Alister
Crystal grins like a child being handed a gun. She pivots on her heel, strolling towards her chair. "Of course. Let's get this over with and continue our talk." She finishes with a snap of her fingers.
The paper beasts around Lev immediately stir, their jaws splitting open in silent snarls, revealing the glass shards. Their joints creak as they get ready to lunge.
Lev doesn't move at first. Just glares at her back, something dark kindling in his eyes. Then, with a slow breath, he raises his hand.
A sound begins to rise.
Soft at first—like whispers through the wind—but quickly escalating into a chorus of shrill caws outside the building.
I've already activated my ability. The moment her creatures twitch toward Lev, the knives spill from my jacket. They hover for a heartbeat, forming a perfect circle with hilts pointed inward and blades gleaming outward—then spin, faster and faster until they blur into a roaring, circular saw.
It shrieks across the room. The nearest beast doesn't even have time to react before it's torn apart—shredded into fluttering scraps. One after another, the blades carve through them, slicing limbs and heads until nothing is left but drifting white fragments.
The saw circles Lev like a guardian specter, carving a clear radius around him.
No matter how powerful you try to look, no matter how much airs you put on, it's only just paper.
Meanwhile, the crows pour in through the windows. They fan out in perfect formation, responding to a mere flick of his wrist, taking positions in the far corners of the room. I hear them fighting with something in the shadows. Shirl noises echo throughout the space and bits of paper along with blood begins to rain down.
Crystal sits down, gaze raised to the aftermath. Bits of paper drift through the air like snow in a broken cathedral.
Then she claps. "That was impressive."
Right on cue, a sharp pain stabs through my chest. I cough, hard, turning my head slightly—just enough to avoid showing weakness, though the crimson smear on my sleeve betrays me.
Crystal hums, watching. "That side effect seems like a pain, though."
I ignore her and turn toward Lev. He's already watching me—tense, shoulders tight—but the moment our eyes meet, he flinches, as if caught doing something embarrassing.
I raise my arm. "Now."
He understands. His gaze drops to the floor, to the paper-strewn battlefield where his survival was just gambled and won by someone else.
Whether you live or die is up to you—my silent message. As much as it's up to me.
Lev exhales sharply through his nose. Then he mutters under his breath in his usual irritating way. "No wonder everyone hates you." He shifts. Feathers erupting from his arms, legs snapping into avian form, until he's a crow again. He flies gracefully before landing heavily on my shoulder.
Crystal leans forward, propping her elbows on the table. "Why are you defending him? I just told you he's a liability. Did you not see how he was willing to betray you?"
I smirk at her with cruel amusement. "Oh, I know that." I shoot Lev a sidelong glance. "And he'll definitely see what happens when someone crosses me."
Lev caws sharply and tightens his grip on my shoulder—his talons digging into skin. Pain flares under my collarbone, but I don't flinch.
Turning back to Crystal, I let my voice lower. "But killing him would be far too kind. See, I find it more fun to keep him alive. I could torture him. Cut him piece by piece and feed it back to him. Lock him in a room. Let him rot or starve until he starts eating himself raw."
Lev lets out a choked, startled caw and flaps his wings. Panicked, desperate to fly away. My hand closes around his throat mid-takeoff and slam him back onto my shoulder, pinning him down with iron force.
Crystal throws her head back and laughs delightedly. "You sound just like our golden prince."
I pause, frowning. "Who?"
She waves it off lazily. "Just… the embodiment of sadism we work with. You better wish you never cross paths with him—or worse, catch his eye. But don't worry about him. Seattle isn't under—"
Her words cut off as her eyes go wide. She gasps—hands flying to her chest as if she's been stabbed from the inside. She nearly doubles over, clutching her ribs as if her heart's about to explode. The chair falls to the ground behind her.
Lev croaks softly near my ear. "That's the warning. It comes when you're about to break the contract."
I watch her for a beat, then turn.
"We're going to leave now. Whatever I plan to do with him is up to me. I decide whether he lives or dies. He is my captive and therefore my responsibility." I announce as I pivot towards the stairs.
"Wait!" she gasps, dragging in a ragged breath. She lifts her head, eyes narrowed with fury. "Why did you steal the goblet?" she demands. "And what do you plan to do next?"
I turn back to her.
She continues. "We're covering for you. My mistress and I. If you're dragging us into this mess, we have the right to know what you're up to."
Before I can respond, something changes.
Her body jerks—tilting to the side unnaturally. Her arms stick against her front, stiff and useless, while her head lolls back slightly.
"Now, now…no need to get violent."
The voice makes my heart skip a beat.
Clara lets go of her invisibility. Arm wrapped tightly around Crystal's waist, pinning her arms. Her fingers lace between Crystal's to stop any chance of a snap. Her other hand presses a knife to the girl's throat, already drawing a thin red line.
She isn't wearing a dress this time. Just a black hoodie, braid spilling over her shoulder, sneakers planted firmly on the ground and tight jeans that...leave little to the imagination. Not that I was imagining anything in the first place. That's absurd.
She backs up carefully until she's against the wall, incase the paper girl's creations attack her from behind. "Take those strips off of him," she says coldly. The tone fills me with the same disgustingly sweet feeling, and I swear it seems like the world narrowed to the shape of her lips around the words, "I'm sure killing him isn't worth losing your own life."
Strips?
I glance down at my body but see nothing. But suddenly, something inside my clothes starts moving.
I tug at my collar and notice tiny strips of purple paper clinging to the inside of my shirt. And even my pants. They peel away now, falling limp to the ground like dead leaves as Crystal releases her hold.
When did she do that? Was she going to pierce those strips into my flesh after turning them sharp? Not sure that would have killed me.
It's when I stare down at the heap that I realize they were originally white papers. They are tinted purple because...they are poisoned.
"I wasn't going to do anything," Crystal protests, eyeing the knife. "It was just in case he attacked."
Clara doesn't budge. "You said you're loyal to your word. Was that true?"
"Yes," Crystal growls. "Call me what you want. But I'm not a liar." She squirms again, but Clara tightens her hold. She's taller and stronger.
From the ceiling, I spot something moving—three massive paper spiders the size of backpacks crawling straight for them.
I don't hesitate. My knives flash to life, spinning through the air like a steel hurricane. They tear the spiders into confetti mid-pounce.
Clara's voice stays steady. "Then give me your word you won't attack us after I let you go. No spying. No interference. Stay in the shadows with your mistress like you've always done." She pauses. "In return, we won't cause trouble. We'll keep quiet. Until our mission is done."
My jaw tightens.
Mission? Why would she say that?
Crystal eyes her, breathing hard. Then lets out a sigh. "Fine. I promise."
Clara finally lets her go, pushing her forward. Crystal stumbles away and quickly puts distance between them.
"All I'm saying is—if you keep acting out, there's only so much we can do to protect you," she warns, wincing as she touches her neck. "We can interfere here and there, but there's a limit. You want to keep attracting attention? Go ahead. But you don't know the kind of people you're dealing with."
I nod, finally speaking. "We understand. The goblet was for a fight… with the bureaucrat and his son. And the men we killed before tried to kidnap us. That's all."
She studies me, eyes searching. "That true, crow?"
He nods his head.
She hums back in acceptance. With a snap of her fingers, the surviving paper scatters and refolds itself, piling neatly into a large suitcase by the corner of the room. Only the shredded ones remain—silent evidence of what could've been.
Crystal grabs the handle. "If you ever get caught and you mention me, I'll make sure you die slow. And I'll urge you again, get rid of that crow." Her eyes flick to Lev. "He'll get you killed faster than anyone else."
We watch her roll the suitcase toward the stairs.
"Bye, kiddo!" Clara calls out with a cheery grin.
Crystal lazily flips her off. "I'm twenty-six, you freak."
After she disappears down the stairs, I narrow my eyes at Clara as she rubs the sleep from them. "How did you know where I was?"
If she'd followed the paper origami like I had, Crystal would've sensed her coming. But that hadn't happened. Clara had found another way. Leora didn't say anything either—but that's no surprise.
Clara, deciding I'm not worthy of a straight answer, spins lightly and drops into an exaggerated curtsy. Eyes sparkling with an almost wicked joy. "Ah, my pale, brooding princess! I felt the tremor of your distress from miles away! And I simply could not—would not!—let my fainting damsel suffer alone!"
Resisting every possible instinct to smile back, I fold my arms and let the shadows of the room frame my unimpressed gaze. "Are your stalker tendencies getting to your brain?"
A faint smirk tugs at her pink lips as she straightens up, stirring up an uncomfortable false memory. "Relax. I convinced Simon to hack your phone and drop me a pin. Side note—he's currently having a meltdown because you left him."
I sigh. "I thought you weren't coming."
Her eyes graze the shredded paper scattered across the ground like snow. "At first, I wasn't. But then it occurred to me... whoever created these papers might be able to see through them. If you were following their instructions, there's a chance you were walking straight into an ambush dressed up as a favor. Besides..." she adds, her tone hardening as her gaze lifts to mine. "I didn't like being left out."
"Have you been crying?" I squint in the dim light at her bloodshot eyes.
She scoffs, brushing a hand across her face. "It's called sleep deprivation. A good night's sleep is a luxury these days."
Lev leaps from my shoulder and flies towards her, but stops midway when she points the knife in his direction, glaring at him.
"No, Lev." Her voice slices sharper than the blade. "I'm upset with you. You tried to betray us. You were ready to hand over our information, knowing what it would cost. I won't forgive you for that."
"No, wait!" He blurts out, and in an instant, he transforms, shifting into the form of a man. He sinks down onto the floor, his posture slouched, awkwardly looking anywhere but at Clara through his hair.
He rubs the back of his neck, frowning, clearly uncomfortable. "I'm sorry you felt betrayed. But...you have no idea what it was like when I thought someone had come for me. No one has ever done that. I won't apologize for wanting freedom. For wanting a chance to escape."
"You really wanted to go back to those people?" I ask. Does this fool have Stockholm syndrome?
Lev looks up briefly, with a sharpness in his eyes. "It's the only home I've ever known, okay?" His shoulders tense as he stares at the floor. "It's all I've got."
He stays silent for a while. Not sulking. Not scheming. Just… quiet.
"Two days." Clara speaks as if she's the one who gets to decide everything.
Lev blinks, startled. "What?"
She steps toward him slowly, the knife still in her hand, though the edge no longer points at him.
"We already have one artifact. We just need two more. Two days, that's it. Help us. Stay loyal. And when it's over—" Her voice lowers. "You'll have your freedom."
She stops in front of him. Lev looks up at her, tilting his head, lips twitching faintly. "Are you always this generous?"
"Are you seriously going to let that happen?" Leora whispers beside me. Clearly annoyed I'm not interfering.
I shrug. Not bothering to answer her.
While I don't agree with whatever Clara is presenting, I can't stop noticing the way she pulls the room around her with every word and every movement. I can see what she's trying to do here. And I'm interested to see how her plan works out.
"I'll make Alister remove the bomb and the restraints," she says, unfazed. "You'll be free to go wherever you want. Even take off your choker."
At that, his fingers reach up, brushing the silver band circling his neck. His throat bobs as he swallows.
"It'll erase my humanity," he says, quieter now. "And my memories."
Clara gently places a hand on his head. Lev flinches—barely—but doesn't pull away. "After what Crystal said, I'd say those memories are worth forgetting, don't you think?" She murmurs sadly with sorrow dwelling in her eyes, like she understands him completely.
His gaze climbs to her. A sympathetic smile forms on his lips as he takes her hand in his. "I don't know, sweetness," he says softly, his voice dropping to a quieter tone but with that usual flirtatious edge. "I'd rather forget a lot of things… but I can't say I'd want to forget about you."
I pull a small foil packet from my coat pocket and tear it open. I toss the pill into my mouth and swallow it dry. The bitterness spreads down my throat like ash. The headache that's been brewing behind my eyes from watching this whole soap opera has reached its crescendo.
She chuckles lightly, pulling her hand back, as if sensing I was about to electrocute him. "How about we see how things play out when we get there, huh?"
"So, are we good?" He asks eagerly.
"For now." Clara says as she yawns and starts to walk away.
Lev rises too but freezes mid-motion as if remembering something. "By the way, weren't you chained to the bed?" He asks casually, as though the revelation is trivial.
"What!?" I snap, stepping closer, surprise twisting into irritation.
She simply shoots him a look. "You sent those birds to spy on me, didn't you!?" She accuses him as if that's the issue here.
"Glasses told me to." He points at me. "He even sent some at Smile's and crazy's houses. He said it's to keep guard."
When she turns back to me, I'm already infront of her, looking down with frustration. "You came here even though you were chained to the bed? Are you insane? Do you really want to get in more trouble?"
Before she can say anything, I grab her arm and start pulling her along with me.
"Don't worry, everyone's asleep at this time. I've been adding a little bit of sleeping pills into everyone's after-dinner teas. They won't wake up," she says proudly, as if this is something to brag about.
I have a lot to say about that too, but my energy has already been drained.
"Come on, Lev. We need to drop her home quickly." I glance back over my shoulder.
"I was going to ask you for a ride anyways. I'm so exhausted I can't even move." She yawns, glancing up at me with those infuriatingly bright eyes and batting her lashes. "Carry me?"
"Walk." I force my eyes ahead before my body does something. "I'm too tired to carry anything."
"Nimble prick." She mumbles under her breath, and I feel my eye twitch.
"So, once this is over..." Lev speaks as he looms behind us, looping each arm around both of us. "Can we go to one of those places where people watch movies?"
The mere mention of movies seems to have erased all signs of exhaustion from Clara's face. Her eyes light up. A wide, almost blinding grin spreads across her face as she looks back at him. "That's a great idea!"
"Absolutely not." I snap. "And it hasn't even been an hour since you tried to sell us out. Quit acting like we're friends."
"Wasn't even asking you anyway," he retorts, rolling his eyes before transforming into a crow, leaving Clara laughing at my expense.
I just… want to sleep.