"High Priestess, there's a letter from the emperor," a voice announced.
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The priestess opened and read the letter.
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"Princess Lethyxia," the High Priestess murmured, her voice laced with amusement. She traced the elegant ink of the emperor’s seal with her delicate fingers before continuing.
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"What has the emperor gotten himself into this time?" one of her attendants asked cautiously, sensing the change in the priestess’s demeanor.
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The High Priestess's eyes glittered with a mischievous glint. "It seems our dear princess is finally making her move," she mused. Folding the letter neatly, she tucked it into the sleeve of her ceremonial robes. "Prepare the sanctum," she ordered. "We must make sure our dear Lethyxia is ready for what lies ahead."
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"But High Priestess," the attendant hesitated, "is it wise to intervene?"
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The High Priestess's smirk deepened. "Wise or not, destiny has been nudged off course," she replied. "And I, for one, find that... quite intriguing." Her gaze shifted toward the great celestial tapestry adorning the wall, a weave of constellations telling tales of gods and mortals. "Perhaps the game is about to become even more thrilling."
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________
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Meanwhile, inside La Maison des Fleurs, where Lethyxia was staying, the air buzzed with gossip about the emperor's sudden change.
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"How come the emperor suddenly changed after that incident?" one maid whispered.
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"It's quite traumatic," another maid replied. "The child was malnourished and so frail. It's only fair that the emperor would take her in."
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"But why now?" the first maid questioned, a hint of skepticism in her voice.
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"Maybe he felt guilty," the second maid suggested. "For leaving such a small child all on her own for so long?"
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Suddenly, when the maids turned around, Lethyxia was there, standing emotionless. Her piercing gaze seemed to look straight through them, as if seeing into their very souls. The maids shivered under the weight of her stare, their gossip having turned into fearful whispers.
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They hastily dropped to their knees, begging for forgiveness, their voices trembling. But before Lethyxia could react, an arrogant maid stepped forward, her lips twisted into a mocking smile. Without hesitation, she lifted a bucket of cold, dirty water and poured it over Lethyxia's head.
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The water splashed onto Lethyxia’s hair and gown, soaking her and leaving a trail of grime. The arrogant maid burst into laughter, her voice echoing cruelly through the halls.
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For a moment, the entire room seemed to hold its breath, waiting to see how Lethyxia would respond. Her expression remained calm, but her eyes flickered with a dangerous intensity, promising that this insult would not be forgotten.
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The arrogant maid's laughter echoed through the hall as she sneered, "What’s the matter, princess? Lost your royal composure?" She smirked, her confidence bolstered by the stunned silence of the other servants.
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One of the maids who had begged for forgiveness gasped, her voice shaking. "Y-You shouldn’t have done that! Are you mad?"
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Lethyxia stood perfectly still, her soaked gown clinging to her, her expression unreadable. Finally, she spoke, her voice calm but as cold as winter's breath. "Do you think your actions make you brave?" she asked, her eyes locking onto the arrogant maid. "Or do they simply reveal your cowardice?"
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The arrogant maid's grin wavered, but she crossed her arms defiantly. "You're just a guest here," she retorted. "A princess without a throne. You have no authority over me."
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Lethyxia tilted her head slightly, an unsettling smile playing on her lips. "You speak of authority," she murmured, her voice dropping to a whisper that sent a chill through the room. "Yet you fail to understand the power of consequences."
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One of the more timid maids whimpered, "P-please, Your Highness, show mercy... We didn’t mean any harm."
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Lethyxia's gaze flicked to the trembling maid before returning to the arrogant one. "Mercy," she repeated softly, "is earned, not given freely." Her eyes narrowed, and the room seemed to darken, shadows stretching along the walls as if alive.
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The arrogant maid’s bravado faltered, her voice now uncertain. "What are you doing?" she demanded, taking a step back. "Stay away from me!"
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Lethyxia stepped forward, her presence commanding and ominous. "You should pray," she said, her voice silky but carrying an edge of steel, "that I am feeling merciful today."
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A dark aura began to seep into the room, swirling around Lethyxia like a living shadow. The maids kneeling at her feet trembled, their faces pale with terror as they felt the ominous energy press down on them.
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The arrogant maid, who had been so bold just moments before, now found herself stepping backward in growing panic. Her eyes widened as she stumbled closer to the edge of the grand staircase, her confidence unraveling. "W-What is this?" she gasped, her voice shaking. "Stay away from me!"
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Lethyxia's eyes gleamed with a cold, unearthly light. She moved forward with a grace that seemed almost supernatural, the dark aura following her like a cloak of shadows. "You thought you could act without consequence?" she said, her voice soft yet carrying a chilling authority. "Now look where your arrogance has led you."
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The maid's foot slipped dangerously close to the edge of the stairs, and she wavered, her balance faltering. Her hands reached out desperately, trying to steady herself. "Please," she whispered, her earlier bravado shattered. "I-I didn't mean—"
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Lethyxia's gaze never wavered. "Fear teaches better than words," she intoned, the air around her crackling with a power that seemed to make even the shadows shiver.
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"The emperor will know about this!" the maid shouted, her voice laced with desperation as she clutched the railing to steady herself.
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Lethyxia’s expression remained unfazed, her eyes narrowing. “The emperor?” she repeated, a hint of amusement flickering in her voice. “Do you think he will intervene on your behalf after your insolence?”
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The maid's bravado wavered further, and she took another step back, feeling the edge of the stairs behind her. “He’ll protect me! You’ll see!” she insisted, though the tremor in her voice betrayed her fear.
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Lethyxia stepped closer, the dark aura intensifying around her. “Do you really believe that a man so burdened by his own guilt will care for a mere servant’s plight?” she asked, her voice low and ominous. “Or will he see your actions for what they truly are—foolish and self-serving?”
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The maid’s face paled further as she processed Lethyxia’s words. “I-I can explain! I just wanted to have some fun! It was just a joke!” she pleaded, her eyes darting toward the other maids who were still kneeling, frozen in fear.
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Lethyxia leaned in, her gaze unwavering. “Jokes often reveal the truth of one’s character,” she said softly, yet the weight of her words filled the air with a foreboding tension. “And yours is one I shall not forget.”
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The maid, trembling now, realized she was at the mercy of the princess she had dared to insult. “Please, I beg you! I’ll make amends! Just don’t—”
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But before she could finish, Lethyxia raised a hand, silencing her. “You’ve already made your choice,” she stated, a dangerous calm settling over her. “Now, you must face the consequences.”
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A huge figure of shadows emerged from the darkness above the landscape, a terrifying embodiment of power and destruction. His massive, muscular form radiated an aura of strength, each sinewy muscle coiling beneath his skin like a tightly wound spring. The head he bore was that of a bull, with fierce, gleaming eyes that glowed like embers in the dark, and powerful horns that curved menacingly toward the heavens.
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As he descended, the air around him crackled with energy, and his presence seemed to warp reality itself. His mouth gaped wide, resembling a fiery furnace, the insatiable hunger for sacrifices burning within as flames flickered and danced at the edges. Wisps of smoke spiraled upward from his throat, mingling with the heat radiating from his colossal frame, creating an ominous shroud around him.
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Draped in ornate armor that shimmered with an otherworldly light, adorned with symbols of ancient rituals, this creature stood as a terrifying sentinel of dark power. The intricate designs etched into the metal told tales of forgotten worship, where sacrifices were made to appease gods long lost to the annals of history.
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The atmosphere grew thick with tension, and the maids huddled together, paralyzed with fear as they caught sight of this monstrous being. Lethyxia remained undaunted, her eyes fixed on the colossal figure.
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“You come at my command, as it should be,” she stated, her voice dripping with confidence and authority. “Do you see these pathetic souls trembling before us? They will learn what it means to cross me.”
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The bull-headed creature turned his fiery gaze upon her, and in a voice that rumbled like distant thunder, it replied, “I exist to serve, master. Your will calls me forth from the shadows, and I am here to obey.”
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Lethyxia stepped forward, her posture exuding dominance. “Then let them witness your power. I want them to remember this day—the day they chose to mock "me"... Yes me!.”
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The creature bowed its massive head, an almost reverent gesture. “It shall be done, master. Fear is a potent weapon, and I will wield it with relentless force.”
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One of the maids, trembling, dared to speak. “Please, your highness, we didn’t mean any harm! We were just—”
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Lethyxia cut her off with a cold smile, her voice sharp as a blade. “Your pleas fall on deaf ears. You think me merciful? How quaint. Mercy is for the weak, and you’ve shown me that you are anything but deserving.”
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As the bull-headed creature stepped forward, shadows swirled around him, dark tendrils reaching out toward the quaking maids. “Shall I devour them, master?” he asked, the thrill of chaos evident in his tone.
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Lethyxia's smile widened, reveling in the fear she instilled. “Yes, let them feel the consequences of their insolence. Show them who their messing with.”
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With a commanding gesture, she invited the shadows to envelop the room, each wave of darkness thrumming with her malice. "Then it shall be done.”
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The bull-headed creature let out a roar that echoed through the halls, shaking the very foundations of the house. “human are such creature.!” he bellowed, and the shadows surged forward, ready to obey their master’s call.
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Lethyxia watched, her heart racing with a twisted sense of joy. Her lips curved into a wicked smile as she observed the scene unfolding before her. The colossal creature, her loyal servant of shadows, moved with brutal precision, tearing through the maids who had dared to mock her. Screams filled the air, only to be cut short as blood splattered across the marble floors, painting the once-pristine surface in deep crimson.
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The dark aura around Lethyxia pulsed with energy, feeding off the fear and chaos in the room. She clasped her hands together, her eyes sparkling with unrestrained delight. “How delightful,” she murmured, almost to herself. “To witness the sweet dance of terror and retribution.”
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One maid, still alive but barely clinging to hope, tried to crawl away, leaving a trail of blood in her wake. Her desperate whimpers echoed through the hall, but Lethyxia stepped forward, her voice like poisoned honey. “Running will do you no good, dear,” she cooed, tilting her head. “You should’ve known that crossing me comes at a heavy price.”
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The maid’s eyes widened in horror, her body trembling as Lethyxia knelt beside her, leaning in close. “Tell me,” Lethyxia whispered, her tone mockingly gentle, “was the laughter worth it? Did it bring you even a fraction of the satisfaction that watching you beg for mercy brings me?”
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The maid choked on a sob, her words lost to the terror overwhelming her. Lethyxia straightened, a look of utter disdain on her face. “Pathetic,” she spat, before gesturing to the shadow creature. “Finish it. I grow bored of their cries.”
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The creature obeyed, a final roar reverberating through the halls as it delivered the fatal blow. The silence that followed was thick, punctuated only by the drip of blood onto the marble floor. Lethyxia took a deep breath, relishing the lingering fear in the air, before turning on her heel.
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“Clean this mess up,” she commanded to the remaining servants who had been too afraid to move. “And remember,” she added, her voice a cold promise, "loyalty is rewarded. Disrespect, however, is punished without mercy."
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With that, she swept from the room, her steps echoing in the sudden, haunting stillness.
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The maids who had been kneeling trembled as they quickly nodded, their hands shaking with fear. They scrambled to clean the gruesome mess, scrubbing the bloodstained marble floors without uttering a single word. The air around them felt heavy, thick with terror and the lingering darkness left behind by Lethyxia and her monstrous servant.
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None of them dared to meet each other's eyes or say anything. They knew all too well that even a whisper, a misplaced glance, or the faintest hint of defiance could seal their fate. They had seen what crossing the princess meant, and the memory of that brutal punishment was more than enough to keep them silent.
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Lethyxia’s shadow loomed over them as she strode away, her presence a chilling reminder of the merciless power she wielded.
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____
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Yet, before Lethyxia left the room, someone who had been hiding in the shadows witnessed everything. Queen Saraphina, holding a delicate basket of cookies she had prepared, stood frozen just outside the doorway. Her eyes widened with horror and disbelief as she took in the brutal scene that had unfolded before her: the blood-stained marble, the shattered expressions of the terrified maids, and the colossal shadow creature that Lethyxia commanded with ease.
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Saraphina’s heart raced, her breath catching in her throat. The cookies in the basket trembled with her shaking hands. She had intended to surprise her stepdaughter with a gentle gesture of kindness, but what she had stumbled upon was far from anything she could have imagined. The princess she had once tried to care for had revealed a dark, merciless side that left her questioning everything she knew.
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Carefully, Saraphina stepped back, retreating into the shadows to avoid being seen. Her mind spun with the implications of what she had just witnessed. ( How had Lethyxia become so terrifyingly powerful, so remorselessly cruel?) The queen swallowed hard, her resolve strengthening as she realized the difficult choices that lay ahead.
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(This darkness...) Saraphina thought, gripping the basket tighter, (must be addressed... before it consumes the entire empire...) She sighed deeply, her breath catching with the weight of the situation. Just as she began to compose herself, a vivid and unsettling memory flashed through her mind.
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(The prophecy...) Her heart skipped a beat, panic gripping her chest. No, it can’t be... The ancient oracle's prophecy echoed clearly in Saraphina’s mind: " ᜏᜒᜈ ᜐᜇᜓᜏ᜔ᜐ ᜇᜈ᜔ᜐ ᜂᜈ᜔ᜇᜒᜇ᜔ ᜆᜒ ᜊᜓᜎᜓᜇ᜔ ᜋᜓᜈ᜔, ᜆᜓ ᜐᜓᜎ᜔ᜐ ᜏᜒᜆᜒᜈ᜔ ᜂᜈ ᜊᜓᜇᜒ ᜐᜑ᜔ᜎ᜔ ᜍᜒᜐ᜔. ᜆᜒ ᜁᜉ᜔ᜋᜒᜍ᜔ ᜉᜆᜒ ᜏᜒᜎ᜔ ᜍᜒᜐ᜔ᜆ᜔ ᜂᜈ ᜆᜒ ᜑᜈ᜔ᜇ᜔ᜐ ᜂᜉ᜔ ᜐᜒ ᜑᜓ ᜃᜓᜋ᜔ᜋᜈ᜔ᜐ ᜇᜇ᜔ᜃ᜔ᜈᜒᜐ. ᜐᜎᜓᜊ᜔ᜐᜓᜈ᜔ ᜂᜍ᜔ ᜍᜓᜒᜈ᜔—ᜑᜓᜍ᜔ ᜐᜒᜑᜓᜇᜒ ᜀᜎᜓᜈ᜔. ᜆᜒ ᜍᜒᜇ᜔ᜑ᜔ ᜐᜓᜎ᜔ ᜐᜑ᜔ᜎ᜔ ᜊᜍᜒᜈ᜔ᜄ᜔ ᜐᜎᜓᜊ᜔ᜐᜓᜈ᜔; ᜆᜒ ᜂᜆᜒᜍ᜔ ᜏᜒᜎ᜔ ᜇᜒᜎᜒᜊ᜔ᜌᜓᜍ᜔ ᜇ᜔ᜌᜓᜄ᜔ᜇ᜔ᜈ᜔. "
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Saraphina’s fingers dug harder into the woven handle of the basket, her knuckles turning white with tension. (Oh, moon... what should I do?) she wondered, her gaze lifting to the sky, desperate for any sign of hope. (How am I supposed to find her... your real daughter?)
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But the gentle light of the moon above seemed distant, almost indifferent, as though even the celestial body had turned away from the grim reality unfolding in the empire. Its silvery glow, which had once offered her solace, now felt remote and cold, amplifying the sense of impending doom.
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Fear gnawed at her, but Saraphina knew she could not allow herself to be paralyzed. The weight of the prophecy loomed over her, and time was running out. If she didn’t act soon, the empire’s fate could be sealed forever.
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(I must find her...) Saraphina resolved, her heart heavy with the responsibility she bore. Steeling herself, she stepped back into the shadows, the basket of cookies in hand, knowing the path ahead would be fraught with danger and difficult choices.
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