Chapter 84: Ownership of the staff of Estelle 5

Darkness crept in, and everything and everywhere felt itchy and wet. A water droplet landed on Elowyn's face, and the foul smell of her surroundings added to her waking senses.

As she looked up, all she could see was a stone ceiling filled with cracks and spiderwebs. The air around her was thick with the stench of death, with rotting bodies lying nearby, and rats feasting on the gruesome scene.

She couldn't even remember how many days it had been since she was thrown into this prison.

Initially, she had been violently ill, vomiting from the shock of her confinement. However, as time passed, she grew accustomed to the wretched conditions. With tired, stressed eyes and a body that had lost its natural beauty, Elowyn sighed heavily.

"Haa..." With the sigh, she attempted to get up, or at least tried to. A sharp pain shot through her leg, and the realization struck her once again – she had lost one of her legs just yesterda.

"Haha... I should've realized it back then," Elowyn muttered, frustration evident in her voice as she punched the ground. A slight tremor occurred within her cell, causing rats and other creatures to scurry away.

Suddenly, footsteps echoed, approaching her in the dark, tunnel-like prison. Two silhouettes drew closer, and even from a distance, Elowyn could easily recognize them.

"It seems you're awake now, little princess," said her mother—or what appeared to be her mother, now knowing what kind of monster was using her mother's face.

"Shut the hell up! Stop using my mother's face, Kaksan!" Elowyn exclaimed.

Kaksan giggled. "Haha, my, my, language! Young princess, have I not taught you to speak elegantly and respectfully at all times?" she said, still in her mother's form, every detail matching from the voice to the face, and even the overall atmosphere.

The creepy demonic smile that formed in front of Elowyn was anything but her mother's—a smile that seemed to be covered in pitch-black darkness, stretching from ear to ear.

Elowyn shifted her gaze to the side, locking eyes with the man who had orchestrated her downfall. His pitch-black hair cascaded down his shoulders, and he was adorned in an opulent noble outfit. Two ominous, pitch-black horns protruded from his head, an unmistakable mark of his demonic nature.

Their eyes met, but there was no hint of remorse or empathy in the demon's blood-red gaze. To him, she was nothing more than an insignificant speck a bug he could crush anytime he wanted.

"What did you come here for?" Elowyn's voice wavered with a mix of defiance and dread.

"Here you go," said Kaksan, tossing something wrapped in cloth toward Elowyn.

"What is this?"

"Your food for the day," Kaksan replied casually. "We're quite short on rations, you see, and my new friends here are rather gluttonous. They only ever eat the purest ones, so we're quite short on manpower right now."

Elowyn shivered, understanding the horrifying implication: most of her people must have already fallen victim to the insatiable appetite of Kaksan's demonic allies.

As Elowyn unwrapped the cloth, a chilling horror spread through her, and goosebumps covered her entire body. She screamed, and in a desperate attempt to deny the gruesome reality, she clutched what was wrapped inside.

"Ahhhh! N-no-nooo! Iselia!"

It was her sister's lifeless head.

"HAHAHAHA!" Kaksan's laughter echoed through the dark, the sound filled with sadistic pleasure. She relished in every ounce of torment and pain that Elowyn experienced.

'Ah! This is it, cry more, regret more, hate me more HAHAHA!'

Suddenly, Elowyn was greeted by the comforting tones of a familiar, adorable voice.

"Don't worry, princess. After everything is done and you've served your purpose, you'll be joining them soon, okay?" Kaksan reassured in a sweet, endearing voice. Her words hung in the air, offering a strange mix of reassurance and ambiguity.

As she spoke, Kaksan's Alluring sexy figure underwent a peculiar transformation. With a delicate lick of her small lips, she shifted seamlessly, her form morphing into that of her sister.

Suddenly, a surge of mana enveloped Elowyn's form, a shimmering energy that betrayed her attempt to cast a spell.

Yet, before the incantation could manifest, a jolt of electricity coursed through her, sending shocks of pain reverberating through her body.

Chains, firmly binding her arms and feet to the unforgiving combination of ground and wall, seemed to tighten with each electric surge.

Undeterred by the searing agony, she steeled herself to try once more, determined to break free from the magical restraints.

"AHHHH!"

Frustration and desperation etched across her face, Elowyn unleashed a primal scream as she strained against her bindings, a manifestation of the roiling anger within her.

Amidst the ethereal dark glow of the demonic healing magic, behind them Kaksan couldn't resist a playful comment.

"Ah, that was really fun. The way you make faces even rivals mine, Xaldrak. I knew helping you guys out that time was worth it, haha."

With a mischievous twirl, she manipulated the fake heads of Iselia, the grotesque prop she had used to deceive Elowyn into thinking her sister was already dead.

It was a cunning strategy, exploiting the depth of the emotional bond between the sisters to maximize the pain and anguish Elowyn experienced. For Kaksan, the spectacle of suffering was a form of perverse entertainment.

As they continued their departure from the prison dungeon, Kaksan effortlessly shifted back into Elaniel's form.

Her once childlike elven physique transformed into one that was mature, seductive, and undeniably beautiful. The dark, clinging clothes accentuated every curve, adding to her allure. Even Xaldrak, a high-ranking demon not easily swayed, found himself momentarily captivated by her enchanting presence.

However, the ephemeral fascination abruptly ended as darkness enveloped Xaldrak's vision. It was as if a void had swallowed the world around him. Startled, he heard Kaksan's voice cutting through the obsidian shroud, a warning that echoed with a chilling authority.

"I told you, didn't I? Only Father is allowed to look at me with those eyes."

Bowing his head in submission, Xaldrak uttered a sincere apology, "Please do forgive me for my rudeness, your majesty, for your form was too beautiful to ignore."

A faint amusement laced Kaksan's tone as she responded, "Is that so? While you can appreciate my looks, remember, if I ever sense even the slightest hint of lust again, it won't be your eyes that will be gone next time. Understood?"

"Yes, your majesty," Xaldrak affirmed, his head still bowed. As he continued to submit to her authority, his cut-up eyes began the slow process of regeneration. It perplexed him — the baffling ability of the being in front of him to impede the high regenerative capabilities inherent to a demon of his rank.

"So where are your subordinates?" Elaniel inquired, her voice carrying a sense of casual authority. As she stretched her back, a moment of weariness crept into her demeanor.

The weight of responsibility pressed upon her, knowing that, once again, she would resume the role of Iselia's guardian. The poor child, oblivious to the reality unfolding around her, remained blissfully unaware that the beings surrounding her in Faerilight were, in fact, demons.

"They're waiting for us in the throne room" replied Xaldrak, his tone respectful.

"Then let's hurry up. Iselia is about to wake up,"

'When can I devour that child? Haah... if only I know what sort of relationship she has with father'

'And can you please shut up! Or I'll devour you as well' Kaksan said annoyingly at Elaniel who kept screaming at her, with her annoyance hitting through the roof she forcefully forced her to sleep.

.....

The journey to the throne room was swift, and upon their arrival, both Elaniel and Xaldrak were met with an unexpected sight, though their reactions diverged for entirely different reasons.

Xaldrak, as his eyes fell upon the captive being, was taken aback by the sheer beauty that emanated from her form.

A high-ranking spirit captured and in humanoid form at that, her allure was mesmerizing. Her ethereal beauty seemed almost at odds with the darkness that shrouded her, and Xaldrak found himself captivated by the rarity of such a being being brought into their realm.

For Kaksan the recognition of the spirit stirred a different set of emotions. The woman with green hair reminiscent of the lush forest and eyes like exquisite emeralds was someone Elaniel knew well.

The state in which the two demons had brought her in, bloodied and ensnared in chains of pure darkness, didn't sit well with Elaniel. She could feel the tendrils of unease curling within her, a reaction to the mistreatment of a being she held some connection to.

The captive spirit, despite the evident brutality inflicted upon her, clung to life. Her battered form bore the scars of mistreatment, yet there was a flicker of resilience in her eyes that spoke of an unbroken spirit.

"She's quite the good catch right, your majest—"

Daphiel's words were abruptly cut short, her head dropping to the ground before she could finish her sentence.

"Daphie—!" The plea remained incomplete as the second demon met a similar end.

Xaldrak, standing in stunned silence, was taken aback by the sudden and ruthless demise of the two demons. Before he could comprehend the unfolding horror, Elaniel's command sliced through the air.

"Your majesty?"

Black, ominous tentacles, reminiscent of a death god's scythe, protruded from Elaniel's back. Blood-red eyes locked onto Xaldrak, their intensity sending shivers down his demonic spine.

The once-familiar tone of Elaniel's voice now held an undercurrent of darkness, a depth he had never encountered before.

The commanding presence, normally a force to be respected, now bore an edge that surpassed anything he had experienced, even compared to the chilling fear instilled by the demon king.

"Heal her now" Elaniel commanded, her words piercing through the air like shards of ice. The urgency and gravity in her tone demanded immediate compliance.