“Err… Williana?” said Old Man during breakfast. The hustle and bustle of the cafeteria acted as the background noise to an innocent-enough conversation.   

“Yes?” Servi replied. The ceramic cup in front of her steamed with coffee inside it.  

“I’ve been meaning to ask this for the past few minutes, but why is our 9th hugging your neck?” 

“Ever since I woke up, she’s been clinging to me like this. If not my neck, then it’s my arms.” Servi sighed and held her cup to her lips.  

“Oh, Willie, I’ll get that for you!” Carrie’s soft hands wrapped around Servi’s fingers and stole the cup from her. As if she was feeding a child, she carefully lifted the white cup until its caffeinated liquid touched Servi's pink tongue. All the while, two large, soft objects, hidden behind a low-cut red tank top, massaged Servi's neck.

“Err… Willie…?” Old Man looked around and saw that every single pair of eyes in the room were staring at the peculiar scene. Servi wasn’t a Numbered, nor was she a senior member. Only two days had passed since she squirmed her way into the Mafia, yet the scowls she received made it seem like she was a long-time member.

Envy and hatred-infused eyes stared at her. Every other member, especially the ones that were new like Servi, didn't like the way she was receiving special treatment. 

“There!” Servi internally cringed when Carrie retrieved a napkin from her cleavage and wiped Servi's mouth.  

“Damnit, Carrie, I can—” 

“Nope! You told me to act like this, right?” 

That’s not what I said, though. Servi thought.  

Servi felt her ID buzz. Unfortunately, she wasn’t in a prime position to read it. Her mind raced back to the unexpected events that played out a few hours ago.  

---

After waking up from her nightmare a few hours beforehand, Servi and Itarr talked for a few short moments about what it could mean. It was too confusing for either of them to make head or tails of, and Servi wanted to ignore it completely.  

“I know. I’ll just stay up. I don’t need sleep. If I don’t sleep, I can’t have nightmares,” Servi had said while she groped Carrie’s sleeping body. Servi realized the hypocrisy between her actions and words from the previous nights and explained that she needed to fulfill the contract. The better she pleasured Carrie, the more likely Servi would have a chance to meet the Boss. Itarr internally argued why Servi couldn't just lie about it, but she chose not to say anything.

That’s fine with me. Itarr said. The Goddess did her best to ignore Servi’s tongue swirling around the nipple of a Singi who wasn’t Momo. Her hands ventured close to Carrie's crotch but backed off at the last moment. Their new targets were the soft thighs that seemed to sparkle from the sweat accumulating from the growing pleasure that overflowed a moment later.

Servi continued to tease Carrie's thighs before moving her hands upward. She pressed her palm down on Carrie's stomach, then her fingers a mad dash for her chest. It didn't take long for Servi to lean her head down and put her mouth to work. Servi's tongue monopolized Carrie's chest, almost claiming her left nipple as her own property. Then she moved on to the right breast and did the same thing.

After five minutes, Servi gave Carrie's erect nipples a nibble each and lifted her head, revealing a collection of thick strands of spit. The Singi squirmed and rolled over. Servi took the time to curl into a small ball while wiping her mouth. With her ID held tight to her chest, she stayed motionless like the placid waters of a serene lake. Servi didn't move until she felt a set of twin mountains press against her back and a pair of soft hands wrapped around her stomach.

Carrie assaulted Servi’s neck with tiny kisses as she rubbed her head against the girl she tightly held. It was as if she was a cat showing affection. In a quiet voice, she whispered four words that only made sense to her.  

“I’ve fallen for you…” 

Immediately after that, she sniffled and pressed her head against Servi’s back while making an odd noise. It didn’t take Servi long to realize the girl she had almost killed was crying into her back.  

Servi’s ID struggled to get free from her embrace.

Is she still going to die? Itarr wrote.

Servi simply nodded.  

“Ahh, it’s crazy, right? I’m crazy. I don’t even know why I… Fuck! Why couldn’t you wish me dead like all the other bastards?! Why did you give me permission to hit you?! Why did you tell me I could do whatever I wanted…?” 

“…” 

“Fine, you don’t have to speak. I’m paying you, so stay quiet and listen. I… You’re someone who I should hate, and I’m someone who you hate. I expected you to refute my offer, but you took it without even thinking. I didn’t want to get close to you like this. I only wanted to have fun. When I realized the feelings I had, I wanted to push you away. That’s why I struck you yesterday under the guise of being angry about your shitty prediction that came true. That’s why I act cold and heavy to everyone…because I don't want to be... But…You even protected me from those knives… Why?” 

“…” 

“I did all that…and I planned on doing more to push you away…but I don’t wanna do that anymore. I… It’s only been two days, but…” 

I can’t imagine life without you… It was her thoughts, not words, that finished Carrie's feelings.  

“…” 

“It’s fine. You don’t have to say anything. You need money, right? You need a lot of it. I promise you you’ll have a chance to earn it on Saturday. I swear I’ll get you invited to whatever's going on.” Carrie's caring and meek act almost frightened Itarr.  

Is this the power of love? Or is it something else? I don’t understand how she could flip her emotions so drastically without someone manipulating them… 

Servi rolled over and stared into Carrie's eyes.  

The love-starved Singi felt her starved heart beat with such passion that had been unknown to her until now. It felt like her body yearned for something it had lacked for over twenty years, and Carrie was scared and frightened.  

Almost like instinct, the Singi closed her eyes and lightly puckered her lips. She had kissed other girls before when she used to visit the Boxcar, and she wasn’t a stranger to giving and receiving female pleasure, but there was something different about the one-eyed Human staring at her.  

Somehow, she wanted to believe that the Human was the same as her. Not physically, but mentally. Carrie knew her extreme violence, bloodthirst, and torture weren’t something to be admired. Up until now, she was satisfied with enjoying the company of a different girl, be it Human, Elf, Dwarf, Kobold, or Singi, if it meant her urges would be satisfied. 

But then along came a Human who exhibited the same sadistic tendencies and joy for torture as she did. Sometime in the past, Carrie heard an old woman speak of soulmates. Two people whose souls, interests, and joys were so intertwined that they were destined to be together. She had thrown it off as a bunch of hoo-ha, but the past day forced Carrie to realize the woman she waved off probably knew what she was talking about.  

Her heart had accepted the possibility that Servi could’ve been her soulmate, but her mind hadn’t reached that point yet. Now? Both body and soul were in harmony. They both yearned together to reinforce the sense of love and companionship Carrie wanted to receive. She didn’t think someone like her would be good at it, but she vowed to do her best.

Kiss me! Carrie whined.  

The red-haired Singi was waiting for a kiss that wouldn’t be returned, but she did feel a pair of hands squeeze her rich bosom. Her stiff nipples received a bit of a twist.

“I told you, didn’t I?” Carrie opened her eyes. She tearfully watched as the body she desperately wanted to love had moved away after rejecting her attempt at a kiss. “My upper and lower lips are off-limits. This isn’t love. It’s lust. You wanted that and pleasure,” Servi coldly said.  

Unlike Carrie’s heart that grew open, Servi’s heart recessed until it was frozen over by her growing hatred of the Mafia. In her mind, she wondered why she would ever expend the energy to falsify a non-existent love for a girl who would die by her hands in less than a week.

“Ahh… That’s right. I forgot. Umm…here’s your money…” Carrie slumped out of bed and walked over to her clothes. She retrieved a 100 dupla coin and tossed it at Servi. Servi snatched it out of the air, storing it in her pouch. 

“If that’s everything—” 

Carrie spoke and thrusted her arms out. “Wait! Isn’t there something you want to ask me?! About—” 

“There isn't. You have your own reasons for acting like a psychotic bitch out there and a tamed kitten in here, and it doesn’t involve me. You do what you want. I don’t give two rats’ asses about the reasons you act the way you do.” Servi heard the sharp clink of her daggers sliding into place, and she checked her boots.  

“But—” 

“Carrie, there’s nothing to say. If you’re looking for validation on how you should act, then you came to the wrong person. I don’t care, I won’t care, and I probably won’t ever fucking care. The only one who cares is you.” 

“Then—" 

Servi held a hand up and glanced at her ID. 

What are you going to do? Itarr asked.  

Servi knew her main goal was Momo’s rescue and extermination of the group known as the Mafia. Her other secondary objectives didn’t matter at all. But if it meant it would increase her chances with the Boss, Servi realized she had to take one for the greater good.  

It killed her, knowing she had to show ‘kindness’ and ‘love’ to a person belonging to the group responsible for the kidnapping of her best friend, but Servi gritted her teeth and rushed at Carrie with her arms open.  

As Servi embraced Carrie's naked body with a deep hug and a lick to her neck, a depraved line of thoughts ran through Servi’s fractured mind. Even if her thoughts and words didn’t necessarily line up in the grand scheme of things, it reminded her of her goal.  

She’s part of the group responsible for Momo’s kidnapping. You need to kill her to save Momo. Fake the love and betray her when the time the right. They, them, all of them, the entire Mafia deserve nothing less than total destruction and devastation. Slaughter them all, and save Momo. Save her. You’re doing this for Momo. Carrie’s life doesn’t matter at all. 

“Williana…WWAAHHHHH!!!!” With nothing else she could do, Servi hugged Carrie until her tears stopped on their own.  

After forcing herself to take Carrie's hand, Servi sat on the bed and asked a question while stealing glances at Carrie's breasts. “Do you remember last night?” 

“No. I know something incredible happened, that’s why I’m feeling this way, but I don’t know what. And, right here...” Carrie's hand grabbed Servi's fingers and brought them to the breast Servi ripped off the night prior. Her thumb tenderly flicked the Singi's stiff nipples, eliciting a cute moan from Carrie. “It’s so tender and sensitive, and it sounds shitty, but I can feel the love come from it. That’s not all. It’s like your tongue ran over every bit of my body.” 

“…” Servi realized it wouldn't help her achieve her goal if she spilled the truth, and she chose to remain silent. What Carrie believed had happened became the infallible truth for her and her alone. If it was something positive, then it would only help her.  That was supposed to be last the bit of mercy Servi ever wanted to give to her enemies, but even she knew that wasn’t going to be the case if she wanted an interview with the boss.  Carrie stood up and walked over to a messy pile of clothes. As she dressed herself, the Singi did something she had never done before.  

She talked about her past.  

“I’m paying you, so listen up. Think of this as something you needed to pleasure me. Pillow talk? Yeah, think of it as pillow talk. And I know you’re sitting down. I’m getting dressed, but it fucking makes sense to me, yeah?” Carrie grabbed a pair of red panties and slid them up her leg.

“I suppose... Fine. Go ahead and speak.” Servi laid down. To her surprise, Carrie hadn’t noticed the bed and sheets were different.

“I ain’t telling everything, but I never knew I could feel this way. I still remember the first time I drank blood and the first person I killed. From that day onward, it’s like having a different me inside me. It took over and handled nearly everything. I sound crazy. I know I do. Fuck, I can’t explain it. It’s like there’s me, and then there’s a second me. But now, what if that second me was me all along? What if this is who I am? Williana, I don’t know what to do. I like killing. I like drinking blood. I like having sex with women, yet I like to hold people. Those things shouldn’t be a part of the same person, yet here they are. Williana, what should I do? If I want to be normal, I need to stop that. I want to be normal, but I need to kill. If I don’t, then I feel crazy. Yesterday, I killed four guards while out on the town. I ripped a hole in their throat and licked their necks while the blood was hot. Then this morning, I’m fucking crying because of shit I don’t know!!!” 

Carrie turned to Servi and dropped the tank top her hands had clenched. A hand reflexively went to her regenerated breast, and clear tears dripped from the corner of her eyes.  

“There isn't anyone who can tell you the way you should act. If there’s something inside you, then it’s a part of you. Deny it if you wish. Let it out if you want to. I cannot tell you which is the best way to act. That is something you need to discover on your own.” 

“Then it’s fine to act like this? Is it wrong to kill and drink blood in the mornings and snuggle up to you while we’re sleeping at night? Since I’m paying you, tell me how I should act…” 

“Only you can decide that. But since you're paying me, I’ll tell you what I really think. Don’t hold anything back. If you have urges, then act on them. If you want to kill? Then kill. If you want to drink blood? Then drink it. Hell, if you want to act meek and fragile away from the public eye, like what you’re doing now, then fucking do it. If you don’t want to do that, then don’t do it. If those urges are striking you at the same time, then fucking do them at the same time. Now, if that’s all, I’m going to the cafeteria.” Standing up, Servi walked past Carrie and left through the door, leaving the motionless Singi alone with newfound knowledge and advice.  

Itarr paid very close attention to Servi’s last statement about urges.  

If she acted on them, I wonder what would happen? She told me about her dream and the collar she saw in the mirror. Of course, the collar isn’t real. But if it was, then would it be something like a mental block? Does that mysterious energy have something to do with it? If it breaks... I’m scared of what would happen. I’d wager she already has enough power to level a continent, but if she were to absorb the souls of everyone in Lando, then… 

No, I shouldn’t think like that. I’ve already betrayed Servi more times than I can count. I need to let her make her own decisions like Carrie. Not that I can do it anymore, but manipulating Servi is something I should not have done.

Servi glanced to the bunk bed and didn’t see Old Man. She surmised he was already in the cafeteria, and she decided to join him for a cup of coffee.  

As she left, Servi did not realize the irony of the words she said to Carrie when it came to her own situation. 

After closing the door behind her, Servi’s face twisted into a scowl. Unpleasantness washed over her like a waterfall, and she grumbled down the hallway. Her ID appeared in front of her.  

Are you still planning to kill Carrie? Itarr asked.  

“I am.” 

You planned to kill Fisher, but that didn’t turn— 

Before Itarr finished her words, Servi gripped her ID and angrily threw it against the nearby wall right as a Singi turned the corner. His blue eyes and hair were familiar to Servi.  

He looked at the red dust flowing back into Servi’s body and told her to calm the fuck down.  

After summoning her ID again, Servi stared at its blank surface. “You know what? Fuck it. This is what’s gonna happen to Carrie. You don’t fucking believe me?! Fucking watch!” Servi looked behind to make sure they were alone. Carrie had to get dressed and fix the hole in her shorts, so she needed a bit of time.  

Using Telekinesis, she wrapped an invisible force around the Singi’s neck and took out a knife. The Singi tried to break away, but Servi’s grip was so tight that his arms and legs snapped. His face, teary and frightened, didn’t know what emotion to take on.  

Servi ran up to the Singi, and using the knife’s handle, slammed it into his head before wrapping her arms around his neck. She squeezed and gripped while his skin turned blue and purple. She let go, allowing him to breathe one last drop of air before Servi unleashed a rage-fueled flurry of punches on his chest. Then, she wrapped her arms around his neck a second time and twisted as if rewinding a clock until the top of his head faced the ground. Meanwhile, his chin pointed towards the ceiling.  

A red soul flew up, and Servi’s first instinct was to swat it away. That didn’t work, and her arm passed right through as it made a beeline for her ring.  

“What luck he was the one to run into me. I only wished I could’ve made it more painful…” Servi absorbed the corpse and summoned her ID. “I suppose that’s enough of a fucking answer? Still think I won’t fucking do it?! I didn’t kill Fisher because he regrets what he’s done, and my whole business with him was based on a misunderstanding and his own fucking cowardice. After he cleared it up, he showed me he wants to make amends. Why the fuck did you think I offered to pay for his fucking orphanage? But hey, if you want me to fucking kill him, I will. I'll burn his goddamn house down and hang him from a tree built from the corpses in my ring. I'll finish what I didn't have the fucking guts to complete because maybe he deserves to die for his sinful past... Eventually, everyone's going to die... Carrie’s going to be slaughtered, Old Man’s going to perish, and every fucking Numbered will hang from their fucking entrails…” 

Itarr apologized after recovering from her shock and mentioned she didn't want Fisher to die, but Servi didn’t respond. She looked at the words appearing on its red surface. For a brief moment, even looking at the thing made her want to vomit.  Scoffing, Servi tossed the ID behind her.

She continued to walk silently until her soft hands touched the cafeteria door. Its silver handles felt pleasant to the touch, and the scent of chemicals remained in the air. It had probably been cleaned moments ago.  

“It’s fine. Just… Nevermind…” Servi whispered.

Servi pushed open the doors and scanned for Old Man. After she saw him in the corner of the room with a cup in his hands, she took a deep breath and made her way over to him.