Fated to the Beast

Chapter 4: First Kill

Just before I knew it, my body fell hard onto the cold floor. I heard everyone gasp and chatter amongst themselves as they watched me on the ground. No one dared to help.

Who would ever do that after what I just did in front of so many people?

I refused to let their reactions bother me and kept my gaze fixed on the man standing before me. The intensity in his eyes sent chills down my spine. It was nothing like the eyes I encountered last night. These eyes seemed to possess a chilling desire to kill me, and I wouldn't be surprised if he unsheathed the sword hanging at his waist and swung it toward my neck.

"Calm down, Estefan. Father... is still here," Alexandra unexpectedly interjected, gripping Estefan's other hand that had reached for his sword. Strangely, he didn't shrug her off as he had done to me earlier.

My curiosity got the better of me, and I allowed my eyes to wander and seek out the King. Alexandra claimed he was still present, and it wouldn't be appropriate for us to engage in a deadly confrontation before him. But what intrigued me was that as Father began to walk away from the hall, he didn't once look back, even if we were to tear each other apart behind him.

Could it be that Alexandra was bluffing?

But she had no reason to do so. As my gaze finally settled on the man I had been searching for, my eyes widened in disbelief when I realized he was staring directly at me. A shiver ran down my spine. The King was there, standing and fixated on our direction—more specifically, on me. It made me freeze in place.

But why?

Why did he halt and bother to look at me?

Could he be trying to prevent a fight from erupting in the hall?

That had been unlike him since this cruel game began. However, Estefan's voice snapped me back to reality. I glanced at him and noticed he still bore that cold gaze directed at me.

"Watch where you touch from now on," the man said, retrieving a handkerchief from his coat and wiping his hand with it.

"Now, return this to me afterwards," he added, causing a frown to crease my forehead. But as I saw him smirk at the end, I understood his intentions behind those words.

"If you ever manage to survive..." he trailed off, glancing behind me. Then, I watched as he casually discarded the handkerchief on the ground beside me and walked away, leaving the hall entirely alongside Father, who once again never looked back.

At that moment, I realized my vulnerability had increased exponentially because I knew my siblings would now keep a close eye on me. Even though I was alone, with no one to rely on, I had managed to survive in this place since birth. I had yet to accomplish anything in life, so no matter what happened today, I refused to give up and allow them to kill me without a fight. I would survive this ordeal and confront them, even if it took years. In exchange, I would finally claim my rightful place beside my father.

Just then, several children began to leave the hall, signaling their disinterest in involving themselves in this petty fight. However, most of the children remained, waiting for those who didn't want to participate to depart. Their gazes, filled with malice and anticipation, focused solely on me, ready to pounce and attack at any given moment. However, most of them were unaware, as they paid no attention to me. I had long anticipated this day without an ounce of guilt.

There were fifteen children present in the hall, to be precise. Most of them were boys, clutching swords in their hands. I immediately realized I was at a severe disadvantage. I only had daggers at my disposal while they wielded long, formidable swords. Additionally, my hand still throbbed from the wound I foolishly acquired last night. But I refused to let that hinder me. This minor injury wouldn't spell an easy death. I lifted my skirt and drew both of my daggers. If this were to be my fate, I would defy it and escape this place alive, returning that damned handkerchief to Estefan.

"YAHHHH!" Everyone screamed in unison, charging toward me. It was an utterly unfair fight, but Father's game had never been governed by clear rules. The only restriction was that we were not to fight in his presence; beyond that, anything went. He never forbade us from outnumbering our opponents, so I had no grounds to complain.

"Argh!" I grunted as I swiftly moved and plunged my dagger into my brother's stomach. The sight of him collapsing to the ground caused the others to hesitate. Yet I denied them the opportunity to rest. I darted toward the nearest adversary, kicking him aside as his sword narrowly missed my neck. Unfortunately, I failed to notice another assailant creeping up from behind, inflicting a deep wound on my arm.

"Ahh!" I winced, biting my lip to stifle the pain. I had only managed to take down two out of the fifteen, and already I was wounded.

"Give up and accept your fate," Isaac taunted, gradually advancing toward me with his sword poised. But this slight injury wouldn't waver my determination or force me into surrender. They feared what I could do to them now that they realized I could fight back. Isaac was merely terrified, just like the other children in the hall. They preyed on the weakest among our siblings, much like what happened to Eloise last night when she was outnumbered and mercilessly slain.

"As if I will," I retorted, charging forward once again and swiftly slashing the necks of another three children. I could easily kill them, but that didn't mean I relished it. After all, they were my siblings, and a sense of remorse tugged at my heart.

"ANASTASIA!" Rayden's cry rang out as he lunged at me, but I deftly evaded his sword and kicked it away. Repeatedly, I thrust my dagger into his back, catching everyone off guard.

"Ahh! Ahhh! She is a monster!" Some children screamed, scattering away from the hall. Perhaps they had finally given up on trying to murder me, but three stubborn ones remained. They were the only ones determined to kill me, and their eyes burned with unwavering determination.

"Let us end this," Isaac declared, taking charge alongside the other two. I swiftly ducked, driving my dagger into Ulysses' stomach, then swiftly moving on to Erwan's chest. Finally, I lunged at Isaac's leg, forcing him to drop to his knees. Two out of the three adversaries were lifeless as their bodies thudded to the ground simultaneously.

"P-poison?" Isaac stammered in horror, gazing at me wide-eyed. In response, I returned his stare with a sinister smile.

"Since I couldn't wield a sword like you all... I dedicated myself to training with the dagger, honing my agility. However, I knew that ultimately, I could be easily defeated, as a mere dagger wouldn't dispatch opponents as efficiently as your swords. So, I coated it with poison, ensuring that once I struck them down, they would never rise again." I explained, casually flicking my dagger into the air. Fear gleamed in Isaac's eyes.

"Rest well here, Isaac, along with our brothers and sisters," I said, patting his shoulder. Rendered powerless, he could do nothing but stare, speechless. Finally, I turned my back on the hall and began walking away. Stepping outside, I shielded my eyes from the sudden brightness.

"At last," I whispered, clutching tightly onto the bloodstained handkerchief in my hand.

"Here it is," I announced, extending my hand and offering the tainted handkerchief to the man standing near the doorway of the hall. He smiled, accepting it without uttering a word. Without complaint, he turned and walked away. It seemed the state of the handkerchief didn't concern him. I wasn't entirely sure of his intentions, but I believed that he had tested me, gauging whether it was worth sparing my life after our encounter last night. And now I think that I have given him his answer.