Part 9
Dance of Deception
Lena and Mina stood outside Abyss once more, the cold night air prickling their skin. It had been weeks since Lena’s duel with Evelyn, and the memory of her victory still lingered. Evelyn had been led away to the basement for her eight-hour ordeal, and rumors of her humiliation spread quickly. For a long time in Abyss’ dark history, the queen had fallen.
Lena had expected the club to maybe shut down or at least change its painful dancing program, but to her surprise, it remained as lively and dark as ever. Tonight, she and Mina had come to celebrate what they thought was the end of Evelyn’s reign.
"I can’t believe we’re actually doing this," Mina said, her voice tinged with excitement and a hint of nerves. "Celebrating Evelyn’s downfall in the very place she ruled. Tickling the dragon’s tail."
Lena gave a wry smile. "She deserved it. After everything she put us through, it’s time we enjoyed a night on our terms."
The steel doors opened, and they stepped inside, clad in latex mini dresses. The club was as they remembered - dark, pulsating with music, the crowd moving like a living entity. But there was something different, an undercurrent of anticipation that set Lena’s nerves on edge.
As they made their way through the crowd, they noticed whispers and glances directed their way. Lena felt the weight of those stares, a mixture of admiration and curiosity. They reached the edge of the stage, expecting it to be empty, but to their surprise, someone was already there. A tall, striking figure in a rubber dress stood in Evelyn’s usual place, her back turned to the crowd. When she turned, Lena’s heart skipped a beat. It was Evelyn, but she looked different. Gone was the arrogance and cold dominance - replaced by a calm, almost serene expression.
"Welcome back, kittens," Evelyn said, her voice soft but carrying the same edge. "I see you’ve come to celebrate."
Lena exchanged a glance with Mina, her unease growing. "We didn’t expect to see you here, Evelyn. After what happened…"
Evelyn’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. "Ah, yes. My little vacation in the basement. It was… enlightening."
Mina stepped forward, her voice bold. "We thought you were done. Why are you here?"
Evelyn chuckled, a sound devoid of warmth, her eyes gleaming with calculated malice. "You think a little pain would break me? No, my dears. I’m stronger than ever. But tonight isn’t about me. It’s about you." She stepped forward, commanding the attention of the crowd with a simple raise of her arms. "Ladies and gentlemen, tonight we honor the champions of Abyss, Lena and Mina!" The audience erupted into cheers, their excitement surging through the club like a tidal wave. Lena’s stomach twisted as the overwhelming energy of the crowd bore down on her. She could feel something was coming, and she didn’t like it.
Evelyn let the cheers build before raising her hand to silence them. She gestured to the attendants standing at the edge of the stage. They stepped forward, carrying a velvet case, and opened it with a dramatic flourish. Inside lay two pairs of dazzling, fully transparent high heels, their cruel design unmistakable. Too many rows of needle-filled nodules sparkled under the lights, glinting menacingly as the crowd gasped in awe. Evelyn smiled, savoring the growing tension. "These," she announced, her voice full of theatrical flair, "are the Glass Agony Heels. Tonight, Lena and Mina will duel each other!"
Lena recoiled, her eyes widening in disbelief. "No," she said sharply. "We’re not doing this." She glanced at Mina, expecting her to protest as well, but instead found her friend frozen.
Evelyn’s smile turned wicked, her voice softening but losing none of its edge. "Oh, but you will. You see, Mina, you came here tonight with secrets. You danced on my stage once before, without Lena knowing. And Lena, you’ve been so quick to step into my games, so eager to protect Mina and seek revenge on her behalf. But tell me, did you ever stop to ask her what she wanted? Did she agree that you act as if you were her chaperone? Did you ever consider her freewill, her right not to be protected by you? Did you ever wonder if she resents your constant need to fight her battles for her?"
The crowd murmured, the seeds of doubt taking root in the tension between the two friends. Evelyn seized the moment, her voice rising again. "This is your chance to settle it, once and for all. Don’t allow this conflict to fester. Show each other your true strength. Show the audience what champions are made of." Her gaze turned icy as she delivered the final blow. "Or refuse to duel, and I offer that you just dance side by side, together, instead of against each other. If one of you doesn’t last the song, both of you will face eight hours in the Needle Frames, together. That’s the alternative, my dears. Eight hours. Together. Think about it. Or walk away from an Abyss challenge."
Lena’s mind raced. She wanted to walk away, to refuse this twisted game, but Evelyn had expertly trapped them. Refusing wasn’t just about the physical pain of the Needle Frames; it would be public humiliation, she would face and respect in the club. The crowd was watching, their cheers now tinged with anticipation. If they walked away, they would look like cowards. But that was not it, there was another feeling, another reason she couldn’t just walk out of this. She couldn’t put her finger on it, yet. And the thought of being strapped into the Needle Frames, side by side with Mina, enduring untold agony together for eight long hours, was unbearable. The stakes were impossibly high.
Lena grabbed Mina’s arm, her voice urgent but trembling. "Mina, we can’t let her win. We walk away, she does not get what she wants. The crowd, the humiliation, everything, I don’t care. And the Frames… we won’t make it. Not together."
Lena looked into Mina’s eyes, searching for clarity, but all she found was fear and determination. She felt the weight of the crowd pressing down on them, their chants of "Dance! Dance!" growing louder. Evelyn stood nearby, radiating smug satisfaction as she watched the trap close around them. They couldn’t just leave. Not now. Not in front of everyone.
Lena spoke out aloud. "We choose to walk away from dueling or dancing."
Mina hesitated, freeing her arm from Lena’s grip. "Why do you think this is your decision? You don’t speak for both of us!"
"Mina, do you want to duel?"
Mina looked at her, with a strange look in her eyes, "I don’t want to duel. But even less I want you to take my decisions for me."
"I didn’t mean it like that. I want to protect you…" Lena started but Mina interrupted her mid-sentence, louder than she wanted to. "I didn’t ask you to. It is my decision to reject the duel as much as it is yours. But you cannot always speak on my behalf."
Evelyn’s voice added drama, cutting into the argument like a blade. "What will it be, ladies? Will you rise to the occasion, show us your strength, and settle your differences here and now? You are both quite new in Abyss. Lena, isn’t duels and challenges what drew you in in the first place? Mina, aren’t you always looking to prove how tough you are? Or will you turn tail and flee as cowards, leaving your dignity behind, or would you prefer playing strong and facing a joint fate in the basement?
Lena was insistent. "We walk."
Evelyn played her card at the perfect moment. "Did you know that Mina signed her own contract?"
Lena gasped. "You did what? Why didn’t you ask me?"
"Because I don’t have to ask you! I will not walk away from this! You are not my babysitter!" She paused, then silent as a whisper added, "Maybe I should dance against you."
"What?" Lena gasped, as her heart sank as the reality of their situation set in. "Don't do that. We won’t dance against each other."
Something in Mina snapped. She shouted, loud and uncontrolled this time. Raw in emotion. "You don’t get to decide for me!"
Mina would not back down and was willing to dance against her. Just to prove her point, to counter a decision she was excluded from making. There was no way out, no path that wouldn’t lead to pain. Lena clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms as she turned to face Evelyn.
"Then we’ll dance," she said, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside her.
The crowd erupted into thunderous applause, their cheers deafening as Evelyn’s smile grew sharp and triumphant. The game was set, the trap fully sprung. Lena and Mina had no choice but to play, and Evelyn, as always, held all the cards.
The crowd roared as the silent latex-clad attendants approached, slipping the Glass Agony Heels onto Lena and Mina’s feet. The transparent design made every needle underneath the insole and heel visible, their sharp points a constant reminder of the stakes.
The music started, a slow, haunting melody that gradually built in intensity. Lena and Mina faced each other, their movements cautious at first. Every misstep sent a jolt of pain through their feet, the needles pushed upwards, biting into both their unprotected soles.
The crowd watched in rapt silence, their eyes fixed on the visible torture. The transparent heels revealed everything - each flinch, each moment of hesitation, each needle pressing against the delicate underside of their feet.
As the tempo increased, so did the challenge. Mina moved with grace, her body flowing with the music, but Lena could see the strain in her eyes. She felt it too - the expected pain, the pressure to keep moving.
The music quickened, the beat becoming more erratic and unforgiving. Both women struggled to maintain their rhythm, their movements becoming more desperate. The needles responded to every misstep, sending sharp, searing pain through their feet. The music reached its peak, a relentless, pounding rhythm that demanded everything they had. Lena’s vision blurred with tears, her body screaming in protest. She could see Mina faltering, her steps becoming erratic, the needles punishing her with brutal precision.
Lena pushed through the pain, focusing on the beat, her movements precise and controlled. The crowd’s cheers and gasps blurred into a cacophony, her world reduced to the music and the agony of the heels.
Finally, Mina stumbled, a sharp cry escaping her lips as the needles sprang hard into her soles. She collapsed to her knees, taking her weight of her feet. The transparent shoes revealed the needles now fully extending into the soft skin of her soles, to punish this act of rebellion which brought another scream from her mouth. Gasping for breath, unable to continue, she lay on the stage, her fingers frantically trying to remove the locked devilish shoes. The music stopped, and Lena stood victorious, all needles retracted fully in both pairs, her legs trembling, her feet on fire.
The crowd erupted into applause, their cheers deafening. Evelyn approached, her smile one of cold satisfaction.
"Well done, Lena," she said, her voice dripping with mock admiration. "You’ve won again. But your friend… the needles in her heels are by far not the only ones she will feel tonight. Take her away."
Mina was lifted by the attendants, her body limp from exhaustion and pain. Evelyn turned to the crowd. "As promised, the loser will face the basement. Eight hours in the Needle Frame!"
Mina’s eyes met Lena’s, filled with fear and resignation. She didn’t speak, only looked for something to hold onto.
"Mina, I’m sorry," Lena whispered, her voice cracking with guilt.
Evelyn’s smile widened. "Don’t worry, Lena. You’ll have plenty of time to reflect. I’ll see you again… soon."
As Lena watched Mina being taken away, the weight of her victory crushed her. She had won, but at what cost? The mental image of Mina suspended in the Needle Frame, enduring eight hours of torture, haunted her.
Lena limped out of the club, the steel doors closing behind her. Their celebration had turned into a nightmare, and she knew Evelyn’s revenge was far from over. Abyss had claimed another victim, and the darkness within it continued to grow. She had won two dance duels in a row, the second one leaving a very bitter taste. Two women she had now sent into the needle frame, without knowing what that exactly entails. She dreaded to learn the details from her friend.
Lena vowed to return, not for the thrill, but to confront Evelyn once more. To challenge her to not lay her hands on Mina. The dance wasn’t over - it had only just begun.
Later that night, Evelyn sat in her private chambers. The seed of conflict and resolution had been planted. A new feud. Lena was drawn by the high stakes gambles, even if only as an observer, not a player. That changed, she would play, and Evelyn would escalate it. As she read Lena, Lena would come back to complain about Mina’s ordeal. She would move both women like pawns on her private chessboard, and when the time came, she’d drain them both. Languishing them, taking their sexual energy, giving her sustenance. Pain would be good, chastity and languishing in sexual denial would be better. To extinguish Lena’s orgasms and to put her desires under a lock and out of reach. Evelyn observed how often Lena had wandered by the plagues in the lounge, how she had stared at Alina’s counter ticking down. She was into denial. But was she ready to be denied herself? It didn’t matter if she was ready, as Evelyn was ready. She’d not resist if the stakes were raised again, she was too fascinated by what could happen in Abyss.
She embraced the idea, ready to ignite an inextinguishable flame between Lena’s legs, to take away her orgasms. And Mina’s would be a collateral. Played carefully, she’d have two kittens in unquenchable heat to drain.