Chapter 444: Kiara’s Arc (4)

The moment Faye opened her eyes, she found herself standing in the playground of Oakland School.

Her eyes moved around slowly as she tried to understand what was happening. The familiar playground was right in front of her, with the swings, monkey bars, and slides all looking exactly as she remembered them.

For a moment, Faye wondered if she was finally back in her conscious state or if she was still trapped inside Kiara’s mind.

She quickly searched the entire playground, looking around the swings first before checking the monkey bars and then the slides.

There was no sign of anyone. Not a single person was around.

Faye stood there for a moment, taking in the strange silence of the playground. No birds chirped from the nearby trees, and no wind whistled through the metal frames. If she was truly back to her conscious state, then there was no reason for her to remain there.

She decided to leave the premises.

She spun around, taking quick steps toward the edge of the lot where the pavement should have started. But the moment she tried to walk away, she realized something was wrong.

There was no way out. Faye kept walking, hoping she would eventually reach the school gate, but somehow, she ended up right back at the playground.

She stopped and looked around in confusion. It was like she was trapped inside a loop.

She wiped her palms against her bottoms, gritting her teeth, and took a sharp right, sprinting past the blue slide. When she stepped beyond the border of the sandbox, her sneakers hit the exact same patch of worn grass near the entry point. She was standing in the exact same spot.

She tried going left. She bolted past the monkey bars, pushing her legs faster, but the horizon flickered and reset. The same thing happened.

She walked forward.

She headed straight for the tall wire fence that bounded the edge of the property, but as soon as her hand reached out to grab it, the fence vanished into thin air and the swing set reappeared directly in front of her face. Once again, she returned to the playground.

Even when she turned around and went backwards, walking blindly with her shoulder muscles tense, it still brought her right back to the same place.

No matter which direction she chose, she always ended up back in the playground.

"Fucking hell, is this some haunted place or what... and where the fuck is that bitch...?" Faye voiced out in frustration.

She crouched down on the ground, bringing her knees close to her chest and digging her fingers into the dirt. She tried to calm herself as the thought that she might be stuck there forever continued to sink into her mind. Her chest tightened, making every breath feel heavy and thin.

"If I can’t leave here, will this place be my forever home? But how am I going to kiss Princess or see my pups smile...? This is fucking annoying. I should have never agreed to do this stupid nonsense with that piece of a bitch..."

Faye muttered under her breath, but her voice began to waver as the thought of never seeing her loved ones again weighed heavily on her.

She squeezed her eyes shut, swallowing down the lump forming in her throat. She tried her best to hold back her tears.

Just when she was about to cry, she suddenly heard a familiar voice laughing.

The sound broke the quiet atmosphere like a glass cup dropping on concrete. Faye immediately turned to her right.

Kiara was sitting on the swing, laughing as she slowly swung back and forth.

"You bitch..."

Faye quickly stood up and walked toward her, her knuckles clenching tight at her sides as she dragged her gaze up to match Kiara’s calm eyes.

"That was so hilarious. Watching you is just so entertaining..."

"How long have you been here? I have been moving around this stupid mind of yours, and it is just the same place."

"I was here before you. It’s my domain..."

"Your fucking mind is the worst place to be. Why is it a fucking playground...?"

"I don’t know..." Kiara said, slowly swinging.

"It’s your fucking state of mind. I’m sure you know. But let’s just do the main reason we are here. Where is the Fire Demon or the hungry fool...?"

"Still don’t know..."

"Kiara, I don’t want to be here forever. Be serious so I can get out of here and video chat my girlfriend. I’m supposed to be home by 9 p.m., and I’m not even sure what time it is..."

Faye looked up at the sky. It was still really sunny, and she had to close her eyes because of how bright the sunlight was. The heat hit her cheeks in an even, unnatural wave that didn’t shift or soften.

"We can never know until we are awake... In this place, time is an irrelevant metric..."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, I forgot Faye Grande has a baby brain. Time is taking a big nap here. It’s not ticking," Kiara said to the Omega.

"I don’t have a baby brain..."

"But you just understood what I said, right?"

"Yeah, yeah... Just fucking call the other guy and let us make the deal or whatever you want to do..." Faye said, looking around the playground that was beginning to make her feel nauseous. The bright green paint on the slides felt too sharp, and the fake warmth in the air began to make her stomach twist into knots.

"Okay then, as you wish... Let’s see what to do..."

Kiara looked around the playground, her eyes slowly moving from one place to another.

Then her eyes landed on Faye.

A smirk appeared on her face.

Faye was not looking at her. She was still distracted by the strange playground surrounding them, trying to figure out what they were supposed to do next. She kicked at a pebble on the ground, watching it roll two feet before freezing in place, completely motionless.

Kiara quietly got out of the swing.

Her feet hit the sannd without making a sound. Before Faye could realize what was happening, Kiara’s sharp nails opened, and she suddenly appeared behind her.

Her fingers dug deep into Faye’s neck.

A sharp burst of heat tore straight through Faye’s spine. Her sight blurred instantly, her knees buckling as the raw pain paralyzed her limbs. She couldn’t kick or pull away.

"W-what are you doing...?" Faye gasped as blood began to spill from her neck, Kiara’s fingers still buried in it.

The warm crimson liquid ran down her skin, soaking straight into the collar of her shirt.

"Summoning the Fire Demon. You, Faye, are my bait to get what I want..."