In the bustling Royal Capital, nestled within the notorious Red District, an underground laboratory thrived in secrecy.
It wasn't an age-old establishment but a recent creation, shrouded in mystery and hidden from prying eyes.
Within the facility, multiple guards maintained a vigilant watch, their sole purpose being to ensure the absence of any unwanted intruders.
Although the likelihood of encountering such intruders was minuscule, the superiors overseeing the clandestine experiment refused to leave anything to chance.
As they fulfilled their duties, the guards engaged in whispered conversations, their hushed words floating through the sterile air of the laboratory.
Their dialogue centered on the enigmatic experiments being conducted within the facility.
Each guard was acutely aware of the importance of their role in safeguarding the secrets that lay within these walls.
Meanwhile, within one of the meticulously maintained research rooms, which served as a masked prison for unsuspecting victims, lay the Duke Hermann's daughter, Velice, captured only a day prior.
Bound tightly to a cold metal table, she exuded an unexpected air of calmness.
Her fearless demeanor was not an act of false bravery but rather a manifestation of her relief.
Locked away in this grim space, she found solace amidst the darkness that had consumed her soul.
The weariness etched into her eyes spoke volumes, silently conveying the exhaustion she felt towards her life.
By now... I'm sure my father has deployed several guards across the Goldcrest Duchy and maybe some in other Duchies... maybe the Royal Capital too.
I doubt anyone... will find me... all the way down here. Then again... it's not like I want to be found. Still, I'm scared to believe maybe my father was the one that did this... or what if it's mother...
...I know they can't do such a thing, but still...
Or... was it Nune...?
Deep within her thoughts, she acknowledged the veritable disgust she felt towards herself, recognizing the darkness that lurked within her being.
One nagging question plagued her mind amidst this desolate abyss: how had her captors discovered her true nature? The knowledge of her curse was confined to the Goldcrest Family and their loyal maid, Nune.
"...well... it doesn't matter now... does it.."
A weak voice escaped her parched throat, barely audible.
Hunger and thirst had gnawed at her for over 26 agonizing hours, reducing her to a feeble state.
The door creaked open, and a figure clad in a pristine white lab coat entered the room.
He meticulously donned a pair of latex gloves, preparing himself for the interaction that lay before him.
This scientist, known as Dick Hed, approached Velice and inquired about her well-being.
"How're you holding up, my dear?" he asked.
Velice remained resolutely silent, her eyes fixated on a distant void.
"Ah, I see. Non-responsive. It's only logical, considering your current state." He smirked.
Velice continued to stare, her expression unchanged, as the scientist chuckled softly.
"Your emptiness, Velice, your life devoid of purpose... it's a delight to witness." His voice oozed with a twisted affection.
Velice's silence persisted, her voice stolen by her tormented existence.
Dick, undeterred, approached the steel table where Velice was restrained and gestured towards the iron tray beside her. It held an assortment of syringes filled with her own blood.
A twisted smile crept across Dick's face as he observed her lack of response. Chuckling softly, he murmured, "Your blood... your life, tainted, captured in these little vials. It's quite poetic, don't you think?"
Still, Velice remained silent, her hollow eyes refusing to meet his gaze. The scientist's sinister delight grew, his fingers inching towards her chin as he leaned in closer.
"...great..." she finally spoke.
It was a haunting sight, a morbid tableau of her own essence. In an unsettling gesture, Dick caressed Velice's chin, his touch betraying a sinister delight. "The emptiness in your eyes, truly I can't stop admiring it," he whispered with a twisted affection.
"...thank you..."
Even in the face of his disturbing proclamation, Velice remained calm, her emotion stolen by her tormented existence.
Dick watched Velice with a twisted smile, his eyes gleaming with cruel amusement.
"Why do you thank me for telling you that?" He asked, his voice dripping with mock concern.
Velice's voice quivered, weak and tired, as she replied, her eyes devoid of any spark of life.
"No one's ever called my eyes admirable before," she whispered.
It was as if her greatest flaw had been transformed into a twisted form of praise.
Dick's smile widened, his hand caressing her jaw in a more sensual, almost menacing manner.
"Are you truly that detached from your family?" he asked, his voice laced with subtle seduction.
Velice felt an icy void within her, a detachment from the love and warmth that her family supposedly showered upon her.
"My family may show me love, and even my maid," she admitted, her tone devoid of any emotion.
"Uh-huh.." he uttered
"But it's all out of obligation. They're merely bound by the ties of blood, forced to love someone like me." [Velice]
Sensing an opportunity to exploit her vulnerability, Dick's eyes gleamed with wicked excitement.
"Don't worry," he whispered, his voice laced with false comfort. "To us, you're important. So important, in fact, that we'll sacrifice you for our own success."
A chilling calm settled over Velice as she nodded, her voice devoid of any trace of emotion.
"I can do that," she responded, her words sending a shiver of excitement down Dick's spine.
The darkness within her was unfathomable, as if she had already accepted a tragic destiny.
With an air of satisfaction, Dick leaned in and planted a cold kiss on her forehead.
His twisted desires seemed to consume him as he inhaled her scent with unsettling intensity.
"You smell nice," he murmured, his words oozing with disturbing fascination.
"...thank you..."
Clearly, he was nothing more than a depraved creep.
Dick's sinister smile widened as he picked up yet another syringe from the tray, his eyes glinting with sadistic pleasure.
The room was filled with an eerie silence, broken only by the sound of Velice's shallow breaths.
She looked fragile and vulnerable, her body weak and drained, with bruises marring her delicate skin.
"I'm going to enter you now," Dick said, his voice carried malicious intent. He was hoping to bask in her fear— however, there was none.
She nodded weakly, her voice barely a whisper as she said, "Please... be gentle."
He chuckled darkly, his twisted amusement evident.
"Oh, my dear, I'll take very good care of you," he responded sinisterly, his eyes gleaming with a sick obsession.
He caressed her head. "You're such an important specimen to me. In fact, I'm already in love with you."
Velice's heart pounded a little, her eyes never leaving the ceiling above.
The realization didn't hit her.
She mistook this as some sort of love.
"Thank... you..." her feeble voice laced with resignation, for his supposed love and care.
He needed her blood, and the more delicate he handled her, the easier it would be to extract precious vials from her fragile veins.
With a precision, he inserted the syringe, draining yet another vial of her life essence, all the while whispering in her ear, "Such a good girl."
Velice nodded her head weakly, her body growing weaker with each passing moment.
Despite the excruciating pain and the loss of her own life force, she remained still, her gaze fixated on the ceiling above, as if it held the answer to her agonizing existence.
Realizing that Velice's weakening body needed sustenance, Dick called for one of the guards stationed outside the door.
"You called, Sir!" The guard appeared, bowing respectfully, awaiting his orders.
"Prepare something light for her to eat," Dick commanded with a sickeningly sweet tone. "We wouldn't want her to pass out again, now, would we?"
The guard bowed once more, obediently nodding, before leaving to fulfill the order.
"Wait," Dick called out.
"Sir?" he saluted.
"Tell the surgeon to prep for surgery... we'll be removing the heart soon."