The shadows in the Shadow Kingdom danced around them, like silent spectators of the terrible game being played in front of the throne. Lili's eyes held no sense of anger or fear as she looked at the goddess who had corrupted her homeland. The air was filled with the scent of fear and despair, a stark contrast to the cool confidence radiating from Aria.
"Lovely Lili," Aria cooed, finally deigning to acknowledge her. "You've come to join the fun?" She gestured to the chained figures, their bodies trembling with a mix of fear and revulsion. Lili's gaze remained steady, her thoughts hidden behind the mask of her stoic expression.
"I am at your service, sir," she said, without a trace of emotion in her voice.
The goddess's gaze lingered on Lili for a moment before she turned back to her playthings. "You dare to enter my court without announcing your presence?" she asked, her tone playful yet edged with menace.
Seyrin stepped forward, his head still bowed. "Forgive us, Great Aria," he murmured. "We come bearing news of the Revy and the escape of the prince."
His laughter suddenly stopped and the shadows around him grew darker. The chained figures stood motionless, their eyes wide with fear. "Revy," he repeated, his voice icy. "How careless of you to let him get away."
Seyrin swallowed hard, his heart racing. "Great Aria," he began, his voice trembling slightly. "We did not intend to fail you. We were led into a trap by a... a trickster."
Aria's eyes suddenly darted out of her perverted amusement and she studied him for a moment before her lips curved into a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Oh," she said, her voice dripping with sweetness. "Tell me what happened from the beginning?"
Seyrin took a deep breath and recounted the events from the moment they set foot in the Water Kingdom until the mist cloud escape provided by the little mist dragon. He talked about the betrayal they faced in the water kingdom and the surprising power of Revy Gray. As he spoke, the shadows grew restless, as if the air was absorbing his words and preparing to act on them.
Aria remained silent, caressing the iron in her hand, watching the shadows move across the trembling flesh of the chained figures. The metal heated under his touch, and as it moved along the naked body of one of the slaves, who was beside herself with pleasure, the smell of burning flesh filled the air, leaving a searing line of pain in its wake. His thoughts were a whirlwind of anger and calculation; His mind was racing as he considered the implications of Revy's survival and the potential for her memory to recover.
He knew that if Revy had regained her memories, she wouldn't have let herself be caught so easily. The gamble was lost but the game was not over. Aria needed to find a way to keep him in line to make sure he didn't pose a threat to their plans. When he put the iron bar back into the fireplace, the crackling of the flames seemed to reflect the pain of his thoughts.
The naked young man lying on the ground, his body damaged by the searing iron, groaned softly as Aria stood up and approached the trembling group. He looked at Lizzy and Seyrin with a cold, calculating look. "Who did you say was with you?" he asked, his voice a low hiss.
"Prince Elir, A small winged magical beast and..." Seyrin said, looking at Lili, and continued, his voice just above a whisper. "A boy who looks like Lili"
Aria's eyes narrowed as she looked at Lili. "So," he said in a low, dangerous voice, "the little rabbit has appeared. How...appropriate." The iron was now a dark red color that stood in stark contrast to the pale skin of the trembling young man he had chained.