They followed the mistress into the dark room, feeling a sense of dread and curiosity. They could smell the scent of blood and herbs, but they could not see anything. They wondered what the mistress was hiding, what she was planning, what she was going to do.
They heard the mistress's voice, taunting and teasing them. She said, "You think you're so clever, Casey? You think you've uncovered my secrets, exposed my schemes, foiled my plans. You think you've won, but you've lost. You think you've seen everything, but you've seen nothing."
She lit a candle and the room was filled with dim light, revealing a gruesome sight.
They saw a large wooden table, covered with knives and needles, vials and flasks, books and scrolls. On the table, they saw various body parts and organs, some human, some animal, some unknown. They saw blood and fluids dripping from the table, forming a pool on the floor.
They saw the mistress standing at the table, holding a scalpel in her hand. She said, "This is my laboratory, Casey. This is my workshop and playground. This is my masterpiece."
She sliced open a heart and blood spurted out, staining her dress. She said, "This is where I conduct my experiments and research. This is where I create my potions and elixirs. This is where I harness the power of shadows."
She pointed to one of the flasks, which contained a dark purple liquid. She said, "This is shadow essence. The purest form of magic. The most potent source of energy. The most dangerous weapon."
She pointed to another flask, which contained bright green liquid.
She said, "This is shadow blood, Casey. The rarest form of life. The most precious source of healing. The most coveted prize."
She pointed to another flask, which contained clear liquid. She said, "This is shadow water. The purest form of the element. The most versatile source of power. The most unpredictable force."
She pointed to another flask, which contained black liquid. She said, "This is shadow ink, Casey. The darkest form of art. The most creative source of expression. The most dangerous tool."
She walked around the table, showing them more flasks and vials, each containing a different type of shadow substance. She said, "These are my creations, Casey and your little cat. These are my treasures and weapons. These are my gifts and curses."
She stopped at the end of the table, where there was a large curtain covering a wall. She said, "And this is my secret, Casey. This is my ultimate goal and ambition. This is my final challenge and reward."
She pulled the curtain and revealed another room behind it. They saw a scene that made them gasp in horror and disbelief.
They saw Aricen, kneeling on the floor, beside a body that was battered and broken, bleeding and dying. They saw that the body was not Casey's, but of a random boy who looked nothing like her.
He had different hair and eye colours, different features and marks, and different clothes and accessories. He was a stranger to Casey, or rather, a victim of the mistress. She had different expectations after seeing the things on the table, like the ones she had seen on her T.V. Back in the mortal world horror movies.
They saw that the boy had been choked to death, his neck bruised and swollen, his tongue protruding and purple, his eyes bulging and bloodshot. They saw that the boy had been tortured before he died, his skin cut and burned, his bones broken and twisted, and his organs pierced and ruptured.
Casey's mind started to race, Was that boy one of the Mistress' test subject who's blood was drained out and probably replaced with shadow essence? But how does Aricen know him? He is crying his beautiful and heavenly eyes out because of him. Is Mistress' next target Aricen? Since he is an Elf, he can bear more than normal- she shook the thoughts off.
She was sure of one thing that was the boy had been a pawn in the mistress's game, his life sacrificed for her amusement, his death staged for her trap, his corpse displayed for her entertainment.
They saw the mistress's face, laughing with delight and satisfaction. She said, "This is my game, Casey. This is my test and trap. This is fun and entertainment."
She looked at Casey and Merl with a wicked grin and said, "And now I'll tell you the truth."
Merl felt a surge of fear and disgust, seeing the boy's body and the mistress's smile. He wanted to get out of this room, away from this madness, away from this danger.
He turned and ran towards the door, hoping to escape and find help. He hoped that Casey would follow him, that she would realize that this was a trap and that she would leave this place with him.
But he didn't get far. He felt a force hitting him in the chest, knocking him back. He fell on the floor, gasping for air. He looked up and saw the mistress standing in front of him, blocking his way. She raised her hand and pointed at him, using her magic to stop him.
She said, "Where do you think you're going, Merl? You can't leave now. You can't abandon Casey. You can't betray me."
She walked towards him, her eyes flashing with anger and contempt. She said, "You're such a fool, Merl. You're such a coward. You're such a traitor."
She reached down and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, lifting him up. He felt her nails digging into his skin, drawing blood. He felt her breath on his face, hot and foul.
She said, "You're a cat, Merl. A pathetic, useless, worthless cat. You're nothing but a pet, a toy, a tool. You're nothing but a pawn in my game."
She threw him against the wall, making him hit his head. He felt dizzy and nauseated. He saw stars and spots in his vision.
He heard her say, "You're mine now, Merl. You're mine to use and abuse. You're mine to play with and discard. You're mine to love and hate."
He heard Casey scream his name, but he couldn't see her. He couldn't see anything.
He blacked out.
Casey felt a surge of rage and grief, seeing Merl's body and the mistress's smile. She wanted to help him, to save him, to heal him. She wanted to hurt her, to kill her, to make her pay.
She ran towards Merl, ignoring the mistress's magic and threats. She reached him and cradled his head in her lap. She checked his pulse and his breathing, hoping that he was still alive. She whispered his name, hoping that he would hear her.
She looked at the mistress and screamed at her, "You monster! You witch! You bitch! How could you do this? How could you hurt him? How could you hurt anyone?"
She felt tears streaming down her face, burning her skin. She felt her voice cracking, breaking her words. She felt her heart pounding, shattering her chest.
She looked at Aricen and the boy beside him, who was still on the floor. She saw that Aricen was pale and trembling, his eyes wide and empty. She saw that the boy was dead and mutilated, his face a mask of horror.
She smelled the blood and the herbs, the death and the magic. She smelled fear and the pain, the hate and the love. She smelled lies and the truth, the past and the future.
She heard the chains and the metal, the blood dripping and her rage was ignored. She heard the breaths and the sobs, the screams and the laughs. She heard the words and the symbols, the visions and the plans.
She asked the mistress, "What did you do to them? What did you do to Aricen? What did you do to that boy? Who is he? Why did you kill him?"
She asked the mistress again shouting the hell out of her vocal cords, "What is your goal? What do you want from us? What are you planning to do?"
Her eyes were filled with hate and agony as she awaited her mistress' response.
She wondered what was going on in her head, what was driving her madness, what was fueling her ambitions.
She wondered what was going on in Aricen's head, what was making him silent, what was keeping him loyal. What is it Aricen? What is it?
She wondered what was going on in Merl's head, what was making him unconscious, what was keeping him alive. Merl? Open your eyes, make fun of me, turn me into something else again. Her grip on Merl tightened as a new wave of tears streamed down her cheeks, mixing with the blood that was on Merl's fur.
She wondered what was going on in her own head, what was making her brave, what was keeping her hopeful. What the hell is going on here?