Page 31

We all knew we wouldn't live long enough to have children or get married or any of that normal life bullshit. It’d be selfish to do so, putting those you love in danger.

And we didn’t quite care for the money–at least I didn’t.

But there’s a sort of high that I get in knowing how much someone would pay to see another dead, what they were worth.

How difficult a job was deemed and the satisfaction of being able to prove that I could do it.

“Will you be asking Niko as well?” I asked.

Symeon shook his head. “No, we already know he wouldn’t do it.”

He’s not wrong. Niko hardly works anymore, distancing himself from the Underworld.

“Interested?” Symeon asked, leaning forward in his seat.

This is exactly what I’ve been training for.

“We really need you,” Kahlik admitted. “I’m not sure we could do it without you.”

They couldn’t, but I couldn’t do it alone either.

“There’s no rush for it, the longer we wait, the larger the sum,” Kahlik stated.

Celestine would be so upset–Wait. Why do I care about that?

“But we don’t want to wait too long.” Symeon scrunched up his face.

Am I attached ?

“That bastard doesn’t deserve to breathe any longer,” Symeon sneered.

“Vulture.”

I snapped my head towards Leo standing next to me. He pulled Celestine in front of him and forced her to sit next to me. “I’m so glad you’re here, I lost Sterling, but there’s this girl.”

You must be joking.

“And we’re hitting it off. Anyway, if Sterling doesn’t come to get Cel, then just drop her off at home.”

Leo spoke quickly and left just as fast, I didn’t have time to argue. I blinked slowly, licking the front of my teeth.

“What are you doing here?” She can’t–or at least shouldn't even be able to get inside, the only reason I could is because I’m the bloody Vulture.

“The twins wanted to go, and I had nothing else to do,” she sighed. “But I’ll go home now.”

She started getting up.

“You’re going to let her go home by herself?” Khalik asked, his and Symeon’s eyes wide. Seemingly sobering up as fast as they could so they could properly see how beautiful she was.

Celestine had her hair half up and half down, with glitter all over her face and skin. Her lashes curled up to touch her brows, little black jewelled hearts decorated under her eyes. Her black dress was cut short, with sheer tights underneath and black thigh-highs over it.

Bloody hell, Celestine.

Reaching out, I grabbed her wrist before she could get far and pulled her back down to sit right next to me. Her upper thigh bumped against mine and I felt the metal knife hidden underneath her dress.

You’ve ruined me .

I turned to Symeon and Kahlik and narrowed my eyes at their hungry gazes.

“Well, are you going to introduce her, Vulture, or what?” Symeon asked, impatiently.

I didn’t want them to know who she was, but now I couldn't avoid it. “This is Reaper,” I said, hoping that would help lay them off her. “This is Symeon and Kahlik. They’re hitmen.” I think that would be enough of a warning to her to be careful with what she tells them.

They cursed.

“You’re Reaper?”

“You don’t disappoint.”

“You haven’t seen me do anything,” she said with furrowed brows.

Unfortunately, her skills weren't what they were talking about.

“Why don’t you come sit between us so we can get to know you better?” Kahlik patted the space between him and Symeon.

Celestine moved her hand under the table, placing it on my leg, searching me for comfort.

“She stays by me,” I growled.

They laughed. “How old are you, Reaper?”

“Seventeen.”

“I’m training her,” I said, nonchalantly.

“Those rumours were true?” Symeon raised a brow.

I took one last exhale of smoke up into the lights and killed the rest of it on the table before Celestine decided to make a show of taking it off me. “Yeah.”

“So, Reaper,” Symeon started. “What’s Vulture’s biggest weakness?”

She stared at them, unamused and bored before turning her head away from them, watching the dance floor .

I couldn't help my smirk and rested my hand over hers, encouragingly rubbing my thumb on the side of her hand. “Good girl,” I said under my breath.

“Alright, fair enough. What’s your real name then?” he asked.

Still, she didn’t respond or look at him. Completely ignoring his existence.

“What's her deal?” Symeon spat, not used to girls rejecting him. Though, the girls he did get, he usually paid for.

“Her deal?” I snapped. “Just leave her alone.”

“I’m just trying to make conversation, I’m not the one being a dog!” Symeon’s nose flared.

“Shut up, Symeon.”

Something in the air shifted, as if I was on some sort of drug. The noise muffled and all I could hear as clear as a crystal was Celestine’s soft voice. “Do you want to play a game?”

In this place? “What game?” I dared her to try to entertain me.

“Hide and seek,” she said. “You're the seeker.”

This place isn't that large, it would just be hard to spot her in the crowd. “If I win, then what?”

She turned to meet my eyes with a slight smile, as if offering me everything I desired, things I didn't even know I wanted. “You'll find out.”

I smirked, then gave her a minute head start, watching as she went behind the dark curtains behind the bar. The bartenders didn't notice her, too occupied with the customers in front of them.

“Are you leaving?” Kahlik asked.

I nodded, not looking at them as I got out of the booth. “I'll let you know about that assignment later.”

I slipped behind the bar and drew the curtain aside, unveiling a long, narrow hallway that stretched endlessly into the shadows.

As I stepped through, the heavy curtain fell back into place, and I was struck by a jarring transition—from the oppressive humidity to a biting chill that nipped at my skin.

The pulsating music faded to a distant murmur, leaving only the soft, disjointed ticking of clocks that seemed to have lost their rhythm. The air that was thick with the remnants of sweat and alcohol, quickly gave way to the musty scent of dust and melted candle wax.

I pressed on, my footsteps muffled by a long, luxurious rug woven with gold, silver, and deep scarlet.

The walls and ceiling, made from rich grenadilla wood, were covered in endless carvings that spiraled like a living echo.

Lanterns flickered every few meters, casting a warm yellow light across the arches and highlighting the ornate details of the hall.

With each corner I turned, an old grandfather clock loomed, its face frozen between 6:06 and 6:07.

After what felt like an eternity wandering the corridor, I finally reached a door at the end, leading into another seemingly infinite passageway.

I glanced back, only to find that the threshold I had just crossed had vanished into the shadows.

Where did it go?

With only one way to go, I continued forward.

The hallway began to split and with no signs and being unable to see the end, I took it to chance and chose to go left.

It split once again until I found another door that led me to the same structure of the hallway, but in the form of a maze, having multiple different routes.

Taking deep breaths, I calmed my mind and kept from panicking.

These rooms were all familiar. Something from a dream, but I hadn't fallen asleep. An eerie feeling crept up my bones as I began walking around, looking for an exit.

“You're so calm.”

I snapped my head behind me, catching a glimpse of the end of Celestine's hair as she rounded a corner .

I followed after her but was met with more hallways that twisted and turned and split.

“When Sterling was here, he panicked.”

I didn't know where her voice was coming from but continued my search for her. I certainly did not feel calm, but I guess I’m just good at hiding it.

“Where are we?” I asked.

“Where do you think?”

“The Hallways,” I muttered under my breath.

I’d read about them in books about dreams—a strange, recent phenomenon that many around the world reported encountering.

This place felt eerily familiar, a realm where one could easily become trapped and disoriented.

It was an endless maze of winding corridors and random doors, each one drawing you deeper into the labyrinthine complex, where unknown creatures roamed—some friendly, others not.

There was no certainty of an exit; the only way out was to wake up. But how does one awaken when everything felt so achingly real?

“Yes.” She laughed. “That's right.”

“How do we get out?” I asked, muffled music beginning to seep into the room, debris falling off the now cracked ceiling and onto my face.

When I turned my eyes back from above, Celestine stood just a few metres before me.

She had silver hair and the blue in her eyes was gone, just a cold pale grey.

She wore a plain white dress that was slightly dirtied and stained with bits of blood.

White socks scrunched down to her lower calf and ankles, and she had no shoes on.

She had a dark, playful look on her face with a powerful smile, standing so composed and dominant. “No one leaves this place unless I say.”

A large, slender, shadowy creature emerged from behind her, a wide, almost painful smile stretching across its elongated face.

Its excessively long, bony fingers inched their way around Celestine's shoulder, while its grotesque face loomed closer, contorting in ways that defied the limits of normal anatomy.

The creature's body twitched and trembled, and a long string of drool dripped from its many sharp teeth, pooling ominously on the carpet below.

“Cel…” My words barely came out of my mouth. I had never seen anything like it.

“This is Paralysis.”

So she knows it's there.

“He's a bit shy.”

Its eyes were wide, bulging out of its skull. A white iris that seemed to glow against its pure black sclera, deep red veins gripping the edges into place. It was staring straight at me.

“Cel.” I couldn't seem to form any other words.