I walk into the main room slowly, my pulse racing and my senses on edge. Something feels horribly wrong. My breath catches as I round the corner, and I see Jiho and Isak standing there, hands raised in the air, their faces locked in fear. What the hell is going on?
But it’s Abel that makes my stomach drop. He’s standing perfectly still, hands up, like Jiho and Isak, but there’s something else—something worse. A long, sharp needle is pressed against his throat, purple liquid dripping from its tip, and I can already tell it’s not just any liquid. It looks lethal. Poison.
I freeze, my blood running cold. Who’s holding it? Behind Abel, with that terrifying needle poised just a hair’s breadth away from his skin, is a woman who looks like she’s in her late twenties. Her skin is dark purple, almost blending with the shadows, but her bright orange, glowing eyes give her a striking, dangerous look. Her hair, an unnatural red with streaks of gold, is tied up into a sleek ponytail, and there’s an eerie, almost playful smirk on her lips. She’s wearing a high-collared black coat, fitted and sharp, like something out of a high-fashion nightmare, and her movements are smooth, calculated, like a predator playing with its food.
She catches sight of me, and instead of reacting like any normal person would in a situation like this, she gives me a slow, almost casual wave. "Well, hello there, handsome!" she coos, her voice dripping with sugary sweetness, completely at odds with the deadly needle she’s holding against my brother’s neck. Her eyes lock on mine, and I can see it—madness. Pure, unhinged madness. The kind of look that says she’s enjoying every second of this twisted game.
"Oh, don’t be shy now," she says with a giggle, tilting her head as if we’re old friends meeting up for coffee. "Come on in! Join the party!"
My heart hammers in my chest. This... this is bad. I can feel it in my gut. These must be the unfavourable people Akari warned us about. And judging by the situation in front of me, they live up to the name.
I glance at Abel. His eyes are locked on mine, wide but calm. He’s keeping it together, but I know my brother. He’s scared. Jiho and Isak are too, standing completely still, not daring to move or speak.
The room feels like it's suffocating me. Every instinct is telling me to get us the hell out of here, but how?
Akari’s warning echoes in my mind: “When the unfavourable people come—and they will, sometime in the next one to three days—do not engage with them. No violence, no smart remarks, none of that. Just tell them the full truth: you don’t know anything. They’ll probably leave when they realise you’re clueless. But if you offend them… Well, it could be over for this world. And for you.”
I try to keep my cool as I ask, keeping my tone as level as possible, “Who are you?”
The woman standing before us smirks, her golden eyes glowing like embers against her striking violet skin. She’s... well, there’s no denying it—she’s beautiful, but not in any way that’s comforting. There’s a sharpness to her features, a lethal kind of grace, and the way she moves, with that relaxed confidence, it’s obvious she could end us without a second thought. Fearsome, yet undeniably captivating.
“Oh, darling,” she says, her voice smooth, almost playful. “I’m Lady Bellatrix.” She pauses, letting the name sink in like it’s supposed to mean something to us. Her eyes flicker with amusement as if we’re her personal entertainment. “But we won’t be playing the who am I game today. I’ll be asking the questions.”
She waves the needle casually away from Abel’s neck, like it’s nothing more than a toy she’s gotten bored of. Abel stumbles back toward us, still rattled but trying to play it off.
“Go on,” she sings, gesturing to the sofa with a flourish of her hand. “Sit. Get comfortable. I don’t bite… unless I have to.” Her lips curl into a smile—one that might be charming if it weren’t so unnerving.
My brothers and I exchange uneasy glances, and we shuffle over to the sofa without a word, doing exactly as she says. There’s a tension thick enough to cut with a knife, but I know showing fear won’t do us any favors here. Don’t engage. Don’t provoke. Tell the truth, I remind myself.
Lady Bellatrix hops up onto the table in front of us with effortless grace, crossing her legs as she looks us over, her eyes gleaming with that same unsettling amusement. She’s beautiful, no doubt—like some dark, twisted goddess—but every movement she makes has a dangerous edge to it. The kind of beauty that could kill you if you weren’t careful.
“Now then,” she says, resting her chin in her hand, watching us with an almost childlike curiosity. “Let’s have a little chat, shall we? I’m dying to know what brings a group of clueless boys like you to my attention.”
Her smile widens, but her eyes remain cold, unblinking. A shiver runs down my spine as I realize just how deep in trouble we are.
To my utter disbelief, it’s Isak who breaks the tension first, leaning back and flashing his signature goofy grin. “You know, I wasn’t expecting a welcome committee like this, but hey, I’ll take it. Gotta say, it’s not every day you get held hostage by a gorgeous assassin. Do you guys do this as a regular thing, or is today just special?”
I can’t believe it. Isak, out of all people, chooses now to run his mouth. My heart skips a beat as I shoot him a look that could kill. What the hell is he thinking? This isn’t some joke. This is life or death, and he’s flirting with the woman holding us at needlepoint.
But to my shock—and probably everyone else’s—Lady Bellatrix raises a perfectly arched eyebrow, her lips curling into a playful smirk. “Oh? A comedian, are we? How refreshing.” Her voice is smooth, a purr laced with danger, but instead of killing him on the spot, she seems... amused.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
She stands up, her deadly grace intact, and twirls the needle between her fingers like it’s nothing. “Most people just beg for their lives, but not you, hm?” She steps closer, her movements slow, deliberate, eyes locked on Isak, who’s still grinning like an idiot.
Then, before any of us can react, she swings a leg over his lap and settles herself down, facing him. One arm snakes around his neck as she presses the needle lightly against his throat. “I like a man who knows how to make things interesting.” She’s practically purring at this point, and I can’t decide if I should be more terrified or confused. What in the actual hell is happening right now?
Isak, as calm as ever, raises an eyebrow and shrugs. “What can I say? I’m into older women. The crazier, the better.”
A laugh escapes her lips, and she pulls him closer, almost affectionate now. “Is that so? Lucky me, then. I think we’ll get along just fine.” She leans in closer, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper, the needle still pressed lightly against his skin. “But be careful, sweetheart. I might like you, but I don’t need you.”
The rest of us exchange bewildered looks. Jiho looks like he’s about to say something, but I shake my head. We need to steer this back on track before Isak gets us all killed.
“Uh, maybe we can, you know, focus on the important stuff?” I say, trying not to snap as Lady Bellatrix lets out a pleased hum and stretches her legs out. One of her boots casually lands right in my face.
I immediately pull back, grimacing. I am definitely not into feet, especially when they belong to a woman who could end my life with one flick of her wrist.
“Oh, you’re no fun,” she sighs dramatically, her attention drifting back to us as she stays comfortably perched on Isak’s lap. “But fine. You boys want to play it straight?” She flicks her wrist, and the needle gleams dangerously as she shifts her focus. “All I need from you are the details. The truth. Tell me everything you know about Akari Kanemoto. No half-truths, no lies, or... well, you get the idea.”
Her golden eyes narrow, her tone slipping into something far more menacing than before. “If you lie, you die. So, let’s hear it. Every. Single. Detail.”
The room is dead silent. The weight of her words sinks in, and for the first time since she walked in, the reality of the situation becomes all too clear.
Lady Bellatrix’s eyes fixate on Jiho, the sharpness in her gaze making everyone tense up. “You,” she says, pointing the needle directly at him, its purple tip glinting ominously. “Explain everything about Akari Kanemoto. Now.”
Jiho, looking as calm as he possibly can under the circumstances, takes a deep breath. He glances briefly at the rest of us, and we all exchange a silent nod. This is it; we’re about to spill everything.
He begins to speak, his voice steady but careful, recounting the events exactly as they happened. From Akari’s sudden appearance in our lives, to his promises of a multiverse-spanning adventure, the weird beer-filled introduction, and the reality that Akari had essentially tricked us. Jiho doesn't hold anything back, knowing that this is a dangerous line to walk. As he talks, Bellatrix’s expression shifts subtly—she’s listening intently, but there’s an edge to her that makes it clear she’s looking for the tiniest hint of deception.
Her fingers toy with the needle in her hand, spinning it delicately, as if she’s deciding what to do with it next. When Jiho finishes, the room goes quiet for a moment, the tension hanging heavy.
Bellatrix tilts her head slightly, her eyes narrowing. “And the rest of you?” Her voice is soft, almost teasing, but there’s a deadly edge to it. “Do you know anything more than what your brother just told me? I want the truth.”
My heart is pounding in my chest, but I manage to keep my voice steady. “No,” I say firmly, my eyes locking with hers. “That’s everything. We don’t know more than that.”
Isak and Abel both nod, their faces serious for once. “Yeah, we’ve told you all we know,” Isak adds, his usual bravado noticeably absent.
Abel, who’s remained unnervingly quiet throughout the whole ordeal, finally speaks up too, his voice low. “We don’t have anything else. That’s the full story.”
Bellatrix’s amber eyes flick between us, as if weighing our words, searching for any trace of a lie. The silence stretches for what feels like forever, her finger tapping lightly on the needle.
Finally, she leans back slightly, a faint smile curling her lips. She seems to accept our story—for now.
Lady Bellatrix smiles, a wicked amusement dancing in her eyes, as she finally pulls the needle away from Isak’s throat. But to our surprise, instead of simply letting him go, she leans in close, her voice low and sultry. “You know,” she purrs, “I like you.”
Before any of us can react, she kisses him. And not just a quick kiss—full-on, tongue and everything. It’s uncomfortably long, too. I glance at Jiho, who’s grimacing, and Abel just looks baffled. It’s like watching a train wreck; you want to look away, but you can’t.
Isak, on the other hand, looks completely entranced, frozen in place as if he’s under some kind of spell. When she finally pulls away, he gasps like a kid who’s just had his first taste of candy. His hands twitch, like he’s trying to reach for her, but she gently pushes him back, laughing playfully. "Not so fast, big boy,” she teases, her voice dripping with amusement as she stands up.
She turns to face the rest of us, wiping a smudge of lipstick from her mouth, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. “Don’t worry,” she says with a grin, “I’ll tell my friends you four know absolutely nothing about what’s going on here.” There’s an eerie sense of relief in her words, but it’s hard to feel entirely safe around her.
As she struts toward the door, there’s a collective sigh of relief in the room. But just as we think she’s gone, she stops at the doorway, glancing over her shoulder. “You boys seem like fun,” she says, her voice playful but with that ever-present undercurrent of danger. “I’ll be sticking around in this world for a while, so… expect to see me again.” Her eyes lock onto Isak, and she smirks, her voice turning flirty. “Especially you, big boy.”
Isak, still staring at the space where she’d kissed him, looks completely mesmerised. “I’m gonna marry her,” he says with absolute certainty, his eyes glazed over. “No other girl. Just her.”
Jiho tries to snap Isak out of it, waving a hand in front of his face, but it’s no use—Isak’s still staring into space, completely entranced. Abel, ever the blunt one, just shakes his head, his voice flat. “Yeah, Isak’s lost it.”
I blink at him, trying to process what just happened. My brother has officially lost his mind.