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"You didn't tell me that it involved you marrying the girl!" Sam's 'uncle' shouted as he threw a porcelain vase on the ground. One of the shards hit Sam's cheeks as he was kneeling on the the ground and the side of his cheeks began to bleed.

Sam ignored the wound as blood blurred his right eye and went down to his lips. Reyes, who had adopted him, inculcated and taught him everything he knew leaned over and licked the blood away from Sam's face.

"You're tainted, Sam. Don't even think of ever running away," Reyes said as he hugged Sam from behind and whispered into his ears.

Sam didn't even say a word because Reyes was right. People like him didn't deserve to be happy. They don't deserve to have happy and healthy relationships. He was saved from darkness to another dark soulless pit and that was all he ever knew and would know.

Whatever fame, fortune and wealth that he had were all accompanied with all these lies, enslavement and deep bribery. The whole system was rigged for people like him to lose.

He was caught in this sick cycle and he could never get out. His fist tightened ever so slightly, but on the outside, he could not do anything except to lift a faint shadow of a a smile.

One day, everything will come crumbling down. This whole system and this world. He'll bring it down.

He vowed as his eyes darkened just as his clothes were slowly removed by prying hands.

-

"A penny for your thoughts?" Scarlet asked Sam who looked strangely pale for a hot afternoon. They were in the hidden library and they were seated side by side, facing the window. The hot afternoon sun shone in and she felt sweaty and somewhat uncomfortable while Sam looked as though he had just exited the fridge.

How do they do that? The male characters from this system? Vance was one such example, so was Sam! They hardly broke out in a sweat even when the sun was scorching hot.

"Nothing, I'm just thinking about our big day," Sam said as he looked at Scarlet. His expression thawed and Scarlet leaned over like a dutiful fiance. She loved the smell on Sam. It was something faint, light and sweet. She appreciated that he didn't deign it odd to wear a sweet scent and fancied him even more for it.

"I've chosen the dress, it'll be an ivory one," Scarlet said, and Sam smiled. "I'm sure you'll look spectacular."

"I don't want to raise your hopes up but I think you should be concerned that people might just steal your bride if they chanced upon me," Scarlet teased and Sam placed a loving kiss on top of her head.

"I'll find you and get you back," he said gently and hugged her. Scarlet touched a slight wound on Sam's face and she kissed it abruptly and Sam flinched. Scarlet's brow quirked and Sam apologised, "It was ticklish!"

Scarlet lips lifted in amusement and she kissed him firmly on his lips, "What about this then?"

You should be so proud of me, yes?

Yes....

Yes?

Silence.

Scarlet sighed in her head. The system had gone quiet for almost a week now. And the wedding was taking place in three days!

Surely, the system would be back by then? Yes?