She Belongs To The Devil

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After riding the horse for around half an hour, Adeline reached that same part of the forest where she was lost around two years ago after her half-siblings had kidnapped her. She somehow managed to arrive at the same place where she had called Theodore to guide her to her home.

She pulled the reins of her horse and came to a halt because she could hear the gushing sound of the Ethereal River in front of her. She looked to her left and then to her right because she was confused regarding which path she should take. But she was unable to decide.

Adeline drooped her shoulders and then heaved a sigh. "I guess today is no different. I always end up hitting the dead end."

Her face that was filled with excitement just until a while ago turned gloomy all over again. She stared at the river that was flowing not too far away from where she and Rion were. A dim moonlight was hitting the fast-flowing river making it shine as though hundreds of diamonds were flowing in there.

As her eyes were fixated on the current of the river, her head began to spin all of a sudden. She held her head with both of her hands and groaned in pain. She was having another episode of flooding memory where she saw her fiancé teasing her and the two of them riding on Rion together.

The memories were too quick and all jumbled up to remember. However, she managed to catch some fragments of voices from her memory, "If you want to find… keep on following that river to its source. And I am sure… you will recognize… when you see it."

After some time, her headache faded away and she finally let go of her head. But she kept on repeating the phrases that she remembered several times so that she would not forget them again.

Then she tried to make sense of those voices but the sentences that she remembered made her somewhat confused. "If I want to find what?" She looked at the river and noticed that it was flowing downward to her left. She turned her head to the right and asked herself, "If I follow the river to its source then I will… find him? What else could it be which I will recognize when I see it?"

Adeline scratched her brow and thought for a while whether she should return back to the Palace or whether she should journey to the source of the river and explore what lied at the end.

She closed her eyes and weighed her options. It was already night so no one at the Palace would find out that she was missing for the next 8 or 9 hours. And if she rode in her horse to the river's source, it would take around 4 hours to reach there.

After contemplating for a while, she concluded that even if she didn't find anything there, she would at least make it back to the Palace in time. So she decided to go there and if she was lucky, find some clues about her fiancé.

She tightened her grip around Rion's reins and both of them turned to her right. Then in the next moment, she gently kicked the stirrups and both of them moved against the wind.

Rion was running at the top of his speed. Both of them were hit with the harsh night wind. Adeline was in the same gown that she wore for the ceremony. The gown was really tight around her waist and it was getting tougher to even breathe properly. Her hair that was done into a half-bun had already fallen down because of the forceful wind.

But no matter how hard the long journey was, Adeline kept on holding herself from giving up. She stopped for a short break after they had traveled for around 2 hours. She didn't want Rion to get tired out. And she definitely didn't want to push him to the extreme just because she was in a hurry.

After Rion drank some water and grazed on some green grasses, Adeline climbed on his back and they both set out to complete their journey.

After riding for about an hour, the two of them reached the foot of the Hill of Grimmer Death. Adeline felt as if she had already been here before but she could not pinpoint exactly when. Putting that thought at the back of her head, Adeline and Rion began to slowly ascend the narrow path of that hill.

It was dark so they had to be extra careful. Adeline didn't rush Rion because reaching at the top of the hill a little late was definitely preferable to falling down to their death.

And after another one and a half hours, the two of them were finally climbing the final turn that would lead to the top. Adeline carefully and slowly led Rion further ahead. She was being extra careful because, at some distance, she could see several torches burning brightly inside what seemed like a cave.

The two of them now stood in front of the Devil's Cave. Her heart rate began to accelerate once again. She could see a line of torches hung at both sides of the cave that led further inside. Adeline felt as though she had seen that entrance before as well. It felt so familiar yet so strange.

"How come there is a well-lit cave here in the middle of nowhere? Does he… live inside this cave?" The idea of someone living inside the cave on top of this hill sounded very absurd to her.

Adeline recalled that voice that she had heard earlier and whispered to herself, "Yes, that was definitely his voice... I am sure he wouldn't have asked me to follow the river if something dangerous was inside. Maybe this is his hideout place? Then maybe he is inside. I should go and check."

She got off her horse and then tied Rion to a tree that was a little further away from the entrance of the cave. She stroked Rion's neck and whispered orders to him, "Rion, be a good boy and stay here without making a sound. I have to go inside and check something."

Rion nodded his head rubbed it against Adeline's arm.

Adeline placed a kiss on Rion's forehead and whispered again, "Thank you for being so understanding." And she warned him once again before she left for the cave, "Until I return, do not make a noise, okay?"

Rion obidiently nodded his head again.

Adeline smiled nervously. Then she turned on her heels and faced the entrance. Her heart began to beat even faster than before. She took a few deep breaths in and after a few seconds, she finally took the courage to step inside the Devil's Cave, still oblivious about the name.