CARNAL

XIX

"Are you enjoying yourself" Mijako thought bitterly to the succubus residing inside of her.

"Of course" it responded, laconically. Its voice echoed within Mijako's mind, mocking her lack of control. "This is what you were meant for"

Mijako tried to quell her disgust and resentment towards the supernatural force that had taken over her life, but her hatred only grew stronger. She knew she couldn't defy it, yet resistance bubbled beneath the surface.

As she continued to track Siraj through the serpentine alleys and dark corners of the city, Mijako caught sight of another woman approaching him –enraptured by his masculine aura. The woman's hands reached out to caress Siraj's face as they leaned into an intimate embrace.

A fierce surge of jealousy and rage erupted within Mijako's chest.

"How dare he?" she thought viciously.

"Does it matter?" countered the succubus dispassionately. "You belong to only one: me,  Aphrodite."

"I am my own person!" Mijako snarled back defiantly. But, deep down inside, she knew it was futile –the succubus would always have the upper hand.

Ignoring her enraged heart, Mijako crept closer still, her eyes never leaving the intertwined pair. Siraj leaned in for a slow, passionate kiss with the unknown woman, and Mijako's blood simmered with fury.

The succubus inside her mind basked in the deluge of emotion, its power and influence swelling with Mijako's pain. "You let yourself be drawn to him," it purred. "Why not tear them apart?"

Mijako dug her nails into her palms, willing herself not to act on the temptation. She blinked back angry tears as she watched them pull away from each other –whispering sweet nothings into each other's ears.

"No... I won't give you the satisfaction," she thought bitterly.

"A shame," the succubus sighed. It threatened to use their shared senses to revel in their heartache; an unspoken warning that Mijako would suffer all the same.

Her heart heavy with grief and bitterness, Mijako continued to follow after Siraj and the mysterious woman as they wandered through the moonlit streets. Her longing for a life free of this torment was matched only by her intense, twisted obsession for Siraj –the man she both desired and detested.

As night reluctantly gave way to dawn's first light, Mijako still pursued her prey –under the relentless control of her Aphrodite. And with every step taken towards reclaiming Siraj's heart or reclaiming freedom from this tragic fate, so too did her shadowy grip on reality tighten, all hope at stake beneath the weight of an ancient curse.

As Mijako trailed Siraj, she kept to the shadows to avoid being seen. Her mind raced with questions and fears. "Why am I doing this? What has come over me?" she thought.

Aphrodite, sensing her host's wariness, whispered sinisterly within Mijako's mind, "You are not in control right now, my dear... Your body is mine to command."

Siraj continued on his path, unaware of his pursuer. He led his unsuspecting victim – a young woman with raven hair and piercing green eyes – to an eerily deserted alleyway beside an abandoned warehouse. The woman's laughter echoed hollowly off the damp brick walls.

Mijako, crouching atop a rooftop overlooking the alleyway, gritted her teeth as Aphrodite goaded her further. "Look at them... the predator and his prey," the succubus sneered.

Within Mijako's conflicted mind, an inner struggle ensued between panic and a burgeoning curiosity spurred on by Aphrodite's vile influence. "I can't watch this," Mijako thought desperately.

"Ah... but you must," Aphrodite purred cruelly, trapping Mijako within her own mind.

Unable to turn away or close her eyes, Mijako watched as Siraj led the woman deeper into darkness. He ambushed her from behind with unnatural agility and strength. The woman froze, her eyes wide with terror. Within seconds, Siraj's hands were wrapped tightly around her throat, choking the life from her.

Her strangled gasps filled the night air like mocking laughter. She clawed desperately at his hands to no avail; hopelessness filled her green eyes.

From her hidden vantage point, Mijako was forced to bear witness to the cold-blooded murder. She felt a gut-wrenching sorrow for the woman and guilt for being unable to save her from such a gruesome fate.

The life slowly faded from the woman's face as Siraj tightened his grip, her body finally going limp in his embrace. He released her and she collapsed onto the cold, wet pavement with a sickening thud.

Mijako's soul trembled in revolt against its demonic captor. Sheets of rain began to pour from the sky, washing away the evidence of the heinous act in its wake.

Through a curtain of tears and rain, Mijako stared down at Siraj and vowed silently that she would find a way to use his reign of terror to her use, but first she had to be sure that he would never hurt her. Though Aphrodite held dominion over her flesh, Mijako would not surrender without a fight.

She pondered, for a rare occasion, that she had encountered an ordinary gentleman. However, she was well aware that it would require a considerable amount of time for her to acclimate to his dreadful inclinations, as she had never before crossed paths with a murderer. Typically, she herself was the harbinger of death.

Mijako had no intention of divulging her awareness of Siraj's concealed nature to him, but a deep-seated apprehension coursed through her veins. In order to safeguard herself from becoming a potential target of his lethal capabilities, she deemed it necessary to create a substantial distance between them.

The memory of witnessing him effortlessly snuff out the life of a woman instilled in her a haunting fear that one day he might turn his deadly intentions towards her.