No POV:
Hades stared at the ceiling above her before sitting upright on the bed.
She rubbed her eyes...
She had fallen asleep...
"Hmmm it does feel nice..." She muttered.
Just then, the bathroom door opened and Drex walked out.
He went to his closet and picked up a fresh pair of clothes— a pair of jeans and a hoodie.
"There you are. I didn't think you'd wake up this early"
"And I didn't think you'd actually fall asleep." Putting on his hoodie, he replied.
"What? You didn't think I'd like a good nap every now and then? We devils can stay without sleep or food but that doesn't mean we don't like them..."
She paused and spoke again..."It actually feels nice."
Then she looked at him with a soft expression.
"Feeling better?"
Drex pressed his lips together, staying silent. He didn't know what to say or if he what he wanted to say would be what she wanted to hear...
**KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK**
The soft knock on the door came moments later, Drex was still standing , pondering on what to say when the sound pulled him back. Hades slowly stood from the bed, gently walking over to him before she faded from sight, leaving only the faint trace of black mist behind.
He sat on his bed and faced the door, exhaled and said: "Come in."
The door slid open with a quiet hiss.
Milley stood there in an oversized academy jacket that swallowed her small frame, the sleeves falling over her palms, almost swallowing her fingers. Her brown hair was messy, and she clutched a crumpled piece of paper in both hands like it was a lifeline. Bare feet peeked out from under the hem. She looked tiny against the doorway, but her eyes were fixed on him.
Drex blinked, surprised. "Milley. Right? It's a bit early kid. You should still be in the dorms."
She didn't move at first. Then she took one hesitant step inside, the door closing behind her with a soft click.
"They told me you got hurt real bad again." She said ignoring his words. "Because of the monster who tried to take me."
Drex rubbed the back of his neck, unsure how much a child her age had been told. "Yeah… something like that. But I'm okay now. See?" He gestured vaguely at himself, trying to look less broken than he felt.
Milley walked closer until she was standing right in front of the bed. She stared at the bandages peeking from under his hoodie, then up at his face. Her lower lip trembled for just a second before she pushed it down.
"You looked really scary when you were fighting," she whispered. "Your eyes turned all black… and you were making loud monster noises. But you still saved me and the lady. You stopped him from taking me away."
Lady...? She must've meant Hayley...
Drex's throat tightened. He remembered fragments—her small body curled in Hayley's arms, Yuri's twisted grin, the moment the darkness had surged forward and swallowed everything. Swallowed him. He hadn't realized she'd seen that much.
"I didn't want you to see that," he said quietly. "You shouldn't have to see stuff like that."
Milley climbed onto the edge of the bed without asking, sitting down and facing him. She smoothed out the crumpled paper on her lap. It was a child's drawing in stick figures, one tall and dark with cyan eyes, another one wearing a helmet and a small one with brown hair holding the tall one's hand. There were crude flames and what might have been the orphanage in the background.
"I made this for you," she said, holding it up with both hands. "This is you. This is Lady. And this is me. You were fighting because Lady was holding me so she couldn't do anything."
Drex stared at the drawing. At the "monster" version of him and marvelled...
"You made me look… not so bad," he muttered.
Milley tilted her head, her small brow furrowing. "You're not a bad monster. Bad monsters don't save little kids."
Drex froze.
She continued softly. "I heard you and the angry lady yelling in the infirmary. She said the darkness might make you a monster forever. But I don't think that's going to happen. Or at least... I hope it never does..."
Her voice dropped even quieter, almost a whisper. "I don't have a mommy or daddy anymore. The monsters took them. Just like he tried to take me. The grown-ups here say I'm safe now, but I still get really scared when I'm alone. But when I remember you… I don't seem so scared anymore."
Drex felt something crack inside his chest. He looked away. "Kid… I'm not someone you should look up to. There's nothing good about me. The only thing I have is the darkness inside of me. Something wrong with me. Something dark. It might hurt people one day. It might hurt you."
Milley shook her head fiercely, scooting closer hesitant at first, then finally moving until her small knees bumped his leg. "Then Milley will stay with you and help you fight the dark. Milley is small, but I'm not scared of shadows anymore. Not if you're there too."
She reached out and placed her tiny hand over one of his much larger ones. Her fingers barely wrapped around two of his.
"You said you lost everything two times. That's what you told the lady. Milley only lost everything one time… and it hurts so much. So Milley can't imagine how you must have felt. But maybe if we stay together, we won't lose the new people we find."
Drex stared down at her hand on his. The way she spoke...
Was she really a six year old?
He let out a shaky breath and carefully turned his hand palm-up, letting her small fingers rest fully in his calloused palm.
"Yeah…" he said flatly. "Maybe."
Milley smiled and leaned her head against his arm.
"Can I stay here just a little bit?"
Drex swallowed hard. He suspected this must have taken a lot of courage for her to say. Considering she was scared of him not long ago. "Yeah, You can stay."
He shifted carefully so she could lean against his side without pressing on his injuries. Milley curled up against him like a small animal seeking warmth, this time, clutching his hoodie.
For the first time in what felt like forever, he found something that could possibly help keep him sane in this accursed life of his.
He found calmness.
He found closure...
~~~~~
A few hours later, Drex was sitting untop his window—resting on the window frames as he drank a can of cola.
He stared at the academy below, bathed in fresh morning light.
Then, he turned to his bed...
Milley laid there. Still asleep.
He had covered her with his blanket and tucked her in properly.
She looked rather peaceful when she slept.
[Aren't you going to get something to eat? Your teamates are probably having breakfast by now.]
He pulled out his phone. It was 9 am.
Putting it back in his pocket, he replied...
"Nahh I'm good. Don't really feel hungry anyway.... This cola is like a complete breakfast for me."
Swallowing the last drop, he spoke again.
"Guess I'll go grab another one..."
Stepping down from the window, he walked towards the door and out of the room...
.
.
.
In the kitchen, his teammates were already seated at the table having breakfast. The assortment of foods laid in front of him was indeed appetizing...
But the image of his guts spilling out like spaghetti had made him loose his appetite.
"Ah... I see you're doing fine. How are your injuries?" Vaden was the first to speak.
"I'm fine I guess... It's taking longer to heal but hey... i'm not dead yet... That's a plus..."
He said, walking towards the fridge and pulling out a new can of cola.
"That's good. Aren't you going to join us for breakfast?"
Drex opened his drink. A faint hiss coming from the can..
"Nahh I think I'll pa—"
'No... Wait...' Drex couldn't shake the feeling that he was forgetting something. He tried to remember —tapping his finger on the can...
Then, it hit him..
Of course!
"Actually... I'd like some too."
He went over to the table, picked up a plate and put some food in it.
Then, he stood up and walked towards the doorway.
"Drex..."
Before he left, he heard his name.
Turning to meet the one that called him.
It was Jax.
"Glad you're safe." He smiled.
Drex looked at him for a few moments, turned towards the door again and replied...
"Doesn't sound so nice coming from the guy who fucked me up with a rifle..."
With that, without turning back to the group, he waved and left...
.
.
.
.
.
Back at his room, Milley had already woken up—gently rubbing her eyes...
"Perfect timing... You're awake. Here..."
Drex set the dish on the floor in front of him.
Milley hesitated for a moment before climbing down from the bed and moving towards the plate.
"You must be hungry.... Eat up."
She quietly sat on the floor and slowly started to eat. Drex sat opposite of her and continued drinking his soda...
[Awww she's giving little sister vibes... Cute] Hades cooed...
"Little sister, huh..." Drex muttered.
"Little... Sister..."
"Hmm?"
Drex looked at her. He didn't know she had overheard him...
"Yes... Milley is your little sister. So it means you're my big brother..." She smiled innocently.
Drex stared at her for a moment. Then smiled...
"Yeah... I'm your big brother..."
She smiled again.
A very sweet smile... One showing how much of a weight she carried despite her age...Drex marveled at how a child can be this cute even after going through all that.
It was... Refreshing...
Then Milley's voice broke the silence...
"Big brother... Why is she following you?"
"Hmmm?"
Then, slowly, she pointed at him...
No... she seemed to be pointing past him, staring blankly at whatever was behind him
"The Shadow Lady..." she said, "She's behind you..."
Confusion and fear set in...
'Shadow.... Lady?'
His instincts were screaming at him as he slowly turned around, fear slowly settling in his heart.
What did she mean?
What was he going to see?
He wasn't sure.
But he knew that whatever was going to happen, he had to protect her...
"Oh dear... Seems I've been caught..."
"Huh?"
Slowly manifesting, she walked over to the bed....
"Hades?"
Drex was dumbfounded... He was sure she was out of sight.
How did Milley know...?
How did she even see her in the first place?
"Big brother, who is that?" She asked in an innocent tone.
"Uhhh..." Drex didn't know what to tell her.
He considered coming clean but he wasn't sure of the state of her mental health.
Saying that the woman sitting on his bed was a devil would probably make things worse...
"Uhmmm...." He still wasn't able to form the right words.
"Shadow Lady... Is pretty..."
"Ehh?" And so, his train of thought was derailed...
Did he hear that right..?
He stared at Hades... Her eyes seemed to sparkle... Then she launched herself from the bed, wrapped her arms around a giggling Milley and brought her into a tight hug...
"Awww!!! You cutie!!!"
'I'm so lost right now'
"Drex. We get to keep her right? Right??"
"Why are you acting like that all of a sudden.? If she wants to stay, she can stay."
Milley nodded enthusiastically. "Mhm. Mhm.. Milley wants to stay with Shadow Lady and big brother..."
"Ohhh my babyyyy!" Hades lifted the child in her arms and into the air...
'Oii....how come my name doesn't get capitalized...'
"Shadow Lady... Are you big brother's sister?"
"No no... I'm helping your big brother fight the monsters. Your big brother would be dead hundred times over if it weren't for me." She looked at Drex teasingly which caused him to roll his eyes...
"Oh.... Then, please take care of big brother..." She beamed.
"Oh you know I will..."
"Alright... You've had your fun... I've got class now let's go...
Try not to cause a commotion." Drex finally spoke.
"Awww you won't let me have my fun" Hades pouted. Then she turned back to Milley whom was already back on her feet... "See you later okay? I'll come back to play with you.."
"Okay. Bye bye!"
With that, she disappeared into the same black mist and merged with Drex. Milley also ran towards him and took his hand.
Drex froze...
"Big brother... Let's go."
With a sigh, he left... This was seriously going to need some getting used to.
~~~~~
"AWWWWW!!!"
The whole class erupted at the sight of the littke girl holding Drex's hand.
"She's so cute!"
"Never knew she's been here.."
"Is she your sister?"
Drex was met with a barraged of questions. The realization that he had henceforth lost his peace was making him dizzy...
After finally dodging the crowd, he finally went to sit.
Milley came over and made herself comfortable on his lap.
'A bold step for someone who's been scared of me...' He thought.
Unfortunately, the attention he was getting didn't seem to stop. Instead, his classmates flocked his seat adoring the little angel on his lap.
Then, the door opened.
Everyone's head turned to the source of the noise...
It was Mai.
Ignoring the crowd, she sauntered all the way to Drex's seat and stood right in front of him.
"What a cute little angel you have there... Is she your sister?"
Looking up, Drex scowled.
"Uhh... Yeah...Can I help you?"
Leaning forward, she answered... "I heard you were attacked by my commander, so I came over to check... Are you alright?"
"Oh that? I'm fine really... Just a few scratches..."
Focusing her eyes on the bandage peeking out from his hoodie, she spoke. "Well that doesn't look like a scratch to me..."
Drex blinked..." Oh, this? I got these from a fight with a devil not long after"
"I see... Well do you know why I'm here?"
"To check on me? I mean... It's pretty obvious..."
She nodded. "Yes. My commander inflicted damage on you so as the captain, I have come to take responsibility..."
Drex sighed..."Like I said, I'm fine... No need for—"
However, before he could finish, Mai completely cut him off...
"Go out with me!"