An empty room with just two chairs inside. The space was bare except for those two chairs facing each other in the center, several windows, and one door.
Noah and Fiona suddenly appeared right in the center of the room. There was no flash or sound – one moment nobody was there, the next moment two figures appeared in an instant.
Fiona staggered slightly as her feet hit the floor.
"What... happened?" Fiona said, confused. She blinked rapidly; her head was hurting, spinning, trying to make sense of her sudden change in surroundings. Her hands came up instinctively to steady herself.
"Relax," Noah said. He stood perfectly composed beside her. "You're just experiencing your first teleportation. Very disorienting, right?"
"Noah!" Fiona said, glaring at him. Her confusion was quickly replaced by anger as she took a step back.
"Woah, now. No need to get so angry," Noah said. He raised his hands slightly in a placating gesture. "We shouldn't have bad blood between us, right? I mean, didn't I do as I promised?"
"You hurt me!" Fiona screamed, grabbing her hand that used to be wounded by Noah. Her fingers dug into the spot where his nails had cut her before, the memory of pain fresh in her mind.
"Sure, I did," Noah said. His expression remained casual, unbothered. "But as far as I remember, what I promised was that I won't kill you. So I did. I didn't kill you; I just hurt you a little."
"A little, you say..." Fiona said, still fuming with anger. Her grip on her arm tightened until her knuckles turned white.
"Let's sit down for now," he said, ignoring her sharp gaze and sat in one of the chairs. He gestured to the other seat with a tilt of his head. "And have a talk."
"I don't want to talk with you!" Fiona said, still holding her anger. She remained standing, her eyes glared at Noah without blinking.
"I never said you have a choice," Noah said, smiling. The pleasant expression didn't reach his eyes. "Sit down."
Fiona didn't want to argue, or she couldn't. She didn't even know where she was. Making Noah angry didn't seem like a good idea, so she sat down as told. Her posture was rigid as she perched on the edge of the chair, ready to bolt at any moment.
"What do you want?" Fiona asked with clear hostility. Her eyes darted around the unfamiliar room before locking back onto Noah. "Where am I?"
"This was just a random room I rented for today," Noah shrugged. "And about what I want... Ah, let's begin with what recently happened. I'm sure you already heard about it, right?"
"What?" Fiona asked, confused.
"There are four people dead from your group, right? There's one of the corpses that died with a phone stuck in his throat," Noah said. He watched her face carefully for a reaction. "I think you can connect the dots."
"So that was your doing!?" Fiona said in disbelief. Her hands clenched into fists in her lap, the color draining from her face.
"That's right," Noah smiled. The expression was cold and satisfied. "I'm part of the Joker Roulette now."
"Why, you..." Fiona clenched her hand so hard, it hurt. Her nails dug into her palm hard enough to leave crescent-shaped marks.
"Don't get too angry yet," Noah said. He leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees. "I'm offering you a new deal."
"I don't want to have anything to do with you again!" Fiona said, shook her head violently. "I never agree with whatever deal you offer!"
"You shouldn't be too sure," Noah said, waving his hand. His voice took on a persuasive tone. "As I said before, I was part of Joker Roulette now. That means I already met all the members. I know what they look like and what powers they have."
Fiona shook her head. "NO! I don't need information from you! No matter how tempting it is!" Her voice wavered slightly despite her firm words.
"Really now?" Noah said. He tilted his head, studying her reaction. "It will make your hunts a lot easier, though. With this information, you can avenge your fallen comrades."
"You're one of the killers!" Fiona yelled. The accusation burst out of her, raw and unfiltered.
"Come on now, I had no choice, okay?" Noah said. His expression turned briefly defensive before smoothing out again. "I didn't want to kill him, but they forced me to. They wanted me to show them my devotion. So I did."
"That doesn't excuse it!" Fiona said, frustrated. Her hands trembled slightly in her lap.
"Probably not," Noah said, shrugging. The motion was careless, dismissive. "But that's beside the point. What I'm trying to say is, I have something that you want. And I can offer it for a price."
"I don't need it!" Fiona said, cutting him off. She spoke quickly, as if afraid she might change her mind. "I don't!"
Noah sighed. "Fine, do as you wish," he said. He leaned back in his chair, studying her. "But if you change your mind, meet me again here in a week."
"I won't!" Fiona said. Her voice was firm, but her eyes betrayed a flicker of uncertainty.
"I'm just talking about the possibility," Noah said. A knowing smile played at his lips. "A lot of things can happen in a week, you know?"
"I said I won't!" Fiona said. She stood up abruptly, the chair scraping against the concrete floor. "I want to get back now! Or just kill me right here, right now!"
"Yes, yes, you're very brave," Noah said. His tone was almost mocking. "But let's not jump to conclusions. If you really want to go back, you can always use the front door."
Fiona glanced at the door. It was plain and unremarkable, the only exit from the sparse room.
"Don't worry, it's not locked," Noah said. He made no move to stop her.
Fiona took quick, determined steps toward the door, her shoes clicking against the hard floor.
"See you in a week," Noah said when Fiona opened the door. His voice followed her as she stepped into whatever lay beyond.
"I won't come back!" Fiona said, slamming the door. The sound echoed through the empty room.
Her quick footsteps got farther and farther away until the sound disappeared.
Noah leaned back in his chair. He stretched his legs out in front of him, perfectly at ease in the quiet room.
"You will," Noah said. His voice was soft, almost to himself. "But at that time, I won't be there."
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