"........,"

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. . . . . ╰──╮꒰ 👑 ꒱ ╭──╯ . . . . .

"WH-WHAT...?!"

The ground shuddered violently beneath my feet, sending me stumbling as parents around clutched their children close, shielding them whilst they exchanged fearful looks.

Cries of confusion and panic cut through the air like glass, one voice asking, "Is it an earthquake?" as a low rumble echoed across the crowded hall.

But I knew better than to believe it was something that simple.

Before I could piece together an answer, a shadow loomed over the tall, glass-paneled building,

My gaze snapped up, and there it was: a monstrosity scaling the crystal clear walls, each of its eight furry legs creeping up with deadly precision.

It was a spider - yet calling it that felt wrong, it was something far more sinister.

A massive bug with many bulbous, yellow eyes, piercing, cold, and sharp, glaring down at the people below, thick fangs glistening like polished bone as it opened a cavernous maw.

Some kind of disgusting growth pulsed on its underside, a sickening mass of flesh and hair, making it look even more unnatural.

A bloodcurdling screech erupted from the beast, shattering the quiet of the massive Manor, and the glass inched closer to breaking under its immense weight.

Jagged cracks spread across the surface like spiderwebs beneath its limbs.

"It's a carantula!" someone screamed, their voice lost in the chorus of panicked shrieks and gasps.

I could only stare, wide-eyed.

'Wasn't this supposed to be a dating sim?' I thought, almost laughing at the absurdity of it. 'Where the hell did this thing come from?!'

The world revealed darker truths with each passing day, as if peeling back layers of something ancient and violent, leaving death in its wake.

Another grim truth about how deep the danger ran.

"EVERYONE, RUN!"

The command rang out, sparking a stampede as people scrambled to escape.

But I stood rooted in place, my eyes drawn to the monstrous form looming above.

Then, from somewhere deep within, a surge of excitement washed over me.

It wasn't mine - no, it was his.

The Entity's pleasure laced through my veins, delighting in the sudden change from calm to terror, and I felt a grin creep onto my face despite myself.

Beside me, Roxana stood as calm as ever, not even flinching.

Her eyes remained fixed on the monstrous thing above, her expression steady as her gaze never left it.

She calmly pulled her hair back and tied it, the gesture as unhurried as if she were simply preparing for a game.

"........,"

╔. ■ .═══════╗

╚═══════. ■ .╝

"........,"

That look her ladyship wore told me she had no intention of running.

She was ready for what was to come.

And from the way the Entity's glee swelled within me, I knew this was going to be quite the show.

All of a sudden, a loud, desperate cry jolted the tense air, "MY LADY!"

I turned just in time to see one of the maids sprinting toward us, clutching the sides of her dress as she called out, her voice trembling.

She skidded to a halt just shy of us, her face pale as she delivered the news. "There's been a breach in monster hutch number five!"

Aunt Maria, who'd been watching with a calm that made me wonder if she was even fazed, whipped around, her face now colored with disbelief and worry. "WHAT?!"

Great.

Just great.

As if dealing with one giant spider wasn't enough, we had a whole pen of them on the loose?

Oh sure, because every good dating sim comes with a "monster hutch" full of oversized creepy crawlies waiting to make a scene.

Just who could have guessed they even had one? Certainly not me. ^^

The maid's gaze darted between Roxana and myself, her face pleading, eyes wide with concern, her body already angling toward the nearest exit.

"Please, you must get to safety!"

Neither of us budged an inch.

Instead, I could feel the Entity, his amusement barely concealed.

He tilted his head at the young woman, a hint of a smirk on my lips as he took control, leaning slightly toward her.

❝ AH, SWEETLING, ❞

He purred with a charming lilt that almost felt... reassuring in a way.

❝ I DO BELIEVE IT'S YOU WHO SHOULD GET TO SAFETY. ❞

He gestured around us, his voice smooth, tone almost mocking.

❝ WE'LL BE JUST FINE. GO NOW; YOU'LL FIND NO DANGER IN MY COMPANY, I ASSURE YOU. ❞

Her cheeks flushed, tinged pink despite her fear, her mouth opening in surprise as she stammered before she gave a reluctant little nod and hurried off, leaving Roxana and me standing alone against the growing threat.

- CRASH .ᐟ

Just as the worker lady barely disappeared, a deafening sound rang out, sharp and clear.

Glass shattered above us, raining down in deadly chips.

"YOUR GRACE, LOOK OUT!"

Instinct didn't even have time to kick in; the Entity seized my body, and my arm shot up, gloved fingers catching a razor-sharp shard inches from my head.

The massive carantula had smashed one of its legs through the glass, punching a gap wide enough for it to squeeze through, sending jagged lines racing down the transparent walls and showering the hall with dangerous fragments.

And the Entity? He laughed.

Like an absolute maniac, he laughed, finding this whole ordeal a show worth savoring.

More dark shapes appeared beyond the cracked glass, and in the blink of an eye, more spiders clambered forward, drawn to the scent of fresh human flesh.

Their shadows slithered across the hall as they made their way inside, looking for their daily portion of nourishment - now us.

The Entity, relishing every second, spread his arms wide as if beaconing them into a group hug of some sort.

Dark, writhing energy pulsed from him, forming a shimmering barrier unfurling above, a protective glow over the people who hadn't yet managed to escape.

A translucent, purple shield that cut off their frantic escape but kept them safe... for now.

The energy crackled and hummed with eerie light, leaving them in an ominous safety net.

Yet, Roxana? He left her unshielded.

She simply smiled, catching my gaze as if she'd expected nothing less.

"I see you trust me to handle myself," She quipped with a glint in her eye, the slightest smirk forming on her lips.

The Entity laughed again, a dark, rolling sound that echoed around us.

❝ WHY WOULD I DENY MYSELF THE PLEASURE OF WATCHING YOU FIGHT, MY DOVE? ❞

He reached inside my coat, pulled out a sleek dagger, and tossed it to her, the blade of it flashing as it caught the sunlight.

Ah, yes.

The treasured dagger of her dear Duke, the one he kept on him at all times just like his mask.

❝ BATTLING BY YOUR SIDE WILL MAKE IT ALL THE MORE ENTERTAINING. ❞

She caught it with ease, her delicate fingers closing around the hilt as if it were an extension of herself.

I watched as her free hand slipped to a hidden compartment in her dress, retrieving a second blade.

Now, Xana's stance was that of a braced graceful knight, ready, with one dagger held low, the other angled near her chest.

As she steadied herself, the Entity allowed me to move, but this time with a frightening twist.

He extended himself through my body, and from my back, long, shadowy tendrils began to emerge - dark, muscular limbs, twitching with anticipation, each tipped with sharp, clawed hands.

Monstrous, elongated arms poised to strike.

That's what they were.

And there we stood, the goldhead and I, side by side.

Her eyes narrowed, her grip firm, while I felt the Entity's desire for bloodshed throbbing like a second heartbeat.

It seemed that, this afternoon, we'd be the only thing standing between these... guests and a massacre.

The carantulas closed in, yellow eyes gleaming with unsatisfactory hunger.

Three advanced, more creeping down the walls and through shattered windows, their limbs skittering, the ground vibrating with each step.

Roxana and I exchanged a brief glance - hers filled with acknowledgment, mine with barely contained thrill that was hard to explain.

At this point, I think the characteristics of the Entity were bleeding into mine... and vice versa.

This was no longer a mere tea party.

It was war.

The Being within leaned close, his voice whispering into the crackling energy around me.

❝ LET THE FUN BEGIN. ❞

"........,"

╔. ■ .═══════╗

╚═══════. ■ .╝

"........,"

His eagerness to dive headlong into chaos was downright infectious, and I felt my own mouth twitch into an almost childlike grin.

Her Ladyship started first, though, with grace and deadly elegance, her movements calculated, like a dance.

Each step was fluid, and each strike was precise; she looked like a butterfly gliding through the storm.

The beasts' legs snapped and shrieked as her daggers found their marks, slicing through joints and pulsing flesh with ease.

Her expression remained calm, as if she were simply carving her way through an intricate tapestry.

Meanwhile, I was a storm of chaos beside her, the Entity's dark power thrumming through my veins and making every movement feel amplified, wild, and untamed.

Blood sprayed as my makeshift limbs tore through the monstrous carantulas, ripping legs from bodies, plucking their yellow, bulging eyes with a sickening...

- Squelch .ᐟ

... that splattered hot, dark oily liquid across my face.

"Ew, gross!" I chortled, giggling even as the sticky mess coated my glove.

With each lunge and swing, I found myself grinning, the thrill of battle surging in waves.

He guided me as if he were puppeteering from the inside.

"Oh, that's two more eyes for my collection!" I laughed, tossing one of the gooey orbs behind me. "And another leg - would you like a leg, dear Roxana?"

She cast me a wry glance mid-slice, smirking even as she drove her blade into a creature's soft underbelly, its monstrous shriek rattling the hall. "I think I'll pass, darlin', but thank you."

"Oh, you don't know what you're missing!" I sang back, leaping into the air, using one of my dark limbs to hook onto the shattered glass edge of a window above.

I swung from it, arcing through the air with a gleeful, "Weeeee~!"

One of the spiders lunged beneath me, and I swung back down, releasing my hold to bring my fist - well, technically one of his shadowy limbs - down on its head with a loud, crunching sound.

Chunks of its exoskeleton flew as its body crumpled under the impact.

"Ha!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands up in victory, now covered almost from head to toe in sticky spider blood. "Do you see this, Roxy~? I think I found my new hobby!"

Her eyes sparkled with amusement as she gracefully avoided a clawed swipe, her figure practically glowing amidst everything like a queen. "Perhaps you're simply discovering your true nature."

The Entity's voice chimed in my mind in turn, humming with satisfaction.

❛ AH, DEAR, YOU'RE FINALLY EMBRACING WHAT IT MEANS TO BE ALIVE! ❜

Another spider lunged at us, and with one swipe of a shadow-clad limb, I severed two of its legs, sending it stumbling.

I gave it a jaunty wave as it fell backward, writhing. "Aww, poor, poor baby, better luck next time!"

The next one tried to sneak up on me, but I twisted, lashing out with my dark limbs, catching its mandibles with a sharp tug.

"Oho, did you want a hug too?" I taunted, pulling it close before driving my elbow - well, the Entity's tentacled version of one - right through its face.

Its eyes burst like grapes under my blow, a sticky mess splattering onto my face and chest as I laughed, the thrill of him taking over.

Blood ran down my clothes, thick and hot, icky and oily, staining everything in this delightful, macabre pattern.

I licked a speck from my lips instinctively, wrinkling my nose at the taste. "Not exactly fine dining, but hey, desperate times, desperate measures!"

Roxana, side-eying my delightful mess, chuckled between strikes. "And here I thought you were supposed to be the composed one."

"Composition is overrated!" I shot back with a grin as another carantula charged, mandibles clicking as it lunged.

I ducked under its snap, then, with a gleeful shout, grabbed onto one of its legs and swung around, using it like a bizarre merry-go-round.

"Wheee, I'm riding the spider!" I cackled, gripping tight as it tried to shake me off.

I swung myself up, planting a solid kick right between its bulbous eyes, sending it stumbling.

Just as I was about to leap off, a new thought struck me.

"Sweetheart, look!" I called over, straddling the spider's back as I raised both arms, grinning like a kid showing off a new toy. "It's like horseback riding! Think I can teach it tricks?"

My beloved fiancée didn't even break her rhythm, her gaze sharp and focused as she expertly slashed through yet another carantula's defenses.

"Perhaps start with 'stay'," She suggested dryly, sidestepping a dripping leg that crashed down beside her.

"Stay? Oh, I was thinking more like 'fetch'!" I giggled, snapping my fingers.

The Entity obliged, and the shadowy limbs snaked down the spider's body, anchoring it in place just as it tried to buck me off.

"See? Look at this obedient little beast - now roll over!"

The dark arms twisted and forced the spider to topple, rolling it straight into a group of others advancing from the hallway.

They collapsed in a tangle of limbs, hissing and screeching.

"That's what you get for not waiting your turn!" I called, hopping off with a flourish, sticking the landing as I spun to face the next wave.

By now, the floors were slick with ichor, and Roxana and I were both splattered from head to toe in dark, viscous fluid.

She smirked, flicking some blood from her blade. "A little messy, but not bad for a warm-up."

I grinned back, wiping some stray spider juice from my masked face. "Next time, maybe I'll aim to get even bloodier. Think you can keep up, my lady?"

She laughed, the sound smooth and thrilling. "Just try me."

The aftermath was pure carnage, with limbs, shells, and dark pools splattered across every surface.

The golden-haired beauty and I stood triumphant amidst the wreckage, our breaths mingling with the lingering, acrid stench of blood.

Purplish shadows still licked at my feet, eager and restless, fed by the Entity's insatiable hunger, whispering sweet praise in my ear.

"........,"

╔. ■ .═══════╗

╚═══════. ■ .╝

❛ YOU DID WELL. AS EXPECTED OF YOUR GRACE. ❜

"........,"

❛ YOU ARE MY MASTERPIECE, MY BEAUTIFUL CATALYST OF DESTRUCTION. PAINT THIS WORLD IN YOUR COLORS. ❜

"........,"

❛ SEE HOW THEY FALTER BEFORE YOU, HOW THEY COWER IN YOUR SHADOW. THIS IS YOUR KINGDOM. ❜

"........,"

❛ CRAFTED IN MY OWN IMAGE. AND YET, YOU SURPASS EVEN ME. ❜

"........,"

❛ YOU ARE PERFECTION. ❜

"........,"

❛ A GOD, AND I AM BUT YOUR DEVOTED WITNESS. ❜

My pulse pounded with each word, and though exhilaration surged within me, I couldn't shake a dull, throbbing ache brewing in my chest.

And then - a sharp pain, like a hot iron driving itself into my ribs, sent me reeling.

My breath hitched as I doubled over, clutching at my chest.

I knew this sensation all too well.

The draining side effect of overextending my magic.

Shadows writhed around me as my focus waned, and my vision blurred just slightly.

My hand rose to my face, trembling, as I felt something warm trickle from my nose.

Blood.

"Damn..." I muttered, wiping it away only to feel another droplet slip from my lips, leaving a faint metallic tang on my tongue. "Seems I might've overdone it."

Her Ladyship turned to me, concern flickering in her gaze, but before either of us could react further, a piercing scream shattered the silence.

"Lysander!" It was a voice filled with terror, desperation - a mother's voice.

Both our heads snapped toward the sound, just in time to see a figure darting down the corridor - a woman, pale with fear, her wide eyes frantically searching.

Not far behind, I saw him, the silver-haired boy from earlier, standing in the center of the hall, his small frame trembling as he turned, looking for the source of the scream.

His mother's.

Time slowed, my pulse quickening as I watched him, and suddenly I saw it - emerging from the shadows, slithering with unsettling grace.

The creature was massive, but smaller than the towering carantulas, its elongated body covered in rough, dark-green scales.

Its reptilian eyes gleamed like molten gold, each slit pupil locked onto the boy as it moved with a predatory hunger, its snakelike tongue flicking out to taste the air.

Muscles rippled beneath its skin, and its tail swayed with a slow, ominous rhythm as it closed the distance, legs thick and clawed, curved in a crouch ready to spring.

My heart sank as I realized, in my moment of weakness, that the protective shield I'd cast around the area was beginning to flicker.

Shadows dissipated, the once-solid barrier faltering, fading.

The boy turned, his eyes widening as he finally saw the beast looming over him.

His scream cut through me like a blade.

"Lysander!" The mother's voice was desperate as she finally caught sight of him, filled with the gut-wrenching panic of a parent witnessing a nightmare come to life.

I pushed forward, forcing my weary body to move, but the pain in my chest - now head, too - only grew sharper.

Shadows clawed at the ground, racing ahead of me, as I reached out with everything I had left.

But the creature was already lunging, its jaw unhinging to reveal rows of needle-sharp teeth, saliva dripping in thick strands.

I staggered, my vision swimming, the world around me growing hazy, but I couldn't look away as the beast's jaws snapped around the boy's small frame, lifting him into the air with chilling ease.

"No!"

I shouted, voice raw as I stumbled forward.

But the creature's piercing eyes met mine, cold and unmoved, before it turned, dragging the child into the shadows of the labyrinthine hallways, disappearing into the darkness.

. . . . . ╰──╮꒰ 👑 ꒱ ╭──╯ . . . . .

❝ AUTHOR'S NOTE .ᐟ  ❞

GUYSSSS, I HAD SO MUCH FUN WRITING THIS CHAPTER.

AHAHAHA, THE ENTITY’S SILLY IS LITERALLY SPREADING LIKE A VIRUS IN (Y/N)’S BRAIN RN.

HELP.

OUR BOY IS OVER HERE RIDING GIANT SPIDERS LIKE THEY’RE CARNIVAL PONIES.

WHO EVEN AM I ANYMORE???

But omg, listen up, next chapter, we’re finally wrapping up this INSANE tea party – for real this time, I swear. 😭

And guess what? We’ve got two very special guests on the way.

Yup, things are about to get a little... let’s just say, "extra spicy."

- - -

❝ WORD COUNT .ᐟ

ִ ࣪𖤐 3, 154

Happy reading! >ᴗ<