The Demon’s Bride

As if knowing Ian's plan, Maroon was quick to leave and came back with a chair, placing it next the iron grilled door. Ian flipped his night robe out of the way and crossed his legs as he sat on the chair. On seeing Ian, feared soaked on Ellen's entire body. Her throat ran dry, "L...Lord Ian, why am I here, milord?" The woman asked, placing a naive question and throwing a look as if she was wronged.

"Beats me, Ellen. Why do you think you are here?" Ian threw the question with the same naive look, both scaring the woman and vexing her. "Maybe if you use that small little head of yours, the answer will come running to you. Or else you think I am such a mad man?" Ian stared at the woman with a narrowed eyes as if he wouldn't be very happy if Ellen replied with a yes.

Ellen had been a spoiled child by the duke. Nothing she wished was never delivered to her and she believed in herself that she was entitled to have things that her eyes laid to. Upon her father's wish to marry the Lord, she was both taken by Ian's handsome face, his playful but seductive manner, and his position as the Lord of Warine.

Being treated like a princess, Ellen thought that Ian was soon to be her like how everything revolve around her like she was the gravity. Her hope was extinguished when Elise took everything she wanted under her nose.

Being Ian's admirer, of course, she knew about the man's volatile acts, his murder, but during the time she was not placed on the jail, the foolish woman thought that it didn't matter. It wasn't her who was punished, why should she be bothered about it? But now with her life on line her thoughts changed as quick as a falling star. 

Knowing where it was going, Ellen knew she had to make an excuse, "I-I please hear my side of the story, milord. This is not what you think of I-I was kidnapped and threaten by those people. Before I knew it I was in the forest and everything happened," she said and shivered, wondering why the place was so cold. 

"You were kidnapped?" Ian widened his eyes looking as if he was shocked and then drawn a frown on his forehead, "Oh no, that's must be terrible. The Duke, your father must be waiting for you. How terrible I am to lock you here without listening to your side of the story but now that I know, I should quickly release you from here, provide you accommodation like a princess and deliver you back to your house," Ian said, pulling and stretching his tone in an extremely exaggerated tone yet Ellen believed it as a promise.

Expecting for Ian to put his words into action, instead silence passed as he stared at him and his butler, "M-Milord?" The woman stuttered.

Ian heaved a sigh, rolling his eyes while he stared at the end of his fingernails, "Do you really think I would believe your words? I'm not as stupid as a goat who would be pulled by nose by your words, Ellen. You know what you did and it is time for you to pay for your sin. How would you like to be killed?"

Like spider crawling on her body, Ellen felt fear raising from her non-existent leg to her head. Her eyes widened in fear as she could tell Ian wasn't lying; she had seen him kill before and as much to her demise, Ian was a man of his words. 

"N-No! No! Lord Ian, I am not saying a lie—"

"Hush, that new lie had just costed your tongue, Ellen. Think before you speak or I promise you will regret whatever words that flew from your foul mouth," came Ian's slow and chilling words. 

Ellen now understood her position. She was going to die! She was going to get killed! But she still want to live. She didn't want to die yet. The woman think of what she could say, when she blurted whatever came across her mind, "My father.... He won't be happy to know if I am in danger! I am the Duke's daughter."

"Well nice to meet you, I am the Lord of this land, one step to the King," Ian felt his anger thinking and a cruel delights filled his heart upon seeing the woman's face turning paler and paler. The fear Ellen showed to him, was something he both look forward to see and enjoy. "Don't worry, I did promise to Elise to present you back to your house," and his words brought light on Ellen's eyes that only faded further when his words came along with hollow eyes, "I never said you will back alive or in one piece though."

Ian didn't forgot the way his heart stopped when he saw Elise in pain and blood. Her gasped, her paled skin, and the way cold sweats covered her head as she shiver; he didn't forgot a single thing. 

"You look scared, you don't have to worry about it, I will make sure it is enjoyable for you to. Though that is if you enjoy to get cut to pieces. You have lost your legs, so you must know how painful it is, don't you?" The corner of Ian's lips raised and curled higher as time passes and his eyes hollowly stared back at the woman's face where her arrogant expression and her haughty pose now had all disappeared, leaving a pathetic look on her face.

When Ian stood up, Ellen crawled by her hand until her back hit the wall, "P-please no! I promise to certify my mistake, milord!" She shouted in panic.

"That is what you are doing now," Ian replied dully, "rectifying your mistake by your life. This is the only method for you to apologize."

Ellen pleaded for mercy by her eyes and gesture of hitting her head to the floor and kneeling on the ground, "I-I know who those people are, the Relics who asked me to help them! I-I can expose all the secret that they have—"

"I don't need it," Ian dismissed her useless information in which he knew must be empty and contain nothing.  "Good; you look scared now, but remember I haven't start yet," Ian smiled playfully as if he was a child given a whip, there was a cruel joy and dark mischief passing by his red abyss-like eyes. His shadow towered over Ellen and it grew larger as he continued to move forward. He reached out his hand, and said. "I learned this during torturing one of the men who killed my mother. This is always effective to teach people like you some manners."

Ellen tried to get away but she had turned into a trapped mouse, unable to do anything but face her punishment. 

"The way is to take everything very slowly. I like taking my time," whispered Ian. He landed his hand on her eyelids, slowly pushing his fingertips to the socket, digging, and clutch the fleshy and round ball between his finger. Ellen screamed in pain. Her body twisted around and her scream of help turn incoherent as she felt the pain in her eyes spreading all over her body. But Ian didn't make the pain stop and neither did he made the process quick for her. Instead, he took his time, delightfully, staring back at the agonizing expression of pain on Ellen's face.

He then pulled his hand, ripping away her eyeball and threw it across the floor for a dampened fall to sound, "One," chimed Ian, his smile going crueler by second and Ellen who now could only see with her one eye, her expression was stricken by fear. "Off to the next one, shall we?" And a sharp yelling echoed through the dungeon, but no one knew, and people continue to sleep without being aware of the torture Ian presented.

Back in Elise's room, she had fallen asleep. Her eyes were closed and a soft snore escape her lips. Turning her body, she didn't know that someone was watching her sleeping behavior in silence. Leviathan stood next to the side of the bed, sighing a his arm was bleeding. The last time he had visited the castle, he knew how there was an extremely powerful barrier created here; he didn't know that in count of days, the barrier became stronger, causing him to wound himself as he tries to get inside the castle.

He softly gazed at his daughter who Adelaide, his one and only beloved wife gifted him with. Looking at the child, his eyes was stormed with many swirl of cyclone. Carefully, he leaned forward and pulled the flask from his chest pocket. Tilting the flask, he let the liquid stored inside the flask to drop to her lips, "Be careful," he whispered.

Elise slowly opened her eyes, just a little to behold a vague shadow of a man who looked at her with his brows scrunched, his expression showing extreme care and concern, "Ian?" She whispered.

"He will be here soon," replied Levi, hatefully to say he wasn't the first person who has daughter called for, but then he never came for her and the outcome was to be expected yet he still can't help to feel bitter about it. He placed his palm over her eyes, "Sleep, my dear. Your pain will be gone soon..."