A new Day 2

It moved with a slow, deliberate grace, a predator playing at patience. Most would've bolted, screamed until they crapped their pants, but Gino's pulse barely spiked. He'd seen those eyes too many times, the latest being—last night.

The snake glided over his bare thighs, its cool scales soaking up his heat, leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake. Despite being a daily routine, Gino was still not used to the slithery sensation against his skin.

The white snake reached the wardrobe and paused, its head tilting as if savoring the moment. Then, with a flick, it nudged the right corner upward, lifting the massive frame just enough to expose the shadows beneath.

"Don't expect me to touch that badge," the blanket voice said, sharp and petulant. "Police stuff's a no-no. Not my thing."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Gino muttered, scrambling forward on hands and knees.

His fingers brushed something cold and metallic in the gap. He yanked it out, heart leaping—only to find an empty bullet shell, its casing dull and scratched.

"You knew it wasn't there," he growled, hurling the shell at the blanket.

It struck her with a muted thunk and rolled back to his feet, a taunting little dance. The wardrobe, still tilted, creaked as something else stirred—a low, wicked laugh bubbling up from its top.

"Hee-hee…" The new voice was bright, jagged, dripping with delight. "Oh, you should've seen your face—priceless, like a kicked puppy—"

"Whoa!" Gino's retort choked off as a pitch-black snake lunged from the wardrobe's summit, its red eyes blazing with the same feral love as its white twin.

It coiled around his torso in an instant, pinning his arms to his sides, its scales a slick, possessive grip that squeezed the air from his lungs. With a yank, it hauled him upward, his feet kicking uselessly as he rose above the wardrobe.

Two hands caught his face—soft, trembling, feverishly warm. She was there, perched like a dark queen atop the wood, her pitch-black hair cascading in wild waves, framing a face both beautiful and unhinged.

Her pupils, slitted like a serpent's, gleamed with a manic adoration that pinned him in place. Black scales shimmered on her arms and cheeks, flickering like dark stars before sinking into her smooth, pale skin.

Her semi-transparent black gown clung to her, revealing every curve, every shiver of excitement. She leaned in, her breath sweet and sharp, and pressed her lips to his—a deep, lingering kiss, a good-morning vow that tasted of obsession and promise.

The shock jolted him, mirrored by a sharp gasp from the bed below. The white snake hissed and retreated, the wardrobe slamming back to the floor with a thunderous crash that rattled the walls.

"Ouu!" The black-haired girl yelped, her head smacking to the wall behind.

Her snake's grip faltered, and Gino slipped free, plummeting headfirst toward the floor. A white snake snagged his left ankle at the last second, halting his fall with a jolt that snapped his neck back.

He dangled there, a limp rag doll swaying to and fro, his breath ragged as he stared at the scuffed floor. Then, with a flick of its tail, the snake flung him onto the bed.

The blanket erupted skyward, revealing its occupant—a girl with long white hair that fell in soft, chaotic waves, her elliptical black pupils glinting like polished midnight. Her skin was fair, almost luminous, glowing beneath a long, semi-transparent white gown that left little to the imagination—braless, her nipples stark against the thin fabric.

White scales shimmered along her arms, her neck, her thighs, flickering briefly before melting into her flesh. Her pupils rounded, softening from reptilian to something almost human, but the wildness lingered in her gaze.

"Gino~~!"

She launched herself at him, her body crashing into his with the force of a tidal wave. Her arms locked around his chest, fierce and unyielding, as if she'd never let go.

"Gino, Gino, GinoGinoGino!" Her voice was a frantic chant, a prayer, a plea, as she pressed her cheek to his and rubbed with desperate, relentless affection.

Her skin was warm, feverish, her breath a soft pant against his jaw. The name—the old name—spilled from her lips like a mantra, each syllable a stake pinning him to the past he'd sworn to shed.

"Stop it!" he roared, snapping out of his daze.

He thrashed against her, shoving with all his strength, but she didn't budge. Her face stayed serene, her eyes half-lidded with bliss, as if his struggle were a love song she'd memorized by heart.

A snake—white, insistent—sprang from her lower back, flashing a glimpse of her white thong as it coiled around them both. It tightened, drawing their bodies flush, her cheek grinding against his with a fervor that bordered on worship.

Her twin groaned from the wardrobe's edge, rubbing her bruised head, her black snake hissing faintly as it slithered back to her side. The room was a whirlwind—blankets tangling in the air, scales glinting in the dim light, red eyes burning with possessive fire.

Gino's mind spun, trapped in their chaos, their devotion, their madness. The bed creaked under their weight, the air thick with their scent—something floral and feral, a perfume of danger and desire.

He'd seen them like this before, hadn't he? Last night, when they'd slipped into his apartment uninvited, their laughter soft and sharp as they pressed against him, promising a night of rest he'd never gotten. Or the night before that, when they'd lingered too long, their hands brushing his skin, their voices whispering his name—Gino, always Gino—like a curse they refused to lift.

They were everywhere, these girls—white and black, light and shadow, twin forces of obsession that had wormed into his life and wouldn't let go. He'd thought he could handle them, thought he could keep them at arm's length while he built this new self, this Reffie.

But here they were, snakes and scales and soft, suffocating love, tearing his morning apart as he clung to one shred of sanity, one desperate need that drowned out their chants, their kisses, their coils—

"Where is my fucking badge?!"