The night smells like a sin.

Since being born without a choice, I already knew the terrifying horror of my existence.

Tired of being restless, and I still had to live a life that I didn't even choose. For years and years, I tried to lift my curse, yet it only had gotten worse.

Having pride as if I had found an answer to all of this. Running away was natural. Having no sense caution, I abandoned my sanity outside and was only left with the false voices echoing in my mind.

Parched by time, I gritted, shoes stuck on the ground, and feeling stupid.

It always got upset that no matter how I struggle to set myself free, I could never escape this cursed path.

In the cold night breeze, with a cloak resembled the dark rear part of the building, his black hair had also swayed.

"Carlyle Vieira of the Rabbit's Hole," I stated in a low voice.

He chuckled, "Seemed like you're back to your senses, Miss Ellianna."

I sighed, "Everything doesn't make sense to me," and answered.

Carlyle stared at me with an equal pair of vacant gaze, as if he was looking at the bottom of an ocean. He might have taken my words to indiscriminate between a joke and seriousness

But I was serious. I left my parents to escape, but it costed my rational thinking. I was kidnapped and was about to be sold to prostitution, but I was saved by a person who came from a circus. Again, I was able to escape a more tragic fate than my tragic existence.

How could a freak from a circus infiltrate that auction house?

There was only one reason unwavering on my mind: they were more than a circus. And I remembered him telling me that the Rabbit's Hole was different.

Carlyle looked so composed, as though he had control over everything.

I saw him touched his earpiece. Someone must have contacted him. "You know what, Ellianna," he said, standing up. "We don't have much time to waste here."

Swallowed by the disarraying events, I had no complaints about him helping me stand. In one abrupt way, he grabbed me by the waist and pulled me up! Everything on my field of vision became upside down once he threw me over his shoulder!

"Hey!" I exclaimed, hitting his lower back with  my fists.

"Aw, Ellianna!" he grumbled and started running to a direction called 'I-do-not-know'.

"I can walk on my own, put me down!"

"Blah, no." I could feel the teasing smile playing on his lips, even though I couldn't see him. "If I'd let you, you'll just slow me down."

I groaned loudly, frustrated. I was all dizzy already, yet seeing this shitty world in a bottom-up state, it made me want to lose my head. Having no choice, I remained obedient.

Each time Carlyle took huge strides as he ran, a bounce would be created. And I would sadly experience the nauseating intensity of it. Now, I wanted to vomit my brains out.

Sighing, I patiently endured the discomfort.

From what Carlyle had shown me, I could depict what kind of organization the Rabbit's Hole was. Certainly, that auction was a place where sinners assembled. The circus freaks came therefore unexpected, toppling down the unpurified souls to color the place with crimson blood.

That makes the Rabbit's Hole as a sinner as well, huh?

But who, a filthy human being, was I to judge? This world was nothing but pathetic and worthless sinners, to begin with.

Soon, Carlyle stopped running. And with a careful move, he put me down. I was barely standing up and couldn't imagine the expression drawn on my face. With a narrowed and impassive look, I threw it all to the guy in front of me.

"Please, don't glare at me like that, Miss Ellianna!" Instead of being intimidated, but he only laughed it off.

It was almost absurd to think that Carlyle could be this carefree as if the auction house didn't become a bloodbath for sinners.

I huffed, then watched the surrounding where we stopped. We were never far from the red-light district, but we were in the idle part of it—a dark alleyway between two abandoned buildings. The buildings were like empty shells: splintered doors, windows made out of broken glass, and aging concretes with chalky paints.

Carlyle accommodated me with a small flashlight in his hand.

"Where are we, by the way?" I questioned, shivers running from my toes, up to the ends of my hair. And was only wearing a coat, and inside if it was a slutty-looking outfit. The darkness was thick and cold, I could hardly see the path in front of us.

"Do you mean in general or only this time?"

I sighed. "This place in general."

"The Land of Layil," he replied, the amusement in his tone was obvious.

Land of Layil?

It seemed like Carlyle anticipated my thoughts, and he explained it to me before I could ask. "It's a district for sinners, a swarming, sinful place built upon money and power that the government couldn't touch. Any wicked things you can think of, exist here. Notorious criminals, slave market, prostitution, illegal drugs, smuggled products—name it."

I nodded my head mentally. If the government couldn't reach this Land of Layil, then how did the Rabbit's Hole? I smirked silently. I never knew that the circus gang was sketchier than I thought.

"Are you curious, Ellianna?" I heard his question.

"About what?" I responded and coldness masked my voice. I knew that he was already aware of my thoughts.

Before he could respond, as we made through the alleyway, a new street welcomed us. It was almost an empty street, only the shadows, and a distinct closed van.

My eyebrows were furrowed, creating a crease on my forehead.

Is this their rendezvous spot?

"Curious about . . ." Carlyle added, having lingering sounds in the end, "why the Rabbit's Hole is responsible for the deaths in that house."

I only scoffed, tauntingly. Seriously?

"You asked the wrong person, idiot," I said. "How would I know? I'm just a mere loser, having no notion about living and dying."

Carlyle chuckled, turning his back on me. "Guess so."

This world was full of outrageous nonsense. What was right to some, it was awfully wrong for others. What was 'right'', anyway? It was as though this life was telling to live, die, and try to see the 'right' in the end. Really nonsense.

Then I watched Carlyle walked where the back door of the closed van was. The door got opened on its own. He gestured me to come near him, and I did.

I saw what was inside the van. A number of computer monitors were displayed, along with the neatly organized wires. The intel, huh? Yet what was more surprising, there was only a person inside, eyes focused solely on the monitor. Must be the analyst.

Suddenly, I saw the man's eyes moved sideways, giving us a brief look through his eyeglasses, before returning his attention to his work. "You sure did ditch your mission. Why thou hasteth incessantly, white rabbit?"

Carlyle, who was called a 'white rabbit', only laughed. "Well, the rabbit is anxiously scared of getting late, so."

The man huffed in a scoffing manner. "Hope you won't get scolded by the Queen Guren."

"It's all right, y'know? Granny loves me!" Carlyle confidently exclaimed, smiling without worries.

Granny . . . Queen Guren.

Without words, Carlyle asked me to go inside. I was hesitant, for this wasn't the place for me. The analyst didn't seem to care as well. His eyes were full of tense, holding his breath as if his life was depended on the jungle of algorithms flashing on the screen. There was nothing to hear in this compact and dimmed space, except the rapid beating of his fingers against the keyboard. His concentration was fascinating, almost attractive.

"He's Sain, Ellianna!" Not quite long enough, Carlyle broke the silence.

I breathed through my nose, warily looking at the guy on my side. "Sane?"

"S-A-I-N, but in all actuality, he's insane!"

How could Carlyle be jovial about this?

"I could say the same about you." I didn't know how many times did I sigh for this night alone.

"Oh, really?"  he obliviously said. "Well, okay."

My right eyebrow twitched a little. He didn't even try to deny it.

"But as you see," he continued shortly, "Sain is totally a computer wizard! He's amazing! Like he can do hacking and stuff, and he's all alone! Can you believe that? It's like he's a one-man army!"

"You speak highly of me–" then clack– "Carlyle." The man with a Sain on his name, tapped a button—signing that he was finished with his work. Although exhausted, he leaned back on his chair, turning around. "So, then? Who is she?"

Now that I had seen his front face. Even in this place lit by the computers, his face was visible. His pale skin reminded me of being bathed by the moonlight. Dark shades also resided under his deadlock eyes. His indigo hair was almost reaching his shoulders, matching the color of his clothes.

One of the things I really noticed from him was the tattoo on the back of his palm. It was a blue butterfly—it was believed as one of the rarest butterflies ever existed. Yet the tattoo had a distinct and disturbing design. Each wing had a human eye, making it looked a lot creepier.

"I'm . . ." I whispered, "No—" body.

"She's Ellianna," Carlyle introduced for me.

A frown rose on the hacker's forehead. "Ellianna?" he repeated, very soft-spoken. "What's with her, that you abandoned the team to get her into safety?"

Sain was so reserved, keeping all his thoughts and emotions to himself, but he undoubtedly carried a mysterious atmosphere within him.

Carlyle had no reply, but to smile cunningly. He was just looking intently at Sain's eyes as if a mental discourse was happening.

Soon, Sain closed his eyes, exhaling out, "The lost girl, huh?" and said meaningfully. And with a timid look, he slowly traveled his gaze on me.

I didn't mind, for I had nothing to show. The coat managed to cover most of my modest parts, but still short enough not to hide the lace-top of the fishnet stockings I was wearing.

"Is she one of the women being auctioned there?" he spoke with good diction, but very weary and full condescension.

"Yes," Carlyle attentively replied.

Sain only hummed, then grabbed something on his desk. Turned out, it was a pack of cigarettes. Taking out a stick, lit by his box-like silver lighter with a chequered pattern, and he sucked the smoke coming from the small ember. There was a rotten thing in his eyes as he puffed out the stench, filling the space with an oaky smell. The silvery grey smoke waltzed thickly, curling in the air hazily like a ghost found in an alley on a humid night.

"So you've taken an interest to her?" asked Sain again, pinning the cigarette between his two fingers.

There was nothing I could say; too overwhelmed with happening I couldn't fathom.

"Uh-huh." Nodded Carlyle. "She's my recruit. And it's not obvious at first glance, but Ellianna is famous, y'see! She's a ballet prodigy!"

"Prodigy?" Sain scornfully uttered. "That's an overstatement. It must be a combination of her ability to play the role as much as effort and perseverance."

"I won't say that you're wrong, but I know that she's able to arrive an innate ability in her craft."

Sain narrowed an eye to me, examining my being with accuracy. "Really?" he said in a silvery tone, very honeyed and modulated. "Ellianna, yes?" I clipped a nod as he pressed the cigarette on his thin lips and inhaled the precious chemicals once again. "From what family?"

"Richardson," I muttered.

Suddenly, he laughed, snorting the smoke out of his nostrils. "Richardson? The fucking capitalist?" His mocking chuckle got me speechless, almost making him out of the character. "Oh, how I hate you already."

I smirked, "I do hate that bloodline as well. And you know about my father?"

He flashed me a sly gaze, answering, "I know every worst scum in this country. Yet, I see that you also had the worst in your life, so I'll give you 30% of my hatred."

Then Sain smiled at me—a kind of smile that I gained a bit of his approval. The way he talked was very articulate and insightful, showing a noticeable maturity for his age. But, I shouldn't be swept by his peculiar personality. He was from the Rabbit's Hole, and no one was definitely as sane as his name.

He hadn't finished his cigarette, but he already tamped it on the ashtray. "You may have the talents to be qualified, but . . ." The loss of glints to his eyes caught me a little off guard. He appeared so half-amused and half-bored, measuring the depths in me. As if, those pairs of lifeless orbs were made to seethe with animosity. "Doth thou haveth the ample darkness to remain steadfast in thy beloveth Rabbit's Hole?"

I only blinked in bewilderment. He sure had a very poetic way of saying things. That alone left me dumbstruck already.

Carlyle, who was beside me, laughed again, unbothered by the intoxicating ambiance. "Isn't he funny, Ellianna?"

Funny? He was funny?

Well, what should I expect? Carlyle had grown familiar to him.

"Don't get too weirded out." The man with a rabbit mask tapped my shoulder. "You haven't seen the very core of his insanity, so you will be fine, Ellianna."

Huh? So there was more beneath that ineffable enigma?

"Insanity, you say?" Sain chuckled in a deep, monotonous voice. "Don't make it sound so foolish, Carlyle. Insanity is what makes things fun.‬"

I sucked my breaths for a moment, eyes wide open. His words had a sharpness that was able to stab me in the face. He was openly defining his intent malice to me.

Carlyle let out an exasperated sigh, shattering the glass of conjured bloodlust. "Good grief, Sane! Stop scaring her!"

Sain only shook his head, getting a new cigarette stick. "Thou shall not let thy head be naïve, white rabbit." He angled his sight to me and lit the cigarette. Before talking again, he turned his back on me and begun typing on the computer keyboard. "Carlyle, you're the one who sparked the curiosity in her . . . Then, you must be fairly aware if one entered the Rabbit's Hole, death will sure to follow."

• — ◽◻◽ — •

yo! it's been a while 💖 i want to apologize, but you know the reason already, so.

have a good day! ✨

🍡 handtheirend