Luna and Natasha stepped out of the room together, looking far too composed for people who had just been—well, Kana didn't want to think too hard about that.
"Come along, little flower girl. We'll walk you back."
Luna said with a wink.
Kana's instincts screamed at her to stay away. But when Natasha smiled—cool, refined, and impossible to read—and Luna leaned in a little too close with that playful glint in her eyes, Kana felt her knees go weak.
This wasn't fair. Attractive people should come with a warning label.
Still, she nodded numbly and followed them down the long, carpeted hallway. Every step she took felt like she was drifting deeper into dangerous territory.
Her body was tense, trying to stay upright. Her heart was even worse—flipping between panic and something… warmer.
When they reached the main hall, the butler looked up from polishing a silver tray. His brows shot up when he saw her, but his shoulders relaxed.
"Ah. You returned."
He said with thinly veiled relief.
Kana wasn't sure how long she'd been gone, but the fact that he looked like he was about to send a search party made her feel slightly self-conscious.
Luna, on the other hand, didn't seem concerned at all.
"Miss Penelope. We're so grateful for the swift delivery. Won't you and your charming assistant stay the night?"
She called, her voice smooth as cream.
Penelope raised a brow.
"Not a chance."
Luna blinked, as if genuinely surprised.
"No?"
"This place doesn't suit me. Or my apprentice."
The old lady said flatly, lighting her pipe.
Kana glanced at her. That was the first time Penelope had called her that. Apprentice. It made her heart flutter for some reason.
Luna didn't argue, but her expression shifted into something strange. Her smile turned wistful. Her eyes grew a touch too soft.
Like she pitied them.
"Mm… I see. That's a shame."
Her voice dropped to something quieter.
Kana got the oddest feeling that she was being looked at like… like a stray animal someone wanted to adopt. Or maybe tame.
Then Luna's eyes lit up again. She turned to Kana, reached out, and gently took her hand.
"You could stay. Just you. I wouldn't mind."
She said, tilting her head.
Kana's entire face went red.
She was about to stammer something—anything—when a sharp pain struck the back of her head. Penelope's pipe had made contact.
"Ow!"
"Enough daydreaming. We delivered the goods. Time to leave."
The old lady grumbled.
Kana rubbed her head with a pout.
"I wasn't daydreaming…"
"Sure."
Luna watched the two with a small, unreadable smile. Then she leaned down and whispered near Kana's ear.
"Next time, I'll make sure we have more time together."
Kana gulped.
That smile… looked far too calm. Far too certain.
"I'll be waiting. So don't make me wait too long, alright?"
Luna added sweetly.
Kana didn't respond. Her feet were already moving, following Penelope out the front gates.
But she couldn't shake the feeling that she hadn't escaped. Not really.
Only postponed whatever it was Luna had planned.
Outside, the sky had already begun its descent into twilight. Hues of burnt orange and purple stretched across the horizon as the first hints of night crept over the estate.
The warm air from earlier had turned cooler, and the forest surrounding the mansion rustled with an eerie calm.
Kana glanced up at the shifting light, then back at the winding path that had led them here. Her arms still tingled from where Luna had touched her. Her head still ached from the old lady's pipe.
But what unsettled her most was the sinking feeling in her gut that hadn't left since the mansion doors closed behind them.
She hesitated before speaking.
"Miss Penelope… wouldn't it be better if we just stayed the night?"
Penelope didn't even slow her steps.
"You're welcome to take your chances in the house of death."
Kana stopped.
"Wait, what?"
The old lady turned to glance over her shoulder, pipe smoke curling lazily around her.
"That's not a house. It's a trap. One made with velvet sheets and honeyed smiles. You think they offered us a room out of kindness?"
Kana didn't know how to answer.
Penelope's gaze narrowed.
"Those two weren't just playing around. And that butler—did you see how relieved he was to see you?"
"…Yeah. He looked like he thought I'd disappeared."
Kana mumbled.
"Exactly. If we had stayed even a minute longer, I doubt we'd have left with our minds intact—if at all."
The old lady said, turning back around.
Kana followed in silence, heart pounding a little faster now. She knew there was something strange about Luna and Natasha.
But to hear Penelope confirm it so bluntly made her blood run cold.
She looked back at the mansion.
It stood perfectly still. Peaceful. Beautiful.
And absolutely, utterly wrong.
Kana's nerves prickled when Penelope muttered about the mansion's owners. "House of death"? What did that even mean? Just who—no, what—had they delivered those plants to?
"Are they… dangerous?"
Kana asked cautiously.
Penelope didn't answer. Her silence said more than words ever could.
As the sky deepened into a dusky blue, the pair made their way toward the grand front gate—the same one they had passed earlier.
But as they stepped into the clearing, Kana's heart dropped.
The gate was shut.
Not just shut—sealed. The path leading out was empty, the guards nowhere in sight. Not a single soul moved beyond the iron bars.
Kana rushed up, her hands slamming against the cold metal.
"H-Hello? Anyone there?!"
Nothing.
Just the soft chirp of insects. Just the forest breathing around them.
She looked back at Penelope.
"Is this… normal?"
The old woman's expression darkened. She tapped the pipe against her palm, lips thinning.
"No. They've closed the gate."
She said flatly.
A chill ran down Kana's spine.
"We're locked in?"
She whispered.
Penelope's gaze swept the darkening forest behind them.
"No. We've been caged in."
She said.
Inside, the butler stood with his head bowed before the twin mistresses of the house.
"My ladies. What would you have me do tonight?"
He said, voice steady despite the unease curling in his gut.
Luna let out a long, theatrical sigh and leaned against Natasha's shoulder.
"Such a shame. My darling got away."
She said softly.
Natasha reached up and gently brushed Luna's hair back behind her ear.
"You'll get another chance."
"But I wanted her tonight. She had such promise. So much potential… I hate being disappointed."
Luna pouted.
The butler didn't speak.
Luna looked at him then, smile still painted on her lips, but her eyes were darker now.
"I think I'll go hunting. I'm in the mood for a chase."
The butler's stomach dropped.
"Of course, my lady. As you wish."
He knew better than to argue.
But as he watched Luna stretch like a cat waking from a nap, he couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy—for the pretty flower girl and the old woman who had come to deliver plants, unaware of what they'd wandered into.
"They won't get far. I'll make sure of it."
He said quietly.
Luna smiled, teeth sharp behind her perfect lips.
"Good. Let's see if they're still cute when they're running for their lives."
She said.
______
I've added character images. Please vote on them to tell me which is your favorite and which other character you would like me to add. As for the more...adult version of my characters, I will post them later somewhere else since WN doesn't allow me to post them.