Welcome to the Innocent World

Afa stood beside Alaric, her black hair loose, her open shirt showing off her curves, her mini skirt and stockings sharp against the neon glow. Her hand rested easy on his shoulder, like she belonged there, and it hit me like a punch to the gut.

*Step… step…* Her boots clicked on the stone floor as she stepped forward, waving a hand with a smug little smile. "Hello, Austin," she said, her voice light and teasing, like we were old friends catching up.

My throat locked up, my voice stuck for a sec before I forced it out. "Afa…" I said, my eyes narrowing as I leaned forward, gripping the bars. "What the hell are you doing here?"

She tilted her head, resting a finger on her chin like she was thinking it over. "Nothing," she said, casual as anything. "Just serving my lord, like I always have." Her smirk grew, her hand patting Alaric's shoulder, and he grinned, his jagged teeth glinting under the lights.

I blinked, my blood heating up fast. "Stop messing around with me," I snapped, standing taller, my voice hard and angry. "Didn't you say you were from my college? What about all the time we spent together here? The nights, the talks—everything! And now you're serving this devil? What the fuck are you even saying?" My fists clenched tight, my heart pounding as I glared at her, betrayal burning in my chest.

The room went dead quiet, the neon hum the only sound as everyone froze—Alaric on his throne, Lyra gripping my arm, Afa staring back with that smug look.

Then, out of nowhere, she broke the silence.

"Pfft!" She burst out laughing, doubling over, her hand slapping Alaric's arm. "Bwahahahaha!"

"Hehehehehe…" Alaric joined in, his deep, ugly laugh rumbling through the cage.

"Huhh!?" I snapped, my jaw tight as I looked between them. "What, you two lose your brains or something?" My voice was sharp, but my gut was twisting—this wasn't adding up.

Afa straightened up, still giggling as she pushed her black hair to the side, her eyes glinting with mischief. "You seriously believed all that?" she said, her tone dripping with mockery as she crossed her arms, her hips cocked like she owned the place.

"What do you mean?" I asked, my voice low, my hands flexing on the bars as I tried to keep my cool.

Afa laughed again, stepping closer, her boots clicking loud. "Such a stupid person you are, Zero," she said, her smirk turning cold, her eyes locking on mine. "The invitation to this island you got? Our little meetup? Every moment we spent together?" She spread her arms wide, like she was showing off the whole world. "This entire island is a setup I planted just to get you here—on your knees, right where you are now."

"Ohhh…" I let out, leaning back against the bars, my mind racing as I pieced it together. Afa was right—I'd been played from the start. That invitation letter to the island, slipped under my door with no name, no explanation—it was all her. Then meeting her, the nights we spent together, her acting like she was just some college girl who knew me from way back. She'd known I was Zero the whole time, stringing me along like a damn puppet. It made sense now, and it stung bad.

"You set me up good, huh?" I said, my voice low, my eyes narrowing at her.

Afa smirked, tossing her hair to the side, her hand still resting on Alaric's shoulder. "Took you long enough to figure it out," she said, her tone dripping with mockery. "You were so easy, Austin. A few flirty words, a little fun, and you followed it till here."

Lyra's grip tightened on my arm, her nails digging in. "She played you like that?" she whispered, her voice sharp with shock, her eyes flicking between me and Afa. "And you didn't suspect anything?"

I winced, glancing at her. "Yeah, I fucked up," I muttered, keeping it quiet so Alaric wouldn't hear. "Thought she was legit. My bad."

Afa laughed, stepping closer to the bars, her boots clicking on the stone floor. "And now my Lord Alaric will finally put an end to your existence," she said, her voice cold, her eyes glinting with triumph. "We, the rulers of the universe, can't get what we want while you're still around, Zero."

I raised an eyebrow, forcing a grin to hide the unease twisting my gut. "Is that so?" I said, crossing my arms. "You guys must be real paranoid, thinking my existence alone is enough to stop your big plans. I'm flattered, honestly."

Alaric growled, leaning forward in his throne, the wood creaking under his weight, his claws scraping the armrests with a harsh *screech*.

"Ehehe… we'll see whose existence ends today," he said, his voice like gravel, his red eyes flaring brighter, steam hissing from his mouth like a pissed-off dragon.

Lyra leaned closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Austin, they're serious," she said, her eyes wide with worry. "What the hell do they want with you?"

"No clue yet," I whispered back, keeping my eyes on Alaric. "But I'm not going down easy."

Afa stepped even closer, cupping Alaric's face with both hands, her fingers tracing his gray, muscular jaw like she was soothing a beast. "Lord…" she said, her voice slow and sultry, almost purring. "Should we show him what you can really do?"

Alaric's lips curled into a nasty grin, his teeth glinting as he leaned into her touch. "Surely," he growled, his eyes locked on me, glowing so bright they hurt to look at. "It'll put him on his knees, begging us for mercy."

Afa turned to me, her smirk growing wider, her hands dropping to her hips. "Yeahhh… that's what I want to see," she said, her voice dripping with glee as she stared me down, like she was already picturing me broken.

My mind was racing, a cold knot forming in my chest. What the hell do they have that's got them so cocky? I thought, my hands flexing uselessly without my aura. What's bad enough to put me on the edge like that?