When Seraphina became completely lifeless, Damian lifted her in his arms with his ethereal strength. Through the shattered glass of the bathroom and the thick, suffocating steam, he carried her back to his vast, regal bedchamber.
Return to the Shallows of Darkness
Damian laid Seraphina upon the bed, but he did not leave her side. He loomed over her, his presence heavy and suffocating. In her semi-conscious state, Seraphina felt Damian's icy hands gliding over her damp skin. He grabbed a handful of her hair, tilting her head back, and flashed a diabolical smile with his crimson eyes.
He whispered in a low, chilling voice: "From now on, this palace is your world. Even in unconsciousness, there is no escape from my hands. Tonight's agony has stitched my very existence into your veins."
Seraphina tried to open her eyes just once, but Damian's supernatural hypnotic power plunged her back into a deep sleep—or perhaps, an eternal nightmare. Damian lay beside her, crushing her against his chest as if she were trapped in the clutches of a bloodless, stone statue. Outside, a stormy gale roared, and in the palace corridors, Damian's dark acolytes seemed to herald the arrival of a new queen.
Facing the Dark Guests
Standing before the dark guests became nearly impossible for Seraphina. Damian forced her to stand before a massive throne encrusted with black diamonds. The entire hall vibrated with the presence of Damian's ethereal followers. They whispered in shadows, their cold sighs piercing Seraphina's ears like arrows.
As Seraphina stood before them in a blood-red gown, she felt hundreds of invisible, blurred eyes fixed upon her. Damian grabbed her waist, pulling her toward him, and announced loudly, "Meet your new Queen. Every drop of her blood is now part of my cursed realm." Seraphina lowered her head in shame, tears glistening in her eyes.
When Seraphina tried to speak, she found her voice trapped. Damian's blood had merged with hers so deeply that she could no longer move without his mental command. He whispered in her ear, "Don't cry, Seraphina. If you show weakness before them, I will give you a taste of even greater torment."
Suddenly, a shadowy figure stepped forward to touch Seraphina's hand. A thunderous roar from Damian shook the entire hall. He glared at the guest with blood-red eyes and hissed, "If you look at her, I will erase your existence. She belongs only to me." Seraphina realized she wasn't just a queen; she was a trophy—a living piece of property. In despair, she hid her face in Damian's chest, which only brought him a sense of demonic joy.
A Hellish Dance in the Shadows
The lights in the hall dimmed, and a horrific celebration began, with Seraphina as the sole sacrifice. Damian dragged her onto the dance floor. This was no romantic waltz; it was a display of absolute dominance. A haunting violin began to play from a dark corner. Damian gripped Seraphina's waist tightly with one hand and twisted her wrist with the other until she winced in pain.
Seraphina's legs trembled. Damian's supernatural strength moved her like a puppet. With every step, he crushed her against him. Whenever she stumbled, he yanked her up by her hair. He whispered, "Look at them, Seraphina! See how they watch you with thirsty eyes. But they know you are only the companion of my bed. Before this dance ends, you must prove to them that you are completely broken."
Mid-dance, Damian exposed the bite marks on Seraphina's neck for everyone to see. He began to lick the wounds with his long tongue. The guests whispered in excitement. Seraphina closed her eyes in agony, her tears soaking Damian's gown. He then spun her around, pressing his back against hers, and let his hands wander over her body with cruel possessiveness. It was a plan to shatter her spirit entirely in front of his court.
A Poisoned Gift
When Damian returned Seraphina to his bedroom, she was half-dead from exhaustion and humiliation. He threw her onto the bed and approached a cabinet with a mysterious smile. He pulled out a small antique mirror wrapped in velvet. Its frame was white like human bone, engraved with occult symbols. He held it before her face.
Damian said gravely, "Look, Seraphina. This is my gift. See what you have become." Seraphina shuddered. In the mirror, her reflection was no longer human. Her skin was translucent like diamond but ice-cold; her eyes were no longer brown, but a vivid, piercing crimson. Most terrifyingly—she had no shadow.
Damian then offered her a golden cup filled with a red liquid. "Drink this. It is the fuel for your new life. If you do not accept it, your new form will burn you from the inside." Seraphina realized he had changed her very species. Damian whispered, "This mirror will remind you that your connection to the human world is over. You are an ethereal being like me." Seraphina tried to cry, but instead of salt water, a single drop of crimson liquid fell from her eye. Damian caught it on his finger and tasted it with satisfaction.
A Tragic Encounter in the Snow
Attempting to flee the suffocating palace, Seraphina ventured out into a heavy snowfall. She wore a heavy overcoat and a thick scarf to hide the blue marks on her neck. She met her old friend in a secluded cafe. Her friend gasped; Seraphina looked pale, possessing a haunting, supernatural beauty.
When her friend touched her hand, she jumped. "Seraphina! Why is your hand so cold? It's like touching ice!" Seraphina forced a fake smile, blaming the weather, but she knew her warmth was gone forever. Suddenly, the cafe windows began to frost over. Seraphina looked outside and saw a tall figure standing under a lamppost. Damian. He was watching her, his presence felt only by her.
Seraphina noticed a small scratch on her friend's neck. The scent of blood triggered a primal, demonic hunger within her. Her fangs began to grow. Terrified of herself, she fled into the snow, with Damian's voice echoing in her head: "No matter how far you run, your hunger will bring you back to me. You are my reflection now."
The Final Betrayal of Self
As Seraphina ran through the white landscape, her friend's voice called out: "Seraphina! Stop! Where are you going?" Seraphina stopped, but she didn't dare turn around. The sound of her friend's voice made the dark blood in her veins boil. Damian appeared behind her like a gust of wind, pressing his face into her hair.
"Do you hear that? She's calling you," he hissed. "Go on, Seraphina. You need that warm blood to satisfy your hunger. Shall I help you catch her?"
Seraphina sobbed, covering her mouth. "No! Stay away from me!" she screamed at her friend. The snow began to swirl violently around her, driven by an unseen force. Damian wrapped his arms around her from behind. "See? She is afraid of you. She doesn't see a friend anymore; she sees a monster. In this world, only I am yours."
When the friend took another step toward her, Damian flicked his hand, causing a massive drift of snow to collapse. The heavy ice struck her friend, throwing her back until she lay unconscious in the cold. Seraphina was now truly alone in the dark, with only the devil by her side.Serafina stood frozen like a stone statue. Damian leaned in, whispering against the nape of her neck, "That was enough of a taste of the outside world for today. Come, Serafina, fresh blood awaits you at the palace. I spared that mortal today, but if you attempt to escape again, he will not see tomorrow's sun."
Damian swept Serafina into his arms, and within a gust of swirling snow, they both vanished from the street. Back at the palace, while Serafina lay devastated by Damian's demonic presence, her phone suddenly rang. The screen displayed the name of the very friend who had just witnessed that terrifying ordeal in the snow.
Damian was looming over Serafina, pinning her to the bed. At the sound of the phone, his eyes turned a violent, glowing red. He snatched the device away but did not disconnect the call. Instead, he switched on the speaker and held it before Serafina's eyes.
From the other end, her friend cried out in a voice mixed with tears and rage:
"Serafina! Have you gone mad? What was that? Where did you go, leaving me behind? And that snow... that shadow around you... what was it? Have you fallen into the clutches of some demon? How can you be so stupid, Serafina! Come back, or I'm calling the police!"
Hearing the word "stupid" and the tone of reprimand, a sinister, mocking smile spread across Damian's face. He whispered into Serafina's ear:
"Did you hear that? She calls you stupid. She doesn't know you are now an immortal entity. She wants to call the police? Come, let us show her who the police of my realm are."
Without ending the call, Damian smashed the phone onto the floor, shattering it into pieces. Grabbing Serafina's chin and forcing her to look at him, he said:
"Your friend talks too much. How dare she discipline my Queen? Tonight's punishment isn't for you—it's for her. She called you a fool, and I will teach her the cost of touching my property."
Serafina sobbed, "No, Damian! She doesn't understand, please leave her alone!" But Damian began to make the window panes vibrate with his ethereal power. He made it clear: Serafina's mistakes would now be paid for by others.
Terror in the Locked Room
Serafina's friend was sitting in her bedroom, oblivious. She had changed into a comfortable silk nightgown and reclined on her bed. She was annoyed and worried that the call had cut off, thinking Serafina was in deep trouble, but then dismissed it, thinking, "She's always been strange, but this is crossing the line."
As she stood before the mirror drying her damp hair, she had no idea Damian's cursed shadow had already entered her room.
The Stagnant Air: Despite the heater, she suddenly felt a bone-chilling draft against her neck. She rubbed her arms over her silk gown. The windowpanes suddenly frosted over with thick mist.
The Horror in the Mirror: Looking into the glass, she saw a tall, pitch-black shadow standing directly behind her. She tried to scream, but her voice died in her throat. Damian wasn't physically there, but the malevolent shadow he sent had taken hold.
The Invisible Touch: She felt an invisible hand tugging at the sleeve of her nightgown. Blood-red letters began to manifest on the mirror: "STAY AWAY FROM MY QUEEN."
She collapsed onto the bed in terror. The lights flickered violently. At that moment, her phone rang again. No number appeared—only one word: "DAMIAN."
Back at the palace, Serafina was huddled at Damian's feet, weeping, knowing he could take her friend's life in an instant. Damian sat with his eyes closed, savoring every moment occurring in that bedroom miles away. He laughed, "Look, Serafina. Your friend is trembling in her nightgown. Does she still have the courage to call you a fool?"
A Night of Shame and Horror
When Damian's demonic rage peaked, he wasn't satisfied with mere fear. He wanted to subject Serafina's friend to a level of shame and trauma she would never forget. He moved his fingers through the air like a puppeteer.
Invisible Claws: As the friend cowered in the corner of her bed, she felt sharp, invisible claws hook into the shoulder of her silk gown. With a sudden jerk, the sleeve was ripped away. She screamed, but no sound escaped the room.
The Demonic Game: The dark shadow swirled around her like a whirlwind. She felt every stitch of her garment being pulled apart by invisible force. Damian used his power to send a freezing touch through her body, paralyzing her. In moments, the thin silk was shredded to rags on the floor, leaving her exposed and helpless in the freezing room.
The Ultimate Warning: The shadow gripped her chin, and invisible nails scratched a message onto the wall: "YOU ARE NOTHING BEFORE THE GHOST QUEEN'S KING."
In the palace, Damian erupted in wicked laughter. He used his powers to force Serafina to witness the scene. Unable to bear her friend's humiliation, Serafina clung to Damian's legs.
"Please, Damian, stop! Let her go!" she wailed. "I promise I will never try to run away again. I will be your slave in the darkness forever, just don't hurt her anymore!"
Damian grabbed Serafina by her hair and pulled her face close to his. His eyes burned with terrifying lust. He whispered, "Fine, Serafina. I grant your friend her life and her dignity today. But in exchange, you must satisfy my demonic hunger tonight... without a single complaint."
The Three-Year Vow
A more long-term and hideous plan formed in Damian's mind. He withdrew his shadow from the friend, but he did not truly free her. He whispered a bone-chilling prophecy into Serafina's ear.
The Cursed Countdown: Pinning Serafina to the bed, he hissed, "I let her go today, Serafina. But this is not freedom; it is a stay of execution. Exactly three years from today, I will go to her myself. Just as I made you my property, I will make her the prey of my lust."
The Thirst for Revenge: Damian revealed that for the next three years, he would mentally erode her friend. He would appear in her dreams every night, making her feel his icy touch. "In three years, she won't be a normal human anymore. She will be another 'living doll' like you. And I will take you with me to watch your dear friend crushed beneath my feet."
The Ultimate Leverage: Damian forced Serafina into a blood pact. He bit her finger until it bled and used the blood to write on the dressing table mirror: "3 YEARS." "If you obey my every word for these three years," Damian warned, "I might only keep her as a slave instead of killing her. But if you show the slightest disobedience, she dies by my hand that very day."