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89 - I Trust Gildeon
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2024-09-14 08:58:05
Bab terkait
MAD END'S DECEPTION 90 - I'm Your Fan
ARAHThe place was packed, far more crowded than Arah had anticipated, though she shouldn’t have been surprised. Mabel was the kind of person who could fill a room without even trying. She’d probably invited half the island.Above the bar, a large banner proudly hung with bold letters that read, ‘CONGRATULATIONS, NICK AND MABEL.’Arah took a deep breath, trying to calm the nerves creeping up her spine. She couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that someone was watching her. How would she know if it was an ally or an enemy? Gildeon and Roselia hadn’t exactly given her instructions on how to spot a witch.Her eyes swept the room, searching for... anyone suspicious.“Arah!” She heard her name and spotted Cora waving her over from a table in the corner, where a three-tiered cake sat with the words ‘Just Got Engaged’ piped across it.Cora raised an eyebrow as they met halfway through the crowd. “Husband bailed again, huh?”Arah’s stomach churned, remembering how Gildeon was still locked up with
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-09-14MAD END'S DECEPTION 91 - Cold and Distant
ARAH“Oh, she’s talking about your work, sis,” Mabel butted in, gesturing over her shoulder. “I showed her my tats. Told her to drop by your studio if she wants to get inked, too.”“Oh.” Arah nodded, awkwardly rubbing the side of her neck. It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate the compliment or Vienna’s enthusiasm, but it felt weird when all she’d done for Mabel was a simple butterfly tattoo.But something about how Vienna looked at her—wide-eyed and almost awestruck—told Arah this wasn’t just about the tattoo. She just couldn’t figure out what it was.A voice rose from the stage, pulling everyone’s attention. Mabel’s sister—the maid-of-honor—stood with a champagne glass in hand, ready to give a speech. Mabel excused herself to join Nick at the front, and the room fell into a hush as the guests settled in to listen.Arah, though, had her focus elsewhere. From the entrance, she spotted a guy—early twenties, maybe—slightly hunched ove
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-09-15MAD END'S DECEPTION 92 - Leap of Faith
ARAHThe vampire lunged swiftly. Her reflexes kicked in, and she threw herself sideways, rolling against the cold tile just as his hand smashed into the wall, inches from where she’d been. He snarled, his nails dragging across the tiles, sending a jagged screech through the air that made her teeth ache.His other hand slashed toward her, but she ducked just in time and bolted for the door. Her heart raced, every nerve screaming at her to run, her breath coming fast and shallow. But before she could even reach for the handle, a gust of air hit her as the vampire leaped—effortless, silent—landing in front of her with a thud.She stumbled back.His head snapped toward her, jerky and unsettling, his red eyes unblinking. A tremor ran through his lean frame, and he looked like he could barely contain his hunger. His fingers twitched, itching to tear into her.Her mouth went dry. Of all the beings she could have run into tonight...
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-09-16MAD END'S DECEPTION 93 - Someplace Safe
ARAHArah and Vienna’s eyes met for a split second, but there wasn’t time for words. The cat leaped into the air, and everything exploded into motion—too fast, too chaotic for her brain to keep up.Vienna flicked her hands, a sharp, piercing sound splitting the air—nothing like the soft clinking from before. The first of her thick copper bangles slipped off her wrists as if alive, glinting as it flew through the air. A faint ringing followed—resonating from the bangles still on her wrists.Arah held her breath as she watched the freed bangles expand mid-flight, snapping shut around the necks of both the vampire and the cat. In an instant, the vampire twisted, shrinking and morphing into a black cat with blood-red eyes.The green-eyed cat wasted no time. It pounced, its teeth sinking into the red-eyed cat’s throat. The two crashed to the floor, a violent mess of fur, claws, and snarls. Arah’s stomach churned as the green-eyed cat bit down harder. Blood drained from the vampire-turned-c
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-09-17MAD END'S DECEPTION 94 - Wicked Sense of Humor
ARAHThey said Baccayo Prison had been around long before Caylao Island became the tourist hotspot it is today. As the island grew more popular, people just pretended it didn’t exist—like an ugly scar that no one wanted to mention. The local government quietly pushed it out of sight, never talking about it, so it wouldn’t spook the tourists. The prison was isolated, tucked far away from the beaches and resorts, near the jungle and a rough, restless sea—hard to reach.Arah had never imagined she would set foot in this place. Not only was she about to be near dangerous criminals, but she was also being escorted by a witch whose coven wanted to take whatever power they believed she possessed.Fate surely had a wicked sense of humor.Their car stopped before a massive, rusted iron gate flanked by tall concrete walls topped with barbed wire. Overhead, dim lights flickered, casting eerie shadows on the road. Two uniformed guards stood in watchtowers on either side of the gate, rifles slung
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-09-17MAD END'S DECEPTION 95 - Definitely Not Gildeon
ARAHThe guard led them down what felt like a back hallway, cameras watching from every corner. It seemed to stretch forever, with concrete walls pressing on either side—cold and oppressive. She knew what lay beyond these walls: the worst of the worst. Violent men who’d probably gutted people like livestock. Predators who’d done unspeakable things to women and children.Just the thought of them being so close made her stomach turn, and she had to fight the urge to throw up. But that wasn’t what made her skin crawl the most. It was the quiet. Apart from the occasional squeak of their shoes on the floor, the only other sound came from distant footsteps—likely guards doing their rounds somewhere out of sight. Now and then, the rattle of metal—a gate or maybe the clink of chains—cut through the silence, hollow and way too close for comfort.The stillness felt wrong. She’d expected angry voices, screams, and rage.But the whole prison felt… dead.They moved forward. The hallway opened into
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-09-18MAD END'S DECEPTION 96 - Headwitch
ARAHThe room Alaunus led her to was one of the cells, but it was larger than she’d imagined. Spacious, even, for a place meant to cage someone. The air was cold, a stark contrast to the warmth below, even without air conditioning. It smelled better here, with smoke drifting from a bundle of burning herbs—the same thing Roselia had used to cleanse their house.A small rectangular window was cut into the stone wall above. A metal cover with tiny holes lay over it, filtering the moonlight into thin, white beams. The light trickled down like rain, pooling onto the crystals lined up across wooden tables propped against the wall. The glow bounced softly from crystal to crystal, spreading like a delicate web of light, shimmering faintly on the walls.Symbols—dozens of them—were scrawled across the stone walls. Most were open-palmed hands, each with a spiral in the center. Her eyes followed them, and she swallowed hard when she noticed the deep red stains marking the designs.“Is that... blo
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-09-18MAD END'S DECEPTION 97 - Looks Could Be Deceiving
ARAHHeadwitch. She wondered… How powerful could they be to lead a coven full of witches with such crazy abilities—each strong in their own way?She glanced at the table of crystals across the room, the familiar black pyramid in the middle catching her attention.“I’ve seen that before. Roselia has one exactly like it. I just didn’t ask what it was,” she said absentmindedly.Arah had promised herself she wouldn’t mention Roselia, but then again, these were the people who had wronged their witch friend first. Why should Arah care if it stirred up unpleasant memories for them? She didn’t know the full story, but she trusted Roselia’s words far more than those of these witches.Alaunus stood silently behind her, then moved to grab the pyramid and held it out to her. She took it, surprised by how heavy it felt despite fitting in her palm. The surface was smooth, like glass, and she could see her messy, exhausted reflection in it.“It’s used for protective spells,” he explained, sitting do
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-09-19
Bab terbaru
MAD END'S DECEPTION 201 - Let Everything Sink In
ARAHRoselia hadn’t been able to remove the bullet, but she managed to stop the bleeding, prevent further damage, and numb the pain. Mabel’s friend would still need to be taken to a hospital for proper treatment. Roselia explained that if she tried to heal her using supernatural methods and alter her memory at the same time, it could cause unpredictable side effects.Mabel’s friend had fallen unconscious. They bandaged her wound and gently moved her to the couch. Cora brought over a blanket and draped it over her.“W-What are we going to do with them?” Mabel’s sister asked, staring at the three corpses lying across the living room.Arah handed her a glass of water. “I think it’s better to leave them as they are. The police will take care of it.” She figured the authorities would arrive soon, especially if they believed Sharko’s gang had already finished whatever they came here to do.Thug Number Two would be a problem. He’d definitely run back to Sharko and report what happened. Then
MAD END'S DECEPTION 200 - Alter Your Memory
ARAHShe had a narrow window before any sudden movement might make one of the thugs pull the trigger out of pure reflex.Or panic.Before she even realized it was possible, her wind tattoo split into two. One lash coiled tightly around the ankle of the thug who was about to assault Mabel’s sister, dragging him down. He hit the floor face-first with a grunt, arms flailing to catch himself. The other streaked across the room and smacked the gun from the hand of the man holding Cora.Arah bolted down the stairs, snatching the fallen gun mid-run, and aimed the gun at Thug Number One. She’d never held one before and had no real idea how to use it. But she’d seen enough movies to get the general idea.Still, she hoped it wouldn’t come to that. To her, manmade weapons felt far more volatile than anything supernatural.She saw Cora grab a coat rack from the corner and swing it hard at the back of Thug Number One’s head. The man let out a stunned grunt, stumbling forward from the blow. He turn
MAD END'S DECEPTION 199 - Would She Kill Him?
ARAHThug Leader motioned to his men to let the girls go, but then pointed at Mabel, her sister, and the girl who’d offered Arah a cocktail earlier.“Those three, and of course, Cora—they all stay.”He turned back to Arah, sneering, probably waiting for her to object. But she stayed silent. He seemed like the egotistical maniac type. If she pushed him too far, he’d only make things worse.Arah settled for glancing at the girls as they whimpered, shuddered, and ran out of the house.“Don’t you dare snitch, or we’ll come after you,” one of the thugs growled, stepping aside and pointing his gun at each of them as they passed.Arah hated how calm they all looked. Like they weren’t worried at all that the girls might bring help. It said even more about the kind of power Sharko’s gang held over the island.“Now…” Thug Leader lifted her chin with the muzzle of his gun. “You said you’d give me a night I’d never forget?”“I need assurance they won’t be harmed,” she said carefully, nodding towa
MAD END'S DECEPTION 198 - Night You'll Never Forget
ARAHShe stared at the lifeless body of the male stripper, sprawled out across the unfurled cardboard box. Blood seeped from the bullet wound in his back. He’d tried to run after the thug leader warned him not to.And they killed him. Just like that.To scare the hell out of them even more, the thugs had dragged his corpse back into the house—for everyone to see. It looked eerie under the strobe lights.The room was tense. The music was still playing, but one of the thugs had turned the volume down. All the girls were huddled together in the living room, clutching at each other like their lives depended on it. Some were curled up on the couch, the others slumped on the floor with their knees drawn to their chests. Everyone was shaking and crying. No one said a word.Their phones had been taken, so there was no way to call for help—unless, of course, Mabel’s call to the police had gone through.One of the thugs paced behind them, gun in one hand, a slice of strawberry cake in the other
MAD END'S DECEPTION 197 - Why Zephyr
ARAHShe leaned against the chair, staring out at the dark stretch of sea. The waves lapped softly at the shore. Their rhythm tangled with the thump of club music and the high-pitched laughter of girls still partying inside the house.It all felt far away now.After that embarrassing moment in the living room, Cora had pulled her out. She was grateful for the breather.Mate. Bride. Little Rabbit—these words looped in her head like some bad joke.Had she imagined the whole thing? Maybe there was something weird in the cocktail she drank. Or maybe it was Barky’s bite, twisting her thoughts most strangely.Why Zephyr, though? Had she personally known him before? Back in Shamibar?Arah slid her hands down her face and let out a heavy exhale. She couldn’t picture herself ever being close to someone like him. Zephyr was dangerous—she knew that much. And whatever his game was, it didn’t involve good intentions. He wanted to raise an army for goodness sake.Behind her, the back door creaked o
MAD END'S DECEPTION 196 - Little Rabbit
ARAHShe barely recognized Cora’s house. Penis-shaped balloons were scattered everywhere, and strobe lights flashed so intensely they nearly blinded her. The music was so loud it made her ears ring. Good thing Cora lived far enough from the neighbors that no one would care, even if the guests started screaming at each other in the middle of the night.There were probably over a dozen ladies here—her, Mabel, Cora, and a handful of others Arah vaguely remembered from the engagement party.Mabel was dancing near a giant pink gift box wrapped in ribbon, right in the middle of the living room. When she spotted Arah, her eyes lit up.“Arah!” Mabel shouted, turning toward the other side of the room. “Sissy Cora, she’s here!” Then she pranced over, cocktail in hand, wobbling just slightly. Her tiara was crooked, and she adjusted it before leaning in to give Arah a double-cheek kiss.“Hey, quite a party you’ve got going on,” Arah said with a smile, handing over her gift. She glanced at the pin
MAD END'S DECEPTION 195 - Are You Magical Too?
ARAHShe checked herself in the mirror, smoothing down the pink dress covered in little floral prints—it matched the theme for tonight. It was her first time going to a bachelorette party, and everything she knew about them came from movies.And in those movies, there were usually male strippers.She’d asked Mabel if there’d be any. Mabel had just giggled and said “no” over the phone, but in that coy way that didn’t really feel like a no.That made her a little nervous.Arah wondered how Gildeon would take it if he found out she went to a party where half-naked men were out there flaunting their abs and grinding to some sexy music. Would he be annoyed? Jealous? Pissed?The thought made her smile as she stepped out of her room and passed by the study. She paused at the door, resting her hand against it, picturing Gildeon inside—still in his cocoon, still asleep.The first time he’d finally let her in, she hadn’t known what to expect. The study room had felt weird. Empty, no furniture,
MAD END'S DECEPTION II: CAYLAO FESTIVAL ARC. 194 - It's Just A Dream
ARAHShe slipped the cardstock with her printed Clover Wish design out of the binder, tore it into pieces, and dropped them into the bin. Then she pulled out a few more flash sheets—ones with patterns that looked a little too much like real sigils—and tossed those out too.She couldn’t risk setting something off again and starting another coven war.A month had passed since the incident. Life on Caylao Island had returned to normal, as if nothing strange had ever happened. The townspeople had been spared that horrific memory thanks to Roselia’s bewitching fog. If it hadn’t been for that, Arah likely would’ve lost her friends too after they found out she wasn’t human.She looked up at her friends gathered in the waiting area, swapping theories about what really happened at Baccayo Prison that night.“I heard Sharko’s gang was involved,” Mabel said, swirling her straw in her milk tea. “Maybe they tried to break out some of their old members.”Tonio grimaced, mid-chew on a massive bite o
MAD END'S DECEPTION 193 - Let It All Go
GILDEONThey brought Arah to Roselia’s farmhouse. She was still out cold, and it would likely take her a few days to recover. Roselia had set up the back room, lit herbs that filled the air with sharp smoke, and circled Arah with crystals humming with healing energy.Gildeon switched on his dragon sight. Arah’s aura flickered, blue-green, faint. But something else swam through it—streaks of deep, electric blue that came and went like a second heartbeat.Gildeon hadn’t seen that on her before, but maybe they were remnants of some buried power. Something that had awakened when her life hung by a thread—something she’d used to wipe out both Zylas and Drusden.The aftermath of that fight still gnawed at him in strange ways, but none of it mattered for now. Answers could wait. He’d talk to Arah when she woke up.Gildeon pulled the blanket over her shoulders, then glanced at Ghulik, who was curled on a cushion near the bed, snoring like an old man, his belly swollen.Before leaving the Bacc
