░ Chapter 31 ░ (1/2)

Author Note: I’m so happy you guys are still enjoying the story and didn’t leave me when I had no internet, thank you! T^T♥ Last chapter it was revealed Chrys and Chanyeol were both being untruthful with each other and Victoria and the Dolls dropped in for a not so nice visit that left a poor tree knocked down in the forest. Why is Victoria so upset? Why does she want Mark dead? Let’s find out on this week’s Playhouse! m(_ _)m Do you want to play?

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No matter how many days passed by, the four walls of Jaebeom’s majestic castle never began to feel like home.

The five Dolls chose to reject their own personal rooms in the West Wing much to Jaebeom’s dismay and they all bunked in one room he magically enlarged to accommodate for them.

“It’s really no trouble at all to let the ladies have their own chambers, is there no way I can persuade them?”

“That’s very kind of you Master Jaebeom but they’ve insisted you’ve done enough for them already and once again kindly decline your offer.”

Jaebeom frowned and rubbed his chin with his hand as he and Mona peered in through the crack of the door.

Faun was sitting on her bed with her knees to her chest, her eyes vacant, as they have been since being kicked out of the Tuan Manor.

Her normally ravenous appetite was completely gone. Rarely lifting her fork to her mouth at meals in the banquet hall she had become quite thin these days.

Karin’s anxiety had been acting up. The idea of not having her Master to protect her anymore as he had promised her when they first met has caused her to become afraid of literally anything including her own shadow.

What if her shadow morphed into a monster or something? It wouldn’t be the strangest thing she’s experienced.

Yugyeom had visited everyday the moment the Dolls had arrived. He would bring up books from the Grand Master’s library that he thought Karin would enjoy to help her relax.

Herbert squeaked uncomfortably as the young Demon’s vessel tried to walk on it's own but due to it's overly large head it toppled over and trapped the mini penguin underneath it.

The twin vessel tried futilely to pull the penguin out from under it’s sibling but the weight of it’s head as it pulled back caused it to flip back and roll of the bed landing on the floor like a rag doll.

Yugyeom laughed brightly and saved his vessel but his expression fell once more as he peered at Karin who’s body still shivered ever so lightly.

The usually hyper Talia too was not herself. She rarely smiled anymore but that didn’t stop her from trying to comfort her sisters, her responsibility as the oldest Doll.

She dug around in her back pack. Under the sheets of music and junk they bought during their trip to the Demon Realm she found Faun’s magic candy box she had stole from her to tease her.

She gently placed the box next to her sister and was disappointed when the girl simply ignored it without even sparing it a glance.

“I can’t even begin to imagine how they feel”

Jaebeom softly closed the door giving the Dolls their privacy and Mona sighed. She could. As the Marionette she could feel what the girls were feeling and it was something no human should have to bare.

“So what’s the plan?”

The two turned towards Jackson who strode up the hallway with his arms crossed and a permanent scowl painted on his face.

Hearing his best friend had abandoned his Dolls and is now "betrothed" to the woman he distinctly said he wanted dead the moment he saw her again because he was under someone's control made the Demon’s ram like horns protrude out from the top of his head.

“I don’t know.”

“How could this happen? He got turned into a Doll and now he’s under someone’s spell. Who’s? Is that even possible?”

“I don’t know Jackson”

“THEN WHAT THE HELL DO YOU KNOW!?”

His voice rose as he pounded a fissure into the cobble stone walls. Victoria walked up behind him clearing her throat and politely asked him to mind his temper around her Master.

“I’m going for a walk”

Jackson retracted his horns and headed for the grounds with his head low and his hands in his pockets.

Jaebeom groaned and rubbed his face with his hand. Jackson had a right to be mad, they all did. This problem not only concerned Puppeteers and Dolls, a practice he created but it also involved one of his brothers being in danger and he honestly didn’t know what to do.

What kind of Grand Master was he? His people looked to him for guidance, what was the point of being this powerful if he didn’t know how to help? Was he even strong at all?

The guilt began to overwhelm him as thoughts rapidly flew around his head and the castle shook from his telekinetic powers.

The rumbling halted as Victoria placed a hand on her Master’s arm and squeezed lightly reassuring him everything would be okay and he in turn smiled and placed his hand over hers.

Mona smiled through her light pang of envy. She too didn’t want to leave her Master but after centuries of the heart break that comes with the Doll lifestyle, seeing loved girls come and go and die by her own hands, this time she had to choose the girls over him.

Her eyes wandered over to Mari who was conversing with herself as she walked towards everyone.

“Mari where have you been?”

“The Grand Master’s botanist has quite the collection of teas from around the world and she was sharing some with me.”

Jaebeom smiled and bowed back as Mari curtsied respectfully.

“It’s nice to see someone keeping their spirits up in this situation.”

“Thank you Master Jaebeom but I am not without suffering as well. I just fully grasp the concept that my Master is not in his right sense at the moment and my despair from being away from him is overpowered by my will to save him.”

“Well said as always Princess.”

The Demon and his Marionette left to his quarters leaving Mona and Mari behind and the young lady crossed her arms and furrowed her brows deeply.

“Why are you making such a face Mari?”

“Because Miss Mona, Master Jaebeom is hiding something and I believe we’re all in danger because of it.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Miss Mona with all due respect now is not a time to play coy. I know you feel it too. The Master is never like this. He is stubborn, pig headed, boastful and would go out of his way to protect those closest to him, thus are his traits that make him such a great Leader but the way he is behaving now, the way he‘s been behaving…….”

The two peered down the hall and nodded in agreement, something was not right.Jackson ventured out into the court yards where a few of Jaebeom’s Dolls were practicing their fan dances.

They peered over at the Demon who had quite the reputation with women and they respectfully bowed and hastily left leaving him alone.

As comical as that was it did not bring a smile to his face. How could he smile knowing his brother was suffering?

Under that bastard Puppeteer’s hold the real Mark would be in agony being away from his Deity and his Dolls.

If anyone knew how much Mark loved, as in really loved his Dolls it would be Jackson.

“I told him falling in love was stupid. Where the hell is Chrys?”

He growled and kicked a small rock that flew with so much force it traveled over the large castle gates that surrounded the structure.

He would have never fallen under such a spell if Chrys hadn’t been away from him causing him to be weak! Women are useless! Only good for one thing and one thing only whether it be a Demon or a Human!

His head began to smoke with the threat of his horns protruding again. He hated everything and everyone at the moment and it conflicted with the fact he had to honor his promise that he’d protect Mark’s Dolls like they were his own.

He lifted his gaze and his blood began to boil even more as he caught sight of Rea practicing with her blade.

He had yet to forgive her for humiliating him that one time he tried to sneak into Mark’s room, how dare a woman treat him in such a way and even worse a human!

Jackson snuffed steam from his nose and dragged his feet towards her. Her seal was burning brightly as she swung the blade around with so much force and vigor you could practically see the air being slashed.

“Your grip is too strong. It’s restricting your wrist and stiffening your strike so it could easily be predicted.”

He grumbled as he arrived and he hated how she immediately followed his advice and moments later her attacks were already more fluid.

Women shouldn’t be fighting, has she not learned her lesson from her near death experience?

Noticing the improvement she turned to him and nodded gratefully with an impassive expression.

“Do you ever speak?”

-nod-

She lifted her blade at an angle, a respectful gesture to ask if the opposing person would like to duel and Jackson scoffed obnoxiously.

“Why waste the energy in fighting a woman?! Hah! You’d sooner win a war of wits against me than combat!”

Rea’s face remained impassive but Jackson noticed the slight twitch of her lip and he groaned as he realized he just called himself an imbecile.

He reached his arm out in front of him with his palm open and the air exploded in flames as his battle weapon materialized.

A large blade with ragged shark teeth like edges that glowed red from his aura. Xander held a similar weapon due to his Master.

Rea’s blade in comparison looked like a measly butter knife.

“Afraid yet? I and my blade can be quite intimidating so if you’re scared I can be merciful since you‘re Mark‘s Doll…..!”

Without any hesitation Rea blurred into the air and came crashing down, her blade against his causing sparks to fly and the sudden attack had Jackson’s fangs protrude.

The look in her eye was completely fearless and he liked that in an opponent. Fine, she wants to play? Let’s play.

He roared as he pushed back causing her to flip in the air and gracefully land on the ground. Charging at each other, glowing their respective colors, the air filled with the sound of colliding steal and sparks.

Flying past each other Jackson cursed as Rea managed to cut his cheek causing it to bleed. No one’s ever done that before.

He turned on his heel and plunged the blade straight but the combat Doll jumped off his arm and into the air.

Jackson smirked. Summoning the strength of his Demonic ram like legs he sprung into the air landing a solid punch right in her abdomen causing her to spit up blood.

Being hit by a moment of guilt for being so rough Rea took the chance to grab his wrist and threw him back to the ground with full force causing the ground to quake.

She landed above him and their blades collided as Jackson fended her off. Rea’s knuckles turned white as she held her blade with both hands and he easily held his blade up with one hand but both warriors were not giving anyone a break.

Her eyes narrowed and she bit her lip as she tried to put more force into her attack. Jackson didn’t understand her actions. She was trying so hard yet there was no way in hell she’d be able to defeat a Demon like himself.

“Why do you fight when you know you can’t win?”

He asked through gritted teeth and Rea shook her head. Jackson was surprised when she called off her attack and flew a few feet back for breathing room.

He stood from the floor and dusted himself off and once again their blades were facing each other yearning for blood.

He wouldn’t admit it but it felt good sparring with such a skilled warrior….even if it were a woman.

“Is it the thrill of combat you enjoy? The joy of knowing no one can match you? The power? If so, I feel you”

This time he plunged first and his eyes widened as she easily side stepped his attack and grabbed his hand. By instinct he sliced the blade out of her hand causing it to fly and lodge into the dirt and he round house kicked her.

With a grunt Rea went skidding across the dirt and she grabbed onto the grass as she stopped rolling. Disheartened she looked up as Jackson placed his blade right in between her eyes.

Even in this position she showed no fear. Jackson lowered his weapon and Rea sat up and looked over at her blade.

“…..I fight…..for the same reason you do…….”

She stated softly. Jackson scoffed at her words. What could she possibly know about him? His blade erupted in flames and disappeared as he knelt and roughly grabbed the Doll's face to examine the wounds he had inflicted.

They were closing up rapidly, what a handy power Mark had and it almost made him envious.

“So you fight for the thrill of it? The power? To win?”

“….No…..I fight to protect……”

Jackson was surprised the usually mute Doll snapped back at him and shook her face out of his hold.

Realizing her tone she bowed her head apologetically to the Demon Master.

“So you must fear what I fear as well?”

She looked up at Jackson’s conflicted face and nodded.

“…….The fear of failing others…..weakness.…I believe it‘s why you dislike women….you believe them weak…..”

“Yeah you get it. But you’re like quiet and shit and like flowers, how could you be so deadly too? Your skills would bring any male warrior to his knees.”

“……Male, female, warrior, not warrior, anyone can possess the drive to protect those important to them and will stop at nothing to do so……..No one is to ever be underestimated……….”

Jackson caught Rea’s bullet fist in his hand as it tried to land a clean hit to his face and for the first time in a while he cracked a smile.

She peered at her hand in his and a light breeze swept over them. She pushed off her knees slightly and Jackson froze with wide eyes as Rea softly placed her lips over his.

He’s kissed countless women, slept with countless women and he’s usually very rough and rambunctious, it was the way he liked it but this small kiss had his skin prickle with sparks and his heart pounded faster.