Aditya was lying in a small lake of his own blood, a grim testament to the ruthlessness of Vespera's relentless assault. His body was a battlefield, riddled with deep gashes and puncture wounds, each a source of the scarlet river that was slowly leaving his body. The strength was seeping out of him at a terrifying rate and the edges of his vision were starting to blur. He felt the cold, unforgiving hand of unconsciousness slowly descending upon him.
Just when the situation was turning unbearably grim and all hope seemed to have evaporated, an unexpected event occurred that momentarily froze the on-going onslaught.
Crack!
A deafening sound of splitting echoed throughout the desolate landscape. Aditya, who was on the brink of losing consciousness, managed to muster enough strength to lift his eyelids and glance towards the source of the noise. His tired eyes widened in surprise upon witnessing the enormous fissure opening up in the sky above them. Simultaneously, Vespera's gaze was also riveted to the inexplicable phenomenon in the sky, her face draining of color as shock and disbelief painted her features.
"No...this...this is impossible!" Her voice echoed in the eerily silent surroundings. At that moment, comprehension dawned upon Aditya as he finally grasped the significance of what was transpiring. However, his body was drained, devoid of any energy to even twitch. Blood loss had left him weak and immobile. Yet the surge of anger that pulsed through his veins was as potent as ever, his hatred for the evil woman before him unabated. He harbored a deep desire to tear her limb from limb, slice her into pieces and let the hungry stray dogs feast on her remains.
Crack!
The fissures in the world around him grew larger, branching out like a spiderweb spun from fractures. The world as he knew it was cracking, coming apart at the seams.
Shatter!
Then, with the abruptness of a shattered mirror, the world around him burst apart. The harsh, discordant sound of glass breaking filled his ears, the noise echoing ominously in the quiet. In the next moment, everything around him began to morph and shift, dissolving and disappearing right before his eyes. His city, the people who lived in it, all the familiar surroundings - everything vanished like mirages fading in the desert heat.
"Are you alright?" A soft voice suddenly broke through the silence, gentle yet filled with worry. Tender hands reached out to him, carefully moving the blood-soaked strands of hair away from his right eye and wiping away the sticky blood that coated his face. As his vision cleared, he looked into the face of his unexpected savior. The sight of her brought a wave of surprised recognition.
"You... Sasha," he whispered, a mix of disbelief and relief in his tone. Of all people, Sasha was the last person he had expected to come to his rescue.
"Don't talk. Let me help you," she urged, her voice steady and soothing. Without further explanation, she slipped a pill, green and veined, into his mouth. As the pill dissolved, an immediate sensation of healing washed over him, his wounds starting to knit together with a speed that was almost miraculous.
"Vespera, I'm surprised to stumble upon you here," spoke a second woman who had arrived alongside Sasha. Her tone was cold, her gaze fixed on Vespera with an intensity that made the air around them chill.
Vespera, in response, seemed to shrink under the woman's stare. Her body shivered uncontrollably, her complexion turning ashen. "Why...why are you here?" She stammered out, her voice shaking with fear.
The woman responded with a chilling smile, "Why am I here? Isn't it obvious? I can't just stand by and let you kill my future son-in-law, can I?" At her words, shock rippled through both Aditya and Vespera. The resemblance between Sasha and this woman too much. Her mother looked slightly mature than Sasha but both were equally beautiful. Aditya at first even thought the old woman to be Sasha's big sister.
Shaking her head, Sasha's mother turned away from the flabbergasted Vespera and focused her attention on Aditya instead. Gently, she reached out, her fingers trembling as they made contact with his wounded skin. Noticing that her dreaded disease remained dormant, she raised her eyebrows in surprise. 'Just as Sasha said, the disease doesn't react to Aditya. It only triggers when we come into contact with other males, tormenting us with an unbearable pain.' she thought to herself. This discovery brought a wave of relief and joy. Initially, she had been skeptical of her daughter's words and decided to verify them personally. However, they arrived to find Aditya teetering on the edge of death at the hands of Vespera - someone she had let go in the past. It was a startling realization.
"Vespera, you've crossed a line this time. You almost took the life of my future son-in-law," The woman's voice, that was as frigid as a winter breeze, sent chills down everyone's spine. "I don't care for your reasons, but rest assured, you will pay the price."
Vespera could only stand and tremble, her legs shaking like autumn leaves in the wind.
There was a history between these two women, dating back a decade or so. Lilith, Sasha's mother, had crossed paths with Vespera before. Vespera, desperate and fearful, had pleaded for her life, and Lilith had relented, sparing her with a stern warning. It was a decision she did not expect to revisit so grimly today.
With a dismissive flick of her hand, Lilith said, "You may die now." Vespera frantically tried to envelop Lilith in one of her illusions, but to no avail. In a blink of an eye, Lilith was right before Vespera. Before Vespera could beg, plead, or utter a single word, a dagger found its way into her heart.
Vespera let out a painful cough, a rush of crimson spilling from her mouth as she collapsed to her knees. She looked up at Lilith, who was glaring back at her coldly. "I told you before, if you dared to threaten me or my family, there would be no second chances," Lilith's voice was like the chilling arctic wind, void of any warmth. Then, without a hint of mercy or hesitation, she severed Vespera's head from her body in one swift motion, then nonchalantly kicked her lifeless body aside.
Lilith then shifted her focus to Aditya, gently stepping towards him. Thanks to the potent five-star healing pill Sasha had given him, Aditya's wounds were visibly healing at an accelerated pace. The blood that had once poured out freely was now merely a trickle. The ghastly wounds that Vespera had inflicted were closing up, stitch by invisible stitch. Yet, despite the miraculous recovery, Aditya was fatigued, his body drained from the substantial loss of blood.
As Lilith knelt down before Aditya, she was enveloped in a motherly aura, "Are you alright, dear?" She asked tenderly. Before Aditya could muster the energy to respond, he was pulled into a warm, comforting embrace. He found his face buried in Lilith's ample bosom, almost smothering him. The soft pressure was strangely comforting, and he couldn't help but relax slightly in her embrace.
"Oh, my dear boy, had we been just a minute later, I shudder to think what might have happened to you," Lilith said, her voice slightly trembling as she gently stroked Aditya's hair. This interaction was as much a solace for her as it was for him.
Just like her daughter Sasha, Lilith had been burdened with a mysterious illness that made contact with males a torment. Now, the fact that she could touch a man without activating her disease was a novel and joyful experience. She was so overwhelmed that she couldn't help but throw her arms around Aditya, holding him in a tight, affectionate hug.
"Mother, enough with the antics," Sasha exclaimed, unable to bear the sight unfolding in front of her. She had never even dreamt of being so bold with Aditya herself. Sasha's voice held a hint of jealousy.
Lilith responded to Sasha's words with a playful, mischievous grin, clearly enjoying the situation. "Oh, why should I stop, dear?" she replied, her voice a teasing lilt.
Turning her attention back to Aditya, she leaned in close, her lips just a breath away from his ear. In a voice dripping with sultriness, she whispered, "My dear boy, I'm feeling quite... hot. Could you lend me a helping hand.....please?"
Aditya's body tensed up as he heard Lilith's words. Her allure was powerful and irresistible. It wasn't some learned trait but an inherent aspect of her being. Every move she made, every word she spoke seemed imbued with a seductive charm. Her whisper sent a jolt through him, making him react like an inexperienced young man, despite his stature as a monarch.
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