​"Um... What were you planning on doing today, child?" Samuel asked, trying to keep his voice steady as he stood in Matilda's pristine room.

​"I was planning on delivering some foodstuffs and money to the orphanages all over the nation, and also investing in charity events," Matilda answered, a bright, innocent smile lighting her face.

​"Oh, Uncle... The smiles on their faces. It's something you can never forget. I will keep doing this to see those smiles," she said, radiating genuine warmth.

​Samuel held back his tears. 'How I wish I could take you away from this family. But there is no way we can hide without being discovered. Going to the King will get your family executed, and you can never live with that guilt.' He exhaled silently, forcing himself to commit the betrayal. He placed his trembling hand on Matilda's head.

​"I will miss you, child." he whispered, a final, futile gesture of affection.

​"Miss me? Are you going somewhere, Uncle?" Matilda asked, surprised, blinking her silvery eyes.

​"No... Come on now, your father is waiting for you. He asked me to bring you to him."

​"Oh, okay." Matilda nodded, slightly taken aback by the sudden summons.

___

​[The Underground Chamber in the Estate.]

​"Where is this place?" Matilda asked, her confusion growing as she moved her gaze around the massive, ancient chamber with its crystal-like, magically reinforced walls.

​"This is an ancient chamber built by the ancestors," Samuel explained, walking ahead. "It was originally designed to keep us safe from nuclear attacks or any danger that could harm the family."

​"Okay, so why am I here?"

​"You will know after going inside." Samuel opened a heavy steel door and gestured for Matilda to enter.

​After some hesitation, Matilda slowly walked inside the small inner room. She saw her father, Tang, sitting at the edge of a circular pattern drawn on the floor. Standing some meters away were her mother, her face etched with anxiety; her nephew, who wore a chilling smile; and the remaining two elders.

​Tang slowly opened his eyes and looked at Matilda. "Come inside, my child." he said with a forced smile.

​Matilda walked inside and stopped at the edge of the circle, staring at her father opposite her, her face filled with confusion.

​"Do you know why all these are here?" Tang asked in a calm, practiced tone.

​Matilda shook her head, making sure her pristine white dress didn't touch the stark red circle painted on the floor. She glanced at her mother, whose gaze was fixed guiltily on the ground.

​"This is to strengthen you... The world is dangerous, and you need strength to protect yourself," Tang stated, closing his eyes again.

​"Okay... But no one will attack us, right?" Matilda asked, turning to Samuel, who stood guard by the entrance.

​"For now... No one. But the future is never clear. So dear, Get in the circle," Tang urged. He opened his eyes and looked up at her.

"Your mum and I love you more than anything. Giving you more power will give us peace, so please... Do this for us."

​Matilda was silent, lost in her thoughts. She finally asked, "How long will this take?"

​"Just get in the circle. Samuel will take care of everything." Tang's tone was suddenly serious, his composure cracking, catching Matilda off guard.

​With a deep breath, and fueled only by her love for her family and the desire to protect them, she stepped into the circle, making sure her white dress didn't smudge the line.

​"Bring her here," Tang ordered, placing his hand on the ground. Instantly, blue fire rose from the line, perfectly enclosing Matilda.

​"What is this?" Matilda asked, mild shock evident in her voice.

​"No!! Please don't kill me! Please!!"

​Hearing the panicked voice, Matilda turned her head toward another steel door. Viper was dragging a young girl, aged about 17, into the chamber.

​"What are you doing to her?! Let her go, Viper!!" Matilda yelled, snapping at her cousin.

​"Please!! Lady Matilda!! Please save me! I don't want to die!!! Please! I know you will save me!" The girl pleaded desperately as Viper roughly tossed her to the ground, positioning her near the circle.

​"Dad!! Please let her go!!" Matilda yelled, noticing Viper was ignoring her. She shifted her desperate hope to her father.

​"Do it," Tang ordered, his tone utterly emotionless, his face a mask of greed.

​"Thank you, Dad," Matilda sighed in relief, turning back to Viper only to see him drawing a razor-sharp dagger.

​"What... What are you doing?!" she screamed, trying to move toward them, but the blue fire flared violently, forcing her back in shock.

​"Dad!! Please!! Don't!!!" She screamed, watching in horror as Viper grabbed the girl's head and brutally slit her throat with the dagger.

​"NOOOO!!!"

Matilda screamed in anguish, collapsing to her knees. She watched, wide-eyed, as Viper pushed the body onto the edge of the red circle, the girl's lifeblood mixing with the blue flames.

​WHOOSH!!!!

​The fire flared up again, ten times brighter and fiercer.

​She turned to her father, hearing him start an incantation she didn't recognize.

​WHOOSH!!

​She turned back to the flames, seeing the terrifying phantom of a female with blazing red eyes forming within the fire.

​"No!!"

​Matilda's face turned white with pure terror. She moved her gaze around the people in the chamber:

​"Mum!! Help! Uncle Samuel!! Please!! Someone help me!" She screamed as hot tears streamed down her face.

​Her mother turned her gaze away, wiping tears of guilt from her face, incapable of intervening.

​"No!"

​Matilda collapsed entirely onto the stone ground as Tang increased the intensity of the incantation. Her vision blurred, and she slowly lost consciousness as the phantom figure began to sink into her body.

​"Rise," Tang gave the final, binding order, opening his eyes triumphantly.

​BOOOOOOOM!!!

​The flames shot high into the air, then instantly settled and vanished.

​Tang and everyone present stared at Matilda, who now sat at the center of the circle, her legs crossed, her body rigid, her eyes closed.

​"Child?" Tang whispered, his voice trembling with a mixture of fear and satisfaction.

​Matilda's eyes snapped open. The usual gentle silver was gone, replaced by pure, terrifying RED. With an impossible flash of speed, she vanished from the circle. The next moment, Tang's head flew into the air, severed cleanly from his body.

​"...?!!"

​Everyone was stunned into petrified silence. Before they could react, the new, monstrous Matilda lunged toward her mother, her hand smashing into her mother's chest, bursting her heart open.

​"Fuck!!!"

​Viper, overcome by terror, bolted toward the exit door. Samuel quickly opened it and scrambled out, the two other elders following, and they slammed the heavy steel door shut just as Matilda moved.

​BAM!!!

​Her palm smashed into the steel door, instantly leaving a massive, smoking dent.

​"Blow up the underground chamber!!" Viper screamed, shoving past Samuel.

​"No!! That might kill her! She's still the Young Miss!" Samuel yelled, desperately grabbing Viper.

​"You fool!! She fucking killed her parents!! If she gets out from this place, who next will follow?!" Viper screamed, seizing Samuel's collar.

​BAM!!!

​Another fist dent appeared on the steel door, larger and deeper than the last.

​"Fuck you, Samuel!!" Viper punched him hard, throwing him back, and brought out an emergency explosive detonator! "No matter what!! I will not die here!!" He yelled, dropping the bomb on the ground and running.

​BOOOOOOOM!!!!

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