Veronica's hands jerked free from mine, and for a moment, she stared at me as if I had knocked the breath out of her. There was something raw and wild in her eyes, as though she were fighting a battle she didn't fully comprehend.
Through ragged breaths, she glared at me, her finger pointed accusingly. "Never do that again," she warned, then turned to the man, fixing him with a stern look. "You did this. Fix this mess."
With that, she stormed out of the room, her heels clicking sharply as the door slammed shut behind her. The second she left, the air felt lighter yet still thick with my shock at encountering this man again. Despite that, an unsettling sensation crawled under my skin—something I couldn't quite grasp.
Whatever it was, it had her fleeing, while I stood there like an idiot, my hand still lingering where hers had just been.
The man regarded me, a broad smile spreading across his face as he clasped his hands in front of him. It dawned on me that my hand was still outstretched from holding hers and I quickly retracted it back. Maybe I truly was in a coma.
He began with a smirk, "Pleasure to meet you again, Adonis."
"Keep the pleasantries aside. Where the hell am I?"
He chuckled, a deep, sensual sound, as he closed the distance between us with long strides. "Take a guess. Looks familiar, doesn't it?"
I bit my lower lip tightly. I had never been a fan of web novels; I preferred paperback and traditionally published works due to the rarity and depth of their plots. With web novels, it felt like each story I read was just a rehashing, penned by different authors.
Nonetheless, I was aware of tropes like transmigration and isekai, themes that had gained immense popularity among web novel audiences.
I recalled a classmate urging us in an assignment to write a report on a web novel featuring that very theme. I had barely managed to get through the first few chapters, but I had gained some insight.
Had I transmigrated here? To Delilah's Inn? That was impossible; it was just a book, an incomplete manuscript, with the last section riddled with plot holes. Or perhaps I was dreaming—I had to be in a coma.
Frustrated, I turned toward the wall and slammed my head against it, the reverberating pain causing me to stumble backward, rubbing the spot to soothe the forming bump. It was real. It was actually real.
Through my blurred vision, I watched him approach. "Don't come any closer. Stay right there!" I yelled, gripping my duvet tightly.
The man rolled his eyes. "Oh please, don't push it. If you didn't die then, you can't possibly die now."
My eyes widened in sudden realization.
The table at Carrie's dorm. Curse her, and curse that jerk, Kyle, too.
I felt my body tremble as I shot him a glare.
"If you want answers, you can start by getting dressed. Check the closet, and don't even think about running away—I'll be right here."
"Great. I've been kidnapped," I groaned.
"I think that's the right way to put it," he shrugged, casually sitting on the bed.
Reluctantly, I dragged myself to the bathroom. Compliance would bring me answers, and that was precisely what I needed. The last thing I wanted was to be on Veronica's bad side and die here like a helpless fool when, in fact, I was the one who had been cheated on.
The sickening memory of her body intertwined with his sent surges of rage through me as I struggled to piece myself back together.
After everything we'd been through and the lengths I had gone to save our relationship, she hadn't been satisfied. I was just a tool—a fool who had fallen for her tricks while believing I was in love.
However, I wouldn't let that affect me. I needed to leave this place first. Out of curiosity, I checked the back of my head where I had collided with the table. To my surprise, the wound had vanished, as if it had never existed. More questions flooded my mind, and I needed answers—quickly.
The closet was as elegant and expansive as the bedroom, filled with clothes, shoes, perfumes, and accessories from high-end designers, each tailored to my size. Initially, I assumed they belonged to visitors of the Inn, but the labels on the clothing countered that thought.
I decided on a pair of loose-fitting black trousers and a plain white shirt. As for footwear, I slipped on a pair of slides that coincidentally fit perfectly. I refused to fuss over my appearance; I would probably be leaving soon anyway.
When I exited the bathroom, the man still occupied the same spot. I cleared my throat, shutting the closet door behind me.
"I'd appreciate it if you started talking. How do I get out of here? How did I even end up here?"
His lips slowly curled into a smile that reached his eyes. "You can't leave, Adonis. You're dead."
A cold wave washed over me, and my heart skipped a beat. My body stiffened, and my lips trembled as I struggled to find the right words. Indeed, I remembered slipping into darkness after that fall. I had thought it was something else, not death.
Carrie and that idiot Kyle were responsible for my demise. Of all the ways I could have died, it had to be at their hands in such a senseless manner.
"No. That's not true," I denied aloud, slowly sinking to the marble-tiled floor, my gaze fixed on the wall ahead.
"You know it's true. I tried to warn you, didn't I? I don't do favors often, but I did one for you."
"All you did was ask a simple question and then disappear into thin air. Let me guess—you're the devil or perhaps, " my mouth parted as realization struck, "the Grim Reaper?"
He nodded with a smile. "Yes indeed, but I prefer to be addressed as Zephyr."
"So, Zephyr, why am I here? I didn't cheat on anyone. Am I some sort of vengeful ghost? Will I never find rest until my death is avenged?"
Zephyr laughed deeply. "Don't flatter yourself. You're here because you're quite the stubborn soul. I had trouble taking your soul to the afterlife, so I brought you here instead."
"You brought me here? My ghost?"
"Flesh and blood. So far, no one knows of your demise except your murderers. They will soon, though—you can rest in about a week or so once I fix the glitch."
I rose to my feet, my jaw clenched tightly. "So that's it? I'm supposed to graduate next year. My first manuscript is scheduled for publication in five months. All my dreams—everything—would vanish while they revel in their joy and I rot in the grave? This isn't fair."
Tears streamed down my cheeks, but I paid them no mind. A gust of wind from the air conditioner hit my face, causing the moisture to dry as fresh tears escaped.
"Life isn't fair; death is," Zephyr sighed. "Look at me, Adonis," he requested. I turned toward him, our eyes locking, and in a split second, it felt as if I had been yanked into another dimension.
*
*
In a dimly lit vintage bathroom, I saw someone sitting in the bathtub with Zephyr standing before her—it was Veronica.
She seemed to be sobbing, her white frock soaked in blood, her bloody fingers gripping the tub tightly. The heaviness of anguish filled the air, coupled with an overwhelming urge to comfort her.
"So that's it? I've given up everything for him—my pack, my life, everything—yet he betrayed me! He took a part of me that I don't understand, and he gets to go free? While I'm left to rot?" Veronica questioned, looking up at him with bloodshot eyes.
Tears rolled down my cheeks once more, the hurt in her voice stinging my chest as if I wanted to carry it for her. Veronica hadn't aged a day; in fact, she looked younger than ever.
This part of her wasn't included in the book—the vulnerable, hurt, scared, and angry side of her. I felt an intense desire to confront those who had caused her pain, wishing to inflict upon them a fate worse than what they had done to her.
"Yes, you have to come with me, Veronica."
"This isn't fair," she protested.
"Life isn't fair; death is."
"Indeed, it is. I'm not going with you. I've already backed down and had my kingdom taken from me, but not this. I won't bear this betrayal."
"What has happened has happened. That woman is with child. Whatever you do to her will spill innocent blood, and that has deadly consequences."
"I am ready to face them," she blurted, rising to her feet and staring him down. "Just grant this wish; I do not want to feel pain or love. I want to make them pay."
Zephyr rubbed his forehead, momentarily stunned by her determination, but it was as though he had something up his sleeve. "How about we make a deal?"
"Whatever you wish."
"I'll grant you all the powers you need to help you get your revenge. But remember, Veronica Gordon, as soon as the blood of that child is spilled, you'll be bound to this Inn for eternity, consumed by your thirst for vengeance. No love, no pain, nothing. You are bringing a curse upon yourself—is that truly what you want?"
"It's what I need," she replied through gritted teeth.
*
*
I blinked, breaking contact with Zephyr. My chest felt heavy, and I clutched my shirt tightly, struggling to breathe as I crumpled back to the floor.
I whispered, "That wasn't in the book…"
"Indeed, and that is your ticket to freedom," he grinned, rising to his feet, looking composed. I shouldn't have been surprised; after all, he was the Grim Reaper.
I raised my head to look at him. "You want me to hunt down cheating women and be bound to this Inn?"
It was a tempting offer, but I'd rather die at this point. Veronica may have chosen that path, which worked for her, but I wasn't exactly suited to murdering people gruesomely. It may have come easier for her as a werewolf, but not for me.
Zephyr let out a laugh. "You're incredibly funny, Adonis." A smirk slowly crept across his lips as he locked eyes with me. "It's been a century. Make Veronica fall in love with you, and you'll get your life back."