Chapter 4:Vile man

Victor clapped his hands slowly, his grin widening into something dark and twisted. "Oh, this is rich," he chuckled. "You think you can fight me?" Then his gaze flickered toward the door, and his voice boomed with a single command. "Come in."

One by one, demon wolves emerged from the corridor, their blackened eyes glowing with malevolent hunger, their fangs dripping with anticipation. Estella lowered her stance, baring her teeth, her claws scraping against the cold floor.

Estella's fur bristled as Victor's cruel smirk deepened. His voice was smooth, laced with amusement as he stepped back, gesturing toward the shadows."Kill her."

The air in the room thickened with the scent of death as the demon wolves emerged, their red eyes glowing. Their grotesque forms slithered and shifted unnaturally, claws clicking against the wooden floor as they encircled her.

Estella let out a deep, warning growl, her silver-gray fur standing on end. She could feel her heart pounding against her ribs, but she forced the fear down. Then, the first wolf lunged.

Instinct took over. Estella twisted her body and met it head-on, her fangs sinking into its throat. The taste of its foul blood filled her mouth, but she didn't let go until the beast let out a strangled cry and fell back.

Before she could regain her footing, another wolf struck from the side. Claws raked down her flank, tearing deep into her flesh. A sharp jolt of pain shot through her, but she did not falter. She spun, snapping her jaws at the attacker, forcing it back.

More came at her. She lashed out fiercely, dodging when she could, countering with sharp bites and slashes, but she was untrained.

Every move was raw instinct, fueled by desperation. A claw raked across her shoulder. Another dug into her side. Teeth sank into her hind leg, dragging her down with a force she could not fight against.

Blood dripped from her wounds, staining her silver fur. Pain burned through every inch of her body, but she refused to stop.

She lunged at another wolf, sinking her teeth into its ear, but a crushing weight slammed into her back, forcing her onto the cold floor. Claws dug into her, pinning her down.

Estella resisted, snarling and twisting, but as she fought, the weight became heavier. Victor chuckled as he stood, arms crossed, eyeing her with chilly enjoyment. "Foolish girl," he muttered. "Your father never taught you how to fight, did he?"

Estella's breath came in ragged gasps, and her body trembled with exertion. She attempted to push up, but the demon wolves gripped her tightly, their growls echoing throughout the room.

Estella could no longer sustain her wolf form and transformed into a human. She lay on the cold stone floor, her body throbbing from the fight. Blood flowed from a wound on her forehead, blinding her vision as she attempted to get up.

But it was fruitless. She'd lost. Victor stood over her, his eyes filled with wicked pleasure. He dusted off his coat slowly, mockingly, before tilting his head and smiling.

"Well, well," he drawled, his voice silky but full of venom. "You put on a good performance, Estella. Truly, I'm almost impressed. But it was all for naught."

He squatted down and grabbed her chin with his clawed fingers, forcing her to look at him. "Now, it's time for you to die and join your damned father in hell."

A sharp, strangled sob released the tension. "NO!" Estella's mother, her wrists sore from the chains that held her, strained forward, her eyes welling with tears.

Her body trembled—not from fear, but from pure, seething wrath. "You bastard!" she exclaimed, her voice shaking with rage. "You will rot in hell for this!"

Victor merely chuckled, amused. "I swear on everything I have left, I will kill you!" she continued, her voice breaking. "You—you're nothing but a wuss! A coward hiding behind your filthy beasts! You're an incompletion of a man!" Victor's smirk vanished.

His eyes darkened, fury replacing amusement. The insult cut deeper than it should have, stirring something dangerous inside him

His lips curled into a snarl. "Chain her down," he barked at the demon wolves. "I want her to watch as I prove just how much of a man I truly am." The wolves surged forward, seizing Estella with iron grips.

She thrashed weakly, but there was no strength left in her limbs. Cold metal bit into her wrists and ankles as they shackled her to the stone pillar, rendering her utterly helpless.

Victor turned back to her mother, his gaze gleaming with twisted satisfaction. "Now," he said, rolling up his sleeves. "Let's show you both what happens when you insult me." Estella screamed, struggling against the chains, as Victor advanced toward her mother.

Estella's wrists burned from the iron chains that bound her to the cold stone wall. She twisted, thrashed, and fought with every ounce of strength she had, but the shackles wouldn't break. "Mother!" she screamed, her voice hoarse from pleading. "Let her go, please!"

Across the dimly lit room, her mother lay crumpled on the floor, her torn garments barely clinging to her bruised body. Victor towered over her, a cruel smirk curving his lips. He grabbed the last shreds of fabric covering her and ripped them away. "Don't watch, Estella," her mother whispered through trembling lips. "Close your eyes, my love." But Estella couldn't.

Victor raised the whip. The first lash struck, and her mother gasped but did not cry out. The second came, then the third. Crimson lines carved themselves into her pale skin, each one deeper than the last.

Estella screamed, pulling at her chains until her wrists bled. "Please! Stop!" she sobbed. "I'll do anything—just don't hurt her!" Victor only laughed, the sound of his amusement mingling with the crack of the whip. "Do you see now?" he sneered. "See what happens when you defy me?"

Even as the lashes rained down, she turned her head toward her daughter, eyes filled with nothing but love. "Estella, look away," she begged one last time. Then Victor dropped the whip.

Estella's stomach twisted violently as he loomed over her mother, pressing her into the dirt. She knew what was coming. The terror in her mother's eyes, the way her body flinched, told her everything. Victor leaned in, his voice a mockery of tenderness. "Do you feel me now?" he whispered cruelly. "Do you finally understand what a real man is?"

Estella shrieked, thrashing so wildly the metal cut into her flesh. "I'll kill you, you monster! I'll kill you!" But her voice was nothing against the darkness. Nothing against the horror unfolding before her. Tears blurred her vision as her mother's silent sobs filled the room.

Time lost meaning. The room was filled with pain, suffering, and the sound of Victor's vile laughter. And when he was done, Victor leaned back, adjusting his clothing with infuriating leisure, as if what had just transpired was of no more consequence than adjusting a misplaced button.

He exhaled contentedly before glancing down at the broken woman lying beneath him. Her gown was torn, her body trembling, but she made no move to cover herself. She simply lay there, staring blankly ahead, as if her soul had already left her body and all that remained was an empty shell.