I woke up with a start, the memories of the battle still hazy in my mind. All around me was eerily quiet. I was no longer on the battlefield, but in a spacious tent, adorned with luxurious drapes and animal skins. The comfortable warmth of the bed I was on contrasted sharply with the chaos I had left behind. I sat up, looking around, my heart still beating fast.
It was then that I noticed a figure sitting on a chair near the tent door. My breath caught instantly at the sight of the man. He looked like Sheng Xing, but something about him was different… unsettling. He wore bloodstained armor, his face was hard, his gaze cold. The metallic smell of blood hit me, paralyzing me with terror.
-You're awake, he said in a calm, almost icy voice. His smile made me shiver. "So, did you sleep well?"
I stared at him for a long time, my eyes searching every detail of his face. It was Sheng Xing… but at the same time, he didn't seem to recognize me. His gaze held no trace of the gentleness or familiarity I had known. A shiver of anxiety ran through my body.
I decided not to reveal who I was for now. My instincts were screaming at me that this was not the time to try to make him remember me.
I took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. "I… I don't want to stay here," I said firmly. "I want to leave. Where are my soldiers?" I clenched my fists to control my fear and anger.
His cold smile widened, and he slowly rose from the chair, his armor creaking slightly. "Your soldiers, you say?" he whispered, approaching me. He stopped right in front of the bed, towering over me with his tall stature. "They were… stubborn. Many of them didn't want to leave you here, in this camp. They fought for you. But you know… I don't like stubbornness."
A cold shiver ran down my spine.
-What did you do to them?, I asked, my voice shaking with anguish.
Sheng Xing—or at least the man who looked like him—sighed slightly, almost amused by my question.
-I made them disappear, he said nonchalantly. "All those who opposed me paid the price."
The brutality of his words sank into my heart like an icy blade. The image of my men, my loyal soldiers, fighting to the death to protect me, flashed through my mind. Anger rose within me, uncontrollable. My fists clenched so tightly that my nails dug into the flesh of my palms.
-You... you killed them?, I screamed, my voice cracking with fury and despair. "Why?! They were only doing their duty! They didn't deserve this!"
Sheng Xing didn't flinch at my outburst. On the contrary, his smile widened, almost pleased with my reaction. "They were a threat, a distraction," he replied simply, as if he were talking about the rain. "They didn't understand that you belong to me now."
-I don't belong to you!, I yelled, standing up abruptly, despite my still weak legs. "I'm not an object to be possessed!"
His expression changed slightly, his smile frozen. "You have no choice, Aiko. Here, you are mine." His voice had taken on a darker, more threatening tone.
I took a step back, fear mixing with my anger.
-I'm leaving here, and there's nothing you can do about it, I said
My voice was shaking, but I refused to let it get to me.
He approached slowly, his gaze piercing mine.
-You're not going anywhere, Aiko, he whispered his voice low and full of dark promises. "And the sooner you accept that, the better it will be for you."
My entire body was shaking with rage.
-I'll never let you control me!
He smiled again, but this time there was something more sinister in his eyes.
I stared at him, my breath coming in short gasps before I took a breath, mustering up all the courage and dignity I had left. I stared at him, my eyes burning with anger and defiance.
-Tell me, I began, my voice cold and sharp, did you practically kidnap me just to tell me I'm yours, when you don't even know me?, I let out a sneer. "You talk to me like I'm something to be possessed."
He was silent for a moment, staring at me with an impenetrable gaze. His face was blank, but I could feel the tension radiating off him. Then, finally, he spoke, his voice calm, almost too calm.
-I'm going to make you my partner, Aiko, he declared in a way that left no room for argument.
The words hit me like a slap in the face, but I couldn't help but burst out laughing. A bitter, almost hysterical laugh. "Your partner?!" I exclaimed, shaken by a mixture of nervousness and derision. "You're completely crazy if you think I'm going to agree to something so ridiculous. Who are you, to think you can force me to do this?"
His expression changed almost instantly. His jaw clenched, and his gaze hardened in a way that made me shudder inside. He advanced toward me, each step ratcheting up the tension in the room. I instinctively backed away, my body responding to a silent alarm that my mind was still trying to ignore.
My arrogance clearly didn't please him, and he was quick to make that clear. He grabbed my wrist with surprising strength, yanking me toward him. I winced at the pain of his grip.
-You seem to forget, he said, his voice deepening, "that I don't ask for your opinion." His golden eyes glittered dangerously. "I chose you, and you will be mine whether you like it or not."
I tried to wriggle free of his grip, but he held me tight, his gaze locked on the mine, piercing me with that icy determination. Anger and fear rose in equal measure within me, but I refused to show him any weakness.
-I'm not a toy you can simply pick and possess, I replied through gritted teeth, the defiance still shining in my eyes. "You have no idea who I am, or what I'm capable of."
-Maybe, he whispered, his lips stretching into a cold smile. "But you will learn to obey me."
I glared at him, unable to hold back my rage any longer.
-I will never obey you, I spat, my breath short.
His smile froze, and I watched his eyes darken, an ominous shadow crossing his face. He leaned in close, so close I could feel his breath against my skin.
-We'll see, he breathed, his words sounding like a threat.
A shiver ran down my spine, but I refused to back down.