Consciousness surfaced from the chaos.
Touch was the first sense to return—her body was being gently handled, layered in one piece of clothing after another.
The fabric was soft like silk, sliding across her skin with an unfamiliar sensation.
Ignatius—no, now she should be called Sylvia.
Sylvia struggled to open her eyes.
The lavish, almost gaudy ceiling came into view.
Intricate murals of starry myths flickered with ghostly light under the soul fire’s glow.
She lay on a massive, plush bed big enough to hold ten people.
Her entire body sank into the soft bedding.
Several Blood Vault maidservants tidied the hem of her black court gown.
Dark red lace and tiny gemstones shimmered faintly in the dim light.
“…Help me up.”
The moment she spoke, the soft, sweet voice of a loli sent chills all over her skin.
This voice was so unfamiliar.
The maidservants helped her up.
As soon as her feet touched the floor, an intense weakness surged from the soles of her feet straight up to her skull.
Her legs were so weak they could barely support her weight.
Damn it!
A body that once could collapse walls with bare hands now needed support just to stand.
This fragile frame was a stark contrast to the warrior’s soul within.
Every second was a cruel reminder of her absurd situation.
The maidservants led her to a huge floor mirror.
The reflection staring back was a completely unfamiliar white-haired loli—
Silver-white hair flowed like moonlight.
Blood-red pupils were clear and pure, her features too delicate to be human.
She twitched her fingers; the girl in the mirror mirrored the movement.
This was her new cage.
Sylvia’s expression was blank as she stared at the reflection, but inside, her mind roared in panic.
This complicated gown made any swift movement impossible, and her slender limbs could barely wield a dagger.
This was a hellish start.
“Creak—”
The chamber door opened.
The air pressure in the room shifted the moment Avira stepped in.
The previously indifferent maidservants instantly tensed.
Heads bowed even lower; even their breaths grew cautious.
“Everyone out.”
Avira waved carelessly.
The maidservants felt as if they had been granted a great pardon.
They bowed swiftly and exited, the heavy oak door shutting behind them.
Only the two of them remained in the chamber.
Avira walked slowly forward; her military boots made no sound on the carpet.
But the oppressive aura she carried surged like a tide.
Her gaze was strange.
Curious, fanatical, with a blatant possessiveness like one admiring a prized treasure.
Sylvia instinctively tried to step back, but this body would not obey.
Her heel caught on the carpet’s edge near the bed; she lost her balance and fell backward.
The thick bear fur carpet caught her, but the pose was awkward.
Damn.
This madwoman loved nothing more than watching people struggle and embarrass themselves.
Wasn’t her current state exactly what Avira wanted?
She was even prepared to be humiliated by being stepped on.
Avira stopped in front of her.
Then crouched down to meet the fallen girl’s gaze.
Avira extended her hand.
Sylvia’s body reacted faster than her brain.
She tensed and shut her eyes tight.
It’s coming!
But the expected attack never came.
The hand that once crushed the head of a Knight Commander now moved incredibly gently, even clumsily.
Avira only reached out two fingers.
Carefully, she straightened the collar that had been disheveled when Sylvia fell.
The touch of her icy fingertips vanished quickly.
Sylvia opened her eyes and met Avira’s crimson pupils just inches away.
Those eyes, always burning with madness, now reflected only her own image.
“So beautiful…”
Avira stared at her dumbfounded, her voice low and dripping with morbid obsession.
“More beautiful than any gem my mother ever collected.”
“From today on, you’re my little sister, Sylvia.”
Sylvia’s heart pounded wildly.
Even bigger trouble was coming.
Avira pulled a dagger from her chest—
An Obsidian-Platinum Dagger, its sheath studded with tiny rubies, as exquisite as a work of art.
She pressed the dagger into Sylvia’s hand.
The cold metal sent a shiver through Sylvia.
What was this? A hint to commit suicide? Or a new humiliating game?
The next second, Avira did something beyond all reason.
She gripped Sylvia’s hand holding the dagger and suddenly raised it, pointing the sharp tip at her own heart.
Through the thin leather armor, Sylvia could even feel the strong heartbeat within Avira’s chest.
“If you don’t like me…”
A dazzling yet eerie smile spread across Avira’s face, her voice filled with sick excitement.
“…then use this to kill me.”
Sylvia’s pupils shrank sharply.
This woman was truly insane!
And seriously so!
“But…”
Avira leaned closer, her warm breath brushing Sylvia’s ear.
“Before that, I’ll kill everyone who makes you unhappy, destroy everything that brings you pain.”
“Hehe, isn’t that fun?”
Fun my ass!
***
Sylvia’s hand trembled, and the exquisite dagger clattered onto the carpet.
She finally understood completely.
The friendliness and “gentleness” from this woman had nothing to do with kindness.
Her logic was self-contained, her worldview utterly twisted.
Her love was destruction—
Anyone who dared to upset her little sister would be completely erased.
This wasn’t a sister at all—she was a ticking time bomb bound at her side!
Avira was pleased with her reaction, picked up the dagger, and slipped it back into her waist.
Then she sat cross-legged beside Sylvia.
“Let me tell you something, Sylvia.”
Avira opened up eagerly.
“There’s a water cell in Blackstone Prison to the west of the Royal City. It’s a lot of fun.”
“They dunk people in it for a day, only letting their heads out once to breathe.”
“The Mephist Elder’s lab in the north.”
“Lately, they’ve been researching how to pull out souls and make wick lamps. They’re super bright!”
“Oh, and Bruch’s old man’s Blood Vault has a bunch of Noble Elves’ blood stored.”
“They say it tastes like summer berries. I’ll take you to try some next time?”
Avira rambled on about horrors that would drive a sane person mad.
Yet her tone was like an ordinary sister recommending the best dessert shop in town.
Sylvia listened quietly, cold sweat soaking through her undergarments.
Her brain—Ignatius’s brain, the former Saint Paladin’s brain—raced to analyze the situation.
Resist?
No strength—that was a death sentence.
Escape?
Outside was the heavily guarded Blood Vault Royal City; with this body, she couldn’t get out of the room.
Fight?
Fight this lunatic?
There was only one conclusion—
The only way to survive in this den of demons was to obey.
Never anger this sister.
She had to go along with her, cater to her, even… flatter her.
Play the role of “Sylvia,” the frail, obedient, and protected little sister.
Until she found a chance to escape.
Thinking this, Sylvia took a deep breath and looked up at Avira, who was still chattering away.
She forced a clumsy, appeasing smile.
“Sis…”
She called softly with her sweet, tender voice.
Avira’s incessant chatter abruptly stopped.
It was scary, but his words about “whoever makes you unhappy I will kill him” really touched me.