The dirt road stretched endlessly, framed by barren trees and gray skies. Yamari walked with an unspoken tension between her and Benjamin. Her mind replayed the revelations of her family's fractured past, each thought tightening the knot in her chest.

They rounded a bend, and her steps faltered as a large, foreboding building loomed ahead. The structure was oddly familiar, with its dark, jagged edges and crimson banners flapping in the wind. Her eyes locked onto one banner in particular—a flag adorned with an intricate "M" insignia, surrounded by thorny vines.

"This... This is it," she murmured. "Karma's headquarters."

Benjamin stopped beside her, his expression unreadable. "It's dangerous to linger here. We should move on."

But Yamari ignored him, her feet carrying her forward as though pulled by an invisible force. She approached the massive iron gates, where two guards in matching uniforms stood watch. Their masks obscured their faces, but their body language screamed wariness.

"I'm here to see Miss Mercy," Yamari announced, her voice steadier than she felt.

The guards exchanged glances before one of them spoke, his voice dripping with suspicion. "She's busy."

"It's a royal matter," Yamari insisted, hoping the title carried some weight here.

The guards froze for a moment, then turned toward each other. One let out a strange guttural noise, almost animalistic, like a growl mixed with a bird's trill. The sound was answered by the second guard, who drew his weapon with alarming speed.

"Royalty aren't allowed," the first guard declared, his hands suddenly glowing with fiery orange energy. The second guard's hands sparked as well, but with a cool, blue luminescence. Together, they stepped into fighting stances, the air around them charged with hostility.

"Yamari!" Benjamin barked, his frustration evident. "I told you not to talk to random people. You don't know what they're capable of."

The sound of more footsteps caught their attention as an army of guards began spilling out of the building. Some held weapons—swords, spears, chains—while others had energy radiating from their palms. A few carried glowing restraints, clearly prepared for a capture.

Yamari's blood ran cold. The odds were overwhelming: a hundred trained fighters against the two of them. Her confidence waned as she remembered her recent battles. Sure, she'd gone toe-to-toe with Karma, but even he had been holding back. She couldn't rely on her rudimentary combat training in this situation.

Her body froze as the wave of enemies closed in. She felt powerless.

Benjamin sighed heavily, drawing her attention. "You get us into so much trouble, Yamari," he muttered, sinking cross-legged onto the ground. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, his movements calm, almost meditative.

"What are you doing?" she hissed, panic creeping into her voice.

"Just trust me," he said, his voice steady. "I've got this."

She swallowed her fear and shifted into a fighting stance, though her knees felt like jelly. "I'm not here for trouble!" she shouted to the guards. "I just want to talk to her!"

Her words fell on deaf ears as the guards advanced. One of them lunged at her, throwing a glowing fist. Yamari tried to sidestep, but the hit connected with her stomach, and the impact sent her soaring into the air. She landed hard, the breath knocked from her lungs.

From her crumpled position on the ground, she watched as Benjamin moved like a phantom. His eyes remained closed, his breathing slow and measured, but his body dodged every incoming attack with ease. When the guards charged him, he evaded with an almost lazy grace, making their numbers look like a disadvantage.

"What... is he doing?" Yamari whispered, clutching her aching ribs.

Benjamin finally opened his eyes, exhaling a long breath. The ground trembled beneath him, and a faint glow emanated from his body. His voice was calm but carried an edge of annoyance. "Enough."

A Door to Deception

The battlefield was littered with unconscious guards, glowing weapons scattered around them like discarded toys. Benjamin stood amidst the chaos, rolling his shoulders as if shrugging off an intense workout. Yamari, still clutching her ribs, watched him with a mix of awe and disbelief.

"Don't just sit there," Benjamin called out, gesturing toward the building's entrance. "Hurry up. We're not here to sightsee."

Yamari scrambled to her feet, following him as he kicked open the heavy doors of the Karma Contributions headquarters. The sound echoed ominously through the grand hall.

Inside, the air was thick with tension and the scent of polished wood. The room was dimly lit, illuminated only by a grand chandelier overhead. Yamari hesitated as her eyes adjusted, her breath catching when she saw them.

Karma and Miss Mercy.

Karma leaned against the edge of a sleek desk, his face dangerously close to Mercy's. His smirk was devilish, his posture relaxed but far too intimate. Miss Mercy—no, Marveen, Yamari corrected herself—sat on top of the desk, her legs crossed, a casual elegance about her. Her expression was unreadable, but her proximity to Karma left no room for doubt. They had been... close.

Yamari's heart twisted in her chest, a storm of emotions crashing through her. Betrayal. Confusion. Anger.

"Hey," Benjamin's voice broke through her spiraling thoughts. He glanced at her, noticing her pale face and trembling hands. Without a word, he hoisted her over his shoulder, carrying her like a sack of flour.

"Princess!" Karma's voice was filled with alarm as he pushed away from the desk, closing the distance between them in a few swift strides. His usual air of arrogance was replaced by genuine concern.

Marveen, however, remained composed. With a flick of her wrist, she cleared her desk, papers and trinkets floating gracefully to the floor. She extended a single finger, and Yamari's body lifted off Benjamin's shoulder, suspended in the air as though weightless.

"What happened to her?" Marveen asked, her tone sharp but curious. She guided Yamari gently onto the now-clear desk, her movements deliberate. For the first time, her cool demeanor cracked, revealing a hint of worry.

"She ran into some trouble outside," Benjamin said, brushing off invisible dust from his jacket. "Nothing she couldn't handle, though." His voice was casual, but his eyes flicked to Karma, narrowing slightly.

"Trouble?" Karma repeated, his tone tinged with disbelief. He crouched beside the desk, his piercing gaze scanning Yamari's face. "Yamari, are you okay? Talk to me."

Yamari wanted to respond, to demand answers, but her body felt heavy, her limbs refusing to cooperate. She stared at Karma, her mind reeling with the image of him and Marveen.

"She's fine," Benjamin said, stepping between Karma and Yamari. "Give her some space. She just needs a moment to recover."

Marveen tilted her head, studying Yamari closely. "Hey girl, You still In there?," she smiled. "She looks... rattled. But this isn't just physical exhaustion. There's something else." Her gaze flicked to Karma, her lips curving into a small smile. "Did you say something to upset her, my dear?"

Karma flinched at her words but quickly masked it with a smirk. "Me? Upset the princess? Never."

Benjamin folded his arms, his patience clearly wearing thin. "Enough games. We didn't come all this way to watch you two flirt."

Marveen chuckled softly, leaning back. "Oh, Benjamin. Always so direct. But you're right. Let's get to the point. Why are you here?"

Benjamin glanced at Yamari, who was beginning to stir, her fingers twitching as she fought to regain control of her body. "That's her question to ask," he said finally. "And trust me, she'll ask it loud and clear once she's back on her feet."

Karma's expression darkened as he stepped back, his jaw tight. Marveen, however, looked intrigued, her eyes flickering with curiosity and amusement.

Yamari's voice broke the tension, soft but steady. "Why are you here with him?" she asked, her gaze fixed on Marveen.

The room fell silent, the question hanging heavily in the air. For the first time, Marveen's confidence faltered, if only for a moment.

"I think," she said finally, her voice calm but measured, "it's time we had a long-overdue conversation."

The air in the room felt charged, vibrating with Maveen's seething energy. Her diamond pupils glimmered like jagged shards of glass as she stood over Yamari.

"You know, I've always hated royals," she said, her usual teasing tone replaced with something darker. "But you, Yamari—oh, you're special." Her words dripped with venom. "Not Vengeance. Not Princess. Not Amelia. Just Yamari. The fragile little girl clinging to her family's lies."

Yamari winced at the truth in Maveen's words, her stomach burning both from the wound and the verbal assault.

"Your family," Maveen continued, circling the table, "always competing with me. Always trying to be better, stronger, purer. Well, not this time." She leaned in closer, her gaze fixating on the blood seeping through Yamari's clothing. "This time, I win."

Yamari's heart pounded as Maveen's demeanor shifted. Her body glowed faintly, the transformation beginning. Her glowing rabbit-like ears shimmered, her weighted wings twitching as they unfurled slightly. Then, with a sudden, blinding pink explosion, the room filled with oppressive energy.

Benjamin was thrown back, his body freezing mid-step as Maveen's power locked him in place.

"Let her go, you lunatic!" Benjamin shouted, his voice filled with anger as he struggled against the invisible force. But Maveen ignored him.

Her hand pressed firmly against Yamari's wound, eliciting a scream of pain. "You're in my way, Yamari," Maveen spat, her voice trembling with rage. "Why can't you just let me have him?"

Yamari's body convulsed with pain, her vision blurring. "Miss Mercy," she gasped, tears streaming down her face. "P-please... stop."

Maveen's lips twisted into a cruel smile. "No. I don't think I will." She applied more pressure, her hand glowing as blood spilled onto the table. "I don't want to play your game anymore, Yamari. I want you to lose."

"Why can't you let me have him?" Maveen's voice cracked, a mixture of fury and desperation. "Why can't I have just one thing that's mine?!"

Yamari's vision began to fade, but she fought to stay conscious. "I—don't—understand..." she managed to whisper, her words broken by labored breaths.

"Don't worry, dear princess," Maveen said with a bitter laugh. "You'll find someone new, just like your sister did."

With a flick of her wrist, Maveen dragged Karma across the room to her. Yamari's fading consciousness sharpened for a moment as she saw Karma's dazed expression, his body moving as if against his will.

"No," Yamari croaked, her voice barely audible. "This isn't about... him?"

Maveen smirked, pulling Karma close. "Oh, but it is." She placed her lips on his, her hand tangling in his hair as his arms encircled her waist.

Yamari's heart broke, the sight cutting deeper than any wound. She gasped for breath, coughing up blood as the room spun around her. "Y-you don't..." she tried to say, but the words wouldn't come.

"Stop it, you psycho!" Benjamin roared, still immobilized but burning with rage.

Maveen broke the kiss and turned to Yamari, her expression triumphant. "Goodbye, Princess." She raised her hand, her energy coalescing into a sharp wave that sent Yamari flying across the room.

Yamari's back slammed into a towering bookshelf, the impact knocking it over. Books rained down on her limp body as her world faded into darkness.