3.2 – Living Within a Monster

The next morning, I awoke to the embrace of a woman behind me. “Good morning, Illara,” I said softly. I rolled over to look at her and was met by the smiling face of Juliana.

My feeling of calm contentment vanished in an instant upon the realisation that Illara was, in fact, dead, and her soul was currently being tortured in the afterlife. Juliana’s smile made it seem as though she were amused by Illara’s horrific predicament in that moment.

“Good morning, Geoff. I’m so pleased that I could sleep beside a god like yourself through the night.”

I scowled slightly before collecting my thoughts. “Good morning to you too, but please don’t refer to me as a god. Treat me as you would a friend.”

Juliana’s smile broadened even further. She threw her arm over me and pulled us in for a tight, close hug. I could feel her naked body pressed flush against ours.

Despite the intimacy, I could derive absolutely no enjoyment from the embrace.

I wedged my arm between us and gently pushed her away. “Please give me some space. I think it is time we got up.”

Juliana released her grip and watched as we climbed out of bed.

“I’m a little perturbed by your choice to inhabit her body, but I am pleased to have you in a physical form so that I possess the ability to touch you.”

I was more than a little perturbed myself by the sheer level of devotion Juliana was displaying.

We got dressed and headed into the main room, where an unfamiliar man was cooking food over the hearth.

“Good morning, ma'am. Your breakfast will be served shortly. I assume Juliana will be dining with you?” The man asked the question in a stiff, formal voice, as though addressing a superior.

I nodded.

“Excellent. I’m sorry it wasn't ready for when you woke.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it; I can wait.”

The man gave me a deeply confused look before shaking his head slightly and returning to his cooking.

I sat down at the wooden table. “How are you doing today?” I asked.

The man visibly winced. “Er, I’m doing okay,” he replied, his voice shaking slightly.

I sighed. Drisnil clearly had a reputation for being exceptionally cruel to her subordinates.

I watched as the cook darted a quick, fearful glance in our direction before stirring the pot even faster, his hands trembling.

Juliana exited the bedroom, completely naked, stretching her arms high above her head. She yawned. “Mmm, breakfast smells amazing.”

The man took one look at Juliana before his face flushed beet-red, his eyes now fixed intently on the iron pot.

A thought crossed my mind: this man likely assumed Juliana was my lover right now—an impression I'd strongly prefer no one held.

“Please ignore Juliana; she doesn’t quite understand the cultural norms surrounding clothing. Consider her a strictly platonic friend of mine.”

“Yes, ma'am,” the cook replied stiffly.

I sighed again as Juliana sat down right next to me on the wooden bench, pressing uncomfortably close.

“I’m looking forward to waking up to a good home-cooked meal. You truly are making my day most wonderful.”

I slid slightly further down the bench to create some space, but Juliana merely scooted right along with me.

I let out yet another heavy sigh; again, the cook visibly winced.

Within a few minutes, the cook set two bowls of soup in front of us alongside a pair of spoons. He then quickly and quietly excused himself, leaving me entirely alone with Juliana.

Juliana dipped her spoon into the bowl and took a sip. “Mmm, this is most divine. It seems Drisnil, at the very least, has good taste in food.”

I followed Juliana’s lead and took a sip. The salty, savoury flavours of beef and onion graced my tongue. I took another spoonful of the hot broth; every single bite was absolutely magnificent.

It wasn’t long before my bowl was empty, having scraped up every last drop I could manage. Juliana, meanwhile, had lifted hers to her face and was eagerly licking the wood clean.

I gently pulled the bowl from Juliana’s grasp. “Now, how about getting dressed? We have work to do.”

Juliana stood up and struck a pose. “But I thought you liked this form, Geoff, as you seemed to have created two of us who look rather similar.”

I sighed once more. It was true that, in the past, I had found the form beautiful to look at, but actually dealing with the person inhabiting such a body in real life was frankly exhausting. Any aesthetic enjoyment was entirely ruined by her grating, overzealous personality.

“Yes, but Illara is the only woman for me now. So please, do not try to impress me with your body.”

Juliana offered a slight pout. “But Illara isn’t here, is she? I personally believe a god shouldn’t be monopolised by a single mortal.”

“No, Juliana, Illara isn’t here—she is currently being tortured! I have absolutely no interest in anything other than getting her back. And stop calling me a god!”

I was practically screaming at her now. Her expression immediately fell into dejection, and she quickly retreated back into the bedroom.

I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, forcing my temper back down. This woman was utterly infuriating.

I let Drisnil take control of the body for a while, giving myself some time to internally compose my thoughts.

I felt a dark, mischievous smirk grow across Drisnil’s face. She strolled into the bedroom where Juliana was currently getting dressed; she was only halfway through pulling on her trousers, still entirely topless.

“Oh, you look absolutely amazing, Juliana. Please ignore my comments from earlier; I was merely embarrassed.”

Juliana glared sharply over her shoulder. “Don’t think you can trick me, Drisnil. No matter how much I would love to hear those words from Geoff, they are like pure poison coming from you.”

“Tsk,” Drisnil clicked her tongue. “I was only trying to have a little fun.”

“Your fun is built on someone else’s displeasure. Now, please leave me be. I only wish to speak with my Lord Geoff.”

Drisnil stalked out of the bedroom. “I’m honestly surprised your puppet is smart enough to tell us apart, Geoff. Anyhow, now that I have control, I assume you want to start progressing toward our goals. To do that, I propose you develop your skills; I heard all about that absolute mess you made with the wolves. I need you to possess more combat intelligence and a much better grasp on what you can actually do. Once Juliana is ready, I have the perfect little task for you.”

Drisnil picked up a glass of water and sat down to take a sip. I was left internally contemplating what exactly this task could be, though if I were to guess, it was highly likely to be unpleasant.

Just as we finished our glass, Juliana emerged from the bedroom, fully dressed this time. She took one look at us, and her frown returned.

“Why won’t you give Geoff control back already?” Juliana complained.

“Well, sister, Geoff can choose to emerge whenever he wants. And right now, I have something he needs.”

Juliana’s frown deepened. “I am not your sister.”

Drisnil’s smirk widened. “Oh, but we are. We share the exact same creator, do we not?”

“You were a violent aberration created in sheer desperation. You are something manifested entirely without thought,” Juliana shot back.

“Oh, no matter what you think, I will always be the very first thing your darling Geoff created—a fact that will never change. Anyhow, we have a job to do. Follow me, would you?”

Juliana continued to scowl. We stood up and walked outside into the crisp autumn morning.

The sharp scent of woodsmoke from nearby fireplaces assaulted our nose, mingling heavily with the familiar, earthy smell of farmland.

We navigated through the narrow dirt pathways toward an otherwise normal-looking house. The only distinguishing feature was the pair of armed guards stationed outside the front door.

Drisnil gave the guards a curt nod, and they immediately stepped aside. We pushed through the heavy door into a dimly lit room. Inside, two armed women stood guard over a young woman bound tightly to a wooden chair. Her tattered clothing was stained yellow with urine, and her face was heavily bruised and bloodied. She might have once been beautiful, but beneath the gore and swelling, she was completely unrecognisable.

“Release that woman immediately!” Juliana shouted, drawing her scimitar.

The guards inside the room quickly drew their own weapons in response.

“Wait, Juliana. This woman is a dangerous criminal; she has already been sentenced to death.”

“What exactly has she been accused of?”

“Murder,” Drisnil responded matter-of-factly.

“Of whom?” Juliana asked, her aggressive stance relaxing just a fraction.

“Ten of my best assets.”

“But weren’t they all evil men?”

“Well, evil is entirely a matter of perspective. But they weren’t causing direct harm to anyone; they were merely useful tools toward my goals.”

Juliana slowly sheathed her blade, prompting the guards to immediately lower their weapons. They likely knew they didn’t stand a ghost of a chance against her in a fight.

“Ugh, I am terrible at moral ambiguity. I can see why she might deserve to be punished, but she likely had a very good reason for killing those men. I will leave her fate up to my lord to decide.” Juliana stared at Drisnil intently.

“Well, this lovely lady, Lidya, would seduce men, take them back to her bed, and then poison them in their sleep. The toxin was notoriously slow-acting and would result in their deaths within one to three days, usually mimicking a fatal heart attack.”

Lidya desperately tried to speak, but only managed a pained, garbled mumble through her broken jaw.

Juliana stepped forward and cast a divine miracle. As she murmured the incantation, Lidya's bruised face immediately healed, her battered features restoring to reveal a striking, incredibly trustworthy beauty.

Lidya instantly began to plead. “Please, spare me! All those men assaulted me. I was only killing them to keep other women safe.”

“I was merely giving you a fair chance to speak your peace, but my lord will be the one to decide your ultimate fate. He is fair and just.” Juliana crossed her arms, looking deeply satisfied.

“Well... Lord... what will it be?” Drisnil purred. “Just consider what you are capable of here. If you deem death the appropriate sentence, simply imagine how she might die in a completely natural way.”

Lidya began to weep uncontrollably.

I quietly considered the situation. I didn’t inherently believe in the death penalty, but I desperately needed to test the limits and control of my powers. This woman had not denied murdering those men, though she may have had highly justifiable reasons.

As an academic exercise, I began to envision the ways she might pass away naturally. A sudden, massive stroke seemed the most plausible for a woman her age.

The very next moment, Lidya’s eyes violently rolled back into her head. Her breathing hitched and rapidly accelerated as she lost consciousness. The colour completely drained from her face, turning her skin a sickly, pale grey before her breaths became sickeningly irregular. She began to violently convulse against her bindings, and then abruptly stopped moving entirely.

“It seems you have been righteously judged as deserving of death. Be glad you were unconscious and felt very little pain,” Juliana stated in a terrifyingly satisfied tone.

Drisnil smirked. “Now we can truly see the terrifying power of your creator. He just needs to learn how to properly harness it for our impending fight.”

I had not actually intended for her to die; I had merely considered how she might hypothetically pass away. This godlike power truly began to terrify me. The simplest, most fleeting thought could betray my conscious intentions, instantly resulting in the death of someone I cared about. Just like Ilza. Without a doubt now, I knew I was directly responsible for my mother-in-law's death, and it was a mistake I could never, ever take back.