Chapter 26

The Truths Unfold: THE ENCHANTRESS

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[The Coven_ Secret Chamber]

Chaerin brought Lisa to the secret underground where only she and the Queen knows about it. There, lies the most important weapon that the vampire has ever posses, the sacred dagger, the red poison. The dagger that can only kill the blood lass, there only hope for salvation. If Lisa successful acquired it, they have a chance of defeating Jaejoong. Lisa and Chaerin walked down through the long, narrow, dark hall, making a lot of turns.

"We're here." Chaerin said, as they stood in front of the silver metallic door. Light lamps glittered off the walls and floor. Unlike the other chamber, this room has something that Lisa can not explain. Other than that it's creepy, she felt forced. A strong force that pulling her in. Calling her.

Lisa rolled her shoulders in an effort to shake off the weird feeling. Chaerin put her palm flat against the door, forcing it  open. The door slides open and Lisa saw the room for the first time. It was not an ordinary chamber that Lisa had seen before, lit the only torches flickering against the wall. At the center the chamber is a stone marble pedestal. Lisa saw a goblet position at the top of the pedestal.

"Get in."

Lisa was startled by the voice of Chaerin forgetting that she was not alone. Chaerin appeared beside her, motioning her to follow her. As they entered the door immediately closes on it owns making Lisa jumps and looked back towards the door.

What was going on with her? She's not a jumpy type, but of reason she felt,  anxious.   

"Welcome."

Lisa turned towards the marble table and saw Dara opening her arms greeting them. Lisa noticed that she was now wearing a red cloak.

"Your majesty," Lisa bow down to her.

As she straightened up, finally clearly see a silver goblet with Victorian pattern engraved around the rear of the cup, it was set at the top the pedestal.

"You did not push her to be here, Chaerin?" Dara asked Chaerin.

"No, she comes freely." Chaerin answered her.

Dara nodded slightly. "You can leave us now, Chaerin. And thank you for taking Lisa here."

Chaerin bowed down and leave Lisa and Dara alone in the chamber.

"So,  you finally made a decision and I'm glad that you choose to accept your fate."  Dara said told Lisa as soon as Chaerin left.

"Yes." Lisa replied with a former voice.

Lisa made up her mind that she would do this. It was clear to her about the role of the chosen, but she's will find a way not to harm Jennie nor kill her. She's aware that it was not  the role that was given to her and she was breaking the tradition, but she will take the risk and deal with the consequence later. She will do everything to save her.

"Are you ready to accept your fate, Lisa?" Dara asked in a really soft voice.

"I am." Lisa replied.

"All right." Dara position herself in front of the pedestal. Dara reached out under her cloak and pull out a dagger. The blade was red, red as blood with a half moon at the end of its handle. Is that the red poison? Lisa stood silently and watched as Dara made a large cut across the palm of her hand and allow the blood drip from her into the goblet. Then Dara held out the dagger to Lisa.

"Do as I have done." Dara told her.

Lisa swallowed, hesitation her as she looked down at the dagger.

"You won't feel a thing, Lisa." Dara assured her.

Lisa took the dagger and quickly sliced across the palm of her hand and her blood flow from her hand into the goblet. She didn't feel any pain just like Dara said. The blood stop and her palm heal immediately.

Lisa stood transfixed as she watched Dara raised the cup in the air and spoke a language that Lisa could not understand. A few moments later,  Dara offered the cup to Lisa.

"Drink it." Dara ordered her.

Lisa  took it with trembling hands.  She looked down and saw her reflection in the blood. She swallowed and looked up, meeting Dara's eyes.

"All of it?" Lisa asked.

Dara nodded and motion her to drink it.

Lisa raised it to her lips and drank all the content inside just like what Dara told her. The room began to close in on her. Lisa stumbled to the ground and felt a pain from her stomach  to the top of and her vision started to fog.

"What is happening to me?" She managed to croak out the word. "What---"

Whatever she wanted to say was drowned out by the excruciating pain that suddenly strike her. Lisa screamed from the pain. It's like burning her alive. She felt hot, her head was pounding like crazy.

"Help," Lisa tried to whisper, but gagged and coughing, violently, it felt like she’d expel a lung.

Darkness  over coming her vision, Lisa didn't fight it,  she's tired of fighting it. She didn't want to awake anymore, but another pain hit through her, jerking her back in consciousness.

Lisa screamed, as endless pain enveloped her. She was trembling, she was struggling to breathe,

Then a moment later she felt the sharp plunge of teeth in her neck. Dara had bitten her. Was this part of the ritual too?  Lisa thought, but it hurts. It hurts so much.

She screamed at the pain. She felt every inside of her body was burning,  she felt  that something was being ripped apart. Lisa tried to breathe there wasn't any air in her lungs, just like a fire burning her alive.

"Your majesty!" Lisa croaked out, panting and convulsing. Her vision started to turn blurry.

"Can't," Lisa whispered. "I can't."

"Hang in there, Lisa." Dara told her."You must endure it." even though wanted to help at least lessen the pain, she had nothing she could but to watch Lisa suffered from the pain.

"I don't...don't... "

"Shh. It's alright. Lisa. It's almost over.” Dara cut her off with a soothing tone that did nothing to lessen her panic and the fire that burning alive in her own skin.

"Can't...I can't..." Lisa tried to tell Dara but then it happened.

Lisa with a gasped as she took her breath for the first time in a long time. The pain and fire had gone off. She was back into her full consciousness.

"You did great, Lisa." Dara came back into focus.

"It is done?" Lisa murmured.

"Yes. It is. How are you feeling?"

"Lucky to live." Lisa said.

Dara laughed. "Glad to hear that."

"What now? What's the next steps?"

" Now, you need to rest." Dara said, smoothing her hand over Lisa cheek.

Lisa sighed and lay on the ground, feeling hardness and coldness of it against her cheek and once again darkness blinding her, slowly the entire room become black like a stutter of a camera. It's  slowly closing.
 

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[Meanwhile_ in the_ HIVE]

Jennie's eyes blinked to darkness.  For a second she was disoriented and her eyes wander around the empty room and  became aware that this was not the bedroom in the coven or her bedroom. She slowly pushed to a sitting position, swinging her legs over the side of the bed, Jennie jumped out of the bed and run towards the door and tried to open it. She was locked in this room.

Jennie ran to the window and looked down. She was at least four stories up so jumping out is impossible. Panic surged into her chest and found she couldn't breathe.

Jennie heard the door open. Stiffening, she twitched her head up to peer toward the door and  the lights blinded her as she looked up.

"I see you finally awake." a man's voice said softly.

The man walked in slowly before shutting the door behind him. She turned and backed up until she hit the wall.

It all came back: the dungeon,  the man who pretended to be her mother, and Hanbin tied her up.  She was abducted and she knows this man. She can forget the man who nearly killed her friends.

"Jaejoong." Jennie gasped. "Let me go! You kidnapper." Jennie yelled.

"Kidnapper?" Jaejoong laughed. "I have not kidnapped you.  I brought you home. Don't worry, though. I'm not going to hurt you." Jaejoong said. "As long as you behave."

"Why me? Why are you doing this?"

Jaejoong step closer and  reached out. Jennie tense up  as Jaejoong cup her face "Time pass and you're still beautiful just like the day I first saw you." Jaejoong said. "If you only knew how badly want to take hold of you in my arms that night when I finally meet you again."

Jennie didn't have a clue what Jaejoong was talking about, except he seemed to think of her as someone else.

"I don't have any idea of what are you talking about. It's like seems like you mistook me for someone else. And can remove your dirty hand away from my face." Jennie swat his hands out from her face.

Jaejoong laughed. Jaejoong eyes glittered with excitement as he stared at Jennie. " It is so good to have you back, love."

"You're crazy." Jennie pushed Jaejoong and grabbed the lamp on the top of the nightstand and threw the lamp as hard as she could at him. Jennie smiled in satisfaction when it bounced  off his head. Jaejoong threw an irritated gaze in her direction. Jennie jumped on the bed and keep on going until  she backed into the corner until she reached into the second nightstand.

"You're a psychopath. I won't let you use me. You bloodsucker bastard."Jennie yelled and  picked up the second lamp. But Jaejoong was faster, seize her wrist and took out the lamp away from her grip. She roared, struggling, fighting. “No. Let go of me."

"You starting to irritate me, woman. And this is not the Jennie I remember, you used to be sweet and followed my orders.  Until you meet that woman she change you and turned your back against me."

"Let go, you bastard." Jennie is striking his face, k