Chapter Text
Huntress Wizard prepared to deliver the final blow, but when she squinted, he was gone.
She gasped for breath, the air in the castle was thick, not a breath of fresh air for miles around. She felt a scorching heat from the adrenaline.
The gloom inside was worse than anywhere in Ooo she had ever been, and she had been born in the darkness of this kingdom, longing to have seen the much-lauded and feared sun.
She scanned the perimeter and couldn't find him. Her prey had escaped. It was unforgivable; something like this could condemn her forever. She had to fix this before Bonnibel found out and retaliated.
She looked to the left. There was nothing there, just the same poorly constructed, yellowish-gray walls. A deathly silence hung in the air, but she felt she had to remain vigilant nonetheless, searching for anything out of place. Trying not to make a sound, she glanced to her right, checking door after door from where she was hiding.
Absolutely nothing.
She felt warmth behind her, but Huntress didn't believe that warmth belonged to her this time.
She looked back, afraid of making a mistake. She hated making mistakes, but this time she wanted to. And there she saw him. Her prey.
She stared at him, and she no longer believed he was her prey. He was her predator. And he was going to devour her whole.
She only had time to inhale in fear before the Vampire King had already seized her by the neck without mercy, preventing her from releasing the barely held breath.
She felt like she was drowning, but she wouldn't shed a single tear, even if it cost her her life. She had no value anyway; she was just another pawn in the downfall of this king's empire, just like Martin and so many others had been. But he had already finished her off.
“Audacious of you to enter my chambers and try to kill me, isn’t it?” He laughed maliciously. He brought his face close to hers and forced her to look into his eyes. “I should return the favor,” he whispered.
Huntress’s blood ran cold at his words. She didn’t know what this man would do to her, but it was definitely nothing good. She felt the quiver shift behind her, the clatter of arrows inside only confirming it. The King looked away, his gaze fixed on something behind her that she couldn’t see because of the hand still pressing on her neck.
He looked at her again. “This is going to hurt” he warned in a grave voice.
Huntress didn’t even have time to process the words before she felt an excruciating pain shoot up from her hamstrings. A sharp pain made her kick.
She was starting to feel dizzy; the hand was preventing her from thinking clearly. It was unbearable. Out of pure instinct, she tried to relieve the pressure, but it was impossible. She scratched, pulled, squeezed, she kicked despite the pain, but he didn't react. She couldn't even create an ulcer.
The vampire narrowed his eyes and released her, letting her fall. She finally felt she could breathe. She coughed and gasped, taking in all the air that had been denied her.
Her vision was blurry, but Huntress didn't know if it was from the tears she'd held back or from the lack of air. For a second, she felt grateful to still be alive, even though her lungs burned as if she were inhaling toxic fumes.
She thought for a moment that this must have been how Martin felt when he died, with no escape. Finally, she was able to take a few quick, deep breaths and focus her gaze on the ceiling, groaning in pain, her heart racing.
Up there, his arrows floated menacingly. And they fell.
"Ugh—What?" That was the last thing she said.
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The sun shone in all its splendor, and piercing screams echoed across the arid land.
Something burned deep within her, but she was unable to move; the fatigue was too overwhelming. She opened her eyes with all her might, and the light blinded her. She pulled the hood of her jacket over her face to escape the pain.
When her vision focused, she saw the Vampire King's magical crown before her. This brought back memories of the unbearable pain she had endured because of him. She searched for him, but there were only rocks and sand all around, and nowhere he could be hiding.
She reached for the crown, but as soon as she exposed her skin to the sun's rays, it burned in seconds. Ignoring the pain, she reluctantly took the crown. She tucked it under her jacket and fled to some shady spot.
She found an abandoned house nearby and took refuge inside. She leaned against the doorway and set the crown aside so it wouldn't be in her way.
Before her stood an old mirror, covered in cobwebs and dust.
She hadn't seen one in a long time. She went to check her reflection after years of working side-by-side with Martin, but her image didn't meet her gaze.
In that very instant, she understood why the Vampire King had kept her alive.
Star had fallen, and he wanted a successor.