The Eternal Gambit

Although Elara kept a straight face and barely flinched, on the inside, she was screaming. 'Too deep! I made too deep a cut! Now I have to act naturally, or this woman might not stop teasing me over—'

Snicker!

Just then, Elara heard the sound of someone snickering behind her and froze. 'It's over.'

Her eyes dimmed, and she looked at Alvin, trying not to pay attention to the voice behind her. 

The thick, crimson liquid continued to drip out of her wrist. Every drop of blood that was about to fall on the ground froze mid-air and merged with the ones that fell on Alvin's lips. 

His mouth parted on its own while the voice from the shadows spoke once again—

"He did not even agree to your request…" The voice sounded a bit impassive, but Elara simply smiled.

"I am sure he will agree to me." While she was speaking, the wound on her wrist had already started healing, "Besides, its not like I am transforming him now. I am merely using my blood to keep him stabilized from the inside. My blood alone isn't enough to save him. If he doesn't turn soon, he will die." 

Silence filled the air.

 Elara's eyes remained fixed on the last bit of blood falling from her wrist, drop after drop. She could feel her body knitting itself back together, the wound sealing shut as if it never existed. 

Elara exhaled softly, wiped the remaining blood off her wrist with a white handkerchief, and threw it in the nearest burning wood. 'This should be enough for an hour. I have to convince him to turn in this hour.'

——

Wee-w0o!

The distant wail of sirens reached Elara's ears, making them twitch as annoyance flickered across her face. With a sharp click of her tongue, she muttered, "The authorities in this area finally decided to take action, we have to change location."

"What about him?" The voice behind her remained unbothered.

Elara's gaze shifted to the man hovering in the middle of the air. 

She raised her hand once more, her fingers flicking in the air ever so slightly. A soft white light pulsed at her fingertips. 

The man's body twitched, and he slowly gained consciousness. His eyes snapped open. For a moment, his gaze was a bit unfocused. It moved around, trying to understand what was happening.

Then, realization crashed down on him like a tidal wave. 

Terror!

A wave of raw, unfiltered terror assaulted his heart when he saw Elara standing before him.

The fear seeped down his bones, so much so that he did not even feel anger towards Elara who caused him to feel so much pain. His lips trembled, he wanted to form words, to beg for mercy.

But no words came out.

His cursed mouth wouldn't budge open.

No matter how much he tried, they refused to part, as if they were stuck together. The fear in his heart deepened. 

Elara tilted her head and watched his despair unfold before her eyes in amusement. A subtle smile appeared on her lips.

 "Alvin wants this man to suffer right. It is only natural if I fulfill this wish of his with all of my capabilities, right?" Elara mused, but the voice behind her said nothing. 

The man flailed violently, his widened in desperation, and veins could be seen popping all around them. When his gaze fell on the unconscious boy on the ground and recalled the familiar name from the woman's mouth, he realized.

He could not escape!

Elara's eyes began to glow, and they appeared almost hypnotic. Her eyes met with the gaze of the despairing man. She took a step forward and muttered like a whisper of death. "Whatever happens to you from now on, you will feel everything."

"You will feel it to the very last detail." The man suddenly suddenly stopped struggling, his gaze became lost. "You will feel experience every emotion, be it anger, pain or fear, you will feel it all ten-fold. Each second will feel like a day to you and no matter how much time passes… you will never grow numb to it."

"…" hearing the chilling words coming out of ever so gentle woman made even the air behind her twist a bit. 

The light in the man's eyes flickered. Then panic started to flood back in. He understood what was happening to him now, but he understood too late.

"Let him burn in the flames he created." Elara mattered, "That is the only fitting end for him."

Before he could even react, Elara flicked her wrist, and his figure flashed through the air. He was thrown into the inferno of flames that embraced him eagerly, swallowing him whole. 

For a moment, his shadow moved around in the flames, twisting, contorting, trying to escape. 

But he could not. No scream came from his throat. No sound of agony was permitted to escape the burning cage.

Only silence.

Perfect. Deafening. Silence.

—

The voice spoke again, "Where to next, Lady Elara?" 

Elara paused, brushing her loose hair behind her back she murmured, "Somewhere high."

Then, beneath her feet— a complex looking circle with intricate patterns, glyphs appeared. The circle spread outwards, covering both unconscious Alvin and Elara. The light flashed and a moment later— they were gone!

The magic circle on the ground also turned into pixie dust, vanishing into the night without a trace.

**

Somewhere in HONG KONG…

Above one of the tallest skyscrapers in the bustling streets of Kowloon— something very unnatural occurred. 

Or, as some might call it— 

Something Supernatural.

A huge, intricate magic circle—large enough to cover an entire helipad—appeared out of thin air.

For a moment, nothing happened. But then, a figure materialized on the ground. An unconscious man, still impaled by the wooden stake, drove through his stomach. The second one to appear was a woman draped in a black kimono with red design patterns. If not for these patterns, she might have seamlessly blended into the night itself. 

She clutched a folded umbrella in one hand, her sharp eyes scanning the buildings around them. 

She could hear a rush of noise assaulting her ears—car engines, distant sirens, the murmur of human voices.

Hearing them, a frown appeared on her face. 

But then, another figure stepped forwards. A woman with long, silky yet bouncy purple hair, flowing like a river down her back. With each step she took, her hair jumped up and down. 

Dressed In maid outfit, she moved with practiced grace, each step measured and controlled. Her head remained bowed, her eyes closed in silent respect.