Eve's sobs eventually turned to quiet gasps, her energy spent. She looked down at the bloody mess before her, the envoy barely conscious, his body broken and bleeding. His face was a twisted mask of pain and terror, the fear she had known so well now reflected in his eyes.
But it wasn't enough.
Eve's grip tightened on the dagger, her knuckles white as she stared down at Darian. His pitiful whimpers filled the room, but they only fueled the dark fire within her.
"You made me this way," she whispered, her voice trembling with fury. "You broke me... and now I'll break you."
With a slow, deliberate motion, she drove the dagger into his other arm, her eyes burning with a cold, unrelenting rage.
The blade sliced through flesh and muscle, and Darian's scream echoed off the walls, a raw, animalistic sound of pure agony.
Eve leaned closer, her breath ragged, her voice low and venomous. "Did you ever think of me and my mother when you used her to control me? Did you ever care about the lives you destroyed?"
Darian's eyes were wide, tears streaming down his face, his mouth opening and closing as he struggled to form words. But Eve didn't wait for an answer. She ripped the dagger free and slashed it across his chest, drawing another tortured scream from the man.
"You took my childhood away from me, you forced me to murder innocent people," she hissed, her voice growing colder with each word. "Now, I'll take your life from you as slowly as possible."
She raised the dagger high, her gaze locked on his, her hand trembling as she brought it down, plunging the blade deep into his abdomen. Darian convulsed, his body jerking violently as the life drained from him.
But Eve wasn't done. She twisted the blade, her tears blurring her vision as she carved into his flesh, her movements frantic and savage. Each cut, each stab, was a release of the pain and suffering she had endured under his control.
Darian's cries grew weaker, his body twitching as the blood pooled around him, but Eve continued, her breath coming in short, ragged gasps. She could feel the life slipping from him, the power he had held over her fading with each passing second.
Finally, as his body went limp, his eyes dull and lifeless, Eve stopped. She was panting, her chest heaving, her hands slick with blood. The dagger slipped from her fingers, clattering to the floor beside the broken husk of the man who had tormented her for so long.
She stumbled back, her legs trembling, her mind reeling from what she had done. The forest was silent now, the echoes of Darian's screams still lingering in the air, but Eve felt nothing. No satisfaction, no relief—only an empty, hollow void where her heart had once been.
Meanwhile Adrian had been watching her do all of this, with an expression that was unreadable. But he didn't stop her.
This was something she needed to do, to take back the power that had been stolen from her. He had stepped back, giving her space as she continued to vent her rage on the man who had tormented her.
Eve Mortimer's mind was a tempest, torn between the bitter satisfaction of revenge and the haunting memories of the life she'd been forced to endure.
The bloodied dagger on her side felt like both a weapon and a curse, a tool of her liberation and a symbol of her darkest moments.
Eve's eyes filled with tears once more as she stared at the lifeless body at her feet. The power Darian had wielded so ruthlessly had been stripped away, leaving behind only the echo of his screams and the blood that stained her hands.
But deep down, she knew that the scars he had left on her soul would never truly fade. As she stared at the lifeless body of the envoy, Darian, his face frozen in an expression of terror, Eve felt a shiver run down her spine.
Her eyes, filled with a mixture of despair and determination, turned to Adrian. He stood there, watching her carefully, his posture guarded but not aggressive.
There was something in his gaze that unsettled her—a calm, understanding look that made her feel exposed, as if he could see the turmoil raging inside her.
"I'm sorry," Eve whispered, her voice trembling as she reached for the dagger once more. "I have to do this... for my mother."
Ding! New mission has arrived, Host!
Mission: Seduce Eve
Rewards: 20,000 SP, Luck Potion, One Lottery Spin for Skill section
Adrian's eyes widened in disbelief as he mentally shouted at the system, "Motherfucker system, you want me to seduce this girl, who seems to be no more than 14-15?"
The system's response was cold and clinical. "Host, mind your language. Eve Mortimer is 18 years old. Due to malnutrition and a rough upbringing, she has not grown according to her age."
Adrian let out a frustrated sigh, his thoughts racing. The mission was unexpected, and while he understood Eve's situation, he hadn't anticipated being asked to seduce someone in the midst of such turmoil.
But the system's clarification reminded him that Eve was an adult, albeit one who had been through unimaginable hardship.
He knew he had to approach this carefully, not just for the mission, but because of the delicate state Eve was in.
Adrian didn't move, his expression softening as he spoke. "Eve, you don't have to do this. I know what you're going through, and I can help you. We can find another way."
While he talked to Eve, he ordered the System to activate the automatic collection function for his storage ring.
In an instant, the enchanted dagger vanished from right before her as she was about to grasp it, transferred directly into Adrian's ring.
Eve blinked in shock, staring at her now-empty hand. The weapon she had held moments before—the symbol of her vengeance and the means to her end—had disappeared into thin air. She looked up at Adrian, confusion and disbelief clouding her eyes.
"How...?" she started, her voice barely a whisper.