{Chapter: 123 - Hellfire Club}
"Where is she?"
Aiden's boots hit the cracked concrete with a quiet thud as he landed in the middle of an eerie, abandoned park. Rusted cars lined the overgrown path like grave markers. The whole place reeked of decay and disuse, a forgotten pocket of the world where nature had begun to reclaim what humanity left behind. Aiden's sharp eyes scanned his surroundings, picking up on the little details—the sway of the tall grass, the light flutter of trash caught in a broken fence, the lingering trace of spatial energy in the air.
He narrowed his eyes.
This was definitely where Blink had opened the portal.
But she was nowhere to be seen.
Aiden folded his arms and slowly turned in a circle, his brow furrowed in thought. "What the hell is she doing here?" he muttered to himself. "If you're trying to be discreet, this is about the worst place to open a portal. Unless…"
His thoughts trailed off as he heard something—or someone—behind him. The rustle of a footstep, too deliberate to be the wind.
He spun on his heel, his senses immediately flaring to life, prepared for danger.
There she was.
Blink.
She emerged from behind a dilapidated car, dressed as she always was in her signature tight suit and violet-toned complexion. Her expression was neutral, her gaze steady.
Aiden relaxed—slightly.
"There you are," he said. "You buying something again?" His tone was light, but laced with suspicion. "You know, you're my go-to courier thanks to your portals."
"Yeah," Blink nodded casually, walking toward him. "Just that."
Aiden's eyes sharpened. That response was…off.
Too off.
Blink always had a certain flair to her. Even if she was rushing or annoyed, she'd never miss a chance to say something like "Boss, don't get too comfy—I'll be back before you miss me" or roll her eyes in that signature, sassy way of hers.
Not this. Not… bland.
"Hmm." He narrowed his eyes. "And many more?"
"Hm?" She tilted her head slightly, confused—or pretending to be.
Aiden took a step back.
Her tone was hollow. There was no emotion behind it. Blink was many things—brash, confident, fiercely loyal—but she was never this dull. Never this robotic.
"Are you okay?" he asked carefully.
"Me? Of course I am," she replied, blinking rapidly as if trying to imitate surprise.
"No, you're not," he said coldly, his voice firm now. The tone of a man who was done playing along.
The woman froze. Just for a second—but it was enough.
That pause.
That hesitation.
It told Aiden everything.
He sneered. "You think I wouldn't notice? You think you can fool me with a few facial tics and a costume? I don't know whether it's illusion magic, telepathic puppeteering, or shapeshifting—but one thing I know for sure… You may be Blink but you're not Clarice"
The expression on her face shifted.
Gone was the slight bewilderment.
Gone was the passive demeanor.
In its place was something… older. Smarter. Dangerous.
The eyes changed first—sharper, with a glint of amusement and calculation.
"Interesting," she said, her voice deeper now. Sultry. Confident. "You saw through it with just a few words. Impressive, Aiden."
Aiden's jaw clenched. "Mind control, then. That narrows it down."
She chuckled. "There are many ways to slip into someone's skin, handsome. Some don't even require force."
"That's not how Blink moves. Not how she talks. You messed up pretending to be her," he said coldly. "So why don't you stop playing games and show your real face?"
"Very well," the woman said smoothly, brushing her fingers through her hair as her posture shifted fully into someone else entirely. Her aura was seductive now, oozing confidence. "If you're so eager to meet me—come along."
A swirling portal cracked open as she threw a pink crystal in the air, radiating with purple light.
She stepped toward it, then glanced back at him with a smirk. "Or are you scared of a little mystery?"
Aiden's lips curved upward in a dark smile. "Scared? Of you? Please."
He stepped through the portal.
In an instant, the grim, broken park dissolved into elegance.
Aiden now stood inside a lavish lounge—polished black marble floors gleamed beneath his boots, and the scent of expensive wine hung in the air. Crimson drapes lined the tall windows, casting deep shadows across gold-rimmed furniture. A chandelier sparkled above, casting eerie light across the room.
Sitting on a luxurious leather sofa, sipping from a wine glass with practiced elegance, was a stunning blonde woman. She was dressed in an expensive, tightly fitted white dress with gold trim, her legs crossed like she owned the room—and him. Behind her stood a tall red-skinned mutant with glowing yellow eyes and a body like a fortress.
Leaning casually against the door, a man with long, jet-black hair played with two curved knives, flipping them between his fingers with the ease of a predator waiting for his prey to misstep.
The blonde smiled, her voice honeyed and regal. "Welcome to the Hellfire Club, Mr. Aiden."
Aiden narrowed his eyes. "Didn't think you'd be this bold. Or this desperate."
"Bold?" The blonde stood and walked toward him slowly. "You should be flattered. You intrigued us."
"'Us'?" Aiden echoed, his voice cold and sharp as winter steel.
The blonde woman gestured with theatrical elegance toward the room, as though she were on stage before an audience. "Indeed. We. I am the White Queen of the Hellfire Club. And though she prefers shadows to spotlights, the Black Queen is also watching… with considerable interest, I might add"
Aiden's gaze sharpened as it moved across the room. Lavish furniture. Gilded trim. Velvet shadows. This place dripped with old wealth and ancient ambition. And the people inside? They weren't revolutionaries or dreamers. They were predators.
The Hellfire Club.
Where Xavier dreamed of peace between species, and Magneto demanded dominance, the Hellfire Club played a different game entirely. Subtle. Strategic. Ruthless. They didn't march in protests or stage assaults. They whispered in senators' ears. They bought cities, blackmailed CEOs, and brokered wars over fine wine.
Aiden knew their name. Everyone with power did.
"Hellfire Club?" he muttered under his breath. The very phrase left a taste of danger on the tongue. Not because of what they believed—but because of what they didn't. No idealism. No morality. Only power and who controlled it.
"You're not exactly low-key," he said aloud. "But I'm surprised. Kidnapping one of mine to get my attention? That's more Magneto's style than yours."
Emma Frost didn't flinch. She offered a soft, indulgent smile, the kind only the supremely confident ever wore. "Let's not call it kidnapping. Consider it… an urgent summons. An invitation you couldn't ignore."
"Interesting way to send a party invite," Aiden replied, his voice flat.
Azazel stood silently near the window, arms crossed, his red skin faintly visible in the low light, his expression unreadable. Slade leaned by the door, eyes ever-watchful, every inch a soldier weighing threats. Aiden took in the room again.
They hadn't come to talk. They'd come to recruit.
Emma Frost stepped forward, poised and icy, her white attire pristine and almost regal. "An invitation, actually. You've caught our eye, Aiden. Your strength. Your influence. And the rather fascinating ensemble you've surrounded yourself with. You're a disruptor in a very stagnant game."
Aiden didn't move to shake her offered hand.
"Oh, darling," Emma sighed with amused exasperation, "you really should have a drink. What we're about to discuss? It changes everything."
He looked at her for a long second before casually replying, "White Queen. Azazel. Frederick Slade. I know exactly who you are."
Emma smiled, eyes gleaming like polished diamonds. "Then you've done your homework. Good. Saves time. You already know what the Hellfire Club stands for. Money. Power. Preservation. Control. The game of kings and queens."
"Yeah, I know it," Aiden replied, his voice low. "It's the club that plays both sides. Not mutant or human. Just… rich."
Emma tilted her head, intrigued. "A cynic. Even better. You'll fit right in."
Aiden's gaze hardened. "You came after my people. You tried to control one of them. Then invited me to sit at your table. That's not exactly a stellar pitch."
*****
You can support me by joining my Patreon and get upto 60 chapters in advance.
patreon.com/Eden_Translation