The chains trembled and clanked. Banging noises came from within the pile. The headmaster frowned. “Did we add too many chains?” he asked his secretary. He rapped his knuckles against the surface of the metal. “Miss Caelum?”

The chains stopped rattling, causing the headmaster’s brow to furrow. “Raea?” he asked, lifting one of the chains. A black, clawed hand burst through and grabbed his wrist. The headmaster flinched and tried to pull his arm back, but he couldn’t. Raea squeezed, causing his hand to turn purple. The headmaster slapped Raea’s hand repeatedly and turned his head towards his secretary. “Help!”

His secretary stared at him with her mouth agape. His shout startled her, and she nodded as she stepped forward. “Um.” Her brow furrowed as she asked, “How?” The headmaster’s wrists emitted cracking sounds, and a scream escaped from his mouth.

The secretary bit her lower lip and pressed a glowing, white hand against the headmaster’s back, causing his wrist to heal. The next second, his bones snapped again, eliciting another round of howls. “Don’t do that!” the headmaster yelled with tears in his eyes. “Get her off me!”

Before either of them could do anything, Raea’s hand retreated while still holding onto his wrist. The headmaster was pulled towards the mound of chains. A second hand erupted out of the metal and seized the headmaster’s neck. A melodic voice rang out, causing both of the angels’ minds to blank. Their expressions turned stupid as their bodies relaxed. “Undo the chains, and I’ll set you free.”

The headmaster’s eye shifted towards his secretary. His neck was still immobilized by Raea, preventing him from turning his head. “Well?” he asked. “What are you waiting for? Hurry up and undo them!”

His secretary took a step back. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” she asked and furrowed her brow. She regretted not setting Raea’s cocoon on fire when she still had the chance. At least her boss’ life wouldn’t be in danger even if she lost her job. “She’s an archangel, remember? And those arms really don’t look angel-like.”

“Angel-like, demon-like, what’s the difference?” the headmaster asked with a red face. Veins bulged on his neck. “I’m dying here, hello?”

His secretary bit her lower lip. “For the greater good…,” she said and took another step back.

“You’re a kindness angel,” the headmaster said as he waved his arms at his secretary, trying to grab her. “How can you abandon me like this? Can you just stand there and watch me die?” Hints of purple appeared on his face.

“I won’t hurt you if you let me out,” Raea’s said. The two were once again stunned by her voice.

“How can someone with such a beautiful voice be a liar?” the headmaster asked. “Hurry up and free her.”

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

The secretary clenched her hands. “Haven’t you ever heard of harpies?” she asked. “The rumors say they had beautiful voices, but they’d use them to lure unsuspecting males into their roosts. Just because her voice is beautiful doesn’t mean she’s a good person. If she were a good person, would she be grabbing your neck like that?”

“I’m going to faint,” the headmaster gasped. The edges of his vision began to blur. “When I die, it’ll be on you. You could’ve saved me, but you chose not to. I hope you lose your kindness.” His head drooped as his body slumped, held up solely by Raea’s hand.

The secretary froze at her boss’ words. “Squeeze him less tightly,” she said as she rushed over to the mound of chains. Despite her previous words, she really couldn’t bear to see someone die in front of her, especially if she could do something about it. “I’ll set you free, just don’t kill him.”

“I won’t, don’t worry,” Raea said as her hand around the headmaster’s neck loosened. She still held onto his wrist. The secretary checked the headmaster’s pulse before letting out a sigh. He was alright. She picked up the keys around his waist and began to unlock the chains holding Raea down.

When she was halfway through, the headmaster woke up. Chains lay all around him. “What are you doing?” he asked, furrowing his brow. He stood up and realized Raea was holding him. His arm jerked back, but he wasn’t able to move his hand.

“Freeing her in exchange for your life?” the secretary asked and rolled her eyes as she undid another lock. “I couldn’t not act after what you said. You nearly died. Short-term memory loss is common when you faint like that.”

The headmaster frowned and rubbed his neck. It was sore. “Are you sure you should be doing that?” he asked. His secretary glared at him.

“Who do you think I’m doing this for!?” she asked as she yanked another chain away. The remaining mound bulged, and Raea’s head popped out of the chains. Black scales covered her neck and cheeks while her mouth and nose remained red. Her eyes turned blue, while her irises had turned red, the opposite of Palan. Her ears became pointed like a bat, and her silver hair extended past her neck, disappearing underneath the chains. The secretary froze mid-action.

“Why did you stop?” Raea asked and tilted her head. She smiled at the secretary, revealing a row of pointed white teeth.

“S-sorry,” the secretary said and shook her head. She didn’t stutter out of fear. Raea’s voice was way too mesmerizing. A shiver ran down the secretary’s spine. If Raea was an angel of chastity, no one would be able to resist her words.

The chains continued to fall to the ground, slowly revealing Raea’s body. She really hadn’t changed much, except there were now a few red patterns on her black scales. Her wings remained the same as before, but her feathers seemed to glisten even in the dark. When the secretary began removing the chains from Raea’s waist, a tail sprung out from behind Raea. It was thin like a monkey’s, but at the tip, there was a halberd’s blade.

The tail swished, nearly cutting off the secretary’s head. “Oops,” Raea said. She manipulated the blade towards her own face and inspected the material. It seemed to be made out of the red metal. Her brow furrowed, and she muttered, “Somehow, this feels inconvenient.”

When the remaining chains only rose up to her knees, Raea lifted her legs and stepped out of them. She released the headmaster’s wrist before raiding his closet for clothes. Once she wasn’t naked, she turned her attention towards the two angels and smiled. Black flames flickered into existence around her body. “Let me tell you what I think about kudosu puzzles and trust falls,” she said as the flames grew bigger. “They make me angry.” A smile appeared on Raea’s lips, and the stone floor was set ablaze.