[WARNING: The following content contains disturbing scenes.]

  Kade was the first to reach her. He threw himself off the horse and raced by foot towards her. He could barely speak. His eyes shook, his pupils dilated. He dropped to his knees, shakily touching her face. She was limp. She was cold.

  Blood poured from her throat. He pulled her into his arms, unable to even breathe. He heard ringing in his ears.

  "Wake up… WAKE UP!" Kade demanded, but it was useless.

  Lina was gone.

  Kade couldn't hold it back. He was unable to. Everything within him snapped.

  No one in the world had ever heard as loud of a scream as the Commander of Ritan. His blood-curling roar sent the whole world trembling. It shook the earth's core.

  Even Atlan faltered back, his ears bleeding from the frightening sound. Everyone watched in horror. They were terrified of the insidious sound, like a wounded beast.

  Kade's shout sent the leaves falling off the branches. Even the trees bowed their heads in shame. He screamed, again, and again, and then, another. No one was able to pull him away.

  "Dove," Kade begged. Dove. he repeated.

  "Lina," he cried out. Lina, he'd pleaded. Lina. Lina. Again and again, until the name was etched in everyone's memory.

  No one was able to utter a single sound. In the army of hundreds of thousands, no one said a single thing.

  They all knew.

  Only a fool wouldn't.

  The war had ended before it began——

  "No one touches her!" Kade snarled.

  Kade was like a violent animal protecting its mate. He hugged her corpse, his eyes vicious. No one could take her from his arms. Not even when her white robes were soaked with her blood. His features were contorted, his eyes bloodshot.

  "Commander…" Sebastian trailed off, only to flinch back in fear at Kade's murderous stare.

  Any minute now, someone's head was going to roll.

  By sheer miracle, Sebastian had managed to convince the Commander to return to camp. He gave many reasons but none worked as well as the request for the deceased Princess to rest in a comfortable bed, instead of the hard ground. The soldiers were forced to march back. Atlan had tried to take Lina, but couldn't. No one in Teran dared to take a step towards the frightening man and his wife.

  "Who did this?" Kade suddenly asked.

  Sebastian slowly blinked. He was confused as to what the Commander was referring to.

  "Who killed my wife?!" Kade shouted.

  Sebastian's breath was caught. He was choked. The Commander was in denial. He was unable to understand. The Commander didn't think Lina took her own life.

  "Atlan," Sebastian finally said. "It was Atlan."

  Kade's eyes grew murderous. Right. Atlan. The reason this war began. The reason his wife died. She had begged Atlan to call off the battle. The fool did not listen.

  Now, Atlan would pay the full price of his crimes.

  "Keep watch over her."

  Sebastian lowered his gaze to the woman on the bed. Her throat was painted with dried-up blood, dark like her lips. Was the Commander not going to bury her? Was he not going to let her soul rest in peace?

  Sebastian did not know the answer to that. He could only helplessly watch as the Commander picked up the sword that took the Princess' life. He could only stare as the Commander stormed out of the tent.

  Death was upon them. Torture was insight. Soon, a massacre unlike any other would take place——

  When the Commander returned at nightfall, with a man in tow, no one could believe it. They had to. They expected as much. Who could ever defeat The Beast of the Battlefield? Who could beat the Beast who had lost his mate? His true love?

  "Commander…" Sebastian trailed off in disbelief.

  Blooded and bruised was an unconscious Atlan.

  Kade's eyes were like a wild animal. Blood seeped from his open wounds, yet he dragged Atlan by the hair. He tossed the man to the center of the camp, like a rag doll. A man of muscle and bones, yet, weighed nothing in Kade's hands.

  "Prepare the chambers."

  A single command. His voice was like icy death. He didn't need to say anything else. His tone was cold and airy, enough to send grown men fleeing. They followed his command.

  Prepare the chambers.

  When morning broke, so would Atlan's soul and body. Kade would not leave a single ounce of mercy behind. He did not have it within him to. His heart no longer beat. It died the second she was gone——

  "ARGH!"

  Atlan had screamed so much that his throat was hoarse. His naked body was stripped and whipped until his skin was like ripped rags. No one could identify what was flesh and what was skin. It was all bloodied and red, pain filling his entire body.

  Atlan was on the ground, kneeling, his face planted right into human manure. A sadistic soldier was stomping violently on his head, laughing like a wild man.

  "ARGH—AHHH!"

  Atlan screamed when he felt his only remaining toenails yanked straight off. It hurt. Everywhere was hurting. His senses were overwhelmed by the unspeakable filfth his face was pressed into. He could taste it in his mouth. He could smell it. It overwhelmed his senses.

  "He is as good as dead, Commander," Sebastian softly said.

  "Not dead enough."

  Kade simply stared at the tortured Atlan, whose pupils flashed the color of blood.

  They had done unimaginable things to this man. First, it was the whipping. Then, it was the branding.

  Kade forgot what burnt skin smelled like until today. Then, it was the violation. Next, it was pouring boiling hot water onto his aching skin. Afterward, it was beatings. Later came the filfth.

  Atlan's screams filled the chamber. It was a horrific sound that nothing in this world could resemble.

  "Is the steel armor ready?" Kade asked.

  Sebastian shakily nodded. The steel armor. It was metal crafted into the size of a man.

  The torture went like this. A human was placed into the large steel container, then, the armor would be wheeled towards an open flame. Afterward, the armor would be heated to a high temperature, until it melted onto the person. But the head would be revealed. It had to be revealed, or else the victim would be dead.

  It was the most inhumane torture that could be subjected onto someone. And only Kade had the guts to stomach it.

  "Good," Kade softly said. He was calm. Too calm.

  "I want to hear how high pitched his scream could go," Kade eerily stated.

  Sebastian swallowed. Hard. He simply waved his hand and watched as the flames grew in the center of the tent. They had to place this tent within a tent, within a tent to muffle the cries, so that the other soldiers could not hear. The tent was located deep within the forest.

  When Atlan was placed into the burning steel armor, even the scariest of animals ran for their lives. His pain was loud and wild, like a pig being butchered.

  "A-AHHHHH! ARGHHHH!"

  It was horrific.

  Sebastian nearly threw up at the sound. All of the soldiers near the tent dropped to their knees, covered their ears, and hoped the sound would go away.

  Kade watched. He barely blinked. He took in the torture. Somehow, he felt little to no relief. How could he? Lina was dead. The one and only thing he was living for was dead.

  Kade might as well be dead as well. He didn't feel his heart beat in his chest. He was numb with pain. But it'd all come back to him soon. The second he saw her face, all of the agony would return.

  Nothing in the world could change Kade's fate. Guilt clawed at his chest. He didn't feel any gratification from this torture, but he felt one thing.

  Satisfaction.

  "I'm going to carry out my promise to you, dove of mine," Kade muttered."I'm going to get revenge for you."

  And so, he did.

  When Atlan was finally released from the scorching hot heat, he slumped to the ground in defeat. He was half-dead. His skin was completely burnt off, dark and crisp. It fell off in bits and pieces. Bubbles were all over his body, from the intensity of the heat. Then, came the blisters. Next, came his pleas to die.

  "Kill……me…! Just kill me!" Atlan shouted, revealing the fangs that protruded out of his lips.

  Atlan was unable to move his body at all, despite the lack of constraints.

  Not yet. Kade was going to drain Atlan's blood. Especially after he saw a flash of eyes the color of rubies. A creature of the night. If women with magical abilities existed, so did legends of a bloodsucking creature.

  Kade simply blinked. Slow. Steady. That was enough torture for one night. His wife was going to miss him. And he could not sleep without her in his arms——

  Kade was unable to hold back his tears. He silently cried as he lifted the blankets over her body. The tent was warm. Soon, the smell would arrive. He didn't care. He couldn't bring himself to care.

  "Lina… I've left you for too long," Kade whispered, his voice low and quiet.

  Kade lowered himself into the bed. He hugged her tightly, his lips pressed to her head. He embraced her the entire night, but never slept a wink.

  From today onwards, he'd never be able to. Not until he was certain she'd rest in peace. Even if he never would. Not for the rest of his life, at least.