Mated To The Cruel Prince-Chapter 703: The Last Face You’d See

This wasn’t how Lola envisioned her revenge, but it would suffice. Aldric should have been the one to kill Islinda, feeling the pain of destroying a loved one. But it was alright, she already fantasized about sending Islinda’s severed head to him in a box, relishing the legendary expression on Aldric’s face. Yes, this would do.

Seated on a chair near the spot where she had thrown Islinda, Lola gazed at the sky, wondering what time it was. Surely, Islinda should be dead by now. Lola then glanced over at Maxi, still stuck in the endless loop of pain she casted on her. For now, Islinda was her priority, by the time she was done with her, she would come for her.

"Time to finish this," Lola muttered, rubbing her hands together with glee. She stood and began searching for Islinda’s body, calling out in a sing-song voice, "Now, where are you, little freak?" freeweɓnovel.cѳm

Scanning the frozen surface for Islinda’s reflection, she found nothing. Assuming the current had taken the body elsewhere, Lola cast a location spell, expecting a quick result. But there was no response. Frowning, she repeated the spell multiple times, growing frantic as each attempt failed.

"How?" she murmured, confusion giving way to panic. Islinda couldn’t have escaped. The Boku twig, enhanced with extra spells, should have held her. What was going on?

In the midst of her frantic search, Lola suddenly heard the ominous creaking of ice beneath her. She froze, dread washing over her. The sound grew louder, and she looked down to see the final crack forming beneath her feet.

"Uh oh," Lola managed, just before the ice gave way and she plunged into the icy water below. She shrieked as the freezing water enveloped her, sharp as needles piercing her skin, stealing her breath and dragging her down into its frigid depths.

Unlike Islinda, who had been bound hands and legs, Lola was free. She thrashed against the water’s current, desperately trying to swim to safety. But the surface was frozen solid, and she couldn’t break through. Panic gripped her as she realized there was no way up, her lungs burning for air. She searched frantically for an opening, the icy water numbing her limbs and clouding her mind.

Just when she thought she was on the brink of death, Lola spotted a small opening and propelled herself towards it with the last of her strength. She broke through the surface, gasping for air, and dragged herself out through the space.

Collapsing on her side in the cold snow, she coughed up water, her breath coming in ragged gasps. The chill was unbearable, cutting through her like knives. She lay there shivering, drenched like a wet rat, her body trembling uncontrollably from the cold.

Lola’s confident demeanor was shattered and while she was still reeling from the unexpected disaster, a voice said from behind, "How was that for a swim? I hope you enjoyed it."

The voice was scarily familiar, and Lola felt her stomach drop. She pushed herself up, turning to face the source. As she feared, it was Islinda. But this was not the Islinda she had cast into the frozen lake.

Lola gulped, her heart racing. The Islinda before her was different. Her hands and legs were unbound. How was that possible? The Boku twine should have held her. She couldn’t have gotten out of it, not unless she wanted her to - and she never wanted her to.

And that wasn’t all.

Her hair was now a shock of nearly platinum blonde, a stark contrast to her previous brunette locks. It was unnatural, impossible. The sudden transformation was startling and disorienting.

But the most unsettling change was in Islinda’s demeanor. Her eyes held a dangerous glint, a carefree but lethal light that hadn’t been there before. The naive spineless Islinda, Lola once knew, was gone, replaced by a knowing, almost predatory confidence. It was as if this Islinda had seen everything the world had to offer and had come out the other side, unshaken and empowered.

She almost dared to say that Islinda had shed her former self in the icy depths and emerged as something far more formidable. The realization made Lola’s blood run cold, the chill of the snow nothing compared to the dread seeping into her bones.

Lola pushed back the fear that engulfed her. She was a witch. A talented witch at that. Perhaps, she didn’t tie her up well, or the spell had a little defect which wasn’t surprising. Her time was running out and it was beginning to affect her magic.

"Nice trick," She laughed, "Getting out of the bonds, I might have to applaud you for that. However, what’s with the hair? Is this supposed to scare me or what?"

However, Islinda stared at her for over a minute without saying a word and Lola had to lift a brow to communicate that she needed a response.

"Oh," Islinda said, as if recollecting herself, "My apologies. It’s been a while inside this body and my mind...." She gestured to her head, "is trying to catch up with things. Trust me, I’m like in a million place at the same time right now. There’s so many memories to filter through, it’s honestly exhausting. Now, where were we? Oh right, the hair. And yes, I asked about the swim first, how was it?" Her tone deepened and threatening," Do you want another round? It is quite refreshing, don’t you think?"

Lola was rendered speechless for over a minute. Her guts told her something was not right. She asked,"Who are you? You are not Islinda, are you?"

"Finally, you caught up! How smart you are!" Azula said, taking a step towards Lola out of excitement.

But Lola quickly retreated, eyeing this strange Islinda. For some reasons, she felt like a prey before a predator and it greatly unsettled her.

"Don’t come any closer." She warned.

"Why? Because you’re scared?" Islinda grinned.

"I am not scared of you." Lola retorted with fake bravado.

"Oh, you should be. But first, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Azula and I’ll be the last face you’ll see before leaving this realm."