After a while, they called me. I grabbed the food they had prepared and made my way into the cave.
To my surprise, the usual, repulsive stench that filled the cave was absent. In its place was a surprisingly pleasant aroma that hung in the air. It stirred something within me—an unfamiliar craving. Like I was thirsty, but not for water. It was something different, something I'd never experienced before.
I began handing out the fruit, and as I ventured deeper into the cave, the scent grew stronger. The others watched me as though I were death itself—or perhaps something even more terrifying. Except for one.
It was the newcomer. He watched me with curiosity, and just after I handed Nedu his food, he smiled at me.
Yes, at _me_. Me, the one they called a demon, feared by all. Just Why? Who in their right mind would do something like this? Why weren't you scared of me? Everyone else was.
'Just look at me—I'm the very embodiment of fear. So why do you look so happy?'
I don't know why, but I smiled back. I don't smile often, so it probably looked… awful.
But he only seemed happier because of it. 'What do I do now?' I asked myself. I couldn't remember how to treat someone kindly. 'What if he hates me too?'
Then I remembered the fruit in my arms. Everyone likes food, right? I offered him the fruit, and he looked even more pleased. He never stopped looking at me. Most people wouldn't dare glance in my direction, but he... He stared right at me—as if it brought him some kind of pleasure to do so.
_What now?_ Normally, I would either torture the person or just leave, but neither of those felt right. So what should I do? I didn't want to leave. I wanted more of this. I wanted to see him smile some more.
It was addicting, not being hated or feared.
I had to come up with an excuse to stay, and it didn't take long to think of one. Nearby, there was a long braid of straw. I knew some of the people in the tribe wore their hair like this, so I commanded him to do the same with mine. It was my right—after all, he was a prisoner, and I was the one in charge.
He didn't understand a word. So, I pointed to the braid and then to my hair, hoping he would get it. And to my surprise, he did.
My plan worked perfectly. I sat down, using my pelt as a cushion to avoid sitting on the cold, damp floor.
I laid my hair over the straps of the cage, and he began braiding it.
But there was just one problem.
This thirst—it kept growing stronger and stronger. 'What is this?'
It almost made me want to touch him. I didn't understand why I was acting this way. It was as if I wanted him to be near me. What was this feeling?
Part of me was curious to see if he would let me touch him, but that same curiosity was also the reason I held back. 'What if he hates it? What if he hates me?'
Just as I was about to pull away, he suddenly grabbed my hand. I was startled.
But he let me touch his hand—and even his face.
It was something I enjoyed more than I thought I would...
When he finished, he bit into the peel of one of the fruits.
'Is he stupid? Doesn't he know how to eat?'
His expression made me laugh harder than I expected. I showed him the proper way to eat it.
Just then, I heard a call from outside the cave. I frowned. I didn't want this moment to end, but I forced myself to leave. If I didn't, the First Elder could use my neglect of duty as grounds for punishment, and I had no choice but to go.
With every step I took away from him, my mood darkened. The only thing that kept me somewhat grounded was the braid, still carrying his addicting scent.
Outside the cave, a girl was arguing with Snake and Frog.
The moment they saw me, the atmosphere grew even more tense. The girl, especially, seemed shaken. She stuttered, her face full of worry.
"Y... You... What ha... have you done to him?" Her voice trembled.
I rolled my eyes, annoyed by her presence.
"He's fine, so SCRAM!" I snapped, my eyes flashing with bloodlust.
She was startled—nearly stumbling backward from the shock. But instead of leaving, she clenched her fists, took a deep breath, and gathered her resolve.
"Release my Nedu!" she demanded, her expression twisted with anger.
"Hoh?" I tilted my head to the side, a small smile curling on my lips, a hint of amusement flickering in my eyes. I hadn't expected her to talk back.
"Else what?" I asked, curiosity mingling with the bloodlust in my eyes.
"It's not fair! The Divine Ritual is in two moons. He... He will miss it!" Her voice was on the verge of breaking.
"Pahaha... You think I care if it's fair or not?" I replied mockingly.
"B... But..." Her voice trembled, the determination she had moments ago completely gone.
My smile faded. I grabbed Snake's spear, resting it on my shoulder.
This time, my expression turned serious. "You know I'm authorized to kill those who help prisoners escape. And right now, I have every reason to believe you're about to do just that. So tell me—why shouldn't I kill you right... here...?" My voice grew more unhinged with every word.
"I... I..." Her face was screaming with fear, tears flowing from her watery eyes. She had already tripped on the dirt path, overwhelmed by shock, but she gathered every ounce of strength she had left to run.
Seeing her flee, I said, "At first, I was going to let you live because I'm in a good mood. And I still will... but..." I took the spear in a reverse grip.
My right foot took a step back as I prepared to throw the spear, releasing it at the last moment. "I should at least live up to the reputation of being the demon of our tribe, don't you think?"
The spear soared through the air, driving into her left calf. She collapsed to the ground instantly. At first, she didn't understand why she couldn't stand, until the unimaginable pain in her leg hit her and she saw the tip of the spear lodged in it.
She wanted to scream from the horror and pain, but I didn't let her. I already closed the distance, placing my hand on her mouth, forcefully shutting it. I pulled her head higher. She was now kneeling with er back faced to me and her hip straight.
I placed my foot beside the spear lodged in her leg and wrenched it out. Her entire body tensed with agony, as her leg flooded with blood. She had already lost all reasoning, her instincts taking over as she desperately tried to bite and scratch her way out of my grip.
It was futile—her strength was nowhere near enough, gradually fading with each desperate attempt to break free. I squatted down, pressing my hand against her wound. A wave of pain surged through her body, her eyes screaming with fear, begging me to stop.
But my insane laugh, radiating with pleasure, extinguished the last spark of hope in her.
On the back of my left hand, the divine mark of a white fox began to form, glowing faintly. Part of the white ink flowed from my hand, spreading onto her leg, sealing her wound as it gradually closed.
But instead of relief from her wound closing, all she felt was pain—pain far stronger than the agony from the spear. Her entire body tensed. I didn't even need to keep her mouth shut; the pain was doing that for me, freezing her in place, not letting her move a single muscle.
"HAHAHA, that's what you get for opposing me!" My voice sounded crazier than ever.
The pain was so intense that her eyes lost all will to live.
Soon after, her body went completely still—she passed out.
"Tsk, how boring," my smile faded as quickly as her consciousness. I healed the rest of her lifeless body, including the grazes from when she fell. Then, I tossed her aside, near the path, before picking up the spear and tossing it by Snake's legs.
Snake and Frog were frozen in fear, their eyes wide from what they had just witnessed. Not that I cared.
I healed the scratch and bite marks on my hand and arm, ignoring the pain from the healing process—pain I had grown accustomed to over the years.
Taking a deep breath, I inhaled the faint scent that still lingered of him. My body instantly relaxed as a wave of pleasure swept through me.
I walked back to my tent. The people I passed along the way were, of course, scared of me, but at the same time, the braid and my happy expression seemed to confuse them.
That must have been why they went near him. I didn't understand it at the time, so I ignored it.
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##Release every Saturday##
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Power stone Ranking:
1. Bosenmori_Ren
2. R3ze
3. Copper_husky
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A/N: My internet broke down, so there's only one chapter this week. I'm sorry about that.
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Discord: https://discord.gg/9zdCMtJMuk