Chapter 609: Don’t You Already Know That I’m A Tsundere?
Charlotte had been so angry at him for saying that. So hurt. She had thought he was being cruel, being petty, being unreasonable.
But now, facing the whirring drill and the madman who held it, she understood.
He had been trying to protect her. He had been trying to scare her into being careful. And she had ignored him, just like she always ignored everyone who told her what she didn’t want to hear.
Why would he save her now?
Why would he risk himself for someone who had thrown his love back in his face?
A horrible, crushing despair settled over Charlotte’s heart.
She was going to die here. She was going to die a horrible, painful death at the hands of this monster.
But the thought of Mika carrying that anger for the rest of his life, of the last real conversation they ever had being a fight…
That was worse. That was so much worse!
If she could just see him one more time. If she could just tell him she was sorry and just let him know how much she loved him…
But she couldn’t. She was trapped here, and he was out there, and she would never get the chance.
A sad, helpless smile crossed her face. She had accepted it now. She was going to die.
She just hoped Mika would forgive her after she was gone.
She hoped he would take care of her mother—Yelena would be devastated, inconsolable.
And her sisters and aunts too. They would all be in so much pain.
But Mika was strong. Mika was the glue that held their family together. As long as he was there to take care of everyone, she could accept her fate.
‘I’m sorry, Mika.’ She thought. ‘I’m so sorry. I should have listened. I should have been better. I should have—’
She closed her eyes. The drill was inches from her face now. She could feel the wind from its spinning bit against her skin.
And then, because she had nothing left to lose, she called his name.
Not because she expected him to hear. Not because she thought it would make a difference.
Just because she wanted to say it one last time.
“Mika…”
She whispered, her voice barely audible.
“Help me…”
“Please help me…”
She closed her eyes as the drill approached her face.
She wasn’t scared anymore. Just sad. Just so incredibly sad that she would never see him again.
And then—
“…Took you long enough to call me.”
Charlotte’s eyes flew open.
That voice. She knew that voice!
She had heard it a thousand times—scolding her, teasing her, forting her, laughing with her.
It was the voice of the person she loved most in the world!
“Mika?!”
A massive white light erupted through the library, blinding in its intensity. Marcus stumbled backward, his arm flying up to shield his eyes.
“WHAT THE—WHAT IS THIS?! WHAT’S GOING ON?!”
The restraints that had been holding Charlotte down simply…vanished.
She felt herself being pulled away from the chair, pulled through the blinding radiance, until she was standing on solid ground.
When the light faded, she saw him.
A small boy with fluffy hair and a back that seemed as strong as a mountain.
He was barely taller than her. But in that moment, he looked like someone who could hold up the sky if he needed to.
“Mika.” She breathed. “Mika…You came…You actually came!”
Tears were streaming down her face now—not tears of fear, but tears of overwhelming, impossible relief.
She threw herself at him, burying her face in his shoulder, sobbing so hard she could barely speak.
“I’m sorry—! I’m so sorry, Mika—! I thought—I thought you wouldn’t e. I thought you hated me. I thought—”
Mika turned his head to look at her. And then, to her utter shock, he flicked her forehead.
“Ow!”
“You’re so stupid.”
Charlotte stared at him in disbelief, her hand pressed to her stinging forehead.
“What?”
“I said you’re stupid.” Mika’s expression was caught somewhere between fondness and exasperation. “You already know exactly how I am, Charlotte. I say one thing and do another. I’ve been like this since we were babies.”
He shook his head in dismay.
“So, when I said I’d never save you again—that was obviously a lie! The stupidest lie I’ve ever told! How could you possibly fall for something like that?”
“But you were so angry—”
“Of course I was angry! You almost died. You scared me half to death.” His voice softened. “But being angry doesn’t mean I stopped loving you. It just means I needed some time to cool down.”
He reached up and rubbed her head, his fingers gentle against her hair.
“No matter what situation you’re in.” He said quietly. “No matter where you are, no matter how much we fight—I will always save you, Charlotte.”
“As long as you call my name with all your heart, I’ll e for you.”
“From heaven or hell or anywhere in between, I will find you.”
His eyes met hers, and there was only unwavering certain in them.
“That’s my promise to you.”
Charlotte broke down pletely. She threw her arms around him and sobbed into his shoulder, all the terror and despair and hopelessness of the past hours pouring out of her in a flood of tears.
“Mika—! Mika, Mika, Mika—”
“I know.” He patted her back awkwardly. “I know. It’s okay, Charlotte. I’ve got you.”
For a moment, they just stood there—two children holding each other in the heart of a nightmare, drawing strength from each other’s presence.
Then a voice cut through the warmth.
“Well, well, well. “
Charlotte’s blood ran cold. She had almost let herself believe they were safe.
But they weren’t safe. They were still in the Devil’s Playground.
And its master was still very much present.
“Today is certainly quite busy, isn’t it?”
Marcus brushed dust from his vest, having recovered from the blinding flash.
“First one uninvited guest. Now another. My little playground is being positively crowded.”
Charlotte immediately positioned herself in front of Mika, her arms spread wide.
But Mika gently moved her aside, stepping forward to face Marcus directly.
Marcus studied him with obvious curiosity.
“I must admit, I’m impressed. Breaking into my domain is no small feat. But I suppose it makes sense—you’re with Lady Charlotte, after all. The daughter of the Blade Maiden would hardly associate with ordinary pany.”
His eyes narrowed, examining Mika like a snake examining a mouse.
“But who exactly are you? And how did you manage to get in here?”
He took a step closer, his gaze intensifying before he gasped in shock.
“Oh my! What a remarkably strong mind you have!”
Marcus circled them slowly, like a shark sizing up its prey.
“As someone who specializes in controlling and enslaving the consciousness of others, I’ve developed something of an eye for these things. And your mind…”
He shook his head in disbelief.
“It’s like an impenetrable fortress! I’ve never seen anything like it! Especially not in a child.”
He stopped in front of them, his golden eyes gleaming.
“Are you another Blessed? Like Lady Charlotte? Some kind of powerful mind-related ability?”
He nodded to himself, as if confirming his own theory.
“That has to be it. What a terrifying potential you have! If you were allowed to mature properly, you might even surpass my own blessing one day.”
His smile turned cruel.
“But unfortunately, you just had to get yourself trapped here. That potential will never have a chance to bloom. I’m going to nip this flower before it even buds.”
“Shut up!” Charlotte screamed, stepping in front of Mika. “Shut up, shut up, shut up! I don’t want to hear another word from you!”
She grabbed Mika’s hand and pulled at him desperately.
“Let’s get out of here, Mika. He’s crazy. He’s absolutely insane. He’s been torturing people—men, women, children—making them suffer for his sick pleasure!”
“We have to escape and tell Mama! She’ll take care of him! She’ll expose him to the whole world!”
But Mika didn’t move.
“Charlotte…” He said quietly.
“Please, Mika! We have to go! This is his domain—he can do anything here! We can’t fight him! We have to—”
“Charlotte.”
Something in his voice made her stop. She looked up at him, and her heart clenched at the expression on his face.
It wasn’t fear. It wasn’t desperation. It was something closer to…resignation.
“What?” She whispered. “What is it?”
Mika didn’t respond. Instead he turned to face Marcus.
His eyes held a plex mixture of emotions—betrayal, sadness, and something that might have been disappointment.
“You know.” He said slowly. “I don’t normally look up to celebrities. I don’t have idols that I worship. I’ve always thought it was kind of pointless to admire people you’ve never met.”
He paused with a hint of vulnerability flashing through his eyes as he said,
“But if there was one person I actually looked up to…it was you, Marcus Williams.”
Marcus’s eyebrows rose. “Oh?”
“I admired what you represented. A man who achieved greatness not just through his blessing, but through his own abilities. Your investigative skills, your intelligence, your dedication to justice—those had nothing to do with your lightning.”
Mika’s hands clenched into fists.
“In a world where blessings are treated as the highest modity, where people without them are looked down upon as inferior—you gave me hope.”
“You showed me that there was another path. That I could be someone worthwhile even without…”
He trailed off, shaking his head.
“But I guess the saying is true. Never meet your heroes.” He let out a bitter chuckle. “There really is no one left in this world worth looking up to.”
Marcus stared at him for a long moment. Then he burst out laughing.
“Magnificent!” He crowed, clapping his hands together. “Absolutely magnificent! So you’re a fan of mine too? Oh, this is perfect. The look of betrayal on your face right now—it’s absolutely intoxicating!”
His laughter took on a manic edge.
“The gods truly do favor me. Not only do I get the daughter of a Battle Angel delivered to my doorstep, but I also get another devoted fan to play with! One with an exceptionally strong mind, no less.”
“Breaking you is going to be so much more satisfying than breaking all the others bined.”
“Mika, please!” Charlotte was pulling at his arm now, her voice trembling with desperation. “Stop talking to him! Let’s just go! We can escape—you got in, so you can get out, right? Like last time? You can open a door and we can leave?”
But Mika didn’t move. He didn’t even look at her.
His gaze was fixed on Marcus, and his expression had turned grave.
“You know.” He warned. “Once the Battle Angels find out about this, they’re not going to let you go. They’ll chase you to the ends of every realm for what you’ve done to their precious daughter. The one they spoiled the most.”
Marcus scoffed. “They’ll never find out. And even if they suspect something, what proof will they have?”
He sneered. “Their daughter died peacefully in her sleep—a tragic, unexplained death. So sad. So mysterious.”
He pressed a hand to his chest in mock sympathy.
“I’ll be the first to offer my condolences, of course. And even if they link her to the case, as the lead investigator, I’ll personally promise to find whoever is responsible.”
His smile turned cruel.
“Just think of it. All five Battle Angels, desperate for answers about their beloved daughter’s death. And who will they turn to? Me! The brilliant detective who’s solved every case he’s ever been given!
“They’ll hang on my every word!”
“They’ll follow my every lead!”
“The women who rule over the entire world will be dancing to my tune!”
He shivered with visible pleasure.
“And who knows? In their grief, they might let their guards down. Their consciousness might bee…vulnerable. I might be able to slip inside. One by one, I could break down their defenses.”
His eyes blazed with manic excitement.
“Of course, their consciousnesses are too strong to penetrate directly.”
He understood the plications.
“If I tried, they’d notice immediately, and the backlash would destroy me. But if they were desperate enough…if they trusted me enough…I could slowly, carefully break down their walls. One by one.”
“You wouldn’t dare!” Charlotte breathed. “That’s impossible. You could never—”
“You’re right, sadly.” Marcus shrugged. “It probably is impossible. But even the attempt would be exhilarating. And if I succeeded?”
His smile turned cruel.
“If I succeeded, I could make the Blade Maiden herself experience everything her daughter went through!”
“Every moment of terror! Every second of pain! She would live it all, and I would be there to watch!”
Charlotte’s face went white. Her strong, beautiful, loving mother trapped in this nightmare, suffering the same horrors she had just escaped.
The thought was unbearable.Illustrations have been posted in the ment section…Check them out!
User Comments
0 comments from readers