The Punishment Room
The room where Freen was being held captive remained eerily quiet. Suddenly, the door creaked open, revealing a figure with a wicked grin. Freen didn't bother to greet him and stayed sitting on the ground, her eyes fixed on the figure, her heart pounding in her chest.
The man with fancy clothes approached slowly, his eyes gleaming with malice. He touched her cheek, sending chills down her spine. Freen tried to pull away, but he held her firmly in place. She stared at him with so much bravery, determined to protect herself at all costs. Not giving a sign of fear, she prepared to fight back with every ounce of strength she had.
"HAHAHA... Freen, Freen, Freen. Now I know why Kirk is fond of you. He's just gone now." His voice dripped with sinister delight.
"He's still alive, and if I know you have something to do with it, it's because you are a man of envy. You are always jealous of him, but I tell you what? You'll never be him, and you'll never be as good as him." What Freen said triggered the man to lift her cheeks and make her face his.
"If he is good, where is he now? He thinks he is good enough and poisoned our own father to take the throne."
"You know what's wrong with you, huh? You are always trying to tear others down instead of building yourself up. You and I know it wasn't him," Freen said with assurance.
"Do you know how hot you are right now?" The man paused, his gaze fixated on her with a twisted grin.
"The only thing I know is that you are a demon. What do you want from me? Huh? I am no one; I have nothing; I am just a mere servant. Why are you here?" Freen said, looking so brave despite how tight the man's grip was on her face. She continued, refusing to show any fear.
"Well, you are right about all that," the man proudly admitted. And he let go of Freen's face, releasing her from his grip.
"First, I am a demon," he said, and he sat at the other end of the room. "Second, I want something from you. And lastly, you're right, it wasn't Kirk who poisoned the king," Freen glared at him.
"Yeah, you and me, and everybody knows," he paused and crawled to Freen's side. "It was your mother." He whispered and laughed, seeing Freen's reaction.
"What did you do to Mother? I promise, I will kill you!" She was giving all her strength to get out of the chains on her wrists and ankles, which were attached to the cemented wall.
"Hahahahahahha..." The man's laugh echoed throughout the room, sending shivers down Freen's spine. "Oh, dear Freen, you always were so naive," he taunted, his voice dripping with malice. "Your mother is safe... for now. But if you want to see her alive again, you'll do exactly as I say."
"You demon! I will kill you!" Freen, her eyes filled with rage, spat at him. "I will never obey your commands. You can't control me or my actions." She mustered all her courage, refusing to let fear consume her. "You may have my mother for now, but I will find a way to save her and make you pay for what you've done."
"Hahaha, you are a funny person, Freen, but you have no right to decide here; I do." The man smirked, his voice dripping with arrogance. "You underestimate my power and the lengths I will go to ensure my control. Your defiance only fuels my desire to break you. So, continue with your futile attempts, but know that in the end, I always win."
"All of them died because of you, my relatives, who were just honestly serving your royal family, and all of them just died for nothing! Their blood is on your hands, and no matter how much power you think you have, justice will prevail. I will not rest until I have avenged their deaths and brought you to your knees!" Freen vowed, looking at the ground where her blood from her chained wrist was dripping together with her tears.
"Hhahah... Freen, Freen, Freen, Me? Kneeling down? That will not happen. And even if they live again, if they are still in my way, I will still kill all of them one by one, especially you and everyone around you. And Rebecca."
"What are you planning with her? She's your cousin," Freen said with disbelief.
"No, she's not." Freen's eyes widened.
"She's going to be my queen, not my cousin." Freen's eyes widened as she processed the shocking revelation. "She's going to be your queen, but your cousins?" Freen repeated in disbelief.
"Yes, I will build an empire with her by my side; ever since I was little, I have been dreaming of her being mine. Everything was impossible for me back then, but now it's all within reach. Together, we will rule and conquer, leaving no one standing in our way." Freen's disbelief turned into a mixture of fear and concern as she realized the extent of his obsession with Rebecca and the dangerous path he was willing to take for power.
"And you will help me make this happen." Freen's eyes widened, hearing what he said.
"Yes, Freen. You will be a big part of this," the man said with a sinister smile. Freen's heart sank as she realized that she had unwittingly become entangled in a web of darkness and manipulation. She knew she had to find a way to escape his clutches before it was too late, but the question remained: how?
"I don't know what you are up to, Nop. But you are not just a demon; you are a crazy demon living in a man's flesh." Freen stated, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and determination. "I won't let you use me as a pawn in your twisted game. I will find a way to expose your true nature and bring an end to this darkness."
"Not with your plans with Lady Rebecca," Freen stated.
"How?" Nop laughed at her mockingly, his sinister smile widening. "You can't even help yourself get out of this," he said, paused, and looked around the prison room. "Filthy prison room."
"But I can." He added with a sly grin.
"Listen," he whispered, leaning closer to Freen. "If you want to save your mother's life, and the people who are close to you, will do as I say."
"How will I know that my mother is with you?" Freen finally asked, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and desperation. Nop's sinister smile turned into a wicked grin as he reached into his pocket and pulled out an amulet. "This amulet contains a strand of your mother's hair," he said, dangling it in front of Freen's eyes. "As long as you obey me, she will remain unharmed. Disobey me, and well, you can imagine the consequences."
"Mother." Freen grabbed the amulet from Nop's hand, but he quickly snatched it back, his grip tightening around the precious artifact. "Remember, Freen," he sneered, "your mother's safety lies solely in your hands." Freen's heart sank as she realized the immense weight of responsibility that now rested upon her shoulders.
"What do you want me to do for you, Nop?" Freen whispered, her voice filled with agony and determination.
"Lord Nop," he corrected her with a cold, condescending tone.
"Lord Nop." Freen repeated with bitterness in her voice.
"Good." Nop smiled contentedly, knowing that Freen understood the weight of her responsibilities.
"So what do you want from me?" Freen asked, determined to just finish this and protect her mother at all costs. She couldn't let her own bitterness get in the way of fulfilling her duty, no matter how much she despised Nop.
"Lord Nop." Freen added when the man gave her a look.
"I only want you to make her fall in love with you." Freen looked at him confused.
"Eh? Who?" Freen asked.
"Rebecca." Nop answered.
"Fall in love with me? Are you kidding me?" Freen exclaimed, her confusion turning into disbelief. She couldn't fathom why Nop would ask such a thing, especially when it involved her mother. Freen's mind raced with questions and concerns about the consequences of manipulating someone's emotions. And how could a goddess like Lady Rebecca fall in love with such a servant as her? If that were possible, it would be heaven for her. She admires and has always loved and appreciated the lady since she saw her in the garden.
"I am serious." Nop seemed insulted by Freen's reaction to his idea. Freen's brows furrowed as she tried to comprehend Nop's request. She couldn't help but feel a sense of unease, wondering if there was more to his intentions than what he was revealing.
"Why?" Freen asked.
Nop leaned close to her, and he told her his reasons. Her eyes immediately teared up. She tried to refuse, but he gave her the amulet from her mother and a pouch with blood in it. Freen growled in pain when she saw what was inside.
It was half of a pinky finger, which she recognized immediately because it was the pinky she always held whenever her mother brought her to the market when she was still a little kid.
And she didn't have a choice but to accept the deal offered by Nop, who was smiling widely when he left her with the gruesome package. Freen's heart sank as she realized the extent of her desperation, knowing that she had just become entangled in something far more sinister than she could have ever imagined. As Nop disappeared into the shadows, Freen clutched the amulet tightly and cried out in frustration and fear. She couldn't believe she had gotten herself into such a dangerous situation, all for the sake of her mother's safety. As tears streamed down her face, Freen made a silent promise to herself that she would find a way out of this mess and protect her loved ones at any cost.