Chapter 54: Unwanted Desire

A satisfaction arose from deep inside. Something unlike anything she felt before. Her chest tightened in deep anticipation and then... She woke up.

Kalika felt cold with something soft and straw-like against her back and the covering of a blanket draped over her. The splashing of water being squeezed into a bucket. Kalika looked to find a child maid squeezing the water from a rag, "R…Rhonda…?"

"What happened…??"

The maid girl turned around, revealing her two pink eyes. The girl looked on in confusion before calling out to someone in the demon language.

"Wait, she isn't Rhonda."

Kalika looked around to find That she was in her old cell from a long time ago. Little had changed aside from a few more rust stains and the bigger cluster of hay she was laying on. It felt like she was stepping back in time over eighteen years. It almost felt nostalgic yet wrenching to return to her old cell after all these years.

Feeling the wall, Kalika mustered what little strength she could to sit back up to no avail, she felt nauseated and faint. The little maid rushed to settle her down back on the bed of hay. She tried ignoring the little girl but found herself being overpowered by her.

Rakon soon showed himself, despite the broken horn and huge scar on his bare chest she could tell it was him. And just by feeling his sheer presence, she could tell that he was no mere clone.

"" Rakon said.

The little maid girl quickly gathered the bucket and rag, leaving the two alone. Kalika sat herself up, the blanket falling. She quickly picked it up, covering herself. Realizing her situation, she lowered her head in complete shock and embarrassment.

There was a silence between the two, it became more awkward with each passing second. And it did not help that Rakon fidgeted with his hands. Even he was at a loss for words.

"W-where's Rhonda?" Kalika finally broke the ice.

Rakon cringed. "She's dead. But you already know that."

Hearing this, Kalika grasped her blanket. No response given. No tears shed. Instead, a continuing ever-growing silence. It felt as though a connection had been severed and all feelings, she once had with Rhonda were now gone.

A terrifying question then passed through her mind. For the first time in her life there was a question she did not want the answer to. The more she thought about this question, the wetter and more flushed her face became.

Rakon noticed this and answered this unspoken question, that they both knew the answer to. "You only have yourself and the succubus maid to blame. If I knew she kissed you earlier before you forced yourself on me, then perhaps… this could've been avoided."

Kalika slowly lowered her head hearing this.

Rakon sighed. "Still… I'm surprised how overpowering that maid's power was. But what happened, happened. just be happy that you got to enjoy yourself."

"E-enjoy myself!?" Memories of that night began to flood back. "How could I enjoy myself? This isn't what I wanted!!"

"Then please tell me. What were you expecting when you tried escaping last night then?" Rakon questioned.

Kalika grasped her blanket much more tightly. Tears started to stream down her face. "I…I… I wasn't expecting this!" Kalika started to cry much more uncontrollably. "I hate you… I hate you! I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!"

"I don't…. I don't want to ha-…!" Kalika's voice was breaking. She found herself unable to finish her statement.

Rakon averted his eyes, irritated. He scoffed. "You're being hysterical. Demons and humans are unable to bear children together. I'm a demon and you're a human… An immortal human. but still human."

Kalika continued to sob, wiping her eyes as she did.

Rakon let out a long sigh. He looked back and sat himself on the hay across from Kalika, leaning his head against the wall. After some time of waiting Kalika's crying ceased. She slowly glanced back and forth from Rakon to the hay bedding, her lips still trembling and too embarrassed to look at him. Slowly, her heart started to pound as her face became more flushed with her thoughts of the night lingering.

"Don't get too excited," Rakon said.

"Huh?"

"What happened here was merely accidental. When you're officially my slave I don't plan to use you in this manner either. You're far too important for that."

Kalika found herself blushing immensely. She quickly sheltered herself in her arms and legs, even more embarrassed. "H-how can you say that with a straight face. I-It's embarrassing."

Rakon looked back at Kalika looking at her white strand mixed with her blonde hair and the small and tiny blue bruises riddled on her body.

"That lousy maid…" Rakon quietly growled.

"Master Rakon." Gaz peeked his head, whispering to Rakon. "Should we prepare the woman for departure now?"

"No. Now leave!" he hissed.

"As you wish." Gaz bowed before leaving.

Rakon took a deep breath, calming himself down.

"I couldn't do it…" Kalika suddenly said.

"Hmmm?" Rakon turned back to Kalika with a raised brow.

"I-I don't get it. This time I tried to escape but…"

"That's because you're still under the penalty from the first contract." Rakon said.

Kalika looked at Rakon a little confused with some tears still in eyes.

"I don't expect you to remember, but when we agreed to that contract privately, you refused to follow through just like this one. Your penalty that was agreed upon for it, was that you'd lose your will to leave this castle… if you tried to escape… Of course, that didn't stop you from trying in the end…"

"Is that so…" Kalika became sad upon hearing this. "So, all this time… I… I never had a chance. Even if I wanted to… I…" Memories of when Tilus mentioning the contract to Kalika passed through. She didn't think much of it at the time but now a guilt was rising within her.

"If only I-…"

Kalika felt a crushing pit within her stomach. She only felt this one other time. And that was the day she had her sister executed. The feeling of crushing guilt and loneliness filled her.

"I'll give you another week to collect yourself." Rakon suddenly said. "Mourn if you want. But when the week is up, I'll be binging you with me back into the pit." Not long after he got up from the hay bedding, beginning to leave the cell.

Kalika seeing this panicked. "H-h-hey. Hey wait!!" Kalika reached her hand out panickily.

Rakon stopped. "What is it?

Kalika didn't respond; she remained silent, confused by her own reaction. She wrenched her fingers in, unsure what to make of the situation. "I… I don't know…"

"If you don't need me, I'll take my leave. But don't worry, I'll be having you picked up soon." With those last few words, Rakon finally left.

Kalika couldn't help but watch on feeling a disorienting feeling as he left her sight. She held tight to herself, a futile attempt to comfort herself as she waited all alone in the cell. All the while, Rhonda's last words continued to repeat on and on. Perpetuating the cycle of guilt within her.

********

Rakon is traveling through the dungeon corridor. Alongside him is Gaz who gives Rakon his specially decorated as he followed closely. "" Gaz asked.

Rakon held his head in frustration. "."

Suddenly a pain surged through Rakon. He arced his back falling to his knees, alarming Gaz. "Master Rakon!"

"" Rakon looked at his hands, seeing that his veins started to blacken to the point of seeing them through his red skin.

"<'The King's curse' from the contract is already taking affect…>"

Rakon ignored him, getting back to his feet. "" Rakon took a breather and watched his hands until they returned to normal. He gave out a sigh of relief upon seeing this.

""

"" Gaz asked.

Rakon attempted to conjure a ball of fire within his hands and as he did, the ball of fire quickly shrank involuntarily. "Tch."

""

""

"" Rakon continued forth in the hall. ""

Gaz became flustered hearing a hint of hostility from Rakon. "" Gaz bowed nervously as Rakon departed once more.

"" Gaz snaked to himself. "".

With his new task at hand, Gaz began to trek in the dungeon in search of Bjorn. "" Turning the corner into a hall, Gaz is pushed out the way by Daji as she stormed past him. From the looks of it, Daji was pissed.

""

Both Florin and Valam followed far behind trying to catch up to Daji. Gaz after a few seconds decided to ignore this, opting to continue his tasks at hand.

********

Back with Kalika she was leaning herself onto the cool stone wall with her mind adrift. Her thoughts turned to her old life when things were much simpler. Slowly the memories of everyone she knew who died in the invasion resurfaced. The memory of Captain Leo, Grimwald, her adopted father and even her once human sister Lillian.

thoughts of Tilus and Rhonda surfaced as well of times that she should look back fondly upon but feel nothing for. "Did all of them… really mean nothing to me?"

Out of nowhere she felt an overwhelming malice approaching. The sound of someone storming down the dungeon hall is heard. And the familiar voice of an Angry woman.

""

The next moment Daji appeared before Kalika. She gripped the cell bars tightly in hand glaring at Kalika and grinding her teeth. Without hesitation Daji ran in kicking Kalika's face into the wall.

Daji mercilessly killed Kalika, stomping on her head until it was paste. She grabbed Kalika's shoulder, watching her as her head is pieced back together, reviving her from the dead.

""

Daji threw Kalika's body at the wall, and seeing her fully revived, began her onslaught killing Kalika. Revive after reviving, Kalika is pelted with Daji's blood spears with little disregard with the three people watching. And as she did, she screamed to Kalika to die in her native Demon language.

Florin and Valam along with a child maid carrying fresh clothes witnessed the horrible deeds being done. After a few minutes Both Florin and Valam finally intervened at first trying to reason with Daji before having to pull her away completely from Kalika.

The child maid could only look on in shock and horror by what just took place. Kalika shuddered trying to recover from the sudden animosity. "W-why????"

"" The little maid shook hearing Valam. "" she demanded.

The maid girl approached Kalika with clothes in hand, still shaken. She quickly drops the clothes in front of Kalika and ran off, terrified to bear witness to anything else. The three women there paid no mind, instead focusing their gaze on Kalika with Daji pacing back and forth in the hall.

"" Florin said.

Kalika couldn't understand some of what she said but understood what they were implying. She quickly got dressed and followed them. By the look of things, they all looked very displeased escorting her back into the prison. With Daji's glares, Kalika was sure she would lash out like earlier at any second.

Just as Kalika thought they finally made it to the prison; they pushed her to keep heading down. She listened, heading deeper into the dungeon until they reached a chain of iron doors. She recognized this place as the solitary prison she was put in after her first escape attempt.

Passing through the doors she is greeted back into an old home. Looking in she found that it looked much grimier than when she left it, with blood splatters scattered throughout the cell.

Without warning Daji pushed Kalika into the cell hard. She tumbled to the dirty cell floor, feeling the unnaturally moist floor. And not long after the large Iron door was slammed shut.

"" Daji growled.

With those words said the three ladies left Kalika, slamming every door as they did. A minute after they left Kalika kept herself on the floor, not moving an inch from when she first entered the cell. She leaned her head onto the ground.

"I hate demons…I HATE them!"

"I… I Can'-.... I won'-...." Kalika started choking on her own words. "I…."

Kalika rolled to her side, curling herself in the fetal position. She tried to hug herself for comfort but found none. As far as she was aware, she was trapped in a block of stone with no warmth to show.

"Why is everything so complicated?"