LOGINDunia kegelapan mengenalnya sebagai Ratu Iblis yang tak terkalahkan, pemimpin yang memerintah dengan tangan besi dan kekuatan tak terbantahkan. Namun, sebelum menjadi sosok yang ditakuti, Zhefora hanyalah seorang gadis kecil yang dikutuk oleh takdir. Ia lahir sebagai putri dari penguasa kerajaan iblis, tetapi sejak kecil ia dijauhi karena cakra iblis yang mengalir dalam tubuhnya—sesuatu yang bahkan kaum iblis sendiri takuti. Dibandingkan dengan saudara-saudaranya yang disanjung dan dihormati, Zhefora tumbuh dalam bayang-bayang ketakutan dan kebencian. Jika ia terluka, orang-orang menghindar. Jika ia tersenyum, mereka menatapnya dengan ngeri. Jika ia menangis, dunia seolah menertawakan kelemahannya. Maka, ia berhenti tersenyum. Berhenti menangis. Berhenti berharap. Di usianya yang ke-16, ibunya meninggal secara tragis, dan ayahnya menghilang dalam perang yang tak pernah dimenangkannya. Takhta kerajaan jatuh ke tangannya—bukan karena ia menginginkannya, tetapi karena tidak ada pilihan lain. Zhefora, yang dulu hanya seorang gadis kesepian, kini berdiri sebagai Ratu Iblis yang ditakuti. Ia menguasai kerajaan dengan kebijaksanaan dan kekuatan, tetapi hatinya tetap kosong. Hanya Erem, tangan kanan dan penasihatnya, yang setia berada di sisinya. Namun, kekuasaan selalu membawa ancaman. Dalam sebuah ekspedisi untuk memperluas wilayahnya, pasukan kerajaan iblis terjebak dalam serangan brutal dari musuh yang tak terduga. Zhefora yang selama ini tak pernah goyah, untuk pertama kalinya menghadapi kemungkinan kekalahan. Di saat itulah ia melihatnya—Aroo. Seorang pria muda dengan kekuatan yang bahkan tak bisa ia duga. Ia bukan iblis, bukan manusia, bukan makhluk yang bisa Zhefora definisikan dengan mudah. Dengan satu gerakan, Aroo membalikkan keadaan. Pasukan musuh yang nyaris menghancurkan mereka, kini bertekuk lutut. Zhefora memandangnya dengan mata tajam. Siapa dia? Mengapa ia membantunya? Dan yang lebih penting... mengapa kehadirannya membuat hati Zhefora yang beku mulai retak? Seiring waktu, hubungan mereka berkembang—dari sekadar ratu dan panglima, menjadi sesuatu yang lebih berbahaya. Zhefora yang selama ini hanya mengenal kesepian, mulai merasakan sesuatu yang lebih dalam.
View MoreShe awoke with a start.
Taking down her hands which had been earlier wrapped around her torso, to the floor as a support system, she sat upright; wincing sharply as pain shot through every nook and cranny of her entire being. What had happened? She thought, as she took in a deep breath. The air was stale and clammy.
''Where am I?'' She muttered, taking a scan of the entire dark space with her tired eyes. She could tell that it was a windowless room, too stuffy and stale, too dark too; she couldn't see much except the little illumination proferred by a soft glow which was cast by the few rays of light coming in from small creaks on an iron door. But she didn't understand how she had gotten here.
''What am I doi…''
"Oh God!" She shrieked, jerking up her head, as memories of past events assailed her head in hot pursuit.
She bent her head down in agony, rubbing her hands frankly on her faded blue jeans, as she muttered incoherent words.
She had been taken, for reasons she couldn't fathom. She had just been trying to escape as her parents had urged her too during the last assault on her pack, with Jeremy, when…
"Wait.. where's Jeremy?" She asked rhetorically, getting frantic by the moment. She didn't think she would be able to survive if Jeremy died.
He had been a strong pillar of support, apart from her family which she hoped wasn't dead, ever since it was discovered that she was wolfless. Nobody knew whether it had been a temporary issue or a permanent one, even the Pack's doctor.
But it didn't stop the taunts and bullying in school. Only Jeremy had stood up for her; Kia, her childhood friend had abadoned her, joining the taunting gang immediately she had gotten wind of the information.
And now she couldn't find him.
"Jeremy.." She whispered at first, still stuck between choosing to stand up and shout out his name, or sit and whisper. She didn't know who was outside at the moment. She was scared. They had been ambushed and taken by the captives. They couldn't escape.
"I'm sorry Mom." She muttered, as a lone tear trickled down her cheek. She had failed them. She didn't escape. Now Jeremy was in trouble.
When she didn't hear Jeremy's voice, it made the choice for her. She had to stand up.
Taking a deep breath, she forced herself up from the ground, gritting her teeth as she tried to withstand the pains shooting all over the body. She couldn't help but wonder whether she had been beaten before been thrown into this black zone; but then she couldn't feel any bruise. Might be tiredness then. She thought, walking towards the big iron door which could pass for a narrow gate because of the thorns on its apex.
"Jeremy!" She yelled, not minding the grunts she was hearing from nearby places. She could tell that she was in a prison house. But finding Jeremy was more important. He was her safe house.
"Jeremy!" She yelled again, this time louder; blinking her eyes rapidly to stop the tears that were threatening to flow down like a river whose bank had broken through. She couldn't lose Jeremy, not now. She refused to think that something bad had happened to him.
When there was no response again, she shuddered. Have they killed him? Was her parents still alive?
Who are these people? And who had ticked them off on where they were staying? They had just settled into the area last year, after escaping from their ruthless ruler.
"Jeremy.." She muttered weakly, dropping down to the floor in forlornness, letting the tears flow. She couldn't believe that she had lost three of her favorite people in a day.
Suddenly, there was a loud bang and shuffling of several feet. She was startled. She scampered back to her former place, trampling on an empty plate as she moved hastily.
"Have they come to silence her too?" She thought, shaking violently. Her seizures were starting again. She stretched her right hand into the pocket of her jeans, searching for the white container.
She sighed dejectedly, when she didn't find it. It must have fallen away, when they had carried them away.
Bitting her lips, she wrapped her arms around herself, waiting for the worse.
She shuddered again when she heard a deep voice thunder across the space. She knew it was a male.
"Where is the wimp shouting for Jeremy?" He had said.
Someone must have pointed to her door. She was sure. Because in the next minute, she heard rattling sounds outside the black door sealing her space.
Her eyes widened in apprehension. Perhaps it was her turn to leave this evil earth. She thought, trying to calm the seizures racking her body by taking deep breaths.
She held her breath, as the door finally jerked open, revealing a big stouty man.
"You're the wimp beckoning for Jeremy eh" He asked, strutting towards her.
She shrinked back more, into the wall, if possible.
He displayed an evil smile, before moving closer to her.
"You would be good in bed. I think." He said, trailing eyes now filled with lust over her petite frame. "The innocent ones always are." He added, licking his lips which the girl found disgusting.
What the hell was this place? She hoped she wouldn't be used as a sex slave. She would have to die before that. She thought conclusively, tightening her fists.
"Where is Jeremy?" She asked, trying to casting a brave look at the man.
A brave look which was easily wiped off, when the man slapped her hard across her face.
She could taste the blood in her mouth.
"You don't speak unless you're spoken to." The strange man said, scrunching his eyebrows. "Do you understand that?" He asked.
She nodded, unconsciously nursing her burning cheeks with her right hand.
"Well, you're lucky. He isn't dead yet. Bring the other wimp in." He shouted to whoever was outside the door, but not taking his cold black eyes away from her. She thought she hadn't seen a more evil eyes.
Her shoulders sagged in relief, when she saw Jeremy being pushed into the room carelessly.
He wasn't looking good with his face looking all battered, but he was still alive. There was still hope.
"Jeremy!" She yelled, attracting the blonde's attention.
"Olivera." He whispered, his swollen eyes watering a bit, as he laid tiredly on the floor.
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Erem berdiri tegap di gerbang utama istana, matanya tajam mengawasi keadaan sekitar. Sebagai tangan kanan Ratu Zhefora, ia memiliki tanggung jawab besar untuk memastikan keamanan kerajaan iblis. Malam itu terasa lebih dingin dari biasanya, sesuatu yang jarang terjadi di wilayah yang dipenuhi energi iblis yang panas dan mengancam. Beberapa prajurit menghampirinya, memberi laporan tentang situasi di sekitar istana. "Perbatasan aman, Tuan Erem," ujar salah satu prajurit. Erem mengangguk, tetapi firasatnya mengatakan sebaliknya. Ada sesuatu yang tidak beres. Hawa di sekitarnya terasa berbeda—terlalu sunyi, seolah alam semesta menahan napas. Ia melangkah ke menara pengawas dan menatap ke arah hutan kegelapan yang mengelilingi kerajaan. Dalam kegelapan itu, ia menangkap sesuatu yang membuat jantungnya berdegup lebih kencang. Siluet-siluet bergerak di antara pepohonan, mata mereka merah menyala, tapi aura mereka… berbeda dari para iblis. Mereka bukan prajurit kerajaan iblis, juga bukan
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