The recovery was brutal. The days blurred together--his body wrecked, depleted beyond anything he had ever experienced. Confined to his bed, fevered and weak, his skeletal frame was a ghost of what it once was.
Over the following days his skeletal figure and grey gaunt skin gradually gave way to healthy flesh, muscle rebuilding itself in agonizing slowness. His strength returned bit by bit, thanks to Edwards recovery potions--elixirs of vitality left to him in his will. These were the exact concoctions needed to restore energy after a draining of this.... sexual nature. He must have foreseen that Matthew would go against his advice.
"Thank you, Edward," Matthew murmured, his expression filled with eternal gratitude. But his mind wouldn't rest. Matthew ruminated over Samantha's revelation; "some of us weren't born this way," what did she mean? What was she before the Silk Labyrinth? There were so many unanswered questions. But the most pressing matter was to retrieve Edward's soul and free him from eternal damnation--and that meant going back to the Silk Labyrinth. The thought made his stomach churn, and yet it ignited something else...
After contemplating for some time, Matthew forced himself to move. He dragged his exhausted body down to the basement and rummaged through Edward's personal belongings. Frantically turning over boxes and flipping through documents, something caught his eye. It was a picture of Edward sitting beside an attractive, but frail blonde woman in a hospital bed at the cancer ward. He looked to be in his earlier 20's, long shaggy brown hair, he was a handsome man back then. This was before he met his wife, Veronica, his dad's mother.
There was a striking resemblance between this blonde women and Samantha... this was decades years ago. If it was her, Samantha would be in here mid 70's by now. Then again, she had been offered immortality and eternal youth. Matthew brushed off the absurd thought and returned to the documents, placing them neatly back on the shelf. Matthew lied on his back, exhausted, staring at the ceiling, musing.
Would Lilith appear every time? Or only for the addicts whose souls are ready for extraction, does that mean he needs to visit the bordello multiple times! The thought sent fear curdling through his spine, and...to his shame, intense arousal.
The following Monday, school holidays were over, and Matthew entered Eldford academy--an elite institution attended by some of the wealthiest and most powerful families. He looked terrible. Dark circles painted his eyes, and small bouts of lethargy plagued him. He could have used a few more days off--at least the first class was on portal spells, his strong suit. But before the lesson could even begin, the speakerphone blared out:
"All students must report to the main lecture hall for an emergency meeting immediately, this is not a drill."
"Alright class, please proceed to the lecture hall promptly, we'll continue afterwards," Mrs Eldrich instructed, sounding both surprised and puzzled herself. Rumours and rumblings filled the hallways as students made their way toward the grand assembly room.
As Matthew paced down the corridor, an arm suddenly wrapped around his neck. "Matthew, you look like hell! I've been trying to get a hold of you for days, where have you been?" Damien asked. One of Matthew's closest friends. He's a chancer, always shooting from the hip, and constantly getting into trouble.
"If I told you, you wouldn't believe me," Matthew replied. Damian laughs but quickly changes the subject.
"What do you think this emergency meeting is all about?"
"Six students and even two teachers have gone missing in the last month alone. The disappearances have only gotten worse," Steven interjected. He was another close friend--the smartest of the trio. Methodical, rational, the kind of person Matthew should have brought along with him to the Silk Labyrinth.
They took their seats in the grand semi-circular hall. Steven and Damian flanked him as the students waited impatiently for the principal's announcement. The lecture hall was a masterpiece of architectural splendour, its perimeter lined elegantly with cream-colored marble pillars. Each was punctuated by towering bookshelves, filled with the rarest of grimoires. The imposing bookshelves were crafted from dark Mohogany, adding a layer of sophistication and grandeur to the place.
Suspended from the centre of the high ceiling was a luxurious golden chandelier, its tiers adorned with decorative crystal trimmings. It was multi-tiered, with a vast array of bulbs, illuminating the vast hall. This was a place steeped in rich history--an awe-inspiring environment, ideal for intellectual pursuits and learning. But today was different, there was a clear sense of unease in the air, someone was about to deliver uncomfortable news.
The murmur's increased in intensity as the Headmaster Alric Eldenmore strode onto the stage, there was an urgency in his movement. One of the academy's esteemed founders, he was a man in his late sixties, with a neatly groomed moustache and frizzled white hair. He was made to look every bit like the seasoned scholar, radiating both wisdom and authority. Silence fell on the room as he spoke.
"I have brought you here for an emergency meeting regarding the disappearance of numerous students and faculty members." Edenmore hesitated; this was uncharacteristic of him.
"We have made a troubling discovery," he continued, his voice grave.
"It has come to our attention that the demonic races have conspired to set up an establishment within the demonic plane... its purpose is to harvest souls." Fearful murmurs permeated the halls. Matthew's stomach twisted, he already knew what this was about.
"These creatures are no match for the powerful sorcerers among us--most are banished the moment we encounter them. However, their tactics have evolved. They've masterminded a more sinister and cunning method to gather souls."
Mr Eldenmore took a deep breath, as he braced himself, about to reveal something he knows will stoke outreach and embarrassment alike.
"They have built a luxurious bordello within the demonic realm. They call it the Silk Labyrinth." A stunned silence swept through the hall.
"There, these creatures have mastered the art of extracting our life force, and our very souls, through sexual intercourse. They wield pleasure as a weapon, disarming and devouring their victims. They no longer need to fight us; they simply offer, and we willingly surrender. Theses beings grant otherworldly pleasures and sensations beyond anything you've ever known. Many great sorcerers have already fallen prey to their seductive wiles, consumed by ecstasy."
A smattering of nervous laughter escaped the students, the scandalous nature of the revelations momentarily overwhelming their initial fears. Matthew glanced at Damian. Unlike most of his peers, there was no shock or disbelief, just mild amusement.
"Amateurs," Damien muttered.
