Chapter 4
After dinner, Emily was getting ready to leave. Charles went to pull the car around while I waited with her at the mansion's entrance.
"Soph, we're friends from now on, okay?" Emily said brightly.
Just like the Rescue System had described, Emily had every trait of a classic heroine. She was beautiful, pure, and kind. Almost unbelievably so.
"Ms. Lane," I said stiffly, "don't you think you've been getting a little too close to my boyfriend?"
"Too close?" She blinked, looking surprised and a bit hurt. "But Charlie's really the only friend I have. William's always so busy; he hardly has time for me."
She looked up at me with a hopeful smile. "How about this, then? I'll stop getting close to Charlie. Can I get close to you instead?"
I had a dozen things I wanted to say, but none of them came out.
Charles' feelings would end up wasted again.
No matter what he did, Emily would still end up with William.
Before I could finish that thought, a black car screeched to a stop in front of us.
Emily blinked in confusion. "Wait, that's not Charlie's car—"
Before she could finish, two men jumped out.
My heart froze. I grabbed Emily's arm and tried to run, but we were too slow.
They overpowered us easily and shoved us into the car.
A sharp, chemical smell filled my nose. Before we knew it, everything went dark.
When I came to, the Rescue System's voice was screaming in my head, "Host, you have to choose Sophie. This is your last chance!"
I jolted awake, only to realize Emily and I were tied to the mast of a yacht. The dark sea stretched endlessly beneath us.
"Mr. Reed, have you made up your mind yet?" one of the kidnappers taunted, giving Emily's rope a hard kick. "Which one will you save?"
Emily screamed as her frail body swung above the deck, her face pale with fear.
I tried to keep calm, glancing toward the speedboat nearby. Charles was standing there, tense and furious.
"Stop!" he shouted. "If you hurt Em, I'll kill you!"
"Oh, I'm terrified," the kidnapper mocked, then turned around to give my rope a kick. "Sounds like you've made your choice, Mr. Reed. So you're choosing Ms. Lane and tossing this one aside... Ms. Grant, right?
With that, the kidnapper started to loosen the rope, and it jerked downward.
"Stop! Don't you dare!" Charles yelled, panic breaking through his voice.
The rope left me dangling above the churning waves, sea spray hitting my face.
The kidnapper grinned. "Oh, was I mistaken? We don't have much time, Mr. Reed. Make your choice."
Charles pressed his lips together and stayed silent for what felt like an eternity. I could feel my heart numbing.
At this critical time, I realized I didn't have any faith in him anymore.
The kidnapper urged again, his tone turning colder. "Three seconds, or I'll feed both of them to the sharks. Three... Two..."
"I choose Emily!" Charles shouted finally, his face ashen. "Let Emily down!"
The words echoed in my ears as the rope above me snapped. Freezing seawater swallowed me whole.
As I sank into the dark abyss, I wasn't even surprised. No matter how many times the Rescue System insisted Emily wouldn't die, Charles would never choose me.
"Host, you've totally lost it," the Rescue System shrieked. "We're both doomed!"
Its panic rang in my mind as I fought to stay conscious, kicking hard against the water. "Rescue System, link with me! I'll handle this myself. Just let me save myself. I'll make sure you finish your mission! Rescue System, do you hear me?"
But there was only silence. The ocean pressed in from every side, crushing, cold, endless. There was no hope.
Just when I thought I was done for, a sound chimed softly in my mind, like a melody from the heavens. "Self-Rescue System. Binding successful."