Hazel's POV
The night stretched endlessly before me as I walked along the rough path leading back to the slave camp. My steps were now slow and uneven while the rusty carriage carrying the female slave master and the other slaves moved ahead of me. Its wheels scraping against the ground and reminding me that while they rode in comfort, I was left behind to serve my punishment.
My life is for sure cursed. There is no other word for it.
The thought settled deeply in my mind as I forced my aching body forward, each step sending sharp pain through my sore feet. Out of all the female slaves cleaning that building, I was the only one called out by the slave master. I was whipped. I was the only one given extra duty, and now I am the one walking the miles back to the slave camps.
A weak breath escaped my lips as I forced my legs to keep moving despite the protest of my body.
My feet is really sore that every steps I take feel like I'm walking on broken and sharp glass. My back ached intensely from the lashes, and the pain from the wounds hadn't even reduce. Instead, it burned continuously, and with every movement, I could feel the cold night breeze brushing against my torn skin, making the pain sharper.
As as I limped forward along the dark road, a bitter thought crossed my mind, and I found myself comparing the slave camp to the orphanage.
"The slave camp is still better than the orphanage." I said to myself.
Being human among other creatures had always been bad luck for me, and no matter where I went, I was always treated as something less than nothing. At least here in the camp, I got to eat once a day, and I had a place to sleep, even if it was on the ground.
Back at the orphanage despite the donations by the rich vampire, we orphans never experienced the worth of the donation in our standard of living. I barely ate in a week, and most nights I slept in the goatshed. I always curl up beside the goats during winter just to keep warm. Even the goats back at the orphanage treat me nicely than the other creatures.
"You wretch, keep up with us," the female slave master shouted from the carriage ahead.
Her voice broke through my thoughts, pulling me back to the present.
I lifted my head slightly and looked at the carriage, and despite everything, a faint, humorless thought crossed my mind because it was almost funny how she expected me to keep up with them when they were sitting comfortably while I struggled to walk.
Still, I forced myself to respond softly. "Yes, mistress," I whispered, even though she could not hear me.
Then I pushed myself to move faster despite the pain in my body.
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After what felt like hours, the faint outline of the slave camp finally appeared in the distance, and although a small sense of relief flickered within me, it quickly faded under the weight of exhaustion.
By the time I reached the gates, my body was completely drained. My legs trembled beneath me, and my vision blurred slightly as dizziness crept in, making me feel as though I might faint at any moment but I could not faint. Fainting meant I was "lazy," and attracts another set of punishments.
In the camp, there are no doctors. We do not receive treatment for our wounds. Many of the girls in my dorm had been whipped just like me, and their wounds were left untreated until they became infected. Their bodies would grow weaker each day until they eventually died.
I slowly approached the female dormitory, my steps dragging as exhaustion weighed heavily on me. As I got closer, I saw Mara walking toward me with her hands behind her back and a sharp and ugly look on her face. I felt a tight knot forming in my chest. I already knew why she was coming.
She stopped in front of me and tilted her head slightly as her eyes scanned my body, taking in my wounds and my weakened state before a slow mocking smile spread across her lips.
"Hey, Hazel... or should I say, weakling?" she sneered. She let out a loud, shrill laugh that grated on my nerves. "How was the extra punishment and the beautiful journey back?
I remained silent because there was nothing I could say. I just wanted to go my corner in the dorm and nurse my wounds till I fall asleep.
"You look a little dusty, Hazel," Mara whispered bringing me back from my thoughts.
Suddenly, she brought her hands from behind her back. She was holding a bucket. Before I could move, she splashed water directly onto my back.
The cold water soaked into my torn clothes instantly, and pain shot through my body as it touched my open wounds. It felt like a thousand hot needles were being driven into my open wounds at once.
I gasped heavily as the stinging pains increased. Gosh, I feel like dying.
"Oops, it spilled," she said with fake innocence before chuckling and walking away as if nothing had happened.
I stood there for a moment, unable to move as the water dripped down my body and the pain spread across my skin.
I could not never fight back. I did not understand why. Since the orphanage, whenever I was bullied, I could never bring myself to fight back. Fear always held me in place, freezing me where I stood while others did whatever they wanted to me, and nobody ever cared about the incidents.
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After a moment, I forced myself to move and walked into the dormitory, where the dim interior surrounded me. I just needed to find Mandy. Mandy was a witch and the only friend I had in the slave camp. I was never bullied in her presence.
My eyes quickly found her sitting in her usual corner. As I walked closer to her, I heard soft sobs coming from her, and then the sobbing grew louder.
I slowed down, shocked because Mandy was one of the strongest slaves I knew, and I had never ever seen her cry before.
"Mandy? Mandy, what happened—"I asked softly as I moved closer.
I reached out to touch her shoulder. She slowly lifted her face and I froze.
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The Lunaretha - The royal castle
Kilian entered the training room, and his presence immediately changed the atmosphere as the aura of a pureblood royal vampire filled the space.
All the soldiers in the Alpha team training stopped and bowed their heads in deep respect to their prince.
"Adrian, the reports about the plague in the west," Kilian said.
Adrian, a dirty blonde- haired guy with light red eyes, was Killian's second-in-command and the only one who could talked to Kilian freely besides his mother, the queen, and his sister. He was also Killian's childhood friend. Adrian stepped forward, and they walked together to the private section of the training room reserved for the royal family.
"The plague is spreading quickly," Adrian said. "The humans and witches in the west are dying rapidly, and once they are infected, they do not last more than a week."
Kilian leaned against a stone pillar, deep concern etched onto his sharp features. "How long before this plague gets to the south and the Lunareth?"
"I'm not sure, Kilian. I speculate a month, max. It is spreading fast, hopping from village to village like a wildfire."
"Do you think vampires will be affected?" Kilian asked.
Adrian sighed, crossing his arms "The research I made shows that the purebloods will be fine. But the common vampires will be deeply affected, while middle-class vampires may only experience fatigue,"
Kilian looked at his friend, a small, ghost of a smile touching his lips for the first time that day. "Oh! So that means you will be affected by the plague if it reaches here."
"Of course, Kills," Adrian said with a wide grin on his face. "I'm in the middle class, what do you expect?
"My gawd, did you just smile?" Adrian asked still with a wide grin on his face.
Killian rarely smiles. He hates smiling. He always say smiling or laughing weakens his authority.
Kilian's smile vanished as quickly as it appeared. "I suspect the plague is the doings of those witches who dared to use magic. They need to be reminded that magic is forbidden "
"Oh, I will have fun investigating this and killing those bloody witches," Adrian said, his eyes flashing with a predatory light. "Are you going to tell the king about this?"
"No," Kilian replied. "Moreover, he will find out about it himself from his spies and the lords lurking over him."
Adrian turned to leave, but Kilian called out to him one last time. "Ummm, Adrian, send messengers to the House of Redmayne."
Adrian stopped and looked back, confused. "Why?"
"Dorian must apologize publicly," Kilian explained, his voice flat and cold. "For disgracing himself in mere combat and for putting to waste the time I invested in his training."
Killian hated weak people and always looked at them with disgust. So, killing the weak ones was the ones. But he just told Dorian to apologize because he is the heir to the House of Redmayne, killing him would ignite political tension. Not that he cares, but he really need to be on the good books of the houses' lords to become the King.
Adrian burst out laughing. "You are still stuck on that? Kilian, there's a plague at hand, and you're bent on forcing a Lord's son to say 'sorry' for being a bad fighter?"
"I never joke about weakness in people," Kilian replied with a stern face that killed Adrian's laughter instantly.
"Okay, okay. I will send them," Adrian muttered, shaking his head.
As Adrian disappeared through the doors, a servant rushed into the room. He scurried forward, his head bowed, and whispered something into Kilian's ear. Kilian's eyes narrowed. His posture straightened, and he immediately started walking toward the door.
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In another part of Lunaretha
A blonde young man with a well-built, tanned body stood on the balcony of a magnificent building, his gaze fixed on the distance.
"Darius," a deep old voice called from inside.
Darius- the blonde guy - turned his head to answer the call from inside. "Yes, father,"
An old man, appearing to be in his early sixties but possessing the sharp, piercing eyes of a pureblood vampire, emerged from the inside. "You know about the plague in the west, don't you?" his father asked.
"Yes, father, I'm aware," Darius replied smoothly. "My spies got the information to me hours ago."
His father nodded and stepped closer.
"You should do something about it before your cousin Kilian does. If you can solve this, or appear to solve it, you will show the Luminai Accord and the Great Houses that you are the one capable of ruling the world. Not Kilian."
Darius's eyes darkened slightly. He looked back out at the city, a slow, ambitious smirk spreading across his face
"Yes, father. ," he said. "I will do so. I will act quickly. I will make the throne ours again."