Looking around the room, I failed to notice anyone else. It was just me, and her… That's impossible. She's just a kid. She's only two, I've never heard of children below the age of ten using magic. Moreover, she didn't even say a word! Voiceless incantation? A brat like her? There is just no way!
Then I remembered. Her golden eyes. A child blessed by the gods.
"Shit… she's receiving help from above…" I thought, as I clenched my fists.
"Sorry, auntie." Lynett spoke. "I shouldn't aim at your face. It'd be bad if your hair got on fire again. It just started to grow back after all."
I widened my eyes, looking at her, trying to process what she just said. But my mind refused to admit the evidence.
"Y-You…! It was you?!"
"Hehe… Yes, it was~" She chuckled.
Shit, shit, shit. That damn half! I'll kill her! She has been looking down on me from the very beginning! She's mocking me!
I immediately casted another spell, this time, without holding my mana. But once again, nothing happened. Why?! Damn it, if magic won't work, I'll just have to cut her flesh! As I rushed to my desk to pick up a pair of scissors, it flew away out of my reach before I could take it.
"Sorry auntie, you can't. I don't like sharp things." Lynett suddenly spoke.
I turned at her. Could it be… Wind magic? She can even use wind magic? What the hell is this kid?
It doesn't matter. If I can neither use magic nor weapons, then I'll just have to beat her up with my fists. I charged at her, ready to strike. First, I was going to break her nose. Then, once that arrogant smile of hers disappears, I'll make sure to take my time in teaching her a lesson.
But I was stopped halfway, as a sharp pain passed through my body. All the nerves and muscles in my body suddenly contracted. I collapsed on the floor in pain, letting out a short scream. It only lasted a few seconds, but the pain was so intense that I quickly got out of breath. I was panting. I tried to breathe, but the air just wouldn't go in. It felt as if my lungs were slowly filling with water. For a moment, my eyesight went blurry. Everything ached, everything sagged.
When the pain finally subsided, I tried looking around me in confusion. Then I saw Lynett. She was just smiling. Was it her? What did she do? What kind of magic was that?!
"Auntie…" She spoke. "You screamed."
Huh? I narrowed my eyes.
"You broke the first rule, remember?" She continued, as her smile widened, slowly showing every single tooth. "I'll have to punish you~"
Before I could think of anything, I felt a second searing pain through my abdomen. Without meaning to, my body curled into something fetal while the pain burnt and radiated. My mind conceded to the torment, unable to bring a thought to completion. Suddenly, I felt something bursting inside of me, causing me to vomit blood.
"Huh? Did it break?" Lynett said. "That's not good… Sorry auntie, I didn't mean to. You see, I have some control issues. I'm lacking a bit of practice…"
I looked at her in terror, understanding that whatever just happened, it was her doing. Suddenly, she stepped forward, placing her hands on my stomach. Startled by her action, I flinched.
"W-What are you doing?!" I tried to shout.
"Don't move, auntie, I'm healing you. You felt it, didn't you? Your intestines just exploded. If we don't do something, you'll die." She casually responded.
As she said this, I felt a warm sensation enveloping my stomach. It was definitely Healing Magic. She didn't lie, she was healing me. I didn't understand. First, she attacked me, and now she was healing me. What was she thinking?
"W-Why…?" I asked, hesitant.
"I'm not done with you yet, auntie. The game is only beginning. All the suffering you caused to mother, I'll make sure to give it back to you." She marked a pause, as an innocent smile appeared on her face. Then she continued.
"You see, I'm very glad you accepted to play with me! This is the first time I'm using healing magic, actually. I've wanted to practice it for a while, but since I had nothing to heal, I couldn't. And I'm not crazy enough so that I would hurt myself in order to practice some Healing Magic. I don't like pain, I'm not a masochist, you know? But you, on the other hand…"
W-What is this kid talking about…?
"So, auntie, here is what's going to happen. I'm going to break every single one of your bones. Slowly. Once the pain is too much for you to bear and you're about to faint, I'll heal you. Then we can do it again. Over and over, until I decide to stop. And you can't scream, remember? Because it'll only make things worse."
My mind was starting to fail. I couldn't formulate a thought as my body froze.
In front of me was a naïve-looking two-year-old child, planning to torture me. Her expression did not match her words, which was even more terrifying. I suddenly realized. This is not a child. It's a demon, the devil itself, who took the form of a little girl. From the beginning, I never had a chance and she knew it. My life was in her hands, and she was just playing around. I could feel despair and fear slowly devouring me. I'm going to die.
"Y-you're insane…" I managed to murmur.
"I know~ But that's your fault you know? You caused this."
Why, why, why, why?! How did I get involved with such a monster? I always made sure not to piss off the wrong people so why? It's all that bitch's fault. I should have killed her instead of letting her go. Damn it, what do I do? My whole body is screaming, telling me to run away. I want to run away, but she won't let me.
I suddenly understood why she came up with such rules. From the very beginning, she had no intention of letting me go.
Shit, shit! I can't die here, not like this! I don't want to die!
Then I suddenly remembered. The second condition. The game will end if I manage to get out of the room alive.
That's when adrenaline hit such a fever pitch that fear isn't going to cut anymore. It was ordering me to move. My legs exploded into violent motion as I rushed toward the door. But it wouldn't open. I desperately tried to force the handle, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't open it.
"Why? Why now?!"
"Oh… I had forgotten. I just recalled that I had locked the door. Sorry auntie~" Lynett chuckled.
What? When? How? Shit, this is a bad joke! This brat is not sorry at all!
"Y-you… You're cheating! You said the game would end if I managed to get out! But how am I supposed to get out if you lock the door?! This is cheating!" I shouted.
"Not necessarily," she shrugged. "The door isn't the only way for you to get out of the room, you know?"
As she said this, she looked away. Following her gaze, I noticed she was looking at the window. Cold sweat started to form on my face.
"You… You want me to jump out of the window…? This is the second floor! Are you insane?!"
"Yet, this seems to be the only way out. But don't worry, auntie, I'm not going to force you. I'm just fine playing with you all night! In the end, the choice is for you to make…"
Damn it, she is serious. She is planning to torture me!
"W-Why… Why are you doing this to me…?" I asked with a weak voice.
She frowned. "Are you being serious right now? You perfectly know why. What was it you were saying? Blame yourself for being weak and powerless." She answered with a cold voice.
"L-Look… I'm sorry okay? I-I won't do it again… Forgive me… I swear… I'll never bother you or your mother again. I won't even lay a finger on her, so let me go… I'm sorry, I really am! Please! I'm begging you, forgive me!"
Lynett stayed silent for a while, considering it. Or so I thought. She smiled.
"Noooooooo way~!" She said with a cute voice. "And you know what auntie? I think you're right. Bullying people weaker than you is really funny~! So, shall we resume the game?"
I can hear her cruel and cold crackle, draining all hope within me. It choked the breath from my lungs and left me weak at the knees. Salty tears suddenly spilled over onto my cheek, leaving a dry feeling of despair.
"N-No… please… please… I'm begging you…!"
Once again, pain assaulted me, throbbing my guts, like a knife twisted in my spine. Its savage, bitter blasts cut right into my bones and gripped my brain with its claws. Every few minutes, I would scream, but it would become even worse, as something would choke my throat, preventing any more sounds to come out. Then I would go quiet, just panting, before the torture session resumed.
It was only the beginning of my nightmare.
[End Of Nora's POV]
[Lynett POV]
"…"
"..."
Crap. She stopped breathing. Is she dead?
Crap, crap, crap. I killed someone. I didn't mean to do that… Actually, I think I did. But I wasn't right in my mind, I was pissed and I lost it. Did I just become a murderer…? Crap… Mom, dad, sorry. After everything you did to teach me how important one another's life is, your daughter still killed someone. I never expected to take someone's life one day.
The worst thing about this is that I don't even feel guilty. My aunt may have been a bitch, but she was still human. How can I not feel anything? I don't think I regret this actually. That was quite… satisfying… People are so fragile. Who would have thought that killing was so easy? Shit. Do I have a problem? What am I thinking? Am I becoming a sociopath? No, can't be… Anyone else would feel the same if they accidentally killed the bitch that hurt their family… Right…?
What do I do now? Do I have to hide her body? It's only a matter of time before someone finds her. Do I run away? But… How am I going to explain that to mother and brother? Shit. This is really bad. What if they think I'm a monster? O-oooh… I don't want to think about it… Damn it, Aunt Nora. Even after your death, you still bring me troubles…
No, wait. She's not dead yet, right? I once heard the doctors saying that a person could stay alive for about thirty minutes, even after their heart stopped beating. It's not too late. My aunt can still be saved. I can still revive her.
… But… Do I really want to save her…? If I keep her alive, she might bring even more troubles later on. A bitch like her is better off dead. No… Death might be too sweet for her. She tormented mother for years, I didn't bully her enough. That was too quick. I'll save her.
I approached Aunt Nora's unconscious body and placed my hand on her chest. As I thought, I couldn't feel her heart beating. I tried to inject my mana into her. I've never done this before, I'm not sure how it's going to turn out… I have to focus, to think about what I want.
I want to heal her. I want to restart her heart. I want to revive her.
Dear [World System], if you really follow my will, then I'm ordering you to bring back her soul.
『Heal.』
Light suddenly erupted from my hands and started to envelop my Aunt's body. As my mana filled her, I could feel her internal injuries healing. I stayed like this for about two minutes, then the light disappeared. Under my palms, I could now feel a pulse. Aunt Nora's heart started to beat again, and she was now breathing. I let out a relieved – somehow - sigh. I'm not sure if or when she'll regain consciousness, but at least she's alive.
"Be grateful Aunt Nora. I have more use of you alive than dead. This is the second time I'm sparing you. If you're smart enough, you'll understand there won't be a third time…"
Leaving behind my unconscious Aunt, I left her chamber and headed back to my room, making sure no one saw me.
As I was on my way, reevaluating the incident, I received a sudden notification from the [World System].
New title earned: [The Judge]
"…"
Umh… Seems legit.
----------
A NOTE FROM NERODITH
Thank you for reading!
Don't hesitate to tell me what you thought of this chapter. Even if I do not necessarily reply to all the comments, I do read them all and always appreciate some feedback!
Suggestions are also welcomed to improve the story.
SUPPORT
--
Note from Ozen_ice, you heard the boss, what are you still waiting for? Support the novel and vote power stones.