Kill The Beast

Forged in Fire

The fate of Akanksha at Bluebird Castle remained an enigma to outsiders, shrouded in mystery for eternity. According to the tale, a mysterious creature emerged and claimed her life, leaving her body gruesomely devoured. They couldn't even do an autopsy. She was dead and was burned on the pyre outside the Bluebird Castle. It was traumatic for her dad, who couldn't handle watching his daughter's body burning. The whole thing hit him so hard that he died not long after.

Aayaan stood there, his face void of any remorse. He watched the flames dance on the pyre, and the smoke rose high. Akanksha's father cried nearby, but Aayaan didn't offer his shoulder. Minerva stood beside him, still trying to understand what happened. She felt relieved that Akanksha was gone, leaving no one between her and Aayaan. Inside her mind, she smiled and reached for Aayaan's hand, but he jerked it away, his gaze fixed on the burning pyre.

After the procession concluded, Aayaan found himself back in the same room where he had taken Akanksha's life. He stared out the window at her house, looking into the room where she used to live. It was all over now; she wouldn't be a part of his life anymore. Strangely, it brought some relief to his heart. He poured himself a glass of whiskey and settled into a chair. With everyone gone, the castle returned to its original gloomy state after a brief moment of life. It was hauntingly quiet, and Aayaan found solace in the silence, with only Minerva remaining by his side.

Aayaan reflected on what he could have done differently to change his fate. As he looked back on his past, all he saw was how unfair life had been to him. "Don't I deserve to be happy?" he thought, feeling the cruelty of everything around him. Particularly, Akanksha stood out in his mind. He had given her his heart and soul, but she found it difficult to reciprocate that love. She was on the path to a happy marriage with that insensitive Adam, who didn't hesitate to betray her that day. Yet, Akanksha tore herself apart for him, ignoring the love Aayaan had shown her. This thought tormented Aayaan.

Sitting there, sipping on his whiskey, Aayaan stared into the fire in the woods and smiled, feeling a sense of power over it. He tossed some whiskey into the flames, causing them to flare up, and it brought a chuckle from him. Minerva, who had been watching him from the doorway, came inside and asked, "Are you okay, Aayaan?"

Aayaan noticed her and flashed a sinister smile. "Here she is... the one who stood by my side, or so I thought," he declared aloud. Rising from his seat, he pulled her close and guided her down, making her kneel beside him. As he sat back in his chair, Aayaan continued to stroke her hair, a dark intensity in his gaze.

"You made the biggest fool out of me, you know, and I never noticed," Aayaan remarked, continuing to stroke Minerva's hair. She felt a bit tense by his demeanor and asked cautiously, "What are you talking about?"

He burst into laughter once again and exclaimed, "Yes, yes, I am the fool. I don't even know what I'm talking about." Abruptly, he stood up, grabbed Minerva by the neck, and lifted her against the wall.

Minerva, writhing above, exclaimed in a desperate tone, "Aayaan, you're hurting me!" Her face turned red as she managed to cast a spell, throwing Aayaan back with just a movement from her hand.

Aayaan swiftly fell backward, breaking the wall behind him. He lay on the floor, unmoving, and uttered, "I thought you loved me."

Minerva rushed to him and said, "I am sorry, Aayaan. I did not mean to. You were hurting me." She stood above him, gazing at his sinister-looking face.

Aayaan quickly kicked her shin, causing her to fall onto him. He swiftly grabbed her, turned her around on the floor, and found himself above her, panting. With a sinister tone, he said, "I know you like this."