“Stop.”
At his command, the pain engulfing both servants vanished. They collapsed to the ground, gasping for air through ragged, wheezing breaths.
“I’ll ask you again.” Malakai’s voice remained the same, icy. “Who are you working for?”
As control over their mouths returned, both Karla and Unoa began speaking over each other in panic.
“N-Ninth Vein, y-you have to believe me!” Karla cried, “I-I meant no harm, I swear! Look at me, who could I possibly hurt?! I’m just a maid! Please!” Tears streaked down her cheeks as she shook violently. “I-I just wanted to be of use! That’s all I ever wanted!”
“O-please, Ninth Vein!” Unoa’s voice cracked. “I—I have a family! A wife and two kids, please… I’m their only provider! I love my kids so much… don’t make them orphans… please, I beg you!”
Their pleas bled into the cold silence, but the boy with the crimson eyes who held their fates said nothing.
Malakai only stared as Karla and Unoa continued their desperate efforts. They used everything they could, family, loyalty, years of service to the crimson hold, even tears.
They begged, pleaded, tried to invoke any shred of pity they could.
But no matter what they said, Malakai didn’t speak.
He simply raised his arm and looked at the time.
‘That should mark five hours,’ he thought, turning his gaze back to the servants. Both of had somehow now fallen silent.
“Release them.”
At his instruction, Nyx released her hold over their bodies. They collapsed to the ground.
However, neither of them tried to stand. They clutched their chests, their faces twisted in pain, as if something was eating them from within.
“Vermyleaf parasite.”
Their heads snapped up, and the moment Malakai’s words registered, their expressions contorted into horror.
The Vermyleaf parasite.
One of the mutations born from the appearance of vita. They were products of mutated plants and wild life.
As their name implied, they were parasites that fed on human blood. And they were one of the many terrors of the dome.
Once harvested, the first human blood they tasted became their life blood. It bound them. Anchored them. That first blood kept them docile.
But once deprived of it for too long… they snapped.
They turned into mindless, flesh eating monsters. Creatures that devoured human tissue with no restraint.
That was the second task Malakai had given to Nyx, to retrieve the parasites. The first had been to return to the manor and catch the traitors in the act.
And now, Malakai had fed both servants the Vermyleaf parasite… after feeding the parasite his blood.
Five hours had passed since then.
And now, the parasites were starving.
Once inside a human, it was nearly impossible to get them out. Not unless one had access to at least two skilled formation evolvers. And when hungry… they started with the soft tissues.
“AHHHHH!”
Karla and Unoa’s eyes shot wide open as the parasites began feasting on their organs.
As they writhed on the floor, Malakai continued speaking.
“You must have figured it out by now. I fed you the Vermyleaf after feeding it my blood.”
He let his words sink in for some seconds.
“Now, they’re eating your organs.” He paused before continuing, “Who do you work for? If you do not answer… you will both die a slow, agonizing death.”
“P-please! P-please!” Karla sobbed.
Unoa clawed at the floor, trembling.
But Malakai didn’t listen. But as the seconds passed…
“I-I’ll tell you! I’ll tell you!” Unoa broke. “Just stop this!”
Malakai turned to look at him, but didn’t say a word.
“Please! Your b-blood…!” Unoa cried.
And Malakai still gave no response.
“I-it’s the First Pulse!”
‘As expected.’
Malakai’s eyes glinted. He wasn’t surprised.
“Hold him.”
Nyx acted instantly, locking Unoa blood in place. The parasite continued tearing through his organs, but now, he couldn’t even twitch.
Malakai turned toward Karla. She was still trying to fight the pain, barely holding on.
But Malakai didn’t say anything. He just stared.
Unless she was truly ready to die… she would break too.
The seconds turned into minutes, but it felt like decades to Karla.
The pain was unimaginable. And from the look in Malakai’s eyes, it was clear, he wouldn’t hesitate to kill her.
But…
‘He’ll kill them…’
If she betrayed her master, her family would be slaughtered.
‘But I can’t die here.’
She was torn. If she gave up the name, he would go after her family. But if she died under suspicion of being a spy, he would still kill them to cover his tracks.
Either way… they die. So Karla made a choice.
She picked the path where she could at least try to protect them. Her fist clenched.
“T-the third pulse…” she whispered.
Malakai gave a slow nod.
‘Looks like my assumptions were accurate.’
He cut the tip of his index finger and gestured silently.
Nyx responded immediately, guiding exactly two drops of blood, one for each servant.
As the blood entered their mouths, both Karla and Unoa gasped, trying to pull themselves together.
While it happened, Malakai’s mind churned.
‘The First Pulse… and the Third Pulse.’
When Darke had visited and asked him to choose from the servants, Malakai hadn’t chosen randomly.
He had watched. Studied. Planned. He had picked them based on his deductions.
Right now, the First and Third Pulse were his biggest enemies.
Everyone in the clan knew who Drennos was. A monster in human skin. There was no reality where he would leave a threat like Malakai alive, no matter how minor.
And Varnel, the Third Pulse, he had every reason to act. Khana had messed up and Varnel would do anything to cover it up.
Because of this, Malakai had chosen both. He could see the pattern.
Drennos was the type who valued professionalism above all. He would choose someone who looked the part. Someone who could walk the role perfectly.
Which was why Unoa who looked like he had been born to be a butler, fit the bill.
And Varnel. Everyone knew the third pulse was a man of deception. A manipulator.
Only he would choose a seductress as a spy.
Because of this, Malakai had picked the sluttiest maid amongst though gathered.
‘Now for the next move.’
Now that everything had been confirmed, it was time to advance the next step of his plan.
But just as he was about to speak…
BOOM!
A loud explosion shattered the silent night, followed by a quake that sent tremors through the entire manor.
Malakai’s eyes shot to the side… Nyx was gone.
‘What is happening…?’
He shot up from his seat and bolted outside.
As Malakai burst through the main door of the manor, his eyes locked onto the distant sky above the Sovereign’s residence.
A blinding pillar of dark light had pierced into the heavens.
Malakai’s expression shifted sharply.
‘A darkness creature…’