CH-5: Pretty When Angry 🌹

“This place breathes danger,” she muttered to herself, her eyes following the surroundings carefully. A vast forest surrounded the area while in the middle of it stood this massive mansion like something straight out of her nightmare. The loud sound of the gates opening pulled her attention instantly, two guards standing on each side as they opened the massive entrance.

Her eyes shifted toward Ekagra when he silently motioned for her to follow him inside. Every step she took felt measured now, her eyes darting everywhere. As if the sight of guards dressed in full gear carrying guns wasn’t enough to make her skin crawl already. Cameras covered almost every corner while expensive cars stood lined up near the pathway. 

What unsettled her the most was the way every passing guard lowered their head the moment Ekagra walked past them. “What is this place. who even are you?” her brows furrowed deeply at the thought. “Your thoughts are too loud, little poison. I can practically hear them.” His voice made her look at him instantly. It wasn’t teasing anymore. Neither was his demeanor. If anything, his voice sounded sharper now. It didn’t match the teasing man from before. And for the first time since meeting him. she couldn’t decide which version was worse.

She groaned quietly in frustration but chose to stay silent. The moment she stepped inside, she realized this place was far worse than what she had imagined. The mansion wasn’t luxurious in a normal way. It was intimidating. Suffocating even.

Her thoughts immediately spiraled somewhere else. What if there was no way out? What if she could never leave this hellhole? What if she ended up like those girls? Her chest tightened slightly at the thought before she quickly reminded herself that she chose this. She followed him here herself. Lost in her thoughts, she failed to notice the stairs ahead and suddenly a hand grabbed her arm tightly, stopping her before she could trip forward.

Confusion flashed across her face before realization hit her. She was about to fall. “Careful, little poison.” his voice came quieter this time, almost amused. “People survive bullets in this place and still die from one stupid mistake.” A low chuckle left him as his grip around her arm tightened slightly before letting go. “This is the Mansion of Vipers. Nobody here gets the luxury of being careless. Every breath counts here.”

Her eyes slowly lifted toward him and for the first time since meeting him, something about his expression genuinely unsettled her. The teasing amusement was still there. but something darker sat beneath it now. “You’re not easy to read, little poison,” he continued, tilting his head slightly as if studying her.

“But whatever’s going on inside that head of yours.” the corner of his lips twitch faintly, “don’t mistake this place for a prison you can escape from.” His eyes locked onto hers completely now. “Because people don’t walk out of here unless I allow it.” Something about the way he said it made her stomach twist. He wasn’t joking anymore.

She felt suffocated, her throat turning dry as her eyes slowly moved toward the giant symbol carved into the wall near the staircase. A serpent. Of course. “The Mansion of Vipers.” Now the name made sense somehow. A strange unease settled deep inside her chest as she looked around again. Every closed door here looked like it was hiding something dangerous behind it.

“Fitting name, isn’t it?” His voice pulled her out of her thoughts instantly. She finally looked toward him. He was manspread sitting on the grand hall’s couch like he owned the entire world, one arm resting lazily against the back while the other grabbed a file from the nearby table. That familiar grin slowly returned to his face again as he leaned back comfortably.

“Now then.” his dark eyes slowly lifted toward her, watching her carefully. “You’ve been staring at me like I’m some kind of mystery since the moment we met.” A quiet chuckle left him before he tilted his head slightly. “Feels rude to keep calling each other kidnapper and little poison forever, don’t you think?”

He placed the file down on the table in front of him before crossing one leg over the other, gently shaking it while staring at her. “This file probably has every single detail about you already,” he spoke casually before tapping the file lightly with his fingers. 

“But where’s the fun in reading all that?” A grin slowly spread across his face again as he leaned back against the couch. “I’d rather hear it from you.” His dark eyes stayed fixed on her. “Avyra... Avyra Singhania.” She answered without hesitation. Somehow she wasn’t scared to say it. Maybe because things had already gone too far to care anymore. 

“Avyra.. I like it.” His eyes narrowed slightly, amusement flashing across them again. “And I like people who don’t waste my time with fear.” He sound strangely impressed. Somehow hearing her name from his mouth for the first time did something strange to her. The unfamiliarity of it. It suddenly reminded her how normal life was just a week ago. 

Sitting with her grandfather, laughing over random gossip while her cat lazily curled up beside her. The memory hit harder than she expected. A strange kind of hatred slowly settled inside her chest. Hatred toward him. Toward this situation. Toward herself for willingly stepping into this nightmare.

“She gritted her teeth. “Go fuck yourself..” her eyes blazing at him.

“You mean right here? Mm.... would you mind giving me some privacy first?” he said with a straight dead serious face, but she can see, his eyes hinted with pure mischief. She was practically fuming in rage now.

“You are shameless,” she spat, completely done with him now. A low chuckle left his mouth.

“Little poison,” he leaned slightly closer again, amusement flashing dangerously in his eyes. “You’re the one who told me to f*ck myself.” His smirk deepened slowly. “I’m just being obedient.”

“I love the sight of you.” he spoke slowly, his eyes dragging over her furious face. “Crimson face, fuming in rage. it suits you, little poison.” A smirk slowly appeared on his lips as she noticed him getting up from the couch and walking toward her.

He stopped right in front of her before leaning slightly closer, his warm breath brushing against her face. With one finger, he flicked a strand of hair away from her forehead casually. “Your dress is torn enough.” his voice dropped lower this time, she can feel his eyes roaming over her body without shame. “It’s practically see-through now, little poison.”

She instinctively grabbed onto her torn dress, trying to cover herself while hating the way his eyes stayed on her. Suddenly a loud sound echoed through the hall, making her flinch instantly. Her eyes snapped toward the staircase just in time to see a man rolling down the stairs.

A guard calmly walked down after him before shooting him two more times without hesitation. Her breath got stuck in her throat. The man stopped moving completely. Maybe dead. The guard lowered his gun before looking toward Ekagra and bowing his head slightly. “Boss. The room you asked for is ready.” That’s it? No questions. No reaction.

As if a dead body lying in the middle of the mansion was something completely normal here. Slowly, her horrified gaze shifted toward Ekagra. He didn’t even blink. Not once. No emotion crossed his face, no surprise, nothing. Completely unbothered. And somehow that terrified her more than the blood staining the floor. His eyes stayed locked on hers the entire time, watching her carefully, almost like he was trying to solve some kind of mystery hidden inside her eyes.

𓂃˖˳·˖ ִֶָ ⋆🌹⋆ ִֶָ˖·˳˖𓂃 ִֶָ. 

Well.. that was one hell of an introduction to the Mansion of Vipers 👀 

And honestly? I don’t think Avyra realizes yet that surviving this place might be easier than understanding Ekagra himself. 

Also. next chapter might give y’all a little more time inside his head 👀 And trust me, Ekagra’s thoughts are not exactly safe either.

Let’s just say. our little poison might finally start seeing a side of him she wasn’t supposed to see 😽

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