170 THE RETURN OF THE HEIRESS
170 THE RETURN OF THE HEIRESS
The words echoed, carrying their collective resentment. Leo chuckled as he walked away, unbothered. "Villain, huh? Has a nice ring to it. Maybe it's not that bad after all."
-----
[In the Sodom ruins]
Sakema was drenched in mud, her energy sapped by the endless struggles against the skeletal creatures that plagued the swamp. The air was thick with decay, and her every breath felt like a battle.
The demons who had originally trapped her and her escorts had vanished for reasons unknown, leaving them at the mercy of the realm's hazards.
Since the fall of Heaven's Cage, the realm spiraled into chaos. The undead grew more vicious, their numbers swelling, and Sakema's escorts had fallen one by one, either to the relentless demons or the horrors of the swamp.
She was the last survivor.
She pressed on, desperate to find a way out, only to discover that the magic portal back to Sodom had disappeared. Days turned into weeks, and hope began to wane. But Sakema was no stranger to survival.
"Damn it," she muttered, her voice cracking with exhaustion. "Am I really going to do this?"
She knew the cost of the spell she was about to invoke. It wasn't just a spell—it was an ultimate sacrifice. Yet, with no other options, she steeled herself. Drawing a blade from her belt, she sliced her fingers, allowing her blood to drip into the swampy earth.
With trembling hands, she traced a complex sigil on the gnarled roots beneath her. As the last stroke was completed, the sigil glowed crimson, casting an eerie light across the swamp.
The spell's energy surged around her.
Sakema collapsed to ground, her essence unraveling, peeling away piece by piece. It wasn't death—no, this was something far more profound.
She was unmaking herself, reducing her existence to a fragment that could be reborn.
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[At the Gate to Heaven's Cage- Sodom City]
Far from the swamp, at the gates of Heaven's Cage, a group of mages worked tirelessly to repair the damaged portal leading to the ruins of Sodom.
Among the desolation of this plains, a curious shrub began to grow. It was subtle at first—a single green sprout pushing through the cracked earth. But within moments, it expanded, twisting and coiling into a bush. A rose blossomed at its heart, blood-red and impossibly vibrant in the wasteland.
One of the mages noticed the flower and approached, intrigued by its beauty. "This is beautiful," he muttered, reaching to pluck it.
"Ouch!" He recoiled as the rose's thorns pricked his finger, drawing blood. "Damn it, I should've been more careful."
He didn't think much of it at first, but moments later, his body seized in pain. He collapsed, clutching his chest as his strength drained away. The others rushed to his side, carrying him toward the infirmary in Sodom City.
By the time they arrived, it was too late.
The mage was dead, his body unnaturally pale and shriveled. The doctors were puzzled and horrified, they discovered that every drop of his blood had been drained.
Among his belongings, a nurse found the rose. She thought nothing of it, tossing it away.
-----
Time passed, and the rose lay forgotten on an empty street where it was discarded. Its petals shimmered faintly in the moonlight, an otherworldly mist swirling around it.
Then, as if summoned by the mist, a hand emerged—smooth and white as porcelain. The hand gripped the ground, followed by the figure of a woman rising from the rose. She stood naked, her body radiant and otherworldly.
On her shoulder, a tattoo of a rose marked her flesh, its intricate design glowing faintly. It was the same flower she had transformed from.
Sakema opened her eyes, and she was reborn.
----
[In the House of Lotus]
"Madam Chantrieri, we're losing so much business to Court la Mood," Arum reported, his tone urgent. "Our brothels can barely sustain operations. At this rate, we'll be bankrupt in no time."
Madam Chantrieri's brow furrowed, her usually composed demeanor giving way to irritation. "What do they have that we don't?"
Arum hesitated, then said, "We've analyzed their methods carefully. They excel in areas we could learn from, but that's not what's drawing their clientele. It's something else—the very atmosphere within their establishment. It seems to heighten desire unnaturally, stirring lust beyond reason."
A voice cut through the room like a blade. "Only demons could craft such an aura of sin," Sakema muttered, stepping into the chamber.
Madam Chantrieri turned sharply, her eyes widening in surprise. "Sakema! By the gods, you've returned. How? How did you make it back?"
Sakema waved her hand dismissively. "It's a long story, and there are more pressing matters at hand. Let's deal with the problem before us."
"We've already sent girls to infiltrate Court la Mood to uncover its secrets," Arum said, frustration clear in her voice.
"What have they discovered?" Sakema asked, her gaze sharpening as she leaned closer.
"Very little," Arum admitted reluctantly. "Court la Mood is like a fortress. Their security is impenetrable. Beyond the courtesans' quarters and workrooms, no one has been able to explore further."
"And why such secrecy for a brothel?" Chantrieri mused aloud, her tone laced with suspicion.
"And the courtesans?" Sakema pressed.
Arum nodded slowly. "That's where things get strange. They don't seem entirely... human."
Chantrieri's eyes narrowed. "Demons, then?"
"No," Arum replied. "Not demons, but something close. Their physiques, their mannerisms—there's something unnatural about them. And they're terrified of their master, Lilleo Gullee."
Sakema's expression darkened at the mention of the name. "Few cross paths with the Demon of Gullee and remain untouched by fear. That is hardly surprising."
"It's more than fear," Arum said, shaking his head. "It's as though they believe he could end their lives with a mere thought. They act as if their very souls are bound to him."
Madam Chantrieri's eyes hardened with determination. "Tell your spies to get closer to these courtesans. If they hide a secret, we must uncover it. With that knowledge, we can strike at the heart of Court la Mood and bring it to its knees."
"No," Sakema interrupted firmly. "I must go there myself."