Chapter 27

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I CLENCHED my dress tightly, my heart racing as I met her enthralling, gleaming eyes. A chilling sense of foreboding washed over me.

“My lady!” Zacharias called, his voice laced with urgency. I shot him a sharp look, raising a finger to my lips to silence him as I moved swiftly in his direction.

I knew who she was. This scene was right out of the book. Seraphim. The one who confronted and defeated Sebastian. Not because of sheer strength, but because of her terrifying power—the ability to mirror your darkest past. She doesn’t just torment you physically, she pulls your deepest regrets, your worst fears, and every miserable memory from the depths of your soul. Like an eerie reflection, she forces you to relive them, every moment sharper, every wound more painful than you remember. The emotional wreckage she causes is unlike any other. The trauma, no matter how long buried, resurfaces, raw and unbearable. You can’t run. You can’t escape. She forces you to drown in it.

“Are you Seraphim?” I asked, my voice steady despite the weight of what I knew.

Her eyes widened in shock, the slightest tremor of fear flickering across her face before she masked it. That reaction confirmed everything. I smirked, relishing the power shift. I was right. The memory of the book was vivid in my mind, and while my own abilities as a beast tamer were modest, it didn’t matter. If I played this right, she’d be at my mercy.

Zacharias stood frozen, his eyes fixated on me, clearly tense as I continued toward the monster before us. She was disturbingly beautiful, her delicate features a perfect contrast to the savage beast within.

“How does a mere mortal like you know my name?” she hissed, venom dripping from her words. The air around us thickened, the wind howling as dark shadows swirled and grew, expanding like an approaching storm.

I didn’t bother answering right away, savoring the moment as I approached her. My lips curled into a sly grin.

“Oh, Seraphim, darling...” I purred, each word dripping with taunt. “Whatever power you think you hold over me—it’s worthless.” I could see the cracks in her façade, her face twisting into a smug smile, but the glint of uncertainty in her eyes betrayed her. Then, an eerie, bone-chilling laugh erupted from her, echoing through the space like a bad omen.

“How bold of you to think that!” she sneered, her fangs extending into sharp points, gleaming with a predatory hunger. “Do you truly believe you can resist me?”

I arched an eyebrow, feigning boredom, and clicked my tongue. “Go on then, try it. I dare you.” I winked at her, confidence radiating as I provoked her.

Without hesitation, she summoned a black arcane circle beneath her feet. The ground cracked and pulsed with dark energy, the air charged with a sinister hum as her voice filled the air, chanting ominous incantations.

“You foolish mortal! You’ll know nothing but despair!” she screamed, her wicked laughter piercing the night as thick, suffocating black smoke coiled toward me.

Before I could revel in the confrontation, a hand suddenly gripped my wrist. I froze. Zacharias.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” I snapped, glaring at him as his strong grip pulled him into the smoke with me. My fury flared. “You’re going to ruin everything!”

I tried to push him away, but it was too late. The smoke enveloped us both, choking the air out of my lungs. The world around us distorted, twisting like a nightmare. The oppressive shadows around Seraphim dissolved, but what came next was far worse.

When the dark mist cleared, we were no longer standing in the eerie landscape. The surroundings had shifted into a cold, damp basement. The stone walls closed in, dark and suffocating, as if the space itself wanted to trap us. The floor creaked beneath my feet, the air heavy with the smell of damp earth and decay. The weight of it was suffocating, like an invisible force pressing down on my chest.

Then I realized—Zacharias was gone. He had vanished without a trace.

A hollow laugh echoed through the oppressive silence, Seraphim’s voice trailing like a whisper from the shadows. This was her power. She had separated us, cast us into our own prisons, each forced to face whatever nightmare she conjured. I was alone in this basement of horrors.

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Caution! You have entered the territory of the beast!

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The system’s warning flashed in front of me, its glowing holographic text cold and indifferent. I smirked, the thrill of the challenge still burning in my chest.

Oh, I know.

The cold, suffocating air of the basement clung to my skin as I walked through the room where I had once died. The stench of damp stone and decay surrounded me, but it didn’t stir any emotions. I wasn’t Faerie anymore. I wasn’t the fragile girl who had trembled under the weight of her fears. I am Arthemice—the villainess of this twisted game. This illusion, this pathetic recreation of my trauma, wasn’t going to break me. Not anymore.

“System,” I called out, my voice hollow as it echoed in the dimly lit space.

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Yes, dear player.

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“How do I activate my beast taming ability?” I asked, already feeling the familiar darkness of the past creeping around me.

Faint moans echoed from the ceiling above, but I paid them no mind.

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No need to activate that ability. It is yours, and it is your will how to use it, dear player. ╚═════════ ◈ ═════════╝

I frowned. “What’s the sign? A change in eye color?” I questioned further, feeling the need to know when I was wielding that power. Outside the door, footsteps scraped against the stone, a soft warning of what was to come, but it didn’t concern me.

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It depends on your power level, dear player. As of now, you will not know when you are using them.

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The door creaked open just as I finished reading the system’s reply. I sighed, barely caring as the familiar figure of Kyro stormed into the room. His face twisted with fury—same as always.

It had been a while since I’d seen this bastard.

“You causing trouble again, huh?!” His voice dripped with venom, the words striking as hard as the belt in his hand.

The leather lashed out, biting into my back with a sharp crack. The pain was immediate, but so what? I closed my eyes, forcing my breaths to remain steady. He grabbed my wrists, roughly yanking me toward the bed. The rope burned against my skin as he tied me to the corners of the frame, but I still didn’t react.

I’m not that helpless girl anymore.

Kyro leaned in, his grip tightened around my chin, forcing my head to turn as his cold eyes examined me. “You’re not even flinching, are you?” he sneered, his voice laced with contempt. “Your dead eyes are quite the sight.”

I stared back, unflinching, cold. What did he expect? That I’d cower like before? That I’d scream? I wasn’t Faerie anymore. I wasn’t even the scared Arthemice I once was. This was nothing but an illusion—a shadow of what used to be. And I wasn’t going to lose to it.

He laughed, the sound harsh and mocking, before throwing my face to the side as if I were nothing. Then came the beating. The belt struck again, the leather snapping viciously against my skin. My muscles tightened involuntarily with each blow, but still, I didn’t make a sound. The pain was sharp, searing in places, but it didn’t matter. I had felt worse. I had survived worse.

The blows rained down, each one designed to elicit a scream, but I gave him nothing. Every strike was another reminder that I wasn’t his victim anymore. I had hardened myself against this—against everything. My body might have been bruised, my skin raw and burning, but my mind? Emotionless. Detached.

“Fuck! Scream, you piece of shit!” Kyro roared, veins bulging in his neck as his frustration grew. His eyes were wild, desperate for any sign that he was getting through to me, that he was still in control. But he wasn’t. Not anymore.

I tilted my head lazily toward him, a small, mocking smirk tugging at my lips. “Ahh?” I drawled, deliberately undercutting his rage with my indifference.

His hand swung out before I could react, a hard slap landing across my face. The sting lingered, my cheek burning from the force of it, but I simply turned my head back to him, my expression unchanged.

This wasn’t power. He didn’t have power over me.

I let my gaze drift to the corner of the room, where the box stirred, rattling softly. Soon. Soon enough, that thing would break free, and this charade would be over. The illusion of Kyro would crumble, and Seraphim’s game would fail.

This wasn’t the reason I would lose.

Kyro raised the belt once more, its leather glistening in the dim light, ready to strike. Just before it could land, Chewy lunged at him, biting down hard on his arm. Kyro yelled out in pain, trying to shake the small cat off, but Chewy’s claws dug in deep. I shut my eyes, waiting for the inevitable. A sickening thud followed by a pitiful whimper filled the room. Chewy’s yelp was sharp, piercing the silence—I couldn’t bear to watch.

Kyro roared, his rage only fueling the cruelty of his actions. The sound of him beating my cat felt like knives slicing through my chest. I stayed still, my heart heavy with guilt as the room echoed with each violent strike. Then, suddenly, silence.

When I opened my eyes, Seraphim stood between Kyro and me, her back straight, her presence powerful. Her eyes—wild and sharp—were fixed on Chewy’s limp body.

“I told you, you’d regret this,” I muttered, my voice barely above a whisper. Seraphim’s expression shifted from fierce to something softer—worried, almost desperate—as she knelt beside Chewy.

She turned to me, fury flashing in her eyes. “Why didn’t you stop him?!” Her voice cracked with emotion as she cradled Chewy’s broken form in her arms.

I scoffed softly, pulling my now-freed wrists toward me as the chains melted away like smoke. “Why are you blaming me? You created this illusion, not me.” I stood, dusting myself off, my tone as cold as the room around us.

Seraphim’s eyes were wide, her body trembling with emotion. The great beast in front of me—Seraphim, this wild, untamed stray cat—was no longer just a figure of power but one of raw emotion. I recalled from the book how she had punished Sebastian for hunting tigers in the forest, confronting him with a ferocity only a creature who had lived the harsh life of a stray could muster. She knew what it meant to survive. She knew loss.

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The ability beast tamer has now activated.

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I exhaled softly, feeling a strange warmth surge through me. “That’s my cat you’re holding, by the way,” I said, stepping forward. Seraphim flinched at my words, her grip on Chewy tightening, her eyes now filled with confusion.

“His name’s Chewy. Cute, right?” I added, a bitter smile tugging at my lips. I crouched down beside her, gently brushing my fingers over Chewy’s paws, the small movements sending waves of painful memories through me. “He died from food poisoning. The man you created, the one who locked us in this basement, killed him. And I couldn’t do a damn thing about it.” I met her eyes, my voice steady yet laced with sorrow. “I wanted to bury him properly... but that day, I died too.”

Seraphim’s face paled, her confusion deepening. “B-But... you’re alive...” Her voice was a whisper, her grip loosening on Chewy’s lifeless body.

I stood, my posture relaxed yet commanding. “My soul transferred to this body. I came from another world—one you can’t even begin to understand.” I reached out, brushing her tangled hair away from her face. She stiffened at my touch, her wild instincts surfacing for just a moment before she relaxed. Slowly, she stood with me, her gaze never leaving mine.

“I really loved that cat,” I continued, my voice soft, almost nostalgic. “He was always there when I needed him. When the world was falling apart, he was the one thing that made it bearable.”

Her eyes glistened with understanding. Slowly, Chewy’s body began to float between us, suspended by some unseen force. A faint, eerie light surrounded him, flickering like the last breath of a dying star.

“Now,” I whispered, taking a slow step toward her, “Seraphim, would you like to take Chewy’s place? I can be a great master—you know that, right?” I extended my hand toward her, my expression calm yet filled with purpose.

Her eyes widened, her breath catching in her throat. For a moment, there was silence, only the soft rustling of the night air seeping through the cracks in the walls. She stared at me, weighing my words, her wild instincts battling with something deeper—something more human. Her gaze flickered to Chewy one last time, then back to me.

“As you wish, my lady,” she finally whispered, her voice trembling slightly as she knelt before me. She took my hand, kissing it gently. A soft, golden glow enveloped us both, but it wasn’t just light—it was power. A connection, deep and primal, forming between us.

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You have successfully tamed a beast! Congratulations, dear player!

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As the glow faded, the room around us began to change. The once-solid basement walls flickered, becoming translucent, like shadows melting into the night. The heavy, oppressive air that had weighed on me dissolved into an eerie stillness. The temperature dropped, and a faint mist rolled in from the corners, wrapping around us like ghostly fingers.

Kyro, still standing motionless behind Seraphim, began to fade. His form, once so menacing, started to blur, like smoke being drawn away by the wind. His eyes, which had been filled with rage, were now empty as he vanished without a trace, leaving only the faint echo of his earlier shouts hanging in the air.

The scene around us flickered one last time before shifting entirely. The dark, cramped basement was gone. In its place stood a vast garden, bathed in the pale glow of moonlight. The flowers swayed gently in the night breeze, casting long, haunting shadows that seemed to dance around us. The air was cool, but there was something ethereal, almost magical about the silence.

Seraphim stood by my side, no longer just a wild, stray beast, but now something more. She wasn’t just tamed—she was bound to me, her loyalty etched in the glow that still faintly lingered between us.

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You have successfully completed the predicament! Rewards will be given soon!

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Seraphim knelt once again before me, her head bowed low in submission. Her wild, feral eyes, now softened, flickered up toward me with a strange mix of reverence and something darker—devotion.

“Please,” she whispered, her voice steady but filled with emotion, “give me the chance to vow my loyalty to you, master.”

I took a step back, her words striking an odd chord within me. Her unwavering gaze, the tension in the air—it was overwhelming. Could she truly mean it?

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You have tamed an Oblivion-ranked beast! Your power level has increased!

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I blinked, staring at the floating holograph in disbelief. Oblivion-ranked?! The shock rippled through me. Seraphim—the wild stray cat I had tamed—was far more powerful than I could’ve imagined. A primal beast bound to my will.

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10% of your lifespan will be added due to the successful predicament!

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Updating character details…

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Character Profile

Eiliyah Arthemice Loughsin

Title: The Ruthless Villainess Current Life: 55% Reputation: 20% Power Level: Fledgling Ability: Beast Tamer

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Generous rewards indeed, I thought, my mind racing. But my focus quickly shifted back to Seraphim, who remained motionless, waiting for my command, her breath slow and measured.

“Do whatever you want, Seraphim,” I muttered, placing my hand gently on top of her head.

Seraphim began murmuring a soft chant, her voice low and rhythmic. A faint, black arcane circle shimmered on the ground beneath her, its lines glowing with a soft violet light. As the magic settled, I noticed a mark begin to form on her wrists—a symbol, simple but distinct, emerging in a pale silver glow. It was a crescent moon encircled by intertwining branches, elegant and subtle, like a quiet reminder of the bond now between us.

Seraphim lifted her eyes to meet mine, her expression solemn, her hands rising to show the glowing mark that now adorned her wrists. “By this mark, I bind myself to you, my first master. Your will is my command, your battles are my own.”

Her voice was low, almost reverent, yet steady with conviction. There was no hesitation in her tone—only resolve.

The mark pulsed one final time, then faded to a faint outline, still visible but now etched into her skin like a permanent tattoo.

“I vow to serve you, in life and death, until the end of time or until you release me from my oath,” she finished, bowing her head once more. The weight of the oath hung in the air, like a tangible force binding us both in that moment.

fin.