Episode 1 Continued - The Deal with the Devil
"Dumb child," I muttered. "Thinks she can be bigger than her elders. I'd say she's just as dumb as all children out there."
I continued down the hall, growling under my breath until I glanced left and right, and then slipped in an empty room.
I immediately dialed my coworker, smirking a little as I pressed the phone to my ear.
The phoneline rang for a couple minutes before he picked up. "Did you get it?"
"Not yet," I replied, rolling my eyes. "She's a stubborn fucking brat and won't give me a penny. She said she'll 'think about it.' How long am I supposed to wait? Years? No, I want the money now."
"Pressure her more," he answered, "it's not like she can defend herself."
"Yes, but she's a noble," I answered grimly. "The king's on her side."
"Meacham... are you scared of a child?" He laughed. "Seriously, you're afraid of such a puny little thing?"
I grumbled. "It's not her I'm worried about." I paused for a moment. "There's something off about this place, that's all."
"Off?" he said then, choking on his laughter. "She's a child, Meacham. How would a child keep such scary things around? I assure you it's fine. She can't do much harm. I'd say, just go look around for her safe or whatever. Find the money. It won't help to milk a rock, you know."
"I know," I answered darkly. "So did you sell the mall yet?"
"Just found the highest bidder," he answered smoothly. "Offered a billion. I'd say that's way more than I expected."
"Good," I chuckled lowly, "this brat's so rich she won't even see a dent in her paycheck. We could use a little money, too, she's so disgustingly childish. Obsessed with her games and blah, blah. I'm done with this shit."
"Then find the safe and then leave," he answered. "She already offered a million, just get a million more, that's all."
"Yes, that's all." I hung up the phone, pushing it back in my pocket before I gazed up and looked around. "And lucky me. I found the safe room."
I stepped further in this odd, abandoned space, finding a large cylindrical safe centered on the far wall, and I smirked. "She won't even know what hit her."
The moment I took a step, the entire mansion silenced, making me stiffen. The air conditioner quieted, the floorboards weakening from under me, and I suddenly felt dizzy and odd.
But a chill sliced through me, and I gazed up. "Who's there?"
"Maximus Atriums..." a voice said, making me freeze in place, "where have you been? I've been searching all over for you!"
My breath shook, and I remained in place. "Mother?"
"They trapped me here in this hell!" the voice sobbed. "I'm stuck here in this mansion with nowhere to go! It's so dark and so chaotic."
"But, mother..." I said, bones chilling, "you died years ago... how are you here?"
She suddenly screamed, making me wince. "How dare you declare me dead! DEAD? How dare you!"
"I'm sorry, mother..." I whispered.
"You think you're so smart?" she yelled then, making me gaze up as her voice grew cold and distorted. "Well... I know what you've done. And I know you've been a bad boy."
I could feel every part of me freeze in fear. "What is this? Who are you?"
"Tick-tock goes the clock," it sang, making my heart pound hard against my chest. "Let's play a game, Maximus. And let's see if you LIVE UNTIL THE END."
I cried out then, dashing toward the door and throwing it open.
I tumbled down the hall, gasping as my heart throbbed and spasmed and my breaths shortened.
Haunted! This place was haunted!
I continued down, rushing faster and faster until my foot caught on the rug, and I fell.
I clashed with the ground, pain rattling through me.
But when I gazed up, I saw a pair of feet.
I shot up at an instant, crying out when I scrambled backward, gazing up to find one of Yumi's servants standing there.
The butler.
"I'm sorry," he said then, tipping his head to the side as he smiled, "did you lose your way, count Meacham?"
My eyes widened when I saw his irises glow a dark red; like blood.
I pointed at him, breaths shaking. "Monster!"
He smiled still. "Pardon?"
"Monster!" I screamed, scrambling backwards and getting back on my feet.
I dashed the other direction, fear pulsing through me like my own blood.
But I scrambled to a stop, finding the butler standing in front of me with a sinister smile on his face.
I gasped uneasily, looking behind me, then in front of me, then behind me again.
How did he...?
"My, my... it seems that our guest lost his way," the butler said, eyes glowing a dark red. "Or maybe... he knows his way, after all."
I stepped backward, shaking my head. "What are you?!"
He started toward me, and I continued stepping backward. "I'm nobody, really. Just serving my master like the good butler, I am. You see, sir, I am simply..." his eyes flashed red, "one hell of a butler."
I yelled out and dashed the other direction, but he suddenly appeared in my way, making me scramble to a stop.
"Oh, are we playing a game?" the butler said, still walking to me as I gasped. "Remember what my master said? You have to think before you move, don't you? Your movements are all based on intelligence, and you have to know everything that can go wrong."
I then spun to the right and threw open a door, rushing in the dark room and making my way toward the end.
But I clashed into a cold, metal wall, and I pressed my hands to it, trying to find an exit.
"Aren't you hungry?" he said from the doorway, making me flip around. "Very hungry it seems. Yes, that's why you came in here, isn't it?"
My brows drew together as I continued catching my breath.
His sinister smile spread across his face. "Oh, so impatient, you are. Not a very good guest, are you? Guests of my master's should be respectful and resilient. But you just couldn't wait to get your filthy hands on my master's money, could you? Now... if you were patient and waited, then maybe we wouldn't have suspected you, would we?"
I gasped louder. "How did you know?"
The butler just tipped his head to the side, still smirking. "We know everything." He then flipped a switch on the wall, and the room suddenly glowed a bright red. "My master warned you, sir. Play the game considering all things, or you'll lose."
I suddenly felt hot, sweat sliding down my temples as the butler's smile suddenly grew wavy and distorted. "What is this?"
"Ah," he said, "alas, you couldn't wait for dessert, so you decided to cook yourself." His eyes glowed red. "In the oven."
The oven? A ROOM?
"WHAT?" I demanded, rushing toward the door. "No! You can't do this! Killing people goes against King Charles's wishes!"
He just stepped out from the room, closing the door behind him and locking it.
I slammed my hands against the metal, breaths shortening as the heat consumed me. "You can't do this!"
The butler just slid open a small screen on the door, red eyes peeking through the darkness. "What King Charles doesn't know won't hurt him. And plus... my master is very hungry. She didn't get to eat much dinner because you tore through yours like a decrepit pig and demanded to leave to the dining room. Since her food is already pulled away, I thought maybe serving her a midnight snack of baked pig would be suitable."
"You can't do this!" I slammed on the door. "No human would be able to do this without weakening their conscious!"
The butler just smiled. "But a demon would."
My eyes widened.
"Alas, I did as my master said and welcomed our guest." He stepped backward. "The warmest welcome. And now she'll get a very nice roasted pig. She'll be thrilled."
He then slid the screen shut, and I screamed, slamming on the door.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6eXew4NAGX
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A/N
What do you think? Dark enough?89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHpN4VLXgnq
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