Aside from the weird obsession for the color red and black, the dark realm was a lot similar to her hometown than Isabelle imagined. She had expected to find demons roaming the cities, a red sky and skulls for decorations, but none of those things were in her range of sight. They were all rumors, and she had just confirmed it.
Isabelle had been so distracted by her surroundings that she failed to see the giant structure in front of her. It wasn't until Icarus spoke that her attention was drawn back.
"Welcome to my home.."
The castle loomed in the distance, a dark and imposing structure that sent shivers down the spine of anyone who beheld it. Its sheer size was staggering, a colossal fortress that dominated the landscape. The sky above it seemed perpetually overcast, casting a shadow that darkened the surrounding countryside.
As they drew closer, the massive gates came into view, adorned with an eerie and unsettling sight. Skulls of all shapes and sizes were intricately carved into the ironwork, their vacant eye sockets staring out into the world with an unsettling aura of malevolence. The gates, adorned with these macabre decorations, creaked open with an eerie groan and allowed them entrance into the castle's foreboding embrace.
"Why didn't you just teleport inside? Did you want to show off?" Isabelle asked, her tone laced with unsuppressed sarcasm.
Icarus chuckled mildly before answering. "Entrance into this castle with magic is forbidden, even for the king. And yes, showing my accomplishments to my prisoners is a bad habit I cannot drop."
Isabelle rolled her eyes in contempt, she hated this man, and he seemed to remind her of that hate every second. Icarus lowered the girl in his arms to the ground before unbinding the restraints on her leg.
"It doesn't matter where you are in here, I'll find you. You can try running away, but it would be meaningless. I'll advise you to be good until it's time for your dea—" Icarus's words were cut shut the moment blood sputtered out of his mouth. The once intimidating man fell to his knees, his hands clutched tightly to his chest, and the second wrapped over his mouth.
"Are you ok—"
"I don't need your sympathy! Now walk!" Icarus's red eyes flashed in warning, his malevolent aura flaring up as he issued the order.
It was brief, but in that moment Isabelle knew that disobedience could mean instant death. She regretted even asking for his well being. But unlike the man before her, she had been raised with the appropriate manner.
'What's going on with him? Was it something father did?' she wondered as she entered the main building.
Isabelle's jaw dropped in awe. The inside of was a stark contrast to the outside. The room was bathed in soft light, a gentle radiance that defied the ominous exterior. Glistening chandeliers adorned with crystal pendants illuminated marble floors so pristine they mirrored the starry sky above.
The walls were adorned with the most intricate tapestries, depicting idyllic scenes of nature, love, and peace. Fragrant blossoms filled the air, their sweet perfume mingling with the soft strains of gothic music and mild chatter.
The eerie aura of the castle's exterior remained inexplicable, a stark contrast to the paradisiacal interior. It was as if two worlds existed within the same walls, one that whispered of darkness and dread, and another that sang of serenity and splendor.
The air was thick with tension, the mild chattering she heard was from people talking about her. Every pair of eyes in the vicinity was fixated on her, and each of them had something to whisper about her.
Icarus entered seconds later, and the entire place fell silent in an instant. Icarus grabbed his prisoner by the arm, his nice persona suddenly gone as he pulled her roughly across the living room. He pushed her into the arms of a standing guard before giving him the orders, "Lock her up in the dungeon, and see to it that she's cared for."
The guard nodded, an expression of fear slightly visible in his eyes.
Isabelle glared at her abductor as the guard led her away, her eyes searching steadily for the blood that she had seen him cough up. She didn't find any, but she wasn't exactly worried about it. There were millions of ways that he could have gotten rid of the stain.
The dungeon lay in a realm of perpetual silence. A bone chilling cold air blew through the sparse windows causing Isabelle to shiver a bit. . The air was heavy with the musty scent of damp earth and decaying wood, a scent that Isabelle had gotten used to after spending the last four hours at the dungeon back in her place.
Dim, flickering torches provided the sole source of illumination, casting eerie, dancing shadows on the damp stone walls. The light failed to reach the inner depths of the dungeon, but thank goodness her cell wasn't located in the depths of that darkness.
As the guard guided her into her cell, Isabelle ceased the opportunity to ask him a question.
"If you don't mind, can you answer just one question?"
"What is it? Make it quick." The guard replied, his words short and direct.
"What's happening to Adamine Icarus? Why does he cough up blood?"
The guards face stiffened in complete disgust and rage the moment Isabelle asked her question. Reflexively, the princess jumped back to avoid being impaled by the guards spear, and only then did she realize that she shouldn't have asked him that question. It was hard to see his expression under the poor illumination, she could have been killed right now if not for her heightened senses.
"How dare you refer to the king in that manner?!" The guard thundered, his voice laced with visible disgust. "I'll kill you right here in the name of the ki—"
"Lucas, you've gone too far." A familiar voice interjected, and the atmosphere became heavy with tension.
His presence was frigid, and the air seemed to grow colder with each step he took. His echoing footsteps filled the air, and the guard fell on his knees in fear and submission.
"I'm sorry, my lord. She addressed you in an ugly manner, I had to tea—"
"Who ordered you to speak?" Icarus asked, his malevolent aura spreading across the room like a poison. Although the pressure of his presence wasn't mounted on her, Isabelle could feel its crippling weight on her shoulder.
"Leave before I change my mind." He ordered and the now crying guard raced scurried away without looking back.
Icarus yanked away the metal gate separating him from his target and tossed it aside. He stopped just out of arm's reach, his voice low and chilling as he spoke. "You can avoid a fate worse than death, but you'll have to submit yourself to me. Say you'll be my toy, that is your only chance to survive."
Isabelle, though stricken with fear and weakened, mustered her strength and met his threat with a steely gaze. "I'd rather die than submit to you," she replied, her voice trembling but resolute.
Icarus's eyes narrowed, and his cold presence intensified. "Very well," he said, his tone even icier. "But remember, your defiance comes at a cost." He warned before reaching for her and pulling her closer to his warmth. An evil grin spread across his face just before he plunged his arm into the poor girl's chest.
Isabelle's eyes widened in shock as she gazed upon the gaping hole in her chest. Blood spluttered out of her mouth, but somehow she couldn't feel pain, nor did she see her organs falling off. The only reason she was bleeding was because his corrupt energy was messing with her head.
"It's just as I thought, I can't forcefully extract it." Icarus confirmed before pulling his hand out of his prisoner's body. In an instant, the hole in Isabelle's chest was healed, before he let her fall to the cold floor of the dungeon.
"You insolent little girl, why won't you give me what's mine?!" Icarus questioned, his voice filled with rage and frustration.
He seemed desperate, a trait Isabelle never imagined the great Icarus would possess. He wanted Avalon badly, and she could tell it had something to do with him throwing up blood.
"You need me don't you? You want to save your life with Avalon, isn't that right?" She asked, her confidence slowly growing by the second.
"What if I do? Do not think that it makes you special in any way. You're nothing more than a tool, and soon enough I'll break you." Icarus replied before turning and leaving the dungeon.
Isabelle stared at the man in awe, her mind conflicted between stabbing him behind his back or making an escape through the windows. Even though they were good thoughts, Isabelle knew right away that none of those things were possible. Even with an open cell, there was nothing much she could do. This was her life now, and the sooner she got adapted to it, the better.