"Over here" Rielle said as she push open a metal gate and the torches inside lit up with blue flames. The stone steps from the gate, seemed to be leading underground almost like a basement or an underground dungeon.
"Where are we headed?" Sloane asked as she stepped in and shut the gate before following Rielle down the steps
"This place is my underground lab but it doesn't only serve as a lab" Rielle explained "It works as a prison for demons that cause problems in this world and the human world. Every other place in the spirit world has one but the Elven Empire and the Spirit Tree are the only places that keep such demons" as they continued walking, they passed by large metal doors where banging could be heard
'Come to me' Sloane heard someone say in her head and she turned around
"Is something wrong?" Rielle asked as she came to a stop in front of the only metal door with no sound from inside
Sloane kept staring at the empty hallway before glancing at Rielle and shaking her head "It's nothing" she said and Rielle opened the metal door before walking inside with Sloane.
******
Surprised would be an understatement for what Sloane was feeling. Looking around Rielle's lab, she noticed several weird stuff in jars, plants in pots, potions, books, maps, and even blueprints lying around.
The lab looked like the mixture of a hospital, a research center, an apothecary's shop, and an observatory center. However, it was brightly lit with a warm fire in the center. A bit different compared to the sight of the dungeon next door.
She also noticed she wasn't alone in the lab; as Timothy was flipping through some books at a corner while Priya was preparing a potion.
"You all seem to be working very hard" Rielle said which made them pause in their tracks
"Master Rielle....and Princess Sloane?" Timothy exclaimed
"I need you two to help me out with the Princess" Rielle said "Whatever you're working on, will come later" she said before leading Sloane into the back room
Timothy and Priya didn't waste any time to follow them with a pen and book, each. When they entered, Sloane was already lying down on a medical bed while Rielle had finished writing the magic circle under the bed.
"Tim, try to pour your magic into this circle and Priya, draw a copy of the circle on your note book" Rielle said and the two looked at each other before getting to work
As Timothy poured his magic into the circle, it lit up in gold light and a couple of data began to form in front of him while Rielle stood behind him. Priya also finished drawing the circle and stood next to Rielle.
"So, what does this one do?" Priya asked
"It's for anatomy" Rielle said "I want to know what's going on in the princess's body. Knowing might help me prolong her life so she can use magic. Without that overpowering strength over the three demon races, she won't be able to lead anyone with knowledge alone" Sloane sat up on the bed
"It's truly pathetic..... my own magic power is what's killing me" Sloane murmured "And I'm slowly forgetting those around me. Who would listen to me?"
Rielle stared at Sloane for a while before looking away and staring at the data. After reading through everything, her eyes almost fell out from their sockets.
"Let me guess...more bad news?" Sloane said with a faint smile
"The spirit seed seems to have grown roots?" Rielle said "All this while, we were mistaken about some things that were related to your body. We drew conclusions and didn't research more about it" she looked to Timothy "You can stop pouring your magic into it" she said before picking up a book and pen, then jotting down her findings.
"What's going to happen to me now?" Sloane asked
"Like I said before, the spirit seed has grown roots" Rielle explained "It replaced itself as your heart. Your bloodline is of many demon races as such it's not compatible with the new heart. Even so, the spirit seed shows no signs of hindered growth"
"Meaning?" Priya asked
"It's absorbing the bloodline and purifying it, then releasing it back into your body" Rielle recited from her book "The purified bloodline is what makes the roots to spread further. That's what's killing you" she dropped the book 'It's also absorbing the seal on your memories along with the demon bloodline. The seal can't be removed so anything and anyone related with a memory from the bloodline will be erased from the memories of the spirit seed'
"If you're only going to tell me what's happening to me without having a solution... then, I don't care anymore" Sloane said as she got out of bed and walked towards the door
"Slo-"
"My body is pretty sticky" Sloane interrupted Priya "I'm gonna take a shower and head to bed. I'm tired" she said before opening the door and leaving
"The two of you should never mention this to anyone" Rielle said before glaring at them "Especially you know who" she added before leaving through a different door
******
Rielle was running down the halls of the palace until she reached a large red and gold door. She didn't even knock and simply barged into the room.
"Dante, we need to talk" Rielle shouted as the man in question was standing in the middle of the the room with a towel around his waist and around his neck
Dante took one long glance at her before changing his clothes in lightning speed and drying his hair with the towel round his neck, slowly
"We'll talk in the morning. I'm tired" Dante said bluntly but Rielle was already sitting on his bed
"It's something very important" Rielle said "It has to do with Sloane"
"I already told you not to do any checkups on her. We have enough information from Louisa" Dante said and she clenched her fists before abruptly standing up
"I have more knowledge than that witch, yet you refuse to listen to what I have to say?" she asked but Dante ignored her and picked up some scissors. He gathered his hair into a ponytail and cut off the ponytail
"It's late. We'll talk about it in the morning" Dante said as he walked towards his bed
"You really....don't see me as your wife. Do you?" Rielle murmured bitterly as Dante pinned her against the bed
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"If I were Virginia, you would have listened to me" she said "From the very beginning, you've only ever wanted one woman in your life and that was Virginia. It was just unfortunate that all five princesses of the Elven Empire wanted the same man...and tradition demanded you marry all, or marry none. You've never touched the rest of us since we got married. Even now that she's given you a son. After all, you're human"
Dante moved over and sat next to her
"What do you have to say?" he asked and she stood up
"Everything we've thought until now, is wrong" Rielle started "Sure, she's still dying but for a different reason....Sloane's no longer a demon. She's turning into something else"
"You don't have proof"
"Today, the doll the didn't activate. Her attitude tends to change every now and then, she can't use magic properly and she's slowly forgetting everyone around her" she explained before further going on to explain what she found in Sloane "You can't ignore all of these noticeable changes....all of these odd facts"
"I see. We'll settle the rest in the morning" he said and she frowned before turning around, about to leave.
He suddenly hugged her from behind and rested his head on her shoulder "With that said, I think you've been misunderstanding my relationship with you and your sisters"
"Well, I believe I spoke the truth" Rielle argued
"Spend the night here and you'll find out" he whispered in her ear "You see, in a way, you were right. However, that was me from back then when I was forced into this polygamous marriage. How many years did I spend as you and everyone else's husband, to not love the five of you equally?" he asked while releasing his grip a bit
"Liar"
"If I'm a liar, you look me in the eyes and tell me straight to my face" he said as he used one of his hands to lift her chin up "I'm sorry I let your beauty waste for thousands of years" he added before lowering his head and kissing her. She shut her eyes and wrapped her hands around him while deepening the kiss.
******
Meanwhile
With the help of a maid, Sloane had been directed to her room, and a warm bath was prepared for her with lavender soap. She leaned her head back a bit and took some water into the palm of her hands before splashing it on her face.
'Are you.....trying to abandon me?' she heard someone ask and she instantly opened her eyes only to see that the scenery in the bathroom had changed.
The walls had blood splattered all over them and there were corpses of children laying around in tattered clothes.
Sloane looked down only to see she was soaking in a tub of blood. Hands reached out from the blood and began to pull her under. Without thinking, she was fell in.
'You belong to me' she heard the voice say 'After all, me and you, are one and the same'.....
Sloane pulled herself out of the bath and began to cough out water but the cough didn't settle until she vomited blood. Her naked self crawled to a corner and she cried into her knees
"I don't want to die. I don't want to die....please, somebody.... save me"
.....
I think I went a bit dark on this part but I was a bit sad and I wanted to pour out my emotions 😥.....Now that their out, I feel relieved😆😄.
Keep reading and vote or comment. When exams are done on the eighth of August, I'll fully return back to writing.