Dark.

XVII. - This Means War -

Song for this chapter

1. War - Former Vandal

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Nicomaine opened her eyes and looked around. She noticed three guys wearing black shirt standing by the door and another two sitting on the floor a couple of feet away from her. She tried to move her arms and realized they're bound on the chair she's sitting on. Nicomaine cleared her throat and started speaking to catch their attention.

"Where am I?" she asked.

"Somewhere safe." One of the guys replied.

"I don't feel safe."

"You should be. I won't hurt you." A familiar voice said. Nicomaine shifted her view towards the staircase and saw Richard smiling. There was something different about his smile. It was full of malice, sadness and darkness. The same one he wore when she saw him inside his private room. Her heart started beating fast. She betrayed his trust and broke his heart. She did him wrong and that prompted her to think that she should start preparing for her own death.

"Richard .... I-"

"Save your apologies, Nicomaine. I don't need it."

"I told them not to."

"But you still went with it."

"I know and I'm sorry."

Richard walked towards her and cupped her chin. He lifted her head and they locked eyes for a moment. Nicomaine felt the pressure of his hands. The smile on his face faded. He looked like a different person. For the first time since they met, she finally felt it. The real darkness in him, the Richard that Harry warned her about, the guy who killed Bella. It was him. He finally revealed himself.

"Oh Nicomaine, it would be a shame to waste you now."

"Then don't." she said.

"I am not sure about that." He said before finally releasing her face. His voice also changed. It became deeper, manlier and darker.

A few minutes later, Richard left the room with Arthur. Nicomaine took a deep breath and looked around.

She started panicking. The next few minutes were then spent with her panicking and worrying about her own and her group's safety. Nicomaine took a deep breath and let her other self take over ... the girl who got over many heartbreaks, the girl who cheated death a couple of times, the girl who will survive no matter what.

--

The second Richard returned upstairs, he knew something was wrong. he pulled out his phone and immediately called his guys to come over and guard the mansion for the night. He turned and looked at Arthur.

"Did you feel it? I think someone else was just here while we were downstairs." He said.

"What made you think so?" Arthur asked.

"I smelled it ... her god-awful perfume. Katherine ... she was just here."

"Sir, but I don't smell anything."

"Trust me on this."

Arthur immediately looked around and Richard did the same. His heart started pounding. Thinking that an attack will happen at any second, he went to his room and grabbed two loaded guns. Richard returned downstairs, only to see a guy running out of the basement.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"She's a monster, Sir." That's what the guy said before he passed out. Richard's heart sank. He remembered what she did that night of the party.