🏆 OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2022 WINNER 🏆
The Mayaware's reign has to end.
When demonic beings who hide scales and insatiable hunger for humans under their skins arose, Hesi watches her family become their victim. To avenge them, Hesi has to get close...
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Hesi's fists stayed clenched even when she had been forcing them to relax since she was summoned from the bridal palace. She's lucky to have been given time to mentally prepare due to what Kharta told her the night before. The other girls didn't even know when it's coming.
As much as she has seen blood on others and had felt pain countless of times on her own body, she wouldn't want to plunge into it on her own and walking up to the demon prince's palace with nothing but a flimsy vial of poison and the clothes on her body seemed like the perfect description of it. The torches were burning even if there's sunlight shining upon the trees and bushes ushering Hesi towards her doom. The water in the pool sparkled as if inviting her to jump in and drown just to avoid her fate inside the dark room.
Just like how the summons worked for the other girls, two Mayaware soldiers flanked Hesi, each holding spears whose tips could pass off as swords in length. Real swords hung in their sheaths by their belts and the no amount of punches and clever maneuvers could put a dent on their metal armor. In short, the Demon King was sending a message to everyone who encounters these soldiers. Don't do anything funny and you might live.
Emphasis on might.
Hesi swallowed against the growing lump on her throat and forced herself to look forward, to never let her chin drop a slight degree down even when her back was as stiff as a board and her legs almost developing minds of their own and starting to resist her. She wouldn't back down, even if the fear curling at the base of her stomach wouldn't let her intestines off its claws.
All of this would be over as soon as she slips the poison into the Prince's food. Soon. It would be over soon.
Because if not, it's going to be Hesi's blood all over the floor and her body torn to shreds. Who knew, she might join her family to where they ended up—be it paradise or hell.
They stepped inside the palace and the darkness had never felt so...oppressing. Even when Hesi had been here before, today was just different. Her breathing became uneven. Shallow. She squeezed her eyes shut and focused on taking deep breaths. Calm. She could do this. She'd see the other women again. She could do this.
When she opened her eyes, a metal door stood in front of her. Thick chains kept the door's handle in place and the acrid smell of dried blood and rotten meat curled inside and wafted into the corridor. Hesi didn't even bother trying to stop her hands and her breath from shaking. No one in their right minds would approach that door yet here she was.
For her family. To avenge their wrongful deaths. To end the demons' reign. This was for them and not for Hesi.
She could do this.
The chains clinked and clanked as the Mayaware guard to her left stepped forward bearing a gold key in its hands. The key slotted into the lock, twisted. WIth a loud click, the lock broke free. Strong hands gripped her arms and hauled her forward when she loitered too long at the gaping void in front of her the moment the metal door swung open on rusty hinges.
