POV Shift: The Thief – Damien Cord
My hands wouldn't stop shaking.
They trembled as I stared at the blood still dried along my wrists. It didn't matter how many times I washed them. The red clung, soaked into me deeper than skin.
"I'm sorry," I whispered, eyes fixed on the floor. "I didn't kill her properly."
The shadows around me thickened. He hadn't said a word yet—but I could feel him.
The Mafia.
He stood at the corner of the dim corridor, back leaning against the cold stone, arms crossed. A man carved from shadow. I couldn't read him no one could. That was the terrifying part of him.
His voice came out smooth. Cold.
"You're trembling, Damien."
I swallowed.
"I stabbed her—I swear I did. Over and over. Her throat—she wasn't breathing. I left immediately. I don't know how—how she—"
"Survived?" he finished for me, tilting his head slightly.
I nodded.
A pause. Then he said, "Don't worry."
I blinked.
"She was saved. Most likely by the Doctor of this game." He pushed off the wall and walked toward me. Each step was as slow.
His presence was suffocating. A dark void in the hallway that swallowed every ounce of light.
"You were never meant to be the killer," he said. "Not really. But you did well enough. You flushed out a role. That's progress."
I looked up at him—eyes wide. "I… did?"
A small smirk touched his lips.
"You found the Doctor without even realizing it. That's good work. Now all we need to do is find the doctor"
Then, he turned away. "Come. We're changing plans."
"W-Where are we going?" I asked, trying to keep up as he walked down the dark passage.
"To meet the others."
We descended stairs I'd never seen before—hidden behind one of the common storage closets. A place that shouldn't exist. The deeper we went, the colder it felt. At the bottom, a steel door waited. He pressed his palm against it.
A quiet hiss. Then the door slid open.
A room lay beyond. Silent. Vast. Lit with low red lamps that flickered like coals. A circular table sat at the center, strange glyphs carved into the metal.
Waiting at the table were two figures.
One sat with legs crossed, chin resting on her palm, lips curved in effortless amusement.
The Hostess.
She smiled when she saw me. "Ah. The cute kid has finally arrived," she purred, every word laced with playful venom.
The other figure stood behind her, barely illuminated. Her frame was lean and silent, face half-covered by a mask. But her sharp eyes gleamed under the red light.
Probably the Spy.
A woman too but unlike the Hostess, her energy was taut and restrained, like a string drawn tight. She didn't speak.
The Mafia took his seat and said. "The girl survived. So be it. We let the civilians breathe too long. It's time we start moving. Let the fun time end"
The Hostess gave a theatrical sigh. "Finally. I was getting tired of seducing furnitures."
"You'll target again tonight," the Mafia instructed. "But go deeper. Break them. Get inside their heads. Confused them as much as possible."
She smiled wider, slowly licking her bottom lip. "Mm… I do love when you talk dirty."
The Mafia ignored her.
Then he turned to the Spy. "What did you find?"
The Spy reached into her coat and placed a folded note on the table. "Patterns," she said quietly. Her voice was calm. "The civilian boy, the boy that got seduced by the hostess, he's clever.
The mafia asked. "How so?"
"The way he looks at people, as if he is studying us 1 by 1."
The mafia became amused on the information. But the spy didn't finished.
But cleverness can be turned against him. I've left pieces that will make him question the wrong people."
"Good," the Mafia said. "Let him follow ghosts."
Then finally, his gaze fell on me again.
"Damien. You're not done."
I stiffened. "Yes?"
"You're going to steal again tonight. This time—" he leaned forward, shadows clinging to his cheekbones, "—you're going after the Penance."
I froze.
"T-The Penance?" I repeated, unsure if I heard right.
The Mafia's tone remained level. "They're one of the most dangerous here. For both sides."
The Hostess twirled a lock of her hair. "Ah, the revenge role," she mused, eyes sparkling. "Once they're voted out… they get to kill someone in return."
Damien's breath hitched.
"So if we're wrong… if someone gets clever… or he or she gets clever enough to use that role then… they can take one of us down with them," the Mafia continued. "We cannot let that happen. We need to know who it is now."
"I understand," I nodded, hiding my nerves. "I'll steal from them."
The spy replied. "Just so you know I don't have any information about the role so it's all up to you how you will find it, but it doesn't matter you card is one of the most op roles if used right… SO DON'T FUCK IT UP!"
The Mafia gave one curt nod.
The Hostess only giggled, giving me a wink. "Be careful, little thief. You might be picking the devil's pocket tonight."
And with that, the red lamps flickered.
POV Shift: The Spy
The meeting wasn't over.
I stood quietly in the corner, half-shrouded by the red glow of the chamber.
The Hostess slinked closer to him—the Mafia.
Her hips swayed naturally, lips curved in a seductive pout. She ran a finger down his arm, voice sweet as syrup.
"Mmm… can I have a treat tonight?" she purred. "Just you and me. One room. I promise I'll behave—unless you prefer I don't."
He didn't move he gave a cold focus look.
His silence was like a wall—indifferent and unmoved.
I sighed, stepping forward at last. "Enough."
She raised an eyebrow at me, not insulted amused.
"We have more pressing concerns," I said.
He didn't object. Which meant I was right to speak.
"We need to find the Cop. Soon. Before they realize how their card works." I kept my gaze on the Mafia. "Once they understand its function, we will be at a disadvantage. They'll start reading people, one by one. Quietly. Silently. Without leaving traces. It's like a domino effect once they know how powerful their cards are we fall 1 by 1"
The Hostess finally pulled away, rolling her eyes. "Buzzkill."
I continued, unbothered. "And the Reporter… she needs to be dealt with as well. she carries a diluted version of my ability. Pattern recognition. Observational mimicry. Enough to ruin us if given time."
Damien—still twitching from nerves—asked, "How do you know how all these cards work?"
I turned to face him, folding my arms loosely. "Because it's common sense."
He blinked, confused.
"This game isn't the same as the classic version. Noirhaven plays dirty. The Mafia has a shared purpose and knowledge. But the Civilians? They don't work together. They don't even know who their allies are. That's why they scatter. That's why they die."
I walked slowly to the table, tapping my finger against the metal surface. "Think. The Doctor works alone. The Cop hides in silence. And the Penance waits for the perfect time. They're fractured. That's their weakness."
Damien swallowed. "So… the Doctor and Cop are silent because—?"
"Because if they reveal themselves too early, they die. But if they wait too long, they waste their power. Timing is everything." I looked him square in the eye. "And that's why we'll win."
The Mafia hadn't said a word yet. He watched. Controlled the air in the room with sheer presence.
I stepped closer to him now not out of flirtation, like the Hostess but with a purpose.
"Aren't you going to kill the Soldier?" I asked calmly. "He's become useless. He can't protect anyone anymore. That little stunt with the Hitman—"
I tilted my head. "The Hitman died because of him. Wasted potential."
Silence.
Then, finally, the Mafia spoke—his voice low and dark, like a smooth blade sliding from its sheath.
"For now… no."
I didn't react. I knew he had a reason. He always did.
"I'd rather eliminate the main pieces," he continued. "The roles that tilt the game. The ones who can truly turn the tides."
His eyes gleamed. "We kill the minds. The rest will crumble."
I nodded once, a ghost of a smile tugging at my lips. "Strategic. Efficient."
The Hostess laughed behind us, spinning a strand of hair around her finger. "You all talk too much. Just say who I get to seduce next."
But I was already thinking ahead ten steps forward, five traps laid, four roles unchecked. If this keeps up we will win in this game and we can have the—