Falko lay down on the bed in Samantha's house. The bed was slightly more comfortable than the one at Brina's, but there was no sense of peace. He stared at the ceiling, still uneasy after everything that had happened that day. His body ached slightly from all the chores he'd done for Samantha, and the strange way she had been watching him lingered in his thoughts.
As he closed his eyes, trying to drift off to sleep, he suddenly heard the soft sound of footsteps outside the house. Falko's instincts kicked in immediately, concern prickling his skin. He sat up quietly and moved toward the window, peeking through a crack in the curtain.
His tense expression softened when he saw a familiar face sneaking around the house. It was Rhea, her figure moving cautiously as she tried to peer through the window.
Rhea? Falko thought, his heart warming at the sight of her. He quietly opened the window, trying not to make too much noise. "Rhea?" he whispered.
Rhea froze, then her eyes widened when she saw Falko's face. "Falko! Are you okay?" she whispered back, her voice full of concern. "I was worried… I had to check on you. Samantha didn't do anything right?"
"No...no, she didn't-" Before they could exchange more words, Falko's vision blurred, and his body suddenly felt unbearably heavy. His legs wobbled beneath him, and a strange drowsiness overcame him.
"Tyrant," Falko thought, his mind slowing. "What's happening?"
[Something's wrong]
Tyrant growled.
[This isn't natural. That woman must have drugged you. Remember how she asked if you ate your food? Looks like she's not the patient type. I didn't expect her to act so quickly.]
Gamer Falko's voice rang out in his head, more urgent than usual.
[Jump through the window! Now! Rhea's here, she'll help you.]
Falko, his thoughts muddled but still coherent, didn't hesitate. With whatever strength he had left, he pushed himself out of the window, landing clumsily at Rhea's feet.
"Falko!" Rhea gasped, kneeling beside him. "What's going on? Why are you—"
"I don't have time…" Falko mumbled, his voice slurred. "She might have drugged me… we have to go."
Realizing something was terribly wrong, Rhea quickly slipped her arm under Falko's and helped him to his feet. "Come on, we have to get you out of here."
Together, they stumbled away from Samantha's house, disappearing into the shadows of the village. Not long after, inside Samantha's house, the door creaked open, and she entered the room where Falko had been. Her face, illuminated by the faint light of the stars, was cold and determined. And she was completely naked.
When she saw the empty bed, her expression twisted into rage.
"Where is he?" she hissed under her breath. Her eyes blazed with fury as she stormed around the room. "How dare he escape?"
Falko woke up slowly the next morning, his body feeling heavy but his mind clear. He blinked a few times, disoriented, before he realized he was back at Brina's house, lying in his usual spot.
Beside him, Rhea sat slumped in a chair, fast asleep, her head resting on the edge of the bed. Falko's heart clenched as he looked at her. He remembered everything now—how Rhea had helped him escape, how she had been the one to save him.
If Rhea hadn't been there… Falko's thoughts trailed off. I would have been…
The realization hit him hard. Samantha had tried to drug him, and if he hadn't escaped, he would have been at her mercy. He shuddered at the thought.
"Thank you, Rhea," he whispered, his voice soft as he looked at her sleeping face. You saved me.
[You should be more careful! I told you that woman is crazy. I have seen her type,]
Gamer muttered as soon as Falko woke up, but Tyrant had a different opinion about the situation. He wasn't vocal about it, but Falko could easily see that Tyrant wanted something like this to happen, and in the next second he realized why.
Their debate was interrupted by the familiar ding of the system in his head. He blinked, the transparent menu appearing before his eyes, with a new message flashing at the top.
Subquest Unlocked: Take Revenge on Samantha
Gamer's voice broke the silence in his mind.
[There it is. Your first subquest. Just like an RPG game, man. These quests come from the events happening around you.]
Falko frowned slightly, confused. "RPG?"
[It's a game where you play a character and complete quests based on what's happening. Don't worry about it, though—you don't need to know the details. Just know that it's your job to pay back Samantha for what she tried to do.]
Tyrant's voice chimed in next, his tone sharp.
[She's a threat now, Falko. She won't stop until she's punished. And next time, she won't make the same mistake.]
Falko nodded to himself. He didn't fully understand the terms Gamer used, but the meaning was clear enough. Samantha had crossed a line. She had drugged him, and that wasn't something he could just let go.
The next few days passed quietly. Falko stayed mostly at home, regaining his strength. Samantha didn't try anything else, and he figured she was waiting for an opportunity to act again. He kept his guard up, but nothing happened.
He realized that she might be a little bit more careful after what happened because she had a reputation in the village to keep up. If the village knew there village head was a creep and pedophile, he knew she would easily loose her position or position too.
Then, Brina returned.
She had been gone for several days, treating patients in a nearby village, but when she arrived back and heard what had happened from Rhea, her reaction was swift and explosive.
"She what?!" Brina's voice was a furious roar, echoing through the house. Her face was red with rage, and her hands shook with anger. "That woman tried to drug Falko?!"
"She did," Rhea said quietly, standing beside Falko. "I saw it. Falko barely got out in time."
Brina clenched her fists, her eyes blazing. "I won't let her get away with this."
Without another word, she stormed out of the house, marching toward Samantha's home. Falko and Rhea followed behind, unsure of what was about to happen, but knowing they couldn't stop Brina once she was in this state.
Brina reached Samantha's house and banged on the door with her fist. "Open up!" she shouted.
The door creaked open, and Samantha stood in the doorway, her face calm and composed as if she had expected this. But before she could say anything, Brina's fist collided with her face.
Samantha staggered back, holding her cheek in shock. "What the hell are you doing?!" she shrieked.
"You disgusting creep!" Brina shouted, her voice shaking with fury. "You tried to drug a child! You tried to drug Falko while I was gone! How dare you!"
Villagers, hearing the commotion, quickly gathered around, their faces curious and concerned.
Samantha, holding her bruised cheek, glared at Brina with pure hatred in her eyes. "I did no such thing!" she snapped. "This is all a misunderstanding. I was just punishing Falko for what he did to those girls. He was working in my house as part of his punishment."
Brina's eyes blazed, and she tried to lunge at Samantha again, but the villagers held her back. "You liar!" she spat. "Everyone saw how you've been creeping on him!"
The crowd began to murmur, glancing between Brina and Samantha. Some of them looked at Samantha with suspicion, while others seemed unsure of what to believe.
The girls who were punished along with Rhea also looked at Samantha with suspicions because they knew, she had a different kind of look on her face, but they knew going against her would be foolish, especially for the young man who attacked them.
Samantha, realizing the shift in the crowd's mood, quickly changed her tone. "I never drugged anyone," she said, her voice smoother, trying to sound reasonable. "Falko must have misunderstood. I was just trying to teach him a lesson. "
Falko watched silently, his eyes fixed on Samantha. Liar, he thought. I know what you tried to do.
As the villagers pulled Brina back, she continued to shout accusations, but Samantha didn't respond. She simply stood there, her eyes fixed on Falko, Rhea and Brina with a look of pure hatred.
And Falko met her gaze with the same cold determination. He knew this wasn't over. Samantha had made herself an enemy, and she wouldn't stop until she got what she wanted.
[Make that woman bow before you. If you can do that, I will believe that you can become an emperor of the south one day,]
Tyrant gave Falko a challenge, which he obviously accepted but at the same time, he understood it was no easy task.