The cell, confined and barren, left Mani with no means to pass the time.
She had spent hours clutching the cold, iron bars, gazing out into the dimly lit corridor. The faint echoes of her soft hums reverberated against the weathered cobblestone walls. Two stoic guards flanked her, providing the only company within her bleak enclosure. Despite her attempts at conversation, they rarely acknowledged her presence.
Days had passed since her last encounter with Aerendil. In fact, she hadn't seen any of the elven soldiers who had brought her here from Rivane. The sole figure that frequently came was a silent, helmeted guard, delivering meals without uttering a word.
Two seemingly endless days had come and gone in that dismal cell.
Faint footsteps suddenly drew Mani's attention, and she perked up. An elven man turned the corner and came into view.
With his ebony hair and striking violet eyes, accompanied by olive skin marked with freckles, he cut a peculiar figure. Dressed in a sharp black suit, sunglasses perched atop his slicked-back hair, he offered a disarming smile upon seeing Mani's head peeking out between the bars.
"My, what a beauty," he purred, his mellifluous voice reaching Mani's ears.
Furrowing her brows, she pulled her head back from the bars as he approached. "Who are you?"
"Call me Zeran, sweetheart. You are Mani, aren't you?" He stood outside the cell, revealing black gloves adorning his hands.
"Yes, that's right. I don't suppose you're here to keep me company?"
A silky chuckle escaped his lips as he flashed a charismatic smile. "I would love to give a lovely lady like you, my company."
Mani wrinkled her nose at his flirting. "Actually, you know what? No thanks, I'll pass."
"Oh? That's unfortunate."
***
Aerendil's POV
Two days had gone by since he last saw Mani. Elanor had informed him that they weren't leaving anytime soon.
But truth be told, Aerendil's thoughts were far from their current circumstances.
The letter arrived last night. The letter from the acting general announcing Aerendil's reinstatement into the military. To say he was overjoyed would be an understatement.
It was all thanks to Mani.
Speaking of Mani, Elanor didn't go into specifics about what will happen to her. Aerendil found it strange how Elanor was acting with Mani. She was more friendly than she should have been considering what the humans did to their father. Furthermore, she encouraged Aerendil to treat Mani with kindness. Aerendil didn't question her motives, trusting her as his captain.
"Aeren! There you are, my brother!" Elanor chimed, snapping him out of his absentminded pacing.
He had been staying in an inn in the meantime, waiting for Elanor to finish her business in Fejuhn.
He raised an eyebrow. "Sister, is something the matter?"
"Of course! I've sent mother a letter, she's ecstatic to hear you've been reinstated!" Elanor exclaimed, clapping a hand on his back which brought a smile to his face. "Soon, Aeren. After the human is traded, our family's reputation will finally return to what it was."
The human... Mani. To say he didn't care about her fate at all would be a bold-faced lie.
Aerendil chuckled and nodded. "That sounds wonderful. Things will return to normal soon."
"It's all thanks to you, Aeren. If you hadn't had the courage to contact us, we would have never gotten this far! We must celebrate when we return to Kunalis," Elanor said, ruffling his hair.
Aerendil concurred, "Yes, we must."
Elanor bade farewell, promising to check on him again after her day's work. Aerendil was left to his thoughts once more.
For some inexplicable reason, his thoughts were constantly returning to Mani. Her expression when she discovered his betrayal continued to haunt him. That night in Shamir, where she nearly died, was his true source of anxiety. He was worried about how obvious his concern was to his comrades. He was concerned, no doubt. If she had died, he would have lost his sole chance at redemption. That was the only reason, or so he told himself.
With a weary sigh, he turned towards the door. His thoughts were too much, and it began to take a toll on his mind. A walk would do him good.
As he swung the door open, he was greeted by Freya, freezing mid-knock.
Clearly taken aback, her hand fell to her side. "Aerendil! Hey, hi. I hope it's okay; Elanor mentioned that this is your room."
Aerendil lifted his eyebrows in surprise. "Freya? Of course, it's alright. Were you looking for me?"
Freya shifted on her feet, her nerves evident. "I heard about your reinstatement, and I wanted to congratulate you. Congratulations, Aerendil. You've earned it, and welcome back."
"Ah, thank you. It was kind of you to think of me," Aerendil said, offering a warm smile. Freya's cheeks flushed at the sight. "Is that all?"
Freya shook her head. "Actually, I wanted to ask you something."
"Hmm? I'm all ears," he said, tilting his head in curiosity.
Freya fidgeted, clearing her throat before speaking. "I was thinking, um... Maybe we could go somewhere together?"
"Go somewhere? Do you need an escort somewhere?" Aerendil inquired.
Freya internally groaned at his stupidity. If only he wasn't so handsome, she would have given up long ago. "No. Go somewhere as in, just the two of us."
Aerendil furrowed his brows, looking down at her. "I don't follow."
"We can do something together. Have fun, you know? Since we have some downtime. Just you and me without anyone else."
Something clicked in Aerendil's mind, so he nodded slowly. "Sure. I guess I don't have anything planned today."
Is she planning something to congratulate me? She's nice.
"And we could- Wait, did you just say yes?"
"Yes. Where shall we go?"
"Great! I've got some ideas," Freya beamed. "This will be fun, I promise."
"Lead the way."
***
Mani's POV
A piercing scream reverberated through the corridor, echoing off the walls.
"Interesting, indeed. No matter how I cut it, your mark regenerates the skin... and only the part where the mark is placed! Truly magnificent, Mani!"
Mani gasped for breath as the portion of her skin bearing the red spider lily mark reappeared, just as he had described.
Earlier, things had taken a sinister turn shortly after his arrival. The guards unlocked the doors and restrained her with the shackles on the wall, her back facing the rest of the cell. The shackles glowed with symbols, indicating its anti-magical properties. Zeran had removed her shirt to examine the mark on her back, and all Mani could do was scream and struggle helplessly.
A cart laden with disturbing instruments had been wheeled in. After arranging them meticulously, he had chosen a scalpel first. This marked the fifth time he had sliced the same patch of her skin. Beads of sweat trickled down her forehead, and her breathing grew increasingly labored.
"So... If I cut here," he had mused, slashing the skin off her shoulder, prompting another agonizing scream to resonate through the corridor. "Ahh~ look, Mani. It isn't regenerating at all. Fascinating, no?"
Blood poured out of the wound, leaving Mani helpless. Short gasps of pain escaped her clenched teeth. Her body trembled, shivering despite the heated cell.
"Mm~ you look exquisite like this, even for a human," Zeran remarked, licking his lips as he rested his chin on her shoulder. He turned his head to nuzzle her neck, his lips trailing kisses along her skin. He took a deep breath of her scent, intoxicated by it. Leaning in closer to her ear, he whispered sensuously, "Those sounds. I love them."
Her blood loss was becoming critical. Her vision blurred, her mind grew hazy, and she struggled to maintain focus. The last thing she saw before losing consciousness was Zeran's sinister grin as he brought a piece of her skin between his teeth.
***
"Estes?"
He turned to her, his familiar, warm smile gracing his lips. "Mani."
Mani stumbled towards him, and he opened his arms, ready for her embrace. She flung herself into his welcoming arms, wrapping her own around his waist. "Tes... I missed you. I've missed you so much..."
"Yeah, I missed you too. We all do, Mani," Estes whispered, holding her tightly. "Why would you leave us?"
Mani sniffled against his chest, burying her face in his clothes. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I had to, I'll never do it again."
"Liar."
Mani pulled away slightly, her gaze fixed on him in confusion. "What?"
"How are you even still alive? You should be dead already. Do us all a favor and kill yourself."
Mani's eyes widened, and she took a few steps back. She shook her head furiously. "N-No. Tes would never say that."
"You never gave me the chance to. You're worthless, Mani. Just die," he said menacingly. He took a few steps toward her and forcefully grabbed her chin. His sadistic stare sent chills down Mani's spine. "Just die, will you?"
Mani's breath hitched. He released his hold on her and she glanced down at her stomach. Blood trickled onto the floor; her gaze landed on the knife that was jammed into her abdomen, the culprit stood before her.
"Die."
***
Mani sucked in a sharp gasp as she woke up. The first thing she did was look down at her body, no knife. She glanced at her shoulder, and it was healed. Her top half was still exposed; the blood smeared on the floor was enough reminder of what she went through. Her back was now against the wall.
Mani's heart filled with dread as her gaze landed on Zeran, idly sat cross-legged on the shabby bed while he read a book. He took a sip of tea from a cup before looking up and noticing Mani's presence. His lips curled into a smirk. "Mani, you're awake."
He set his book and cup down then strode over to crouch in front of her. "Did you like that dream I gave you? From what I gathered, Estes Knight is the person you trust the most, no?"
"How did you—" her voice came out hoarse and ragged, "how do you... know him?"
"From your memories, sweetheart," he said mockingly, tucking a strand of her matted hair behind her ear. "He's everywhere in your memories. I must ask, is he your lover? I must admit I am a bit jealous of this Estes."
She glared daggers at him. "Keep his name out of your dirty mouth."
"Oh, you'd defend him even after what you saw?" he said, pouting before his hand cupped her cheek. "Fine then, but only for you, beautiful."
Mani growled, turning her face away from his touch. "And what the hell do you mean you got it from my memories?"
"Hm, I suppose it won't hurt to tell you. You see, sweetheart," he started, gesturing to himself, "I am the subset incarnation of dreams. It's quite the useful magic in my line of work, don't you think?"
Mani's eyes widened; her lips parted but silence ensued.
Dreams...? Subsetter of mental magic...
He took her silence as a cue to continue, "Many of your memories are incorporated into your dreams, sweetheart," he said, bringing his face closer to hers. "And nightmares are but a bad dream. You'll see more of them, sweetheart. I'll change it up a bit too. Let's see..."
He licked his lips then chuckled. "There is a Xavier, Avex, Aleistor... Hm, Sasha, Tahlia... Yes, yes. You have a family too. A mother and a father. Your brother Gael and your sister Lizzie."
He leaned closer, planting a kiss on her forehead, and then whispered in her ear, "I'll make you watch them die or kill you, over and over again."
"I will make you suffer."