章節 6: The Entertainment Room
Zuri scanned the room to look for her target but she couldn't find the man.
'Damn! That slimy snake sure knows how to hide.'
She couldn't help but feel frustrated as she circled the room. While looking all over the room, she bumped across something hard and solid. She was about to fall back when she bumped into something else.
"You don't want to put your money on that guy with the snake tattoo. Tough-looking guys won't last."
The demoness beside her spoke before Zuri could say a thing. She couldn't help but be distracted when she saw the woman's costume. The horns looked so real she was distracted from her what she was trying to do.
"That guy will probably win!"
Following the finger pointing towards a large screen, Zuri saw
"Hey, don't block my view!"
Zuri felt something from behind and before she could move over, she bumped into the woman beside her after someone forced his way in front of her and she saw a small spiky creature appear.
'Who would dress up as a thorny reptile for a Halloween party?'
She could hear herself berating the creature in front of her who barely reached her hips while trying to avoid the spikes.
"Personal space."
The demoness behind her breathed close to her. Zuri moved quickly away to put some space between them but before she could completely move away, someone shouted behind her.
"Damn! Stand up!"
Everyone was yelling. Others yelped in dismay while others cheered on. When Zuri looked towards the screen, she saw a scene that made her cringe.
There were five people on the screen and one was trying to get up after being whipped hard. Each person was tied to a carriage where an ox-headed demon sat. Each time the person dragging the carriage stopped to rest, the demon prompted him forward with a thorny whip.
"Yes, that's it!"
"Whip him harder!"
Unable to look on, Zuri tried to find her way outside the bunch of people crowding to get a better look at the screen. She was jostled and pushed around for some time before she finally exited on the other side of the hall. Just when she thought she would be free to look for her target, she heard a loud ringing noise. With both hands covering her ears, she stepped away quickly but something seems to be holding her in place and her feet were planted on the ground.
"Hey!"
"Moron!"
"Arghh!!"
Zuri felt so confused with all the noise surrounding her. Shortly after, she felt something hit her on the back of her head.
"Move it!"
Looking around, Zuri realized that she was moving towards a stage where the current performers were giving her the evil eye.
Before she could make sense of what happened, someone pushed her away from the platform, knocking her towards a door. To her surprise, the door was open and she was led inside a small receiving hall. It was a well-lit room that had the same aesthetics as the rest of the place. There were two beautiful ladies standing on each side of the room. Seeing her, they bowed in greeting but before Zuri could react, she felt something bump her ankle.
"Woman! Throw me back!"
Not knowing where the sound came from, Zuri could only gaze downwards.
"Waaaaaahhhhhh"
"Now, throw me back."
Zuri could only look at the two ladies welcoming her into the room for help but they stared at the talking skull lying close to her shoes with disgust. They looked at her with veiled disgust.
"Pak!"
Zuri had no idea what the thing that hit her head was but she couldn't help but look down when she heard it hit the floor. The hand so happened to fall on the face of the talking skull and the action appeared more of a facepalm.
"Do you want my leg too?"
The question made Zuri snap back to reality and without a second thought, she kicked the skull along with the hand as far as she could away from the room. When she did this, she heard a sigh of relief from the two attendants close to the door.
When she looked at them, it was as if the two were talking with their gazes. Finally, the lady on the right side of the door stepped forward and gestured towards her as if to say follow me. Not knowing where she is and not willing to go back to the rowdy bunch on the other side of the door, Zuri had no choice but to follow the woman.
It was as if people were leading her to different places all night and all she could do was nod her head and follow. Out of nowhere, the woman opened a new set of doors and Zuri couldn't help but be amazed at the room. It had a cozy atmosphere and the elegant fireplace kept the place neither too warm nor too cool. There was one large table with people seated around it. Everyone wore suits and masks as if to conceal their identity.
'Could she be in the right place?'
As the woman gestured her in, she couldn't resist matching the appearance of the people in the room with the man she was looking for. There were twelve people seated around the table. Nine were probably male. Not willing to waste the opportunity she studied each man with care but the closer she studied them, the crazier it was --the men or those whom she thought were males could pass off as her old man.
"Fresh meat."
One of the seated players who had a golden mask spoke covering his entire face spoke. She could almost see the man smiling behind the full mask. Zuri took a step back after hearing the enticing tone. She couldn't help but feel like she's jumping from the pan into the fire.
"13, what a lucky number."
The man closest to her spoke. Zuri couldn't see his face behind his silver mask but his tone appeared to be eager to see her in the hall.
Before Zuri knew what was happening, the usher pulled a chair out for her and cleared one part of the table, gesturing her to be seated.
Another person right beside her placed a hand on her thigh and she could only stare back at the cloaked player.
"Just my type."
She felt goosebumps when she heard the eerie words.
"Screech"
Her chair made a noise as she tried to push it back, ready to bolt out of the room.
"Reaper, don't be rude to our guest."
Right across the table, the authoritative tone immediately caused the person beside her to retract the offensive hand. Zuri could only look at the person across and as she did, she saw something shiny -- shiny and familiar.
The shape and size of the signet ring resting on a glass of whiskey were engraved in her memory. It was a signet ring passed on from one heir to another in the Koch family and right now, the ring should be with her father.
The person wearing the ring had his face hidden by a decadent black mask.
'He is just four chairs away.'
'All you have to do is endure a little and everything will be over.'
"Now, we're all set for another round." The voice outside her head barely registered in Zuri's thoughts as she focused on the man's hand which was fondling the glass.
'Just a drop from that little vial and he will go away.'
Fixated on the hand, Zuri could hear the sound when the finger wearing the ring tapped on the table in boredom.
'He can't hurt anyone anymore.'
'Yes, all I have to do is play a little more and I'll be free.'
"Do you want to play?"
As if possessed, Zuri couldn't help but smile.
"Yes, I will join this round."
"The same rules."
The man with the golden mask declared and the dealer handed the cards.
"In this round, I'll be sure to win your soul."
The words rang in Zuri's ears and when he glanced at the direction of the voice, he saw someone wearing a purple mask nod towards her.
"Shouldn't we be giving the newcomer an advantage? After all, she has something more valuable to offer than all of you combined."
The person sitting beside the man with the signet ring spoke, making the dealer pause for a few seconds. Not willing to waste the opportunity, Zuri stood up, causing everyone to look at her as the chair.
"I don't like this seat, I'd like to sit beside him."
Her voice did not betray her nervousness as she pointed towards the man who just spoke. Someone pulled a seat on the other side of the man.
"The other side. There's something wrong with the energy in that space."
Someone sitting on the table chuckled, another one was tapping her fingers as if telling her to make it fast. There was a small commotion as everyone shifted their seats to make way for her.
"This way, your highness."
"Now, are you ready to bet your soul?"
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