The Blood Empress

Bloody 44: A Dead End

Bloody 44: A Dead End

Roen Astrid.

Time has stilled inside the prison cell. Silence engulfed the entire dungeon, its sturdy cold walls seem to block the noise from outside and its lackluster halls seem to hide bodies and secrets.

A quiet place. This is exactly what I need to clear my mind. The past few weeks was filled with series of events that kept me busy, not giving me a quiet time to think.

Now that I'm placed in this awfully boring space, I have pondered a lot about the things that happened. Especially that night.

"T-the D-darah clan...L-li E-empire...y-your blood...chil-children, L-lucy is c-collecting---"

My eyebrows furrowed upon remembering that greasy old man's words. Darah clan. Li Empire. Blood. Children. What is the link that connects them all? What is Lucy collecting?

As the long hours of the night stretched by, the minister's answer kept circling in my mind. A lot has happened since the masquerade banquet. Sa dami ng nangyari ay wala na kong oras para mag-isip at maghanap ng impormasyon. Hindi na rin ako nakasali sa investigation ng elite team. I was supposed to join them, what a pity.

Sumandal ako sa malamig na dingding sa aking likuran, thinking about the masquerade banquet. That day, if it weren't for the elite team, if Captain just arrived a little later, I could've gathered a crucial piece of information.

And that wasn't the end...

That monster with red eyes who came out of a portal, it was evident who's behind all that. I am certain it was that lady from the masquerade banquet. Come to think of it, Ashley's eyes also turned red for a second. Was I merely hallucinating from exhaustion? No matter what, I need to talk to her. I need to confirm what I've seen.

A sigh escaped my lips. There's no use pondering over something that has already passed. I better focus on my current situation.

"In four days, you will do something for me, so prepare yourself."

That's what Lucy said three days ago and she has been quiet ever since, eerily quiet. Ni isang beses ay hindi ko naramdaman ang presensya niya. She never stepped in this place again as if nothing happened. As if there's no blood that had been shed in these chambers. As if those countless rounds of torture had nothing to do with her.

Napakurap ako nang marinig ang pagbukas ng bakal na pinto sa aking kulungan. "Hey, come out and fix yourself. Her Majesty is calling for you."

Oh. Look who it is. I did not move until our eyes met. Velius looked down on me as if I am a dirt. Agad siyang umiwas ng tingin at tumalikod. "Faster. We shouldn't make Her Majesty wait."

Hah. I almost scoffed. Resisting the urge to slice his neck, I stood up and quietly followed. My eyes briefly drifted towards Graziella.

Something's amiss, I'll come back soon so get ready.

A dangerous smirk dangled upon her lips. Finish things and come back early. Don't make me wait, Darah.

I flashed a devilish grin before breaking our eye contact, allowing the darkness to completely devour me. The halls are dim, with only few orbs of light hanging beside the prison cells. Yumuko ako habang nagmamasid at tahimik na pinakiramdaman ang paligid. Like what I've said, something's amiss. Three days have only passed, yet she's already asking for me. There must've been a problem for her plans to change.

Sounds like good news for me.

Tinahak namin ang daan tungo sa loob ng palasyo. We walked to a different path and entered to a different door. May iilang nagbabantay na gwardiya ngunit wala akong nakita ni isang helper sa daan. Hindi nagtagal ay nakarating na kami sa loob. I found myself standing infront of a familiar door. After a long time, I'm here in my room again, the guest room Lucy chose for me.