Mavobella: The Angel Of Death

Chapter 41

The casino air felt thick that night, too heavy with the scent of spilled liquor, the pulse of neon lights, and the underlying hum of danger that never quite disappeared. I sank into the plush sofa, letting my gaze scan the room. The flashing lights and clattering coins were all noise—my instincts had long since tuned them out. I wasn’t there for pleasure, not for the quick highs or lows that most people came seeking. No, I was waiting.

And then he walked in—or she, it was hard to tell under that wide-brimmed hat. All I knew was that my pulse quickened the second the stranger stepped into the casino. Black suit, perfectly tailored, with the confident stride of someone who had been there before, someone who knew exactly how to navigate that kind of world. My instincts prickled, a warning that screamed louder with every step they took.

I leaned forward slightly, trying not to be too obvious, but my eyes locked onto them. Their presence wasn’t just familiar—it was unsettling. The figure didn’t even glance my way as they wove through the gamblers, slipping easily between tables, like they already knew exactly where they were headed. And I couldn’t shake the feeling that they weren’t just walking—they were performing. For me.

They stopped at the roulette table. I could see the dealer falter, his practiced smile slipping for a moment before he recovered. He greeted the stranger with the same rehearsed lines he gave every high roller, but I caught the flicker of fear in his eyes. He knew this wasn’t an ordinary gambler. So did I.

The first bet was made—casual, almost lazy. A single chip tossed onto the table. The ball spun, faster and faster, until it became a blur against the flashing lights. My heart raced in time with it, my hands tightening into fists. When the ball finally clattered into place, landing exactly on the stranger’s number, I wasn’t surprised. No one else seemed to think much of it—luck, they’d call it. But I knew better.

More bets, more wins. The pile of chips in front of the stranger grew as if by magic. The crowd was starting to take notice, but I kept my distance, my instincts flaring hotter with every turn of the wheel. Something was wrong. And then, as if sensing my gaze, the stranger slowly turned toward me.

Time seemed to slow as they lifted a hand, fingers brushing the brim of the hat. I couldn’t look away. The lights pulsed dimly, the music fading to a low thrum as the hat was finally removed.

And there, staring back at me, was my own face.

My breath caught in my throat. This isn’t real, I told myself, but my instincts knew better. There was no mistaking it—those sharp eyes, the cocky smirk. It was me, down to the smallest detail, but twisted somehow. Darker. Colder. My twin—no, my replica—stood across from me, grinning like they knew something I didn’t.

Panic flared in my chest. I bolted to my feet, Ye appearing in my hand without a second thought. The world around me blurred, fading into the background as my entire focus zeroed in on the replica. The neon lights flickered ominously, casting long shadows across the casino floor. I didn’t need to hear any words to know what this was. A challenge. A threat.

Without hesitation, my replica summoned her own scythe—my scythe, a perfect copy. The room crackled with tension, the air between us charged with anticipation. We moved at the same time, blades clashing in a bright, violent spray of sparks.

She fought like me—no, she was me. Every move I made, she mirrored perfectly. We danced across the casino floor, the heavy thud of our weapons the only sound in the muted chaos. The gamblers had all vanished from my awareness, their faces blurring into nothing. This fight—this moment—was all that mattered.

Our scythes sang as they sliced through the air, blocking, parrying, striking again and again. My breath came quicker, but my mind stayed sharp, calculating her every move. We were evenly matched, but I was better. I had to be.

I swung low, feinting to the left, but at the last second, I changed direction, bringing the blade upward in a wide arc. The replica tried to dodge, but she was too slow. My scythe caught her across the chest, the blade sinking deep. Her eyes widened, shock flickering across her face as she staggered backward, clutching the wound.

For a moment, I felt victorious. I had won. But something wasn’t right. The lights around me dimmed further, the music dropping to a low, ominous hum. My replica collapsed to the floor, but I didn’t have time to savor the victory.

In the next instant, the entire casino froze.

The gamblers, the dealers, the lights—they all came to a sudden, unnatural halt. Silence crashed over the room like a tidal wave. My heart pounded in the sudden stillness, every instinct in my body screaming danger.

Then, from the shadows, they appeared—Imperium guards. Their whitish armor gleamed under the dim lights, and their faces were obscured by dark helmets. They hadn’t walked in; they had teleported, materializing in a flash of light that made the air around them shimmer.

Before I could react, they were on me. Cold, metallic hands clamped down on my arms, locking me in place. I struggled, adrenaline surging through me, but their grip was iron. Ye vanished from my hand as if it had never been there. My pulse hammered in my ears as the realization hit me—I was caught.

“What the hell do you want?” I snarled, twisting in their hold. They said nothing, their faces impassive behind their helmets. The casino was still frozen, the entire world paused around us, as if time itself had stopped.

I tried to pull free, but it was like fighting against stone. The Imperium guards weren’t here for games. They had one purpose: to capture me. And they’d succeeded.

A blinding white light flared in front of me. I blinked against the brightness, instinctively recoiling, but the guards only tightened their grip. The light wasn’t just any light—it was a teleportation portal, swirling and shifting like liquid glass.

“No,” I muttered, thrashing harder. “I’m not going with you.”

But they weren’t listening. The light swallowed me whole.

For a moment, there was nothing. No sound, no sight, just the sensation of falling through an endless void. And then, just as suddenly, the world snapped back into focus. I hit the ground hard, my knees buckling beneath me as the guards released me without a word.

The room I landed in was cold—colder than the casino. The walls were sleek, metallic, and sterile, like the inside of some forgotten facility. The air smelled faintly of electricity and something else—something dark and old.

I staggered to my feet, my head spinning from the abrupt change in atmosphere. The Imperium guards stood like statues, blocking any chance of escape. I clenched my fists, fury boiling inside me, but there was no point in fighting now. They had me.

One of the guards stepped forward, a data pad in his hand. His voice, muffled by the helmet, was cold and mechanical.

“Subject retrieved. Status: secured.”

And those were the last words I could recall, before a complete blackout.