Shattered

-Chapter 2-

Malice looked up at the blade. It was as stiff as her horns. What could've happened to make it stop dead in its tracks? The intense stare her brother was giving to the space in front of her was enough to answer her thoughts. A silhouette holding a blade against Charbon's neck. It didn't look like any demon she had ever met. The shadow had long, flowy hair and a black-to-red dress which glittered fiercely in Malice's eyes. A long, silky sounding voice rang out in the crowd. Everyone was dead silent.

"None of you move unless you want this coward of a man dead."

Nobody moved a muscle.

"Good. I have a proposal for you. I would like to challenge whoever's in charge here."

Malice smirked and challenged the stranger's statement.

"You must not be from here. If you were, you'd know that the government is currently broken."

The stranger looked flustered. But confidently replied with:

"I'm from the outskirts. If nobody here is in charge, who can I fight to be queen? Or do I have to CONVINCE all of you that I'm a better ruler than anyone here will ever be?"

Vice rose up to the challenge with ease, burning his shackles with his piping hot fingertips. Why didn't Malice think of that?

"I am the most worthy opponent. I am the rightful heir to the throne, and probably the only demon brave enough to challenge a frail outsider like you."

Malice jerked her free arm up, tugging at Vice's arm.

"Don't be stupid. You'll die out there. What's with you and being impulsive?"

Vice ignored his sister's pleas and sized the stranger up. Malice noticed that the girl was really good at fighting, despite her bony appearance. Malice flinched at every punch the fighters threw at each other and tried to look away, but it was like she was looking at a car crash. She couldn't look away. When she looked again, the frail challenger had her brother pinned by his shirt. Malice could see the fear in his eyes from a mile away.

"Stop! He can't fight anymore! Please don't kill him."

The silvery voice snickered and smiled. Her smile was hideous to Malice, for it was blood-lustful, power hungry, and intimidating all in one. 

"Guess I have to let you go, then."

The she-demon made a slicing motion close to his neck with the blade.

"Oops. Will you declare me queen or not. Remember, if I don't get my way, every last one of you is going to help feed my blade. It doesn't like to deal with rebels, but it can do the trick JUST fine."

"Who are you?"

"Why, late King's daughter, I am Lilith, and I am now your queen. You can still live in my castle, but you have to follow the rules, or you'll get the slicer."

Another beheading motion, this time close to the Queen's neck.  Lilith laughed as a stunned face stared blankly at her. 

"Relax, I know what I'm doing. Now go help me find my new castle."

It was less than a week since the shocker, and Marina was still getting used to it. She hated the attention. She almost died, and it wouldn't have changed the reporter's praise because she was "fighting for the greater good". All she was doing was fighting to save herself and her friends. If Elisa was awake, she would've done the same...Right? Thinking about the attention with a grain of salt, she went to her bedroom. The bus ride was hell for her. There was everything from people acting fake and suddenly nice to her to people threatening her. She took a bag of chips and her phone with her to bed, wishing she could just collapse into it. Instead, she surfed the news app she owned.