Arcane Keepers Headquarters. The polished marble floors reflected the overhead lights as Fiona footsteps echoed through the long corridors.
Fiona ran inside and met Hairo in the hallway. Her breathing was ragged from running, strands of hair sticking to her sweaty forehead. Hairo's eyes widened when he saw her.
"Fiona! Are you okay?" Hairo asked, stepping forward to steady her. His voice was laced with concern. "I heard you were kidnapped by that teleporting guy. Everyone was in a panic."
"I'm okay," Fiona said, straightening up and brushing off his hands. Her eyes darted down the hallway. "Where's the leader?"
"He's in the meeting room, and we just finished our meeting to look for you—" Hairo began explaining, but Fiona was already moving.
Fiona didn't listen to Hairo until the end. She immediately ran toward the meeting room. Her shoes squeaked against the floor as she rounded the corner with surprising speed.
Inside, Jasper was sitting in his usual chair at the head of the large oak table. Papers were scattered in front of him, and he was rubbing his temples when the door burst open.
"Leader!" Fiona said, her voice sharp with urgency as she entered the room.
"Oh, you're already back," Jasper said, clearly surprised. He stood up quickly, his chair scraping against the floor. "Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine," Fiona said, though her hands still shook slightly. She took a deep breath to steady herself.
"Sorry, I was so focused on getting revenge that I neglected your safety," Jasper said, his shoulders slumping slightly with guilt. "How stupid of me."
"No, it's not your fault," Fiona said, shaking her head. "I should've been more careful."
"Instead of that," Fiona said, her voice becoming more serious, "I have something I need to tell you."
Fiona told him what happened after she was teleported by Noah, about his offer, and the place they met. She described the sparse room in detail, her words tumbling out quickly as she recounted the encounter.
"It's really just a random place," Fiona said, her fingers tapping nervously against the chair. "But I think I still can remember the exact location."
"You shouldn't go there again," Jasper said immediately. His tone left no room for argument.
"I know, it's just in case, so I remember it," Fiona said, nodding quickly.
"I will send some guys to carefully check that place," Jasper said. He leaned forward, his expression grave. "But I absolutely forbid you to go back there again. Understand?"
"I know," Fiona sighed. She crossed her arms defensively. "I'm not that stupid."
"Sorry, that's not what I mean," Jasper said, running a hand through his hair. "I'm just worried. He was a criminal, Fiona. There's nothing that will stop him from doing something truly evil."
Fiona gulped. The memory of Noah's cold smile made her skin crawl. "So... Is his claim that he was part of Joker Roulette true?"
"I can't tell yet," Jasper said, pacing behind the table. "About the phone, it's not exactly hard proof. Some members of Joker Roulette might be sick enough to directly force a phone down someone's throat as their method of killing. You immediately believed him because he did something similar to you, right?" Jasper asked, stopping to look at her.
Fiona nodded. Her hand unconsciously went to her throat. "He put his keychain in my mouth, almost choking me."
"He might use that as a way to make his claim more credible," Jasper said. He returned to his seat, looking weary. "Anyway, we can't really believe what he told you."
"But why then?" Fiona asked, frustration creeping into her voice. She pulled out a chair and sat down heavily. "Why did he offer me that? I don't get it."
"I can't quite understand it either," Jasper said, tapping his fingers on the table. "But he might need something from us if he wants to make some sort of deal. He didn't tell you what he wants? Even a hint?"
"I... I did ask," Fiona said, her brow furrowing as she tried to recall. "But I don't think he answered me directly. And I was so focused on rejecting his offer that I might have failed to extract information from him. I'm sorry."
"No, not at all. Your safe return is good enough for me," Jasper said, offering her a small smile. "In fact, I want you to do the exact opposite. If he ever approaches you again, don't try to outsmart him or anything. We don't know what he might do if you accidentally push the wrong button."
"Yes, but..." Fiona started to protest, her hands gripping the edge of the table.
"No 'buts'," Jasper said firmly. He reached across to place a hand over hers. "Please, Fiona, remember that he casually tore your skin and flesh the other day. He is dangerous. Even I might not be able to handle him."
Fiona sighed. Her shoulders slumped in defeat. "I understand, leader."
A knock came at the door. The sound was hesitant, almost apologetic.
Hairo's head peeked in. "Sorry, are you guys done talking?" His eyes darted between them. "These three said they want to meet with Fiona."
Jasper nodded. He straightened up in his chair. "It's fine, let them in."
The door opened completely now, and three guys from before entered. It was the trio Johnny, Lonny, and Monny. They shuffled in awkwardly, their expressions a mix of guilt and something else Fiona couldn't quite place.
"You're okay, Fiona?"
"Sorry, we can't do anything!"
"All we can do is stand there like idiots! Please punish us!"
They all talked at the same time, making Fiona confused. But she tried to smile. She held up her hands to stop the barrage of words.
"It's okay, I'm fine, so don't worry about it," she said, forcing a reassuring tone.
"No, you can't do that!" Johnny said, stepping forward eagerly.
"Give us punishment!" Lonny said, his eyes strangely bright.
"We deserve it! Please!" Monny said, practically vibrating with energy.
Fiona looked uncomfortable. She leaned back slightly in her chair, unnerved by their intensity. "I get that you guys regret what happened, but punishment? I can't..."
"Please!!!" They all said at the same time. Their voices overlapped in an unsettling chorus.
"Leader, do something!" Fiona pleaded, turning to Jasper with wide eyes.
"Alright, that's enough, you three," Jasper said, standing up. His authoritative voice cut through their pleas. "If you guys really regret what happened, try to do better next time."
"We understand, leader," they said in unison, though their shoulders slumped in what looked suspiciously like disappointment.
Fiona noticed that, like they lost something good instead of feeling bad because of making mistake. Did they really want her to punish them? No way, right? The thought sent a chill down her spine.
Her image of them changed from useless to creepy. She subtly scooted her chair further away from them, suddenly feeling like she needed to put some distance between herself and the strange trio.
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