The Tyrant's Pet

"Will you allow me to kill you?"

Aries had always felt she was being watched. It all started when she became the empress of the Haimirich Empire. At first, she told herself it was normal since the position she took was the highest seat that was equal to the emperor. But as time goes by, she had always felt a particular gaze was watching her every move.

No. It wasn't the type that felt leery or unsafe. Aries couldn't exactly describe it until now that she stood before this man. It was a feeling of security only felt when someone knew their guardian was just around the corner.

Her lips quivered, unable to look away at those smiling eyes, watching his hands approach her that appeared to be bigger than they should be.

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GASP!

Aries snapped her eyes open, gasping for air, heart thudding aggressively against her chest. Her eyes shook, looking up in a panic, only to realize she was standing under the linden tree with eleven women hanged upon it.

The sound of chimes caressed her ears, and for some reason, her heart felt at ease. It wasn't real, she thought. And that realization somehow felt like an entire pipe was pulled out of her throat. Aries kept her eyes up, closing them as she breathed out a sigh of relief.

But when she reopened her eyes, she froze.

From the corner of her eyes, she caught a man standing where Maleficent originally stood. Aries slowly turned her head, holding her breath until her neck turned taut. Her eyes slowly dilated as they shook, catching the same man before this dream, inside this dream, or what she called vision.

The moment her eyes landed on him, Maleficent's remarks, "I'm always watching," suddenly rang in her head.

"Who… are you?" Aries blurted out airily, but the man said nothing. He just stood there, staring at the women on the hangman's tree. When his lips parted, Aries slightly flinched.

"The monster in your bed... in your head." His voice was calm, but it was very clear. "It's interesting."

The man then blinked ever so tenderly, turning his head to face her. This time, his face was very clear. He had a slim face with his facial features all sharp. However, his expression wasn't all that sharp, nor was it gentle. He was smiling, but at the same time, it made her skin crawl.

Myriads of questions hovered over her head, wondering how he got into this dream as well. But every time her lips parted, her tongue would just keep rolling back. In the end, Aries could only stare at him, unable to look away or take a step back.

"Can you feel it?" he asked, moving his feet until he was facing her squarely. "The fury closing in."

"No," she whispered, watching him raise his hand with his palm facing her. "What?"

"Come."

Her brows rose, darting her eyes between his palm and his squinting eyes. "Come?"

"Mhm. To me." He wiggled his fingers, hinting her to come to put her hand on his palm. "I'll use you well and treat you nicely."

The lightness in his voice sounded out of place, and she could tell he was asking as if she was an item, not a person. Yet, Aries didn't feel irked by it; though she didn't like it either.

"You don't want to?" he tilted his head to the side but kept his palm up.

"No." Aries shook her head mildly. "It's not that."

He blinked, waiting for her to explain her answer.

"What will happen?" she asked, keeping her gaze in his eyes.

"Who knows?" his lips stretched. "I won't harm you, though."

Aries assessed his refined face in silence, watching how his squinting eyes, which just looked like lines, crack open slightly. He really had naturally thin eyes, but the sharpest she had seen. It didn't look like those pairs of crimson Abel had where one would instantly feel intimidated, but something that could make someone wonder.

She couldn't read him, and considering Aries was good at reading people, it was commendable she couldn't read through him. A big part of her told her he was the last person who would harm her, though. Aries didn't know the reason she felt this way toward him; it wasn't romantic, for sure, but she was drawn to him the moment she laid her eyes on him.

"Do I… own you?" she blurted out under her breath. "Or was it the other way around?"

"I have the same question, my lady." He smiled again. "Should we test it?"

The man tipped his head to his open palm between them, making her eyes fall on it again. Her breathing slowed down, lifting her gaze back to meet his eyes. This time, she didn't speak as she hesitatingly raised her hand.

Her trembling palm slowly closed in until she was touching him. Aries jolted slightly but felt instantly at ease when nothing happened. She kept her eyes on their palms that were touching each other, peeking at him when he let out a weak chuckle.

"How interesting," he mused under his breath, snapping his eyes at her tenderly. "Right?"

Right? Her brows furrowed, but before she could even wonder what he was talking about, she moved her eyes to their hands. He slowly and carefully slid his fingers to the side of each of her fingers, slipping his fingers in between the gaps of her fingers as he slowly held her hand.

Aries didn't feel the need to retrieve her hand, and even if she wanted to, she knew his grip, although loose, she wouldn't be able to break away. Deep lines resurfaced in between her brows and forehead, seeing the dark mist come out from the very tip of her fingers.

"I guess it varies of who wants to own who," said the man in an amused and triumphant tone. "Or perhaps it is just a habit we had grown used to."

Aries gazed back at him as her body slowly felt lighter and lighter as the dark mist slowly shrouded the two of them.

"Abel," she whispered out of habit whenever she felt helpless in any situation. But this time, she knew she wasn't in danger, but her thinning resistance forced that call. "Help."

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GASP!