“Ahhhhh,” Aziza’s agonising screams rose higher. The loud piercing scream almost damaged the ears of the people around and the sound of it echoed loudly in the mansion. Her intestines rolled up inside her stomach as it tied itself into a knot and pulled the walls of her stomach from all directions. Crunching down, she lifted her knees to her stomach and curled herself into a ball as she whimpered and cried in agony. Her beast was roaring inside of her, her body shook with a trembling feeling. This was no mere pain, this was no mere injury, it was not what others could understand. Her body burned with fire, her skin crawled with the steam of hell. Something within her pushed against her body, pushed against her mind and threatened to over take her. The last time she felt something similar was on the day she was trapped far away from Damon while assassins were literally in his building, closing up on him. The pain was severe, but never like what she felt. It had broken her bones, burned her and slowly tortured her more than the way it had ever done.
“Russel,” she groaned in agony and slight anger. Then she turned to Damon, helpless, angry and in torments. She needed Russel, she had always needed Russel when she was in such a phase. It had always been like this, ever since she became an adult. It came and went on its free will. Russel had a magical cure for it, it was like a medication just like what Damon was taking. It was not to hinder her powers like what Damon was taking but to take away a bit of her pain when she was phasing through it.
“He is coming,” Damon went closer to her. The sight of her in so much pain only made him feel more terrible. It tore at his heart and burned his eyes that he wished he could look away. The sight of her burned his heart, it tore at him like there was a dagger in his chest wanting to rip the life out of him. And the fact that he could not help her ease her pain made him feel helpless and weak. She had always been the one protecting him, always been the one guarding him and making sure that he was safe yet at such a low point for her, he could do nothing but watch in torments of his own.
“When?” she growled at him, revealing her fangs and her demons. Her pupils went darker and the familiar bloody line around it came to view that Damon flinched and took a step back from her. Something about her felt hostile, too hostile especially towards him. It was the first time he was feeling that way, the first time he felt that gaze on him to be a dangerous one. The pain struck Aziza again, and this time, a loud growl escaped her mouth as she fell back on the bed with her heart pumping through her chest. Then she whimpered and a stray tear came down from the corner of her eyes. She turned her eyes to Damon who had taken safety a few distance away from her and something hard hit his chest immediately. Without thinking, he went closer to her and sat beside her on the bed. Seeing nothing more to do other than to comfort her and try to ease her off the pain. Yet that could never be enough. She was not a child who had lost a parent or a doll. She was Aziza and whatever could cause her such pain had to be tormenting even as hell itself. He took her hand in his and felt it within his as it shook and trembled. It felt hot against his skin and found it soothing. Turning his gaze to her face, the red line in her eyes had disappeared to reveal her true self. She stared at him, another stray tear came out from the corner of her eyes again and it burned his heart like water on a desert.
But his touch was more like tears on a desert to her. It had felt like winter against summer, water against fire, ice against lava and for a split second she had felt the hell within her cool down. He squeezed her hand gently in his and watched her helplessly while he prayed that Russel who they had all been waiting for would come soon. Like the demons heard his prayers, they rose even higher, doubling their torments, they pushed against Aziza and burnt her. Her eyes instantly turned bloody and her claws grew out of her hand as yet another growl of pain submerged her. Damon flinched again at not just the sound of her voice but the feel of her very sharp claws that threatened to dig into his skin. Fear consumed him at her sudden hostility again and for the very first time ever since he woke up from the hospital, he felt unsafe.
Aziza saw that look flash in his eyes, fear. It burned her inside even more that he had felt that way, yet it hurt her and filled her with guilt. She whimpered out of a different pain and let go of his hand like she knew what he was thinking. Then she turned her head and moved her body to the extreme end of the bed to face her torments all by herself. Damon felt relieved at the distance, yet his heart frowned at her action and so did his heart drop. But before he could think so much about it, the door busted open and a guard ran it. Aziza glared at him for a moment, then she shut her eyes and looked away from him in her bid to hold the animosity growing within her.
“A man at the gate claims to be Russel,” he said to Damon breathlessly and his eyes went wide.
“Bring him in, now,” he roared at him and just as the guard had run in, he ran out of the room and out into the compound. Straight for the gate he went and gave the order he personally got.
Russel had been pacing to and fro impatiently at the gate with his thoughts going far and wide and a new zeal to succeed. When the guard had opened the gate, he had run in with the bag he hung over his shoulders. A guard followed him instantly and soon enough, they were at the building and he was directed to the room where he could find Damon and Aziza. He had no time to look at the wealthy house nor did he have time to take note of the guards and maids who stared at him warily and with questions in their eyes. But he saw something, something he recognized to be Aziza’s handwork. So many times, he had seen that look on people’s faces. Usually, they were people who were about to die or those who merely escaped because she wanted them to escape her. Their lives never remained the same after encountering the red hair and he knew it because he had kept tabs on most of them. And just like how he had taken note of that look too well, he could see it in the eyes and face of the staff of Mr. Roxwell. They were scared out of their minds and were only going as pale as ghosts itself. That he could not help but wonder what it was that she might have done.
When a growl suddenly erupted and shook the very foundation of the building. His heart ran a mile and he went frozen in a spot. The sound of her demons, her pains, her rage and her animosity mixed into one was more than an encounter with the devil, it was almost an encounter with death. For her aura, her sickening demeanour and the magic she possessed had spread around the building. He could finally understand why they were all pale like they had seen their deaths coming. He shook out of his trance and looked around, they were all standing still and horrified, yet they remained in one spot. If they were so frightened for their lives, the first thing they could do was to run away from that house to keep safe, yet they remained still like fools.
He shook his head at the thought, Aziza could have been right when she called human’s fools. But she was soon going to be one. He took his eyes away from the people and started towards the stairs in hurried steps.
Pushing the door open with a bang, he hurried in and saw the peculiar sight of a child who he had come to take as a daughter. She looked terrible and the sight of her pain pierced his heart like a sword through his chest. Aziza slowly turned her eyes to the door at the familiar presence and her heart leaped at the sight of him. But he stopped at a spot and went stiff at the very look in her eyes. Her powers were coming to view and under her eyes had dark markings, almost like veins. Her demons were pushing at her, her darkness was coming and soon enough she would become the very thing he feared.
“Russel,” Damon growled at the man and how stiff he had become. The sound of the angry voice pulled him out of his very thoughts and he quickly dropped his bag. The zeal to save her became even more intensified as he rummaged through the ingredients in his bag. Picking up a very small and round plate. He dropped it on the floor and brought out a small bottle which contained green liquid. Then he brought out some sticks, a leaf and a bottle of oil. He dropped it all on the floor and opened the green liquid. Immediately, he started chanting and muttering incoherent words as he poured a tiny bit into the plate. Then he took the leaves and tore it into tiny pieces into the plate as well, later on, he poured the oil and used the stick to stir. He kept muttering incoherent words as he chanted and said the magic spells while Damon watched in confusion and awe at what he was doing. Aziza on the other hand kept groaning and whimpering as her pain intensified yet she tried to hold it in. Hold back her demons and whatever seemed to be plaguing her so as not to hurt the people she cared about most.
Damon had been confused at what the man was doing till he suddenly felt something in the air, something other than death, something dark, strange and powerful. It made him somewhat dizzy and immediately after, smoke puffed out of the very plate Russel held.
He smiled and turned to Aziza, seeing that the potion was ready and started towards her. Happily, she got up, pushing away her pain and wanting so badly to get rid of it the only way she could. She stretched her shaky hands towards Russel to take the very potion he held with a smile on his face, but her demons growled at her and pulled her back in a swift move. Her back hit hard against the bed and it struck her chest as a warning. They were no longer just wanting to be let loose nor did they see any fun in tormenting her anymore, rather they were wary, scared and anxious.
Russel frowned at her actions and went even closer to her to hand her the potion that would save her but she growled mightily at him and gnashed her teeth against each other as her fangs elongated from her teeth. He shook and took a step back as he watched her. His spirit could sense the battle within her, he could feel what was happening too but she was someone dare to him. Someone he would want to have a normal life, free from hate, revenge, her horrendous past and magic and in order to do that, she had to continually take his potions till it slowly rid her of her powers. If only he realised sooner.
Determined, he moved forward and stretched the potion towards her.
“Aziza,” he called out calmly, yet softly.
“This would help….”
“No,” something mad growled from within her and almost smashed the very plate he held but he was quick to duck. He eyed her, seeing the very demons within her, the very death and devil she carried herself.
“Aziza,” he growled and started reciting a chant again. She roared and charged at him with the speed of light till something struck her head hard. A wave of dizziness washed all over her and her demons whimpered within, then she fell to the ground, conscious, slightly. Russel stopped reciting his chant and bent down beside her, then he helped her lift her head and slowly raised the potion to her lips.
Warily, happily, she gulped it all in.