Under a sky so dark it seemed to swallow light, the Hellbringer Tower rose like a specter, its silhouette a stark, haunting presence against the void.
The air around it hummed with an otherworldly chill, as if the very atmosphere recoiled from its malevolent aura.
In this eerie, forbidding landscape, a lone figure approached, her strides measured, her demeanor an embodiment of icy resolve.
Esther's entrance into the tower was as silent as a shadow slipping through the night.
The heavy door creaked open beneath her touch, yielding to her without protest, as if the tower itself recognized the gravity of her presence.
Her steps echoed softly against the stone floor while her pale red eyes had a hint of fierce intensity that was usually never there.
But the scene that greeted her within the grand hall made her halt her steps, her eyes widening, unable to believe it was really true.
Asher, smirking with undisguised amusement, sat upon a throne-like chair, an unmistakable air of authority enveloping him while his arm was wrapped around Rebecca's velvety waist, stroking her stomach as if stroking a pet.
Rebecca, perched atop his lap, was a study in contrasts—her discomfort and vexation palpable, even as she was forced into an intolerably intimate proximity with this bastard.
Yet the sight that made Esther's stomach churn was the black leash around Rebecca's neck with dark silver spikes extending outwards and the other end of the leash held in his hand. It really seemed as if she was like a pet on his lap.
Unable to meet Esther's gaze, Rebecca's face flushed with a deep, shameful red.
"What is the meaning of this, Rebecca?" Esther's voice cut through the silence, as cold and sharp as a blade of ice. Her fists clenched at her sides, betraying the calm facade she presented.
On her way here, she kept telling herself that what Asher told her was just a lie to mess with her. She didn't even believe it at first.
But the way he said it and knowing how he wasn't one to spout nonsense made her rush over here.
Rebecca, her jaw set in a hard line, diverted her gaze, torn between defiance and the weight of her choices.
Her silence spoke volumes, a turbulent sea of unvoiced protests and regrets.
If she could, she would have stabbed this scum and walked away.
But because of the stupid slave crest, she was forced to obey his order of sitting on his lap and unable to do anything that would go against the order.
But what humiliated her the most was how he started treating her as his 'pet'...A damn pet!
And who would have thought that he would involve her sister and even let her come here to see this.
Was he mad? Does he want a civil war in his hands? If this gets out, he will be finished as king, which would have been a very desirable situation for her if not for the fact that she would go down as well.
Seeing her sister remaining silent, Esther advanced, her focus unwavering, her voice imbued with a chilling reproach, "When did you become his...'pet'? Tell me what he told me is wrong. Our late father married you off to House Drake, believing you would cause less trouble for our House. But this...are you going to keep causing trouble until our House is destroyed?"
Rebecca gritted her teeth, and her response, when it came, was laced with bitterness and defiance as she raised her gaze to look at Esther, "You are one to talk, sister. What do you think Thorin is going to do once he learns what you gave away to an outsider even if he is our king?" Her challenge was a mirror, reflecting Esther's own actions back at her.
Rebecca knew her sister would never compromise her House and would rather die. Then why was she sharing one of their secrets to this alien bastard? He should be the last person in the world who should use it.
For a moment, Esther faltered, her eyes quivering, her composure cracking under the weight of Rebecca's words.
The accusation struck deep, a wound that went beyond the physical, touching upon the very essence of her duties, her loyalties, and the sacrifices she had made—or was willing to make—in the pursuit of her House's interests.
It was not as if she wanted to give it away. She was tricked and then forced to do it.
But this made Esther wonder if Rebecca was also tricked and trapped into becoming his 'pet'.
As far as she knew, Rebecca would never kneel or bow to anyone. She even defied her own parents, which resulted in her indirectly getting kicked out of the House and ending up in House Drake.
Why would someone like that bow down to a junior, especially the one who has only been a problem for her?
She could even guess that the reason Oberon got imprisoned by the draconians was only due to Asher's schemes, and Rebecca surely must know that as well.
This made Esther glare at Asher, who had been silent so far with only a smile that irritated her, "What do you have on her? My sister would never become anyone's pet unless…you did something."
Rebecca's eyes shone with hidden fury as she wished she could just shout out what this bastard had done to force her into this.
Still, she didn't expect her sister to care this much to the point of even questioning Asher.
Asher's response came with a laugh, a sound that seemed to mock the gravity of the situation, "Contrary to what most think, it looks like you sisters know each other better than what people see on the outside. But even if I have anything on her, why are you worried, Esther? It's not like Rebecca has any official connection to your House. Even if she causes any trouble, it will only affect my House's name. Not yours. Or...are you really worried about how she would fare under me as my pet? That would be quite unexpected from you," he mused, his voice dripping with insinuation as he tugged at the leash, the black collar around Rebecca's neck tightening in response, eliciting a wince from her.
The sight of Rebecca's discomfort stirred something within Esther, her fists clenching in a visceral reaction to Asher's provocations.
Yet, she forced herself to regain composure, her reply a mixture of defiance, "I can't care less what she does. But she still is part of my bloodline and knows things that shouldn't be revealed to outsiders like you."
Rebecca's reaction was immediate, her lips pressing together in a firm line before she shot back a sharp look at Esther, "Then you are worrying for nothing. You know better than anyone that I would never be that careless."
Rebecca inwardly harrumphed, wondering why she even misunderstood Esther's intentions in the first place when this was so like her.
Esther, caught in the tumult of her own emotions, found a sliver of relief in Rebecca's assertion. At least her House won't be involved in this mess.
Yet, the sight of her sister, once a figure of pride and power, now diminished in such a manner, ignited a stinging sensation in her chest.
Why did this situation unsettle her so, when Rebecca had always done things as she pleased, regardless of the consequences? She thought she had long stopped caring about what she did.
Asher's voice, cold and bored, broke through Esther's internal turmoil, "I had enough of you sisters quarrel. Take it home or somewhere else. But here...we only talk and do business. You know that the best. Don't you, Esther?" He asked with a knowing smile, making Esther's face briefly redden with a sudden surge of emotions before she calmed herself and summoned two coffins before her.
Rebecca furrowed her brows in suspicion upon feeling Esther's aura suddenly becoming tense and the hint of sarcasm in Asher's voice.
Even if her sister's aura became as calm as a pool the next second, Rebecca had never ever seen Esther's aura ripple, no matter what kind of situation or danger she had been in ever since they were kids.
Then what kind of situation had Asher pulled her into to unsettle her this much? Was she his…No! That cannot be. Otherwise, Esther wouldn't have scolded her with such confidence.
"Go and get inside it," Asher said, his voice as cold as ice. He lazily pushed and kicked Rebecca's thick buttocks off his lap, sending her sprawling across the floor.
Rebecca hissed in pain and humiliation, but she knew better than to defy him. She had already tried her luck at defying his orders earlier only to endure excruciating pain that would make anyone wish for death though it wouldn't kill them.
She would have let herself get tortured to death if she had the choice rather than give in to him.
But then she realized there was no point since she was doing this to save Oberon. Who would protect Oberon if she gets herself killed?
Slowly, her limbs shaking with rage, she crawled towards the empty coffin. As per his vile order, she was not allowed to walk until he allowed it.
But she wondered just what was he planning to make her do by getting her a human avatar? What was he planning to do among the wretched humans?
Esther, witnessing this display, felt a cold fire ignite within her. Just what did he have on her? It had to be related to Oberon. He was the only weakness she knew Rebecca had.
She couldn't think of any other way how Asher could make her do this. Rebecca would rather die than suffer this humiliation.
Her gaze, icy and penetrating, turned to Asher as she inquired, "Are you planning to take her with whatever you plan to do in the Severed Realm?" The question, framed in a frigid tone, masked the whirlwind of thoughts racing through her mind.
Asher's response was a nonchalant shrug, his indifference a sharp contrast to the intensity of her thoughts, "I don't see how that is any of your business. Didn't you just say a few seconds ago that you didn't care whatever she does?"
"I was only being curious," Esther retorted, her voice a calm amidst the storm, as she observed Rebecca enter the empty coffin.
She already realized why Asher asked her about sharing the secret arts of her House among those of her bloodline and similar to her status.
Just how long had he been planning to trap Rebecca?
Pushing these thoughts aside, Esther's hands rose, and from her fingertips, tendrils of dark blue mana unfurled, weaving a complex network of energy between the two coffins.
A deep, resonant humming filled the hall, a sound that seemed to echo from the very depths of hell.
