Chương 11: Episode 11

Scarlet awakened with a strange feeling that someone was watching her. She rubbed her eyes, blinking repeatedly to clear her blurred vision.

As the fog lifted, she shrieked when she found herself confronted by a devilishly handsome face. "What the-"

The man was leaning his head against his palm, his dark crimson eyes locked onto her. "Who...?" Scarlet began to ask, only to be cut off by him.

"You're awake," he interjected. "Good. I thought you'd sleep forever."

Confusion and annoyance welled up within Scarlet thinking, who was this arrogant man? He seemed innocent while he was unconscious, but now that he's awake, his crimson eyes and indifferent expression gave him an uncanny resemblance to the devil himself.

Hold on...

Scarlet's voice betrayed her disbelief as she exclaimed, "Two hours?" The fog in her mind had lifted, allowing the weight of her predicament to settle in. Now, she realized she was lost, and the urgency of the situation reminded her that the Scarlet Order are now likely scouring the nine realms in search of her.

"Any idea where we are?" Scarlet immediately asked.

The man gazed at her and responded, "We're in what you would call a prison world."

"A prison world?" Scarlet echoed.

"Yes, precisely, a prison world."

Scarlet's jaw dropped as she surveyed her surroundings. This was not what she had envisioned when the dagger transported her here. She had imagined it to be just another dimension.

"How did you end up here?" the man inquired.

"The dagger," Scarlet unconsciously replied. "Have you seen it?"

As if performing a magic trick, the man produced the jeweled dagger from behind his back. "You mean this?"

Relief flooded over Scarlet as she realized she hadn't lost her only means of returning to the dark dimension. "Yes, that's it. Can you give it to me?"

The man hesitated briefly, seemingly contemplating whether to ask something in return before giving the dagger to her. However, he changed his mind.

"Here," he said, handing her the dagger.

Scarlet smiled, gratefully. "Thank you."

"..."

Scarlet clutched the dagger to her chest like a precious treasure before finally acknowledging the handsome man who had been silently observing her.

"You're awake too." she said, and the man tilted his head in confusion, eliciting a smile from Scarlet. "You were unconscious when I found you here. Chained..." She added and paused, remembering that this place was a prison world and that the man before her was a prisoner. What had he done to be confined to this place? Was he perhaps, a serial killer?

Scarlet dismissed her assumptions, recognizing that it was unfair to judge others based on unfounded suspicions. If she was curious, she could simply ask, right?

"Are you... a murderer?" she asked.

"..."

"Or maybe a traitor?"

"No," the man replied, causing Scarlet to audibly exhale in relief.

"Oh, that's good. That's good..."

The handsome man observed her closely. He could easily discern the thoughts crossing her mind, given the range of expressions that flickered across her face.

He found it amusing that she had assumed he was imprisoned for murder or betrayal. It was far from that.

"So, what crime did you do then?" she asked, and the man contemplated if he should be direct about this or not. Oh well, he shrugged from his thoughts.

"I stole from a witch, and she imprisoned me here as punishment."

Scarlet blinked at that, surprised by the unexpected answer. Although a bit outside her expectations, it actually-- kinda-- explained his predicament.

He was a thief.

And if he was a thief, that means that he knows how to get in and out of places. A skill she really needs at the moment.

"Do you know a way out of this place?" she asked.

The man stared at her. "How did you arrive in this place?"

He ignored her question, but Scarlet unconsciously answered him anyway. "It was this dagger." she said. "It cut through space and time, opening a portal that brought me here." she explained.

Intrigued, the man rose and asked, "May I see the dagger?"

"Not until you promise not to stab me with it." Scarlet said without blinking. She was serious.

The man chuckled, it was a low and somewhat eerie sound. However, it carried a hint of amusement as it seemed that his intended was a clever girl.

"I give you my word, I will not stab you with it."

Scarlet scrutinized his eyes for any hint of deceit. Finding none, she handed the dagger to him. "Here."

The man examined the dagger and studied the inscriptions on the hilt. "I see."

"What? Did you find something?"

"Yes, I can use this dagger to get us out of here."

Scarlet's heart leaped with excitement. "Really? How?"

"This dagger is drained," he explained. "but I can recharge it with my magic."

"That's great! When are we leaving? Don't worry, when we return to my realm, I'll reward you handsomely with gold. I promise I won't run away." Scarlet crossed her finger over her heart then showed him her palm as if pledging him something. "Despite my unassuming appearance, I am quite wealthy. I can grant you anything you desire." she added, and for a brief moment, a gleam flickered in the man's eyes as he smiled.

"Anything?" he asked.

"Of course. Anything." Scarlet affirmed. "I will grant you one favor, if you want. Just one..." she said, and unbeknownst to her, the enigmatic smile on the man's face grew even wider.

"One favor?"

"Yes, as long as it's within my power to grant, I will give it to you."

"Very well."

Scarlet clapped her hands in relief. "Yes! That's what I like to hear!"

Without a thought, she embraced the devilishly handsome man, who towered over her. Her arms wrapped around his waist, and he found himself feeling uncomfortable yet not repulsed. Just awkward.

Perhaps he should get used to such displays of affection, considering they were now bound as bride and groom. They should be comfortable with each other's proximity and touch. It shouldn't be an issue, right?

"By the way, what's your name?" Scarlet asked, releasing him from her embrace.

"You want to know my name?" the handsome man paused

Scarlet chuckled. "Yes, I do. I can't keep calling you 'you' all the time. It's awkward. Besides, I'm sure your parents gave you a good name," she said, almost adding 'a name as handsome as you.'

Fortunately, she caught herself.

"Very well. I'll honor you by giving you my name." the handsome man replied, "But remember this, giving our personal names have a special meaning for my people."

"Great! So, what is it? What's your name?" Scarlet excitedly asked, as if she didn't hear the small warning in his voice.

"Theon." he finally said

"Theon." Scarlet repeated it on her lips, then grinned. "Cool. I'm Scarlet." she said, offering him a smile. "So, are you ready to get me out of here?"

***

"You know it's dangerous searching aimlessly across dimensions without the Queen's exact location, Eigeel." Silver, Scarlet's most capable subordinate, said. The moment she received word of the queen's disappearance through a confidential messenger, she abandoned her responsibilities and hurried to the palace to help in the search.

"If you tread this path, you risk becoming lost among the hundreds of dimensions, never to return," she added with a grave and serious expression. Silver was an astonishingly beautiful woman, adorned in a shimmering blue gown that hugged her figure, reaching her wrists and ankles. The attire accentuated her curves, and she stood at the same height as Eireen, who was silently listening to their discussion.

Her wolf-like ears and tail revealed her demon wolf lineage, lending her an alluring air even when she wasn't intentionally trying to be seductive.

"I know," Eigeel responded, his attention elsewhere, disregarding the woman's words. He acknowledged the truth in what she said, knowing she had good intentions. "But I have to try," he continued, his voice simmering with calm desperation. "The longer we remain here, the greater the risks were taking with her life."

Silver scratched her wolf ears in mild frustration. She was fully aware of the gravity of the situation. The queen's life could be in peril, and they needed to act swiftly. However, she also believed that they should have a plan in place. Rushing headlong into the queen's rescue without careful consideration would yield no positive results.

Silver's gaze shifted towards Talon, who was silentlyaning against the far wall of the meeting hall. "As her shadow guard, you should have kept a closer watch on Her Majesty." She said, her tone scolding. "Of all people, you should've been aware that the queen is still in a vulnerable state, and prevented her from getting involved in dangerous situations that could threaten her life."

Talon remained silent, fully aware that he was indeed at fault. He had been negligent in ensuring his master's safety, so he bowed his head in shame.

Silver let out a sigh. Seeing him so dejected, she stopped scolding him. Blaming him wouldn't bring their queen back. However, she needed an outlet for her frustrations, and Talon was the closest target related to this problem that she can use as a punching bag.

"Have you informed the other members of the order?" Eireen whispered to the maid behind her while Silver and her brother continued to discuss their course of action.

"They are making their way here as we speak, my lady."

Eireen nodded. "Good. You may leave us," she dismissed the maid.

"Yes," she bowed her head and left the room.

Once the maid departed, Eigeel's voice filled the study. "Is there any other way that we can track her down?" he inquired.

Silence hung in the air.

"I know of a way," Silver spoke up, her tone serious. "But it comes with risks."

"You don't mean—" Realizing what Silver was suggesting, Eireen gasped,

"Yes," Silver met Eireen's gaze head-on and nodded. "We must seek assistance from the white witch."

"We can't let outside forces into this." Eigeel said, immediately voicing his disapproval. "We must handle this with outmost secrecy, and the white witch is notorious for demanding invaluable things in return for her services. We cannot risk that."