Song: Kill This Love by BLACKPINK

Song (bottom): Amygdala by SIE Sound Team

All choices offered in this chapter will appear as different chapters, so you don't have to vote this time. I wrote the general endings, so there is some surprise to them still left when you Lovies read them.

The old cellar looks precisely how I left it years ago. The smell is a bit more wretched, but I didn't expect it to get any better after sitting in the damp darkness. 

Ryuu and I used to come down here during the summer months to escape the heat. Though when Ryuu found out, I was using this place to skip my tutoring lessons, he threatened to tell my parents. Knowing my parents, they'd probably block off the entrance to the old cellar if they even remembered it. But if they found out I was skipping lessons, they'd confine me to the second floor. I couldn't have that. So I stopped going down here altogether. 

I look over at Ryuu. He looks contemplative. I wonder if he also remembers the nights we hid away down here? 

Ren walks beside me as I lead our small group to our current cellar. Ryuu and I were the only ones that knew about the small entrance in the back. The little door rests between two whiskey barrel pallets. If you didn't know it was here, it would be almost impossible to notice. The only reason I found it years earlier was by mere luck during a game of hide-and-clap with Ryuu. Last time we were here, the rusty wall sconces were dim but worked. I hope they still work. Otherwise, our small amount of flashlights aren't going to be enough to light up the 4,000 square feet.

"And you're sure that no one else knows about this place?" Ren asks for the fifth time.

"Yes. The only other person who knows is Ryuu." I say in an annoyed huff. I glance over at Ryuu again. He's staring right at me, a sly, almost mischievous, glint in his eye. Yup, he definitely remembers those secret sleepovers in the cellar. 

Suddenly a thought dawns on me. I turn around to face Ryuu completely.

"Wait, Ryuu what about the rest of the house staff?" I hadn't seen any maids or even Leo, our house doctor, for a while, but I need to make sure that they aren't in danger. 

"I dismissed everyone a week ago on paid leave. I don't think your parents will notice if they aren't gone for too long. I know that Asterid and Goro gave monthly updates via email. If it's still not safe for them to return, I'll write up an update pretending to be them." Ryuu gives me a reassuring smile and takes my hand in his.

"You dismissed them?" Kyo asks. He and Naomi speed up, so we're all awkwardly crammed between the two pallets. "I thought (Y/n) was the mistress here." I nod my head in agreement, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Mistress, you forget that your parents left me in charge of the house while they are away." Ryuu reclaims my hand and squeezes it, ignoring his brother entirely. "Don't worry. You're still in charge of me."

"I guess so." I roll my eyes but let him continue holding my hand.

"Everyone needs to be quiet until we get to the safe room. He could already be inside the house for all we know." Ren stage whispers from the back of the group. Juro chose to stay behind after we left the dining room to walk around the house. He said he was checking the windows and doors to make sure they were genuinely locked. I would have been too scared to walk around the house by myself, but the handgun that Juro and Ren keep holstered makes me think neither are too worried. 

"I'll go first to make sure no one is waiting for us down there," Ren holds up a hand in tribute. "Then (Y/n) should follow when I give the all clear. Juro will be the last when he comes back." 

I don't think that's necessary, but I don't say anything. The more we sit here and talk, the less safe I'm beginning to feel. 

"Just go already, Red." 

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P.O.V Katsu

Under cover of the moonless night, I can easily walk by the first-floor windows without detection. With so many people suddenly in (Y/n)'s house, it's been harder to find a way in without alerting anyone. She's hardly ever alone anymore. However, I know she hasn't forgotten me.

Even now, as I watch some unknown man close all the curtains in her house, I can only imagine them trying to brainwash her. They keep her away from me and force thoughts of me from her mind. But I'll never forget her. She found me for a reason that night. It was fate that brought us together, and it's fate that keeps memories of her cycling through my mind. I can almost imagine her subtle scent of strawberries and summer heat as she speaks lovingly to me.  Once I rescue her, and this is all over, I'll be sure that neither of us is apart again. There is only one way to make that permanent. 

A trial?

By fire, mayhaps?

Mayhaps.

(Y/n)'s voice flits through my mind. During my walk back to her house, she began to speak to me. Our connection is so strong that we don't need to be together to know what the other is thinking anymore. We share the same mind. And she's very demanding.

Fingering the handgun, I stole from Youko's guards; I make one last lap around the house. Every window and door I try is locked. I may have to break in. How do I do that without too much noise, though?

 I make my way back under (Y/n)'s bedroom window. The light isn't on, and the curtains remain closed. I need to make sure all the upstairs windows are locked before I attempt anything else.

As stealthy as I can, I sidle up to the side of the house. A pair of French doors stand to my immediate left, bare of any blinds. One quick glance through those doors has me immediately backing up against the house out of sight of the man in the frame. His blonde hair looks muddy in the dark, and his golden eyes eerily luminescent. My eyes go straight toward the man's drawn gun. Though, I don't think he's seen me yet. 

I've seen this guy around (Y/n)'s house along with the red-haired man. I can only assume they came from Youko's team of guards. But I honestly don't care how they came into (Y/n)'s life. What matters now is that they are working against me. Everyone is against me. I hope I'm not too late to reach (Y/n). 

The blonde man appears to be alone. He tries the handle on the doors, both of which seemed to be locked, then scans the tree line at the back of the property. With one last look, he moves on to another part of the house. 

They must know I'm here. But if no one's come out searching for me it could mean two things: they don't think I've made it to (Y/n)'s house just yet or they are waiting for backup to arrive before going on the offensive. Both of which mean that these men are hiding (Y/n) somewhere inside. 

I don't think Ryuu would be so stupid as to put her back in that closet. And I've been watching for any cars leaving the house. There were none for her to stow away in. 

So if I were hiding something precious in a vast mansion away from someone like me, I would choose a well-fortified room with limited windows and a few doors. I've wondered through (Y/n)'s by myself a hand full of times, and I can only think of two places like this. The attic or the cellar. (Y/n)'s bedroom is right next to the attic stairs; however, those fuckers are probably expecting me to go there first. The cellar it is then. 

But first, I have to get inside. 

I count to thirty and begin moving again. That blonde man walked off in the direction of the mudroom, probably to check if the doors and windows are locked as well. I slide past the rest of the closed off windows until I get to the half porch in the back of the house. I reach the bottom steps in time to see the door handle turn from the other side.

I quickly walk up the porch steps, purposefully leaning heavily on one of the creaky boards. I wait for a full five seconds before I step off it. There is silence behind the door until I see one of the curtains to a side window flit back. I fly off the porch steps as the door is abruptly flung open, the short barrel of a gun raising just as I'm almost out of sight. 

I sidestep around the corner of the porch to keep out of his immediate sight and run straight for the greenhouses. I want him as far from the house as I can. I still don't know for sure where the rest are, and I don't want to alert them all at once. 

I round the second greenhouse and catch sight of the blonde man again. Through the opaque glass, I can make out his distorted figure holding his pistol in one hand and a flashlight in the other. He ambles over to the end of the greenhouse where I am. There is about a four foot stone ledge before the glass walls take over. I have to stop my feet from scuffing against it as I made my sharp turns.

I doubt neither him nor the red-haired guy will aim to keep me alive. I can imagine after I escaped and killed one of Youko's guards they were told: "aim to kill." 

I inch my way to the other side of the greenhouse so that I have a nice view of the door that he left wide open about 100 yards away. I could run as fast as I could and lock him out, but eventually, he would become an annoyance again. Plus justice must be dolled out for everyone here. His punishment is inevitable as is Ryuu's and, of course, the other two white-haired boys.   

Instead of heading towards the door, I crouch a few inches past the corner of the greenhouse. My back leans lightly on the short, cold, stone wall behind me. I am going to try and not use my gun until my cover is completely blow. I need to save my bullets. 

This plan had better work.

It will.

Confident, are you?

With good reason.

I suppose. 

I hold my breath as the man unknowingly flanks my right side. The beam from his flashlight passes right over my lowered head. His breathing is steady as he takes measured steps across the brick path.

The suspense could kill.

I was planning on a slow death.

Not so slow, I'd hope. I'm growing impatient.

The man turns the corner, his gun leading the way. As soon as the edge of his light grazes me, I send my leg out to sweep his feet out from under him. He fires his gun only for it to just scrap the edge of my jawline. I'm on top of him in a second, trying to pin his hands away from me. He manages to crack me across the face with the side of his gun, making head whips to the side. I can't stop the gasp of pain that leaves me but shake it off rather quickly. I hit the butt of his gun, so it aims high. He shoots again but its too far to the left of my ear.

Shut him up already. He's making too much noise. 

I know, darling.

He tries to dislodge me by twisting his hips underneath mine. I can't keep his hands down long enough to uproot his hold on his gun. So I take a risk and stop trying to pin him. I smash my elbow directly down on his nose, erratically over and over again. The bridge of his nose gives way with a wet snap under my ulna bone. I continue anyway.

After the second hit, I aim for his right eye socket. I feel the splash of blood, warm and viscous, coat my face. He screams and thrashes under me, bucking in vain. I bring my elbow up once more, but a force pushes me backward, and a shot echoes off the glass and stone walls. My right side is suddenly tight with pressure, which pushes the air from my lungs. Until finally, the feeling of pain rolls through me. It burns with the fiery passion of an amber brander digging deep into the tissue under my rib cage.

Images flash through my mind. Another gunshot rings through the air but this time in my head. A familiar woman stands over me but can't quite place where I've seen her. Before I can get a look at her face, the mirage is gone, and I'm back to the present.

"Son of a bitch," I growl viciously. The man pushes himself off the ground. My brain slowly catches up, but when I grab for him, I only grasp at air. He fumbles on the ground. He has to use the stone wall to keep from falling back down. He still holds his gun, though it's held loosely. His flashlight has been abandoned nearby; it's light throwing our shadows on the strawberry field behind us. 

His one golden eye is trained on me in either panic or rage. His other is dented inward, only open enough to let an unsteady stream of blood. His head lolls to the side, and he grips the wall even tighter.

Get up. Now.

I take the pain I'm feeling and push it to the back of my mind as you request. Using his momentarily distracted state, I charge him. The pain in my side chases close behind me. 

Do you truly love me?

Of course, I do.

Then your pain doesn't matter. Help me.

With my momentum I shoulder check him square in his chest but grab the wrist that holds the gun, pulling it in the opposite direction. He falls without much effort, and I'm able I pull all but one bullet from the chamber. He still on the ground when I level the gun to the center of his chest. A headshot would be too quick. Plus, those two gunshots would have blown my cover if (Y/n), and the rest were in the attic. Someone would have come down to back this guy up already if they heard anything. At least now I know shooting won't alert anyone. I can afford to shoot one more bullet. 

Lie to him. Find me.

"Tell me where she is, and I won't blow your goddamn face off." My voice is breathy as I try to seal away burning in my side from the forefront of my mind. He glares up at me with his one good eye. Under my foot, his chest heaves, and I can see the glint of sweat illuminated by the flashlight laying in front of us. After a few seconds of silence, I cock the gun. He sluggishly raises his hands in surrender then speaks.

"Fine. I'm not going to die for anyone, especially for some girl and that coward Youko." He pants out. He swallows hard and continues, "The cellar. They're in the cellar." 

I don't react, partially because I'm trying my hardest not to grimace but I also already suspected they'd be there. When I don't say anything else, he grunts.

"Well? What else do you wan-" Before he can finish I pop the last bullet point-blank through his sternum. His body jerks, and his hands instinctively go to his chest. 

I force myself to stand there and watch for a minute as he sputters at my feet. But my side tells me I need to find (Y/n) quickly. 

"I wish I could savor this, but you people are hell-bent on taking everything from me." I reel back and throw the emptied gun somewhere into the night, causing my wound to open just bit more. With a bit more grace, I bend over his form and search for any more weapons I could use. I find a few keys, a short serrated blade, and an erotic book. Disgusting.

As I stand back up, my knees wobble, and a fresh burst of pain has my toes curling. However, following the wave of pain, graciously comes an upsurge of adrenaline. 

The blonde man begins to quiet, but I've already turned my back on him. 

Find me, Katsu. Please hurry.

I'm coming, sweetheart.

Endings (all of these will be featured in separate chapters):

A) Kastu finds everyone and continues with his plan to "stay with you permanently."

B) Katsu can't find you and is heartbroken. Decides to do something drastic, which is detrimental to everyone else in the house.

C) Bittersweet ending. Katsu finds everyone, but some people don't die. I won't tell you who lives or dies, but you are free to guess!