After ending the live stream, Aria shook off her slippers and slumped onto her bed, the mattress bouncing slightly at the impact of her body. She felt like she could finally rest after countless sleepless nights but even then that sense of relief was fleeting.
She felt unwell, a heavy sensation wrapping around her like a suffocating blanket. Who wouldn't feel unwell after a month of living like this? The past twenty-four hours had been a nightmare, a relentless cycle of frustration and defeat that left her feeling as though a ton of bricks were weighing her down.
Her head throbbed painfully, the ache pulsing like a cruel heartbeat, as if someone had taken a knife and plunged it deep into her brain. She touched her forehead, only to find it radiating heat like she was going to have a fever.
Twisting and turning in bed, she finally hugged her pillow, curling up into a tight ball as if trying to shield herself from the pain. She rubbed her eyes, mumbling softly, "I feel like crap." Despite her overwhelming fatigue it took her a long time to finally fall asleep.
Three hours later...
The soft blue light from her LED lights cast a gentle glow across the room, illuminating the figure now breathing softly on the bed.
Her sleeping posture left little to be desired. limbs sprawled across the bed, one leg dangling precariously at the edge while the covers barely clung to her.
Suddenly, the atmosphere in the room shifted, a heavy feeling settling over her as if an ominous presence had infiltrated her sanctuary. A red wisp of smoke slipped in from beneath the door, the tension thickening with every passing second.
Aria's brows furrowed as she sensed a change, a prickling awareness creeping into her subconscious, but the weight of exhaustion kept her in a deep slumber.
The red smoke twirled and danced around the room, transforming her once-cosy space into a realm of shadows and obscurity. The smoke swirled covering the figure on the bed and the cherished picture of Aria and her grandmother that hung nearby.
From the swirling smoke, a stunning yet terrifying face began to materialize, its features sharp and haunting. Black cracks marred the skin around her red eyes and cheeks, and her red lips curled into a sly smile as she studied the figure sleeping uneasily before her.
As her blood-covered fingernails brushed against Aria's cheek, a cold chill spread across Aria's skin, sending icy tendrils of terror spiralling through her body. Aria stirred, her eyes fluttering open slightly, still trapped in the haze of sleep.
But the moment she focused on the creepy visage hovering above her, a face she had become all too familiar with, the reality of her situation crashed down like a tidal wave. Her eyes widened in horror, and her mouth opened to scream, but no sound escaped her lips.
The Blood Empress smiled wickedly, a malevolent glint in her eyes, as her cold hand wrapped around Aria's throat, squeezing just enough to send panic coursing through her veins.
The red smoke enveloped them both, thick and suffocating, and Aria suddenly felt an unsettling sensation of sinking as if the solid ground of her bed had vanished and she was plummeting from a great height.
Cracks began to spiderweb across Aria's face, mirroring the grotesque features of the Blood Empress, and she struggled to breathe, the grip of the villaness goddess tightening around her throat. "Who is the demon spawn now?" the Empress whispered, her voice a haunting echo that resonated in Aria's mind.
Just as the last remnants of light began to fade, everything went dark, plunging her into the depths of the abyss, where terror reigned and escape seemed impossible.
***
In the dim, cramped confines of a dilapidated wooden shed, dust motes danced lazily in the shafts of light that pierced through the gaping holes in the walls. The air was thick with the musty scent of old wood and something far less pleasant, a bitter tang that clung to the back of the throat.
On the ground, nestled amidst a pool of dried blood that had long since begun to congeal, lay the thin figure of a young girl. Her form was almost skeletal, clothed in rough-woven fabric that hung loosely from her bony frame. A patchwork of colours and textures clearly expressed how difficult her life was.
Long, matted hair tumbled in disarray around her head, collecting dust and bits of wood chips. The girl seemed almost lifeless. Who knew how long she had been lying there left to die. Suddenly a flicker of movement broke the stillness.
Her fingers twitched, curling weakly as they grasped a handful of dirt, the coarse granules slipping through her fingers. With a low, grumbling sound, her eyes fluttered open, revealing a glassy confusion that reflected the dim light.
Rubbing her eyes, she rolled over gingerly, the world spinning around her as she fought to orient herself. As her gaze fell upon her hand, a look of disbelief washed over her features, stark against the grime and desolation that surrounded her. In an abrupt surge of realization, she sat up, her breath catching in her throat as her heart raced. This girl, in this frail body, was none other than Aria.
"What the...?" she gasped, the words tumbling out in a rush, panic clawing at her chest. Yet, just as quickly as it came, she
attempted to steady her racing thoughts, whispering to herself, "It must be a dream."
The notion felt like a flimsy lifeline, and she clung to it, allowing a laugh to escape her lips, a sound that emerged more like a desperate sob than genuine amusement. "Hahaha, of course, it's just a dream."
As she inhaled, the strong musk of livestock and the acrid scent of sweat invaded her senses, and her expression twisted in distaste. "A really really... vivid dream," she muttered, her voice shaky as she sniffed the air again, a lingering hint of something foul tugging at her stomach. Lifting her collar to shield her nose, she froze, the stench wrapping around her like a heavy blanket.
The dry heave that followed was involuntary, her body recoiling as she turned her head to the side, but nothing came up. Instead, a sharp pain shot through her skull, and the world tilted around her making her feel dizzy.