It took an hour to arrive at our so-called hideout.
From the outside, it looked like a crumbling, abandoned mansion—something you'd expect to see in a horror film. And in a way, that's exactly what it was. The kind of place where people went in but didn't come back out. If walls could talk, these ones would scream.
I stepped out of the van and took a long look at the rotting structure in front of me. Paint peeled in thick curls off the walls, the windows were either boarded up or broken, and the surrounding grass was waist-high with weeds. Everything about it screamed neglect, decay, and secrets better left buried.
"This is where we're staying?" I muttered under my breath. "Fucking perfect."
I turned to Chen. "Get the girl."
He nodded, without argument, and circled to the back of the van.
I stepped through the front door, and the stench hit me immediately—a damp, moldy mixture of rot and something vaguely metallic. Blood, maybe. Who the hell knew. The floorboards groaned beneath my boots as I moved deeper inside. Every breath I took made me feel like something was crawling into my lungs.
The guards were already inside, scattered throughout the rooms like the rats they were. Despite that, the house was eerily quiet—no voices, just the occasional creak or the low hum of wind seeping through cracks in the walls.
I entered the main living room. It was a disaster zone. The windows were coated in thick grime, turning daylight into a sickly grey haze. Furniture lay overturned, as if a hurricane had ripped through. The wallpaper had surrendered, curling down the walls like dead skin. A massive bookcase tilted in one corner, its contents long gone or forgotten.
I scowled. Get me the fuck out of here.
Back in the hallway, I caught a faint glow coming from a room down the corridor. The bathroom. I pushed the door open.
Dust whirled in the dim light. The mirror was shattered, shards glittering across the filthy tile floor like scattered teeth. The sink was clogged with empty pill bottles, and a rusty faucet dripped water that looked like it had been pulled from a swamp.
"This is taking the fucking piss," I muttered.
I stepped toward the bathtub, and immediately recoiled. The stench rising from it was almost unbearable. I pinched the bridge of my nose and leaned over. The tub was stuffed with old, crusted rags, but what caught my eye was the subtle twitching movement beneath them.
"Fucking gross," I hissed, stepping back.
I made my way toward the staircase. I paused at the bottom and looked up. Even in the gloom, the house felt wrong. Like the walls were holding their breath. We'd used this place before—for interrogations, executions, dismemberments. You name it. But living here? That was a different beast.
How long were we expected to stay? A few days? A week? Longer?
I didn't care. I wasn't staying. Not if I had to eat rats and sleep next to black mold to do it. I'd rather take a beating from Father himself.
Kang trailed up the stairs behind me and stopped on the step just below.
"Please tell me we're not actually staying here," he said, his voice low and miserable.
Chen appeared behind him and shrugged. "Looks like it."
Kang scoffed. "You serious? This place is a fucking dumpster fire."
I turned on him. "And whose fault is that?"
Kang blinked. "What?"
"You're the one who ratted me out to Father," I snapped, jabbing a finger at his chest. "You just love watching him tear into me. And now? We're stuck in this shit-stained mausoleum because of you."
Kang opened his mouth, but I was already walking past him.
Chen stepped into my path. "The girl's in the basement."
"She still out?" I asked.
He nodded. "Shì. (Yes.) But I think she'll be awake soon."
A slow grin spread across my face. Perfect. At least now I had something to keep me entertained while we waited.
"She'll be scared shitless when she wakes up in that dungeon," Kang muttered from behind me.
"That's the point," I said coldly.
Chen glanced at me. "So… what's the plan for her?"
I gave him a look. "Why do you care?"
"I don't," he said quickly. "Just curious."
I narrowed my eyes. "She's ours. We can do whatever the fuck we want with her."
Chen shifted uncomfortably. "And after that?"
I shrugged. "Then she dies."
The silence that followed was thick and heavy. Even the house seemed to hold its breath at that. No one said it out loud, but we all knew—this was going to get ugly. And soon.
I turned on my heel and made my way toward the basement.
Let the games begin.