Chapter 5 - The Stage of Revelation

The last customer had left the Burlesque Club a short time ago. The silence of the hall seemed heavy but welcoming, a kind of respite after the night’s pulsating energy. Cassie and Peter leaned against the counter, still radiant from the success of the performance. The curtains were already drawn back, and the stage, still lit by the low lights, seemed to shine on its own, reflecting the young woman’s talent.

“You killed it, Cassie,” Peter said, smiling almost foolishly. “I knew you had it in you, but... wow. It was impressive.”

Cassie laughed, feeling the tension from the show finally dissolve.

“Thanks, Peter. But I couldn’t have done it without you giving me little tips; you notice every detail.”

Peter blushed, looking away for a moment.

“Well... it’s easy to notice when someone really deserves to be on stage. You have... something different.”

Cassie felt a flush rise to her face but looked away with modesty, smiling. Every word was like fuel for her determination. She was no longer just a small-town girl trying her luck; that night had changed everything.

Chay approached, her arms crossed, but her gaze carried a mix of pride and recognition.

“Cassie, you surprised everyone.” Her voice, firm, had a rare softness. “I know I’m tough on you... it’s because we’re more alike than you think. I was trying to protect you. You came from the countryside, with a focused mind and a discipline that few can maintain. But you also have talent... and courage. The courage to get on stage when no one believes in you.”

Cassie smiled, feeling the weight of the words, the recognition she had sought for so long.

“I just... I just want to have a chance, Chay. I want to show that I can really be a part of the group.”

The club owner nodded with an almost maternal smile.

“Then you will. From now on, Cassie, you are officially in our performance group. The shows will have live music, real singing. And you’ll shine with all of us.”

The other dancers applauded, some laughing and celebrating with hugs and pats on the back. Cassie felt welcomed, finally part of something bigger than her own dreams. The night’s adrenaline still ran through her veins, mixing with a joy that was almost impossible to contain.

As she was getting ready to leave, everyone else had already gone, Peter approached her discreetly.

“Hey, Cassie... want to grab a drink with me?” His gaze hit her with an intensity that revealed the interest he had nurtured since the first time he saw her at the club.

Cassie smiled, surprised, feeling her heart race.

“I’d love to...” she began, but she didn’t have time to finish the sentence.

From the shadows, two figures emerged. Silent, fast, almost as if they were part of the very air. Cassie froze, her instinct screaming that something was wrong. Everything seemed to disappear around her, the sounds muffled, and her heart sped up.

“Peter...” she began, a thread of panic in her voice. “Who... who are they?”

Mason and Yohan advanced with precision and determination. Mason was first, firm, his expression filled with authority and danger. There was no hesitation in his movements, just the controlled brutality of someone who knows exactly what needs to be done.

Peter, surprised and confused, tried to position himself in front of Cassie, his hands raised in a defensive gesture.

“Step away from her,” Mason ordered, his voice cutting and leaving no room for question.

“Hey! Wait!” he shouted, but the determination in Mason’s eyes was unshakable.

Cassie felt a chill run down her spine. She didn’t know these men, and the implicit violence in their gestures terrified her.

“Please... don’t hurt him!” she begged, feeling the tension build in her chest.

Mason advanced with precision, pushing Peter aside with a quick and firm blow, not causing serious injury, but enough to make the bartender pass out. Cassie gasped, her eyes wide, trying to process what had just happened.

“What... what does this mean?” her voice trembled, and tears threatened to escape. “Who are you?”

Yohan remained behind Mason, his gaze alternating between Cassie and the bartender. His presence was less threatening, but the intensity of his look was overwhelming. He spoke, almost pleading mentally, without audible words: You will be okay. We won’t hurt you.

But she didn’t hear; she had no mental link with them and was terrified.

Mason simply held her tightly, but without hurting her. The security in those hands was strange and unsettling at the same time, mixing danger and protection.

Mason answered in a rough, authoritarian voice, without any softness: “You’re coming with us. Now.”

Cassie tried to pull away, fighting against the secure embrace, but their strength was superhuman. Every muscle in Mason was densely trained, and her human resistance was insufficient. Terror mixed with a strange fascination; there was something in Yohan’s green eyes, in Mason’s posture, that awakened a visceral reaction, even if she didn’t understand it.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” Mason murmured, adjusting the way he held her. “But you need to come with us.”

“Please! I don’t understand...!” she screamed, fighting against the inevitable. “You can’t take me!”

“You have no choice,” Mason replied, each word loaded with decision and danger. “We are what you don’t yet understand you need.”

Cassie swallowed hard, fighting against the fear and disbelief.

“But... who are you?” she asked, her voice trembling. “Why me?”

Yohan remained close, vigilant, as if he could transmit security just with his presence. He leaned in slightly, his green eyes like deep forests, his presence almost hypnotic.

Don’t be afraid, he said mentally, transmitting warmth and security. We want you alive. We want you with us.

She felt the panic subside slightly, but not completely. The mix of fear, surprise, and fascination ran through her veins. Every instinct screamed to run, but at the same time, something deep inside her said she couldn’t fully resist.

Cassie couldn’t comprehend, she only felt that any wrong move could provoke violence.

“I don’t want to go with you!” she screamed, fighting. “You’re crazy!”

Mason ignored the words, advancing through the empty hall with firm steps, Cassie held securely in his arms. Every movement increased Cassie’s discomfort, adrenaline pumping through her body, mixing fear and excitement. She wanted to run, to flee, to scream, but every attempt was useless.

“I... I don’t understand,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady. “You’re going to hurt me!”

“We’re not,” Mason replied, his voice cutting and leaving no room for doubt. “But you need to calm down.”

When they reached the back door, Mason opened it just enough for Cassie to breathe.

“Once we leave here, there will be no immediate return. You will be ours, protected and guided.”

The street was deserted; only the distant echo of the night city filled the air. She felt her heart racing, the mix of fear and fascination burning in her chest. Cassie took a deep breath, trying to assess the situation.

“Please, let me go!” she pleaded, feeling tears stream down involuntarily. “I don’t know you!”

Mason gave her a serious look, as if every human word were irrelevant in the face of the need he saw in her.

“You can’t go back. You are ours.”

The phrase echoed in Cassie’s mind with brutal force. She froze, frightened, trying to process what that meant. The sensation was simultaneously threatening and definitive. There was no escape; there was no option.

She looked at Yohan, who accompanied her beside Mason, his face serious, almost warm in contrast to his brother’s coldness. The silence was heavy, filled with promise and danger. Reality hit her with full force: these strange, unknown men were not going to let her go. She was being taken to a completely new place, and there was no turning back.

“You... you’re crazy,” Cassie managed to say, her voice choked with fear.

Mason simply responded, slightly tightening his grip on her arm to ensure control, without hurting her.

“You are ours, and it’s time to go home.”