IRINA'S POV

The next morning, not one of them even say anything to me. Not even Varvara herself. I was ordering some breakfast menu when I heard Varvara sigh heavily. "What's up with you three?" I asked after I thanked the waiter. "Something happened back at home." Athena said. "What happened?" I asked again.

Varvara sighed.

"Zoya was found in her room, consuming her own homemade poison. She's in a coma now." Whoa! "What, why?!" They both shrugged. I noticed Evara didn't say anything even once. "Evara you okay?" I asked. She didn't respond at all. "It's my fault. I'm so stupid. Why do I have to be so stupid." Is she crying?

"It's not your fault." Athena went to her back and hugged her. "It's nobody's fault." Athena looked up to Varvara. "You can go home. If you're worried about her." Evara looked up as well. "I can? Seriously?" Varvara nodded. "Either that or you will not concentrate at all. Irina, you do know how to take a shot right?" I nodded.

"Go home. I'll call mama."

I can't believe Zoya actually tried to kill herself. But why? Why does she want to kill herself? She seems like she have a normal life to look forward to. Well, can't blame her. The normal one always the one who did some unexpected thing. When I heard the door close, that's when I saw only Varvara and I in the room.

"Is it really okay to let her go home?" She nodded. It's better to let her go home rather than to failed the mission. She's not herself. She will jeopardise herself, us and the mission." And that is why she's the leader among us. She's so wise. I am ashamed of myself because she's a lot younger than I am.

"Sister. I do have a question about something." I motioned for her to continue. "What happened behind the close door last night? I saw you and Althea walked out of the private room that suppose to be used by the customer. I am shocked to see you instead." I chuckled. I couldn't tell her that we had sex. That would be embarrassing.

"Irina?"

I sighed. "I like her. That's all." She was confuse. "Like her? Are you crazy? She's evil. She nearly kill your own comrade." I shake my head. "She's not evil. I trust my instinct." Varvara sighed heavily. "Love has blinded you." She's wrong. She didn't even say anything to blinded me.

"You're wrong. She was... sweet." Varvara stood up from her seat. "Well, its not my problem when she's showing her true colours." She walked out of the room and leaving me alone. I know I'm doing the right thing by letting my heart to love someone other than Angelica.

I turned around when I heard the door were being open again. "Looks like you really take a liking of my hostess." Elizabeth showed me a picture of Althea and I on the bed, naked. "Well, she is lovely to see and touch and taste." I smiled. "What do you want her to do?" She asked as she sat on the bed, crossing her legs.

"Well, I don't know. Be mine perhaps?" I chuckled and leaned in to Elizabeth. "You can do that for little old me right?" Elizabeth pushed me back and stood up. "It can't be help." She snapped her fingers and on cue Althea walked into my room. "You heard her, be hers. I want to see how deep your love is to my hostess."

This bitch planning something. I know it! "Show me what you got. As a glamour model, Althea you know how to seduce someone who have the hots for you.." Althea seems to be in a very difficult situation. Wait, glamour model? Well, she does have the looks and curve for it.

"Now use your charm to fuck her body to your might." What the hell is happening right now? As much as I want to touch her body, this is not the way at all. This is wrong! So wrong! "You have no rights to force someone to do something she or he hates." I stopped Althea from walking forward. I know she hates the idea.

"Are you... deceiving me?" Elizabeth's tone changes. "What if we are?" I countered back. There's no need to follow such orders from a soon to be dead person anyway. "Umm. Excuse me, Madame, there's no need for you to be angry for my friends rudeness. I'll make sure she will put on her own place after this."

Is that Athena's voice? I turned around and I was right. What the hell is she doing?! "We received an urgent call from home about one of our friends is in a coma. Probably that's why she's been this rude to you, Madame. She's worried. She will never deceive you if she's not worried." Elizabeth hummed.

"I don't care. She needs to be punish." I watched as she reached for something from her back. I was shocked to see it's a whip! "Kneel before me, Irina." Seriously? She wants me to kneel? She whipped the floor, startling all three of us. "KNEEL YOU WHORE!" She screamed.

I can't believe I'm being this low! I kneel down and keep a stoic expression. There's no way I'm giving her the feeling of satisfaction by showing my fear. I'm not even afraid of her. "Kneel down, Althea." When I turned to her, her hands were trembling. She's scared, she's scared of what's happening now.

"To have a well behave dogs, they need to be punish! So.. Let's start, shall we." I was ready to received my punishment but I was surprised to heard Althea's scream of pain instead of me feeling the pain. I looked up and saw her closing her eyes, receiving her punishment. Why didn't she fighting back?!

Why did she let herself be weak like this?! What is wrong with her?! Elizabeth continued to whipped her body for a couple of minutes more. I looked away when her back were completely wounded. When she's done hurting my crush, she sniffed the whip and lick the blood on it with her tongue.

"The smell of blood. How nice. By now you should know to not deceiving me." She laughed and walked out of the room. Athena went to Althea's side and examined the wound. "Irina, get the first aid kit." I nodded and did as told. "I can't believe I'm helping someone who nearly killed my friend!" She mumbled while cleaning the wound on Althea's back.

This is my fault. I shouldn't said anything to Elizabeth on the first place!

***

"How is she?" Varvara asked Athena's who's changing another set of Althea's bandages. "She's okay. But, i found some punctured wounds all over her body. Some were injection's but the others, the only thing I know that could do such punctured are something long and sharp."

"Like an ice pick?" No way! I went to Athena and looked at it myself. I examine Althea's face, looking for a punctured scar. Thank God there's no lobotomy scar at all. "Here... and here.. it's all over her back and stomach." Athena said. She's right. "What do you have in mind? Why does her body has all of this?" I asked Athena. "Vörös is famous for its scientific findings. Maybe, just maybe, she's one of those resulted experiment." My heart dropped. She meant....

"Human experiment?" Varvara asked. Athena nodded. "Maybe she's one of those successful experiment. I did heard something about a  research team tried to find the way to make a human being, invincible." They both looked at me. "Someone that could withstand pain and heartless when a person need to be."

Suddenly we all heard someone giggled. "That's a good deduction, detective Athena." Its Althea. She's waking up. "You're right. I am one of those human experiments. But, I am not invincible. I am still human." She got up with the help of Athena. "These punctured wounds.." she smiled. "It's just one of those process to make sure I'm capable to contribute to make a group of assassins."

Why? What does she meant by that?!

"You mean your school... but how is it possible? Vörös only had female student...." Varvara was cut off. "It's possible because some of the student in Vörös is special." Althea nodded and smiled. "So.. don't worry about me. I'm sure my friends has been worried." She stopped moving. "Tell Evara I'm sorry. I know nothing can fix what I did. But, I am sorry." She stood up. "But your wound....."

"Will be heal in a couple of hours." She smiled and thanked us before walking out of the room. What just happened? Whats does she meant? "Hey what does her school did to her?" I asked my sister and Athena. They both looked away. "Guys.. come on. Tell me." Athena sighed.

"She's one of the many student that donate her eggs for the school monstrosity experiment. They creating human life form in a test tube." My eyes widen. "When she said special student, do you mean someone like Fluer Larove?" Varvara asked. Fleur? Carmen's mother? "I guess so. That's the only explanation."

This is too much information for a day.

I need some time alone to think. I just have to. "I'm going to get some air." I excuse myself from my sister and Athena and went outside. I am not familiar with this neighbourhood but all I need is some time alone. Althea's school, they're responsible for their action. I don't know what to feel.

But all I know is that Althea is not happy. Like Angelica and the others felt when they were still in Audra after I am gone. I can't just simply transferred them like mom did for the 7 Demon girls. Vörös's chairman will kill her and Noah. Ugh! What should I do?! I can't let Althea be torture like that. I can't let her see how they will train her child to be like her.

"What do we have here." I heard someone's voice call out for me. When I looked up, a group of girls and guys were surrounding me. "From the looks of your expensive suit, you must be a worker from that club." A brunette walked forward. "You must have a lot of cash on you." She added.

"Mina, can I have a taste of her?" A guy spoke out. "Sure but after we stole her suit and money of course. Don't stain it. We can sell it." The guys grabbed me from behind and hold me down. So they trying to overpower me huh? How sweet of them. "Clean her out!" This Mina chick commanded her goons.

This happened when I want to have little time to myself? This suck! "Excuse me, street trash. I wouldn't do that if I were you." I warned them. "And what will you do about it? You egg head." They all laughed. "Well, some of you will die today." I smiled. I placed my hands on both of the guys shoulder to use them as leverage before I flipped myself upward and landed on my feet.

"Well, it's funny how things shifted this way." I chuckled before pressing on their vital nerve to make them go to sleep. "I love my job." I exclaimed before stepping on the guy's chest to walked over to Mina. "Who are you?" She asked while they all walked away from me. "I am just a person who you capture. Right?"

"Irina!" Its Varvara. "No more games. Leave them alone." She said while jogged towards me. "Leave them? They capture me. I'm only doing what's right." I bantered. "They just young bloods Irina. They have no obligation to see Seraphim Blade's blade." They all gasped. I see my name has rose from the dead.

"Leave them alone now. We're being summoned by Elizabeth." I sighed. Man! I really want to kill them. Maybe a little punch is okay. "IRINA!" Varvara yelled for me. Ugh! No fair! I turned and followed her footstep back to the club. "Why is she summoning us? Isn't whipping Althea is enough for that bitch?" I asked.

"I lied." She lied?! So I missed my chance of a lifetime because she lied! "You lied?! Girl! I was about to kill her!" Varvara glared at me for no reason. "Stop being a bitch and listen to me. Athena found Augustine." That's good news! Why does she need to tell me about that.

"What's the problem with finding him?" I asked. "He's married to Elizabeth. He doesn't want to go back to his old life. He's her slave now." I face palm myself and sighed heavily. This mission suck!

***

I was making my rounds like always. I watched every single person who entered this club with something in mind. What are they doing here for real? There's no way their life filled with luxury and richness be that boring. It's must be something that attracts them to be here. I want to know what, why and how!

I met some of my past mission pupil, who came from a bourgeois family. I was glad that they were too drunk to function properly. I decided to walked up the stairs to the private quarters and kept my ears open. A slight uncomfortable sound, I will kick the door and save those damsel in distress.

But something caught my arms and pushed me inside one of the quarters. I was surprised to see it's Athena. She placed a finger on her lips, telling me to stay quiet. "Tonight, we will commence the operation, killing Elizabeth. Don't say anything. I don't want her lip reader to catch what I'm saying to you. That's why I use this face mask."

Whoa she's smart. Good thinking.

"No mistake. Make sure the blow you give is fatal. If she live, we will fail. Stop everyone or everything that may be the factor to our unsuccessful attempt. That's include your crush, Althea." I froze. No way. There's no way I can do that! "Listen.. Irina!" Athena suddenly slapped my face.

"I didn't mean you should kill her! You idiot." She sighed. "Just get her out of the way. I'm not that evil to leave her kids without their mother." Their mother? How many kids does she have?! "You understand me, right?" I felt she placed something inside my jacket. "Use them with pride and shoot her fucking head off."

She suddenly leaned in to me and kiss my lips. It was short but when she pulled away, she slapped me again. "I'm your sister's girlfriend now! Geez! Stop forcing yourself to me!" I am baffled. The last time I checked, she's the one who kissed me! She opened the door and pushed me out with that stupid smile plastered of her face.

What is wrong with her tonight? Geez!

What's the rush? We've only been here for a week. Now she wants me to kill Elizabeth first? But at least I received good news for a change. Finally Varvara felt the feeling of being in love. Not mention her dream girl! I'm proud of her. Varvara was dancing on the stage when I walked down the stairs.

She blushed when she saw me smiling at her and covered her breast from my view. The customer liking the shyness and cheered for her own even more. She really knows how to gained everyone's attention. I chuckled and continued my rounds. I tried to find my crush but I can't see her anywhere.

Don't tell me she's in one of those room. "Drink?" I turned to the bar and smiled when Althea actually talk to me first. "Excuse me?" She pushed a shot glass to me. "A drink. I hope you like it." She smiled. Well, this drink probably contaminated with poison but, what the heck. I'm parched.

I took the shot In one go. She was surprised but keep on smiling at me. She must thought I will drop dead anytime now. Well too bad for her, I won't be easily kill. Not anymore. "Thanks for the drink. I'll continue my rounds. Oh, you need to pay for it though. I'm broke." She didn't say anything and I didn't wait for her to say it.

It's her own fault for troubling herself. I felt dizzy all of the sudden. Damn, this poison is strong! My... head.. "You okay?" Someone asked me. When I turned it's Althea, smiling at me. "Is the poison taking its toll?" She asked and bend down to me. I didn't even noticed I am kneeling down, holding my chest.

Wow, is this really my last night living? I didn't even get to hold my own kid. Fuck! Before my body landed on the floor, Althea catches me and dragged me behind the bar. "Beware of her partners. They both surely will noticed if she's gone." Althea said to someone. "Leona, Angel, make sure to get yourself ready for their ambush."

Oh.. she planned everything huh. They decided to kill me first then to kill my sister and Athena. That's a very smart plan. I chuckled. "You just drank enough poison to kill an elephant, you still can chuckling at this moment? How rude." That voice, it's not Althea's. "Karena, shut up!"

Now thats Althea's voice. It's Such alluring voice. I don't mind hearing that voice before I die at all. "Carefully capture them. If it's getting dangerous, kill them. It's either you or them who will pull the trigger." Althea's hand all over my body, probably trying to find my weapon. "Attack now, GO!"

"Don't hurt them." I mustered up the energy I have. "Don't hurt my sister. She's my life." I coughed. "Don't say anything. The poison I gave you is something to numb your muscles. It's to make you weak in front of my partners." She what?! Is that why I'm not dead yet? She actually spare my life?

"The effects will wear off in few minutes. So don't worry." I didn't noticed I was laying on her thigh. "You have to excuse my partners. They're rude. But they all good friends. We went through everything together. Once you can see clearly, I'll introduce you to Karena. She's.. umm..." she chuckled. "Well, I'm not sure how to explain it myself."

I think I know. Maybe Karena, is that special student Athena and Varvara mentioned earlier. If that's so, don't tell me... she's.. with.. that Karena... had..... NO! I can't process that. "Why are you shaking?" Her voice echoes in my ears. "Relax your body. I know your body can take it. The poison will wear off soon. I need to do my job properly." When I opened my eyes, she was crying.

"I promised them I'll be home to them. I promise to be home safe and sound this time." She said before leaving me laying on the floor. She promised them... to be home... she.. promised. Slowly, my eyes betraying me by closing it again.