Kalika found herself back at her solitary prison with a fresh pair of prisoner's clothing. She stared at the ceiling of her grimy prison, lost in thought.
It's been a few days since the incident with her being rescued by the Heroes of Prophecy. And their immediate demise the day after. It felt like nothing had changed aside from the eerie silence.
Strangely enough, Kalika was able to find peace in this long silence. In the last few days since she returned, no one visited her: not her sister, not her maid, and not even that creep Rakon. She hadn't been fed either, but she didn't mind this; after all, she wasn't feeling hungry.
A sensation signaled to Kalika of a familiar demon closing in. The pattering of feet started to become audible, and the creaking of the steel doors roared loudly in her cell. Her door finally opened, revealing a familiar maid with pink eyes, black hair, and an eye patch covering her right eye.
It took Kalika a few moments to realize the nervous maid was Rhonda. She had almost forgotten that almost ten years of her memories had been wiped out. The once cute child maid was now a young adult.
Rhonda looked to be carrying some cleaning supplies in her hands; it seemed as though they were finally allowing her to clean Kalika's dirty prison. She looked around the cell nervously before setting the cleaning supplies on the ground.
Rhonda approached Kalika, who was uninterested in the woman. Unexpectedly, Rhonda crouched to her knees to hug Kalika tenderly.
This gesture shocked Kalika. She could feel something wet hit her shoulder. Kalika then remembered channeling earth magic from a magic crystal and using it to attack Rhonda.
"Does she really care that much about me? Shouldn't she hate me?"
Rhonda stopped hugging Kalika. She smiled and wiped her one eye. She then reached into her bosom to grab some bread from it. She gave it to Kalika and gestured that she wanted to keep it their little secret.
Kalika didn't know what to say, so she simply stayed quiet and nodded. Now, looking a little more content, she started to clean the prison cell. It was weird; it was as if Rhonda wasn't being held back from being her own carefree self.
She could only watch on as Rhonda cleaned her cell. Seeing her clean, she could tell that she had definitely come a long way. She almost missed her as a kid.
After a nice piece of soft bread and a hard-working cleaning, Rhonda finally finished making the cell look clean.
Rhonda turned to Kalika, taking a brush from one of the pockets in her uniform. Rhonda pointed to it, and Kalika agreed. She turned herself around, letting Rhonda begin.
Rhonda brushed the hair as gently as possible, not hurting Kalika. As she dis this, she found more strands of white hair as she went along, as well as some strange small bruises. She paid no mind to these; however, she continues to brush Kalika's hair.
The creaking of the steel doors is heard once more. This time, Lillian seemed to be paying a visit.
She looked to be visiting Kalika on something important.
Upon seeing Lillian, Rhonda gave a bow before finishing Kalika's hair. Rhonda proceeded to gather her utensils and gave Kalika a bow before taking her leave.
Kalika looked up at her sister blankly. She then gave a sigh. "Is it about that time?" "Just follow," Lillian said.
Following Lilian’s order, Kalika got up and reluctantly followed Lillian out her cell door. Suddenly, Kalika found her vision becoming obscured by white circles that grew blindingly bright. She found herself screaming from pain as she was hanging upside-down in a different room. She felt something leaving her body. Although it was painful, it soon became much more tolerable soon after.
"Okay. Tell me what you remember last, this time." Lillian questioned. "What's going on? Weren't we just leaving my cell??"
Lillian looked at a nearby hourglass. "That makes it a little over an hour…"
Lillian turned her attention to someone else in the room. "Are you satisfied now, Rakon?"
Kalika became alert upon hearing that name. She looked around to find the very same demon who had some sort of obsession with her.
"Yes, and now we can say that your blood has grown in power. Not uncommon with younger demons." Rakon noted.
Lillian could only give a sigh as Rakon seemed to write something down on a piece of yellow parchment. "I was hoping that wouldn't be the case."
“You should be happy, it means you’ll become much stronger in probably another thirty years or so. Maybe then you can reach the level of my brother.”
Lillian looked at her bloodied finger as she listened to Rakons words. She then turned her attention to Kalika, and in a swift motion, she quickly and painlessly killed her.
"And you sure you want to join my brother Lucius on the frontlines?" Rakon Asked.
"I'm not going to repeat myself, Rakon. I'm seeing this through to the end." Lillian became a little sterner with her words.
"What's going on?" Kalika Asked. She awoke again feeling dizzy from hanging upside down.
"Oh, right." Lillian let Kalika down from where she was hanging. Lillian used her tail to grab Kalika and gently placed her to the ground.
As Kalika reoriented herself, she saw that she was inside a room with a lot of scrolls. It was not long after that Lillian started to take her leave. "I'll start preparing now. Please bring Kalika back to her cell for me."
"Lily, wait!" Kalika yelled.
Lillian stopped herself for a moment and paused. "What is it?" she finally asked. "You're just going to leave me with him!?"
"Rakon is a trusted advisor to me and Lucius. You'll be just fine. Besides, I have more important things to do." Not wanting to linger, Lillian left Kalika behind with Rakon.
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"W-wait!" Kalika desperately yelled.
Kalika would normally find herself suffocated by Lillian, but her demon sister seemed more distant than normal as if trying to avoid her. Kalika quickly remembered how she was now in the future, a future in which she knew very little about. So what happened between then and their present was still unknown to her.
Kalika turned to see Rakon finishing scribbling strange symbols on the parchment, he then rolled it up and stored it with other scrolls for later. Shortly after, he brought his focus back to Kalika.
"Well, well, well. It looks like we find ourselves alone in each other's presence again."
Kalika glared at Rakon. There was something in his smile that told her that he was up to something.
Rakon circled around his desk, walking to Kalika. "In case you're wondering, thanks to the death of the Heroes, my brother sees fit to finally end this war and finally conquer this country. So, my brother and the queen will be marching to the headquarters of this new confederation that was just formed."
Rakon walked past Kalika, going over to the door Lillian left. "It'll probably take a couple more years for all we know, but if the campaign's successful, we'll have won this trivial war. And this country"
Kalika stood still, expecting a different action from the demon. Rakon turned around. "What are you waiting for? You still need to be escorted."
Kalika was still at a loss for words.
“And please try to be on your best behavior, You might be unchained, but you're still our prisoner.” Rakon stated.
Kalika cringed. "A…Alright. fine" she listened, reluctantly following behind him into the gray corridor with a variety of different wall carpets. She could tell that they were in the castle, simply by the windows and the now dark sky just outside.
They passed by many demons and demons guards, all of when, stared. Rakon paid no mind to them, leaving them to watch on, a little bewildered.
It was almost a strange feeling for Kalika herself since she never would’ve thought there were so many other demons. Some of them even looked normal with the caveat of Pink eyes and horns, some even had their tails waving out from their pants and skirts.
As much as she was curious she kept her mouth shut following behind Rakon as he led the way. She kept her distance from the demon, still nervous that he was up to something. After a while of following, they reached the dungeon. Rakon made his voice heard as they entered the dungeon. "Why so quiet? Are you upset that your kind will lose this war?"
Rakon glanced back with a smile. “Or are you upset that your only hope for freedom is gone?”
Kalika cringed a little. "No. And it was always inevitable that my father's Generals would lose. it wouldn't surprise me in the least if they all got drunk from the idea of becoming the next lord. What a foolish prospect to chase after"
Rakon couldn't help but chuckle at Kalika's remark. "Can I assume that you're talking from experience?"
Kalika simply scowled at Rakon, who was getting amused by her.
After a little while Kalika stopped in the middle of the corridor. Rakon immediately took notice of this and stopped too. Kalika looked at the ground, simply reflecting on her life and that one shortsighted decision she ultimately made to become the next heir. A decision she made to finally have power over those she hated.
"What's going to happen after this invasion anyway? Will it be the neighboring countries next and then the whole world?" Kalika seemed to become more bitter.
"That would be the ideal outcome. However, my brother Lucius would rather enter into treaties with the surrounding countries."
Kalika was surprised to hear this.
Rakon continued. "My brother lost his ambition both as king and as a demon. I'm almost disgusted that he's my brother. Just like you dislike your sister, the queen. I have a deep-seated dislike of my own brother." Rakon started to walk to Kalika.
"Personally, speaking I'd like to see them both perish. Especially since they only stand in my way." Kalika's body suddenly went numb. She tried to move, but her body wouldn't respond. Rakon then grabbed her by the side of the head, lifting her head from her body.
"W-when did I- !!??"
Rakon started brushing Kalika's hair. He leaned in closer as she heard what seemed to be him sniffing her. “But you… You are very special. I can imagine a lot of fun things we could do together.”
Her vision went dark as he chuckled to himself.
The next moment, Kalika awakened to find that she had slapped Rakon in the face. He simply wiped his cheek with his hand before giving an amused smile.
"I… I slapped him!??"
Kalika wanted to slap this demon again but found herself unable to do so. Rakon couldn't help but laugh seeing Kalika. She was left in bewilderment as his laughter echoed through the stony corridor.
“It looks like your body is still accustomed to fighting back after all. It looks like we’ll have even more fun than I expected." He chuckled. He stared down at Kalika with an amused grin.
She could tell just by his face that new ideas were coming in his mind by the second. It made her uncomfortable and the urge to run from this demon Rakon emerged.
She didn't want to be left alone with him any longer. Unexpectedly, hand from behind touched Kalika's shoulder. She calmed down, but turning around, she found another Rakon standing behind her!
"Don't worry, Kalika. I learned my lessons with you," the second Rakon said.
She heard chuckling from her side. This time a third Rakon made his presence known. "Jokes aside, I've known you for over these last eighteen years. You're much more predictable than you think,"
"W-what the-!" Kalika was starting to feel overwhelmed.
"And don't think you can run away again. I wouldn’t want to see you disappoint yourself again like all those other times." A fourth clone now also approached Kalika.
Kalika is now surrounded by four Rakon's. A fear is rising in her heart as smiles with sinister intentions surround her.
"Just like you, I have my own little secrets. The only difference is that mines are still hidden."
The two Rakon's on her side grab her arms, and one from the back holds her from the shoulder.
The Rakon in front started to play with Kalika's lips with his finger. "I know quite a lot about you Kalika. The way you eat, the way you sleep. The ways you like to entertain yourself. I even know of that power you still think is a secret."
Now Rakon grasped her chin, bending down to meet her gaze. "And in case you haven't realized it already, I'll have you under my watchful supervision as the acting Demon King of this castle. All the while, my brother and your so-called adopted sister will be away." Rakon, shortly after, pulled away with a snide smile.
Kalika felt a pit in her stomach. Rakon knew a lot more than what he was saying. It felt like he was giving her only the tip of the iceberg of what he knew of her.
The two clones of Rakon by Kalika's side started to lift her off the ground. Kalika could only feel lost now, realizing the implications of her sister being gone.
"Don't worry. It'll probably only be a couple of years, right?" Rakon mocked. The two clones then started to escort Kalika through the hall. "Oh. and don't worry." Rakon's third clone stated.
"I'll make sure that you won't be lonely anytime soon." The other finished the statement, smiling.
********
Elsewhere, another possible Rakon clone stood over a huge underground pit along with Demon General Azar. Deep down, there was a dark abyss with no end in sight. A literal death trap for any foolish creature that fell in.
As the two demons waited, three other demon women flew from the deep darkness revealing themselves.
"It looks like your friends actually found them." Rakon looks at them with content.
"Well, these are my friends we're talking about. I wouldn't have called on their help if they couldn't survive the pit."
Rakon started to chuckle a little at her remark.
"Are you sure you want these women? They still don't know the human language," Azar warned." Rakon held his hands to the first demon woman to land safely.
Rakon, in the demon Languages, spoke to the woman. " two-hundred-year sentence for the crime of attempting to murder Her Majesty has been appealed.>" The demon woman gave a curtsy. " The other demon ladies start landing, following the first woman as they curtsy to Rakon. " ******** Kalika is returned and lightly pushed back into her Solitary cell. Kalika turned back with a glare. She was mustering what little courage and hatred she had for the demon. "Don't you worry Kalika..." ******** "When all is said and done. You'll be mine." in the deepest, darkest shadow, in a rocky, rough, dark room, lies in wait a familiar red demon with a broken horn. His green eyes pierced the darkness as he gazed upon a glowing red prism that floated afar on a black altar… He smiled to himself, content. “It’s only a matter of time…”