Beyond the Oracle gaze

She gently touched her lips with her forefinger, then glanced down at the figure on the floor. Memories of her earlier fall into the pit came flooding back. She had landed face-down, and as she struggled to get up, she realized the pit's base felt strangely fleshy. Her lips, cheeks, and chin had brushed against it, leaving a faint smudge of dust on her face. Now, seeing the battered body on the floor, the truth hit her: she had unknowingly shared a moment of intimate contact with a dead man.

She didn't notice it then, as the pit was too dusty to see through. The thought made her shudder. The man's face was barely recognizable, ravaged by brutal injuries. His body was drenched in a mixture of blood and dust, except for a small, smudge-free area around his lips, which still bore the faint mark of Princess Lux's unexpected kiss. His limbs were twisted at unnatural angles, and his chest was a mess of deep gashes that tore through his tattered clothing, exposing his heart and ribs. It was clear that he had suffered a gruesome death.

"You'll pay for that kiss in your next life," Princess Lux sneered, before her expression softened. "But you do look pathetic," she whispered to herself. "Well, at least you won't need a burial – this pit is grave enough. No need to search for a coffin or a burial site; you're already laid out."

With that, Princess Lux leapt out of the pit, but her escape was short-lived. A bony, crooked hand shot out from the darkness, grasping her armor boot with an unexpected strength. She spun around, startled, and was shocked to see the dead man clinging to her boot. Fear gripped her, but she composed herself, bending down beside the lifeless body.

She placed her hand under his pointed nose, feeling for a breath. After a few seconds, a faint whisper of cold air caressed her fingers. His breathing was almost imperceptible.

"He's still alive," Princess Lux whispered, her gaze sweeping over his severely injured and disfigured body. "But he's beyond saving. His life would be a constant struggle. Perhaps it's merciful to end his suffering now. He'll likely thank me in his next life."

With a somber expression, Princess Lux's gaze fell upon the battered form before her, her sword poised to deliver a swift and fatal blow. But in an instant, her demeanor changed. A blood-curdling scream tore from her lips, echoing off the cold, damp walls of the pit. The sound was like thunder, shaking the air and sending tremors through the ground. Her voice cracked with anguish, as if the very foundations of the pit were being shattered by her cry.

A searing pain shot through her left ankle, as if a thousand daggers had been plunged into her flesh. The man's frail, yet surprisingly powerful, hand had tightened its grip on her ankle, crushing the metal armor boot like paper. The sound of crunching metal and snapping leather filled the air, making her stomach churn with nausea.

Her sword slipped from her grasp, clattering to the ground, as her right hand released its hold on the helmet. Both hands instinctively flew to her ankle, wrestling against the man's tattered, yet unyielding, grip.

"Damn you!" she exclaimed, her frustration and pain boiling over. "Release me, or I'll make you regret it!" Her hands trembled with rage as she reached for the sword, her fingers closing around the hilt like a vice.

But her relief was short-lived. A fresh wave of agony washed over her, making her scream for the second time. Her second scream shattered the air, a deafening cry that was a hundred times louder and more ferocious than the first. Yet, the pain that fueled it was exponentially worse – a thousand times more agonizing, a torment that threatened to consume her very soul.

Her armor boot lay in shattered fragments, the man's grip now directly on her skin. Her ankle had turned a deep, fiery red, as if the very flesh was being consumed by flames. Tears welled up in her beautiful eyes, as she begged for mercy.

"What do you want?" she implored, her voice cracking with desperation. "Tell me, what do you want?" The words tumbled from her lips, a plea to a man who seemed beyond reason or response.

And yet, she knew she wasn't speaking to a lifeless corpse. The man's grip was too deliberate, too intentional. A spark of consciousness lingered, refusing to be extinguished.

In a desperate bid to appease him, she promised, "I'll save you, I swear it. I'll find the best healers, and you'll be whole again." The words spilled from her lips, a heartfelt plea to a man who seemed to hold her very life in his grasp.

As she uttered her final words, a sudden, inexplicable phenomenon occurred. The man's grip relaxed, releasing its vice-like hold on her ankle. It was as if an invisible force had intervened, shattering the strange enchantment that had bound them together. Princess Lux felt an overwhelming sense of liberation, like a prisoner emerging from a decades-long captivity. Tears streamed down her face, mingling with the dirt and grime of the pit, as a faint glimmer of gratitude flickered within her.

However, as she gazed upon the battered figure before her, fear's icy grip reasserted itself. Memories of the previous, unsettling events came flooding back, and she knew she had to honor her promise. Even if it hadn't been a formal vow, she felt an unshakeable obligation to stand by her words. The uncertainty of what might happen if she reneged on her promise hung over her like a specter. What if this strange, battered creature were to rise again, its strength - already formidable even in its unconscious state - multiplied by some dark, malevolent force, making it an even more formidable foe?

Without hesitation, Princess Lux steeled herself and stood up, her movements hampered by the agony of her blood-stained, possibly broken ankle. She gripped her sword tightly, its familiar weight a comforting presence in the face of uncertainty. With a swift, practiced motion, she conjured a shimmering portal within the pit, its ethereal glow illuminating the dark, dank surroundings.

As she prepared to depart, Princess Lux carefully lifted the battered figure onto her back, the weight of her burden settling heavily upon her. She stumbled forward, her pain-wracked ankle threatening to buckle beneath her. With a deep breath, she steadied herself and stepped through the portal, leaving the eerie, blood-soaked pit behind.

Dragon Empire,

In the dragon Palace .

Princess Lucy stood meters away from the throne pedestal, her slender figure draped in a flowing gown, her white hair cascading down her back like a river of moonlight. Her piercing blue eyes, normally bright with warmth, now shone with a mixture of worry and anticipation as she faced the palace door.

She had already witnessed the events unfold through the Oracle Mirror. The explosion had rocked the vision, and the mirror's spherical view had filled with an inky blackness, leaving her with more questions than answers. The uncertainty had gnawed at her, prompting her to summon Commander Thorne to retrieve Lux.

Now, as she waited for news, her gaze remained fixed on the palace door. Suddenly, a completely silver-armored warrior emerged from the doorway, its polished armor glinting like polished steel as it walked towards her. The armor seemed to absorb the light around it, giving the warrior an ethereal, robotic appearance, with only narrow openings for its eyes, mouth, and nostrils.

Lucy's eyes narrowed slightly, her attention drawn to the object clutched in the warrior's gauntleted hand.

As the warrior drew closer, Lucy's curiosity turned to shock, her eyes widening in horror as she took in the sight of what it held. Her face went deathly pale, her lips parted in a silent scream as she struggled to process the implications of what she was seeing.

And then, in a voice that was barely audible, Princess Lucy whispered a single, haunting word: "Lux?"