The bed was softer than the purest cloud, like it was enchanted with instant sleep spells.

  As easy as it was to push aside tomorrow’s problems, it could be fatal if he let his guard down for even a second.

  For the past half hour, Hezekiah pondered the intentions of the Unity Council. The fact that he was already under their radar could be good—or bad.

  He rose from the bed and approached the sunlit window. The view was like a paradise from a dream, one that should only exist in fairy tales.

  "What am I even supposed to live for now...? All the innocent lives I killed or ruined—Cevine, Suzie, and of course Wayne and Reed—were their deaths for nothing?" He found what he wanted, and in the end, there was no relief.

  Falina never needed saving, let alone was even in danger. He chuckled and dropped onto a sofa beside him, his cards fell from his pocket. "This is all a fucking joke. Aren’t I just a murderer, plain and simple? And nothing to show for it!"

  He noticed the deck and picked it up, reminded that there was a missing card. It was impossible to forget the emptiness he felt when he killed Cevine—his resolve was firm back then. But now, he couldn’t help but think he was dancing in the palm of someone’s hand.

  He released a tired breath. All he could focus on now was weaving a somewhat fabricated story. It was likely Irva would be interrogated separately, but she couldn’t betray him.

  If his own sister was willing to deceive him, it would be a mistake to trust the Unity Council.

  He pressed a black button embedded in the table. Within minutes, a girl with horns burst through the door, her beaming smile enough to cause a headache.

  "Insydious at your dazzling service!" The ring she wore emitted a bright light, its rays shot towards the table. Fruits and steamed vegetables appeared, coupled with seasoned meats that enticed hunger.

  Hezekiah, stunned by the sudden meal, instinctively searched for a fork. Wait, this is not what I called her for. But when was the last time I ate?

  Before he knew it, Insydious was beside him, setting down silverware and condiments. "Isn’t feasting before sunset the best? Oh hey, I got an idea—I know a few super-secret spots—"

  "Sure."

  Insydious paused, caught off guard by the sudden response. "Now what’s this? Couldn’t ignore this charming servant any longer? I get it. It’s hard to—"

  "Can’t we just eat outside already? This is what you originally wanted, right?"

  "I-I mean, if you REALLY want to, I can pull some strings to make it work. Um—I need permission!" She rushed out the door without another word, apologizing when she nearly bumped into the other servants.

  Hezekiah made a plate and sat back down, its aroma teasing. After taking a bite of the mashed potatoes, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

  "Shit!" He dropped the plate, shattering against the floor. Insydious sat beside him. "Can you stop that?" he complained, standing up to make another plate.

  "She said it’s fine! How can I not be excit—I mean, isn’t knowing as soon as possible important? Be glad."

  Hezekiah poured gravy onto his plate. She actually agreed that easily?

  Although this was technically good for him, he couldn’t help but suspect there was some condition in place. He prepared excuses, but maybe that wasn’t necessary.

  The sun hovered just above the mountains, its orange glow gracing the scenery as birds chased one another in the air. "Maybe you’re right. Then what are we waiting for?"

  ***

  A waterfall cascaded down a steep cliff, the whole world visible from the very top. The perfectly trimmed grass was soft to the touch.

  Viraka’s mansion stood in the distance, its aesthetic harmonizing with the terrain around it. Knee-high boulders lined the waterfall, alongside crudely made stone tables.

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  "Are you impressed?" She nudged Hezekiah, stepping in front of him in her sun hat. The breeze was calm and gentle, the flow of the stream stirred one's sense of sleep.

  Hezekiah took a bite from a turkey leg while sitting on one of the boulders, annoyed when she blocked his view. "We’re not friends. Don’t do that."

  Insydious hid her mouth, a smirk crept. "Negativity makes you age faster. That’s why you look forty."

  Hezekiah paused, his fork nearly at his mouth. Wait… she’s joking, right?

  She leaned closer to his face. "No wonder you’ve got bags under your eyes," she stated, scanning him from head to chin. Tempted to spit in her face, he held back.

  Her jaw suddenly dropped.

  "Aha! No way! These really are ‘old’ bags, not sleeping bags! You move pretty well for your age!"

  Hezekiah’s eyes widened. "You’re an idiot. I’m twenty-six!"

  She cackled, folding her hands, pretending to sleep. "I understand Hezekiah. Age comes for us all. But you must come to terms that—"

  "I’m just tired, you overgrown, sugar-starved child!"

  Insydious burst into laughter. She clutched her stomach, signaling him to stop. "Time out! My grandfather actually called me that once. I was only teasing, but you really are a GRAMPS!"

  Hezekiah watched coldly. She struggled to stay upright. He turned back to the view, tightly gripping his spoon. This is dumb. Why am I getting riled up over this?

  Insydious wiped tears from her eyes before sitting beside him. "Having trouble eating? Feeding the elderly is my speci—"

  "Alright, I get it. Sorry, okay?"

  She stayed silent for a moment.

  And softly wrapped her hand around his.

  "Insydious?"

  She was drawing closer, her eyes like pure water—peaceful and easy to fall into. He quickly leaned back, noticing his spoon in her hand, filled with beans and rice.

  He couldn't muster any words as she held the utensil in front of him. Why was she…

  "Jeez, stop overreacting." She set the spoon back on the plate. "We’re not friends, Hezekiah—let alone lovers."

  He narrowed his gaze, about to fire back. Yet a smile broke. "Is being petty also your specialty? Fine, you win."

  With a slight grin, all the silverware and plates returned inside the ring. "I’m just happy to serve you. Feeling better now?"

  At first, he didn’t understand what she meant, but realized the frustration he held earlier had somewhat subsided.

  "Maybe." He calmly approached the edge of the cliff. The sun no longer visible, but its red aura still blanketed the field. Brief as it was, it was nice to be distracted for a moment.

  "Does it always look this comforting?" he asked, part of him wishing he could spend his days with Falina like this.

  Insydious sat on a boulder closer to him, fiddling with her ring. "As long as you’re happy, anywhere can feel like this."

  Such idealism… but maybe that’s what I need.

  "I’ve been thinking—why did Viraka allow you to take me outside?"

  "Huh? She said I could take you outside?"

  "What?"

  "What? Wasn’t this your idea?"

  Hezekiah rubbed his head, baffled at whether she was acting or not.

  It doesn’t matter. Might as well begin what I originally came out here for.

  After a few moments passed, a black notebook paper manifested. As expected, Insydious remained in awe of the scenery.

  Wishing to see inside Sunset Garden’s headquarters, the paper transformed into a screen, displaying the location’s interior in real time.

  It feels like forever since I last used this.

  If he remembered correctly, he didn’t need to be present at locations he had already written rules for. This was a key advantage he had over the Unity Council.

  Hopefully it’s not too late to deal with Elaine. She’s the only one besides Irva who knows about me.

  The livestream showed the floor he was previously on. The corpses of his former associates were burned to a crisp. Elaine and his sister were nowhere to be seen.

  Ghiza was also missing. He half-crossed his legs. If Falina had already taken Elaine and sent her somewhere else, silencing her would be near impossible.

  It was bad enough she overheard his conversation with her. At this rate, he might have to tamper with the memories of anyone still there.

  He switched the view to the lobby floor.

  It was chaos.

  Vomit, blood, lifeless bodies with missing hands. Children writhed in agony, squirming as they screamed for help. The blood loss was unimaginable—terror carved their faces, bleeding helplessly from their stumps.

  Sickness lodged in his throat. Forced to confront a reality he had pointlessly forgotten. Not only were they dealing with cancer or extreme fever, but a quarter of their lifespans diminished every thirty minutes.

  And that’s not even including the parasites that will soon inhabit their bodies.

  Even the medical crew had been trapped inside the building when they first entered, yet they still tried to assist those in need.

  "Hey, you’re making that scary look again," Insydious said cautiously, tugging on his sleeve. "I don’t know what you’re going through, but know that I’m always here."

  He swallowed heavily, a sour taste lingering. "Hey, Insydious… do you believe someone with so much blood on their hands even deserves happiness?"

  Her grip remained steady. "Are they evil?"

  The question caught him off guard. Maybe he was hoping for relief—or justification—but the real world wasn’t made of roses.

  Seeing him not respond, she let go and gently smiled. "If someone changes their ways and rights their wrongs, then why not?"

  "Rights their wrongs…" he whispered, gripping the edge of the boulder.

  Is a path like that even possible for me? A worthless criminal assassin, now designated to afflict suffering onto others?

  "You’re kind, Insydious—but thank you."

  "Hm? All I did was answer a question. Oh! I forgot about dessert. I’ll be back in a jiffy."

  Before he could respond, she was ran down the hill like an overjoyed puppy.

  Unexpected—but convenient. He switched the camera view to the Directors’ room, where he suspected Falina would finish dealing with them.

  It was also to assess her progress. If necessary, he would tamper with her memories of his conversation with Elaine.

  "What?" he whispered, his foot ceased its tapping.

  Not only was nearly everyone dead—but Kiann was speaking with his sister.

  And there were many of them.

  The audio was crystal clear, meant for his ears alone.