Audrey walked next to Zenyph chattering excitedly about the event earlier. They entered the dorm room. They heard noises coming from the living area.
The elven princess heard the failed activation of magic sounds echoing throughout the house. Concerned, the brown haired elf quickly dashed towards the living area and immediately saw an image that caused her heart rate to skyrocket.
Alice Gryphon's lifeless body laid there limp with blood pooling on the floor around her. Her decapitated head sat atop a growing puddle of scarlet fluid. Tears continued to streak down her pale skin even as her corpse remained motionless. A trail of bloodied footprints led towards a figure dressed in her casual day wear. The clothes were stained red, dyed forever by her victim's remains.
Lynette Shadowthorne stood there impassively as the crimson liquid dripped off her fingertips. She didn't seem bothered by the grisly scene surrounding her. Instead, she wore an expressionless mask hiding whatever emotions she had brewing within her heart.
"Lynette? What happened?" exclaimed Zenyph in horror.
He rushed over towards his companion's lifeless corpse, checking her pulse to make sure she had actually perished. Upon feeling no signs of life within his beautiful raven haired companion, Zenyph whirled around towards his faithful maid.
"What did you do Lynette?" roared Audrey furiously at the vampire half-angel.
Lynette flinched slightly as her crimson eyes locked with green ones. A wave of guilt washed over her briefly, yet she pushed back any feelings of regret and remorse deep inside herself.
"I protected my master." responded Lynette calmly.
"Protected me? How? From whom?" demanded Zenyph.
Lynette stepped forward towards Alice's body and pointed at the woman's head.
"Her." said Lynette bluntly.
"Alice wanted you all for herself. I couldn't allow it. So I killed her."
Audrey trembled as rage bubbled up within her core. She clenched her fists tightly as her fingernails dug deep into her palms drawing blood.
"She was my friend," growled the elven princess menacingly.
"She never hurt anyone. She was gentle, loving, and innocent. And you murdered her!" screamed the emerald eyed elven woman in pure anger.
Lynette shrugged indifferently. She didn't bother to offer an apology nor did she express any signs of sympathy for the deceased girl.
"Master, I accept any punishment you decide on." Lynette knelt down, baring her neck.
Zenyph hesitated as he was unsure of what exactly he should do in this situation. On one hand, Alice was a dear companion and he liked spending time with her. He enjoyed the conversations they shared despite their short time together. Alice also proved herself useful during their adventure inside the forest. Without her aid, things could've gone far worse for the team. And he also promised to protect her.
On the other hand, he understood why Lynette acted. She was incredibly devoted to the silver haired prince and took any perceived threats seriously. However, this did not excuse her actions. Especially since Alice posed no threat towards Zenyph.
Sensing her master's hesitancy, Lynette spoke up.
"My life is yours to do with as you wish." declared the obsidian haired servant resolutely.
Zenyph's blue eyes darkened into a midnight hue as they became emotionless.
"Why do I feel so...empty..." asked Zenyph absentmindedly.
Audrey opened her mouth to speak but the words caught in her throat. A lump formed preventing anything coherent to come out. Her hands shook uncontrollably due to adrenaline pumping through her veins. A fierce chill swept across her frame as goosebumps arose from within. The elven princess' entire world shattered before her.
Her stomach lurched painfully as acid rose up her throat forcing her to swallow bitter bile.
She stumbled back, nearly tripping over Alice's limbs in the process. Her emerald orbs clouded over, filling with tears which trickled down her cheeks.
Zenyph noticed her distress but didn't say anything. His eyes were glazed over with emptiness. He was a husk devoid of all humanity. He looked like a doll with only his mechanical movements hinting otherwise.
Lynette remained silent allowing Zenyph time to process his thoughts. She watched patiently waiting for her master to act.
"How could you kill her so cruelly?" choked out the elven princess at last.
"I made a decision. One that must be enforced, no matter the cost." replied the obsidian-haired woman stoically.
"Why? Why didn't you just stop her?" yelled the elf hysterically.
"Wouldn't that have been better?" whispered the elven woman softly.
"Maybe... but it wasn't practical. Master comes first, nothing else matters." explained Lynette rationalizing her actions.
"It does matter. Alice mattered!" countered the elven princess strongly.
"She died horribly, she didn't deserve this..." sobbed the brown haired woman, sniffing loudly as her nose ran.
Lynette finally uttered the words that pushed Audrey over the edge.
"I don't care."
A burst of magical power erupted from the elven princess enveloping the living area with her raw power.
Audrey glared coldly at Lynette with eyes that burned like furnaces.
"Lynette. You disgust me," snarled the elven maiden viciously. Before the obsidian haired maid could respond, a wave of silver flames slammed into her body.
Lynette tumbled backwards from the impact striking a wall, she lost her balance tumbling to the ground. The maid groaned quietly clutching her side where her rib cage was fractured.
"You're no better than any other monster that exists." snapped the angry elf furiously.
The elven woman readied her hands as she created several fire balls and aimed at the loyal maid.
"Die."
Just as the brown-haired elf unleashed the deadly projectiles, her vision turned black. Her emerald eyes were unable to process what happened as her head bounced on the marble floor. The fireballs vanished, evaporating into nothingness.
"Huh? What the...?" muttered the bewildered elf as her consciousness faded away.
"Sorry for this but I can't have you attacking my dear servant." stated Zenyph his voice carrying none of its usual warmth or kindness.
His cold eyes pierced through the fallen elf examining her crumpled form briefly. Then he returned to gazing blankly ahead of him.
He stared out into the distance lost deep in thought. He replayed memories of Alice smiling and laughing in her last moments alive. A familiar sensation crept into his chest. Sorrow and sadness started flooding in, making it hard to breathe normally. He sucked in a lungful of air attempting to calm himself but the grief intensified tenfold.
The silver-haired prince fell to his knees struggling desperately to quell the agony churning inside him. It felt like someone was squeezing his heart viciously trying to rip it out of his body. But that all vanished as quickly as it came. All Zenyph felt was an indescribable numbness spreading through his soul. He sighed deeply as the sorrow faded, replaced with a dull ache instead.