Her mentor

Light footsteps sounded from outside the door, each step sending a small tapping sound against the concrete floor. The sound of high heels approaching gave the man chills.

The room was dark and made entirely of concrete with a small hole that served as a window. The window was no bigger than a shoebox, it had a black fence with no glass to stop the winds and heat from seeping in. The amount of light that came in was very minimal, like a drop in the bucket amidst the darkness inside.

There was a small twin bed in the corner with a thin mattress, a single pillow, and two blankets. Right across from the bed was a wooden table filled with books. Yellowed pages had been ripped out and lay crumpled on the floor.

A man sat at the table hunched over Sun Tzu's Art of War. His hair was disheveled and long. The head that was once full of shiny black hair now looked grey and dull. The skin on his face and neck had withered rather quickly making him look much older than he was. His once sharp piercing eyes had lost their power, his thin lips had paled and dried up. The man was built to look ravishing but time in this room had broken his mind, body, and spirit. He was no longer the man feared by many but the man who feared his own shadow.

Time had been cruel and unforgiving to him, retribution had come and asked for its payment. It lowered the rumored King of the Underworld to a pitiful prisoner.

However, he could blame no one else but himself. The pain and torture he went through in this place had pushed him off his high horse and shaken him to the core. It was the result of his own actions. Karma had bid it's time before it sent the harbinger of evil to collect its debt.

The beast of this planet lay hidden inside a woman. Hell paled in comparison to what this woman was, to what she made you feel. Even the devil cowers at the sound of her name. She was a monster: a monster he had created. He once felt proud of such an achievement but time had shown him the error of his ways.

Lifting his head, the man shivered subconsciously as the sounds of footsteps drew closer. His body temperature fell and his breathing quickened. He quickly stood up from the chair and kneeled on the floor in the middle of the room. He bowed his head and waited.

The sounds of a lock being turned echoed inside the small space, the hinges of the heavy door screeched as it was pulled open. The bright afternoon sunlight poured in illuminating the entire room. The shadow of the figure at the door loomed over the man kneeling on the cold floor looking down on him.

The figure walked in with slow graceful steps stopping right in front of him. Bending down to his level the smell of flowers attacked his dull senses. Subconsciously he raised his head and his eyes met a pair of cold amber eyes.

"Feeling bold are we?" She asked, reaching to grab the man's chin. Her eyes were cold and her tone had a trace of mockery.

His pupils dilated as he shook his head in denial. His heart was hammering in his chest. The deep fear he felt towards this woman was engraved in his bones, he truly could not afford to displease her in any way.

A charming laugh left her red lips, her slender fingers pinched his chin. Tilting her head, her eyes brightened at his reaction. Her pink tongue licked her white teeth in delight.

She enjoyed his fear and discomfort.

"Good. It would be a pity to find out you're feeling brave again." Letting go of his chin she stood up and walked over to the wooden chair and took a seat.

The door remained open, the sunlight made her look radiant as her skin glistened under the yellow sun rays. She was soaked in sunlight, the warmth of the sun wrapped itself around her. Her eyes looked like pure gold in the light. However, the air she emitted was cold and dark.

She looked at the man with contempt in her eyes. He was weak and broken, nothing like the man she met all those years ago. The first man to torture her body and mind was reduced to such a pitiful state it was truly laughable in her eyes. She took immense pleasure in his suffering, in the fear she gave him.

A sadistic smile spread on her face, her eyes darkened significantly. The wickedness she kept hidden from the outside world always revealed itself in front of him. He was one of the very few who saw the real her, who knew of the evil that lurked behind her beauty.

It was okay to be her true self in front of him as he was her mentor. The one who taught her how to be a monster.

"Who is Madilyn?" She asked crossing her legs.

The man stiffened, his hands that were placed on his thighs balled into fists.

"She is Daniel's childhood sweetheart." He murmured, keeping his eyes trained on the concrete below. His mind was thrown into chaos that he momentarily forgot that Andre no longer used the name Daniel.

"Was the feeling mutual?" Narrowing her eyes at the man.

"Yes. She is the daughter of a German duke. She was kidnapped at 5 years old and brought to the states. Left at an orphanage she was adopted by the Winfield's, they raised her as their own. Enrolling her in the best schools, spoiling her as their princess since they were unable to have their own biological children. They met around the age of 9 and were inseparable until they were 16 when her family moved to England. They were both devastated. Andre's personality became extremely volatile afterward. Their bond was deep, they had even planned their wedding." He explained.

A wedding? Laughter erupted from her lips, it was a bone-chilling laugh. Anai'ya was delighted at this news.

"And then?"

Clearing his throat, "They kept in contact promising to wait for each other until one day the phone calls and letters stopped. She stopped calling altogether. He went ballistic when he couldn't get in contact with her. He flew to England to look for her but found her parents dead with her nowhere to be found. He searched for two years to no avail. However, in the third year, he stopped searching and never mentioned her again. That same year he met you."

Silence followed after he finished speaking. His nerves had already gone haywire and went into more of a frenzy as he waited for her to respond. He was afraid to raise his head to see her expression so all he could do was wait.