"Hey Ugly"
I felt the sharp tap before I even turned around.
"Me?" My voice was already tired.
Of course. Emma.
"Yeah, you" she sneered, arms crosses over her chest. The dim restaurant lighting highlighted the smugness in her smirk. Her neatly pressed uniform, fit her just right. Too right.
"Since I'm incharge today, you better obey me," she said, tilting her head in that I-own-you way that made my blood simmer.
Arrogant bitch.
I held my expression neutral. "Mhm, sure," I muttered. "What is it?"
"You'll be refilling the pantry and washing dishes," she said sweetly, too sweetly. Then, with a dramatic flip of her hair, she added, "And, you'll be closing the restaurant tonight."
She didn't even wait for my response. Just walked away, leaving me with a near-empty dining hall and the last few stubborn customers.
My fingers twitched. I swear to God, Emma, one of these days-
But I swallowed it down. Keep it together.
The owners had gone out on their usual Friday date, Maria had called in sick, and stupid Emma had shoved all the work onto me. If I complained, it would only make things worse for myself.
And the cherry on top?
The last table wouldn't leave.
I scrubbed the counter, trying to tune out the high-pitched giggles from a group of high school girls seated nearby,
They were huddled together, phones in hand, eyes wide with obsession.
"Oh my god, did you see Arsenio's cosplayer who us trending these days?" one of them squealed.
"He's so hot in that black suit," another whined, nearly knocking over her milkshake.
"Ugh, stop, I literally can't breathe."
A third girl gasped dramatically. "Wait, wait, have you read the new chapter of Stuck With Arsenio in the Elevator?"
The whole table erupted into frantic chatter.
"I dreamed of him last night!" a girl with short bangs confessed, gripping the edge of the table. "We..kinda hooked up."
I physically cringed.
For the millionth time, I rolled my eyes at the sheer psychotic obsession with Arsenio Deuvrex.
Like, yeah. Sure. It's so attractive to love a bloodthirsty psychopath who kills for fun.
I hated him.
I joined this restaurant because of Rei Wenkwurt. Not that damn Arsenio.
The entire restaurant, Blood for Love, was designed after my favourite novel, Blood X Betrayals. The red-and-black table, the golden lanterns, the framed quotes from the book lining the deep crimson walls; every detail was meant to bring the novel to life.
I had loved this place since I was eleven, when my mother first brought me here. It was the owner, Mrs. Wilson, who introduced me to the book.
And yet, everyone here was obsessed with the villain.
Even Mrs. Wilson. Even her lovesick husband. Every time I asked who their favourite character was, they always answered "Arsenio" without hesitation.
No matter how hard I manifested otherwise.
It was infuriating.
An hour later, I was alone in the restaurant, finishing the last of the cleanup.
The golden chandeliers cast long shadows against the polished floors as I moved through the space. The hush of an empty restaurant felt both calming and eerie.
I took one last look at the restaurant, and then, with a tired sigh, I shut off the lights and locked the doors.
It had been a long day.
I walked through the crowded city streets, my mind occupied with the only one thing.
Me and Rei.
The latest fanfiction that had been blowing up the internet.
I picked up my pace, desperate to get home. The neon lights of nearby shops flickered against the wet pavement, reflecting colors that danced under my tired feet.
I entered Richard Enclaves, my apartment building, just as the elevator doors slid open.
Before I could step inside, a voice stopped me.
"Have you paid this month's rent?"
I inwardly groaned.
My landlady stood in the hallway, arms folded, a knowing smirk on her lips.
"Uh, well, y'know-" I searched for an excuse.
She cut of me off. "Better use the stairs, honey."
Ofcourse she knew I had blown half of my salary on the dummy sword from Blood X Betrayals. The same sword Rei and Arsenio fought over on the novel's climax.
I grit my teeth. "Sure."
Fifth Floor. No elevator.
The universe was definitely laughing at me.
By the time I reached my apartment, I was out of breath. My fingers fumbled with my rusty keys before I shoved the door open, kicking off my shoes.
I barely made it to the dining table, grabbing my laptop before collapsing onto the bed.
*Midnight*
It had been three hours, and I was still in the same spot, curled up on my bed, wrapped in the soft glow of my laptop screen. The real world had faded, drowned out ny the intoxicating pull of ReiXReader.
It was my guilty pleasure, the one thing I refused to be judged for.
Rei Wenkwurt: the untouchable, the warrior, the man carved from steel and sorrow. My temptation.
And the fanfic writers? They were the only ones giving me what the original story refused to.
As I scrolled through an old blog post from 2005, a particular title made my breath hitch:
"The tale of Blood And Betrayal was REAL."
Curiosity took over, and I clicked on it. But before I could even process the article, another browser window popped up on my laptop screen.
"Did you know that Blood and Betrayal is based on the legend of Skiwall? What's more intriguing is that the original evidence was destroyed by Rei Wenkwurt; the male lead of the novel."
I sat up, crossing my legs on the bed, my mind lingering on a ridiculous comment beneath the post. Someone claimed that you could summon a fictional character.
"TRUST ME, IT WORKS 100% Follow these steps-
1. Place two candles parallel to each other.
2. Write the full name of the legendary character n sandpaper using red ink.
3. Recite the following spell:
"THE ONE WHO CAN'T BE DEFEATED, BUT CAN BE SUMMONED!
THE WARRIOR OF ALL!
THE FORGOTTON LEGEND!
VERXAS DIALO WEINSHUAR!"
I snorted. What a stupid-ass thing. Only an idiot would try this.
Shaking my head, I shut my laptop and flopped back onto my bed.
A few minutes later...
Well...trying it once wouldn't make me and idiot, right?
Before I knew it, I was sitting on the floor, lighting two candles and carefully writing Rei Wenkwurt on the sandpaper with a pastel crayon. Completely feeling like a fool, I took a deep breath, I spoke the words aloud, feeling more and more ridiculous with each syllable.
"THE ONE WHO CAN'T BE DEFEATED, BUT CAN BE SUMMONED! THE WARRIOR OF ALL! THE FORGOTTON LEGEND! VERXAS DIALO WEINSHUAR!"
A long silence followed.
Nothing happened.
The candles flickered for a brief moment, but that was it.
I let out a sigh. A good day to be an idiot.
Just as I reached forward to blow out the flames, a sudden gust of wind rushed through my room. The pages of my novel flipped wildly as the air grew ice-cold.
My stomach twisted. What the hell?
The sandpaper lifted off the ground, floating midair. My breath caught as the letters began rearranging themselves.
When the words settles, I felt my blood run cold.
"ARSENIO DEUVREX"
No. No. NO.
Not him.
I scrambled backward. This wasn't happening.
Of all the characters in Blood and Betrayal, I had summoned summoned Arsenio Deuvrex. The villain. The psychotic, bloodthirsty, absolute worst possible person to be trapped in a room with.
Before I could process my next move, a sharp light shot from the book on the floor, illuminating the entire room. My breath hitched as a tall figure emerged from the pages.
I didn't need to see his face to know.
I had royally screwed up.
Standing in front of my was Arsenio.