The Devil's Warrior Queen
Chapter 147: The Game

Chapter 147: The Game

Beneath the crimson moon, the air in the vampire kingdom was alive with a pulsating energy and both Malika and Rama reveled in the enchantment of the crimson moon carnival.

Their laughter echoed through the cobblestone streets as they savoured exquisite delicacies, from crimson velvet cupcakes to sweet, ruby red candied apples.

As they strolled along, they marveled at the daring games, where humans and vampires alike tested their courage and skill in a heart-pounding display of unity.

The ring of cheers and applause filled the night air as contestants in lavish costumes contended with fire-breathing challenges and arial jousting.

Acrobats, draped in flowing, ethereal fabrics, painted a mesmerizing spectacle against the red tinge of the crimson moonlit sky, executing gravity-defying feats that seemed to defy the very laws of nature.

While she relished in the amusement, a gust of wind whisked past her, she instinctively tilted her head to the side and the world seemed to fade into a disappearing mist as her eyes caught a glimpse of the man she had been searching for, yearned for.

He stood there, just beyond the whispering veil of the mist, his silhouette shrouded in the enigmatic verdant aura of the forest across the street.

"Malika, I’ll be right back." She said to the girl who gave her an inaudible ’hum’ as she was busy engrossed in enchanted moon rocks and star dusts in a vendor’s stall.

Her breath caught in her throat and her heart quickened its pace as she took hesitant steps, her skirts rustling softly against the dew kissed ground.

He turned, his face veiled in shadow, yet his eyes, those piercing burning orbs beckoned to her, seemingly brimming with longing and tenderness, as if calling her to him. The moment she stepped into the forest with hands outstretched toward him to touch him, he disappeared with the mist.

And then, she saw him delving deeper into the forest, and with all caution dissipating into thin air, she followed like a moth to the flame, drawn into the depths of the forest.

The wind carried the murmurs of the leaves as she quickened her pace, calling after him with longing and a heavy heart.

Unknown to her, concealed amongst the mossy trunks and hidden behind the gnarled leaves, a sinister being watched with wicked glee.

Rama followed, oblivious to the peril that lurked just beyond her vision. Her eyes teared up as she scurried toward his figure which seemed out of reach, although it seemed near.

Her legs wobbles weakly as she anticipated touching him, wrapping her arms around his towering figure and finding solace in his comforting embrace again, she wanted nothing more than to be in his arms.

She let out intense shaky breaths with every step she took, the shadows melting around her as she staggered forward to him. A lot of questions pumping through her head she needed instant answers to, still she wanted to tell him how much she missed him and also how much she was angry with him.

She instantly wiped her eyes blurred with unshed tears so she could see him clearly, not once did she blink, dreading the fact that he would disappear out of her sight.

But just as she was about to take another step, an unexpected impact jarred her senses.

With an abrupt, thundering strike, she felt the weight of an unseen force crashing against the back of her head.

The world spun, and stars burst into existence before her eyes. Her senses reeled as she stumbled forward, her vision a fragments of swirling shadows and gnarled branches that surrounded her.

-----

As Rama’s eyelids fluttered open, her senses slowly stirred as memories of how she had lost her consciousness engulfed her head.

She remembered she had seen Draco during the carnival and afterwards, been running after him in the woods or so she thought.

The realization that the person she saw was only an illusion to lure her into the woods with sinister intent occurred to her and a wave of terror immediately washed over her.

As she scrutinized her surroundings, she found herself ensnared in the heart of a sinister temple, a place teeming with perilous traps and deadly machinations.

A dim, eerie light filtered through the ancient, weathered stones, casting ghostly shadows on the oppressive, close walls. The air was heavy with the scent of age and foreboding. Her gaze darted around the chamber, revealing the malevolent artistry of her captors.

She lay on a floor riddled with pressure-sensitive tiles, each capable of triggering treacherous mechanisms, she was aware of it since she had singlehandedly built boobytraps in her kingdom.

Spikes, cruelly designed to impale the unwary, jutted menacingly from the walls, casting murky silhouettes in the dim light.

Above her, a labyrinth of pendulum blades swung ominously, ready to descend with deadly precision at the slightest misstep.

As she lay there, a chilling realization gripped her, her fate in this temple was a cruel game of time and chance, a horrifying test of survival where death lurked around every corner, and every breath was a fragile, ephemeral victory.

Her heart pounded in her chest, her determination kindled by the grim challenge that awaited her. Whoever had captured her surely wanted her death to be a memorable one, long, terrifying and agonizing.

After all the temple was built and designed to deliver just that to it’s unfortunate prisoners. She wondered how on earth her captor found this dreary place and she wondered if it was located in the vampire kingdom or far away.

She couldn’t comprehend how long she had passed out. She hissed in pain when she felt the back of her head where she had been hit and then she felt a sticky liquid. Bringing her hand to view, it was smeared with crimson, her blood.

Being trapped in a treacherous situation as that, she still maintained her rational reasoning and caution, not allowing her mind to be swayed by fear as she processed her uncanny situation, her survival instincts kicking in as quickly as the adrenaline coursing through her veins.

The only way out was to either navigate the treacherous mechanisms and avoid triggering them by stepping on the wrong sensitive tiles till she reached the exit which seemed close but at the same time farther away from her or wait for Draco to come save her.

Going with the former would mean her life was hanging on a thin, measly rope and there was a greater chance she could easily die by stepping on the wrong tile.

Meanwhile going with the latter by waiting for Draco seemed like an easier option to adhere to, but she was well aware her captor was not so merciful to give her enough time for Draco to come save her.

She only had two choices here and waiting for Draco was not an option. She either had to move or the swinging blades above her would descend and impale her to death.

She either had to die hard or die easy, whichever way it went, she wasn’t going to die without a fight while waiting for a knight in shining armor to come save her like a damsel in distress.

Pondering about who the culprit might be was only a waste of time, as being the Queen she was bound to have many enemies, talk more being Draco’s wife and bond mate, malevolent paranormal forces were highly anticipated.

She wanted to blame herself for being gullible enough to be lured using her vulnerability for Draco against her, but she blamed Draco instead because if he hadn’t left her in the first place, she wouldn’t have been open for an attack.

Taking a deep breath to clear her head and focus, she sprouted up on her feet, still maintaining her position on the tile she had been sitting on as she had no idea which sensitive tile could trigger the treacherous blades.

After all, she knew they would fall later if she wasted too much time there, sitting around and doing nothing, but a misstep in the wrong tile would make her painful end come sooner than later.

She had to think fast and hard, mostly fast as she had very little time to either save herself or Draco would save her.

The door to the exit was ten tiles away from her, there was a ninety percent chance that she would die before reaching the door, and perhaps in the wildest, most unimaginable scenario, if she managed to reach the door, she might be walking into another treacherous trap, presumably worse than the last.

Obviously, going straight wasn’t an option, it was obviously a deceptive trick for the unwary, she had to go zigzag, but the question which tile was safe crossed her mind like a border.

It seemed like a game, a deceitful game where her life was being played with, while death was hanging around the corner for if she failed, death as it was seemed inevitable for her, unless a miracle of some sort happened, but at that moment, even she did not believe in miracles.

Sucking in a deep breath, she screamed at the top of her lungs "HELP ME!!!!!"

Vampires had heightened senses, so she reasoned that if she was anywhere near the crimson moon carnival or even in the vampire kingdom, maybe Draco or some other vampire might help her.

Her voice echoed back to her in a resounding echo and in the next moment, heavy, foreboding silence hung in the air. If she had all the time in the world, she’d only scream and wait for help, but she didn’t, so she swung into calculating action.

Despite fear being evident in her eyes, her defiant determination to live overpowered her fear.