The Archduke's Songbird-Chapter 298: Fighting For Her Friend

Bernard’s body contorted in agony, his muscles spasming violently as the chains constricted around him, fueled by the woman’s cruel magic. His screams were no longer the strong roars of a warrior, but desperate, guttural cries ripped from the depths of his soul. His face twisted in sheer torment, veins bulging at his temples as his eyes rolled back, clouded by a mix of suffering and despair. Each shudder that wracked his body reverberated through the forest like a silent plea for mercy.

Yet there was none to be found—not in the woman who relished his pain, her lips curled in a twisted smile as she fed off his suffering, her eyes gleaming with sadistic glee.

Jessamyn’s heart wrenched painfully at the sight, a wave of helpless rage crashing over her. She couldn’t watch it any longer—the sheer brutality of it broke something inside her. Her hands trembled uncontrollably as she clenched them into fists, nails biting into her palms as she fought against the tears burning in her eyes.

"Stop it!" she screamed, her voice cracking. "Stop hurting him!"

But the woman didn’t so much as flinch. Her focus was entirely on Bernard, her twisted satisfaction only deepening as his cries grew weaker, the very sound of them igniting a cruel light in her eyes. It was as if his agony was a balm for the dark void within her. She tightened her grip on the magical chains, twisting them tighter with a flick of her fingers, causing Bernard’s body to convulse even more violently.

Jessamyn could practically hear his bones creaking under the strain, his skin turning deathly pale as blood dripped from his bitten lips. Each groan that escaped him felt like a knife plunging into her chest.

Her friend—her loyal protector—was being tortured mercilessly right before her eyes. Jessamyn’s breath hitched as a horrifying thought crossed her mind, one that sent a chill down her spine but also sparked a dangerous determination.

Wasn’t the woman’s true desire, her ultimate obsession, her son? She would stop at nothing to have him. The realization clawed at Jessamyn’s mind, pushing her closer to the brink.

What would happen if that son, the woman’s precious prize, were suddenly taken away? Would that bring her torment to an end?

A gasp left Jessamyn’s lips as the horrifying idea took root, twisting her thoughts in directions she never imagined herself going.

Bernard’s cries grew fainter, reduced to pitiful whimpers. The sound was unbearable, cutting through the fog of Jessamyn’s anguish like a blade. Her vision blurred with tears, the world narrowing down to the excruciating pain in Bernard’s voice, the anguish that overshadowed everything else.

She could no longer think clearly—only feel, and what she felt was desperation, hopelessness, and the last remnants of her resolve crumbling under the weight of the nightmare unfolding around her.

Unable to bear it any longer, Jessamyn’s eyes darted around wildly until they landed on a fallen branch nearby. She snatched it up, her grip tightening as she broke it in two, creating a jagged edge.

Every part of her screamed that this was madness, but she was past the point of rational thought. She needed the torment to stop. She needed to do something.

Without a second thought, she pressed the sharp edge to her neck, the rough wood biting into her skin. "Let him go!" she yelled, her voice hoarse and raw with emotion. "Or you’ll never get my son!"

The woman’s head snapped around at Jessamyn’s words, her expression darkening. Bernard’s screams stopped abruptly, his body slumping to the ground in a lifeless heap as the chains loosened. He lay motionless, his chest barely rising with labored breaths. The silence that followed was deafening, broken only by the harsh rasp of his breathing.

Jessamyn’s hand shook as she tightened her grip on the makeshift weapon, pressing it harder against her skin until she felt the sharp sting of it breaking the surface. Blood trickled down her neck, warm and sticky.

The woman’s eyes narrowed, suspicion laced with a touch of amusement. "Oh, you wouldn’t dare," she taunted, striding toward Jessamyn with slow, measured steps. "You think you can bluff me? You think you’d actually harm yourself and your precious child?"

"Stay back!" Jessamyn barked, pressing the stick deeper into her skin. She could feel the rough bark digging in, the pain grounding her amidst the chaos swirling in her mind. "You know my son needs more time in the womb if he’s to survive outside. If I die now, he dies with me. Are you really willing to risk that?"

For a fleeting moment, uncertainty flickered in the woman’s eyes. Jessamyn caught it, a small tremor that betrayed the confidence in her voice.

The woman hesitated, the icy mask slipping just enough for Jessamyn to glimpse the fear beneath. She was bluffing, and Jessamyn could see it. Whatever dark power the woman wielded, it couldn’t control Jessamyn—perhaps because of the child she carried, a child whose potential power threatened even her captor’s hold. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

"Put it down," the woman hissed, her voice laced with venom. "Or I’ll make him suffer more than you can imagine." She twisted her fingers, and Bernard’s screams returned, sharper and more agonized than before. "You think I can’t break you? You think I don’t know you better than you know yourself? You’re weak, Jessamyn! You wouldn’t really harm your own son. Stop playing games, or your friend’s husband will pay the price. Imagine what it would do to her to know he died because of you!"

Jessamyn’s grip tightened on the stick, her resolve wavering under the weight of the woman’s words. Yet even in the midst of the threat, she heard something—the faint quiver in the woman’s voice, a crack in the façade. The woman’s confidence was fraying.

Jessamyn realized this was her chance. If she pushed just a little harder, she might be able to turn the tables.

"Why do you think I won’t do it?" Jessamyn’s voice was cold, devoid of the fear that once consumed her. "Do you really believe I’m so different from you? That I’m better? Watching my friend suffer day and night... watching you twist him into this... it’s enough to drive anyone mad. I want all of this to end! I’m willing to do anything to stop this nightmare, even if it means sacrificing everything."

The woman’s face contorted with anger and desperation. "You can’t kill him!" she shrieked, rushing forward, her hands trembling with frustration. "He’s my future! He’s everything I’ve worked for!" She dropped the chains binding Bernard and reached out, her voice pleading.

But Jessamyn didn’t move. Her gaze remained fixed on the woman, her mind racing with possibilities. Bernard, weakened but not broken, slowly pushed himself up, fighting against the pain to stand. His eyes met Jessamyn’s, silently urging her to rethink her actions, but she knew this was the only leverage she had left.

"Aren’t you planning to go to Elodia?" Jessamyn asked, her voice softening but losing none of its edge. "I’ll go with you—if you let Bernard go."