202 Terror behind Melisandre's eyes

She approached him as if the fire was lashing out with a fiery tongue.

Item-M had told him about her beauty and how it was known among Contestants that Charisma backfires when coming into contact with her. No denying her features had perplexed Kai, but he also wanted to have nothing to do with her. 'Stay away from her,' Item-M had warned him. 'Not even higher floor Contestants like to be around her for any security mission.'

By now, Kai, with Item-M's help, had figured out this strange appearance of Contestants around some main-storyline characters. The Characters who were directly related to his mission won't have any security, he had concluded. Only those who had nothing to do with a direct mission would have top Contestants watching over them. Kai didn't know how the System adjusted these things, though.

'Jon Arryn was a main-storyline character, and a major one at that, and yet he didn't have any security.' Item-M had made Kai recall giving examples. 'The Queen most probably had, but her security must have thought of you as nothing more than a bug, I guess. Similarly, Bianca and the Latias didn't have security despite them being the main-storyline characters. Yet, Pokeball Expert Kurt and Professor Elm both had because they had nothing to do with your mission, master.'

Kai had found those explanations extremely reasonable.

And that's why, when he saw her towering in front of him, he had to control his breathing from not racing lest any higher floor Contestant might sense something if one was near.

There was magic around her, Kai realized. But he also felt as if its existence was too great for him to grasp. Head down, Kai stared at her feet, her toes, and the rippling gown showing her sweet, shiny ankles.

"Who is this, Matthos?" her voice was deep and melodic. "He doesn't seem to be of a low birth."

The quartermaster hurried toward them, and Kai's mind was racing. A sudden thought had just made him shudder with unknown fright. The Book. The Tales of Beedle the Bard had not trembled.

Kai had already concluded that the Book shook within his Inventory whenever he met a significant character. Who could be more significant than the Red Woman? Kai asked himself. He struggled to think of any justifiable reason for this abnormality.

"Desmond, the ship's boy, my lady," Matthos whispered. "He is mute."

"A mute?" Melisandre showed surprise. "Look up, boy. Look at me."

Kai's lips were getting dry. If he had known that the death of a single nobody could catch her attention, then he would have been more discreet about all that. Too late to regret now.

Kai lifted his head, and his hazel eyes matched her red.

Kai saw a sea of fire in those eyes, blazing eternally. He could sense her soul, a massive fire tornado, wreaking havoc on the far lands of perpetual darkness. But there was something else too. Beyond her unfathomable emotions, her soul, and that darkness she was trying to keep at bay, Kai could feel someone looking back at him.

The horror took him by surprise.

Inside him, Selene shuddered in terror. They both had felt this feeling once before. It hadn't been that long, as they had encountered this destructive sensation recently. That encounter had changed both of their lives. For good or for bad, they had yet to find out.

Yes. They were thinking of the yellow door, patterned with hideous geometric configurations, and the one strip of a tattered yellow robe that had almost come out to meet Kai during the Blood Prophecy. Deep in Melisandre's eyes, deeper than even she could have probably known, there was someone of that level, who had noticed Kai's presence.

If Kai hadn't already come to face this sensation, he would have never compared the two.

Kai wanted to run. He had already decided to have nothing to do with these eldritch figures until he had the power to defend himself against them. And yet, here he was, looking through the eyes of a magnificent beauty at some incomprehensible existence by the grace of an unlucky encounter.

"Fire burns strong in this one," she declared, smiling. "The Lord of Light has more need for him than this ship. I am taking him with me."

'Fuck!' Kai cursed. In the open, his face showed confusion, fear, and reluctance.

"Beg your pardon, my lady," Raul, the second mate, said, hurrying towards them. "Desmond is about to complete his apprenticeship in two days. I personally wanted to see how he would fare out in the sea today."

The red woman smiled. Raul, Matthos, and pretty much everyone shivered. "And what is your assessment of him based on the last five days?" she asked Raul.

Raul gulped. "Desmond has all the qualities to become an excellent seaman, my lady," he told her. "He just needs more experience and time."

"Matthos," she called. "I leave it to you then. Send him to me after two days."

Matthos bowed in acceptance.

Kai was having a hard time believing that she had given up on claiming him for herself just because Raul wanted to let him complete his apprenticeship. Something was off about her, and her thoughts, Kai reflected. It was like she had already guessed this proceeding.

The Red Priestess turned to give Kai a fleeting look. Her hand reached for his long white hair and she brushed them off his face. "You will do R'hllor great service, boy," she told Kai, a hint of a smile lingering on her angelic face. "Be careful, for the night is dark and full of terrors."

Kai saw her leaving, his back drenched with sweat. Even her swaying hips failed to make him think of doing anything but run in the opposite direction wherever she would be. Kai was almost sure that even though she didn't look powerful, he couldn't even harm a single hair on her head. And then there was that sensation of someone watching through her red eyes, peering out into the material world.

Kai promised to himself then. No matter how much he wanted her and her tale, he would stay as far as possible from Melisandre.

Sometimes it was best to go with instincts.

For the night was indeed dark and full of terrors.

Terrors like Hastur, Kai remembered, and a chill ran down his spine.

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AN: Access up to 10 chapters ahead of the published work on Patre0n. A self-edited Jolly Roger, related to Party - White Serpent, is now available in Chapter 212 there.