CHAPTER 66: CHARMER

Anna stood at the centre of the first hall of the Melbourne hotel. She frantically looked around the empty hall. Her heart sank.

"What’s going on?" Anna whispered, her expression dark, her tone grave.

She walked forward as she slowly climbed the stairs; her steps were heavy as the images of the vision flashed in her mind. However, she didn’t stop and continued to climb the stairs.

Moments later, she reached the second floor, and she once again looked all around her, only to find another empty hall. Her heart beat quickened as the dread started to seep in and take over her mind.

"Anna?"

Hanna, who was descending the steps, called out to her. Anna turned and looked at her as a sigh left her lips.

"Hanna... where are the others?" Anna questioned as she scanned the hall.

"Hmm? I have gathered all of them on the third floor." Hanna replied to her with a small frown.

"But..." Anna still wanted to question, but Hanna cut her off mid-way.

"Let’s go, Professor Helda is calling you," Hanna said with a smile as she turned back, ready to climb back.

Anna looked at her and nodded. She followed behind Hanna willingly, her thoughts, however, were different from her actions.

’Why did she gather them all on the third floor?’

’Wouldn’t it be better to gather them outside or on the first floor?’

Anna thought as she looked at Hanna with a deep frown.

Hanna stopped walking as they had already reached the third floor. Hanna looked at Anna with a smile and pushed open the door leading to the hall.

Groups of students stood beside each other. Anna stepped inside, and all of them turned and started to look at her.

Anna furrowed her brows at that and stopped in her tracks.

’Something’s wrong.’ Anna thought with a grave expression on her face.

She quickly hid it and made sure to blossom a smile as she walked forward.

Hanna followed behind her with a smile which looked too bright to be true.

Anna once again stopped in her tracks when her eyes fell on the guards who had encircled all of them.

Anna turned towards Hanna as she could no longer keep the facade of being calm anymore.

"Why are they here?" Anna questioned with a grim look as she pointed towards one of the guards.

"Hoh? You can see them?" an enchanting voice rang through the whole hall.

Anna quickly turned around to look at the source of the voice.

"Melanira..." Anna called out with a grave tone.

"Haha!" a chuckle which sounded like the bells came out of Melanira’s lips as she walked towards Anna.

She no longer wore the ordinary clothes as before. She no longer had the motherly aura around her; now she radiated an enchanting, dangerous charm. Her black leather outfit clung to her form like a second skin, each detail sharp enough to command both fear and desire.

She was no longer her professor, but instead she was a Midnighter who was at the rank of Apex-Ignited.

Anna’s expression took a turn for the worse as Melanira made her way towards Anna.

’I knew something was wrong with her...’ Anna thought as she looked at Melanira, who had a playful smile tugging at her lips.

"It seems my charm doesn’t work on you?" Melanira studied Anna as she began to circle her.

"So, you are a Midnighter, too, huh?" Melanira continued without any change in her tone or expression.

"Well, it won’t change anything," Melanira concluded as she stopped in her tracks and looked at Anna with wide arms.

"Choose Anieal Starborne, would you wish to follow us without force? Or would you follow us after we start to slaughter all of them?" Melanira said as her grin turned demonic.

"Choose... Choose... Choose..." everyone present in the hall started to repeat after her, their tone mechanical, like a broken toy.

Anna looked at Melanira with eyes blazing with fury. Melanira, however, didn’t care about that and walked towards her and grabbed her chin as she asked once again.

"So?" Melanira inched closer as she whispered, her eyes glowing an ominous red. "What will it be, Anieal Starborne?".

Their eyes met, and Anna suddenly felt something pulling her down; her breath caught, and her heart slowed down. She looked down, and her eyes fell on the mangled corpses of her friends, pulling her down as they looked at her with eyes full of betrayal and anger.

Anna’s body started to tremble, and her eyes started to dull. She could feel their resentment for her, the unfairness they felt as they were slaughtered just to break her down.

"I-" Anna began to speak, but her words were cut short as the door leading to the stairs burst open.

A man wearing a white shirt under a black blazer, his pants and boots were of the same colour, walked inside. He had average looks and a forgettable face. He was pulling at a body via their head. He walked forward and threw the body towards Melanira.

Melanira looked at the body and raised an eyebrow as she asked.

"Who is this?"

"He was snooping around the employee quarters. I believe that’s the spy you were looking for," the agent answered with a sneer as he stood beside Melanira.

Anna froze as she looked at the body of White; blood could be seen all over his body. Her eyes started to dull.

"Take them away," the agent said as he pointed at White and Anna.

The guards looked at the agent. Then, almost in unison, their gaze turned towards Melanira. Melanira just stood there as she looked at all of that with amusement.

Melanira turned towards the agent as she asked calmly.

"Who are you?"

"Hmm? Looks like having a forgettable face has its own pros and cons, Haha!" the agent replied with a chuckle in a playful tone. As he waved his arms.

Melanira also began to chuckle at his words for a few moments before she asked once again.

"Enough with the games, tell me who you are?" Her tone was serious as she narrowed her eyes.

The agent turned towards her as he spoke with a raised eyebrow.

"How did you find out?"

"Were you even trying to hide it?" Melanira questioned back with a tilt of her head.

"Why would you take out a battleglass if you didn’t want me to catch you?" she asked in an amused tone as she took off her belt as her eyes glowing red. The runes engraved on her belt started to dimly glow red as it began to transform into a whip.

The agent looked at her as he shook his head.

"You really think that you—a charmer—can fight me?" he questioned coldly.

Melanira shook her head at his words and spoke.

"When did I say I was alone?" Melanira asked as her smile turned sadistic, and two guards stepped forward, flanking her. Both of them had the aura of an Apex-Ignited Midnighter.

The agent looked at them as he shook his head.

"White, wake up," the agent commanded.

White eyes snapped open as he rose to his feet in a single smooth motion.

"Can you handle all of them?" the agent questioned as he looked at all of the Seeker-ranked Midnighters.

"Worry about yourself, One," White said as he drew his daggers and looked at Anna.

Anna, who had already figured out everything, stood back-to-back with White, blades drawn.

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