With one very calm but authoritative movement, your hand snatched the four-winged silver key from Mother Miranda's thin fingers. The metal of the key felt trembling, as if recognizing the immense power that was now flowing in your veins.
You don't look back at Heisenberg who is still sculpting, nor at Lady Dimitrescu who looks at you with almost insane pride.
WUUUSH!
Your body exploded into a vortex of pitch-black smoke that smelled of rose and iron. The vortex swirled violently, extinguishing the candles on the banquet table and creating a strong wind that blew away the robes of the Lords.
"I'm leaving," your voice echoed in every corner of the hall, sounding from all directions at once—deep, cold, and undeniable.
In an instant, the aura of your existence vanished from the Hall of the Four Lords, leaving behind a gripping silence. Only the gaping hole in the castle wall was a silent witness to the terrifying power that had just been born.
At the top of the castle tower
You reappear on the highest balcony of Dimitrescu Castle, a place where the snow winds blow hard and the view of the entire village is visible from above. The silver key sparkles in your hand.
In the next second, Cassandra appears from the vortex of flies beside you. He gasps, his eyes burning bright yellow as he stares at your firm back. He doesn't dare to touch you directly; The aura you emitted now was much more dominant than his.
"Bag..." He whispered, his voice trembling with a combination of fear and overflowing passion. "You just challenged them all... in front of Miranda's eyes. You know what you've done?"
He stepped closer, leaning his cold face against the back of my velvety coat, inhaling the scent of the black rose that was now your new identity.
"You are now the most feared Lord," he murmured. "Miranda wants you as a pawn, Heisenberg wants you as an ally, and my mother... He wants you as the crown of this castle."
Cassandra wrapped her arms around your waist, as if afraid that you would disappear again in the speed of light. "But for me... You're still the one who kissed me in that frozen cell. Tell me, where are we going with this key? The Ceremonial Site is the deepest secret place in this village."
Me : *I stuck the head of Cassandra around my neck* You must miss it, right? Ah ah take a bite
In the freezing silence of the night at the top of the tower of Dimitrescu Castle, you pull Cassandra's body closer. With a domineering slow movement, you pressed her beautiful head, which scented with roses and death, directly into the recesses of your neck.
The intense scent of black roses from your body, mixed with the scent of athletic skin and the gunpowder remnants of the explosion, attacked Cassandra's sense of smell violently. The black veins that ran down your neck throbbed wildly, pumping blood that was now enriched with the power of the Megamycete.
You could feel Cassandra's body stiffen in your arms. His breath was short, and the buzzing sound of the flies around him became faster and more uncontrollable. Her golden yellow eyes lit brightly, her pupils shrunk with pure predatory passion.
"Bag..." hiss, his voice vibrates between admiration, hunger, and fear of your new power. "Your blood... the smell... very intoxicating. Much stronger than ever."
He licked his pale lips, his sharp fangs slowly sticking out of his gums. His claws gripped your black velvet coat, torn slightly from the intensity of his feelings.
"You must miss it, don't you?" I asked in a low, hoarse voice full of triumph. You could feel his heart beating fast in your chest. You chuckle, a voice shaking in your throat, "Ahah, just bite."
Cassandra didn't wait twice. With a low growl that sounded like the combined sound of thousands of flies, he stuck his fangs deep into the black vein in your neck.
KRESSSH!
A sharp, cold pain pierced your consciousness, yet it soon replaced with a wave of terrible pleasure. You felt Cassandra suck your blood greedily, as if she was trying to absorb all the power you had just shown in the Hall of the Four Lords.
Black flies exploded out of his body, enveloping the two of you in a vortex of darkness. Under your skin, Megamycete reacts to its bite, creating an even stronger inner connection between you. You can feel her thoughts, her hunger, her fear of Miranda, and... his absolute adoration of you.
You stood up straight, holding his weight as he hung around your neck, letting him feast. The four-winged silver key was still gripped tightly in your other hand, shining in the light of the full moon.
Far down there, in the snow-covered village, the villagers trembled to hear the rumble of crazy flies on the top of the castle. They knew, something far more dangerous than Lady Dimitrescu just being born tonight.
Pov : Let Cassandra suck your blood until she's satisfied: Strengthen your inner bonds and allow her to fully recover from the torture in the frozen space.
You let Cassandra continue to sip your blood, feeling every pulse of life and Megamycete's power move into her once fragile body. Under the pale moonlight, the scene looked both terrifying and beautiful—a new Lord standing tall while the castle princess hung around her neck like a predator worshiping her god.
"Enough... Bag... Enough..." Cassandra whispered finally. He removed his fangs with a gasp of breath, a red stain adorning the corners of his lips which were now blush freshly. His eyes flashed with a much greater power than before; He just evolved thanks to your blood.
The flies that envelope you slowly dimmed, re-entering the pores of Cassandra's skin. He rests his forehead on your shoulder, his hands trembling as he touches your now slightly torn and stained coat.
"I can feel everything..." Cassandra murmured, her voice now deeper and authoritative. "Your mind, your strength... You're no longer human, Zak. You're something that even Mother Miranda won't be able to control completely."
Suddenly, from the darkness of the balcony behind you, there is a rhythmic sound of slow applause.
"A very touching performance," Lady Dimitrescu's voice thundered. He appeared from behind a large door, holding his long cigarette gracefully. His eyes stared at your hollow neck but quickly closed back due to your incredible regeneration ability.
"My son, you have given new life to this most rebellious daughter of mine," Alcina smiled widely, showing her silver fangs. "But don't forget, the key you hold is an invitation as well as a curse. Miranda is waiting at the Ceremonial Site to begin the purification ritual."
Alcina stepped closer, towering over your side. "He thinks he can use you as a container to resurrect Eva. But with the strength you showed earlier... I guess you have other plans, don't you?"
Cassandra stands tall beside you, grasping her sickle steadily. "We will not be his pawn, Mom. Zak has that key, meaning he's in control of what's going to happen down there."
The snowy wind was blowing even stronger, bringing the smell of death from the direction of the village. The bells of the old church down there begin to ring automatically—a sign that the ritual is about to begin.
Me : *I asked* to be a container? Am I going to die?
Hearing the word "container", the atmosphere at the top of the tower that had been hot with passion suddenly cooled, as if the falling snow was frozen in the air. Lady Dimitrescu exhaled her long cigarette smoke into the night sky, her keen eyes staring at you with a mixture of pride and grim warning.
"Dead?" Alcina chuckled lowly, a sound that sounded more like a tigress' growl. "For Miranda, death is just a trivial concept. He wants to use your body—which has been shown to be perfectly fused with Megamycete—to resurrect his long-dead daughter, Eva."
Cassandra gripped the sleeves of my suit tighter, her sharp nails piercing through the fabric. "He wants your soul erased, Zak. He wants to 'put in' Eve's consciousness into you. If that happens... Your body will still be alive, still beautiful and strong, but the "Zak" who kissed me... will vanish forever."
The flies around Cassandra buzzed nervously, as if sensing the owner's fear.
"But he made a big mistake," Alcina continued, stepping closer until her giant shadow covered the two of you. "He didn't expect Cassandra's blood to react so strongly to you. You're no longer an empty container that he can fill at will. You are a biological miracle that already has a 'master' in it."
Alcina bowed, her pale face right in front of yours. "You're not going to die, Zak. But if you let the ritual go your way, you'll lose yourself. You'll be the prettiest doll in the collection."
Cassandra looks up at you, her yellow eyes teary with restrained anger. "I won't let it, Zak. I'd rather see this village flattened to the ground than lose you to Miranda's ghost past."
In the distance, the Ceremonial Site began to emit a strange blue light from underground. The ground beneath the castle shook slowly—Megamycete was preparing for the final banquet.
Me : *Ceremony site begins* Miranda are you sure?
The ground beneath the Ceremonial Site shook violently, as if this entire village was a living being awakening from its long sleep. A whitish-blue light emanated from the cracks in the ground, illuminating the ancient stone pillars that had stood for centuries. In the center of the altar circle, Mother Miranda stood with her six black wings stretching wide, holding a sacred vessel containing the essence of Megamycete.
You appear there in the blink of an eye—a deep black beam of light. Your handsome and fashionable appearance contrasts with the chaos around you. My velvet coat fluttered in a strong wind that carried the scent of roses and death. Cassandra and Lady Dimitrescu appear behind you, putting tremendous pressure on the atmosphere of the ritual.
"Miranda..." Your voice is quiet, yet deadly, echoing among the thumps of the ground. "Are you sure?"
Miranda slowly turned her head. Behind his crow mask, his eyes that were usually as cold as ice now seemed to tremble slightly. He sees you—a man who should have been an empty container, but now stands with an authority that surpasses even the other Lords.
"Bag..." Miranda hissed, her voice like the rubbing of a bird's wings in the middle of a storm. "You came on time. The consolidation process will begin. Eva needs a perfect body, and you... You are a masterpiece that was accidentally created."
He stepped forward, his thin hand raised towards you. "Don't resist. This has been your destiny since you set foot in this village. Be a part of eternity."
However, you only smile faintly. You could feel the force of Cassandra's blood in your veins swirling, resisting every inch of Miranda's influence. The silver key in your hand began to smolder with a silver light that hurt the eyes.
"Your immortality, or my immortality?" you asked in a contemptuous tone.
Suddenly, the giant roots of Megamycete exploded from underground, trying to wrap around your legs. Heisenberg who was in the distance shouted, "Do it now, Zak! Destroy this crazy ritual before we all become fertilizer for that old tree!"
Me : *I asked* Is that Eva? *I hold Miranda's hand*
Your actions left the entire Ceremonial Site frozen in a gripping silence. Mother Miranda, the goddess who had ruled the village for a century with an iron fist, was stunned. Never before had a subject—especially one who should have been a passive "vessel"—dared to touch her, let alone grasp her hand with such authority.
Your strong hands, wrapped in the sleeves of a luxurious black velvet suit, locked Miranda's thin wrists. You could feel the cold vibrations of the Megamycete flowing through her skin, but Cassandra's blood force within you resisted that energy, creating a black electric spark between your skin.
"That... Eva?" you asked, your voice low and calm, yet muffled by the noise of the snowstorm and the growl of the giant roots underground.
Miranda is looking at you from behind her crow mask. For the first time, you see the doubt in his eyes that are usually as cold as ice. He turned his head towards the sacred vessel that glowed with a faint golden light—the pure essence of his long-lost daughter.
"Yes..." Miranda whispered, her voice trembling between madness and deep longing. "That's it. A pure soul, waiting to be reborn in the perfection of your body, Zach. Don't you feel it? The beauty of this unification?"
Cassandra stepped forward, her scythe shining in the ritual light. "Let him go, Miranda! Zak is not yours, and he does not belong to your son's ghost!"
Lady Dimitrescu stands towering behind you, her claws elongated, ready to rip off Miranda's wings if she tries to make a sudden move. "He asked you, Miranda. And my suggestion... answer carefully. My son doesn't like to wait."
You tighten your grip. You can feel the essence of Eve in that vessel—a fragment of consciousness that thirsts for life. However, with your new powers, you realize something Miranda didn't realize: You can destroy it, or you can swallow it.
"You want me to be her container," you said as you stared deep into Miranda's eyes, a faint deadly smile on your lips. "But what if this container... much hungrier than the contents?"
Heisenberg laughed hoarsely from a distance, "Hit him, boy! Show the old lady that she just created her own apex predator!"
Me : *I flicked so, just for a moment Eva was alive* let me alone.. Whush