Mated To The Cruel Prince-Chapter 711: The Other Half

"Really? Is this how it’s going to be?!" Azula taunted, watching the human exhaust herself trying to escape the prison she had subconsciously created.

"Get me out of here!" Islinda screamed, her voice echoing in the void as she banged her hands against the black, reflective glass that confined her.

When Islinda had first awakened in this strange place, her initial scream had been so intense it shattered the glass into pieces. But her other self had found her and trapped her again almost effortlessly.

"I said get me out of here!" she yelled once more, causing a crack to form across the glass. Yet it merged back seamlessly, erasing any trace of damage and leaving Islinda stunned.

Azula burst into laughter. "Honestly, it’s cute, watching your bewildered expression. Like a newborn lion cub realizing it’s in way over its head."

It wasn’t funny for Islinda. It was unnerving to stare at a reflection of herself. They shared the same face, eyes, and lips—everything. The only difference was the hair: Islinda’s was brown, while Azula’s was platinum white, and her eyes glinted with a fiendish mischief as if she were a goddess of chaos.

"This is not funny. I want to go out now!" Islinda commanded, her voice echoing in the dark void around her.

Azula tsked in mock sympathy. "I wish I could, honey, but unfortunately, both of us can’t exist at the same time, and I’m not going back to that hole."

"I’m going to break out of this and hunt you down if you don’t get me out of here. So release me while I’m asking nicely!" Islinda’s voice was firm, filled with the steel of desperation.

"Sure, go ahead." Azula gestured mockingly. "Get yourself out."

Islinda slammed her hands against the glass, pounding with all her might. The glass absorbed each impact without so much as a scratch. She switched tactics, screaming at the top of her lungs. Cracks spread like a spiderweb across the glass, but just as before, it mended itself instantly. Her throat grew hoarse and raw, and she began to cough.

Azula watched expressionlessly. "Is that all? I am sorely disappointed, Islinda."

Without warning, Azula materialized inside the cell, causing Islinda to freeze in shock. Recovering quickly, Islinda lunged at her, but Azula vanished into thin air just inches away.

"Hello, are you looking for me?" A voice taunted from behind, followed by a tap on her shoulder.

Islinda whirled around to face Azula, who vanished again, leaving behind a villainous cackle.

"Boo!" Azula reappeared right in front of her, startling Islinda so much that she fell back onto the floor. Azula laughed cruelly. "I played this game for hundreds of years with your mother. Compared to her, you’re a weakling."

Humiliated, Islinda scrambled to her feet, her face burning. "I am not a weakling. You’re just a bully."

"Really? Godforsaken place? You couldn’t have named it better, Islinda," Azula snorted, having read her thoughts.

"Yes, I can read your mind," Azula confirmed, pointing to her head. "We share the same body and space, after all. And unlike Freya, this is like playing with a child."

"You have no right to do this! This is my body! It is mine! It never belonged to you in the first place!" Islinda shouted, noticing the glass cracking again with her outburst. It dawned on her that strong emotions might be the key to breaking free.

"The body isn’t yours. I chose it and left your mother’s for good. This should have been my settlement. You shouldn’t have survived. Perhaps then, you wouldn’t suffer this fate."

Azula sighed dramatically. "Unfortunately, I let you be in charge for twenty-two long years. It’s high time I became the driver of this body."

"No!" Islinda screamed, her rage causing another crack in the glass. "I won’t accept this!"

"It’s not up to you to decide, Islinda. The decision was mine to make even before you were made. Now, I hope you enjoy the void."

Islinda sensed Azula’s departure before the words left her lips, her anger shifting to desperation.

"Please, Azula!" she begged, collapsing to her knees, her eyes brimming with vulnerability. "Please don’t leave me. I’m scared."

Desperation sparked in her eyes. "Maybe we can come to an agreement and coexist? You could appear at night and I during the day... Or we could share by intervals? Hours? By need?" She chuckled nervously, trying to lighten the mood. "You’re the fun and stronger one, after all."

Azula remained still, her face expressionless. Islinda’s words hung in the air, meeting only the silence. Just as Islinda’s hope dwindled, Azula moved toward her and knelt down, an action that filled Islinda with confusion and a flicker of hope.

"Poor, poor Islinda," Azula murmured, cupping Islinda’s face with a mock gentleness. "I wish I could help, but I’m one greedy bitch."

Horror spread across Islinda’s face at Azula’s cruel smile. She tried to speak, but Azula silenced her with a finger pressed to her lips.

"Shh," Azula whispered, a sadistic pleasure gleaming in her eyes. "Don’t worry about your loved ones. I’ll take care of them, especially that dark Fae prince. He looks delicious." Her lips curled in a seductive smile as she licked her upper lip, savoring the imagined taste.

"You might not know this, or maybe you suspected but never confirmed," Azula continued. "I’ve taken over before and had quite a time with him. While you’re locked away in here, he will satisfy my needs until he’s of no use. Perhaps, as a parting gift, I won’t kill him. Consider it a token of my... generosity."

She leaned in and kissed Islinda’s cheek, a cold, mocking kiss. "Enjoy your stay, my other half."

Azula vanished, leaving Islinda alone.

"No!" Islinda screamed, her voice raw with anguish. Cracks spidered across her glass prison, but it held firm, unyielding. Exhausted and defeated, Islinda wrapped her arms around her knees and sobbed.

Fear overwhelmed her. Islinda felt utterly trapped, her pleas unanswered, left to face her terrifying reality alone.