"Mason!" Nana squealed as she arrived and saw her brother. She hugged him tightly. "I was so scared something had happened to you."
"I'm fine," Mason replied, and he stroked her hair. He pulled back and turned to the rest. Raymond was busy gluing Nathalie with an intense gaze.
"I know you," he said, moving closer to Nat, who still had her hand raised.
"She's not the same Nathalie we knew two years ago," Mason replied. "This one is a Succubus."
"What? Succu–"
"I've always been a Succubus. Even two years ago. I didn't change," Nat replied, and she rolled her eyes.
"Why didn't you charm me then?" Mason said. "I was cute then, and I saw you staring lustfully at me."
"I didn't want to cause a scene then," Nat replied. "It would've been a disaster if people saw you drooling over me and–" she winced, the pain was coming.
Mason touched her.
"I came back for you, but you're gone. I tried to track you, but that necklace…" she said, and she began to mutter something indistinct.
"What are you guys talking about?" Vivian chimed in, her brows furrowed.
"Beats me. Has he completely gone crazy after being chased?" Raymond said.
At that moment, the portal behind them suddenly began to dissipate, giving off a low cracking sound like dried wood ravaged by wildfire.
The party turned around and gasped. It was then that they realized they were in a corridor filled with the moans and screams of people inside the rooms.
"What the hell!?" Nana screamed.
"Don't tell me that's where we came from," Raymond said, his eyes widening in terror.
"You don't know?" Mason said and turned to Nat, who had just stopped casting her spell, his gaze questioning.
"I made it appear like a door to them," Nat replied. "They would never have entered if they saw a portal."
"True, you saw a door?" Mason asked, his gaze darting between the trio.
They nodded.
"Is she truly a demon?" Raymond asked.
Mason nodded and clapped him gently on the hand. "Don't worry, though, she's bound to me."
Nathalie frowned at the word, but she knew better than anyone that arguing or reacting otherwise would only lead to more pain. She said nothing.
She stepped forward, but the party moved back in alarm. "I expected you all to react like that, you're humans after all," she said, a mischievous grin on her face. She turned to Mason and continued. "You're a bit different from them, my Lord."
"You know I was human?" Mason asked.
"Of course," Nathalie replied. "You guys may be able to fool other demons, but we succubi can see through your tricks. Mere humans are a little bit wiser than anima–"
Another pain ravaged her, and she fell down and convulsed. It was disrespectful of her to call her Lord a mere human, and compare him to animals.
Mason touched her, but nothing happened. Maybe some rudeness can't go unpunished. The party watched as the succubus writhed in pain for about two minutes.
"What's happening?" Raymond asked, confused.
"She disrespected her Lord," Vivian said, her eyes fixed on Nat. "Everything she said showed how she loathed Mr. Robinson."
As smart as ever, Mason smiled. He bent down and touched Nat again, and this time, she let out a deep breath of relief and stood up.
"I'm sorry, my Lord, I was–" her lips curled. She stopped herself. "I need to recharge as soon as possible."
"Go on."
She walked toward one of the doors on the left side and disappeared inside. Just as she entered, the screaming of girls in the room halted. Mason could feel her hurling them into a deep slumber. They are connected after all, it was only normal for him to know by instinct what she was doing.
Mason turned to his party and saw them shooting him a questioning gaze. He need not ask why. He explained everything that had transpired to them; how he was saved by his enemies by a bat-like creature, meeting the drug ring Mistress, and how he escaped from her.
And finally, how Nathalie was charmed instead of him.
They seemed shocked, but they had no choice but to believe him. They witnessed what the succubus was capable of after all.
A few moments later, Nat stepped outside from a door beside them, which made them wonder if the rooms were interconnected. But Mason knew she simply passed through the walls as though they were mere specters.
"Why are you coming out of there?" Nana asked.
Nat rolled her eyes and hissed. "Why should I answer you?"
"You're more petty for a demon," Nana hissed back.
"Hope it's not what I'm thinking?" Vivian said.
"What are you thinking?" Nana and Raymond asked.
"She visited more than one room," Vivian replied. "And by the look of it, you passed three rooms before getting out of this door, making it four rooms you visited."
"And that's four men!" Raymond exclaimed, "Just how much energy have you drained?"
"Hmm… not enough for me to regain my full power," Nat replied, and her frown slowly transformed to an enchanting smile. "Do you want to have a taste of me?" She licked her lips seductively.
"Ahh gross," Raymond grimaced. "You think I'd be stupid enough to lie with a sperm eater?"
"I like this one," Nat said to Mason, pointing at Raymond. "Come on, dear. I won't drain much. Just ten years' worth is enough," she purred and winked at Raymond.
"Ten years worth!?" Raymond exclaimed, "You're crazy! I'll never fall for your charm!"
"Do you think you have the will to resist me?" Nat laughed.
"I dare you to try!"
Nat's laughter receded, replaced by a lascivious look. Her eyes glowed as she curled the edges of her lips upward to a lopsided grin.
At that moment, Ray's muscles betrayed him, and his legs began to advance toward the succubus. His eyes were locked onto her charming eyes. He could only see her; everything else didn't matter. Every sound around him was distorted, then muffled.
"You're so pretty," he said, grinning foolishly.
He felt someone holding him, repelling him from advancing toward the woman he wanted. However, he shoved them aside and grabbed the lady's hand, kissing her knuckles.
"Raymond!"
Then everything warped, blending back until he was jerked back to reality. Raymond saw himself kneeling on one leg in front of Nat, holding her hand passionately.
"Dammit!" He recoiled and yanked off his hand. "What did you do to me, bitch!?"
"Don't worry, I haven't done anything yet," Nat laughed, and she turned to Nana. "Next time you see someone enchanted, calling their names is more apt. Don't risk your life trying to break their enchantment by touching them."
Mason folded his arms, watching everything in silence. His body was there, but his mind was in a faraway realm. Battling with thoughts, either to embark on his journey alone or risk his party. Knowing that either choice has its own benefits and risks.
Involving them in his journey may put them at risk of being endangered, however, they'd be able to make decisions together. You have to go together to go far after all.
On the contrary, leaving them out would make things better for everyone; he wouldn't have to worry about their safety.
"What the fuck!"
Mason was pulled out of his thoughts as a panicking voice echoed from one of the rooms.
"What the hell happened to me!?" Another voice came from another room. And then, a man exited from the room adjacent to the one Nat entered earlier.
His hair was all gray, and his skin was filled with wrinkles, appearing to be in his late sixties. The man inspected his body and screamed once more.
His gaze scanned the party, and sadness crossed his expression. "How do I look?" he asked.
"Like an old man," Raymond replied.
"Really?" the man said. "I wasn't as old as this when I came here earlier. What the hell happened to me?"
No one replied to him, and the man was left with no choice but to leave, walking past the party as he headed for the entrance Mason and Nat had come earlier.
"Just how much energy did you take from that man?" Nana said absently as she watched the man leave.
"Just 20 years. Was that too much?" Nat replied.
"20 years?" Nana was shocked. "A whole 20 years!?"
"He deserves it," Vivian replied, her expression neutral. "He left his wife at home and came here to lie with ladies barely half his age. He got what he deserved."
"I like this one too," Nat said, smiling at Vivian.
Just then, another door opened and a young man emerged, holding a mirror to inspect himself. When he saw the party, he rushed toward them.
"Please help me," he implored. "How do I–"
"You look like a middle-aged man!" Raymond cut in.
"This is not how I looked earlier. I must be going crazy," the man said, his eyes welling up with tears. He ran in the same direction the previous man had headed.
Just as he left, everyone turned to Nat, their gaze probing.
"Why are you all staring at me like that?" Nat said. "I didn't take more than 15 years' worth from him."
"Whoa! You're one ambitious demon," Mason finally intervened. "You turned a teen into a middle-aged man."
"Teens aren't allowed here, my Lord," she replied.
"Perhaps a little more than a teen," Nana said. "19? or 20 years?"
Nat looked away. "Do you think I would've lived 252 years if I didn't learn how to survive your harsh world?" she said. "I'm also doing everything I can to survive, you know."
"Two hundred and what!?"
Everyone exclaimed.