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31 - Nightmare Wasn't Over Yet
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MAD END'S DECEPTION 32 - Like an Awakened Memory
ARAHShe tried to pry the axe free from the bearded man's head, but her hands were slick with blood and shaking too hard to get a grip.“Go. Move. Come on,” she whispered angrily to herself, clenching her hands.She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, then snapped them open, forcing her feet to move.‘You gotta survive this,’ she thought.Abandoning the axe, she rushed out of the room. She ran nonstop until she found herself in a chamber fashioned as a haunted shipwreck on a foggy, dark island. It was surrounded by a pool of water that looked to be about hip or waist-deep. The air was colder here, making her shiver. Ropes, nets, and nautical props filled the space, and mannequins dressed as zombified ship's crew members stood eerily on the deck.An idea sparked. Quickly, she climbed the wooden ladder and hopped onto the ship. Stripping off her jacket, she draped it over a mannequin and positioned it in a shadowy corner to make it look like she was crouching there. The dim lighting ca
MAD END'S DECEPTION 33 - You're a Disappointment
ARAH“Take,” he rasped.“Take… me?” she blurted, gripping the mannequin tighter. “Kidnap me? Is that it?” Her eyes narrowed as it dawned on her. “Did someone hire you? My family? Gildeon’s family?”“Take.”Frustration welled in her chest. She wouldn't get any real answers from him. She shuffled her feet, moving away from the bald man who had completely stopped thrashing. But his gaze stayed locked on her, watching her every move, waiting.She sat on one of the barrels, trying to calm her chest, unable to even think about running again. She tuned in to the noise outside. People were still crying and shouting, but there were no police sirens yet. What was taking so long?Her thoughts were miles away when the sudden sound of the bald man breaking free from the net and ropes jolted her back to reality.“Kill!” he growled through the fog, rattling her. Did he mean to kill her now? What changed?No time to think. She scrambled to her feet, raising the mannequin in a defensive stance. But he
MAD END'S DECEPTION 34 - Planning a War
ARAHHis fingers clenched around his phone, the continuous ringing clawing at his gut.“Damn it, Arah,” he muttered, tossing the phone onto the dashboard. The loud clack made Ghulik jump in the seat next to him.Arah going off alone to an amusement park wasn’t part of tonight’s plan. Given her stubbornness, he might have to lock her up from now on.He unfastened the top buttons of his shirt as if to help him breathe, and he reflected further on the situation. The witches wouldn’t kill Arah. Not right away, at least. They’d take her somewhere to drain her power, slowly and painfully. The thought made his knuckles turn white as he gripped the wheel tighter.The amusement park wasn’t far. Chaos greeted him: headlights cutting through the darkness, people fleeing, some on foot. Uniformed staff—at least he assumed they were—struggled to maintain order by the gates. No way he could drive through this mess. He parked by the side of the road, put on his glasses, and hopped out. He weaved thro
MAD END'S DECEPTION 35 - Will You Interfere
GILDEONHe couldn’t tell if the cloaked witch was surprised to hear he knew about the coming war. No immediate response, no visible reaction. Even the teenagers remained silent and still.Gildeon put his hands behind him. He was spent—couldn't muster another lethal flame tonight. He could probably still conjure a small fire, just enough to create a distraction.As he prepared to shift a finger, the boy spoke up. “If that time comes, we need to know what you will do, salamander.”“Is this why we’re talking instead of fighting?” Gildeon asked, buying time, aiming to catch the witch off guard. He needed a way to strike without harming the teenagers. They were victims too, and he wasn’t about to use them as collateral damage. Involving innocent lower mortals would only complicate things for him.“Will you interfere?” the girl asked, her voice heavy with the gravity of the situation. Gildeon realized this wasn't a random discussion.This was a warning.“You want me to back off.” It wasn’t
MAD END'S DECEPTION 1 - Clover Wish
ARAHPlumber Paul was dead.Not even a month had passed since he’d walked into her shop and picked her Clover Wish for his first tattoo. She'd pitched that design as a lucky charm to her clients—just a gimmick of sorts. So imagine her surprise when Paul’s wish to win the lottery actually came true days later.Now, he was gone. Just like that. It wasn’t because of her tattoo, of course. But with that last memory of him, how could she ever look at her Clover Wish and call it lucky again?Her eyes drifted down to Barky, who was happily munching on his dog food. She squatted next to him, stroking his back and twirling her fingers through his soft brown fur. At least she had this big guy to cheer her up.The bathroom door creaked open. She glanced up to see Gildeon strolling down the hallway in black sweatpants, rubbing his dark hair with a towel. She’d seen him naked plenty of times, but each time, his perfectly sculpted body drew her gaze like a moth to a flame. The way his muscles flexe
MAD END'S DECEPTION 2 - Star-Crossed Lovers
ARAH“Still at the coroner’s office.” She threw him a puzzled look. “Why?”“Nothing,” he said, returning to his dinner. “And no, I won’t come.”Her shoulders slumped. “It’s Plumber Paul’s funeral, Gildeon,” she said, frustration slipping into her voice. How many times had he let her attend community gatherings alone?“Will it kill you to show up just this once?” She stabbed her fish harder than necessary. “I’m sick of making excuses for you.”And sick of the gossip that she was an incompetent wife or that she was trapping Gildeon in a loveless marriage. If only they knew what was really going on within these walls…The irony made her want to bang her head on the table.“I’ve got better things to do,” he said dismissively, not even bothering to look at her.“Like what?” She scowled, feeling the air thicken. “You never tell me what you're up to when you're not at home or at school.”His face froze, his eyes darting at the space surrounding her like he was seeing something she couldn’t.
MAD END'S DECEPTION 3 - Plumber Paul
GILDEONAs soon as Arah drifted off, he slipped out and hit the road. Her Clover Wish tattoo and Plumber Paul's death might’ve been a coincidence, but he had to be sure.“Where to now, Master?” Ghulik asked in his tiny, raspy voice. “Ghulik's tired, Master.”“You wouldn’t be tired if you didn’t provoke the dog,” Gildeon shot back, glancing at the two-foot, gray-skinned creature beside him.Barky's restlessness had kept Arah awake longer than usual, so he had to wait before leaving. His destination was opposite the tourist area, but the locals were early risers. There was always the risk of being seen even before dawn.So far, the streets were deserted.“But that mutt is wicked, Master. Always angry. It wants to eat Ghulik,” the goblin snarled, scratching the air with his sharp nails. “Can Ghulik eat the stupid dog once we're back home, Master?”“No,” he said firmly, turning onto a dimly lit street.Ghulik grunted, slumping against the seat.“You’re supposed to hide when the dog's arou
MAD END'S DECEPTION 4 - Powerful Witch
GILDEONBy the looks of it, the tattoo's magic had been drained, siphoning Paul’s life in the process. Whoever did this staged it to look like a jellyfish attack.“Ghulik, can you trace the source?” he asked urgently. The goblin clambered over Plumber Paul's body, sniffing around.“A witch, Master,” Ghulik said after a moment. “Ghulik smells the powerful kind.”“Are you sure?”The goblin nodded, stroking his pointed ear. “Ghulik lived with witches and faes long time ago,” he said somberly, his face twitching as if recalling a painful memory. “Ghulik knows who are friends and who are enemies.”Ghulik had been his secret companion for a thousand years. They knew everything about each other, except for this. Once, he’d tried asking the goblin about his past on Earthland, but Ghulik had begged him not to pry any further.He respected that.“This is not friend, Master,” Ghulik said, lifting his face to him, his crimson eyes bulging in terror.Gildeon stepped back, pushing a hand through hi
Latest chapter
- MAD END'S DECEPTION 35 - Will You Interfere
- MAD END'S DECEPTION 34 - Planning a War
- MAD END'S DECEPTION 33 - You're a Disappointment
- MAD END'S DECEPTION 32 - Like an Awakened Memory
- MAD END'S DECEPTION 31 - Nightmare Wasn't Over Yet
- MAD END'S DECEPTION 30 - Every Ounce of Strength
- MAD END'S DECEPTION 29 - Red Speck of Light
- MAD END'S DECEPTION 28 - It's Your Turn Now
- MAD END'S DECEPTION 27 - Nowhere Else to Run
