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56 - Jumping to Conclusions
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2024-08-06 23:58:28
Bab terkait
MAD END'S DECEPTION 57 - Burn With the Rest
GILDEON“Why did Master choose this job?” Ghulik’s raspy voice cut through the room as he lounged on Gildeon’s desk, looking like a mole rat ready for a witch’s sacrifice. “Ghulik is bored, Master!”If Gildeon had his way, he’d have Ghulik shadow Arah nonstop until this witch business blew over. But with her always keeping Barky by her side, even in the studio, it wasn’t possible. Any confrontation would just confuse her. Besides, Gildeon had needed Ghulik for more critical tasks these last few days.Ghulik spewed a string of curses, taunting the students and mocking them one by one. No one could see or hear him anyway. Eventually, the goblin tired of his own antics. He vanished from the desk, crawling under the chairs of every girl in a skirt.Gildeon let out a slow, controlled breath and turned to the whiteboard to write something briefly, masking the sudden dead air.‘Get out of there, or I’ll burn your eyes,’ he warned telepathically. ‘I already told you to stop doing that.’The g
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-08-07MAD END'S DECEPTION 58 - Chaotic Mystical Energy
GILDEONA thick silence blanketed the class. It could’ve been the confident look on Lexi’s face, the conviction in her voice, or her bold words that had everyone on edge.He watched her for a moment. This wasn't shallow defiance or a whim—she meant every word.Then she giggled, the playful sound cutting through the quiet. Tossing her black hair over her shoulder, she rested her arm on the back of her chair, glancing around with an amused glow in her eyes.“Sorry, I didn’t mean to make it sound intense,” she said coyly. “Come on, loosen up, guys!”The bell rang.Murmurs and soft laughter rippled through the class.“Let’s wrap it up here.” Gildeon straightened up and clapped his hands. “We’ll continue the discussion next class. Have a great day, everyone!”“Bye, Sir!” the students chorused.Chatter filled the room as students grabbed their things. Some guys whispered about Lexi. Chairs scraped the floor, pens clattered, bags zipped, and feet shuffled out.Gildeon walked behind his desk
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-08-08MAD END'S DECEPTION 59 - Hit So Close to Home
GILDEONNot long after, they were driving toward La Calma. He glanced at the snoring goblin through the rearview mirror. Ghulik was sprawled on the backseat, hands interlaced on his chest, one ankle casually resting on the opposite knee.One of these days, he might need to put Ghulik into hibernation to prepare him for a potentially intense battle. Gildeon would need his utmost help more than ever.Turning his attention to the man sitting next to him, he asked, “Is that a tattoo?” He gestured briefly at the tip of exposed black ink below Nowak’s shoulder blade.The old professor stared blankly for a second before uttering an “Oh!” as if he’d just remembered what it was.Nowak pushed aside the collar of his white shirt under the blazer. “You're very perceptive, Mr. Ayadi,” he said, though Gildeon already knew the tattoo's placement from Arah's records.“But yes,” the professor added. “A spur-of-the-moment decision. It’s not really me.” He chuckled. “Seems some women these days like men
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-08-09MAD END'S DECEPTION 60 - Another Man
GILDEONThis conversation wasn’t supposed to affect him, but Nowak’s words tightened around his gut like a noose. Memories of Arah broke through his mental barriers: the resentment in her words, the hurt in her eyes every time she was desperate for clarity. She’d been patient with him for so long, and in that regard, he had to agree with Nowak.But their situation wasn’t as simple as most human marriages.The Arah he’d been living with was merely an echo of someone he knew nothing about. It was pointless to even think about who and what kind of person she was before her fall behind the Mad End’s Wall. All sylphs were the same—no sense of individuality, just soldiers loyal to their duties to a fault.What would happen when her memories returned? Would she still be the same woman he’d come to know, the one he’d spent time with?Doubtful. Arah would be a stranger then. She’d probably try to kill him on the spot.A loud noise from outside jolted him back to the present. They were passing
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-08-10MAD END'S DECEPTION 61 - A Puppet Wife
ARAHThe cabin was right where Mabel had said it would be—off the empty road, nestled beside the river. It was at least a mile from any other houses or establishments. Only the gentle sounds of water, chirping birds, and rustling leaves reached her ears. The heat had subsided, and the sun was about to set.Gildeon had come home late again last night and slipped out early this morning. He’d left a note, about dealing with threats and keeping them safe. She believed that. But the picture Mabel had shown her gnawed at her, every fiber telling her something else was going on. Each time she remembered that image of her husband standing so close to another woman, it felt like a needle was being dragged across her chest.Arah was getting tired of Gildeon always keeping her in the dark.Her eyes widened as she spotted his car parked under the shade of the trees.“He’s here?” she murmured, slowly pulling into the front yard and parking her scooter beside the car.Her pulse quickened, the grave
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-08-13MAD END'S DECEPTION 62 - He Had to Choose
GILDEONFrowning, he stared at the plain black home screen, his thumb restlessly tracing along the phone edge. It hadn’t been a minute since Arah hung up on him. It shouldn’t have bothered him.But it did.“You really need to wise up about women, My Lord,” Roselia’s voice cut through, sighing and shaking her head just within his line of sight.“If she gets upset again, I can bring her more flowers from your farm,” he muttered absently, half his mind still on the phone, the other half on Arah’s confounding words—“not coming home starting tonight”—as if she’d overheard his exact conversation with Roselia earlier.He shifted in his chair, pocketing the phone. His gaze lingered on the red vines coiled tightly around his dragon-shifted arm, leeching his energy and funneling it into Roselia. She sat on her heels on the cold stone floor, inside a ritualistic circle, her own arm bound by the same writhing vines. Tendrils snaked between them, pulsing with a faint black-and-gold glow as they fe
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-08-15MAD END'S DECEPTION 63 - Do You Love Him
ARAHTonight, she just wanted to drown her frustrations in something strong, to let the burn wash them away. But it had been almost an hour, and still, there was no sign of her friends. She grabbed her phone and called Cora first. Her shoulders slumped when she heard Cora had to bail—something about babysitting her niece.Next, she tried Mabel, who also apologized. Her fiancé had suddenly gotten sick, and she couldn’t leave him. Arah would have called Tonio, but he was off the island.Sighing, she bit her lip and stared at the walls adorned with artwork and photos of tattooed skin. For a moment, she weighed her options.Screw it. She shut down her studio and decided to get a drink alone. It was better than staying home, moping around like an idiot, waiting for a husband who obviously wasn’t coming back tonight. She seethed again, remembering how he hadn’t even bothered to chase after her earlier.“Roselia can keep him for all I care!” she muttered, jabbing a hair stick into her curly
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-08-16MAD END'S DECEPTION 64 - Never Let You Feel Sad
ARAHHer head felt foggy, but his words cut through the haze. ‘Do I love him?’ The question echoed in her mind.“I wouldn’t have married him if I didn’t, right?” she replied with a forced grin, reaching for the bottle and taking a quick, desperate gulp.“I’m asking about how you feel now,” Jeric said, his tone serious.Arah froze mid-sip, her eyes dropping to her wedding ring. She set the bottle down, her thumb brushing over the smooth gold band. It felt like both a lifeline and a shackle. She’d been so focused on making her marriage work that she hadn’t considered how she truly felt about Gildeon.Confusion washed over her like an icy wave. Without the memories of how they used to be, without knowing the real him, without that deep connection...How could she even know?She was deeply attracted to Gildeon, obsessed with the way he carried himself with quiet confidence. Being next to him made her feel like she could brag about him all day. His every touch made her feel alive and crave
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-08-19
Bab terbaru
MAD END'S DECEPTION 204 - I'm The Only One
ARAHShe heard the unmistakable flutter of wings in the distance—heavy, powerful. They sounded too large to belong to the owl.And then she heard something else. A loud, familiar, inhuman heartbeat.Gildeon’s.Her own heart pounding, she rushed out of the house and into the front yard—just in time to see Gildeon land in his beast form. His wings beat the air, whipping gusts of wind against her face. Then, slowly, they began to shrink—until they vanished completely from his back.She had a thousand questions, but they all slipped away the second she met his gaze.She sprinted toward him and threw her arms around his massive form. She didn’t care about the roughness of his hide or the searing steam rising off his scales.“Where did you go? Why did you disappear? I was worried,” she blurted, her voice trembling with emotion. Everything was welling up inside her, and for a moment, she thought she might cry. She only pulled away when the heat between them became too much.“I had to take car
MAD END'S DECEPTION 203 - Pathetic And Predictable
GILDEONHe’d first crossed paths with Sharko during his and Arah’s early weeks on Caylao Island. Back then, he’d been sweeping the place—mapping the terrain, scouting escape routes, tagging danger zones. Getting a feel for the land.That had been when he saw it—a woman being assaulted by Sharko’s men.He hadn’t come to Earthland to play hero. Meddling in human filth hadn’t been part of the plan. But that scene had reminded him of what happened to Nalini. So he’d made an exception. He’d beaten the bastards and saved the girl.A day later, he’d stumbled onto one of Sharko’s operations—human trafficking, on top of drug dealing and whatever other scum-work the gang ran. That was also when he met Donny’s brother and helped free him from their clutches.Gildeon had confronted Sharko directly—broke enough bones to make him piss himself and swear he’d shut down his human trafficking ring and leave helpless women alone. Gildeon had thought the warning had landed.But after what had nearly happ
MAD END'S DECEPTION 202 - That Was All It Took
GILDEONHe still had a few days left in his hibernation. But then he heard Ghulik’s voice. Said bad men were trying to hurt Arah.Sharko’s bad men.That was all it took.He tore out of his cocoon without a second thought.In the past, he might’ve held back, avoided tapping into the rest of his abilities. Not anymore. He’d nearly lost Arah one too many times, and he’d sworn never to restrain himself again. So, he sprouted small-scale wings and flew through the night in his dragon’s mortal form—with Ghulik on his back.As long as Gildeon wasn’t in his full beast form, the island would be safe from his destruction.Not long after, he landed atop a jagged rock outcrop with a clear line of sight to Cora’s house. His dragon eyes locked onto Arah’s flickering blue-green aura in the distance. She stood with Cora, Mabel, and another woman he didn’t recognize, all being questioned by the police.Another unfamiliar woman lay on a stretcher, getting loaded into the back of an ambulance. Body bags
MAD END'S DECEPTION 201 - Let Everything Sink In
ARAHRoselia hadn’t been able to remove the bullet, but she managed to stop the bleeding, prevent further damage, and numb the pain. Mabel’s friend would still need to be taken to a hospital for proper treatment. Roselia explained that if she tried to heal her using supernatural methods and alter her memory at the same time, it could cause unpredictable side effects.Mabel’s friend had fallen unconscious. They bandaged her wound and gently moved her to the couch. Cora brought over a blanket and draped it over her.“W-What are we going to do with them?” Mabel’s sister asked, staring at the three corpses lying across the living room.Arah handed her a glass of water. “I think it’s better to leave them as they are. The police will take care of it.” She figured the authorities would arrive soon, especially if they believed Sharko’s gang had already finished whatever they came here to do.Thug Number Two would be a problem. He’d definitely run back to Sharko and report what happened. Then
MAD END'S DECEPTION 200 - Alter Your Memory
ARAHShe had a narrow window before any sudden movement might make one of the thugs pull the trigger out of pure reflex.Or panic.Before she even realized it was possible, her wind tattoo split into two. One lash coiled tightly around the ankle of the thug who was about to assault Mabel’s sister, dragging him down. He hit the floor face-first with a grunt, arms flailing to catch himself. The other streaked across the room and smacked the gun from the hand of the man holding Cora.Arah bolted down the stairs, snatching the fallen gun mid-run, and aimed the gun at Thug Number One. She’d never held one before and had no real idea how to use it. But she’d seen enough movies to get the general idea.Still, she hoped it wouldn’t come to that. To her, manmade weapons felt far more volatile than anything supernatural.She saw Cora grab a coat rack from the corner and swing it hard at the back of Thug Number One’s head. The man let out a stunned grunt, stumbling forward from the blow. He turn
MAD END'S DECEPTION 199 - Would She Kill Him?
ARAHThug Leader motioned to his men to let the girls go, but then pointed at Mabel, her sister, and the girl who’d offered Arah a cocktail earlier.“Those three, and of course, Cora—they all stay.”He turned back to Arah, sneering, probably waiting for her to object. But she stayed silent. He seemed like the egotistical maniac type. If she pushed him too far, he’d only make things worse.Arah settled for glancing at the girls as they whimpered, shuddered, and ran out of the house.“Don’t you dare snitch, or we’ll come after you,” one of the thugs growled, stepping aside and pointing his gun at each of them as they passed.Arah hated how calm they all looked. Like they weren’t worried at all that the girls might bring help. It said even more about the kind of power Sharko’s gang held over the island.“Now…” Thug Leader lifted her chin with the muzzle of his gun. “You said you’d give me a night I’d never forget?”“I need assurance they won’t be harmed,” she said carefully, nodding towa
MAD END'S DECEPTION 198 - Night You'll Never Forget
ARAHShe stared at the lifeless body of the male stripper, sprawled out across the unfurled cardboard box. Blood seeped from the bullet wound in his back. He’d tried to run after the thug leader warned him not to.And they killed him. Just like that.To scare the hell out of them even more, the thugs had dragged his corpse back into the house—for everyone to see. It looked eerie under the strobe lights.The room was tense. The music was still playing, but one of the thugs had turned the volume down. All the girls were huddled together in the living room, clutching at each other like their lives depended on it. Some were curled up on the couch, the others slumped on the floor with their knees drawn to their chests. Everyone was shaking and crying. No one said a word.Their phones had been taken, so there was no way to call for help—unless, of course, Mabel’s call to the police had gone through.One of the thugs paced behind them, gun in one hand, a slice of strawberry cake in the other
MAD END'S DECEPTION 197 - Why Zephyr
ARAHShe leaned against the chair, staring out at the dark stretch of sea. The waves lapped softly at the shore. Their rhythm tangled with the thump of club music and the high-pitched laughter of girls still partying inside the house.It all felt far away now.After that embarrassing moment in the living room, Cora had pulled her out. She was grateful for the breather.Mate. Bride. Little Rabbit—these words looped in her head like some bad joke.Had she imagined the whole thing? Maybe there was something weird in the cocktail she drank. Or maybe it was Barky’s bite, twisting her thoughts most strangely.Why Zephyr, though? Had she personally known him before? Back in Shamibar?Arah slid her hands down her face and let out a heavy exhale. She couldn’t picture herself ever being close to someone like him. Zephyr was dangerous—she knew that much. And whatever his game was, it didn’t involve good intentions. He wanted to raise an army for goodness sake.Behind her, the back door creaked o
MAD END'S DECEPTION 196 - Little Rabbit
ARAHShe barely recognized Cora’s house. Penis-shaped balloons were scattered everywhere, and strobe lights flashed so intensely they nearly blinded her. The music was so loud it made her ears ring. Good thing Cora lived far enough from the neighbors that no one would care, even if the guests started screaming at each other in the middle of the night.There were probably over a dozen ladies here—her, Mabel, Cora, and a handful of others Arah vaguely remembered from the engagement party.Mabel was dancing near a giant pink gift box wrapped in ribbon, right in the middle of the living room. When she spotted Arah, her eyes lit up.“Arah!” Mabel shouted, turning toward the other side of the room. “Sissy Cora, she’s here!” Then she pranced over, cocktail in hand, wobbling just slightly. Her tiara was crooked, and she adjusted it before leaning in to give Arah a double-cheek kiss.“Hey, quite a party you’ve got going on,” Arah said with a smile, handing over her gift. She glanced at the pin
