Chapter 237: Aspen...?
Mariel Phoenix's POV
I arrived at his house with a specific purpose, but things took an unexpected turn, far from what I had envisioned.
I knew I shouldn't engage in this, yet his possessive gaze made it seem as if he wanted to claim me.
"~Hmmm~"
I wanted to devour him too, but I fought to restrain myself from acting impulsively again.
"~AAhh~"
His powerful, large hands on my butt ignited an unfamiliar heat within me, causing a moment of unexpected pleasure...I came a little.
I-I was completely embarrassed, and I could only hope he hadn't noticed; otherwise....argh....I tried to conceal my embarrassment. Despite being a mother of two, I struggled with the sudden surge of love and possessiveness from him.
His skilled tongue surpassed my own sloppy skills, and I couldn't help but regret attempting to seduce him. Damn It! I wished I could disappear.
"~Hmmm~"
His thing getting even harder and bigger, I-I-I want....arh....What am I even thinking about my stepson, Fuck!!?
My daughters may never speak with me again...but I-I-I am sure this time he was the one who initiated s-so they won't blame, r-right?
"~AHH~"
His enchanting scent tickled my nose.....I found myself losing control, swept away by the intoxicating allure. Let's forget about others... I-I am going to savour this moment, relishing in the forbidden pleasure as I greedily indulge in the taste of his tongue.
"You are so beautiful, Mariel"
Those words, like a tender caress, shattered my resolve and reasons. His warm and eloquent expressions made it feel as if we had been lovers for a long time....I-I couldn't comprehend where these feelings were stemming from. But Witnessing his raw desire for the 'Real me,' not Duchess, not wealth or even my Phoenix Bloodline, anything at all....
Just me. I don't know why I felt this way, but I wanted to see his 'love' for me more.
My heart skipped a beat, and I wondered whether he could hear the thunderous rhythm of my heart, drowning out all other sounds because all I could hear was my pounding heart that might burst out.
'Let's go' I thought as I teleported us to my room, to my house, the Phoenix Household.
Even if it was just for today, I yearned to be with him... just this time.
Forgive me, my daughters.
I won't take him away from you guys... ever again.
I-I just longed to feel his gentle warmth and witness his infectious smile.....The yearning within my womanhood sought solace, aching for his touch since the first moment I saw him.
S-So, Forgive me, My daughters...
I am going to devour you, brother... my stepson. The mere thought arouses a mysterious sensation within me.
"~Asher Eli~" I called with a seductive lilt.
My Phoenix bloodline suddenly surged, as if it were eager to devour what was in front of me.
"The Inferno phoenix!!"
Seeing his mesmerized and taken aback expression due to my eyes, a surge of pride and possessiveness filled me as I observed his every reaction...I was about to kiss him again when,
I-I saw his eyes changing into a clear, crystalline white as if frozen.
"!!!!"
In the next moment, I found myself standing alone in a snowy realm, where everything was blanketed in snow and ice spheres.
"ELI!!" The cry tore from my lips, echoing into the desolate whiteness that surrounded me. Yet, there was no response. The blinding storm, a tempest of snow and howling winds obscured any signs of life. I stood amidst the cold, the weight of the snow pressing against me, threatening to engulf me in its frozen embrace.
"FUCK!!" The expletive escaped my lips as I grappled with the realization of my predicament.
Beads of sweat materialized on my forehead, M-My soul, inexplicably captured by.....Forst Phoenix left me suspended within Eli's soul....an uncharted and perilous realm.
I-I don't know how something like this could happen when he was just soulless and unawakened.
Questions swirled in my mind, a tempest of confusion mirroring the storm outside. Only the awakened could control their bloodline, and if not, their bloodline was just nothing: Normal blood as if they were chained up by their own fate.
If I wanted, I could break out of here since I possessed strength far beyond current Eli's; however, doing so, his body might break and become useless...
'!!!' The vision of Eli, a lifeless shell, flashed before my eyes, sending a shiver down my spine...Fear.
'I don't know how I was forcibly brought here but it seems my attempt to exert dominance triggered this response... hehe' A feeble laugh escaped my lips, the sound swallowed by the relentless snowfall and continued to move forward because staying in one place buried me with snow.
As I traversed the frozen expanse, my mind couldn't help but contemplate what just happened,
Both Forst and Inferno were complete opposites: one was born from the eternal flames that never end and burn everything in its way, while Forst was born from the lifeless and solitary snow that never melts and freezes everything in its way.
Inferno Phoenix never sleeps, and with a single glance, it could burn the entire continent in searing flames. On the contrary, Forst Phoenix always sleeps...Slumbered, and its mere breath was capable of freezing entire landscapes.
Both were pretty powerful and if they were to fight against each other.....no one would win since one burned everything while the other one froze everything.
So if one tried to dominate the other, then the opposite should be weaker.....otherwise, both would seek dominance and kill each other.
'Shit!!' The realization struck me with brutal force, 'So, His Forst Phoenix surpasses My Inferno Phoenix!'
"KIIIKKKKKKKIIIIII"
A bone-chilling screech echoed through the vast emptiness, snapping me back to the present.
"..." I looked around, finding nothing in sight, yet,
"KIIKKKKIII!!"
The eerie screeching reverberated, haunting and insistent. I decided to walk in the direction from which it emanated.
My body ignited with reddish-yellow flames, casting a warm glow in the frosty surroundings.
'Sssshhhhhh'
The snow succumbed to the intense heat as I walked toward the enigmatic sound.
After a few meters, I reached a cliff's edge, realizing I had been traversing a snow-covered mountain.
'So, I have been walking on the snow mountain' I mused, surveying the breathtaking landscape. My gaze fixated on the source of the relentless screeching.
As I attempted to locate the origin, frustration welled up, compelling me to shout,
"You bastard, Let me go!!!"
Whether it registered or not, the response was swift,
"KIIIKKKIIII!!!"
Looking up, a colossal, white, crystal-clear bird hovered ominously in the sky.
"SSWWOSSHH" Without hesitation, I transformed into Inferno Phoenix and soared towards it.
'Swoosh, Swissh, Swoosh, Swissh....'
Flapping my ethereal wings, I positioned myself in front of the enigmatic creature that had forcibly brought me here.
My reddish-yellow slit eyes locked onto the creature,
A majestic white crystal bird, its wings ablaze with blue flames, shed ethereal feathers that cascaded around it. Its fierce crystal eyes, reflecting numerous small crystals, seemed to trap anyone who dared to meet its gaze. A dark red slit completed the enigmatic stare.
We locked eyes in a silent standoff.
I braced myself for anything, I was ready for everything; as long as neither of us killed the other, everything would be alright. All I needed to do was make sure to tire it out and create an opening for me to reclaim control over my soul and break free.
However,
"KIIKKIIIII!!"
'Swoosh, Swiishh..'
It screeched, soaring backwards, and I followed it not because I wanted to but because It said so.
After an extended snowy journey, I encountered an ice mountain and...
"aarrhhh!!"
"PLEASE!!!"
"I AM SORRY!!!"
"LET US GO!!!"
Heart-wrenching cries emanated from the figures below. Circling the mountain, I witnessed a harrowing scene....souls.
They were tormented by ice, attempting an endless ascent only to be consumed by blue flames that erupted around the mountain steep, transforming into ice before hurtling back towards the mountain base, then the souls burned by the dark thing and melting the ice.....The cyclical suffering continued.
My face paled as I struggled to comprehend the surreal reality.
'What in the world have I entered--' My thoughts abruptly halted when I identified,
"A-Aspen???" My eyes widened in disbelief, recognizing a familiar face...My ex-husband.
"KIIKII!!"
The piercing screech of the Forst Phoenix snapped my attention back, guiding me toward the mountain's peak.
Mid-air, I froze, confronted by a chilling spectacle,
Three figures were seated on the regal ice throne, flanked by indistinct white figures on either side. Their features obscured the white light they emanating from their body...these figures resonated with the essence of souls, blending seamlessly into the surreal surroundings.
But,
Pink Collars adorned their necks, converging chains toward the central figure, radiating a mysterious reddish-black aura....fully devoid of anything.
Its fingers danced along the pink chains, unleashing a disquieting pink mist.
'I-It's not S-Soul!!!' I screamed, realizing the black entity wasn't a soul but an embodiment of something beyond my comprehension.
More terrifying was its neck, also bound by a Pink Collar, with chains splitting into two, held firmly by the two white figures.
The trio clutched each other's chains, resisting the impulse not to get separated by each other, presiding on the throne with an equality that hinted at an unfathomable unity.
Suddenly, the gaze of the reddish-black figure fixed upon me... and it smirked?
"!!!!"
A shiver rippled through me, mingling with an unexpected surge of.....excitement?
"Fuck!!" I screamed, desperate to escape the ominous entity.
'Swoosh, Swissh'
I desperately flipped back, soaring with a frantic urgency to put as much distance as possible between me and that enigmatic entity. Strangely, the Forst Phoenix refrained from pursuing me.
The anguished cries and pained wails of other souls abruptly ceased. A gnawing sense of unease settled in, prompting me to glance downward.
T-To my horror, the other souls running towards me.... Like ghoul entities, driven by an insatiable pursuit.
Ascending higher and higher, a palpable sense of dread gripped me, urging me to increase the vast expanse between us.
However,
"Ssshhhiiiii"
'Shit, Shit, Shit….' I muttered in fear, sensing something constricting around my neck....the same Pink Collar they wore.
"I-I have to-to escape fro-from that th…" I screamed as my vision blurred, my eyes losing focus, until,
"Wake up, Mariel!!"
"AARRRHHHH!!"
In an instant, a voice I yearned for and a solid slap on my butt forcefully yanked me away from this perplexing and unknown realm.
This chapter upload first at NovelBin.Com