"BAHAHAHA... NICE TO MEET YOU, LITTLE SNAKE!! MY NAME IS COUNT VOUNCHEM, AND THIS, MY DEAR GUESTS... IS THE SURPRISE YOU'VE BEEN INVITED TO WITNESS!"
Jet's face hardened at the words coming from the manor's mouth. The situation was dire. She and Seishan had called for backup from their teams, but it wasn't enough. The moment the USVs and the awakened arrived, the manor's tentacles went into a frenzy, grabbing and destroying the vehicles. Worse still, the garden was crawling with nightmarish creatures attacking people.
"HELP ME!"
Jet narrowed her eyes as one of her men was split in two before her eyes.
"Fuck..."
She muttered, kicking a wooden humanoid creature that was charging at her. She lifted her wristwatch to her mouth and spoke.
"Nightgale, any response from Sunny?"
A moment passed as arrows whizzed by, taking out several of the wooden creatures with precision.
"Sunny's locked out of communications," Kai said, landing next to Jet.
"What's the situation?"
She asked, glancing at the thrashing tentacles.
"Not great. Aiko managed to get about 40% of the guests out, but the USVs you and Seishan called... 8 out of 10 are destroyed, and Seishan is nowhere to be found."
Jet frowned, her mind racing. She glanced at the soldiers behind her—they were sweaty and terrified. It was obvious why. Only a devil or something worse could cause this kind of chaos. Some of the soldiers probably thought they were here because a gate had emerged.
She sighed and raised her arm.
"SOLDIERS, HOLD YOUR GROUND! WE'RE GOING TO DESTROY THIS WOODEN MANOR AN—"
"GHYAAAAHAHAAAAAA"
Jet's eyes widened as a scream erupted from behind her.
'A scream?'
The manor itself began to wail. The tentacles flailed more violently, and the wooden creatures dropped to their knees.
"W-what's happening?"
"Are we winning?"
"Has it gone crazy?"
"Before we die, I just want to say I was the one who ate the last sandwich."
"We know, Jeremy!"
"Wait, it was you?!"
Jet glared at the soldiers, and they flinched under her stare.
She turned back toward the manor. The wooden tentacles were starting to crack, with yellowish liquid oozing from them. More cracks appeared on the monsters' heads and bodies, and the wooden creatures screamed in agony. The wooden humans...
"Gh... help... HELP..."
"NO... MOMMY..."
"AGHH...snshanm...MHAYG..."
'This is insane.'
Jet could only stare at the wooden humans. This was her only reaction to the madness. She remembered when all of this began—when Sunny and the red-dressed beauty told her that the Count was creating wooden monsters and humans. She had wanted to laugh and ask what drink they'd had. Now, she wondered if she was the one who was drunk, or if this was some kind of hallucination.
CRACK!
The tentacles continued to break apart, while the screams of the monsters and wooden humans filled the air. Jet covered her ears as the noise grew louder and louder.
"Ugh... shut up!"
She kicked one of the wooden creatures.
PSHEW
Wooden remnants of the tentacles started to fall. The mouth that had delivered the insane speech vomited yellowish-green blood, and the wooden beings collapsed one by one.
Crash!
Dust scattered as the tentacles crashed to the ground. The mouth let out one final agonizing cry, and the creatures' heads cracked. Their wooden bodies flattened and broke apart, disintegrating into dust in an unknown manner.
Jet coughed as she wiped the dust from her eyes. She glanced around and shouted.
"STAY ON GUARD!"
She took a few steps, placing a hand on Kai's shoulder.
"Tell me what you see, Nightgale."
Jet was worried. With the beast down and the unknown reason behind the wooden creatures' deaths, she braced herself for the worst-case scenario. But Kai's words reassured her.
"Don't worry... he killed the monster."
The dust finally cleared, revealing a demolished manor with one closed eye. Blood—both human and wooden—covered the ground.
Jet looked up at the sight and scoffed.
"Is that..."
"Huh?! No way..."
"Wait... don't tell me..."
"Mongrel?!"
"Mongrel's here! He saved us!"
"He? Don't you mean she?"
Up on the remains of the manor stood a silhouette of a dark figure, wearing a three-horned mask. In its arms was a girl in a red dress, her gray cape and hood concealing her face.
Jet smiled, knowing the situation was finally under control. She allowed herself to take a slow breath.
Kai glanced at the silhouette of Mongrel and thought for a second.
"Wait a minute... isn't he the one who got me into trouble with—"
Kai clamped his mouth shut and sighed. Just then, his girlfriend's voice echoed in his mind.
"Hey, Kai! Isn't that the person who got you roped into this event to clear the misunderstanding about Mongrel's identity?!"
Aiko's words sent a chill down Kai's spine.
'Sunny...'
He mentally sighed in defeat.
---
"BREAKING NEWS! ONE OF THE VALOR FAMILY HEADS HAS ATTACKED ITS BALL GUESTS WITH—"
Sunny stepped into his house's yard, the breaking news broadcast playing on his watch, audible because the front door was still open.
He glanced to his right, where Cassie's unconscious head lay against his shoulder. He grunted softly, tightening his grip on her as he kicked open the gate.
"SUNNY?!"
He looked up to see a woman in a wheelchair, shivering from the cold.
Effie quickly placed her hands on the wheels and tried to rush toward him, momentarily forgetting that using the chair on the grass wasn't a good idea. Luckily, Sunny reached her before she could attempt it.
"You'll fall if you try rolling on the grass."
"Are you okay? Are you hurt? What about Kai and Aiko?!"
Effie began asking a thousand questions—or at least, that's what Sunny thought was coming.
"Sunny... why is Cassie on your back?"
Effie asked, eyes widening as she noticed Cassie resting against him.
"Well... it's a long story... and I'm exhausted. For now, call Kai. He'll fill you in."
Sunny muttered, his voice strained as he stepped into the house.
"Sunny—"
"Thank you..."
"-!"
Sunny glanced back at the still-worried Effie.
"Thank you for worrying about me... now come inside. I need you to give Cassie some of your—"
He paused, biting his lip as he reconsidered.
"Actually... some of my clothes."
'Yeah, she's too big for hers,' Sunny thought, but Effie's words snapped him back to reality.
"Stop acting like this! You sure you're alright? Kai and Aiko... Cassie... please, tell me—"
Sunny winced. For the first time, he felt like punching himself for making her worry.
"You're right... I'm sorry I worried you... I'll explain everything."
As Sunny walked inside, he began recounting the events of the ball, the dark room, and the final battle, leaving out certain parts involving the balcony and making up a plausible excuse.
He gently laid Cassie on Effie's bed—the guest room was closer.
"So... what's your plan now? Cassie is being followed by the Valor family, and she might have caused the death of one of their members."
Sunny frowned deeply as he looked at the unconscious Cassie, running his fingers through his hair.
"She'll stay here for now... I'll let you convince her."
Effie nodded without question, accepting why he wanted her to handle it instead of him.
"So, you want to hide her here?"
"Yeah."
"I see... good choice, doofus!"
Sunny glared at Effie as she smiled and gave him a thumbs-up. He sighed, exasperated.
"Go get her some of my clothes from my room."
Effie chuckled and nodded, turning her wheelchair as she left the room.
Plop
As soon as Effie left, Sunny collapsed onto the bed beside Cassie, breathing heavily. His legs had finally given out. He unbuttoned two buttons on his shirt and tossed his bowtie to the floor.
'Ugh... why is my heart aching?'
It was strange. Sunny was finally home, finally able to rest. So why was his heart racing? He placed a hand on his chest, gripping his suit. Why was his pulse so erratic?
He turned his head toward the unconscious girl beside him.
Slowly, he raised his hand and placed it on her neck. Her face... red lips, soft cheeks that had lost their baby fat, blonde hair shining even in the dim light. Even with her face and hair stained with the blood of wooden creatures, she looked beautiful.
Sunny exhaled weakly.
"I could tighten my grip around your neck... I could kill you right now..."
He muttered, forgetting to keep the thought inside his head.
"It's your fault."
He tried to tighten his grip but couldn't. His hand remained on her throat, his fingers resting on the only thing keeping her alive.
"Since that dream... you keep appearing in front of me again and again and again..."
Sunny sigh as he let go,he rested his hand down under her neck as he slowly moved it to cup cheak..he glared even more as he wipped with his finger the blood on her right cheak and under it
"Your awake aren't You?"
Sunny asked ,as no answer followed,he turned his body fully twords her as he then closed his eyes
"I hate You dummy.."
He mutterd as dizzynes finally cut his logic and Conscience ...after a few second pass...small sigh could be Heard from Cassie ,She opend her lost from Light eyes and then let a small smile ,She nuzzled her cheak a bit in his hand and then close It back
"I know.... hate me more If You need....just dont leave me"
She mutterd and closed her eyes back... going into slumber
END OF VOLUME 1
author note: not sure what to Say...i . Not good at writing or at story Telling but leave a coment down Below If You want the second part,also like this chaper,at 20 liked i will start to write the second volume
Cheers🍷