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“Look around you,” I shouted. “Behind these walls, rotting in the dark—eighty-four cult members. Murderers. Cannibals. Monsters.”

I lowered my voice to a whisper, eyes gleaming.

“Bad people, little stepsister.”

A chuckle escaped me, soft and sharp. “All I did was kill, kill, kill,” I said, tilting my head like a child remembering a song. “All I did was chop, chop, chop.”

Tears streamed down her cheeks, but I kept going.

“Butyou... you killedme.”

I swallowed hard, staring at her. “And your little boyfriend? He wanted to hurt you. Take you from me.”

I laughed, bitter and guttural. “So he had to go.Hehad to go. His dick too.”

I pointed to the wall where a small frame hung. Inside, was his tiny cock I severed a couple of hours ago.

She gasped.

“Tiny, isn’t it?”

Her face drained of color.

“Are you scared?” I stepped in closer. “Are you scared ofme?”

I circled the table slowly. Nagi slithered up her arm, tongue flicking, hissing, winding her way to Lenore’s neck like a living necklace.

Her whole body shook.

“I saved you,” I whispered, stopping in front of her. “Can you save me?”

She didn’t answer. Just trembled.

My fingers brushed her chin.

“Can you,Trouble?”

She nodded, slow and broken.

“You see,” I smiled, gentle now, “we’re the same, you and I.”

I leaned in, voice soft.

“We’re both thorns. Just like roses.”

A chuckle.

“Thorns bite. Hurt. But we come with beauty, too—you with that pretty face...” I touched her cheek. “And me?” I laughed quietly. “A beautiful mind. Sometimes.”

She stayed silent as I leaned in, and still, she didn’t resist when I pressed my lips to hers. Her trembling faded as her body arched toward mine. My tongue slipped past her lips, twisting, tasting her. Nagi hissed, coiled now around my neck.

My hand slid behind her back, pulling her tight against me. Her legs parted, and I stepped between them, the world around us fading.

Somewhere in the basement, my mother and stepfather began to stir.

Muffled groans.

I didn’t care.