Absolute Cheater

Asher raised an eyebrow.

Evelyn's smirk widened slightly. "You may not have decided yet, but trust me—they already have a plan for you."

With that, she vanished into the night, leaving them standing in silence.

Serena turned to Asher immediately. "You better not be considering this."

Asher exhaled, looking out at the empty street. "Of course not."

Serena didn't look convinced. "Then why didn't you just say no?"

Asher's eyes darkened slightly. "Because if we shut the door completely, we lose an advantage."

Serena crossed her arms. "And what advantage is that?"

He glanced at her, his voice low and steady. "We don't just need to stop the Red Fate Organization. We need to understand them. If they think I might join, they'll show their hand."

Serena exhaled sharply, rubbing her temples. "I hate it when you do this."

Asher smirked slightly. "Do what?"

"Act like you're playing some kind of long game while I'm stuck just trying to keep up."

He placed a hand on her shoulder. "You do keep up. That's why you're here."

She let out a slow breath, then nodded. "Fine. But the second this gets too dangerous—"

"I know," Asher said. "We pull out."

Serena nodded reluctantly.

Asher turned his gaze back toward the city, his mind already racing with the possibilities.

The Red Fate Organization had shown their hand.

Now, it was his turn to make a move.

Into the Web

Asher and Serena left the Guild behind, walking in silence through the dimly lit streets. The cool night air carried the distant murmurs of the city—drunken laughter from a nearby tavern, the shuffle of merchants packing up for the night, the occasional clang of metal from a blacksmith's forge still burning late.

Serena exhaled sharply. "So, what's the plan?"

Asher's gaze remained fixed ahead. "For now, we wait."

Serena frowned. "Wait? For what? Evelyn just handed us a golden opportunity to learn more about these maniacs, and you're saying we should sit around?"

Asher smirked slightly. "Not sit around. Observe."

Serena folded her arms, clearly unconvinced. "And if they decide we're taking too long?"

"Then they'll reach out again," Asher said. "They need us more than we need them—especially if they think I could be swayed."

Serena scoffed. "Right. Because you're so trustworthy."

Asher chuckled. "Exactly."

They continued walking until they reached the inn, stepping into the dimly lit lobby. The innkeeper barely looked up as they passed, already accustomed to their late returns.

As soon as they were inside their room, Serena shut the door behind them and leaned against it. "So, how deep are you planning to go with this?"

Asher sat on the edge of the bed, removing his gloves. "Deep enough to understand their real goals." He glanced up at her. "Not just what they say they want—but what they're really after."

Serena's expression darkened. "And what if they're telling the truth? What if they are trying to shape the future?"

Asher was silent for a moment before answering. "Then we need to know how—and more importantly, why."

Serena exhaled, running a hand through her hair. "This is dangerous, Asher."

He nodded. "I know."

She studied him for a long moment before sighing. "Alright. But I swear, if you even consider actually joining them—"

"I won't," Asher assured her. "But I want them to think I might."

Serena muttered something under her breath before flopping onto the other bed. "I hate this plan."

Asher leaned back against the wall. "That just means it's a good one."

She threw a pillow at him.

The following days passed uneventfully—at least on the surface. Asher and Serena went about their usual routines, taking on minor quests, gathering information, and keeping a low profile. But beneath it all, they were waiting. Watching.

And then, three nights later, the message arrived.

A sealed envelope, slipped beneath their door.

Serena picked it up first, holding it between her fingers as if it might explode. "…I hate that I was right."

Asher took the letter, breaking the seal.

Inside was a single slip of parchment.

Midnight. Abandoned chapel outside the city. Come alone.

No name. No signature.

Serena leaned over his shoulder, reading it. "Yeah, that's not a trap at all."

Asher folded the letter calmly. "Of course it's a trap."

Serena scowled. "So you're going?"

Asher stood. "Of course."

Serena groaned. "Of course you are." She crossed her arms. "I assume 'come alone' means I'm supposed to just stay here and wait?"

Asher glanced at her. "No. It means you're going to follow me."

Serena blinked, then smirked. "Now that's a plan I can get behind."

Midnight came swiftly.

The abandoned chapel sat on the outskirts of the city, long forgotten and crumbling under time's weight. Ivy crept up its stone walls, and shattered stained-glass windows cast fractured moonlight onto the overgrown floor.

Asher stepped inside, his footsteps echoing in the silence.

A single candle burned at the altar, casting flickering shadows along the pews. And there, standing in the dim glow, was Evelyn.

She smiled at him. "I knew you'd come."

Asher remained still, his crimson eyes unreadable. "You made sure of that."

Evelyn tilted her head. "And yet, you're still here. Which means you're at least curious."

Asher glanced around. "No guards?"

Evelyn chuckled. "If I thought I needed them, you wouldn't be standing here."

From the rafters above, Serena watched silently, hidden in the shadows, daggers at the ready.

Evelyn took a step closer. "Lucian has one question for you, Asher." Her violet eyes gleamed. "Do you want to be part of shaping the future?"

Asher met her gaze, his expression unreadable. "That depends."

Evelyn raised an eyebrow. "On?"

Asher's smirk was razor-sharp.

"Who gets to decide what the future looks like?"

Evelyn's smile widened. "That's exactly what Lucian wants to show you."

The air between them was thick with tension.

Serena gripped her daggers, ready for anything.

Asher exhaled slowly, his mind already calculating.

Evelyn held Asher's gaze for a long moment before speaking again.

"You've already seen glimpses of what we can do," she said, her voice smooth and measured. "The Red Fate Organization is not just a cult, Asher. We don't blindly worship corruption. We control it. We understand what others fear, and we turn it into power."

Asher remained impassive. "And you think that power is enough to shape the future?"

Evelyn's smile deepened. "We know it is."

From her sleeve, she pulled out a small, glass-like sphere—the same kind of memory crystal Asher had handed to the Guild. But this one pulsed with a dark, eerie glow, like liquid shadows shifting beneath its surface.

"See for yourself," she said, tossing it to him.

Asher caught the crystal and hesitated only a second before pressing his fingers against its surface. A surge of foreign memories flooded his mind—visions of monstrous beings unlike anything he had encountered, men and women clad in crimson robes, standing in the ruins of what looked like a fallen kingdom.

And at the center of it all—a man.

His features were shrouded in shadow, but Asher could feel the weight of his presence. A single word echoed in the vision, spoken in a voice both ancient and commanding.

Lucian.

The memory faded as quickly as it came. Asher exhaled, placing the crystal down. "And what, exactly, does Lucian want from me?"

Evelyn stepped closer, just enough that he could see the flicker of excitement in her violet eyes. "He wants to meet you. See if you are someone worth bringing into our fold."

Serena, still hidden above, tightened her grip on her daggers.

Asher raised an eyebrow. "And if I'm not?"

Evelyn's smile didn't falter. "Then you go back to your life, free to make whatever choices you wish. No strings attached."

Asher chuckled. "Somehow, I doubt that."

Evelyn sighed dramatically. "You wound me, Asher. You think we kill everyone who doesn't join?" She tilted her head. "No… only those who get in our way."

Asher's gaze darkened, but his smirk remained. "Reassuring."

Evelyn shrugged. "You have time to decide. I'll be in touch."

With that, she turned and walked past him, the candlelight flickering as her form disappeared into the night.

Asher didn't move for a few seconds, his mind already working through everything she had said.

Then, from the rafters, Serena dropped down beside him. "I really don't like her."

Asher exhaled. "You don't have to."

Serena narrowed her eyes. "So? Are you actually considering this?"

Asher glanced at the fading candlelight.

"I don't think we have a choice."

Serena scowled. "Of course we have a choice."

Asher turned to face her, his expression unreadable. "Do we?"

Serena clenched her fists. "You're not seriously thinking of entertaining this, are you? Evelyn is part of the Red Fate Organization! They're the enemy, Asher!" Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire

Asher exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "She said if I refuse, they'll let me go. But we both know that's a lie."

Serena crossed her arms. "Damn right it is. The moment we walk away, we become loose ends."