A sharp slap echoed through the lavish room, bouncing off the walls like a gunshot. The madam's palm stung from the impact, but she paid it no mind. Her eyes, filled with fury, were locked onto the man in front of her, who stood stoically in his perfectly tailored suit, not daring to flinch.
“I asked you for one thing, just one!” she hissed. "And you can't even do that?" Her glare intensified, every word she spat fueling the growing fire in her chest. “You’re my secretary, and yet you can’t even bring my son here!” Her voice cracked with the force of her anger, as she collapsed into her seat, gripping the glass of wine from the center table. The red liquid swirled, reflecting the storm brewing in her eyes.
The man remained silent, head bowed, his lips tightly pressed together as if they were sewn shut.
“Is it really that hard to bring Zayne to me?” she asked, setting the glass down with deliberate care, the calmness in her action contrasting with the tempest in her tone.
Still, the man didn’t respond.
"AM I TALKING TO A STONE?! TALK!" she screamed, her voice reverberating around the room like thunder. The secretary flinched, his composure finally cracking as he hesitated before speaking.
“Your son... gave me a message,” he began quietly. “He said... he will not return under any circumstances.”
Her eyes darkened. Before he could even blink, the madam seized the glass and, with a shriek of rage, smashed it over his head. The glass shattered, raining shards around him. Blood trickled down his face, a stark contrast to his pristine suit. But still, he stood firm, his expression unchanged, his eyes focused on the floor.
“Pathetic,” she muttered, her breath coming in sharp gasps. She slapped him again, harder this time, the force of it leaving her panting. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, mixing with the crimson streaks on his head, but he did not raise his hand to wipe it away.
Then, the door creaked open.
“I said, DON’T ENTER!” the madam shrieked, spinning around, her voice wild and feral. But her fury faltered, replaced by an eerie calm as her gaze fell on the figure standing in the doorway. A slow smile twisted her lips.
“Zayne?”
Zayne, panting as if he had run the entire way, stood frozen in the doorway, eyes wide at the sight before him. The secretary, bloodied and silent. His mother, standing with wild eyes and disheveled hair, her white dress stained with splashes of red wine—and perhaps something more.
“As I thought,” Zayne mumbled under his breath. He knew this would happen, had seen it coming. But witnessing it still left a bitter taste in his mouth.
The madam, as if possessed, rushed towards her son and wrapped her arms around him in a tight, suffocating embrace. She clung to him like a lifeline, her breathing ragged, her lips curling into an unsettling smile.
"My son," she whispered, her voice unnervingly soft. "You came." She pulled back slightly, her eyes gleaming with something darker, something crazed. Her hands cupped Zayne's face, her fingers trembling as they traced his features. “My beautiful boy…”
Zayne’s face remained expressionless, though his eyes flicked to the secretary, who still stood with his head bowed. Their eyes met briefly—Zayne’s filled with regret, the secretary’s filled with silent understanding.
“You came for me,” the madam said again, her voice shifting into a sing-song tone, her breath reeking of alcohol. Her once pristine white dress now looked like something out of a nightmare, stained and disheveled, her hair wild, framing her ghostly pale face like a madwoman’s.
"Mother," Zayne finally spoke, his voice low and steady. "Have you been drinking again?"
The madam threw her head back and laughed, a high-pitched, hysterical sound that sent a shiver down Zayne's spine. "How could you tell?" she giggled, her grip on his face tightening.
Zayne forced a smile, though the corners of his mouth twitched with discomfort. "It’s always the same with you, Mother."
The laughter stopped abruptly. Her eyes, wild and unfocused, bore into his. "You think you can mock me?" she whispered, her tone dangerously low. "You think I don’t know what you’re planning?"
Zayne’s smile faltered. "I'm not planning anything, Mother. I came here because—"
“Because you want to abandon me!” she screeched, her nails digging into his skin, leaving small crescents of pain. "Just like your father! Just like everyone else!" Her voice was shrill, trembling with madness.
Zayne remained calm, though his pulse quickened. "I'm not abandoning you."
The madam’s eyes narrowed, her lips curling into a predatory smile. "Good. Because if you even think about leaving me, I will kill them all. Every. Last. One." Her voice was soft now, chillingly so, as if she were discussing the weather. Her nails dug deeper into his cheeks.
Zayne's breath hitched. He stared into his mother’s crazed eyes, seeing no trace of the woman she once was, only the broken shell that remained.
With a sigh, he forced himself to speak. "I understand, Mother. I’ll stay."
Her grip loosened slightly, and her expression softened into something resembling affection. "Good boy," she cooed, stroking his face gently, her mood shifting with unsettling quickness. "You're all I have, Zayne. Don’t forget that."
Zayne gave a slight nod, his face calm, though his insides twisted in anguish. He had no choice. To defy her meant destruction, and not just for him. Everyone he cared about would be in danger. The madam was no longer just his mother—she was a ticking time bomb, one that could explode at any moment.
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He swallowed hard, the taste of regret bitter on his tongue.
"I won’t forget," he said quietly, though every fiber of his being screamed to run far away from the madness that held him captive.
For now, he would play her game. Until he found a way out.
Yuna Point of View
It’s been a week since Senior La-La had an accident. I’m now in Dermart City, on my way to meet Senior La-La. Things have been... quite complicated between Senior and me recently, and honestly, it’s a bit unfortunate. But despite everything, I still feel grateful. Senior’s been kind, and I’ve met so many new people—some of them even seem like princes. Isn’t that amazing?
Today, Senior scheduled a hunting training session for me. Mr. Axel said he’d be helping out, too. But I’m not sure how that’s going to go, considering the tension between them. They’ve been arguing about something lately, and I just know it's going to make things awkward again.
As I walked, I spotted Senior La-La from a distance. I was about to wave, but then I felt it—a strange tug. The ring I’m wearing started to... react? I blinked, scratching my eyes, trying to shake off the weird feeling. But when I looked again, there it was—a red string. A bright red string coming from Senior’s chest, connecting to something invisible. What... what is that?
Before I could even process what I was seeing, Mr. Axel appeared. And to my shock, I noticed he had a string too—a faint one, barely visible, but still connected to Senior La-La.
Wait... connected to Senior?
What is this? Am I malfunctioning? This can’t be right…
La-La point of view
“"So, you really came," I said to Axel, annoyance clear in my tone.
"What did you expect? For me not to help her?" he replied, raising an eyebrow.
"Well... yeah," I admitted, unable to hide my frustration.
"You really look down on me," he said, his voice flat.
"As if," I shot back, my attention shifting when I saw Yuna standing a little distance away. I waved at her, noticing how shocked she looked for a moment before quickly slipping off the ring she was wearing and tucking it into her suit. She didn’t need to hide it, though. I already knew what it was for.
She walked toward us, looking hesitant.
"Is everything fine?" I asked her, trying to gauge her reaction.
"Y-yeah," she answered, but the hesitation in her voice was obvious.
"Did you see a ghost?" Axel quipped, his usual sarcasm seeping through. I shot him a look of disbelief.
"We are ghosts, idiot," I said, unimpressed.
"Oh yeah," he muttered, rolling his eyes.
Ugh, this guy.
"Senior, I have one question," Yuna suddenly asked, her voice soft but curious. Her unexpected question caught me off guard.
"You said cupid like us can't have a red string, right?" she asked, looking uneasy.
I frowned, wondering why she was asking about this. "Yes, like I said before. It’s only a miracle like the gold string, but it can’t happen to us. Everyone who is an MT—like us—we used to be human, sure, but now we’re more like souls. Strings like that aren’t supposed to happen for us since we’re not living beings anymore," I explained again, though I felt like we had already covered this.
"Why, though?" Yuna asked, her confusion growing.
I sighed. Didn’t I already explain this? "Because love and other feelings… we can't feel them. It's also a taboo for us to experience those emotions," I said, my tone firm.
Axel chimed in, adding, "Yeah, it’s forbidden for us to feel things like that."
I glanced at him, curious. "What's with you today?" I asked, noticing he was acting strange. Something about him had been off since that accident a week ago, and it made me uncomfortable. He wasn’t saying much, and I’d caught him with bruises more than once. I’ve also been having these weird dreams lately, but I can never remember them when I wake up.
"Like I said, I’ll be helping her," Axel responded, but I wasn’t convinced that was his only motive.
"Oh, you’re doing this because I’m going to be gone soon?" I asked, half-joking. "That’s nice of you."
"If you’re leaving, I will too," he said, his voice quiet, and the air between us grew tense.
Silence settled in. I didn’t expect that answer.
"Why don’t you just ascend first, then?" I suggested.
"I still have a lot of work to do," Axel replied.
"You sure?" I asked, doubting him.
"Yes. As a Life Hunter, I still need to hunt life souls," he said, brushing off my concern.
I turned to Yuna, sensing there was something more to her question. "Why did you ask about that? Did you witness something? If so, you should report it, since it's forbidden," I warned her. My instincts were telling me there was more she wasn’t sharing.
"Is something going to happen to them?" she asked, her voice filled with worry.
I paused, the weight of the rules and consequences running through my mind. It was hard to explain—there were so many regulations, so many complications. If something like that had been seen, it could lead to disaster.
"Well—" I began, but Axel cut in.
"They’ll be punished, and they'll be erased from existence," Axel said bluntly. My eyes widened, and I immediately slapped his shoulder.
"Don’t say it like that!" I hissed. Yuna looked horrified at his words.
"Ouch, that hurts," Axel grumbled, rubbing his shoulder.
"Axel, you can’t just say things like that," I muttered, shaking my head. Yuna’s face was pale, her eyes wide in disbelief. I could feel her worry and fear radiating from her.
"I’m just being honest," Axel shrugged, unbothered, but I could see a flicker of something in his eyes. It wasn’t like him to be so blunt, especially with Yuna.
"You need to be careful with your words," I warned, trying to calm the atmosphere. "Yuna, it’s not as simple as just getting erased. There are processes, and rules to handle this sort of thing. It’s complicated, but that doesn’t mean it’s hopeless."
"Senior, what happens if someone—" Yuna hesitated, looking at me with a mix of fear and confusion. "What if someone like us gets a red string? Does it mean they’re going to be… punished?"
I sighed, trying to choose my words carefully. "The red string is a sign of love, connection. It's not supposed to happen for us because... we’re not meant to have those kinds of feelings anymore. It’s taboo. But," I added, noticing the panic in her eyes, "that doesn’t mean the end for whoever it happens to. There are ways to deal with it. Sometimes, it's just a mistake or a misunderstanding of what it represents."
Axel stayed quiet for a moment, looking at Yuna thoughtfully. "If you saw something like that, it could be a malfunction. Or... something much more serious."
"More serious?" Yuna whispered.
"Yes," Axel said, softer this time. "If a red string appears on someone like us, it means they’ve broken a fundamental rule of existence. It’s not just about love—it’s about being tied to life in a way we’re not supposed to be anymore. And that could bring consequences."
Yuna looked between us, her eyes flickering with uncertainty. "What kind of consequences?"
I sighed again, running a hand through my hair. "The kind that puts us at risk. Not just the person with the red string, but anyone they’re connected to. It can cause imbalance, disrupt the flow of life and death. That’s why it’s forbidden."
"Which is why," Axel interrupted, "it has to be reported immediately. Whoever it is, whatever’s causing the string, has to be dealt with. Before it’s too late."
Yuna’s face went pale again, and she swallowed nervously. "But... but what if it was a mistake? What if the string wasn’t meant to appear?"
"It doesn’t matter," Axel said bluntly. "Rules are rules."
I shot him a warning glare. "Yuna, listen," I said gently, "if you really saw something, you need to be careful. But there’s always a way to fix things, okay? We can figure this out. You’re not alone in this."
Yuna nodded, though her hands were trembling slightly. "I just... I saw it, Senior. I saw the string, and it was connected to..." Her voice trailed off as she hesitated.
"Connected to who?" I asked, my heart suddenly pounding.
"Nothing," she said, making me pause. "I think I just made a mistake," she added with a smile on her face.
To be honest, if Yuna actually saw someone with that string, it means the Gold String incident really happened, and one of the hunters actually got it and became human.
“You sure?” I asked to confirm she looked at me and smiled. “Yes”