The first blow

Duvessa materialized in the doorway, her presence a sinister specter that seemed to blur the boundaries between light and shadow. In lockstep with her emergence, Marina and Chara stepped into the hallway, their synchronized strides an ominous herald of their arrival.

"Come on, Marina," Magnus taunted, his grip on Antiochus' sword unyielding.

"Accept the fact that I'm stronger," he continued, his voice carrying the weight of his confidence.

Duvessa, her words laced with venom, and her voice dripping with authority, addressed him. "You are supposed to report to me immediately upon completion of your reconnaissance," she hissed. "What are you doing here?"

Before Magnus could reply, Duvessa's demeanor shifted, her tone softening as she turned to Chara and Marina. "Welcome back home," she said, her voice now taking on a more subdued, almost fond quality.

"Lady Duvessa," Marina said with a curt nod, before turning her attention to Magnus. "What are you doing with that man?" she demanded, a hint of suspicion creeping into her voice.

Antiochus, sensing the sudden shift in the air, withdrew his hands from the sword, taking a step back as a chill coursed through him. This wasn't how he expected the situation to unfold. His eyes flitted from Duvessa to Marina, then to Magnus, who casually adjusted his grip on the weapon, his smirk deepening as he turned to face the three of them.

"Oh, your man here wanted to slice me open for no reason," Magnus said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "He seems to have forgotten his place."

"My man?" Marina's voice dripped with menace. "Do you wish to die?"

"Ooh, feisty!" Magnus said, his smirk widening. "Relax, I was just kidding."

As the exchange between Magnus, Marina, and Duvessa continued, Antiochus seized his chance to turn and retreat. He stepped away from the tense group, turning to face the opposite direction. But just as he was about to make his move…

"Hey you," Chara's voice echoed in the hall, her tone laced with menace. "Who said you can leave?" Her green eyes flashed with a fierce intensity, the glare like a vise around Antiochus' soul, freezing him in place.

The call-out from Chara startled him, his heart racing as he realized his options had rapidly dwindled. Trapped between the wrath of his foes, he stood frozen, his mind racing for a way out of the impossible situation.

Duvessa's gaze turned to Chara, who was still glaring at Antiochus with a piercing intensity. For a brief moment, the two seemed to share a silent understanding. Then, Duvessa's face split into a smile, her expression becoming almost predatory. "I see," she said, turning back to Antiochus. "It seems you're still needed here, my dear."

Antiochus kept his back turned to Chara, his voice a careful mask of calm as he responded. "How may I assist you, little girl?"

Magnus let out a loud guffaw, amused by Antiochus's remark.

Chara continued to advance on Antiochus, her gaze still fixed on him with the intensity of a predator stalking its prey. "Don't pretend you don't know what I'm going on about," she said, her voice icy and sharp. "You did it. You murdered my family."

A chill ran down Antiochus's spine as Chara's words hung heavy in the air.

Sweat beaded on his forehead as her presence loomed behind him, her words echoing in the dimly lit hallway.

"We were innocent, living our own lives without troubling anyone, yet you attacked us," she continued, her voice devoid of emotion. "I survived, but what's the point of surviving when the most important thing has been taken from you?" Chara's eyes glowed with a fierce intensity, her resolve unwavering.

"I struggled to find a reason to go on," she said, her voice cold and steady. "But I have found a purpose: to destroy you and everything you hold dear. To make you suffer as you made me suffer. That's why I'm here, Apollo. That's why you must turn and face me."

Antiochus trembled, but a wicked grin split his face as he turned slowly to face Chara. "Heh heh heh heh heh," he cackled, a chilling laugh echoing through the hallway. "My son died in the hands of your foolish incompetent father. I was merely returning a favor."

His voice, although still trembling with fear, grew louder and more confident as he stared down at Chara. But Chara did not flinch under Antiochus' gaze, her murderous glare fixed on him with unyielding intensity.

Meanwhile, Arabella remained hidden in the shadows, straining to hear the exchange between Antiochus and Chara. She didn't dare peek around the corner for fear of being spotted. No matter what happened, she vowed to remain unseen, her presence a secret she would keep until the moment was right.

Chara's stoic expression suddenly shifted, the corners of her mouth curving up in a malicious grin. She turned away from Antiochus and faced Duvessa, her voice dripping with devious glee. "Duvessa, you see that I am weak and helpless before this man. His arrogance grows with his belief in my impotence, but his words only ignite a growing flame of joy in my heart." She paused, a gleam of dark pleasure in her eyes.

"What if," she continued, a smile spreading across her face, "I were to ask you to restrain him for me? For you see, I believe I have discovered a way to make this man suffer in ways he could never imagine." She turned back to Antiochus, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. "You will beg for mercy, Apollo, but there will be none for you."

Antiochus laughed nervously, a desperate edge to his voice. "Ha ha ha! Marina, tell them, tell them you promised nothing would happen to me if I followed your orders that night!"

Marina's expression darkened, her scowl sharp and her gaze piercing. "Huh? I never said I would be your protector," she hissed. "I only said you would survive, and I meant it. But that doesn't mean you won't suffer," Marina continued, her voice cold and hard. "Your survival was a means to an end, nothing more. And now, you have outlived your usefulness." She turned her gaze to Chara. "Do as you will with him," she said, her voice low and dangerous. "His life is yours to do with as you see fit."

Antiochus paled, his knees trembling as he realized the depth of his mistake.

Magnus watched the unfolding drama with a smirk, clearly relishing the tension and intrigue.

Duvessa let out a resigned sigh. "How can I refuse if it's you who has asked, Chara?"

Her footsteps echoed in the hallway as she approached Antiochus with deliberate, measured steps.

Antiochus tried to turn and flee, but Duvessa's speed was uncanny.

Even without magic, she was a force to be reckoned with, and the Habents on Daekosmos knew better than to underestimate her.

Before Antiochus could fully turn, Duvessa had already seized his arms and forced him to his knees. Her grip was like iron, and Antiochus let out a cry of pain as she twisted his arms behind his back.

"Don't struggle," she said, her voice hard and unforgiving. "You're at Chara's mercy now."

Antiochus whimpered, his body trembling as he knelt before Chara. With a cold and calculating gaze, Chara turned to Magnus. "His sword," she commanded, her voice like ice.

Magnus stepped forward, tossing Antiochus's sword to Chara with a cruel smirk. "Here," he said, his eyes gleaming with ghoulish delight.

Chara grasped the sword in her right hand, its blade gleaming in the dim light. She stepped towards the kneeling Antiochus, whose begging for mercy fell on deaf ears.

"Don't do it! You're too young to carry the burden of such a deed!" Antiochus pleaded, his voice desperate and trembling.

With a swift, hard slap, Chara's left hand sent Antiochus's head reeling to the side.

"Is that the only reason I shouldn't end your life?" Chara's voice was low and deadly, her eyes locking onto Antiochus with a cold, murderous glare. "I assure you, I cannot be haunted by the death of a primate." She lifted the sword above her head, her grip tightening on the hilt.

"Wait!" Antiochus cried, panic and pain lacing his voice. "Let's make a deal! I'll give you whatever you want!"

Chara's piercing gaze did not waver, the harsh lines of her face unyielding. "As if you could give me back my family," she said, her voice quavering with barely controlled rage.

With a sudden, decisive motion, Chara drove the sword downwards, severing Antiochus's left arm with a sickening crunch of bone and a gush of crimson. Antiochus's scream of agony pierced the air, his body shuddering in a frenzy of pain.

His severed arm dropped to the floor with a sickening thud, blood gushing from the wound.

The scent of blood filled the air, sharp and metallic. Duvessa tightened her grip on his remaining hand, a booted foot on his back, forcing him to remain on his knees.

Chara's smile was feral and cold, a chilling contrast to Antiochus's agonized growls.

"Kikikiki!" she cackled, the sound low and cruel. "Why don't you try a taste of your own medicine? Go on, drink your own blood. I might reconsider and end your pain right now."

Magnus chuckled darkly, a twisted grin spreading across his face. "Worse than the demons, eh?"

Chara ignored Magnus's commentary, raising the sword high once more. Antiochus whimpered and pleaded as she took aim at his remaining hand.

Without hesitation or mercy, Chara brought the blade down in a swift, decisive arc, severing his last remaining hand with a gruesome crunch.

Antiochus's screams echoed through the hallway, his bloodied torso collapsing to the floor as Duvessa tossed his severed hand in front of him.

Chara stepped forward, savoring the moment as she drove a booted heel into Antiochus's back, pinning him to the floor. Bending over him, she leaned in close, her eyes gleaming with a mixture of hatred and satisfaction.

"You took everything from me," she hissed, her breath hot against his ear. "And now, I'm taking everything from you—your power, your pride, your dignity. Everything that makes you who you are will be stripped away until you're nothing but a pathetic, broken shell of a man."

As Antiochus's whimpers devolved into sobs, Arabella trembled behind her corner, her knees weakening with every scream. The shuddering cries sent ripples of fear through her body, paralyzing her muscles and draining the strength from her limbs. Though her mind urged her to flee, her feet refused to obey, refusing to carry her away from the chilling horror.

But then, the thought of facing the same fate as her husband galvanized her into motion.

Grasping her skirts, Arabella turned and fled, her steps light and soundless. Down the silent halls she ran, past countless doors to countless rooms, until she reached the second-to-last door. With trembling fingers, she turned the knob and slipped inside, her heart pounding in her chest.

The library was still and quiet, the smell of books and parchment mingling in the air. A dying fire crackled in the hearth, casting flickering shadows across the walls. Moving quickly, Arabella vanished into the stacks, her steps muffled by the thick carpet.

Reaching the end of the stacks, she pulled aside a heavy velvet tapestry, revealing a metallic door with a locking bolt. Her hands shook as she fumbled with the bolt, her breath coming in short, ragged gasps. Finally, the bolt slid open with a click.

With a last look over her shoulder, Arabella pushed open the door, revealing a small, dark room. Stepping inside, she quietly closed the door and turned the bolt, sealing herself in the hidden chamber.

She leaned against the wall, her eyes shut tight as she took slow, measured breaths, trying to steady the trembling that threatened to overwhelm her. After a few moments, she opened her eyes and forced herself to focus. In the center of the room, a wooden hatch waited, its bolt begging to be undone.

Mustering her resolve, Arabella crouched down and pried open the bolt, inhaling sharply as the hatch swung open. A rush of cold, damp air rose from the darkness below, sending a chill through her bones.

Swallowing her fear, Arabella descended the wooden ladder, her eyes scanning the shadows for any signs of danger. At the bottom, she reached up and closed the hatch, sealing off any trace of her passage. The underground tunnel was once an escape route for the royal family, forgotten and overlooked by generations of kings and queens. Antiochus, in his arrogance, had never bothered to learn its secrets, deeming it unworthy of his time and attention. But now, Arabella prayed that this hidden passage would be her path to freedom.

The forgotten underpass was as dark as a moonless night, its floor littered with loose stones and debris.

Heart pounding, Arabella forced herself to take a step forward into the darkness. Her hands groped along the rough stone walls, each step taking her deeper into the unknown.

Meanwhile, Chara's laughter echoed through the hall, a cackling symphony of sadism. Antiochus's cries and pleas fell on deaf ears as she dug her foot deeper into his back, relishing his anguish. "This is nothing compared to what my family endured!" she spat, her voice cutting through the air like a blade.

"Your death will bring me some measure of satisfaction," her voice was cold and hard as ice, her blade lifting high above her head. "But it is not the end. Your kingdom will pay for its crimes against my family."

Antiochus's screams of agony filled the air, a tortured symphony of pain and despair. He could no longer find the words to plead for mercy, his body wracked with torment. In this moment, Chara's steel would be his salvation.

Chara's lips curled into a grim smile as she delivered her final words to the fallen king. "Your soul will not rest," she whispered, her voice cutting through the silence like a knife. "Even in hell, you will remember me."

And with a swift, merciless swing, she brought the blade down, severing Antiochus's head from his body in a shower of crimson. As his lifeblood pooled around her feet, she felt a brief, icy shiver of satisfaction, and then all was still.