Chapter 158: Tell Us Everything You Know
Jinx’s eyes first scanned the small, dark room, taking in every detail. Her gaze then settled on Lola, a newfound curiosity in her expression.
"I’m Jinx," she said. "And why do you look so much like Nioh?"
"Nioh?" Lola’s heart pounded in her chest. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. "You... you’ve seen my brother?!" She shot up from the couch as if it were on fire.
Jinx stared at her, a slight frown creasing her brow. "Brother? You’re Nioh’s sister?!"
Lola let out a shaky breath. The years of guilt and sorrow weighed heavily on her. "He must hate me, right?"
"Hate you? He doesn’t even know he has a sister," Jinx mumbled, looking a bit confused.
"Really?" Lola was stunned. A small part of her felt relief, but another part ached with a deeper sadness.
"Yeah... I would take you to him, but the situation I’m in is... I don’t know how to explain it," Jinx said, looking lost and glancing at the sealed door.
Lola slowly nodded her head. "I understand. That door is made of the strongest metal, and there’s no way you could destroy it without alerting the guards." She turned her gaze to the shattered window.
"We could follow the window."
"No... One person can sneak past security, but two... I don’t think so," Jinx replied, adding:
"They’re guards everywhere."
Lola nodded, lost in thought. "How is my brother?" she asked, a soft yearning in her voice.
"He’s safe," Jinx answered, pacing in front of her:
"I can’t leave you here, but if we go out together, there’s a high chance we’ll get caught, my mission will be screwed, and the God Wolf will..." Jinx suddenly stopped, a flash of an idea crossing her face.
"Yes!! The God Wolf! How could I forget such an asset?!"
She activated her "cosmic brain" and quickly sent a contact request to Sunny.
Lola stared at the holographic screen that appeared before her, a mix of anxiety and anticipation building as she waited to see the man known as the God Wolf. In less than five seconds, a man with golden eyes and red and black wolf ears appeared on the screen.
"Is something wrong, Jinx?" Sunny’s voice was calm and steady.
"I caught a big fish!" Jinx grinned, turning the screen to face Lola.
"Who is she?" Sunny asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"She’s Nioh’s sister, and judging by her appearance, she must be his elder sister," Jinx answered, staring at Lola.
"Nioh’s sister?" Sunny’s frown deepened. "Show me your surroundings."
Jinx nodded and moved the screen around the room, giving him a full view of the dark, confined space. After a moment, Sunny disconnected the call without another word.
"What now?" Lola asked, mild confusion written on her face.
"Now... we wait," Jinx said, her expression serious.
"Wait for what—"
WHOOSH!!
Lola turned to the side as the very space in the room tore open, and a swirling gateway appeared out of thin air.
"This?" she whispered in disbelief.
"Come on, Cupcake... Let’s go." Jinx walked towards the portal and disappeared inside.
Lola’s gaze swept across the dark room, the same room that had been her prison for five long years. Stepping through the portal was a huge leap of faith. If Jinx was telling the truth, her brother would be waiting for her on the other side. But was she ready to see him? Would he hate her for leaving him behind? What would she even say when she saw him? So many questions swirled in her mind. And there was another, more terrifying possibility: that Jinx was sent by Jolie to deceive and use her.
Whatever decision she made in this moment would change her life forever. Lola let out a long breath:
"I don’t care if Jolie sent her or not... I know that bitch won’t kill me, not while I’m still useful. But if she’s telling the truth, and my brother is really on the other side, I will take the risk."
With a newfound resolve, Lola stepped forward and entered the gateway, which vanished from the room without a trace.
____
[Beastify Nation.]
"I thought you were having second thoughts," Jinx said with a frown, her arms folded across her chest as they stood in a large, elegant dining room.
Lola didn’t reply. Instead, she took in her surroundings, her eyes sweeping over the group of people seated around a long table. At the head of the table sat the man from the holographic screen—a guy with red and black wolf ears, golden eyes, and a quiet intensity.
’Strange... Why can’t I probe him?’ she thought, trying to use her skill to understand his power, but finding it impossible.
"If someone else tried that, I would have killed them by now," Sunny said, his voice calm, as he picked up a wine glass and took a sip.
"You’re still alive because you’re Nioh’s elder sister."
"...?"
Lola blinked, shocked that he had detected her. ’No way! No one has ever detected my skill before... This guy, he’s a monster.’
She quickly bowed her head in a sign of respect: "I am so sorry, God Wolf! I was just being cautious."
"Wait... Why are you apologizing? What did she do?" Jinx asked, confused.
Sunny glanced at Jinx, then back at Lola. "You can see through her skill, right?"
Lola nodded.
"Huh?!" Jinx was stunned, a look of disbelief on her face.
"Come on, have a seat and join us... We’re celebrating a victory," Sunny said, gesturing to an empty chair.
"I’d do as he says," Jinx advised, walking to an empty seat next Ellen.
"How are you doing, Ellen?" Jinx asked as Lola sat beside her.
"Good," Ellen nodded with a smile.
Jinx smiled back and then turned to the rest of the group. "Where’s Nioh?" she asked.
"He went out to get another bottle of wine," Blood Eye answered, her piercing gaze fixed on Lola.
"Another bottle?" Jinx’s eyes widened as she counted the almost twenty unopened bottles on the long table.
"Why another?" Lola couldn’t hold back her curiosity. "I mean, there are 19 bottles here, why does he need another?" she added in a low voice.
"Are you so eager to see him?" Josephine asked, her expression unreadable.
"I haven’t seen him for twenty years... I don’t even know if I would recognize him again," Lola said, lowering her gaze to the food on her plate, a lump forming in her throat.
"Nioh doesn’t even know he has a sister... so he won’t easily jump into your arms," Star said, popping a slice of meat into her mouth.
"I know... I don’t know if I should be happy that he doesn’t remember me, or if I should be sad that he doesn’t. If he doesn’t remember me, he won’t hold any hatred, but if he did remember me, he would grow to hate me for leaving him," she said, articulating the internal conflict she had been wrestling with.
Sunny stared at her for a moment before letting out a soft exhale. "You look just like him... You two aren’t twins, but you look like one," he said, changing the subject.
"While we wait for your brother, can you tell us everything you know about the Three-Eyed Nation?"