I wasn't certain if I completely understood everything she had told me. It mattered the least, as there was one thing I had been itching to ask since I landed here.
"Am I still on Earth?" I asked her.
I wanted to know if I was still on Earth. After all, we breathe the same oxygen. There must be somewhere out there, beyond the horizon, were human beings as normal and sane as me. It seemed I was not. Still, I remained optimistic. Surely, I couldn't be on a different planet.
Alexa sighed patiently before responding, "If you are talking about the world you grew up with, I'm sorry to inform you that you've been transported to a different world. A world of sorcery and impossibilities. You're in Quailsham."
Unexpectedly, I wasn't at all surprised to learn the truth. After all, this world wasn't governed by the laws of nature. I had just hoped, that was all. Now that I knew I wasn't on Earth, I had no idea what to do anymore.
The ground trembled beneath us as a powerful voice reverberated nearby, followed by the shattering of glassy windows.
"Stay here," Alexa urged, her voice filled with concern, as we pressed ourselves against the walls to steady ourselves against the tremors.
Before I could voice my protest, she had already vanished from my sight, slipping through the wooden door. I strained to see through the darkness, but it offered no clues as to what lay beyond. Another growl erupted, causing every hair on my body to stand on end.
It was an eerie sound, filled with sorrow, its echoes reverberating through every corner of the place, sparing no earshot. Another cry echoed, and the walls seemed to groan with cracks like roots. I couldn't bear to stand and wait any longer. I ran toward the source of the voice, feeling as though some unseen force was pulling me inward like a magnet. I couldn't understand it. The one who emitted that powerful voice was clearly in excruciating torment.
I should be afraid. I should have stayed put. Better yet, I must utilize this chance to escape while no one was watching me. But it took only a moment for my feet to move of their own accord toward the source of the sound. Before I knew it, I found myself drawn closer, transcending through the darkness until I was near the source of the noise.
"Ah!"
I swallowed hard as the growl intensified. Peeking behind a metallic barrier, what I saw on the other side took my breath away.
The man in the black cloak, whose mysterious presence had loomed over me since the morning when he purchased me, now stood helpless, shackled and bound. His once-concealing mask lay discarded, yet his hood still obscured his features. The dim light cast shadows across his form.
The metallic chains encircling his wrists and legs emitted a crimson glow. Despite his restraints, the air of authority that emanated from him remained palpable. Across from him sat Alexa, engrossed in her reading, the weighty tome held firmly in her grasp.
The man in the green cloak soared overhead, gripping the end of a gleaming chain. With determined focus, he aimed to affix the chain to a colossal block of cubed mineral. However, before he could execute his plan, the chained man below erupted in a violent uproar, the metallic links of his restraints glowing with an ominous red hue.
The cavern shook as the chained man struggled violently, causing the man in the green cloak to loosen his grip on the chains. With lethal intensity, he roared as the metallic chains rattled and shattered, granting him freedom.
With a swift fist, he destroyed the nearest wall, splitting it into two with a deafening crack. Smoke billowed around us, obscuring my vision, but my eyes widened in astonishment as the black cloak he wore burst into flames.
I stepped back, a suppressed scream rising in my throat. "What's happening?" I whispered, my voice barely audible over the chaos unfolding before me.
Suddenly, he plummeted headfirst to the ground, his hands reaching for his head in agony. Moments passed before he erupted into shouts once more, his actions growing increasingly destructive.
He unleashed his fury upon the remaining walls, striking them with relentless force. Large debris flew in every direction, hurtling toward me with alarming speed. Still in a dazed state, I lacked the agility to evade the oncoming danger. With a sickening crack, the debris struck my left shoulder, sending waves of pain coursing through me.
"Ah!"
It caught his attention like a feral beast drawn to its prey. With ferocity, he turned towards me, moving with an intensity that bordered on primal instinct. His movements were swift and relentless, fueled by an urgency that couldn't wait to bring him nearer to me.
"N-no," I stammered, my hand trembling as I held it out in a feeble attempt to ward him off. "Stay away!" Panic surged through me as I turned to flee, but it was too late. His grip closed around my wrist, halting my escape with an iron hold.
In my peripheral vision, I caught a glimpse of Alexa moving towards me, but my attention was consumed by the man's relentless roaring and the sight of him clutching his aching head. The deafening noise overwhelmed me, causing me to shut my eyes tightly against the onslaught.
My heart raced in my chest, each beat echoing in the silence within me as panic constricted my breath. Even at this distance, his face remained obscured by his hood, leaving my imagination to conjure terrifying images. This was the greatest fear I had ever experienced, a relentless nightmare playing out before my eyes.
His grip tightened around my wrist, causing fresh wounds to open and blood to trickle down my arm. I cried out in pain as he lifted me forcefully, his face leveling with my wounded arm. I could feel his ragged breath against my nose, strangely minty and fresh.
Glancing over his broad shoulder, I saw Alexa preparing a spherical mass of magical energy, her movements deliberate and focused. With a sense of dread, I realized she was directing it towards us, and I braced myself for whatever was to come.
His tongue grazed over my wound with a disturbing grace, as if he were savoring it hungrily, sending shivers through my muscles. Despite the physical discomfort, I couldn't shake off the sensation of something more terrifying underlying his actions.
A heat spread to my cheeks, a mixture of embarrassment and fear intertwining in my mind as I struggled against his hold.
"Let me go," I pleaded, frustration boiling within me. "Damn it!"
His relentless licking only intensified, sending a wave of discomfort through me until my chest tightened, my vision blurred, and I lost sensation in my own lips. Panic surged within me as I fought to regain control of the situation, the overwhelming sensation leaving me dizzy and disoriented.
I tried to scream, to push him away, but my efforts were futile against his strength. As a girl, I was no match for him, and I felt my remaining strength draining away. My senses dulled, the world around me fading into silence.
In my final moments of consciousness, all I could see were a pair of piercing golden eyes, burning with an intensity that seemed to consume me whole, before the darkness swallowed me entirely.