Archived Story

Traitor's Mercy

Shoku's triumph was hollow, overshadowed by frustration and disappointment. Her performance had been lacking, and she knew it. With a heavy heart, she trudged toward Draxum's lab, her head bowed in anticipation of the impending reckoning.

Pausing around a corner, Shoku steeled herself for the confrontation. Her gaze dropped to the struggling dog in her grasp. Its futile attempts to teleport were thwarted by the orb's dark magic, a painful spectacle.

For a moment, the dog's squirming ceased. It looked up at Shoku, its eyes locking onto hers with an unnerving intensity. A glint sparked within them, a flicker of understanding or defiance - Shoku couldn't quite decipher.

Her stoic facade cracked, and a pang of pity swelled in her chest. The sensation was unwelcome, a vulnerability she couldn't afford. Shoku's grip tightened, a subtle reminder of her duty.

With a deep breath, she pushed aside her misgivings and stepped into the lab, ready to face Draxum's scrutiny.

Shoku's expression hardened, erasing any hint of pity or doubt. She approached Baron Draxum, the dog held firmly in her grasp.

The insectoid man turned from his latest experiment, his multiple limbs swiveling with an unsettling fluidity. His gaze settled on Shoku, his eyes gleaming with calculating interest.

"Ah, wonderful job, Shoku," Draxum said, his voice devoid of enthusiasm, yet laced with an undercurrent of expectation.

His unblinking stare seemed to bore into Shoku's very soul, as if searching for any sign of weakness. The air was thick with the scent of ozone and burning metal, a constant reminder of the Baron's relentless pursuit of power.

Shoku relinquished the dog, her movements hesitant. Draxum's long, spindly fingers closed around the creature, and with a swift motion, he deposited it into a prison of twisted vines and pulsating dark magic.

The dog joined the human, who continued to rant about "calamari" and "crab cakes" from his adjacent cage. His words dripped with longing, and for a fleeting instant, Shoku's resolve wavered. The mention of food stirred a hunger she dare not acknowledge.

Draxum's disdainful snarl shattered the momentary distraction. "I assure you, I have no interest in your petty cakes of crab." His voice dripped with venom, dismissing the human's ramblings.

Shoku mirrored Draxum's indifference, her expression a mask of detachment. Yet, the human's words lingered in her mind, tantalizing her senses.

The two demons perched on Draxum's shoulders sprang to life, their tiny wings fluttering as they chimed in unison. With malicious glee, they hurled themselves at the human's cell, slamming into the vines with an otherworldly force.

Shoku ignored the commotion, her focus fixed on Draxum. He leaned down, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he addressed the dog. "So nice of you to return my vial." His long fingers snatched the string from the dog's neck, the orb of dark magic glinting in the dim light.

The human's cries of distress mingled with the demons' cackles, creating a discordant symphony. Shoku's expression remained impassive, her eyes never leaving Draxum's face.

Draxum's hooves thundered against the ground, his approach sending tremors through the air.

"You are about to be part of an experiment that will change the very nature of humanity," Draxum declared, his voice dripping with anticipation.

The human seemed intrigued, completely oblivious to the horrors awaiting him.

Shoku's expression, however, betrayed no enthusiasm. Her eyes clouded with foreboding, haunted by the dark knowledge of what Draxum's experiments entailed.