Chapter 117 Master and slave part 1 – Arianna

  Arianna woke to the feeling of being watched.

  She remained perfectly still, just like she had as a child, when imaginary monsters lurked in the dark. Only this time, there was a very real chance that the monster was real.

  She kept her breathing slow and even, though her heart was racing. She strained to hear anything, but everything was quiet. With her eyes closed, she could at least tell it was still dark. Was she only imagining this, the way she used to as a child? Or was there truly someone in the room?

  She forced herself not to go rigid, to look relaxed, asleep. Deep, steady breaths. If nobody was there, good. But if someone was, there was a reason they hadn’t woken her yet.

  And she didn’t want to find out what they would do if she was awake.

  Was she overthinking? No—

  There. A soft rustle. Two quiet steps.

  A touch on her arm, slowly moving up and down, caressing her.

  A whisper, barely audible.

  “You’re really perfect.”

  Keith.

  Don’t freeze. Don’t lock up.

  She forced her breath to stay calm and serene while panic clawed through her chest. What would he do next? Faith’s damned order stopped her from hurting him, and without her mana she couldn’t defend herself at all.

  After a few moments, his steps retreated. The door opened, then clicked shut.

  Was he gone?

  She stayed still, pretending to sleep for a while longer, every second stretching painfully. When she finally dared to open her eyes, the room was empty.

  He had really left.

  The panicked breaths she’d been suppressing burst out of her all at once. Quiet sobs escaped with them. She clamped both hands over her mouth to muffle the sound. What if he was still outside? What if he heard?

  Curling onto her side, facing the door, she drew her knees to her chest and tried to breathe normally again. Tears blurred her vision.

  What did he want from her?

  That whisper. That touch.

  She shuddered as the memory crawled over her skin.

  After a while, she calmed enough to think. Nobody had opened the door again. She should be safe, for now. She reached for her phone. The screen lit up.

  5:17 a.m.

  There was no way she could sleep again. She was wide awake. And this couldn’t go on. She couldn’t stay this helpless.

  If she could at least form a water barrier, she’d be safe from Keith for a while, unless Faith ordered her to take it down. For that, she needed her mana. And she needed to contact Cassis. For that, too, she needed mana.

  Without it, she was… just a woman again. Stronger than before, sure, since training and ranking up had changed her body, but she’d only ever trained to fight monsters, not humans. And with Faith’s order, she couldn’t even hurt anyone.

  Arianna’s fingers closed around the slave collar at her throat. It felt cool and smooth.

  What did it even look like?

  Suddenly curious, she went into the bathroom, looked into the mirror, and froze.

  She hadn’t looked like this since her father died.

  Red, swollen eyes. Blotchy cheeks. Utter helplessness staring back at her.

  This version of herself did not belong in this world. She had become strong here. Happy.

  Why was she reduced to this again?

  Anger surged, sharp, steadying.

  Her gaze dropped to the collar. Just an inconspicuous black choker. Carefully, she ran her fingers along it from front to back. No clasp. No seam. Just a solid band fused around her throat.

  Such a small thing, and it had cut her off from her mana, bound her to orders, trapped her in helplessness.

  She straightened, meeting her own eyes in the mirror.

  She would not become that helpless little girl again.

  She would find a way out of here. No matter what.

  Resolved, she splashed cold water on her face, then took a shower. She needed her mana back. It was the only real way to fight back. Yes, she could bend the orders a little… but with mana, she might be able to do more.

  So, she did the only thing she could.

  She filled the bathtub, stepped into the water, and sank down to meditate.

  She couldn’t feel her mana, but in the beginning, she’d felt nothing either. Slowly, carefully, she turned inward.

  Searching for the flow that should be there.

  After a while she noticed something. She still couldn’t see anything, but her mana flow was there. She could feel it. Somehow, though, the collar stopped her from interacting with it. She didn’t know how. It was like a barrier she couldn’t pass, cutting her off from truly reaching or observing her mana again.

  Still, now she could finally sense the water mana around her, too. It was soothing, familiar. She stayed in the tub for quite some time, soaking in the reassuring presence of the water mana surrounding her. Even if she hadn’t actually managed to accomplish anything, she felt better after the bath.

  At seven o’clock, there was a knock on her door. Faith came in, leaving the door slightly ajar. Faith. Just looking at her hurt. Why had she betrayed her? But even though it hurt, Arianna didn’t look away. She needed to see why Faith had done this, and Faith needed to see what she had done to her.

  But Faith didn’t look at her. She kept her gaze lowered, as if she couldn’t bear to meet Arianna’s eyes.

  “Breakfast is ready,” she said quietly, then turned around, clearly expecting Arianna to follow.

  How dare she? First, she betrayed her, and now she wouldn’t even look at her?

  Arianna took three quick steps toward her. “Stop.”

  It came out like a command, and Faith stopped immediately, as if she were the one wearing the slave collar instead of Arianna.

  The anger bubbled over. Was it smart to let it out? Probably not. But Arianna needed to know why this was happening to her.

  “How dare you?” Tears suddenly burned in her eyes. She blinked them away. They had no place here. “How dare you act like this now?”

  She wanted to hit her, to hurt her, to do something, but the order prevented it. So Arianna used her words instead.

  “I was your friend. I helped you. I saved your uncle and you, made you stronger. And this is how you repay me.”

  Faith flinched with every word and slowly turned back toward her, but still refused to meet her gaze.

  “Tell me. Why did you do this to me?”

  Arianna didn’t shout, but even she was surprised by her own voice, so much anger, so much pain.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  Faith still refused to answer. She just stood there.

  Before Arianna could say anything more, Dan Bryce entered, took one look at them, and quietly closed the door, presumably for privacy.

  “Faith,” he said softly, resting a hand on her shoulder. “Let me handle this.”

  Faith, still staring at the floor, nodded.

  Bryce stepped in front of her, facing Arianna. He looked tired, but determined and… afraid?

  “It isn’t her fault. She had no choice.”

  Arianna grimaced. “And I did?” she asked, her voice sharp with sarcasm.

  She heard a faint, pained sound from Faith behind him, but she didn’t care about her feelings.

  Bryce continued, his tone low. “It’s not good to talk right now.” He looked nervous, his eyes drifting occasionally around the room, as if searching for something.

  Suddenly, Arianna understood. He was checking for bugs. Or cameras.

  She froze. Was someone listening? Watching? With Keith… she wouldn’t put anything past him. Not after what had just happened hours before.

  Bryce’s eyes snapped back to hers, and he gave the slightest shake of his head, a warning not to react.

  Out loud, he said, “Come to breakfast. General Morgan will explain soon why you’re here.”

  Strange. It felt like both Bryce and Faith were wary of Keith, even afraid. Then why were they working for him? Even if he was her father… Faith clearly knew she was doing something wrong.

  Arianna clenched her fists, anger still burning hot beneath her skin. But she swallowed it down, for now. She needed more information first. And maybe… maybe she could find a way to make Faith release her mana.

  So she would play along.

  For now.

  But once she was free, there would be hell to pay.

  When Arianna entered the room they were supposed to have breakfast in, she faltered for a step but quickly found her footing again. Keith was already sitting at the table. Like in an old movie, the table was long, able to seat around eight people. Keith sat at the head of it like a family patriarch.

  Her hands shook, but she forced herself to show no reaction, even though her heart had started racing again. It was thumping so loudly she was afraid the others might hear it. She tried to sit as far away from Keith as possible, but one of the butlers standing around the table indicated for her to sit next to him, on his right-hand side. Faith sat on his other side, while Bryce took his place behind Faith, at the wall, arm crossed at the back, posture rigid, like one of the servants.

  Keith nodded, and they were served breakfast, just like in an old-style movie. While they were eating, he casually asked Arianna how she had slept. Liquid anger burned beneath her skin, but Arianna answered softly, “It was alright.”

  Keith smiled at her, then focused all his attention on her. “That’s good. I want only the best for you.” He put his cutlery down and used a napkin to elegantly wipe his mouth before speaking again. “Now, I know you’re wondering why I invited you here. While I did enjoy our chat yesterday evening, I want to get to know you even better, and perhaps you can help me with one or two of my projects.”

  Arianna nodded calmly. Finally, she was getting some real information. Keith smiled again, trying to appear charming but instead coming across like a shark.

  “I knew you were a sensible young woman. Let me start with the first project. Faith tells me you are excellent at mana control, and after watching your videos, I find that to be true. You see, the charming little choker you’re wearing is only the second prototype we were able to manufacture after analysing the original one given to us by my patron.”

  The second prototype. So three slave collars in total. Not as bad as she had feared, but still awful.

  Keith continued. “But I need these chokers to be mass-produced soon. They will help our family immensely.” He reached over and took hold of her hand. Her skin immediately started to crawl but Arianna resisted the urge to snatch it away immediately.

  “This afternoon, I’d like you to come with me to our lab and take a look at the original. You can definitely help with the production.”

  He wanted her to… mass-produce slave collars. No! She couldn’t do that. But with the collar around her neck, she couldn’t refuse. She didn’t know how to react, so she chose to say nothing.

  Keith smiled again. “Smart woman. I like that about you. You know when to be quiet. Now, the second project is a bit more personal. As you can see, I have two daughters… both disappointments.”

  He said it casually, as if Faith weren’t sitting right there. But except for a slight stiffening in her posture she didn’t react at all. And come to think of it… Shari wasn’t even at the table.

  Keith went on. “But our family line is quite noble. Though we have always been surrounded by shadow, we have kept the world safe from here. My grandfather, Kevin Morgan, founded an organisation whose goal is to protect this world.”

  Arianna couldn’t believe her ears. Keith was talking about the Shadows of Avaria, even alluding to them without saying the name outright. And Kevin Morgan… why did that name ring a bell? Hadn’t Helen mentioned him as the founder of the Shadows? Keith was his grandson.

  “And our family needs strong heirs, not failures,” Keith said calmly. “So I am in need of a son to continue our legacy.” He looked at her with something like adoration. “You are soft at heart, but strength runs through you. Your abilities with mana are exactly what our line needs in this new world. So you will have the honour of bearing my son.”

  Arianna froze as Keith continued caressing her hand, smiling softly. Her head went blank. He couldn’t be serious. Who casually said they needed a woman to give them a son? This wasn’t the Middle Ages anymore.

  The tremble started in her hand, then spread until her whole body shook. Keith smiled even more. “Don’t be afraid. I realise there’s quite an age difference between us, but I’ll be good to you.”

  Still holding her hand, he patted it as if trying to calm a frightened child, or a skittish animal. But what he mistook for fear was rage. Arianna was trembling with fury. This man was disgusting, a pervert. He dared touch her. He dared want more.

  It took everything she had not to lash out, physically or verbally. But she couldn’t. The order prevented her from hurting him, and common sense told her not to refuse him outright. She wouldn’t be able to protect herself if he forced anything. So she let him think she was scared. She needed more time to escape.

  Her trembling didn’t stop, so he sighed and finally withdrew his hand. “Now, I know this new situation can be frightening, but you’ll get used to it soon. Faith’s and Shari’s mothers were scared too, at first, but they soon realised how good they had it here. You’ll understand as well.”

  His daughters’ mothers. Women who had died shortly after giving birth. Would that be her fate, too? Her trembling only grew stronger. She was so close to lashing out, but a slight vibration in her back pocket stopped her.

  Her phone. Had Cassis written her again?

  Almost against her will, she whispered, “But… I have a boyfriend.”

  Keith sneered. “Ah yes — Mr. Walker. He is indeed a capable man. But he is not good enough for you. He refused to work with us. Not very smart. Instead, he has become a danger to our mission. There cannot be anyone stronger than our organisation.”

  Arianna reacted to the threat against Cassis immediately. “No!”

  Keith’s gaze snapped toward her. “Behave yourself. You will not give me attitude over that insignificant man.”

  Before Arianna could answer, Faith spoke. “Father.”

  That finally made him look at her.

  “Father,” Faith repeated softly, “Arianna is just heartbroken because she had a big fight with Cassis. They’re practically broken up… but she is a very loyal person.” She shot Arianna a quick glance, like a warning. “She won’t betray someone she loved, even if he doesn’t deserve it. You said it yourself… she is soft-hearted.”

  Keith nodded as if everything she’d said made perfect sense. “You’re right,” he said, almost proudly. “And her loyalty is an excellent quality for the future mother of my son. But we can’t have her thinking about him anymore.”

  He turned back to Arianna. “Tell him now that you are officially broken up.”

  Arianna wanted to refuse, but under the table, Faith kicked her leg. This wasn’t the time to refuse.

  With trembling fingers, Arianna pulled out her phone. Cassis had indeed sent her a message:

  When are you coming home? I miss you.

  Tears sprang to her eyes. She didn’t want to. She couldn’t.

  Faith whispered, “It’s an order.”

  And again, Arianna’s body obeyed without her consent. She typed:

  I’m sorry. I’m not coming home. You hurt me too deeply. This is the end for us. Goodbye.

  Keith read the message and nodded approvingly. “Good. Now send it.”

  Faith spoke again, quietly but firmly. “It’s an order.”

  She sent it.

  Holding back her tears, Arianna tried to reassure herself. Cassis had to already be suspicious about her absence. He wouldn’t believe the message… would he? He would believe in her. He had to.

  She closed her eyes briefly. She would not cry, not here, not now.

  “Faith.”

  Keith’s softly spoken word pulled her out of her turbulent thoughts.

  “Even though you made an excellent point… when did I ever allow you to speak out of turn?”

  He spoke gently, almost pleasantly, but the way his body angled toward Faith, the predatory gleam in his eyes, the careful choice of words, filled Arianna with unease.

  Faith remained silent.

  “It seems I have been too lax with your discipline.”

  He looked at Arianna.

  “Come. Let’s go to the gym. I’ll show you how our family handles disobedience.”

  He stood, then offered his hand as though she should take it to rise. Forcing herself to comply with his silent command, Arianna got up, deeply disturbed by the situation. Faith stood as well, head bowed, hands clenched but not trembling.

  Keith kept hold of Arianna’s hand as he led her toward the gym like some old-fashioned gentleman. Faith trailed behind them, and Bryce fell in behind Faith.

  Once they reached the gym, Keith finally released Arianna’s hand. She resisted the urge to wipe it on her pants. He turned toward Faith and, for the first time since Arianna had arrived, acknowledged Bryce.

  “Dan Bryce,” he said calmly, “my daughter was disobedient. Since you raised her, it is your responsibility to teach her a lesson.”

  Bryce clenched his jaw but otherwise showed no reaction.

  Faith, her voice trembling slightly, whispered, “It’s an order.”

  A faint shudder went through him, and then they both stepped into the centre of the gym. There was a wide space, probably meant for sparring.

  Without warning, Bryce began beating Faith. A slap. A punch to the stomach. A kick to the back. Blow after blow, and Faith didn’t even try to defend herself. Wounds split open across her skin; Arianna heard the sickening crack of breaking bones; blood splattered across the floor.

  What was happening? Didn’t Bryce love Faith?

  Arianna stood frozen, but after several brutal minutes, Faith finally collapsed to the floor. Even then, Bryce didn’t stop. If this continued, Faith would die.

  Even though she had betrayed her, Arianna couldn’t watch this. She couldn’t let her die, not like this. And the longer she watched, the more certain she became: Faith wasn’t just a betrayer. She was another victim.

  But what could Arianna do? She couldn’t stop Bryce.

  Keith had given the order.

  An order…

  Faith had told Bryce it was an order.

  Just like with her.

  Could it be…?

  Arianna stopped thinking and did something that utterly disgusted her. She stepped closer to Keith and voluntarily took his hand. Then she let the tears fall, looking up at him, pleading softly.

  “Please… stop.”

  Keith watched her, satisfaction gleaming across his face. His smile turned silky.

  “As you wish.”

  Then, louder:

  “Stop. That’s enough for now.”

  Bryce halted instantly. He sank down beside Faith and gathered her broken body into his arms. He cast a single glance at Keith, a look so full of hatred that Arianna wondered how Keith didn’t simply drop dead where he stood.

  Keith turned back to Arianna with another pleased smile.

  “It seems you learn well. Good girl.”

  He straightened his jacket, smoothing it down with deliberate calm.

  “I’ll be busy for now. Work, you see. I’ll collect you this afternoon for a tour of our lab.”

  With that, he walked away, without so much as a glance at Faith.