Chapter 6

In a matter of seconds, we were surrounded by black men in suits holding guns and positioning themselves to protect us. All of this is happening so fast that I can't react quickly enough to process what's going on.

A different kind of excitement has infiltrated my system, causing my heart to race and my blood to boil. I have no idea what is going on, and this is my first time seeing anything like this, so why am I not scared?

I trembled, not out of fear, but in anticipation of what was to come. It is an excitement that outweighs all of my reservations and even fear.

Even though the backs of the men in front of us have obscured my vision, I can still see some of it. Especially since the stranger holding my hand pulled my hand and dragged me along, and then gunshots rang out in no time.

I flinch at the first sound and then adjust to it after a few seconds. While under the protection of the bodyguards, our movements maintain a relative speed.

"What's going on? Why are they fighting so suddenly?" I ask calmly, surprised that I'm too calm in this situation for someone who has only seen this kind of thing happen once.

The stranger looked at me as he held my hand and dragged me along. He's just as relaxed as I am, with no hint of pressure at all.

"You're calmer than I thought," he says, grinning. "I expected you to be terrified for a few moments."

I purse my lips, wondering the same thing he does about my lack of reaction. We keep our pace without difficulty as the men ahead of us clear our path.

Despite talking with him, my limited vision allows me to notice a lot of things in our surroundings. The sounds of gunfire are becoming increasingly audible with each passing second.

Surprisingly, no one is aiming at us. Or, at the very least, the commotion is concentrated in one location, and as we move away from the center, I am confident that our group is not directly involved in the fight.

Even the men surrounding us appear relaxed as if they are only on guard and not doing anything else.

"I also don't know why, I should be more scared, right?" I mean, that's the more logical reaction, but I'm not. Isn't there something seriously wrong with me?

We're now climbing the stairs; I didn't hear him respond and only heard him chuckle, and for the first time, I get a different vibe from him. A menacing air suddenly surrounded him.

"Watch out for stray bullets," his deep voice sounded authoritatively, "and some snakes, get rid of them," he orders, and the men surrounding us answered and spread out as soon as he said that.

“Yes, Master.”

I locked my gaze on him, my entire attention fixed on him. The way his entire demeanor shifts from easygoing to dangerous in an instant. After ordering them, he looks at me and tightens the hand that I had forgotten was still being held by this stranger as he drags me along much faster this time.

So I had no choice but to drag along as our speed increased. Now that we only have a few men on our side and my vision isn't as limited, I can see more clearly what's going on downstairs, particularly in the center of the dance floor.

My wide eyes were drawn to what was going on; even in the dim light, everything seemed so clear to me. The chaotic scene, the bodies scattered around, the blood, and the destroyed area riddled with bullet holes. I can tell how heated the fight was just by looking at it.

It's still going on, and I've seen every person who has fallen and died or been injured. They look not real at all as though it’s only a game orchestrated by someone.

“Those are all small and insignificant groups, the real game is yet to begin. This night is still long.” a whisper sounded beside my ears. I take my gaze away from the scene and return it to him.

His demeanor hasn't changed at all, except for the absence of the playful smirk on his lips.

"What are they fighting for?" I'm not affected, but that doesn't stop me from being intrigued. I don't understand why they appear so determined to win and fight to the death.

"Isn't it obvious?" he didn't turn around and only looked at the front, I stared at his side features as he calmly answered my curiosity. “They’re fighting for their lives.”

"Fighting for their lives?" I frown, not quite understanding.

"Hmm, losing means dying." He shifted his gaze downstairs, his expression unchanged as he continues even more mercilessly with his words, "It's either to die fighting or to be killed foolishly. They are all destined to die anyway." he returns his gaze to me, staring and observing my reaction.

While we remain silent, the sounds of gunshots overpower us. I took a deep breath, meeting those eyes that shone like some predator in the dark.

"Why? Who decided on their fate?" I keep insisting; I'm slowly getting it, but I still want to know. 

"It's because they're weak," he says, leaning in slightly to lift my chin with his other hand, "swallow or be swallowed, that's the game."

I can’t answer after that, only staring at him while I process what he said. Our gazes collide, and for a brief moment, everything fades away in my eyes.

As he removes his hand from my chin and signals something to the bodyguards before looking at me, his expressions become serious. “Let’s go, the opening will end soon.” He started to walk again, still holding my hand. I'm not even sure where we're going, but I just followed him.

Seriously, why am I following a stranger whom I just met?

"Tell Archeron to meet us there first, our plans have changed," he says with a sly smile, "an unexpected gift came, so we'll involve ourselves, and we'll take a big bite of this cake as a celebration."

He took my hand in his and decided to quicken the pace even more. I'm basically running at this point, and I even notice how quiet it suddenly became, but for some reason, the pressure in the air increases at such a rapid rate that I knew something bigger was about to happen even without anyone telling me.

I’m affected by the urgency felt by everyone. I couldn't even question him about what he meant by that. A gift? Was he referring to me? I had a hunch it was me. I purse my lips, only following him and staring at his back.

Is it the right decision for me to follow him? Whatever I think, my body refuses to cooperate as I allow myself to be dragged by the familiar stranger.