Curiosity gnawed at the edges of my mind until it finally slipped from my lips.
"But I thought there was a rule stating that all Masters must stay within their houses. How is it that you were outside?"
The old man casually picked his nose, utterly unfazed. "I was bored, so I went out for a while. How can they expect us to be cooped up in the house every day, huh? That's abuse, I'm telling you!"
I let out a small giggle. There was something absurdly refreshing about his candid rebellion. The mental image I'd built of the '10 Masters'—stoic, untouchable, almost divine—shattered with every one of his ridiculous antics.
"But isn't it against the rules?" I asked again, needing to understand.
He shrugged, eyes twinkling with unrepentant mischief. "Rules are meant to be broken, L. Besides, a little adventure and fresh air never hurt anyone. It keeps the spirit young and the mind sharp."
…And here I was, nodding along. Agreeing with a man who openly admitted to breaking high-level security protocol for "fresh air."
I must be going crazy.
A moment later—
BOOM.
CRASH.
CREAK.
The peaceful atmosphere detonated under the weight of a sudden cacophony outside.
"Enemy attack?!" I jumped up, heart already thundering against my ribs.
But Master Vod? He didn't even flinch. If anything, he seemed more amused than alarmed.
"Nah. That's probably my disciple," he said, chuckling like a man watching his dog knock over flowerpots.
Then—
SLAM!
The door burst open, nearly flying off its hinges. A tall figure stormed into the room, a towering presence cloaked in dust and urgency.
"Master?! Are you alright?!"
The voice.
Familiar.
My head snapped to him instinctively, heart skipping not out of fear—but joy.
"Ronald!" I nearly jumped up, unable to hide the excitement.
"Llyne?!" His wide eyes mirrored my surprise, the delight unmistakable.
"Wow! You're huge! You're like a grizzly bear!" I gasped, staring at him.
And it was true—his body looked bulked up, arms thick with muscle. Time had changed him.
Ronald scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, lowering himself beside me. The old man burst into a fit of wheezing laughter, still riding the high of his own joke.
I chuckled and brushed dirt off Ronald's clothes. He leaned closer, whispering, "Sorry about that. My master likes to tease people a lot."
I whispered back with a grin, "It's fine. Mine, too."
Master Sylph had her own wicked streak. Not as chaotic as Vod, but dangerous in her own quiet way.
Now that I think about it… are all Masters secretly lunatics?
Note: There's no such requirement. But the pattern is concerning.
Still... if I'm being honest with myself—maybe I'm a bit of a lunatic, too.
It would only be fair.
Master Vod slammed a fresh wine bottle on the table with a grin. "Want to hear something funny, child?"
Of course, I nodded. Who wouldn't?
His gaze locked onto Ronald, eyes practically glowing with glee.
"That young Chad there," he said, clearly enjoying the nickname, "his alcohol tolerance is so low he fainted from just a sip."
"What?!" I stared at Ronald, who had now buried his face in his palms. His ears were turning red.
"He just took one sip, and boom! His head smashed onto the table. Gyahahahaha!" Vod roared, slapping his thigh in delight.
I blinked.
Just a sip?
"What was the alcohol percentage?" I asked, desperate to make sense of it.
Vod raised five fingers.
"Fifty percent?" I guessed.
He shook his head, shoulders quaking with more laughter. "No, just five. Only five percent!"
"WHAT?!" I yelped, utterly stunned.
Was that even possible?
Ronald, in a voice smaller than I'd ever heard him use, whispered, "I'm underage, Master."
Vod leaned forward, eyes narrowing, his tone mock-stern.
"Quit that excuse. Only losers use excuses, got it, Chad?"
Ronald nodded sheepishly, clearly used to this level of torment. I almost felt bad for him. Almost.
Above us, the clouds drifted lazily in the blue sky, and for a brief moment, time itself seemed to slow. Laughter spilled across the room, warm and wild. In that bizarrely tranquil place, we were no longer captives of war, no longer pawns of a larger game—we were just people, enjoying each other's company.
Then—
CLACK.
Master Vod stood abruptly, stretching. "Well, I'll leave you two young sponges here while I enjoy my wine outside."
Sponges?
He's really got a thing for weird nicknames…
But just as he made for the exit, Ronald suddenly stiffened.
"Master, wait! Miss Judy, she—"
CREEEAAK.
The door creaked open behind us.
And everything stopped.
A terrifying figure filled the doorway, an indescribable presence that immediately silenced the room. Her voice slithered from her lips like the hiss of death.
"Master Vod~"
We went pale.
The color drained from Vod's face as he froze.
"Ah! It's Miss Judy!" he shrieked in horror—and in the next second, he vanished. So did she.
Just like that.
Gone.
I turned slowly toward Ronald—and completely lost it.
He was praying. Legitimately praying.
"Don't worry. That old man will be alright. Believe me," I said, trying to comfort him.
He looked up, uncertain. "Really?"
"Really!" I declared with a forced smile, like someone swearing the sun still shone while standing in a blizzard.
Then—
AAAAAAGGGGHHHHH!!
Master Vod's screams echoed from somewhere outside, high-pitched and tortured.
Ronald clutched me like a lifeline. His body trembled violently.
I could feel his heartbeat hammering against mine.
"If you want to live, better ignore it. You never know what kind of person Miss Judy is," I whispered quickly. "She might kill us to cover her tracks. You know, like those creepy murderers in movies."
Ronald's face went white. He nodded gravely.
If Vod saw us now, he'd scream betrayal.
But… sorry, old man. We youngsters gotta survive, too.
Gradually, the screams faded into silence, leaving a tension thick enough to slice.
Creak.
The door opened again.
My soul nearly left my body.
There she stood.
Miss Judy.
I screamed instinctively.
"Ahh!! I don't want to die!!"
But her voice was… calm. Soft, even.
"Die? Why would you?"
I peeked through half-closed eyes.
Gone was the terrifying figure from before.
Standing before us was a mature woman with a warm smile, radiating an aura so calm it felt surreal.
"Hello. My name is Judy. Everyone calls me Miss Judy. You must be Miss Llyne. I received an email stating that you might visit the House of Vodka today. It's a pleasure to meet you."
She extended her hand. Perfectly polite. Perfectly terrifying.
My own hands trembled, but I managed to reciprocate.
"Yes… I'm Llyne. Nice to meet you, too."
Still shaken, I mumbled, "The demon is gone?"
Miss Judy chuckled. "Oh, you mean what happened just now? Don't worry about it. It's just a daily routine between the Master and me. I'm terribly sorry if it frightened you while you were here."
Daily routine…?
What kind of "routine" involves a Master screaming like he's being torn apart?
And yet, as I looked into her serene smile, I realized something terrifying.
She meant it.
Every.
Word.