Chapter 5

It was bizarre for prey like her to thank the predator before getting devoured. For Layla’s case, it was counted as ‘normal’ since her wish was granted. In a few seconds, she was able to see the light which she dreamed of. She was glad her eye worked just fine and let her glanced at the beautiful scenery in the midst of the night, although the other one also opened up, she could tell its function didn’t work as it should.

“Insane. You’re insane,” the beast said while holding in his laughter. Layla’s gesture was something he didn’t expect. He saw countless women offered to him but not someone like the one who was hugging him tightly while whispering her thanks with all her sincerity.

“No, I’m not. I’m just grateful,” she responded before pulling herself away from the huge, white beast. “I may not look like it but I hate getting deceived. So if you still want to eat me, do it.” Layla lied down her back on the stone table, spreading her arms. “Don’t blame me if you die right after you swallow me. I’m telling you, my body was infused with poison for years. The choice is yours if you want your glutton self take over your mighty existence,” she added without batting her eyelashes. She was looking at the sky while submitting her life to the demon as part of the deal she proposed.

“Do you want to enjoy the moon a little longer?”

Layla shook her head ‘no’. She appreciated the thought, but she was dealing with the infamous demon, something she shouldn’t forget. She was fine giving up her life but not her soul in case he wanted it in exchange for additional time he offered. “Just kill me before I change my mind,” Layla casually said and stared right at the beast’s eyes. His gray orbs fiercely glaring at her was fascinating in her sight. The young lady smiled for having seen another beautiful light in the world. “Your eyes look like the moon,” she mumbled while in a daze. Her attention was eventually captured by the beast away from the queen of the night which remained glowing up in the sky.

“And yours look like a magic ball with a vast forest trapped inside it. Too bad, you only have one. What happened to the other?” The beast pulled out its tongue and moved towards her blind eye to lick it. “Since you made me laugh after a long time, I’ll let you beg me to heal your wound.”

‘Beg you? I don’t care even my other eye is blind since I’m going to die anyway. But if healing me includes giving me physical strength, then don’t blame me for having my mind change,’ Layla thought. “Got pierced by broken glass. I don’t think there’s a way to heal this. I rather have all the body pains and bruises disappear instead than recover my eyesight from my already long rotten eye,” she mumbled.

“No more talking, little brat. Close your eyes,” the beast ordered which she obeyed.

‘I knew it. He was just testing my greediness. Does he want to kill me depending on how I answer his every question?’ Layla shut her eyes close and waited for her death but a few moments had passed yet nothing happened other than the old scar fading on her eye down her face. She felt something was happening to her body again, but she couldn’t put a finger on what exactly it was. “What did you do?” she asked in confusion when she felt her body floating in the air. The wind was blowing underneath her and she could feel her the soft garment of her dress dancing with it.

“Oh, what now?” Layla heard the beast muttered, but she didn’t know what to answer as she had no idea about what was happening either.

“C-Can I open my eyes now? What’s going on?” she inquired. She was still in the same position she had when she lied down on the altar but the difference was the hard stone underneath seemed to disappear, yet she wasn’t falling or anything.

“Do it and see for yourself,” the beast replied. He growled in her direction which sent shivers down her spine. He was trying to scare her again. Too bad, getting frightened was not in her vocabulary at that very moment since she decided him to have her petty life in the first place.

‘All right! No need to growl at me,’ she thought but didn’t dare to say it out loud, or she wouldn’t have a chance to know what was going on before she got herself killed by her action and careless words. Slowly, Layla opened her eyes and to her surprise, she saw the perfectly round moon up in the sky, surrounded by stars. Who would even believe that there were thunder and lightning earlier and all other signs of terrible weather? Looking up above, a peaceful night was all it defined with the beauty of the stars and the glory of the moon with its humble yet fascinating light. “So beautiful…” Layla mumbled.

She had no idea how it happened but her vision was clearer than before. She could see a larger scope all around her and the irking itchiness on her severed eye was gone. Subconsciously, she held her hand and guided it to her right eye. Tears fell from it when she saw her thin hands and stick-like fingers. Just like what the beast said, her eye was healed.

“My eyes…. I can see with both of them!” Layla exclaimed and looked around to find the giant beast. When she couldn’t find him, she looked down and there she realized… she was in the air… floating. “Aahhhhhh!”

Her cry put the beast’s howling in shame. It was louder than when the demon of the west howled earlier. And it wasn’t Layla to be blamed, she was a total stranger to the things above ground. She lived life underneath in the dungeon and anything else she wasn’t familiar with would surprise her.

“Put me down! Put me down! I’m falling!” She wiggled her body and kicked her legs in the air. Her mindset’s flaunting she wasn’t scared anymore backfired when she discovered she was afraid of heights.

‘And here I thought you’re a smart one,’ the beast thought when he saw how the young lady panicked. “I didn’t cause you to float. I was also thinking about how it happened. Aren’t you supposed to be the one giving me an explanation?” He growled at her again while glaring at her. “Enough of this talk. You’re getting annoying now. I might as well just eat you alive,” he said and spread his mouth wider, showing off his fangs with traces of fresh blood. Again. He amazed Layla in the most unexpected way when she thought his form was magnificent despite getting herself eaten. While in the process, she had a sudden urge to survive. Just instinct… the majority should have felt the same in a similar situation.

‘Oh, no! I’m going to get killed. Am I ready to die? I thought I’d be fine with it after fulfilling my wish… but I just couldn’t. I still want to live,’ Layla thought to herself. The seed of desperation inside her started growing until it bore a flower which would later become a fruit. ‘No… I don’t want to die. I’m sorry but I don’t want to die. If I can live a little longer,’ she prayed with tears in her eyes, glistening through the moon rays.

“This is the end. Say goodbye to your life,” was what Layla heard before her vision turned white… then red… and the last thing she remembered was the pitch-black environment filled with painful cries.

The interesting part was, it wasn’t her voice which was crying for help but the beast.