Summoning the courage to speak, I slowly pushed myself up, resting on my knees.
"As much as I am captivated by your incredible beauty, madam, I cannot continue to stay alone with you. Besides, how strange would it be for a man and woman to live together like this? You see, I already have a wife at home!"
A suffocating silence engulfed the room.
This lie was absurd—there was no way it would hold up. Did she even see me as a man? She had treated me like a child this entire time. If she got any more irritated, I was finished.
Frozen in place, I couldn't bring myself to turn and face her expression. Whatever happened next, there was no turning back now.
I pressed forward with my ridiculous story.
"My wife is with child, and I ventured into the forest to gather herbs for her treatment. You must let me go."
Sweat gathered at my brow.
There was no way she'd fall for such an obvious fabrication. My only hope rested on the fact that some families married off their children at a young age. Did she even understand the concept of family? She seemed more like a demon than a human.
Before I could take back my absurd lie, a sound escaped her lips.
Laughter.
She burst into a hysterical fit, collapsing onto the floor, kicking her feet in amusement. The room filled with her laughter, raw and uninhibited.
I could feel control returning to my body, little by little.
Turning back, I watched the spectacle unfold.
This radiant, almost godlike figure was rolling on the ground, laughing like a child.
Just as I allowed myself to believe I was safe, she sat up—her expression now eerily blank.
"You expect me to believe such nonsense? You look like an infant. How stupid do you think I am?" She sighed, then continued,
"Since you have no interest in respecting me, I'll just kill you."
I was done for.
Moments ago, she had been laughing—why was she so furious now?
Panic took hold. Desperate, I tried once more to soothe her anger.
"Wait! Wait! It was a lie! I don't have a wife—but you can't just kill me for no reason! I do have a family that loves me and needs me back home."
Her sneer deepened, and a wicked smile crept across her face.
Her voice was cold, unwavering.
"Lie to me once more, and your life is mine."
I felt it spread through my body—a primal sense of fear. My years in the forest taught me an in fallible fact:
Prey must show caution before the predator, I had foolishly forgotten that caution and was surely going to pay for it with my life.
Every inch of me trembled uncontrollably.
If there was one thing she had said today that was undeniably true, it was that brief statement.
I had no other choice.
Tears streamed down my face as I screamed back at the tyrant.
"Fine! The truth is—I just don't want to die! I'm terrified! Please don't eat me. You're unbelievably scary!"
The crushing pressure in the room lifted instantly, I felt her temper slowly calming.
Suddenly I could move again.
I gasped, my breath uneven, my heart pounding against my chest.
One more lie, and I would have been killed.
Her voice carried a cold finality as she spoke.
"The one thing I cannot stand is liars. No matter how much kindness I show you, never take me for a fool. The moment you attempt to deceive me again, I will take your life—without hesitation."
Relief washed over me, yet it was overshadowed by lingering regret.
It felt as if I was being mocked by fate. Day in day out since I left the den, I've just faced worse an worse circumstances. Finally I found someone that was even the least bit kind to me and I couldn't even show her the courtesy and respect a saviour deserved—How Revolting.
There was no way I could ever lie to her again—not after I had already embarrassed myself so much.
Perhaps if I apologize, I can find forgiveness—No, it isn't that simple.
I wanted to think things were that easy, yet I couldn't ignore the truth before my eyes. I had been so frightened I almost fainted.
In all my years surviving the forest, no beast had ever terrified me this much. No matter how long it took, Even the most fearsome creatures could be hunted.
But her?
There was no defeating her. She was a living breathing monster.
Seizing the brief moment where the tension had eased, I asked one of the question that had burned in my mind since waking up.
"Who are you?"
The woman smiled.
With a single motion, she lifted her arm, and a chair scraped against the floor, dragging itself toward her before settling in place.
She took a seat, her posture poised, her gaze unwavering.
Then, with a calm and confident voice, she answered.
"I am the Mad Queen, first Nosferatu, and ruler of all demon kind. Eliza the Unforgiving."
She paused.
"At least, that's what you humans used to call me."
My mind shattered.
Eliza the Unforgiving?
That was the name of the Demon Queen.
She couldn't possibly be the real Demon Queen—she was slain centuries ago. What the hell was she doing in Igudu Forest?
This was very, very bad.
If the world discovered her existence, chaos would erupt across the continent.
I needed answers.
I needed to understand how I had ended up face to face with the most dangerous demon in recorded history.
"That can't be right. You and all your descendants were slaughtered over a thousand years ago. You expect me to believe that insane story? Women put their children to sleep with bedtime tales about the heroes who fought you!"
I had to watch my tone.
One misstep, and only the gods could save me from her wrath.
She smiled proudly and spoke,
"Oh yes, those brats—they tried, but they couldn't quite finish the job. No human had ever come as close, yet they were still far from being capable of taking my life."
There was no way.
Was she saying that everything I had been taught about demon kind was a lie?
Why, then, were humans the dominant force in the world?
Did she even know what had become of her people after her disappearance?
Unsettled by her calm demeanor, I decided to ask.
"Have you ever left the forest since your battle with the heroes?"
I couldn't care less about her people or her well-being—I just needed to understand how such a powerful being had found me and what connection she had to the conduit from before.
Her gaze narrowed.
The air grew heavier.
A crushing pressure forced me downward, rooting me in place.
For some reason, she was getting angry again.
With a sharp, measured tone, she spoke.
"It seems you take me for a complacent fool who cares not for her people."
Oh, shit.
I had forgotten—she could read minds.
She had me cornered.
Slowly, she stood from her chair, each deliberate step echoing through the vast dining hall.
When she reached me, she loomed over me, towering like an unmovable force.
Once, I had been awed by her grand stature.
Now, it only filled me with terror.
Leaning down, she brought her face close to mine, her piercing gaze locking me in place.
Then, she spoke.
"You're absolutely right. I have no concern for my people—and I haven't for the thousand years I've lived in this forest."
A sinister smile stretched across her lips.
It was impossible to understand this woman.
She didn't seem remotely normal.
I couldn't even think of a response.
Despite my initial hesitation, something inside me pushed forward.
It was strange—no matter how much I knew not to, I wanted to know more about her.
I couldn't explain why, but I felt connected to her somewhat.
Taking a risk, I continued.
"A lot of your people suffer outside the forest. The few demons that remain are often found as slaves in larger kingdoms, while the vampires have all but been wiped out. You call yourself the queen of all demons, yet for the last thousand years, you've chosen to stay here and play in your treehou—"
I stopped.
Panic seized me.
Ridiculing her would mean certain death.
My breaths came faster, erratic.
Before I could stammer out an apology, a sharp pain sliced across my cheek.
The cut was so swift—I hadn't even seen it happen.
"I told you not take me for a fool. There are reasons beyond your feeble comprehension for my presence in this forest. Question me again, and I will take your head for my trophy shelf."
Her expression was deadpan, utterly serious.
My next mistake would be my last.
She continued.
"Besides, I told you already—the fate of demon kind is not my concern. They were more of a pet project I have long since grown bored of. Think of it like a doll set given to a young girl—eventually, she tires of it. No?"
A dollhouse?
Was she truly so grand in her own mind that she compared an entire race of people to mere playthings?
Maybe, for the sake of everyone's safety, it was best that she remained here.
The moment I had that thought, her face twisted.
Her tongue slid along her upper lip, her eyes gleaming with malice.
Then, she spoke, her voice dripping with sadistic pleasure.
"Ohhh, am I truly such a threat to the human world that you would rather I stay put? Just how many people would I get to kill if I were to leave? It's been so long... I would love to see how my favorite breed of livestock has fared in my absence."
Her lips curled into a demonic smile, eyes rolling back in ecstasy as she reveled in the thought of slaughtering millions.
The sight alone sent me flying backward, crashing into the wall behind me.
The moment her twisted fantasy ended, her gaze snapped to me.
Cold. Calculating.
"Your naivety truly amazes me. I told you before who I am, It is not better for your race that I remain here. Your race only exists because I remain here. The only reason you are alive is because I have deemed it so. Your life is quite literally in my hand."
The sheer weight of her presence was crushing me.
Under the pressure of her overwhelming aura, I could barely force out my next words.
"The human race has come far since you left. Do you really believe you could end it entirely?"
She didn't hesitate.
She didn't even think about it.
Her answer was immediate.
And that was the most terrifying part.
"Of course I could. There are likely fewer things I can't do than things I can."
She paused.
"For instance—if you were to have your head cut off, what do you suppose would happen?"
Was she serious?
Obviously, a person would di—
"Correct," the madwoman gleefully interrupted.
Before I could even process what had happened, I was falling.
The world twisted, spinning violently on its axis.
Then, I hit the ground.
Yet, strangely, there was no pain.
I glanced down, expecting to see my body—only to find my own two feet standing beside me.
Confused, I looked up.
There it was—my body standing perfectly still.
The sheer, unthinkable shock of it was unreal.
My head had been severed.
Just like that.
A chilling numbness crawled through me, death's cold grip creeping over my fading consciousness.
I couldn't scream.
I couldn't cry.
All I could feel was fear.
Pure, suffocating fear.
In these final moments, my entire life flashed before my eyes.
Then...Everything went dark.
The void consumed me.
Nothingness.
Then her voice rang out once more,
"Not so fast. No one dies in my house without my permission."
I heard a strange humming, then just as suddenly as I died, I was back.
Whole.
Untouched.
Not a single mark marred my throat.
Gasping, I clawed at my neck and my body, desperate to feel myself again.
Air rushed through my lungs—sweet, refreshing, life-giving.
I had never appreciated breath more than in that moment.
Tears flooded down my face as hysteria took hold.
I screamed, my voice breaking with sheer disbelief.
"Impossible! This goes beyond magic—it's unnatural! I died! I died! Oh my god, I just fucking died!"
Collapsing to my knees, I sobbed uncontrollably.
Nothing could restrain the horror—the sheer violation of existence itself.
And yet—
She laughed.
The witch—no, this monster—only took more delight in my suffering.
Her laughter was unstoppable, her joy evident.
She jeered, savoring the sight of me unraveling—relishing my pain as though it were the finest entertainment she'd ever witnessed.
It was terrible.
Worse than terrible, it was sick. The depravity of those bandits couldn't even compare.
Watching someone revel in the most horrifying moment of my life—it was beyond comprehension.
Then, after her amusement had run its course, she finally spoke again.
"Your head was severed, and you wail and scream. Even after a thousand years, Humans are still sad an pathetic—it's almost depressing to see."
She scoffed, her tone mocking.
"As weak as you are, you cry about what's natural. Are you serious? You saw him yourself—that man. Tell me, would you call leveling an entire town natural?"
Her wicked smile vanished, replaced by an expression of pure contempt and disgust.
Then, she continued.
"Nothing about magic is natural. Its very purpose is to bend the world to one's will—a privilege reserved for the strong. The weak should instinctively fear it. Has the absence of a true threat turned magic in your world into a mere party trick?"
Impossible! She knows what happened with that man? How?
I already knew she had read my thoughts earlier, but how could she have known he leveled that town?
I started to ponder, how much did she truly know?
How much more did I still have to learn about this demon? No, How much more did I still have to learn about this world? A few minutes ago my head was on the floor, how exactly did she bring me back?
The sheer flood of mysteries pressing down on me made me feel sick.
Before I could dwell on it further, she interrupted my thoughts.
"I've had my fun for today. I'll let you rest for now. Since you played along well, I am more than happy to answer all your questions later. But for now, you should rest—I'll return with food."
A brief moment of relief, her hostility had quelled and she seemed willing to help, how much I could trust her was still up for debate. Still, I have no choice but to submit.
Before I could celebrate I started to feel dizzy, this feeling was quite familiar now—the feeling of passing out.
My vision blurred, my head feeling lighter, before my body finally gave in.
The hard ground rushed up to meet me.
Unable to resist it anymore, I let my eyes close.
Too much had happened.
Fear. Anguish. Anger.
None of it mattered anymore.
I just wanted to escape this nightmare mansion.
I just wanted to rest.