Black. Detached from his body. Like dropping into an endless pit, heart racing, waiting in anticipation.
Then.
He opened his eyes, startled, confused.
The chirping birds, bright sun, and cold morning breeze grounded his thoughts.
"Ow. I'm still here," he thought.
His hawk-like vision scanned the room one more time. It was all a blur. What was he looking for? He couldn't recall.
It was not the first time he had a dream and forgotten. It happened so frequently that he began to doubt his sanity. With a sigh, he let the noxious thoughts wane.
"Mmhh."
A soft voice, followed by a satisfying shuffle of the light sheets, stopped his thread of thoughts.
Messy blonde hair. Curves of her body forming like artwork on the light sheets. Her flesh pressed against his. Then her sleepy eyes looked up at his.
"Master..." she said with a sleepy voice, "You are awake."
Always a light sleeper, his movements must have alerted her.
"Yes, Gebriel, seems I woke you too."
She looked mischievously at him. A soft smile danced on her lips. She rarely smiled or laughed, a habit that made her seem like a doll.
"Lord Cain, I can't sleep now that you are awake," she said, her face turning red.
A smile escaped him. He held her chin, his thumb dancing on her lips.
"Such defiance, I must be a bad master," he said.
She rose, the sheet fell off her naked body, and she sat on top of him. A lean, muscular build, perfectly defined. All he needed was the two weeks of training.
"Shouldn't you punish me then..." Now, closer to his ear, she whispered, "... master."
Just then.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
A knock on the door startled and irritated her at the same time. She fell back on the bed, her cheeks puffed.
"Enter," Cain said, sitting up, planting his feet on the ground.
The door was pushed slowly, and in walked Peter. He bowed.
"Lord Cain, Lady Gabriel," he said, "I do hope you had a pleasant night."
His eyes scanned Cain, his face inscrutable as always, then Gebriel. She shot an annoyed glare, which prompted a sadistic smile from him.
"Jealous prick," said Gabriel.
"Witch," Peter shot back.
"Die, die, die..." Gebriel retorted, throwing a pillow across the room.
"Enough, both of you," Cain said. "Peter, did you find what I asked you to look for?"
His slow voice always had a commanding tone. His nonchalant attitude, inscrutable face, and sharp gaze changed the atmosphere instantly.
"Yes, my lord. I have located Lord Simeon Jaxon, the Second Son."
"And him? HAVE YOU FOUND JERICHO LEVI?" he asked, a deep malice in his voice.
At the mention of the name, something inside him escaped. Something wild, unrefined, something that made the walls cold and the birds fly away.
"I have not. I apologise," said Peter "My lord, if I may?"
"Interesting, speak."
"What do you intend to do with Sir Jerico?"
"Fate will tell."
A memory flashed in his mind. Dead bodies, blood and Jericho.
"That means going against the Sons..."
"You doubt my strength?" asked Cain curtly
"Quite the contrary, but also I would not underestimate Sir Jericho."
"I agree," Gebriel spoke. "The more civil you are, the more efficient this will be."
"Civil?" asked Cain, slowly turning to Gebriel.
She recoiled, clutching the sheets.
"I meant no disrespect," she quickly added.
"We both know that this world is a meritocracy." Cain spoke, "Those animals worship Jericho like dogs. There cannot be civility if one person holds all the cards."
"As you wish," said Peter. "We are here to serve."
"Good."
* * *
4.45 PM.
Kitsune leaned on her right hand, facing the window. Her left intertwined with Akira's, and her leg moved up and down continuously.
The palpable silence prompted a fidget in Akira. Opposite Adam sat, an amiable smile spread across his lips. She turned to Kitsune and noted her perturbed expression, her restless movements and sweaty palms.
"Kitsune," Adam called.
It startled her. However, she didn't turn to him. Her eyes remained glued to the window, and she watched the buildings and trees race past them.
"Do you still insist on making matters difficult?" asked Adam.
A brief silence ensued. Akira watched her, puzzled and curious.
"Difficult?" asked Akira. "What's he talking about, Tsune?"
Kitsune, resigning, sat straight and faced Akira. The eyes of her friend carried such innocent curiosity. Looking into them further only made her curse her fate.
"Why?" she wondered.
She then turned to Adam. A flicker of determination in her eyes. He hadn't harmed them yet; reason was still on the table.
"Aki has nothing to do with this. Please let her go," she said
Akira looked at the duo. Questions forming in her mind, no particular order to raise them. Instinctively, she held Kitsune's hand tighter, an uneasy feeling welling in her.
"His name, say it," said Adam.
"What name?" asked Akira, finally unable to contain the curiosity. "What are you guys even talking about?"
Turning to Akira.
"It's complicated Ok," she said. "I can't explain it right now."
These words shook Akira. Was it a prank? The look on Kitsune's face said it all, a look she had seen countless times.
"I take no pleasure in this," Adam spoke, voice cold and mechanical. "Give me his name. I won't ask again."
"I don't know," said Kitsune, her eyes momentarily looking to the side.
"Liar," said Adam, with a darkened expression.
He then leaned forward, looking at her earnestly.
"You see, over time, humans have grown fragile. I think because of ignorance, bad mental health in the pretence of self improvement, and... oh! a poor diet."
He shifted his attention to Akira. He raised his right hand, suddenly clenching hard a ball of fist. In that moment, Akira felt a sensation on her neck. It was like cold hard steel had been clamped on her throat.
She tried taking in gulps of air but could not, only choking sounds. The veins on her neck and head felt like they would burst at any second. Desperately, she shook her body and hit her head against the chair, then the window...
Bam! Crack!
"What's happening? I can't breathe." Akira's mind raced
Her fingers, on her neck, dug the skin as she frantically scratched it. The scene perpetuated fear in Kitsune, who, quick as a flash, held her down, now wrestling with her seemingly inhuman strength.
"Stop it, you are hurting her!" she shouted.
Red capillaries on Akira's eyes, and with each passing second, her eyes seemed to be shutting.
"I'm not screwing around," said Adam. "I can snap her neck whenever I please..."
"Cain!" Kitsune shouted, "His name is Cain Philip Joseph! Let her go, please!"
Adam put down his fist, sat back and looked around for a moment.
"Bastard," Kitsune hissed.
Akira took in a gulp of air. So refreshing, it felt like her first breath. She coughed, the choking feeling still fresh on her mind. Tears dangled in her eyes as she looked at the floor, blurry and unclear, and her hands shook.
Kitsune stroked her back, her eyes noting the scratch marks like she was trying to tear her neck apart. A sigh of relief escaped her before she guardedly looked at Adam again.
"You must not value your friend's life. You lied again."
"I didn't, I swear... His name is Cain Philip Joseph... It's... It's what he told me."
"Then where— is—he?" Adam asked, not a tinge of mercy in his voice, "You evoked his name, he should appear."
"That's the name he gave me. I am not lying," said Kitsune.
Adam sat back, his brows furrowed. Tsk... he bit his thumbnail as his gaze distant and thoughtful.
"That's not his full name," he muttered.
Then he turned to the partition between him and the driver. Tap! Tap! Tap!... The glass partition opened, and an old man in a black suit and white gloves was revealed.
"Wataru, change of plans, take us to the church," Adam ordered.
The old man nodded, and the partition closed again. Adam turned to the girls, now settled. Akira had a frightened look as she held Kitsune. Her face recoiled, avoiding his gaze completely.
Kitsune was different. Her eyes met his, a look of anger and contempt. He could only imagine her thoughts. Maybe she cursed him, or maybe she imagined tearing him. It didn't matter to him.
"What's that look for?" he asked, "Like you staring daggers at me. Believe it or not, I am not an enemy."
"If you are not our enemy, let us go," Kitsune said.
"I said 'an enemy', not 'your' enemy. I don't want to hurt you. I really don't, but I've been backed to a corner."
"You're all the same," Kitsune murmured.
"And what do you mean by that?"
Adam leaned forward, hands intertwined under his chin. Kitsune found herself clutching a fist, teeth gritted. She didn't understand why, but she wanted to shout at him, call him names, curse him out loud.
"You said they smile and trick us. That you have to exterminate them," she started.
Then exploded. " You use words like 'I don't want to hurt you'_ 'I'm not an enemy', which pisses me off. Maybe demons are evil, maybe he tricked me, but at least he didn't try to kill me."
Now softer. "He didn't drag me into a freaking war. You are a hypocrite. Honestly, I pity you."
For a moment, she noted the flicker of anger in his eyes. Expression changed, no longer the amiable smile. He, however, recovered instantly.
"You naive little girl," he said, regaining his sinister voice.
Akira buried her head behind Kitsune, who looked away instantly. Her confidence waned, replaced by a rising trepidation. Noting the shaking hands, she clutched the edge of her skirt tightly. To protect Akira, she had to compose herself.
"You and I live in two different worlds," Adam said.
His words were slow and meticulous, like a storyteller about to deliver a climactic plot twist. No room for misinterpretation. A verdict.
"I've been lenient because I don't want you to die. So trust me..."
Suddenly, he grabbed her by the jaw, an act that shook Kitsune. His grip had a certain menacing firmness, almost like tearing her mouth would be easy, like squashing a bug. He forced her to look at him.
"... You are lucky it's me."