His eyes darted to Orion's hand, still clutching his. Don't tell me… this motherfucker actually guided me?
His mind spun in disbelief. He's a guide? Not a regular human?
Orion blinked, utterly lost as Louise's expression shifted from fury to realization to fury again.
"Go ahead," Orion taunted with a mocking smirk, his voice rough but steady. "Don't tell me you're too weak to strangle me now. What's taking you so long?"
Louise's jaw tightened. "You're a guide," he spat, his voice low and dangerous. "A government dog."
"What?" Orion asked, confusion etched deeply across his face.
Louise scoffed, his expression twisting with hatred. "Tell me... can you read my mind right now, you piece of shit? No wonder those idiots outside couldn't sense my pheromones. They couldn't detect me because you were already planted here! You masked my energy for them!"
"What the hell are you talking about?" Orion demanded, brow furrowed.
"Don't play dumb with me!" Louise barked, tightening his grip again until Orion's breath came out in shallow wheezes. "But then... you can't read my mind unless we've had sex anyway."
He leaned closer, his breath hot against Orion's ear. "Tell me what the government and my third brother are plotting."
Orion choked out a half-laugh despite the pain. "I don't know what the fuck you're talking about, handsome... I mean, young man," he gasped, defiance flashing in his eyes. "Can't believe someone built like you is this weak. You've been holding me here for minutes and still can't finish the job? What's wrong... too difficult for you?"
"Shut the fuck up!" Louise snarled, slamming Orion hard against the wall. The sound echoed through the room, shaking the furniture.
From outside, a voice called out, filled with concern. "Orion! Are you okay in there? What the hell are you doing? Don't tell me you're trying to hurt yourself again!"
"I...."
Before Orion could finish, Louise pressed a hand over his mouth, silencing him instantly.
His blue eyes glowed faintly again as his voice dropped to a whisper... low, threatening, and dangerous. "If you dare say a single word you're not supposed to," he murmured, "I swear I'll lay you right here on the floor and make good on your twisted little wish. I'll fuck you hard and then choke you to death so that you won't get the chance to read my mind or report me to those bastards who sent you."
Orion's body went stiff, his heart hammering. Louise's tone was too calm, too deliberate, every word slicing through the air.
Louise leaned in closer, his lips brushing dangerously near Orion's ear. "Just so you know," he whispered darkly, "your first mistake was you guiding me before you drugged me like your kind usually does. Amateur move."
His grin was sharp, mocking, but there was something else in his eyes now... something he didn't want to admit.
"But then I love it. You being an amateur is good for me. You could finally be my dog rather than the government dog."
Just what the hell is wrong with this bastard?! Orion screamed internally, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it would burst through his ribs.
"Are you okay, Orion? Are you sleeping?" came Edwards' voice from outside the door, laced with panic. "I just stepped out for a minute, and when I came back, I heard that loud crash. Are you trying to hurt yourself? Please, open the door and let me in! I'm sorry if I said anything wrong earlier.....just know I'm always here for you, no matter what."
"I....
He wanted to shout....to scream until Edwards heard him but Louise's strong, hand clamped over his mouth. His muffled voice never made it past Louise's hand.
Then, to his utter disbelief....
"I'm fine, Edwards. I just collided with something," came Orion's voice.
Except it wasn't him speaking.
It was Louise.
The imitation was flawless....tone, pitch, even the faint rasp at the end of his words.
Louise had mimicked him perfectly.
Shock shot through Orion's veins.
What the actual hell? Who the fuck is this guy? Orion thought, horror and disbelief warring inside him.
"All right then," Edwards said from outside, his voice softening with relief. "Take care of yourself, okay? I'll be heading to bed. See you tomorrow, buddy."
His footsteps receded from the door.
And then....silence.
Louise slowly removed his hand from Orion's mouth.
The moment he did, Orion stumbled back, gasping for breath. "Edwards! There's a motherfucker in here!" he screamed, darting toward the door. "Call the police or something!"
Louise didn't even flinch. He simply raised an eyebrow and said, with calm amusement, "You really believe I can't kill you, huh?"
Then do it! Kill me. I don't care who else goes down with me....I just want to die! Orion thought to himself.
"Then kill me" Orion finally voiced out, throwing his arms wide open. "Go ahead! Edwards will be here now. Maybe he stepped out again, but he'll be here soon. So, kill me quick before he walks in and catches you!"
"I'm afraid Edwards won't be coming here at all," Louise said, almost lazily.
Orion blinked, confusion flashing in his eyes. "What?"
Louise's gaze glinted with something cold, dangerous. "I tricked him earlier.....used my voice-mimicking skill to convince him everything was fine. And now," he added, spreading his fingers slightly, "I've activated my soundproof field. Edwards can't hear you anymore, no matter how much you scream."
A chill ran through Orion's entire body.
"What… what the hell do you mean by that?" he stammered, his voice rising. His hands went to his hips, trembling slightly with both fury and fear. "Yeah, I noticed you sounded exactly like me earlier, but I thought that was just one of your shady tricks. And now you're saying you've sealed the whole damn room?"
Louise's voice remained calm, but his tone carried a faint edge of authority. "That's one of my skills that helps in Monster Dungeon. Comes in handy when things get… noisy."
He took a step closer, his ocean eyes locked with Orion's eyes.
"The moment I entered this room," he said slowly, "I sensed killing intent. From you."
"You were going to kill yourself," Louise continued matter-of-factly. "Probably because you failed to guide that esper the government assigned to you. You're an amateur....it's normal to give up when the pressure crushes you. Maybe the government promised you death for failure, huh? So you decided to do it on your own terms."
Orion's eyes narrowed. "You're insane. I don't understand a single damn thing you're saying. Stop spouting nonsense before I lose my mind!"
Louise's lips curled faintly. "The reason I won't let you die, the reason I sealed this room, is because I need you."
Orion frowned. "Need me?"
"Yes," Louise said simply. "You're the only one who's ever succeeded in guiding me. Since the day I stopped producing my stabilizing drugs, every other guide has failed. They can't handle me. I keep running from the government because I didn't want them to find out I can't be guided anymore. If I hadn't found you tonight, I was ready to lose control....to go on a rampage."
"But you," Louise continued, "you managed to synchronize with me. That makes you useful. The government will put their hopes in you once they know I've chosen you. So from now on, you'll stay with me. You'll report everything they say. You'll live under my protection. But betray me…" he leaned closer, voice dropping to a low whisper, "…and you'll die."
Orion's expression hardened, anger sparking again. "Exactly! That's the death I want!" he shouted. "I don't care about your insane government games or monster dungeons or whatever the hell you're talking about. Just kill me already and get it over with!"
Louise's smile vanished. "Be serious," he said coldly. "I'm offering you a second chance to live."
Orion let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. "Do I look like one who need a second chance? Guess I'll have to kill myself then, since you bastard's too much of a coward to do it for me."
Before Louise could stop him, Orion turned sharply toward the wall....the same one he'd tried to ram his head into earlier. His feet moved before his mind could catch up.
CRASH!
The sound was sharp and sickening. His skull collided with the wall, and for a brief, agonizing moment, his world spun violently out of focus. White stars exploded in his vision. His knees buckled.
As he collapsed to the ground, everything began to fade.....the pain, the room, even Louise's furious voice calling his name.
Through the fog of fading consciousness, the last thing he saw was Louise's face....half lit by shadow, half by the faint glow of his rank mark, his expression unreadable.
Yeah… I can't wait to wake up in my world, Orion thought faintly, as the darkness finally swallowed him whole.