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March 9, 2026 at 9:00 AM
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She was a monster in the flesh. Emil knew it, but he couldn't help himself: he was drawn to her. Her cruelty and self-confidence seemed like a strong core to him, while he himself remained soft, even after enduring a series of battles. Something that had recently seemed unthinkable to him.
But it was precisely this softness that attracted Alice, the innocence in his blue eyes teased her. Like a cat with its prey, she toyed with Emil's soul. She tugged at his strings, tormenting him physically and mentally. For every minor offense, she tormented his body with flesh-rending blows of the whip—many scars had accumulated on his back. Sometimes, Alice used the whip differently. Much more terrifyingly… She tightened it around his neck until his ears rang terribly, until his lungs ached. Until tears and convulsions erupted. And Emil didn't know if she would loosen her grip next time.
"And?" Alice said forcefully. Emil couldn't see her, but he could clearly feel her disparaging gaze. "Why are you standing there like a statue?"
Alice came up with a new torture. She placed the whip in his hands and positioned Emil before the trembling victim. Emil knew all too well the pain the weapon handed to him brought. He'd experienced it himself, and so the reluctance to inflict it on anyone else paralyzed his body. However, Emil also knew that if he didn't do it, he wouldn't receive a reward. To touch her tender feet with his lips even once…
Emil swallowed and swung. He felt a fierce chill, his whole body trembling with emotion, and an unquenchable flame blazed in his heart.
"Come on."
Rarely had Alice stood so close that you could feel her breath. Her warmth. Emil's heart skipped a beat, his breath caught. It went dark before his eyes, and soon he closed them completely, plunging into his consciousness, screaming furiously there, without making a sound in reality. The only scream was from the victim, struck by the clumsy blow. Alice laughed happily behind Emil. She even gave him a light hug in approval.
That little was enough for Emil to feel delight and smile, to rid himself of any hint of pangs of conscience. He'd done everything right. He deserved the reward.
"See?" Alice ran her hand down Emil's cheek to his chin, directing his red gaze toward her, dancing a little. She stood close, on her tiptoes, saying almost into his lips: "You are capable of more.'
Emil grinned. He knew what he was capable of. What Alice didn't know, unknowingly opening Pandora's box…
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