A sharp breath escaped Alicia's lips as Zeres' fangs slowly sank into her.
She couldn't explain the feeling, maybe because her battered body was a little numb now. It wasn't as painful as she had initially thought it would be. It was less painful compared to the throbbing pain from her deep wounds. But maybe, it was all because his lips and breath were just too hot that all her senses were forced to downplay everything else but the scorching heat on her neck.
But Alicia was soon jolted back to reality as she felt the heat get even more intense compared to a minute ago. It felt as if Zeres was turning into a literal burning furnace. She briefly entertained the thought of perhaps she herself might get burned along with him any time soon because the fire on her neck seemed to be spreading in her body. It still did not cause her any kind of pain surprisingly with the increasing heat, but her throat began to dry up as if she was suddenly brought to a desert and he was the merciless sun. There was that sudden thought that it could be any time that she was going to pass out, not from pain but from thirst and heat.
Her body started to lose the little strength left in her. It was then that she realized she was being silly and could have just pulled away after giving that few drops of blood that Zeres needed. However, as she was trying to act on her decision, she noticed with slight alarm that she couldn't move. That feeling of alarm could not even take root quick enough before she suddenly started feeling like her body and mind were floating – like an extremely light and fluffy cloud drifting away on a light summer breeze.
A sudden presence of someone's hand clamping down firmly on her shoulder had her refocus on the situation and she fought to get her eyes opened. Without warning, her eyes snapped open – bright and alert – as if awoken from a deep, intense state of meditation.
And then, she was pulled back. "That's enough. He'll kill her!" Alicia heard Riev's voice rumbling next to her ear. It appeared that he was the one who pulled her back from that limbo and was now letting her weakened body lean against his chest.
Riev took a step back, with Alicia in his arms. Ezekiel didn't stop him, so he presumed that the amount of blood Zeres had consumed directly from Alicia was indeed enough.
Giving Alicia a once-over and then looking at her with a worried gaze, Riev asked. "Are you okay?"
Alicia took a moment to have a mental check of her internal well-being as well as how she was coping physically, then bringing herself back to reality before giving an affirmative nod at Riev. Her gaze then fell to Ezekiel who was still standing close to Zeres, looking at the man when…
A loud and bone-chilling growl reverberated and filled the vastness of the cavern. The source of that rumble was very close to where Riev and Alicia stood.
Everyone's gaze fell on Zeres, frozen still in shock and anticipation.
Riev subconsciously took a few more discreet steps back when he realised that even Ezekiel also moved back, away from Zeres.
Alicia's eyes were wide in shock as she watched Zeres rose and screamed even louder in utter pain. As if he was being burned alive on a stake. Her lips trembled as she couldn't bear watching him continue to be tortured and enduring this suffering any longer.
With confused and terrified eyes, she looked at Ezekiel. She wished she could speak and confront him, but Ezekiel's back was facing her. His attention was focused on Zeres.
Alicia wanted to believe that this might be a painful process for Zeres' transformation. That his pain would soon stop, and he will finally return to his original form as what that damned Ezekiel had lured her into believing. But as seconds ticked by, she couldn't fool herself anymore. She could see that he wasn't transforming back to his original form. He was transforming into a full dragon.
"Hahaha! Now transform, my great dragon, Zeres!!!" Dinah's sinister voice thundered, causing Alicia's heart to tremble and her body weakened even further. Her feet gave way but thanks to Riev, he was her steadfast pillar of support and didn't let her fall to the ground.
A black smoke began to rise and cloud the cavern. Everyone knew it was about to begin – that long-awaited transformation.
Gritting her teeth, Alicia could not hold it in any longer and finally burst out. She tried to struggle out of Riev's solid grasp to confront Ezekiel. She knew it's futile now. Zeres was already transforming. She wanted to scream as hard as she could. But even if she did that, what was the use? What's done is already done. It truly gave a bitter feeling in her as she remembered that saying – there is no use crying over spilt milk. Was this truly it? After all her struggles and the fight she and Riev had given with their lives on the line – it all only amounted to these extreme feelings of hopelessness?
"Good job, Kiel!!! You really are worthy of my trust." Dinah added with a triumphant voice, and she laughed out loud again as she approached them.
Ezekiel finally turned to face Dinah but with all the strength she could muster, Alicia moved away from Riev and grabbed Ezekiel's collar.
"Y-y-you…" she stammered. "How could you lie to me like this?" she asked. Her silver eyes were welling up, but not a single drop of tear fell from them. "Why? Why did you… how could you…" her voice was broken and scratchy.
Alicia couldn't even form a coherent sentence. She was too devastated. Her hands were trembling. And yet, Ezekiel was like a statue made of marble, no reaction appeared on that icy mask he called his face at all. It was as if he was truly a soulless creature.