“Time to meet this perfect little hero in person,” he muttered, tapping the file against his knee. First, he’d size up Jed’s luck—see what he was really dealing with. Alex propped his chin in his hand, his mind already spinning. “Oh, and Eric Vaughn’s still rotting in detention. Perfect.”
He chuckled, imagining the two “lucky heroes” crossing paths behind bars. The hot headed doctor and the flawless detective—what a showdown that’d be. His grin widened. This was going to be fun.
….
Noon. Police Station, Detention Center.
Eric Vaughn slumped against the cold concrete wall, his chest heaving as he let out a shaky breath.
Finally, some peace. That creepy glasses guy—who’d been hounding him like a rabid dog—lay sprawled on the floor, knocked out cold.
Eric’s hands still tingled from the syringe he’d used, the fifth dose of sedative he’d jabbed into the freak over the past few days.
Problem was, the guy kept waking up faster each time, like his body was laughing at the drugs.
So this time, Eric didn’t mess around—he’d doubled the dose, watching the creep’s eyes roll back as he hit the ground hard.
Eric barely had time to savor the quiet before the guards hauled him off again. The interrogation room loomed ahead, its sterile white walls and buzzing fluorescent lights making his stomach churn.
He’d lost count of how many times they’d dragged him in here since locking him up. Each visit left him feeling like he’d been chewed up and spat out, especially after that freak of an officer got in his head.
The memory hit him like a punch—sitting there, forced to babble like some lovesick fool, all moony-eyed and pathetic.
He gagged, the nausea rising so fast he could’ve sobbed right there, snot and all.
“What the hell did that psycho do to me?” he muttered, rubbing his temples. It wasn’t normal.
Hypnosis didn’t twist you up like that, bending your mind until you didn’t recognize yourself. Whatever it was, that cop hadn’t shown his face since, and Eric wasn’t sure if that was a blessing or a curse.
Handcuffs bit into his wrists as they chained him to the chair. Voices drifted through the door—low, clipped, and way too calm for this hellhole.
“You’re here.”
“Yeah, where is he?”
Eric’s head snapped up, his glare locking onto the door. That voice—he’d know it anywhere, even if he clawed his way out of a grave. It was burned into his skull.
The door swung open, and Alex strolled in, hands in his pockets, a lazy smirk playing on his lips. “Well, well, we meet again,” he said, his tone light, like they were old buddies catching up over coffee.
A glowing panel flickered into Alex’s vision:
[Main Character: Eric Vaughn]
[Genre: Prodigy Doctor]
[Luck Level: 4]
[Personality: Hot-tempered, arrogant, stubborn, loves talent and women]
Alex’s smirk twitched. As expected, Eric’s luck had taken a hit—down from where it used to be. Not surprising, considering the guy was cuffed and fuming like a cornered animal.
Eric’s eyes blazed with raw hatred. “Hmph!” he snarled, teeth grinding as he leaned forward against the restraints. “You better keep your filthy hands off Sera, or I swear I’ll make you regret it.”
To Eric, Alex sniffing around Sera was a crime worthy of a death sentence from his perspective. She was his woman, untouchable, and this smug bastard had the nerve to even think about her.
Alex sighed dramatically, shaking his head. “Look, kid, I was gonna cut you some slack—for your precious goddess’s sake, of course. But here you are, spitting venom instead of kissing my boots in gratitude. Guess nice guys really do finish last.” He shrugged, all mock disappointment.
He’d come to the station with a two-part plan: scope out Jed, the crime-solving prodigy, and twist the knife in Eric a little more, racking up those sweet breakdown points.
Too bad Jed was off chasing a murder case up north—typical hero stuff. The guy probably couldn’t walk ten feet without tripping over a corpse. Eric, though? He was right here, ripe for the picking.
“Shut your mouth!” Eric roared, his face red, chest heaving like he’d run a marathon. “You disgusting pig, if you so much as touch a hair on Sera, I’ll break out of here and end you. I swear it.”
“A hair?” Alex stood, sauntering over to pat Eric’s shoulder like he was comforting a sulky kid. He leaned in close, his voice dropping to a whisper.
“Nah, I’d use two fingers at least.” He paused, letting that sink in, then grinned. “You’re getting me all fired up, doc. Think I’ll go pay your girl a visit right now.”
With that, he spun on his heel and headed for the door, leaving Eric’s stunned silence in his wake.
“Wait—you’re dead!” Eric blurted, panic cracking through his rage. “You hear me? Dead!”
Alex stopped, glancing back with a raised brow. “Oh yeah? How’s that?”
Eric’s smirk returned, oily and triumphant. “Wanna know? Get on your knees and beg.”
He was back in control—or so he thought. Three different poisons were already snaking through Alex’s veins, slipped in days ago.
Death within a week, no question. The symptoms hadn’t hit yet, but Eric could picture it: the sweat, the shakes, the slow crawl to the grave. He had Alex right where he wanted him.
“Arrogant boy,” Alex said, pointing at him with a playful grin. Then he turned and walked out, not even a flicker of worry on his face.
Eric blinked. Wait—what? That’s it? No pleading, no questions, just… leaving? Didn’t he feel the poison gnawing at him? How could he stroll away like that?
“Hey! Get me out of here, and I’ll spill everything—save your life, too!” he shouted, desperation creeping in. “You know I’m a doctor!”
He couldn’t take it anymore. The detention center was a nightmare—creeps like the glasses guy lurking around—and the cops were just as bad. He needed out.
Alex didn’t break stride. “A Nightmare doctor who kills his patients? Nah, you’re right where you belong. Have fun.”
“Alex, stop! Get back here!” Eric’s voice cracked as he screamed, the door swinging shut behind Alex’s retreating figure. “How am I supposed to live like this live without Sera?!”
Bang! The door slammed, and a notification pinged in Alex’s mind:
[The Protagonist ‘Eric Vaughn,’ had a mental breakdown. Congratulations, you’ve earned 2000 Critical points.]