Lia opened her eyes and turned to her right. Min left a while ago. She hugged the blanket and buried her face.
She could still feel his warmth, his sweat and his deep eyes burning holes into her vulnerable form.
It was too much for her heart, she lightly slapped her face and forced the heat down as she gazed at the ceiling.
After laying there for a while longer, she got off the bed and went to the pavilion. It was still night and she was sure Min was working, so she didn't want to disturb him. The affection he showed her this night was enough for a whole week. How could she not be happy?
"What you grinning for?"
Surprised and caught off guard Lia looked up and saw Leo sitting opposite to her.
"How come you're in such a good mood?"
"Is it weird?"
"Is Min the cause?"
Once his name was mentioned, Lia couldn't help but think back to a few hours ago and shyly nodded. Leo slightly frowned but immediately grinned again,
"My, my what could he've done to make you so happy?"
"Nothing," Lia wanted to change the topic, "what are you doing here?"
"Oh," Leo himself wasn't sure.
Since Min became the Ghost King it was a given for him to just stay in the palace instead of going back home, "just freeloading, I guess."
He laughed and his honey-blond hair moved up and down. Leo was good-looking and a fun individual however his carelessness exceeded a point where it was useless to do anything to get him back onto the straight path.
Yet the females were all over him.
Lia couldn't understand and sighed but he was still precious to her. They grew up together and naturally became best friends. She still remembered the day she met the L family. For the first time, they saw each other and immediately got along.
Then a few years later, one day when Lia went to play with Leo, Min appeared. The moment she saw him, she instantly fell for him. It was like everything in her just wanted to get to know him.
Leo's family has adopted Min and it wasn't clear what his family background was but it didn't matter to her. All she wanted was to be around him as if she was bound to him for a lifetime.
Did she do great deeds in her last life or has she burdened herself with debts? Either way, it was fate, for better or worse.
Leo watched Lia and his eyes grew hot. The familiar feeling that made him tingling yet devastated inside rose and he tore his gaze off her.
Her delicate form bathed in the shadow of the pavilion, her long hair that flowed over her shoulders, her bright eyes and luscious lips set his heart ablaze and he couldn't even fathom to begin to understand how Min didn't like her.
His urge to touch her grew and he took her hands. Lia tilted her head in question. Leo suddenly became embarrassed and he quickly thought of an excuse, "You're not wearing your ring?"
She followed his line of sight and jumped up.
The ring that meant everything to her wasn't on her fingers. She must've forgotten it at home after she took the bath. How could she have not noticed?
She immediately wanted to hurry but Leo stopped her, "Where are you going?"
"Home. I forgot it, if Min were to see it," she didn't dare to finish the sentence.
He didn't like her being careless yet it was her wishful thinking he would notice something this unimportant. She freed herself from Leo and rushed back into the palace to find Min.
However, there was no sight of him and she decided to head home without telling him.
The streets were empty and the ghosts danced around. She examined her surroundings. There was no one present outside, only through the windows of buildings could laughter, cries and shouts be heard.
Despite the noises, the night was silent and Lia hurried as this atmosphere planted unease in her heart.
She jumped on the buildings and leapt from roof to roof until she arrived in front of the gates of her mansion. Strangely, there weren't any guards. However, before she entered she heard voices and the iron stench of blood crept up her nose and made her nauseous.
She put her hand on the gate and was surprised as she trembled and couldn't bring herself to open it. She didn't know why but a grotesque thought invaded her mind and she took a few deep breaths to calm herself down.
If it wasn't for the smell that grew stronger and stronger the longer she stood frozen outside the mansion, she would've just barged in. Praying that she came to the wrong conclusion she opened the gates and stepped in.
The front area that led to the mansion seemed as normal as always and she sighed with relief. She might have had the wrong impression but with every dreaded step she took towards the mansion, a suffocating presence grabbed her mind and almost rendered her unmovable.
Convincing herself that nothing was wrong despite the wave of revolting smell that greeted her as soon as she entered the mansion, she moved forwards.
She didn't dare to call out. The hallways were empty and dark, and no one came out of the rooms but why did she hear muffled voices and why did a lingering fear posses her body in her own house?
The stench was miserable by now, rendering her not wanting to move on. She was afraid and terrified. If hell was let loose here, she didn't want to see it, she didn't want to witness it.
What was this numbing sensation? What was this exploding heart rate? What was this sweat dripping from her face onto the ground creating tiny noises that couldn't drown out the static rustle in her ears?
She wanted to leave, whatever would unfold in front of her, she couldn't bear it.
Finally, she entered the courtyard and it was as if the whole world trembled, shook at this sight, this blunt act of blasphemy.
The beautiful garden, covered in lovely flowers she watered yesterday, had made space for a torture chamber. Torn apart corpses, seas of blood and gouged out eyes.
It was as if heaven plunged down on earth and slaughtered anything it deemed as unworthy, as if no grace, no benevolence and no humanity was left.
In the midst of this blatant display of brutality were two rotten corpses with their flesh skinned off and their heads cleanly pierced by the same spear. They stuck together and their blood mingled as it poured and poured out of every hole of their bodies.
Even if half of the flesh of their faces were ripped off, even if they were mutilated, cut and ground, Lia could never mistake her own parents.
She wanted to cover her mouth with her hand but every fibre of her body refused to move, it didn't dare to move, in fear the men in long black robes would catch it and give her the same fate as everyone else bathing in blood, intestines and bile.
Lia knew she couldn't stay still, she had to get out of here. She had to tell Min, the council, she had to find the culprit, she had to take revenge, she had to-
"Lia," a dark voice ripped her out of her thoughts.
She didn't want to turn around, she didn't want to believe it. She knew this voice, it was too familiar.
Why? Why? Why? Her whole world spun, her mind was shattered and only one question circled her brain over and over again.
"Why?" she asked. Her tears stung her face.
"Why?" she repeated. Her nerves were about to explode.
"Why?" she screamed. Her heart, she wanted to rip it out.
It hurt, it was too painful. This was too cruel.
With all her might, she forced herself to turn around and grab the culprit by the collar.
"Answer me," her red eyes, stained with tears, furiously glared at Elder Z.
"Because it is fate," Elder Z remained calm.
Their goal was accomplished, even if she used her power and was on the brink of losing sanity, with their current ability they could easily kill her, however they needed her alive.
"What takes you so-" Elder P stopped himself as he saw Lia, behind him Elder C and G followed.
They were also surprised to see her.
"You are all in this together...?"
She didn't understand, all she could accept was the vengeful storm trapped in her chest waiting to be released.
"It was time to get rid of the K family, you had power for so long, it was natural this was bound to happen," Elder Z looked amused at Lia's trembling form. She was like a cub caught by her predators.
"If Min-"
"Lia, don't you know whose fault it is that your parents died? That this happened to the K family?"
ELder Z moved closer to her and whispered,
"It's yours. You should know it was because you made Min the Ghost King, you had to suffer this fate. If you weren't so blindly and foolishly in love with him this could've happened maybe a bit later."
Lia widened her eyes, she couldn't grasp what Elder Z meant, she refused to, "What are you saying?"
"Isn't it obvious? It was the order of your beloved Min, the Ghost King himself. So young and so in love yet failed to see the one she chased relentlessly hated her and her family to the point he wanted to massacre them all."
"Stop, don't say anymore, you're lying!" Lia backed off but was stopped by a soldier.
Elder Z held his hand up, "Do you know what this symbol is?"
The green glow stung her eyes and her vision blurred. The tears flowed and she dropped to her knees. Her body was too weak to sustain itself.
"No..." she whispered, "I don't believe it... I don't!"
"You should, it is your fault your family died. It was all your fault and the Ghost King obviously doesn't have any intention to let you off."
Lia didn't want to process what she just heard. Just a few hours ago, she and Min were one and now it seemed like a fleeting dream.
Lia wasn't stupid, she was just so blinded by her feelings that she didn't want to admit, Min only offered himself to distract her.
What did she do wrong? How did she wrong him? Were her feelings that much of a bother he went as far as to kill her and her family? Did he loathe it so much? Was it so repulsive and nauseating for him?
Min.
She repeated the name over and over again in her head.
Min.
She was dragged from the mansion through the streets of the city.
Min.
Her skin peeled off and her flesh was ground against the rough stony surface.
Min.
Her blood left behind a trail filled with bits of her flesh.
Min.
The residents all came swarming out of their houses as the four Elders paraded her in front of everyone and declared her as the murderer of her own family.
Min.
She was branded as insane. Indeed, her mind spiralled down a dangerous path.
Min. Oh, Min.
What did I do? Where did I go wrong? What did I do to deserve this?
Min. My dear Min.
I swear I will bring you down with me, all of my feelings for you, all these hundreds of years foolishly spent chasing you, sacrificing myself and you do me like this?
Min.
Everything I gave you, everything I felt for you, I will destroy all of it. I will strip you of your title and gnash your bones in front of the whole world.
Min. My beloved Min.
You will suffer a fate worse than death.
As the soldiers continued to drag her relentlessly until her flesh disappeared and her bones showed, as the Elders continued to slander her, the crowd mock her, a hateful look showed on her face.
Everything, anything and everyone, all of it, you will all face your retribution and I will reclaim the title of the Ghost King myself.
Everything, anything and everyone, brace yourselves.
This is only the beginning.