06 - Test Run

Lia's POV

"Lia." Dante called my name and it woke me up.

I glanced at the clock–4 A.M. What did he want?

He stood beside the sofa and looked down on me. "We have training to do. Get up."

I groggily got myself up from the couch. "I'm still sleepy..." I yawned and stretched my arms.

"Here." Dante gave me an energy drink.

I gently tugged it away from his hand. "Isn't this unhealthy?"

Dante slowly blinked. "No time to think about that. We only have two months to prepare."

"Don't you have anything else like a candy bar?"

"Wait." Dante went back to the kitchen and got back with a granola bar in his hand. He stopped walking by the short hallway and weakly waved the granola bar, in front of him for me to see. "This enough?"

I nodded. He threw it in my direction and I successfully caught it with one hand.

I downed the drink in three gulps and shoved the granola inside my mouth, chewing big and hard.

Minutes passed and I felt the rush inside my body. Dante quickly threw me a metal baton and I caught it but I almost dropped it on the floor.

"Dang, this one's heavy."

The bottom of his eyes had a subtle puff, like he was happy. The edge of his lips also curved up. "It should be."

Dante and I stared at each other, sensing each other's next move.

Without warning he swiftly swung his baton to hit me. I parried it with the baton I was holding. God, he did hit hard. I almost failed to deflect his blow.

He pulled away, twisting his wrist and hurling his baton to get ready for his next move. I readied myself and donned a defensive stance.

He was silent and didn't move, he just looked at me, observing every inch of my movement.

His face looked serious. "Show me what you got, Lia."

I lunged forward at Dante, going low and aiming upwards, for his right torso. When he countered my blow, I quickly did a 360-degree turn and widely swung my whole leg to trip him down.

He jumped in the air, equally launching both feet and somersaulting backwards. He landed squatting, with his left limb outstretched to balance his weight, and his empty hand splaying on the floor.

Dante looked at me with an evil smile, like he was prepared for anything I hurl against his way. Without warning, he sprinted so quickly and made his move to sever my bruised thigh.

I parried it successfully. "That's low!"

"I won't do this, but Rogin would. So stay alert."

I resigned to the seat and my body bounced as I plunged my weight onto the sofa. "Why are we doing this anyway? What's the use–I'd bludgeon him?! I thought it's going to be a clean kill."

Dante resumed his relaxed stand and sighed. "This is one of his favorite sports. He doesn't care if it's a man or a woman he's going to play with. And you cannot refuse when he offers or invites you to."

I looked down while I thought. "What if he'd successfully hit me? What will happen to me?"

He said coldly, "then you're gonna add to his body count."

"What? He's gonna fuck me after?" My eyes suddenly popped.

Dante shook his head. "No, to the list of people he killed."

I gulped at the thought. Dante noticed it.

"That's why you should take our training seriously. Your life depends on it." He blinked several, random, and fast.

He added, "if you've mastered the baton, we'll move forward with the knife."

I choked on my spit. I coughed while beating my chest. "W-what?!"

Dante's face didn't flinch or show any reaction, but he shocked me with his question, "if you can't do it... will you opt-out?"

I was caught off guard. I had no clue Dante would ask me about it. But I had to be wary of him, too. "You'd rape or kill me if I'd throw in the towel."

He smiled. It was faint, but I saw his eyes burn with life and enthusiasm. "Glad you remembered."

Suddenly he drew out a sheathed knife from his side. Then Dante tried to stab me.

I caught the sheathed blade on time. But I lost my balance and my back was against the sofa.

Dante hovered over me, the force of his upper limbs were still on the knife. He didn't go all in though. He was just putting just enough pressure for me to handle

But I did the unthinkable.

I released my resistance to his stab, letting go of the knife. It caused Dante's head to crash directly on my bosom.

Then I left no room for him to escape.

I grappled him while we were lying down, my legs locked on his hips, and my arms locked between his head, squeezing it.

I could see his face turning red and raw, but he wasn't gasping for air nor shaking himself off. Dante remained calm.

He also did the unthinkable... but predictable for Rogin.

He punched me on my side. I moaned, flinching from the pain. I had no choice but to take away my grip on his head.

He had the upper hand, so he did to me what I did to him yesterday.

He fastened my hands above me with a pair of furred cufflinks and hooked it around a heavy paper weight figurine. My body arched up and down, squiggling like a worm to break free from my chains.

I rolled my eyes. "So you're gonna choke me now?"

Dante chuckled, his low laugh filled with pure joy. "Do you want me to?"

My heart throbbed hard. Temptation crept in. I eyed him up and down, bit my lower lip, looked at him with lust.

I muttered under my breath, "let's skip that part. Kiss me now."

Dante suddenly changed his mood. He got back from being stoic instead of playful. "Isn't it the other way around?"

"Does it matter?" I leaned forward, towards him, for his lips to touch mine.

He quickly uncuffed me and he pulled his body away from me. Then Dante sat down beside me, gliding his forefinger along his chin. "Rogin would notice. He's quite meticulous. He's gonna get mad from the inconsistency."

I sat up straight. "But you're not him, Dante."

He closed his eyes and pinched his glabella. "You're missing the point, Lia. We're roleplaying here."

I was taken aback. "All this time you're pretending to be him? Act like him?"

He took a deep breath and let it out, releasing built up tension, then glanced at me with a cold stare. "No shit, Sherlock."

"Since when?"

"Whenever training starts." Dante raised one eyebrow and squinted his eyes. "You know what's your problem? You're too emotional. We'd lose if you'd always follow what's inside your chest. Use your head for fuck's sake–even for a little."

I defended myself. "No, I'm just playing my sultry card right. Stuff gets done faster this way."

He scoffed. "So you'll slither your way through his cock. You sure you're ready to get fucked? Because if he likes you, he really would get into your pants."

I was suddenly lost for words.

Dante looked away and leaned over while he sat, his elbows on his thigh. "I don't give a damn if that's what you want. I just want you to be careful–you have to survive, long enough to carry out the mission."

"Does he also kill people after fucking them?" I asked out of total ignorance.

"Well... he's harsher than me. He's a downright sadist. The more you cry in pain, the more he'll enjoy torturing you."

The look of disgust was written all over my face. "Ugh, disgusting, deplorable."

Dante raised his chin up and looked at my direction. "So now you know why I treat you this way..."

I did understand, but... "Can we be friends after this mission?"

He lowered his head down, his bangs covering his eyes. "So you heard us talk... Mische and I. I, I don't know, Lia. A Lunne and a Kannes seen together publicly will be quite disastrous. It's like coke and pepsi."

"What about Rogin and I–seen together? Don't you find it illogical?"

"Rogin's different. He always gets what he wants. He can get away with anything. He can even blackmail me, he just chooses not to." Dante leaned over as his fingers interlock and support the weight of his chin.

I was startled at his revelation. "B-blackmail? You have incriminating stuff against you?"

"I had my fair share of stupidity," he said as a matter-of-fact.

I grew much curious about it. "What was it anyway?"

Dante sighed. He stood up and told me without looking, "It's in the past already. Let's keep it buried there."

Then he walked away.

My inner self was tugging at me to find out.

I'm going to ask Mische what it was, I told myself.

And I heard someone buzzing in from the main door.