"Yes, , but the others don’t have marks!! There’s a whole new group of people in the domain!!" Kiana blurted out, desperation creeping into her voice.
"Ah, that would be a problem," Aquarius said, his tone still casual. "Oh well. When they die, co find ." With a final laugh, the connection cut off.
"S-Sir?!" Kiana cried, tears of frustration stinging her eyes.
"Well, he was useless," Zorian muttered under his breath, earning a few grim, breathless chuckles from the others.
Before anyone could respond, the Goigleir roared, a sound so loud it rattled their bones, and lashed out. Its massive claws caught Shuwi at her side, sending her flying through the air like a ragdoll. She crashed into the ground several kiloters away, kicking up dust and debris.
"Shuwi!!" They all scread in horror, skidding to a halt.
Kiana’s heart hamred painfully in her chest. ’This is bad. This is way worse than I thought.’ Gritting her teeth, she knew there was only one more option left.
’I have to call her.’
"Madam Carol!!!" Kiana scread at the top of her lungs, her voice echoing unnaturally across the wasteland.
There was a sharp gust of wind, and a blur shot across the sky faster than any of them could react.
The shadow slamd down onto the Goigleir with earth-shattering force.
In a single instant, the monster was obliterated. Dust and blood exploded outward, and where the Goigleir once stood, there was now only a broken crater.
"She... she killed that monster in one hit," Peter stamred, his voice barely a whisper.
Before them stood a terrifying monster. Carol, in her full Harpy form, lood over them as she was about 15 feet tall in her monster form. She had long, flowing black hair and two horns erging from the locations where her eyes should have resided. Her lower limbs resembled those of a bird, complete with sharp claws on her hands. Sprouting from her back were imnse black wings, and her skin boasted a gray complexion. And she wore a normal shirt and skinny
"Yes, little rmaid?" Carol said smoothly, turning her piercing gaze toward Kiana.
The mont their eyes t hers, the entire group collapsed to their knees, trembling uncontrollably. So sobbed. So couldn’t even find their voices.
"When... when did she get here?" Juvin thought in a panic, his body locked in place.
’It’s a monster,’ Elena realized, tears spilling down her cheeks as she struggled to breathe. ’She’s not human.’
’What the hell... I can’t move...’ Zorian thought, horrified to find that even his mind was frozen with pure, instinctual fear.
"U-umm, Madam Carol," Kiana began hesitantly, swallowing the lump of fear in her throat. "Please... Aurianna’s power had a problem and accidentally brought us here. Could you help us find her?"
Carol tilted her head, studying Kiana with a sharp gaze. A lazy, almost amused smile curled on her lips. "She’s busy," Carol said, her tone almost singsong. "Currently slaughtering the Light Percical race... and probably any other being she cos across. She massacred a good number of them already."
The others behind Kiana stiffened, their faces pale with horror.
"And what made her so angry?" She wondered. Carol’s grin then widened, her teeth flashing like a wolf’s. "That expression... ah, I love seeing it. She should show that fury more often. It’s beautiful."
Then, with a casual glance at the trembling group huddled behind Kiana, Carol added, "Also... can I eat them? Aurianna wouldn’t care anyway."
"No! Please, don’t!" Kiana yelped, throwing her arms out protectively. "These are her servants! Please don’t eat them!"
Carol raised an eyebrow, amused. "Servants? Without her mark? Tch. Are they asking for a death wish?"
"It was an honest mistake they ended up here!" Kiana rushed to explain, voice cracking slightly.
Carol scoffed, crossing her arms. "Mistakes, huh. She’s been making so ever since Eva dumped the responsibility of this space on her and Leila." Her voice dripped with contempt.
The heavy tension thickened in the air, weighing down on everyone’s shoulders. Then Carol’s smile vanished like a snuffed fla, replaced by a cold look.
"I don’t like being lied to, little rmaid," Carol said flatly.
Kiana flinched but stood her ground, though her legs trembled. "They’re her friends, alright!" she cried, trying to sound confident, but the shaking of her body betrayed her.
A strange silence followed—then Carol threw her head back and laughed. A wild, maniacal laugh that made the ground itself seem to shudder.
"Ohh... Aurianna made friends?! AHAHAHAHAA!!" Carol howled, her voice echoing across the barren wasteland.
The laughter cut off sharply. Carol’s expression shifted to sothing far darker, her smile curling in a terrifying way. "Maybe I should kill them after all," she said coldly, tilting her head unnaturally as if genuinely considering it.
"Master Aurianna would be angry!" Kiana shouted desperately.
Carol blinked slowly, as if amused by the idea. "And why should I care what that brat thinks?" she sneered.
"Because... because Lady Eva is watching!!" Kiana blurted out in panic.
At that, Carol’s eyes narrowed. In a flash faster than anyone could react, her hand shot out and grabbed Kiana’s entire body with an iron grip.
"Hmph," Carol grumbled, squeezing tightly. "You’ve got a sharp little mouth, brat. And... you’ve gotten tinier since the last ti I saw you."
"I guess... I did," Kiana chuckled nervously, but fear leaked into her voice.
Without warning, Carol crushed her.
The sickening sound of flesh and bone being crushed echoed through the air. In a heartbeat, Kiana’s body was smashed to pulp, reduced to nothing more than a bloody, broken ss in Carol’s palm.
"Kiana!!" Elena scread, and the others shouted too, frozen in horror.
But even as they wept and gasped, Kiana’s mangled remains shimred—and before their disbelieving eyes, she regenerated fully, kneeling before Carol, her body whole again.
"Lady Carol, you..." Kiana muttered, glaring up at the Harpy even as fear rooted her to the ground.
The others breathed out in shaky relief.
Carol stared down at Kiana with disdain, grabbing her roughly by the hair with her fingers.
"Just because you have those two backing you," she hissed, "doesn’t an you can speak to that way. Watch your mouth, child."
Kiana winced but didn’t pull away.
"And just because that dumbass Aquarius likes you doesn’t an I won’t kill you," Carol added, her grip tightening. "I’m stronger than that bastard, after all."
"I don’t care what you do to ," Kiana said through gritted teeth, her knees sinking into the dirt. "But please... please spare their lives—and help us find Master Aurianna!"
For a long, terrifying mont, Carol said nothing, her horn eyes boring into Kiana.
The world seed to stand still.
Finally, Carol smirked.
"You sure are a stubborn little fish," she muttered, releasing Kiana with a rough shove that sent her sprawling onto the ground.
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