Tension surged to its peak. The once-beautiful, gentle face now twisted into a mask of death.
Her eyes locked on him, piercing and meticulous, scanning every inch of his body with unnerving precision. Each second that passed made Jamie's chest tighten, his breath catching in his throat.
"She's insane!" he thought, eyes darting nervously toward the window.
"Should I scream for help? Should I fight her?"
But deep down, he knew any confrontation could easily end in bloodshed.
Suddenly—
Phwah!
The window shattered violently. Jamie shot through it knees-first, glass spraying in all directions. Shards tore shallow cuts across his skin, pain flaring hot against his muscles, but instinctively he squeezed his eyes shut and clamped his mouth, blocking the sharpest shards as he plummeted toward the ground.
Lora's eyes widened, shock and something darker twisting across her face. Recognition and obsession warred with exhilaration. The girl who had seemed a potential ally was now a predator.
The sound of crashing glass echoed through the house. Immediately, the boys looked up at the ceiling, hearts racing. That noise could not signal anything good. Their instincts screamed: the danger they had been anticipating had arrived.
When their eyes returned to the floor, they found the girls' expressions had changed entirely. Charlotte and Emily's innocent concern for food had vanished, replaced by predator-like focus. Adrenaline surged through them; senses sharpened, muscles coiled like springs ready to strike.
A shuriken materialized in Lora's hand, spinning with terrifying precision. Each rotation shimmered in the light. Years of experience were clear in the way her fingers flexed, the effortless steadiness of her stance. She was no amateur. She had wielded this weapon before in the world of the living, and she knew exactly how to make it deadly. Yet her youthful looks were deceiving, enough to fool most onlookers—until they saw her in action.
She sprang from the bed, landing silently on her feet, rushing toward the window. Jamie was descending rapidly, approaching the ground.
"Don't run!" she shouted.
"I need you!" Her voice vibrated with obsession and urgency.
The shuriken sliced through the air, a deadly blur. Midair, Lora's eyes were wide, her mouth set firm, showing no hesitation, no fear.
Phu!
Phu!!
They landed consecutively. The glass cuts that pained Jamie barely seemed to register on Lora; she stood with unnatural steadiness, as if accustomed to the sting.
For a brief, suspended second, Jamie and Lora froze, facing each other across the open air. Her spinning weapon never faltered; his Kali sticks gleamed in the dim light. The deliberate crash through the window had been a signal, calculated to draw attention. Chaos rippled around them, audible even to those farther inside.
Once their balance returned, the tension thickened, pressing like a tangible weight. Lora approached slowly, each step deliberate. Her expression twisted with obsession, anger, and an exhaustion that somehow made her look both human and monstrous at once.
"You can't take this away from me… you can't!" she screamed.
"She is obsessed!" Jamie thought, frantically scanning the surroundings for an escape route while gauging her reach.
"Why are the guys late?" he wondered. "They should've done something by now."
His attention split dangerously. Before he could fully react, Lora struck—a sharp punch to his gut. Pain exploded through him, forcing him down, knocking the breath out of his lungs. Saliva flecked the corners of his mouth. She closed the distance with unnerving determination, obsession almost tangible in the way she moved.
"From the moment I saw you, I felt it!" she declared, voice clingy and strange. "Something I've never felt before!"
"My mother said I'd know it when it came… I never believed her. I said how could a renowned killer know about love? But then I saw you… and I felt it."
Jamie's eyes widened, disbelief and adrenaline warring inside him.
"I felt it, so strongly… it made me… squirt!" she added, awkwardly gesturing to herself.
"I'm never letting you go! Never!"
Their eyes locked in a tension so thick it seemed to hum, stretching the space between them into something uncomfortably intimate.
---
IN THE DINING ROOM
Bloodlust lingered in the air. The once-sweet aroma of the room was now replaced with the stench of chaos. Broken plates, scattered food, and an overturned table hinted at the battle to come.
Tension crackled as the sound of Jamie's fall reached them.
"We need to get to Jamie!" Bray whispered to Alexander, eyes locking on the girls with lethal intent.
"I know!" Alexander replied, voice calm yet threaded with anger. He had prepared for ambushes before, but being separated during an attack added a dangerous variable he had not fully anticipated.
"Why are you doing this?" Alexander demanded, his tone laced with both negotiation and warning.
"We need your Golden Points!" Charlotte said, eyes gleaming.
A tense silence fell. Secrets were exposed, fragile alliances shattered.
"How did you know about the Golden Points?" Alexander asked, astonished.
"The system told us!" Emily revealed, brandishing a double-edged spear.
"It said we could get special skills!" Charlotte added, eyes daring.
The boys exchanged stunned glances. Their trusted system—the one they relied on for survival—had betrayed them, tilting already slim odds further against them.
"That explains the attacks," Bray muttered.
"You believe that you can kill us?" Alexander asked, simultaneously a question and a challenge.
"Without a doubt!" Charlotte replied, knuckle weapons gleaming dangerously.
"When you think of it, we never got points for killing the assassins …" Bray whispered cautiously.
Charlotte interjected loudly, cutting him off:
"Because it only works for accumulated points! All the stats we woke up with… they don't count!"
Bray looked to Alexander, searching for guidance. Alexander remained still, lips moving silently, orchestrating a strategy that relied on separation. He pieced together the chaos in his mind, calculating every potential outcome.
"it's time," Alexander said, calm yet commanding.
A grim smile spread across his face. Chains materialized in his hands, snapping around his neck with precise intimidation.
The girls froze, wary of any hidden technique.
"Don't blame me for what's about to happen," Bray said, voice low, dangerous.
"Alright, girls! If you want our Golden Points, come and get them!" Alexander declared. Twin blades appeared in his hands, reflecting the dim light like lethal mirrors.
Charlotte lunged, knuckle strike aimed at Alexander, leaping to maximize the blow. Simultaneously, Bray retreated into the sitting room, motive unclear.
Emily's eyes sharpened. Every move was calculated, each step measured as she pursued him with lethal precision.
The room bristled with raw energy. Everyone had a target; chaos and tension swirled like a storm waiting to break.
Alexander muttered under his breath:
"Sorry, Jamie… you're on your own."
The stage was set. The battle had begun.