The two of them left the building after changing into formal suits. They stopped in front of a luxurious gray car as a young driver stepped out, opened the doors for them, and spoke softly,
"Mr. Gabriel Krauss, the Spider Lady is honored to invite you… again."
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After hours in the car, Ethan had already fallen asleep, his head resting against the window, drooling on the seat. The driver glanced at him through the mirror in disgust and muttered under his breath:
"Oh, I don't know why this barbarian gets invited every time."
The driver adjusted the mirror slightly—only to find Gabriel staring coldly back at him through it, as if he were about to slit his throat from the back seat.
The driver gasped in horror when his eyes met Gabriel's reflection, causing him to swerve slightly off the road before quickly correcting himself, trying to calm down as his heart pounded like a drum.
"M–Mr. Gabriel… I didn't expect you to be awake at this hour," he stammered, his voice trembling under Gabriel's piercing gaze that seemed to cut straight through his soul.
Gabriel looked at the sleeping Ethan, then back at the driver. He remained silent for a few seconds before sitting upright and saying coldly:
"You just called my assistant a barbarian, didn't you?"
The driver, trying to compose himself, replied,
"Y–yes, Mr. Krauss, but I sincerely apologize from the bottom of my heart!"
Gabriel leaned forward slightly until his head was right next to the driver's seat and asked, half his eye open,
"And why do you think he's a barbarian, hmm… what's your name again?"
The driver blurted out,
"Jack! My name is Jack, sir. And I'm so sorry for insulting your assistant. I'm the real barbarian here, Mr. Krauss."
Gabriel smiled faintly, then leaned back in his seat again, crossing one leg over the other. He looked around and noticed they were nearing the Spider Lady's mansion—perched atop North Beverly Park Drive, at the highest point of the district, surrounded by rolling hills like a natural fortress of silent trees shielding it from the world, with no need for guards outside.
As the car approached the massive black iron gates, Gabriel glanced again out the window—right where Ethan's head rested in sleep—and noticed other cars pulling up beside them, some already ahead, driving through the gates into the sprawling gardens of that grand estate.
Gabriel leaned toward the sleeping Ethan and began shaking him gently, speaking in a low voice:
"Hey, Ethan. Ethan."
Ethan opened one eye, blinking groggily as his vision blurred from sleep.
"Huh? Where am I?" he asked in a drowsy voice.
"In the car, sleepyhead," Gabriel replied, pulling Ethan upright and handing him a bottle of water.
Ethan grabbed it and chugged the whole thing in one go, nearly choking.
Cough, cough, cough
"Oh my God!"
Gabriel patted his back, then pointed out the window as they passed through the gates. "Here we are—the Lady's mansion. "Château Noctura."
Ethan sighed, leaned out the window, and looked at the mansion, the vast gardens, and the guards scattered everywhere. Narrowing his eyes with annoyance, he muttered,
"Oh, how I hate this meeting… they overdo the formalities every damn time, like they're nobles from the Middle Ages."
Cough "Country boy."
The driver, Jack, couldn't help himself—he coughed into his hand and slipped out the words. But when he looked in the mirror, both Gabriel and Ethan were staring at him. Ethan immediately grabbed him by the collar and hissed:
"And And what's wrong with country folks, huh? HUH!?"
Jack, panicking, tried to defend himself,
"N–nothing, sir. Just thinking out loud…"
Ethan shoved him back into his seat with a threatening tone.
"Tch. Next time, don't think out loud around me, got it? I'm from Fresno—and trust me, ever since I started hunting, I've learned to focus on people like you."
Then he lowered his voice to a whisper, "So watch yourself… you might be my next prey. Understood?"
Jack swallowed hard, eyes trembling.
"Understood, Mr. Ethan. Understood."
Ethan spat on the car floor and glared at Jack in disgust. At that moment, Gabriel smirked faintly and said without looking back,
"Hm. Remind me to let you do the hunting next time—so you can vent that pent-up energy of yours."
Ethan chuckled, folding his arms over his chest.
"That's if the prey is someone like Jack," he said, glancing at the driver with a sly grin creeping up his face, "or maybe Jack himself will be the next one."
Jack gulped audibly and sped up until they reached the parking area, where dozens of luxury cars stood. Famous figures were stepping out—some of whom were supposed to be dead, yet here they were, living under new identities in this bizarre society.
Gabriel and Ethan stepped out of the car. Gabriel inhaled the night air mixed with the scent of rare trees and plants from the vast garden.
Ethan stretched his arms and back, then dropped himself carelessly onto the grass, taking a deep breath before exhaling slowly with a sigh of relief.
Gabriel extended a hand to help him up, his gaze fixed on someone emerging from the last car that had entered before the gates closed.
Ethan stood quickly, following Gabriel's line of sight. There stood a man wearing a half-mask—the other half of his face horribly disfigured, his nose almost melted away.
Ethan squinted, as if recalling a memory both hilarious and terrifying. He sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth and whispered to Gabriel,
"Isn't that—"
"Yes. Victor."
Gabriel answered without taking his eyes off the man. At that moment, Victor's cold, trembling gaze met his.
A tense silence hung between them. Victor froze for a moment, his eye twitching with suppressed rage. He tried to rush toward Gabriel, but one of the guards stepped in his way, whispering to calm him down. After a few seconds, Victor resumed walking toward the guest hall, his heavy footsteps dripping with fury and hatred.
Ethan burst out laughing so hard he had to clutch his stomach.
"Oh my God, he still remembers! Pffft—HAHAHAHA!"
Gabriel let out a small laugh.
"Of course he does."
With one hand behind his back, Gabriel began walking across the damp grass toward the reception hall doors. Ethan hurried to walk beside him, trying to fix his hair before entering.
They stepped into the grand hall, filled with guests from various positions across the United States. Golden light shimmered through the massive chandelier above, its crystal pieces cut like reflective diamonds, casting warm glows across the entire room.
Once everyone had entered, the doors shut tight—and then the lights went out. Darkness blanketed the hall.
Ethan looked around and saw a white spotlight illuminate the top of the staircase. There stood a woman in her forties, breathtakingly beautiful, with fiery red hair and a black gown adorned with shimmering violet gems. Around her neck glistened a black-emerald necklace shaped like the infamous black widow spider.
Ethan tilted his head tiredly and muttered under his breath,
"Oh,Here we go again…."
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