And after the annoying teasing courtesy of Prime, who could never be serious for once, they still sealed the contract. Zenesha never thought she could bargain a lot of things that made her suspicious for some baffling reason, as though she had been missing something.
Prime was too casual, as though he wasn't taking the contract seriously. And what was annoying even more was that Zenesha couldn't find a fault because he had always been like that since they first met each other!
Whatever, it was not her loss either way. And as they sign their contract from which they only need to hold hands, which Zenesha would even suspect if it was real if not for the warmth that came from her hand that enveloped her body until she was electrocuted and felt a pain in her chest.
And then it was done, according to Prime. In return, he said that Zenesha needed to exit or escape the plot's influence earlier on and he would envelop the capital with his ability to fool those beings until the moon ceremony. That meant, she could move on her own!
Zenesha stood in front of the mirror. For the first time, amidst the confusion of her attendants, she dismissed them early and decided to wash by herself.
She was almost naked, her gaze looked at her reflection and particularly at the mark that was on her chest only above her left breast. She was sure that she didn't have that mark before, which confirmed that it was recent and probably as a result of signing a contract with Prime.
Was it a like slave brand? She frowned, but she couldn't help but observe it, even if it was indeed a dragon slave mark. The mark formed an abstract symbol that was similar to what Prime showed her earlier, but it had a golden outline, which gave her a dizzying feeling but somehow a familiar feeling at the same time, as though she were extremely close to it.
Zenesha touched the mark in a daze and traced it with her fingers, seemingly so mesmerized that she didn't even blink when looking at her reflection. Only a few seconds later did her fingers stop, and as though she were burned, she quickly removed her fingers and parted her mouth in perplexity.
What the hell am I doing? Entranced by a slave mark, no less! I can finally feel the effect of the contract, huh?
With a lingering fear, she averted her eyes from the mirror and continued washing herself, and after she was done, she left the bathroom immediately.
Zenesha set aside what she just did and became immersed again in the refreshed feeling of being in control of her body without thinking that she would be imprisoned again in her body during the day.
As usual, she looked at her bed and then shifted her gaze to the balcony, where the curtains were opened for the moonlight to come through.
The nights were extremely short for her during the past few months, and even if she was technically free to do anything she wanted at night, it was the same suffocating feeling that invaded her existence.
She could own the body and move it on her own, yes. But to see the outside world as though with only one step of hers, she could finally grasp that freedom and the cruel reality was that one step was almost impossible to cross no matter how many times she tried.
Subconsciously, Zenesha stepped forward and walked until she stopped once more, just right at the boundary of the room and the balcony. The evening wind brushed her face and danced her silver hair, and the usual moonlight basked her figure.
It was the same scenario every night—a deceiving peace. Her gaze focused on her as her heartbeats increased, her hands subconsciously clenched, and her knees almost trembled.
This was it... Zenesha will try once more to cross that boundary that was only one step but felt endless.
With a held breath, anxiety creeping within her, she stepped forward, almost expecting a barrier and yet hopeful as well that it was gone. And in a second that seemed longer than it seemed, Zenesha crossed that boundary; the barrier keeping her from wandering outside had finally disappeared.
Zenesha stopped and didn't continue after a mere step. She froze where she stood, not blinking as she looked at the balcony before her, which seemed much closer to her. It was as though she couldn't quite believe that it was real—did she really cross the barrier or that there wasn't a barrier to cross in the first place?
A few minutes later, Zenesha, who didn't even cry when she was tortured to confess or imprisoned for months in this world and became desperate to fight her fate, now had glistening tears on the corner of her eyes as they streamed down her cheeks.
Freedom... it was indeed the most priceless thing in the world.
She calmed down not long after and bravely took a step forward and another until she was already overlooking the place outside her bedroom. Zenesha observed them for a bit, watching the beautiful, serene nightscape of the capital from where she stood.
So, that was how it looked from above here when no one was around and everyone was sleeping. She took everything into her mind until she was satisfied. Her gaze roamed sharply to the surroundings, just like she always did before a mission.
Her assassin senses and habits would never leave her. And of course, one thing that would never change... her pettiness.
Zenesha breathed some fresh air, smiling carelessly, but a sinister aura quickly overwhelmed her. Ahh, it was such a good night... to create chaos.
After all, what could be a better cover than the shadows of the night? She laughed, her evil intentions written on her face. Looking at the night sky, where the moon shone brightly, the gentleness and purity that were known to the Wolf Queen, vanished.
With her lips curling into a smile, she turned around and looked back as though she could see who was her first victim. Zenesha had always been someone who did what she vowed to, like killing those who offended her.
She was never a hero, and during the past few months that she was imprisoned and shackled in this body, her patience and rage had already boiled to the extent that she could barely control her killing intent. She wanted to vent her emotions so badly.
Now, let's raise hell. Zenesha smiled softly, her blue eyes glistening but not with a pure glint.