The grand mansion fell silent again, cold, just like it was in the beginning.
After making sure Helena had really left, Rowe twisted his wrists, still bound tightly behind his back.
The cuffs were strong and unyielding. With the strength he had now, there was no way to break free.
In this position, even forcing them open with tools would be nearly impossible.
Rowe could only give a bitter smile.
It really did feel like he was being treated as a criminal.
But ever since deciding to return with Helena, he had never actually planned on escaping.
Slowly, Rowe climbed upstairs. He bit down on the doorknob, struggling until he finally managed to open one of the rooms.
Inside the dark space stood a large table—an alchemy table he used to brew potions.
It was basically the "main interface" of the game Exotic Containment Facility, the place where he usually crafted potions and prepared containment plans.
That was the real reason he had to come back here.
In that game's setting, extraordinary power was always dangerous. It was tied to corruption, madness, and chaos.
The stronger a person—or an aberrant creature—became, the closer they drew to inevitable insanity.
Because the greater the power, the stronger the "inspiration" it carried.
You'd start hearing voices no one else heard, seeing shadows no one else saw, feeling an inexplicable pull of power.
For a fragile human mind, that pull was utterly destructive.
Unstable, distorted, until it finally shattered—leaving only madness that threatened society's peace.
Helena was already standing on that edge.
Rowe had to give her a stabilizing potion before her [Stability] collapsed completely. Only then could he contain her again.
But right now, the shelves were empty. All the bottles, vials, and alchemy tools were gone.
Who else but Helena.
She knew what Rowe could do, so restraining him like this was her way of stopping him.
Rowe gave a faint smile.
Helena was still underestimating him.
She didn't know he was a player.
Rowe opened the alchemy panel, and a floating interface appeared before him—listing ingredients and recipes.
The physical alchemy table was nothing more than a prop.
[Lesser Aberrant – Shoggoth (a tentacled monster that shatters sanity)]
[Stability Suppressant ×1]
[Potion in Progress…]
An animation of the brewing process flickered across the panel.
In the darkness, Rowe glanced nervously at the crack of the door.
Faster… Please, faster…
His life depended on this potion.
Unfortunately, he only had enough leftover early-game ingredients to make a single bottle. Back then, he had already been at the game's late stage, so weak ingredients were nearly depleted.
Who would've thought he'd need to contain Helena once again?
When the success notification appeared, Rowe's eyes lit up.
Done!
He quickly slipped the thin glass vial into his pocket, moving as fast as he could even with his hands still bound.
Suddenly, footsteps echoed up the stairs.
The faint creak of the floorboards sent his heart racing.
She's back?!
Rowe spun toward the door, but when he looked, he froze.
Through the narrow gap, a pair of eyes stared at him without blinking.
Instantly, the atmosphere turned suffocating.
His heartbeat stopped for a second.
The old wooden door creaked open, and there, in the dim light, stood Helena. Her face was blank, her posture stiff—right in front of him.
"Brother, what are you doing in here?"
Rowe forced himself to stay calm despite the shock.
"Ah… Helena, it's you."
He gave a thin smile, then turned toward the alchemy table.
"It's been four years since I was last here. I just wanted to see my old friends again. By the way, why did you take so long?"
Still smiling, Rowe added, "You bought something tasty for your brother, didn't you?"
Helena raised the large paper bag in her arms.
"Bread, cheese, beef… and a bit of broccoli."
"Hmm…" Rowe instinctively wanted to pat his sister's head, but then remembered his hands were still tied.
"All my favorites. You really are a good girl."
But Helena only stared at him, her expression unreadable.
She lit the gas lamp in the room, filling it with a warm yellow glow that made Rowe squint for a moment.
Then, she walked past him and carefully examined the alchemy table.
Rowe felt the cold weight of the vial in his pocket and prayed she wouldn't notice.
Moments later, Helena let out a quiet sigh. Everything on the table looked just as she'd left it.
"…Actually," Rowe suddenly spoke, trying to sound casual, "I just wanted to brew a few protective potions."
"Hm?" Helena turned, her brow furrowed, suspicion in her eyes.
Rowe put on the most convincing expression he could.
"You probably haven't heard, but there's been a missing person case at Carlen University. Everyone's been talking about it…"
Helena stayed silent, only watching him.
"That's why I thought I should make a few potions. After all, this is my expertise."
The best lie is half the truth. Mostly real, just a little twist.
That made it sound most believable—and Rowe knew it well.
Sure enough, Helena gave a small nod, as if she really had heard a little about it.
"Brother…"
She stepped closer and wrapped her arms gently around him.
"You might not realize it, but I'm strong now. From now on, I won't let you do dangerous things anymore. All you need to do is stay here with me. I won't let anything happen to you…"
Rowe felt the warmth of her embrace and quietly nodded.
"Alright."
But in his heart, he thought—
The most dangerous one here… is you.
Of course, he didn't dare say it aloud.
Helena guided him out, locking the workroom door with three heavy locks before finally smiling in relief.
"You must be hungry, Brother!"
Her face was bright as Rowe obediently nodded.
"All this time, you've always cooked for me. Now it's finally my turn to take care of you!"
Humming softly, Helena seated him at the main dining chair and busied herself preparing dinner.
Soon, the table was filled with warm, fragrant dishes.
Helena eagerly cut a slice of juicy steak and held it to Rowe's lips with a fork.
But Rowe, uneasy at heart, had no appetite.
He glanced around—the curtains shut, windows boarded up. The whole mansion cloaked in darkness…
Only the dining table glowed under flickering candlelight, its trembling flames echoing the restless beat of his heart.
"Brother… you don't like it, do you?"
Helena's sweet smile was hard to refuse. Rowe finally gave her a bitter smile in return.
"Helena… If you have to eat like this, can you really feel at peace?"
"Bro…" Helena's lips parted slightly. Seeing the sadness on her brother's face, she realized she had gone too far.
"Please… let me go."
Rowe looked at her, speaking patiently.
"I promised I'd stay by your side. I won't break my word. So why are you still treating me like a prisoner? It really hurts me…"
Helena lowered her head, guilt plain on her face.
"…I'm sorry, Brother. This is my fault… I just… I'm just scared. Scared you'll disappear again."
"I won't disappear." Rowe's gaze remained steady.
"…Then." Helena stood, and slowly unlocked his cuffs.
As the heavy restraints fell away, the corner of Rowe's lips curved into a faint smile.
Everything was unfolding exactly as he planned.
[TO BE CONTINUED]