The Tyrant's Pet

"Because if you show me your fears... I will feast on them."

Abel's eyes were glinting, watching her look at him straight in the eye with that stern countenance of her. But as if to spite him or taunt him, her lips quivered and, slowly, her strong facade broke down. His breath hitched and his hand against the wall balled — almost clawing the cracked wall as he did.

"Hah..." a weak and short laugh slipped past his lips. "Oh, darling... now you pressed on my nerve."

"You're scaring me now." Her breath hitched when he leaned his face closer, making her fuse with the wall, only to feel his grip around her waist pulling her closer. Aries planted her palm on his chest on instinct, eyes shaking while holding his deadly gaze.

"Why, darling? Weren't you a little daunting moments ago? Where did that courage go? Hmm?" he cocked his head to the side, raising his brows. "Claim it and say you're not scared again even after seeing these fangs and meeting these eyes, darling."

He waited for an entire minute, waiting for her to tell him she wasn't scared. Abel anticipated the words that would come out of her smart mouth when they parted, but nothing — not even a lie. Her voice didn't come, but the fear in her eyes had grown apparent.

The side of his lips curled up, chuckling with his lips closed. "I thought so." He rocked his head mildly. "That's the answer you sought for why I never told, darling."

Abel pushed himself from the wall and pointed at her. "That."

Aries clutched her hand close to her chest, watching him ran his fingers through his hair as he took several steps back. Abel laughed briefly, and it continued on, taking more steps back until he turned on his heel. She flinched when he suddenly kicked the coffee table, flipping it over with a loud pang.

"Ahh..." Abel chuckled continuously, glancing at the broken table. He clasped a portion of his hair, looking around the chambers as if to find more things to break. His eyes glinted brightly, revealing the immense anger he never felt before. A wave of anger he didn't know how to quench.

"You better leave, darling," he closed his eyes, his finger zeroing on his temple. "I'm angry."

"No."

He hissed and reopened his sharp eyes, glancing over his shoulder until his dull eyes met hers. "No?"

"It's — it's..." she stuttered, watching him walk in his spot until he was facing her.

"It's what?" His brows elevated, tilting his head to the side. "Can't speak anymore? Too scared?"

"I... am."

His eyes dilated at her, pointing at the door. "Then, leave. That is the sign you should leave, darling. Run while you can because if you don't, I will amputate your legs so you don't go anywhere. If you try to crawl, your arms will go."

"What..."

"Yes." Abel smiled until his eyes were squinting. "Do you know what I will do to your severed limbs? I'll frame them and treat them as my prize possessions. Add them to my collections."

Aries balled her hands into a fist and spoke cruelly. "You're sick."

His smile faded until his face and eyes were devoid of emotion. "Yes... surprise, you just figured that out?" he fluttered his eyelashes ever so slowly.

"Then why not kill me now?" she asked bravely, controlling her racing heart under his sharp yet empty gaze. Those empty eyes he would always give her in the past and only resurfaced recently were so familiar to her, clenching her heart until she was out of breath.

"Hah... kill you now?" Abel pondered for seconds before he marched towards her. "Good idea."

Aries's body trembled at his every step, watching his hand approach her neck. A part of her brain was screaming at her to shut her eyes or run away where he wouldn't find her. However, fear settled in her heart, paralyzing her from doing anything, forcing her to keep her eyes open until his hands wrapped around her neck.

She held her breath, eyes shaking at him. But… his grip around her neck wasn't tight. In fact, he was barely touching her, giving her the chance to feel the tremors on his palm.

He couldn't do it.

Abel ground his teeth as heat filled his eyes, seeing her frightened expression up close. How could she still use that smart mouth of hers when she couldn't even fake it all the way?

"You are driving me crazy, Aries…" he shook his head mildly, wanting to look away from her but couldn't. He couldn't take his eyes off of her, even though that mere sight of her brought this crippling afflicting in every fiber of his body.

Despite the pain that was even graver than all the deaths he emerged from, not a single tear escaped his eyes.

His fingers tapped her neck slightly until his arms slid down to his side. He shook his head once more, taking steps back. When he raised a finger and opened his mouth, he ended up waving and keeping his silence.

He already expected such an outcome. It was normal… it was normal.

"Humans… ah, fragile creatures and yet…" Abel glanced at the armchair and kicked it to release just a small — tiny — fraction of his anger, roaring. "… so vile."

He laughed through his gritted teeth, kicking another chair towards the door, shifting his anger to objects. "Fucking humans…! I will kill every single —"

"Your Royal Highness!"

<strong>SPLASH!</strong>

For a moment, Aries's heart stopped when a knight barged inside her room after hearing the commotion, only for the knight to explode like a balloon. Blood splattered around the entrance. Her eyes fell on the floor, seeing the knight's uniform with no body in sight as if he just disappeared. If not for the blood and tiny flesh and witnessing herself what Abel was capable of, she wouldn't believe this was possible.

"The door is open." She raised her shaking eyes at him, catching Abel motioned his arm towards the door. "Get out of my sight, Aries… or you will be next."

Her lips quivered as they parted, keeping her gaze on him. "No." Her breath hitched when something came out of Abel's back, and she only realized it was his wings when its sharp tip was pressed against the side of her neck.