Chapter 8: The Price of the Truth

"Ethan, please run away!" Iris cried, her tears spilling over as they huddled together. "The Duke killed my father... I don't want the same thing to happen to you!"

Before Ethan could react, the door swung open. The Duke stepped into the room. Taking in the sight of the two kids crying on the floor, he had clearly heard everything. A chilling smirk spread across his face as he walked closer to Ethan.

"Dear, come. Let us eat food," the Duke said, his voice dripping with fake warmth.

Ethan jumped up, shielding Iris. "Stay away from her, you creature!"

The Duke's smile completely vanished. "So, you already know everything. There is no point in me playing along anymore."

Ethan's eyes widened in sheer shock. "What... what Iris said... it was the truth?"

"And what exactly did she say?" the Duke countered coldly.

Iris trembled violently on the ground, paralyzed with fear.

"The truth!" Ethan shouted.

The Duke's expression turned pitch black. He knelt, brutally grabbing Iris by her hair, forcing her to look at him. "I told your mother to keep her mouth shut."

Despite the pain, Iris stared straight into his dark eyes. "I am not scared of anyone! I had to tell him what you did!"

The Duke leaned down, whispering harshly into her ear, "Then face the consequences."

"Leave her alone!" Ethan interfered, his voice turning deadly cold. "She has nothing to do with this. Leave her out of it!"

The Duke stepped back and let out a loud, villainous laugh. "Hahahahaha! What do you little brats think you can do? Even if you both know my plan, what changes?" Dark flames suddenly erupted around him, shifting into his terrifying hunter form. "I can still do whatever I want."

Iris and Ethan's minds went completely blank. The suffocating pressure of his magic froze them in place.

"Ethan, run! Run, escape from here!" Iris screamed at the top of her lungs.

Ethan stood frozen for a second, but then whispered fiercely, "I won't leave you here to die."

"I'll be fine! Don't make this mistake!" she pleaded.

Instead of running, Ethan grabbed her hand. "We run together."

They bolted toward the exit, pushing their bodies to the absolute limit. But before they could reach the door, the Duke snapped his fingers. His dark flames shot across the room, wrapping tightly around their bodies like burning ropes.

"I can't move..." Ethan gasped, straining against the magic.

"I can't either," Iris choked out.

The Duke walked up to them, looking down with pure malice. "Now, you will both pay for what you did. Wouldn't it have been better to die peacefully, Ethan? But now, I think not. And as for you, girl... I will make you crawl on the floor."

"Shut up!" they both snapped back, refusing to submit.

Disgusted by their defiance, the Duke dragged them down the corridor, shoving them brutally into a pitch-black room. They crashed hard against the floor as the heavy door slammed shut, locking them in total darkness.

Outside, the Duke marched directly toward the servants' quarters. "Looks like it's time to end this little game," he muttered.

He kicked open the door to Soolin's room. Soolin, completely caught off guard and out of her mind with confusion, gasped, "Your Grace? What is happening—"

Before she could finish, he snatched her by the arm and dragged her forcefully down the hall toward the dark room.

"I told you not to stick your nose into my business," the Duke growled, throwing the door open and tossing Soolin inside.

"Mom!" Iris cried out, scrambling toward her. "What are you doing to her?!"

The Duke drew a sharp knife, the blade glinting in the dim light. "Finishing the people who stand in my way."

"Moooom!" Iris screamed. She lunged forward to stop him, but a wall of dark flames erupted, blasting her back.

"Do you really think she will live?" the Duke mocked.

Iris fell to her knees, her last strength breaking. "Please leave her... I beg you! She is the only thing I have left in this world!"

Coughing on the floor, Soolin whispered weakly, "My baby... don't worry. I will always be with you..."

Anger and profound sadness consumed Iris, her tears flowing nonstop. "This monster took Dad... and now he's taking you. I can't stop him..."

"Watch your tone, you brat," the Duke sneered. Without a shred of mercy, he drove the knife deep into Soolin's back.

"Mom!" Iris shrieked.

Soolin's eyes began to grow dull. She looked at her daughter one last time, her voice barely a breath. "Don't worry, dear... please, have a good life..."

Blood began to pool onto the cold floor as Soolin's body went completely limp.

Ethan could only watch in horror. Suddenly, a mocking, sinister voice echoed inside his head. Hahaha! Are you just going to stand there and watch? You can't do anything. Look at Iris. You are completely useless.

Ethan violently shook his head, trying to drown out the voice.

Seeing her mother dead, the dark flames around Iris finally vanished. She crawled desperately through the pooling blood, reaching out to touch her mother's lifeless body. "Nooooooo!"

She whipped her head around, glaring at the Duke with pure hatred. "You killer! You killed my parents!"

"Because they were a pain in my side," the Duke replied casually.

Driven by blind rage, Iris threw herself at him. But the Duke's raw magic lashed out, clipping her cheek and drawing blood.

"Iris, get away from him!" Ethan yelled, trying to pull her back, but she was completely out of control.

She looked up at the Duke, her voice trembling but lethal. "You will pay for this. Remember my words."

The Duke grabbed Soolin's body to dispose of it. Before slamming the door shut, he cast one last mocking glance over his shoulder. "Let's see about that."

The door clicked shut, leaving them locked in the dark room once again. Iris sat in the center of the fresh blood. Ethan stepped forward, his heart breaking for her. "Iris... come here. You're bleeding."

Iris threw her arms around Ethan, burying her face in his chest. "Why?" she whispered brokenly. "Why do I have to carry this terrible fate?"

---

The Next Day

The heavy door creaked open. The Duke entered, followed closely by his son, Maxi. "Alright, wake up. Time to eat."

Ethan and Iris were still collapsed on the floor, physically and emotionally drained. Maxi walked over and brutally kicked Ethan in the ribs. "Wake up, sleeping beauty."

They both groaned, forced awake. Iris remained completely silent, her eyes hollow.

Maxi looked back out into the hallway. "Cecelia, dear, come here."

The King's daughter, Cece, stepped into the room with a cruel smile.

The Duke turned to the children. "I am leaving this work to both of you."

"I'm on it, Dad," Maxi smirked.

Cece smiled sweetly at the Duke. "Don't you worry, mister."

"Good," the Duke said, turning on his heel and leaving the room.

Maxi pulled a set of agonizing torture tools from his coat. He looked down at Ethan, furious to see that the boy was staring straight back at him with absolutely no fear in his eyes.

"You..." Maxi snarled, backhanding Ethan across the face.

Ethan didn't say a word, silently bearing the blow. Losing his patience, Maxi picked up a sharp tool and clamped it down on Ethan's fingers.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Ethan screamed, blood instantly spurting across the floor as Maxi began to beat him brutally. "This is your place!" Maxi laughed.

Iris desperately tried to crawl forward to help him, but Cecelia stepped in her path, blocking her. "Where do you think you're going, girl? Worry about yourself first."

Cecelia grabbed her own set of tools and violently smashed them down onto Iris's fingers.

"AAAAAAA! Ha..." Iris gasped out through the agonizing pain. Amazingly, a cold, empty smile formed on her lips. "Wasn't it enough to take my parents and my happiness? This physical pain... is nothing compared to what I've already endured."

"You jerk!" Cecelia yelled, insulted by her defiance. She slapped Iris across the face and began blasting her brutally with magic. "How many times do I have to tell you? I will teach you your place, servant!"

On the other side of the room, Maxi continued to rain magic and strike down on Ethan. "Doing this makes me feel so relaxed, hahahaha!"

"Stop this! It hurts!" Ethan screamed, his body breaking under the assault.

Eventually, the both of them wiped the blood from their hands. "That's enough for today," Maxi said. They turned and left, locking the door behind them.

Ethan and Iris lay bleeding on the floor, barely able to move. They turned their heads, locking eyes in the dim light.

"Are you okay?" they both whispered at the same time.

"Iris, be brave," Ethan choked out. "We will get out of here."

"I don't have anything left in my life now," she whispered, looking away. "I am completely alone."

"You are not alone," Ethan said fiercely. "We will take our revenge on the Duke."

Iris's eyes hardened into ice. "I will kill him."

---

Four Months Later

Four agonizing months of daily, relentless torture passed. The door to the cellar swung open, and Maxi and Cece stepped inside once again.

"Today is the last day," Maxi announced, looking down at the two battered teenagers. "Tomorrow, Dad is going to start his experiments on both of you. Your souls will finally be free."

"Yes," Cece chimed in with a sigh. "Our job will finally be done. Honestly, I'm going to miss this."

They stepped closer. After four straight months of torture, Ethan and Iris were unrecognizable. Their hair was a matted mess, their bodies looked completely lifeless, covered in countless scars and open wounds, and their clothes were ripped to shreds.

Maxi turned to his sister. "Cece, dear, you should leave. I'll handle things alone today."

"Okay," she replied casually, turning and walking out.

Ethan's head hung low, his consciousness slipping. Deep within his mind, he entered a dreamlike state. The dark voice inside his head spoke up again, louder and more tempting than ever.

Ethan... don't you want revenge? If you want it, take my form right now. I will give it to you.

"No," Ethan whispered back in his mind. "I am not a monster that eats people."

But this world is killing you, the voice hissed. Will you just die and leave Iris like this?

"I'll... I'll find another way," Ethan argued weakly.

Ooh, okay then. Bye.

A heavy punch exploded against Ethan's jaw, snapping him back to reality. Maxi stood over him, pulling his fist back. "Wake up!"

Ethan groaned, forcing his eyes open.

Iris glared up at Maxi through her matted hair. "You will go to hell, you damn plague," she spat.

Maxi's face contorted with rage. He stepped closer, slapping her hard across the face before grabbing her tightly by the neck, lifting her off the ground.

"Leave her alone!" Ethan roared, trying to move his broken body.

Maxi looked back at him, amused. "Oh? And if I don't, what are you going to do?"

"I'll kill you," Ethan growled.

"How?" Maxi mocked, tightening his grip on Iris's throat.

Ethan looked down, his vision tunneling as Iris began to gasp for air. He couldn't let her die. He couldn't let them win. Closing his eyes, he surrendered to the darkness within.

"I want revenge..." Ethan whispered into the void of his own mind. "Give me the form."

The voice in his head laughed, a sound of pure triumph. Are you absolutely sure?

"Yes," Ethan stated, his voice dropping to a demonic pitch. "I am."

The entity smiled. Then it is all yours.

---

[Chapter Ended - To Be Continued]