In the life-betting game with the witch elders, I became enchanted by the witch bracelet that could save Adam Read’s life. To my surprise, his childhood sweetheart, Janelle Burt, demanded the bracelet for herself, even offering to wager her long black hair in exchange.

Adam, however, refused. “I’ve never seen this bracelet before. Since Janelle likes it so much, why not just give it to her?”

With a cold expression, I staked the life of the witch saint and managed to win the bracelet back. Janelle lost her long hair in the process.

That day marked the beginning of a month-long cold war between Janelle and Adam. He showed no emotion toward me, but he never stopped sending me gifts and flowers daily. After a month, I found myself aboard a yacht, forced into a punishment game of his design. The stakes were the ashes of hundreds of Dark Magic Guilds.

Adam stood in front of Janelle, glaring at me with contempt. “Since you love playing games so much, today I’ll let you play to your heart’s content. For every question you get wrong, I’ll consume the ashes of twenty of your clansmen. As the Dark Magic Guild’s Saint, it should be easy for you to win.”

——

He had invited all the city’s wealthy heirs to watch the game. The crowd buzzed with excitement.

“Isn’t Caitlin Nolan the Saint of the Dark Magic Guild? Did Adam really destroy the entire clan? What’s the story there?”

“Who else could it be about? It’s for Janelle. Haven’t you noticed her hat? I heard Caitlin is the reason she lost all her hair. Witchcraft did that, and it won’t grow back. Adam is getting back at his beloved.”

“Why didn’t anyone stop her? The Dark Magic Guild has always kept to itself, and now that they’re gone, no one will stand up for her. She deserves it!”

The spectators eagerly anticipated the spectacle. A cold shiver ran through me, and I felt as though I were plummeting into an ice cave. My nails dug into my palm as I glanced at the man I had loved for five long years.

Adam didn’t even spare me a glance as he sat with Janelle. “It’s said that the ashes of the Dark Magic Guild have miraculous powers. Consuming them grants eternal youth. So, don’t be shy. Everyone here today will have their share.”

His gaze swept the room. “How much you get depends on your ability.”

My body trembled, and then he dealt me the final blow.

“To make things fair, everyone will contribute questions for today’s game, but all questions must be about Janelle.”

Finally, he turned his eyes toward me. “Of course, you can join in. As the Saint of the Dark Magic Guild, surely you can easily guess Janelle’s likes and dislikes. Let’s see how you do.”

My eyes burned with tears I couldn’t release, and I was left speechless.

Adam smiled cruelly. “What’s wrong? You love playing games, don’t you? Well, today’s game is for you. Don’t you like it?”

“Let’s get started. Don’t keep everyone waiting.”

Thunderous applause erupted from the crowd.

“Adam is truly impressive—he knows how to make a game exciting!”

“I heard one person’s ashes from the Dark Magic Guild can keep you young forever. If that’s true, imagine what would happen after consuming twenty people’s worth!”

“But Miss Burt left for abroad five years ago, and Caitlin wasn’t with her then. How could she possibly know these things? Does Adam plan to take revenge?”

“Stop worrying about it. It’s not your business. Don’t pity the Dark Magic Guild’s Saint too much. Be careful, though, she might try to cheat with witchcraft!”

The crowd busied themselves, scribbling down their questions on paper. My vision blurred, and I trembled as I stared at Adam.

“Why? Why did you kill my people?”

“You know I—”

Before I could finish, Adam interrupted coldly, “Caitlin, you no longer have the right to bargain with me. You have no choice but to play the game.”

"You owe this to Janelle."

Tears welled up uncontrollably. I bit my lip, and blood trickled down.

He didn’t know that this game was meant to save his life. But now, the reasons no longer matter. If my witchcraft still existed, perhaps I could bring back my people. But after sacrificing my blood to nourish the bracelet, I was now as powerless as anyone else.

With trembling hands, I removed the wooden hairpin from my head and spoke in a quivering voice. “Fine, I’ll participate, but the game should start in half an hour, okay?”

Without waiting for Adam’s response, I turned and fled the yacht.

On the deck, I cut my fingertips, hoping the blood would awaken the spirits of my ancestors. This was my final chance. But as the blood flowed, the wooden hairpin never reacted.

When I returned to the yacht, my dress was stained with blood. Adam’s smile faded as he looked at me.

“How are you injured?”

I looked up blankly. “I’m injured. Can the game be called off?”

The people around me sneered and scoffed.

“Are you scared? Trying to make Adam feel guilty by hurting yourself?”

“The Saint resorting to such a trick? If you can’t handle it, just say so. Either way, they’re just ashes. You won’t be able to bring them back. Let your brothers have them.”

Adam’s voice turned cold. “Shut up!”

His silence was all the answer I needed.

I suddenly laughed, the sound hollow and cold. “Let’s begin.”

One hundred questions had been carefully chosen by Adam, and the final five were selected. The host grinned and raised an eyebrow.

“The first question is: What color is Miss Burt wearing today?”

The audience gasped in surprise.

“The first question is that big? Who suggested this? Does anyone actually know?”

“Adam selects Miss Burt’s clothes himself. What do you think?”

Janelle blushed, hiding in Adam’s arms and playfully hitting his chest.

The host continued, introducing the stakes for the first round.

“The ashes of twenty Mystic Guild elders are far more potent than those of ordinary members. They can be used for wound treatment or even facial masks. Don’t miss your chance to get them!”

The elders of the Mystic Guild had unique physiques, and only I, as the saint, knew this.

I recalled what had happened half a month ago when Adam had taken me to see a psychologist under the pretext of insomnia. I had no memory of what happened after that.

A sharp pain struck my heart, and I pinched my thigh to stop myself from breaking down.

“Adam, did you hypnotize me?”

The man didn’t even look at me as he whispered something to Janelle, causing her to laugh softly.

“Red! It’s red!”

Someone in the crowd slammed the table and stood up, cursing.

Panic surged through me. “White! I bet on white.”

Janelle wore a white dress, and red underwear would leave her exposed.

My desperate words caused a stir.

“Caitlin really knows? No way?”

“Look at the cold sweat on her face—she’s probably just guessing!”

The host smiled and asked, “Any other answers?”

In the dead silence of the hall, I could hear my heartbeat pounding in my ears. The host’s eyes settled on my face.

“Miss Nolan, I’m sorry, the answer is red.”

The man in the crowd cheered, his voice full of satisfaction.

The people around him eagerly pressed him for answers.

“You knew all this? Have you seen it?”

“The clothes Adam bought for Miss Burt are all from my brand. I personally delivered them, so how could I not know?”

“You’re incredible! I’ll definitely win the next round!”

The ashes of the twenty elders were handed to the man. He opened a jar on the spot and fed it to the German Shepherd at his side.

“Look at this witch. She’s nothing special. How about this: you kneel and beg me, let me sleep for just one night, and I’ll give you a jar. What do you think?”

“I’ve heard the witch saint has an abnormal physique, one that can make men die in the land of tenderness. I want to see if it’s true,” he added with a leer.

I forced myself to stand, fury rising, and poured a glass of wine into his face.

“Dream on!”

Enraged, the man lunged toward me, slapping me hard.

“Who do you think you are? I’ve been kind to you!”

“The whole clan is gone, so why are you still pretending to be noble?” he sneered.

“Today, there are 100 jars of ashes. Don’t even think about taking any!”

I slapped him back, feeling the sting of my own hand.

“Then give it a try.”

The host smiled, unfazed, and pulled out the second question.

“Miss Nolan, are you sure you want to continue? The next chip contains your parents’ ashes!”

“I’m just worried that you can’t handle the blow if you lose and that you won’t be able to continue the game,” he added, his voice dripping with mockery.

The crowd turned to me, all of them expecting me to give up.

Through tear-blurred eyes, Adam remained silent, his expression unreadable.

I handed Janelle a glass of juice, the last shred of hope vanishing from my heart. I smiled bitterly.

“Continue.”

The host grinned, clearly enjoying the moment.

“Second question: What did Miss Burt have for dinner yesterday?”

Janelle blinked playfully and asked, “Can I participate in this game?”

Adam scratched her nose fondly.

“Of course.”

He didn’t even try to hide his tolerance for her blatant cheating.

Whispers spread through the crowd.

“Miss Burt, how can you not know what you ate? This is ridiculous.”

“It’s going to be a joke, just accept your fate.”

Janelle chuckled.

“I lied to all of you. I won’t compete. I don’t want to make Caitlin sad, so I’ll step aside.”

The crowd was visibly moved.

“Miss Burt is so generous! After all she’s been through, she can still forgive the Dark Magic Guild. If it were me, I’d have dragged her out and whipped her corpse. Too bad everyone’s already dead. Only ashes remain.”

“Hurry up, don’t miss your chance. I bet on seafood!”

“I bet on Japanese food!”

At that moment, Janelle walked over to me and whispered, “Caitlin, how about I tell you the answer quietly? You’d be better off burying your parents’ ashes yourself, so it doesn’t make you sad…”

“Spare me your hypocrisy!”

Adam, who had been watching this exchange, finally showed a flicker of emotion. His face darkened, and he broke the wine glass in front of me.

“Caitlin, don’t be ungrateful. Janelle is just being kind.”

I sneered, meeting his gaze with a look of disbelief.

“So, you want me to cheat and win the next four games, right? I have no objection.”

Adam fell silent, pulling Janelle into his arms.

“Don’t listen to this lunatic. Let’s go back to watching the show.”

I stared at the stage, my voice was steady.

“I bet on Western food.”

The host’s smile faltered.

“Miss Nolan, I must remind you that there are only two free chances. If you lose all of them, you can only bet on your body, like... your hair.”

I nodded, my neck stiff.

“Betting, no more nonsense.”

Laughter erupted from the crowd.

“It looks like Adam has planned this all along. He must be venting his anger on Miss Burt.”

“There are still three games left. First hair, then… it’ll be a bet for life, right?”