As I saw Mako bleeding on the ground, anger began to shoot through me. Deep down, I understood that the girls were just trying to protect me. I was a valuable target, and it was their job to make sure I was safe. However, at that moment, they felt like just an obstacle restricting me from doing what I felt I needed to do.

We were right in front of a hospital, and this was a hospital where magic was a part of the healthcare system. There was already a crowd of people peaking out the door, and one brave woman ran and kneeled next to Mako, alright casting something with a rune drawn on her gloved hand.

Yet, even if Mako survived, the shooter represented the person who had been causing these problems for me since I came to this world. They had killed my friend, tried to frame me, got my sister arrested, and now attempted to kill the mother of my child.

With a roar that seemed to surprise all of the girls present, even the ones on top of me, I pushed out and shoved both girls off of me. As they stumbled back, I was already running, heading in the direction the shot had to have come from.

“Clyburn!” Cornelia cried out from behind, but how could I stop to listen to her at that point.

I kept on running at full speed. I saw someone round a corner, sneaking into the alley next to a side building of the hotel, and immediately followed. They were halfway down the alley now. They had a gun drawn and were at full sprint. In the dark shadows of the ally, I couldn’t make out any definitive features, but I didn’t have to. My mind worked furiously, creating a rune in my head, and then I launched it, causing a wall of air to shoot up in front of the woman.

She slammed into the wall and then flew back, landing on her butt. I ran forward, catching up to her by the time she had gotten back to her feet. She looked back, and I froze in my tracks. I finally recognized the outfit she was wearing, as well as the rest of her.

“Why did you stop me!” Grace demanded, her expression filled with frustration and anger.

“You… were chasing them?”

She nodded emphatically. “Come on, they just turned the corner.”

I hadn’t seen the person, but I still nodded and ran with Grace to the end of the ally. The air wall I had created only lasted for a few seconds, so it was already gone by the time she got to her feet. We reached the end of the ally. Grace immediately turned left, but then stopped after a few feet. There was no one there. Whoever it was, they had gotten away.

There was no way it could have been Brooke, right? She had shot Dia for a reason, I had to believe that. Why would she go after Mako? Was she that scared of Mako talking? No, that didn’t make any sense. Even if they didn’t want her to talk, they wouldn’t kill her to silence her, right? I had just about thought I had this all figured out, and suddenly I was back to being just as confused as before.

Grace looked at me and then lowered her head. “I’m sorry, I let them get away.”

I let out a sigh. “It was my fault. I shouldn’t have stopped you. Did you see any details?”

She thought for a second and then shook her head. “I didn’t get a good look at them. After the gunshots, I saw them dive into this ally and I followed. They were too far ahead. I have a feeling even if you didn’t stop me, they would have gotten away.”

“Why Mako…” That was a thought, but I ended up saying it out loud.

“Perhaps… she knew something she wasn’t supposed to know?” Grace offered.

I shook my head. “Are… you going to tell Roxanne about this?”

“I’m sort of required, aren’t I?”

I recalled back to what Cornelia had said. She didn’t want any of this getting back to Roxanne. She permitted me to seduce Grace by any means necessary. It was always so easy to seduce women on the spot, but when it came to this particular police officer, I suddenly felt uneasy. Plus, how could I be in a seductive mood when I had just witnessed Mako being hurt.

It was ultimately my worry for Mako that won out. Rather than try to convince Grace to stay quiet, I turned around and left, heading back to the car. The bodyguards met us before we even turned the corner, and Cornelia was standing there with her arms crossed halfway. I stopped in front of her, a no-nonsense expression on my face.

Cornelia’s stern, disapproving expression dropped and she let out a long sigh. “Mako is alive, but in critical condition. They got to her as quickly as possible, so chances are good that she will pull through.”

“Do you believe there is a conspiracy yet?” I asked dryly.

Her cheeks reddened. “It’s not a matter of whether there is a conspiracy or not. The problem is your safety.”

“I was with Grace the whole time.” I grabbed Grace and pulled her to my side, eliciting a surprised yelp from her.

“Th-that’s right!” She tried to give me some support against Cornelia’s narrow gaze.

“I take it the shooter got away?” Cornelia ended up changing the subject, so I let go of Grace’s arm.

“Yes. Neither of us got a good look at them.”

She nodded. “Then, now what?”

“We’re here, so I want to talk with Dia.”

The group of us headed into the hospital and to the receptionist. None of the girls took the lead, but I suppose that was my fault for constantly pushing ahead. I walked up to the receptionist, who blinked twice at the sight of a man suddenly appearing before her. Likely, it was always a proxy that dealt with the receptionist, so seeing a man come up to her was surprising. I gave her Dia’s name and requested if I could meet her.

After spending a few minutes looking it up and even making a phone call, she gave me a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry, she’s not seeing any guests right now.”

“She’s okay, right?”

“I’m sorry, I’m not allowed to say.”

My expression turned sour and the girl became a bit flustered. As restricted as men were in this world, an unhappy guy still had the power to ruin a girl’s career if he wanted to. However, I wasn’t angry at her, and I knew that she probably had nothing to do with it. Still, it was extremely frustrating. I felt like this was a conspiracy specifically directed at me. Just what were they trying to keep from me?

I ended up waiting at the hospital, but there was no news by the end of the day on Mako’s condition. The doctor explained that they’d have more information in the morning. Having wasted the entire day, my entourage returned to the apartment. When I walked in the door, my stomach growled, and I was reminded that I hadn’t eaten anything. To my surprise, Cornelia immediately went to the kitchen and started cooking.

When she noticed me watching, she distinctly avoided meeting my eyes. “Don’t expect this to become a regular thing. I just figured that after the day you had, I could do this much.”

“I understand,” I responded, my voice somewhat melancholy.

“As for your nightly commitment, I’ve postponed that as well,” she added. “Nearly a week, and you’ve only slept with one woman. I’m going to get in trouble if this continues.”

I didn’t respond, and she continued cooking in silence. She finally brought me a pasta dinner that was quite a bit better than the food I had made for myself. It wasn’t at the level of the cooks at the mansion, but that had its advantages too. It felt more substantial and homey compared to their complicated cooking.

Once she finished cooking, Cornelia left to go clean up, leaving me alone at the table. I ate quietly and alone, dwelling on everything. The appearance of my sister being led away by police, the look of Mako as she was shot in the back, and the frantic expression on Brooke as she ran to escape. Things were happening, but I just couldn’t understand what.

After I finished, I was feeling a bit filthy. I busted and rinsed off the dishes, and then I pulled off my shirt and tossed it into the hamper. I hadn’t lived there long enough where we had decided how clothing was washed, but I just tossed mine on hers anyway.

When I opened the door, I was met with a wave of hot steam. I hadn’t realized it, but Cornelia had slipped into the bathroom for a soak. I ended up walking in on her. She looked back with a shocked expression. This wasn’t like the time before, where she had planned it out to manipulate me. She had truly forgotten to lock the door and I had bumbled in without realizing it.

Her back was facing me. While I had seen her from the front before, I had never seen her from the back. Which is why I didn’t notice several long scars running down the length of her back. I froze, with my eyes on the streaks the blemished her otherwise perfect skin. She was staring back at me, her hands up, her hair in the middle of a lather as she applied soap to it.

“I’m sorry,” I mumbled an apology, and then softly close the door.

She didn’t explode on me like some cliché. She didn’t say anything. I stood in front of the door, thinking about the damage to her back. There was a click a moment later, locking the door on the other side. I returned to my room quietly. Where would she have gotten that kind of damage? It looked like she had been whipped.

In this society, that level of damage would have made her ineligible for any breeding program. Most men would have looked at her with disgust. Having your choice of the litter often made men shallow, especially when the slice was taken away. It surprised me because her nature always seemed to be aimed at seducing problem clients to tame them and make them more attuned to the program. Yet, if any of her previous clients had seen that, I don’t think they would have ever accepted her.

There was a light knock on my door.

“Come in.”

The door opened, and Cornelia poked her head in. Her hair was still wet, but she was wearing her typical dress suit, and the expression on her face was completely unreadable.

“You didn’t sleep with those guys, did you…” I didn’t say it as a question. “Your previous clients, I mean.”

“I’m not a virgin… if that’s what you’re asking,” she responded, but then her expression turned distant and she spoke so lightly I almost didn’t hear her. “I don’t have the right to say I am anymore.”

“The Day of Wrath.” The second I said those words, there was a flicker of expression on her face.

“What of it?” she asked, sounding almost short.

“A lot of women were… hurt that day. Diba started making sacrifices, and the seniors they…”

I swallowed, not sure how to finish that sentence.

“I’ll be transferring away tomorrow,” she responded instead.

“What, why?” I stood up, shocked at her words.

“I said I’d give you four days. Tomorrow will be the fourth. In the meantime, you will be allowed to remain at the mansion under close supervision. A new agent will be assigned to you in a week or so. You have no reason to complain,” she responded.

“We agreed until I impregnated four women! Is this because I saw the scars?” I asked in confusion.

“My body has nothing to do with this!” An expression of anger formed on her face. “We simply are not compatible. That is all there is to it.”

I thought we were starting to get along. She had been showing more of herself to me, and I had even been willing to do what she wanted of me. Now, suddenly, she was leaving out of the blue? I couldn’t help but be shocked and confused.

“You’re scared,” I shot back, starting to feel angry myself. “You’re afraid of getting involved. You agree with me, don’t you? Something is going on, but you’re afraid of getting hurt again…”

“Shut up!” She snapped, her eyes turning dangerous…

“Why do you even have those scars. This is a world of magic. It would be nothing to have them permanently removed.”

“Watch it…” Her voice turned low.

“What is it? Is it some kind of morbid reminder of your mistakes? Is it a source of pride? Or… do you just like to feel special?”

She took two steps toward me and then her palm flew out. There was a clap as she slapped me across the face. I was completely stunned, never expecting someone, particularly an agent who treated men like they were endangered species, to a slap me across the face.

“You don’t know anything about me,” she snapped.

“Funny…” I responded, rubbing my cheek. “Because it seems like you know everything about me. And you wonder why this hasn’t been working.”

“…” She looked away. “Tomorrow is it. I’ll play your game one more day, and then we’re done.”

Smash! The sudden sound of the window shattering in our relatively quiet moment caused both of us to jump. A person dressed entirely in black with their faces completely covered leaped through the window. More people came in behind the first. Cornelia let out a scream, but the first person moved fast. They slammed the door Cornelia was standing at as they shoved her away. They locked it, and then knocked a cabinet down in front of the door. I heard people running up on the other side, but they were instantly blocked.

Cornelia got back to her feet, looking around in confusion. “Who the hell are you?”

One of the people in black raised a device in their hands. An electric bolt shot out and struck Cornelia, causing her to collapse to the ground. While this was happening, the two others went for me. I instantly used the skills Brooke had taught me, ducking one person as they tried to grab me and then decking the other in the face. I ran to where my sword was under my bed, but as I reached to grab it, three people jumped onto my back and I was knocked down.

As they tried to drag me to my feet, I managed to kick them off of me, slugging one of them and then jumping for the window. It was the third story, so the fall would probably hurt, but all my other avenues had been cut off. Just as I reached the window, a bolt of electricity struck me too, and losing the ability to control my muscles, I collapsed to the floor. Again, the two people got on top of me, but this time they successfully tied my hands behind my back.

They ended up dragging my body to the window anyway. They had dragged Cornelia out already, a rope tied around her to rappel her down the side of the building. I just saw the bodyguards kicking their way in the door was I was sent out the window. A few girls stayed behind to block the bodyguards, but I could only hear the fighting as I was lowered to the ground.

The people who appeared to be kidnapping Cornelia and I shoved the pair of us into a car, which drove off with a squeal. My body was still numb. I had considered trying to use some runes to stop them. I might have been able to give them car trouble or blow them back with air. However, I was curious about what they wanted. Thus, I remained quiet even as we drove off.

The car I was in the back of had a divider like a cop car. No one sat in the back to watch us. Other than the handcuffs behind our back, they had left us without anything else to restrain us. Perhaps, this would have worked in my world, but this was a world with magic. I already came up with a dozen different ways I could have escaped from this cab. Then again, few people in this world could launch magic on the spot in their head, so maybe they weren’t that dumb.

There were two people in front of the cab. They gave me the impression they were amateurs. Something about this whole act felt sloppy. It was for that reason I wanted to find out who they were and what they wanted. If push came to shove, I could escape later. I couldn’t even guess who would want to kidnap me. Kill me, sure, but it was clear that these people were trying not to hurt me.

I heard a groan from under me. Unlike me, Cornelia had been knocked out by the electric shock. She had been tossed into the car first, and was lying supine on the seat. As it were, I was tossed in after her, and thus tossed right on top of her. My head was resting on her chest, and that’s how I had been lying as I surveyed the situation.

“Clyburn?” she spoke in an uneasy voice, causing me to glance up at her from my place on her chest.

“You okay?” I asked.

“Yes…” She blushed. “Can you get off of me?”

“My body is completely numb, I can’t move yet. Give me a few minutes.”

It was partially true. I still was numb in various areas. However, if it came to moving, I could manage that much. I just felt comfortable on top of Cornelia and didn’t feel like moving just yet. Thankfully, she accepted my words without question, so we continued to ride for some time. I could hear her thumping heartbeat in her chest, and I could feel the warmth of her body. For such a cold woman, I thought the only way she’d show warmth is by sitting on an oven.

“Who are they?” She asked quietly after lying there for a few minutes.

“I don’t know,” I responded. “They didn’t exactly give me their calling card.”

“You’re calm,” she said.

“What man hasn’t been kidnapped a few dozen times in their lives?” I responded, feeling a bit scornful. “This is just par for the course.”

“Well, it’s the first time for me, okay?” Her voice broke, and I glanced up in surprise.

She had water in her eyes, and I realized that what I thought was the cold was her shivering in fear. I supposed being ripped out of your home by mysterious people in black would be pretty scary for someone who had never been through it.

“H-hey…” I lifted a hand and gently stroked her hair. “It’s okay. We’re going to be okay. I’ll make sure you stay safe, got it?”

“O-okay…” She looked awkward for a second and then looked back at me. “Clyburn?”

“Yeah?”

“Since you can move your hand… can you get off me now?”

“Yeah…”