ᵗʰᵉ ᵐᵃˢᵏ ᵗʰᵃᵗ ˢᵉᵖᵉʳᵃᵗᵉᵈ ᵘˢ | ᶜʰⁱˢʰⁱʸᵃ ᶠᵃⁿᶠⁱᶜᵗⁱᵒⁿ

Chapter 11 - Captivity and Consequences

My vision swims as I slowly regain consciousness once more.
I find myself in a room that feels oddly familiar. The Hatter stands a few meters away, flanked by his executive members, but their faces are still a blurry haze in my vision.

I let out an annoyed groan, realizing I've fallen into the Hatter's trap.

"Psychopath."

I mutter under my breath, my voice hoarse and strained.

The Hatter grins at the sound of my voice, his gaze fixed on me, along with the gazes of his executive members, their expressions eager and expectant.

"Pleased to see you again, Number 16. Or Leah..."

The Hatter strolls towards me, a sly smile playing on his lips. My gaze remains fixed on him, my annoyance evident. He stops at a distance of two meters, maintaining a deliberate space between us.

"Can I call you Leah?"

he asks, his tone feigning politeness.

"No."

"I'm going to do it anyway."

He chuckles softly, feigning remorse.

"I do apologize for the rough manner in which you were brought here..."

"I doubt that."

I reply dryly, my voice dripping with skepticism.
I let out a weary sigh and lean my head back, only then realizing that I'm bound to a chair. To my surprise, the restraints are remarkably sturdy.

The Hatter confidently reveals the reason for my abduction.

"We brought you here to use you as a hostage." he says.

I scoff, a dry chuckle escaping my lips.

"Oh, trust me, this setup will be far more punishing for you than it will be for me, Hatter."

His smile broadens, a sense of satisfaction on his face.

"Fortunately, I have some reinforcements."

He gestures towards the gathered executive members. His gaze sweeps over them before returning to me, and my amusement falters ever so slightly.

"Hmm." I murmur, masking my unease with feigned nonchalance.

"And what does taking me hostage accomplish for you?" I ask.

Hatter regards me with a contemplative expression.

„I've always found you intriguing, your combat skills and ambition are truly captivating. But your penchant for speaking your mind... it can be quite irritating."

"That's not true-"

"Who I also is impressive is your blond friend. but I thought I'd get you first."

Elentya.

"Let me be clear."
the Hatter explains, his gaze locked on me.

"My objective is to recruit you to our side. You should leave The Night and join The Beach. You would be very helpful."

I scoff in disbelief, my laughter echoing through the room and drawing the attention of a few executive members.

"No thank you. And as if Lyria would ever permit that."
I add, my tone firm.

The Hatter grins once more, his expressions suggesting he has a plan for every possible resistance.

The Hatter grins confidently.

"Lyria has likely noticed your absence by now, which is why I left her a message."

A woman approaches, tall and sporting lipstick and sunglasses. She stops in front of me, unfolding a piece of paper and holding it in front of me, allowing me to read it myself.