The Tyrant's Pet

"Sunny… is scared."

SPLASH!

Sunny shut her eyes, anticipating the pain which didn't come through. However, she felt the blood splatter on her and its scent, making her peek cautiously. Sunny slowly raised her eyes, only to see Aries's back standing on the side of the bed.

Thud!

Sunny slightly flinched, gazing down at the body in between Third and Aries. It was one of the people Aries picked up to use as their shield, only to dispose of it without batting an eye. Aries was tainted with blood, but not from Third's attack.

"Grandmama…" called Sunny with a shaking voice, biting her bottom lip as she felt truly scared for the first time in her life. It wasn't that Sunny didn't have other plans, but she knew she would get hurt. Sunny was afraid of pain, after all.

"Your Majesty, how can you attack a poor child without a second hesitation?" Aries's voice was soft and weak, but it didn't sound less reliable. "That is quite disappointing. I thought you were better than that."

Her eyelids drooped, sizing up the man she occasionally visited back when he was in a coma. The man looked different back when his eyes were closed and now that he was looking back at her. Such malicious eyes. Who would have thought? But not that they were unfamiliar. Aries had seen those eyes.

His eyes were the same as Maximus IV's. No, not by appearance, but by what lies deep beneath them.

The man smirked, sizing Aries up from head to toe. Her expression was dull, exhausted. But despite her weak countenance, she stood still. Considering she was bridging two worlds, it would be foolish to take her at face value.

"Maleficent," he called. His voice was rasped and dark enough to give anyone goosebumps.

How evil. 

"I had finally met you," he continued, eyes full of malice. He raised a hand and offered it to her. "Come, my dearest. Let us go."

Aries let out a dry laugh. "Come? To you? To where?"

"You can feel it, do you?" Third tilted his head to the side. "Us. Me and you."

"Feel…" Aries drew a breath, trying to understand his words, but to no avail. "No, Your Majesty. I can't feel us—"

Her breath hitched as her entire body froze, looking back at the man inches from her. She didn't know what happened or how he got closer, but he was fast.

The man lowered his head, cocking his head to the side. "You have changed."

"I didn't." Aries did her best to calm her surprise, lifting her chin up. "I am not Maleficent, Your Majesty. I didn't change. This is the way I am, always."

"You are right…" his eyelids drooped, raising his hands to cup her cheek but stopped midway. "You are not Maleficent. Aries. That is your name."

His smirk twitched in irritation, revealing his long and sharp fangs. His eyes shone in bright red, anger burning within.

"The Grimsbanne…" he breathed out, shifting his eyes to Sunny, who was still behind Aries.

"Grandmama… Sunny is scared…" Sunny moved back slowly, wanting to hide behind Aries, but was afraid the man would just snatch her away.

"These thieves… just always get in my way, do they?" Third looked back at Aries, grinding his teeth angrily. "They just won't die and leave me the hell alone."

Wasn't it the opposite?

Abel and everyone were living peacefully until the people on the mainland stepped foot in the Haimirich Empire. Aries and Abel wanted nothing to do with them. Abel had drastically changed; although he was still cruel, he was behaving himself for as long as he get his wife's praises and kisses at the end of the day.

Abel was trying.

But these people…. This man in particular… just came out of nowhere, bringing whatever issues they have and implicating them.

Thinking about it brought this unspeakable fury into her heart.

"What do you want?" she asked, breathing out through her lips. "What is it that you want to go in here and coerce with Marsella?"

"Their death." His answer was quick without a second hesitation. "And yours."

The side of his lips curled up, resembling the smile of the devil. He might not have those hauntingly beautiful wings or those horns Abel had, but the growing repugnance in her heart significantly grew as she looked at him.

"If the Grimsbannes die, I can live in peace. I can rule this world, and you… I can bring her back." Third huffed under his breath, and without a moment's notice, he shoved his hand to her neck. The transparent barrier that was protecting Aries easily shattered, pinned on the bed, making Sunny jump away on instinct.

Aries held his wrist on instinct, digging her nails into his skin, eyes bloodshot. Her face immediately turned red at the tight grip on her neck, but her expression remained stern.

'He would kill me,' was what crossed her mind, thinking of ways to break away from him. The veins in the white area of her eyes slowly turned red, and soon, she felt her head turn heavy.

"Get away from her." She heard Sunny's voice from over her head and saw the little girl jump on Third. However, just before she could make contact, Third flung his arms away. Subsequently, Sunny crashed into the wall.

Sunny let out a yelp.

"Sunny!" Aries's breath hitched, looking back at the man who was strangling her. She gripped his wrist tighter, grinding her teeth. Having no options to break free from him, Aries started mumbling a chant. As she did so, tears of blood rolled down her temple.

"Ra ka sha la ma sa…" Despite the lack of air, her voice grew louder and firmer. Blood continued to roll down her temples, and soon, it also came out of her nose, and coughed blood. "... la ma… cough—"

"Grandmama…" Aries heard Sunny's tiny voice from her side. The little girl pushed herself to sit up with great difficulty, setting her eyes on the man pinning Aries on the bed while strangling her. "... stop it."

No one knew what sort of spell Aries was chanting over and repeatedly. However, a major part of Sunny's heart knew Aries should stop.

"Ra ka —"

Boosh!

Aries breathed out deeply when his grip suddenly loosened, coughing and rolling to her side. Each of her coughs was painful as if a blade was slicing through her throat. When she recovered, Aries immediately turned in Sunny's direction. Relief swelled in her chest seeing that Sunny seemed alright and just a little dirty.

"Damn you," Aries spat out through her gritted teeth, glaring at the man, who was thrown at the wall by force. She groped her neck, stretching it, trying to not feel the sensation of his tight grip. As she did, she watched Third stretch as he grunted, rising back to his feet.

Third gazed at Aries, fog forming in front of his lips. "Maleficent," he called, balling his hand into a fist. "You are making me angry."

As soon as the last syllable of his remarks slipped past his lips, Aries felt this strong, dark aura she had never felt before. They had to run. The first thing that came into her mind was Sunny. She had to take Sunny away from here. But the moment that thought crossed her mind, Aries froze as a figure suddenly appeared at her side.

"You… will not leave me again," was all she heard before feeling a dark shroud envelop her.