51: An Unspoken Rule

Vynessa soared through the air, the Thunderous Lion trailing behind her with labored, weak steps, its once proud form reduced to a shuffling, defeated shadow of its former self. Its pride was gone, replaced by a quiet submission.

The Lion's strength had long been drained by Vynessa's cruel play, but it still followed obediently, its massive form struggling to keep up as they neared the ruins of the Desire Kingdom.

The wind whipped around Vynessa's silver hair, her midnight purple eyes sparkling with a gleam of delight. The thunderous roar of the beast was now just a whisper in the wind, the storm it once commanded no longer at its beck and call.

When they reached the Desire Palace, she pushed open the grand doors with an effortless flick of her wrist. The large, luxurious doors parted, revealing the interior—familiar yet strangely charged with tension.

With another wave of her hand, the dirt and blood from the Thunderous Lion vanished, leaving only the quiet hum of her presence.

They made their way toward the training room, where Lycius was cultivating, Lana practicing her swordsmanship, and Elizabeth with Xylara meditating—presumably refining their mana.

That's what Vynessa thought, anyway.

But what she found instead was far more… amusing.

Her eyes flickered with surprise before her lips curled into a wicked grin.

Xylara was kneeling on all fours, her back arched awkwardly as though she were a piece of furniture. Seated atop her was Elizabeth—cross-legged, serene, and disturbingly calm. Xylara's face was a portrait of frustration, her eyes locked on Elizabeth with a mixture of humiliation and suppressed rage.

It was bad enough that she was being used as a chair, but to be in such a position while her "master" watched, simply made her seethe.

Vynessa's laughter bubbled up, silencing the scene for a moment as she couldn't help herself.

"Mother, what are you doing in that position?" Vynessa called, her voice sweet but laced with mocking curiosity.

Elizabeth's golden eyes flicked up, momentarily narrowing with the recognition of Vynessa's presence. Her gaze softened, but there was no hiding the disapproving flicker that passed over her features.

Her attention then fell upon the Thunderous Lion, its form a mere shadow of what it should have been.

"Vynessa… didn't I ask you to bring back a Thunderous Lion?" Elizabeth's voice was deceptively calm, though there was an edge to it.

Vynessa's lips twitched into a mocking grin, and she tilted her head, giving the lion a pointed glance before turning her gaze back to Elizabeth.

"Yes, and here it is," she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. She motioned toward the nearly lifeless beast with an exaggerated flourish.

Elizabeth angered by Vynessa's innocent act, "Tell me, does this thing look like a Thunderous Lion to you? I mean, I thought Thunderous Lions were supposed to be all proud, majestic, and—oh, I don't know—fluffy? Does this look fluffy to you? Does it look cute?"

Vynessa couldn't help but bask in the sight of Elizabeth's increasing frustration.

Elizabeth took a slow breath, her irritation evident, but she kept her composure. She knew Vynessa, knew how she delighted in pushing buttons, how much like Lycius she could be in her teasing.

"Did you at least enjoy yourself?" Elizabeth asked, her tone deceptively light.

Vynessa's lips curled into a wicked smile. "Oh, I most certainly did. I never knew there was such a creature with blood so exquisitely delicious. It was just so… rich, you know? A nice, chubby body, liters of crimson liquid just waiting to be enjoyed."

Her words were dripping with mock sweetness, making it clear how much she reveled in the lion's suffering.

Xylara, still kneeling as Elizabeth sat above her, felt her throat dry. The words Vynessa spoke were like an invitation to a forbidden feast.

Blood, now that she had tasted it, was one of the most intoxicating liquids she'd ever experienced. Just hearing Vynessa talk about it was enough to make her stomach churn with desire.

Before Elizabeth could respond, a sudden chill ran through the room. A figure emerged from Lycius's shadow—Kiara.

The obsidian-eyed woman had been absent since Lycius entered his cultivation state, but now she was back, her presence enough to fill the room with an ominous weight.

Her gaze fell on Xylara, still in her humiliating position, and with a swift flick of her fingers, Xylara was sucked into the void, disappearing in an instant. Elizabeth's serene posture was immediately disrupted, and she plummeted to the wooden floor with an undignified thud.

Xylara reappeared next to Lycius, still in her kneeling position, her gaze now vacant, as if an invisible force had guided her actions.

Kiara's obsidian eyes locked onto her, and her voice, cold and authoritative, broke the silence.

"Xylara, explain what I just saw."

Xylara's body stiffened as Kiara's words sank in, sending an involuntary shiver down her spine. Elizabeth's lips curved into a small smirk, an amused glint in her eyes as she watched Kiara's display of power. So, she can use Lycius's aetherius… Interesting.

Xylara could feel her own mouth moving without her control, her words escaping before she could stop them.

"I'm in need of power, so I agreed to be Elizabeth's… temporary slave…" The words stung her as they left her lips, and the mention of being a "slave" made her feel even more humiliated.

Kiara's eyes darkened, and an eerie golden hue flickered within her obsidian gaze.

"Xylara, do you want to be punished?" Her voice was no longer hers, the words dripping with the kind of authority that only Lycius could possess.

Xylara's body immediately fell to the wooden floor, her forehead pressing against the cold surface as she groveled before Kiara. "Master!" she gasped, her body trembling in fear and submission.

Vynessa and Elizabeth exchanged stunned glances, confusion and disbelief washing over them as they tried to process what was happening.

Kiara's eyes softened, but the menace in her voice remained. "Xylara, what you've done goes against our Master's unspoken rules. Surely, you don't expect to go unpunished."

Xylara raised her tear-streaked face, gazing up at Kiara with regret. Her heart twisted with sorrow at the thought of losing Lycius's favor, but as the power in Kiara's presence began to fade, she realized that the punishment was not yet over. The brief disappearance of Lycius's energy left a cold void, and Xylara's body, though still trembling, slowly settled as Kiara's gaze returned to its usual empty, dull obsidian depth.

Vynessa stood silent, her amusement fading as she watched the scene unfold. The tension in the room was palpable, and for the first time, even her mocking smile faltered.

"No, I deserve to be punished," Xylara's voice trembled, her head still lowered as she spoke. Her words were heavy with both regret and acceptance.

Kiara's obsidian eyes glinted, unblinking as she watched Xylara kneel before her. As a being shaped from Lycius's will, Kiara saw the cracks in the scene, the imperfections that Lycius would never tolerate. She saw Xylara's submission not as an act of penitence, but as a sign of weakness—a flaw in the chain of command.

Her voice cut through the silence, sharp and commanding. "Xylara, I advise you to stand to your feet. We are Lycius's possessions—his, and we kneel to no one but him."

Xylara's breath hitched. Slowly, she rose, the humiliation of her position gnawing at her, but she stood tall nonetheless, her posture stiff with the shame she could no longer hide.

Kiara's gaze then shifted, her eyes narrowing as she turned toward Elizabeth, who had been watching the scene with silent amusement.

"Aunt Elizabeth," Kiara spoke coolly, her tone eerily calm, "Master tasked me with relaying a message. He said, and I quote, 'Stop messing with my stuff.'"

The words hung in the air like a subtle threat, and Kiara didn't wait for Elizabeth's response. With a swift movement, she turned on her heel, her long obsidian hair swirling around her like an ethereal cloak. Xylara, still visibly distressed but now standing at attention, followed closely behind Kiara, her body rigid as they left the training room.

The sound of their footsteps echoed in the hallways, their presence commanding as they made their way toward the royal bedchamber.

The closer they got, the heavier the silence grew. Xylara felt a sense of dread coil in her chest as they passed the ornate doors, knowing that whatever awaited her inside would be far worse than any punishment she could have imagined.

But she had brought this upon herself.

Kiara's footsteps echoed with unspoken authority, and Xylara's mind raced, wondering what Lycius would think of her failure. The thought of his disappointed gaze upon her made her blood run cold, but she couldn't take back what had already happened.

All she could do was face whatever awaited her in the royal bedchamber, hoping that, somehow, she would find a way to redeem herself in his eyes.

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