Alec - criminal?

Alec jolted at the sound, his first thought was... escape.

However, as he turned to flee, he realised his body wouldn't obey him.

A wave of dizziness crashed over him, forcing him to his knees.

The beautiful woman in the red dress suddenly smiled dangerously. "Kid, did you think you could run?"

Surprise flooded Alec, his mind screaming, 'Not good! It's a trap... could it be...'

"AAAA!!" His thoughts were cut off by her ear splitting shriek.

She ripped her dress, clutched her chest, and screamed with all her might.

"Rape! Help! Somebody help me!"

"AAA!!"

Alec gasped, understanding dawning on him. He'd been deceived. His head spun and his thoughts slowed.

His vision blurred, and then... Everything went dark.

In a secluded corner, Raito witnessed the scene, a scornful smile playing on his lips. He pulled off his wig and fake beard, revealing a completely different face.

If Meika were here, she would've recognised him as Billy, the manager of the store where she worked.

A police officer walked past, their eyes meeting. They exchanged nods before moving on.

The officer headed towards the unconscious Alec, while Billy leisurely strolled to the elevator, acting as if he had nothing to do with the situation.

He took out his phone and began typing in a group chat.

777's Manager: Hahahaha… Did you guys see that?

***: You're horrible. That kid's going to have an existential crisis when he wakes up.

***: Nah, I bet he'll be traumatised.

***: That kid was weird though, it's like... he could see through the dice or something. That's why he was winning so much.

***: Right? Winning once, twice, or three times could be luck. But that many times in a row is skill and cheating.

***: It seems we have more to investigate regarding that kid.

***: You're cruel though, that kid probably won't dare step foot in another casino for the rest of his life.

***: Hahahaha… and hiring a girl to frame him for rape, 777's Manager, you're so vicious it scares me.

777's Manager: Hold on! Didn't you guys call the girl?

***: What?! Who is she then?

***: I didn't do it.

***: Me neither.

***: Same here.

***: Don't look at me, I wouldn't go that far.

777's Manager: All I did was trick him and lend him money. So who called the cops?

***: What?! I thought you orchestrated this whole thing.

***: Weird! Maybe there was a random police inspection today?

***: Impossible. The 'Black Rose' bar is a restricted area; the cops can't just inspect it.

***: Then… who called the police?

777's Manager: A policeman walked right past me and even nodded, I thought he was the one you guys sent.

***: What's with all this mess?

***: Wait! Could the young master have sent someone to help?

***: No way! How could he know about our plan?

***: So... how do you explain the sudden police inspection and the mysterious woman appearing today?

Billy stared at the messages on his phone, confused. Though he didn't know who was behind everything, he wasn't overly concerned.

His plan had succeeded, that was all that mattered.

With a sigh, Billy pocketed his phone, leaving the bar, his mind already on his next scheme.

…

In a spacious room, designed like a miniature theatre.

A grand piano stood alone in the centre of the room, its keys dancing beneath the moonlight-white-haired girl's fingertips.

After ten minutes, she stopped, her hands gracefully resting on her lap. Every movement exuded elegance—flawless and refined.

"Miss Selvia." A maid appeared beside Selvia, bowing respectfully. "The plan was successful. Alec… has been arrested. He'll likely be imprisoned for days, perhaps even years."

Selvia, eyes closed, nodded slowly.

The maid bowed again and retreated.

As the door closed, Ivy materialised, asking, "Hey! Why did you do that? That kid was your childhood friend, wasn't he?"

Selvia didn't answer immediately. Instead, she gazed upwards at the domed ceiling, mimicking a real theatre.

Painted on the dome were strange patterns, countless spirals intertwined, separated, then intertwined again, stretching endlessly.

"Ivy, you can't see what I see, so you can't understand what I'm doing."

Ivy: "..."

"Hey! Are you alright?" Ivy asked softly. "You've been acting strange since yesterday. Actually... ever since you met Negut, you've been acting off."

Selvia took a deep breath. "Ivy, do you believe in fate?"

"Fate?" Ivy echoed, confused. "You mean like a preordained path for your life, like that fortune-telling nonsense?"

"Yes... do... you believe in it?" Selvia asked softly.

"Hahaha... you're asking a being like me if I believe in fate?" Ivy laughed, scorn dripping from her voice. "You humans are truly strange. Of course not!"

"I want to transcend the control of fate, the control of others. That's why I mingled with your kind."

Selvia nodded slowly. "Me too. I don't want to be controlled by fate either."

"He... he can help me resist the wheel of fate."

"He?!" Ivy questioned, bewildered.

"Negut..." Selvia said firmly. "Van Negut."

"That insignificant brat? I could obliterate him with a breath. How could he possibly help you?" Ivy scoffed, her disdain unmistakable.

"Exactly," A smile bloomed on Selvia's face, bright as an orchid against the night sky.

"He... can break the wheel."

Ivy sighed. "Ah! You humans, so perplexing yet so fascinating."

"I'm actually curious... about what's going to happen next."

…

At the small apartment.

Meika sat beside the table, her head bowed as she waited for Alec's return.

Dinner had long gone cold, yet Alec was still missing, two hours passing by like a slow crawl.

She had checked her phone countless times, but there wasn't a single message from him.

Worry gnawed at Meika's heart because Alec was her last remaining family.

After the traumatic loss of her entire family in a devastating fire, Meika cherished those she loved dearly.

Now… Alec was the only one she had left.

Suddenly, the store manager's words echoed in her mind.

'Poor Meika, working so hard, while her good-for-nothing brother throws it all away on gambling.'

Meika shook her head fiercely, trying to dispel the thought. 'No, brother wouldn't do that,' she reassured herself.

'But… Why would he borrow so much money? What does he need it for?'

Despite her best efforts to maintain her faith in Alec, the seed of doubt had been planted.

'No!' Meika mentally scolded herself. 'Meika, you idiot. Why would you doubt your own brother?'

'He's your only family left. He needs the money because he's a Survivor; he needs resources to level up.'

Ding! Ding!

The sudden ringing of her phone interrupted Meika's thoughts.

Her heart leaped with hope, assuming it was Alec. But a string of unfamiliar numbers flashed across the screen.

A sense of unease washed over her, but she took a deep breath and answered the call.

"Hello! Who is this?"

"Hello, I'm calling from the city police department."

Meika's blood ran cold at the sound of a middle-aged man's voice identifying himself as a police officer.

A growing sense of unease tightened its grip on Meika, making it difficult to breathe.

"Yes, you... why did you call me?"

"You have a brother named Alec, correct?"

"Yes, is he alright?" Meika asked urgently.

"He's fine, it's just... he has been charged with three offences: gambling, fraud, and rape. We need his next of kin to come down to the station to proceed with the necessary paperwork or to contact a lawyer, whichever you prefer."

Meika: "..."

Her mouth hung open, her entire body trembling so violently that she dropped the phone with a clatter.

"Hello! Can you hear me?"

"Hello!"

"Hello!"

…