Before this, I thought Evelyn was living life. There was no way she didn't have them wrapped around her finger with the way she manipulated the men in her life. Well, all but this man, who wasn't fond of her.
"What?" I mumbled, unable to process what Soren said.
His eyes twitched as he shifted to the side before rolling them.
"Your sister is only looking after herself. She's a total liar who only spews venom for her benefit. Gods, I don't even know why the prince has taken a liking to her." He huffed, shaking his head.
It appeared I had opened up a can of worms I wasn't sure how to digest.
"Eh?" I cocked my head as he took a step towards me.
"Then there's you who wants to save others, even though they don't deserve it. No matter how misguided your intentions are. Aren't they more saint-like than your groveling sister's intentions?" He shrugged, leaving me to shake my head.
"I'm not—" I started, only to be stopped by Soren closing the gap between us.
His hand touched my cheek, leaving it burning as his amber eyes inspected me. Instinctively, I tugged away, turning my eyes away from him.
That was dangerous!
My body craved attention even if I didn't want it.
"It's such a shame you're charmed by them. You would've been a great ally. If only I had protected you better that day." Soren frowned, pulling away from me.
"There's no hex influencing me other than the stupid succubi—" I stopped, feeling another throb.
It caused me to gasp, and I fell onto my knees. Again, the tickle was rising, alerting me that my cravings were worsening.
"The potion is a one-time thing. It won't help you anymore. Though I doubt he'll let this stand for much longer." He shrugged, turning towards the door.
There were noises outside.
"Soren! We have trouble." Alena burst in.
"Is it him?" he turned towards her.
His voice had run cold, shifting his gaze towards me.
"Yes, he's enraged, killing everyone in his path. Everything is burning in a crimson fire!" She answered, shifting her eyes to me.
A soft sigh came from him. "Well, we can't win against him like that. Make sure to have Jasper sound the evacuation orders."
"Yes, but—" Alena shifted her eyes back onto him as he placed his fingertips on her lips.
"I guess we'll see if he leaves you alive, Sylvia. Then we'll see if he has any humanity left in that heart of his." Soren announced, smirking at me.
What? Are you letting me go home?
"What?! No! We can't—" she didn't finish before suddenly falling into his arms unconscious.
"Well, now I must take care of her, such a little handful elf." He picked her up before walking towards the door.
"Well, good luck, Saint of light and darkness. Maybe in a different life, we could've been friends. Perhaps even more. If we meet again, I hope it isn't as foes." He smiled, yet it wasn't genuine.
A second later, they were gone as a rune was left where they stood.
A vortex? Never mind that move, Sylvia!
I tried to move toward the door, but instead of reaching it, I felt a strong pulse, which caused me to gasp.
"Damn it! Not now!" I muttered.
There wasn't any use to control the curse as it spiked, leaving me shivering where I was.
No… I don't want anyone… else!
Pushing past it, I ran out of the room and into the living room to find it abandoned. The elf had said someone was coming to where I was, alerting me it was probably the demon king himself.
You're so close! I must keep moving before someone else finds me!
Aches rose in my body as my injuries were stung, thanks to my rough movements. Screams were erupting from outside when heavy pants left me while exiting the wooden cabin. Every step was getting hard to make as my world muddled together.
The moment I walked outside, I fell onto the grass, and a curse left me while I gazed up to see where I was. I could see crimson fires breaking out before the forest I found myself in. It reminded me of the same flames that erupted from Finn the day I almost lost my arm.
Ah… That's… you… I need to make it to you. Please…
Standing up, I instinctively went toward them before stopping when I saw three figures in the distance, running toward me and away from the fire. It wasn't long before I could make out they were three men from the village close to this cabin.
"Leave the stubborn fools! This way! We're almost at the clearing!" one yelled as the others followed close behind.
How deep into Traedan I am?
I doubted Soren took me far from Fathal, knowing how Finn would react to having his saint go missing. Shaking my head, I tried to move away from the men, but my sluggish movements made it impossible before they caught up with me.
Once closer, the first men on the front stopped, gazing at me.
"What are you doing?! Lord Soren said to evacuate!" the other man yelled, stopping when he saw me.
Damn it! I can't… My mind isn't entirely mine! Focus!
"Wait, that's the girl he brought." The first one pointed towards me.
The other man nodded as I felt another throb, triggering my mind to fill with indecencies.
Maybe it won't… No! I don't want anyone else but you!
Shaking my head, I didn't notice when the others had closed the gap between us. Before I knew it, one of them had captured my arm, snapping me out of the train of thought. When they tugged me on my arm, I…
"Stop!" I yelled, tearing myself away. "Leave me alone!"
My sudden movement caused me to fall onto the floor as I cried out because of the wound in my abdomen. Luckily, it was enough to snap me out of the chaotic mess my mind was becoming once again.
"We need to go! Death's coming!" another warned, reaching for me again.
No! I'm so close!
If they took me…
I'll probably… end up… No!
"No! Don't touch me!" my voice cracked as the tickle in my groin was getting worse.
I winced as his hands never reached me. Instead, their screams filled the air as my eyes fluttered open to see the closest to me had his head cleanly sliced off. The fires around me gathered around the other two men, setting them on fire.
A familiar presence suddenly made itself known, making me glance toward it. The red aura radiating from them was too intense to make out who they were. However, a…
"Sylvia!" a voice I could never forget shouted.
Tears formed in the corner of my eyes when I saw Solas running towards me from the crimson blob behind him, who was none other than Finn. His eyes were a deep red as everything about him screamed hostility.
There wasn't an ounce of emotion in his eyes and face while everything he touched withered into nothing underneath his feet. This left a trail of death behind him, yet I wanted nothing more than to close the gap between us. The only thing that stopped me was that I didn't know if he recognized me.
Or if you… I think I left you like Astred…
However, before I could move or say anything, my body felt limp, triggering me to fall onto my knees. The itch between my legs got worse upon seeing the man I adored. Thanks to my movements, the pink dress was slowly staining red, as all the stitches they had used were probably torn.
Solas reached me first, and I embraced him. His fur brought me the comfort I never knew existed. His tail wagged uncontrollably, making me unable to hold back my tears.
"I'm so sorry! I was careless!" he whined before plopping by my lap.
Before I could say anything, Finn was in front of me. I glanced up to meet with his cold eyes. Another pulse erupted from me; it was an uncontrollable urge to jump him, yet I stayed where I was unsure if he was gazing at me with hate or if he was there at all.
I hadn't seen him like this before.
"Finn?" I called out, triggering him to kneel towards me.
He studied me briefly with those fridged crimson eyes before touching my cheek. The moment my warmth found his fingertips, his eyes widened.
"Ah… Finally… I found you." He breathed, pulling me into his embrace.
The warmth that exploded within me was almost unbearable as I instinctively hugged him, weeping the moment I felt safe.
"S-stupid demon! Y-You s-shouldn't have left me b-behind! D-Do you even k-know what I-I've been t-through?!" I cried, holding onto him for dear life.
His aura was still thick as my body gave off a gentle white shine, countering his red hue.
"It… It won't happen again." He whispered, holding me tightly against his body.
His voice was still so cold, and we were probably being watched, yet I couldn't help myself. Tugging away from his arms slightly, I faced his icy expression, which hadn't changed. There was blood everywhere I could see, but I didn't care.
All I need… All I want…
A second later, I lifted myself to meet with his lips. Brushing against them gave me a warmth I never thought I would feel again. The flames around me were nothing compared to him. He barely responded to me, but he allowed me in when I licked his lip.
Tracing his features with my tongue, I couldn't help but indulge myself in him, allowing myself to fall into the cursed desires enforced on me. However, Finn had no idea why I was kissing him so indulgingly when his tongue pushed on mine, winning dominance.
Tugging away from my lips, he gazed around, holding me by my shoulders., which prevented me from following him back into another kiss.
"You smell different. Why?" He questioned.
That was when I saw his cold eyes towards me, snapping me back into reality. It had been a while since I had seen them like that. This demon was enraged, and even though I was his goal, he didn't know what had happened.
For all Finn knew, I could've run away from the castle and sought refuge in the human lands.
Astred… said she would… No… You can't really believe her, can you?
My thoughts were muddling with every second as the heat surging through me made my breaths hitch.
"I-I—" Before I could even finish that sentence, a throb rushed through me, cutting my senses.
"Something's wrong!" Solas yelped, feeling something within me grow as everything went black before the lights came back.
What? Did… I black out?
My breath had become unsteady and erratic as Finn cupped my cheeks in his hands.
"Sylvia, breathe slowly." He whispered, darting his eyes and trying to find why I behaved this way.
Tears ran down my cheeks, feeling overwhelmed by everything.
You… don't believe me anymore! How can I… Why can't I… Huh? What… Why… won't you hold me?
I didn't know if what Astred did to me was getting worse, but I could barely make out a clear thought.
"I-I can't b-breathe. It burns! Please! Help me! I can't hold it anymore, Finn!" I managed to voice, gripping his cloak tightly.
His eyes glowed as a sharp growl left his lips. "Is this… So, a hex, but what type?"
A howl came from Solas as Finn smirked. There wasn't any hint of happiness in his tone or facial expression.
"These prying eyes have nothing else to witness." His red eyes shone even brighter.
With a simple movement of his hand, the surrounding fire turned into a vortex, consuming us within.