Is my first chapter just too much of an information dump? (BL smut)

I stare at the portal leading to the Underground, still trying desperately to think of any other way to do this. But I can't find one.

The Underground is probably just as ominous as it sounds. A place literally located beneath the ground. A shady city where the law doesn't apply. People usually go there to have fun. To be whoever they want to be. To be free from the shackles of status or identity. No one judges what you do down there, and no one cares.

A place like that naturally attracts many criminals. Criminals I loathe.

I'm the third son of Viscount and Viscountess Envoras. Except I'm not. Not biologically, at least. I do consider them as my parents. They have raised me since I was a baby.

My own parents were brutally murdered. And all the other relatives I had suffered the same fate. My current parents succeeded in saving me. The Viscountess was pregnant at the same time as my biological mother, but her son was stillborn. So they took me in, pretending I was their baby.

When I grew old enough, they told me the truth. And I'm grateful for their honesty. But ever since, I've had only one thought in my mind.

Revenge.

I take the mask from my pocket. Everyone hides their true identity while visiting the Underground. Usually, everyone's mask contains illusion magic that also alters their appearance. Mine is just a regular one. So I pull my hood up for some extra cover and enter.

When I emerge on the other side, the whole place reeks of something foul. The lighting is dim, the air thick and heavy. I've never been here before. I hate being here now. But I have no other choice.

I take the map and start heading toward my destination.

I've tried my best to find out any information about my biological parents' deaths. But there really isn't any. No leads to anyone who might have held a grudge against them. No suspects at all. The Royal guards just sealed the case as unsolved.

But I'm determined to find the truth.

I've already looked into every single person who was part of my real parents' lives, digging into even the most innocent ones to make sure I wouldn't miss the potential murderer. But I found nothing.

I stumbled upon one specific information guild located in the Underground many times during my own research. One that is apparently the best. So if anyone would know anything about their deaths, it would be that guild.

There was the option of going there and paying them for what they know. But I can't let anyone find out that there is still someone left in my family line. If I go asking around about them, it might raise unwanted suspicion. The murder seemed to be pretty personal, and whoever did it made sure to wipe out the entire family. So if anyone realizes I'm still alive, there's a risk they will hunt me down.

So what am I going to do?

I'm going to sneak in and dig out what they know.

I hate that I have to lower myself to do something I loathe others for doing. That I need to steal. But at this point, I'm willing to do anything to uncover the truth.

I lift my gaze as I find myself facing the information guild I'm looking for. It's so late that the whole Underground has grown pretty quiet. The building seems rather basic, just a normal wooden house, nothing more. Is this really the place? It looks so… humble.

Over the door, there's a sign.

The Falling Feathers

The name matches. So I guess I'm in the right place. All the windows are dark with no signs that anyone is inside. I circle to the back just to find the best spot to break in. There's a back door that seems rather perfect.

When I close in, I notice a magical barrier surrounding the yard around the house. That's expected. The barrier seems pretty strong, but I don't care about that. One big mistake that people make when creating barriers is stopping when they hit the ground.

I'm an earth mage, so molding the ground enough to slip beneath the barrier is child's play.

I cast a silencing spell around me, wanting to make sure no one hears me as I slide under the barrier and approach the back door. I crouch down before the door and take a twig from my pocket, sticking it inside the door lock. I focus my magic on the wooden stick and make it bend and mold into the right shape to fit the lock perfectly. And soon I hear the door click open.

I take a deep breath and slowly open the door to slip inside. No lights anywhere. Good. I'm sure whoever works here has already gone home. I peek inside a few rooms before I find the one I'm looking for. It's a ridiculously large storage room. Or more like a library. All the shelves are filled with different files and documents. There's a large desk at the far end of the room.

How will I ever find anything in here? It's so massive.

Then I spot larger headings at the top of some shelves. One says 'Nobles'. I head there and find all the documents in alphabetical order. Well, that certainly makes things easier. My biological parents are Marquess and Marchioness Dhukalis. So I start rummaging through the section under the letter D.

My heart stops when I hear a clear footstep outside.

Shit.

I immediately stop and go to hide behind the desk. Whoever it is can't possibly know I'm here. I didn't touch the barrier, and the silencing spell would have masked any sound I made. So it's probably just bad luck. I just need to wait until he leaves. No reason to panic.

But the panic hits hard as I hear the door opening.

Please, don't notice me. Please, please, please. I can't get caught. I'm already disappointment enough, even without getting caught stealing.

''Hmm…''

I hear a voice behind me.

''I could have sworn someone was moving around in here.''

His heavy steps echo around the room. I just stay completely still, hoping and praying he doesn't notice me.

''But… I guess it was just a dream. What a shame.''

His steps slowly move further away, and the door closes. I let out a heavy exhale. That was too close. I'm really not cut out for things like this.

''So… Why are we hiding?''

Panic consumes me as I bolt upright. A foreign man is suddenly crouching right next to me. I scramble backward, trying to get away from him, but stumble on my own feet and fall onto my ass, my back hitting the shelf, sending some files tumbling onto my lap. I hate how clumsy I am, especially in situations like this.

The man is still just crouching behind the desk, smiling.

I didn't hear him move at all. I have no idea when he appeared next to me. I thought he had left.

When I look at him, my heart races in a way it has never raced before.

This was a mistake. I shouldn't have come here. I just stare in utter shock, completely frozen as he slowly stands up and starts walking toward me, each step precise and deliberate.

''I always love a little company. But people usually use the front door, not the back. Though I'm actually a back door man myself, if you know what I mean.'' He smirks.

What? No, I have no idea what he means.

''I kind of expected someone to attack me when I entered the room, not hide from me. Rather unusual, intriguing, even. It's been so many years since the last time someone dared to try to break in here.''

His tone is so unbothered. I don't understand him. The room is still pretty dark, so I can't see him well. But when he closes in, I see his eyes.

Purple eyes. He's an illusion mage. Shit. I thought all illusion mages worked in the Mage Tower, where I also work. They are able to sense nearby minds, and that explains how he knew I was here.

And I hate illusion mages. They are able to play tricks with your mind. Feed you false scenarios. So fighting against them is nearly impossible. You can never know if what you see is real or not. I don't even know if any of this is real. I might already be locked and shackled somewhere else in reality.

''You don't talk much, do you?'' He asks. ''What a shame. People are so serious nowadays. It's so boring. So please, entertain me. What made you break into my humble home?''

Home? Does he live here?

When he's standing right in front of me, I finally see all of him. Pitch-black hair tied into a bun. I thought all criminals looked rather rough and ragged. But his facial features are striking. A strong jawline and high cheekbones give his face a naturally sculpted appearance, softened only slightly by the lazy curve of his lips. Black tattoos curl along the left side of his neck like living ink, disappearing beneath the collar of his shirt.

Part of his black hair fell loosely around his face, slightly messy in a way that looks deliberate rather than careless. A few strands shadows sharp purple eyes that carry an unsettling mix of amusement and calculation, as if he already knows more than he should.

His expression seems amused, his whole posture rather lazy. Even at rest, he carries a quiet confidence and the feeling that he is always one step ahead of everyone around him.

Illusion mages usually are.

My heart thumps far too loudly. It's almost deafening. Probably because I know I'm in serious trouble. I might be a decent fighter. But as I said, fighting against an illusion mage is simply impossible. It would only make me look even more foolish than I already do now.

''Love the silent treatment, by the way. But if you do wish to leave this place alive, I suggest you open that mute mouth of yours.''

''I…''

I can't force any words out. I don't know what to say. I'm not stupid enough to tell him why I'm here.

He crouches down, snapping my jaw in his hand. It makes my insides burn.

''Now that I look at you, you're not from down here, are you? Your clothes are far too tidy and neat. Even with your mask on, your eyes are rather…'' His eyes narrow on mine, my heart racing even louder.

Why is he staring at me like that? It unsettles me.

''...striking. And your lips look so sweet and pure, it makes me want to bite them.''

I slap his hand away from me.

''Stop touching me, you freak!''

He just smirks, clearly even more amused.

''So the posh boy speaks after all. Lovely. So tell me, what gave you the idea to sneak in?''

''I'm not telling you that! It's none of your business, you filthy guild rat.''

''Guild rat? I'm a huge fan of nicknames, but guild rat? Surely you can come up with something more creative than that. Something more sweet or romantic perhaps.''

''What?''

I don't understand this man at all. Why is he talking to me like this? Shouldn't he just try to kill or punish me or something?

''Judging from your clothes, you are clearly a noble. And the way you act tells me you have never done anything like this before. You are a rookie, so to speak. If you weren't, you would have tried to fight me the moment you saw me or made a run for it. But you froze. Clearly panicked and shocked.'' He tilts his head, grinning. ''Or was I just so handsome that I swept you off your feet? You did fall, after all.''

''What? No! I just know better than to fight an illusion mage.''

''Clever boy.''

''I'm not a boy!''

''Did I hit a sensitive spot? My apologies. So if a decent guy like you came all the way here, you clearly need some information, right?''

He waits a moment for me to answer, but I don't.

''The easier way to get that would have been to simply come and pay for it, but you didn't. There could be two reasons for that on top of my head. Either you hate criminals so much that you would never use their services, or you can't risk anyone finding out what you want to know. So instead, you wanted to steal it. You do realize that stealing makes you a criminal too?''

''It's not stealing if you steal from a criminal like you.''

''Oh, really?'' He says, clearly excited. ''Intriguing. If that’s the case, it would lessen my burden of sins quite considerably. Handy, indeed. So, since you are clearly a little saint, how did you plan to wriggle yourself free after getting caught? Do you think asking nicely would work down here? Or do you think your rich parents will come to rescue you? Children of wealthy or high-status families are statistically more likely to receive lighter punishments for bad behavior. Turns out consequences become negotiable when your parents own half the city.'' He tilts his head, smirking. ''Too bad no one owns the Underground.''

I turn my head away. I have no idea. I never thought I would get caught.

He grabs the collar of my shirt, pulling me closer. His face is too close, way too close. I instinctively grab his hand, trying to push it away. But I can't. He’s too strong.

''Do you happen to know who owns this guild?'' He asks, his eyes locked into mine.

I swallow. I do. I dug up everything I could find about this place. I know that the most notorious criminal organization, the Ravens, owns this guild. They are ruthless, and I know they would probably kill me without a second thought.

Seriously. Why did I think I could come here and pull this off?

''Yes.''

He smiles, pleased.

''Really? So you probably know what happens to you if I tell them about your little visit.''

I don't answer.

''But you are lucky! I'm an extremely nice person, you know. I’m not one of those uncivilized ruffians. I’m a decent guy, or decentish. And there's something about you that intrigues me. So I'm going to give you two options. One being, obviously, the scenario where I tell my bosses about your little break-in.''

''And the other one?''

His free hand brushes over my lower lip. It makes my whole body shiver in a very strange way.

''It's been quite a long time since I last felt a man's lips around my cock. And yours look so tempting.''

My eyes widen in disbelief as his words slowly sink in.

I kick him in the chest, shoving him back.

''You freak! Get away from me!''

He just chuckles, and I start desperately pushing him further away.

Eventually, he forces himself onto my lap, straddling me. He's bigger than me, and I can't escape him. My mind and body are screaming to get away from him. But I can’t. I’m nothing. Too weak. Just a huge disappointment once again.

Coming here really is the biggest mistake of my life.