“I’m sick, no cap! Of all the girls sent to me by Jeez, I would hate my teenage life spending a goddamn grave-scented jack in the crack together with this Christmas zombie.”

Beneath the kingdom lies a dungeon consisting of two levels. The first basement level contained the detained criminals with light punishment. They’ll soon be freed within a certain amount of time. However, for the prisoners at the bottom, freedom would be a fulfilling dream that could spark a rebellion against the kingdom.

On the first level, Xenos mumbled his complaints as he shared a cell with Ellen. Three guards, who were changed through shifts, fixated their eyes on them for the whole time. Undra sent Gavin away to a detention center which should handle problematic children. They wished what Undra promised them was mere truth.

Xenos continued mumbling, “I should’ve stayed in Tokyo while massaging nippies and arcade joysticks. Who would’ve thought I’d become the powdered fodder inside a mortar while being smashed by a piston with alternating rhythms…”

“Can you shut up!? Don’t let me shut you up,” Ellen growled in irritation, furrowing her eyebrows. “The author should’ve zippered your mouth in the first arc. Don’t add your nonsense to his burden. The middle is the hardest part to write. Else I’ll be forced to–”

“Stop manifesting your talk to an imaginary Jesus. Don’t tell me you’re doing that grody 2 girls 1 cup again? Just to remind you, I’m your only smooth and cleanest way of bailing out this sewer-rat box. You swampdonkey should’ve considered your life choices first.”

“Then shut up!” Ellen shouted and soon exhaled from a sequence of long holds. “Just to remind you too, no one here is watching us. You can’t go against Nebula’s orders and run away. I can do something to you far more brutal than BDSM plays.”

“Oh, don’t cock me with that,” Xenos laughed, but his happiness soon frowned when he clicked the transmitter on his ear. “Miss Suppose, where on the edge of a cliff are you? I might be glad it wasn't a rim reaper who came from Marion Franklin High School class, but I, your most endearing and agile assassin, am being gerbiled by your sex monster here! Do something!”

The intercom replied, but it was not directed to him. “Rox, can you silence my intercom for a minute? I don’t want to step on trash while doing my infiltration.”

“DAMN!” Xenos smashed the ground, leaving a hole that bore a crater within a centimeter. He growled, “GWAARH! Joining this self-proclaimed superhero group is a fucking circus! What’s wrong with this kingdom!? They’re all heels onto the moon not knowing that we can destroy one pale supergiant called Uranus!”

Xenos pivoted to Ellen, whose pitiful stare fixated on him. “Where are you looking at? Are you on a period? Make sure it won’t smell. I’m already fed up with a stripper’s bull hell. You should’ve told me to deliver some spare wings.”

Ellen averted her eye contact and whirled away, “Don’t talk to me.” Unlike their previous interactions, Ellen doesn’t have the energy to insult and defile Xenos, who was alienated from the current crisis.

Xenos sighed, “Why’s everyone hitting puberty fast? Was it January 1st?”

***

“It’s nearing the full moon, isn’t it? Another mystery will be unveiled.”

And… another candidate will be born, that’s the case. I’m also bearing witness to the madness earlier. Our plans were nearly snitched out.

Undra Grivuke, standing before his office desk while staring at the waxing moon, seemed to be talking to himself. Through telepathy, the voice of the person he’s talking to doesn’t leak beyond his mind. Left alone after a guard reported about the detention of the three rude guests, he uttered, “I should’ve been wary of that woman. She may not look like it, but she’s strong enough to solo our army.”

That woman… What’s her name? Ellenoire? Are you vouching for her? She would be your best underling only if she met certain conditions, an underaged orphan… though I may be vouching for some familiar face.

“You knew someone in there?”

A traitor, driving our family into the roots of madness, a special subject we should have had in the past only if Entropy didn’t side with that kid.

“The first time I met them, I already sensed danger. Their fake faces and surnames may have successfully hidden it. Their aura, however, screams domination, like they’re only here for a certain objective.”

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

We have thousands of trained assassins in our arsenal, and it’s increasing every month. The Arena was always a hidden hive. There are too many participants in today’s feast. Not even a single soul who witnessed it managed to escape alive. Our corps is always on watch.

“As long as I have eyes on everything, I got it under control. No one will dare to mess with our plans.”

That’s music in my ears! I’m expecting everything from you. You don’t want to end up the same as that failed general, do you?

The transmission ended; Undra sighed, closing his eyes. A knock from the window caught his attention. When he gazed at it, the figure of an assassin with lightweight armor and helmet appeared. Undra opened the window and let the assassin in. She soon removed her helmet, and her compressed raven-black hair slid down to her waist.

“Any status to report, Ursa? I’ll soon patrol at the Isle of Delusions,” Undra uttered with his back facing Ursa.

“Nothing, Mayor… There are no unusual things in our everyday survey.” Ursa pressed her lips together and fidgeted her fingers, concerned about a certain person. “I’m just concerned about him. He shouldn’t have been involved in this.”

“Even I am surprised. He was been bedridden years ago. Now, he’s under our watch.”

Ursa hugged him from behind and asked, “What will happen to him, Mayor? I did everything, even fought to death, not to get him involved. What should I do?”

Undra gazed blankly at the ceiling and said, “This decade-old crisis will soon end. We’ve found the right people.”

***

“Rox, can you silence my intercom for a minute? I don’t want to step on trash while doing my infiltration,” I whispered while holding my earpiece. I’m sick of cries bugging my ears every time. There are a few chances that Xenos met the kid. I suppose his hatred of royalties may have forced him to help Gavin.

As soon as I let go, Melani asked, “Huh? Did you say something?” She currently wore a casual dress stuck on her dresser for so long. It’s the only clothing she had that made her move silently.

“Prayers, I suppose.”

We stepped down to the circular cobblestone stairs surrounded by thick old bricks of stones with mildew cracks snacking across them. Only a torch guided us through the way below. Every time we spoke, our murmurs and footsteps echoed along the narrow route. The compressed musty air mixed with molds crawled into our nostrils. I brought along a few sticks as substitutes once the torch was nearly consumed.

My companion was somewhat lively, grasping back the enjoyment from her lost childhood. Her eyes glimmered as this was her first adventure towards the unknown. It’s like it’s the first time she saw a person… in person.

“Hey, Quimora. Do you like books?”

“I suppose.” Well, this is the only way we can gather information in a fantasy world. The internet wasn’t World Wide yet.

“How old are you?”

“Fifteen.”

“Wow! You’re the same age as me!” She exclaimed, slacking her mouth in awe. “I hope we’ll be good friends!”

“I suppose.”

“You like saying suppose too much. I rarely encounter that word in books. Maybe you took a liking to it because it’s unique?”

“I have a clever sister. I suppose I inherited this from her habit.”

“See! You said it again!”

“Shh!” I shushed and smiled. “Don’t be too loud. Someone might hear us.”

With a grin that extended from ear to ear, she nodded repeatedly.

We reached the bottom floor at the end of the road, which presented us with a double giant door made of thick steel. Various curved designs were hollowed on the doors. A pedestal made of quartz, containing a flat slab above which harbored a thumb-sized hole in its center, stood beside it.

Currently, she’s holding the torch as I prepare the grand entrance. I pulled her thumb up and lightly stabbed a needle in its center. She flinched, pulling back her thumb from pain, and squealed, “Aw! What did you do?” Her eyes watered as she clenched her teeth, which soon faded her uncertain joy. She fixed her eyes on the tiny drop of blood forming on her thumb as she hissed. Is it the first time she felt pain? Royalties.

I showed her the needle which came from my pocket and stabbed it on my thumb to call it quits with her. Grinning, I replied, “For the grand prize, it’s a small price. Like in stories, there is always a key in opening treasures.”

I put my thumb underneath the slab and said the next steps to her, “You should put your thumb at the hole. Once our blood connects, the door will open. The pain you experience will soon fade. See? It’s like a bite of a small ant. Once you press it later, it will recover quickly.”

“Wow!” With her widened eyes, she asked out of excitement, “I–Is that true!?”

Smiling while nodding could guarantee to the other party an affirmation while building rapport… even though it’s a lie. I only need a drop of royal blood at the hole to open the door. Manipulating children would be a piece of cake. The next step for my plan needs the involvement of an adult though.

She inserted her thumb into the hole like she was verifying her fingerprint. Seconds later, the ground shook minimally with only specks of dust falling from the cemented ceiling. The door slowly opened itself as the yellowish light from the inside blinded us.

As the completely opened doors welcomed us to the forbidden place, Melani’s hands flew over her slack mouth, becoming suddenly stiff. Her small yelp gradually became a loud voice of wonder while slowly shaking her head in disbelief. “WOAH! I can’t believe it! Look at that!”

With a wide grin, I chuckled. My eyes sparkled as soon as I achieved a step towards my goal.

“Welcome to the Isle of Delusions.”