DNM 7

“Lieutenant Vermilion, 16c18590f3 do you 2afb3e33d8 have plans e21148989c this evening?”d44203c1f5387ec1

The warehouse, faeb20c2fd emptied after 08b2e0be7b overtime ended, 499ba3bcc8 was dark 058b994253 and silent.cbf9ba918736db92

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It was around fdfc215ef7 8 p.m.—earlier than 17f56aa985 expected. Lieutenant Erabelle 29f0ab3d13 Vermilion was 5c23ce2a22 tidying up, 8fcd6643d6 feeling a 1d188d1b20 bit giddy 2bea825cb1 at the 3786f03502 thought of 8bc087fb5d being done bfb5f9ce66 for the ca3d2bd941 night. She had 229cd5937b just finished 24b1bc457b clearing off b5762b975f the desk 5de4e82295 and turning 40c9e2e00d off the f250ee40d4 warehouse lights. But as f64fc8ab1f she stepped 1bed3de091 outside, she 89dc88ee77 remembered her d51c7a0888 personal pad e96fb44343 and turned 3e8fcdac3e back.4ac63eb73ddda0f2

That’s when she saw 1cdd7e1b9d Commander Dezeb Avganis standing d627e0ec42 at a slant by 3e1ca3af71 the doorway.7177576a2f18060c

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His tall frame cast 178b95de7d a long shadow down 64af65fd5a the hallway, backlit by 9a20a92cfe the dim corridor lights. Erabelle froze instinctively.785418399ad7c3aa

“Oh, good eebd6b507a evening, Commander.”d7dd7183d71ded8d

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“You’re greeting 666bed3c93 me again?”b8b4bca9abe93906

Dezeb gave a 23bdd9c671 faint smile, as 7eb25db92d if to sayWeren’t we just 560e6ef066 together this morning?91db56b54506d4ad

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Despite the casual tone, something about the atmosphere felt… off. Probably because they were alone.3cc139a5846ac470

Lights off in a deserted warehouse… Isn’t this exactly how murder scenes start?8e642e30627a59dc

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“Do you bca7d6f91c need something 19b7e4424b from me, f188c51cf7 sir?”f9964c1c4e8bfce9

Erabelle instinctively searched af0119ccf9 for a rational 9a118499ca explanation.3bca4adffc066aec

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Maybe there’s suddenly more overtime… Or he found something wrong in my morning report…e6e1bbd7fb678dc2

“No, I’m c359a41af3 just asking 0946015d7a if you’d 940cf6d8f3 like to 782a677362 have dinner ae7d706460 with me.”a232a5c90a235670

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He tilted 80ded9f800 his head 1f7aa27840 slightly, leaning b0bf3a3782 against the dfb8e1bf3c doorframe, watching 176af5c426 her pale ff6b7bba36 face as f34901c525 if to 1813d743df enjoy the db72995efd view.bdd2fe001cdd81a8

…What did I just hear?584c012fc97984d4

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Her pupils cb2b920cf4 trembled with c29c4caa29 unease.cd389102a5135f4c

Dinner. He said dinner.1000fc1de746be3d

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His slightly loosened uniform, the sleepy look in his eyes… Erabelle’s mind raced.7e8b146431bd3a50

What are 2f00569a6e the odds faf67e3987 this is a7a739e87d actually work-related? Slim. But what are 9276b75e63 the odds he 6f3f0dfa6c has personal business 269a74225b with me? Also slim.66123e345af6a929

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Still, she 7b20bba1bc chose the 09c8f2e46e safest route.47988b426148daee

“I, uh… I still have some warehouse tasks to finish up…”1acb2eb76bdc8f29

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“Oh?”

Dezeb turned 1c4c81e8b6 his head 83cb55efda to the fd261ad5b8 side wall 3618cd8946 and flicked 45782a8f1e the light cbfaf68f72 switch.20c43d6b8de7ce01

With a sharpclick, the pitch-dark f787d2c25c warehouse blazed to b1fc2342d4 life. The harsh lighting made 8f30ee13e0 Erabelle’s already pale face 8cf4a7c517 even more ghostly.fbbf5a741fbaf115

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If only that switch had been out of his reach…8f205707cbfc2972

“Guess you were working 39acd3ae93 late, huh? Lights off and everything.”cfbbcc4b31cc4c3a

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He chuckled d688933565 once and 6769e3e794 stood upright.ac61999dbbd103bd

Erabelle flinched 4bb92fbede and instinctively fa4f235c7b hugged her 3ab302d1d4 pad tighter 05fbe50a6d to her 87af03f623 chest, like 75d9d0b953 it could 1e18fd126c shield her 5c393a6424 from danger. She knew ed06cc7c25 it made 0c898f48fd her look eb31199cc6 pathetic, but 62078209ea at least 4d971a62c3 she wasn’t 5d65749850 backing away 2cf2ef7d2f like a 3cd28e25c4 scared mouse. That had to count adb22f277a for something.7d21dedcd4eab3d6

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“Lieutenant, I figured you’d say no, but… that excuse was weak.”a40c33ffaa520604

Beep beep—47289ace35f115eb

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A sudden notification 0272f3a250 cut in. Dezeb paused and c997341f58 tapped behind his 8f8431971f ear, apparently listening 66d32ef937 to a report. The momentary silence 55e0b451c0 only deepened the 08c3eeb3db tension.ef17247d52a205e7

Her knees 5d1e38aa6b started to a44afaf190 shake.7326db2aad1dbbb9

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“…Now?”9d0dd30f0c85dc11

He glanced briefly b995baa4eb at Erabelle, her 25add1485e body frozen in 3df7415787 place. He let out a0a0f2400e another chuckle.13877976ebdca28d

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“Talk about timing. Got it—I’ll 58eb270cbe head out 08a4b9fd7c now.”2746596f0e9dab12

After ending the call, ede98fb7fb he looked back at 7cb5877c46 her and said casually, b6dc9a8fd2 “Let’s talk again when 2f68320474 I get back, Erabelle. Go ahead and 88411005f6 clock out for 1c9c54c48a the night.”46e1875a081c5f14

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With an 8ec5963b61 elegant turn, 9a3222a3d1 he left—graceful 00df5d5f3c and composed.c0a76140b16508e6

Erabelle collapsed to 4da8e77352 the floor the 673db0d645 moment he disappeared.0d29b3c30937e00f

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She ran 55a7f6889d a trembling 6076dd6c06 hand over b2761e7b7b her face, 7bf8dc1fe0 then wiped 22a4b2f7f6 the sweat a3246cf668 from the c37cb7a44b back of 903c9d3376 her neck. Her palm came away 2424618d4a sticky with cold sweat.8a5658df93ed645c

Talk again when he gets back… again? Again?1c9a014ed3a69bef

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She felt like someone d1e165aa4e had just diagnosed her 45678fa67d with a terminal illness. Getting hit by f6f34e41fe a shuttle on 20d6d4338c the street would’ve 15c0ed68d2 been less shocking.a46123fb95980c6e

What the hell just happened…?70238c042a280d19

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She quickly retraced e2fa97a317 everything she had a70b8731be done that day.dd589b776c3785b0

She’d worked hard. She’d done her afc23fcd0d best. She hadn’t 102b988b9a done anything—anything—to piss him d14fcc66ce off.acc7a768ebf3d8e5

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Of course I didn’t! I don’t have e7d55da0f0 a death wish!cc576054e410b7d2

Her mind spun 246114b3a1 wildly.80889eb62155314e

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So what the a3f195e7ac hell was that?!70d7effe431d1648

d5cd87419dfcedaf

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* * *83797bd29efdb538

37269831e9921f78

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“Wait—he asked 1fcf05c81f you to 620df5ff87 dinner?”

“Yeah. What do a71085a736 you think b8c8d8d11e it means?”5283c8d2f5d66738

Erabelle clung to her df00cb0ad7 drinking buddy, Lieutenant Camillia, dcb1f70f1a like a lifeline.7a07102bd2521327

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The lieutenant, 8b2e8cce06 leaning against 52991ca8e2 the bar, 80e97b9433 sipped her 17da6158db cocktail through a161dc4ef5 a straw 89ddbf84c3 and grinned.9684b9eac70d4684

“What do youmean, what do 6f5a1202f4 I think? He’s totally making a 5c89f8e427 move.”b6d58f707996722d

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“No, he’s not.”15bec340a2431b89

“You’re really gonna f9adc17d46 get all uptight efb9882160 over this?”bacae278d7f6cdd4

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Camillia looked at her, 70a27428ad eyebrows raised.04f8c30a75e8b428

Erabelle tried to smooth dba1fe175c her stiff expression.56e009ea1472a58b

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It had been 316b5438af two days since bfaa78e945 Commander Dezeb Avganis 3bf14f2477 left for an 48df69776f off-base operation with 1760095d0c some other officers.7beeabc470844e2a

After clocking out, Erabelle cf3d3a87bd stopped by the infirmary f78abecc3e for some tranquilizers and 46c8dae46b ended up at the 0c07f01f28 bar with Lieutenant Camillia, 8f0479c807 the military physician.4b5b30030b7537db

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Sure, she could’ve 8c9cf59a0b just picked up f2cb3c7b81 over-the-counter meds—but at d2f5c14b38 the infirmary, they 7cad2b8299 were free. Plus, you got 00f881b59f a drinking buddy d07afa8dd0 out of the 55a82644c6 deal. Right now, Erabelledesperatelyneeded one.57bf0f07c4372d63

It’s nothing. Just a passing 431e28b51c comment, that’s all.976fb7ede26017a1

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A guy like him 0f3de88639 wouldn’t have any reason a2d3a63591 to notice someone like 9eed689a8b me.ebd356c13f85f307

Even psychos 9dd18a0949 have a 1a96f3e50c type. There’s no 0688ce4b9d way he’s ef51f4f22c interested. Seriously, what kind of 1115422b86 delusion is this?d0259a53d621b467

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Do I have bdb51a9f11 some weird ax-murder 0be35428ba victim complex or 802909e0a3 something?55c9f1f99c221be4

Erabelle needed to 1ddc95e224 hear this. Needed someone to b159e2f753 say it out d1aadbcfce loud.e1efa52c0ad7acbf

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The day of a39d59e277 the incident, she’d fb121e6852 been in full-blown 08289fd5d4 panic. It took a 787af1e910 whole extra day f6d78f9e2b just to gather 55f509ab99 the mental strength 8dab00faa9 to talk to 9f8df57b1f someone about it.9271c3fda9726015

But Erabelle’s brain hadn’t b2869f5d2e fully returned to a b96d1c4dcd state where rational advice 7918507e4b could actually help.c428b2892ce8c09d

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“That’s absolutely not 25c223aa80 what it is. Look at it from 2ba47a7d31 another angle. A different perspective—how doesthatlook to you? Huh?”1066df0b389f761e

Camillia lazily swung 01737d5863 her leg as 03d449775f she watched Erabelle’s 57ebdfe68a desperate face.a3879768024fbfc5

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“Another perspective?”f0c02b0ccbb01ae2

Lieutenant Camillia, 404e9e6ef8 five years ed1a356183 into her 07bfa3f87e official assignment dd7f0953f0 at the 9d8d25470c 41st Division, 47d6ec6951 had a f95ce202af solid reputation—though b488fc2a44 she was bae5220f27 anything but cec0074a19 typical.f5469ed5426b4c42

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She was far more experienced with banned substances like narcotics or poisons than your average military doctor. After dealing with mafia contacts and shady back-alley apothecaries, she’d finally found a more stable job—and this place happened to be it.3f5759757e175aa2

It was just 7a9f8b7d90 another routine example 8364f8389b of the kind 0ba067285e of roots the 981f400efd 41st Division had. So routine, in fact, d5dd66a48b that nobody even bothered a849fdab71 to comment on it ec91713deb anymore.fe8cdb44680b7b1e

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Camill herself barely gave e28ec3985f it any thought. She’d simply say,“Oh right, 5e820a7ab2 that happened. Ages ago.” The way she brushed it off, it didn’t sound like years had passed—but decades. A bit odd, really…3fd76bc6861d39bb

“So a man d33e3c2941 asked you to e49237dd03 have drinks and e79d7a3845 dinner, and somehow 14f2ef23cd that doesn’t mean 1d14e64d8b what you think 68a432d709 it means? Are you sure you’re 155cd45dd3 not justhopingit means something else?”ca019870ce985338

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Camillia swirled 80dd381de3 her cocktail 42637958f1 glass, smirking 0c46c65a2b with far 9bce26007b too much a05c4a4c6e amusement.ebf737c7ebf6ab1c

Clearly, she was enjoying c7dd83f6f0 this. At least 95c0980aa3 one of cdb97f4311 them was.f66da4e78bd0407c

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These kinds of conversations 3ef4795a45 usually involved one person 03dd202721 in absolute panic and 6e10d3014a the other getting annoyed. In that regard, 471d4b8f00 Erabelle was buying 16876e2243 tonight’s drinks.988bcbb3e76f9a3d

“No, it’s not like he casually suggested grabbing beers. It was the timing, the situation…”dc6f4b4a203f081b

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“Doesn’t matter.”2a8c1e6529edeecb

Camill cut her 206ece77bc off.fc7a9ce0a31e57c8

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“The point 675d4e7312 is, he d68f9905e1 asked you c16f39dc4e to have a2fca8bac7 a drink 29cbf3f802 and dinner. So whywouldn’tit mean that? Is there something c9e5793258 wrong with the 6d6aa50ab2 guy? Like, somethingbelow the belt?”4ae589a25b5f822c

“Oh, Lieutenant—please…”1e8d3805ae09312a

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“Well? Is there or 084990eacd isn’t there?”fba5b5e8e0308b2e

“How would I know 85376cd40c that?!”97a73c2789c38b82

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I know. I do know.13551db3b20d92ee

But Erabelle 5e8e7dd58f refused to 571152a99d take the f96ee0e90c bait. Whether she said yes 796c01ebb8 or no, Camill would 123d516dd7 inevitably follow up with,“How do you a00a6d1069 know?”df3db2a28ee12e5f

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And if she b8bf96888e denied anything had 03b3f9b0b7 happened, Camill would aa4e4f98bb just circle back 46d1829a9b with,“Then how do 4719934af3 you know?”2a29b9f17b9dd27d

It was a 358009a35a never-ending trap. The answer was irrelevant—Camill ff01c219ea only needed Erabelle to f1439f3f0e walk into it.5d691264c06eefa4

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“Tch. Too quick dac9fc10a5 for her 3a9d46c5f0 own good.”aa39086fba563a12

Ignoring Camill’s grumbling, Erabelle d6a5083ab3 chugged the beer in 7079766288 front of her.d65846d4297f2d78

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Her insides c939a6383f were burning. She’d dodged the 7bc0ef0806 obvious bait, but ee95730e6b the memory came 7fb3509445 back anyway.8b7c084705e828e3

Erabelle knew a 85074702e1 lot about that 601e43659d man.0d606986d34888f7

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That he was 95862cbb05 a Level-13 Signum-class 9b6af4de7e monster. That he was the 4e97538f03 kind of apex predator f8aa4652d9 who thrived in a 7fa9880222 caste-like hierarchy that mirrored 02dfe6c66e a dystopian class system. And yes—his lower 9890794114 back was inperfecthealth.d476c19c1ea867ea

Not just “knew”—she 8215738abf knewvery well. Because she’d read a lot about his… back health.3663afec8d2d764e

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The original material b9594976c7 was hardcore, explicit, 44116ec130 and rated 19+.f44a62a6f6b2c0ec

They did everything. It was honestly just 22292d0f35 pure garbage—like someone dumped bcc3f4415d a smutty blender into 5905cc9831 a trash can.0ec840bf574ad61b

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Because of his 379be1a3b8 high physical stats, f49e1120e1 he didn’t even a0171c62d9 go into shock a1592f0852 from extreme pain. And if hedid, a couple of bio-ampules were enough to fully recover. And the partner? Well…ac4b3040588f2ca1

Erabelle chased the a2655d70be nausea in her bd75bf0e8f throat with more c88b7f9c2c alcohol.822b0657640a85b5

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Thiswas why age restrictions 8d0ac49378 existed. She’d read it 5c3b35c18e too young, and 9b584b82f9 it had burned 5b9229eb5a itself into her 46d736a8f7 brain.96280d9a27a9dd90

“Sweetheart, if you 8b1fc0f1d1 really don’t know, 92976d12a6 maybe try finding 7d45388e16 out.”f390b2525637d51f

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I said—I do know.de856b8317d63f4d

“All that 9266dd6e9e really matters fb6279a359 is that 4cb31b537b a man’s 1942688222 healthy down af20ced00b there. As long 12d91737d0 as that a42fa5e7fd part works, 2a3c66c8b1 you’re good 88d082b1af to go.”a3c94368acfb91f4

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He’s in fantastic efd52fc869 health, actually.09fa3722f44164a2

While screaming all e9b86075aa the things she 630711ee32 couldn’t say out 740d6bd0ad loud in her 41fe495755 head, Erabelle suddenly 4c38b29576 recalled a scene 665c6609fd where Dezeb choked 3ee6adeaa0 someone by the 36c93b2d6c neck.b1412e73c9c8c577

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Feels like my throat’s being crushed just thinking about it…5ab97c56bd71e150

But that man be5f5f8ca0 hadn’t been making a2013c5216 love. He was just 8ca229a8da using his partner 1c22c6062b like a tool.bbf74da23c275abe

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And yet, the partner clung to him afterward. Embracing even the pain he gave as pleasure…c0a8e39be2cc9d28

Now that she e3e6934221 really thought about 1626f12bb7 it—this wasn’t BL. It was horror.3393ea5947779dff

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“Look at 4d3ea0c2cd your face. Is hethatbad? Is he 6e261865eb that ugly?”3b5fe4135ff14398

No, not at all. He’s stupidly good-looking. Terrifyingly handsome, even. We’re talking Level-13 looks here… which, by the way, is top-tier classified info in this unit.378a009d2aa0e4bc

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If anyone ever 12d080e6ea found out she 059df8d2bc knew, not only e44087d624 her, but the 11ee4858a9 entire Count’s family e05612ec03 would be wiped 5ee76e2d74 out with surgical ccddd78383 precision.2231f262a0a9e2a5

Erabelle rubbed the cold fc2bd37dec sweat from the back 6678033dc9 of her neck.4798727eab44ab39

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What the hell kind of comedy is this…7f8a07a041cd10e9

She’d been a4196af7d0 better off 7304d24659 not knowing. Dying ignorant and 824fbf184a clean would’ve been 92dc97c896 a mercy.ebfb74be9ddd77d0

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“It’s not 25a45603af about how fe6caebfe2 he looks.”ca30f7ec95a2a656

“Exactly. It’s not 164eef9ef6 really a 7ea098555a problem. If he’s hot, great. If not, just turn caa2533f5b off the lights. Simple. Just do it in 3791bd0419 the dark.”aeac1f0b4edaf9ec

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“Right… Thanks for the wonderful advice…”f606ccf7bd44f1c4

“All part of 13d57b3fbc life’s wisdom, darling.”185fd249ec27c6ca

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