- Aurianna laid in her cell just staring at the ceiling being deep in her thoughts. However she slowly regained her awareness as she heard a certain sound.
It was the sound of a set of heels constantly clicking on the ground. This piqued her interest because she hadn’t heard footsteps like those during her 2 week stay in the cell. This was someone she didn’t know, so she stood trying to hear anything else.
But all she heard were the footsteps getting closer and eventually the sound of heels clicking stopped, right in front of her cell. The person was hard to make-out seeing how they were in the shadows. However once the person stopped in front of the cell, the guards bowed showing respect.
The person stepped out of the shadows, pressing themselves to the bars, revealing a woman, one who looked all too familiar to Aurianna. It was Russell, her dark pink hair being her most prominent feature. Her unique colored hair was a sign that she belonged to the Duke Family, The Huns. One of the most powerful noble families in Sandeph.
“Hi Aurianna, remember me?” Russell laughed as she looked at Aurianna who was still tied down by chains.
Aurianna stared in shock at her, completely speechless. She didn’t know what the girl wanted with her but she knew it couldn’t be good.
“Who would’ve thought that the Saintess was such a bitch!?” Russell laughed as she looked down at Aurianna with her dark brown eyes. In her fair delicate hands she held a set of keys, which she threw to the guards.
“Open the door, I’m here on behalf of my father to interrogate this traitor.” She ordered, smiling feverishly.
The guard she threw the keys to scratched his head, “But my lady I’m afraid that without a decree from his majesty we can’t open this cell.”
She glared at him, “You dare go against the daughter of Duke Huns,” Russell threatened as she grabbed his collar and glared at him.
“I won’t dare, I’ll open it right now,” the guard hurriedly apologized before opening Aurianna’s cell.
“Drag her out,” Russell commanded her knights who hurriedly rushed over to Aurianna before holding her down and pouring a strange substance down her mouth which caused her to pass out.
_____________
Aurianna slowly woke up and looked up.
The person who she thought was Russell remained quiet, just staring at her smiling ear to ear. Aurianna noticed that she was chained to the chair and since her supposed captor was silent as a mouse she decided to look around instead. Scanning the room she was in and what she saw caused her to immediately vomit by the side of her chair.
The room was filled with dead bodies, each cut up in a very gruesome and meticulous way. Some were hanging on the ceiling while others were laying on a mill. And a set of heads were kept in jars as if they were trophies or some part of a sic prized collection.
Russell looked at Aurianna as her dark blue eyes now had a pink glow.
“You’re not Russell,” she muttered as she looked at the imposter. Russell had brown eyes but they were pink now.
Aurianna paused for a moment, her eyes cloudy with confusion. Until they cleared up and through gritted teeth she spoke, “You’re Goddess Paige.”
Paige laughed excitedly, “Wow, I would definitely give you a thumbs up for recognizing me. Do you know how long I’ve hated you and that pretty face of yours!?” Paige had a crazed look in her eye which sent shivers down Aurianna’s spine. “I mean think about it, how can there be such a face more beautiful than the goddess of beauty!? That just couldn’t, or rather shouldn’t be am I right?”
Paige walked up to Aurianna, starting to caress her face before suddenly scratching it, causing Aurrianna to hiss in pain.
Paige continued, “That was a fun little interaction but it seems I’ll be out of time soon.” She sighed, “Oh well, who would think the goddess of Sandeph is possessing the body of a simple Duke’s daughter. I just wanted to vent about you a bit. Just so you know, this girl I’m inhabiting. She’s insane. I’ve seen the things she has planned for you in her mind and it’s not pretty,” She gave an evil grin, “Goodluck.”
All of a sudden without Aurianna being able to say another word back to the Goddess she closed her eyes and her body started convulsing. Shaking violently for a couple seconds before suddenly stopping. Once her eyes opened again they were brown once more, indicating that Russell was back in control of the body.
Unlike what Aurianna expected Russell didn’t speak about the possession that took place. She simply smiled sweetly, however based on the room she was in and what Paige had told her, she knew not to trust her.
Now that Paige was gone Russell walked over to a nearby table before taking some clips, walking to Aurrianna with an evil grin.
A strange device was placed over Aurrianna’s mouth, preventing much if any sounds from escaping her mouth.
“I heard the saintess could heal from any attack once she had her divine powers. But I wonder what would happen if she doesn’t. ”
Russell then reached down with a knife, going under one of her fingernails. Aurianna tried to protest but her mouth was covered so no audible words came out. In a flash, Russell lifted violently, pulling off the nail. Aurianna yelped in immense pain but this was just the beginning.
Russell continued to pull off Aurrianna’s nails one by one in the most painful way possible, causing her to scream out, tears of pain dripping down her face. To make things worse, the nail ripping wasn’t clean, for example when Aurianna’s thumbnail got torn, half was still there so Russell had to dig into the raw skin to pull the rest off.
From the room’s layout it was evident she had done this before, so her sloppiness was purely to spite Aurianna. To make her experience as painful as possible.
After every last nail had been peeled off, she walked away for a second. Aurianna was breathing heavily, sweat rolling down her face.
But Russell returned as soon as she left, she had walked away to grab a chef’s knife, using it to cut Aurrianna’s fingers off one by one.
Aurrianna continued to tremble in horror, unable to let out any scream due to the device on her mouth. Tears filled with endless pain streamed down her face as she faded out of consciousness.
Splash
Aurianna jumped up, startled. She felt cold, nothing but cold. The first thing she saw was Russell, walking away with… some kind of bucket?
She thought to herself, ‘Ah, she must’ve woken me up by throwing cold water on me… How long was I out for?’
Unfortunately for Aurianna, she didn’t have much time to think about it. The torture was far from over as she watched Russell place the bucket filled with cold water down, scooping something new off of a rack. She was walking towards her now holding a bowl of some green liquid, it was giving off steam.
“Saintess, do you confess to colluding with the demons?” She inquired, an amused smile on her face since Aurrianna, whose head was restricted, could neither shake nor nod to answer the question.
“Still denying it huh? Then you must be punished,” Russell grinned as she poured the bowl of liquid on Aurianna.
Aurianna screamed in pain beneath the device. It was unbearable, her skin felt like it was melting and getting eaten away at the same time.
Steam could be seen coming out of her face as her skin melted onto her body, Aurrianna cried and twitched her body in pain.
The constant thought replaying her mind was what did she do to deserve all of this?
Be pretty? Have more power than most people, being a Saintess and all? Being a part of the royal family? Or was the cause her simply existing like Azarath said.
The words of warning rang in her head, about how all saintesses had suffered horrible fates and how she soon would most likely follow.
Eventually Aurianna gave in, accepting the pain and refusing to have any other thoughts. Reflection wouldn’t help bring her out of the situation so she continued taking the torture, screaming out in the deepest pain she had ever known.
After serial hours the burning sensation stopped but Russell still had an evil expression as she looked at Aurianna, a girl she had always hated, had always envied. She was now restricted, and her personal plaything.
She had always been jealous of her beauty and how everyone loved her. Russell had always loved the prince, but when she confessed to him he said that unless she looked as beautiful as Aurianna she shouldn’t dare dream of being with him. That only made her hate Aurianna more.
She hated her to her very core, so she had been elated when her father gave her the opportunity to torture Aurianna as well.
“Take it off,” Russell ordered as a Knight walked up to Aurianna and removed the device on her mouth. Aurianna’s once bright vibrant eyes were now so dim, similar to the eyes of those who had given up on life.
Russel crouched down to her, “I’ll ask again. Did you collude with demons so you could overthrow the kingdom?”
Aurianna started to open her mouth but stopped herself. She knew it to be pointless. No matter what she said, unless it was a yes, and even then, she would continue to be tortured. So, she said nothing, tears strolling down her face. If she had little choice she would at least choose the one she could respect, she refused to lie. She knew the truth, even if she had to take it to the grave.
Russel made a pouty face, “Aw you’re no fun. It seems I broke her.” She stood looking at the nearby Knight, “Isn’t this hilarious? The once high and mighty Saintess is on the ground, completely dead inside. She can’t even respond anymore.” With that Russel bursted out with a cackle before swiftly moving her blade, slashing Aurrianna’s eyes, blood splattering on the chamber floor.
Aurianna trembled in pain as she clenched her face, screaming out in terror.
“Healers only heal her eyes but just a little bit,” she ordered. The Healers healed Aurianna’s eye but just to where it was the physical eye restored, but it wasn’t to the point where she could see again. At this point she had lost her vision in both eyes.
‘All my life these people have blessed me with praises about my beauty, so why!? Am I not the Saintess? Was it not my duty, I always did everything I was supposed to, so just why why why!!’
“Lady Russell, his majesty has called us to bring the saintess,” a Knight informed as he looked at Russell.
“Shit so soon, this is bad. Hurry, heal her as much as your powers can as quickly as possible!! Russell ordered in an agitated tone. What she had done was a crime. Even though Aurianna was a traitor she was still part of the royal family. Even the king didn’t dare torture her, yet she, a mere duke’s daughter dared to.
