I woke up the next day and headed downstairs. I had my breakfast with Aria before retiring to the living room, content to sit and relax after the excitement of the last few days. I picked up my HoloTablet and checked my email, deciding to see if any scouts had reached out overnight. There was none, and my face fell slightly. I felt disappointed as I thought that I had done well during the fight. I refreshed the page and it updated, revealing that I had gotten an email from the Trichokenisis Society. I blinked in surprise, not having expected them to reach out. They were a very exclusive guild, having only ever accepted woman whose main weapon was their hair. I supposed that I fit the bill and opened the email, scanning through the text.

“Congratulations on your victory against Lilah Valen! We were impressed at your performance and have decided to offer you a place at our Guild. We are always looking at promising young recruits like you.

To accept your place, turn up at our guild office on your own at 2 o’clock today. You will be placed in a duel against one of our recruits. Do well and you will be rewarded.”

I smiled at the knowledge that there was a guild out there who wanted me. I was slightly disappointed that Aria couldn’t come but knew that It did kind of make sense.”

I looked through the rest of the emails and noticed that there was one from the Arena about a battlefield tournament specifically for control specialists. It would be a classic style of tournament with there being 16 fighters at the start of the tournament and ending with one person standing victorious. The reward would be experience relative to your level, it would usually be enough to give you around 20 or 30 levels. I signed up, excited at the prospect of meeting others like me.

I showed Aria and she congratulated me, before heading out to run dungeons for the rest of the day. Doing them on her own would gain her more experience.

I checked the clock and saw that it was half ten. I settled in to read for a couple hours, occasionally using my hair to flick the pages of the book I was reading. It was a good book, full of action, comedy and even a wee bit of romance. I whiled away the hours until I saw that it was 10 past one and called a taxi, not wanting to be late.

I reached the Guild at ten to 2 and headed inside the large white building. It was in a very fancy minimalist style, all sharp edges and no curves. I hated it immediately. I entered the lobby and showed the woman at the desk the email that I’d forwarded to my phone. She smiled at me before nodding giving me directions to the arena where I would fight someone named Seraphina.

I entered the smaller arena and walked forward to meet the woman called Seraphina. We shook hands before nodding and taking a few steps back from each other. I activated all three of my passive abilities, empowering my already strong hair. Seraphina and I stood opposite one another, the tension thick in the air. My golden blonde hair shimmered in the faint light, ready to lash out and ensnare her. Seraphina’s jet-black hair, sleek and ominous, coiled around her like a living shadow. I could feel the familiar pull of my [Strength Sapping Hair], the passive energy drain beginning the moment her strands brushed against mine.

This was going to be a fight for control, and I couldn’t afford to lose. I wanted a spot in this guild.

Without hesitation, I sent a flurry of golden tendrils toward her, aiming to bind her limbs before she could react. But Seraphina’s black hair met mine in mid-air, weaving through my strands with incredible precision. She was fast—too fast for me to keep up with. Her tendrils slipped through my defences like they weren’t eve there, darting toward my right arm.

Before I could counter or block, her black hair latched onto my wrist, wrapping around it in a tight coil. The moment her strands touched my skin, they began to wind upward, spiralling around my forearm with an almost mechanical precision. The tendrils formed intricate loops as they climbed, interlocking and tightening with each twist. Within seconds, my right arm was completely bound, from wrist to elbow, the intricate weave squeezing my muscles with an unrelenting grip.

My fingers twitched, but I could barely move them. I watched in disbelief as the black hair wound its way down to my hand, enveloping my fingers and palm completely. My right hand was now completely encased in her hair, each finger wrapped in its own delicate layer, locking my hand tightly in place.

I yanked back, trying to free myself, but Seraphina’s control was absolute. The more I struggled, the tighter her bindings became, as though she could read my every movement.

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I wasn’t about to give up so easily.

With my left arm still free, I retaliated, sending another wave of golden hair toward her. This time, I aimed for her legs, hoping to catch her off guard and unbalance her. But Seraphina anticipated the move. With a graceful flick of her wrist, her black hair shot out again, meeting my attack head-on. Her tendrils weaved through mine effortlessly, bypassing my golden strands and latching onto my left wrist.

In a heartbeat, her black hair began to wind around my left arm, just as it had with my right. The strands coiled tighter and tighter, forming intricate knots that pulled my arm taut. My fingers twitched, but I could barely move them. I watched in disbelief as the black hair wound its way down to my hand, enveloping my fingers and palm completely. My left hand was now also completely encased in her hair, each finger wrapped in its own delicate layer, locking my hand in place.

I struggled, but with both arms bound, it was becoming harder to fight back. Her control was terrifying, and I could feel my energy draining.

“Not so fast,” Seraphina said, her voice calm, almost taunting.

With another flick of her wrist, her black hair lashed out toward my legs. I tried to step back, sending my hair flowing out towards her but her tendrils were faster, coiling around my ankles before I could react. The black strands wound upward with the same terrifying precision, binding my calves and thighs in intricate patterns. The tight loops pressed against my skin, squeezing my muscles as they climbed higher and higher. My legs were locked together now, bound from ankle to mid-thigh in the same suffocating weave that had trapped my arms.

Each time she attacked, her bindings enveloped the entirety of my limbs completely, leaving no room for escape. My arms were bound from wrist to shoulder, my hands fully wrapped in her suffocating hair, and now my legs were locked in place

I tried to send another wave of golden hair to free myself, but her black tendrils met mine before they could even get close. She was one step ahead of me, always cutting off my attacks before they could reach her.

With both my arms and legs tightly bound, Seraphina’s hair slithered up toward my waist. The tendrils coiled around my hips and midsection, wrapping tighter with each loop. The intricate pattern of her hair wove together like a web, locking my torso in place. I could feel the pressure increasing with every second, her bindings squeezing my ribs and making it harder to breathe.

But Seraphina wasn’t finished.

She moved toward me, her black hair flowing behind her like a living wave. As she approached, her tendrils shot out again, this time targeting my neck. I gasped as her hair coiled around my throat, forming a tight collar of black strands. The pressure was firm but controlled, just enough to remind me who was in control.

Then, with a slow, deliberate movement, her black tendrils slithered toward my face.

The first strands wrapped around my mouth, forming a tight gag that silenced any protests I might have had. The intricate weave pressed against my lips, pulling tight, cutting off any chance of speech. I tried to scream, but the sound was muffled beneath the layers of her hair.

Seraphina’s hair continued its relentless advance, sliding over my eyes next. The tendrils coiled around my forehead, then wove themselves over my eyes, forming a dense, unyielding blindfold. My world went dark, her hair sealing away my vision completely. The intricate web of black strands pressed against my eyelids, the pressure growing with each loop.

I was trapped. My arms, legs, torso, mouth, and eyes—all bound in her intricate web of black hair. Each limb was fully encased, her hair wrapping around me with such precision that I couldn’t move a single muscle. The bindings were suffocating, squeezing tighter with every breath I took.

But she wasn’t done yet.

With one final flick of her wrist, Seraphina’s black hair surged forward, wrapping around my wrists and hands in even more intricate patterns. Her tendrils enveloped my fingers further, spiralling around each one individually, locking them in place with a brutal finality. My hands were useless now, completely cocooned in her hair.

I could barely feel my arms and legs anymore, the pressure from her bindings cutting off circulation and locking me in place. My chest was tight, my breaths shallow. Her hair had taken everything from me—my strength, my movement, my voice, my sight.

And then came the final layer.

Seraphina’s hair surged forward again, wrapping around my entire body. Layer after layer of black tendrils coiled around me, forming a tight, suffocating cocoon. The intricate weaves pressed into my skin, each loop pulling tighter, locking me in place from head to toe. My arms were pinned to my sides, my legs locked together. Even my head was enveloped in the dense, unyielding cocoon.

I could feel my strength slipping away. My body was completely immobilized, every limb wrapped in her intricate web. The bindings were so tight, I could barely breathe. The pressure was crushing, her hair squeezing the life out of me with each passing second.

My vision was gone, my senses dulled. All I could feel was the suffocating embrace of Seraphina’s hair, the intricate patterns pressing into my skin, locking me in a prison of her creation.

I struggled for air, but the bindings were too tight. My breaths came in shallow, ragged gasps, the pressure from her cocoon pressing against my chest.

And then, everything started to fade. My limbs grew numb, my mind slipping into darkness as the suffocating cocoon tightened around me. I felt myself slipping into unconsciousness, the last remnants of my strength drained by her completely overwhelming control.

I was no match for her, but the guild must of knew that. My [Strength Sapping Hair] did next to nothing, meaning that her Strength must have completely dwarfed mine.

And then, there was nothing but black.