Chapter 66: The Haunted Grove
Fairy Lith?
Lordi Payne's breath caught in his throat, a sharp, frigid gasp that froze his thoughts before they could fully form. Yet, before he could make sense of the scene, "Fairy Lith" seized his hand with a mesmerizing, insistent grace, her touch both commanding and impossibly soft, pulling him toward a tangled mass of writhing, blood-red vines.
Where is she leading me?
A faint unease clawed at his mind, but a strange, magnetic pull compelled him to follow the breathtaking figure ahead.
Lordi Payne trailed Fairy Lith for a few dazed steps, his feet moving as if bewitched, though the dark foreboding in his chest swelled with every heartbeat. Snapping himself awake, he bit down hard on his tongue. The jolt of pain sliced through the haze, sharpening his senses—just enough to realize he stood alone, encircled by those sinister vines, his three Foundation Stage companions vanished without a trace.
Panic surged, icy and wild. Lordi Payne yanked at his hand, desperate to break free from "Fairy Lith's" grasp, only to find her grip unyielding, her delicate fingers locking around his like a silken vice, unbreakable and suffocating. He opened his mouth to scream, but no sound escaped—his voice stolen, trapped in a mute, nightmarish void.
Sensing his struggle, "Fairy Lith" turned, her head tilting with a slow, deliberate allure that made his pulse stutter. Her lips curled into a smile so sweet, so devastatingly seductive. Her eyes—deep, luminous pools of molten desire—locked onto his, shimmering with a promise that tugged at his soul. With a languid, teasing motion, she let her outer cloak slip, the fabric whispering down to unveil a glimpse of her black inner lace gown. Then, with a flick of her fingers, that too fell away, revealing a shoulder so flawless it glowed like moonlit alabaster, exuding a faint, intoxicating fragrance. Her collarbone curved with exquisite grace, a tantalizing invitation that beckoned him closer. She bit her lower lip, a subtle, sultry gesture, her gaze smouldering with unspoken lure.
But at this moment, even if she was the real Fairy Lith, Lordi Payne wasn't fooled—not when he knew her intentions were sinister, let alone knowing that she was a fake one.
Lordi Payne thrashed against her grasp, but it was futile. His mind grew heavy, his consciousness gradually sinking into murk. With a final shred of lucidity, he wrenched the Blade of Life Hater from its sheath and swung it with all his might at the figure before him.
Fairy Lith" flinched as the blade arced downward, her breathtaking features contorting in a flash of primal fear. She lunged toward him, her curve form pressing against his chest as if seeking shelter, but Lordi Payne's resolve was iron. His free hand darted out, fingers clamping around her slender neck. With a brutal twist and a sickening crack, her spine gave way.
Crack!