“Silvia!”
Xia Naxin tore into the air, lunging towards the limp form of Silvia. He carefully cupped her nape, feeling the sticky blood beneath his fingertips, his heart threatening to burst from his chest. The girl in his arms was motionless, her eyes tightly shut, and a smear of blood still clung to her lips.
Meanwhile, Ling Qinghe’s laughter echoed through the vast chamber.
In that moment, Xia Naxin desperately wanted to flee with Silvia, but he couldn’t. He lacked the ability to retreat into the inner world.
Suddenly, Ling Cheyin, who had been lying motionless on the ground, stirred. She gasped for breath, her body heaving with each ragged inhale. She hadn’t been choked to death, after all; her magical aura had protected her.
A dark, inky shadow erupted from her body, wielding a black blade. Ling Qinghe stood behind Xia Naxin, her movements swift and silent as a ghost. In the blink of an eye, she was upon him.
Xia Naxin’s pupils dilated, his instincts screaming at him to evade, but Ling Qinghe’s threatening words halted him. “If you dare enter the inner world, I’ll defile your lover. I’ll strip her bare, piece by piece!”
Trapped, Xia Naxin abandoned his plan and focused on constructing a psychic barrier around them. He managed to fend off the initial assault, but then, a shockwave of pain tore through his abdomen. A magical shadow, identical to the one that had attacked him, emerged from Silvia, brandishing a black blade.
The blade flashed, and with a sickening crunch, it pierced his stomach. Agony exploded through his body as the blade withdrew, and a torrent of hot blood gushed from the wound.
Before he could react, the shadow struck again and again. Each slash tore through flesh and bone, leaving a trail of devastation. One strike, two, three… Xia Naxin stumbled and fell to his knees, his vision swimming with crimson. He crushed the magical shadow with his psychic power, but another one was already upon him, slicing through his defenses.
Blood dripped from his mouth, splattering onto Silvia’s silver hair. He clung to her, shielding her from the relentless onslaught. He could feel his magical energy draining through the wounds, seeping away like water from a shattered jug.
Xia Naxin’s vision blurred, and he knew his end was near. Moments later, Ling Qinghe leapt down from the dome, her cold eyes gleaming with triumph. She swiped her screen, and a cruel smile twisted her lips. “Look at these photos. See how seamless the transition is?” On the screen, Xia Naxin saw that the images were cleverly forged, a masterful deception. Silvia had been utterly defeated, and so had he.
Sister… Ling Cheyin, her neck bruised and red, staggered towards Ling Qinghe. Her pale face crumpled as she burrowed into her sister’s embrace, her whimpers mingling with the harsh laughter that filled the chamber.
Ling Qinghe casually pulled her sister close, then kicked Xia Naxin to the ground. “You certainly know how to leave your mark, don’t you?” She sneered. “Now, watch as I break your precious Silvia. I’ll make her beg for mercy!”
She leaned down, forcing Xia Naxin to meet her gaze. “And you, you’re too weak to protect her now…” She chuckled darkly. “Silvia, I’ll teach you what true submission means.”
Silvia, freed from Xia Naxin’s embrace, regained a flicker of consciousness. Through blurry eyes, she saw the gashes across his abdomen, the blood seeping from his wounds. Her heart ached, and then darkness claimed her once more. But in that final moment, she felt his fingertips gently hook around her little finger.
‘Naxin…’ she breathed, her voice barely a whisper.
Later, Ling Qinghe lifted Silvia, cradling her in her arms. She traced Silvia’s soft lips with her fingertips, nibbling at her earlobe, and pressing kisses to her neck. “I can’t wait to have you, Silvia. And you, Ling Cheyin, want to join me in the bath? Silvia will be there too…”
Ling Cheyin hesitated, then shook her head. “I can’t. Seven Leaf unfriended me, and now we’re back to being acquaintances. I can’t afford to mess things up again.”
Ling Qinghe shrugged. “Suit yourself.” With a dismissive wave, she carried Silvia away, towards the bath.
******
Inside the bath, steam billowed, misting the marble walls. The hot springs enveloped Silvia’s shoulders, and beneath the surface, her knees were drawn to her chest. Ling Qinghe, naked, slipped into the water behind Silvia, her hands roaming over the girl’s stomach, cleansing her.
Ling Qinghe planned to plant something within Silvia, a dark seed of desire. “You’ve pushed your life force to the brink, haven’t you? Your magical pathways are shattered… You’re lucky to be alive.”
The warmth of the bath lulled Silvia into a drowsy state, and she slowly opened her eyes. Her gaze fell upon Ling Qinghe, and she realized with a jolt that the woman was touching her intimately. “You’re awake?” Ling Qinghe purred, a lazy smile playing on her lips.
Silvia’s eyes flashed with rage, and she spun around, her purple eyes blazing with hatred. But when she tried to summon her magic, she found only emptiness. Her once-powerful magical reserves were now a dry, barren wasteland. She had lost her supernatural strength, and she didn’t know when, or if, it would return.
“What have you done to me?!” Silvia screamed, her voice echoing through the bath chamber. She lunged at Ling Qinghe, her fingers aimed at the woman’s eyes, but Ling Qinghe caught her wrists, the bones creaking under the pressure.
“Let go!” Silvia struggled, but Ling Qinghe’s thighs pinned her legs, and her weakened state left her defenseless. Ling Qinghe gently brushed the wet hair from Silvia’s face, her fingers tracing the trembling lips.
“What did I do to you? You should ask yourself what you’ve done to yourself. You’ve drained your life force, pushed your magic beyond its limits… You’re lucky to be alive. Now, you can’t even cast the simplest spell. You, the great magical girl, are nothing more than a beached whale.”
Ling Qinghe’s hand pressed against Silvia’s stomach, circling in a taunting motion. Silvia’s silver hair floated on the surface of the water, and the despair of losing her magic, combined with the fury of being restrained, threatened to consume her.
Silvia’s eyes welled with tears of anger and humiliation. She could feel Ling Qinghe’s palm against her belly, the cruel caress sending shivers down her spine. She was trapped, helpless against the woman’s advances.
Ling Qinghe leaned in, forcing Silvia to meet her gaze. “A magical girl without magic is like a tiger without teeth. What can you do to me now, hmm?”
Silvia’s vision swam with tears, and she felt a deep, aching emptiness where her magic once flowed. She was vulnerable, at the mercy of Ling Qinghe’s whims.
As the reality of her situation sank in, Silvia tried to stand, only to realize that she was naked. The thought of being exposed to Ling Qinghe’s gaze filled her with dread. “This can’t be happening!”
Ling Qinghe reached out, gently pushing Silvia’s wet hair from her face. “Relax, don’t be so tense. Your body knows what to do to please me.”
Silvia turned away, avoiding Ling Qinghe’s intense gaze. She could feel the woman’s thigh brushing against her leg beneath the water, a deliberate, intimate touch that made her stomach churn.
“Don’t touch me!” Silvia snapped. “I’ll never give in to you!”
Ling Qinghe arched a brow, watching as Silvia clenched her jaw, her eyes shining with defiance. The woman’s desire intensified, fueled by Silvia’s resistance.
“Still fighting me?” Ling Qinghe chuckled, suddenly pushing Silvia against the cold marble wall of the pool. Silvia gasped, her hands flailing as she tried to shove Ling Qinghe away, but the woman held her wrists above her head, pinning her in place.
“Wait… this position…” Ling Qinghe’s nose nearly touched Silvia’s collarbone. “No rush. We have all the time in the world… to teach you obedience.”
******