Asta's P.O.V
I wake up with a pounding headache. I try to move my arms, but they are locked down by something heavy. Once my eyes adjust to the low light level, I see chains attached to my legs and feet. As I look around, I see I'm in some dungeon. I try to break the chains; my first thought of Lyra. At this, I growl and yank my limbs hard forward one by one, and the chains snap. Scratching at the cuffs on my wrists and ankles, I pulverize them to dust before dashing through the metal-locked door. I startle the guard on the other side and tackle him to the ground before digging my fangs deep into his neck, ripping out his jugular, and spitting out the piece of flesh. I stand, letting him struggle, watching him choke on his blood. I quickly sniff out my belongings, discarded in a closet - likely intended to be incinerated when convenient.
Once I gather my bearings, I call my contact on my divine stopwatch - our form of communication with symbiotic human relationship families - informing him that it's time. While he puts up a fight at first, he knows what I have to offer is worth any trouble he might run into.
Afterward, I grab my stuff and dash down the halls, quickly making my way upstairs and into my room, locking the door behind me as I suddenly hear hard sobbing from the room. I dash instantly to Lyra's side, crashing into her with a hug. We sit quietly, the silence deafening, for a long time before I softly caress her hair and ask, "May I look into your mind, my sweet Lyra..?" She nods as she continues to sob.
When I dip into her psyche, I find her central thoughts muddled and in pain. He raped me, Asta... He did it again... He told me you weren't coming. I tried to stave him off, but I couldn't. H-he was too powerful... I find myself slamming my fist into the wall, repeatedly cracking the stone bricks above the headboard.
I hold her close to my chest as I whisper, "Don't worry, love, we will burn this place to the ground. Would you like that, my sweet Lyra? I have a plan, okay?"
She nods and soon stops sobbing, relaxing in my arms. "Yes, I would like that. What's your plan, my love?"
I give her a wry grin and murmur, "It might change based on the circumstances, so do you think you can be quick on your feet?"
She winces but eventually nods, gulping hard and whispering hoarsely, "I think I'll have to be regardless." I give her a reassuring nod, taking her into my arms and kissing her like my life depends on it - given it very well might.
I nod more to myself than anyone as I stand; I bring Lyra out into the halls, heading for the Artifact Sanctuary - a room each castle has that houses their respective gift from the gods. I whisper to Lyra as I hide behind the corner, "Alright, you distract them, and I'll slip inside." She nods and goes over, starting to distract the guards as she gently trips and knocks one of them to the ground, apologizing profusely as I use my super speed and dash into the room, shutting the door behind me before they notice. I can't help but praise her with a cursory, That's my girl, before getting to business.
I look about the room and see the thing I came for - The Roseshard Pendant, which is the strongest form of mind control on this planet and what that bastard must have used on me and Lyra - and of course, there is someone in front of it: The protector of the Artifact, Acantha, the Scarlet Enchantress. "Acantha, I don't want to fight you. Give me the stone.."
She chuckles and shakes her head, baring her fangs at me. "And who gave a runt like you permission to refer to me as such, Psyren scum?" I dash forward and do a sweeping kick at her feet, taking her down to the ground before straddling her and wrapping both my hands around her throat. She retaliates by extending her claws and digging them deep into my sides as I growl in pain and squeeze hard until her strength slowly fades away, motivated by pure adrenaline and rage. Pulling her limp hands out of my side, I shakily sigh and step over her body.
I head straight for the stone, snatching it just before someone crashes through the window, tackling me to the ground. It's Dominic, and I can see his enraged eyes enflamed with hatred as he grabs the back of my head before bashing it repetitively against the floor. I growl, stunned for a second, as I extend my claw, regretting what I'm about to do next. I reach out with my mind to the Roseshard Pendant, feeling its pull entwine naturally with my own persuasive abilities before unleashing the combined power onto Dominic. It essentially stops him in his tracks, and his expression morphs into that of sheer panic, juxtaposed against his traitor of a body falling to its knees and bearing itself to me without control, arms open and abdomen completely and utterly vulnerable.
I want him to know exactly how Lyra felt all those times before I erase this vampiric stain from existence.
Disgusted, I lean down, staring into those bastard's eyes as I whisper, "And look who flew too close to the Sun. Of course your father never taught you about hubris." before mercilessly driving a hand deep into his chest before ripping out his heart, hearing him gasp in pain and fall over onto the ground, the light of life flickering from his person. I sneer and chuck the heart into the roaring fireplace, hearing his agonizing screams of pain as his body slowly turns to ash. Leaving and seeing Lyra down the hall, I sprint from the guards and whisper into the Pendant, causing the two guards to stop, turn away, and walk down an opposite corridor.
I run up to her and wordlessly grab her, picking her up bridal style before dashing to the main entrance, where we meet up with Tristior Umbra, the heir to the throne and the individual I called seemingly ages ago. We exchange no words as he uses the Umbra's specialized form of transportation - using shadows, of course - to reach the front steps of the House of Psyren in seconds. I nod to him, sealing our deal, and he nods in return before vanishing in a fine mist.
I carry Lyra up the stairs to see my father standing there with a smug look on his face. "How did the treaty go, young Asta?"
I let Lyra walk the rest of the way inside by herself, leaving me and my father alone as I snap at him "It. Did. Not. Go" My father's face starts to contort in anger before I interrupt him, "Dominic raped MY CONSORT, so I killed him. Ripped out his heart and threw it into a fireplace, choked out the Scarlet Enchantress, and stole their Artifact." I raise my head to look down at him, even though he's taller than me, muttering with no regrets, "This means war."
I see my father's face twist into a proud and happy expression as he takes the stone from me and pulls me into a hug.
"Like father, like daughter."
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