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Chapter 287: Chapter 287 Gentle scheming killer
The stress kept Kyra awake, making it hard to relax as she lay on the unfamiliar bed. Her mind was racing, jumping between the danger she was in and the strange nature of her pregnancy. She couldn’t stop wondering why she hadn’t experienced any nausea, vomiting, or the usual symptoms. It felt odd, even worrying, but she pushed those thoughts away for her baby’s sake.
She gently rested her hand on her stomach, rubbing it softly as she lay there. She could feel the gentle rise and fall beneath her fingers, a reminder of the little life growing inside her. The thought brought her a brief moment of warmth, a small bit of comfort in the middle of all the chaos.
Her clothes were wrinkled, the same ones she’d been wearing for three days, but Kyra didn’t care as much as she thought she would. Her baby was all that mattered. Even in this strange, dangerous place, the thought of protecting her child gave her strength.
For the baby’s sake, Kyra focused on her breathing, using the calming techniques she knew. She took slow, deep breaths, letting the rhythm relax her body. Little by little, her muscles began to loosen, and though her mind stayed active, her body started to relax.
Eventually, her eyelids grew heavier, the exhaustion from the past few days catching up to her. She tried not to think about what Benjamin and the others planned for her tomorrow. She pushed away thoughts of danger and focused on the life inside her, letting that be her source of strength.
Finally, the tension left her body, and her breathing grew steady. Kyra drifted into sleep, her hand still resting protectively on her stomach. It was the first bit of peace she’d felt since being captured, and though it might not last, it gave her a small sense of hope.
***Next day***
The castle was luxurious yet ancient, built from limestone and granite. The walls carried a sense of age and mystery. Strange paintings of beasts hung on nearly every wall, their eyes seeming to follow anyone who passed by. Each door was painted a bold red, standing out sharply against the cold stone, giving the place a strange, eerie feel.
Benjamin, with his usual scheming yet gentle expression, grabbed Kyra’s arm and began pulling her out of the castle. From what she had overheard, he was taking her to that horned monster’s place, though she wasn’t entirely sure where they were going or even where she truly was.
As soon as they stepped outside, her face twisted in disgust. The air smelled like rotten mango, thick with an unpleasant stench. Fog clouded the surroundings, and the soil beneath their feet was pitch black. Towering mountains loomed in the distance. Worried the foul air might harm her baby, Kyra quickly tore a piece of her dress and wrapped it around her nose to protect herself.
"You better sit quietly on my back, or I won’t hesitate to kill your baby, just like I killed Damon’s little sister," Benjamin said, his expression gentle, but his words were anything but.
Kyra’s eyes widened in shock. "You... you killed his sister?" she whispered, horrified.
Benjamin let out a chilling laugh. "Hah! He never knew. I enjoyed stabbing my nail into that tender skin," he said, his face still holding that eerie, cruel gentleness.
Kyra’s heart twisted in pain. Her mind was spiraling, and the world around her seemed to blur. She felt like she was on the verge of losing her sanity.
"You’re ruthless!" Kyra’s anger exploded as she slapped him, her heart aching at the thought of the innocent child he had murdered. Tears of anger welled in her eyes as the horror of his cruelty sank in deeper.
Benjamin held his cheek where she had slapped him, his gentle smile never faltering. "I am ruthless! Yes, I am ruthless," he said coldly. "Now sit on my back obediently, or I will not hesitate to kill your baby too."
Kyra’s heart skipped a beat at his words.
Kyra’s breath caught in her throat as she watched him transform, Her eyes shifted to the powerful winged lion standing beside her, When he crouched down, Benjamin motioned for her to sit.
She was trapped. Without her powers and with her baby at risk, she had no choice. Swallowing her fear, she climbed onto his back, feeling his powerful muscles move beneath her as his wings stretched wide.
As soon as they took off, the air became heavier, and the rotten smell intensified, making her stomach churn. The landscape below was dark, twisted, and unfamiliar. They soared higher, and the distant mountains loomed closer.
The ground below, dark and twisted, made her stomach churn. But she couldn’t think of that now. Her mind was on her baby and how she would protect them. Wherever Benjamin was taking her, she had to be ready.
Soon, they began to descend toward an open space. The fog parted, revealing a barren, eerie clearing. Something felt wrong, and Kyra’s heart raced as they landed.
The trees were dead and fragile, with bare branches reaching up like bony fingers towards the dark sky. Everything was quiet—too quiet. No birds, no rustling leaves, just an unnatural silence. Thick fog filled the air, twisting into ghostly shapes that floated with the wind, making it hard to tell what was real and what was imagined.
As they moved lower, Kyra saw something worse—shadows and monsters. Dark figures wandered slowly on the forest floor. Their glowing eyes reflected the dim light of the fog. Every now and then, one would stop and stare up at her, its cold eyes piercing through her as if it could see straight into her.
Their bodies were twisted and deformed. Kyra caught glimpses of their monstrous faces—sharp teeth, eyes full of hunger, and a terrible smell of decay that made her gag. It felt like something had been rotting for centuries, and the stench filled her lungs, adding to her growing fear for her baby.
Even though Kyra had tried to prepare for this moment, a shiver ran down her spine. Her instincts told her to run, to get away from this horrible place, but she had nowhere to go. The fog and the creatures were all around her, watching her like predators waiting to attack.
