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STORYLINE: Apophis ATELIER Underground, 5:00 PM
"A bit of advice, my dear. Never show weakness in a place like this."
MasterGin smirked, gloating over his victory. The sopping-wet teddy bear hung impaled on his manicured claws.
That bear held every piece of raw footage detailing the atrocities inside the Forbidden Zone, the only real evidence that could blow the story wide open and save the people trapped inside.
Without thinking, Lisa shoved him hard and snatched the soaked bear from his grip. Was it reckless? Absolutely. But you didn't become the lead investigative reporter on the Hexa Herald by playing it safe.
MasterGin’s pale eyes widened, his sharp face twisting into righteous indignation. Hissing, fangs gleaming, he seized the plushie back and flung it into a nearby trashcan with crisp precision.
Lisa watched it vanish beneath a pile of discarded silk scraps. A trail of wet stuffing and gray sludge marked its undignified trail across the polished white marble floor.
She stared down at her empty, soiled hands. Was this the end of the line? Was he going to kill her now? Would the relentless clatter of automated sewing machines be the last thing she ever heard? Or would she take her final breath surrounded by the heavy stench of clove cigarettes?
She felt sick.
MasterGin whipped a silk handkerchief from his breast pocket with an elegant snap of the wrist. Then he did something entirely unexpected: he took her dirty hands and began wiping them clean.
Lisa froze, her heart hammering against her ribs. "Wh-what are you doing?"
His touch was surprisingly gentle. He wasn't just wiping away the mud. His thumb massaged the tense muscles of her palms and fingers with firm, rhythmic pressure. He stepped closer, so close she could hear the soft intake of his breath. Lisa studied him, seizing the rare chance to examine an ancient vampire up close. His skin was flawless, no scars, not even the shadow of beard stubble, yet he looked paler than usual, faint violet shadows bruised beneath his eyes. Stressed? Overworked?
His thumb lingered over the pulse point on her wrist. His pale eyes held hers a fraction too long before he released her hands and stepped away.
"I don't make the rules," he said softly.
Her fingers trembled where his skin had touched hers. What was this, vampire jujutsu? Her palms felt slightly damp, coated in a faint floral fragrance. When she glanced down, a shimmering blue sheen glinted across her skin before soaking into her pores.
MasterGin flicked his chin toward the security camera mounted above his office doorway. One of its optical lenses zoomed in, focusing on them.
"Come with me."
He spun on his heels.
Lisa glanced at the camera. The watcher being watched? By who?
"Note to self," she murmured into her halophone mic. "My file on MasterGin needs a complete rewrite."
When she didn't move, he paused and glanced back, annoyance flicking across his features. "You want the Scoop of the Century. I want you to stop dripping sewer sludge on my imported marble. Come. I'll make it worth your while."
She hated herself for trailing after him like a stray puppy.
Steam hissed from the industrial pressing irons. Beneath the smell of hot starch and clove smoke, something older and far sweeter lay rotting.
As they walked, she secretly snapped rapid photos of the subterranean factory line, the towering looms, the demonic laborers, and the racks of multi-million dollar gowns.
MasterGin stopped beside a illuminated garment rack.
"This one." He pulled out a metallic gown that caught the factory lights like polished gold and held it up against her shoulder. "The bronze next to your golden complexion is divine."
"I can pick whatever I want?" She brushed past him, her eyes scanning the rack for the most ridiculously expensive price tag.
"Of course." He sounded amused by her sudden enthusiasm. "Do you doubt my generosity? I sent Yoon Jihoon dozens of custom pieces. I even formulated a specialized transdermal barrier that would have kept his skin from combusting in front of a stadium full of cameras."
Was that true, or just more theatrical bullshit?
"My flaw is not so different from yours, my dear. I merely wish to protect what is mine," MasterGin sighed, tossing her a heavy crystal bottle labeled SPF 100 Nano-Enhanced Sunscreen. "Would you believe that little Robotics Witch forced my sweet boy to incinerate every garment and gift I sent him? Pieces worth more than she'll earn in twenty lifetimes."
Lisa scanned the microscopic ingredient list on the bottle before slipping it securely into her dirty pocket. "He would've worn it if he actually knew what it was."
"His 'genius' girlfriend believed dime-store sunscreen could shield my precious creation from full glare daylight. He chose to follow her instead of me." His high-heeled foot stamped with irritation. "Rejecting my vision... for what? A Temu Scully?"
Lisa stared at the genuine, wounded expression on his face. "She's a scientist. How was she to supposed know things that aren’t real are real?" she blurted. "And I'm a reporter. I've got questions. Tell me what's real. But first..." She thrust the heaviest, most elaborate dress on the rack directly toward his face. "I want this one."
He raised an eyebrow.
"So I can have it?" Lisa pressed.
MasterGin slid a gilded privacy screen between them. "If you put it on immediately, yes. I refuse to let a sewer rat ruin the aesthetic of my private club."
He turned his back as the heavy fabric began to rustle behind the screen.
"Jihoon, eat your heart out," Lisa chuckled to herself, pulling gigantic elaborate gown over her shoulders. "I'm not burning shit. But you know I'm hocking this on eBay the second I get out of here, right?"
"Do what you will." MasterGin waved off her taunt as he pulled back the screen to inspect the drape. "It belongs to you now."
With swift, practiced grace, he gathered her tangled hair, twisting her braids into an intricate crown and pinning it in place with a sharp, winged gold tiara.
He snapped his fingers. A small demonic tailor shuffled out from behind the looms.
"Allow this gentleman to make the final adjustments. It will take only a moment."
Lisa opened her mouth to protest, the creature's skin was gross, its fingers tipped with long bone needles, but before she could take a breath, the work was finished.
The dress shifted, instantly tightening against her ribs, sculpting her silhouette into a flawless hour-glass without pinching her lungs.
"Whoa, neat trick! A corset built under a dress, but with no pain. What the hell kind of mystery fabric is this?"
The demonic tailor handed MasterGin a glowing halophone pad.
MasterGin lowered his tinted glasses, scrolling through the high-resolution displays before zooming in on a wireframe contour.
"Whatcha looking at?" Lisa stood on her tiptoes, trying to peek over his shoulder.
The screen displayed a full three-dimensional wireframe of her body, complete with precise volumetric measurements down to the millimeter.
"What the hell! Did that creepy thing just run a full-body scan on me?"
"You're welcome." MasterGin handed the pad back to the tailor. "Transmit these files to the clinic immediately. Have three complete looks prepared for her by tomorrow morning. I want her to dazzle."
The tailor bowed low and scampered into the shadows.
MasterGin raised a long, slender finger, gesturing for her to follow as he moved toward the exit. "That weave is strictly banned under UN regulatory accords. Fortunately, our syndicate doesn't recognize laws or international treaties. But be careful on eBay... I strongly recommend selling it on the Dark Web if you want full market value, instead of prison stripes."
Lisa stopped dead on the cold floor.
Unbelievable. He destroys her hard-won evidence, violates her personal space, scans her body without consent... and acts like he's doing her a favor.
"You’re a real fucking creep, you know that?" she yelled across the vast factory floor.
Every demonic worker along the assembly line froze. Dozens of yellow eyes turned to stare at her in stunned silence.
Lisa glanced nervously at the audience, swallowed hard, and gathered her heavy skirts. She sprinted after him, her bare feet padding against the cold marble.
Heavy hydraulic doors with the Monstrum logo carved on it hissed open into an underground dock. MasterGin was already seated inside a matte-black VIP hoverlimo, tapping his claws impatiently against the leather armrest.
"Seriously? I feel like I'm riding shotgun to Hell's Met Gala." She shook her head, though she had to admit the vampire had style.
Getting her enormous layered gown and its long train into the narrow door required brute force.
Thwack.
A thick wave of stiff crinoline and structured lace slapped MasterGin squarely across the face. The netting bounced off his cheek, completely collapsing his Marilyn hairstyle.
He froze.
Closed his eyes.
Inhaled slowly.
Exhaled.
Then with deliberate composure, he extracted himself from the mountain of black lace and ribbon, smoothed his hair back into place, and rested his chin on his hand as if nothing had occurred.
Lisa stared at him, waiting for a reaction. She leaned closer, eyes gleaming, daring him to acknowledge the violation of his dignity.
His long claws clicked a rapid rhythm against the door. He kept his gaze locked on the dark tinted windows. Then, abruptly, his fist slammed down on the intercom button.
"Mirror, prepare the vat immediately."
"Understood, Master," a bright, synthetic British voice chirped through the speakers. "How much shall I prepare?"
"A face's worth."
"Very well. I shall have it warm and ready in fifteen minutes. Do hurry."
MasterGin leaned his head back, staring out the tinted armorglass into the subterranean transit tunnels as hoverlimo lifted, and shoot out of the dock with shocking speed.
Lisa looked too. Outside, disciplined rows of armored ghouls marched in tight, tactical formation in a huge cavern. A battalion?
"Are those for the Opening of the Mouth ceremony tomorrow?"
MasterGin turned back to her, offering a practiced, razor-thin smile. "High-profile security is mandatory, yes." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Forgive me, but no more questions for the moment. My mind is occupied, and I am exceptionally famished."
He really is almost charming when he isn't actively trying to murder someone.
Lisa grinned, thoroughly enjoying his irritation.
"As long as you attack that vat instead of my neck, we're good. It's blood wine, right? Some ultra-exclusive vampire vintage, am I right? MasterGin's gotta be stylish," she chuckled. "What I want to know is why you measure blood volume by body parts. What's the tea? Lisa’s gotta know."
He let out a low, musical laugh.
"Very well. Let's play a game. It is completely secure inside this transport, no surveillance cameras. But you only get three questions, and nothing more. I promise to answer truthfully. Choose wisely."
He held out his palm, expecting her halophone.
Give up her phone? Was he out of his freaking mind?
He gestured again, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Everything comes with a price, my dear."
She huffed, slapping the device hard into his palm. "I don't see you giving tours or expensive dresses to anyone else. Why me?"
"I like you." He placed the halophone on the velvet seat beside him, tapping it like a prized trinket. "You make me laugh."
"A bazillion-dollar dress because I make you laugh? Give me the real reason. You said you'd tell the truth."
MasterGin’s playful smile vanished. His posture shifted, becoming dead serious.
"You're a star. Or you would be if you had a face and body to match your charisma. I can help you with that." He flexed his long fingers like a plastic surgeon assessing a patient. "I have connections that could launch your career into global syndication overnight. You know it's true."
Lisa kept her face completely unreadable. "And? What's the catch?"
"And..." MasterGin leaned forward, his pale eyes catching the ambient cabin light. "I want you to serve as Master of Ceremonies for Jihoon's awakening tomorrow. I will spare no expense. Whatever production assets you require, you will have. We are en route to the Club Apophis now so you can scout the stage."
Lisa recoiled as if a snake had just bitten her. "What?"
"I am entirely serious. Think about the symmetry. I created Lathandro." He held up his hands, admiring his own fingers. "With these, I sculpted the masterpiece of Lathandro out of the rough, unpolished clay of Yoon Jihoon."
Lisa’s spine went rigid. She looked down at her hands. The shimmering blue film had completely absorbed into her skin. Her mind flashed back to the glowing blue cosmetic jar he had bragged about earlier, the compound he used to reshape his high-end clients.
"You were the one who made him a global sensation," MasterGin continued smoothly. "You discovered him. You moved millions in merchandise using his face and his name. You also broadcast his dramatic death live to the world. The hope of Jae Won University baseball spontaneously combusted live on TV. Afterward, you destroyed his legacy, peddling a brilliant narrative that he used illegal military grade biohacks to cheat his way through professional sports. Everyone bought it. I was thoroughly impressed by your narrative control. No one ever suspected the truth."
Lisa ground her molars together until her jaw throbbed. She hated that she had run those stories. She hated that he had blackmailed her into spinning those lies. That deep, burning rage was the exact reason she was sitting in this vehicle right now, searching for the single crack in his armor that would burn his empire to the ground.
"Tomorrow, you can resurrect this phoenix in the global media as the Chosen One rising from the ashes, witnessed by billions live on stream," MasterGin purred. "It is a spectacle only you can pull off, my dear. And if Jihoon wishes to retain you as his exclusive PR manager after he wakes, that will be his choice. Do we have an agreement?"
Lisa stared at him as if he had sprouted three snake heads.
"Consider this," MasterGin added, leaning closer. "Tomorrow, you could debut on the international stage with an exquisite new face, a sculpted body, hosting the most historic broadcast in human history: the birth of a god."
Lisa shot to her feet and smacked her head hard against the roof of the limo.
CRACK.
She collapsed into the leather seats in an undignified heap of ruffles, lace, and pain. Her pulse thundered in her ears.
A violent surge of nausea hit her throat.
"I'm gonna be sick..."
Before she could lean away, she vomited directly onto the front of the multi-million-dollar dress.
The wet splatter rang out in the quiet cabin, accompanied only by the soft hum of the anti-grav engines as they sped through the dark tunnels.
MasterGin didn't even flinch. He calmly pressed the intercom button. "Mirror, instruct the tailoring team to prepare a fourth ensemble."
“Shall I note a preference for stain-resistant fabric, Master?” the AI replied cheerfully.
Lisa wiped her mouth with the back of a red ruffle, her throat tight and burning. "And what happens if I say no?" she croaked.
MasterGin smiled, leaning back into his plush leather seat with absolute poise. "You won't say no. I've watched every archive stream recovered from your apartment. I know how your mind works. And I am genuinely looking forward to reviewing what you recorded on this trip as well." He picked up her halophone, casually twirling it between his long claws. "You noticed I personally restored and upgraded all your field gear. Did you never stop to ask yourself why?"
MasterGin held up three slender fingers, then slowly folded one down. “Consider yourself lucky. I’m lumping that exchange and barrage of clarifications under the umbrella of Question One. Two remain.”
Lisa stared at the floor of the limo, her chest heaving.
Shit.
She needed a strategy, and she needed it now.
Ask questions. Keep him talking. Find the flaw in his grand design.
On her, Lisa Liemawr:
Tiara: VoluptasVirtualis - FOLIA Tiara [mesh](Engine Room)(150L)
Gloves: HEIKE - Disturbed Gloves (REBORN) [mesh]
Head, eyes, skin: LOGO - Dawn Desert Nomad [mesh]
Body: REBORN by eBODY v2.0 [mesh]
On him, MasterGin:
Heels: Arltos Afterlife - Enid, black [mesh](Camp Syndicate)(450L)
Hair: Ginko Hair - #200 Hair - Unrigged [mesh]
Cigarette holder: GRAAL SMOKING SNAKE [mesh](349L)
Head: LeLUTKA - CAMDEN 4.0 [mesh]
Body: TheShops - [BODY] Athletic Meshbody (Legacy)(m) (1.7.1) [mesh]
Setting:
Wall candle holder: Blue Blood - Cradle Wall Candle [mesh](Camp Syndicate)(199L)
BONUS IMAGES: inworld raw shots, midday sky, default camera:
