drifted to the child - and it stayed.
What…is going on?
No matter how many times Audreya blinked, she still couldn't fathom such a reality. The child's eyes were unlike anything she had ever seen before.
"How does your child have a demon eye?"
Slit pupils only belonged to demon-born children. What was more astounding was that the other eye was human. Her heart pounded harder than ever before. Audreya had only heard of such an existence.
"I-Is it…Is it a veil-born?" A whisper hushed through her lips.
Questions crawled and raced back and forth. Every passing moment felt more dizzying than ever.
Light footsteps from outside made her freeze. The woman's face turned ashen. Audreya hushed a signal for silence and hopped to the door side. She held her breath, clutching the hilt of the dagger.
Are those the guards? Did they figure it out already?
The door opened slowly. A wave of dread swept over her. As soon as a man stepped in far enough, Audreya closed the door behind him - and lunged at him at once.
"No!" The woman on the bed shrieked.
Audreya's eyes flew wide, and she somehow stopped herself in time.
The man spun around and gasped. He stared down at the blade.
"What do you think you're doing!" He hissed, albeit with a whisper.
Audreya was thoroughly confused. She had expected a guard, but this man was different. The clothes he wore were different.
"I thought you were an enemy."
"I'm not! Put that dagger down. You almost gave me a heart attack!"
Her expression twisted. "I can say the same for myself! I thought I was done for!"
"Who are you anyway?" The man studied her from head to toe. "You look like…are you a prisoner here?"
Audreya clenched her teeth. "Not for long. I'll escape this wretched place today at any cost!"
He stared at her, stunned. "No, you can't."
"I will!"
"No, you don't understand. We're not some place above ground that you could just waltz out of here. We're deep underground."
She went rigid. Then recalled how the guard had climbed a flight downstairs to take her to the doctor.
So instead of going the other way, I was being taken further down!?
"Even though the prisoners are kept on a higher floor, the exit isn't so simple. Otherwise, wouldn't I have escaped long before now?"
Her lips parted, then closed. "Who are you?"
He met her eyes. "Martin. Martin Grisbane."
—
Veil-born.
A blasphemous child born from a human and demon's union. With both races being culturally and emotionally closed off from each other, any conjugal relationship was treated as an abhorrent sin.
Judith answered, thinking about Melissa. "What else? Stinky politics, that's all. We hate each other. Any positive relationship through marriage would be assumed as gaining undue influence for the other race."
Finnian turned to her with a hearty chuckle. "That's actually quite a low bar you've set there, Lady Judith. Mere politics? It doesn't have that spark."
"A family has been facing repercussions of one ancestor's decision for over five hundred years - all because of that 'mere politics' you speak of. There'll be some serious consequences if you don't weigh your words before you speak," her fingers tightened at the hilt of her blade.
Finnian drooled."I hope you inflict the most damning pain upon me…"
"So it has been the same on your side," Silas said, "A certain family on our side would certainly return your sentiments."
Vivia coughed, before the two blazing fireballs would incinerate Finnian. "Besides politics, what else could be the reason?"
Finnian smiled. "The most tempting ritual is to gain the absolute power to rule the world. Even beyond magic, that power is divinity."
Zerath paused for a moment. "Divine power? The one that the Blessed are born with?"
Finnian tilted his head, a mysterious smile forming. "A human can be a Harbinger and a demon can be a Sovereign. What if there is someone who could be both?"
Absolute silence fell.
"That…" Arzan could barely control his spiraling thoughts, "is simply not possible."
His eyes twinkled with delight. "Why isn't it possible? One wouldn't normally think of defying death either, yet a ritual exists that tempts certain people to attempt it. You might think you could only live up to a certain age, yet people want to be greedy to live long.
So why wouldn't there be such people who might think - 'What if such a veil-born exists who carried both blessings?'
My dear Syrevar - do you not see the appeal of controlling such a puppet in your hands? One who could govern both the seasons and the sun and moon?"
"Absolute power…" Vivia's breaths trembled in realization.
"Yes. Everything is always in a state of balance. But that's also exactly what feels crippling…at least to some people. You wouldn't need to choose sides if you held the reins yourself. You make your own side. If someone already wants to rule a kingdom…"
Finnian enjoyed their horror-laced expressions.
"Then the desire to rule the entire world is not that far-fetched, after all."