Chapter 10. The Deal Was Off

The cheerful cafe sounds—clinking cups, murmured conversations—suddenly felt distant and hollow. Noah leaned back in his chair, his relaxed posture a stark contrast to his cold glance.

"I see," Noah said. "You've been telling someone about our little deal, huh?"

Surprised, Fiona stared at Noah. "Wh-what are you talking about...?" she stammered, forcing her voice to sound confused.

*Did I make a mistake?* Her mind raced, frantically scanning the past minutes. *Did I say something that hinted that I betrayed him? But what...?* Panic tightened her chest. *Was it my posture? My tone?*

"Let me guess," Noah said, his gaze boring into her, stripping away her feeble attempt at deception. "The one you were telling was the leader of that organization you mentioned before. Jasper, was it?"

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," Fiona insisted.

Noah smiled, a chilling curve of his lips devoid of warmth. "I guess you didn't even notice it yourself," he said.

Fiona looked at him with a confused expression, genuine bewilderment mixing with her terror.

"What...?" she asked.

"Before today," Noah explained, leaning forward slightly, his voice low and analytical, "every time you had to report to me, you radiated guilt. Nervous energy, fidgeting, eyes darting away. You felt complicit, trapped, forced to betray your friends." He tilted his head. "It's gone today. Vanished. Why?"

"Why...?"

That single word echoed in Fiona's skull. Her stomach plummeted.

"There's nothing special about today," Noah continued. "The information you gave me? Still potentially useful tidbits. There's no reason for you to suddenly not feel guilty anymore." He paused, letting the implication hang heavy in the fragrant, coffee-scented air. "Except... someone lifted the burden. Someone took the secret off your shoulders."

Fiona closed her eyes, squeezing them shut against the wave of humiliation. *How easily my feelings get read?* she thought despairingly. *All I needed to do was stall for time, just a few days... and I messed up doing even that.*

Suddenly, Noah's hand shot out. His fingers, surprisingly strong, grabbed her chin and cheeks, forcing her head up and making her look directly into his cold, amused eyes.

She couldn't pull away. His grip was firm, unyielding.

*This is it. It's the end. He will kill me right here.*

Noah smiled, like a child winning a game.

"So I was right, huh?" he said. "You spilled everything to Jasper. That's why you feel relieved, isn't it?"

The dam broke. Fiona started to cry, silent tears spilling over to her cheeks and soon to Noah's fingers. Shame and terror overwhelmed her.

"Wups, come on, no need to cry," Noah said, releasing her chin to wipe the tears from her cheek with a swipe of his thumb. "Don't worry, I won't kill you." He paused, letting the cruel addendum sink in. "Unfortunately."

"What...?" Fiona choked out, her feelings a chaotic whirlpool of terror, confusion, and a tiny flicker of hope.

*He won't kill me? Really? But why...?* Her mind scrambled, unable to grasp his meaning. *What does he want?*

Noah released his hand from Fiona completely, leaning back as if nothing had happened.

"I think I get a pretty good idea of what happened," he stated calmly. "The fact that you're still willing to come to me and pretend to feed me information? I presume it's because your precious leader said something like he needed a few days to prepare a trap to catch me, right? So you're trying to stall time by dutifully playing your part."

Fiona's voice stuck in her throat. She felt utterly naked, completely exposed. Every plan Jasper had made felt laughably transparent under Noah's chilling gaze.

"Well, you're lucky," Noah said. "You won't die today. That's because..." He paused before he gave her an enigmatic smile. "...you're my meatshield now."

"Meatshield...?" Fiona parroted dumbly, the word feeling alien and terrifying.

"I guess you really didn't notice," Noah said, a hint of condescension in his tone. He subtly scanned the cafe's large windows and the street beyond. "Even if Jasper isn't ready to spring his trap now, there's no way your noble leader is letting his little informant come here completely unprotected. I presume he's watching us right now. From somewhere close."

The girl reflexively looked around, her eyes darting frantically over the other patrons, the street outside, the rooftops across the way. But she couldn't find Jasper's familiar, reassuring face anywhere.

"Where...?" she whispered, more to herself.

"He won't be where we can see him clearly, silly," Noah said, standing up smoothly. "Anyway," his voice hardened, "you better behave and follow my lead exactly if you want to get back alive and reunited with your beloved leader. One wrong move, and things get messy. Understood?"

Fiona gulped, frozen. *What's the right action?* Her mind was blank, paralyzed by the fear of making another catastrophic mistake. Before she could react, Noah grabbed her hand firmly, his grip like steel.

"Let's go," he commanded, pulling her to her feet. She stumbled slightly, numb with terror.

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Outside of the cafe, in the parking area.

The cool afternoon air felt jarring after the cafe's warmth. Cars lined the asphalt. And there, standing calmly beside a nondescript car, was the white-haired guy, Jasper. His silver eyes were fixed on Noah, radiating controlled fury.

While holding Fiona's hand in a vice-like grip, Noah walked closer to him, dragging Fiona slightly. She felt like a puppet.

"Leader!" Fiona yelled, her voice thick with tears and shame. "I'm sorry!"

Jasper ignored her for a moment, his gaze locked on Noah.

"You're Noah, right?" His voice was low, dangerous. "Release her. Now."

"Not so fast, friend," Noah said, a cold smirk playing on his lips. He subtly shifted Fiona slightly in front of him, using her body as a shield. "Tell your little friends hiding in the delivery van and behind the dumpster over there to fall back first. Nice and slow." He tightened his grip on Fiona's hand, making her whimper. "Don't even think of attacking me; that's only if you don't want her to die right here. I can vanish faster than your goons can blink."

Jasper didn't hesitate. He raised his hand high in a sharp, clear signal.

"Nobody move!" he commanded, his voice cutting through the tense air. "Stand down! I will handle it." He kept his eyes locked on Noah.

"I knew it," Noah smirked triumphantly. "You didn't come alone. Aren't you embarrassed? Trying to ambush one guy with a whole squad. Are you a bully, Jasper? Or just scared?"

"Enough," Jasper growled, his composure cracking slightly. "Release her."

"Fine," Noah said, feigning giving up. "You caught me off guard this time. I will back down for now." He moved slightly to the side. "But remember, we will meet again soon."

After saying that, Noah yanked Fiona's hand violently toward him. In the same instant, a sickening ripping sound tore through the air.

Fiona screamed in blinding agony as Noah simply... disappeared. One moment he was there, gripping her hand, the next—nothing but empty space and searing pain.

Jasper immediately rushed toward Fiona, who collapsed onto the asphalt, clutching her right hand to her chest, writhing and sobbing. Blood streamed between her fingers, soaking her sleeve and dripping onto the ground. The skin and flesh from her wrist down were a ragged, horrifying mess.

Soon after, a bunch of people rushed toward her too—the other members of Arcane Keepers emerging from hiding spots, faces grim.

"Oh my god, what happened to her?" one of the members gasped, staring at the blood.

"Please hold on a second, Fiona," Jasper said, kneeling beside her, his voice tight with worry despite his calm exterior. He gently but firmly pried her uninjured hand away to assess the damage.

Jasper finished his quick examination, his face turned pale. The injury was brutal.

"I believe he teleported while holding her hand," he explained, his voice clipped with suppressed rage. "He must have initiated the teleport while maintaining that crushing grip. The result... it tore part of her skin and flesh away."

"How cruel!" another member said, fists clenched. "That monster!"

"Hairo!" Jasper yelled.

A stout guy with kind eyes, pushing past the others, immediately responded.

"Yes, leader," he said, already kneeling beside Fiona, his expression turning professional as he took in the wound.

"Can you heal her?" Jasper asked, his eyes flicking between Hairo and Fiona's pain-contorted face. "Or do we need to bring her to the hospital immediately?" The risk of infection or permanent damage was high.

Hairo examined the torn flesh more closely, his fingers hovering carefully. "I think I can heal her," he said after a tense moment. "It's severe, but the structure is... mostly intact beneath. Please excuse me."

He took a deep breath, centering himself, his hands beginning to glow with a soft, warm light as he gently placed them near the wound.

While Hairo concentrated, his brow furrowed, channeling his healing power into Fiona's mangled hand, Jasper turned to the other members who had been positioned as lookouts and pursuit.

"How is it?" he asked them, his voice low and intense. The priority had shifted from capture to Fiona's safety, but the failure stung.

"I'm sorry, leader," one of them reported. "He vanished. We scanned the immediate area in all directions. Nothing. We completely lost him."

"I see," Jasper said. He looked back at Fiona, her cries reduced to whimpers as Hairo's light began its work. The sight of her suffering fueled his cold fury. "We really didn't have enough resources prepared to contain someone with a teleport ability." He clenched his jaw. "We completely lost today."

"But at least Fiona was saved," the other member said quietly, trying to find a silver lining. "We got her back."

Jasper nodded, his gaze fixed on Fiona.

"But let's not celebrate yet." His voice was grim. "Not until her wound is healed."

He watched Hairo work, the warm light a fragile counterpoint to the violence inflicted moments before. The image of Noah's smirk as he used Fiona as a shield burned in his memory.

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