Blood littered the floor of the solitary prison. Kalika trembled on the ground bearing the excruciating pain as she wheezed. She tried moving, but every movement felt like something within would break or collapse.
"
It was becoming much harder for Kalika to stay awake despite all the pain she was feeling. She tried putting up a brave front but it was all in vain as Florin smeared her own blood onto Kalika.
Florin then issued a command. "
Like a puppet on a string, Kalika's body then moved involuntarily. She screamed out in pain as she's forced to stand.
Valam roped Kalika's neck using her powers and pulled Kalika up, hanging her inches from the ground. A moment later Daji stabbed her the chest with her blood spear, piercing her to the wall behind.
They all laughed at her, and joking in their native language. after a few moments Kalika died once again. seeing this , Daji pulled her spear from Kalika letting her fall to the ground and letting her revive.
Kalika awakened to see them smiling. she quickly pressed herself on the stone brick wall terrified. The three women laughed once again seeing this.
Kalika prepared for the worst, but unexpectedly, Daji then urged the other to leave alongside her, still giggling. "
The steel door slammed behind them, finally leaving her in peace.
Kalika Looked at her hand. She tried to conjure her blood blade, calling it out with a whimper. "W-w-why isn't it coming?"
"I-it's like nothing's changed. I-I'm still trapped by these horrible monsters…. And I-...." Kalika shuddered as many depressing thoughts swirled through her. She felt something wet fall off her face and quickly wiped her eyes soon after.
Memories of her first few years resurfaced. Memories of the torment she endured by the hands of her adopted sister turned demon. And of how poorly she was treated up to the time she was tricked into escaping for the first time.
She laid herself on the ground leaning against the wall of the prison. Thoughts of her first time meeting Rakon and seeing Rhonda with her torn out eye ran through her mind. She began to feel exhausted. Too tired to do anything.
She looked at her hands and the grimy and messy floor beyond. "Why am I still alive? It would be nice if I could-...…dream forever…."
After some time, Kalika closed her eyes once more, feeling her consciousness drift off. Opening her eyes, she found herself staring at her old self. She was anxiously hiding behind another woman with blue skin as her old self looked at her with indignation and curiosity.
Witnessing this, Kalika couldn't help but to be confused by this dream. It felt like those strange dreams she had from back before she fought Ek. It was as though she was trapped into the actions of others. And in this case, this dream that she finds herself in, feels like the memories of her maid Rhonda.
The unfolding events continued to play out like the first times they met. all the way down to miss using a duster.
A flood of emotions started to flood back in, overwhelming Kalika. Something lost was now found again within her. the feeling of nostalgia of day that seemed simple.
Blinking, she then found herself now cleaning her own past cell. She periodically glanced back from looking at her old self to the chores she was doing. She could feel a subtle calm and happiness from within, along with the feelings of uncertainty.
The next thing she realized… Everything went dark. She woke up on her makeshift hay bed. "What am I doing back here?"
Sitting up, a tortuous pain struck. She felt her head, finding a prison cloth wrapped around it.
"Wait a minute isn't this-"
"Rhonda!"
She quickly turned her head, finding Lillian absolutely flabbergasted.
"W-where's Kalika, Rhonda?" Lillian Turned to Rhonda with a terrified Expression. "Where is she!!?"
She felt a fear creep up among her own shock and confusion. Not long after Lillian's face contorted to that of extreme rage. She found herself dropping her head down, conflicted. And answered in her own breaking voice. "I… I don't know." Rhonda said.
.....
.....
"Do you know why you're here?" A familiar voice arose.
Looking up she suddenly found herself in front of Rakon. His sheer presence had an overwhelming aura to him as they stood in a room surrounded by other demons sitting at tables.
Rakon continued. "You've allowed one of the most important, rare and important secrets of our army to escape... A being that cannot be killed…Luckily for you however she's been returned very recently."
"T-the human girl returned!?" one of the demons spoke.
Rakon held his hands up for their silence. Keeping his focus on the girl before him.
"Yes… But…. We cannot let something like this go unpunished. So we'll give you a choice. Either you can lose your tongue... or your eyes."
She shuddered at her choices being offered. Neither one was sounded good or pleasant. "P-please. I… I. Please… Anything But those." tears started to roll down her face, souring Rakon's mood.
"Grrr…..." he sighed. "Then I'll offer this as well. Form a ten year contract with me. But in addition, you'll have to lose at least one of your eyes."
"I-I-"
Rakon turned his back, walking away. "Those are your choices. So choose now or I'll do it myself!"
She shuddered. After a second gave her answer. "T-The third option. I-I'll form a contract…"
Rakon curled a smile. "Very good."
.....
.....
"AAAHHHHHH!!!"
.....
.....
A searing pain settled on her face along with a hollowness as she felt a cool breeze in an unnatural place. She was now looking upon her old self seeing a flurry of colors surrounded her. That of yellow, blue, red, black and purple. It was a mixture so dense it was practically unreadable. It scared her, but she tried to keep calm.
The feeling of familiarity had vanished. Replaced with doubt.
She left a pair of clothes and bowed. Looking back up briefly, she saw the colors of blue, purple and immense black starting to become more dominant. She turned away quickly to leave with a fear steadily increasing.
As the second steel door closed, she could hear old self yelling.
"I DON'T NEED YOUR PITY! SO DON'T DARE LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT! YOU HEAR ME!? RHONDA!!"
"SO DON'T YOU DARE LOOK DOWN ON ME!!" She finished.
Her eye welled up. Confused and lost by the words spoken. Words she couldn't understand. Not wanting to linger She continued forth past the other steel doors. Even Kalika seemed to hate her too.
Upon leaving the dungeon she was met by Lillian who was accompanied by a guard. Lillian was taken aback seeing her in her current state, but quickly shook it off. Lillian then urged her to follow, which she obliged. Walking beside her, it felt like a miracle that she hadn't killed her already like other demons before her.
"You're very lucky Rhonda. You could've died twice over yesterday. But it seems that Kalika took a liking to you." Lillian said.
She found herself suddenly stopping, bewildered by Lillian's statement. Lillian to also stop and looked to her.
"What's wrong," Lillian asked.
"I…. I don't think she does… I think... she hates me..."
A silence filled the air. Lillian spoke up. "Oh… If that's the case. Why are you still alive? She would have left you in that cell bleeding to death. But she tried to stem the bleeding and even laid you in her bed. And if she hadn't done that, you would've died long before I found you..."
Lillian continued forth along with the guard. "She cares more than what she lets on. I should know."
Kalika found herself rushing forth alongside Lillian and the guard.
"Hey Rhonda… You will still be her maid, right?"
"I… Don't know…"
.....
.....
A disembodied voice made its presences known. "[Back then I wanted to leave. Run far from away. I was so confused and scared…]"
"Huh? Rhonda?"
Kalika suddenly found herself watching her first official fight in the arena. She was watching as the demons in the stands laughed at their fight and watched as they saw Kalika get killed over and over again. That was until she witnessed until her old self suddenly conjured the blood blade in her hand and stabbed the man in his neck.
She watched as her old self was helped up and assisted by Rakon. And despite the victory over the monstrous man, she wore a face of defeat. It was as though she lost the most important battle of her life.
A moment later she raced over to with towel and prisoner clothes in hand. She met herself at the exit of the arena along with some guards by her side. Upon seeing Kalika, she forced a smile and congratulated her.
"[It was here, that I wanted to say goodbye... And leave. But…]"
Kalika gave a somewhat guilted glance at her. The colors red, black and blue, were replaced with that of purely blue, purple and black. "R-Rhonda… I-I'm S-" Kalika's old self stopped. Her old self dropped her blade and ran past her, shocking her.
A few moments later hearing Kalika's screaming. "Stay away from me!!"
The guards chased after her stirring a ruckus from the demon audience that saw this. Some of them laughed further. Even Rakon who still watched from the arena chuckled at this.
She turned her attention towards the dagger still on the ground, still stunned by Kalika's sudden action.
"[When I saw your face for that Brief moment, I could only see the pain and fear from within... the same pain and fear I went through as a child.]"
.....
"[From then on... Where ever you went... A darkness followed.]"
She now witnesses Lillian torturing Kalika with the same black aura. She averted her eyes walking away.
"[Eventually... It became the only color I could see from you. Even when you found some small semblance of happiness. It never went away.]"
.....
She now found herself signing Rakon's contract.
"[So please believe me when tell you…]"
.....
She watched as Kalika returned from Killing another person in an arena match. She walked out looking sour. Upon seeing Rhonda, she looked away uncaringly.
"[Every day I could see the pain you had to endure.]"
.....
.....
Kalika was engulfed in complete darkness. She try to move around but couldn't feel a response. After a while a visage of Rhonda walked through her like a spirit. Stone walls faded in and formed in front of her creating a new scene.
"Huh?" This time Kalika felt like she had more control.
"That's the deal." Rakon said.
Hearing Rakon's voice she followed to see what was happening. She watched as Rhonda stood a far distance away, eavesdropping. She then heard her own voice.
"You expect me to kill Lily? What a joke."
"It's a beneficial agreement for both of us. You get your freedom from this dungeon, and I become the king. All you have to do is kill the queen. Then I'll follow up with killing my brother."
"And why can't you just do it yourself?" Kalika asked.
"Ha. As much as it pains me to admit, I wouldn't stand much of a chance fighting the two of them even if my real body was around. My brother I can handle just fine. but the queen… Something tells me that she's more dangerous than what meets the eye…"
Kalika peeked inside the dungeon prisoner cell seeing her old self sitting on the bed as Rakon stood over her. She watched as her old self chuckled hearing Rakon's response.
"With as powerful as you are, even you're scared of Lily, huh?"
"I'm just very cautious with those that are unpredictable. As the current reigning queen she has no self-control. Self-control that even lower-level demons are capable of. Sometimes she even acts purely on feeling like a petulant child." Rakon continues. "This is not mentioning her obsession with you…"
Kalika looked away. "R...Right.… nowadays I don't know whether she'll come to torture me or just to coddle me like some pet… But she stopped making sense to me a long time ago..."
She turned back to Rakon. "Fine. I'll do it. But as long as I can get that dagger, and you stop this ceaseless teasing. It's annoying."
"That's fine by me but we will have to sign a contract."
"Sure I don't care," She said.
Rakon pulled a scroll from his robe and handed it to Kalika.
She opened the scroll to see the contents of it, finding it not legible to her. "What's this?"
"It's the contract, It has everything discussed aside from the teasing. There's also a penalty included if you don't try to follow through... All you have to do is mark it with your blood and it'll be sealed." Rakon said.
Without hesitation, she bit her finger, smeared her blood on the parchment and handed it back to Rakon. "There. Your pointless contract is signed. Just keep your end of the deal. As long as I can get the dagger, I don't care…"
Rakon took the contract, smearing the blood from his thumb on it.
"Two years in this prison and everyone still treats me like some toy. I'm tired of it." Kalika said.
They both watched as the contract erupted into flames and burned away. "The contract is sealed," Rakon said.
Kalika scoffed seeing this. "Right..."
Rakon ignored her reaction. "try manifesting your blood blade now."
With ease, Kalika summoned the blade to her. She casted a suspicious glance at Rakon before gazing upon her dagger, looking uninterested.
"Just remember our deal," He said.
"if I kill her. I kill her," Kalika said.
Looking back at Rhonda The present-day Kalika could see a look of concern. A blood clone of Rakon suddenly appeared behind Rhonda. He placed his index finger by her neck threateningly as blood seemed to emanate from it.
She keeps her silence, seeing Rakon's shushing gesture.
"Eavesdropping is a bad habit." Rakon quietly said. "If you know what's good for you and her… You'll stay quiet."
Rhonda quietly accepted his words without further words.
The scene suddenly reformed itself showing her old self leaving her cell and Rhonda standing in her way. "Rhonda?"
Kalika conjured her blade pointing it at Rhonda. "Get out of my way."
Rhonda looked at Kalika disheartened. "Kali-"
"Now!"
Rhonda shook. "Y-you're going to do it again… Aren't you?"
"If that's what'll make you happy..." after a moment's hesitation she moved out the way allowing Kalika to run past her.
.....
"DAMN IT! DAMN IT, DAMN IT!!" Kalika looked over at her old self slamming the stone wall with her hands. "I was there… I was there... Why didn't I… Why can't I..."
"This is your fifth time!" Rhonda turned to find Lillian just arriving. Her eyes black as coal and her fangs ready tear off the neck of any prey. "What were you thinking! First you tried to escape and now you killed the Warden!!?"
Kalika became stiff as a statue. She gritted her teeth understanding what was to soon come.
"Now because of this, they're thinking of extending your sentence!!!" Lillian yelled.
A second later the entire cell became decimated along with Kalika. Rhonda watched as Kalika was revived and then instantly grabbed by the neck. Rhonda looked away as Lillian unleashed her full fury onto Kalika leaving her in a limp state.
"Rhonda escorts her to a new cell. I… I need to figure this out…"
Rhonda seeing Kalika, hesitated for a moment. She gathered up the courage to finally help Kalika onto her shoulder to escort her away.
But as the escort began Kalika raised her voice slightly. "I-I… I hate you demons… all of you."
Lillian, standing in front of the now decimated cell refused to even give a glance. "That's fine by me. You can hate me as much as you want. It won't change a thing, Kalika."
Rhonda's heart broke little by little after hearing Kalika's words.
As they arrive at a new cell away from Lillian, Rhonda could see Rakon waiting by it with his arms crossed, half amused. "Hmph~. I heard she tried to escape. I'll congratulate her on the trail of bodies she's left… But that's as much praise as I'll give."
Kalika lifted head up just enough to see Rakon grinning.
.....
Rhonda watched as Kalika yet again set out to escape along with some other prisoners by her side.
"[Even you failed numerous times you would continue to try and fail. And I just couldn't bear to see you hurting yourself!"
.....
Kalika looking around now watched as her most current prison cell formed with Rhonda sitting on the bed weeping. Her arms and chest cut and scratched,
"What the-!??? Where the hell is Kalika!???" Ek shouted.
Looking up, Rhonda found that a thin blue demon with white hair was standing in shock in front of the cell. His brother Kel a blue demon with black hair, joined him. Seeing Rhonda's face, he easily discerned the situation. "Tch! Looks like that girls at it again!"
"Damn it! I don't understand why Rakon wants to let her do this!" Ek said.
Without a moment's hesitation Ek raced down the prison corridor as Kel stayed alongside Rhonda. "He'll get her back. No problem."
Rhonda suddenly grabbed his arm. "Please… Don't tell the king or queen about this."
"The queens actually already on her way down..." Kel looked back at Rhonda seeing the cuts and scratches. "She… attacked you didn't she…"
"I-I'll be fine! S-she found out that I was telling you and about her escapes…" Rhonda covered her wounds. "And she got mad…"
Kalika seeing his, looked away in shame.
Kel scoffed. "That human doesn't deserve an ounce of your sympathy. She doesn't care about you or anyone else, other than herself."
"Y-your wrong! T-that's not true…!"
"Are you listening to yourself??" Kel grabbed her shoulder, looking her straight in the eye. "Even Ek stuck his neck out for her all those years ago and almost died arguing with the queen. There's no point in trying to help someone who doesn't want it!"
"You're better off leaving her to her own demons." Kel finished.
Rhonda wiped the tears from her face. "No… I don't want to…. I don't want to abandon her now… If I leave her now… She'll be all alone."
"Then it'll be deserved for someone like her." Kel retorted
"No....!! It might not look like it, but she cares more than what you think… She pretends that she doesn't care or that she's fine. But I can still see the pain she's feeling."
"Just like I can see how much you and Ek care for each other a lot." Rhonda smiled much more somberly.
"I don't want to give up... Even if she hates me, I don't want her to suffer a life of misery. It's because of her I was given a second chance... And as her maid, I want to protect her…"
"R…Rhonda?" Kalika, listening to Rhonda's words is surprised.
Kel listening to this, sighs. "Your too nice for your own good."
"How so?" Rhonda asked.
Kel ignored the question, instead he pet Rhonda on the head gently. "Just don't do anything stupid that me or my brother would do. Ok?"
"But if she hurts you again I won't go easy on her, ya hear!" He proclaimed.
Rhonda blushed and chuckled a little hearing Kel's words and agreed.
Suddenly, Kalika found herself being enveloped into a void of white. She looked around, seeing nothing but a white. Walking forward she felt nothing beneath. "Where am I?"
Turning around she saw Rhonda in a far-off distance with her back turned. "Rhonda."
A strange sensation started to overwhelm Kalika. "R-Rhonda. Is that you!?"
Tears dropped from Rhonda's face. "I'm sorry. In the end I only made things worse for you"
Each drop rippled across the floor, revealing their reflection of both the past and present.
Feeling a new sense of urgency, Kalika ran to Rhonda. "Rhonda, wait!"
"I want to stay. I really want to stay! But I can't!"
Kalika sprinted much faster. "Y-you can stay! Y-you don't have to go!"
Rhonda, hearing Kalika's words, turned around to gaze upon her one last time. With her two pink eyes she gave a chai smile.
"I'm sorry… but we both know I can't stay… I only wanted to see you happy. To see you smile with no worries. Or pain…"
Each step Kalika took, inched her closer to Rhonda. But the closer she got; the faster Rhonda seemed to be crumbling away. And with here last sweet smile she finished. "Goodbye Kalika. Maybe in another life… We could've been friends."
Rhonda's entire being crumbled away into nothingness just a mere touch away. She was too late. Rhonda had disappeared forever leaving her in a void of nothing.
No family.
"Rhonda?"
No friends.
"Rhonda...? Please don't go."
Nothing.
"Please… I'm sorry."
She was all alone.
"Please... don't leave."
Ripple after ripple formed in the ocean of nothingness. Each ripple occurred faster and faster until the world itself rippled around Kalika.
Shrinking and surrounding her.
Opening her tear filled eyes, Kalika was once again back in her solitary prison. That connection she had regained, once again vanished.
A strange feeling was building up within her. She felt her body burning from inside and a sickening nausea made its presence known. She tried to move, but her body apart from her fingers wouldn't respond. all she could do was stare at the grimy dirty floor before her. The same floor that served as a reminder of how reality is an unending nightmare.