章 63: The Red Eyes Of Madness
The room was enveloped in heavy, expectant silence, broken only by the stifled sounds of the boy catching his breath, his complexion gradually regaining its normal hue. The unsettling red eyes of the officer and the vigilant purple gazes of the soldiers were fixed on the small group.
'Should I take the offer?' Tia found herself at a crossroads. She had always craved freedom to live untethered and unshackled. Yet the notion of being pursued by imperial and federation forces was the antithesis of freedom.
Without any warning, the red-eye stepped closer, her face approaching Tia's own, step by step, her black boots tapping on the floor. Those intense ruby eyes locked onto Tia's lilac ones.
'Huh?'
A frigid tremor crawled down Tia's spine, an electric jolt of dread exacerbated by the officer's unwavering stare.
"Your eyes!" The officer's pompous voice took on an almost predatory tone: "They are captivating—so unfathomable, as though hiding something. What might that be?"
Tia's instincts screamed danger. 'This woman is unhinged.'
Attempting to step back, Tia found the officer mirroring her every move, closing in until she was practically breathing down her neck. Then, a wave of cold, heavy, and oppressive aura exploded out, flooding the room.
The soldiers around them recoiled, their weapons quivering in their hands as if frightened. Overhead, lights flickered like dying stars.
'What is this power?! This...is like archmages from my past life!' She wanted to scream and retreat another step, but she couldn't, as time seemed to slow, each second stretching as a wire.
The red-eye took another step closer, her face so close that their noses almost touched.
"Your grace! Your grace! Please calm down!" The panicked cries of the previously unshakable imperial soldiers shattered the silence but sounded impossibly distant as if they came from the bottom of a well.
'Her grace? So she must be some imperial noble.'
The world gradually dulled, turning into varying shades of gray under the blooming aura, except for those red eyes that glowed brighter by the second, locked onto her own.
'Why is this psycho so fixated on my eyes?! Can she really see something in them?' The dread of her secrets potentially being exposed made Tia's heart pound with anxiety. 'Can she see my magic, my past life, or even my systems?'
The melodious voice rang crystal clear amidst the muffled voices of her surroundings: "I must apologize; perhaps I was somewhat pushy,', diffusing the tense atmosphere.
Immediately, the soldiers and the shivering group of agents visibly relaxed, standing more upright.
"As I was stating, your eyes have a rather fascinating allure. Therefore, I extend to you an alternative proposition: Become one of my knights." The red-eyed woman spoke, her voice returning to an eerie calm as if the prior outburst had never existed.
"Huh?" Tia froze, her legs almost giving up under her, the amount of mental strain slowly but surely taking its toll. The red-eyed girl leaned forward once more, her ruby irises shining dimly.
She wanted to run and get as far away from the maniac as she could. Yet she didn't dare.
'What will happen if I refuse? Would she execute me right here, or systematically make my life hell?'
"I assure you, my offer is exceedingly generous. Under ordinary circumstances, you would not even be considered for the position of an imperial knight. However, here I am, offering you this opportunity and all the advantages it provides," the woman continued.
'Great, you're offering me a chance, but I don't want to be anywhere close to you.' Tia had encountered enough unstable individuals during her time in the hospital to recognize one when she saw it. 'Who knows? She might decide to eat my eyes tomorrow.'
In the silence, while Tia pondered, all the eyes were turned to her, 'For now, it is enough if I survive this day. I can always run away later when I get an opportunity.'
"I accept..." Tia murmured under her breath, aware that individuals like the woman standing in front of her were not the types to take rejection well.
"In that case, allow me to extend my congratulations. You are now an imperial knight. Please kneel before me," the red-eyed woman commanded.
With a sense of resignation and humiliation, Tia knelt, feeling the cold floor beneath her bare knees, which served as a harsh reminder of the gravity of her decision. She wanted to scream to vent her frustration at the convoluted mess her life was becoming.
'I was trying to escape situations like this, but here I am, sinking deeper into this tangled web. Truly, the only way I can ever be truly free is by becoming stronger... Then I will show them...' she smiled slightly, already concocting her vengeance for all this humiliation.
(AN: I am going to bet that a lot of people will hate this direction, that they wanted MC to just refuse and fight her way out. Yet, the world sucks, you can want to be free and independent as she wanted, but it isn't easy to do. This is the best path in her situation, she can always run away later.)
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