The night was a battle against my own mind. For seven days, my routine had been nothing but intense training, hand-to-hand combat, magic, and an endless cycle of pain and overcoming. And then, I found out I would have a day off.
However, on my first day off, when I should have been resting, fate had other plans.
Tomorrow, I would come face to face with the Demon Queen Selene, the most powerful entity in this realm. The woman whose mere presence had once nearly reduced me to an amoeba.
My body, marked by the efforts of the past week, longed for rest, but my mind refused to relent. Every attempt to sleep was drowned out by feverish thoughts about the meeting that could decide my future.
Dahlia wouldn't be coming tonight either.
I tossed and turned in bed countless times, unable to find comfort. The soft mattress felt like it was made of thorns, and the shadows danced on the walls, shaping themselves into specters of doubt and fear.
For three years, I had been treated like a lab rat, forced to endure brutal experiments. And now, after all that, I was being summoned by the one who could destroy my existence with a single glance. The memories of our encounter were anything but comforting; in fact, they were traumatizing for an analytical mind like mine.
Sleep finally took me, but it was no relief—it was a trap.
I dreamed of the dark corridors of the mines, with echoes of distant laughter and invisible hands trying to drag me into the darkness. A pink smoke began to flood the cavern, and I tried to scream, but no sound came from my mouth.
My blood boiled, and with my nails, I began to self-mutilate. Blood ran down my torso, and at the edges of my vision, within the mist, two eyes stared back at me.
I saw Selene's scarlet gaze piercing my soul, felt the weight of her presence crushing my body, reducing me to nothing.
I woke up gasping, my chest rising and falling irregularly. The room was bathed in dim light, and for a moment, I couldn't tell if I was still asleep or if reality had become a nightmare.
The next few hours passed painfully slowly, each minute dragging on as if it were hours. I didn't have to get up at 5:00 AM, as per my usual routine. So, when the first rays of morning light slipped through the window, dispelling the shadows, they did nothing to ease the suffocating feeling in my chest.
I took a deep breath, got up, and sat on the edge of the bed, trying to calm myself. The moment was near.
Moments later, I heard a soft knock on the door and Dahlia's voice asking if she could come in. Accompanying her was Hera, our new tenant and alchemist.
"Good morning, young master," Hera said politely, her golden eyes shimmering.
She carried a small cup with a drink that steamed a greenish smoke.
"Drink this, young master. It's a beverage with properties to calm the body and mind," she said, extending her arms and offering me the potion.
Without questioning, I took the potion and brought it to my lips. It had a strong, astringent taste, like drinking hot cashew juice.
A dry sensation invaded my throat, but it soon disappeared, replaced by a warm feeling that eased the discomfort in my chest.
My mind slowly recovered from my worries, and I felt in the best mental condition since I arrived in this world.
"This way, young master. Today, we will prepare you to meet Her Majesty," Dahlia said, gesturing toward the bathroom.
My eyebrows furrowed as I stood before two beautiful maids, and my penis, oblivious to the situation, stiffened, ignoring my nervousness.
Unfortunately, today was not the day my sexual fantasies would come true. Hera and Dahlia treated me like a doll whose only purpose was to be cleaned.
Dahlia and Hera frowned as they washed me, noticing my erect member standing firm in the situation, but no words were exchanged between us.
They spent over an hour selecting and adjusting the finest clothes, perfumes, and combing my hair.
"You look perfect, young master," Hera complimented me, her face flushed and eyes shining.
"You look stunning, young master," Dahlia added, unconsciously biting her lower lip.
In front of the mirror, I saw myself dressed as someone who was no longer a mere survivor. The outfit they gave me was noble, imposing, unlike anything I had worn since I awoke in this world.
The long coat, made of dense, reinforced fabric, was as black as night, matching my hair, with gold details forming precise geometric patterns. The shoulders were marked by discreet metal plates, polished to reflect the ambient light, while the buttons, forged in darkened silver, bore the crest of the family I once carried—the destroyed Carborex family.
Beneath it, a high-collared shirt adorned with subtle embroidery running across the chest and arms, made with threads of a deep, almost electric blue. The sleeves were fitted but ended with wide cuffs, folded and decorated with small emblems.
The vest, fitted to my body, was reinforced with lightweight, flexible leather, offering a mix of elegance and functionality. It gave me the impression that I could walk through a ballroom and, in the next moment, wield a sword without feeling any restriction.
The pants followed the same aesthetic, snug enough not to hinder movement but durable, with discreet dark velvet stripes on the sides. The boots, reaching just below the knees, were made of treated leather and studded with silver buckles. They weren't mere decorative accessories; each piece had its reason for existing, as if the outfit was designed for both presence and combat.
Finally, the most intriguing piece: a short cape, attached to the shoulders with metal clasps engraved with a crown. The fabric was heavy but flowed lightly, ending in geometric cuts at the hem. It wasn't just a symbol of status but a reminder of what I had become.
This wasn't the attire of a mere fallen noble. It was the garb of someone about to face the most powerful entity in the demonic realm.
"Phew... Thank you so much, girls!" I said gratefully.
Lesley was waiting for me on the ground floor, dressed differently from her usual training attire.
Her gaze scanned me from head to toe, and she nodded in satisfaction at what she saw. With a gesture of her hand, I followed the path beside her.
I had never left this tower since I was taken from the mines.
The architecture was impressive, a castle built high in the mountains, using the valleys as a security structure.
The architecture was rigid but well-polished, with white jade stones dominating the view.
Lesley led me down a side path toward the outer areas of the back of the main castle.
Many soldiers looked at me with curiosity, maids walked everywhere, and well-dressed demons scrutinized me meticulously. Whispers spread everywhere, but I ignored them, focused on all my worries.
After a few minutes, we arrived at a vast garden, in the center of which was a well-constructed oval structure. Inside it, an elegant woman was lifting a cup to her lips, drinking something.
Her attire was the embodiment of the balance between royalty and war, as if every thread of fabric carried both the grace of a monarch and the lethality of a supreme commander.
She wore a military coat fitted to her body, with an impeccable cut, made of deep black fabric interwoven with fine gold filaments.
Silver shoulder pads, sculpted like demonic claws holding faceted rubies, marked her presence with grandeur. Golden buttons, engraved with the crest of the Demon Kingdom, ran down the front of the piece, and the high collar reinforced her posture of authority, with subtle metallic thorn details.
The layered skirt blended rigidity and fluidity, with strategic cuts reminiscent of war banners. Crimson ribbons embroidered with ancient runes ran across the fabric.
Beneath, black lace stockings hugged her thighs, accompanied by silver garters that shimmered in the morning light. Knee-high boots, polished and adorned with small dragon carvings, completed the ensemble.
A hundred meters away, Lesley stopped walking and indicated that I should proceed alone.
"Phew..." I sighed, gathering my courage and heading toward the structure.
With slow steps, I entered the structure. Our eyes met, a shiver ran through my body, quickly broken by a seductive voice.
"Good morning, Glenn. Sit down!"