"Please, pleeeease!"
The cries of the red-haired harlot were almost enough to make Tatiana feel a bit better, but it still wasn't quite enough.
The woman's son had stopped screaming a while ago. He was still alive and had merely passed out from the pain. If she went too far and killed either of them, she'd have to go through the trouble of summoning their souls back into their bodies all over again. Better to take it slowly and draw things out.
Tatiana put down the knife and turned to the screaming woman behind her.
"Please, he's had enough. Take him down from there! You can do what you want with me instead, please!"
Marianne's arms were tied to metal chains that forced her into an uncomfortable standing position, mirroring Matin across from her. Tatiana had ignored her until this point. She knew how high the woman's tolerance for pain was. If she wanted to hurt the leader of the great Evelyn family, then her attacks would have to be more psychological in nature. That's why she had spent most of her time on Matin.
"Now where'd be the fun in that? I'm afraid your son will never be fit to rule after all this. At this rate, he may never speak again. What a shame," she said with feigned mournfulness. "Tell me, would you still love him if he were invalid and unable to use the toilet by himself, let alone ruling the empire, hmm?"
Tatiana stood in a small, ugly room made of rusty iron walls and a concrete floor. Pairs of chains dotted the side of the room, and a rack filled with tools designed to inflict pain was placed in the far corner. It was a private place where she could let off some steam away from prying eyes.
She opened the gold and black book in her hands and began to write. A moment later, Matin's wounds healed and he woke up. He looked around blankly, drool running down his chin.
"Matin! Matin dear, can you hear me?"
There was a moment of silence as Matin tilted his head.
"M-mother. Mother, it's ok. I… I'm fine," he said, giving Marianne a stiff smile.
Tatiana clicked her tongue. She was so sure she had broken his mind after showing him those nightmares. She wanted to hear him beg his mother to save him.
She wrote something else within the book, and Matin lost consciousness once again. This time she would send him something a little more potent.
*
Wipe clean the slate and carry on renewed. With their deaths let your burden be lightened.
Matin stood behind a corner, looking carefully beyond it. He was standing in one of Mount Moor Academy's many corridors. Further down, he could see Nicolas running as fast as he could towards a distant doorway.
To his own surprise, Matin moved to chase after Nicolas. He wasn't in control of his own body, and he was moving strangely, using all four of his limbs to bound forward. It didn't take long for him to catch up to Nicolas, who was visibly weak.
"M-Matin. Please, no. I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die, Please I…"
Nicolas was cut off as Matin bit down on his friend's throat. He tasted blood as Nicolas slowly choked to death, his eyes looking into Matin's, begging for mercy until the end.
No. Stop it. Please stop!
He was not in control of himself, yet he sensed every little thing, tasted it all in horrible detail. He felt like vomiting, but nothing came up. Whatever was in control wanted to feast, to rip and tear at the person lying in front of him. He felt genuine horror and had no means to release it. It filled him, driving his mind to the point of breaking.
No, he didn't want this. Why was he seeing this?
His vision shifted, and now he was in front of Maria.
She cursed at him as he pulled her limb from limb. She stayed alive a remarkably long time, and Matin couldn't plug his ears to drown out her hate-filled words. At the end of it all, he wanted nothing more than for her to die.
After he was done with Maria, more of his friends appeared to the slaughter. Rosetta, Dean and Addi. Even his own mother wasn't spared from his rage. He had to watch, unable to control his own body as he feasted upon them. Then, finally, Sophia stood before him.
They were in her room at the academy. Austere compared to most others, it held the bare minimum of what a student would require for their studies. Matin would have found comfort in its simplicity, were it not for the circumstances. In fact, he would have preferred it to anything else. With fewer distractions, they could talk for hours about their most recent studies.
Sophia looked at him with eyes full of hurt and hatred.
"All I wanted was to have a better life for me and my parents. One that would have had only a tiny fraction of the wealth you and your mother have! Why couldn't you let me have that?"
Her words were hollow and blunt, and yet he felt every one of them like a piercing arrow. Without meaning to, he stepped towards her. She cowered in the corner, which only served to further break his heart.
"So, you won't even let me have my life?" She said with tears in her eyes. "I thought you were different from the other nobles."
Her words were filled with venom. Hatred for him, that sounded wrong coming from her.
He didn't bite into her or tear her apart like he had his friends. No, this time his hands were not the claws of some hideous beast, but his own two hands. They wrapped around her small neck with ease.
As the skin on her face turned purple and blue, she smiled at him and stroked his arm. She didn't struggle. Minutes passed, and he held on long after she had most assuredly died. Just as he was about to let go, her corpse spoke to him.
"I looked forward to talking to you every day, Matin."
Matin was left sobbing over the corpses of Sophia and all his friends. Alone in a dark void, he wasn't even granted the peace of death. Alone in the dark, these events repeated for what felt like an eternity.
When the weight comes to be too much, wipe clean the slate and move forward. Death eases all burdens.
*
Tatiana looked up at Matin's face. Even though he was witnessing a nightmare of her making and suffering dearly from it, she didn't feel the same satisfaction she had from torturing Marianne. She considered waking Matin up so she could use his suffering to torture his mother some more, but before she could, someone appeared out of the darkness in front of her.
"Woah, what an interesting hobby! Although it's really lacking your usual creativity. You must be in a bad mood, huh?" Cythia asked with a smug smile.
"Help us! whoever you are, get Matin-"
Sighing, Tatiana raised her hand, and Marianne was cut off as she became a red stain on the wall. Cythia raised an eyebrow.
"No, it's not just a bad mood. You're positively furious, aren't you?" She said with a short laugh and a clap of her hands. "Seeing you like this is almost worth the hassle of coming to this awful place!"
Tatiana bit her lip and took a deep breath to stop herself from speaking her mind and asking if Cythia was to blame for Addi's sudden appearance. It was better to dwell on how to address the issue first and foremost.
"Worry not. I'm merely making sure these two are prepared for the next story," she said flatly, gazing at Matin's sleeping face. "Do you have any idea how our new guest came to find herself here?"
Cythia shrugged.
"Not sure, maybe she got help from another great one, or maybe Dean himself let her in, hmm? Regardless, I wanna speak to the others about it. It's a rarity, but they've all gathered in the reading room."
Without waiting for a reply, Cythia vanished. The nerve of that girl. None could tell Tatiana what to do here, not even a being like Cythia. She would go to the reading room because it was in her own interest to gather more information, nothing more. Having them all in one area was simply too convenient to ignore.
Sighing, she disposed of Matin and imagined herself in the reading room next to the library. Her surroundings shifted, and she found herself in that exact place. Aside from Dean and now Addi, she was currently entertaining four other guests. Those four occasionally gathered here to discuss her stories over tea and cakes.
She bowed slightly, a typical courtesy for a master welcoming guests.
"It's a rare sight to see you all gathered in one place. I hope you are all enjoying yourselves?"
It was an effort to keep calm and not immediately ask about Addi. It was important to observe a certain level of politeness when dealing with the great ones. They could be a touchy bunch.
"For a small nest made by an inexperienced chick, it is not all that bad," came a haughty voice. "Your stories continue to please my senses."
Kamiri lounged casually on a sofa, her long golden hair styled in ringlets partially hiding her face and expression.
"It's all very well and good to be spending your time so leisurely, but there seems to be a commotion, no?" Adalet asked as he stood leaning against the wall, his sparkling robe glowing in the firelight. "I would really like to get back to my inspection, so tell me, what is all this about?"
That man was always eager to stick his nose where it didn't belong. Was he feigning ignorance? Cythia had told her not to worry about him, but Tatiana knew better. She had to look after herself, and that meant keeping a close eye on all her guests.
"Oh, it's nothing serious. Someone's been playing around and has brought a friend along to the party." Cythia said with a big smile. "I only want to play around too. I don't wanna be left out!"
Both Adalet and Kamiri looked at her in confusion. Although her words had been pleasant enough, those who knew her knew that there was a threat hidden within those childish words. Tatiana sighed.
"What she means to say is that we're merely curious as to who invited the albino girl into my domain without first asking my permission," Tatiana explained. "You can imagine my embarrassment when I could not treat the new guest with proper honor."
"I don't really see what the big deal is, but as you can see, our host is a little put off by this whole thing," Cythia said with a sly smile, turning her gaze to each guest in turn.
A heavy silence filled the room. Cythia's eyes had a dangerous glint to them that would have put the fear into any mortal soul. However, everyone here was equal while they remained in Tatiana's domain. None would be foolish enough to act out violently, not even Cythia.
"I believe it's obvious by process of elimination, no?" Adalet drawled. "One in my esteemed position would hardly do something so uncouth, and I don't think the lump lying over there has the energy or desire to bring in more players." He finished, looking towards a dark corner of the room where another figure, who had yet to speak, sat hugging their legs, eyes peering out from over them with distaste.
"Indeed," Tatiana agreed, looking towards her last guest, Kamiri.
Obviously, she herself and Cythia wouldn't have done it, and Adalet's words rang true for himself and the silent guest. That left only one other person. Kamiri did not wilt when all the eyes in the room settled on her. In fact, she seemed to indulge in the attention, a pleasant laugh escaping her red lips.
"It's foolish to assume I let her in since you know very well yourself that she's been a part of all this since the very beginning. I admit that she has caught my interest, this white-haired girl you speak of," Kamiri said lazily. "Her hair, skin, and striking red eyes have a way of setting one's heart aflutter. Having her play a more active role going forward would be a delight. Don't you think so?"
Kamiri pulled herself up into a sitting position, moving gracefully like free-flowing water. Her movements almost felt alien, impossible in her human form. Her white column dress did not crease or show any signs of loosening despite the rather slothful fashion in which she had been lying down.
As usual, Kamiri spoke of order and neatness as if everything had to be just as she liked. Of course, there was likely more to her actions than simple aesthetics. Why did these people always insist on meddling? Tatiana was reminded of a playground full of children, very dangerous children.
"No need to feel defensive, dear guest. This isn't an interrogation. I am no nosy inquisitor." Tatiana said with a short laugh, earning her an unimpressed look from Adalet.
"Perfect, then if there is nothing else, I shall return to my reading. I am nearing the end of this particular book and I'm hoping it will be as beautiful as I."
In her hands was one of Tatiana's black books. She couldn't be sure which one it was. It could have been written recently or written long in the past. It mattered not. She seemed ready to drop the conversation there. Tatiana felt a brief flare of annoyance.
"However," she said, causing Kamiri to stop reading and glare at her. "Could you tell us why you felt the need to bring her into the library itself without my permission?" She asked, giving the golden-haired woman an expectant look.
Kamiri straightened up further and, to Tatiana's annoyance, remained perfectly silent.
"She just wanted another friend to play with!" Cythia said, piping up. "That albino girl is so cute, like a snow fairy. It must have been love and first sight, right Kam?"
"Don't call me that. It isn't worthy of my grand appearance." Kamiri snapped with a click of her tongue. "Such a filthy moniker."
"Oh, come on, don't be like that, Kamkam! Let's go play after this, just you and me. You can tell me all about your new albino friend, her likes, her dislikes, and what makes her scream the loudest," Cythia said with a wide smile.
Tatiana couldn't help stepping away from the rambunctious, childlike monster as she started hopping up and down with barely contained excitement. If Kamiri accepted and joined Cythia in her playroom, then she probably wouldn't be seen for some time after. Cythia had a hard time letting go of her toys. Not that Tatiana thought Kamiri would fall for such a ploy in the first place.
"Would you all be quiet?" Came a grumbling voice from the dark corner.
That would be Tatiana's last guest, Cora. She was covered from head to toe in black. She wore a black blouse, a plaid skirt and a wide-brimmed hat. The sea of black was somewhat balanced by deep purple frills and a purple flower resting on the rim of her hat.
Tatiana felt like she could probably ignore Cora for now. She didn't have the energy or desire to scheme, or so it seemed. At the very least, doing something so openly insulting wasn't worth the hassle for her.
"Lady Kamiri, if you would, please?" Tatiana asked, trying to get the conversation back on track.
Somehow, even though she was sitting down, Kamiri looked down her nose at Tatiana.
"I found Addi's soul wandering in the space in between and brought her closer to this world. It was untidy, having a lost soul wandering in and out of your stories like that. Suffice to say, it didn't appeal to me, so I'll be putting her to use. Also, it wasn't I who gave her the final push. It was that young man who called her here."
Of course, Kamiri would see Addi's situation as untidy. The girl's entire existence was an irritating anomaly. One that Tatiana could not easily do away with, no matter how much she wished to.
So it was Dean who drew Addi into her domain in the end. That made sense, considering the circumstances under which she appeared. However, there was no denying that Kamiri must have nudged her soul in the right direction, setting the groundwork for her appearance.
"Hey did you know? That girl is pretty strong and not to mention super weird? Poor Tatiana can't control her at all. You sure you just did this on a whim, Kamkam?" Cythia asked.
Cythia had teleported behind Kamiri and was now hugging her from behind, giggling all the while. Did she really feel the need to remind the others about her inability to deal with Addi? Tatiana had to stop herself from gritting her teeth as she maintained her diplomatic smile.
"Get your hands off me, you cretin. Do you have any idea how long it took to get my hair looking this perfect?" Kamiri squawked.
"Too noisy…" Cora added, taking a sip of wine from a glass she was never without and letting out a small hiccup. "You should all go spend some time in the great nothingness."
Cora giggled to herself as if she had just told the most amusing joke. Sighing and feeling the futility of dealing with these creatures, Tatiana approached Adalet.
"Openly tempering in another's domain is a crime in the eyes of the Inquisition, is it not?" Tatiana asked the short man.
Adalet turned from the commotion and gave her a blank stare.
"Yes, of course. If one interferes with another's world, then it would be cause for disciplinary methods," he said. "As long as the domain itself is legitimate, of course."
"Naturally," Tatiana replied flatly.
Adalet folded his arms and closed his eyes, a smile appearing on his face.
"Since the new arrival is no outsider, let's just call it a repair job and forget all about it." He said as if it were a simply manner.
So, he was going to turn a blind eye. Tatiana suspected that Adalet wasn't taking his job seriously in the slightest. He was probably hiding in her domain and shirking his duties.
"Of course. Something as small as this isn't worth bothering my esteemed guests over," she said, her voice calm.
As they were talking, Cythia continued to sow the seeds of chaos with the other two readers.
"You're too boring, Yawna! You need to move more!" She said, shaking the darkly dressed woman as she lay sprawled on her belly. Cora moaned and put up a feeble resistance but was no match for the energetic Cythia
"No, I refuse. It's all so pointless after all. I have only come here to read stories of death and get drunk while doing so. Do not take that peace from me! Also, why are you calling me Yawna?" Cora asked as she glared at Cythia.
"But death is booooring. You can't play with them if they're dead. It's so much more fun to see them screaming in fear and pain!"
"You simply cannot see the appeal. The reason I have stayed so long is that Lady Tatiana understands it well. Though I can't see why she has to keep bringing them back to life over and over. Watching them all run around is so overwhelming sometimes."
Cythia stood up straight and put her hands on her hips, glaring at the lazy woman in front of her.
"What are you talking about? That's the best part! No matter how many times they stop moving, these toys will never fully break. With this, feast forever! Don't tell me that doesn't appeal to you either, Yawna!"
"Hmm, that's true, I suppose. I can eat as much as I want and not have to move," Cora replied, taking another long sip of wine. "None of us would be here if that wasn't the case. Even the corrupt inquisitor has been sneaking a bite now and then, you know."
Adalet shrugged and gave no response as the two girls looked at him with satisfaction. Tatiana wondered whether Adalet indulging like this could be comparable to drinking on the job. Perhaps this was what Cythia meant when she said not to worry about him.
"Lady Tatiana, I have reached an ending and would like another book." Kamiri said, waving a closed book in the air.
"No way are you finished so fast! did you skip to the end again?" Cythia asked angrily.
"The only thing that matters to me is the ending. It must be neat and tidy, always," Kamiri replied calmly.
"That's sooo boring!" Cythia said, stamping her feet, causing the entire room to shake
"It's alright, Lady Cythia," Tatiana said with a laugh. "As long as she is entertained and satisfied, then I am content."
"That's it, I can no longer take this noise. I think I will go find a shadowy corner in the grand library to read in," Cora said, getting to her feet.
That one never wanted to be in a room with more than one other person for too long. Were it not for her porcelain-white skin, she would be very difficult to find in the shadows she liked to hide in. Tatiana wondered how someone with black hair and eyes would want to cover themselves in even more black.
Cora left through a door at the opposite end of the reading room, everyone else watching her as she went.
"I'm surprised that recluse stayed as long as she did," Kamiri said, folding her arms. "She's probably up to something."
Kamiri's comment elicited a chuckle from Adalet.
"And you're not?" He asked.
"I don't skulk around scheming, if that's what you think. If something is ugly or broken, then I make it neat and beautiful again. That is all there is to it, so you can drop that suspicious look."
Even as she sat on the couch, Kamiri's words carried a weight and self-assuredness that few could challenge or criticize.
"If you mean boring and lame, then I suppose that is what you do. You're still as sly as the rest of us though, aren't you, Kam?" Cythia asked with a cruel grin. "A pile of stinking rubbish is just that, even if you spray lots of perfume on it."
"Someone has to put some order to the chaos you create, Cythia," Kamiri replied, completely unruffled. "If you had your way, each place you visited would become a chaotic cesspool filled with nonsensical beings and happenings. You break your toys much too quickly. It's such a waste."
Cythia giggled and put her arms around Kamiri's shoulders.
"Oh, how I do love tearing down your pretty little creations," she said directly into your ear. "But stay out of it this time and just be a good little passive reader, ok? I won't let this goldmine collapse in on itself, you hear?"
Tatiana sighed. She still couldn't quite place their relationship. They spewed hostile words at each other in a tone similar to two close friends discussing shopping plans. It was likely that the two had known each other for a very long time.
"I shall go find another one of your stories in the library then, though tell me when you finish your next work. I look forward to seeing how my new pet factors into it all. Just make sure to keep writing beautiful endings, yes?"
With that, Kamiri vanished, likely going back to her own private room. She probably wasn't snooping around like Adalet, or plotting like Cora. Surely not.
"If there is nothing else, I shall take my leave as well."
"Oh won't you stay and play with us a little while longer? I'd just love to hear about all that you've found out from your investigating? We can talk about it in my playhouse." Cythia said, rushing over to him.
Adalet shook his head.
"Thank you, but being trapped in that never-ending space would be a bit inconvenient. I'd like to return to my duties within the next century, if possible."
"Boo, so boring," Cythia said, stamping her feet.
She instantly recovered and started waving him goodbye as he left, giving Tatiana a knowing look before disappearing completely. Once he was gone, only Tatiana and Cythia remained.
"What a lively bunch, things have certainly gotten interesting of late," Tatiana said lightly.
She felt slightly better after the exchange with the readers. At least interest in her works continued to grow while Adalet seemed happy to let her continue. Cythia had her back turned and didn't reply.
"You seemed to enjoy yourself, I suppose it is good to be reunited with old friends, no?" Tatiana continued, stepping up beside Cythia.
"Hey, just what do you think you're doing, huh?"
Cythia's voice, low and threatening, cut through the otherwise silent room like a gust of arctic wind. Unsure of the reasoning behind the sudden change in tone, Tatiana replied in a cheery voice.
"What am I doing? I'm merely enjoying the suffering I've wrought, just like we agreed upon, no?"
Cythia turned on her. She was smiling, but it was a dark and cruel grin that didn't reach her eyes.
"Oh, wake up, you pathetic dreg," she snapped.
Tatiana's smile vanished in an instant.
"The other readers have started to meddle, and worse than that, I'm starting to get bored! You might not have realised this, but you're beginning to lose control of your own domain, and if you do, those vultures are gonna swoop down and pick it apart piece by piece."
Cythia's torrent of furious words left Tatiana speechless for a moment. Loosing control? Surely not. This was her world, and hers alone. Her guests were just here to read and enjoy her stories. Why would they ever consider taking it from her?
"Surely you jest. What could any of them ever do? This is my domain, my story. I hold supreme power here."
"And yet you allowed a wayward soul to drift in against your own wishes?" Cythia asked.
Tatiana narrowed her eyes.
"Never show them weakness again, or they will find a way to take everything from you, from us. Keep them entertained and stop writing flat, dull stories like the last two."
"What do you mean? I wrote those last two tales just as we had planned. If I hadn't, Dean would have been lost to me… to us! Have you forgotten that we cannot let that happen?"
It was a struggle to keep her composure. She was still the god of this domain after all. Cythia had no right to speak to her in such a manner.
"And you overcompensated, idiot!" Cythia hissed. "You've really dropped the ball with the last two stories, you know. Are you starting to feel sorry for your own characters, hmm?"
Tatiana couldn't believe what she was hearing. Cythia loved nothing more than the taste of hope turning to despair. What she had been putting her characters through was nothing less than eternal torture.
"I did not err in the slightest. All is going exactly as I intended." Tatiana said, her pleasant voice cracking slightly.
"Are you talking back to me?"
Even the cruel smile fell from Cythia's face, and she was left glaring at the taller woman as if she wasn't twice her height.
"Don't forget, all you have now is the result of the deal the three of us made. If I am not happy with how things are going, I'm gonna leave you two to your own devices, and you'll be eaten alive by those monsters!" Cythia shouted.
Tatianna knew Cythia's words for the empty threat they were. She would never willingly abandon the endless source of food and pleasure Tatiana has created for her.
Tatiana didn't speak her thoughts aloud. She remained silent out of fear of angering the brat further, and that infuriated her. Best to throw pride away and cool the child's tantrum.
"I-I understand," she said meekly, lowering her head. "I'll be sure to improve and create works to your taste, my lady."
Cythia's mood improved in an instant, and she was back to her usual giddy self.
"Good, as long as you understand. Cook up something truly horrid for the next book, ok? Otherwise, I'll leave you two to the dogs."
She made it sound as if Tatiana was doing all this just to appease her. The girl couldn't be more wrong. Of course, she agreed that her next tale should be one that was a little harsher. With Addi now at his side, she was sure Dean could handle it without losing himself entirely.
With a wink and a wave, Cythia disappeared from the room, leaving Tatiana by herself, shaken but resolute.
"All this pain and suffering is rather tasteless… but that's what we wished for, is it not?"
Her words echoed silently in the reading room, with no one to hear them.
*
At last finding shadowy solitude, Cora poured herself a glass of wine and opened the black book on her lap.
"Hey, are you still alive in there?" She asked.
"… You're here now? Where did you go?"
A voice of a young girl, a denizen of the black book, called out to her. A lonely girl, full of sadness and despair, who wanted nothing but to be granted peace and nothingness.
"Sorry, had to meet with a few friends. I'm here now."
"I see. Well, I'm glad you're back."
Cora looked up at the ceiling. Her ears were still ringing from all that chatter. Cythia was especially insufferable. Oh, how she wanted to bring that child down a peg.
"Say, I think it's time I grant you the peace you've been seeking. What say you? All you have to do is abandon those you once called friends."
There was a long pause.
"Now? Really?"
"Is that a problem?" Cora giggled.
"No, not at all. I-I'm ready!"
Cora smiled. It was high time she stepped in and shaped this world to her liking. After all, if Kamiri could do it, then she could too. Everything had simply grown too noisy and lively for her liking.
"Why must nothingness be so peaceful?" She whispered so that her partner could not hear.