Chapter 20

Regan had lost total track of time. She was clutched in the bed, with her eyes wide awake and red from crying. She had closed the curtains, not wanting to stare at the bloodied sky outside. The chamber would've been coated in darkness had he not lit those few candles.

He hadn't come again, no one had. His words, another world, another dimension, no matter how terrifying they were, she couldn't shake the proof in front of her. This couldn't be Earth.

The twisted reality was too much to accept. A demon had abducted her and thrust her into a luxurious hellhole. The thought was incredulous, but here she was, living it. How could she get back to her home? What could her aunt be doing, thinking? It was ironic, Regan hated her home. He had made her hate it.

It was just then, after she had counted two full minutes, that something knocked on the door. Regan's hands tightened on the blanket, as if it was a source of weapon. The knock had been a formality, she realized. Without her response, the door cracked open slightly, and there appeared a figure that she was sure it wasn't him.

It was a woman, with her eyes downcast, Regan could see that. Her hair was pulled into a tight sleek bun, and she wore a black frock. Her features weren't visible in the faint light and in Regan's eyes that had gone blurry by now. But she was holding a tray of what supposed to be food.

"I apologize for the interruption, my lady," she spoke, the weirdest and most unheard accent Regan had ever heard. She barely even registered the woman's words, "His highness ordered to bring you food."

Regan slowly let go of the blanket and stood up, her legs shaking. Maybe this woman could help her, who knew? So far, she had been dreading over the thought that she and the demon were utterly alone here. "He-he has abducted me," she whispered, trying to sound strong, but her voice came small instead, "Please, tell me where I am, what is this?"

The woman looked up for the first time, and Regan halted back. There was a candle on the tray she held, illuminating her features in a somewhat uncanny way. She had cheeks layered with scales and slitted golden eyes, that were now looking at her with a mix of fear and curiosity.

Regan had to keep her cool, but this was the most terrific proof that she wasn't on Earth anymore. She didn't know what was holding her from cowering in terror. These creatures, though with a similar anatomy to that of humans, were extraterrestrial beings. "Oh my God," she said to herself, her voice barely audible. It was like a nightmare, the reality of her situation still raw and unbelievable.

"The....the realm is called 'Silvertide' and the fortress is called 'Onyx'," the young woman replied cautiously, looking at her with a hint of pity that grated on Regan's nerves, "But I'm not allowed to reveal too much." She placed the tray on a near table and left quickly, like a frightened cat.

"Can you help me escape? Please..." Regan's voice trailed off as she left, closing the doors to the freedom. Freedom or not, she wasn't much sure anymore, but she knew she had to get out of here.

Her legs dragged her to the tray of food, eyes narrowing with suspicion as she saw a bowl filled with something strange, and a glass of green liquid. Her stomach churned, both from hunger and repulsion of what she was seeing.

There was no way she was going to eat. Maybe it was poisoned. She'd rather starve then eat something poisoned.

She sighed, his words ringing in her ears. Powers. That sounded way too cliché and she did anything but believe it. He was deranged. 

Regan had to gather herself somehow. She couldn't drown in hopelessness, she had to find a way out, or something that could help at least. She had searched the room, but there was nothing more apart from the opulent furnishings that she didn't need, a tall, wide wardrobe filled with beautiful clothes, and a bookshelf with books that she hadn't bothered to check. For a moment, she felt the urge to tear them all apart.

Her throat burned from thirst as she swallowed and walked over to a single door, which led to a luxurious bathroom. It was a suffocating, offensive kind of wealth, as if she was being coaxed into oppression, submission, whatever he'd call that. Because there was no other reason for her to be in this room.

The bathroom smelled like a mix of lavender and jasmine, scents she'd have appreciated if she was somewhere else. But here, it almost made her throw up. She approached the sink, which looked like it was made from a piece of gold, and turned on the faucet, watching as the surreal water gushed out from it. It wasn't colorless, it had a white blue hue. 

She hadn't looked at her reflection yet. The thought of looking in the mirror, in another world, realm, planet, it didn't matter, it was terrifying. But she forced herself to, meeting with a tired figure with dark circles under her eyes, tangled red hair, looking lost and scared. Her jaw clenched at the sight and she had to stop looking at if she didn't want to break that mirror with her fist.

She wanted to wash her face, but the water's color had changed her mind. Her fists clenched as she left the bathroom, kicking the door behind her. "What an asshole," she muttered bitterly. She wasn't just getting angry at it, she was getting angry at herself, a wave of frustration settling over her. The bed was the only inviting thing here, but even that felt shallow. Pointless.

Still, she lay there, tears of frustration and anger begining to form once more.

***

"What time did she call you?" Monica asked more panicked than ever.

"I already told you, aunt Monica, the same time she called you but my damn phone wasn't on battery," Vesper replied, trying to calm her down.

"I can't believe it, it makes no sense, she said she wasn't feeling well and I was coming home very fast. Where the hell did she go in such a short time?" Monica said as she sat stressed on the couch, "Are you sure she didn't say anything weird to you? When did you see Regan for the last time?"

"I don't know, I saw at school lastly. Then she skipped the class because she wasn't feeling well and later on, I didn't talk or see her at all. Trust me aunt Monica, I'm worried as well," Vesper replied with a sympathetic look.

"Wait, what about cameras? They serve a purpose!" Monica came with a realization.

"Yes! How we didn't think about it earlier? Let's go and check," Vesper responded and they both went to where the laptop was. Vesper managed to get access to the footages but they couldn't see anything.

Apparently cameras weren't working that day.

"Impossible! What kind of coincidence is this?" Monica said in frust, rubbing her temples.

"Yeah, I know that's some sort of weird coincidence, but what if she just went somewhere? Perhaps she ran away?" Vesper suggested.

"Ran away? Why would Regan run away?" Monica's eyebrows furrowed.

"Aunt Monica, we both knew she was mentally unwell, she had told me how tired she was from home and from you too. Maybe Regan just needed some time alone or to try escape from her reality," Vesper said with a persuasive voice.

"No, Regan would never do this. I know her very well. Her phone is also here," Monica replied being sure that a runaway wasn't the case.

"But it makes sense, she probably didn't want any of us to contact her."

"That's not possible Vesper! She isn't like that. I'm so done, I'm going to call the cops."

Vesper sighed, this woman was very stubborn.

***

Regan was feeling devastated, hopeless, all kind of states that led to crying. She had to get a grip of herself, she was just giving him satisfaction. He was probably watching he even now. She was laying down the bed, her face buried in the pillow, when she heard the same knock she heard before. It was probably the woman from earlier and she didn't bother to look.

The woman's face fell as she saw the untouched food, "My lady, are you alright?" she asked, her voice trembled slightly, "You should eat. If His highness learns that, I'll be punished."

"Go to hell, all of you," Regan muttered under her breath, shifting slightly to look at her, irritation curling like a vine around her tongue, "What do you mean by "his highness'?" she asked, her voice coming way too sharp.

The young woman's gaze faltered, her voice small, "His highness is our... our lord. He's not one to be disobeyed."

Regan felt a shiver run down her spine at the mention of the 'lord'. "So what, that demon is your king or something?" she asked again, her voice filled with both frustration and curiosity.

The servant's hands trembled as she approached the bedside, "He's our emperor," she replied, her eyes still on the floor, "And if you don't eat, he'll be... displeased."

Regan could hear her own pulse as she realized she was getting, or had already gotten into something far more dangerous and powerful, into a godforsaken world ruled by a demon. She swallowed hard, but she couldn't stop the words, "He may go to hell for all I care!" she exclaimed, her voice echoing through the chamber.

The servant's eyes shot up at her, widened in fear at Regan's audacity. "My lady, you mustn't speak like that about his highness. It isn't safe. You should respect him. He's our master," she whispered urgently, glancing at the door as if expecting it to burst open at any moment.

"Why? What can he do to me if I don't respect him?" Regan challenged, her voice now filled with the hint of fear she was so desperately trying to hide.

The maid paused, then spoke softly, "He can do as he pleases. Now, please, eat."

"Leave," Regan retorted, her voice equally shaky but firm. "Please, I need to be alone."

The servant lingered for a moment, but then nodded and backed away, her eyes never leaving Regan until she exited the room. 

"I can't believe this is happening," Regan said to herself, the silk blanket now adding up to the suffocation. She kicked it off her, watching as it slipped softly on the ground.

"So that's why he dresses like that," Regan said again, her face twisting into a frown as she gripped her hair, mind racing with a million of thoughts. She bit back the tears, but they were again threatening to spill. She had to hold onto what control she had left.

But he was mysterious, unpredictable, and with a certain....charm around him. A dangerous kind of charm, one that she had to shove from her mind. She had felt the power emanating from him, his cold, icy eyes, watching her so intensely.... The way he carried himself with such arrogance and authority, his strong, muscular body, carrying her from her own home....

Regan slapped herself, harsh and unforgivingly. What was she thinking? He wasn't even human, he was a demon, a creature, and he had abducted her into this alien world. And even if he'd been a human, she wasn't one to entertain such thoughts. "You're acting like an idiot," she told herself firmly, voice even more laced with frustration. He was probably going to use her for some twisted purpose. He didn't care. She was alone here, utterly alone and helpless.

For the third time, there was the same knock on the door. Regan sighed in frustration, the servant girl appearing again, her movements more frantic now as she was holding a new tray this time, "My lady, here's something....familiar," she said, her voice slightly trembling.

Regan didn't know what she meant by familiar, she just watched as the servant placed the tray on the bedside. This time it held something that looked like spaghetti with tomato sauce, an incredulous sight to see here.

"So you can't get me out of here, right?" Regan asked, her eyes studying the young woman's expression.

"I'm just a servant, my lady," she answered with a sympathetic look, "But you can tell me if you need anything."

Regan was still sunken in the bed, and she couldn't help but feel a wave of embarrassment. "I....wanted to ask if there's day or night here," she said, nodding towards the window on her right. 

The servant's expression softened further, "Yeah, there's a day and night cycle. The red sky is day, but depends, it could be purple or even blue sometimes. The night is pure black with stars and planets that you've never seen before. It's quite beautiful, really," she said with a hint of longing in her voice.

Regan felt a pang of thrill and curiousity but stomped on it as soon as it had bloomed. She wasn't going to be thrilled about being stuck in a alien world.

"And how long have I been staying here?"

"I'm not sure how it translates to your time, but it's been three cycles since your arrival," the servant replied, her voice gentle but her eyes flicking towards the untouched food with concern. "The day-night cycle has been shorter than usual these days. It's a period we call the 'Whispering Hours'."

Regan decided to not ask anymore. She couldn't grasp anything of it. Had she been gone for three days? Or three weeks? Or something else entirely? She hadn't even slept since she arrived. How did time work here?

The servant left. Regan eyed the tray warily, doubt spreading through her. No, she couldn't afford to end up in something worse.

She decided to let her hunger aside. It wasn't the right time to think for food when she was kidnapped.

She sank to the bed again and covered herself tightly. Everything pressed down on her, it was

so heavy, and she was so tired. And the bed was comlfortable, despite the weight of the situation.

Eventually, it engulfed her.