Ch. 6: Escape

Astrella's point of view

Before opening the door, I took a deep breath to calm myself. When I finally pulled it open, there he was. It looked like Keyu had just won the lottery of anger because he was standing there with that annoying, smug grin on his face.

A girl stood next to him. This must be Ciejill, the one he mentioned. But, wow, she looks so unreal. I mean, she was the type of perfection that made you doubt everything you knew about the world. Her porcelain skin, flawless features, and doll-like eyes made her look like a living, breathing Barbie. Or maybe one of those AI models that people argue over online. Either way, it was unsettling.

"Well, there’s our princess," Keyu drawled, his grin widening. "Meet Ciejill. She’s dying to play with you."

I glanced at Ciejill before turning my attention back to Keyu, delivering a fierce glare. "I don’t play well with strangers, especially ones delivered by you."

Ciejill’s smile didn’t falter, but something about her presence sent a chill down my spine.

Suddenly, Keyu stepped forward, leaning dangerously close to my left side. Our faces nearly collided, and I swear I almost swung a punch at him, until his firm grip landed on my shoulder, holding me still.

“Stay still,” he whispered, his tone low and warning, his breath grazing my ear. “Just so you know, this girl? She’s crazy; I mean it. If she doesn't get what she wants, she will lose her mind." His grip tightened slightly. "She could kill you.”

Then, just as abruptly, he pulled back, his eyes locking with mine in an almost playful, mocking gaze. He had the audacity to wink before stepping away. I froze, staring at him like some kind of lifeless mannequin. My brain short-circuited. What the actual hell?

Wow. Shheeshsh. What's up with this place, really? This is starting to feel like a psychiatric ward pretending to be a mansion. Everyone here is one level of crazy or another, and now I’m apparently the newest contestant in their twisted little game. Why is there a growing collection of psychopaths here? Do they breed them in the basement?

"Arrrgghhh! You freaking jerk! Come back here, and I swear I’ll strangle you to death!” I yelled after Keyu, my voice echoing down the hall. My outburst startled Ciejill so badly that she almost shoved me to the floor as she clung to my arm like I was her personal lifeboat.

Gosh, perfect. Just perfect. I groaned, massaging my temples as I ruffled my hair in frustration. Turning to Ciejill, I lowered my voice, trying to sound calm, even if my patience was thinner than a thread.

“Hey, I don’t think I believe that idiot when he said you’re crazy. Or, are you? I mean, looking at you, you don’t exactly scream ‘lunatic’ at first glance.”

She pouted, a look so innocent it almost made me ick with her pretty, perfect face. Then, like a magician revealing her trick, she pulled a lollipop out of her pocket, unwrapped it, and popped it into her mouth.

“Me? Crazy? No way! He’s just trying to scare you, that’s all.” She flashed a sugary-sweet smile and added, “Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you. I just want to play. Or maybe have a little chat.” She punctuated the statement with a wink.

I sighed for what felt like the hundredth time today. Stress was practically oozing out of my pores. She didn’t seem older than me, probably the same age, give or take, but there was a childlike vibe to her, all giggles and wide-eyed innocence.

“Fine,” I muttered to myself. “I’ll play along.” Trusting strangers wasn’t exactly on my to-do list, but she seemed harmless for now.

Taking her by the arm, I gently dragged her inside and kicked the door to close it perfectly. I pulled Ciejill on my bed. We sat down, facing each other, and for a long moment, she just stared at me like she’d found her new favorite art exhibit.

Her lollipop shifted from one side of her mouth to the other as she watched me, her eyes glinting with something I couldn’t quite place. She was slurping her candy with a little too much relish. Err. Great. Now I was thinking things I shouldn’t be thinking. Dirty thoughts, at that. Goodness help me, what was wrong with my mind?

“Tell me, how long have you been here?” I asked, narrowing my eyes as I studied her.

“Me?” Her gaze darted everywhere but toward me, as if my question was the most terrifying thing she’d ever heard. I frowned at her odd behavior.

“What’s your deal?” I pressed, my voice tinged with irritation.

“I don’t know!” She stammered and wailed, her face crumpling as tears started pouring down her cheeks like a broken faucet.

My jaw dropped. What in the world just happened? Did I accidentally trigger some trauma or what?

“I’ll report you to my brother!” She suddenly shrieked, glaring daggers at me as she shot to her feet.

“What the hell did I do?” I barked, throwing my hands up.

“And who the hell is your brother?”

“Oh, my brother?” She sniffled, but then, as if someone had flipped a switch, she dramatically straightened her posture, wiped her tears with a flourish, and fixed her hair like she was on the runway.

I blinked. Was this girl for real? My face must have looked like a Picasso painting by now, utterly distorted with disbelief.

With a sweet, almost innocent smile, she replied, “Keyu. He’s my brother.”

I stared at her, utterly dumbfounded. Her tears and tantrum from seconds ago were gone as if they’d never happened, replaced by an air of smug satisfaction.

Shibal. She was absolutely insane.If she’s crazy, then maybe I can use that to my advantage. Perhaps she can help me escape.

I straightened my spine and studied her carefully, weighing the risk of engaging with her in this state.

“Okay, ahm” I started cautiously, choosing my words like I was diffusing a bomb.

“You probably know who I am by now, Astrella. And, well, those jerks, uh, scratch that, those guys kidnapped me. Can you help me get out of this mansion?”

Ciejill tilted her head, staring at me like a confused kitten. Her lollipop was still firmly lodged in her mouth, the rhythmic clicking of her teeth against the candy unnerving me.

“Oh, there’s a hidden passage in this mansion,” she finally said, her voice light and innocent.

“But we’d have to pass my brother’s room to get there.”

My breath hitched, and my eyes widened with delight. “Really? Can you help me escape?” I asked, unable to keep the excitement out of my voice.

“Of course, I will,” she replied with a small smile. Then her expression darkened, and her voice dropped to a whisper.

“But you can’t tell anyone I helped you, okay? They’d punish me so badly if they found out.”

Her words hit me harder than I expected, and an ache formed in my chest. Poor girl. What kind of life was she living in this madhouse?

An idea struck me. Maybe I couldn’t just save myself. I could save her too.

“We can escape together,” I said, my voice firm with determination. Her eyes lit up, a glimmer of hope breaking through her childlike facade.

“Really?”

“Yes,” I assured her. “Both of us. We’ll get out of here.”

"Who's going to escape?" A thunderous voice echoed in our room, freezing Ciejill and me in our seats. What the fudge? Why didn't we hear any creaking opening door? We didn't even feel their presence; I hope they didn't hear our whole conversation.