011 THE PALACE OF THE ROSES
Flustered, Dassa pushed him away, her face flushing.
"Don't start with me. You'll regret it, I'm not the type for you," she warned, her voice more serious than before.
Suddenly, Dassa's expression changed as she glanced over Leo's shoulder.
"Wait. Someone's coming."
Leo turned, frowning. "City guards?"
Dassa shook her head. "No, their movements are too sharp, too coordinated. The guards are slow and lazy. Whoever they are, they're dangerous."
Leo raised an eyebrow, impressed. "You can tell all that from just their footsteps? Who are they?"
"There's no need to guess. They're already here," Dassa replied.
A large group of men quickly surrounded them, cutting off all escape routes.
They weren't the city guard, as Leo had anticipated. These men moved with the precision and strength of soldiers. One man, clearly their leader, stepped forward.
He was middle-aged, muscular, and well-trained, exuding the air of a seasoned fighter—loyal and disciplined.
"Lilleo Gullee," the leader said coldly, locking eyes with Leo.
"You're in deep trouble."
-----
"You're the one who brought him back?" General Kasshyek asked, his voice sharp and cold as his eyes flicked toward Dassa.
"Yes, General. I explained everything in my letter, you have Lilleo Gullee back in one piece," Dassa replied.
"Here's your reward," Kasshyek said, tossing a pouch of coins her way without care. "Now, get back to whichever hell hole you came from."
Under his breath, he muttered, "Why did you have to bring this idiot back?"
Dassa stifled a sigh, meeting Leo's eyes with a bittersweet smile. "I guess this is it. You're in good hands now."
"You're leaving already?" Leo asked, his surprise evident in his tone.
"Come on, stop wasting my time. The leader's waiting," Kasshyek barked impatiently. His men began hauling Leo away, leaving Dassa standing alone in the street.
"Just a minute, I'm not finished here", Leo protested.
"Yes, you should go home now", Dassa told him.
"I'll look for you in a while. Wait for me. You still owe me a full flash of your b…", Leo replied to her.
She watched in silence as Leo's figure faded into the distance, her heart unexpectedly heavy. As he vanished, she whispered softly, "This will be the last time we see each other." A single tear traced a path down her cheek, surprising even her.
"Now to the hard part", she told herself.
-----
Navigating the narrow, shadowed streets of Gomora, Dassa finally reached Bagnio la Pleasure, the infamous brothel, though she had no intention of indulging in its offerings.
Slipping past the patrons, she ducked into a hidden alley behind the brothel. With quick, purposeful steps, she wound her way through the dark passages until she reached an abandoned fountain.
Glancing around to ensure she was alone, she murmured a spell and plunged her hand into the fountain.
The water evaporated instantly, revealing a concealed portal beneath. Without hesitation, Dassa descended, spiraling down a staircase that led deep into the earth, finally emerging in the Palace of Roses.
This was no ordinary place beneath Gomora, she had crossed into another realm, a world beyond comprehension.
The Palace of Roses sprawled before her, filled with countless blooms, breathtaking yet perilous. Beneath each delicate rose lay sharp, deadly thorns, hidden threats lurking under their beauty.
The field of roses stretched endlessly, a vast expanse with no visible boundaries. Above, a ceiling resembling a starry night sparkled with gemstones, enhancing the palace's surreal allure.
Suddenly, the sea of roses parted, revealing a narrow path lined with blood-red foliage—remnants of dead roses still stained with crimson, as if they bled from their former malevolence.
"Careful."
Dassa treaded carefully, ensuring her long heels didn't catch on anything that could trip her. Falling in this garden could mean death.
At the end of the path, a clearing revealed a gathering of beautiful women, but all eyes were drawn to the regal figure at the center— Madame la Rosa.
Striking and terrifying, she embodied dark seduction in her crimson and black velvet gown, flowing like shadows. Pale skin peeked through lace, and a blood-red pendant pulsed at her plunging neckline. Her raven hair framed sharp, elegant features, while her glowing red eyes and wicked smile hinted at her malice.
Hah..hah…hah echoed across the silent realm. Madam la Rosa released a laugh.
In her hand, a black rose scepter with deadly, poison-tipped thorns shimmered, its beauty masking its lethal power.
-----
[The Palace of the Rose]
Dassa approached Madame la Rose.
"Greetings, Madame," Dassa said, bowing low before the Madame.
"One moment," Madame la Rosa replied, her voice calm and commanding.
Just then, a group of women known as the Roses entered, rolling forward a large, rounded cage.
Inside, a young woman lay bound, completely naked, her wrists and ankles shackled by heavy chains. She was utterly helpless, and the terror in her wide eyes revealed the depth of her fear.
"Mothers, we have captured this traitor," one of the Roses announced.
"She has been engaging in secret rendezvous with foul men. Upon examination, we confirmed she has lost her divine virginity."
"Please, let me go," the girl pleaded, her voice trembling. "I am of no use to you now. I am used and is no longer pure. Return me my freedom! I beg of you."
Madame la Rosa, seated in her grand chair of thorns, turned her gaze toward the assembly.
"What is your judgment?"
A woman dressed in yellow stepped forward. "She is useless to us now that her purity is gone. But we cannot let her leave—she knows too much about us."
"The success of the Invocation depends on secrecy," the Blue Rose declared coldly. "We cannot afford any leaks and betrayals."
"Bring forth a Unicorn," Madame la Rosa commanded.
From the garden of roses, a creature crawled into view, moving on all fours. Its skin was a deep crimson, stained with the color of dried blood, its body marked by countless cuts from the thorns.
As it approached, it became clear this was not a beast, but a man crawling on all fours—a man grotesquely incomplete. He was missing a part of what made him a man.
He was a pitiful monster, a eunuch.