Noctis Noir

Somewhere within the hidden city is an enclosed room with red walls and shelves filled with bottles of newly produced poison. Straps of leather, chains, blindfolds, wh.i.p.s, ropes, and some questionable items were arranged haphazardly on one wide table. They were all ready to be used for the unlucky victim. A steaming bowl of noodles sat in the middle of the mess of torture materials.

"No..."

The guildmaster of Jupiter, Magnus, was sweating profusely. His cheeks were flushed red. How could this have happened? He had become a victim to such a humiliating torture.

"Spit it out, Maggie. Why is a softie like you siding with the enemy?" Epsilon sat on Magnus while casually eating her noodles. She managed to get her own personal lab at the hidden city where she could carry out experiments on her favorite guinea pig. Wen was a little hesitant to allow Magnus into the city, but eventually agreed if he was led back to his cell in blindfolds.

"There's no way I'm telling you..." Magnus struggled under Epsilon's weight. "Get off me."

"I suppose you fancy being my chair for the rest of your life then?"

"Please no."

Epsilon poked his cheek with her chopstick. "Come on, tell me."

Magnus was getting annoyed. The guildmaster of the most powerful mage guild in Aries was being treated like a chair! Above all, by Epsilon! He was ashamed to be in this situation.

"Tell me, Maggie. Tell me." She continued poking his cheek.

"Will you please stop that!?"

"I might if you answer my question."

"I'll never answer your question, Epsilon!"

"I'll give you free noodles."

"No!"

"Come on, Maggie." Epsilon continued poking his cheek with a chopstick.

"Absolutely not!"

Epsilon's face turned dark as a malicious grin spread across her face. "I suppose getting you to speak will require a more... devious technique, huh?"

Magnus went pale.

She held up a bottle in front of him. "See this, Maggie? I made this bottle especially for you!" It was a bottle of Epsilon Poison #14. Its potency had been improved since the last batch. "I've been waiting for this day when I can finally use it on you."

"Epsilon... No... Please..." Magnus begged.

Suddenly, the door opened. Astrid entered the room.

Magnus was relieved to see her. "Astrid! Please stop Epsilon from torturing me with her poisons!"

"Why don't you just answer her questions so you won't have to undergo torture?" Astrid replied. "I'm sure she's nice enough not to kill you." She glanced at Epsilon, who looked like she was having the time of her life. "On the other hand, I think she just enjoys torturing you."

Astrid handed Epsilon the box of herbs she requested. "Have fun!" She waved before leaving the room.

"Astrid! Astrid! Don't leave me here!" Magnus shouted.

"Say 'Aah', Maggie!" Epsilon brought the bottle of poison to his mouth and forced him to drink it.

Magnus' vision gradually faded. Soon, he was down on the floor. Epsilon moved closer to his face and waited for a reaction.

"I wonder what sort of hallucination you'll have, Maggie," she said excitedly.

***

Magnus found himself in a beautiful field of flowers.

"Epsilon! What did you do to me? Where am I?" He tried to call her while walking through the flower field. "Epsilon! Where are you?"

From afar, he noticed a girl with long light blue hair wearing a white garden dress. It was Epsilon. Her hair wasn't tied in her usual pigtails. It was let loose and riding with the wind. On her hair was a crown of flowers. She was gathering a bouquet in her hands.

"Epsilon! Where are we?" he approached her and asked.

"You're always so loud, Maggie," she replied and turned around.

Magnus couldn't help but blush when he saw her. Had she always been this beautiful? He found his heart beating faster.

No way! This is Razette Epsilon. There's no way that poison-brewing sadist can be this cute!

Magnus tried to shake off the feelings. When he did, Epsilon took his hand and placed flowers in his hair. When she was done, she smiled sweetly.

"There! Now you look cuter!" She giggled like an innocent girl.

Magnus was deeply confused with his own feelings.

***

Epsilon frowned. It looked like Magnus was having a nice hallucination. Had her Epsilon Poison #14 backfired again? She decided it was time to intervene and make him have a nightmare. She took a deep breath.

"Magnus, it is I, Frisk! You are definitely my type!" Epsilon said in her best Frisk impersonation voice.

***

"Frisk!? What are you doing here?" Magnus was surprised to find Frisk riding on a unicorn meters away in a white sparkling suit.

"I came for you, my Maggie. My princess!" Frisk held out a hand. "Come with me. Let us ride on my magical rainbow unicorn. I will show you the world!"

"Are you drunk?"

"Maggie is with me!" Epsilon grabbed Magnus' arm and hugged it.

The sudden move sent shivers down Magnus' spine. "Wait what? What in the world is happening?"

"You? A mere witch thinks she can bring my Maggie happiness?" With one flick of a finger, Frisk sent Magnus floating in midair and moved him on top of the unicorn. "Maggie shall be my bride."

"This is getting really weird," said Magnus. "Can I go home now?"

Frisk looked at Magnus with seductive eyes. "My home will be your home soon."

"No way!" Magnus screamed.

***

When he snapped out of his hallucination, he found himself back inside Epsilon's lab strapped onto a table. He returned to his real life nightmare.

Epsilon smirked. "Had a nice dream?"

He remembered the cute Epsilon in the flower garden and blushed a little. Eventually, he convinced himself that the real Epsilon was too different from that other Epsilon.

"That weird dream was your doing, wasn't it!?" Magnus struggled to escape from the table.

"That's right. I wonder what poison I should pick next..."

He knew it was futile. She was going to continue feeding him poison until he gives out information.

"Alright. I'll tell you one thing," he finally said.

"Spill it, Maggie."

"The one behind this... is someone you and I both know."

Epsilon's face turned serious. "What do you mean?"