Max’s fingers twitched. She was too fast. Too composed. One second, she was at gunpoint; the next, she had flipped the whole situation on its head. And the worst part? She wasn’t even fazed. As if this was just another Tuesday for her.
His grip tightened around the dagger in his pocket. "Why didn’t you kill ?"
In one swift motion, he pulled out the blade, ready to launch it—
"Bear, grow," deia said lazily.
The black wolf growled. Then, right before his eyes, it started to grow. Its body expanded in seconds, towering over them until its massive head nearly touched the ceiling.
Max froze.
"If you try anything funny," deia murmured, her tone light and teasing, "my little wolf will tear you apart."
She tilted her head, flashing him a playful smile.
"But don’t worry, I won’t let you die that easily." Her voice dropped, turning cold. "Suffering suits you better."
Max clenched his jaw.
He told her he didn’t value his life. But that didn’t an he was eager to endure torture. The black wolf’s sharp teeth and claws could shred him apart, turning his body into nothing more than a tattered ss. The pain would be unbearable, enough to make him beg for death.
"Sit down." deia tapped her cheek lightly with her fingers. "I’m not exactly the most patient person."
Max clenched his jaw. "Like hell I’d take orders from you!" he snapped. "Just torture already. I don’t care."
Oh? So pain didn’t scare him either.
Interesting.
deia tilted her head, studying him like a puzzle she had all the pieces to. Then, in a low voice, she said, "Did you co here just to kill my honey? Or are you actually terrified that he’ll throw your friends into misery?"
She saw it imdiately, the way his muscles stiffened, the flicker of fear in his eyes.
Bingo.
"How sweet," she smiled. "You really care about them, don’t you? But what if ... instead of killing you, I kill your heart?"
She leaned forward. "It wouldn’t be hard. Your friends are practically defenseless right now. Killing them would be as effortless as stepping on an ant."
She let the words sink in before she continued, "Take Mateo, for example. Poor guy can’t even walk." deia let out a cold, mocking laugh. "If I put a gun to his head, do you think he’d even be able to run?"
[Host, killing an innocent person is prohibited. Let alone threatening a disabled man.]
[You’ll get canceled, Host.]
’Oh, shut up. It’s just a bluff. Do you really think I’d actually kill a cripple?’
[Yes.]
’I won’t, okay?! Just let have my fun until he cracks.’
deia’s gaze flickered back to Max.
"Should I test that theory?" she asked.
Then, with a casual wave of her hand, she said, "Bear, keep an eye on him while I go deal with his comra—"
"No! You fucking demon!" Max roared, his voice filled with desperation. "Keep your filthy hands off them!"
deia didn’t even blink at his outburst. "Then be a good boy and do as I say," she murmured, "If your answers are satisfying enough, maybe, just maybe, I’ll let you walk away instead of killing you."
She wasn’t making any promises, though. Letting soone like him go was like leaving a landmine on a road Lucian would inevitably take. It was reckless and foolish.
Killing him would be the smarter choice. But for now, she was patient. For now.
Max reluctantly sat down in the chair across from her. "If you’re going to kill , just do it already," he spat. "What’s the point of keeping alive?"
"Because that wouldn’t be any fun," deia replied casually. "I wouldn’t be able to sleep peacefully without knowing your reasons. So, Maxie, tell , why did you do it?"
Max clicked his tongue, glaring at her with visibly grudge. "I’d rather die than tell you anything."
She sighed slowly, as if she were trying to summon the patience he claid she lacked. "That’s really your answer?" deia arched a brow. "I don’t have the patience of a saint, Max." Her voice was soft but laced with sothing sharp. "Say no again, and you’ll see just how serious I am."
Max clenched his jaw, clearly irritated that she had found his weakness.
"You’re too kind, Max," she said, tapping her fingers against the chair’s armrest. "That’s your problem. You hesitated when you had the chance. Soone like you shouldn’t be walking this path."
He was a soldier. He knew better than anyone that when facing a stronger opponent, hesitation was a death sentence. He’d had a chance to shoot her. She hadn’t moved. She’d practically given him the perfect opening. And yet, he’d hesitated.
For just a mont.
Maybe he’d wondered if he could really go through with it. Maybe so small part of him didn’t want to.
No matter how rough he acted, he was far from a heartless killer.
"Lucian is a kind soul too, you know," she said, watching him carefully. "So tell —why do you want him dead so badly?"
Max let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. "Kind soul?" He scoffed before spitting on the floor, his expression filled with fury. "He’s nothing but a heartless killer."
"Kind soul?" He spat on the floor. "He is no more than a killer!"
"Everyone’s a killer in this world, Max." deia’s voice was calm. "Even you." She tilted her head. "You think that alone justifies your grudge?"
"He killed my brother!" Max shouted with anger. "He slaughtered every soldier who tried to stop him from massacring those cities! He’s not a kind man, he’s a damn threat to humanity."
deia leaned back in her chair. "That’s ridiculous," she said smoothly. "Why would Lucian do sothing like that?" She tilted her head, feigning innocent. "He’s never massacred any cities."
deia didn’t actually understand how he knew that information.
And the worst part? It was nothing but propaganda.
He didn’t an to massacre any cities and all of the soldiers pointed guns at his head when he wanted them to stop.
Humans were liars. But deia knew better, Lucian wasn’t one of them.
He wouldn’t lie about sothing like this.
"Don’t act like you don’t know anything!" Max shouted. "I saw the way you tried to calm him down when we talked about that guy!"
"Who?"
"The 00!"
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