Penelope
The equipment sat on the corner of the small table in my room, gleaming like a fresh insult. I stared at it for a long moment, unwilling to move, unwilling to acknowledge what it represented—control, yet again, dressed up in something sleek and convenient. Finally, It chimed softly, it's glow casting an eerie light against the wall.
I sighed, stepping forward and tapping the screen. A message from Richard popped up instantly, brief and to the point:
Your mission details: At the designated location, you'll find a black market auction for a unique weapon. Secure it at all costs. If someone outbids you, eliminate them and take the weapon. Upon arrival, the collar's abilities will be temporarily disabled to ensure you can operate freely. Complete the mission or return to the asylum, Dorothea.
I frowned, reading it again. Then a third time.
Seriously? Buy a weapon on the black market. Kill someone if they outbid me. And the collar—they're turning it off? That part alone made my stomach turn. The thought of being able to move freely, to feel my powers again, should've been exhilarating. Instead, it felt like a trap. Like they were loosening the leash just to see how far I'd run before they yanked it tight again.
I exhaled sharply, tossing the device onto the bed as if it burned. "What the hell is wrong with these people?" I muttered. They were so twisted, so weird. One moment, I'm their prisoner, caged like some dangerous animal. The next, they're trusting me to take down anyone in my way just to secure some weapon.
Did they think I'd forget how much I hate them just because they turned off the collar for a few hours?
My hand brushed the cold metal at my neck; and I shuddered. For a second, I let myself think about what would happen if I didn't do it. If I refused. But the thought of going back to that place—the asylum, the silence, the endless weight of nothingness pressing down on me—was enough to make my breath hitch.
No. I couldn't go back there. I won't.
I grabbed the equipment from the bed and the coin bag Richard had given me earlier, gripping it tighter than necessary.
"All this for a fucking weapon," I muttered under my breath as I stepped out into the hall. My frown deepened as I walked, the weight of their disgusting threats and expectations dragging down on me.
"The council is insane."
But insane or not, they'd won this time. I had no choice. Not really.
YOU ARE READING
The fall
FantasyFor generations, the Dorothea family has borne what they call a "curse," though others whisper of it as a dark inheritance-a twisted irony for a name that means "Gift of God." This so-called gift was anything but divine. It was said that when the mo...
