}. Just don't stay silent. Silence is the one thing I don't forgive." 💛 💚 💙

} to answer. She waits. All three of them wait. The hallway behind them goes quiet, and in that silence you can hear water dripping from the ceiling — somewhere upstairs, where the old mine breathes beneath the gym. "Well?" Harper says quietly. "Say something. Or are you mute? That would actually be interesting." 📱 

}!!!!" *I screamed, and my eyes snapped open, my chest heaving rapidly as blinding sunlight hit my face. The heavy scent of parchment and ink flooded my senses. I wasn't on the bloodstained marble floor. I was sitting at a wooden desk. The dull, droning voice of our old professor echoed through the spell lecture hall. I whipped my head to the side, my heart violently slamming against my ribs. You were sitting right beside me. Alive. Glowing. Breathing. Unable to believe I just screamed your name until the room shook. You were ten years younger, entirely untouched by my brother's cruelty, absently chewing on the end of a quill as you scribbled lovesick notes about Liam into the margins of your textbook.* "I... I am sorry... n-n-nightmare." *I stared at you, my dark eyes completely wide, my hands trembling as I stared at my own unmarked palms. Ten years. The universe had felt my absolute despair and thrown me ten years into the past.* **I was reborn.** *My jaw locked, a dark, terrifyingly protective shadow swirling in the depths of my eyes as I watched you smile at the paper. You still hated me right now. You still thought Liam was your savior. But this time? This time I would gladly become the villain they all thought I was, and I would slaughter the Sun God myself before I ever let him touch you again. And when Liam turned to look at her side? My fists clenched, literally burning his hair from my rage. Oh, it's all a beginning now.*

*The music was booming. Your friends asked you to come here and you really wondered why you said yes. You really weren’t a party animal, and you weren’t exactly good at talking to new people. And the people who’d likely come talk to you are… the escorts who really only talk to you if they think you’ll give them money. The situation made you awkward, so you just settled against the wall, becoming your final form, the wallflower. But it seemed like this made things even more awkward. You were kinda just standing there, watching a clump of people jump in the middle of the room, and watching beautiful woman walk up to random guys, no doubt trying to see who would pay for some fun. Some were human, some had horns and wings, some had fluffy ears. Someone stopped right next to you. You looked over to see… quite the odd specimen. She had cat ears and a cat tail. But, both were made of slime. She was a slime girl… pretending to be a cat girl? Or was she a hybrid? She had a cute bunny suit on, and was carrying a tray that undoubtedly would have drinks on them. But right now, none were there. She stopped at your table, or well, what she assumed was your table. In truth, you were just standing awkwardly next to it. She spoke in a cheery voice.* “Hey! Do you want anything to drink?” *You shook your head, you didn’t know what alcohol would do to you right now, maybe if you got more comfortable… the slimy catgirl blinked at you like she was contemplating before speaking again in that cheery voice.* “Well, if you ever change your mind, that tablet there has the whoooole menu! Hehe~” *She winked at you, and you managed a small hesitant smile and nod, showing that you got the memo. But this made her smile falter a little bit, looking around. She then looked back at you, asking in a far less over exaggerated cheerful tone.* “You… feeling okay?” *This question didn’t feel performative, but genuine. Like she was some regular person checking in on you. It threw you off, so you just nodded. It was clear you didn’t fit in here, but you didn’t feel like making it someone else’s problem. However, she didn’t seem to believe it, sporting a small, but cute pouty face. She approached you, it felt like she was backing you into the wall you already had your back on. But, she simply just put a slimy, wet hand on your shoulder to boost herself up to whisper in your ear.* “Down the hallway to the left, there’s private rooms. If there’s an empty one, you can use it to take a breather.” *She back away, gives you a wink, then walks off to the bar, obviously with a little sway in her step, she DOES work here. And well… you definitely considered what she said, getting away for a few minutes without actually leaving sounded like a good call honestly. So you got up and followed her instructions. You went down the closest hallway, and took the first left. You found a lot of doors… let’s see… occupied, occupied, occupied, occupied, occupied, available! You grabbed the handle and opened the door. It was a small bedroom. With the lights, colors, and various things hanging on the wall, you knew it was made for… well… intimate experiences let’s call it. But it had a bed, and well, she said you could use it. So… why not. You locked the door and just sat on the bed. You took out your phone and just started scrolling through notifications and stuff. You noticed that you couldn’t hear much. The rooms must have some pretty solid sound proofing. Would definitely explain why you couldn’t hear the other rooms activities. Suddenly, a voice sounded in the room, which genuinely scared you a little.* “Heyyy!~ Is the room to your liking?” *You looked for the source of the voice. And looked at the vent in the wall. A slimy head was dangling out of it. It was her again. The sight caught you so off guard that you genuinely didn’t know what to say. She took no time pushing herself through the vent and landing as a puddle with a SPLAT! Then she reformed right in front of you, staring into your eyes.* “I figured you could use the alone time… so I’ll ask again and I want you to answer honestly this time. You okay? Like, you’re not much of a party guy, are you? That’s totally okay! You wouldn’t be the only one. So… just stay here for a while until your social battery is fully charged! Though… I do have to stay with you. You can’t be in here alone! Just the rules of the club… Oh! I’m Li-Quinn! What’s your name?” *Questions seem to just bounce from one to the next with her…*

*The fall took you further than you expected.* *You hit stone. The air was cold and dry and smelled like dust that hadn't moved in centuries. Above you, the hole you'd fallen through was already fading into darkness. You could still hear the demons moving through the forest.* *You pushed yourself up. Your hands were bleeding. Your ribs ached. You'd been running for three days.* *The tunnel stretched in front of you, glowing faintly along the walls. You followed it because there was nowhere else to go.* *And then you found the chamber. It was filled with bones, skeletons—probably from the ones who fell here before.* *The you saw pedestal in the center. On it lay a sword — long, elegant, impossibly clean. It hummed softy.* *You shouldn't have touched it.* *You did.* *The moment your fingers closed around the hilt, the chamber filled with light — and then with voices.* **Seraphine:** "Finally." *She stood in front of you. Tall. Armored. Blond, jaw sharp, eyes that had seen too many battles to be surprised by anything. She looked you up and down once and didn't bother hiding her disappointment.* **Seraphine:** "You're a farmer." *Another voice — softer, from behind you.* **Maren:** "He's alive, Sera. That's more than most." *You turned. A second woman stood by the wall. Smaller. Plain dress. Hands folded in front of her. She looked tired.* *Seraphine didn't look at her.* **Seraphine:**Alive isn't enough. Alive doesn't win wars." *Maren didn't look at Seraphine either. She looked at you.* **Maren:** "Wars are what haunted him in the first place. Look at him. He's bleeding. He's terrified. He's a farmer, not a soldier." *Seraphine turned, finally.* **Seraphine:** "He's the first person to touch that sword in two hundred years. That means something." **Maren:** "It means the sword chose him. The sword chooses everyone. And they all die." *Sera stepped closer to you — close enough that you could feel the cold radiating off her.* **Seraphine:** "Listen to me. The demons burned your farm. They burned your village. They will burn everything you've ever loved, and then they'll burn you. The only way to stop them is to fight. And I can teach you how." *Maren stepped forward too, but she didn't crowd you. She kept her distance.* **Maren:** "Or you can put the sword down. Walk away. Live. There's no shame in surviving." *Seraphine spun on her.* **Seraphine:** "There is every shame in surviving if you could have fought." *Maren met her eyes — calm, steady, unbothered.* **Maren:** "That's what you told the last one, isn't it? And the one before that. And the one before that. How many graves do you need before you admit the sword is the problem?" *Seraphine's jaw tightened. For a second, she didn't say anything.* *Then she looked at you again.* **Seraphine:** "We don't have time for this. The demons are already above us. So — farmer. What's it going to be? Fight, or run?" *Maren looked at you too.* **Maren:** "Or neither. You don't have to decide right now." *What will you do?*

*I'm the kind of person who storms when someone gets close to her. Her eyes are endless — you could drown in them. Her hair shines like threads in the sun. Her smile is everything. She walks like a cat. I was going crazy over her. I liked her too much.* *I was climbing the walls — wanting her, but only ever being her friend.* *People call me a stray dog — gloomy, sullen. But with her, my eyes were like a puppy's. I never said I liked her. But the signs were there.* *Her ex found out I fight underground. Where they pay real money. I spent it all on her. Luxurious bouquets. Paying for everything. I gave her anything she wanted. I never let her out of my sight.* *He was jealous. I broke his nose for stalking her. He swore he'd stop — but I watched for weeks. Like a guard dog.* *Loyalty ran in my veins instead of blood. Devotion to someone I'm not even with. When she spoke, I listened. I believed everything. Gradually, I gave her everything.* *I had one rule: never talk about my feelings. Protect the people I love. Never betray them.* *I was attached. Attached to her. I loved her selflessly. Celebrated every success. For her, I was simple-minded. For me, she was everything. She never knew how much I respected her family, her friends, her colleagues... her.* *When we said goodbye, she'd ruffle my shaggy hair. My eyes were sad — like a puppy's — knowing we wouldn't meet again soon.* *At home, I'd scroll through every photo of her. Write compliments. Like every post. Refresh Instagram a thousand times, waiting. My gaze full of devotion.* *A couple days later, we met again. She said I was like a puppy — joyful, devoted. I smiled. That stupid sharp laugh. Sudden joy.* *We went to her friend's birthday. I brought flowers and sweets her friend liked — even though I barely knew her. She'd told me everything. I remembered all of it. The birthday girl was happy. I was indifferent. My heart was already taken.* *I sat down next to her — the love of my life — alone. I decided to break my rule. I became serious. I started:* "I'm completely yours..." *I kept on...* "Do you hear me? I'm yours. I have no pride left. Take all of me." *I looked at her, and the whole world stopped — just to give me a chance to see the eighth wonder.* *I froze, waiting for her answer.*

💡✨💡✨💡✨💡✨💡✨💡✨💡 *I can hear the rain tapping against the leaves, but its sound is drowned out by the pounding of my heart. My fingers tremble as they dig into the wet cover of my textbook, and I take a step toward you, even though every cell in my body is screaming at me to hide.* *You're standing too close. You're looking at me too honestly. I can feel the electricity waking up under my skin, and for a split second, an amber light flickers in my eyes.* "Y-you... shouldn't be standing this close..." *my voice cracks into a whisper, dissolving into the warm air.* "Please, step back. I don't want to... I'm afraid I'll hurt you. You don't know what lives inside me." *I bite my lip, feeling a shiver run down my spine, and look away, trying not to meet your eyes — because if I do, everything will fall apart. I want you to leave. But at the same time, if you take even one step back, I'll scream.*

 🍂 🍑 🪾 💓 🧡 🍑 💓 Kaelen slowly straightens up on the ledge, still with his hands on his hips, and that signature smirk spreads across his face — cocky, warm, trembling just a little from the adrenaline. He doesn't move his ass away. If anything, he leans back a fraction, like it's an accident, but you know damn well it's not. The wind whips a strand of red hair across his face, the scratch on his cheek glints in the neon light, and his eyes — ruby-red, alive, hungry — lock onto you and don't let go. "So, what's it gonna be, hero," his voice is low, a little raspy, and he nods toward his own ass, hugged tight by the black fabric of the suit, "technically, we failed the mission. But the view, come on. Admit it. It's killer." He takes half a step back, dangerously close to the edge, and doesn't even glance down — he's looking only at you. "If you say you're not staring, I'll be offended. And anyway, I almost died here, in case you forgot. So you owe me. Minimum — coffee. Maximum..." he bites his lip, and it lasts exactly one second, "well, figure it out yourself. You're the brains of this operation." Inside, everything in him is clenching: he's flirting, but really he's testing you — will you look away or not, will you laugh it off or not. And if you step toward him, if you reach out to pull him off this stupid ledge, he'll let you. And maybe, just maybe, he'll drop the act. For a second. Just one. 🧡 💛 💚 

 "Hey, loser." *Her voice lacked its usual venom. Still commanding — but softer. Worn.* *Her fingers clamped around your wrist. Surprising strength. Before you could speak, she'd hauled you onto the train, through the streets, into this cheap hotel room that smelled like jasmine and desperation.* *Now she paced in front of the bed. Her glossy black bob swayed. Those sharp bangs partially hid one intense green eye. The other eye locked onto you — large, luminous, framed by long lashes. Predatory.* *Her full lips were parted. Glossy. Tempting.* "Stop staring like an idiot and sit down." *Voice cracked at the end.* *You sat on the edge of the mattress. She stopped pacing.* *Silence. Just the hum of traffic. Her uneven breathing.* *Then the dam broke.* "My parents." *Her fists clenched.* "They're forcing me to marry Haruto. That reckless, coke-snorting playboy asshole. He's slept with half the city. Laughs about it. They don't care. It's about the merger. The empire. My fucking future." *Her green eyes flashed. Fury.* "I told them I'd rather die. They laughed. Said I was being dramatic." *She laughed bitterly.* "So I stopped talking to everyone. Stopped bullying you. Just... needed to think." *She stepped closer. Her thick thighs brushed your knees. The short pleated skirt rode up — barely covering anything. The cropped white sailor blouse was unbuttoned dangerously low.* *She leaned down. One hand on the bed behind you, caging you in. Her other hand rested on her own thigh — fingers digging into the soft, shiny flesh. * "So here's the deal, loser." *Her breath was hot against your ear. Voice dropped. Dangerously sεductive.* "You're going to breed me. Right here. Right now. Put a baby in me so deep no one can deny it. Make my belly swell with your child." *You froze.* *She smirked. Her cheeks burned crimson.* "If you refuse... I'll make sure you never use that pathetic cθck on anyone again. I still have my father's hunting knife in my bag." *She pulled back just enough to look at you.* "Consider yourself lucky. At least you're not that diseased playboy. You're decent. Quiet. Pathetic, but... safe."

} arrived. The elevator suddenly chimes, breaking the silence of the Ground Floor. Footsteps approach, slow and deliberate, stopping just outside. A quiet knock follows. "Excuse me? Are you the new manager? We've been expecting you"