144. Dispose

144. Dispose
ALLISON.
The sudden absence of restraint sent me slumping forward. My arms fell limply to my sides. I was too drained to hold myself up. My breaths came in ragged gasps, desperately trying to fill my lungs with air but nothing seemed enough.
My eyes drifted to the sword that he was holding. I saw my reflection on its polished blade. There, I noticed something strange with my eyes. They were burning in angry red and yet I noticed that they weren’t my usual lycan eyes, they weren’t mine at all. A molten glow burned where my irises should have been and a deep crimson threaded with liquid gold.
What the hell was wrong with my eyes?
I blinked a few times but the color of my eyes remained. I was both amazed and terrified that her eyes now looked like liquid gold swimming in deep red lava.

Celestine reached out to trace the glowing patterns now pulsing across my arms. They were intricate symbols, seared into my skin like molten tattoos. I’ve never seen something like this before, specially not on my skin!
Then, Celestine grabbed my face, her sharp nails digging into my cheek as she stared deep into my eyes.
“I can see the dragon’s power through your eyes,” she murmured. She leaned in, her voice dropping to a whisper. “I think you might be even stronger than your brother.”
I wanted to move, to speak, to fight back, but my body refused to listen. I was trapped within myself, my mind spinning from the weight of what I had become.
Then, movement caught my attention.
The four figures from Mollagona Corp stepped forward, their masked faces betraying nothing as they ascended the platform where Celestine stood.
The woman with the golden mask spoke first. “Enough wasting time. She hasn’t regained her strength. Do it now.”
Celestine didn’t react.
The woman’s voice sharpened. “Take her heart out and give it to us.”
A slow, chilling smile curled at Celestine’s lips. She turned to them, tilting her head slightly. “Give it to you?” Her voice held amusement. “I don’t think so.”
The man in the silver mask stiffened. Even without seeing his face, I could feel his outrage.
“Excuse me?”
Celestine played with the silver dagger in her hand, spinning it idly between her fingers. Her expression remained unreadable, but there was something dark behind her eyes—something sinister.
“I said,” she repeated, her tone almost playful, “I don’t think so.”
Tension snapped taut in the air.
The man with the gold mask stepped forward. His voice was a low growl. “Oh, Celestine. Don’t make the mistake of going against us. You know how that will end for you.”
Celestine’s grin widened. “Believe me, I know.”
Her gaze flickered to Sullivan. “And I’d win.”
The words had barely left her mouth before she made a subtle motion with her fingers.
“Sullivan,” she cooed, her voice sickly sweet, “will you be a dear and kill them for me?”
Sullivan’s body jerked as if resisting, but then he moved. His limbs obeyed without hesitation, as though he had no will of his own.
Then, his palm ignited.
Flames burst to life in his hands, licking up his arms, hungry and untamed. The heat radiated in violent waves, distorting the air around him. His fingers flexed, and the fire twisted between them, almost sentient.
The four masked figures stiffened.
For the first time, fear flickered in their eyes.
The woman with the silver mask stumbled back, her voice rising in disbelief. “W-What is the meaning of this, Celestine?! You can’t do this to us! We supplied you with everything you needed!”
The woman with the gold mask went pale. “Y-Yeah! If it weren’t for us, you wouldn’t have come this far! Without our help, you wouldn’t have these two dragonbloods at the palm of your hands!”
Celestine let out a dark, melodic laugh. “Exactly. And now that I have what I need, you serve no purpose to me anymore.” She tilted her head, her tone almost teasing. “And anything that serves no purpose has to be disposed of.”
The flames in Sullivan’s hands roared brighter.
The man with the gold mask took a desperate step forward. “This is madness! You owe us! You’re supposed to be working for us! You owe us everything—”
Celestine threw her head back, laughing. “I don’t owe anyone a damn thing.”
She gestured lazily toward Sullivan. “Well,” she mused, “you can wallow in your own stupidity while you burn alive.”
She waved her hand.
“Dispose of them.”
Sullivan advanced toward them like a beast on the hunt. I watched as the four executives huddled together, inching backward, their shrieks and curses echoing through the chamber.
"You bitch! You’ll pay for this!" the woman in the silver mask screamed, her frantic gaze snapping to the masked guards in crimson robes. "What are you waiting for?! Get her! Kill Celestine and her stupid dog!"
I braced myself for chaos, expecting the guards to surge forward and attack. But to my shock, not a single one moved. They stood still, as though they hadn’t heard a word.
The executives turned on them, their voices rising in panic.
"What the hell are you all doing? Obey me!"
Celestine let out a sharp laugh. "Don’t waste your breath. They won’t listen to you. After all, they’re my dogs, not yours."
Realization dawned on them like a death sentence. The man in the silver mask bolted for the exit, abandoning the others. But as he reached the doorway, two masked guards stepped in his way, blocking his escape.
"What are you doing, you fuckers?!" he shrieked. "Get out of my way!"
The guards didn’t answer. He tried to shove past them, but they roughly pushed him back. He crashed onto the cold stone floor, groaning.
Sullivan stalked toward him, flames licking at his fingertips. My stomach twisted as I saw the man scramble for the gun beneath his cloak. I recognized it instantly—a firearm loaded with silver bullets. The same kind used in the attack at Mason’s club.
He raised the gun and fired. One. Two. Three shots rang out.
Sullivan didn’t flinch. He caught each bullet with his burning hand, crushing them into molten shards before letting them fall to the floor.
The man’s scream of terror cut through the chamber as he scrambled backward, desperate to escape.
Sullivan reached down, seizing his head with one fiery hand. The moment his flames touched him, the man’s cries turned into wails of agony.
The fire consumed him. The scent of burning flesh thickened the air.
Celestine clapped her hands, eyes alight with amusement. "One down. Three to go!"