.
The guards dragged us in opposite directions. Ishika was still screaming at the top of her lungs, "Dear husband! Don't be afraid! Our love story is immortal! These mere mortals can't keep us apart! Wait for me in this world, my love!"
I looked at the guards and sighed. "Can you guys just move a bit faster? I can't listen to this anymore."
A few minutes later, I was shoved into a luxury suite. The place was insane—high-end clothes everywhere and a staff that treated me like I was some main character in a movie. One of them bowed and asked, "Sir, what do you prefer?"
"I prefer my sister staying far away from me," I muttered.
The staff blinked. "Sir... I meant which of these clothes do you prefer?"
"Whatever looks good to you, give it to me. I never miss out on free stuff," I said. They all laughed, but suddenly, a muffled scream echoed from somewhere far off: "Give me back my husband!"
I shivered. "I need to go home. Now."
As I looked around, I spotted a guy in the corner. It was the driver who brought us here. I called him over, and he approached me, looking terrified. "Sir, can I help you with something?"
"I think I know you," I said, squinting at him.
He froze for a second, then bowed deeply. "You must be mistaken, sir. And... I'm sorry for the recording. I was just doing my job. Please forgive me." He started to walk away, but a name flashed in my mind. "Is your name Rishi?"
He stopped dead in his tracks. "It is."
"Wait! Hold on!" I yelled, but before I could reach him, he literally vanished. A heavy feeling settled in my chest. I put a hand over my heart. I've been through this before... but why can't I remember anything?
"Sir, please sit. We need to fix your hair," a staff member said, gesturing to a chair. I sat down and looked in the mirror. My hair was bright blue, and my eyes were glowing with a deep, cold light. They tied a cloth around my neck and covered my eyes. I could hear the scissors snipping away.
"Sir, can I ask you something?" the barber asked.
"Go ahead."
"That girl... she's not really your sister, is she? You two are complete opposites."
I let out a dry laugh. "She's just being a pain right now. Believe it or not, when we were kids, she was the quietest person in the world. She'd barely speak to me once a week."
The snipping stopped. "Sir, are you joking?"
"I wish I was. People change with time, I guess."
The barber started apologizing frantically. "I'm sorry, sir! I shouldn't have brought up old memories! Please forgive me!"
"It's fine. Talking to you actually helped me realize a few things. Thanks."
He finished up and pulled the cloth off my eyes. I opened them and looked into the mirror, but I instantly recoiled. My head felt like it was on fire. "Why is there smoke coming out of my hair?!" I yelled, slapping my head. "Did you put something in it?!"
The barber chuckled. "Sir, relax! It's just the latest fashion."
"Since when is burning hair a fashion statement?" I barked. He just told me to change my clothes and left. I called out after him, "You recorded our conversation, didn't you?"
He paused. "Sorry, sir. Roy-sir told me to record everything."
"Tell Roy he has a serious friend-complex," I muttered. Suddenly, the other staff members started dropping things. The room went silent, and everyone stared at me. "I was joking!" I yelled. "I'm used to this by now. Just... don't show your faces to me again." They scrambled out of the room like their lives depended on it.
I changed into the new gear and walked back to Roy. He was sitting there calmly, scrolling through his phone. I slapped a hand on his shoulder. "What's your deal, Roy? Stop with the cheap tricks and tell me what you want."
Roy didn't look up. "You're an idiot, Rio. You don't realize that sometimes things have to get weird... especially with a guy whose luck is as cursed as yours."
I sat down, but then I heard it. A whisper right in my ear: "I love you. I really, really love you."
My heart stopped. That voice... it was exactly like the woman in my dream. I turned around and saw Ayesha standing there. She had thick, flowing hair and grey eyes that seemed to pierce right through me. She smiled. "Rio. Finally. You're here. Don't even think about running away like last time."
What the hell is she doing here? I looked at Roy. "Roy, what is going on?"
Before he could answer, another voice cut through the air. "My dear friend! Where are you?" It was my sister.
I looked at Roy again. "This was your plan, wasn't it? To get me killed?"
Roy smirked. "I didn't do anything. This is probably your sister's doing."
Ayesha looked at me, her expression turning slightly sour. "So, you brought your sister this time?"
"I have a lot to ask you too," I said, trying to stay calm.
Ishika walked in, and for thirty seconds, she and Ayesha just stood there, staring each other down. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife.
"So you're here too, Ishika," Ayesha said coldly. "Nice to see you."
"Nice to see you too," Ishika replied, her voice tight.
I turned to Roy, desperate. "Roy, get me out of here. Seriously. Send me home."
Roy just laughed. "Why would you want to leave? Look at you, two beautiful girls fighting over you. I'm the unlucky one here, I don't even have one."
I grabbed Roy's shoulder and squeezed it hard. "You think I'm lucky?"
He shoved my hand off. "Yeah, your luck is great. You always end up in the middle of the mess."
The two girls suddenly closed in on me. I scrambled to sit next to Roy, pointing at the opposite seats. "Sit there. Both of you."
They glared at me but sat down. Ayesha looked at Roy. "Big brother, can you go sit somewhere else? I need to talk to Rio about something important."
Roy stood up immediately. "Sure, help yourself."
Ayesha slid into the seat right next to me, a sweet smile on her face. I tried to move away, but she just pressed closer. Ishika was watching us like a hawk, her eyes promising murder. Roy broke the silence. "Want to order something? You're sweating like crazy, Rio. Maybe a cold drink?"
"It's just hot in here," I lied. "Ayesha, can you... give me some space?"
She looked at me and moved exactly one inch away. "Is this better?" There was plenty of room behind her, but she stayed glued to my side. I grabbed the menu and held it in front of my face, trying to breathe.
I looked at the prices and nearly choked. "What the hell?! Why is everything gold-priced?"
Ishika grabbed my hand. "Brother, are you okay?" Ayesha put her hand on my forehead. "Do you have a fever?"
I pushed them both back. "I'm fine! I'm just shocked. $100 for a coffee?!"
"Don't worry about it," Ayesha said. "It's on me. Order whatever you want. You gave me your valuable time, so it's the least I can do." She glanced at Ishika. "You can order too."
Ishika made a face. "I don't want anything."
"Are you sure?" Ayesha teased. "They have the best pastries in the world here. Lots of cream... your favorite."
"Fine! Since you're insisting!" Ishika snapped. She called the waiter over and started pointing at everything in the menu. "I'll have this, and this, and this... and this too!"
Roy and Ayesha just smiled. I leaned over to Ishika. "Sister, isn't that a bit much?"
She glared at me. "Do you have a problem with it, big brother?"
The waiter looked worried. "Um, ma'am... we can't fit all of this on one table."
Roy saw his chance. "Ishika, you ordered too much. Since I need to talk to Rio about something important, why don't you take all that food to that empty table over there?"
Ishika slammed her hand on the table. CLANG! The sound made everyone jump. Ayesha immediately clung to my arm.
"You're being very rude," I told Ishika.
"Sorry," Ishika said, not looking sorry at all. "I thought I saw a bug on the table that was going to bite Ayesha. My bad. Anyway, move away from my brother, he's not feeling well." She stood up and moved to the other table to wait for her food.
Once the food arrived, she started eating like a beast, ignoring everyone. Ayesha leaned in close again. "Your sister is quite a handful, Rio. If you need help 'handling' her, let me know. Just invite me to your house sometime."
I felt a chill. Something felt very wrong about all of this.
Roy cleared his throat, his expression turning grave. "Alright, little sister, you can flirt later. I have something serious to say." He turned to me, his eyes burning with intensity.
"Rio... are you ready to step back onto the battlefield? Or are you going to keep running from your fate? I need an answer."