Demonic Dragon: Harem System

Monica left through the door, and that was the cue for Strax to approach the unconscious woman and check her breathing. It was quite irregular and began to echo in the silent room, which, well... was a guest room.

'Could she be a special physique? A frail body like this shouldn't be able to withstand such a massive load of poison,' he murmured, analyzing the woman's arm. Her arm was in a deplorable state, with marks and bruises that seemed to pulse with a dark energy.

He sat on the edge of the bed, observing her face. She was a young woman, with delicate features that contrasted with the evident pain in her body. Her lips were dry, and sweat covered her forehead.

Strax sighed; he needed to understand what was happening, especially when it involved spiders, but her condition made communication almost impossible.

"Please, wake up," he murmured, a silent plea that only left his lips; he wasn't very good at dealing with people on the brink of death. "What happened to you? Were there giant spiders?"

'The system has been reacting little these past few weeks, and now... it activated because of this woman... I'm getting anxious...' Strax murmured.

The silence in the room seemed to intensify, and Strax began to lose himself in his thoughts. Whatever was behind this situation could be a real threat, and he needed to prepare for what was to come. His father's plans, the mission to be accomplished, everything seemed to be intertwining in a web of uncertainties.

'So many coincidences, huh... is this my destiny?' he thought.

After a few minutes, he stood up and began to pace back and forth while listening to her ragged breathing and seeing how the girl was reacting, with a pained expression on her face and her body slightly sweating, her chest rising and falling rhythmically with her breath.

His eyes landed on a small table next to the bed, where some of the woman's belongings were scattered: a broken bottle, a bloodied piece of fabric, and a small dagger.

Strax picked up the dagger, feeling the weight of the metal in his hand. It wasn't just an ordinary weapon; it was clearly adorned with runes, something uncommon on this side of the continent.

He wasn't an expert in magic, but he knew that runes often had special properties. What could have led this woman to use something like this? Curiosity was increasingly planted within him; well... she was a pretty face, despite being badly hurt, and Strax was... a determined man.

As he examined the dagger, a slight movement in the bed caught his attention. He looked at the woman and saw that her eyes were slowly opening. Strax approached, placing the dagger back on the table.

"Hey, take it easy," he said softly, moving closer to her. "You're safe. Can you hear me? Do you understand me?"

She turned slowly, her eyes filled with fear and confusion meeting Strax's. "Where... where am I?" her voice came out in a whisper, almost inaudible. "Ugh... it hurts," she said, feeling her arm burn with pain.

"You're in my home. I'm Strax. You were hurt and fainted in the middle of the trade at the north entrance of the Duchy of Vorah. Can you tell me what happened?" he asked, leaning in closer, trying not to seem threatening but rather welcoming.

The woman hesitated, her eyes searching for answers. "The spiders... they... were chasing me," she murmured, terror evident in her gaze. "I tried to escape, but... I couldn't. They were huge, bigger than anything I've ever seen... and when I stepped into a web, I got stuck. I couldn't move!"

"Web?" Strax repeated, the image of dark, giant spiders beginning to form in his mind.

'So that's how it is... It's unimaginable.' He thought and continued to question her, "Do you remember where this happened?"

"In the forest... north of the city," she said, her voice trembling with fear. "It was all so dark and... I didn't know what was happening. They came out of nowhere, and I just wanted to escape! My companions... they were all devoured."

"I understand; I'm so sorry. It must have been terrible," Strax replied, feeling a knot form in his stomach. What this woman had faced was more than a mere encounter with creatures. It was an invasion. "You're badly hurt, and your arm is... well, it doesn't look good. What else can you tell me? Of course, the more information, the better... we need to avoid this problem."

She looked at her arm, panic overtaking her again. "I don't know... I don't know what they did. I just... just wanted to run. Please, help me!" The desperation in her voice echoed off the walls of the room.

'It's no use asking her anything; before I heal her, she won't be able to say anything. Traumas are complicated to deal with; if her companions were devoured... I'm afraid of what could happen to her mind. Going through such things is a terrible life experience,' he thought, trying to be as understanding as possible.

"Calm down; I'll do my best to help," Strax said, trying to convey a sense of security. "I've already sent one of my subordinates to fetch a healer so we can try to help you; he should be arriving soon. We'll take care of this."

He quickly stood up, but the woman stopped him with a weak movement of her hand. "Please... don't leave me alone. The spiders... they might come back. I can't stay here! I don't want to be alone."

Strax felt the weight of her distress. "I won't leave you alone. I promise. I'll be back in a moment. I need to ask my wife to prepare something for you to eat." He took a step toward the door, but before leaving, he turned to her. "What's your name?"

"Sylvia... just Sylvia," she replied, almost whispering. "Call me Sylvia."

Strax nodded, committing her name to memory. "Okay, Sylvia. I'll be right back." He turned and left the room, feeling the urgency in every step he took. The atmosphere was heavy, and the image of Sylvia, scared and vulnerable, wouldn't leave his mind.

Upon entering the living room, he found Monica organizing some potions on a table. The smell of herbs and ingredients floated in the air, mixed with the concern emanating from her. When she saw Strax, her eyes widened. "How is she?"

"She's scared but awake. I talked to her, and it seems the spiders were chasing her. She's very shaken, and her arm... it's not good. We need to act quickly," Strax said, the tension in his voice evident.

Monica immediately began preparing a light porridge. "She needs something to soothe her stomach and a bit of nutrition. You did well to bring her home. What else can we do?"

"For now... wait for him to return and get her to hydrate and eat a bit," Strax said.

Monica nodded and quickly headed to the kitchen. "I'll make something simple for her; Beatrice should arrive soon, as well as Samira and Rogue. Stay with Sylvia. I'll prepare everything, and as soon as I'm done, I'll take it up."

Strax went back to the room, where Sylvia was struggling to sit up. He helped her, gently supporting her. "Don't worry. I'm here with you."

She took a deep breath, her eyes still full of fear. "The spiders... they were huge, with glowing eyes and sharp fangs. I couldn't escape them. They devoured my friends. They... they screamed," her voice trembled, and tears began to slip down her face.

"Shhh, Sylvia. It's okay. You're safe here. No one will hurt you again," Strax said, trying to calm her. He wanted to be an anchor in the storm that was about to hit them.

She looked at him, and Strax saw the pain and fear reflected in her eyes. "I... I don't know if I can handle this. They were there, and I couldn't save them. It was so dark... I didn't know where to go."

"I know it's hard, but you're not alone. I'm here, and I'll do everything I can to help. We'll take care of your arm, and then we can see what we can do together. You're stronger than you think," Strax encouraged, feeling the urgency to stabilize her mind before the situation became more complicated.

She closed her eyes, and for a moment, Strax thought she had fainted again, but that wasn't the case. Sylvia was battling her memories, trying to find a way back to sanity. He sat beside her, a comforting silence enveloping them.

Monica returned quickly, bringing Roderick with her. The healer Strax had requested was still on the way, but Monica already had some potions and herbs that could help.

"I brought some herbs that may help with the pain and inflammation," Monica said, placing the vials on the table. "And some porridge, as I promised. We'll do this together."

Roderick approached, observing Sylvia with a worried expression. "She seems to be in terrible condition. We need to act quickly to prevent the poison from spreading further."

"Exactly. She mentioned that her friends were devoured. That means there could be something else out there, something we haven't seen yet," Strax replied as Monica began preparing the potions.

"Do you feel able to drink some porridge, Sylvia?" Monica asked gently, looking into the woman's eyes. "It will help you regain a bit of strength."

Sylvia hesitated but finally nodded. "I... I can do it," she replied, her voice still trembling.

Monica helped the woman sit up a bit more, while Strax held the bowl of porridge in his hands. "Here, take it slowly. It's just a little, but it will help you," he said, leaning slightly so she could eat.

As he helped her eat... a message from the system appeared.