Episode 1

The Return of the Butterfly.

To what extent can a woman go when she loves? Can she forsake herself to become the instrument of her beloved's whims and fancies? Is this love? And what happens when that dream is shattered?

Deep within the dungeon of the royal family's retreat, a woman with striking blue eyes and hair as black as the night pondered endlessly – why? Engulfed in her own thoughts, tears streamed down her face. Bruised and battered, with split and bleeding lips, she knelt, hands on the ground and fist clenched. The dungeon's earth appeared damp where her tears had fallen. She remained baffled, questioning how it all led to this.

Lost in her reverie, she suddenly heard footsteps approaching. She wondered if it was her captors returning for another bout of torment. Not a day had passed without beating since her imprisonment. Her back was battered from lashes, her bloodied face almost unrecognizable from the blows received amongst mockers. But by now, the pain had ceased. After enduring so much, her body no longer bore signs of feeling the continuous abuse. To her, the ordeal had become unremarkable, the pain less acute than at first. Numbness had set in... She had lost track of time since the nightmarish sequence started. All that lingered was her consciousness and a nagging question without an answer: why?

Yes, she was alive. Yes, she was aware of everything done to her – but, why? What sin did she commit to end up in such dire straits? Just as she questioned this to herself, the dirty cell door creaked open. Instinctively, she lifted her head slightly, enough to perceive a pair of refined shoes... and there he was, the love of her life, the man she had given her all to. A faint glimmer of hope sparked at his sight.

"You've come to save me. I knew you wouldn't leave me here alone. Take me away from here, Sebastian. I don't understand why they're doing all this to me," she uttered, trying to inch closer to him.

"Silly and naïve. Manipulating you into catering to my every wish was so simple... but guess what? You're no longer of use to me, and I mustn't leave loose ends that could implicate me," Sebastian scoffed, his face twisted in disgust as he looked down at her.

"Was it you?” She laughed at herself in disbelief.

To her, it seemed he had come to rescue her from the torment she was enduring, but in truth, it was he who subjected her to this torture... the man she assisted in his endeavors, killed and stole for, all for him, so the emperor might consider him a potential heir to the throne. Foolishly, she had believed they would always be together. She loved him, while he merely used and betrayed her when she ceased to be of value.

"I did everything for you, damn you. Every desire of yours. All because I loved you. Why? Why betray me this way? I don't deserve this!" she exclaimed in anguish.

"Love? Did you really think I'd ever love you? That you'd be my empress when I took the throne? Hah… just look at yourself. To begin with, you're ugly, not even good for a lay. And since we're confessing, I'll tell you something: every time you thought you were lying with me, it was actually a different soldier in your bed. That's why I always insisted on doing it in the dark, so you wouldn't realize."

"What a bastard you turned out to be," she said with a wry smile. Raising her face to meet his gaze, she added, "I hope your life becomes a living hell, and you pay dearly for all you've done to me."

"My dear butterfly, even if your curses come true, you won't be here to witness them. By the way, do you know why I always called you 'My butterfly'? You probably envisioned a beautiful butterfly each time I did so, and your heart fluttered... hahahaha... I thought of the ugliest one every time I saw you, especially because of that birthmark on your face resembling one. Well, enough chatter, I came here today to this foul place to give you some news: I'm engaged, and guess to who? The beautiful Layla, your younger sister. I'm looking forward to our wedding. And with your father's support, my ascension as crown prince is nearly assured."

Her heart shattered, in the end, it was all for naught, and she had been cruelly exploited.

"But it's my fault. Love blinded me, and I foolishly believed that by doing everything you asked, you would love me back, but it was all my imagination," she thought to herself.

"I hate you. I hate you with every fiber of my being. And I hope there's another life so I can repay you for all you've done. Today I curse you, Sebastian, and I swear I'll return for you. You will die by my hands."

With that, she swiftly grabbed Sebastian's light sword from his belt and, with a twisted smile, slit her throat, falling to the ground dead. Her last thoughts were filled with hatred, sorrow, and pain. She wished for his suffering and longed to be there to witness it, thought she as darkness enveloped her.

"Well, she saved me the trouble. I want the body removed unseen, and dumped in the forest for the beasts to consume," Sebastian ordered before leaving the cell.

Her body was secretly taken from that place. Left in the forest as instructed by master Sebastian, and just as he said, the lady's body was devoured by the beasts; but from her spilled blood, a butterfly emerged and took flight. Indeed, the soul of the woman who had suffered beyond imagination transformed into a breathtaking butterfly.

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