---
Back at the apartment, the air was thick with the scent of body spray and warm light. Sofia hummed to herself as she dressed, slipping into a tight black mini dress that shimmered under the bulb, her curves highlighted with ease.
I, on the other hand, pulled on my usual—an ankle-length pleated black skirt and a basic cream top. Safe, modest, boring. Just how I liked it.
Sofia turned and raised a brow. "That's what you're wearing?"
I shrugged. "What else would I wear?"
She smirked as she fastened her earrings. "Relax, we'll change when we get there. No one walks into *The Serpent's Kiss* in a bunny suit."
The name still sent a chill down my spine. I glanced at the worn-out tote bag on my bed where I'd carefully tucked the folded bunny outfit, heels, and stockings.
"You brought it, right?" she asked, already slipping on her heels.
I nodded. "Yeah. It's in the bag."
"Good. Let's go impress some gangsters," she teased, giving me a wink.
I rolled my eyes but followed her out the door. The sun had already begun to dip, and with it, my nerves began to rise.
Tonight, everything was about to change.
---
The dressing room smelled of cheap perfume and hairspray. The walls were lined with mirrors, some cracked, and clothes were strewn across benches and hooks. Laughter and chatter echoed from the hallway, but I barely heard it.
I stood in front of the mirror, frozen.
The bunny costume clung tightly to my figure, hugging every curve of my hourglass shape. The fishnet stockings clung to my legs like a second skin, and the black heels made me wobble. The fluffy white tail on the back made it all feel like a joke, but the cute black headband with bunny ears sitting atop my long jade-black hair somehow made me look even more innocent… and worse, *tempting*.
Sofia stood beside me, already dressed in her outfit, adjusting her lipstick in the mirror. She looked like she belonged here.
"I can't go out like this," I said, my voice low, shaky. "Sofia… we were taught not to meet men like this. Not like *this*."
Sofia met my eyes in the mirror. Her expression softened. "I know. Believe me, I struggled with it too."
I turned to her, my eyes wide with panic. "At the chapel, they warned us about this. About the world. This isn't what we were prepared for."
Sofia placed a hand on my shoulder. "Marin... sometimes, to get where you want to go, you have to do things that don't fit your values. Not forever. Just for now. This is survival. You're not selling your soul—you're just wearing a costume and serving drinks."
I swallowed hard, breathing through the tightness in my chest. She was right. I came here with a goal, and I couldn't let shame stop me before I even began.
After a long pause, I nodded. "Okay. Let's go."
Sofia smiled, squeezed my hand, and together, we stepped out of the dressing room—and into the lion's den.