The Devil's Warrior Queen
Chapter 355: In Death’s Embrace

Chapter 355: In Death’s Embrace

As Rama and Malika sat side by side, the evening breeze gently caressed their faces on the balcony, whispering secrets of the night.

Rama’s fingers delicately intertwined with Malika’s, as if each touch was a prayer of gratitude for her return. A soft smile adorned Rama’s lips, radiating warmth and love as she gazed at Malika with adoration shining in her eyes.

"Thank you for coming back to us, Malika," Rama murmured softly, her voice a gentle melody in the quiet twilight.

Malika’s response was tinged with a somber tone, her words heavy with the weight of her recent experiences. "I don’t know... perhaps it would have been best if I had died." she muttered, her voice trailing off into the melancholic abyss of her thoughts.

The light in Rama’s eyes dimmed momentarily, a shadow passing over her face as she absorbed Malika’s words. "Why would you say that?" she questioned, her voice tinged with concern and sadness. "You don’t know how much heartache your death caused for me and Zamiel. He was miserable and desperate."

"Desperate enough to make foolish choices." Malika retorted, her voice carrying a bitter edge as she stared off into the distance, her gaze fixated on the stars above.

Rama’s gentle voice broke through the silence, a beacon of reassurance in the darkness that threatened to engulf them. "Malika." she called softly, reaching out to comfort her friend, but Malika’s words cut through the air before she could offer solace.

"None of you would understand." Malika declared with a sense of certainty, her voice tinged with a mixture of sorrow and resignation. "I thought death was nightmarish and sinister while I was trapped in it, but now, I realize that it wasn’t death, it was the dark entities haunting me. If only he had left me to die, my death would have been peaceful, not haunted." she concluded, her words echoing with the weight of her harrowing ordeal.

As Malika spoke, the air around them seemed to grow heavy with the weight of her words, each syllable carrying the burden of her suffering.

Rama listened in silence, her heart aching with empathy for her friend’s pain. In that moment, as they sat together in the fading light of the evening, Rama realized the depth of Malika’s anguish and the scars that lingered long after the physical wounds had healed.

And though she longed to offer words of comfort, she knew that sometimes, the only solace to be found was in the silent companionship of those who truly understood.

In 1000 words, rewrite this phrase and scene in a simple, realistic and creative descriptive way

"I’ll never let you go back there again, I promise." Rama vowed, her emerald eyes burning fiercely with her promise.

"Fate always has a way to nullify vows." Malika said as she locked eyes with hers. "You shouldn’t make promises to save a life you have no control over, it’s a significant lesson I learned while in death’s embrace."

Rama pressed her lips in a thin line, not saying anymore as she listened in silence. Now gazing into her eyes, she could see the reflection of her haunted soul, making her wonder what sort of nightmare she had been trapped in.

After a moment of silence, Malika broke it with a sigh as she spoke "Something happened to me while I was in the crypt, I know it had something to do with the forbidden sorcery and it makes me even more terrified, I’m terrified because I have no idea what’s inside of me and how much control it has over my body. I can feel its darkness, every single inch of it, like a dark whisper at the back of my head. I couldn’t tell it to Draco because he would see me as a potential threat, I don’t want to hurt anyone but then, what if it makes me? What if it has more control over my body than I do?" Malika’s voice trembled warily as she spoke in petrification, fear clouding her teary eyes.

"Shh, it’s alright. I know you Malika, I know you won’t hurt anyone." Rama said in assurance as she took her into her warm embrace while she sobbed softly.

"I understand that you’re scared, but you’re not alone. I’ll make sure we find a cure or something to help you." Rama said with confidence.

"And the second lesson I learned is that hope is a very destructive weapon. You can have it for years but then it can destroy you in a second, don’t give me that, please." Malika’s voice quivered as she spoke

As Rama wandered through the halls, proceeding back to her chambers, she came across the white witch, Zoya who had been recently assigned as the royal diviner in the castle.

Halting in front of her presence, Zoya, the white witch bowed before rising to meet her gaze "Your Highness."

"Zoya, it’s nice to see you, I barely catch sight of you these past few days." Rama said with a small smile.

"I’m not going to pry, but we both know what has been keeping you busy." Zoya remarked, a teasing smile crossing her lips.

"How direct of you to speak to the queen like that." Rama said, feigning seriousness and they both chuckled.

In 1000 words, rewrite this phrase in a creative and realistic descriptive way

As their giggles died down, Zoya’s countenance changed to a serious one as she glanced around the area keenly.

"There’s no one here, speak freely. I doubt our encounter was coincidental." Rama stated, noticing her wary demeanor.

"A little birdie informed me of a close friend of yours arose from the dead." Zoya revealed, her voice a whisper against the walls of the corridors.

"You’re right, but I’m certain you’re already aware that her body is now a vessel for dark entities, any insights on the future?" Rama queried straightforwardly without beating around the bush, her jade eyes filled with curiosity.

"Your Highness, I know very well how close you are to this girl, but lest I warn you, she will certainly bring misfortune upon the kingdom because of the darkness residing in her. Now, Lord Draco will definitely ask me about what the future holds with her being alive and if I tell him, she’ll bring chaos upon the land, he’ll certainly kill her. Now, I could lie about it to him, but it’s up to you to make the decision of whether you want her gone or not? If you want her gone, I’ll tell him the truth, but if not, I’ll lie." Zoya implied.

"Why are you doing this?" Rama asked in confusion.

"I can’t gain the trust of His Highness, but I can earn yours and it will be more than enough for me." Zoya remarked, her eyes firm with determination.

Zoya, you understand the consequences of deceiving Draco, don’t you?" Rama’s voice was laced with skepticism as she leveled a penetrating gaze at her companion.

Zoya met Rama’s stare head-on, her expression unwavering despite the flicker of fear that danced in her eyes. "Perhaps, or perhaps Draco will recognize my value to him and the kingdom and spare me." she replied, her tone dripping with confidence.

Rama arched an eyebrow, a faint smile playing at the corners of her lips. "So, you’re willing to risk your head just to gain my trust?"

Zoya’s response was swift and resolute. "In the world of the paranormal, life is a high-stakes game," she remarked, her resolve shining through her words.

Rama gave her a skeptical glance as if weighing her options thoughtfully and with a nod, she said "Well, you’ll gain my utmost trust if you manage to deceive Draco, without your head being on a pike afterwards."

"As you wish, my queen." Zoya said as she bowed.

"But then, the only problem is what you said about Malika." Rama pointed out thoughtfully, the weight of her warnings sinking heavily on her.

"That is what the future holds for her and anguish for the kingdom if she continues living." Zoya remarked in a warning tone.

"She’ll kill people?" Rama asked.

"She’ll bring chaos and destruction to the kingdom." Zoya remarked.

Rama’s heart clenched at her words, her dear friend and confidante, Zoya, whose loyalty had never wavered despite the trials they had faced together. Could it be possible that Malika, the one she trusted above all others, was destined to bring about such devastation?

Yet even as doubt gnawed at her, Rama could not bring herself to condemn her friend without proof. "And what would you have me do, Zoya?" she asked, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

The diviner’s eyes bore into hers with unwavering intensity. " It is your duty as ruler to protect your kingdom, even if it means making the most difficult of choices, but sometimes even rulers acts reckless when it comes to protecting the ones they love."

Rama’s mind raced as she pondered her words, torn between her loyalty to her friend and her responsibility to her people. Could she truly condemn Malika based on mere visions, or was there another path she could take?