Author's note: this is from Aldus's point of view

- - -

​​

Now that the annoying witch left, I was free to resume searching for my missing garments.

Where is my necktie?

"What did you do to me?"

Vesper's question interrupted my search for the necktie. She was wearing a black silky robe that ended at the half of her thighs. I must admit that for her age, as a human, she has good legs, and her body is quite flexible.

"I could tell you…", I drawled. "But then I would need to kill you."

Vesper looked at me with a mix of anger and fear.

I sneered. "Did you really think that I will allow you to enslave me again? You are a lesser being. What you did to me was much more than skin deep."

Vesper snorted. "Did I hurt your feelings?"

"Silence!", I shouted, and I felt my blood boiling as Vesper lost color from her face and started shivering. "I can kill you with a thought. Don't. Ever. Forget that!"

Vesper gasped for air as I stopped sapping her lifeforce. Stupid witch.

"You won't kill me. You need me to help your precious daughter.", she barked at me.

"Oh, you will help her."

"What if I don't?", she asked defiantly.

My index finger was halfway up when Vesper's eyes nearly bulged out in panic and she screamed, "STOP! STOP! I get it! STOP!"

I smiled smugly. "You are smarter than I thought if you learned from one lesson. However, I hope you realize that the finger-lifting is just for you to know that I am the one doing it. The truth is that I don't need to move any part of my body in order for you to experience agony."

She was holding onto her temples again, and this time the fear on her face was genuine. "What did you do to me?"

"It is something I invented. I can kill you with a thought even if you go to a different dimension. No matter where you hide, I will find you, Vesper. Think of this like there is a permanent camera in your head and I am always watching you and if you displease me, the camera is capable of electrocuting your nerves and cause you unimaginable pain until your brain explodes."

The always-watching part was a lie, but the rest was the truth. I had no intention to spy on the witch, but I needed her to stay in check.

"You bit me…", Vesper said weakly while rubbing her neck.

"Don't worry. I didn't release my venom, so you will not turn into a vampire or... something else. The bite was only so that I inject you with the parasite which already settled in your brain."

Vesper's chin shivered and I was not sure if that was from anger or if she was about to cry. Probably both, but honestly, I didn't care.

"For how long?", she asked.

"Until I release you or you die. Don't even think about harming me, because the failsafe could be triggered and your brain might explode. Don't worry, I prefer you alive because I will need your services for a very, very long time, assuming that I find you useful."

I must admit that I enjoyed toying with her. Ah, it felt damn good.

Vesper adjusted her mood and asked calmly, "What do you want?"

"We will start with you teaching Serina to control her powers. I will bring her tomorrow morning, as usual."

"I need some time to recover."

I didn't care about her imaginary fatigue. She was quite lively before I bit her and threw her unconscious. "Recover tonight. Serina will be here in the morning."

"There is nothing for me to teach her anymore."

"Now… you wouldn't be lying to me, right?" I lifted my hand, and my index finger twitched.

"No, no…", Vesper said while waving her hands frantically. "She already has the control. The only thing left was to try it out in the real-life setting."

"Are you telling me that I have no use of you?"

Vesper realized that she was walking on thin ice. She had to prove to me that she was useful, and I wanted her to do exactly that.

Show me what you can do for me, witch!

Seeing the malice in my expression, Vesper spoke with haste, "It's just that there is no need for you to come here. Serina needs to get out of the quiet room and experience real danger. Only with practice she will learn to control the output of pheromones. I am the only one who can guide her through that. You can't do it, because with you around, Serina is not afraid."

"Are you saying that you want to go to the city, with Serina, alone?"

Vesper confirmed. "You can follow us, but she should not be aware of it."

"If you try anything…"

"I know!", Vesper interrupted me. "Exploding brain."

"Good that you know. Now, slave, find me my necktie."

Vesper looked at me in disbelief and swallowed hard before she moved and started looking through her apartment.

With Vesper's assistance, I found my missing garments swiftly and I was about to leave when Vesper stopped me.

"You won't ask me why I did it?"

I looked at my hand which she was holding onto and my disdainful expression was enough for her to let go.

"No matter what you say, I won't believe you.", I responded curtly and walked out. "Be ready in the morning to continue your work with Serina! Don't make me wait!"

The fresh night air that greeted me felt great, and it smelled like freedom.

I was in such a good mood that I decided to walk home.

Really, what was with that puppy-eyed look Vesper gave me when I left? Did she think I will believe that she is in love with me or that her actions were not purely selfish?

I don't know why she did it, but no matter what her reasons are, I don't approve.

There was a time when I trusted Vesper. I admired her skills and the things she can do with a handful of ingredients and chants that are converging the world's energy in one spot, but when she used her ability to manipulate me to the point of using me like her boy-toy, it all crumbled, and the only thing I felt at the thought of Vesper was a need for revenge.

Well, I reached that goal so I guess I should make other plans. With Vesper being forced to obey my commands, the possibilities are endless. But first… I will get her to help Serina.

The biggest torture for Vesper will probably be me doing absolutely nothing. She will wait in fear for me to strike with the knowledge that the pain can strike at any time if she even sneezes in a way I don't approve of. Ah, the paranoia will drive her insane.

I am not a violent person. I prefer to focus on my science, but Vesper was asking for it.

I noticed several passersby giving me strange looks. I must appear like a crazy person since I'm walking on the dark street and snickering on my own.

I entered the apartment and thought of calling for Serina. She will definitely be surprised to see me. I remembered her concerned expression when I left, and I could imagine her smile when she sees me back, safe and sound.

Will she give me one of her awkward hugs?

I inhaled deeply with an intention to shout Serina's name, but my breath was cut short when I heard the noise of something shattering from the direction of Serina's bedroom.

A split-second later, piercing pain assaulted my neck and I fell on my knees while my body convulsed painfully.

Shit! I forgot about the forty-eight hours and the twin angler.

Well, the good thing was that Serina is reliable. The bad thing was that I was losing my consciousness.

This should not last more than a few seconds. I can hold on.

I reached for the ornamental stand on my right with an intention to steady myself, but the only thing I achieved was for the large Ming Dynasty vase to fall on the floor due to me shaking the stand.

- - -

Author's note: this is from Seraphina's point of view

- - -

A minute earlier…

"I'm sorry, Bob, but the time has come.", I said to the twin angler that was coiling inside the vial filled with see-through blue liquid.

I gripped the mallet and made sure that the drain of the bathtub was closed. I lifted the mallet and halted in order to say a few more words to the creature I was about to smash into pulp.

"I hope you know that this is hard for me, but between you and my father, the choice is clear. If you are in this situation, you would do the same. I hope you will not blame me, Bob."

Oh, God! I didn't know it will be this hard. Normally, I would not have any problems killing a bug, but this is Bob and I've known him for two days.

Can he understand me? I hope not, but I still had to tell him that I'm doing this for the right reasons. Are there right reasons to kill a creature? Can we say that one life has more worth than another? All this was too philosophical, but I reminded myself that if Aldus is harmed, I will be on my own again, and that was not something I could accept.

"Again… I'm sorry…", I said and swung the mallet toward the vial.

The vial crumpled easily, scattering tiny glass pieces in the bathtub.

As I lifted the mallet, I saw a black smudge that used to be the twin angler I called Bob.

Well, Aldus said that their bodies are fragile, but this is more like jelly. It got squished super-easy. Mallet was definitely an overkill.

Should I hit Bob a few more times, just to make sure he is dead before I wash him down the drain? What about the glass pieces? Should I collect them, or is it OK if they go down the drain also?

Before I came up with any answers, I heard glass breaking from outside of my bedroom and I dashed to see what's going on.

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