《Providence》 Character Index (With Portraits)--Volume 1
1. Saving Grace: The Great Seals have been broken, allowing otherworldly entities to roam the Mortal Realm once again, bringing along their supernatural ailments to inflict on humanity. The only ones equipped to cure these paranormal diseases are the feared and detested Healers of the Tainted Generation. Aspiring doctor Ezequias "Zeke" Rosario, coming from a family of criminals, discovers he is part of the Fourteenth iteration of this nefarious group and resolves to help fight against these ailments, even if it means stepping into a conflict between Healers and angels that has lasted for over a thousand years!
The Main Trio: Ezequias "Zeke" Rosario "I¡¯m content¡ªno, I have conformed to the fact that things are just randomized, that the universe doesn¡¯t have a grand scheme for anything. It doesn¡¯t care about anything. Bad things, good things, fortune, and misfortune are all just based on¡­ absurdity. Learning that there is a cosmic reason for all of this crap would suck." Summary: A gifted teen who wants to be a world-renowned doctor. What keeps him from achieving his full potential is coming from an unlawful family, low self-esteem, and excessive anxiety, having him overthink and worry about everything from the fate of the world to innocuous things like if that gum he swallowed a few years ago is going to come back to haunt him. First Appearance: Volume 1: Saving Grace, Chapter 1 - Ailment Race: Human (Columbian) Age: 17 Skills: Abilities: Connections: Ugo Morata (Step-brother), Viola Balles (It¡¯s Complicated) Status: Alive Ugo Morata ¡°Yes, now, I see! If we save this angel¡¯s life, then we all get a guaranteed ticket to Heaven, right? Or, like, a ¡®get out of Hell for free card.¡¯ I lowkey still want to see some demon babes.¡± Summary: Lazy and unapologetic about his lecherous behavior. Ugo possesses incredible memory-related abilities, such as photographic recall, but all that is cemented in his mind is how he will attain his first girlfriend. First Appearance: Volume 1: Saving Grace, Chapter 3 - Complications Race: Human (Spaniard) Age: 17 Skills: Abilities: Connections: Ezequias Rosario (Step-brother) Status: Alive Avery ¡°AJ¡± Dotson ¡°He just lets people be born ugly and others beautiful? He allows some people to grow into freaks? Why, just for the fun of it?¡± Summary: Self-conscious about her height and lack of ¡°feminity.¡± She enjoys exercise, eating right (even dedicating herself to learning various complex healthy dishes), and following sports but never applies herself to any of the school¡¯s teams due to her shyness. She is overall a sweet person but gets antagonistic whenever the topic of religion is brought up. After facing ¡°unfair¡± outcomes when it came to her body and observing the other graver injustices of the world, she came to despise the idea of God, hoping deep down that everything about Heaven is a lie, and then one day, an angel falls out of the sky. First Appearance: Volume 1: Saving Grace, Chapter 1 - Ailment Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Race: Human (American) Age: 17 Skills: Abilities: Status: Alive Angels: Nananiel ¡°Whichever miscreant of the Fourteenth Tainted Generation chooses to oppose us, the Dominions, the protectors of this Realm ¡ª the inheritance Father left us, shall be executed on sight and shown no mercy. Destruction of their mortal shells and the containment of their souls are the only acceptable outcomes of this operation. That¡¯s all.¡± Summary: All Nananiel wants to do is help out humans and maybe try out some of the things they have the privilege of experiencing. That¡¯s why he was happy when he was suddenly promoted to the rank of ¡°Dominion Chief,¡± putting him in charge of management of the Human Realm. It turns out misfortune seems to love Nananiel as a universal threat arises just as he is getting used to his new job. First Appearance: Volume 1: Saving Grace, Chapter 1 - Ailment Race: Angel (Dominion) Age: Approximately 550-years-old Skills: Abilities: Magic: Equipment: Affiliations: Second Sphere of the Order of Angels Status: Alive Virgil ¡°Never. I like my position now. All the credentials and authority without having to worry about responsibility, consequences, and liabilities.¡± Summary: Nananiel¡¯s predecessor, a former Dominion Chief of legendary status, and has trained a countless number of angels of all kinds. There is simply not an iota of a possibility that any angel doesn¡¯t feel some strong emotion upon hearing just his name. After stepping down from his position, he took on more of a counselor role to support Nananiel. First Appearance: Volume 1: Saving Grace, Chapter 2 - Sacrilegious Race: Angel (Dominion) Age: Approximately 2000-years-old Skills: Abilities: Magic: Equipment: Affiliations: Second Sphere of the Order of Angels Status: Alive Irin ¡°Listen, humans, stop trying to fight for things you don¡¯t understand. It¡¯s always the same with you lot. You fight amongst yourselves for frivolous reasons, and single instances can incite prolonged wars. You destroy the beautiful environment surrounding you and greedily bleed the planet dry of precious resources, and not even that is enough to unite you.¡± Summary: A well-respected legend in the angelic community known for her brutal but effective methods that usually end with blood and ashes. What she likes and hates is simple. Irin likes doing her job and likes doing it right. She hates it when people don¡¯t do their jobs and hates it even more when they don¡¯t do it well. She is constantly switching Containers due to having trouble finding one to contain her explosive angelic soul. She holds great disdain toward Nananiel due to the belief he is hopelessly incompetent and in no way fit to be Dominion Chief. First Appearance: Volume 1: Saving Grace, Chapter 4 - Tainted Race: Angel (Power) Age: Approximately 900-years-old Skills: Abilities: Magic: Affiliations: Second Sphere of the Order of Angels Status: Alive Naomi ¡°I have to go back, though, but if I do¡­ I¡¯ll be punished for sure¡­ they¡¯ll put me back in the cage.¡± Summary: Imprisoned in a cage in a Heavenly Realm and let out by Dominion Chief Nananiel to aid with an upcoming attack on the Winterberry Adytum. First Appearance: Volume 1: Saving Grace, Chapter 4 - Tainted Race: Angel Age: ??? Skills: ??? Affiliations: Second Sphere of the Order of Angels Status: Alive Other: Viola ¡°Violet¡± Balles ¡°It¡¯s nice to see that some things stay just as wonderful as you left them. That makes me glad.¡± Summary: A childhood friend of the trio who served as their "protector" standing up to bullies for them. Unfortunately, she fell out of touch when sent to an Argentinian all-girls Catholic boarding school. The first thing people notice when seeing her for the first time is her petrifying dark cobalt blue eyes--at times, they seem violet, hence why she was given the nickname. There is also an unmistakable hostile animus around Violet that people pick up on quickly when near her, except for Zeke, who is hopelessly infatuated with her. First Appearance: Volume 1: Saving Grace, Chapter 12 - Conception Race: Human (Argentinian) Age: 17 Skills: Abilities: Connections: Ezequias Rosario (It''s Complicated) Status: Alive Chapter 1 - Ailment Red and blue filled Zeke¡¯s vision. He sat on the curb, clenching a crusty, tattered book to his chest with a stuffed doctor¡¯s bag by his side, keeping him company as a cacophony of sirens and angry chatter forced him to stay in the present moment¡ªno escape from the nightmare he created for himself. Zeke turned his head over to Heath¡¯s Sports Bar, where a rabble of fumed zombies, vampires, witches, and dead pop stars talked to a pair of men in uniform. A tipsy witch¡ªwhose costume was one sway away from an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction¡ªshot a glare back at him. He looked away quickly, averting his gaze towards something even more unpleasant. The flinty, middle-aged detective standing before him. ¡°They¡¯re saying you tried to kill him,¡± the female investigator said. ¡°Really?¡± Zeke replied. ¡°Oh, come on, do I look like someone capable of murder?¡± The taut-faced detective dug her hands into her camel coat pockets, staring without responding. Zeke¡¯s face fell, remembering who he looked like. Sure, he kept his dark, curly hair slicked back like a ruthless mobster. His mother has stylized his hair like that since he was a child. It reminded her of some Mexican actor who starred in one of the many telenovelas she¡¯d binge on Saturdays. Despite his rebellious hairdo, he wasn¡¯t a violent guy at all. The most threatening thing about him was his fashion sense with his array of colorful patchwork pants he insisted on adding to his everyday attire. But to the residents of Winterberry, he was just another good-for-nothing Rosario. ¡°Ezequias Rosario, did you poison his food?¡± the detective questioned. ¡°He was the one who ordered the Special Deluxe Nachos without reading the ingredients...¡± Zeke mumbled. What kind of person with a nut allergy doesn¡¯t watch out for stuff like pesto in their food? But he knew he couldn¡¯t say that. It would just prolong the windy night he was so desperate to put an end to. ¡°He probably didn¡¯t know pesto has nuts in it,¡± Zeke added cautiously. ¡°And maybe you exploited that in some way.¡± Zeke cocked a brow. ¡°I don¡¯t know. You work at the bar, right?¡± the detective said, waving her hand around as she talked. ¡°Maybe you suggested it to him and wanted to look like a hero when you saved him. People tell me you go around town blabbering about wanting to be a doctor and trying to act like one.¡± She paused. ¡°What kind of doctor wannabe injects someone with an expired EpiPen without making sure they had one on them in the first place?¡± ¡°I was just¡ª¡± ¡°And then, the way you administered it. You can¡¯t just jab those things into people. This isn¡¯t a movie¡ª¡± ¡°I got excited for my first real case and¡ª¡± ¡°Where did you even get that EpiPen in the first place?¡± She eyed his ancient-looking doctor¡¯s bag with parts of its bleached navy blue leather peeling off. ¡°Do you run around collecting random medical supplies?¡± And by ¡°collecting,¡± she meant stealing. Zeke stood up. ¡°Look, I didn¡¯t mean to¡ª¡± The book dropped and popped open. The exposed browning pages were filled with drawings of sigils, magic ward ornaments, and shapeless, nightmarish creatures dotted with protruding eyes and oval mouths with twisted, jagged teeth. Words from an unknown language, or just horrendous penmanship, were scrawled across the pages. The detective¡¯s tight face crinkled as she studied the horrific pages and then slowly raised her head. ¡°What the¡ª?¡± A girl rushed towards them, crouched to the book, and closed it. AJ was her name. Her towering height was made apparent as she rose, startling the detective for a bit, beating her and Zeke by many inches. ¡°It¡¯s an inheritance from his grandmother,¡± AJ said as she returned the book to Zeke. The book slipped from her large hands into Zeke¡¯s. He ogled at them again. They were easily comparable to those of an athlete. In gym class, her massive hands could effortlessly swipe a basketball from another player. If only she actually played. Zeke averted his gaze as AJ turned to face the detective. He knew how conscious she was of her man-hands and man-... everything else. ¡°Zeke didn¡¯t mean to do anything wrong,¡± AJ said. ¡°If that were enough to excuse someone from a crime, prisons would be empty.¡± the detective said. She stole a glance at Zeke and let out a sigh. ¡°But having a chance to talk to you now¡­ I can see how the number of people who called 911 and their claims may have been out of hand. Look, kid, you¡¯ve gotta be more careful.¡± ¡°Are you going to have to call my mom?¡± Zeke asked, shuddering at the thought of the fury of the Latina woman. The detective curled her lip to the side. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so¡ª¡± A trio of first responders burst out the front door of Heath¡¯s Sports Bar with Zeke¡¯s patient on a stretcher. As they rushed to the ambulance, Zeke grabbed his book and bag and caught up to them. The EMT ran to the driver¡¯s seat of the ambulance while one of the paramedics moved behind the stretcher and the other stayed in the front. They used the ramp to load the swollen high school student into the vehicle. ¡°Wait!¡± The paramedic in front, a trainee possibly, wheeled back to Zeke. ¡°What?¡± he shouted. ¡°Can I¡­¡± He lowered his head, building up the courage to finish his sentence. ¡°What do you want, kid?¡± the trainee asked, scratching his chest. ¡°Can I come? Just to¡­ stay with him till he reaches the hospital? Please,¡± he asked with a pathetic quaver in his voice. ¡°I want to make sure that he is okay.¡± The trained turned to his superior inside the ambulance. She growled and shrugged. ¡°Okay, fine, let¡¯s go, " the trainee said, climbing into the ambulance, migrating the scratching to his back. AJ ran up to Zeke. ¡°You¡¯re going with the ambulance? Well, then, I¡¯m coming, too.¡± ¡°Come on, we¡¯re wasting time here!¡± The older paramedic yelled.
In the back of the ambulance, Zeke was seated on one side with AJ and watched the real professionals do their job as they sped to the hospital. The trainee monitored the oxygen tank closely while seated, and the older paramedic was on her feet checking the patient¡¯s oxygen mask and then examined the hives that mushroomed across his arms. ¡°The expired EpiPen is not going to kill him, right? I¡¯ve read online that EpiPens retain 90 percent potency even after expiration¡ª¡± ¡°Oh, so you did mean to use the expired EpiPen?¡± She glowered at him and then made a feral snarl. ¡°You thought it would work.¡± ¡°N-n-no, I didn¡¯t know it was expired. It had been a while since I checked the date, a-a-a-and I, uh, I, uh, I was just mentioning the fact about¡ª¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Do yourself a favor and stop talking, kid,¡± the trainee said as he grabbed a pen and scratched the bottom of his chin. ¡°Just because it¡¯s Halloween doesn¡¯t mean you can pretend to be some medical authority,¡± the paramedic muttered, shaking her head. AJ grabbed Zeke¡¯s shoulder and pulled him back. They exchanged a look. She was always amongst the tallest kids in class. Like most kids, Zeke suspected she was just an early bloomer, but at the start of every year, they¡¯d find her at least half an inch taller than the last while; Zeke waited for his Latino genes to find and unlock an unlikely height attribute for himself. But it never came, and he stagnated at five foot five, and AJ beat him by ten inches. ¡°So much for your day off, huh?¡± she said. ¡°So much for a birthday¡­¡± he said. AJ shrank back and put on a softer expression. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Zeke¡­¡± Her eyes moved down to the old book in his hand. ¡°So, what¡¯s the book she left you about?¡± Zeke scratched his head. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ nonsense,¡± he said. ¡°When I went to pick up her stuff today, according to my Uncle Pablo, the box she left was prepared years ago. Appointed to me, specifically.¡± AJ warmed up with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s quite nice.¡± ¡°I guess, but this thing is just more evidence of her deteriorating mental state. Demons and satanic symbols. This is too much, even for a crazy person. Aside from the book, she left charms, talismans, amulets, rings, and other junk.¡± Zeke said. The paramedic growled loud enough to demand everyone¡¯s attention. They all stared at her in silence. ¡°You okay?¡± the trainee asked. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she said, twitching to the side, making more guttural sounds. ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± ¡°Alright,¡± the trainee said, then switched the pen for a flowmeter to scratch his back. AJ pulled her attention away from the personnel and focused on Zeke. ¡°It may be junk, but all those things meant a lot to her, and she wanted you more than anybody to have it,¡± she said. ¡°Zeke, you know, during her time at the ward, she was probably very lonely and scared. Your mother barely visited. The same goes for the rest of your colorful family. You were her only friend. You made her secluded life in that place more worthwhile. Her last years leading up to that heart attack could¡¯ve been much more painful.¡± Zeke grinned and blinked away the tears burning in his gaze, readjusting his blurring vision. Out of all his family members, the harmless, demented old lady was the one the universe decided wasn¡¯t worth keeping around. He studied AJ and blurted out, ¡°I wish I came from a family like yours.¡± AJ whipped back and stared into his dark brown eyes while furrowing her brows. ¡°No, you don¡¯t. Sure, they¡¯re not as bad as criminals, but a family of accountants and computer programmers makes way for the worst dinner table conversations ever. My dad once told me an hour-long story about his favorite calculator brand, which somehow concluded with the final message being: ¡®Always respect your elders.¡¯¡± She let out a long groan as she stared into the distance and swam through the memory in her head. ¡°Where is your brother, anyway? I thought that you two would spend your day off together.¡± The comment reminded Zeke of a neat perk that came from his mother marrying a gangster. Her taste in men ripened, and she remarried a dentist. His son was the same age as him. Coincidentally, the kid was no stranger to Zeke. Ugo was his name, but he called him ¡®Mora.¡¯ Ugo explained his directive for the day before disappearing into the cold haze that morning. ¡°Getting closer to achieving his goal,¡± he said. Those words coming from someone like him can only raise suspicion. Zeke¡¯s eyes fell back onto the patient. He had a frame belonging to that of a seasoned football player and was now reduced to something so pitiful and feeble. ¡°Don¡¯t be so hard on yourself. You did try to save the life of a complete stranger.¡± ¡°He goes to our school, AJ. After I left Uncle Pablo¡¯s, I saw him fighting with someone else. That new kid, baseball player¡ª¡± ¡°Raylan?¡± AJ shrieked with a twinkle in her eyes. Zeke gave her a look. She made a chagrined smile and then reset. Focusing on him with an indifferent stare, giving him the mental cue to continue. ¡°If he dies¡­ it¡¯ll be my fault.¡± The paramedic released a powerful scream and whipped to the trainee. ¡°Would you stop with all that scratching?¡± She pointed at the flowmeter. ¡°Put that down!¡± The trainee didn¡¯t follow the order. ¡°I don¡¯t know why¡­ but I am so itchy.¡± Zeke studied the trainee, and his face was dry, flaky even. But the flakes spread across his face were¡­ gray. The trainee raised a shaky finger, pointing back at the paramedic. ¡°Y-Y-Your hand¡­¡± Zeke shifted his gaze towards the paramedic¡¯s hand just as she looked down on it. A carpet of hair blanketed the back of her hand, and the tips of her fingernails were sharp, no¡­ they were sharpening, shaping, and elonging in real-time. The paramedic gaped at her hand in horror as hair began to take over her cheeks. The trainee stood up with woody warts growing on his face. ¡°Here, you should sit down¡ª¡± With one swing of the paramedic¡¯s hand, the trainee was blasted to the ambulance floor as blood splattered on the wall in the form of claw marks. Zeke trembled and pulled back, bumping into AJ, feeling how much she was shaking. He looked back at her¡ªher watery eyes got even wider behind her black, thick-rimmed glasses. The paramedic growled once again in a beastly, demonic voice. Zeke looked up at the woman, slowly losing her humanity. Her ears changed shape, her back arched up, and she increased in size, causing tears in her uniform as more hair grew from all over her body. Her claws and teeth¡ªjagged and yellowing¡ªcontinued to lengthen. The ambulance shook violently, but the half-woman, half-beast, remained firm throughout her transformation. Her eyes took on a golden-yellow hue, and her mouth stretched forward. Zeke felt his heart fall into his stomach and pull itself back up over and over. He put up a good fight, trying to avoid screaming, but as the creature¡¯s hungry eyes directed and fixated on him, it became as impossible as trying to finish a bowl of soup with a fork. Although, what came out of him wasn¡¯t a scream. It was something closer to a squeal. Zeke had no problem with dying after hearing the noise he made. Then the world shifted to the side, and then, it flipped. Everything flashed into black.
Zeke, marked with bruises and scratches, was brought back to reality by a hot breath pushing into his face. He opened his eyes and let out a yip. He was pinned on his back while staring right into the werewolf¡¯s yellow eyes. It sniffed him all over with its giant snot and grabbed him by the throat with one arm, lifting him off the ground. It opened its massive maw, lines of saliva drooping between its teeth, and a long tongue hanging out greeted him. Without the willpower to scream, he just sobbed softly as his head neared the chompers. What have I done with my life till now? What have I accomplished? The last thing I did was put someone¡¯s life in danger. A fitting end for a Rosario, I guess. The werewolf stopped as Zeke¡¯s head rested in its mouth. It pulled him out like a taste test gone wrong and dropped him. They were on the grassy side of an empty road. A dazed Zeke looked up at the monster and noticed it was staring down at something to the side. He followed the direction it was looking at and found a man approaching the werewolf. The man was drenched in sweat and seemed to be in his 20s. He wore a burgundy knee-length black fur-trimmed parka over a black shirt with a loose purple tie and a scarf of the same color around his neck. The werewolf cowered, looking at the sweaty man. ¡°Wait, just hold on¡­¡± the man started. He slowed his steps and raised his hands like a zookeeper stepping into a cage to feed a lion, or rather, a wolf in this case. The werewolf got on all fours and made a break for it. As the man was about to lurch forward to go after it, a sharp cry made him stay. He turned to the distress and backtracked. Zeke raised to one knee, following him with his eyes, and then the man crouched down to the sobbing trainee. He was on his back as his arms and legs were twisting and enlarging¡ªtransforming into tree branches and fusing with the ground. The woody warts had entirely overtaken his face, blocking his eyes and most of his mouth. ¡°Help me! Help me! Please! What is happening to me?¡± The man¡¯s expression became despondent. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ and I can¡¯t help you,¡± he said. ¡°Huh? What?¡± the trainee blubbered. ¡°Am I going to be like this forever?¡± ¡°Your consciousness will be long gone before you know it¡­ or at least, that¡¯s what I¡¯ve heard.¡± Another source of sobbing prompted Zeke to dart his gaze to the other side of the area. He found the ambulance to his right, flipped on its side, and the EMT hunched over, projecting rainbow vomit. Once he stopped, he looked back at Zeke with exhausted eyes. Unicorn horns protruded from all over his body, with blood leaking at the base. ¡°Somebody¡­ help me.¡± The EMT collapsed in a puddle of his colorful bodily fluids. More horns began to sprout out of his body. His heart panged as he made a horrific realization. AJ was nowhere to be found. He scanned the area in a panic and forced his aching body back on its feet. ¡°AJ!¡± he called. ¡°Your friend is fine,¡± the man said. ¡°I got all of you out at once. I thought the wolf was unconscious when I laid it aside to tend to your friend. Sorry about that.¡± He pointed at a tree where AJ was propped up against. She was unconscious but unscathed. The patient was beside her and in healthy condition as well. No swelling, no scratches. ¡°They haven¡¯t been afflicted with any otherworldly ailments, so that¡¯s good. I can¡¯t do anything about the others, though,¡± the man explained. The man neared Zeke, and during so, he felt his legs bend and tremble as if the top of his body suddenly became too heavy for them, and his chest closed like his lungs were being squeezed against each other. The man stood before Zeke, and he had to resist the bizarre urge to venerate him not as some righteous saint but as something far greater. ¡°Who are you?¡± Zeke asked, unable to contain his tremors. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You won¡¯t remember any of this.¡± The man raised a hand and halted. ¡°You feel¡­ blocked.¡± Zeke squinted at the man and looked back at the unicorn-horn-blighted EMT and then at the metamorphosing trainee. ¡°You can¡¯t save them?¡± ¡°The ones who can¡­ are on the wrong side.¡± As the man¡¯s palm touched his face, Zeke felt serenity. A wave of calmness and happiness washed over him¡ªit seemed to last for an inexplicable period that was either shorter than a zeptosecond or as long as an eternity. It was hard to use logic to describe it. He closed his eyes and had the best sleep of his life. Chapter 2 - Sacrilegious Taking care of the incident with the ambulance crash was taxing for Nananiel. He eliminated as many memories as possible with a mass memory wipe spell to ensure the two young humans weren¡¯t wrapped up in a complicated situation. He dropped them and the one in the stretcher alongside all their belongings at a park, leaving them the luxury of waking up confused but safe. Strangely, the face of one of the humans seemed to be fleeting away from Nananiel¡¯s mind. Unable to do anything for the humans who fell victim to supernatural ailments. It hurt Nananiel deeply since humans were always subjects of great interest to him. The best of their productions filled Nananiel¡¯s celestial mind as he soared through the starless, dark blue sky. The TV shows, the art, the technology, both the ones made for utility and the ones for mindless leisure, and the greasy monstrosities they came up with, even though he did not need to eat, he was nothing more than a hopeless fanatic. His large snow-white wings extended upward as he dipped forward. The scintillating cityscape came into view, and the angel¡¯s expression relaxed as the chilly wind pushed into his face and his purple scarf flopped in the air behind him. The feathers that shed from his wings were anything but inconspicuous and sprinkled the sky beautifully. If a human caught a glimpse, they¡¯d brush it off as a light meteor shower, and they were tenacious in quashing their questions about the world around them. A memory popped into Nananiel¡¯s mind when angels believed humans would never understand what the sun or moon was. He wagered against them and won. All he got for a prize was a pat on the head, a thumbs up, and an imaginary, invisible sword (¡°It can be whatever you want, Brother! Ooooh!¡± they said). Angels weren¡¯t allowed to gamble for spoils, and that was the best they could do. His joy was revealed to be ephemeral as work duties arose and black smoke drizzled into the sky. He sped up, veered toward a stonework bridge, and landed on its edge. His wings disintegrated into thousands of tiny downy feathers and sank into the tinted river below. Nananiel made a face as an acrid and beefy stench clung to his nostrils, and his eyes caught a foul sight. A small tower of charred meat sat on the riverbank, where two individuals waited. Nananiel alighted from the bridge and descended soundlessly on the greenery. The female wore a gray linen autumn coat over a casual work outfit, and the much older-looking male with a thick white mustache was garbed in a tucked-in yellow shirt, white tie, black pants, and pointy shoes the same conspicuous shade as his shirt. Nananiel stared at the stack of meat exuding smoke with slime and burnt blood oozing from the bottom and spilling into the once clear blue river. He looked away, scratched at the purple scarf wrapped tightly around his neck, and gleamed at the female and male. ¡°Brother Nananiel,¡± the older male said with warmth. Nananiel bowed his head a bit and greeted back, ¡°Master Virgil.¡± The female made sure her coat was buttoned for some reason she couldn¡¯t find and straightened herself, becoming stiff all over. It was foolish to think of himself as a man, but Nananiel did anyway. His Container was that of a young man finishing university. Why not just assume the role entirely? He did the same with other angels, depending on the gender of their Containers. Some had no quarrel in calling him an idiot for that. Nananiel looked at the female angel, Kalmiya, and grinned as he shivered and sweat poured inside his shirt. He yanked a handkerchief from his jacket pocket and wiped the sweat off his forehead. ¡°It sure is hot tonight,¡± Nananiel said. He pointed at the tower of meat. ¡°What is that? Wait, I sense something from it¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s human,¡± Kalmiya said, her voice and posture poised. She shook her head and corrected, ¡°Humans, I mean.¡± Nananiel gaped back at the two, slack-jawed. Ditching work to catch tonight¡¯s Hospital General de Anita episode sounded like a great idea. He swiped a wall of sweat from his nape, along with it, his will to sin. ¡°Irin was behind this, wasn¡¯t she?¡± A slab of meat plopped onto the ground; it sounded like a slap. Virgil, the other angel, stared and said, ¡°Her and the Powers. With the current climate, they¡¯ll use any excuse they can find for overkill.¡± He turned his head toward the pile. ¡°These were a group of Satanists; Sister Irin insisted she found the Container at their hideout.¡± Nananiel scanned the area. ¡°What Container¡­?¡± He cut himself off as he detected the shriveled, hollow body a few feet away from them on the slope of the riverbank. The Container was violated like no holy vessel should, mangled and mutilated as if Cerberus chewed on it; sizzling blackened splotches marked the Container. Nananiel plodded toward the Container and reached for a splotch. His hand pulled back on instinct. Hellfire burns are an excruciating thing to get rid of, and Cherubs probably wouldn¡¯t offer to patch him up after getting a burn so stupidly. The Container¡¯s face was frozen in a horrific twisted expression, and a single smooth purple steel pick-like object jutted out from the eye. It was jammed into the back of the socket, the top part of its long metal body protruding behind the eyelid. Nananiel finally looked away but inhibited himself from showing discomfort. It was beyond barbaric, something he admitted reminded him of the old ages when humans were unhinged savages (well, a little more than they are now). ¡°I know we¡¯re management, but this is just a lack of respect for our job. Irin can¡¯t just leave the remains out here,¡± Nananiel said. ¡°What if a human saw this?¡± He winced and paused. ¡°She¡¯s taunting us.¡± ¡°You, specifically,¡± Kalmiya said. Nananiel shot a look at her, and she flinched. ¡°That¡¯s what Elder Sister Irin said anyway, Sir-Elder Brother Nananiel-Sir!¡± Kalmiya folded her hands in front. ¡°She left a message for me to give to you.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s hear it.¡± ¡°However, Elder Sister Irin ordered me to say it verbatim, or I would be punished¡­¡± ¡°I understand. Just give me the message.¡± Kalmiya shuddered and fumbled with her thumbs as her eyes went in every direction except in the Dominion Chief¡¯s. ¡°¡®Nananiel, you incompetent sorry excuse for a Dominion Chief¡ªAgain, not me, I was instructed to¡ª¡° ¡°Keep going, Kalmiya.¡± Kalmiya cleared her throat. ¡°¡®Get your act together, you dolt. A drunken fairy can do a better job in your stead, you cretin. Your subordinates should spit in your face every time they see you, imbecile. You belong amongst the ranks of those who clean up after the waste of wild beasts. I¡¯d call you a clown, but you aren¡¯t funny. I¡¯d call you a donkey, but that would be unfair to them. Yours truly, Irin.¡¯¡± Kalmiya squirmed awkwardly. ¡°Elder Sister Irin, I mean, I apologize.¡± ¡°I believe you left out a part,¡± Virgil said. ¡°Oh, yes,¡± Kalmiya said and nodded. She fixed on Nananiel. ¡°¡®And your tie is stupid,¡¯¡± she croaked. Nananiel waved his hand and hummed. Virgil stole a glance at the Container. ¡°Irin said the Satanists denied her claims and swore they found the empty Container in the woods and were going to use it for a sacrificial ritual. Demons would love to get their hands on an angelic Container. They¡¯d spoil anybody who gave them that. I don¡¯t think any of the Satanists were the elusive Angel-Killer, though, but don¡¯t you worry, Nananiel. We¡¯ll catch the heathen soon.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it time we¡¯ve considered that this Angel-Killer could be a member of the new Tainted Generation?¡± Kalmiya asked in a brittle voice. ¡°There is no new Tainted Generation,¡± Virgil responded immediately. ¡°The Thirteenth was the last, and it¡¯ll stay that way.¡± Nananiel¡¯s face creased, and he drew back. He let his mind drift off and thought of his fan theories, wondering if any of them would come true in tonight¡¯s Hospital General de Anita episode. ¡°I think chaotic times are going to return, Elder Brother Virgil. The signs are everywhere. I wasn¡¯t around to see it when the Thirteenth were walking, and now I will experience it firsthand.¡± Kalmiya¡¯s face grew bleak. ¡°The Tainted Generation frisk between both sides of the spectrums of magic. They dance with souls of the holy and the damned kind. It¡¯s all games for them.¡± She waved her shaky hand to the bloody Container. ¡°This is in tangent to their behavior, murdering Angels on a whim with no rational explanation.¡± ¡°A normal human could be behind this, Putto, with enough training and dedication, it can be possible.¡± ¡°With all due respect, Elder Brother Virgil, that doesn¡¯t sound plausible. It¡¯s them. They saved souls occasionally, only to satiate their morbid curiosity in the supernatural and liked to dub themselves as Healers but were nothing more than cosmic criminals. The Thirteenth sparked a war on a universal scale that almost tore Heaven apart. Who knows what the Fourteenth iteration of the Tainted Generation could entail.¡± ¡°You need to calm down. These individuals weren¡¯t just rabid creatures, Kalmiya,¡± Virgil said. ¡°They were knowledgeable and calculating; violent but patient.¡± ¡°These random killings could be covering up a bigger plot to distract us from their primary goal.¡± ¡°We stopped the Thirteenth over two hundred years ago, and there hasn¡¯t been a Tainted Generation since. We just like using those stories to scare you Puttos and to keep you focused on training, but the truth is, it¡¯ll never happen again. The Thirteenth were the worst of them and the last.¡± He turned to Nananiel, who was vacantly staring up at the sky. ¡°Tell her, Brother Nananiel.¡± Nananiel snapped back to reality and examined them deeply. He allowed the silence to linger in the air as he fished his mind for an answer to whatever was asked. Is Jessica really Anita¡¯s long-lost sister, or is she only out to ruin her life somehow? ¡°Nananiel!¡± Nananiel spun back to his superior, wild-eyed. ¡°You just had a meeting with the First Sphere, correct? They didn¡¯t mention a Fourteenth Tainted Generation, right?¡± ¡°In fact, they did,¡± Nananiel said. Virgil¡¯s expression died out in a matter of seconds. Nananiel cleaned some sweat off his brow and put away his handkerchief. ¡°The Cherub Chief had a vision of the Seals breaking...¡± He paused, oblivious to Virgil¡¯s expressions. ¡°The Tainted Generation¡­ the Fourteenth. They exist. They live. They¡¯ve been here for 17 years.¡± Virgil stared back with dead eyes. Kalmiya staggered and fretted in place. Amid the silence, Virgil¡¯s aging features sharpened, and he sniped at Nananiel with a long, icy stare. ¡°What? Are you mad at me?¡± Nananiel responded jokingly. ¡°Yes,¡± said Virgil. Nananiel arched a brow. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault they¡¯re back!¡± ¡°You could¡¯ve lied!¡± Virgil complained. ¡°I just ensured this Putto that another Tainted Generation incident would never happen again. How does this make me look before my new student?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, okay?¡± Nananiel whined. ¡°I knew they were back.¡± Kalmiya cheered. And then, sheer terror took over again. She hunched over and trembled. ¡°We¡¯re all going to die. Has anybody found out what happens to angels after they die yet? I¡¯d like to prepare myself properly for the worst¡ª¡± Virgil shushed her by raising a fist. His focused eyes swept across the area with the mindfulness of a sphinx. ¡°What is it?¡± Nananiel asked quietly. No answer came from Virgil. He was fixated on a single direction, mesmerized by something. The dried grass crackled. There was a yellow flash. A spiked yellow hammer zoomed through the air and bounced off a blurry outline. Virgil maintained his arm stretched forward and squinted at the silent outline as it quivered, and blood spilled like a broken faucet. Playful laughter emerged, and the outline dissipated, leaving the blood sprinkled on the grass. It was over in seconds. ¡°They¡¯re gone,¡± Virgil said, ambling toward his hammer. ¡°The culprit was watching,¡± Nananiel said. Kalmiya looked at both of the higher-ranked angels. ¡°Good thing we detected them.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand, little Putto,¡± Virgil said. ¡°They wanted their presence to be known at that moment. They¡¯re flaunting their magical dominance.¡± Nananiel pulled down his gloves. ¡°Came here just to watch, taunt, and then vanish like nothing. The gall of this guy.¡± ¡°Arrogance like that can only belong to one of them,¡± Virgil hissed. ¡°They are back.¡± ¡°We¡¯re gathering all the Dominion, Powers, and Virtues Troops at the Adyta. Each group stationed at one.¡± ¡°Will we be enough against the Fourteenth?¡± Kalmiya asked. ¡°We are more than enough,¡± Nananiel said solemnly. ¡°Aside from that. I¡¯ve also secured a secret weapon to guarantee our victory.¡± Virgil rested the oversized hammer on his shoulder. ¡°What have you done, Nananiel? Is it something I won¡¯t like, or Irin won¡¯t like?¡± Nananiel fished a large skeleton key out of his pocket. ¡°Neither of you will like it.¡± Nananiel smiled. Virgil frowned, and Kalmiya¡­ just stood there. Chapter 3 - Complications Zeke watched Ugo leaf through the fragile pages of the manic book. They wore the Heath¡¯s Sports Bar uniform and perched on crates in the back alley of the eatery. Latino gang graffiti, dirty doodles, and one unrequited romantic gesture were on either side of the walls. Zeke studied one of the gang member signs and grimaced. ¡°Hah!¡± Ugo said, which is the last thing you¡¯d want to hear from someone reading a book featuring demon symbols, let alone someone you share a room with. Zeke pulled back and asked reluctantly, ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Ugo closed the book and turned to him with a mad grin plastered on his pale face. ¡°All the vieja did was criticize us for all the video games and comics we wasted our time with, and here she was, basically writing her own fanfic.¡± He flung the book over to Zeke. It never reached his arms. They stared blankly at the book strewn on the ground. ¡°I¡¯m like two feet away from you,¡± Zeke said. ¡°You¡¯re the one who doesn¡¯t know how to catch.¡± ¡°And you can¡¯t throw.¡± Ugo raised a finger. ¡°You know how I know demons don¡¯t exist?¡± Zeke looked back at him patiently as he picked the book off the ground. ¡°Because if they did, a succubus would¡¯ve visited me by now. I mean, according to the logic of the lore, right?¡± Zeke stopped for a moment and then nodded. AJ stormed out the back door, searched for a few seconds, and glared at the two. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°We¡¯re taking our break,¡± Ugo said, pulling out a GameGuy from his pocket. ¡°Today, we¡¯re quitting anyway.¡± His eyes were glued onto the small square-shaped screen. ¡°It kind of defeats the purpose if we get fired beforehand,¡± AJ said. ¡°It would be better for severance pay,¡± Zeke added and opened the old book. ¡°No, no, Mano. We¡¯re quitting, right in Gale¡¯s stupid face. How we do it needs to be epic, guys, all over the internet. We need to go down as legends.¡± ¡°Mora, the plan was just to quit once we got enough money for the next couple of months,¡± Zeke said while inspecting a drawing of a necklace with human eyeball beads. ¡°There¡¯s no need to go overboard.¡± ¡°We totally need to go overboard! Haven¡¯t I already taught you that bigger is always better?¡± A lewd grin extended on his face. ¡°The fact that someone as gross as you end up in charge of cleaning dishes¡­ I hope you don¡¯t have a daughter,¡± AJ said. ¡°Oh? What¡¯s this? So you do believe that I¡¯ll get married someday.¡± ¡°I never said ¡®married.¡¯¡± AJ hid her hands behind her back and leaned back onto the grimy wall seat. ¡°I¡¯m not going back in there. Raylan and his friends walked in¡­¡± Zeke¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Ooh! You know, for something really noteworthy to happen tonight, AJ should ask Raylan out or just kiss him on the spot.¡± AJ fired a look at Zeke. ¡°Sh¡ªsh¡ªshut up!¡± she snapped. Her face was now one long, squared jaw tomato. ¡°AJ likes Raylan?¡± Ugo said without taking his eyes off the screen. ¡°That baseball star? So, she likes boys?¡± A rock flung into his eye. Zeke and AJ ignored Ugo¡¯s writhing and screams of agony after being possibly blinded. ¡°You¡¯re going to miss your chance,¡± Zeke said to AJ. ¡°Stop second-guessing yourself and go get what you want. What, do you think he¡¯ll say ¡®no¡¯¡±? AJ wiped the dust off her hand on her jeans. ¡°Of course, he¡¯d reject me. You know, because of... my man-hands, my big feet, my height...¡± she mumbled. ¡°I¡¯m basically a less hairy Sasquatch.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not wrong,¡± Ugo jeered, covering one eye with his hand and using the other to press buttons. ¡°You¡¯re very judgy for someone who spent Halloween stalking a poor girl,¡± Zeke said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t stalking anybody!¡± Ugo barked back. ¡°Wait, who was the poor girl this time?¡± AJ asked. ¡°Anaya from the French class I¡¯m taking, and why are you talking about her as if she¡¯s in an unfortunate position?¡± Ugo sighed. ¡°I was going to ask her out, but then her boyfriend showed up, and then her friends showed up, and then their boyfriends showed up, and I observed them waiting for the rest to leave.¡± ¡°You followed them to the mall, the bowling alley, and then¡­ their houses...¡± Zeke said. ¡°Think of it as¡­¡± Ugo sat in silence, rifling through his thoughts. ¡°Studying for our future relationship,¡± was the best he came up with. ¡°Once I become Anaya¡¯s boyfriend. It¡¯ll all be worth it.¡± Zeke scrunched up his face, looking back at his complacent step-brother. He was a little too lanky and pasty, even for a European, and had bleached blonde hair tips spiking out of dark roots. Ugo was one of those miraculous cases of people born without that moral, conscientious inner voice that keeps them saying and doing ill-advised things. Instead of, ¡°Hey! You shouldn¡¯t say something like that¡±, Zeke suspected he had a voice that said something along the lines of, ¡°Hey, hey, say it. Maybe she¡¯ll think you¡¯re cool.¡± ¡°Mano, don¡¯t give me that look! It¡¯s perfectly normal for one to prepare himself for a relationship!¡± Ugo defended. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Why go for someone who has a boyfriend?¡± Zeke asked. ¡°Heh, you¡¯re just way too na?ve, Mano. This is a game Anaya, and I like to play with each other. You know what? Forget it. You¡¯re way too young to understand.¡± The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°We¡¯re the same age.¡± ¡°Zeke, I¡¯ve gone after many girls in the past¡ª¡± ¡°And none of those cases ended in success,¡± AJ said. Ugo glared at her and continued, ¡°But this time, I¡¯m sure that she¡¯s the one.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to get a restraining order,¡± Zeke said. AJ sank to her haunches. ¡°Guess I am going to spend the rest of my shift out here.¡± Zeke curled his lips to the side and contemplated, allowing his mind to wander. An image of four oddball eleven-year-olds appeared in his mind: A short boy and a lanky one; a spindly girl and one shorter than the others with deep dark blue eyes that easily passed for violet. Zeke returned and said, ¡°If Violet were here, what do you think she¡¯d tell you?¡± The air became heavy. The silence somehow became suffocating. ¡°Oh, wow, he used the Violet-card,¡± Ugo said, slightly opening his hurt eye. AJ recoiled and looked down at her hands. ¡°She¡¯d slap me and drag me over there herself without saying another word.¡± Violet was the smallest out of all of them but the most vicious. Zeke tried to keep his brain from making the connection between her and a Chihuahua. Ugo was the sacrificial lamb who blurted it out loud near her one day. She broke his nose, but he liked it. ¡°Exactly, I¡¯d do that too.¡± But he didn¡¯t have the upper body strength to do that, but Zeke decided not to comment on that. ¡°You know what? I will not let you be a coward, AJ.¡± He arose from the crate and dropped the book onto Ugo¡¯s lap. ¡°You¡¯re a pretty girl, okay? Any guy would be happy to have you.¡± Zeke entered the building. Heath¡¯s Sports Bar was having one of those seldom non-smelly nights where only a handful of people filled the tables. Zeke rushed to the center and scanned the premises. Cryptic symbols flashed violently in his mind, forcing him to stagger. He caught his footing and shook off the random occurrence. That was weird. His mind has been all over the place since yesterday at Halloween, seemingly time traveling from the bar to the park alongside a just as disoriented AJ with a feeling of a huge gap in between memories. There were hurried footsteps. Zeke turned back to the noise and caught AJ about to approach him. She was gorgonized with his stare. She put on a pleading look, and Zeke shook his head slowly. He scanned the area again, moving this time, and spotted a legion of monsters¡ªa tree humanoid, a werewolf, and a guy sporting a collection of bloody unicorn horns protruding from his body. His steps faltered; he blinked rapidly and checked again. There were five of them. Humans. As there should be. Zeke cursed himself under his breath. Another crazy Rosario is the last thing his family needs right now. Raylan and his entourage flaunted their athletic frames with fashionable autumn attire that complimented them well. There were five of them in total. One of them was fidgeting a bit. Another one wore loose cotton pants in contrast to the skinny jeans that everybody else was wearing. Raylan was clearly the most handsome of the bunch. He produced a pack of mints and pushed one into his mouth. ¡°I dunno if we¡¯ve decided on what we want to order yet,¡± Raylan said. Zeke¡¯s eyes widened, and he was standing before their table as if he had teleported. They stared at him with screwed-up faces, analyzing and sorting out the data scrambled in their brains. ¡°Hey, wait, you¡¯re Zeke,¡± Raylan interrupted while pointing at him. ¡°Mrs. Snow¡¯s little Mexican pet¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m from Columbia.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Raylan said in a stale tone. ¡°You¡¯re the guy who convinced her to crank up everybody¡¯s biology homework.¡± Zeke halted to collect the right words and said, ¡°But hey, now we¡¯re learning and working twice as hard so, unlike other students, we¡¯ll be ready for the challenges of college and the workforce. We¡¯ll be able to succeed without fatigue. We have a head start!¡± Zeke tried to chuckle with as much pride as possible, but all that came out was an awkward titter. The table responded with a silent glare, silencing him for a moment. ¡°Look, there¡¯s something I wanted to talk to you about real quick,¡± he segued ungracefully. He leaned toward Raylan. ¡°You know AJ?¡± ¡°Who?¡± Zeke could taste his minty breath as it sneaked into his mouth. He pointed at AJ. She made a break for it and ducked under a booth table. Raylan grimaced. ¡°Oh, Avery¡­¡± ¡°Ain¡¯t she cute?¡± ¡°You do know what ¡®cute¡¯ means, right?¡± the one with cotton pants said. The fidgeting one said, ¡°Oh, don¡¯t tell me that Miss Kong is into ya, oh no, Raylan, you¡¯re screwed! Forget about your baseball career. Once she¡¯s done with you, you won¡¯t be able to stand on your own anymore.¡± A belly laugh arose from the table. Zeke stepped back a bit and glowered at them. ¡°Did she, like, send you here to get me to ask her out or something?¡± Raylan asked in a honeyed tone. ¡°Dude¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I wouldn¡¯t go out with your friend even if you paid me. I enjoy being the one doing the carrying in the relationship, y¡¯know? I don¡¯t want to show up at prom being carried in her arms.¡± The group cackled even louder. ¡°Is that really what you think, or are you just following what the rumors say?¡± Zeke asked. ¡°Dude, I once saw her deflate a basketball by stepping on it. ¡°That ball was defective!¡± he shouted and then paused. ¡°I think¡­¡± ¡°What I don¡¯t understand about her is why she doesn¡¯t join one of our school¡¯s sports teams.¡± ¡°AJ is shy. She can¡¯t handle all that pressure.¡± Cotton Pants fled to the bathroom without warning. ¡°If she did join a team, then she¡¯ll be doing something that¡¯s actually meaningful, unlike that stupid Health and Nutrition Committee that she helped start that nobody pays attention to,¡± Raylan said. ¡°Hey! They¡¯re useful!¡± ¡°Do you follow any of their suggestions?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°Wow, you¡¯re doing a great job hyping up your friend,¡± the fidgeter said. He could punch them right here and now; it would be so easy¡­ but then what? He could punch them right here and now; it would be so easy¡­ but then what? He could make a break for it, but Zeke wasn¡¯t confident enough in his fleeing abilities to outrun a group of athletes. As the laughter returned, Zeke plodded away and back to AJ. She sprouted out from under the table and pouted at Zeke. Somehow, her already magnified eyes grew even larger. ¡°What did he say?¡± Zeke scoffed and stuffed his hands into his pocket. ¡°Let¡¯s get back to work before Gale catches us.¡± He walked away. Later on in the night¡­ Zeke acted like a valuable employee despite it being his last day. He scrambled to a table of four and placed the hamburgers before each of the screaming family members goggling at the TV. He winced, agonizing over the return of mixed odors in the bar. He turned back to the TV and sighed. It was a long way till 8:30. Plenty of time left to be slaved away by Gale. A peal of tumultuous laughter erupting from a table caught Zeke¡¯s attention. He eyed Raylan and his entourage, making a riot while shoving extra cheese and hamburger meat pizza into their mouths, except for the baseball player himself. Raylan had a plate of Caesar salad before him, and while everybody else was nursing beers, he sipped on a glass of water. AJ crossed his eyeline as she walked away from the bar counter, holding up a tray of Texas-style nachos. A nasty ping hit his gut, prompting him to analyze the athletic group of friends. Raylan shared a look with Twitchy and then glanced over to AJ; they snickered. Zeke fixated on AJ as she trod towards Raylan¡¯s table. A couple occupied the table behind Raylan. Their eyes lit up with excitement upon seeing their cheesy dinner hiss out steam. AJ was almost past Raylan¡¯s table. Twitchy stuck his foot out. She tumbled forward, and the plate shot into the air. The crispy tortilla chips soaked in hot cheese alongside a sprinkle of jalapeno slices, shredded browning pork, and a jumble of smoked beans fell on her hair and back right after she hit the floor, and the plate broke by plonking off behind her shoulder. Miraculously, her glasses stayed intact. Zeke¡¯s cognitive processing ceased for a moment, and he zipped to the scene with the mind of a wild animal acting only on instinct. Nobody else existed. All he saw was the table of chuckling assholes and AJ pushing herself up. Her hand slipped on a strip of melted cheese, and she hit her chin on the wooden floor. Now, this was unacceptable. Chapter 4 - Tainted Nananiel stood amongst Virgil and two high-ranked angels in the Adytum while a flock of suited Dominions were dispersed around the wide annular room. The flooring was paved with golden-brown sandstone, and many towering tiled columns formed giant horseshoe arches overhead. The Power Chief, Irin, clad in a crimson red suit, scowled at Nananiel. ¡°Your troops look pathetic.¡± ¡°At least they¡¯re not barbaric mongrels with no class nor respect for human life,¡± Nananiel said. ¡°Everything we do is to protect human life.¡± When it came to the Power Chief¡¯s Container, it was true to the humans¡¯ depiction of angels in their art. Long, dark, champagne blonde hair with two strands drizzled down in front and a face molded to perfection, a mystifying beauty that demands adoration and full-time attention. Beauty that women would bleed for and other men would cause others to bleed to receive affection from such an impeccable, graceful face. Her eyes told a different story, though. ¡°Why don¡¯t you focus on not having your Container blow up and stop stirring up an argument,¡± Nananiel said. ¡°You get a new face every week.¡± ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough,¡± The Virtue Chief said lazily, named Dabriel. His Container was that of a middle-aged man with a scruffy stubble. He wore a white robe with a white sash looped around the waist and ancient Greek sandals with ankle straps and toe rings. Nananiel turned to Dabriel with raised brows. ¡°Dabriel, what are you wearing?¡± ¡°Well, this is called a robe, Nananiel,¡± Dabriel said calmly. ¡°What I meant to say is, why are you attired in such a conspicuous way? You¡¯re supposed to blend in with the other humans. We¡¯ve talked about this.¡± ¡°The idea is to be so blatant that no one would suspect.¡± ¡°Get with the times,¡± Nananiel sighed, pulled out a handkerchief, and wiped his forehead. ¡°Take off your jacket,¡± Irin said. ¡°Don¡¯t mock me. You know of my Container¡¯s defect!¡± ¡°Just get a new one already.¡± ¡°That would be too much of a hassle.¡± ¡°Lazy pig.¡± Irin scanned the area. The peripherals of the room were speckled with doors of all kinds: Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Japanese, wood, glass, stone, brass, bronze, gold, plaster, single doors, double doors, sliding doors, and folding doors. They were all decorated with a distinct sigil. ¡°There¡¯s nothing going on here, nor on my end, nor Dabriel¡¯s. The whole thing might¡¯ve just been a ruse by the First Sphere angels,¡± Irin said. Nananiel knew that there was some credibility to Irin¡¯s statement. With the First Sphere angels, whether they cared for the humans or lower-ranking angels was debatable. She perused at the broad white beam in the center of the room, shooting through a nebulous hole in the fan-vaulted ceiling ¡ª the Realm¡¯s life force. A blood-red transparent shell surrounded the beam. An array of sigils spiraled up and down the barrier ¡ª the Great Seals that have stood the test of time for over two hundred years and shall remain that way¡ªonly dissolving during the wretched period of Halloween, where spirits and creatures were allowed to roam free in the Realm for one whole day. Irin browsed once again through the battle-hardened looks of her Dominion brethren. They had their eyes peeled and relinquished the action to blink; they were all on high alert but weren¡¯t focused on any of the features in the room. Irin shifted her gaze to the real main attraction¡ªa young female hiding herself in the furthest corner of the Adytum, ogling at the flashing barrier. She had wavy sunflower blonde hair that snaked down her shoulders and to the center of her back, clothed in a preppy school outfit. ¡°I can¡¯t believe the First Sphere granted you permission to free that thing,¡± Irin said. She turned back to Nananiel with a mocking smile. ¡°I¡¯m curious to see how you¡¯ll get it back into the cage after they call this thing off. This entire operation is so poorly managed. You¡¯re leaving a whole Adytum to be guarded by Dabriel and his Virtues? What will they do, sing, and play their instruments for the right ambiance during the battle?¡± ¡°We need all hands on deck,¡± Nananiel shrugged. ¡°Why the shrug?¡± Dabriel said and then squinted at Nananiel. ¡°My Container is faulty, remember?¡± He grinned. ¡°Irin. It''s a division of labor. It¡¯s called strategy.¡± ¡°You¡¯re trying to lecture me about battle strategy? What a joke. Do you know who I am? You are still just a Putto that got lucky and had Master Virgil over here to vouch for your promotion.¡± Irin glanced at Virgil. ¡°I¡¯ll be hoping for your failure from my post, Nananiel. Then, hopefully, someone with real competence can take your position.¡± A red light discharged from her Container, and she vanished. ¡°Wow, she really wants your job.¡± Dabriel chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m going back, too. Me and the Virtues will write some songs of encouragement as we wait for the Fourteenth. Byeeeee.¡± There was a blue light, and he disappeared. Nananiel¡¯s eyes fell back on the girl. ¡°Naomi,¡± he muttered. Drips of sweat escaped from his brow and stung his eye. He closed it and hissed. ¡°This isn¡¯t a bad idea. Winterberry¡¯s Adytum is the main one out of the three. If anyone of the Tainted Generation were to show up to break the Seals, they¡¯d take the best of their firepower to this Adytum. Naomi is powerful.¡± Nananiel looked over to Virgil for approval. ¡°But has no combat experience,¡± Virgil said, finally commenting. He brushed down his tie and put a hand on Nananiel¡¯s back. ¡°I say it¡¯s time for some words of encouragement.¡± Nananiel held Virgil¡¯s daunting gaze and groaned. He glanced at his subordinates, pursed his lips, and took several steps forward. The Dominion angels turned to him without command. ¡°I will not lie to any of you. Many angels will probably die this evening, but I promise you, none of the deaths will be in vain.¡± he started. ¡°Whichever miscreant of the Fourteenth Tainted Generation chooses to oppose us, the Dominions, the protectors of this Realm ¡ª the inheritance Father left us, shall be executed on sight and shown no mercy. Destruction of their mortal shells and the containment of their souls are the only acceptable outcomes of this operation. That¡¯s all.¡± Nananiel cleaned his neck with the handkerchief and retreated to Virgil. The Dominions returned to goggling at the blonde girl. ¡°Well, said. You actually sounded like a leader,¡± Virgil complimented. ¡°Can you just take over again? This is exhausting. Look at how much I am sweating.¡± ¡°Get a new container already, and no, I warned you about the strains that came with the title.¡± ¡°I was young and na?ve. It¡¯s your job to manage that as an Elder. Just take it back,¡± Nananiel whined. Virgil chuckled. ¡°Never. I like my position now. All the credentials and authority without having to worry about responsibility, consequences, and liabilities.¡± This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Nananiel glared at the grinning, worn-out Dominion. The retired life seemed nice. He fantasized about it for a bit until he caught a glimpse of Kalmiya emerging from down the hall. He peered at her as she slogged towards him. Virgil turned to her and asked, ¡°Where were you?¡± Kalmiya slowly came to a halt before the two. She was shivering, her skin flushed, and her cheeks sunken. She focused on them with dead fish eyes but replied vigorously, ¡°I apologize. I thought I was supposed to be in one of the other Adyta with either Elder Brother Dabriel or Elder Sister Irin.¡± Nananiel¡¯s face went vacant. He opened his mouth to say something, but Virgil beat him to it. ¡°Your Container is pale. Is everything okay?¡± ¡°I feel fine. These Containers are always acting up. It¡¯s such a hassle to find a good one these days.¡± She forced a smile and brushed through between Nananiel and Virgil. They shivered intensely and whipped back to Kalmiya as she halted to study Naomi. ¡°Is that a Dominion, too?¡± She asked. Nananiel stored his handkerchief and kept both hands open. ¡°Kalmiya,¡± he said, ¡°are you sure you are okay?¡± Kalmiya turned her head back at a dangerous 180-degree angle and flashed a wealthy smile. ¡°Yes, Brother Nananiel.¡± Unconvinced, Nananiel analyzed her from top to bottom. He took one step forward and said, ¡°Kalmiya, cite the Dominion Oath.¡± Kalmiya froze with a smile on her face. A tiny crack appeared in the center of her forehead. Browning blood oozed from it. She didn¡¯t seem to mind as it touched her upper lip. When she noticed the horror on their faces, ¡°Damn,¡± she said, ¡°I should¡¯ve studied that one.¡± ¡°Sister Kalmiya¡¯s Container has been corrupted!¡± Nananiel shouted loud enough to be heard across the vast room, echoing tumultuously in every angel¡¯s ear. The intruder inside Kalmiya twisted her smile into an insidious one as the other angels locked their eyes on her. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re all more attentive than I had speculated. The angels are a brilliant race.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll eject you, deviant!¡± Nananiel charged forward and then halted as the intruder burst Kalmiya¡¯s shirt open, revealing an ungodly sigil painted on the upper chest over the swathed breasts. ¡°Sorry, but I am not going anywhere just yet,¡± the intruder sneered. ¡°Wait, is that¡ªis that¡ªdid you seal yourself in?¡± Virgil went bug-eyed and muttered, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a seal like that since¡ª¡± ¡°The days of the Thirteenth Tainted Generation?¡± The intruder snickered. Nananiel stretched his hand to his side and summoned his divine sword ¡ª smithed with a long white gold blade, edges lined with a warm yellow hue rising from an aurous winged hilt. ¡°Destroy the Container!¡± Virgil summoned his holy spiked hammer ¡ª the face of the polearm shone as brightly as a sun. Dominions rushed to the intruder in every direction as they summoned their divine weapons. Naomi stood, paralyzed and wide-eyed, watching the spectacle. Nananiel and the angels drove their holy blades through the corrupted Container from every cardinal, ordinal, and inter-ordinal point. The newly assumed pincushion bobbed in place as more cracks crawled up the torso and face. Virgil slammed the face of the hammer onto the top of the head of Kalmiya¡¯s corrupted Container. The spikes adhered. Brown sludge squirted out of the wound and trickled down the face. The intruder remained quiet, not even entertaining the angels with a groan. As the soundless air took over, Nananiel did a mental count of the angels with him. He hissed and then looked over to Naomi. One Dominion, in a twitchy male Container, was creeping up to her from the side. ¡°Containers are a very dangerous thing,¡± the roguish male Dominion said. Naomi looked over at him and trembled. Nananiel couldn¡¯t find the time to speak and order his agents. He gripped the hilt of his sword and hastily tried to pull it out. The first intruder said in a demonic voice, ¡°Containers curse you winged morons in this Realm.¡± The Dominion¡¯s compromised Containers recited an ancient incantation in unison and alarmingly quickly. Before Nananiel and the other angels had the time to register the incantation being sung in a language they¡¯d never heard before, their mouths stretched open, jaws pulled down by an invisible force, and their cheeks elongated and extended painfully, well past their breaking point like a human on a rack. The pain was unlike anything he felt before. Nananiel screamed, and something ripped in the throat of his Container, silencing his voice. His eyes prickled and filled with tears as he watched baby blue spheres of light eject from out of the mouths of his subordinates¡¯ Containers and into Kalmiya¡¯s corrupted Container. Nananiel saw Virgil¡¯s soul get ejected as well, and then nothing. Blackness fills his vision. A void, an endless abyss, was all he could see. The air he no longer could feel was now noiseless. The scent was just as empty as the lack of taste. This was what came before existence and what came after being exiled from it. Non-existence. Limbo.
Zeke arrived at the scene rather unceremoniously. He crashed into a table, hitting the edge with his hip bone, hissing under his breath, and then said, ¡°If I knew you were this much of an asshole, I would¡¯ve never pushed her to you!¡± Zeke glowered at Raylan and his group, forming a wart between his brows. His lip quivered, and his jaw quaked. The group remained undaunted. Raylan raised his hands in peace with a crude smile playing on his lips. ¡°It was an accident. Honestly.¡± Zeke¡¯s head throbbed. He pressed two fingers into the side of his head, pinched some flesh, and rubbed it between his fingers and thumb. He kept blinking as if he was having a seizure. Cotton Pants chuckled at the sight. Zeke looked over to AJ. She was kneeling now and stared back with a woeful look, a silent plea to stay down. ¡°I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d tumble that hard¡­¡± Raylan said on a low level, but Zeke heard. Raylan sprouted out of his seat. ¡°But hypothetically, even if it weren¡¯t an accident.¡± He moved up to Zeke. ¡°What¡¯re you going to do about it? You¡¯re just a dweeb that probably jacks off to 2D pixelated girls all day.¡± Nothing reached Zeke¡¯s ears after the comment. He glanced over to Raylan¡¯s group, who all had sardonic smiles. He let go of the flesh he was pinching onto and used his shaking hand to comb his hair back. ¡°Careful now, Zeke. Remember, Violet isn¡¯t here to protect you anymore,¡± Cotton Pants said. Zeke escaped to the dim recesses of his mind. Violet was there. A little Argentinian girl who stood up for him, Ugo, and AJ since they were 11 years old. She rose to leader status of their group despite being the last one to join. She slipped into their lives out of nowhere, and the most mysterious thing about her was her bewitching dark cobalt blue eyes that, at times, seemed to have a violet hue, hence her birth name. He replayed the time when she broke the nose of a 13-year-old on the school canteen counter during lunch when he wouldn¡¯t give Ugo his GameGuy back. She didn¡¯t stop there. She clutched handfuls of fries and bread and crammed them into his face. His crying incentivized Violet to go even further, and she squirted milk out of a carton to commingle with the tears, snot, grease, potato mash, and wheat spread on his face. Violet, La Heroina Violenta, he remembered some other Hispanic students called her. Whenever pissed off enough, she would scowl at her enemies up close, and the gloss in her eyes made it look as if they turned into purple-shining headlights. It was a weird phenomenon that people had to experience for themselves to fully understand it. She was the closest thing to a comic book character Zeke had ever seen in real life. It¡¯s been three years since her parents got fed up with her antics and sent her to an all-girls Catholic boarding school in Argentina. Violet couldn¡¯t protect them. He realized how he, Ugo, and AJ always avoided conflict since then. Zeke returned to the real world and found the scene in the same way as he left it. ¡°Well, are you going to do something, or can I get back to my food and friends?¡± Raylan said. Was he going to do something? What could he do? Violence ran in his family, but he had no way to channel it, or maybe he just wasn¡¯t willing to. Zeke¡¯s eyes dropped to the floor. His head was still throbbing, and then he took notice of his heart punching against his chest. Zeke¡¯s legs begged to turn away. He clenched his entire body to silence it and tried to clear his head, but it was difficult to, as he noticed a minty breath clogging his nostrils. It was maybe too minty¡­ That¡¯s it. Zeke was smirking. He froze and relaxed his body. An answer popped up in his mind¡¯s eye. ¡°Raylan, you¡¯re sick, aren¡¯t you?¡± His inner doctor was being paged. Zeke glanced over to the Caesar salad and back to Raylan. He squinted and then sniffed his mouth. Raylan pulled back and pushed him away. ¡°Your breath is really minty fresh.¡± Zeke continued. ¡°How many mints do you pop in your mouth per day? I bet you¡¯ve got sugarless gum in your pocket, too. Is that just paranoia?¡± ¡°I take care of my teeth, so what?¡± ¡°Everybody¡¯s having beer and pizza, and you¡¯re just having water and a salad? You all brought fake IDs, and you won¡¯t even take advantage of that? How odd.¡± Zeke paused, walked over to the salad, and sniffed it. ¡°No garlic. You had the waiter do that favor for you, huh? And coincidentally, our Caesar salad is the one salad we have that doesn¡¯t include onions.¡± He turned to the rest of the group and explained, ¡°Your buddy over here has really bad breath. Now, halitosis can be caused for a number of reasons, some cancers, liver failure, and other metabolic diseases.¡± He turned to Raylan. ¡°But you¡¯re a baseball player, so I¡¯m pretty sure your case is just the result of poor oral hygiene. It looks like the baseball star didn¡¯t listen to Mommy and kept on shoving food in his mouth, forgetting to brush his teeth from time to time. When the food gets stuck between your teeth and stays there for a long time, it becomes particles that promote bacteria growth that spreads in your mouth. Start flossing and using fluoride toothpaste. You may want to reduce sugarless gum consumption; they contain laxatives and cause diarrhea, supposing you aren¡¯t already dealing with it. Now I know why you¡¯re single.¡± The bar went quiet. Chapter 5 - Diagnosis Raylan¡¯s mouth fell open, spreading more of his minty breath outwards. ¡°Oh, shit, Raylan got schooled,¡± Fidgeter said. Zeke shifted his focus onto Cotton Pants, who was oblivious to the situation. He drummed his fingers on the table continually. ¡°Hey, you there, is there something wrong?¡± Zeke said to him. ¡°You seem on edge. Could it be related to why you¡¯re wearing such loose pants compared to everybody else¡¯s cool and tight skinny jeans? Oh, it must be that, then.¡± ¡°What?¡± Cotton Pants grumbled. ¡°You really want to scratch that itch, huh? But you can¡¯t do it here in public; would you like to be excused once again to deal with the fungus growing on your crotch in the bathroom?¡± Zeke grinned when he saw the panic spread on his face. He shuddered with excitement. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, your jock itch is easy to treat, so stop depending on the internet and just go to the doctor already before it spreads, and start bathing and changing clothes after practice.¡± Cotton Pants lowered his head, utterly defeated. Fidgeter moved up and down in his seat and meekly lifted a finger. ¡°Hey, um, Zeke, I have a problem¡­¡± he began with urgency growing in his eyes. Zeke locked onto him and grinned. ¡°The itchiness?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± he answered. Raylan smacked upside Fidgeter¡¯s head. ¡°The hell are you doing?¡± ¡°Let me tell you what it could be,¡± Zeke said, gaining their attention. ¡°You might want to follow Raylan¡¯s lead and stick to water until you get to the doctor and get cured. Several reasons could cause that itch. It could be related to hemorrhoids or fissures, but then again, we do live in a world where very unlikely medical scenarios have occurred.¡± Zeke put a finger on his chin and curled his lip to the side. ¡°So, I say that it isn¡¯t much of a stretch to suggest that this could result from excessive masturbation.¡± Fidgeter shot up like a cannonball and scowled down at Zeke, attempting to intimidate him with his sky-scraping height. He stayed silent for the full effect to overwhelm Zeke. ¡°What did you just say?¡± he asked in a low, hoarse voice. ¡°You asked for my medical opinion, didn¡¯t you?¡± Zeke said with a wolfish smile. ¡°I¡¯m not like you; I¡¯ve got a girl. I don¡¯t need to jerk off.¡± Zeke smiled. ¡°Oh, in that case¡­.¡± He looked up at the bully and intoned in a flat voice, ¡°This may be a case of your girlfriend not knowing how to wash her privates properly or you not knowing how to wash your own ass. I can give you a few pointers if you wa¡ª¡± A fist flew at his face and erased the end of his sentence. His body followed the direction his head jerked to, and he crashed into the floor. ¡°Zeke!¡± AJ got up and rushed to his aid. ¡°Beat it, sasquatch! I¡¯m going to kick his ass!¡± Zeke noticed Ugo from the corner of his eye; he was strolling out of the kitchen with a rubber waterproof apron on. Ugo said, ¡°Well, I heard plates breaking, so I came out here to see who I should be thanking for making my job easier.¡± ¡°Get out of the way, or I¡¯ll kick your ass, too!¡± the Fidgeter screamed at AJ. As a proud spectator, Zeke witnessed Ugo turn to them and sprint in their direction, but his path was blocked by Raylan, who then shoved him back. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Raylan said. ¡°Aw, looks like I made Zeke¡¯s Puerto Rican lover weally mwad.¡± ¡°I am a Spaniard, cabron! And he¡¯s not my lover!¡± The rest of the entourage stood up and walked up behind Raylan. ¡°Are you sure you want to do this? Have you ever been in a fight before?¡± ¡°No, but I¡¯ve taken part in exactly 153,678 fights virtually,¡± he said as he raised his fists. ¡°I¡¯m great at fighting games, so I must have some skill in an actual¡ª¡± A left hook corkscrewed into his bottom lip and spun him around. ¡°Fight,¡± he muttered, disoriented, and then collapsed. ¡°Mora!¡± Zeke gripped the edge of the table and forced himself up. He ran past Fidgeter and grasped the back of Raylan¡¯s long brown hair. He pulled him back to the table and slammed his face into the pizza plate. Raylan raised his head and was met with a weak punch from Zeke that was enough to knock him into a chair. Zeke hissed as the pain shot up his knuckles in coordination with the pain buzzing in his cheek from the punch he received a few seconds back. As soon as Zeke touched his reddening cheek, two guys tackled him to the ground. While under the bullies, Zeke could see AJ and Ugo rise. AJ was glancing at them over and over while cowering. Ugo leaped onto the two guys on top of Zeke, and Fidgeter dove onto the pile. Afterward, they all got up and attacked each other with whatever resources they had¡ªthrowing punches and kicks, grabbing plates and cups from nearby tables, and flinging them across the room to their opponents. Snapping out of her indecisive stupor, AJ joined the two-against-four grudge match by picking up a tray and swinging it across Cotton Pants¡¯ face. The band of three channeled the will of La Heroina Violenta.
Naomi found it painful to breathe. The silence that replaced the angelic cries of agony came abruptly and was dizzying. She gawked at Kalmiya¡¯s decrepit, crumbling Container that stood atop a pile of inactive angelic Containers flopped on the sandstone layout of the Adytum. The intruder from inside the compromised Container stuck their thumb out and drove it into the sigil on their chest. They sang a silent, quick incantation, and a black ball of energy exited from their mouth and flew out of the area. The Container froze in place. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Naomi heard footsteps and turned to her side. She was reminded of the other intruder in the male angel¡¯s Container. The intruder sauntered to the barrier, put their hand over it, and started an incantation. Kalmiya¡¯s Container buckled and turned its head full circle to the barrier. The cracks worsened and spread across the Container¡¯s face. Subsequently, a bright blue ray of light burst the face open and blasted towards the barrier continually. Naomi analyzed the beam and noticed that they were composed of spheres of pure blue light ¡ª angelic souls. She couldn¡¯t hold back her trembling as she stood there and did nothing. The spell was ridiculously long. She had more than enough time to eradicate the intruder, but she had to convince herself to do so. Halfway through negotiating with herself, the intruder cited the last words, and the souls gushing out of the Container halted. The faceless Container fell to the floor. The intruder took their hand off the barrier and doubled over to catch their breath. The Container the intruder occupied was deteriorating rapidly. They quizzically stared at the paralyzed Naomi and said, ¡°You were surprisingly idle.¡± The barrier sparked and dimmed. Its sigils faded. ¡°Why did you do that?¡± Naomi mumbled. ¡°Why did you do nothing?¡± The intruder asked and then cocked a broken smile. She heard crackling and looked at the other doors on the room¡¯s walls. They were breaking, and their sigils were dissipating. The doors disintegrated, and many spirits, phantoms, and souls ranging from a myriad of colors spilled out. Some were nebulous and shapeless blobs; others took the form of apparitions of warped, screaming faces. Some flew for the exit while the rest swarmed hectically like moths. The rancid stench of sulfur and rotten eggs and the chaotic demon whispering overwhelmed Naomi. She staggered back, shrieked, and balled up on the floor, covering her head as spirits tried to attack her. The intruder stared briefly, then pressed their thumb into the center of the Container¡¯s chest, recited an incantation, and ejected in soul form; a bone-white sphere of energy fled the scene. Naomi felt the spirits strike and seep their demonic energy into her by firing dark beams and clinging onto her flesh. She retaliated by sprouting out her giant gray wings from her back, tearing apart her white shirt and dark blue linen blazer. The spirits pushed back and halted. Her wings were massive and seemed disproportionate to her body. They looked like they belonged to someone of greater height. They had jutted, sharp tips that resembled that of a beast and were a multicolored wonder. Light white at the top, charcoal gray in the middle, and jet black at the end. Her wings rose and arched, taking an even more imposing shape; the coruscating tips along the curve lengthened, and then they dropped, launching her upwards, leaving a white dust tail like a comet that peacefully eddied on the floor. She flapped her wings again, leveling and protruding to either side, allowing her to cut through the air seamlessly. A horde of black globs chased after her.
The azure-hazed night sky speckled with white stars had a lavender effect on Zeke upon gazing at it while perched at the end of the rustic wooden docks. The earthy scent that rose from the wood and blended with the piquant, salty aroma from the sea tickled his nose. The humming of the water was gentle on his ears. All this and clenching his discoloring doctor¡¯s bag in his arms, allowing him to focus on the leather smudging into his fingertips, made him ignore the purple bruise on the side of his face, just below his eye. Other tiny blemishes patterned on his face attempted to bother Zeke with the pain as well. He was glad that he could get his bag from the locker after the bar manager, Gale, a burly woman, showed up amid the chaos, and he, Ugo, and AJ quit on the spot and ran. And now he was with said criminals, luxuriating at the edge of some random, abandoned factory docks they found during their escape. AJ and Ugo were on either side of Zeke. He patched Ugo with a bandage under his lip and one over his eyebrow. He also mended AJ¡¯s scraped knee with some gauze and checked her shoulder for any injuries; it was sturdy as usual. Saving her hair from the cheese was a failed attempt; the best Zeke could do was pick off some bits of meat, chips, beans, and jalapenos, but she assured him she didn¡¯t care. ¡°Now, that¡¯s one hell of a way to quit a job!¡± Ugo cheered and then hissed at the pain immediately afterward. Zeke smiled for a second. He took notice that his hands were still shaking. A knot formed in his throat, and he slowly eased back into panic. ¡°You think she called the cops?¡± Zeke paused for a moment. ¡°She definitely called the cops; we broke some stuff. How much do you think we owe her? Dios Mio, what if she called Mom and Dad.¡± ¡°Well, we haven¡¯t received any calls yet.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t your phones still on silent mode? Why not check to see?¡± AJ said. ¡°In that case, I¡¯d prefer not to and be surprised when we come home,¡± Ugo said. AJ sucked her teeth and pondered. ¡°Yeah, good idea. I might as well enjoy freedom before returning home and having it taken away forever by my dad,¡± She looked over to Zeke. ¡°What you did back there. It was crazy. I never want you to do anything like that again, but¡­ thank you,¡± She moved her eyes down to her hands. ¡°You can also thank us by crushing on an actually decent guy next time,¡± Ugo said. ¡°If I knew our little girl was ready for boys, I would¡¯ve scouted one out for you. ¡° AJ gave Ugo a vacant look and then eyed Zeke once again. ¡°You were just like Violet back there.¡± Zeke grinned and then scoffed as he shook his head. ¡°Thanks,¡± he wanted to stop there, but a gnawing feeling in his chest forced him to continue, even though his throat hurt like someone was repeatedly punching into the back of it. ¡°But the difference between her and me is that she would''ve won that fight alone. Overall, I was super ineffective.¡± ¡°No, you weren''t. You aren¡¯t ineffective, Mano. You¡¯re awesome. How many times do I have to remind you? With all the Black Souls and Monster World trivia championships you¡¯ve won? You can name all three hundred monsters for crying out loud! Is that all meaningless? If that''s not skill, then what is?¡± Ugo''s claims confused Zeke. His brother professed about pulling all-nighters to learn the intricacies of complex combo systems and memorizing facts and the names of fictitious creatures¡ªwhich weren¡¯t much different from plain gibberish¡ªas if it meant something in the real world. It didn''t attract them dates or any sort of validation from their parents¡ªno real prestige. ¡°It''s all useless, Mora.¡± ¡°How about me? You don¡¯t think that ranking the 7th best player worldwide in Blitz Fighter is a skill that matters?¡± Ugo said. ¡°I¡¯m the best player in the state, one of the best in the country! Or how about being one of the only 15 people in the world who beat Maniaman on hyper mode? Do you have any idea how fast and insane that is? Are all the championships I''ve won meaningless to you?¡± ¡°In the grand scheme of things, yes, they are meaningless!¡± Zeke looked away and lost the strength to comment any further. This is the roommate whom he paired with for years. Of course, he became a connoisseur of useless information and, overall, a meaningless member of society who won''t be remembered for anything decent. ¡°You''re too obsessed with legacy,¡± Ugo said. ¡°And you don''t care enough about it, but you don''t get it. You come from a good family, and no one has issues with Spain. Everybody loves Spain!¡± ¡°Try saying that to Catalans.¡± The boys winded down and looked around. ¡°It¡¯s just the adrenaline talking,¡± AJ said. ¡°Everybody just try to relax.¡± Silence took over for a while, and then¡ª ¡°Hey, look!¡± Ugo shouted as he pointed at the clouded sky. Zeke looked up and peered at a scintillating white light tracing across the blue visage, enhancing the sky''s hue. ¡°Let¡¯s make a wish,¡± Ugo closed his eyes. ¡°What are we, eight again?¡± AJ said, and then Zeke closed his eyes well. Zeke was mumbling something to himself in Spanish as he heard AJ sigh. ¡°Ah, what the hell,¡± she said. The pain and tremors dissipated as Zeke focused on his wish. He allowed his body to be motionless, soaking in the chilly air in its entirety on his scrawny, sleeveless arms and absorbing the delicate murmurs of the sea. The saltiness plugged his nostrils, and with a clear mind, he could see what he wanted more than anything. More than becoming a doctor or bringing his grandmother back, he was to open his eyes and find himself in a reality where he was not cursed with a malevolent inheritance. To not be the son of Adelmo ¡®The Demon¡¯ Rosario, one of the most notorious drug traffickers in the country. A hero to the underworld and a menace to the surface. Zeke opened his eyes, and the sky was exploding. Chapter 6 - Patient Intense white-gray flames enveloped the sky, and an expanding circle of the same hue was in the center. Zeke¡¯s eyes watered and felt like they were being pushed back with a needle, but he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off the divinity. It seemed sinful to even think about looking away. ¡°Um¡­ I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a shooting star,¡± Zeke uttered. The flames extinguished on their own, and a large ball of light fell out of the darkening sky and punched through the roof of the abandoned factory building. The sky was normal again, as if it had never changed. Zeke turned to AJ and found her hissing and wiping tears from her eyes. When he turned to the other side, Ugo sprung up and dashed to the old brick structure. Zeke grabbed the handle of his doctor¡¯s bag and got up, and so did AJ, and they went after Ugo. ¡°Mora!¡± Zeke shouted when he entered the confines of the shrouded building that was being provided with dim light descending from the hole above. It reeked of cat urine, corroding metal, and wet, rotten bananas. The stench refused to subside as he crept around the area with AJ, searching for Ugo. The industrial interior was vast, with yellowing and greening concrete columns. Moss was trying to take over ¡ª it mushroomed, alongside stale-colored blotches, all over the floor and walls, and on wooden tables and flipped over crates and buckets. Decaying machines had tall tubes that shot up and then forward and then down with a jagged spiral disc at the end; there were other machines just like it that had large spotted vats with the disc in the center. They cautiously stepped over the pipes sprawled on the ground and avoided stepping on any sticky-looking substances. Zeke spotted Ugo standing still. He and AJ legged up to him and slowed as they approached a crater. They halted at the edge of it and stood alongside Ugo. He stared at the center of the bowl-shaped depression ¡ª a girl in a mangled school outfit lay there. Her hair was a confusing blend of white, black, and gray ¡ª streaks of the three colors raced across, and her skin was as white as a sheet of paper with lips that were thin and dark as graphite. The pained expression drawn on her face with eyes clamped shut made for a concerning visage. Zeke could hear heavy breaths from her where he stood. He looked up at the gap in the ceiling and squinted at a tiny ray of light particles. He followed it with his eyes and ended up staring back at the girl again. ¡°By the way, this is exactly what I wished for,¡± Ugo said. ¡°Okay¡­ there has to be a scientific, rational explanation for this,¡± AJ said. She looked at Zeke. ¡°We¡¯re waiting.¡± Zeke stammered. He swung his bag back and forth in his hand and said, ¡°The human body is capable of impossible feats. Some have survived falls from planes and the top of Niagara Falls.¡± ¡°Did you see that light?¡± Ugo said. Zeke remained silent. ¡°Whatever this is. It isn¡¯t the result of some wish you made, Ugo,¡± AJ said. ¡°Is she even alive?¡± Zeke said. ¡°If not, she¡¯s the hottest corpse I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to start recording the trash that comes out of your mouth so that you can listen to it for yourself,¡± AJ said. ¡°It¡¯ll probably have no effect on him,¡± Zeke lamented. Ugo patted Zeke on the back. ¡°Go do your thing, mano.¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± Zeke looked over to the girl ¡ª his duty was calling. He put on a brave face, placed his bag down, and took a pair of blue latex exam gloves from it. He equipped them, took one more look at the girl, and slid down the crater. He trod toward the girl and then slowed down to screw up his face as a miasma of sulfur and rotten egg attacked his nose. He halted and gagged. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ugo yelled. ¡°She smells a bit¡­ funky¡­ okay, really funky.¡± Ugo pondered and put his hand on his chin. ¡°Alright, she¡¯s a bit smelly. I can deal with that. At least I can play the hypocrite card if she ever complains about how I smell.¡± Ugo peered down and asked, ¡°Does her breath stink, too?¡± Zeke attempted to keep his nostrils from inhaling as long as possible as he sped up to the girl and kneeled to her. A pungent whiff shot right into his orifice. ¡°Yeah, it smells like something died inside her,¡± he said, switching to his mouth to breathe. He still smelled it. ¡°What?¡± Ugo jerked his head back and groaned. Then, he assured himself, ¡°Okay, I can manage.¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± AJ asked Ugo. He was far gone in his fantasy to respond. Zeke placed one hand over her forehead ¡ª a malignant frost bit into his skin. He pulled his hand back. ¡°Whoa.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± AJ asked. ¡°She¡¯s cold, like, freezing,¡± Zeke said. He looked up at them. ¡°Way too cold for someone to be alive, like the temperature of a corpse stored in a morgue.¡± He scratched his head and studied the girl. Her tricolor hair was alluring; it looked like a bold fashion statement. He made a comparison in his head between her temperature and that of an ice cube plucked right out of the freezer. Despite how cold she was, she was definitely alive. This was a bizarre medical phenomenon, Zeke convinced himself. ¡°I want to put her in a recovery position, but I¡¯m afraid of moving her. There might be a spinal injury¡­ well, there definitely has to be; she fell from the sky. Oh, Dio Mio, how do I make sense of this?¡± The girl¡¯s body convulsed suddenly. Zeke backed up and noticed that the fingertips on her right hand were blackening and becoming as dark as an olive. He watched until her body calmed down a bit and then gently raised her right hand to examine. He analyzed the palm that looked ghostly pale and then turned it over and saw that the back of her hand was only slightly darker. During the observation, Zeke detected black spots freckled up the side of her neck. He leaned towards it and made out a faint sound. It was slow and rhythmic: lub¡­ lub¡­ lub¡­ lub¡­ lub. Zeke¡¯s mouth fell open. Did he gain superhuman hearing? He pushed his ear down onto her chest. Ugo blushed with fury. ¡°Hey, Zeke, no fair!¡± The organ murmured just as low: lub¡­ lub¡­ lub¡­ lub. Zeke bit his lip as her icy physique burned the cartilage in his ear. Without warning, the beating sped up: dub-dub-dub-dub. It sounded muffled, and he could also hear merciless whooshing, like the wind from a tundra, and whispering in something that had to be gibberish; the voices were shrill and childlike. It slowed again: lub... lub¡­ lub¡­ lub. Abruptly, it stopped and then sped up: dub-dub-dub-dub-dub-dub. It stopped again and then restarted the sequence. The stink crawled its way up into his nostrils, and Zeke retched but tried to focus on what might be the most unique heartbeat in history, Stolen novel; please report. A lanky hand dropped on his back and grabbed a handful of the cotton of his T-shirt. Zeke was wrenched back and fell on his side. ¡°Okay, Zeke, that¡¯s enough!¡± Zeke gave Ugo a look. ¡°Mora, this is serious. Her heartbeat is more than just abnormal.¡± Ugo crouched to the girl. ¡°How many heartbeats have you heard in your life? I¡¯m sure she is just special.¡± AJ slid down and approached them as Zeke got back on his feet. ¡°Let¡¯s just call 911 already,¡± AJ said. ¡°What are we going to explain to them?¡± Zeke asked. Ugo leered at the unconscious girl, enamored by her perfect beauty, and extended his hand towards her. A pale, blackening right hand gripped onto his wrist. He froze and squealed, ¡°Guys¡­¡± Zeke and AJ turned to Ugo. They froze as well. The girl¡¯s eyes ripped open, and her right was a misty gray with the iris and pupil missing. Her face became mean and withered as she spat rapidly without falter, like a machine gun, in a tumultuous, deep voice, speaking something that didn¡¯t sound human. The previously unconscious girl applied more pressure on her grip ¡ª crack ¡ª Ugo shrilled. ¡°Somebody do something!¡± Ugo cried. Zeke went into auto-pilot, put his hand on his head, and then squealed several exclamations in Spanish, some he didn¡¯t even realize he still remembered. ¡°Like what?¡± AJ yelled. ¡°Cut her hand off! It¡¯s okay! I can deal with having a girl short on one hand!¡± ¡°You¡¯re still thinking about that?¡± The girl twisted his hand in one direction. Ugo bent back. ¡°You can¡¯t take this hand! It¡¯s my favorite one!¡± Zeke slid his hands down his head and entered mental nirvana. He stared at Ugo with a warm smile. ¡°Okay, there¡¯s nothing else we can do. AJ, let¡¯s leave. I¡¯ll miss you, Mano,¡± he lamented calmly.¡± ¡°Cabron! Don¡¯t you dare leave me!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell Mom and Dad that I did everything I could. Don¡¯t worry, I promise that your funeral will be beautiful! A real tear-jerker!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll haunt your ass!¡± Ugo paused. ¡°Wait, if I die with anger and regrets, I get all the perks that come with being a ghost, right?¡± He stroked his chin and cracked a lecherous smile. ¡°Maybe this won¡¯t be so bad.¡± Crack! He started screaming again. ¡°Please, just go to Hell instead,¡± AJ said. The girl let go and choked. Her chest arched up like the back of a threatened cat; Ugo goggled at it with a mile-wide smile, and then the girl hurled a slimy glob of black goo onto his striped hoodie. Some of it flecked onto the bottom of his chin. The room hushed as the gang held their breaths, and the girl looked into Ugo¡¯s eyes and then muttered in a small, brittle voice, ¡°Help me.¡± Her eyelids fell shut, and she collapsed, making a gentle thud sound when her back hit the ground. Zeke, Ugo, and AJ let out big breaths simultaneously. Ugo stood up and doubled over as he cupped his sore wrist. He walked back to his friends. The trio spent the next fifteen minutes in recovery, licking their mental wounds, and Zeke worked on Ugo¡¯s physical wound. He was huddled at one end of the crater with Ugo, patching his wrist with fresh gauze from his doctor¡¯s bag. It was only a sprain; Zeke was surprised that Ugo didn¡¯t make a joke about how this wouldn¡¯t be the first time he sprained his wrist. Ugo¡¯s eyes stayed glued on the girl, whom they left spread on the ground, shivering with his black goop-splattered hoodie over her chest. AJ kept a great distance from the girl as she eyed her, standing at one side of the crater, leaning back onto the wall with her arms folded. Zeke wrapped the tape around the gauze and cut off the end with a pair of scissors. He removed his gloves, tossed them away, stored the rest of his equipment in his first aid kit box, and then put it inside his bag. ¡°I wonder what she has,¡± he said. ¡°You think this is some kind of sickness?¡± ¡°Upper gastrointestinal bleeding and other possibilities have been recorded to cause black vomit.¡± ¡°You said her heartbeat was really weird, too. I think I heard it as well. And what about the black spots on her skin, her fingertips, and um... I feel like I¡¯m forgetting something... It¡¯s pretty minor¡ªOh, yeah! The demonic voice and monstrous strength! She almost broke my wrist; it¡¯s a miracle that nothing happened. If she held on any longer, she probably would¡¯ve torn my whole arm off! And you think she has a cold or something!?¡± Zeke paused. ¡°Okay... maybe it¡¯s a really bad cold.¡± Ugo squinted silently at Zeke, smacked him across the face, and then grabbed onto his shoulders. ¡°Stop trying to look at this from a scientific point of view. Wake up, Zeke! She¡¯s being possessed,¡± Ugo said. ¡°By a demon!¡± ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous,¡± AJ said from the other side. ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb, AJ. You saw all that. Nothing normal can explain that! ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean that it¡¯s related to the supernatural.¡± ¡°Am I the only one who saw the sky on fire?¡± Ugo said belligerently. He got up and approached AJ. ¡°If you believe that this is all normal, then how come you¡¯re not calling 911, huh?¡± ¡°I¡ªI¡ªI¡¯m going to. I¡ªI¡ªI just forgot to¡­¡± AJ reached into her pocket and whipped out her cell. ¡°Put your phone away; she¡¯s possessed!¡± he said. ¡°We can¡¯t take her to a hospital. What if the demon gets loose there?¡± Ugo argued. ¡°No type of general medicine can cure her.¡± Zeke felt a ping in his head. It prompted him to rummage through his bag and pull out his grandmother¡¯s black book. He flipped through its pages as he heard Ugo and AJ arguing. ¡°Who we should call is the Pope! Or you know, Jesus!¡± Ugo said. ¡°Does anybody here know any priests? Any Martin Luther types? Any badass demon hunters on speed dial?¡± ¡°Okay, fine.¡± AJ conceded. ¡°She¡¯s possessed. Let¡¯s just get out of here already!¡± ¡°No! We can¡¯t just leave her.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t even know her, and you¡¯re just saying that because you think she¡¯s hot.¡± ¡°Yeah, I do! So, what if that¡¯s part of the reason? Look, she asked for help. Didn¡¯t you see the fear in her eyes? We can¡¯t just leave her like that. To let that demon take over and probably kill loads of people in Winterberry afterward.¡± ¡°Ugo, what¡¯re we gonna do? We¡¯re just a couple of teenagers. You get winded by doing a couple of jumping jacks!¡± ¡°Oh, here we go with the fitness crap!¡± ¡°Having soda for breakfast isn¡¯t healthy, Ugo! And it wouldn¡¯t kill you to go for a morning jog.¡± ¡°I drink it with a BLT sandwich on the side! Oh, and what are its ingredients? Bacon¡­ let-tuce and¡­ to-ma-to! And I can¡¯t run every morning. We have school, remember?¡± ¡°Then wake up at 5am!¡± Ugo froze and gave her a glazed look. ¡°This and the poop charts are why we kicked you out of the group chat.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it just you and Zeke now? How is that any different from texting him directly?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be bitter.¡± Zeke muted the two in his head. He didn¡¯t quite understand what he hoped to find, but he couldn¡¯t shake off the lessons his grandmother etched into his mind. If ¡ª If! This was a case of demon possession; there had to be an answer in the book. An interesting page flew by. He stopped and went back to it. The page exhibited a sigil of a cross with curved lines on each end and a large one stricken behind it sideways. Under it was scrawled: PARA EMERGENCIAS! It was like Grandma Esther was signaling him from the great beyond. The power of the sigils. She said that once he was old enough, there were certain sigils that he could use to help him out of... abnormal situations like this. Every time he visited her in the ward, she¡¯d draw it for him on a napkin or paper, but he always ended up losing or having it thrown away by his mother whenever she found it. Zeke rose and turned the page over to Ugo and AJ. ¡°Guys, look at this.¡± Ugo and AJ silenced and looked at the sigil. ¡°Is that the vieja¡¯s book?¡± ¡°What does it say under the sigil?¡± AJ asked. ¡°For emergencies,¡± Zeke said. ¡°So, we¡¯re going to fall back on your grandmother¡¯s theories to resolve this situation?¡± AJ groaned. Zeke heaved a loud sigh and lowered the book. ¡°Look, AJ, my whole world is falling apart, okay? I¡¯m a very open-minded person, but to be honest, I always found the things that my grandmother told me to be simply fairy tales which I listened to because I found them to be intriguing, just like all the useless information I put in my head, from video games and comic books and movies and TV shows. I just found it all to be interesting, that¡¯s it! ¡°Never in a million years did I think I would come across a case of demon possession. Now, I¡¯m thinking that maybe my grandmother wasn¡¯t crazy! Just what else is real, too? I don¡¯t think we should call 911 or just leave. I mean, it¡¯s already seen our faces. We should just send it back to Hell before it comes for us to have some fun.¡± They all took a short beat. Ugo was the first to break the silence. ¡°So, how can this sigil save her, exactly? Zeke looked around and then stopped at the machinery with a vat. It was a paint mixer. He grinned. ¡°Let¡¯s search the building. We need to find some paint.¡± Chapter 7 - Infirmary The small, dilapidated office was covered in dust. The air was stuffy and heavy, merciless to the nose, and hard to breathe in. Zeke could sense his sinuses threatening to close up as he scanned the room; next to the door was a rusty file cabinet that he believed to be pristine white at some period, and there was a yellow hard hat that surprisingly looked to be in good condition on the decaying epoxy floor coating that was marked with scratches, crushed marble, and multicolored inkblots¡ªit reminded him of a European painting. AJ moved up to the window and pried it open; the nightly autumn wind pushed itself into the room. Zeke wondered what time it was but was too afraid to check his phone. Just knowing that it was clearly past 10 p.m. was enough panic for him to handle. He turned back to the bucket of paint they found in the office. Zeke opened the lid, and the foul, sour odor of the ancient sky-blue paint hit him like a dodgeball. He winced and backed away. ¡°Is it safe to use that?¡± AJ asked. ¡°Paint has about a fifteen-year shelf life.¡± Zeke covered his nose with his arm and reached for the paint. He slowly peeled off the upper skin, releasing an even deadlier stench into the air. AJ retched. Zeke mentally transported himself to his happy place where he was a world-renowned doctor without a care in the world as he dipped his finger in the clumpy paint. It was warm, but Zeke shivered anyway; it felt like having maggots crawl around his finger ¡ª disgusting but oddly soothing in a way. Ugo entered the room with the girl in his arms, startling Zeke and AJ. ¡°So, did you guys find paint?¡± ¡°Dude, what¡¯re you doing bringing that thing here?¡± AJ badgered. ¡°I thought you were just in the other rooms searching for paint,¡± Zeke added. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to leave her in that crater like that. She needs warmth. She needs love.¡± Zeke noticed that Ugo¡¯s arm was wobbling. ¡°Mora, you sprained your wrist.¡± ¡°Eh, it doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± Zeke groaned and looked over to the black book near the bucket on the table. It was opened on the page with the emergency sigil. He raised his wet finger, slid his hand under the book, picked it up, and walked over to the door. Using his foot, he slammed the door shut with his foot and plastered his painted finger on the rotting wood. He drew the sigil. Ugo walked to a corner and gently placed the girl down. ¡°So, what exactly is supposed to happen after you draw it?¡± AJ asked. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Maybe it¡¯ll summon somebody who knows how to resolve this.¡± As Zeke moved onto the horizontal line, AJ glared at Ugo and said, ¡°If you touched her where you shouldn¡¯t have. I¡¯m helping her make a lawsuit against you once everything is over.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that, and, please, my soulmate wouldn¡¯t try to sue me.¡± ¡°You just met her.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s long enough.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even know her name.¡± ¡°I will when we fix her.¡± Zeke stepped back and said, ¡°I¡¯m done.¡± They stared at the sigil smeared on the door. ¡°Now what?¡± AJ asked. They exchanged looks with each other and said nothing. The silence stubbornly lingered in the room as they waited for something to happen. ¡°I had low expectations, and I¡¯m still disappointed,¡± Ugo said. ¡°It would¡¯ve been cool if a wormhole appeared and took us to another area like in Black Souls.¡± ¡°Mano, Dragon Blood!¡± ¡°And you guys are talking about your video games, right?¡± Ugo rushed to the door. ¡°In Dragon Blood, there¡¯s a spell in which when you draw a certain symbol on a door and open it¡­¡± he opened it. Revealing just the main area of the paint factory. ¡°Nothing happens,¡± AJ said. Zeke closed the book and grunted, ¡°Great.¡± Ugo pushed the door shut and became still all over while staring at the sigil. ¡°Wait, mano, you missed something.¡± Ugo legged back to the bucket, dipped his finger in, and returned to the door. He traced some curved lines on the ends of the cross. Zeke raised a brow and popped the book open again. He flipped to the sigil¡¯s page and saw that Ugo was right. He had only seen it once and from a distance. His brother¡¯s hidden talent was an envious one. ¡°I was literally holding it in my hand,¡± Zeke said, shaking his head. ¡°If only I had what you had,¡± AJ said to Ugo. Ugo backed away from the door and analyzed the sigil. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s right now.¡± Zeke closed the book and held it as he walked to the door. ¡°Mora, I don¡¯t think a couple of lines will make a difference. Maybe some things Aba made up and some she¡ª¡± he opened the door and didn¡¯t see the factory''s main area. Past the doorway was a room shrouded in darkness. He froze as Ugo and AJ crept up to him from behind and gawked at the inexplicably spawned space. Ugo took one step forward, and as his sole touched the beige natural stone tile cladding ¡ª the black iron candle sconces ignited and illuminated the room. Zeke followed Ugo¡¯s lead and entered the room. The scent was welcoming for how dirty the room was, and the air seemed filtered and mixed with smoked chamomile. The crackling sound of the tiny dancing fires was pleasantly soft on the ears. Standing in the room made Zeke¡¯s skin warm and smooth all over, feel as though he were being coddled in the embracing bosom of a goddess. The sconces radiated from the white stone walls blighted with patches of missing plaster and blessed with wall hangings inked with apotropaic symbols; some Zeke could easily recognize, such as the pentagram, the Eye of Ra, the Hamsa hand, and the Algiz rune. But others that didn¡¯t seem right scared him with just one glimpse, like a bleeding eye, a cross coiled with serpents, and one symbol he concluded had to be downright Satanic and tried to forget everything about it. At one end of the room, there was a colorful psychedelic tapestry of a three-faced sun, each more deranged than the last; it hung over a golden wood altar with a bowl of water. At another end were two sets of carved sofas without cushioning, a filled bookshelf, and a trestle table ¡ª all made from common timber, covered in cobwebs. ¡°What is this place?¡± Zeke muttered while scouting the place. He found a filthy, curved timber counter near a doorless arched frame. He peered down the hallway it led to, and it was dark, like a bottomless pit. Zeke turned back to the doorway they came from and could see AJ standing in the office. She entered cautiously and scanned the area. ¡°So, is there anybody here that can help us?¡± Ugo flinched and rushed back to the doorway. He exited and returned with the girl in his arms. ¡°Hello? Is there anybody here? We need some help! Anybody!¡± Ugo shouted as he looked around. He looked at the darkened corridor and approached it. ¡°We need some help over here!¡± One step in the hallway made every sconce on the wall ignite. Ugo continued shouting as he zipped down the hall. Zeke and AJ followed him. There were wooden doors on either side of the walls, each with unique relief carvings, but all were engraved with the same pentagrams over a plaque that Zeke didn¡¯t bother to read. More and more doors spawned as the long, narrow hallway extended. ¡°Is there anybody here!¡± Zeke saw Ugo shout near the hallway''s end before opening a door on his right and going in. He and AJ sped up. Zeke and AJ entered and found Ugo placing her down on a single white bed. The room was small; there was a nightstand, a large larder, a hand-carved stone flower pot that only held dirt, and a lit bronze candle chandelier hung from the ceiling. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Ugo stared at the girl and then turned back to Zeke and AJ. ¡°Did you see what the plaque on the door said? ¡®Patient Room.¡¯ Zeke¡­ do you think¡ª?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what to think, Mora.¡± ¡°Okay, there has to be someone here, right?¡± Ugo started walking. ¡°We¡¯ve got to search this entire place.¡± Zeke whipped back and stopped him, shouting, ¡°Mora, there¡¯s no mini-map in real life! You¡¯ll get lost!¡± Ugo gave him a smirk. ¡°I¡¯ll remember my way back.¡± AJ groaned. ¡°Oh, right¡­¡± Zeke noticed a door to the east side of the room and moved over to it. After opening it, he discovered a bathroom on the other side. The sconces on the ceramic tile walls flamed up. A miasma that would give a health inspector a heart attack on the spot had Zeke fight back a gag, pull his shirt collar up to his nose, and press onto it for dear life. The uncleaned bathroom was pulled right out of the 18th century and filled with amenities of the era¡ªa copper bathtub stained with age and neglect; the mythical contraption puzzled by Americans everywhere known as the bidet that resembled a pony; a fancy armchair made of oak that belonged in the private chambers of aristocrats of bygone days¡ªZeke remembered seeing it in a museum once during a field trip when he was still in elementary school. To the class¡¯s amusement and the shock of their teacher at the time, Ugo had accurately called it: ¡°the shitting chair.¡± Zeke shuddered at the thought of what nauseating horrors lay in the chamber pot hidden under the commode¡¯s leather seat. There was a reason Zeke spent longer than a second in the filthy room¡ªthe stone fountain. It had a sculpted column decorated with volutes connected to the ceiling, and the dried-up basin around it was holding mold instead of water. Zeke could see valve wheels fixed into the column¡¯s shaft. He wondered where the water would come from, but his curiosity lost the battle to his disgust, and he turned away from the room. The sconces extinguished after Zeke closed the door. He found himself giving it a lot of credit for somehow blocking the arguably deadly stink from leaking into the patient room. ¡°Don¡¯t go into the bathroom,¡± he warned his friends. The room¡¯s door slammed shut, and they popped up like a gang of meerkats who just remembered they were on the lookout. Zeke squirmed and shifted his body slightly as cold air blew in the center of his stomach. He felt the black book causing his hand to cramp up, so he switched to his other hand. ¡°Zeke¡­¡± AJ¡¯s frightened whisper had Zeke look at her ¡ª she was white as the fur of a polar bear. She was gaping forward. Zeke spun around and saw the girl¡¯s unblinking, pulsating, heterochromatic eyes beaming at him and his friends. She lay, perfectly still, on her back with her head turned to them ¡ª locked on them, like a predator who had already come up with a hundred different ways to enjoy her prey. The gray on her right had become cloudier, and the blue on her normal left eye shone like a sapphire in the deepest, darkest stone tunnel. They were open so widely that her eyelids seemed to be missing as if they were torn off. Her chest raised slowly as the rest of her body remained limp. Gravity pinched her and was slowly lifting her off the bed. She floated mid-air with her head, arms, and legs dangling about, all while maintaining her gaze on the herd she would devour. In an eye blink, she flipped up and became vertical. She floated forward with her head floppy and titled it to her right in a position that looked painful just looking at it. The veins on the side of her neck stretched and bulged, teasing that they could snap at any given moment. She stopped mid-air. Zeke, Ugo, and AJ were cowered gargoyle statues who just gawked up at her as black goo oozed from the corner of her bottom lip and colored the stone tiles with disturbing bacterial shapes. The girl raised her hand lazily with an open palm and gave Ugo a dead look. He smiled. Then, she pushed her hand forward, and Ugo flew and collided with the wall. ¡°Ugo!¡± ¡°Mora!¡± The girl spluttered in the ancient tongue with her horrifically ungodly, blusterous voice. Hearing the voice made Zeke¡¯s inner ears hurt with stabbing pain. His heart was beating so violently he swore it was bashing against his ribcage. As Zeke reached for his chest, the book slipped out of his hand; he saw it fall towards the floor as he got further and further away from it. He looked directly at the girl as she was raising a hand, keeping it flat, and then she swung it up ¡ª Zeke hit the chandelier with his back rib and plummeted head first. While on the stone flooring on his stomach, immobile, his back was aching, but it stayed focused on one spot. Zeke wanted to scream, but it hurt so badly that it felt like screaming would make it worse. The top of his head was warm and pinging; it felt as though he had never stopped banging it on the stone floor. The pain was persistent and increased in small doses. He could feel tears gathering in his eyes but did his very best to keep them from escaping. He started blinking the tears away as he looked at the floating petite 100-pound monster. A size eleven running sneaker shot at the girl and smacked her across the cheek. Her head jerked to the side, and some white and gray strands of hair glued onto the wet glob on the side of her mouth. Zeke turned in the direction where the shoe came from. ¡°Stop hurting my friends, you demon,¡± AJ said. Zeke peered through her eyeglass lenses the best he could and saw the eyes of a hunter. Her posture was daunting despite missing a shoe; her head balanced in place, back straightened, and shoulders broad. She scowled at the girl. ¡°What are you doing, idiota!¡± Ugo screamed from the end of the room and then returned to hissing at his pain. The girl¡¯s eyelids appeared and started dropping. Her head wobbled back and forth. She lowered her hand and crashed down. Zeke propped himself up on his elbows and stared at AJ alongside Ugo with a dumb look. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you threw your smelly shoe at a demon,¡± Ugo said. ¡°I don¡¯t have smelly feet!¡± The girl grumbled; the room hushed once more. She twisted and squirmed and then slowly sat up. ¡°Oh, no, it¡¯s phase two of the boss fight!¡± Ugo yelled. The girl opened her eyes; the gray in her right eye slowly dissipated, and the blue on her left lightened. Zeke held her confused gaze as he studied her eyes that reminded him of the light, cloudless sky that early summer afternoons would offer. They radiate nothing but innocence and ignorance. ¡°Her eyes are back to normal,¡± Zeke said. Ugo shot up from the floor, let out a painful groan, and then stared at the girl. ¡°Does that mean she¡¯s back to normal now?¡± They focused on her as she scanned the room, shivering, and her fretting worsened with every object she observed. She crawled back as her expression tightened and twisted with terror. ¡°Where am I?¡± she shrieked, with a quaver in her voice. Her voice returned to its regular sweet idiolect with a slight disturbance. She whimpered breathlessly. Ugo moved up to her. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s okay¡ª¡± She backed away with more haste. ¡°What are you?¡± ¡°Um¡­ a guy?¡± Ugo answered with a confused look. ¡°Seventeen-year-old Spanish boyfriend material. Never seen one before? Oh, you must be from Eastern Europe or something. I didn¡¯t realize the lack of diversity there was that bad.¡± Zeke forced himself back on his feet. He put on the least threatening face he could conjure and cracked a soft smile. ¡°We¡¯re not going to hurt you, okay?¡± Zeke said to the girl in a honeyed voice. He could tell that the girl¡¯s terror of them was genuine. It was the same expression that characters in a horror movie would have when encountering the monster for the first time. Something they only heard stories about, brief physical descriptions, and the greatest efforts of their imagination to visualize it, and then they would see it in person and realize the horror of the real thing beat their imagination by a landslide. It was like watching a kitten shivering in the rain all by itself, hard to look away but painful to stare at. Her eyes were glistening with tears as she continued to back up. ¡°You¡¯re all human,¡± she exclaimed. Their expressions went blank. ¡°Um... yeah?¡± AJ said. ¡°Look, panicking isn¡¯t going to help your current situation,¡± Zeke said. ¡°Please, calm down and, maybe, tell us your name?¡± ¡°Yeah, definitely tell us your name and, maybe, your phone number while you¡¯re at it,¡± Ugo chimed in. The girl hit her head on the side rail. She squealed and rubbed the back of her head. ¡°Hey, be careful,¡± Ugo said. ¡°Get away from me!¡± she shouted. She arose and looked back at them with a grim expression. She hunched over out of nowhere and put her hand on top of her head. ¡°Virgil¡­ Nananiel¡­ no¡­¡± she groaned loud enough for them to hear. ¡°Neither of those names refers to a boyfriend of yours, right? Y-Y-You¡¯re definitely single, right?¡± ¡°Mora, focus!¡± ¡°I am! I¡¯m asking the most important questions here. I know I did not just wrestle with a demon for a girl who is already taken! My wrist is on fire!¡± ¡°I thought you said that it didn¡¯t hurt.¡± ¡°Of course, it hurts! You know how fragile I am. I went to the hospital last week because of a paper cut, goddamnit.¡± The girl silenced and lifted her head. She sobbed. ¡°I let everybody down¡­¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t cry,¡± Ugo said. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± She sniffled and wiped her tears away. ¡°I have to get out of here.¡± She marched towards the door. After she brushed past him, Zeke spun around and gripped her shoulder. ¡°Whoa, wait!¡± She shrugged off his hold and barked, ¡°Let me go!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry we can¡¯t let you leave!¡± The girl sniped at him with a glare. ¡°Are you going to stop me?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Zeke looked over to AJ. ¡°Okay, AJ, stop her.¡± AJ shook her head and blocked the door. ¡°Let¡¯s just talk, okay?¡± ¡°No, I have to go¡ª¡± ¡°Look, there is a demon inside of you. We¡¯re not sure if it¡¯s actually gone or not.¡± Ugo said while running up to her. ¡°As much as I hate to say it, the demon could be using her to talk with us right now.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Zeke said. ¡°That¡¯ll also explain why she¡¯s dodging all of my questions and doesn¡¯t seem the least bit interested in me. Prince Charming Syndrome should be in full throttle now!¡± The girl walked up to AJ. ¡°Get out of the way. I don¡¯t want to hurt you.¡± AJ tried to keep her brave face, but her body trembled. ¡°Maybe this isn¡¯t the best idea.¡± Zeke and Ugo exchanged looks and ran up to the girl, and grabbed a hold of her. She resisted and screamed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m just trying to help!¡± Zeke shouted. ¡°I said¡­¡± the girl trailed off, then emitting an ear-splitting scream. They fought against the piercing song and gripped harder, and then she sprouted her giant, tricolored wings out of the holes on the back of her blazer. The tips knocked Zeke and Ugo away a couple of feet. They tumbled across the ground. AJ flattened her back on the door and slid down while ogling at the angelic visage. Zeke and Ugo stared in awe as well. The girl stood firm, solemn, and proud as she expanded her wings to the side. Ugo gasped. ¡°She¡¯s an angel.¡± Black goo trickled from the girl¡¯s nostrils. She dabbed it with her finger, stared at the sticky liquid, then hurled a waterfall of the goo, drenching her hand in it. Her wings disappeared as she swayed slowly until her eyes rolled to the back of her head, and she collapsed. Chapter 8 - Malignant The pain was still battering away on one spot on Zeke¡¯s back. He sat on the timber-made couch in the main room, settled in a hunched-over position. He kept his brain from babbling about the medical explanation why the position wouldn¡¯t help the pain; in fact, it would worsen it, but it felt much better than sitting up straight. Zeke stared at the altar with the plate near the wall at the end of one side of the main room¡ªwhich he pinned as the ¡®waiting room¡¯¡ªgiven if Ugo was right about the area being a hospital. Zeke¡¯s hands felt odd without the weight of his grandmother¡¯s book. He bolted with the others immediately after the biblical revelation, leaving the book for dead with the infected celestial being. Not a single cell in his body was going to convince him to go back for it. Something else also felt missing in his hand, but he couldn¡¯t pinpoint what it was. Ugo crossed his eyeline repeatedly as he paced back and forth while nibbling on a thumbnail. Zeke could hear AJ¡¯s leg shake near him as it was crossed over the other. He studied her face¡ªit was an odd mix of anxiety and simmering anger. He wandered his mind, looking for the right thing to say, and then she interrupted his thought. ¡°So, angels are real,¡± AJ said. Zeke looked down at his hands and rubbed his knees. ¡°I guess...¡± ¡°That means that God is real, too, huh?¡± ¡°That would be¡­ the logical conclusion.¡± AJ closed her eyes, balled both her fists, and let out a trembling breath. ¡°Then where the hell is He?¡± she hissed as she opened her eyes again. ¡°What does he do when all this bad stuff in the world happens? Where is he when innocent people get kidnapped, raped, and murdered? When natural disasters strike and destroy entire communities? Why does he let people be born with horrible birth defects, and others look like they were hand drawn by a renowned artist?¡± ¡°AJ¡­¡± ¡°He just lets people be born ugly and others beautiful? He allows some people to grow into freaks? Why, just for the fun of it?¡± She paused for a moment to sniffle. ¡°This should concern you, too, you know. When people face terminal illnesses, why doesn¡¯t he just cure them? Why doesn¡¯t he help doctors and just cure the damn patient instantly? It¡¯s all games to Him, then. Like a spoiled child with an unlimited toy box.¡± Zeke opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He wanted to ramble on about why God would let him be the son of Adelmo Rosario. Why allow him to suffer the stained reputation of a blighted family of criminals? Why allow him to be a living stereotype in a country that isn¡¯t keen on setting ignorance aside. Why let his incarcerated father not suffer from a single health anomaly while waiting to be released? Then, He curses a sweet but demented Columbian woman and kills her with a heart attack in an institution filled with indifferent staff workers and strangers whom she had to eat and sleep with, but then again, his grandmother might¡¯ve never been crazy to begin with. So, why let her be taken away and not help her? Zeke closed his mouth again. He decided not to contribute to the disdainful thoughts for AJ¡¯s sake. She was already tearing up. ¡°AJ¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± he started talking without realizing. His mind was wordless but spilled out plenty of them as he went on. ¡°Neither of us can answer those questions. Maybe we¡¯re not supposed to until the right time comes.¡± Zeke glanced at AJ. Her expression was the same. He wasn¡¯t surprised; his words lacked substance. It was a cowardly answer based on a foundation of faulty faith. ¡°Can we save the whole where is God debate for later?¡± Ugo stopped in front of the two behind the table. ¡°There¡¯s a more distressing matter at hand!¡± They stared at him. ¡°When I was carrying her in my arms, I may have¡­ copped a feel¡­ by accident!¡± And they looked away and carried on. ¡°I¡¯m being serious here. I¡¯m panicking, guys! How sinful is it to do that to an angel?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe I tried to barricade an angel¡¯s path. Am I insane?¡± AJ said to herself. ¡°Man, I was rooting for her to be an alien or something,¡± Ugo admitted aloud. ¡°So, you¡¯d feel less bad about fantasizing about her, right?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°What is one of God¡¯s angels doing down here, anyway?¡± AJ asked curiously. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t she be up there doing nothing as usual? Why doesn¡¯t He just come down, cure her, and take her back home already?¡± Zeke caressed the aching spot on his back. ¡°Maybe He doesn¡¯t know that she¡¯s here and sick.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t God all-knowing? All-seeing?¡± AJ hissed. Ugo squatted onto the table. ¡°Maybe Constantine, way back when he was messing with the Bible, exaggerated some things. I mean, everybody does it when retelling a story.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried about going to Hell for touching an angel there? Do you really think blasphemous jokes are a good idea?¡± Zeke asked. Ugo¡¯s eyes widened, and then he looked up with a nervous smile. ¡°Sorry!¡± ¡°Oh, maybe this is a test.¡± AJ glared at Zeke. ¡°A test for what?¡± ¡°To prove our worth!¡± Ugo shouted in agreement while getting up. ¡°Yes, now, I see! If we save this angel¡¯s life, then we all get a guaranteed ticket to Heaven, right? Or, like, a ¡®get out of Hell for free card.¡¯ I lowkey still want to see some demon babes.¡± AJ shakes her head. ¡°So, we¡¯re going to attempt to save an angel? Shouldn¡¯t it be the other way around? Oh wait, they¡¯ve never done anything in the first place.¡± ¡°How is it even possible for an angel to get possessed by a demon?¡± Zeke questioned. ¡°That makes no sense.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try to make sense of it. You¡¯re not an expert when it comes to angelology.¡± Ugo pointed at Zeke. ¡°No, but he is when it comes to fantasy,¡± he said jubilantly. ¡°Zeke, you¡¯ve played and read and watched plenty of stuff related to demons and angels, right?¡± Zeke squinted at Ugo. He wanted to punch him in the face for roistering about his greatest shame. Hours that could¡¯ve been spent getting even more medical knowledge. But he had to admit he enjoyed it like Celestial Blade; playing as some overpowered demon hunter chosen by Heaven was empowering. However, he created and played a female character whom he spent customizing for a time longer than he¡¯d like to admit out loud. What that said about his sexuality was concerning. Video games were just another source of indignity in the extremely dense ball of shame compacted into his soul. ¡°Just look at what happened with the door spells like in Dragon Blood. I told you it wasn¡¯t all useless.¡± How could Ugo be so impervious to shame, Zeke wondered. The more time he spends with his step-brother, the more he believes that he may actually lack a conscience as some sort of side-effect to his condition. AJ stood up, walked away from the couch, and stretched her arms to the side. ¡°So, video games are really going to save the day? Nothing makes sense anymore...¡± She brought her hands together, clasped them behind her back, and then bent forward, doing stretches to deal with the stress. Ugo folded his arms and gave her a smug look. ¡°And here you were wasting your time with being healthy¡ªpffft! Like a moron.¡± AJ raised her head mid-stretch and glared at Ugo. ¡°I want to see you say that when you¡¯re aching all over in your 40s.¡± She lowered her arms, straightened herself, and scanned Ugo up and down. ¡°Or maybe, 30s.¡± ¡°Well, the only reason we¡¯d make it that far anyway is because of our video game knowledge!¡± AJ didn¡¯t respond and resumed stretching her biceps. Ugo turned to Zeke. ¡°Remember the exorcism used in Celestial Blade?¡± ¡°That¡¯s just gibberish.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s give it a shot. You never know what those words could actually mean.¡± Zeke stood up. ¡°Are you crazy?¡¯ ¡°I can write down that exorcism word for word.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll ask again¡­ are you crazy?¡± AJ proceeded to do hip stretches. ¡°You do realize that there is no retry button in real life, right?¡± ¡°Well, technically, that¡¯s just reincarnation. Respawning exists.¡± Ugo said. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Zeke heaved a sigh and said, ¡°Mora, exorcisms can¡¯t be done with just words, anyway. In the game, they used a bunch of tools like salt, crosses, and holy water.¡± ¡°Mano! Look around! Look at the symbols and stuff! When you put it all together with the things that the vieja said. This is an ancient hospital that deals with the supernatural.¡± Zeke hated that he agreed with him. ¡°We can find items like that here,¡± Ugo added confidently. ¡°Exploring this place might be too risky,¡± Zeke said. ¡°We don¡¯t know how big it is. We may not all remember our way back like¡ª¡± ¡°Stop using excuses. Just use trails or something,¡± Ugo said, ¡°What kind of rooms does a hospital have and need?¡± ¡°A casualty department for accidents and emergencies, an admitting department where patients provide personal information and sign consent forms before being taken to the hospital unit or ward. A day room for patients to relax, a delivery room, an operating room, a pharmacy¡ª¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Ugo cut him before he went on forever. ¡°Those are integral to hospitals, right? And labs where they keep all the medicines and the ones they are testing out, so the equivalent of that in a hospital like this would include stuff like holy water and other things to deal with possessions. Like a dispensary or something.¡± AJ finished and let out a sigh of relief. ¡°All done,¡± she said. ¡°Good, we¡¯re going to prep for an exorcism,¡± Ugo said.
Zeke, Ugo, and AJ reunited in the waiting room after they scattered the medieval structure. Ugo was the only one who returned with an item; it was a small but blocky book, the kind that tricks you into thinking that it will be a short read. A Holy Cross marked the cover. They allowed AJ to go first before questioning Ugo. AJ reported finding a big room with besmirched beds with an array of sigils on the plaster walls and lime-washed floor¡ªthe ward. She also found a large room with stone walls and flooring, crowded with gold wooden cabinets, shelves, barrels, and larders. The shelves held glass jars of all sizes. Some contained colored dust, others thick rotting sludge, and the rest she could remember had cat eyeballs floating in vinegar, severed pointy ears fixed together, yellowing talons that looked way too large to belong to a bird, and even a unicorn horn floating in a pool of oily rainbow liquid. She couldn¡¯t recall any of the other items. There were so many. It was the dispensary. Next was Zeke. Zeke told them about an opulent room where the walls were covered with finely detailed light blue damask wallpaper and stunning parquet flooring. There was a large, black, solid wood table in the middle of the room covered by a black and white cloth designed with Wotan¡¯s cross. The table was surrounded by eight black wooden chairs with high and sturdy backs and arms. A buffet table sat at one side of the room with a rich blue drape covering stippled with food stains, unwashed plates, and cutlery sets. Multiple open chests spread across the room, flat on their sides, spilling junk. Aside from sigils, the walls were postered with parchment paper showing rough sketches of the anatomy of humanoid and monstrous creatures. The plaque on its door said: Doctor¡¯s lounge. He also had entered a room with old lab equipment ranging from barbaric atrocities that looked no different from cruel medieval torture devices to things that seemed too simple to be effective. Dusty flasks, brass antique microscopes, bronze syringes, and small pieces of complex machinery he couldn¡¯t identify filled the moldy elm tables¡ªit was the lab. Ugo held back vomit as he talked about a room with small wooden tables and a long one etched with a sinking cushion. Dark brown blood and yellow chunky liquid stained the light green ceramic tile walls and oak hardwood flooring. Along with sconces, levers and buttons were fitted into the walls. Sullied Victorian-esque surgical tools were scattered across the floor. The tools included a small saw-toothed knife, a long metal chisel, a rusty dental key, bronze wretches, and hammers. Toppled machines filled the space. They looked like they came from a parallel universe that never escaped the 19th century, yet sophisticated technology managed to be made ¡ª the operating room. And last, he mentioned a massive library. The ceiling seemed to be higher than any other place in the structure with stuffed skyscraper oak bookshelves, and not a single one had space for one more book. He waved the book he brought in his hand and explained¡ªwhich was more like complaining about having to explore and speed-read through some books until he found one that was blessed with paragraphs of exorcism chants in Latin. All the rooms they had explored featured iron sconces that ignited on their own upon entry and extinguished once no one was present. The insane plan gained some viability but didn¡¯t really put anybody at ease. It was the equivalent of shortening a 100-mile race to a 90-mile race. Technically easier, but still a bone-crushing feat. But the demon had seen their faces, and if they didn¡¯t send it back to Hell, according to their nerd knowledge, it would be game over. They headed to the dispensary to gather items. They searched through the golden cabinets and rifled through anything that seemed unnecessary. Ignoring the clumps of hair, necklaces made from the silver jagged teeth of some creatures, and crinkled deep purple severed fingers, they selected the key items that had to help: a wooden cross about the size of a large textbook, a pouch filled with salt, rosary bead necklaces, a closed jar of water marked with a cross, and a brown leather satchel. Zeke was the one who found the surprisingly clean bag, and it smelled like grass right after it was mowed. The satchel contained multiple purses, and each of them held leather gloves and polished leather surgical masks of a range of colors inscribed with symbols and two sets of belt straps and filter pockets on either side. They huddled in the center of the room to share what they found. They all put on the rosary bead necklaces and gloves. Zeke equipped the emerald green mask and held the cross in his hand, Ugo took the light blue mask, grabbed the bag of salt, and kept the book under his arm, and AJ put on the wine red mask and grasped onto the jar of Holy water. They returned to the door of the girl¡¯s room and stared at the plaque. It was silent. Zeke wondered what was going through the minds of his friends and glanced at them, one at a time. He got no answers; their expressions were blank and unreadable. They ceased movement of any kind, and then Zeke realized he wasn¡¯t trembling at all either. He believed it to be a whole new level of fear he gained. Maybe a conformity with what¡¯s to come? He hoped he would at least shake a little for something more familial, but his body rejected the request. Ugo put his hand on the handle. Zeke¡¯s mouth fell open. He saw Ugo smiling. He was pumped. This couldn¡¯t be confidence or stupidity. It was downright crazy. ¡°Ready?¡± Ugo asked as if they were about to perform a concert. Nobody answered. He turned the handle and pushed the door open anyway. The girl was asleep, lying on her back. Throbbing black streaks were spread across her pale face. The stench of sulfur was mild, bearable. Zeke wondered how bad it would¡¯ve been without their masks. He spotted his grandmother¡¯s book on the floor nearby, a blotch of black goo. Ugo opened the exorcism book in his hand. AJ unscrewed the jar lid. Zeke looked at the two in awe. He whispered, ¡°So, we¡¯re just going to start? Just like that?¡± Then he heard a rustling. He saw the girl moaning and wriggling softly. ¡°Aw, crap, she¡¯s waking up,¡± AJ whispered. Ugo gave AJ a look. He whispered back, ¡°Well¡­ why don¡¯t you start? Go over there and throw the water on her face. I¡¯ll be right behind you.¡± AJ stammered. ¡°Oh, come on, you threw a shoe at that demon¡¯s face!¡± Ugo hissed. ¡°We¡¯re going together!¡± she snapped back. AJ nudged Ugo on the shoulder with her elbow and then gave Zeke a look. He nodded. They plodded towards the girl. She sat up. They halted. ¡°Shit,¡± Ugo cursed under his breath. AJ dropped the jar and bag against the floor, spilling most of the water. The girl screeched and writhed and contorted all over. ¡°Alright, here we go then!¡± Ugo shouted. He moved his eyes down to the page as AJ kneeled and picked up the jar. The girl panicked in her writhing. ¡°Wait, no! You can¡¯t do this. Listen to me, stop!¡± ¡°Shut up, demon!¡± Ugo replied hastily. ¡°No, this is me talking, Naomi!¡± Ugo froze. ¡°Your name is Naomi? What a beautiful name.¡± He grinned. ¡°Would you cut it out?¡± AJ barked as she stood up and launched the rest of the water into Naomi. Her flesh sizzled and released steam as she screamed and howled in a deep, scrambled voice. AJ went wide-eyed. ¡°I didn¡¯t think it would be that effective.¡± Naomi cowered and raised her trembling hands with curled fingers as she pleaded, ¡°Stop, you¡¯re going to kill me!¡± ¡°Sorry, we¡¯re just trying to kill the demon!¡± Ugo yelled. ¡°Listen to me, you humans! This way will kill me, too, and hurt all of you in the process!¡± Silence fell upon the room. Naomi whimpered and continued, ¡°It¡¯s not a Major Demon that¡¯s inside of me. I don¡¯t think that it¡¯s even an Intermediate one.¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s a low-tier demon that¡¯s been kicking and tossing us around?¡± Ugo said despondently. ¡°I think it¡¯s a bug.¡± Zeke raised a brow. ¡°Like¡­ a virus?¡± ¡°I just can¡¯t figure out which one.¡± Naomi coughed out a chunk of black goo, then let out an explosive hellish scream. They all took a step back. Naomi rubbed her throat and let out a low groan. She explained, ¡°You can¡¯t perform an exorcism¡­ your Mana is not strong enough.¡± Zeke and Ugo exchanged looks. They were more than familiar with the concept. Aside from the media, Grandma Esther told Zeke about Mana, a supernatural force spread throughout the universe like dark matter that, with proper, diligent preparation, taxing one¡¯s soul, they could tap into the energy and compel the power of gods for their own use. Magic. Another item for Zeke to add to the growing list of reasons his grandmother may not have been crazy in the first place or the list of reasons she didn¡¯t have to die alone in an unkempt psych ward. ¡°¡®Mana¡¯?¡± AJ asked. ¡°The attribute to use magic in, like, every RPG ever!¡± Ugo blurted. ¡°If you try to perform an exorcism without strong Mana... you¡¯ll implode.¡± Zeke¡¯s expression crinkled. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s find a way to increase our Mana then,¡± Ugo said. ¡°Like¡­ with supplements?¡± AJ said. ¡°Oh, maybe in the lab.¡± ¡°No! Don¡¯t try to augment your Mana in any way! That¡¯s¡­ bad.¡± Naomi contorted a bit more in her spot. ¡°It¡¯s not about how much Mana your body can contain¡­ It¡¯s about experience! An exorcism is not like other spells; it¡¯s not simple at all. I can sense that none of you can do one¡­ if it¡¯s done wrong. The bug will get loose and attack you. I might die, too. And exorcisms are not meant to deal with Minor Demons.¡± ¡°Then how do we deal with them?¡± Zeke asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Naomi grunted. ¡°Just let me leave, please¡­¡± She fell back onto the bed. ¡°No¡­¡± Zeke paused and analyzed her and then the bed. He spotted some leather straps with sigils dangling off the bed''s side. Zeke put the cross down and walked up to Naomi. ¡°Mora, come help me with this.¡± Ugo put his things down and picked up quickly on what Zeke was doing. They stretched one over her ankles, legs, and then chest. ¡°What? No!¡± Naomi complained feebly. ¡°We can¡¯t let you leave just yet,¡± Zeke said. ¡°You¡¯re still my patient.¡± Naomi gave him a glazed look. ¡°Wait, are you a¡­ Healer?¡± Zeke smirked. ¡°Well, I hope to be a certified one someday.¡± ¡°Why are you flirting with her?¡± Ugo grumbled. ¡°I wasn¡¯t¡­¡± Zeke sighed and marched towards the door. ¡°Okay, we¡¯ve got a diagnosis. Now, we need to come up with a procedure.¡± Chapter 9 - Angelology Zeke and his friends must¡¯ve been at the library for over an hour now. He remained adamant about not checking the time but knew that it was midnight for sure. He was angry with Ugo¡¯s subpar description of the place; he figured that someone with his memory would pay more attention to detail. It had a barrel-vaulted ceiling, and the towering cracked bookshelves shone just like the flooring with a varnished oak wood glow. The resin, or whatever was used to make the glow, produced a scent that stagnated in the air like plastic with a dash of woody perfume. The wall bore a warm taupe color with numerous iron sconces that had to be strategically placed in a room that was so highly flammable that it teetered on the line between irresponsible ignorance and reckless stupidity. As if to attempt fate even further, the room had abstract oil paintings and linen wall hangings etched with exciting patterns. The less flammable offenders were a variety of decorations such as mirrors, masks, stone eyeballs, and mounted busts of beasts. Shattered display cases ¡ª containing single pages and colorful illuminated manuscripts made from sheep skin ¡ª and ruined white marble statues of beautiful women, some missing limbs and others with half their faces broken off, dotted the floor that was marked with a repeated insignia matching the sigil Zeke drew on the door to get to the hospital. The room looked as if it expanded for miles and featured massive, crumbling spiral staircases with a couple of steps missing, promising more to offer on the second level, but neither of them dared to go up the harrowing collection of broken steps. Zeke, Ugo, and AJ stationed themselves at a long table, and piles of books were spread across the top alongside their surgical masks. When they scouted the library, Ugo mentioned how each shelf had a sigil engraved on its side, perhaps to denote the genre. He showed them the shelf where he got the exorcism book; the sigil on it was like the Holy Cross. They grabbed some books from it and gathered some more from shelves carved with sigils they determined looked the most demonic, and then some from a bookshelf inscribed with a sigil that looked like a constellation because of Zeke. He attested to how his grandmother also taught him that angels and constellations were linked. Therefore, Zeke stayed focused on a book from the constellation shelf. It provided words in English, but the terrible handwriting scrawled across the papyrus pages made it seem like a different language. From what he could read, it didn¡¯t seem relevant. It went on and on about the rankings of angels and their positions in Heaven. It said in total, there were nine classes of angels divided into three spheres. The First Sphere was composed of Seraphim, Cherubs, and Thrones, and they served God directly. The Second Sphere were the Dominions, Virtues, and Powers, and they governed every Realm below Heaven, especially Earth and not including the Netherworld. The Third Sphere had the Principalities, Archangels, and Angels; their main priority was guiding humans. He browsed through the paragraphs explaining their angelic forms and attributes, but there was nothing about weaknesses. He was hoping to find something he could identify Naomi with. It seemed too stupid to even think about, but he hoped to find a step-by-step guide on treating an ill angel, like a how-to-do video you¡¯d find on the internet. Every time he turned a page, it felt like half of it would rip off. ¡°Did you find anything?¡± Zeke heard Ugo ask AJ as she flipped through one book they took from the devilish symbol inscribed bookshelf. ¡°Nope, just mostly about the different demons in the world. It¡¯s really freaking me out,¡± AJ responded. Zeke heard Ugo slam his book shut and complain, ¡°Mine just goes on and on about the different corners of Hell in great detail. I¡¯m going to have nightmares for days.¡± Zeke refused to look up and turned to another page. He stopped and studied the conspicuous heading inscribed with blackened ink¡ªCONTAINERS. He read the block of scribbled text that followed. He reached the end of the page and pulled back. A thought was clawing its way out of his mind, one that was either logical, moronic, or insane, but that was for his audience to decide. ¡°Whoa,¡± he said. ¡°What is it?¡± AJ asked. Zeke read one more time to make sure and then returned his eyes to the top of the page once again. He read aloud verbatim, ¡°¡®Angels require Containers to walk select mortal lands. They have grown accustomed to human Containers, and when an angelic soul enters the recipient, it transmogrifies their vessel from its innards.¡± ¡°¡®In exchange for free will, thy vessel shall be granted with godly vigor, and an increase of measure of Mana and full access to White Magic spells. All this is made possible because of the angelic soul expelling minuscule, invisible creatures into the bloodstream of thy vessel, replacing the existing ones.¡¯¡± Zeke raised his head and cracked a smile. ¡°Okay¡­ what does any of that even mean?¡± Ugo asked. Zeke recited, ¡°¡®Minuscule, invisible creatures to replace the existing ones¡¯? And expelled into the ¡®bloodstream of thy vessel¡¯?¡± He took a short beat to manage his excitement and continued, ¡°The author is talking about cells.¡± Ugo and AJ stared like a couple of fourth graders being told about the quadratic equation. ¡°You guys know what cells are, right?¡± Zeke said. ¡°The fundamental units of life¡­ they are why we breathe, reproduce and ¡ª¡± ¡°We know what cells are,¡± AJ interrupted, ¡°why would a book on angelology talk about cells?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve come up with a theory,¡± Zeke said. ¡°Are you going to try to convince us that angels have blood cells?¡± Ugo said with a raised brow. ¡°Yes, angels are celestial, incorporeal beings, and that wouldn¡¯t make any sense, but this page explained it all. Like, in Celestial Blade, angels can only interact with the human world via a human vessel, right?¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± ¡°Then, that would mean that they can be inflicted with anything in the human world, too, like insect bites, poisons, and viruses, but with little to no effect. Why? Because the angel changed the physiology of the body it¡¯s burrowing. According to this book, it does that by substituting the human cells with¡­¡± He wanted to hit himself for wanting to attempt to coin the term and said, ¡°heavenly ones.¡± Ugo and AJ¡¯s faces went blank, and then they exchanged looks. ¡°So, you¡¯re actually trying to use science to explain the unexplainable,¡± Ugo said. ¡°Welp, if anyone can convince me to believe that, then it¡¯s you, Mano.¡± Ugo leaned back in his seat and folded his arms. ¡°Proceed.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Zeke smirked and then turned the book to Ugo. ¡°So¡­¡± ¡°No,¡± Ugo said angrily. ¡°Dude, come on, you can speed-read.¡± ¡°It¡¯s draining.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just lazy. Do it for Naomi. The answer has to be in this book.¡± Ugo stared at Zeke and then reached for the book. He picked it up, and his eyes moved swiftly from one side to the other, back and forth without falter as he turned page after page. Zeke enjoyed watching Ugo speed-read; his focus and bone-dry look made him look distinguished despite his ostentatious hairdo. During such key moments, it seemed impossible that he was the same guy who spent an entire weekend researching local clinics treating memory loss patients and scouting out amnesiac women to pick up by pretending to be their lost lover. He didn¡¯t get a single phone number. If only Ugo actually invested in his beautiful mind, Zeke thought to himself. If only I had your brain, he could hear his mind whisper to him. Maybe Ugo¡¯s dad was part of the problem since he only used him as a human password-saving software and a reminder for important dates. Ugo stopped and said, ¡°Hey, I found something interesting.¡± He turned the book over to them and showed sketches of entities of various shapes ¡ª discs, sickle, crooked stars, wings, globs, and pebbles. Each shape had a name under it. ¡°The book said that these are all the shapes the author had observed so far.¡± ¡°Zeke was right,¡± AJ said. ¡°Naomi said that she thinks a bug is causing all her problems. So, does that mean that there¡¯s one in the bloodstream of her¡­ vessel?¡± ¡°Container,¡± Zeke corrected. ¡°But, yeah, anywhere in her immune system, I guess,¡± Zeke said. ¡°So, it¡¯s a virus from Hell,¡± Ugo added. Zeke stood up. ¡°We need to identify which virus it is. We need to have a look at it. The equipment from the lab could help,¡± he cleared his throat, ¡°Dr. Rosario is going to do a blood test.¡± He grabbed the gloves, put them on, and snatched the green mask off the table. He bolted for the exit, shouting, ¡°Look for information on demonic microorganisms.¡± He didn¡¯t hear what Ugo and AJ shouted in response because he was already bolting back to the lab. Zeke pushed the mask onto his mouth and fumbled with the straps, his fingers tingling from the adrenaline of anticipation. Bursting through the lab door, he nearly tripped over the mess inside. He managed to skirt around it, then grabbed the first syringe he could find. Zeke tested the weight of the large bronze metal; it felt heavy in his hand, like a dumbbell, and the white needle jutting out of it was longer than his middle finger and thicker than it as well. The barrel was empty, and Zeke put his thumb through the ring-shaped plunger and imagined for a moment he was injecting medicine into someone. It made him smile under his mask. He finished tightening the straps behind his mask and exited. The door to Naomi¡¯s room was the prime destination, and Zeke let himself in. He held the syringe in his hand and found her moaning and writhing. Without a misstep, he moved up to her. She stopped and turned her head over to him, haggard with sunken cheeks and the streaks lined across her face. Zeke held her feeble look and said, ¡°Hola.¡± He kneeled and put his hand over her arm. ¡°I need something from you,¡± he said, raising the syringe. Naomi squinted at it as Zeke rolled up her jacket and sleeve through the straps, revealing pale skin with throbbing black roots slithering across it. ¡°This won¡¯t hurt¡­ I think,¡± Zeke said. ¡°I don¡¯t think that will break my¡ª¡± The needle bit into her black vein, and she hissed. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t a normal needle.¡± ¡°Yeah, I figured.¡± Zeke put his finger through the loop of the plunger and pulled it back. The barrel was filled with pitch-black goo. Naomi watched in awe. ¡°That¡¯s amazing¡­ I¡¯ve never seen my blood before.¡± ¡°Um¡­ I don¡¯t think it¡¯s supposed to be black,¡± Zeke said. Midway through, pulling the needle out of her skin, he panicked, remembering that he had brought nothing to cover the wound. Zeke had removed the needle before having the chance to stop himself. Then he witnessed Naomi¡¯s oozing wound closing itself, leaving just a trickle of goo drizzling down her skin. ¡°Where are the others?¡± Naomi asked, snapping him out of his trance of amazement. ¡°Hm? Oh, um, they are reading as much as they can about all this stuff that we don¡¯t understand about angels and demons and Containers and stuff. This place is filled with books about that.¡± ¡°What is this place?¡± Zeke teased a smile. ¡°A hospital.¡± Zeke raised the syringe and stared at the black, sticky gunk squeezed inside the barrel. ¡°So, you really have no idea which bug is inside you?¡± ¡°I actually don¡¯t know the names of the bugs or how to get rid of them. I don¡¯t really know much about any of the Realms. Not even this one.¡± ¡°What, were you an angel that fell asleep during class?¡± he snorted. ¡°¡®Class¡¯? I¡¯ve never experienced such a thing. Not even Virgil would take the time to teach me anything. I¡¯ve heard those walks with him are fun.¡± Apparently, angels don¡¯t pick up on jokes. Zeke made a mental note of that. ¡°So, who is this Virgil guy? That¡¯s the second time you¡¯ve mentioned him. Is he an angel?¡± ¡°Yes. A dignified one. He¡¯s respected by every angel. Nananiel, too. I need to get back to him and Nananiel. And all the others. They were attacked. I-I-I let it happen. I did nothing; I need to repent.¡± ¡°Well, you can¡¯t go back, given the state that you¡¯re in. You could infect all your celestial friends.¡± Naomi turned her head back and stared at the pentagram on the ceiling. ¡°I have to go back, though, but if I do¡­ I¡¯ll be punished for sure¡­ they¡¯ll put me back in the cage.¡± ¡°¡®Cage¡¯?¡± Naomi didn¡¯t respond. Zeke attempted to chip away at the mystery and asked, ¡°What were you doing before¡ªI mean¡ªhow did you fall out of¡­ Heaven?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t fall out of Heaven. I was flying through the sky while being attacked by angry spirits.¡± ¡°You were in some high-stakes battle with your other brethren, and things went awry?¡± Naomi¡¯s lip quivered. ¡°Yes.¡± Zeke frowned and stopped there. ¡°Hold on just a little longer. Me and my friends are going to crack this case wide open.¡± ¡°Why are you trying to break open a case for?¡± Zeke put on a vacant look. And angels don¡¯t pick up on expressions, either. ¡°My friends are¡­ amazing. If they weren¡¯t here. I probably wouldn¡¯t have gotten this far.¡± Naomi gave Zeke a look. ¡°You¡¯re quite amazing yourself. A human coming here to draw blood on his own.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m a coward. You have no idea how much mental effort I had to put into coming here. I had to do it quickly so that my brain wouldn¡¯t overthink. Mora overthinks nothing. He just does what he wants. He just doesn¡¯t care about what other people think. He is so much closer to Vee than I ever will.¡± ¡°Is Vee the one with the glasses?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s AJ. She¡¯s disciplined and has lots of willpower. She has amazing physical prowess and doesn¡¯t let herself indulge in anything unhealthy. Vee, though¡­ she¡¯s a badass. She¡¯s out of the country now and has been for three years. I try to be like her as much as possible, but it¡¯s so hard. She was on a whole ¡®nother level of not giving a damn.¡± Zeke paused with a flinch and stared wide-eyed at Naomi. He pondered how many Heaven points God deducted from cursing near one of his angels. But Zeke didn¡¯t see a flinty look on her. He saw a look of empathy on her ashen face. He continued, ¡°She was fearless and wasn¡¯t afraid to stand up for herself or for others no matter how big or daunting the enemy was.¡± He gripped the syringe in his hand and lowered it. ¡°She would use harsh words without hesitation, and if they didn¡¯t work, she¡¯d fight for it. She was crazy smart, too. Some say that her pride was arrogant, but to be honest, I found it admirable. I mean, what¡¯s wrong with being confident in yourself and actually having the means to back it up? She wasn¡¯t ashamed of who she was.¡± ¡°Are you?¡± Naomi asked. ¡°Are you ashamed of who you are¡­?¡± She gaped at him with her mouth open just a bit. Zeke gave her a stale smile that she couldn¡¯t see and stood up. ¡°I¡¯m going to get started now. Gracias.¡± He walked out of the room. It was time for a blood analysis. Chapter 10 - Septicaemia Zeke, Ugo, and AJ gathered at the lab¡ªwhich bore a golden wood floor and plaster walls of the same color. They all had their masks and gloves on. Ugo and AJ watched Zeke hover the end of the syringe¡¯s needle over the small circular glass tray of the brass monocular microscope styled with buttons and dials with a sigil on each of them. ¡°Careful, Zeke,¡± AJ said. Zeke pushed the plunger a bit and squirted a chunk of the goo out to splat on the tray. A thin layer of glass materialized over it, sealing the gooey specimen in an airtight slide tray. Zeke figured it wasn¡¯t worth commenting or spending a second to stare at in awe, given all the crazy stuff he had seen today alone. He analyzed the draw tube and agonized over the thought of catching some hellish version of conjunctivitis from pushing his eye onto the lens. He sucked his teeth, cleaned the draw tube lens with his leathered thumb, and then did it anyway; he closed one eye, pushed the other onto the eyepiece, and peered through the optical tube. The image was blurred. Zeke fingered the rough edges of the dial and turned it a little. The picture came into focus, and he saw the black blotch. He spun the dial all the way, and the image became crisp and high in detail, like a photo taken with a state-of-the-art camera by a highly skilled professional. He could see tiny bubbles erupt in the goo and even tinier white dots sprinkled across. The edges of the goo were stretching and moving slightly, like miniature slugs. A colony of otherworldly specimens commingled in a spill of goo trapped in a compact glass space, fighting its way out. But what about Naomi¡¯s cells? What were they doing? Zeke scrabbled the limb of the microscope and found another dial. He turned it, and the image zoomed and morphed into something new. ¡°Cielos,¡± he exclaimed. ¡°What?¡± he heard a concerned Ugo ask. Zeke didn¡¯t answer and stayed focused on the new image. It was like staring at a galaxy cluster. Bodies flowed along the dark crimson red aether-like space ¡ª red ones that took shapes resembling stars and the top part of a pitchfork, black ones that took the form of discs with two curved tips jutting off the top, and white ones that took the shape of spheres and of a feathered wing. One of the spherical white cells had a black multi-legged cell adhered to the back. The black cell looked like a balled-up millipede. The burdened white cell opened a tiny cavity in its front. It expelled small multi-legged black cells that grew alarmingly quick to full size and then transformed into spherical white cells and carried on swimming in the space, blending in, undetected, unharmed, and ignored by the other cells. A twisted version of the viral lytic cycle, Zeke concluded. He returned the dial to its initial state and moved away from the microscope. ¡°What did you see?¡± Ugo asked again. Zeke shot a look at AJ. ¡°You brought the demonology book with the creatures, right?¡± AJ nodded, grabbed the book from a nearby countertop, and handed it over to Zeke. He took it and leafed through its pages. Ugo legged to the microscope and looked through the eyepiece. He turned a dial and then gasped. ¡°Oh, cool,¡± he said excitedly. AJ walked to Ugo, and he let her have a look as Zeke continued to page through the book with haste. When Zeke finally reached the demonic microorganism section, he stopped and stared at the left page, where he found, at the bottom, a sketch of the virus identical to the one he saw in the bloodstream. He tried to keep his peripheral vision from focusing on the myriad of other horrifying, shapeless, multi-legged, multi-mouthed, multi-eyed, multi-faced abominations. The header next to the virus was¡ªBOGGAD INFECTIOUS METAMORPH. Zeke looked at Ugo and AJ as they stepped away from the microscope. ¡°Did you guys see it?¡± ¡°I saw the bug attached to one of the white cells and using it to create more bugs that are then taking the appearance of other white cells,¡± AJ said. ¡°It¡¯s called a Boggad Virus,¡± Zeke said and then looked down at the book. ¡°¡®An entity originating from the Boggart Swamp region in the Underworld''s Realm. It can mimic components of the bloodstream of any creature upon entry. The entity multiplies and spreads until full assimilation, becoming a competent hive mind with an unyielding will over its new Container.¡± ¡°So, her cells aren¡¯t attacking because they think it¡¯s one of them,¡± Ugo said. ¡°The threat itself just looks like any other functioning cell, and it''s chilling in the blood system. Killing everything slowly, undetected.¡± ¡°Hm, you¡¯d think God would give His lackeys smarter cells,¡± AJ said mockingly. ¡°Usually, at the end of the lytic cycle, the virus destroys the cell after reproducing, but that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case here,¡± Zeke said. ¡°This virus reproduces over and over using the same host cell,¡± Ugo added. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°So, why aren¡¯t the cells attacking the obviously infected ones?¡± AJ asked. Zeke took a moment to think and said, ¡°The virus attached to its host cell is mimicking all of its genetic material in its entirety. The enzymes, the protein of the membrane shell, everything. The infected cells are being recognized as just one normal cell.¡± ¡°Okay, so, does the book say anything about how to get rid of it?¡± Zeke looked over to the right page and saw a spread of sketches of demonic symbols. He became perplexed and examined both pages. There was no immediate correlation, and then the aspiring doctor noticed small, uneven vestiges of paper lined down in the middle of the book. He let out a groan. ¡°They tore the next page off,¡± Zeke lamented, ¡°it could¡¯ve had the cure and more information on the virus.¡± ¡°Whaaaat? But everything had been working so conveniently for us so far,¡± Ugo whined. ¡°We¡¯ve literally found rooms of deus ex machinas.¡± Zeke examined the bits of paper further and realized some pieces were overlapping each other¡ªmore than one page had been torn. Zeke slammed the book onto the table and caved forward. ¡°Now what?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just ask the angel,¡± AJ suggested. ¡°She must know something that can help.¡± ¡°She said that she doesn¡¯t know anything about the bug. She said that she doesn¡¯t know much about anything of the¡­ Realms.¡± ¡°What? Why? Is she dumb?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think that,¡± Zeke said, ¡°she¡¯s probably a new angel or something. A rookie, a newbie.¡± ¡°Well, she looks pretty young. Maybe I still have a chance.¡± AJ gave him a disgusted look. ¡°With an angel¡­?¡± ¡°Love knows no bounds, AJ.¡± Ugo paced back and forth in the center of the room. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s see if we can use real-world stuff to help. It¡¯s time for brainstorming, people! How do you usually fix a blood infection?¡± ¡°Medicine? Antibiotics? There might be some in here or in the dispensary that we missed,¡± AJ said. ¡°The page that probably talked about anything related to killing it is gone,¡± Zeke said despondently. ¡°If we try things out at random, we might end up causing it to mutate,¡± Zeke shivered, ¡°I don¡¯t even want to imagine what a mutated demonic virus looks like.¡± ¡°How about a blood transfusion?¡± Ugo suggested. ¡°You want one of us to transfer our blood into her? If her super-cells can¡¯t eliminate the cause, then ours would have no effect.¡± Zeke paused. ¡°How about¡­ dialysis?¡± ¡°Even if by some miracle we found a dialysis machine. No one here knows how to do it, and we don¡¯t exactly have the time to go on a crash course. Well, Ugo does...¡± AJ trailed off. ¡°Or we could improvise one¡­ cut her open from various places and let the infected blood ooze out.¡± ¡°And where will we dispose of the infected blood?¡± Zeke questioned. ¡°I don¡¯t even know where we are going to put the one in the syringe. That seems way too dangerous and unlikely to work anyway. The virus will take us all down by being out in the open.¡± ¡°We need to focus on getting the bugs killed,¡± Ugo said. ¡°Making the cells attack the right ones. Going back to medicine, let¡¯s go back to that angelology book and look for something to power up her cells.¡± ¡°You just said it yourself. The problem isn¡¯t the strength of the cells, but them knowing who to attack in the first place.¡± ¡°What if we just destroy all the cells? Like what they use for cancer patients. We¡¯ll fry her immune system!¡± Zeke looked at Ugo and said, ¡°Chemotherapy on an angel? How would we even achieve that? We need to come up with a way for the body to attack cells even if it thinks it¡¯s healthy¡­ like an autoimmune disease¡­¡± Zeke looked down on the floor for a moment and then snapped his fingers. ¡°With the overpopulation of white blood cells, they eventually start attacking each other. She¡¯s not human, so it may work differently. We can force an autoimmune response. As the cells attack each other, new ones are made, and this goes on until the system regulates itself, and the body is cleared of the virus.¡± Zeke felt a pang in his head. It felt like a scalpel cut its way into his brain. He hunched over and hissed. ¡°Zeke?¡± AJ said as she whipped over to him. Zeke¡¯s face scrunched up, and he dropped his head to the side. The pain incised from his brain all the way to his inner ear. He felt a continuous line between the two sections with tiny, sharp knives stabbing everything in between. His vision clouded and hued with a viridescent, as if he were looking through a green foggy window. Zeke lost control of volume and groaned as loud as a bleating goat. His friends were huddled around him at this point. He couldn¡¯t hear a word they were crying out. When he looked at their blurry faces, a glimmering light shone, and a silhouette of a unicorn appeared in front of it. Zeke was confused for only a second. Then, the pain subsided and was replaced with divine warmth. He lowered his mask, and a deranged smile danced on his lips as he reveled in the comfort of his epiphany. As his vision cleared, he froze and wondered why he wasn¡¯t confused by the blackened image. ¡°Zeke!¡± Ugo shouted. Zeke looked at him vacantly. Ugo and AJ held faces of worry and despair. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me the virus infected you!¡± AJ screamed. ¡°No!¡± Zeke screamed back, spooking Ugo and AJ. He said, ¡°I¡­ I know what to do.¡± Zeke could see the right words float in his mind as clearly as an elementary math problem. He mentally grasped them and hurled them out into the open. ¡°No machinery exists that can fry an angel¡¯s immune system. Nothing can outside of a high-level Black Magic spell,¡± he explained. ¡°Liquefied unicorn horn. That¡¯s what we¡¯ll use. It has the magical aptitude to increase the white blood cell count of any creature, even angels.¡± Ugo and AJ stared blankly. ¡°And you know this, how?¡± AJ inquired. Zeke kept rambling. ¡°Small doses are incredibly effective. One syringe filled with the stuff injected into her bone marrow, on her spine, would be enough to cause an overdrive.¡± As the words escaped Zeke¡¯s mouth, he became even more perplexed at how he understood what he was saying. The words flowed out of him on their own, like someone else took over his brain¡¯s controls. Maybe he contracted a virus of some kind. Zeke raised his mask back to the bridge of his nose. ¡°Mora, AJ, prep for operation. The procedure is underway.¡± Chapter 11 - Operation Zeke, prepped for operation, clenched a syringe filled with sparkling, kaleidoscopic liquid in his hand as he entered the patient room with an equally geared-up Ugo and AJ. He felt the bronze metal push against the palm of his glove and into his flesh. His knuckles protruded, and it appeared they were going to rip out of his skin. He and his friends halted near the door. Zeke gazed at the demonic nimbus emanating from Naomi¡¯s cadaverous form. It was like staring at a cursed corpse. The intense stench of sulfur bypassed the protection of his mask and filled his nose with the stink. He glanced at the others, and they were visibly fighting back the will to vomit. The room was congested with ghostly whistling and a pandemonium of malevolent, childish voices. It made it hard for Zeke to focus on his own thoughts. Maybe not having the option to get lost in his personal sea of thoughts was a blessing. He took the first step forward, alarming Ugo and AJ. They stared for a bit and then followed his lead. As Zeke got closer, he contemplated (as best as he could) how much life force Naomi had got sapped out of her. Her eyes were closed, and the thick black roots and spots mushroomed all over her face; it was hard to pinpoint her features under all blackened growth. She was barely breathing. Zeke cursed himself for spending almost another hour outside the room debating why the others should trust him about this procedure. He stopped by her bed, placed a thumb on her right eyelid, and pushed it up ¡ª it was completely gray. He checked the other, and it was gray, too. The demonic virus was minutes away from taking over her Container. ¡°Ugo, AJ, help me get these straps off her,¡± Zeke requested politely. He kneeled to put the syringe down and then undid the straps. Ugo and AJ walked to the other side of the bed and started removing the straps. ¡°Okay, now let¡¯s turn her over to the side,¡± Zeke said. He grabbed onto a shoulder, Ugo grabbed her arm, and AJ her thigh. They turned her over to her side and held her in the position. ¡°Ugo, keep a hold of her.¡± Ugo let out a lewd chuckle. ¡°That¡¯s the job you¡¯re going to give him?¡± AJ protested. ¡°Yes, because I¡¯d prefer for you to be the one to lift her shirt up.¡± ¡°Wait, what? Aww¡­. Can we switch?¡± Ugo whined. He became mardy as he watched AJ reach over Naomi and grasp the end of her white shirt. Ugo moved his eyes down. ¡°I¡¯ll crack your hips,¡± AJ said calmly. Ugo looked away. She lifted it, unveiling her thin, whitened skin plagued with black stripes as broad as a child¡¯s arm and so many black dots they looked like holes. Zeke studied the horror and noticed the stink becoming more intense. The virus was working hard to fulfill their desire for ownership of the heavenly body. Zeke located the spinal cord easily because of her withered frame. The cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacrum, and coccyx were so evident that they could use her as a prop to teach a biology class. The roots covered most of the bones, though. Again, Zeke found himself surprised he knew what to do. No voice, no visions, he just knew. He focused on an area in the middle of her spine that was clear of blackened roots and grabbed the syringe off the floor. Zeke kept the tool steady in his hand and placed a thumb on the tip of the plunger; he neared it towards the thoracic. He squinted at a gray dot that appeared beneath her shoulder blade, causing him to slow a bit. The dot expanded after he blinked once. The sharpened wing tip shot forward and stabbed him in the chest. Blood sprayed, and he glided through the air. He crash-landed on the unforgiving stone floor using his shoulder and then rolled onto his back. The syringe was still in his hand. He got back up quickly and watched the gray, blood-stained wing withdraw into an unconscious Naomi. Ugo and AJ stared at him, suspended in animation. ¡°Don¡¯t let go of her!¡± Zeke stressed. An unpleasant itch took place on his chest; he looked down and witnessed blood leaking out from the center. He dabbed the wound with his fingers and hissed. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It didn¡¯t go in too deep.¡± Zeke wasn¡¯t sure how hurt he actually was. It stung, but he felt fine for the most part. He knew that didn¡¯t really mean anything. But causing panic right now will only slow down the process. He marched towards Naomi again before the influx of second thoughts could inundate his brain. He locked his eyes on the target, raised the syringe, and plummeted it towards the spine ¡ª A wing sprouted and sent him flying away with a movement that resembled a backhand slap. It seemed sentient and with attitude. The syringe flew out of his hand this time, and Zeke landed on his back as the wing retreated. Ugo and AJ let go of Naomi, and she fell on her stomach. ¡°We¡¯re trying to help you!¡± AJ yelled to Naomi. ¡°It¡¯s probably not her fault,¡± Zeke uttered while forcing himself back on his feet. His entire body was aching now like he was sitting in the microwave with radiating sores spreading across his body. Blood smeared his shirt, and lots of it was still leaking. He continued talking before his friends could comment on it. ¡°It could be a self-defense mechanism that keeps people from getting near that spot.¡± Ugo looked at Naomi. ¡°I¡¯m guessing to keep anybody from cutting off her wings or something. So, what¡¯re we going to do?¡± Zeke¡¯s inner ear twinged. He then said, ¡°Cut off her wings.¡± Ugo and AJ gave Zeke a look. ¡°Are you serious?¡± AJ said. ¡°We have to! We need to inject the medicine into her spinal cord to save her life! We¡¯re at the point of no return!¡± ¡°We can¡¯t cut off an angel¡¯s wings!¡± Ugo replied in a fuss. ¡°Isn¡¯t that like the biggest sin of all?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we ask for permission first?¡± AJ suggested. ¡°Yeah, or like, get her to sign something, you know, for safety measures so that she doesn¡¯t tell Daddy what we did when we send her back home, and He comes back pissed.¡± ¡°God isn¡¯t going to sue us.¡± Zeke snapped. ¡°How do you know? From what I heard, He¡¯s a pretty vengeful Guy! I¡¯m just saying if I send my daughter to the hospital with just a cough and she returns missing a leg, I¡¯ll sue the hospital to the ground!¡± ¡°What the hell are we even going to cut her wings with?¡± AJ shouted. Zeke paused and curled his lip to the side. ¡°Crap¡­ I have no idea.¡± Ugo groaned and doubled over. The groans quickly evolved into cries of agony. He shivered. ¡°Now, you too?¡± Naomi said in a panic. He plugged his fingers into his ears and wobbled back until he hit a wall. ¡°Caramba, it feels like someone is rubbing sandpaper into my eardrums!¡± he slid down and screamed continually. He clenched his face shut for a long beat and then released. Ugo stared back at AJ and Zeke with a blank look. He smiled softly. Zeke recognized that look. He asked, ¡°What did you see¡­¡± ¡°Um¡­ I¡­¡± ¡°Do you know what to do, right?¡± Zeke asked. ¡°What is it?¡± Ugo brushed his hands down his face and slowly stood up. AJ stared at him, perplexed. He walked over to the other side of the bed, faced Naomi directly, and then walked backward until he touched the door. ¡°Zeke, are you sure about this?¡± Ugo asked sternly. ¡°Yeah. I am.¡± AJ shot glances between them, back and forth. ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± ¡°Guys, when I say, get real close to her.¡± Ugo stuck his hand out to the side with the palm facing up and then slightly dipped his hand in a curved position, like a beggar¡¯s hand. ¡°What are you going to¡ª¡± ¡°Rutapexy Samhita!¡± Ugo invoked. The fire of the chandelier shook and weakened as hectic cobalt blue lightning materialized and danced in his hand, demanding all attention. The flashy, jagged stripes rose and dropped in a short distance between his palm and shoulder. A shape was taking form in the epicenter of the blue storm. The saw-toothed streaks rotated in unison, and it conjured a knife. The zig-zags dissipated, and the tool fell to Ugo¡¯s hand. It was as large as a chef¡¯s knife, and the blue-hued blade was molded after a scalpel, teasing an extremely sharp edge for the most efficient dissection. Small bursts of electricity raced around the blade. White gauze swaddled the handle; it had a symbol that looked Arabic. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Ugo held the knife in his hand with care and skill, like he¡¯d held it a million times before. AJ gawked. ¡°How did you¡ª¡± ¡°I have no idea! Now, go to Naomi! I¡¯m ready!¡± The tinge of the knife¡¯s blade glowed like neon, and the electricity grew and performed pirouettes up and down the edge. Ugo¡¯s expression darkened as he focused on Naomi. Zeke and AJ turned to Naomi and plodded toward her. They got closer, and closer, and closer, and closer¡­ Ugo dashed as both wings burst out, pushing Zeke and AJ away. As Zeke and AJ soared through the air, Ugo stretched the knife back and swung with everything he had. The wings hopped a few feet into the air, and electricity trickled around its scapulars. A continuous empyreal scream exploded as Zeke, AJ, and her enormous feathered forelimbs hit the floor. The godly, blasting scream caused the room to shake; Zeke and AJ covered their ears, and Ugo fell on his back and covered his. The larder fell on its front, and the chandelier crashed, making the room much darker. Ugo pulled out his phone, turned on the flashlight, and placed it facedown on the floor. ¡°Inject the medicine before it¡¯s too late!¡± he shouted from the top of his lungs. Zeke worked every bone in his body to pick himself up. He used every mental technique he could muster to keep his body from focusing on the aches and tried looking for the syringe. Still, the screams pierced his eardrums, and he stopped to push his fingers into them even deeper. He tried searching for the syringe again and then noticed cracks sprawling across the floor, walls, and ceiling¡ªthey were all coughing out dust, hinting that they were going to crumble. When AJ rose, Zeke looked over to her as she sprinted, rolled over the larder, and grabbed the syringe off the floor. For a heart-stopping moment, she expertly tossed the syringe over to Zeke, and he barely caught it. He wasted no more time and bolted as fast as he could. He jumped over the giant wing in the way, wrapped his hand around the body of the syringe, allowing one ear to be a victim of Naomi¡¯s thundering scream, and pierced the needle into her spine. He moved his hand back with an open palm and slammed it into the plunger, injecting the liquefied unicorn horn in its entirety. Zeke pulled out the syringe, and the screaming softened. The gray wings withered until they became black and white dust that looked like ashes. It glided through the room. The screaming stopped. Zeke receded while he fixated on Naomi. He stopped, lowered his mask, and dropped the syringe. The time had come for Zeke to let himself focus on the pain, and it all came rushing in like a wave of agony ¡ª His ears, chest, back¡­ everything. He screamed for five seconds straight and then collapsed.
A hand rammed into Zeke¡¯s cheek, whirling him back to the world of the conscious. He was on the floor with his back against the wall. Ugo was crouched before him, and his bruised face zoomed into his eyeline. He saw him raise a hand. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m awake!¡± Ugo halted and withdrew his hand. ¡°Oh, bueno.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the course of action you take to help someone who passed out? Slapping them?¡± ¡°Dude, I¡¯m not going to do CPR on you. No way, I am not wasting my first kiss like that.¡± Zeke spotted AJ near Naomi¡¯s bed, analyzing the angel in silence. He rose with a heavy grunt, then hunched over and put his hand over his wound, taking a moment to hiss and steady his breath, and straightened himself. He scanned the room. It was dark and in ruins but silent at last. Ugo¡¯s cell phone¡¯s flashlight in the center of the room was the only light. He turned to AJ and dawdled over to her. He froze just like her when he saw the blight banishing itself from Naomi¡¯s flesh and her hair turning golden. AJ turned to Zeke, and her eyes widened. ¡°Zeke!¡± She touched his arm. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he said without taking his eyes off Naomi. AJ let go and returned to focusing on Naomi. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she muttered. ¡°I was thinking what to do, and I got distracted¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I would, too. It¡¯s a spectacle to see, to say the least.¡± Naomi¡¯s cheeks and lips expanded and became fuller while her complexion warmed. Ugo showed up to watch alongside them. ¡°Oh, so does this mean that she¡¯s blonde originally? Jackpot! That¡¯s so my type.¡± ¡°Every girl is your type,¡± AJ rasped. Her skin thickened, and the spots and streaks had vanished. Zeke smiled, but a thought came into mind that made him frown immediately. Still, without looking away, he said, ¡°You¡¯re going to bombard her with questions when she wakes up, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, of course,¡± Ugo replied. ¡°I have to figure out her tastes in music, food, movies, and TV shows.¡± Zeke could tell AJ knew right away who he was really referring to. ¡°It¡¯s only fair, given that we saved her life,¡± she said. ¡°She doesn¡¯t really have to tell you anything, you know,¡± Zeke said. Ugo sighed. ¡°I know. She doesn¡¯t have to. I won¡¯t be too aggressive. I¡¯ll let her tell me things in small doses throughout a long period. Let the relationship flourish.¡± AJ bit her lip and hissed, ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Like I said before, maybe we¡¯re not meant to.¡± ¡°What? Because she¡¯s an angel? Come on, she can tell me her favorite color or something,¡± Ugo said. ¡°And it¡¯s her duty to not blab about things like that. You know, the answer to it all might not even be satisfactory, anyway,¡± Zeke said. ¡°Yeah, maybe it will or maybe it won¡¯t, but you never know until you ask. Who knows, she may be a nerdy angel, huh? Talk about the perfect package, am I right?¡± Zeke could hear Ugo continue to ramble in the background but tuned him out as he resumed, ¡°You may not want to know the answers.¡± ¡°I''d rather know why than not know,¡± AJ mumbled. ¡°Really?¡± Zeke shook with a quivering lip and inhaled deeply. ¡°I¡¯m content¡ªno, I have conformed to the fact that things are just randomized, that the universe doesn¡¯t have a grand scheme for anything. It doesn¡¯t care about anything. Bad things, good things, fortune, and misfortune are all just based on¡­ absurdity. Learning that there is a cosmic reason for all of this crap would suck. ¡°That would mean that some force believed that it was just to put me in the position that I am in now. To hand me this terrible inheritance. That it was all part of someone¡¯s plan. That everything shitty that happens is part of someone¡¯s plan. I don¡¯t want to hear there¡¯s a reason for it. I don¡¯t want to hear about it being part of a grandiose plan that¡¯s for everybody¡¯s well-being because it obviously is not! If there is a certainty that someone can put other people in certain situations, then why don¡¯t we have the right to choose them ourselves? If it isn¡¯t all random if there is a certain path we can follow, then why does it feel like we have no control over it? Why can¡¯t we have control over it? Because of predestination? To me, that¡¯s cruelty.¡± It was like he just finished a marathon. The aches all over his body screeched, especially the wound on his chest. ¡°Okay, I have the feeling that you weren¡¯t talking to me,¡± Ugo said calmly. Zeke moved his eyes to the floor as he blinked his tears of rage away and found a glimmer of solace when he spotted his grandmother¡¯s book. He walked over to it. Picking it up, he examined it as if holding it for the first time. The word ¡®God¡¯ kept flashing on and off in his mind¡¯s eye. An omnipotent, supposedly benevolent entity killed off one of the non-violent minorities of the Rosario clan who had a book that helped lead him and his friends to save an angel. Meanwhile, Adelmo Rosario once helped set up a fake clandestine charity to help teen addicts and then used the funds to sell drugs to the same kids and new ones to add to the statistics. That guy has never faced a single medical complication since the day he was born. Where¡¯s the plan for that? Zeke¡¯s seething anger made him shake, and then he heard a small groan. He faced the bed and saw a revitalized sunflower blondie sitting up from it. She looked around with slow movements; she was rejuvenated but still a bit feeble. Her head cocked to the side, Zeke raised his mask and rushed to her. ¡°Head tilting?¡± Zeke put the book down and started the examination. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you got an ear infection.¡± Naomi snickered sweetly. ¡°No, no, I¡¯m fine. I feel fine. No, better than that.¡± She checked her hands and grinned. ¡°I feel great! Healthy! I think the bug is out of me!¡± she eyed Zeke, then AJ, and then Ugo ¡ª he puffed his chest out and winked at her. ¡°Oh¡­ I understand now¡­ You all are the legendary Healers of the Realm of mortals.¡± They all became stone-faced. Naomi made a nervous smile. ¡°Do you not like to be called that? I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± she looked away for a moment and then mentioned, ¡°You¡¯re all much younger than I imagined. I don¡¯t know how to thank you.¡± ¡°Let me help you with that.¡± Ugo stepped forward and kneeled. He squinted and puckered his lips as his best attempt at a seductive look. ¡°I am Ugo Aguilar Flores Morata. Pleasure to meet¡ª¡± Ugo choked on his shirt collar as AJ grabbed the back of it and pulled him away. AJ gave Naomi a stale look. ¡°My name is AJ.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. He told me.¡± Naomi averted her gaze to Zeke. ¡°And your name is¡­?¡± ¡°Zeke.¡± Naomi saw the wound on Zeke¡¯s chest, and her expression turned grim. ¡°Oh, no¡­ I apologize.¡± She scanned the others and grew dejected upon seeing their bruises. Tears welled in her eyes. ¡°I am so sorry.¡± ¡°No, no, this wasn¡¯t all caused by you, babe,¡± Ugo said. ¡°Did you just call her ¡®babe¡¯?¡± AJ questioned. ¡°Just let it happen.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, you were sick,¡± Zeke said coolly. ¡°A patient shouldn¡¯t have to apologize for anything they do when they¡¯re sick.¡± Naomi beckoned Zeke over. ¡°Come here, let me tend your wound¡­¡± Zeke pursed his lips and gave Naomi a look. ¡°Okay¡­¡± he leaned towards her as she extended her hand and cupped it over the wound. Her hand radiated a moon-white glow, causing Zeke to close his eyes. For about three seconds, he experienced the zenith of peace, joy, and enwrapping of a gracious otherworldly force. It was unlike anything he had gone through before. When he opened his eyes, he saw the glow fading from Naomi¡¯s hand as she pulled it back, and he looked down at his chest ¡ª a bloody hole in his shirt but unveiling just his unscathed, tanned skin. ¡°That felt¡­ amazing,¡± he uttered. ¡°I want to bask in heavenly glory, too. Do me next!¡± Ugo begged. Naomi fell back on the bed as she panted. ¡°Naomi?¡± Zeke asked, concerned. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m just...tired. I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t think¡­ I can¡­ do much more healing than that for the day. I¡¯m out of mana.¡± ¡°Right, of course, you need to rest.¡± Ugo sighed and walked to the cell phone on the floor in the center of the room. Zeke looked over to AJ and caught her standing silently while beaming at Naomi with a contemptuous look that became shrouded in darkness as soon as Ugo picked up the cell and the flashlight focused on the wall. In the darkness, Zeke could sense that AJ was about to blurt something out. Something filled with disdain, for sure. He heard a single breath escape from her mouth and then¡ª ¡°It¡¯s three thirty-seven in the morning!¡± Ugo shouted. ¡°What?¡± Zeke and AJ shouted back. Chapter 12 - Conception Despite all odds, Zeke was still among the land of the living, lying restlessly on his bed in his shared darkened bedroom, staring at the ceiling. Zeke¡¯s mother, Eldora, postponed his cold-blooded murder for another time. She lectured Ugo and Zeke for almost an hour, screaming in Spanish with no fluctuations in her voice; it remained at the top, continually, until Ugo¡¯s father, Gerardo, interrupted her and said that it would be best to just ground them and let them go to sleep. He was probably saving his own ass because he had to work early and wanted to defuse his fuming wife as quickly as possible to maximize his sleep. Throughout the yelling, Eldora informed the boys that Gale called her after they bolted out of the restaurant. Raylan and his group also ran. She decided to not get the cops involved. That was lucky, although there was a sense of dread that came with it, and that was the fact they owed Gale now ¡ª aside from the hundreds of dollars of plates and cups they destroyed. At any rate, that wasn¡¯t the most troubling thought bouncing around in his head. Naomi, Naomi, Naomi¡­ Her name, her face. Everything about her was zapping around in Zeke¡¯s head like lightning trapped in a bottle. It was like he was going through the same sensations stated in the hyperbolic lyrics of a cheesy pop love song; well, in his defense, the person in his mind was a literal angel from Heaven. During their sprint home ¡ª which is what AJ was doing; Zeke and Ugo were more like jogging as fast as they could without passing out from exhaustion. Ugo revealed that on their way to the door leading back to the factory office, he ran back to Naomi¡¯s room and handed her his cell phone; for light and entertainment is how he justified it. He taught Naomi the pattern to get past the lock screen before leaving her. The device was one of those expensive smartphones made for gamers, so it had an insane amount of battery life that most likely would last through the night. Zeke couldn¡¯t help but feel sickened at the thought of a divine being left alone with a device owned by Ugo that contained all his eccentricities. Zeke hoped she wouldn¡¯t stumble upon anything that would derail her thoughts on him because anything past the COOL STUFF folder definitely would. Would the cell phone be enough to make her feel safe in that big, dark medieval castle all by herself? Zeke wondered if worrying was degrading her. She is, in fact, a holy being, a title that came with a warrant for respect. He did not know how old Naomi was, but she had to be much older than she looked. But then again, she had a clear, childlike quality to her personality; paradoxically, she did have times when she seemed mature and solemn. The incongruous duality was dizzying. Zeke also realized that there was a possibility she could be in remission. He had no way of knowing if the disease was truly gone. If she had another attack, she¡¯d be on her own. Would sneaking out again really be the best idea? They were only home for roughly two hours. He would have to be a madman to do it. But he had a duty to his inpatient and rolled out of bed to fulfill it. He stood up and stared at Ugo, lost in his presumably lewd-filled dream¡ªthe wide smile on his face just seemed to show so, carelessly asleep in his bed. Zeke lost confidence in his plan. Zeke sighed and started walking. He stopped before his bookshelf and picked out a book at random. He headed for the door. Zeke easily navigated through the darkness of the upstairs hallway and sneaked down the steps. He cut through the even darker living room, dodging the wood cotton light grey sofa and the round glass coffee table in the way, not because of reflexes but because of muscle memory. He pushed the door and stepped into the kitchen. He flipped a switch, and there was light. The features of the open modern kitchen came into focus. The black marble floor tiles blended well with the black wood cabinets. Zeke approached the island and dropped the book on the silver granite countertop. He took a moment to look at the long and jutting green leaves of the air plant breathing in its glass terrarium and the wooden bowl of pale red fuji apples, keeping it company at the center of the counter. The apples were clamped together in a neatly formed stack. Then he looked over to the refrigerator. A large and long magnet of a baby angel took up too much space on the refrigerator door. It looked like it came straight from a famous Italian watercolor artist. The pasty baby held a wreath in its tiny hands as it used its small gray wings to fly upwards. The magnet meant nothing to him before, but now it just makes him think of Naomi. When his eyes lowered to the book, his brows raised. It was one about ethical medicine. Zeke took a seat on the stool, opened the book, and stared at the table of contents as a prerequisite to get his mind ready for a dark, early morning study session. With all the excess noise from the day silenced, the subtle sounds of the refrigerator humming and the angry autumn wind howling outside and pushing against the kitchen windows become apparent. They all served as natural binaural music to keep Zeke focused, but it wasn¡¯t like all the other study sessions this time. Anxious thoughts cluttered his mind (more than usual). He couldn¡¯t get past the table of contents. He was staring at it for several minutes now, just thinking about Naomi; if she¡¯s okay, if she¡¯s scared, if she leaves... The door creaked. Zeke turned back and froze. A girl was standing in the doorway with one hand on the side of the door as she slowly pushed it back. She wore a loose white T-shirt, trimmed jean shorts, a beige lightweight cardigan wrapped around her waist, and gray flat sneakers. The girl, the same age as him, he concluded, leered at him with tantalizing eyes exhibiting a glimmering violet hue. She moved her hand from the door and trod toward him; her gazing and slow movement seemed like a seduction technique, and it mesmerized Zeke. As she got closer, the hue in her eyes became more overwhelming. One word clouded over all the other thoughts in Zeke¡¯s head. A single name was all his mind¡¯s eye could see. He pressed his lips together for a second and then uttered, ¡°Vee¡­?¡± The girl stopped as if he made a command. She continued staring at Zeke unblinkingly. Zeke held her gaze and took notice of her sun-kissed skin that had a natural glow blending well with her short, dark brunette hair. She was stone-faced but beautiful all the same. ¡°Zeke¡­¡± she said warmly. A smile broke out across her pink lips. Zeke¡¯s eyes widened, and his mind was in shambles. After 3 whole years, Violet Balles would appear during a cold autumn early morning in his kitchen¡­ wearing jean shorts. He smiled with joy, but just for a moment. He contained himself and inquired about the pressing questions at hand. ¡°How are you here?¡± Zeke started. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be in Argentina.¡± ¡°I am in Argentina.¡± ¡°But¡­ you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°And in Argentina.¡± Zeke collected his thoughts. He found nothing to help him make sense of the situation and shot a puzzled look at Violet. ¡°What?¡± he exclaimed. Violet stepped towards Zeke and settled a hand on the back of the bar stool he was sitting on. ¡°How long has it been?¡± ¡°Three years¡­ you¡¯ve¡­ grown.¡± Zeke averted his eyes from Violet. He realized he was out of breath and his heart was racing, and then it became still for a moment as Violet¡¯s hand touched his cheek. He looked back at her, and there was a sting in his heart again. Her smile evolved into something even more alluring. ¡°And you¡­ haven¡¯t,¡± she said. Zeke¡¯s heart sank into his stomach, and he made a sullen pout. He must be a huge letdown for her compared to how much she blossomed over the years. Violet stroked his cheek with the tips of her fingers. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see that some things stay just as wonderful as you left them. That makes me glad,¡± she added. The words defibrillated Zeke¡¯s heart, sending jolts all over his body. He blushed, turned away, and focused on his book. A thousand thoughts fired off in his head at once. His stomach was a blizzard, and he tried not to but shivered conspicuously and then smacked himself in the head for the blunder. He heard Violet snicker. ¡°Please, turn around. I want to see you,¡± Violet said. Zeke shuddered once again and then turned back to her slowly. His eyes locked onto her face immediately. It was enthralling. Without warning, Violet spread her arms apart. ¡°Can I hug you?¡± she asked. Zeke raised a brow and gave her a skeptical look. Incredulous for no rational reason. He knew this but stuck with the thought of disbelief, anyway. ¡°Okay, for an excuse, let¡¯s say I am doing this to prove to you I am real.¡± ¡°Lucid dreaming gives off sensations almost as real as those felt in the real world,¡± Zeke said. ¡°In fact, in that state, our senses are heightened.¡± Violet swayed slightly on her feet as she continued to smile at Zeke. ¡°May I please hug you?¡± Zeke studied Violet for a few seconds and found his body rising from the bar stool on its own. As he stood before her, his worst fear came to life. They were the same height now. Zeke thought about how embarrassed she was of him. He avoided making direct eye contact with her, and as he extended his arms, she embraced him before he got the chance to spread them entirely. As the clutch of her arms tightened around his neck, it was like being squeezed by a pillow. A soft one that had a fresh floral scent of bergamot orange and water lilies. The smell of rancid eggs clogged his nostrils for so long; inhaling something so fruity and harmonic was exciting. Violet didn¡¯t say a word and just kept tightening her grip and pressed her face into him. A ball of warmth appeared in the center of his chest and scattered. Zeke made a mile-wide smile and dared to raise his hands behind Violet. He wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes. While staring at the back of his eyelids, he watched a movie, replaying the moments he had experienced with her. Providence overtook him. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you so much, Ezequias,¡± she muffled. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Her pronunciation of his name was seamless. It always sounded better coming out of her lips than anyone else he knew. Finally, she let go of him; he released her as well, and she stepped back. ¡°Sit,¡± she said. Zeke planted himself on the stool, and Violet sat on the one beside him. They both turned, facing forward at the cabinets and appliances. ¡°Why¡ªHow are you here?¡± Zeke asked once again. Violet looked at Zeke, then reached and scrabbled away at the curls hanging off his nape. ¡°I¡¯m not here. I¡¯m in Argentina.¡± Zeke decided to forget about it. She clearly didn¡¯t intend on giving him a straight answer, but she was, in fact, real. What was going on? Violet twirled a strand of Zeke¡¯s hair with her finger. ¡°Even your hair is still the same, Rulitos. Does your mom still do it for you? Is she still cutting it when it gets too long?¡± ¡°I do my hair on my own¡­ I let her cut it when she wants.¡± Violet chuckled. ¡°Adorable.¡± She pulled her finger away from the curl, crossed her legs, and rested her hand under her chin. ¡°Ezequias, we need to talk.¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°The Tainted Generation.¡± Violet analyzed him sternly. Almost as if she was waiting for a certain reaction. Zeke just stared back with a vacant expression. ¡°Hmph. So, you know nothing.¡± She sighed. ¡°Where to start¡­?¡± Violet¡¯s eyes wandered around the kitchen and then darted back to Zeke abruptly. ¡°You¡¯ve experienced some weird things recently, right?¡± Zeke focused on her beaming violet eyes, trying to come up with an answer. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. ¡°Magic-related?¡± she added. ¡°Wha-What?¡± Violet sighed once more. ¡°I felt your Mana Pores open up, Ugo¡¯s as well, and then I learned that somebody broke the Great Seals on the same day. I didn¡¯t even know that was possible. A part of me thought that you two were involved, which got me excited, but that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case. Still, it can¡¯t be a coincidence. I know you and Ugo used magic just a few hours earlier. What caused it? Were you two attacked? Werewolf? Goblin? Ghost? Demon?¡± Zeke flinched at the last word. ¡°Oh, so a demon attack? Ni a palos! You two fended off against a demon on your own?¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯m definitely dreaming. This is my brain¡¯s way of dealing with recent supernatural events. That¡¯s what I get for ignoring my need for sleep.¡± ¡°Rulitos, haven¡¯t we already established that I am real? You¡¯re not sleeping. I said, ¡®Mana Pores,¡¯ do you know what those are? I don¡¯t think so. How can your brain tell you something you¡¯ve never heard before?¡± ¡°My brain could clearly make things up for an explanation.¡± ¡°That is plausible but not true. Listen, think of the opening of your Mana Pores as like¡­ your first period.¡± ¡°Yeah, great referential for me to use. I can definitely relate to that.¡± ¡°With the Mana Pores open, we can harness the energy that is spread throughout the universe to use magic. Mana seeps easily into our souls. For people like us, we just need to go through a certain experience, and we¡¯re good to go.¡± ¡°¡®People like us?¡¯ What does that mean?¡± ¡°You. Me. Ugo. And 8 other lucky bastardos are part of the Fourteenth Tainted Generation of Healers.¡± ¡°¡®Healers?¡¯¡± ¡°Doctors, physicians, exorcists, necromancers, enchanters, diviners, vicars¡­¡± She removed her hand from under her chin and shifted her position, switching the leg crossed over the other. ¡°We¡¯ve been called many things throughout the ages. But we¡¯re most commonly known as Healers,¡± Violet explained. ¡°Nobody knows why, but there¡¯s always a group of 11 individuals, all born in the same year, who have a great affinity with Mana and are blessed with other gifts from the universe. We¡¯re the 14th version of the select few. The angels don¡¯t like us.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s a euphemism. They hate us. They¡¯d send all of us to Hell if they could.¡± ¡°But why?¡± ¡°The same reason why this country is always complaining about immigrants.¡± Violet folded her arms and pulled back into her seat. She flashed a smile. ¡°We took their jobs.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t like us because we can use magic?¡± ¡°Everybody can use magic, Rulitos. Even animals, plants, and objects have connections with Mana. It¡¯s what Healers use that magic for¡­ curing people,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s the angels¡¯ duty to protect and cure humanity of any ailment, but only the faithful ones. Anyone they deem unworthy of their grace doesn¡¯t deserve to be saved. And Healers cure anybody they can. Anybody they want.¡± ¡°Angels used to work with Healers at one point, but they got too ¡®arrogant¡¯ according to the angels. ¡®Arrogant¡¯ is what the angels like to call any human who uses their brain to think for themself. The angels are just jealous of us.¡± Zeke was stupefied by what he was hearing. Violet¡¯s anti-authoritarian attitude was nothing to be shocked about; she was always like that, but there¡¯s a difference between talking smack about a middle-aged principal and an immortal agent of God. This was beyond not showing respect to adults. She badmouthed like it was nothing. Zeke gulped and asked, ¡°Why would angels be jealous of humans?¡± ¡°Because we can use Black and White Magic, therefore, we have a larger access to spells.¡± Violet read the look of confusion on Zeke¡¯s face. She explained, ¡°Black Magic is the kind you use to inflict curses and, overall, cause harm, the fun one. While White Magic would be the opposite of that. The most advanced kind of White Magic can inflict damage, but it has to be done with completely noble intent, and that¡¯s the kind angels use for fighting. Generally speaking, in combat, during a clash between the two, the one with the highest output wins.¡± Zeke lurched forward, firing a befuddled look at Violet. The hurricane of thoughts storming rampant in his head aggravated. He lost touch with reality at that point. He controverted himself repeatedly, and one question remained the most prominent. ¡°Vee¡­ how do you know this?¡± ¡°I just told you. I¡¯m part of the same generation as you.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t clear up anything!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t shout, Rulitos,¡± she said. He winded down like a tired puppy. ¡°Sorry,¡± he mumbled. ¡°My Mana Pores opened up 3 years ago.¡± ¡°So, after you left. What caused it?¡± ¡°Ironically, it was the things who least wanted humans to access Mana. Angels.¡± Violet¡¯s grin became chilling. Zeke was afraid to ask for specifics. She had the same Machiavellian look on her face she¡¯d wear whenever she thought back to a cunning scheme of hers that went according to plan. Most of the time, they were of the violent variety. Zeke studied her again, mulling over the possible thoughts swirling in her mind. ¡°From there. I spent every waking moment learning everything.¡± ¡°Everything about what?¡± ¡°Everything. Everything about everything.¡± ¡°Does that mean you¡¯re a master of magic now or something?¡± Zeke chuckled. ¡°I guess you can say that.¡± Zeke¡¯s face went blank. ¡°You can do magic?¡± ¡°I just told you that everybody can use magic. Rulitos¡­ come on, I know you are way smarter than this,¡± she said. Violet raised her hands, showing her palms. ¡°It¡¯s all about the hands. They¡¯re the fundamentals of magic.¡± Zeke thought back to when Ugo inexplicably summoned the blue surgical knife and the beggar¡¯s hand gesture he used. ¡°Most spells can¡¯t even be done without them,¡± she said. Violet¡¯s eyes wandered around the kitchen again. ¡°Okay, so where was I¡­?¡± she snapped her fingers and looked back at Zeke. ¡°Oh, yes... angels can¡¯t use Black Magic. The reason they can¡¯t is that they have to watch the purity of their soul. An angel¡¯s soul is only composed of purity.¡± ¡°I think that goes without saying.¡± ¡°A soul¡¯s purity is another fundamental of magic. We can view it through the lens of an RPG game.¡± Zeke grinned. It was a pleasant surprise to learn she was still quite versed in the geek domain. ¡°Imagine that every being across the many realms has a Gauge for their purity levels, right? From zero percent to a hundred percent. Angels¡¯ souls are always at one hundred percent. If they lose just one percent of their purity, they lose their wings.¡± ¡°And become human?¡± ¡°Well¡­ something similar to one. Their bodies don¡¯t function the same as one. It¡¯s a whole new being altogether,¡± she clarified. ¡°Black Magic lowers any being¡¯s purity levels. White Magic increases it. As you may have guessed, demons can¡¯t use White Magic because they have no purity. This is where our advantage comes in as humans. We can freely move up and down the purity spectrum, alternating between White and Black Magic. We can cure ailments much faster than angels and find diseases they can¡¯t even diagnose properly on their own.¡± Violet uncrossed her legs, reached for the fruit bowl, and grabbed an apple. The tower collapsed. ¡°Anyway, there are 11 specific roles for each member of the Tainted Generation to fill. We discovered that there are two missing spots for the Surgeon and the Diagnostician. Those roles belong to you two. I¡¯m sure you two can figure out who has which.¡± She said and then bit into the apple. Zeke stared at her as she took a couple more bites of the apple and then got up. ¡°Are you just going to leave?¡± Zeke asked, alarmed. ¡°¡®Leave¡¯? I was never here.¡± She smiled, holding the apple in her hand, and walked toward the door. Zeke sprang out of his seat and ran up to her. ¡°Wait!¡± She halted and turned back to him, freezing him in place just as their noses brushed against each other. Zeke hopped back in an instant. ¡°You¡¯re still so adorably awkward,¡± she said with a light snicker. Zeke laughed nervously and looked down at the black tile floor. ¡°You can¡¯t just leave. We have so much we need to talk about. And it¡¯s not just this whole demon and magic business.¡± Violet lifted his chin with her finger. ¡°I know, Ezequias, I know, but not now, okay?¡± she said sweetly, touching his face. ¡°Oh, look at you. I can tell how sleep-deprived you are by just looking at you.¡± She took another bite of the apple. ¡°You need sleep, Rulitos.¡± She withdrew her hand from his cheek, turned it over with the palm facing up, and pushed her thumb and forefinger against each other. ¡°Get some rest,¡± she said right before specks of sparkling dust sprayed out of her hand and into Zeke¡¯s face. Everything became pitch black, and he lost control of his body. It felt light all over and propelled downwards. Something caught him. A warmth took over as a pair of arms entangled him. His body moved again, gliding across the floor as he heard a soft chortle tickle his ear. ¡°Che. You still weigh nothing.¡± Was the last thing he heard as he was pushed back into his seat, and his head was gently placed onto the ethical medicine textbook. He heard a door creak open, and then silence took over to accompany the darkness.
¡°Ezequias!¡± Eldora called. Zeke shot up in his seat and then looked at his mother in a dazed state. Eldora, a slender Columbian woman with short, curly hair, glanced at the book and then frowned. ¡°Mijo. What¡¯s the point of studying so hard if you don¡¯t even have the energy to go to school?¡± she sighed and walked over to the sink. ¡°I hope you get ready in time.¡± Zeke rose from his seat, rubbed his eye, and then paused. ¡°Mom. Have you spoken to Violet¡¯s parents recently? They¡¯re still in Argentina, right?¡± She took a glass from the cupboard and then stopped to arch a brow. ¡°Hm?¡± She filled the cup with water. ¡°Ezequias¡­ the Catholic program Violetta¡¯s parents set her up for is a long-term process. You¡¯re probably not going to see her for another 4 years.¡± Eldora turned back to Zeke and gave him a sad look. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I think it¡¯s time for you to move on already.¡± Zeke scratched his head. ¡°See ya later, Mom.¡± Just as he turned around, Eldora noticed the apples sprawled on the wooden bowl. ¡°Oh, mijo, why did you have to ruin my tower?¡± she asked. Zeke¡¯s eyes flew to the bowl, and he contemplated. Before the wretched thought could fully manifest, another harrowing one came out of nowhere to substitute it. His Doctor¡¯s bag. He didn¡¯t come home with it. Character Index (With Portraits)--Volume 2

2. Maleficent Dominion: After successfully removing the demonic microorganism, more otherworldly problems arise for Zeke and his friends as Dominion Chief Nananiel goes on a heartless campaign to retrieve Naomi and return her to Heaven by any means necessary.

The Main Trio: Ezequias "Zeke" Rosario "I¡¯m content¡ªno, I have conformed to the fact that things are just randomized, that the universe doesn¡¯t have a grand scheme for anything. It doesn¡¯t care about anything. Bad things, good things, fortune, and misfortune are all just based on¡­ absurdity. Learning that there is a cosmic reason for all of this crap would suck." Summary: A gifted teen who wants to be a world-renowned doctor. What keeps him from achieving his full potential is coming from an unlawful family, low self-esteem, and excessive anxiety, having him overthink and worry about everything from the fate of the world to innocuous things like if that gum he swallowed a few years ago is going to come back to haunt him. First Appearance: Volume 1: Saving Grace, Chapter 1 - Ailment Race: Human (Columbian) Age: 17 Skills: Abilities: Connections: Ugo Morata (Step-brother), Viola Balles (It¡¯s Complicated) Status: Alive Ugo Morata ¡°Yes, now, I see! If we save this angel¡¯s life, then we all get a guaranteed ticket to Heaven, right? Or, like, a ¡®get out of Hell for free card.¡¯ I lowkey still want to see some demon babes.¡± Summary: Lazy and unapologetic about his lecherous behavior. Ugo possesses incredible memory-related abilities, such as photographic recall, but all that is cemented in his mind is how he will attain his first girlfriend. First Appearance: Volume 1: Saving Grace, Chapter 3 - Complications Race: Human (Spaniard) Age: 17 Skills: Abilities: Connections: Ezequias Rosario (Step-brother) Status: Alive Avery ¡°AJ¡± Dotson ¡°He just lets people be born ugly and others beautiful? He allows some people to grow into freaks? Why, just for the fun of it?¡± Summary: Self-conscious about her height and lack of ¡°feminity.¡± She enjoys exercise, eating right (even dedicating herself to learning various complex healthy dishes), and following sports but never applies herself to any of the school¡¯s teams due to her shyness. She is overall a sweet person but gets antagonistic whenever the topic of religion is brought up. After facing ¡°unfair¡± outcomes when it came to her body and observing the other graver injustices of the world, she came to despise the idea of God, hoping deep down that everything about Heaven is a lie, and then one day, an angel falls out of the sky. First Appearance: Volume 1: Saving Grace, Chapter 1 - Ailment The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Race: Human (American) Age: 17 Skills: Abilities: Status: Alive Angels: Nananiel ¡°Whichever miscreant of the Fourteenth Tainted Generation chooses to oppose us, the Dominions, the protectors of this Realm ¡ª the inheritance that Father left us, shall be executed on sight and shown no mercy. Destruction of their mortal shells and the containment of their souls are the only acceptable outcomes of this operation. That¡¯s all.¡± Summary: All Nananiel wants to do is help out humans and maybe try out some of the things they have the privilege of experiencing. That¡¯s why he was happy when he was suddenly promoted to the rank of ¡°Dominion Chief,¡± putting him in charge of management of the Human Realm. It turns out misfortune seems to love Nananiel as a universal threat arises just as he is getting used to his new job. With the Tainted Generation now at large, Nananiel needs to take on a more stern demeanor and possibly make some difficult choices that may involve harming the humans he so dearly admires. First Appearance: Volume 1: Saving Grace, Chapter 1 - Ailment Race: Angel (Dominion) Age: Approximately 550-years-old Skills: Abilities: Magic: Equipment: Affiliations: Second Sphere of the Order of Angels Status: Alive Affiliations: Second Sphere of the Order of Angels Status: Alive Theme: Grumpy Shark - Eye of the Storm Naomi ¡°I have to go back, though, but if I do¡­ I¡¯ll be punished for sure¡­ they¡¯ll put me back in the cage.¡± Summary: Imprisoned in a cage in a Heavenly Realm and let out by Dominion Chief Nananiel to aid with an upcoming attack on the Winterberry Adytum. The operation went awry, so she fled, contracting an ailment in the process, and was later found and cured by Ezequias "Zeke" Rosario, Ugo Morata, and AJ Dotson. First Appearance: Volume 1: Saving Grace, Chapter 4 - Tainted Race: Angel Age: ??? Skills: ??? Affiliations: Second Sphere of the Order of Angels Status: Alive 14th Tainted Generation of Healers: Viola ¡°Violet¡± Balles ¡°It¡¯s nice to see that some things stay just as wonderful as you left them. That makes me glad.¡± Summary: A childhood friend of the trio who served as their "protector" standing up to bullies for them. Unfortunately, she fell out of touch when sent to an Argentinian all-girls Catholic boarding school. The first thing people notice when seeing her for the first time is her petrifying dark cobalt blue eyes--at times, they seem violet, hence why she was given the nickname. There is also an unmistakable hostile animus around Violet that people pick up on quickly when near her, except for Zeke, who is hopelessly infatuated with her. First Appearance: Volume 1: Saving Grace, Chapter 12 - Conception Race: Human (Argentinian) Age: 17 Skills: Abilities: Affiliations: 14th Tainted Generation of Healers Connections: Ezequias Rosario (It''s Complicated) Status: Alive Theme: Rodrigo y Gabriela - Diablo Rojo Other: Isaac Noble ¡°I beg of you, don¡¯t give into the intense, dangerous emotion you¡¯re feeling right now, for it will cause you two to make irreparable actions which will be followed with massive consequences.¡± Summary: An oddball who grew up in a household of ardent devotees with parents deeply involved in Winterberry¡¯s church community. He has been preaching in front of devoted audiences since he was eight years old and traveled on the road with his family to spread the good word nationwide. A long-time acquaintance of the trio. To Zeke, he always seemed a bit... off First Appearance: Volume 2: Maleficent Dominion, Chapter 14 - Hypertension Race: Human (American) Age: 17 Skills: Abilities: Status: Alive Chapter 13 - Absolution Nananiel twitched to a sharp sting in his eye as a droplet of sweat raining down his forehead slipped under his eyelid. He shut his eye and hissed at the pain as he contemplated the oddities of his Container. He could jump off one of those giant flying contraptions that housed a multitude of humans at once and hit the ground feeling just a tickle, but minor inconveniences brought him immense pain. Just the other day, he stumped his toe on a table and swore the agony was comparable to being stabbed in the back when he used to fight in celestial wars. He pulled out his handkerchief and wiped his forehead as he shivered all over. Sweat droplets sprinkled the surface of the clear white marble table before him. Nananiel heard rapid clicking coming from his right, followed by a ding. He looked over to the angel, settled in a white chair, and concentrated on a typewriter stationed on his lap. The angel wore a Container reminiscent of a stereotypical male human accountant. Nananiel always noted that upon seeing him. He was a Scribe Angel. A special First Sphere angel in charge of recording everything, notable or not, they write it down. Nananiel honestly couldn¡¯t tell if it was the same Scribe from before or another who put on a similar vessel. Scribes are devoid of personality, and Nananiel had never heard one speak before. They hardly spend any time in the Realm of Mortals. Down to the composition of their soul content, they were indistinguishable from one another. Another ding went off. Cutting off Nananiel¡¯s thoughts. He looked around the bland, doorless, windowless, pure white room and then settled his eyes on the angel before him. Enthroned in his chair on the other side of the table, he wore a male Container attired in a classy blue suit with thin reading glasses that had settled at the tip of his nose. He focused on Nananiel with a silent, vexed expression. Elgorizel of the First Sphere. Another ding went off, startling Nananiel. As if they rehearsed, Elgorizel started speaking. ¡°Brother Nananiel, you were the one responsible for allowing Naomi to cross over to Earth without the consent of your fellow Virtue or Power brethren, correct? You went over to her cage and freed her yourself?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Nananiel answered in a scratchy tone. ¡°And now she is missing, correct?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do you have the intention of locating the child?¡± ¡°Of course I do. I know and understand how much of a threat it is to allow her to roam the Realm, especially with all the unholy creatures now roaming as well.¡± Nananiel snuck a glance at the typing Scribe and then glared at Elgorizel. ¡°What¡¯re we doing?¡± he said. ¡°Was it necessary to bring this Scribe here? You already know the answer to these questions. You just want to rub it in my face ¡ª¡± Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°It¡¯s this or a conventional hearing, Brother Nananiel,¡± Elgorizel interrupted calmly. ¡°With the entire First Sphere authorities present. All you have to do to receive the latter is to continue repudiating to cooperate. Go on if that is what you wish.¡± The Scribe stopped typing and fixated on Nananiel with a wooden look. Elgorizel placed his hand over the table and drummed his fingers on it collectedly. Nananiel succumbed to the threat. ¡°Forgive me, Brother Elgorizel. I lost focus for a moment. I apologize.¡± The Scribe stifled a giggle and continued typing. Ding. Nananiel snarled for a moment. The weak parasites were condescending. Feeling all so superior without ever stepping foot on a battlefield. Their pompous attitude stemmed from having a powerful agent be required to accompany them at all times. Elgorizel stopped thrumming and said, ¡°As of now, do you have a way of pinpointing her exact location?¡± ¡°No. However, the First Sphere can.¡± ¡°Brother Nananiel, answer the question ¡ª¡± ¡°The First Sphere surely has a spell or two that can find her.¡± ¡°This is your mess, Nananiel. You have to be the one to fix it.¡± ¡°What of the Seals, Brother Elgorizel? How come when Sister Paschar had that vision, not a single one of you came down to help?¡± Elgorizel bared his teeth at Nananiel. ¡°You are an angel of the Second Sphere, the Chief Dominion of all titles, which you were chosen for throughout a vote and a valuable referential. You accepted the position. You took a Holy Oath. You weren¡¯t supposed to let any of the Seals be broken in the first place.¡± ¡°A member of the Tainted Generation infiltrated our ranks. They tarnished one of my brethren¡¯s Containers. A wicked spell transmogrified the Container into a soul-trapping cage. A cage containing a dimension of its own¡ªor portals to secluded Realms¡ªI¡¯m not sure, to be frank. It¡¯s cruel magic. I was the only one able to escape it so far. I later learned that the same trick was used on Sister Irin¡¯s and Brother Dabriel¡¯s groups.¡± Nananiel crumpled the handkerchief in his hand. ¡°The one who infiltrated Kalmiya¡¯s Container had a soul that emanated an aura like an angel¡¯s. An incredibly effective camouflaging spell of some sort. They must¡¯ve sneaked in the other member to possess the other Container. They both spoke our tongue. These scoundrels know how to speak like angels! At least four conspirators were involved, I believe. The Fourteenth Damned was the mastermind for sure.¡± ¡°I strongly consider that it was poor management on your part. All I hear are excuses. It sounds to me like you want to give up your title as Dominion.¡± ¡°No, what I¡¯m saying is that I would like to see someone from the First Sphere actually do something for once.¡± The Scribe stopped writing and gave Nananiel a look alongside Elgorizel. Silence lingered in the room for a moment. The Scribe shook his head and returned to typing. Ding. Elgorizel averted his gaze from Nananiel and stared at the spotless ceiling for a few seconds. His eyes fixated on the table. Nananiel could tell he was disgusted by his presence. ¡°Brother Nananiel, you are now under a deadline to locate Naomi and fix the Seals of the Winterberry Adytum. You will not be informed of when the deadline ends. Till then, you are banished from all Holy Grounds.¡± ¡°What?¡± Nananiel shouted. ¡°If you try to test my word and step into any of the Holy Realms. Your Elders and I won¡¯t hesitate to eradicate your existence, Brother Nananiel. If you cannot meet the said conditions, your title will be revoked, and you shall be demoted to the position of angel. We also expect the effective extermination of the Fourteenth Generation and the resolution of the whomever is killing fellow angels.¡± Elgorizel pointed at the Scribe, and he stopped immediately. ¡°That is all. Brother Nananiel, you are dismissed.¡± Elgorizel raised a hand. ¡°Wait, let¡¯s talk about this¡­¡± Nananiel urged. Elgorizel snapped his fingers, and Nananiel¡¯s Container glowed brightly from the center. The light enveloped and then dissipated alongside him. Chapter 14 - Hypertension Zeke dashed through the crowded corridor, eyeing the floor. His fellow Winterford High School students were on either side. Most of them were bigger than him, better-looking than him, and brimming with confidence all over. Girls and boys alike talking and laughing beside the blue steel lockers seemed to be from an entirely different species from him. He couldn¡¯t tell who, but just the thought of eyes scanning his wimpy frame and conspicuous patchwork jeans made his stomach turn. He sped up. Finally, he reached the Algebra classroom door. It was open halfway. He pushed it all the way. It was anarchy. The teacher was fast asleep, slumped over on his desk while students scribbled and drew genitalia on his face, and others happily did the same on the blackboard. As for the ruffians seated, some were in a full-blown paper plane war, launching their matte aircraft at each other. The winning conditions seemed quite ambiguous to Zeke as he watched. He continued to survey the room and found others focused on their handheld consoles and the rest making out with each other. Zeke only took advancement placement classes and forgot how outlandish the normal classrooms were. ¡°Your boyfriend left a couple of minutes ago,¡± a delinquent circling a testicle on the board said. Zeke scowled back at him. Knowing that¡¯s as far as he could go without getting his ass kicked. He heard a girl let out a loud groan. Zeke backed away from the classroom and looked for the direction where it came from. It sounded like the usual noise girls made whenever talking to Ugo. He spotted them on his right, a couple of feet away, standing near a drinking fountain. The girl was beautiful and petite but kept her face contorted in vexation. Ugo held her sour look and beamed back at her. Either oblivious to her disinterest or just powering through the awkwardness. The girl walked away, and Ugo went after her. Zeke sighed and followed them, remaining discreet as he neared the two. He could hear their conversation. ¡°Skylar, you know I¡¯ve never told you this, but... your name, in Spanish, means ¡®My love,¡¯¡± Ugo said to her. Zeke held back the vomit rising in his throat. ¡°So, just saying your name in my native language would be calling you ¡®My love.¡¯¡± Ugo let it sink in. The girl looked back at him with a wooden expression. ¡°No, it¡¯s not,¡± she replied. Ugo paused for a while and then said, ¡°How would you know? Are you from a Spanish-speaking country?¡± ¡°I take Spanish, y¡¯know,¡± Ugo¡¯s face went blank. Zeke saw it as his cue and forced himself between the two. ¡°Mora, come on, let¡¯s go, it¡¯s lunchtime.¡± The girl fled like a rabbit let loose from its snare. ¡°Mano, what are you doing?¡± he shouted at Zeke. ¡°You were dying out there.¡± ¡°She was just about to warm up to me.¡± ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t!¡± The girl shouted from afar. Ugo stared forward and then squinted. ¡°So, what do you want?¡± he asked without looking back at Zeke. ¡°Um, lunch?¡± ¡°Oh, right, I was on my way to the cafeteria anyway to have a lunch date until you came along and ruined it!¡± ¡°¡®Lunch date¡¯?¡± ¡°You heard me.¡± They walked down the corridor. As they passed by the restroom doors, Zeke said, ¡°Mora, that class of yours is scary. It¡¯s so chaotic. I have a feeling that it¡¯s not only because the bell rang.¡± Ugo smiled. ¡°It¡¯s fun.¡± Zeke read the look on Ugo¡¯s face and frowned. ¡°How can you have that smile on your face? Mora, you¡¯re not even supposed to be there. You¡¯re smarter than everybody there, smarter than the people in the advanced placement classes, including me.¡± ¡°Look, you have fun in your stupid AP classes, and I have fun in my lower-level classes. Let me be, Zeke.¡± ¡°You¡¯re way too laid back.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re way too uptight. The type of women you¡¯ll attract with that attitude won¡¯t be the best¡±. ¡°Everything always comes back to women with you, huh?¡± ¡°Well, everything starts with women; they¡¯re the ones who make life happen, and we all technically start off as women. The gene for nipples is found in the X chromosome, which we all have as we start off as females. If there is no Y chromosome in the fetus, then the embryo develops into a female; if there is a Y chromosome present in the embryo, testosterone restricts the full development of breasts. It thus leads to the baby being born as a dude.¡± Zeke halted as his mouth fell open. Ugo stopped as well to look back at him with a smug look. He remained with the dumb look on his face for a couple of seconds before saying, ¡°Oh, so you do note the facts I share with you from time to time.¡± ¡°As long as the word ¡®breast¡¯ is in the sentence, I¡¯ll always be listening, Zeke.¡± Oh, right, that¡¯s the reason. ¡°You really need to grow up already,¡± Zeke remarked. He shook his head, and they resumed walking. ¡°Hey, have you seen AJ today?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think she came to school today.¡± ¡°But AJ never misses school¡­¡± Given yesterday¡¯s events, Zeke couldn¡¯t blame her. He hoped she was okay and decided to not press on it. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just have to tell her when I see her later today. Mora, there¡¯s something I need to talk to you guys about. I was hoping to do it with both of you here at once. Something¡­ weird happened last night.¡± ¡°Mano, how many times do I have to tell you that nothing that happens to you during your early morning study sessions makes for an interesting story, no matter how you put it?¡± ¡°This is serious. It¡¯s about¡­ Vee.¡± ¡°What about Vee?¡± A small gathering arose before them, barricading the last corner leading to the cafeteria. They came to a stop and stared. People ran from every direction, pushing Zeke and Ugo out of the way and flocking to the increasing mass. They exchanged a look with each other and moved towards the tumultuous crowd. They found two girls in the ambit of the commotion. Seniors clothed fashionably with expensive brands that Zeke could never remember the names of. Aside from their clothes, Zeke could tell they were part of the popular cliques because he felt nervous just by looking at them. ¡°You¡¯re a bitch!¡± the blonde one screamed at the brunette. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°What did you call me?¡± The brunette replied, waggling her fingers, ready to slap the makeup off her face. Zeke and Ugo, alongside the crowd, remained rapt at the spectacle as the girls yelled curses at each other and disturbingly descriptive insults about their family members. Despite being focused on the rabble, the words weren¡¯t doing a good job of hinting at what they were fighting about. ¡°Oh no,¡± Zeke said. ¡°I hope it doesn¡¯t get physical. Who¡¯re those two again?¡± Ugo pointed at the brunette first and then the blonde as he blurted, ¡°Blair and Rachel!¡± he put his arm over Zeke and explained, ¡°A quick summary on the whole situation: one liked a post of someone they shouldn¡¯t have, and things quickly escalated from there bringing us to what you see now.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been following this?¡± ¡°And waiting for the fight to break out ever since.¡± Ugo emitted a dorky giggle as he withdrew his arm. ¡°This. This is why I come to school every day.¡± ¡°This is the reason for your consecutive perfect attendance awards?¡± Zeke shouted. Ugo ignored Zeke and pulled his smartphone out with haste. He held it up and filmed. ¡°Wait, didn¡¯t you give your phone to¡ª?¡± ¡°Did you really think that I¡¯d give my main phone to an angel? Come on.¡± Zeke remembered Ugo buying himself a second cell phone as a backup for his special files whenever the first¡¯s memory capacity was full. Zeke looked around and saw others holding their phones, filming the scene as the girls¡¯ dispute intensified. The lack of compassion from his current generation worried him. He suggested, ¡°We¡¯ve gotta do something¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare, Zeke!¡± Ugo refuted. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I swear to God, if you do, I will never speak to you again,¡± he said. A tall student approached them from behind. ¡°No. Hezekiah is correct.¡± They jumped and let out a yip. Ugo¡¯s phone went up into the air, and the towering boy caught it in his hand. He extended the phone forward while grinning down at them. ¡°Here you go,¡± he said in his weak, hoarse voice. His chestnut brown hair was styled with a messy bowl cut. His eyes darted to Zeke instantly, and he waved at him. The silver cross dangling from his rosary bead bracelet swung from side to side. Isaac Noble was his name. Ugo snatched the phone and resumed filming. ¡°Just stay quiet, Zach. The only sounds I wanna hear are the screams of the stars of our video.¡± He snorted and then giggled creepily. ¡°I¡¯ll try my best,¡± Isaac replied with a smile, unwavered by Ugo¡¯s lasciviousness. ¡°Hey, Isaac.¡± ¡°Yes, Hezekiah?¡± Zeke held back his urge to scream. ¡°Didn¡¯t I ask you to stop calling me ¡®Hezekiah¡¯? Just ¡®Zeke¡¯ is fine.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s the name from which your name derived,¡± he said. ¡°Hezekiah, King of Judah. Who was the most righteous king! Sharing a name with a man like that is nothing to be ashamed of.¡± ¡°And the loop begins again¡­¡± Zeke muttered under his breath. Isaac put on a stern look and focused on the girls like a German Shepherd on high alert. ¡°Hezekiah. We must stop this before it gets out of hand. Nothing good can come from a senseless fight¡ª¡± The brunette smacked the blonde across the face. The corridor became silent. Ugo¡¯s face lit up like a lightbulb, and he screamed, ¡°Ohhhhhhh snap! Yes, now things are starting for real. Quick, Rachel, rip her shirt off for payback!¡± The blonde looked in his direction and growled, ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not important right now! Even though I literally asked you out two weeks ago. Whatever, I¡¯m not going to dwell on it.¡± Isaac rested his hand on top of Zeke¡¯s head. ¡°Oh no, looks like we took too long to engage, Hezekiah.¡± Zeke looked up at Isaac, puzzled by the pious beanstalk. ¡°But do not fret just yet. I have an idea to resolve this,¡± Issac added. Isaac stepped forward and slithered through the slit of the crowd and right into the center of the conflict. ¡°What? Zach, what¡¯re you doing? Zach!¡± Ugo barked. ¡°Get back here! Don¡¯t ruin things when they just started, goddammit!¡± The fuming girls fixated on Isaac. ¡°Blair, Rachel, I beg of you¡­¡± he pushed up the sleeves of his black button-up. He usually wore dark-colored formal shirts, leaving them unbuttoned like a free-spirited priest, and always with the same gold ichthus-shaped cufflinks. He looked at the girls like he was about to give them the most eye-opening sermon of their lives. Zeke watched him. An oddball would be a simplification to describe him. Isaac grew up in a household of ardent devotees with parents deeply involved in Winterberry¡¯s church community. All his siblings were also notable members, but Isaac was the family¡¯s star. He was a wunderkind who started preaching in front of devoted audiences since he was eight years old. He traveled on the road with his family to spread the good word nationwide. Isaac was the closest thing Winterberry had to a high-profile celebrity. His family put the city on the map. He appeared on national TV on multiple occasions preaching and allegedly performed miracles of many kinds offscreen. Zeke recalled weekend mornings when his Mom would leave Christian channels blasting prayers, sermons, and songs at max volume well into the afternoon. Sometimes, they were in Spanish. Sometimes, they were in English. Bothersome all the same. Isaac raised his hands. ¡°I beg of you, don¡¯t give into the intense, dangerous emotion you¡¯re feeling right now, for it will cause you two to make irreparable actions which will be followed with massive consequences.¡± He turned to the blonde and said, ¡°Rachel, I understand you are angry, and you probably want to hit Blair back, but I have a proposal¡­¡± Zeke stopped listening as he watched Isaac mitigate the fracas. His mind went back to those loud weekend mornings. He discovered Isaac¡¯s fame in the religious community through the Christian channels. His mom was a fan, and when she discovered Zeke went to the same elementary school as him, she urged him to spend as much time with him as possible. A lot of forced playdates¡­ Ugo, AJ, Violet, and Isaac were the ones who never gave him trouble about his irksome family affairs. Isaac was just as inviting as the others, and had him over multiple times. As the years passed, he declined invitations more frequently. His family was nice to him. They treated him like one of their own. Isaac treated Zeke like a brother, as he did with everybody else. But to Zeke, he just always seemed a bit off. By the time Zeke tuned back into the scene, Isaac was in the center of the fracas. Issac said, ¡°How about I suffer on her behalf?¡± He gripped his pinky, placed his thumb over the center of the main phalanges, and placed his forefinger under the pinky. Regardless of Isaac¡¯s oddities, surely he would find an acceptable way to resolve the conflict, Zeke thought to himself and watched hopefully as he could sense Ugo seething near him. Isaac pushed into the center of the finger and bent it backward until it released a thunderous crack. It left an echo. It was so quick most people stared in disbelief that it actually just happened. A disturbing aura leaked from the once harmless presence in the now soundless corridor. He raised his left hand higher, showcasing the bent finger like a trophy. Frozen in a hook shape. The crowd stared in horror with widened eyes. Zeke slipped through the assembly for a better look. Isaac maintained his smile. Eyeing lazily, his horribly crooked finger now with a blue tinge. ¡°Oh, my God!¡± the blonde screamed. ¡°No, don¡¯t scream, it¡¯s fine. So, since I¡¯ve been hurt on her behalf, there¡¯s no more need for you to slap her back.¡± He gesticulated with the same hand that had a broken finger, puzzling spectators. It was painful to look at it as it jiggled slightly in reaction to how he was waving his hand around. ¡°So, can we move on to the phase of reconciliation? No, wait!¡± He stopped and analyzed his hand. ¡°Blair slapped Rachel because of the matter at hand. I only suffered for revenge for that slap, but nobody has suffered for the prime topic of this dispute.¡± He grabbed the next finger and bent it to the side with more force; it boomed out a crack even more thunderous. Zeke flinched. It sounded like the thing snapped off. His contorted ring finger was shaped like an upside-down L. ¡°No, s-s-s-stop!¡± the brunette slurred, with a quaver in her voice. The blonde squealed with urgency. ¡°We¡¯re taking you to the nurse¡¯s office right now!¡± Isaac stared back at them innocently. ¡°Aren¡¯t you two still mad at each other? I¡¯ll inflict all your frustration onto myself for you,¡± he said. He wrapped his hand around his middle finger, twisted it with might, and bent it sideways. Zeke heard some phones drop to the floor and ran to Isaac. ¡°Isaac, stop!¡± ¡°Yeah, just stop!¡± the brunette added. ¡°We¡¯re fine, okay? We need to get you to the nurse,¡± the blonde said, grabbing Isaac¡¯s arm. ¡°No need!¡± he said as he shrugged off her grip. He backed up and turned away from everybody to face the wall. ¡°Huh?¡± Zeke uttered as he moved up to Isaac. Isaac spun back to them and revealed a healthy left hand. ¡°Look, ta-da!¡± Zeke came to a halt and examined the hand as Isaac wiggled his rosy-pale fingers before him. ¡°It was just a trick!¡± Isaac exclaimed like a child. He looked at the frightened girls who were hugging each other in fear. ¡°An illusion,¡± he said, turning to the befuddled crowd. ¡°Now, you shouldn¡¯t go seeking magic, witchcraft, and anything of the sort is sinful, but fun illusions like these are harmless!¡± ¡°H-h-how...?¡± Zeke muttered. ¡°I¡¯m double-jointed. Hypermobility: I can do all kinds of flexes with my fingers and limbs. The rest was just some quick practical creativity and acting on my part.¡± ¡°I saw discoloration on your finger,¡± Zeke said firmly. Isaac produced a small bottle of blue ink. He gave it a shake and said, ¡°Like I said, ¡®quick practical creativity.¡¯¡± Zeke shook his head. ¡°It was more than that. I saw¡ª¡± ¡°Hezekiah, people see what they want to see. You want to be a doctor, correct? You, of all people, can understand how the mind can play tricks on us,¡± Issac said. ¡°You and your big brain are probably the only ones who noticed discoloration.¡± Issac plopped his hand onto Zeke¡¯s head. ¡°You¡¯re going to be a wonderful doctor.¡± Isaac pulled him in with a quick hug and then walked away. Ugo pushed his phone back into his pocket and groaned. ¡°Leave it to the religious nut to ruin a quality girl fight. Unbelievable!¡± Chapter 15 - Neuropathy After school, during their trip home, Zeke explained everything that had happened the night before to Ugo. They still had their backpacks on. They took a bus and walked just a few miles. Dark clouds huddled overhead, blocking out the sun entirely and teasing a merciless rainstorm. Zeke wanted to hit himself for not having an umbrella prepared. At least he brought his cotton sweater to fend off the nippy weather. The faded afternoon had a soft breeze coupled with the sea''s brininess and the sound of the wooden decking creaking stubbornly with every step they took. ¡°Oh, he is definitely going back to the guidance counselor regularly after that shenanigan,¡± Ugo said, with his hands settled in the pockets of his striped hooded sweatshirt. ¡°How did he do that, though?¡± Zeke asked. Ugo shrugged. ¡°It was a good trick, and he said he was double-jointed or whatever. He made it look real.¡± ¡°I mean, well, sure, it makes sense. He wasn¡¯t screaming or showing the slightest sign of pain when he was doing it.¡± ¡°Now, can you just leave it be for once instead of obsessing over it for weeks?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try...¡± Zeke stopped to think for a moment and then snapped, ¡°Wait! Why did you change the subject? Vee! We were talking about Vee!¡± ¡°Knock it off,¡± Ugo said, ¡°you didn¡¯t see Vee, mano. Look, I miss her, too.¡± ¡°This is not something I imagined. Mom¡¯s apple tower was undone in the morning.¡± Ugo brought his brows together while looking at Zeke. ¡°Gah, I left that part out. It makes sense in context. Look, she grabbed an apple from the tower and ate it. That¡¯s why it had already collapsed in the morning.¡± ¡°No, you ate an apple and then fell asleep. End of story.¡± ¡°Do you really think I have the imagination capacity to make up all those rules about magic, the Thirteenth Generation, and about the angels?¡± ¡°Why not? You consume tons of media on subjects like that.¡± ¡°Why are you not even going to give me the benefit of the doubt? It would explain what you did back at the hospital. The knife-thing. How are you not freaking out about it?¡± Ugo raised his hand and looked down at it. ¡°Yeah¡­ that was pretty weird.¡± ¡°It was really weird!¡± Zeke grunted and looked away. They were already in the building''s presence. They halted and gazed upon the giant bricked structure. The hole in the mossy roof left by Naomi¡¯s crash landing was apparent. Now, in the afternoon, Zeke could point out the growth of tall, bronzy grass balled up to the side of the building and piles of debris littered at its feet. The broken, arched eyes of the structure glared down at them. At the center, Zeke noticed a moving dot slowly increasing in size. His legs trembled under him as he sensed a blessing conjure in his chest. It was a man clad in a purple parka coat over a black shirt. He was treading towards them with a bag dangling from his clenched hand. The man moved with purpose as his plum tie fluttered in the wind. Zeke¡¯s legs shook again as he got closer, complaining as his chest joined in. It became tight as if his lungs were being pressed against each other, but simultaneously, it was a soothing, satisfactory discomfort and familiar. ¡°You two,¡± the man said. He raised the bag in his hand. ¡°Are either of you the owner of this?¡± Zeke¡¯s eyes widened when he noticed the bag''s swaying, peeled-off blue skin. It was his doctor¡¯s bag. The man squinted. Lips straight and narrow. Shivering and sweating profusely. ¡°You were here last night. Weren¡¯t you?¡± Zeke trembled all over, and then a shaky, icy hand stung his shoulder blade. He turned to Ugo. ¡°We don¡¯t speak English!¡± Ugo said in an over-the-top Mexican tone that you¡¯d see in an old racist cartoon. Ugo clutched Zeke by his sweater and turned back. ¡°Have a nice day, Sir!¡± he continued in Spanish. ¡°Then, we may speak in Spanish,¡± the man replied in perfect Spanish. Ugo froze and slowly turned back with a defeated look on his face. He switched back to English. ¡°Okay, what the hell, why does everyone know Spanish now?¡± He sighed. ¡°You can¡¯t even badmouth strangers in public behind their backs anymore. It¡¯s no fun.¡± The man strangled the bag''s handles tighter and hissed, ¡°This property is abandoned, and yet, you two are strolling along here.¡± Zeke realized that the man must¡¯ve been at the place for hours, waiting for the owner to wander back to the locale like a moron. The bizarre, warm feeling in his chest expanded. He fought back an urge to drop to his knees and bow his head. ¡°There is no use in lying. I can¡­¡± The man¡¯s face went vacant. He lowered the bag, eyeing them, befuddled. ¡°I can¡¯t sense you,¡± he said, ¡°your minds are blocked.¡± He hushed all together and studied them. The gentle wind and cracking floorboards filled in the silence. The cold of the brisk wind circled the outline of Zeke¡¯s ear and was breaching through his sleeves, biting into his skin. All he could focus on was the cold and the joyfully haunting sensation multiplying inside his body. The line between fear and jubilance became blurred. Zeke let out a soft gasp, realizing what he was feeling. Similar to what he felt with Naomi. This wasn¡¯t a man standing before them. He was an angel. The angel put on a hostile expression again, eyeing Zeke. ¡°I¡¯ve met you before¡­ why did I forget?¡± He bared his teeth. ¡°You¡¯re of the Fourteenth Generation,¡± he affirmed. ¡°Both of you.¡± Zeke gulped so quickly that his throat hurt, and he shook all over. He looked over at a paralyzed Ugo. He probably had already realized the holy truth himself. ¡°Where is she?¡± the angel asked. Zeke and Ugo failed to respond. ¡°Where are you keeping her? Her trail of presence leads me here and then¡­ vanishes. She was here. What kind of spell did you use?¡± The divine being glowered at the two, waiting for an answer. ¡°Answer me!¡± he shouted. ¡°Where is she?¡± The decking hissed. Cracks sprawled from under the angel¡¯s feet, and pieces of the deck broke and splashed into the sea. The empyrean presence wouldn¡¯t settle for anything other than the direct answer: Naomi¡¯s location. As he dropped the doctor¡¯s bag, Zeke¡¯s mouth slowly cranked open; the vibrations crawled up his throat painfully, and his eyes welled with tears. He wanted to give the answer but then remembered Naomi mentioning a cage. The angel zipped to Ugo and lifted him up by the throat. ¡°I let my guard down with you heathens! It cost me the souls of my brethren. I will have to repent for millennia.¡± Ugo choked as he tried to speak; thick slobber oozed from both corners of his mouth. His face twisted in pain. More splits and cracks straggled from where the angel stood. Zeke gave out a little whimper. The angel swiveled his head to him. His manic, glowing eyes dipped into his soul. Zeke¡¯s knees gave out, and he dropped. He pushed his hands against the creaking, plashy wood and lowered his head. ¡°Please, stop,¡± he begged. He daringly tilted his head up and witnessed the angel¡¯s pure white wings sprout from its back. Feathers voluminous like a cloud, pointy tips protruded to the side, easily sharper than any bladed instrument Zeke could think of. Downies shed from the bottom half of the wings, sprinkling the cracking deck like snow. Ugo gave out a cry. Zeke looked back at him and then noticed his hands attempting to make a gesture. ¡°Mora, no!¡± Zeke shouted. The angel¡¯s vigorous eyes fixed back on Ugo. ¡°Rutapexy¡­¡± Ugo drawled. The angel clenched its jaw and tossed Ugo aside. He caromed off the building¡¯s wall and plummeted to the decking on his side. Ugo stopped moving. ¡°Mora!¡± Zeke shouted from the top of his lungs, damaging his voice. He stood up, tears cascading down his cheeks. He went after Ugo but only managed one step. Something grappled his ankle, and then his forehead banged against the wood. The world was flipped upside down. Zeke was staring at a pair of white lace-up sneakers. He heard wings flap, and then they elevated off the decking. He was floating just a few feet up, forced his eyes down, and saw the heavenly entity glowering down at him, a massive pressure pressed onto his ankle; Zeke screamed. ¡°This will be the last time I ask, heathen.¡± Zeke decided it was time to pull himself out of the parlous situation. He gulped and started, ¡°Naomi is¡­¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. That¡¯s as far as he got. Bang. Zeke fell and plonked his head on the decking. He dropped on his back, and the angel squawked in pain while moving in the air, flapping his wings frantically. Feathers were flying off it in every direction. Watching the angel made Zeke dizzy, and he looked in another direction. Violet stood proudly, armed with a long rifle in a firing position. She smiled back at him, making him wonder how hard he hit his head. The angel slammed into the decking. Zeke sat up, looked back at the groaning angel, and spotted a fiery hole at the end of the left wing. He turned back to Violet and took notice of the mastery of her stance. She kept her body straight and the rifle vertical over her feet, holding remarkable balance. Her head was erect in an upright position, one eye closed, the foregrip of the gun rested steadily in her hand, and her other hand on the pistol grip with the butt of the rifle pressed firmly into her shoulder. Her left foot was slightly twisted forward while her hip was directed toward her target. ¡°Picking on boys who don¡¯t have the slightest clue on how to use magic?¡± Violet said. ¡°You angels really are scum.¡± She was sporting a gray T-shirt, black shorts, sneakers, a checkered shirt tied around the waist, and a large canvas messenger satchel. Zeke went crazy thinking over how she kept from shivering in the breezy weather walking around like that. The angel sniped a glare at Violet. ¡°You¡¯re another heathen.¡± He raised his head slowly. ¡°Another member of the Tainted Generation.¡± Violet dropped to a seated position. With her legs crossed, she rested her elbows on each knee, effortlessly balancing the rifle in her hands. She fired. It sounded like a firecracker going off. A fiery flurry blossomed out of the muzzle. Punching another blazing hole through the upper part of its wing. More white, angelic feathers blessed the decking. The angel writhed and let out a piercing cry. He screamed indecipherable words. ¡°I¡¯m the Second Born of the Fourteenth Tainted Generation,¡± she said solemnly, with a wicked smile smeared across her face. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± Violet stood up and walked to Zeke, diagonally carrying the rifle in her arms with the muzzle pointed at the decking. ¡°Ola, Rulitos,¡± she said. Zeke gazed up at her, speechless, and then his eyes moved to survey the long rifle; demonic sigils tattooed it up and down. The bloody lower jaw of a furry beast was bound to the bottom of the barrel with bloodstained, tattered swathes. Violet put down the rifle, reached out, and grabbed Zeke by the collar. She pulled him up and then pushed him back. While stumbling backward, Zeke watched Violet make a myriad of hand signs too quickly for his brain to register each one. By the time he fell on his back, a purple dome had formed around him. Violet stared at him from outside the see-through barrier. ¡°Try to take as many mental notes as you can, okay, Rulitos?¡± She said, with the angel screaming in agony in the background. Zeke ran toward the barrier and bounced back. It was like a wall made of titanium. Zeke cupped his nose and hissed, hoping he didn¡¯t break it. All he could do was watch from within the windless dome. As her gun began to quiver, Violet removed her satchel, kneeled, pulled out a round, amber glass medicine bottle, twisted the cap, and chugged it down till the last drop. She brushed her arm across her mouth and stifled a cough. ¡°Do you know what I hit you with, Se?or Angel?¡± She jeered as she took out a rain-blue apple from her satchel. ¡°Those were Hellfire Bullets,¡± the angel answered. He studied the firearm that twitched slightly on the decking. ¡°Where did you get your hands on that... abomination?¡± On her third bite, she muffled, ¡°I¡¯ve got friends in low places.¡± She grabbed a handful of feathers off the decking. ¡°For goodwill, they gifted me with this adorable Chimera.¡± She looked at it and said, ¡°Ongrakas is his name.¡± The rifle convulsed, and the swathes unwrapped, rising to the air in a mesmerizing, flowing motion. In the blink of an eye, it transformed into the upper skull of a monster. It was flat and wide, angular at the tip. The spade-shaped head became covered in green meat, and then prickly strands of black fur grew exponentially until it covered the entire head. A long, stocky body stretched from behind the head, swallowing the rest of the rifle. The butt of the rifle extended, coiled into a rattle, and then black fur swept across the body and grew steadily. Zeke looked back at the angel. He was struggling to get back on his feet and was forced to watch the monster¡¯s transformation. The aberration closed its mouth with the muzzle of the rifle jutting out from the center. Violet extended a handful of angelic feathers to it. A slender black tongue slipped out of the muzzle, swirled around the feathers, and pulled it through its mouth hole. It convulsed again, making excited coos as scaly, stumpy arms and legs sprouted out from its side. The creature pushed itself up, using all of its newly grown limbs, and doubled in size. ¡°He loves angel feathers,¡± Violet said. ¡°Composed of so much yummy, concentrated purity.¡± The angel made a quick hand gesture, and its wings dissipated in a heavenly flash. He stood up and glowered at an undaunted Violet. The creature belched, and a slobbery flintlock ejected from its mouth. Violet picked it up with her bare freehand and examined it. It was covered in sigils, and a small, furry lower jaw was attached to the bottom of the gun with bloody swathes. The angel made another quick hand gesture and summoned its holy weapon. A terrifying, long, white blade extending from its yellow-winged hilt appeared in his hand. The angel got into position: knees bent and sword hoisted horizontally in one hand. He supported the snowy tip on the back of his other hand as he pointed it directly at Violet. Violet aimed the gun back at the angel as she continued to chomp on the apple. ¡°Do you want to go first, or should I?¡± she asked. ¡°You¡¯re young. Do you understand the gravity of using Netherworld Weaponry to retaliate against an angel?¡± the angel asked. ¡°You willingly chose to not be on the side of light?¡± ¡°I¡¯m on humanity¡¯s side,¡± she said. She fired. A black bullet whizzed across the air; the angel swung its sword, deflecting it. Violet unleashed rapid fire, pulling the trigger without jerking her arm. She withstood the powerful blasts from the gun, keeping her body sturdy. Zeke covered his ears and watched the bullets ricochet off the angel¡¯s blade with every one of its precise swings. A bulletstorm polluted the air. Tiny black dots spun and danced across his vision. He flinched when a couple came his way, but then they careened upwards, not even hitting the barrier, and flew back to the angel only to be flung back with a sword swing. Zeke swore they were moving with a mind of their own. They had to be alive. Another troubling thought spawned in his mind. Ugo. Zeke looked over at Ugo, unconscious on the ground, and a hail of bullets flew toward him. ¡°No!¡± Zeke shouted. The bullets veered away from Ugo and flew back to the angel. One bullet pierced through the angel¡¯s face, leaving a scar. Blood squirted out of his face. Zeke realized that Violet had stopped firing a while ago, and yet the angel was still being assaulted with persistent bullets. ¡°Rulitos, these are Demon Bullets,¡± Violet said, taking the last bite from her blue apple. ¡°They¡¯re of a species of demon called ¡®Voramatias.¡¯ They¡¯re living organisms similar to bacteria. You can say that they¡¯re Ongrakas¡¯ fleas. They focus only on the being with the highest level of purity in the area.¡± Violet released a manic laugh and tossed her finished apple away. ¡°Se?or Angel over here is the perfect gourmet meal for them!¡± The angel was swinging its sword at an insane speed. All Zeke could see were blurs. Bullets flying away and then back to it. Nothing could stop the demons. The angel was trapped in bullet hell. Zeke thought back to the shoot ¡®em up games he¡¯d watch Ugo play. In Tridimensional Wars 3, there were sections where, no matter how many spaceships you blew up, it wasn¡¯t making progress of any kind, like there was a trick to figure out in order to get the spaceships to stop blasting at you. Ugo. Zeke hoped he was okay and would do everything in his power to patch him back to health, even magic, if he had to, dammit. The angel blasted forward in a niveous explosion with a sound similar to a jet engine; it made Zeke¡¯s ears pop. The angel soared mid-air and stretched his sword back with the bullets swarming him ¡ª the Demon Bullets were riddling his body and face with holes; blood spurted out of every hole. The chimera attacked the angel before it got to Violet. The furry lizard creature unsheathed its talons, scratched, and bit the angel all over. Violet didn¡¯t stay put. She raised her hands and exhibited many hand signs as the angel screamed continually. The scuffle lasted for just a few seconds; the angel lopped off the chimera¡¯s arms with a swift strike. Forest green liquid sprayed out from its stumps as it squealed in agony. The angel ignored the goo splattering onto its clothes and thrust his mighty blade into the monster¡¯s back, and it dropped silently. The chimera transformed back into its rifle form, but it was in pieces. As the angel pulled out his sword, Violet put her hand on her chest and cited, ¡°Neurpatia!¡± Suddenly, a white calico-hooded cloak materialized instantaneously around Violet¡¯s frame. A silver plating pattern circled the hood''s rim, descended in the back with wavy lines, and then formed a silver cross symbol. A thin, light red strip of cloth wrapped around her collar like a scarf and a plethora of tiny sigils decorated a silver metal mask that covered the lower half of her face. The angel stormed toward her, the tip of the white blade aimed at her gut. Violet stretched her hand forward, making a hand sign¡ªher middle and ring finger lowered with her thumb, forefinger, and pinky sticking out. The angel struck Violet, and the green, goo-soaked, bloodstained, snow-white blade jutted from behind her. The world went silent for Zeke. He flinched. A source of enmity beaconed near him. Turning his head to the side, he saw a long, cushioned chair rise from the ground. A sinister nimbus swirled calmly around it as a giant pink sigil formed under it. It was a circle with curved lines and half-circles marked across its center. It reminded him of the wrinkles and folds on the lobes of the human brain. Flaming leather straps rose from the chair and into the air like trails of smoke. Zeke realized that the chair looked precisely like the ones they used for lobotomies. The straps shot toward the angel and snaked around his limbs, jaw, and head. It reeled him back like a fish, and he crashed into the chair. The straps squeezed and tightened their grip on the screaming angel. His skin sizzled and released steam. Violet smirked and slogged forward. She hauled out the sword from her body. It fell to the floor, and she continued to slog while groaning and hissing at the pain. Violet produced a bottle of pills from the inner pockets of her cloak and gulped down every single one. She stopped before the struggling angel and tossed the bottle away. ¡°Let me properly introduce myself, Se?or Angel. It¡¯s only fair that my dear patients learn their doctor¡¯s name before the procedure, right?¡± The angel glared and clenched its teeth. ¡°Your magic. It¡¯s based on counter-attacking holy beings. You¡¯re the Angel-Killer, aren¡¯t you?¡± Violet paused. Blood leaking out of her wound, forming a puddle by her feet. Zeke moved up to the barrier and pressed his hands against it. His heart pounded painfully in his chest. He found himself not fearing for Violet but for the angel. Was this right? Sure, the angel was assaulting him and Ugo, but still¡­ Violet pulled down her hood and mask, showing the angel her face again with menacing pride. She produced two instruments from under her cloak. She held a long purple pick in one hand and a black hammer in the other. Her eyes widened, and a maddening smile played on her lips. ¡°I knew it,¡± the angel said. ¡°My name is Violet Balles,¡± she announced. ¡°My specialty is the brain. I am the master of the mind of all creatures.¡± ¡°You impious child, I¡¯ll put an end to your imprudence here! Do you really think you can kill me?¡± A bright pink aura enveloped her hand, and she waved it past the angel¡¯s face. Her hauntingly purple eyes radiated. ¡°So, you¡¯re a Dominion. A top-class angel. Nananiel.¡± Nananiel looked back fearfully. She snickered. ¡°I now know everything about you. Let¡¯s get started.¡± Chapter 16 - Inpatient ¡°So, you¡¯re new to this. Poor thing,¡± Violet mocked. Zeke fixated on Nananiel throughout the ordeal. He wondered if it made sense to even think of it as a male. He recalled Naomi mentioning his name back when he was treating her. Nananiel writhed and squirmed as the smoldering straps bound him and scorched his skin. The straps had to have been enhanced with Hellfire. ¡°You get appointed as Dominion and immediately get news on the Angel-Killer crisis and the Tainted Generation showing up,¡± Violet said. ¡°That¡¯s some serious bad luck, Se?or Angel.¡± Unable to feel anything from the outside world, just see and hear, he moved up to the barrier, watching the scene unfold like a useless spectator indulging at the expense of others risking their lives for his entertainment. It was no different from staring into a TV screen. A chilling breeze was in his gut, and his heart began to beat sporadically. What was Violet planning to do, exactly? Zeke mulled over the thought. Angel-Killer. The moniker bounced around in his head. Was Violet making a name for herself as an infamous murderer of celestial beings? This was just a tiny Argentinian girl he hung out with at his house on multiple occasions; they ate his mother¡¯s cookies while watching cartoons together in his living room, for crying out loud! She was always rough, but a cold-blooded murderer seemed a bit much. Then, he witnessed the darkness in the pool of purple in her eyes, emanating powerfully even from a distance. The way she held up the instruments. Her smile. Her calm. The way she looked at the writhing angel. This wasn¡¯t the first time, for sure. The breeze in his gut was replaced with a painful knot as he realized she was going to do more than just kill Nananiel. She was planning on torturing him for who knows how long. ¡°You don¡¯t even have that much experience in the field. How cute,¡± Violet said. ¡°You were in the war against the Thirteenth, though. You were a low-ranked Major Angel that caught a lucky break, and you got the final blow on the Thirteenth Damned. He was already weakened and on the brink of death. You didn¡¯t do much but took all the credit anyway. You rose above the ranks slowly while respected by your peers, and finally, you earned your greatest promotion.¡± ¡°Get out of my head,¡± Nananiel hissed. ¡°As if you don¡¯t do the same with humans all the time! I swear, the hypocrisy with you guys.¡± Violet pressed the end of the pick into the corner of Nananiel¡¯s eye. ¡°Deep down, you know you don¡¯t deserve it, don¡¯t you?¡± Nananiel scoffed with blood oozing down from his eye. ¡°Watch your tongue, witch.¡± ¡°Virgil or Irin would be a much better fit. You know it.¡± The conversation was all galimatias to Zeke, but studying Nananiel¡¯s distraught face, it was clear Violet¡¯s words were cutting deep into his pride. Violet is just being cruel! Zeke shook his head, trying to get rid of the thought. This was Violet. Violet! She stood up for him, Ugo, AJ, even Isaac, and, at times, complete strangers! She did it violently most of the time, but it was for the greater good overall. Yes. That¡¯s it. Violet had to have a good reason for doing what she was doing. Maybe Nananiel was, in some way¡­ a scumbag. Zeke had to force the idea into his head and keep it there. Violet only hurt scumbags. She fought for the weak. That was her creed, her principle. She would never break it. ¡°The higher-ups are giving you a hard time solving the crises. Overwhelming, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯d feel really bad for you¡­ if you were deserving of pity, anyway.¡± ¡°How long do you think these playthings can hold me, you witch?¡± ¡°Break out then! I¡¯m waiting for it! You can even set a timer for yourself if you want,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll wait. I¡¯m not in a hurry or anything.¡± She looked down at her wound and then coughed out some blood. ¡°Hey, that should¡¯ve closed by now.¡± Violet looked back at the angel and pushed the pick further into the canthus, ignoring Nananiel¡¯s screams. No, no, no. This is wrong. Zeke fisted the barrier and shouted, ¡°Violet!¡± Violet halted and turned slowly to him. The pain shot from his fist and spread through his whole body. He staggered back and shook his fist. Did he really just doubt Violet¡¯s actions? He barely has any context in the situation, and he has the gall to doubt Violet? The thought made him feel sick all over. ¡°Sorry,¡± he muttered to himself. The chair exploded with a wintry burst, knocking the barbaric instruments from Violet¡¯s clutches and sending her flying back. Nananiel dashed forward, extended his arm, and cupped his hand around Violet¡¯s face, stopping her momentum. He slammed her into the decking. Her head blasted through the wood. Nananiel¡¯s wings were unsheathed. Frosty white and with no damages. His body was glowing white like a frozen supernova, forcing Zeke to squint and shield the white rays with his hand. Nananiel pulled Violet up by her hood and ascended slowly. Did he just get Violet killed? Zeke wanted to do something, anything, but he was inside the barrier¡ªno, even if he wasn¡¯t. Even if he was out there, Zeke knew he would be useless anyway. ¡°Acetolune Memoradum!¡± Violet cited. A giant sigil appeared above them, identical to the one the lobotomy chair popped out of. The brain-like symbol produced an angel clad in armor with massive spiky wings. Equipped with a round shield in one hand and a short sword in the other. It shot toward Nananiel and bashed its shield into his face. Violet fell from his grip as he crashed into the decking, and she landed on her stomach. The angel descended to the deck and got into a fighting stance. It crossed its legs, held its shield to its chest, and pointed the sword downwards to its side. The angel was pink and see-through like a spirit, an astral projection. Zeke studied it and noted that it had a woman''s face. Round and beautiful. Long, scraggly hair flowed down its back as two stands descended in the front. Nananiel pulled himself up. His glow dissipated. He was just some hunched-over guy, riddled with bloody holes all over his body and face. His tattered clothes were stained with green and red. It was a miserable sight. Nananiel peered at the ghostly image. ¡°Irin?¡± Violet pulled down her hood and sat up. Streaks of blood drizzled from her nostrils and lip. She stared at the apparition with pride. This was yet another crazy spell of hers. ¡°She¡¯s only as strong as the memory you have of her. Oh wait¡­ you saw her fight during the war,¡± Violet pointed and laughed, ¡°sucks for you!¡± The projection rocketed toward Nananiel and sent him flying up with a fast slash. Its wings'' tips protruded, stabbing Nananiel in his torso, and took him to the sky. They became engulfed in an intense, crimson-red flame and spiraled higher into the atmosphere. The ball of fire increased and produced multiple, smaller versions of it. It was like watching a meteor shower in reverse. Zeke could still hear Nananiel¡¯s agonizing screams screeching from so high up. Then the balls discharged a giant blast that set the sky aflame for just a second and then dissipated completely. It reminded him of Naomi¡¯s crash landing. They left no traces behind. Not even embers, nor cinders, or ashes. Nothing but the clouded sky. Violet finally looked directly at Zeke and undid the barrier with a quick hand sign. Zeke stumbled forward. He could feel the breeze again. He stared at Violet with fear. ¡°That¡¯s a Power¡¯s special banishing move,¡± she explained sluggishly. ¡°He won¡¯t be back immediately¡­¡± she swayed and then fell on her back. ¡°Violet!¡± Zeke ran to her and kneeled. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she said as she panted. ¡°Just need a moment to regain a bit of Mana.¡± Zeke scanned her and fixated on the wound in her gut. It was closing on its own. Healing rapidly. His eyes averted to her face, her bruises disappearing, her nose shifting back into place, and her violet-hued eyes lasering back at him. When he realized, he yipped and looked away. Violet chuckled. ¡°So awkward.¡± Zeke slowly turned back to Violet. ¡°H-h-how?¡± He uttered. Violet fingered her cloak and explained, ¡°My Healer¡¯s Garb. It augments all capabilities. Think of, like, buffs in an RPG. Offensive and defensive capabilities increase. My regenerative factor also speeds up exponentially.¡± She stopped to let out a wet cough, blood sprinkled on her fist. ¡°Supplements to lower my soul¡¯s purity to increase my Black Magic, counter that angel, and augment my defense even more.¡± Who the hell was this person? Zeke scanned the battlefield. Red and green splattered across the broken deck, sprinkled with white feathers. Then, he saw Ugo. Blood leaking from his head. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Ugo¡­¡± Zeke muttered. Violet sat up abruptly and looked in Ugo¡¯s direction. She stood up and plodded towards him, hunched over. ¡°Watch your step,¡± Zeke¡¯s object of affection said. The cloak closed around her as she hopped over a gap. Zeke rose and followed her lead, carefully stepping over the missing deck boards. They made it to Ugo. Violet grabbed the sleeve of the shirt tied around her waist and cleaned off the blood on her face. ¡°He¡­ threw him to the wall, and Ugo bounced off it on his head,¡± Zeke mumbled. ¡°Hah!¡± Violet cried. Zeke struck Violet with a flinty stare. She kneeled to Ugo and held out her hand. It glowed a reddish-pink color. She rested her hand over his head for a moment. Ugo woke up with a loud gasp. Zeke jumped back and screamed in terror. Ugo screamed back, ¡°What happened? Did I die?¡± ¡°No. It was just an injury. Your brain was swelling, but it¡¯s not much of a problem. The cause of the cerebral edema was purely physical, no magic.¡± Violet stood up and sneered. ¡°What a moron that angel is.¡± Ugo sprouted to his feet and ogled at Violet, with a streak of blood lined down his face. Violet stepped back and smiled at him. ¡°Hi, Ugo,¡± she said. Ugo grinned and jittered with joy. He slowly approached Violet with open arms as he sang, ¡°Ai, ai, ai, mi bomboncita, mamacita, preciosa, linda, muy bonita, mi vida, Princesita Viola, vem aqui y dame un beso¨C¡± Violet smacked Ugo hard across the face. His head turned swiftly to the side as he staggered back. ¡°Vee! Didn¡¯t he just recover from a brain injury?¡± Zeke yelled. ¡°You¡¯re from Europe. Stop speaking like a Mexican, you asshole,¡± Violet snapped at Ugo. Ugo put his hand over his reddening cheek and caressed it. ¡°She hits just as hard¡­¡± he trailed off and gave Violet a cheerful look. ¡°You haven¡¯t lost the spark,¡± he said. ¡°I missed you, pervertido,¡± Violet said while still smiling. ¡°I still can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re a disgusting sadist or masochist.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a healthy mixture of both,¡± Ugo proudly replied. Zeke gave him a look and said, ¡°There is no possible healthy combination between those two things.¡± ¡°Zeke, what did I tell you about kink shaming?¡± Ugo said. ¡°Wow, you haven¡¯t changed at all,¡± Violet said. Ugo squinted at Violet. ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be in Argentina?¡± he asked. ¡°I am in Argentina.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right here in front of me, Violet.¡± ¡°And in Argentina,¡± she placed her hand on Ugo¡¯s cheek. He shivered and let out a happy yip. ¡°How about a hug?¡± Ugo requested. ¡°No,¡± Violet responded and withdrew her hand. Ugo scanned the chaos all around them, and his jaw dropped. ¡°Caramba.¡± He gulped and stared back at Violet. ¡°Did you do all this?¡± He analyzed her cloak. ¡°You¡¯re a wizard?¡± ¡°Supernatural Neuroscientist,¡± she said. ¡°How did you find us?¡± Zeke asked. ¡°Answer my question first.¡± Violet gave each of them a look. ¡°The angel wasn¡¯t trying to kill you two. Nananiel wanted someone from you. Who is this person you found? ¡± Zeke and Ugo exchanged looks. Zeke went over to his doctor¡¯s bag and picked it up. ¡°We will take you to her,¡± he said.
Zeke and Ugo gave Violet a clumsy summary of the aftermath of Naomi¡¯s crash landing as they led her across the innards of the building, scrambled up the steel staircase, and into the office room. The old hospital, the demonic infection, their botched, improvised last operation. Violet remained eerily quiet throughout it all, like a professor listening to their student adamantly deny the criticized mistakes of their dissertation. The bucket of aged sky-blue paint sat on the table with the lid placed to the side, spreading a foul stench into the air. The group all winced at once. A slight breeze prompted Zeke to look over at the window. It was still open. The room was exactly how they left it. They didn¡¯t bother cleaning up anything after bolting their way home in a panic. What about the door? Zeke rushed back to the rotting wooden door and closed it. There was no chunky paint marking it. Zeke turned to Ugo and noticed him staring at the door, confused. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Violet asked. ¡°Well, everything in this room is exactly how we left it except¡­¡± ¡°The sigil you used to transport to the¡­ hospital. From what you two told me, it¡¯s a Transport Sigil. After a certain period, they disappear on their own.¡± Zeke remembered his grandmother informing him about Transport Sigils. They were used to travel instantaneously anywhere, from Realm to Realm or anywhere in a Realm. They are part of the Gray Magic classification, meaning people with low or no affinity for Mana can use it. Gray Magic was neutral magic. It isn¡¯t necessarily evil or good. Ugo walked over to the bucket and, without a care for his health, dipped his finger in the lumpy paint. He darted across the room, paint dripping from his finger, and urgently drew the sigil from Zeke¡¯s grandmother¡¯s book on the door. He opened the door, and the hospital was revealed. Ugo held the door open for Violet as she wandered into the waiting room, and then he followed. Zeke grabbed the door before it closed. He let out a sigh and then walked in. Zeke closed the door behind him and embraced the halcyon environment once again. A calmness washed over him. Leaden, anxious thoughts parted as the chamomile scent blessed his nostrils, and warmth rising from the ignited sconces touched the skin on his hands and face. With a wooden expression, Violet walked to the center of the dirty room, crossed her arms, scanned the symbols on the wall hangings, the bizarre tapestry of a three-faced sun over a golden wood altar, the timber carved sofa set and trestle table, and the curved counter near the doorless arched frame. She gripped the neck of her cloak and said softly, ¡°Return.¡± The cloak vanished, and she was back in her casual summer attire. Ugo approached her and asked excitedly, ¡°So, is that cloak thing like a monster or something? An apparel spell you made?¡± Violet responded, ¡°It¡¯s called a Healer¡¯s Garb. It¡¯s a spirit. Every one of the Tainted Generation has one. All you need to do is learn the name which is inscribed in our souls. It¡¯s connected to you, you say its name, and it appears to protect you; there really is no rule for anything else you want it to do. You can associate its commands with any word you say. What matters is what you think about when you say it.¡± Violet sniped a look at Zeke. ¡°So, where¡¯s this angel?¡± ¡°Right,¡± Zeke said. He thought she would take a little more time to be amazed by where she was and realized she wasn¡¯t impressed, like seeing the same magic trick for the twentieth time. He walked towards the doorless arch. ¡°Follow me.¡± The sconces in the decrepit white stone hallway ignited as they walked past the doorway, lighting their path. Suddenly, a door at the near end on the right opened. The door to Naomi¡¯s room. They halted and watched AJ storm out and slam the door. She stomped a couple of feet forward and froze when she spotted them. ¡°AJ? What are you doing here?¡± Ugo started. ¡°Why were you in Naomi¡¯s room?¡± AJ disregarded Ugo¡¯s questions and fixed on Violet. ¡°Vee?¡± ¡°Hi, AJ,¡± Violet said with a smile. AJ rushed to Violet, hunched down awkwardly, and pulled her into a hug. She squeezed her and gushed, ¡°You¡¯re back from Buenos Aires!¡± ¡°No, I am still there.¡± AJ pulled back a bit and gripped onto Violet¡¯s shoulders. She raised a brow. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°She keeps saying that. We don¡¯t get it, so we¡¯re just going with it,¡± Ugo said. ¡°You got even taller,¡± Violet chuckled. AJ scrunched her face and replied, ¡°Don¡¯t remind me¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re a statuesque beauty, AJ. Nothing wrong about that,¡± Violet said. AJ blushed and cowered back. ¡°And what did I say about talking down on yourself? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve stopped working on your confidence since I¡¯ve been gone.¡± Ugo chimed in like a tattling toddler. ¡°Oh, she hasn¡¯t been working on it. Not at all.¡± Violet gave AJ a stern look, like a disappointed parent. AJ lowered her head and stammered in her response. ¡°AJ, what are you doing here?¡± Zeke interrupted. ¡°Have you been here the entire time that school was going on?¡± AJ failed to respond. ¡°You¡¯ve been bombarding Naomi with questions, haven¡¯t you?¡± Ugo said and then sighed. ¡°My poor, poor angel.¡± ¡°Can I have a look at this angel now?¡± ¡°She¡¯s right behind that door.¡± Zeke moved to the patient room door with the others on his tail and opened it. He walked in and found Naomi sitting in bed with the sheets covering her from the waist down. Her hair and clothes were a mess. ¡°Zeke!¡± she yelled when she saw him. Her face radiated an innocent glow. Zeke put down the doctor¡¯s bag, hurried to her, and started examining. ¡°You okay? No headaches? Stomach aches? Chest pains? Nothing?¡± ¡°Oh, nothing like that. I am fine.¡± Ugo ran towards Naomi and shouted, ¡°What about psychological pain?¡± He walked back to the center of the room and pointed at AJ standing at the doorway alongside Violet while eyeing Naomi. ¡°What did she do to you? You can tell us! Whatever it is, we¡¯ll banish her for it!¡± ¡°What?¡± AJ yelled. ¡°I¡¯m joking,¡± Ugo affirmed. ¡°No, you¡¯re not,¡± Zeke said. ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°Oh, please, I do not want to be a cause for the spurring of internal conflict!¡± Naomi said while waving her hands. ¡°You all work so well together! She did nothing wrong¡­¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± AJ said and took a step forward. ¡°There were questions she should know the answer to, anyway. She couldn¡¯t answer something as simple as how old she is.¡± ¡°I told you I don¡¯t know,¡± Naomi whined. ¡°How can you not even know your own age? Ridiculous, I don¡¯t believe you!¡± ¡°Stop harassing her!¡± Ugo barked at AJ. Suddenly, he froze with widened eyes. ¡°Wait a minute, I just realized something.¡± He smacked his forehead. ¡°This could be one of those fantasy or science fiction situations where she could be like, technically, days-old or months-old or like, five-years-old and look fully grown. Oh, God! AJ is right. We need to know!¡± Ugo pointed at Naomi and shouted, ¡°Tell us how old you are!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Naomi cried. ¡°I was never told.¡± She pouted. Ugo lowered his hand and tilted his head back. ¡°Damn it all!¡± ¡°Did you not find any satisfaction in any of the other questions I¡¯ve answered?¡± Naomi asked AJ in a brittle voice. ¡°No, not at all,¡± AJ said. ¡°All you answer with is ¡®I don¡¯t know.¡¯¡± ¡°Do you want me to lie just to meet your expectations?¡± ¡°And if it isn¡¯t ¡®I don¡¯t know,¡¯ you just remain silent.¡± ¡°What do you want from me?¡± Naomi¡¯s eyes started watering as she pulled her knees to her chest. ¡°I want you to show me why angels deserve all the praise and worship they receive worldwide daily. I need you to give me at least one convincing argument for crying out loud. I want you to make me understand... just what have you guys actually done throughout all this time!¡± Violet scoffed and snuck a glance at AJ. ¡°Good girl,¡± she muttered and walked up to Naomi silently. She crossed her arms and leaned forward, squinting at her. ¡°Who is this?¡± Naomi asked nervously. ¡°She¡¯s human, too. Another colleague of yours? Another Healer?¡± ¡°Yes. I am a Healer,¡± Violet said. ¡°You know that means I am part of the Tainted Generation, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard horrific stories about all of you, but after what your friends did for me. There is no way I can believe that you¡¯re heathens destined to destroy the world.¡± Naomi cracked a mile-wide smile. Violet studied Naomi for a little longer and then grabbed Zeke¡¯s arm. ¡°Rulitos, I need to speak with you privately. Now.¡± Chapter 17 - Prognosis Violet dragged Zeke to the waiting room. She squatted to the timber sofa and pulled Zeke down beside her. ¡°That thing isn¡¯t an angel.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You said that it was infected with a demonic virus, right?¡± Zeke read the urgency in her eyes. ¡°Naomi? Yeah,¡± he answered. He took a moment to recall the name and then said, ¡°Boggad Infectious Metamorph.¡± ¡°It¡¯s obvious that she isn¡¯t an angel. A demonic microorganism could never survive in something with purity levels that high, in other words, an angel.¡± Violet bit her lip. ¡°I know how it feels to be near one. That thing in the room emanates an angelic aura for sure, but it¡­ feels different. If only I could scan her soul¡¯s purity levels. I don¡¯t know how to do that spell, though.¡± She gave Zeke a look and said, ¡°Do you have a device in here to scan her purity levels?¡± Violet noticed the confusion on Zeke¡¯s face and added, ¡°Right.¡± She stroked her chin. ¡°It¡¯s probably best not to.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that she doesn¡¯t have a 100 percent purity level like all angels should,¡± Zeke said. ¡°Mhm.¡± ¡°You mentioned that angels who lose just one percent of their purity become something similar to a human. Is that the case here?¡± Violet smiled at him. Zeke could tell she was happy that he was picking up on the supernatural jargon, remembering rules he learned earlier. It was thanks to his grandmother¡¯s teachings that he was able to absorb mystic materials so well. ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Violet said. ¡°Why would a Dominion work hard to get back a misbehaved angel? When an angel¡¯s purity lowers, they are banished or destroyed. That¡¯s about it. It doesn¡¯t make sense for Nananiel to have been that desperate¡­¡± Violet trailed off. ¡°Wait, I have a question. Back outside, you said you used supplements to lower your purity? How does that work?¡± Violet sank back into the cushionless sofa. ¡°Now, you can¡¯t just use Black Magic without watching your soul¡¯s purity. If your purity is lower than 50 percent, it makes you more vulnerable to demon attacks and contracting many curses and supernatural ailments. But being in the upper quarter of purity can be dangerous, too. Having over 75 percent purity keeps many demons away but attracts the rarest and most dangerous ones willing to challenge your levels of purity to take it over. Though they have a low success rate, the risk is massive.¡± ¡°So, below 50 and over 75 is dangerous to humans, but I guess both give you access to the most powerful spells.¡± ¡°Bravo, Rulitos. That¡¯s exactly it. To add, 10 percent and 90 percent come with the craziest spells. It¡¯s a gamble worth taking. That¡¯s why supplements are important for going up and down the purity spectrum.¡± ¡°What happens if a human¡¯s purity level reaches zero percent?¡± ¡°They become a demon with no way of turning back to a human. Losing access to White Magic and, well¡­ their souls becoming a permanent resident of Hell.¡± ¡°How about 100 percent?¡± ¡°You die. A 100 percent pure human soul is a state of one that is ascending to Heaven. The angels wash away all the impurity from you before taking you up. There is no way for a human to have 100 percent purity and walk the earth.¡± ¡°From one to 99 is what we can manage.¡± Zeke studied Violet. ¡°What¡¯s the highest purity your soul ever reached?¡± ¡°75.¡± ¡°And lowest?¡± Violet smirked. ¡°Zero-point-six.¡± Zeke shivered. She was that close to turning into a demon, and she¡¯s talking about it as if it were a story about popping a painful zit or something. ¡°The only reason you aren¡¯t crying and running for your life right now is because I am controlling the aura I am putting off. If I didn¡¯t concentrate, you wouldn¡¯t be able to talk to me right now.¡± Zeke witnessed a sinister glint in her eye. ¡°Wait, what percentage is your purity right now?¡± ¡°Oh, Rulitos, I know you. Telling you would just stress you out.¡± ¡°Not telling me stresses me out, too!¡± Violet stood up. Zeke did as well, like a child copying their father, and stared at her, awaiting further instructions. Violet shot a grim look at Zeke. ¡°Rulitos, listen carefully.¡± Zeke nodded and focused on Violet. ¡°Don¡¯t give Naomi up to the angels.¡± ¡°Wait. Do you know what she is?¡± Violet placed her hands on his shoulders and said, ¡°No.¡± Zeke heaved a sigh. ¡°Are you just not telling me the truth for no good reason at all other than to stir up mystery? I really hate that trope.¡± ¡°I honestly have no idea what it is, but the angels want it real bad for something. Maybe she¡¯s a weapon? Nonetheless, you can never let the angels have their way. Never.¡± She leaned closer to Zeke. The silent rage burning in her eyes, waiting to be let out to wreak havoc, fixed on Zeke. A caged animal bounded behind her violet-hued eyes. ¡°Do you understand me, Ezequias? They can¡¯t be trusted.¡± ¡°Angels can¡¯t be trusted? But¡­ they¡¯re angels! If we can¡¯t trust angels, then who do we trust?¡± ¡°Humans.¡± ¡°Yeah, humans are a real riot in the trustworthy department.¡± Violet stifled a laugh. ¡°You¡¯re right. Just me, then. Only trust me. Don¡¯t let Nananiel succeed.¡± ¡°How did you show up at the right time, Vee?¡± ¡°When I transported to your house, I put a tracking spell on you. One specialized for the Neurologist. I can see what you see, hear what you hear.¡± The creepy statement made Zeke¡¯s heart flutter for a reason he couldn¡¯t explain. He smiled. She smiled back and focused on him with a tantalizing oeillade. Zeke swore that her vibrant eyes were growing brighter by the second. ¡°Vee, can¡¯t you just stay here and protect us then?¡± Violet backed away and withdrew her hands. ¡°I¡¯ll show up whenever you¡¯re in trouble again, but listen, the angels will take a different approach, knowing we¡¯re of the Tainted Generation. They can¡¯t track us easily. As for the Transportation Sigil from your grandmother¡¯s book, I hope that it¡¯s an augmented variant. A Sigil that prevents certain creatures from seeing or using it. Nananiel complained about being unable to sense Naomi¡­ either way, be mindful of where you draw that thing.¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°Okay,¡± Zeke said and nodded. Violet put her hand on Zeke¡¯s cheek. ¡°Good.¡± ¡°Does this mean that my grandmother was a part of a Tainted Generation? The Twelfth, maybe?¡± Violet¡¯s hand slipped away. ¡°No. That¡¯s impossible. The members of the next Tainted Generation are only born after every single member of the previous Tainted Generation dies. The new members are all born within the span of a year.¡± She snapped her fingers. ¡°Oh, yeah! I forgot to tell you! There¡¯s something important about the Tainted Generation that you need to know. For every generation. There¡¯s a prophecy¡­¡± ¡°Why did I think I was going to go through this thing without ever having to hear the prophecy cliche¡­¡± Zeke¡¯s eyes followed Violet as she sauntered around the trestle table in a half circle and explained, ¡°For every Generation, there is a Damned and a Deliverer. The Damned will be sent to Hell after they die, no matter what they do. The Deliverer will be sent to Heaven after they die, no matter what they do.¡± Terror shot up Zeke¡¯s spine. He trembled and murmured, ¡°What about the others? What happens when they die?¡± Violet stopped and shrugged. ¡°Nobody knows. They don¡¯t show up in Hell or Heaven.¡± Zeke scrambled around the other side of the trestle table and approached Violet. ¡°So, who is the Damned and the Deliverer of this Generation?¡± He questioned, unable to eliminate the quaver in his voice. Violet shrugged again and untied the shirt from her waist. ¡°Nobody knows. You can only figure out after you die. Pretty messed up, right? The Damned. A guaranteed spot in Hell, no matter what they do. Burning for eternity.¡± Zeke shivered at how loosely she talked about being condemned. ¡°What title did the¡­ Thirteenth Damned have?¡± Violet paused and put on her shirt. ¡°Diagnostician.¡± Zeke¡¯s heart plummeted to his stomach. A hopeless, dreadful feeling took over, and his face became sullen. He stared at her mindlessly as Violet buttoned up her shirt; afterward, she started walking to the door. ¡°Wait, Vee!¡± She stopped and turned back to him. ¡°You really can¡¯t stay?¡± ¡°No, Rulitos.¡± Violet raised her hands. ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t stay. I¡¯m too busy in Argentina, but if you ever want to ask me about something, it has to be related to the supernatural! Then, all you have to do is think about it and call for me. I¡¯ll come as for¡­ the other things. The time will come when we can talk about it. Okay, Rulitos?¡± Violet turned to the door and opened it before he got the chance to answer. Zeke heard another door open from behind. He stood idly and watched Violet walk back into the office. She closed the door behind her. He didn¡¯t bother going after her, worrying that it was inevitable. Whenever Violet would proclaim her departure and set off, you¡¯d have no chance of finding her until she wanted you to. Now, with magic, finding her against her will is even more of an impossibility. Ugo stopped beside Zeke and stared at the door. ¡°She¡¯s gone, huh?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see her again.¡± Ugo patted Zeke on the back and stood with him in unbearable silence. All Zeke could feel was dread. The despair disabled his movement. He was as still as a painting. Ugo asked, ¡°Do you think Vee has a boyfriend?¡± He gained the will to move again to give Ugo a rotten look. ¡°Dios Mio, dude,¡± Zeke grumbled as he walked away.
Zeke and Ugo entered the patient room. Naomi was seated in her bed, staring at the screen of Ugo¡¯s backup cell phone wrapped in her hands. AJ leaned against the wall, eyeing Naomi from a distance. ¡°What did you and Vee talk about?¡± AJ asked Zeke. ¡°Uh, she just said ¡®goodbye.¡¯¡± Zeke made a mental note to explain to her later and walked up to Naomi. Naomi looked up at Zeke. ¡°Aww¡­ I was hoping to spend some time with Vee.¡± ¡°You call her ¡®Violet¡¯!¡± AJ snapped at Naomi. ¡°Sorry.¡± Zeke sighed and looked down at the cell phone screen. Naomi was playing sudoku at a top expert level. She must¡¯ve rushed through the levels with ease. He leaned down to Naomi and studied her. She gave a carefree smile in response to his investigative stare. He noticed the dried black stains across her shirt and loose tie. Her wide, bright, childlike eyes were brimming with guilelessness. He could sense the naivety and gullibility in her. Her purity. It wasn¡¯t much different from what he felt from Nananiel before he became hostile. Zeke felt as though he could tell her anything at that moment, and she would believe it immediately. No questions asked. But there was no use in doubting Violet. She had more experience in the crazy, supernatural side of the world. She saved him and Ugo and risked her life fighting an angel to keep them safe. Doubting her would be the ultimate form of ingratitude. Zeke leaned closer, gazing deeper into her innocent eyes. Naomi giggled. ¡°Is this an examination?¡± Zeke remained silent and put on a stern look. Somewhere behind those eyes was a mischievous aura, aware of its successful deceit. Naomi wasn¡¯t an angel, and she willfully led them to believe that she was. ¡°My patient¡­ the angel.¡± ¡°My doctor¡­ the human!¡± Naomi said. He had to try better than that. Naomi was cunning and had to be aware of that. He pulled back. ¡°Everything¡¯s good,¡± Zeke said. ¡°You can move away from her now,¡± Ugo hissed from the door. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to ask this of you¡­¡± Naomi mumbled suddenly. ¡°What is it?¡± Zeke asked. Naomi let out a sob. ¡°Please,¡± she shrieked. ¡°Don¡¯t let them take me away.¡± ¡°Who are ¡®them¡¯?¡± AJ asked. This was it. Naomi was opening up. She shifted in her bed and let the cell phone slip out of her hands. She gripped tightly to the bedsheets and pulled them up. Zeke had to test her response. He launched the bait. ¡°An angel. By the name of Nananiel came looking for you.¡± Naomi¡¯s eyes darted to Zeke. Her face twisted in shock. AJ pushed herself off the wall. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Nananiel was looking for Naomi. He almost killed us for it. Vee saved us,¡± Ugo explained to AJ. ¡°You were able to fend off Nananiel?¡± Naomi exclaimed in awe. ¡°That¡¯s amazing. Your magic truly is unparalleled. Fighting against warriors like him is no trial for Healers, I see.¡± ¡°What does Nananiel want you for exactly?¡± Zeke questioned. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Naomi mumbled. ¡°Shocker,¡± AJ said. Zeke found himself switching over to AJ¡¯s side. He knew that Naomi was lying about her identity, so everything else she claimed to not know could also be a blatant lie. But she was still his patient, the first person he had ever saved successfully. He couldn¡¯t just give up her like nothing, and Violet said to never let the angels have their way. Giving her up was not an option. So, he backed off. ¡°Okay,¡± Zeke said nonchalantly. Suddenly, Naomi¡¯s expression crumbled. She eyed Zeke and pleaded, ¡°Don¡¯t let Nananiel take me.¡± Tears ran down her cheeks. ¡°Don¡¯t let any of them take me back. I-I-I don¡¯t want to go back!¡± She grabbed Zeke by the collar and shook him back and forth. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be back in that cage! I was in there for so, so, so, so, so long! I can¡¯t go back! I can¡¯t go back! I can¡¯t go back!¡± Her strength was insane. Violent vibrations traveled across his bones. He was convinced she was going to accidentally push his ribcage out of his back or cause his head to fling out of his torso like a finishing move in a gory video game. ¡°I can¡¯t go back!¡± She shouted, this time with a piercing angelic cry that caused the room to shake. Ugo and AJ dropped to the floor with a harsh thud. Zeke grabbed her by the wrists. ¡°Okay! Okay! We won¡¯t! Please, calm down!¡± The shaking stopped. Naomi wound down and slowly let go of Zeke. ¡°Thank you. Sorry.¡± Zeke stared at her as he gasped for air, as if he just won an underwater breath-holding competition. His ears were ringing, and he groaned at the pain. He turned back, and Ugo and AJ were climbing back to their feet. ¡°Sorry,¡± Naomi repeated. ¡°No need to apologize,¡± Zeke said. He straightened his collar. ¡°You¡¯re my patient. Of course, I won¡¯t let you leave until you fully recover.¡± ¡°Zeke, I don¡¯t ever want to go back.¡± ¡°Right. Right. I understand that. Then I guess you can stay with us for as long as you like.¡± Naomi¡¯s eyes lit up. Instantly shifting to a state of jubilance. ¡°Does this mean we¡¯re friends?¡± Zeke stared at Naomi with a vacant look. ¡°Sure!¡± He blurted with uncertainty. ¡°Who says doctors can¡¯t be friends with their patients?¡± Naomi cheered and turned away to do a little silent victory dance. Zeke looked over at a confused Ugo and AJ. He shrugged at them in confusion. Ugo turned to AJ and asked, ¡°Did I just get friendzoned?¡± He shot a look at Zeke. ¡°And did you just help it happen?¡± Naomi assaulted Zeke with a powerful hug. She tightened her hold on his neck and pushed her cheeks against his. ¡°Cabron!¡± Ugo shouted. He ran toward Zeke and got stopped by AJ, who pulled him back from his hood. Naomi let go of Zeke and gazed at him. ¡°Promise me. You won¡¯t let them take me.¡± This is what Violet wants. She¡¯s smarter, wiser, and braver than he could ever hope to be. Wonderful. Beautiful. Playful. Funny. Perfect. His judgment, compared to hers, meant nothing. Violet knows best. She always does. Zeke made a fist and held out his pinky finger. ¡°I promise.¡± Chapter 18 - Visitation Zeke, Ugo, and AJ walked out of the hospital. Zeke remembered his bag this time. Leaving Naomi alone in the hospital once again with Ugo¡¯s backup cell phone. Ugo brought a power bank this time and left it for her. When they returned to the office, they cleaned off the painted sigil on the door with a filthy rag they found. Whether or not the angels can use it, being safe can never hurt. Upon going outside the building, Zeke, Ugo, and AJ found the docks free of supernatural elements. Nananiel¡¯s snowy feathers, the bloodstains, the green splotches, and Violet¡¯s broken chimera-lizard-dog-gun-thing¡ªthey were gone. As if the world¡¯s greatest cleaning crew passed by and left only the broken deck boards. Zeke explained what happened after Nananiel threw Ugo into the wall but didn¡¯t go into much detail. Retelling Violet¡¯s Hellchair and preparation to torture Nananiel may not sit well with Ugo and AJ. They had the tendency to be critical and sensitive about some of Violet¡¯s actions, and Zeke wasn¡¯t in the mood to hear any of it. She saved them! No need for emotional opinions. Zeke also omitted what she told him about the Damned and the Deliverer. On their way to the closest bus stop, they decided to only enter the hospital when all together and no longer return to the factory. One long, sleepy bus ride later, Zeke and Ugo hopped off the transport and onto the streets of their boring, middle-class neighborhood ¡ª Blackmarsh Grove. They waved AJ goodbye as the bus took her to the richer neighborhood where she lived ¡ª Crossview Acre. Zeke slogged his way back home alongside Ugo. He could feel the weight and exhaustion in both of them as they moved along the sidewalk, littered with vivid, flaming leaves that made a satisfying crunch with every step they took, putting Zeke¡¯s mind at ease. He could hear squirrels squeaking and squawking from up in the trees even after some of his young, friendly neighbors from so-called welcoming families shouted Mexican slurs. Mexican, Columbian, Argentinian, Peruvian, it was all the same for the ignorant assholes. Zeke¡¯s reaction to it was oddly calm; in fact, he didn¡¯t react at all. Ugo gave him a look with his eyebrows raised but said nothing and just kept looking forward. Zeke observed the shedding trees symbolizing the slow march towards death, reminding him of his wretched fate. The boys arrived home¡ªa small American colonial. They ran up the stairs into their bedroom, each plopped down on their beds and sat silently. Mindlessly, Zeke stared at Ugo. ¡°What?¡± Ugo asked. Zeke paused as if waiting for a directional cue. He looked back at his bookshelf. ¡°Were you scared?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°When Nananiel attacked us. That whole thing, were you ever scared?¡± Zeke moved his eyes back to Ugo. Focusing on him carefully. ¡°What kind of question is that?¡± ¡°Nevermind¡­¡± ¡°Mano, of course, I was scared. Come on. I mean, if I died back there, I¡¯d leave this world without going through so many experiences. Snowboarding, skydiving, sightseeing, feeling a woman''s touch, unhooking a bra¡­¡± Ugo looked off into the emptiness for a moment and then dropped his face into the palm of his hand. ¡°If I died back there. I would¡¯ve woken up in Heaven, super-pissed.¡± Zeke¡¯s eyes popped out. Heaven. That word made him think about Hell and Afterlife with more weight than ever before. The concepts were more palpable now. He could see it. Feel it. It was terrifying. ¡°Heaven, huh?¡± Zeke muttered. Ugo gave Zeke a look. ¡°Oh, here we go. Another joke about me going to Hell. Ha-ha.¡± There was a one-in-a-eleven chance that Ugo¡¯s soul would be sent straight to Hell after death. The same for him. ¡°Mano, we need to learn how to use magic,¡± Ugo declared. Zeke studied Ugo and hunched forward. ¡°Where do we even start?¡± ¡°The library in the hospital.¡± ¡°Wait¡­ are you telling me you want to study?¡± ¡°Look, nobody has a poor memory or is too lazy to learn. It¡¯s all about what¡¯s interesting to you and what isn¡¯t. Of course, I am going to be interested in learning how to shoot fireballs from my fingertips. Are you kidding me?¡± Zeke thought back to the blue knife that Ugo summoned. ¡°You used magic to summon that knife, Mora.¡± ¡°I know! I have no idea how! I can¡¯t remember what I said¡­ that has never happened to me before.¡± Ugo cracked a smile. ¡°It¡¯s actually quite nice.¡± Ugo¡¯s expression grew determined. ¡°Hey, I think you used magic, too. Figuring out Naomi¡¯s case. We¡¯re part of the Tainted Generation. This stuff is in our souls, right? We need to meditate and shiz to figure it all out.¡± Ugo pointed to Zeke¡¯s bag, sitting on the floor beside his feet. ¡°We need to study the vieja¡¯s notes.¡± ¡°According to Violet, two titles haven¡¯t been filled,¡± Zeke mentioned. ¡°The Diagnostician and the Surgeon.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t a mystery. You¡¯re definitely the Diagnostician, and I am the Surgeon!¡± Zeke paused, and despair washed over him. The truth was undeniable. He reached this conclusion on his own a long time ago, he admitted to himself. Everything pointed to him being the Diagnostician. The Diagnostician of the previous Tainted Generation was the Damned. Cursed to burn in Hell for eternity. What did that mean for him? Once again, the cruel, absurd, unfair universe dealt him a bad hand for a game he was forced to play¡ªcoerced into playing, which seemed to be a more fitting way of saying it. Zeke couldn¡¯t muster the courage to talk about the prophecy. Mentioning it just made it all so real. For now, he stayed quiet about it. The door opened, and a tall man with a muscular physique let himself in. The boys looked up at the man with the light gleaming off his round glasses. ¡°Yes, Dad?¡± Ugo said. Gerardo Morata grinned, approached Ugo, and sank onto the bed beside him. He gave Zeke a warm smile as he grasped onto Ugo¡¯s shoulder. ¡°How are you boys doing?¡± He started shaking Ugo back and forth, ignoring his whining. Zeke knew an intense interrogation was coming up. He held his stepfather¡¯s innocuous stare and chuckled nervously. The key was to stay calm. He made a mental note of that and stuck to it. ¡°Whatever it is, you think we did. It was Mora¡¯s fault!¡± And then he shamelessly cast that note away. ¡°Ezequias, you¡¯re not in trouble,¡± Gerardo let go of Ugo and gave him a look. ¡°Neither of you are,¡± Gerardo added. ¡°You guys just came dashing through the front door, left it open, and retreated here. I just wanted to check if everything was alright.¡± Ugo rubbed his shoulder. ¡°Oh, sorry about that, Dad. We didn¡¯t realize that anybody would be home.¡± ¡°I got off early today, but that still doesn¡¯t make it okay for you two to just leave the door open like that.¡± Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Gerardo let out a hefty laugh and stroked his well-kept full beard. ¡°Amigos, it¡¯s okay. You can tell me anything.¡± Zeke¡¯s stepfather¡¯s hopeless crusade comprised proving to every living soul on the planet that he was, in fact, a cool 42-year-old man. Zeke was confident that the only reason Gerardo didn¡¯t dye his hair like Ugo was because of his mother. If only she could also stop him from washing his car in a tank top and jorts every weekend morning, listening to Spanish rap songs blasting from the car¡¯s stereo. ¡°Mom sent you here to interrogate us, didn¡¯t she?¡± Ugo asked. ¡°No, she¡¯s not even home.¡± Gerardo shook his head. ¡°And don¡¯t say ¡®interrogate.¡¯ It makes me sound like a villain. We¡¯re all amigos here.¡± Gerardo looked back at Ugo and got a firm hold of his shoulder again. ¡°Or are you still mad at me, Ugo, hm? For the betrayal?¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t laugh at the passionate troubles of a six-year-old, dammit,¡± Ugo replied. When Zeke and his mother moved in with Ugo and his weird father fresh off Europe, there was an aura of animosity that emanated from Ugo whenever he was in a room with his father. Six-year-old Ugo made a case defending that since he was the first to see Eldora in public, therefore had the right to ask her to marry him when he was old enough. In his own words, his father put honor aside and ¡®cheated and broke a man¡¯s code¡¯ by asking Eldora out anyway and proposing to her. The first few months living with them were strange, to say the least. Zeke witnessed a variant of the Oedipus Complex develop before his eyes. Luckily, Ugo got over in time before he sorted to cold-blooded murder. ¡°Am I still your rival, Ugo?¡± Gerardo said. ¡°It was years ago. I¡¯m over it, but it¡¯s still not funny. That was messed up. I had dibs, man. You betrayed me.¡± Gerardo chuckled. ¡°You should¡¯ve never pointed her out to me in the park that day.¡± ¡°I was bragging!¡± Gerardo withdrew his hand. ¡°Your mother still has a lot of unanswered questions.¡± Gerardo heaved a heavy sigh. ¡°She made that very clear last night¡­¡± ¡°So, this is an interrogation!¡± Ugo shouted. ¡°You have no honor indeed¡­¡± Gerardo sighed. ¡°I¡¯m on your side. Listen, between us, when I heard about that fight at the restaurant, it made me quite happy.¡± Zeke raised his brows. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯re young! You should be out doing crazy, stupid stuff like that. Raylan is a bit of gilipollas, anyway. Did you hear about the rumor of him pissing on the drinking fountain when no one¡¯s around? And the way he insults people behind their backs, even those of his entourage. Poor AJ...¡± ¡°How do you know this?¡± Ugo asked. ¡°That¡¯s not important,¡± Gerardo said with a straight face. ¡°Yes, it is!¡± Ugo exclaimed. ¡°Stay off our social media.¡± Gerardo continued, ¡°You¡¯re only young once. Take advantage of your youth. It doesn¡¯t always have to be about responsibilities. It¡¯s important to have fun and experience everything you can as a young person.¡± ¡°So, we don¡¯t end up like you?¡± Ugo said. ¡°Desperately trying to relive the old glory days?¡± Gerardo gave Ugo a look. ¡°I¡¯m still your father, you know.¡± Zeke couldn¡¯t recall a time he had a normal conversation with Gerardo. Expecting normalcy from a character like him would be foolish, Zeke realized. This was the man who willingly proposed to a woman divorced from a drug-smuggling criminal who was still alive and well, sitting in prison. Gerardo knowingly married into a family of criminals without a care in the world. Not caring. Again, an ability Zeke was so desperate to learn. ¡°Ezequias,¡± Gerardo said suddenly. Zeke straightened up as if he were in the military. ¡°Yes, Father?¡± ¡°Always so tense¡­¡± Gerardo shook his head and then folded his hands together. He leaned forward, resting his elbow on his knees, and fixated on Zeke. ¡°I don¡¯t know the exact details of the fight, but, as you know, us doctors make for excellent detectives.¡± ¡°Dentists aren¡¯t real doctors,¡± Ugo said. Gerardo turned to Ugo and flicked his ear. He groaned in pain. Gerardo went back to focusing on Zeke. ¡°AJ was the main cause, wasn¡¯t she?¡± he asked. ¡°She likes Raylan. Maybe she put herself in a situation that Raylan took advantage of, and he must¡¯ve done something that you didn¡¯t like. You were standing up for her.¡± Zeke squirmed subtly and lowered his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s my boy,¡± Gerardo said. ¡°AJ is cute. She has fantastic discipline with diet and exercise, something that you could benefit from. Why haven¡¯t you asked her out, hm?¡± Zeke put on a vacant expression. Ask AJ out? No, she was just a friend; besides, he was reserved for someone else. Someone who still owed him an answer¡­ ¡°Zeke still got the hots for Vee,¡± Ugo said. ¡°In fact, he did it with Vee in mind.¡± Zeke shot a glower at Ugo. He wanted to shout something. His mouth opened, but nothing came out. What was he supposed to say? It¡¯s not like Ugo lied. The softened sound of a door opening rose from downstairs. ¡°Ezequias!¡± Eldora shouted. The door slammed shut, and footsteps parading along downstairs were apparent. Zeke shot up and darted for the door without a word. He rushed down the stairs, happy to have been pulled out of the uncomfortable situation, and veered into the entryway. He dashed past the living room and pushed the swinging door leading to the kitchen. He froze. Eldora and Isaac were hoisting bags of groceries onto the island. Isaac let go of the bags and turned to Zeke. He smiled and spread his arms, ¡°Hezekiah!¡± He approached Zeke and dropped his hands on his shoulders. ¡°How are you?¡± he asked in his hoarse voice. ¡°We just saw each other at school earlier today,¡± Zeke said. ¡°Don¡¯t be so cold, Ezequias,¡± Eldora said as she grabbed a bottle of vinegar in one hand and extra virgin olive oil in the other. ¡°No, Mrs. Morata, he¡¯s right. I am being weird. I¡¯m like a puppy. I get needlessly excited when I see someone again, even after a short time.¡± Eldora snickered as she shook her head. ¡°You are so precious.¡± She walked to the pantry. ¡°They let me out of school early today, Hezekiah.¡± ¡°Another trip to the guidance counselor?¡± ¡°Yes. It was brief. Everything is fine. I was wandering our beautiful community for hours, I think, like a devout leading a group through a desert.¡± Eldora stopped organizing the pantry at just the right time to share a look with Isaac, and they laughed in unison. ¡°Anyway,¡± Issac resumed, ¡°I somehow ended up at the supermarket and ran into your lovely mother. It was fun. I helped, we talked, and I learned something very troubling, Hezekiah.¡± Isaac¡¯s eyes grew intense as he reached for Zeke¡¯s hands, pulled them up, and cupped them in his. Isaac cocked his head to the side. ¡°Your mother told me about what happened to your grandmother. How come I didn¡¯t receive this news earlier? I know how much she meant to you. I am so sorry.¡± Zeke pulled his hands away and took three steps back. He nodded slowly while fixed on Isaac. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s terrible.¡± ¡°Isaac said that he wants to come to the funeral,¡± Eldora said as she cut open a bag of kosher salt. ¡°He wants to make a little eulogy about Aba. Isn¡¯t that nice?¡± She poured the contents of the bag into a container. ¡°Wait, what?¡± Zeke asked while studying his mother. ¡°Your mother told me that my father was doing the eulogy,¡± Isaac said, ¡°so I figured I could too. Would that be too weird for you, Hezekiah?¡± ¡°Just call me ¡®Zeke¡¯!¡± Eldora slammed the empty bag on the counter. ¡°Ezequias!¡± She sniped a look at him. ¡°Why are you so mean to him?¡± ¡°No, no, no, Mrs. Morata. Zeke isn¡¯t mean to me. He never is. No need for scolding. If he doesn¡¯t want me to come¡ª¡± ¡°You can come. It¡¯s fine,¡± Zeke interrupted while rolling his eyes. Isaac¡¯s hand plopped onto Zeke¡¯s head. ¡°Oh, thank you for your blessing!¡± Isaac slipped his hand down his head and left his finger to linger on the bridge of Zeke¡¯s nose. Isaac studied him silently. Zeke snuck a glance at Eldora. She was kneeling before the fridge, sorting out the frozen goods. Of course, she¡¯d be looking away at such a bizarre moment. Isaac stole a glance at the baby angel refrigerator magnet and snickered. ¡°I must leave now,¡± he suddenly announced. He slipped his finger away from Zeke¡¯s nose and turned to the kitchen door. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Ezequias, walk him out,¡± Eldora ordered without looking away from the fridge. Zeke let out an inaudible sigh and unenthusiastically accompanied Isaac to the entryway and opened the door for him. Isaac walked out onto the doorstep. Just as Zeke was halfway through closing the door, Isaac whipped back and placed his hand on it, forcing him to stop. Issac beamed at Zeke with his undying smile. ¡°Hezekiah, you can count on me as a true confidant. You are aware of this, right? If you are ever lost and don¡¯t know what to do. Please, consider me an option.¡± His smile grew wider. Zeke surveyed the cross dangling off his bracelet. ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± Zeke said. ¡°I didn¡¯t get a goodbye hug from you, Hezekiah,¡± Isaac said, ¡°you¡¯ll have to make up for it.¡± Isaac pulled his hand from the door, walked down the stone pathway, and onto the sidewalk. Zeke closed the door and stood before it, ruminating in the silence. The Tainted Generation. The Deliverer and the Damned. Another tarnished inheritance for him. Another cankerous clan he became a part of, blight and lousy reputation, clung to his soul like thin webs. Hard to see, seemingly impossible to get rid of. No matter how hard you shake it off, it¡¯s never completely gone, and you can feel it. Chapter 19 - Committal It was the first funeral Zeke had ever been to. Of course, death was common amongst the Rosarios, but his mother never pressured him to go. He had never been to a funeral on his mother¡¯s side either; most of them lived in Columbia, and he didn¡¯t know them all too well. His standard black suit and tie defended him effectively against the nippy weather, but the cold did a good job of gnawing away at his fingertips. He closed and opened his hands over and over as he sat in the front row. The layer of russet red leaves that coated the grounds of Ritter Memorial Cemetery blended well with the gray sky, teasing a rain that would never come, similar to the ceremony attendees. His experience in funerals was lacking, but surely, he knew there had to be some sort of sobbing. All he could hear was Pastor Isaiah delivering a generic eulogy that sounded like something you could copy off a sample online. Isaac¡¯s father was a virtuous and dignified-looking man. Isaac looked just like him, the only difference being that Isaiah had short, graying black hair and was a little taller. Zeke turned his head back, and all he saw were bone-dry faces. Most people had stolid expressions, not the kind that hints at unhappiness stemming from a tragedy but the hopelessly bored kind you¡¯d have when you tried to pay attention to the presentation of a classmate you don¡¯t care about who is just completely botching the topic. The entire number of chairs present could be counted on two sets of hands; even so, some were left empty. That¡¯s probably why no one had gripes with the eulogy. Nothing about the funeral catered to his grandmother¡¯s liking. He couldn¡¯t even spot one bouquet of daisies anywhere in the cemetery. They were her favorite, and they were traditional funeral flowers, anyway, so why weren¡¯t they there? Because no one knew her, no one cared, maybe her husband, but he had died long before Zeke was born. Sure, there was a mention of her work as a nurse in Cuba and her involvement in International Humanitarian Organizations. Still, those were things that anybody could easily look up. No mention of her personality, sense of humor, or compassion. A relative should be in charge of talking about personal details like that, but no one offered to say anything, not even Zeke himself. It seemed moronic in a way to ramble about the amazingness of Esther Rosario to a crowd that couldn¡¯t care less. When Pastor Isaiah came to a full stop at the end of the front row to Zeke¡¯s left, an eager Isaac raised his hand to get a word in. He was seated next to AJ¡ªshe was attired in a long-sleeved black dress to hide the developed biceps and triceps that lined her arms. She looked nice. Zeke stared at her from his seat. He could tell that she was screaming internally to get out of the dress and trying her best to be respectable for him. She didn¡¯t look bored. She was attentive, considering every word like an essential documentary. Suddenly, she looked in his direction and gave him a sad smile. Zeke smiled back and nodded. After receiving the blessing, Isaac rushed to the carved wooden casket where a photo of a 20-year-old smiling Esther sat in a blossom of roses¡ªshe wasn¡¯t a fan of roses. Pastor Isaiah stepped aside and watched his son as he faced the bored crowd and flashed a smile. Zeke tuned out. Isaac didn¡¯t even know his grandmother. He was going to spout a vague, generic speech about the virtues of his grandmother; no need to listen to that. He resorted to studying the attendees sitting in the first row with him. To his left was Ugo, who didn¡¯t seem bored, just calm. He had experience with funerals; maybe he was used to the dread. His dad sat next to him, and his face was sullen. Bad memories of his previous wife¡¯s funeral were definitely bubbling up. Then Zeke looked over to his mom, seated next to him on his right. He couldn¡¯t believe what he saw. She was smirking. Of course, she was. Zeke realized he was being a moron for getting surprised at the sight. His mother never cared for Grandma Esther, calling her Aba as if she meant something to her. Getting her sent to the psychiatric hospital wasn¡¯t enough to keep her from filling nonsense or ¡®cagada¡¯ into the mind of her precious son, she would say. No, he still visited her regularly, and now that she was gone for good, there was no way for him to come into contact with her, so she was smirking. If there wasn¡¯t a recognized pastor before them, she¡¯d be jumping and dancing. Little did she know his grandmother was right about everything. What she taught him and what he inherited from her helped him save an angel¡¯s life! That¡¯s way more useful than what any detestable Rosario has ever done! The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. It was time for the burial. Zeke, Ugo, Gerardo, his Uncle Pablo, and two other cousins fresh from prison carried the casket over to the grave and placed it on the lowering device. The group huddled around the casket as it sank. Pastor Isaiah sang a prayer that Isaac hummed to. During this, Zeke eyed his mother from the other side of the grave. Her eyes were unfocused and welling up; her body was shaking, and her face puffed up, slowly turning red. It was ridiculous; she was holding in a laugh. She covered her mouth and hunched over. As more eyes flew to her, she bolted out of the scene before her laughter burst out. Zeke averted his eyes to the casket as it hit dirt. A couple of dirt-shoveling, insincere kisses to the grave and more words from the pastor. After all was said and done, everybody went their separate ways. AJ left with Isaac, and Gerardo sent Zeke to find his mother while he and Ugo darted back to the car. Zeke wandered the vibrant vista, feeling the breeze and loamy aroma while looking up at the tough, towering trees with invigorating, fiery red leaves dangling off the branches. It was like walking in a painting. That came with its own jump scare. Zeke yipped and jumped back as one of the hallmark angel statues of the cemetery appeared. The horrific figure stood on a pedestal and was larger than the ones at the entrance, with broad wings arching over it. It had the face of a grown man, corroding with black mold smeared across it. It had a broad smile, showing its broken teeth with pride. Three rings formed its eyes; they fixed on Zeke, eyes that exhibited imminent death, like an omen and also life, as if it had sentience and a will to live. The thought of angels became much scarier. He heard chuckling from afar and followed the sound. He found Eldora and retreated under the largest tree in the cemetery. A massive flame-colored bush sheltered her. Zeke legged across the crunching foliage to her. Just a few feet away, Eldora turned to him. She was covering her mouth and shaking like a hyena. Zeke winced at the sight and slowed down. ¡°Mom?¡± He said. Eldora lowered her hand and put on a straight face but was still shaking all over. Her smirk returned immediately. ¡°Ezequias.¡± She took a big gulp and clenched her eyes shut. She stood idle until the shaking went away, and the smirk dissipated. She opened her eyes and tried again. ¡°Ezequias.¡± In a dignified tone this time. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes, I am. I¡¯m sorry,¡± Eldora said sincerely. ¡°I don¡¯t know what came over me.¡± The brain had a nasty habit of reminding you of the funniest joke you¡¯ve ever heard in a dire moment, but this was too much. What was so funny? Zeke decided it wasn¡¯t worth arguing about. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± he said. Eldora leaned back into the brown tree trunk and clenched onto the center of her chest, keeping her breath steady. ¡°Can you just¡­ give me a moment? Please.¡± Zeke approached her closer, entering under the leafy canopy. ¡°Ezequias¡­¡± she started with a shaky voice. Desperately pushing back the laughter. She cleared her throat and continued without laughing. ¡°Your father¡¯s birthday is coming up.¡± Zeke raised a brow. Yes, Adelmo¡¯s birthday was a week away and way too close to his own birthday day. The last thing he wanted was more connection to the good-for-nothing. ¡°So?¡± Zeke said. ¡°Do you not want to visit him?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± ¡°Ezequias¡­¡± she stopped to clear her throat. ¡°It¡¯s been four years since you¡¯ve visited him.¡± ¡°And I plan to increase that number.¡± ¡°It¡¯s his birthday, and he didn¡¯t even get a chance to come to his mother¡¯s funeral¡ª¡± ¡°You say that like he cared about her.¡± ¡°She¡¯s his mother, Ezequias.¡± ¡°I was the only one who cared about her! Nobody did! Not you, not Dad, not Mora, not Uncle Pablo, not anybody! It was only me!¡± Zeke balled his fists and trembled. ¡°Why do you even remember when his birthday is, anyway? After everything he put you through, he should be out of your life forever! Everything about him should be cleared from your mind forever! He is a worthless asshole! It baffles me that I have to explain this to you!¡± Eldora chuckled. Zeke glared at her for it. ¡°He¡¯s still your father.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not my father. I have a father, and his name is Gerardo Morata¡ªyour husband!! An actual dignified contributor to society!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to force you to do anything.¡± Eldora held back another laugh. ¡°I was simply asking.¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s my answer. I¡¯m not going to visit him.¡± Silence took over. A couple of leaves fell on Zeke¡¯s head, and Eldora stifled her giggle. Zeke asked, ¡°Does that mean you¡¯ll go?¡± No answer came from Eldora. ¡°I never asked, really, but how often do you visit him?¡± Eldora didn¡¯t answer once again. She started walking. ¡°Gerardo and Ugo are waiting for us in the car, right? Let¡¯s not do this here. Not now. Near your grandmother¡¯s grave.¡± Like she ever cared. Chapter 20 - Cachinnation Life settled back into its quiet state over the next couple of days. Zeke would walk to the bus stop with his stepbrother in the morning; they started their regular conversations with AJ on the bus as soon as she hopped on and then continued the conversation later during lunch and the bus ride home. The library was Zeke¡¯s direct destination after school to study as usual, with one notable difference. He was studying up on mythical creatures and their physiology, and the library in question was inside a medieval occult hospital. He added a marker, rag, and a small plastic spray bottle to his medical bag, entering the hospital with the others via vacant classrooms in the school building once the coast was clear. He¡¯d draw the sigil and clean off the mark before closing the door. Another odd thing was the fact that Ugo would tag along to study. Ugo focused on learning magic, and Zeke pondered on the biology of the mystical ¡ª hoping to learn what Naomi might be. That was the deal they made. Zeke collected books from shelves inscribed with symbols resembling constellations, from shelves with demonic marks, and shelves with harmless whimsical-looking insignias. From the constellation shelf, he deciphered the horrible handwriting and learned that angels occupying Containers don¡¯t need to eat, sleep, or drink. The demonic sigil shelf showed him illustrations of monstrosities with names below them he feared reading out loud and even in his head. It mentioned that demons, unlike angels, often participate in reproduction, generating armies of abominable offspring. The whimsical shelf gave him books that taught him about fairy allergies, skin infections exclusive to satyrs, and special bacterial infections leprechauns get from harvesting too much gold. Sometimes, AJ would come and read a bit alongside them ¡ª grabbing whatever book with the least terrifying imagery but spent most of her time in the hospital with Naomi in her patient room. Sometimes, Zeke entered to keep AJ company as she hopelessly chipped away at Naomi¡¯s flaccid lies. Replying ¡®I don¡¯t know¡¯ at every single question flung at her while she nestled in the tattered bedsheets playing on Ugo¡¯s backup phone, giggling blissfully. Ugo privileged her with charged power banks every time they visited the hospital. Naomi never went through the anguish of having her device die right in the middle of a high-stakes puzzle game. Naomi would answer even before AJ could finish the question. By now, Zeke had already explained to Ugo and AJ everything Violet told him, so AJ was understandably furious and was always the first to storm out of the hospital alone. The group explored more of the hospital, discovering kitchens, more patient rooms, bathrooms, and most notably, a room with several mystical machinery, cleaning supplies, wooden buckets, old-fashioned stretchers, beds stacked on top of each other, various types of sofas, chairs, and tables¡ªinventory. Another exciting discovery was that when opening the front door with the sigil cleaned off, a black barrier would appear in the doorway, not allowing anything through. When the sigil was drawn on the door again, they could walk back into the halls of Winterford High School. They¡¯d have awkward encounters with custodians a few times on their way back, but overall, the system was viable. When nighttime came along, Zeke enjoyed dinner with his family, enduring his mother¡¯s overly spiced food and his stepdad¡¯s exaggerated stories about the escapades of running a dentist¡¯s office. During these days, his mother responded better to the outrageous tales and even bursted out laughing once, petrifying Gerardo for a full minute. Later on, Zeke would retreat to his shared bedroom with Ugo. He sat by his desk, reading a book taken from the eclectic library. Ugo would lounge on his bed, analyzing the book that gave them the life-saving sigil. They read in silence, unaware of the time passing and not allowing anything to disrupt the halcyon quiet. Some nights, Ugo would meditate or hum an old chant that sounded like Catalan. Maintaining their concentration even when Eldora¡¯s elated giggles permeated through the walls well into midnight. Zeke tried not to imagine what the giggles or the titters and squeaks meant. He was glad he never heard a sound he could undoubtedly register as an endearing moan. On Thursday, everything was following the wonted pattern until lunch. Ugo ditched Zeke at the cafeteria line and left him alone to collect a rubbery mess of lasagna alongside a dose of salty browning corn, a pretzel that looked like it was made out of plastic, and an orange juice box. He navigated through the crowded cafeteria, catching whiffs of all kinds of smells¡ªgood and bad, from adolescent stink and just plain sweat to jasmine and orange blossom scents. Zeke staggered and then reclaimed his balance when the aromas suddenly mixed in a certain area like he was a plane left disoriented from flying into an air pocket. He circled tables of cliques he had no business interacting with and even glimpsed at Raylan and his poorly hygienic entourage at one table that still attracted a flock of cute girls somehow. He stared until Raylan looked in his direction, and he veered away from the table. He found his group seated at a table on the far left of the room next to a ketchup-stained wall. Zeke plopped down in his seat and looked at the two. AJ was chomping on a low-calorie apple turkey sandwich with homemade pomegranate juice in a bottle. There¡¯s no way she would punish her body with greasy, most definitely life-threatening cafeteria food. And Ugo had nothing. He sank back in his chair, staring at the ceiling with a vacant face. ¡°Mora, you¡¯re not going to eat?¡± Zeke asked. ¡°I am fasting,¡± Ugo responded and crossed his arms. AJ placed her sandwich back in the Tupperware and gave Ugo a look. ¡°Why are you trying to lose weight? You¡¯re a toothpick. If you lose anymore, you¡¯ll just disappear,¡± AJ said, ¡°you should put on muscle, not lose it.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t related to trying to impress a girl if you were wondering,¡± Ugo said. ¡°I am working on my Mana.¡± Zeke and AJ raised their brows. ¡°Fasting can help build Mana,¡± he cleared up. ¡°According to the Vieja¡¯s book. I stared into flames, tried to sing some ancient songs I found online, and meditated while visualizing the tree of life, but that¡¯s going nowhere.¡± Zeke remembered his grandmother¡¯s lesson on Kabbalah. Ancient Jewish mysticism explored divine fundamentals about the universe. The concept of the Tree of Life ¡ª Sefirot came from Kabbalists who believed that the essence of God can be found in every human, and through Sefirot, that essence can be unlocked, and true knowledge can be obtained. With that knowledge, the strongest connection with God can be achieved. His grandmother illustrated the Tree of Life for him once ¡ª ten circles interconnected with twenty-two beams. The circles represented human attributes, and the beams represented paths one will encounter throughout their life. Since magic was a way of channeling and rivaling the powers of the Almighty, magicians would study the Tree and visualize it whenever trying to use magic. ¡°Well, I hope something happens,¡± Zeke said. He ripped off the straw behind the juice box, removed it from its plastic, and tried poking the straw into the hole with little success. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. Magic in the hands of Ugo¡­¡± AJ squinted at Ugo. ¡°I don¡¯t like it.¡± AJ turned back to Zeke and took the juice box and straw away from him. ¡°So, is Naomi just going to live in the hospital now?¡± She stabbed the straw into the hole with one quick movement and extended the juice box back to Zeke. Zeke looked at the box, chagrined, and grabbed it. ¡°The moment she steps outside, Nananiel will show up and take her away, and Vee said we shouldn¡¯t do that.¡± He sipped his orange juice. ¡°Right. Vee said that she isn¡¯t an angel. I can¡¯t stop thinking about it.¡± AJ grabbed her bottle and twisted the cap off. ¡°What looks, feels, and speaks like an angel but isn¡¯t?¡± ¡°For me, that¡¯s any supermodel you put in a bikini and attach a pair of wings to her back,¡± Ugo said. ¡°Thank you for your useful and insightful commentary, Ugo,¡± AJ said and gulped down her juice. Ugo smiled and said, ¡°Anytime.¡± He pulled himself up in the seat and leaned forward. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the hospital.¡± Ugo stroked his chin. ¡°That place is some medieval hospital that deals with occult shiz, right? Then, let¡¯s go with it!¡± Zeke grabbed his plastic fork and used it to peel the top layer of the lasagna and studied the inside as if he were dissecting it. ¡°What do you mean?¡± He asked. ¡°Let¡¯s get the whole place up and running again, Mano. Let¡¯s publicly reopen the hospital of mysticism!¡± ¡°What is it, a department store? Do you know what you¡¯re saying, Mora?¡± Zeke pulled the fork back. ¡°Mano, we¡¯re part of the Generation of Healers. We¡¯re meant for crap like this. We¡¯ll deal with illnesses coming from the occult! There are probably many people out in the world suffering from a disease they do not know how to treat. That no ordinary doctor can treat. You¡¯ll be the head of the hospital, okay? The general doctor¡ªInternist¡ªor whatever. Look, you¡¯ll be the guy who identifies the disease, comes up with the solution, and then tells me where to cut. I will be the head surgeon at the hospital! And AJ¡­¡± Ugo looked at AJ, and his face went blank. AJ lowered the bottle from her lips and held his blank stare. ¡°Uh¡­ we¡¯ll come up with something for you,¡± Ugo said. AJ curled her lip to the side. ¡°Hm¡­ I don¡¯t like it,¡± she said. ¡°The idea of you touching random people and messing around with their¡­ bodies.¡± ¡°You¡¯re referring to women, aren¡¯t you?¡± Ugo said. ¡°Look, I would be morally obligated to operate on anybody, female or not. If you have a problem with it, then complain to the universe for choosing me.¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Oh, no, no, no. You only get to operate on males,¡± AJ said. ¡°Like hell I am! If so, I¡¯ll let them all die!¡± ¡°Mora¡­¡± Zeke said. Ugo looked back at Zeke. ¡°I¡¯m joking.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re not.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± Ugo stopped to think for a moment and then slammed the table. ¡°You¡¯ve been studying mythical creatures anyway, so what¡¯s the problem here, Mano?¡± ¡°I am trying to figure out what Naomi is, remember?¡± Zeke cut off a piece of the lasagna with his fork, shoveled it into his mouth, and grimaced. It tasted like cardboard with cheese and unseasoned tomato sauce. Ugo explained, ¡°It¡¯s not just people who get sick, y¡¯know. Angels are real, demons are real, magic is real. What else could your grandmother be right about? Unicorns, fairies, werewolves, vampires, succubi¡­ mermaids¡­ catgirls¡ª¡± AJ scowled at him as he giggled lecherously. ¡°Please, stop,¡± she said in an exhausted tone. Ugo stopped and put on a stern look. ¡°All those monsters are real and are in those books that you are reading. Books that helped us save Naomi,¡± he said. ¡°She is an example that any creature is susceptible to a disease. So, we¡¯ll admit and treat any creature with any disease!¡± Zeke swallowed his food. ¡°Humans alone already have a myriad of diseases,¡± he said despondently. ¡°Can you imagine how many diseases every other creature could have?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll learn how to treat every one of them! Again, you are already doing that!¡± ¡°Ugo,¡± AJ said, ¡°you realize it takes more than three people to run a hospital, right?¡± AJ grabbed another bite from her sandwich. ¡°Then, we¡¯ll be a clinic,¡± Ugo said. ¡°And as time goes on, we can recruit more people.¡± ¡°Like, other people of the Tainted Generation?¡± AJ asked, covering her mouth as she chewed. ¡°Yeah, maybe, I don¡¯t know. We¡¯ll get interns or something.¡± Ugo¡¯s eyes popped out as he let out a gasp. ¡°Nurses! Dude! Nurses! We can hire nurses!¡± He smiled so wide it looked painful. ¡°What person would be crazy enough to be a nurse in that place?¡± Zeke said and then shoveled more of the lasagna in his mouth, forcing himself to swallow the cardboard. ¡°You¡¯re right! They don¡¯t necessarily have to be a person! I can see it now. Catgirl nurses! People and creatures would get sick on purpose just to get admitted into our clinic.¡± Ugo stopped momentarily and added, ¡°Look, you and AJ always seemed to be sure of what you wanted to do with your lives. Zeke, you¡¯ve got medicine, and AJ, you¡¯ll probably work in something related to health and fitness. But not me¡­¡± Zeke glared at Ugo. He didn¡¯t mean to, but it was a nasty glare. He said, ¡°With your memory and brain, you can get any job¡ª¡° ¡°I don¡¯t want a boring desk job, Mano! Every job I could think of just bored me, but this, this, this sounds awesome.¡± Ugo smiled once again. ¡°The head surgeon of a clinic of the occult.¡± Zeke pushed the tray away, admitting defeat. ¡°What should we name it?¡± He asked. They all exchanged looks with each other. Nobody had an answer. The bell rang.
The trio decided not to find an empty classroom door to enter the hospital, at Ugo¡¯s request, to focus on attempting to perform a spell. AJ announced she had some chores to do at home and promised to show up at their house later. As soon as Zeke and Ugo entered the American colonial, Ugo ran up the stairs and stopped halfway. He turned back to Zeke and said, ¡°Don¡¯t come up to the room, okay?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to meditate.¡± Zeke gave Ugo a look. ¡°Meditate? Ugo, I¡¯ve been living with you for ten years now. I know what that is code for. Can¡¯t you do that tomorrow? I want to take a nap.¡± ¡°Dude, what is wrong with you? It is literal meditation. You know what I¡¯ve been doing for the last couple of days, come on!¡± ¡°You never denied me access to our room before.¡± Zeke stopped to wince at the comment. It sounded like they were a bickering couple. Zeke waved his hand, letting it be. He removed his backpack and tossed it to Ugo; he caught it. ¡°Just take that to the room, please.¡± Ugo glanced at the medical bag in Zeke¡¯s hand. ¡°And the bag?¡± Zeke clenched the handles of the bag in his hand and raised it. ¡°This stays with me at all times. You never know when a medical emergency will come up.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Ugo muttered. They heard an explosion of laughter erupt from another room, catching them off guard for a moment. It was most likely Eldora in the kitchen. They shared a look. ¡°M¨¢ is still in a really good mood.¡± ¡°Looks like it.¡± Zeke pursed his lips and started walking. As he entered the living room, he heard Ugo running up the steps and Eldora¡¯s laughter from the kitchen rising. He dropped onto the smoke-gray cotton couch, allowing his medical bag to fall to the floor, and stared at the black screen of the flat-screen before him, wondering if attempting to nap would even be possible. The exhaustion in his bones and soft muscles begged him to at least try. He put little effort into closing his heavy eyelids and keeping them shut. As Eldora¡¯s laughter finally seized, Zeke felt he could let the dream world claim him. He tried to wash out the thoughts and imagery of creatures of myth and legends and focus on something that would truly calm him. An image of Violet materialized. Fourteen-year-old Violet clad in a striped shirt, a knit cardigan over it, black jeans, and sneakers. Standing in an empty classroom, staring blankly back at him. The classroom ceiling¡¯s lights partially blinding him and shining over her like a spotlight. ¡®Let me think about it,¡¯ is what she said before disappearing from the classroom entirely. Disappearing off to Buenos Aires. Leaving him in limbo for three full years without a clear answer. The relaxation seized the more he thought about what she had done. If only he could keep his mind focused on that moment¡ªthat precious moment where everything was perfect, and he had no clue what was going to happen next. A plethora of possibilities he had imagined, none of them negative. But no, he allowed his mind to venture off into the valley of despair of what happened next. No answer. No closure. No¡ª ¡°Ezequias! Ugo!¡± he heard his mother¡¯s voice shout. Zeke opened his eyes, and he was back in the living room. He heard Eldora laugh hysterically. How long was he asleep? ¡°Was that you who came in?¡± She slurred her words. ¡°Or was that you, my love, Gerardo? Did you come early to see me? I have a funny story to share with you!¡± The laughter became maniacal, followed by violent wet coughs. Zeke rose from the chair and walked to the kitchen door. He pushed the door back and announced, ¡°It was just us, Mom...¡± Zeke paused. A steamy fog filled the room, and Eldora was on the floor, laughing hysterically, with her back against the oven door ¡ª all loopy and dazed. Zeke engaged immediately; he dashed to the windows and opened them up. He turned off the stove and looked into the only pot there. It was boiling just water with some amount of it left. He kneeled to a cackling Eldora and touched her shoulder, studying her with concern. ¡°Mom?¡± he said in a feeble, shaky voice. ¡°The funniest thing happened to me, Ezequias.¡± Eldora raised her hands. They were encased in stone. Zeke stared wide-eyed in horror. Eldora convulsed with laughter as she looked at her lapidified hands, petrified in an upright position as if she were about to make a prayer. Zeke noticed his mother¡¯s eyes glistening and reddening as tears ran down her bloated cheeks. ¡°What will you do now, heathen?¡± Zeke froze after hearing the silvery voice that came from neither him nor his laughing mother. He scanned the kitchen slowly and kept his mind sharp and attentive. ¡°You know who I am, Ezequias Rosario,¡± the silvery voice said. Zeke¡¯s eyes stopped on the baby angel refrigerator magnet and perused it. The magnet sparkled a white light for a moment. He stood up. ¡°There you go.¡± The magnet didn¡¯t move, but Zeke could tell Nananiel¡¯s voice was coming from it. ¡°How are you doing this?¡± ¡°Angels have many ways to communicate with humans. We¡¯re quite creative when it comes to that,¡± Nananiel said. ¡°I believe I didn¡¯t have time to properly introduce myself. I am Nananiel¡ª¡± ¡°A Dominion. You¡¯re in charge of every Realm below Heaven, I know.¡± Zeke pointed at Eldora. ¡°D-D-Did you do this?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Nananiel answered immediately. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You know why, heathen,¡± Nananiel said. ¡°Naomi! I know you¡¯re hiding her in a location with a strong warding against angels. Remove her from that secluded Realm at once and return her to me!¡± Zeke stayed quiet and looked back at Eldora, who slammed onto the floor on her back, writhing and laughing. ¡°After that Hellspawn associate of yours impeded my interrogation, I did whatever I could to cling to the memory of your face. The faces of the Tainted Generation are difficult for us to remember, but I managed long enough to draw it down, and I showed it to everybody in Winterberry. I searched this entire city for everything related to you. People recognized you. From there, collecting data was easy, Ezequias Rosario.¡± Zeke stared back at the baby angel magnet and trembled. ¡°Did you think what she did was going to keep me away for long? That party trick of hers was just a pale imitation of the real thing. Irin is a hundred times more powerful than my abstract memory of hers! You of the Tainted Generation think that you are more powerful than angels? Arrogance will get you all killed!¡± ¡°So, you went after my mother?¡± ¡°Eldora Morata. She¡¯s quite a devotee. Prays almost every night.¡± ¡°This is how you treat believers?¡± ¡°This is about you, Ezequias Rosario.¡± Nananiel hissed. ¡°What exactly did you do to my mother?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a curse. That¡¯s all I will say.¡± ¡°You¡¯re despicable. You call yourself an angel?¡± ¡°You took something that is property of Heaven!¡± Zeke paused for a moment. He knew that the most important part was just not giving up on Naomi. But he had to learn what she was. He had to try. His curiosity was killing him. ¡°What is Naomi? Tell me!¡± ¡°You do not need to know. You have no right.¡± ¡°Then, I am not going to hand her over to you assholes.¡± ¡°Then, enjoy your mother¡¯s funeral.¡± A cold nail swept down Zeke¡¯s spine. He staggered back onto the counter and grabbed its edges. He let out quick gasps of panic as he stared at the magnet that remained quiet. Eldora started coughing again and ejected globs of spit onto the floor. Zeke ran out of the kitchen. As Zeke ran across the living room, mumbling hysterically in Spanish like a wailing elderly Latina, Ugo rushed down the stairs. ¡°What¡¯s all that shouting about?¡± Ugo screamed. Zeke leaped over the coffee table and grabbed his medical bag. He rushed back to the kitchen door. Ugo ran after him. Zeke bolted into the kitchen and slid down to Eldora. He opened his bag and pulled out the marker. The door swung open, and Ugo stepped in. He halted when he saw Eldora, and his face went pale. ¡°M¨¢?¡± he uttered. Zeke took Eldora in his arms and tossed the marker to Ugo. He caught it. ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± Ugo shouted. Zeke stood up with Eldora, blasting laughter right into his ears, and shot a dead serious look at Ugo. ¡°This isn¡¯t the time to be in shock! We need to move now!¡± he demanded urgently. ¡°Now, draw the damn symbol!¡± Chapter 21 - Research Zeke, who left his medical bag in the waiting room of the Infirmary, strapped Eldora to the hospital bed along with Ugo. The room was identical to Naomi¡¯s room (before all the chaos). It was the same size with a nightstand, large larder, a hand-carved stone flower pot that only held dirt, and a bronze chandelier hanging from the ceiling¡ªits candles burning calmly. He didn¡¯t want to think about what the bathroom could possibly look like. The boys watched Eldora squirm and laugh with delight as the tattooed straps kept her arms pinned to her sides. The image made Zeke imagine what the first couple of weeks his grandmother must¡¯ve had to endure to adapt to the controlling environment of the psych ward. His mother looked insane at that moment. Cachinnation was a prime symptom of schizophrenia, but what Eldora was going through had nothing to do with a mental anomaly; it was done to her by the will of a creature supposedly endowed with powers to protect humankind. Ugo gripped Zeke by the shoulder. ¡°Mano, we gotta go. We need to start thinking.¡± Zeke didn¡¯t respond. He fixated on Eldora¡¯s arms. The growth of the stone was observable as it crept its way up her forearms. Ugo dragged Zeke to the door. His stinging, wobbly legs felt like they¡¯d been turned into corrosive slime. He tripped continually on his way to the door as he looked back at his mother. They walked out of the room, and Ugo closed the door. ¡°Mano, calm down and think things through,¡± Ugo said. ¡°This is just another patient.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t just another patient!¡± Zeke said. ¡°This is my mother!¡± ¡°I know!¡± Ugo responded and then eyed the floor. He scratched his head as he said, ¡°You need to figure this out.¡± Zeke looked back at the pentagram-engraved door. ¡°There¡¯s a reason they don¡¯t let doctors operate on relatives¡­¡± His expression crumpled as he shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t do this.¡± He slogged to the wall, collapsed in the corner, shrunk into a ball, and hugged his knees tight. ¡°I can¡¯t do this. I can¡¯t think like this.¡± ¡°Hey, get up!¡± Ugo marched to him, grabbed his arm, and pulled him up. ¡°Where did that assertiveness go? We don¡¯t have time for this!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do this!¡± Zeke squealed. ¡°You¡¯re going to save her! I believe in you!¡± Zeke smacked away Ugo¡¯s grip on his arm. ¡°So what?¡± He looked at the floor and sniveled. ¡°C¨¢llate! You¡¯re going to figure this out, Mano,¡± he said. ¡°You have to¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± ¡°Ezequias!¡± Ugo grabbed his shoulder. They heard footsteps. They turned their heads toward the door frame and saw AJ approaching them steadily with dread on her face. Zeke ordered Ugo to text AJ about the emergency right before they entered the hospital, instructing her to access the hospital from her bedroom. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your mom?¡± AJ stopped and looked around in confusion, reacting to the sound of deranged laughter. Ugo pointed at the patient room door. ¡°That¡¯s coming from her. She won¡¯t stop laughing.¡± ¡°And she¡¯s turning to stone,¡± Zeke mumbled. ¡°Okay, we¡¯ve got no time to panic!¡± AJ said. ¡°We need to think fast. You guys are the experts on this stuff. What¡¯s a monster you guys can remember from your video games and comics related to stone?¡± Ugo concentrated on Zeke. ¡°Just¡­ think!¡± ¡°Gargoyles.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s good,¡± Ugo exclaimed. ¡°Did you read up on anything about gargoyles?¡± ¡°No¡­ we have to find a book about it.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go,¡± AJ said. ### The trio blasted through the doors of the library and scattered the room. They collected armfuls of books from shelves with symbols inscribed on them they couldn¡¯t categorize as either angelic or demonic ¡ª they were whimsical, weird, and beautiful. They would scuttle back to the long wooden table and dump the books onto an ever-growing pile, and then even race up the crumbling staircase this time, grabbing books from shelves with bizarrely stunning symbols, carelessly slaloming through shattered display cases and deteriorating statues. When the pile reached a formidable height, they stopped without sitting down; they grabbed books one by one and skimmed through the pages. Ugo was putting books down and grabbing the next to check at a much faster rate than the others. He slammed book covers shut and shot them away from him when he was done. Gargoyles. Gargoyles. Gargoyles. They needed to find something about gargoyles. Anything about gargoyles, but nothing about gargoyles would pop out! The book Zeke was reading through explained about pegasuses, griffins, hippogriffs, perytons, and an alarmingly long list of the various species of dragons and wyverns that extends for multiple pages until the very end of the book. He threw the book away and grabbed another. His head pounded, his blood vessels pulsated painfully, and his throat dried and inflamed. Gargoyles. Gargoyles. Gargoyles. Monsters made of stone brought to life with magic. Is that what the angel did? Infect his mother with a virus that turned people into gargoyles? Or maybe just a statue. Could gargoyles really be related to what was happening to his mother? He tossed away a book depicting the risks of interspecies mating. He grabbed another book and gulped. His throat was in so much pain, and his headache wasn¡¯t easing. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Gargoyles. Gargoyles. Gargoyles¡­ would that really help with anything? Zeke slammed down a book about how to maintain a kelpie on a healthy diet. ¡°This isn¡¯t going to work!¡± he shouted. ¡°We¡¯re going as fast as we can,¡± Ugo said, throwing a book away. ¡°No, we can¡¯t all be looking for the one thing, and besides, gargoyles may not be the most rational thing to look up.¡± Ugo stopped and studied Zeke. ¡°What else should we be looking for? Golems?¡± ¡°Yeah ¡ª no! Uh¡­ something that is directly involved with turning things into stone¡­ maybe there¡¯s some science-magic stuff we can find behind that process.¡± AJ lowered her book. ¡°Like, Medusa?¡± Ugo snapped his fingers and pointed at AJ. ¡°Gorgons!¡± ¡°Nice one, AJ,¡± Zeke said jubilantly. ¡°Anything else?¡± Ugo thought for a moment and then blurted, ¡°Cockatrice!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Zeke shouted back. ¡°AJ, you continue to find anything on gargoyles. I¡¯ll search for gorgons, and Ugo will search for cockatrices!¡± They all gave each other a firm nod and got to work. Gorgons. Gorgons. Gorgons. Zeke grabbed a book from the pile and riffled through its pages. It was about mermaids. He reached the end and groaned about the useless information. He punched the table. ¡°Why am I not smart enough for this?¡± he said. ¡°I wish I could just figure it all out instantly.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll get there!¡± Ugo yelled while leafing through a book. ¡°How did she even contract it?¡± AJ asked as she grabbed another book. ¡°Nananiel put a curse on her,¡± Zeke confirmed. AJ froze and dropped the book. Zeke looked back at her. ¡°Nananiel? As in, the angel?¡± AJ asked. ¡°An angel put a curse on your mother?¡± She moved toward Zeke, focusing on him with a grim look. ¡°That¡¯s seriously messed up.¡± ¡°Big time¡­¡± Ugo said as he slammed another irrelevant book shut. ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± AJ whipped back and stormed toward the door. Zeke ran after her and grabbed her shoulder. ¡°AJ! What are you going to do?¡± he asked. AJ spun back to him. ¡°The safety of that¡­ thing isn¡¯t worth your mother¡¯s life!¡± ¡°AJ¡ª¡° ¡°She has rested long enough,¡± AJ said, fire in her eyes, ¡°it¡¯s time for us to discharge the patient.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t do that, AJ!¡± Zeke paused as his face went blank, then it lit up. ¡°Wait, wait, we¡¯ve got Naomi. Yeah! She can help! Why didn¡¯t I think of this?¡± Ugo tossed the book back into the pile and exited the room with AJ and Zeke. They rushed through the labyrinth of the hospital and reached the door to Naomi¡¯s room. Zeke could still hear Eldora¡¯s crazed laughter booming through the wall from the door on the other side of the corridor. Zeke opened the door, and they barged in. Naomi was sitting up, wrapped in her dirty bed sheets from the waist down. She held up Ugo¡¯s backup cell in her hands (connected to the power bank), tapping the screen furiously as she ogled at the flashing lights blinking from it. Zeke walked up to her. ¡°Naomi, I need your help on something.¡± Naomi lowered the cell and looked up at him. She flashed a smile. ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°It¡¯s about my mother. She¡¯s sick with something.¡± Naomi frowned, and the rest of the innocent light on her face vanished. ¡°She won¡¯t stop laughing, and her skin is turning to stone.¡± Zeke waited for a response, but Naomi just stared up at him blankly and wide-eyed. When Zeke opened his mouth again, Naomi interrupted, ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± ¡°Naomi, hold on¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what your mother has. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Zeke hunched down to Naomi. ¡°Naomi! Listen to me! You know Nananiel personally, right? He did it to her! So, you must have some idea of what¡ª¡± Naomi started shaking her head before Zeke finished and interrupted, ¡°No, I don¡¯t know!¡± She lowered her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know that much about him¡­¡± Zeke let out a scornful laugh. ¡°Surely, you must know something; she¡¯s been inflicted with an angelic disease of some sort, maybe.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you a Healer?¡± Naomi protested. ¡°You know about all of this.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t find the solution!¡± Zeke shouted in her face, sending droplets of saliva onto her cheeks and forehead. ¡°But, you¡¯re the one who is calling herself an angel! That automatically makes you an expert, right?¡± Zeke stared at Naomi. ¡°Or would that be presumptuous of me?¡± Naomi gave out a whimper and paused. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she croaked. ¡°Is that the only thing you know how to say?¡± Zeke hissed. ¡°Do you know anything? Ever?¡± He raised a fist. ¡°That¡¯s all you ever say!¡± Ugo ran up to him from behind and grabbed his shoulder. ¡°Ease up on her, Mano.¡± ¡°Can you stop letting your penis think for you for once?¡± Zeke barked. ¡°This has nothing to do with that!¡± Ugo said. ¡°Can¡¯t you see that she¡¯s scared?¡± ¡°Oh, shut up, Ugo!¡± AJ shouted from the doorway. ¡°You shut up!¡± Ugo shouted back. ¡°Tell me what you know, Naomi,¡± Zeke said in a way that sounded like a threat as his voice grew gravelly. ¡°Now.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t know,¡± Naomi said. ¡°Stop saying that. Can¡¯t you be useful for once?¡± Zeke stepped back to let out a groan, brushing his curls back. ¡°My mother is dying; the angel who is looking for you has been messing with us ever since you got here, and you can¡¯t provide support for us in any way?¡± He stepped over the busted chandelier in the center of the room. ¡°We are sacrificing so much for you, and you can¡¯t do anything to help? Really?¡± Naomi¡¯s expression crumpled. She pulled away the bedsheets and got out of the bed. Ugo shot a look at her. ¡°What¡¯re you doing?¡± Noami started walking. ¡°I¡¯ll put an end to this. I¡¯ll go find Nananiel and tell him to stop.¡± This isn¡¯t what Violet wants. ¡°No, stop!¡± Zeke said. Naomi walked past Zeke. AJ stepped away from the doorway, allowing a path for her. ¡°Let it be, man.¡± ¡°No!¡± Zeke shouted. ¡°Naomi, I said stop! Now! Get back here!¡± Naomi halted and sobbed. ¡°But, I need to make things right. This is all my fault.¡± Zeke sighed. He studied her, and all he could see was a child with a runny red nose and puffy cheeks. She reminded him of a headstrong eight-year-old single-handedly attempting to fix his estranged parents¡¯ marriage. He wondered if the same rudimentary tactics used on kids would work on her. Zeke moved up to Naomi. ¡°If you turn yourself in. You will be in big trouble.¡± Naomi cowered. ¡°That would make me very angry, Naomi, okay?¡± Zeke continued. ¡°Me being angry is a bad thing, right?¡± Naomi nods. ¡°It¡¯s scary, but I just want to help.¡± ¡°Just stay in this hospital,¡± Zeke said. ¡°Get back in your bed and keep playing on Ugo¡¯s phone. Don¡¯t worry about anything else. We¡¯ll take care of it.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°No ¡®buts¡¯.¡± Naomi swayed slightly and looked away. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she mumbled. ¡°Just stop talking,¡± Zeke groaned. He pointed firmly at the bed and scowled at Naomi. Naomi pursed her lips and nodded. She slogged to the bed with her head down and lay down on it. She grabbed the cell and pulled the sheets over her head. Zeke¡¯s entire body was sore. He just wanted the day to end. Research with no foundation won¡¯t get them anywhere. They were lucky with Naomi, but you can¡¯t catch lightning in a bottle twice. It was time that he sought true expertise. Zeke walked toward the door.¡°You guys stay here. See if you can find anything.¡± ¡°Mano, where are you going?¡± Ugo asked. ¡°Violet,¡± Zeke said. ¡°I¡¯m going to Violet.¡± Chapter 22 - Contusions As soon as Zeke stepped out of the hospital and back into the kitchen of his home, he called for Violet. He assumed maybe she wouldn¡¯t be able to connect with him while inside the hospital. He dashed around the house screaming her name, zipping up and down the stairs as if he were a distraught owner searching for their puppy. He stopped at the entryway and waited. She never came. Zeke twisted the door handle and bolted outside, screaming her name again. He vaulted over the front gate right at the moment a car passed by, and a woman yelled, ¡°Go back to your country, burglar!¡± ¡°This is my house!¡± Zeke barked back. He snarled at the moving car and sprinted down the leaf-covered sidewalk, resuming his screaming about the girl who left him unanswered all those years ago. The leaves crunched loudly under his shoes as he ran. He ducked under incoming branches, hopped over sidewalks lifted by tree roots, and zigzagged around passersby, ignoring their complaints while still calling the name of the purple-eyed young lady who was a fellow Tainted. And that fact is what brought her back to him. Zeke was confident the same fact would lead him to her again. He gasped for air as the cold wind continually slammed into his face, violently pushing itself into his airways. His chest squeezed tight, the back of his throat burned and ached, and his eardrums throbbed because of the booming winds. Zeke zipped past Ritter Memorial Cemetery, and a sharp pain pierced one of his lungs or heart. He couldn¡¯t tell. Zeke put his hand over his chest and slowed down, panting aggressively. He clenched his face shut for a moment and then released. With a war cry, Zeke sped up and screamed louder for the girl he was still hopelessly in love with. The sharp pain spread to his back, and he imagined that one of his lungs dropped onto it. His sprint started to falter as he passed a bus stop. Strangers eyeballing all around him. Zeke hunched over and was now imitating an old man¡¯s jogging. He stopped screaming for Violet¡¯s name and wheezed audibly. Thoughts of his ineptitude spilled into his brain. I can¡¯t even run long enough, for my mother¡¯s sake? He glanced at a couple of judgmental bystanders as he jogged at an even slower pace. Come on. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Keep Running. How are you tired already? How are you this useless? Anybody else would have the right to rest, not you. Keep moving, keep moving. Zeke tumbled onto the sidewalk, slamming his cheek into the concrete. He heard a woman gasp. The rough concrete felt nice against his cheek, with the wind blowing all over him. He believed he could fall asleep there. Down on the ground is where scum belongs. It was perfect for him. The residents of Winterberry immediately identified him by a drawing because he is widely known as the Son of the Drug Demon, Adelmo Rosario. If he was from a regular family, maybe Nananiel would¡¯ve had a harder time finding him. Running and screaming for Violet¡¯s name didn¡¯t make much sense, Zeke realized. Even with all the useless geek culture he absorbed over the years and hours upon hours of studying medicine, he couldn¡¯t figure out how to save his mother. Scum. ¡°Nobody call 911!¡± Zeke shouted. He didn¡¯t bother looking up but saw a couple of shoes gather around him. ¡°Just let me be.¡± As if his fellow residents would care enough to call for an emergency. ¡°Hello? 911?¡± He heard a concerned woman say. Zeke shot up to his feet and groaned. ¡°Goddammit.¡± He pushed through the crowd, not bothering to let his eyes register any faces, and limped down the sidewalk.
At sunset, Zeke arrived at a public playground park. It was empty. He dragged himself over to a bench, dropped onto it, and looked up at the darkening blue sky with a golden orange tint fading at the bottom. The air became crisp, and the winds hushed as the muscles in his body were oddly relaxed. He couldn¡¯t detect any aches anywhere. Maybe he and his brain have given up altogether. Zeke stared at the playground deck and wondered how his life might¡¯ve turned out if he had just decided to become a petty thief and climb the criminal career ladder. With his father¡¯s name to back him, he¡¯d run his own gang in no time. Succumbing to legacy might not turn out as horrendous as it seems. Isaac is doing exactly what his dad does, and he seems happy. Then, again, the life of a priest is astronomically more honorable than trafficking drugs back and forth via the border. Isaac was so lucky. So was AJ, with a family heavily involved in banking and computers; Violet¡¯s parents were both esteemed lawyers; Ugo¡¯s mother was a biochemist working at a respected facility in Spain, and his dad, a beloved dentist when he worked in the said country. Gerardo is gaining notability in Winterberry. He probably would¡¯ve reached stardom status if he hadn¡¯t decided to marry Eldora Rosario, of all people. The swing gave out a squeak. Zeke looked down at his hands and bit his lip. Why didn¡¯t she just move out of the state with him? Why not go to a different country? A different continent? Or take him back to Colombia, where he was born. But no, she stayed in Winterberry City, where they hate the Rosarios. At least his mother changed her name. Zeke kept his like an idiot. The squeaking of the swing rose. Zeke looked over to the swing set, and Violet was there. She swayed back and forth in the seat, kicking her feet forward and back. He stared at her with his mouth open. Violet dropped her feet onto the artificial grass and skidded to a halt. She smiled at him and tilted her head to the side. ¡°Hi, Rulitos.¡± Zeke stood up. She was wearing weather-appropriate long jeans this time. Her vibrant purple cardigan over her black tee was half-on, draped down her arms, showing her shoulders¡ªZeke was convinced that Violet didn¡¯t know how to wear a cardigan correctly. She looked beautiful all the same. The violet-hue in her special blue eyes grew brighter as the sky grew dark. Zeke¡¯s expression contorted in confusion momentarily, and then he smiled. What took her so long? There must be a good reason. She was busy. Yeah, that¡¯s right. She was busy. ¡°Vee. Finally, Gracias a Dios.¡± Zeke heaved a heavy breath. ¡°Nananiel. He did something to my mother and¡­¡± he stopped to gander at Violet. She crossed her legs and held his stare calmly. ¡°Wait, you already know all this,¡± Zeke pointed out. ¡°You see and hear everything that I go through.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°None of the books in the library say anything about what she has,¡± Zeke said. ¡°Not even Ugo could find it.¡± He walked a few steps toward Violet. ¡°Actually, if I were being completely honest¡­ I don¡¯t even know where to look. I don¡¯t know what she has.¡± Violet stared back with a stony expression. ¡°So¡­¡± ¡°I need your help, Vee.¡± Violet got off the swing and stood in silence. Zeke backed up and studied her. It felt like months, standing there in silence with her. Then she yawned and scratched the side of her head. ¡°No.¡± Zeke¡¯s face went blank. ¡°What do you mean ¡®no¡¯?¡± Violet curled her lip and looked off to the side. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that the word in Spanish has the same meaning and is pronounced nearly the same way, so I don¡¯t know how I can make it any clearer for you.¡± ¡°Violet!¡± Violet gave him a lazy look. ¡°Ezequias, I changed my mind. I can¡¯t keep saving you from perilous situations. It¡¯s time you learned to fend off supernatural forces on your own. If you can¡¯t get through this alone, you would never make it as a Healer, anyway.¡± Zeke grunted. ¡°Okay, I am a wimp. A passive, cowardly loser. I get it. But now is not the time to be teaching me lessons about life. My mom is dying!¡± This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡°Yeah. You should really speed up the curing process.¡± Zeke¡¯s face scrunched in confusion. ¡°She won¡¯t stop laughing and is slowly turning into stone. I don¡¯t know what that is a symptom of!¡± Zeke cried. ¡°I don¡¯t know what she has. I don¡¯t know how to cure it. But you could probably figure it out.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, Rulitos. I could fix it. But I won¡¯t.¡± Zeke¡¯s confused look twisted into a scowl. ¡°Do you have something against my mother or something?¡± Violet put her hand over her chest and put on a dumb look. ¡°Me?¡± She snickered and lowered her hand. ¡°I admire Eldora. She¡¯s a strong Latina woman. It¡¯s a shame for her to be taken down by an angel of all things.¡± ¡°Then help me!¡± Zeke pleaded. ¡°No,¡± Violet said sternly. ¡°You¡¯re on your own.¡± Zeke became still and analyzed every detail of the sincerity on Violet¡¯s face. She was adamant about not helping. He nodded in defeat. ¡°Okay.¡± He turned around and walked. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Violet said. Zeke stopped but didn¡¯t turn back. ¡°What more do you want me to do? You refused to help save my mother¡¯s life¡­.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Violet hissed. ¡°Here I am, blatantly telling you I can find a cure but refuse to, and that¡¯s all the fight you put into it?¡± Zeke turned back. ¡°I asked, and you said ¡®no.¡¯¡± He raised his arms. ¡°What more do you want me to do?¡± Violet folded her arms and stared at him with a grimace. ¡°Even that I have to map out for you?¡± She tapped her head with one finger. ¡°Rulitos, you have a massive brain. I don¡¯t need to tell you what you need to do.¡± Zeke stared pathetically at Violet, awaiting instructions. Violet groaned. ¡°Fight me for it!¡± ¡°What?¡± Violet stomped up to Zeke and grabbed him by the collar. ¡°Force me to save your mother. This is your mother! How are you just going to give up like that?¡± She shoved him back. Zeke plopped onto the grass on his back, prickling his palms. He stood up silently and gave Violet a mean look. She smiled. ¡°Hit me,¡± Violet said. Zeke turned around and walked. ¡°What are you going to do, Rulitos?¡± Violet shouted. ¡°Will you cry and wait for a miracle to happen?¡± Zeke barricaded himself against the jeers with silence and just walked, increasing the distance between them. Violet¡¯s voice dissipated, and for a moment, all he could hear was the gentle wind, and then he heard metallic clicking. He halted, and an eerie flash sound arose. From the peripherals of the park, a transparent black wall of energy lifted from beneath the play grass and curved halfway to the sky. Zeek peered up and saw the dome close. Bang. After the abrupt, explosive sound, he lost control of his body and fell forward. He sensed a hot metal fist into the back of his shoulder. Zeke hit the pavement on his face, and a scalding sensation grew on his shoulder blade, intensifying by the second like hot coffee poured into a fresh open wound. Once he regained movement, he squirmed and groaned until he could no longer hold it in. An agonized scream broke out of him. The scorching sensation invaded his whole back. He screamed continually until it lowered to a pathetic sob. He turned back, and Violet was walking up to him with a blood-red, otherworldly flintlock in her hand. She aimed the gun at his leg and fired a flaming bullet into the back of his calf. Zeke cried in pain. It was like getting impaled with a red-hot spear. ¡°Neurpatia,¡± she cited. Her hooded cloak materialized and enveloped her. She kneeled to him and outstretched her hand. It made a glow and then touched Zeke. An overwhelming surge of energy traveled through Zeke¡¯s innards, and then he heard two pops. The pain was gone. Better than that. He was rejuvenated! Zeke turned over on his back and spotted the two dying red bullets on the ground. Their tiny mouths were opening and closing. ¡°How did that feel?¡± Violet asked. ¡°Probably the worst pain I¡¯ve ever experienced.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Violet pointed the gun at his chest and fired. Zeke blasted back to the grass and screamed until bursts of blood shot out of his mouth. Violet held out her hand and healed him again. An odd feeling of relief washed over Zeke. ¡°Violet, what are you¡ª?¡± ¡°Fight,¡± interrupted Violet. She pointed the hellish gun at his face. Zeke rolled out of the way, and Violet fired. He grabbed onto a jungle gym bar and pulled himself up. ¡°Violet, stop!¡± She kept the gun pointed at him. ¡°You¡¯re fighting for it, dammit.¡± She squeezed the trigger, sending another bullet his way. He spun, and the shot bounced off a beam. Zeke noticed she delayed on purpose. A gazelle playing with her food. ¡°You can use magic,¡± Zeke said. This isn¡¯t fair.¡± He ran for the slide and tripped on his way. He turned over and got up on one knee, looking back at Violet. Violet approached him as she caressed her gun¡¯s molten rock-covered barrel. ¡°You, of all people, know that nothing in life is fair. Is it fair that you were born into a family filled with criminals? Is it fair that you happened to be a part of the Tainted Generation? To have your mother cursed by an angel after you saved one of their own? Is any of that fair?¡± She tightened her grip on the gun. ¡°Stop complaining about what is fair and what isn¡¯t. Just work your way through adversity and come out on top. If you need magic to get an advantage, then use magic!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how to!¡± ¡°Then figure it out. Now.¡± Violet squeezed the trigger again. Zeke jumped out of the way, and a bullet flew past him. ¡°Or you¡¯ll die. Right here. Right now.¡± Zeke got up and scanned his surroundings, thinking of escape. Violet read him like a book. ¡°I am not going to let you run, Rulitos.¡± She threw the gun at his face, and it bounced off his nose. Zeke put his hand over his throbbing nose and hunched over. He hissed at the pain, and then a rising boot came into his view. It connected with his eye. He shot back and then took another blow to the gut., feeling his stomach fold in on itself. He stood straight for a moment, and Violet struck him with an unforgiving fist. The world flashed black. Zeke tried to secure his footing as his vision slowly unblurred. Violet came into focus. She was in a basic fighting stance. With her fists raised in front of her, she glared at Zeke, her magnetic eyes now becoming something terrifying. Violet touched the neck of her cloak. ¡°Return,¡± she said, and the apparel vanished. ¡°Magic is too much of a disadvantage for you, even though you can use it, okay, whatever. We¡¯ll fight like this then.¡± Zeke¡¯s eye swelled and throbbed. The area around his eye became itchy like a colony of ants crawling beneath the skin in a rotating formation. He looked down at the magma-like gun. ¡°I thought Voramatias only attacked things with high levels of purity.¡± ¡°Voramatias attack things with the highest purity level in the area, Rulitos. At least you got the name right,¡± Violet said. ¡°Your soul has high levels of purity, much higher than mine.¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t use Black Magic, right?¡± ¡°Well¡­ not only because of that.¡± He raised his brows, and his bruised eye twitched stubbornly. Violet gave him a smug look. ¡°Purity that comes from the lack of¡­ experience in certain activities.¡± She giggled. ¡°Activities related to¡­ pleasure¡­ gratification.¡± Zeke¡¯s face was burning. He couldn¡¯t tell if it was from the pain or humiliation. He wanted to die at that moment either way. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Rulitos. I¡¯m just teasing,¡± Violet said. ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± She pointed at the gun on the grass and explained, ¡°That is another piece of Netherworld Weaponry, yes. They do shoot out Demon Bullets, yes, but of the Fire Demon variety, not to be confused with the Hellfire Demon variety. Ignismorrah is what they¡¯re called.¡± ¡°So, you go to Hell to shop, Vee?¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t go to Hell regularly and risk becoming a demon. Come on, Rulitos,¡± Violet said. ¡°I have connections who buy the parts for me, and I apply the necessary adjustments myself, making it my own.¡± Zeke glanced up at the black barrier, veiling over them. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that barrier doesn¡¯t let me run away or let anybody on the outside see or hear anything that is going on here.¡± ¡°Your second theory is correct,¡± Violet said. ¡°As long as nobody walks past the barrier. We¡¯re good to hurt each other without any troublesome interventions.¡± She kicked the gun away. ¡°But enough about that. Let¡¯s fight.¡± ¡°Violet, I can¡¯t¡ª¡± Zeke took a vicious strike to the lip and staggered. He balanced himself again. ¡°I was surrounded by frail, pretty girls all day long in that stupid school for three years. They flinched at just hearing the door close just a little loud, for crying out,¡± Violet said. ¡°You go to a public school surrounded by assholes. How do I know how to fight better than you? What have you been doing all these years, Rulitos?¡± ¡°Vee¡­¡± ¡°Have you not been in at least one fight while I was gone?¡± ¡°For your information, yeah, I have,¡± Zeke said. ¡°There¡¯s a new guy named Raylan, baseball star, with an entire entourage of jerks. I fought them all because they were being jerks to AJ.¡± Violet snickered. ¡°Good for you.¡± She threw another punch, and it connected with Zeke¡¯s jaw. ¡°Now show me what you got.¡± Chapter 23 - Fracture Zeke kept his shaking fists raised in front of him. Violet was his opponent in the moonlit autumn. She was fuzzy in his vision, with his swelling eye pushing his eyelids closed. Zeke ate another strike to the lip and wobbled back but stayed on his feet. Violet¡¯s cardigan dropped to the grass. ¡°You need to hit back, Rulitos,¡± she said nonchalantly. Fighting was natural for her. The most fighting Zeke had done was registered in the international leaderboards of Blitz Fighter, extending to the real-life brawl he had against Raylan and his friends. He had help, but he still did it¡ªtapping into that spontaneous burst of rage from before was what he needed to survive. Another fist came flying in his direction; Zeke blocked it. ¡°Bueno!¡± Violet said. She swung a kick to Zeke¡¯s side. He blocked again and spun forward. He stopped behind Violet, and as she turned around, Zeke bashed into her with his shoulder. Violet dropped face-first into the green plastic single slide. She turned over and launched a kick at Zeke. It was a clear hit on his jaw. He jerked back as she pulled herself up, charged at Zeke, and grabbed his curls. ¡°My Rulitos,¡± she said and smiled. Violet hauled Zeke over to the slide and slammed his head onto the side. His entire skull vibrated. He yawped, and when he realized Violet was pulling his head up just to do it again, he grabbed her wrist and twisted it as hard as he could. Violet let go of his hair and squealed in delight. ¡°That¡¯s it, Rulitos!¡± Zeke released his grip, and Violet immediately caught his throat. He weaved back, trying to shake off her grip, dragging her along. He brought his hands together and shoved her back with all his strength. Violet¡¯s hand slipped from his throat, and she slammed onto the slide. Unintentional self-harm followed as Zeke stumbled and hit a jungle gym bar right in the center of his spine, making a loud ding. He curled up and let out a sharp cry. Before he had the chance to recover, Violet came at him again, throwing a powerful fist. He moved out of the way, and she punched a jungle gym bar. Violet shrieked. ¡°Vee, are you okay¡ª?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask if I¡¯m okay!¡± Violet interrupted and struck him with a punch. ¡°This is a fight!¡± Violet¡¯s smile extended. She was having stupid fun and sped up. She unleashed an onslaught of punches and kicks. Zeke scrambled back as he battled with the flurry of attacks. He took more hits than he could block. Every attack he attempted, Violet blocked and did a reversal maneuver. The world kept flashing black for Zeke like he was a kid playing with a light switch. Every blow he took forged a burst of pain, and at one point, his body just ached altogether. An opening revealed itself, allowing Zeke to push Violet away and make a break for it. His persistent opponent chased after him, cutting through the distance quickly. Zeke veered to the playground platform, ran up the ramp, zipped across the catwalk bridge, and his body shut down, forcing him to stop and hunch over. Violet showed up on the other side of the bridge. ¡°Tired already?¡± A rattled Zeke fought to catch his breath. ¡°Please don¡¯t say, ¡®We¡¯re just getting started.¡¯¡± ¡°All that pop culture knowledge and you can¡¯t use any of it to win this fight?¡± Violet shook her head and put her hands on her hips. ¡°With the Seals broken, do you have any idea what monstrosities are going to be crossing over?¡± Zeke put his hands over his knees. ¡°You never explained what the ¡®Seal¡¯ is, by the way.¡± Violet¡¯s playful overtone wiped away, and she groaned. ¡°You remember what I said about the Deliverer and Damned, right?¡± She said and sighed like a teacher, frustrated with having to re-explain material over and over to the same student. ¡°Every generation¡¯s Deliverer has executed a noble task on a universal scale, as for every generation¡¯s Damned has committed a heinous act that transcended all Realms. The Thirteenth Tainted Generation of Healers were the ones who left the biggest mark on history. The Thirteenth¡¯s Deliverer is the one who set up the Great Seal, and the Thirteenth¡¯s Damned was said to be the most dangerous human being in all of existence. The Great Seals were why you never saw unicorns and fairies frolicking around. They kept creatures from other Realms from crossing over to Earth. Recently, someone broke it.¡± ¡°Why would anyone do that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m not mad about it. It doesn¡¯t concern me. I am curious about how it was done, though. I¡¯d love to hear the story that made the angels look like incompetent morons.¡± ¡°Do you have a theory?¡± ¡°Hm. All I know for sure is that one person couldn¡¯t have done it alone. Multiple people were behind the plot.¡± Zeke paused. He could breathe normally again¡ªclose to normal, anyway. Any minor alleviation of the excruciating discomfort was normal, but the pain all over was insurmountable at this point. ¡°Tell me the titles of the other members of the Tainted Generation,¡± he demanded. ¡°You can find that out yourself, Rulitos,¡± Violet said. ¡°I am done playing Miss Exposition.¡± She waved her hand while making that magic sign of hers¡ªher middle and ring finger lowered with her thumb, forefinger, and pinky erect. ¡°Neurpatia,¡± she said. The robe materialized on her once again. Zeke panicked as Violet directed the hand sign at him. He knew he had to run, but the pain was so intense that he couldn¡¯t even lift a foot. The lobe-esque sigil appeared on the grass to his side. He looked over at it as it radiated its sinister glow. The chair rose from its center. The straps of the chair extended to the sky. There was nowhere to run, so he let the straps take him and reel him in. He flipped over the edge of the bridge and hit the grass. The sentient straps dragged him along and pulled him up to the chair, forcing him into a seated position. They wrapped around his legs, torso, arms, and neck and constricted his movement entirely. Unable to squirm or writhe, Zeke just sobbed as he trembled. Violet hopped off the catwalk bridge and onto the grass with grace as if she weighed nothing. ¡°I thought you said ¡®no magic,¡¯¡± Zeke said. Violet shrugged. ¡°I changed my mind.¡± She stopped once she was just a foot away from Zeke. ¡°Can¡¯t you hear it, your Healer¡¯s Garb yelling its name from within your soul?¡± All he could hear was his body and soul screaming in terror and agony. His trembling worsened when he noticed Violet slipping her hands into her robe. ¡°Violet! Please, no!¡± He cried. Without hesitation, she pulled out her hammer and purple pick. ¡°How much do you know about the transorbital lobotomy? Have you ever read up on that?¡± Zeke blubbered like a child. He shook from the sensation of hot tears falling down his cheeks and blood spilling from his quivering lip. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. No anesthesia¡­ Violet leaned forward and waved the pick in front of him. ¡°They call this an orbitoclast. It goes behind your eye socket, and with the hammer, I can break through an annoying layer of bone and have the pick access your frontal lobes.¡± ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± He said. ¡°Are you scared, Rulitos?¡± Zeke heaved heavily and nodded. ¡°Yes, and it hurts.¡± ¡°The straps aren¡¯t hurting you, you know. This spell isn¡¯t my Hellfire Variant¡ª¡± ¡°Everything hurts, Violet!¡± Zeke interrupted. ¡°The punches, the kicks, the way you¡¯re treating me. Why?¡± He stopped to expel wet, bloody coughs. He lowered his head and mumbled, ¡°I thought you liked me.¡± Violet straightened her posture. ¡°I do¡ª¡± ¡°I knew that couldn¡¯t be true!¡± Zeke interrupted once again. ¡°That¡¯s why you never gave me a straight answer or cleared up anything! You ignored my texts... online messages... emails... even freaking regular mail. I used every single means of communication I could get my hands on to contact you, and you¡¯re telling me you couldn¡¯t find a single second in that boarding school of yours to text back? You didn¡¯t because you don¡¯t care! You don¡¯t care about me. Of course, you don¡¯t. There¡¯s nothing special about me, and you¡¯re¡­ amazing. Something I could never be. So, you were right to abandon me. I deserve it for being useless. I deserve this humiliation because I am nothing. I¡¯m nothing to you, aren¡¯t I, Violet?¡± Silence filled the air. Somehow, Zeke¡¯s brain shut off the throbbing and pulsating sounds his body made to grant him a moment of silence. Violet sank to her haunches and looked up at Zeke. She pulled down her mask and hood and revealed a peculiar expression. ¡°I do like you, Zeke,¡± she said. ¡°I always have, but there¡¯s just one major flaw about you I couldn¡¯t set aside.¡± She bared her teeth. ¡°You¡¯re too weak. A nervous wreck who waits for someone to save the day.¡± She poked his head. ¡°But you¡¯re brilliant. I¡¯ve seen it myself. That brain of yours can do wonders. If only you had the confidence and strength to back it all up. It would be the best, Rulitos. If you were more like me, we¡¯d work together to exterminate the angel scum. ¡°When I discovered my magic, the first thing I thought of was going to you, and that¡¯s why Transportation spells were the first I mastered. I visited you and Ugo and AJ a lot more than you think, but after learning about how complicated my life would become, I knew I couldn¡¯t get you guys involved. Everything changed the day I felt your Mana Pores open. Yours and Ugo¡¯s. You have no idea how excited I was to learn that you were a part of the Tainted Generation, Ezequias.¡± Zeke looked back at her, and she was still blurry in his vision. He blinked the tears away. ¡°Honestly, just the thought of us fighting together against the angels makes me excited and happy,¡± Violet said. ¡°I would love for something like that to be real. It¡¯s possible for you to get stronger. What you lack is proper motivation, so that is why I won¡¯t help you, Rulitos.¡± ¡°Why are you hurting me then?¡± ¡°Hatred, Ezequias. Not the kind you usually let bubble inside of you and just complain about to Ugo. The ardent kind that drives you to work to become stronger to get revenge on all those who wronged you.¡± Zeke studied Violet and reached a conclusion. It¡¯s official. Violet is insane. ¡°But, in this case, that would mean: hatred toward you,¡± Zeke said. ¡°I¡¯ve learned to live with that,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hate you, Violet.¡± Violet put her hands over Zeke¡¯s. ¡°I want you to come after me for revenge, Rulitos.¡± Her eyes widened. ¡°I¡¯d love to see a more powerful version of you before me, on the brink of destroying me, and only then¡­ I would happily accept you as mine and become yours equally.¡± She pecked him on his cheek. Zeke smiled and hated himself for doing so, but he smiled. Violet stood up and waved her hand. The sigil and chair disappeared in an instant. Zeke flopped onto his back. Violet produced a craggy stone about the size of her fist from her cloak, flung it at Zeke, and landed on his side. He inspected it. It was gray, and its long root-like lines made it look like a piece of brain matter. ¡°That¡¯s another invention of mine,¡± Violet said. ¡°The Communicator Lobe. It has been adjusted so that when you think of me and speak directly into it, I can get the message no matter which Realm I am in. I may have that tracking spell on you, but to be honest... I¡¯m not always listening. I just said that to comfort you.¡± Zeke gripped the stone. ¡°How about if you just decide to change your mind again?¡± ¡°Then, that sucks for you,¡± she said. He went silent for a moment. ¡°You said¡­ ¡®No matter which Realm I am in.¡¯ Are you going on an inter-dimensional tour or something?¡± ¡°Yep. This Realm is boring. I have traveled to the other Realms on multiple occasions already. We, of the Tainted Generation, don¡¯t get affected by the Seal. Recently, I¡¯ve decided to leave the Realm of Mortals for good.¡± ¡°What about your parents?¡± ¡°They¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ll leave a note explaining that I just ran away from home. They found me to be a great hindrance, anyway.¡± ¡°That¡¯s awful¡­¡± Violet glared down at him. ¡°That miserable, wimpy look of yours. I just want it gone. When you finally get it. You¡¯ll thank me. We¡¯ll fight together. Be together.¡± ¡°What?¡± Zeke muttered. ¡°Until then¡­¡± Violet raised her hand, making a fist. Zeke flinched. She opened her hand, and the barrier slowly dissolved. Violet kneeled to Zeke and cupped his face in her hand ¡ª healing his wounds with the restorative glow, and then tended to the aches on his shoulders, arms, legs, chest, and throat. Zeke was restored once again. Violet leaned toward him and cleaned off the blood on his lip and chin with her cloak. A warmth expanded in his chest, and his heartbeat sped up as she got closer. She pulled back too soon and got back on her feet. ¡°Good luck on the case,¡± she said tenderly, walking away.
Zeke wandered the streets of Blackmarsh Grove in excellent condition, body-wise. As for his mental state¡­ It was a disaster. Blinding memory flashes of the battle made him falter in his steps. Replays of his screams of pain and bawlings, the thuds and cracks of fists hitting bone and boots bashing muscle, made him shudder. Saffron leaves blanketed the ground on either side of him, pieces blowing away from the pile from time to time. A rich autumnal scenery enhanced with erect lampposts accompanied him along the way, yellow globs of light escorting him in the dark. The lights made the leaves ablaze with a golden brown glow. He kicked away some leaves in the way just as a mighty bell rang. The angels emerged from the darkness. Zeke flinched and cowered back. He winced at the sight of the horrifying twin female angels, each disfigured. They stood atop the gray stone pillars of the Resurrect Haven Church of Christ¡¯s entrance. The tall iron, black gates between the pillars produced a ghostly howl as the wind blew through its rails. He stopped to analyze the old marble statues. They looked like young women. The one on the right had half its face broken off and cracks sprawling across the remaining half. The one on the left had black streaks lined down from its eyes and mouth ¡ª the most bizarre formation of black mold he had ever seen. They held a crude smile, hunched over with their broken stone wings spread, and peered down at him with playful malice. Past the gates, the Resurrect Haven Church of Christ stood proud and stared at him. It was the Noble family¡¯s church. The modern architecture was large and stunning but not too flashy to maintain that suburban humbleness. Zeke looked up the rising steeple and observed the marble white angel blowing a golden horn perched at the top of the spire. He scowled at the sight and directed that scowl at the angels nearby. ¡°Hezekiah?¡± A hoarse voice said. Zeke heaved a sigh and slowly turned around. Isaac¡¯s expression was twisted with concern. ¡°Are you okay? You seem¡­ distraught.¡± He pulled his hands out of the pockets of his long coat and gestured at the church. ¡°Why don¡¯t you come in, and we¡¯ll talk¡ª¡± ¡°Issac, not now!¡± Zeke yelled. ¡°I¡¯m busy, okay?¡± ¡°It looks to me like you¡¯ve got plenty of free time. Wandering the streets, all dazed.¡± ¡°Have you been following me?¡± Isaac chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t need to. We are connected.¡± Zeke rolled his eyes. ¡°Please, leave me alone.¡± ¡°Hezekiah¡ª¡± ¡°Stop calling me that, goddammit!¡± Isaac smiled nervously and shrunk back. He raised his hands. ¡°I need to share something with you, brother.¡± ¡°What?¡± Zeke said, annoyed. ¡°Just be quick, okay?¡± Isaac stepped forward. ¡°You and I were born in the same year¡­ we are special¡­ you¡¯re from October, which makes you the Tenth. Um¡­ how do I say this?¡± ¡°What are you trying to say, Isaac?¡± ¡°I am part of the same generation as you.¡± Zeke didn¡¯t respond and just stared back. He couldn¡¯t possibly mean¡­ ¡°I am the First Born of the Fourteenth Tainted Generation of Healers.¡± He slammed his palms against each other. ¡°The Vicar.¡± Character Index (With Portraits)--Volume 3
3. Holy Land: Left broken, licking his wounds after being brutalized and denied help from Violet, Zeke finds hope to save his mother in the least expected place. Thus, he and his companions resolve to travel to a Heavenly Sub-Realm to locate the Puritas Flor, which can cure his mother''s ailment.
The Main Trio: Ezequias "Zeke" Rosario "I¡¯m content¡ªno, I have conformed to the fact that things are just randomized, that the universe doesn¡¯t have a grand scheme for anything. It doesn¡¯t care about anything. Bad things, good things, fortune, and misfortune are all just based on¡­ absurdity. Learning that there is a cosmic reason for all of this crap would suck." Summary: A gifted teen who wants to be a world-renowned doctor. What keeps him from achieving his full potential is coming from an unlawful family, low self-esteem, and excessive anxiety, having him overthink and worry about everything from the fate of the world to innocuous things like if that gum he swallowed a few years ago is going to come back to haunt him. First Appearance: Volume 1: Saving Grace, Chapter 1 - Ailment Race: Human (Columbian) Age: 17 Skills: Abilities: Connections: Ugo Morata (Step-brother), Viola Balles (It¡¯s Complicated) Status: Alive Ugo Morata ¡°Yes, now, I see! If we save this angel¡¯s life, then we all get a guaranteed ticket to Heaven, right? Or, like, a ¡®get out of Hell for free card.¡¯ I lowkey still want to see some demon babes.¡± Summary: Lazy and unapologetic about his lecherous behavior. Ugo possesses incredible memory-related abilities, such as photographic recall, but all that is cemented in his mind is how he will attain his first girlfriend. First Appearance: Volume 1: Saving Grace, Chapter 3 - Complications Race: Human (Spaniard) Age: 17 Skills: Abilities: Connections: Ezequias Rosario (Step-brother) Status: Alive Avery ¡°AJ¡± Dotson ¡°He just lets people be born ugly and others beautiful? He allows some people to grow into freaks? Why, just for the fun of it?¡± Summary: Self-conscious about her height and lack of ¡°feminity.¡± She enjoys exercise, eating right (even dedicating herself to learning various complex healthy dishes), and following sports but never applies herself to any of the school¡¯s teams due to her shyness. She is overall a sweet person but gets antagonistic whenever the topic of religion is brought up. After facing ¡°unfair¡± outcomes when it came to her body and observing the other graver injustices of the world, she came to despise the idea of God, hoping deep down that everything about Heaven is a lie, and then one day, an angel falls out of the sky. First Appearance: Volume 1: Saving Grace, Chapter 1 - Ailment Race: Human (American) Age: 17 Skills: Abilities: Status: Alive Angels: Nananiel A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Whichever miscreant of the Fourteenth Tainted Generation chooses to oppose us, the Dominions, the protectors of this Realm ¡ª the inheritance that Father left us, shall be executed on sight and shown no mercy. Destruction of their mortal shells and the containment of their souls are the only acceptable outcomes of this operation. That¡¯s all.¡± Summary: All Nananiel wants to do is help out humans and maybe try out some of the things they have the privilege of experiencing. That¡¯s why he was happy when he was suddenly promoted to the rank of ¡°Dominion Chief,¡± putting him in charge of management of the Human Realm. It turns out misfortune seems to love Nananiel as a universal threat arises just as he is getting used to his new job. With the Tainted Generation now at large, Nananiel needs to take on a more stern demeanor and possibly make some difficult choices that may involve harming the humans he so dearly admires. First Appearance: Volume 1: Saving Grace, Chapter 1 - Ailment Race: Angel (Dominion) Age: Approximately 550-years-old Skills: Abilities: Magic: Equipment: Affiliations: Second Sphere of the Order of Angels Status: Alive Affiliations: Second Sphere of the Order of Angels Status: Alive Theme: Grumpy Shark - Eye of the Storm Irin ¡°Listen, humans, stop trying to fight for things you don¡¯t understand. It¡¯s always the same with you lot. You fight amongst yourselves for frivolous reasons, and single instances can incite prolonged wars. You destroy the beautiful environment surrounding you and greedily bleed the planet dry of precious resources, and not even that is enough to unite you.¡± Summary: A well-respected legend in the angelic community known for her brutal but effective methods that usually end with blood and ashes. What she likes and hates is simple. Irin likes doing her job and likes doing it right. She hates it when people don¡¯t do their jobs and hates it even more when they don¡¯t do it well. She is constantly switching Containers due to having trouble finding one to contain her explosive angelic soul. She holds great disdain toward Nananiel due to the belief he is hopelessly incompetent and in no way fit to be Dominion Chief. First Appearance: Volume 1: Saving Grace, Chapter 4 - Tainted Race: Angel (Power) Age: Approximately 900-years-old Skills: Abilities: Magic: Affiliations: Second Sphere of the Order of Angels Status: Alive Naomi ¡°I have to go back, though, but if I do¡­ I¡¯ll be punished for sure¡­ they¡¯ll put me back in the cage.¡± Summary: Imprisoned in a cage in a Heavenly Realm and let out by Dominion Chief Nananiel to aid with an upcoming attack on the Winterberry Adytum. The operation went awry, so she fled, contracting an ailment in the process, and was later found and cured by Ezequias "Zeke" Rosario, Ugo Morata, and AJ Dotson. First Appearance: Volume 1: Saving Grace, Chapter 4 - Tainted Race: Angel (Allegedly) Age: ??? Skills: ??? Affiliations: Second Sphere of the Order of Angels Status: Alive 14th Tainted Generation of Healers: Viola ¡°Violet¡± Balles ¡°It¡¯s nice to see that some things stay just as wonderful as you left them. That makes me glad.¡± Summary: A childhood friend of the trio who served as their "protector" standing up to bullies for them. Unfortunately, she fell out of touch when sent to an Argentinian all-girls Catholic boarding school. The first thing people notice when seeing her for the first time is her petrifying dark cobalt blue eyes--at times, they seem violet, hence why she was given the nickname. There is also an unmistakable hostile animus around Violet that people pick up on quickly when near her, except for Zeke, who is hopelessly infatuated with her. She moonlights as the infamous Angel-Killer. It is a mystery what Violet had been doing since she was sent to Catholic School and her Mana Pores opened, but somewhere in the timeline, she grew a strong contempt towards the angels and is dead set on killing them all. Violet wants Zeke to aid her in her carnage. First Appearance: Volume 1: Saving Grace, Chapter 12 - Conception Race: Human (Argentinian) Age: 17 Skills: Abilities: Magic:

Healer¡¯s Garb: Neurpatia

As the 2nd born of the Tainted Generation, Violet¡¯s soul is bound to the spirit: Neurpatia. An entity that manifests itself in the form of a garment that grants Violet the ability to control the brains of beings across the universe. The range of her powers is vast. Equipment: Netherworld Weaponry Affiliations: 14th Tainted Generation of Healers Connections: Ezequias Rosario (It''s Complicated) Status: Alive Theme: Rodrigo y Gabriela - Diablo Rojo Isaac Noble ¡°I beg of you, don¡¯t give into the intense, dangerous emotion you¡¯re feeling right now, for it will cause you two to make irreparable actions which will be followed with massive consequences.¡± Summary: An oddball who grew up in a household of ardent devotees with parents deeply involved in Winterberry¡¯s church community. He has been preaching in front of devoted audiences since he was eight years old and traveled on the road with his family to spread the good word nationwide. A long-time acquaintance of the trio. To Zeke, he always seemed a bit... off. First Appearance: Volume 2: Maleficent Dominion, Chapter 14 - Hypertension Race: Human (American) Age: 17 Skills: Abilities: Magic: Being the 1st born of the Tainted Generation implies he possesses superb Mana affinity and proficiency. However, the extent and nature of his spells are unknown. Affiliations: 14th Tainted Generation of Healers Status: Alive Chapter 24 - Consultation Zeke and Isaac settled on the chestnut wooden pews in the front row of the nave. They had a clear view of the altar, its most notable feature being a beautiful stained glass window depicting a Latin cross. ¡°Your body is emanating an abundant amount of magic,¡± Isaac said. ¡°Either you used magic on yourself, or someone did on you. I don¡¯t sense any curses on you, so it must¡¯ve been healing magic.¡± Isaac continued, ¡°Who did you have a confrontation with, Hezekiah?¡± Zeke sat silently for a few seconds and then shifted in his seat. ¡°Violet,¡± he said. ¡°You know she¡¯s a part of the Tainted Generation, too, right?¡± ¡°Of course I do,¡± Isaac said. ¡°May I ask for the reason for the scuffle?¡± ¡°She¡­ assaulted me¡­ and then healed me,¡± Zeke said. ¡°Because I¡¯m weak.¡± ¡°She said that?¡± Isaac lamented. ¡°How dare she¡­ no member of the Tainted Generation is weak.¡± ¡°She was right, though. I barely defended myself or fought like a man. With or without magic, I was useless.¡± Isaac put his hand on Zeke¡¯s head. ¡°You are not useless.¡± Wearing a dejected look, Zeke turned to Isaac. ¡°So, you know about Ugo, too.¡± Isaac withdrew his hand. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve known about Violet being Tainted since, well, her Pores opened three years ago, and I sensed when you and Ugo blossomed.¡± Zeke winced. ¡°Don¡¯t say ¡®blossomed,¡¯ please. It sounds weird.¡± ¡°Mana Pores opening up sounds weird, too,¡± Isaac said. ¡°Who names this stuff?¡± ¡°Someone who lacks creativity and self-awareness, I presume¡­.¡± Isaac looked around and then locked his eyes on the stained glass, which kept him in serenity. It was noticeable in his expression. ¡°You know, use cloaking spells. Walking around with your body emitting all that magical energy is dangerous.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how to use magic.¡± ¡°Cloaking spells are Gray Magic. Even people with little Mana affinity can use it.¡± Isaac laughed. ¡°Anyway, for people like us, it¡¯s easy, but if you put mental limiters on yourself like that, then the opposite can be true. It¡¯s all in the power of the mind.¡± ¡°Well, then I¡¯m screwed.¡± Zeke clasped his hands together and slumped forward, eyeing the white marble floor. ¡°My mother has no chance¡­.¡± Isaac shot a look at Zeke. ¡°Your mother?¡± ¡°An angel¡­ did something to my mom. He cursed her.¡± ¡°Violet wasn¡¯t of avail?¡± Isaac paused. ¡°Oh, I see how the fight started now¡­.¡± ¡°My mom won¡¯t stop laughing and is slowly turning into stone,¡± he said with a quaver. ¡°Ah, yes,¡± Isaac said, touching his chin. ¡°That explains her behavior during the funeral. I knew I sensed something abnormally pure in her...¡± ¡°You sensed it?¡± Zeke asked. ¡°Does that mean you know what she has?¡± ¡°What does she have, Isaac!¡± ¡°Encephoria.¡± ¡°Like¡­ encephalitis?¡± Zeke asked. ¡°A brain infection?¡± ¡°It is caused by a being called ¡®Euphorous.¡¯ It¡¯s a Minor Angel.¡± ¡°Like a Minor Demon¡­ a microorganism. It¡¯s a virus, right?¡± ¡°That would help you understand, right? Yes, it is a virus, very tiny,¡± Isaac said. ¡°Humans, when in the presence of angels, well, regular Major Angels, are filled with hope and joy. This is caused by the Euphorouses that these angels emanate naturally, either from their true form or from their Containers. It seeps into the brain and makes happiness.¡± ¡°Like dopamine.¡± ¡°Yes. Usually, it¡¯s easy to have barrier spells put up to avoid an infestation, and for people like us we don¡¯t even do it consciously. However, normal humans aren¡¯t so lucky. When in excess, they force humans into the condition your mother is in now, with slight variations from time to time. The excessiveness of Euphorouses populating the human brain is the prime cause of radical devotees we¡¯ve seen throughout mankind¡¯s history.¡± Zeke wondered if a choir of tiny angelic assholes were actually the ones that killed Martin Luther instead of a cardiac infarct. ¡°Wait, so angels just have these things in their bodies at all times?¡± ¡°They help them access certain magic and optimize their health.¡± The slew of new information had Zeke¡¯s ever-noisy brain sifting through it, making him pause for nearly a minute. ¡°Can these things multiply on their own?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Isaac said. ¡°It sounds more like bacteria than a virus. Viruses can¡¯t survive without infecting a host, nor multiply, and their only function is mostly making disease.¡± ¡°Whatever helps you understand better, Hezekiah. Bacteria, then.¡± ¡°How do we treat it? Is there, like, a¡­ magical antibiotic or something?¡± ¡°No need. I don¡¯t even need to examine Eldora. I know how to fix it. There aren¡¯t many other ailments similar to that one. Giving her frequent trips to our church, I am positive that she has that ailment.¡± ¡°So, how do we treat it?¡± ¡°What ideas do you have?¡± ¡°Antibiotics and corticosteroids for inflammation are all I can come up with. As for the paranormal answer¡­ can we send a demonic virus into her brain to eat the thing?¡± Isaac¡¯s expression lit up. ¡°Interesting idea.¡± He looked up as he explained, ¡°That¡¯s a possible solution, but the number of things that could go wrong is staggering. Letting a Minor Demon roam in your mother¡¯s brain could be fatal and lead to a possession that, even after an exorcism, could leave behind permanent damage.¡± Isaac looked back at Zeke. ¡°A more plausible solution would be to use a synthesized... virus, but training and grooming it to our liking to follow our instructions exactly could take months, and your mother doesn¡¯t have that much time left.¡± Zeke gasped, picturing something in his head about his mother he never wanted to again. ¡°Then, what can we do?¡± Silence took over. Isaac was the first to break it. ¡°There is something that can save her,¡± he said. ¡°I will need you to pay attention and follow me on this, okay?¡± ¡°Okay, just explain,¡± Zeke said and leaned back onto the pew, keeping his eyes fixed on Isaac. ¡°The Puritas Flor is a special flower that angels consume to suppress their power, taken in large amounts, and can block an angel¡¯s power entirely for a certain amount of time. They use them sometimes when transferring their soul to a new Container so that it doesn¡¯t rupture immediately. Some angels are just that powerful. Some even eat the flower when in their true form to mend with their overwhelming power to keep themselves from self-destructing. This is a major secret among angels.¡± Zeke raised a brow and felt genuine fear when a question popped into his head he wasn¡¯t sure he wanted the answer to. ¡°How did you learn about this?¡± he asked in a quiet voice as if they were a pair of burglars in trespassed territory. ¡°My Healer¡¯s Garb told me. Can¡¯t you hear the voice of yours?¡± All Zeke responded with was an increasingly chagrined expression. ¡°So¡­¡± Zeke started. ¡°These suppressants being capable of shutting off an angel¡¯s power means they kill their angelic cells.¡± ¡°¡®Angelic cells?¡¯¡± Laughter burst out of Isaac. ¡°You sound like the others. Amazing. Yes, the flower is toxic to all the Minor Angels that grant Major Angels their power, but the angels recover these beings quickly and regain their power.¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s their physiological function, but my mother isn¡¯t an angel, so if she eats that flower, the Minor Angels die and won¡¯t return.¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct, Hezekiah,¡± Isaac said. ¡°Now, here comes the little adversity. These flowers are only found in Heaven.¡± Zeke paused. Did he just say ¡®Heaven¡¯? he studied Isaac. ¡°That¡¯s a ¡®little adversity¡¯?¡± he said. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°We don¡¯t need to access that Heaven, just the other Heaven in Heaven.¡± Zeke¡¯s face creased in confusion. And Isaac explained what he meant and his plan to him.
Zeke rushed into the occult library. He found Ugo and AJ rifling through the pages of the tattered books. The pile of supernatural literature was still as tall as he had left it; they barely put a dent in it, yet a copious amount littered the floor. Ugo and AJ stood up after noticing his arrival. Zeke stopped them before they could protest by starting to retell his encounter with Isaac and surreptitiously leaving out his confrontation with Violet. Once he had finished, his audience of two stared back with the blank, unblinking faces of newborn kittens. ¡°A Sub-Realm of Heaven?¡± Ugo said incredulously. ¡°That¡¯s crazy,¡± AJ added. Zeke prepared himself to re-explain the complex concept, hopefully not as convoluted as Isaac. He used plenty of hand gestures to explain, ¡°The notion we have of Heaven is not correct. Heaven is much, much, much, much larger than any number a human could fathom. Heaven is millions upon millions upon millions of worlds organized into subdivisions.¡± The sight of his friends¡¯ eyes glazing over, giving up on trying to understand the nonsense spilling from his mouth, had Zeke resort to something he was more comfortable explaining. He rolled up his sleeve, raised his arm, and pinched his tanned skin. ¡°The skin has layers, right? Our universe is composed similarly. Three layers: the epidermis, the outer layer we can see; under it, we can find the dermis, which is the thickest layer; and under that, is the subcutaneous fat.¡± Zeke let go of the skin and opted to use his hands again. ¡°Our universe is split into three layers. The subcutaneous fat, the bottom layer, is where we can find the Netherworld and all of its Realms, as well as Realms belonging to magical beings. The Human Realm, the dermis, where we live and is in a way the most important of them all, and then at the top we have Heaven, the epidermis, that umbrellas the rest of the universe.¡± Zeke smiled proudly at his analogy. AJ raised a hand. ¡°Aren¡¯t there like ten layers of skin?¡± Zeke¡¯s smile went away. ¡°Not all analogies can be perfect, AJ, okay!¡± Then Ugo joined in. ¡°And when you say Heaven is the epidermis, you mean it¡¯s the outer layer everyone can see? But Heaven isn¡¯t visible to everybody¡ª¡± ¡°No, I meant...¡± Zeke groaned as he ruffled his curly hair and continued, ¡°Heaven is composed of many Realms. Only several Realms are what humans go to after death. That¡¯s the Heaven we usually refer to. The rest of the Heavenly Realms are where the angels spend most of their time taking care of universal affairs. Some Realms in Heaven are so small that even angels don¡¯t know about them. We can call them Sub-Realms. You know how there are people who buy private islands? Sub-Realms are kind of like that. They exist in a different kind of plane and are usually empty and up for grabs. That¡¯s what the Vicar before Isaac did. It¡¯s highly forbidden, though. He can access it and take us there anytime to find that flower.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you need one hundred percent purity to access Heaven?¡± Ugo asked. The time he had spent studying the supernatural was showing. ¡°I asked him, and Isaac said it was okay. It¡¯s just a Sub-Realm. They work differently. Although, we¡¯ll need supplements to raise our purity levels to prevent any unforeseen ailments and to keep our souls from being ejected from the close-to-Heavenly Realm.¡± Zeke approached AJ. ¡°You need to go home and pack whatever you think will be necessary. I don¡¯t know how long we¡¯ll be gone. Isaac said to think of it as a camping trip.¡± ¡°What am I supposed to say to my parents?¡± ¡°Say, you¡¯re going to a sleepover over the weekend.¡± AJ¡¯s expression scrunched, and she cocked her head to the side. ¡°They would never believe that!¡± ¡°Just try something, AJ. We gotta go,¡± Zeke said. ¡°We can¡¯t waste any more time. I already let Isaac know that we¡¯re in. We¡¯ll exit the hospital together. You run home and enter the hospital from your bedroom. We¡¯ll meet up in the waiting room.¡± Zeke returned to the waiting room with his friends, enduring Eldora¡¯s tormented laughter, alternating with dry coughs venting through the walls. As soon as the trio used the door to transport back to Zeke¡¯s and Ugo¡¯s bedroom, AJ bolted out of the room. Zeke and Ugo ran to their wardrobes and pulled out large backpacks they used at LARP conventions. Zeke heard a door slam shut downstairs. AJ was on her way. Zeke and Ugo picked up the pace, scrambled to their drawers, grabbed a couple of clothes, and stuffed them into their backpacks. Ugo slid over to their mini-fridge, gathered armfuls of water, energy drinks, and snacks, and dashed back to the backpack. Zeke darted to the bathroom and collected toothbrushes, toothpaste, and a sealed soap box. He returned to the room and shoved it into the backpack. Ugo shuffled to the bedside and grabbed a tangle of cables, power banks, and portable gaming systems. ¡°Okay, Mora, finish up and go to the hospital with our stuff, okay?¡± Zeke said. ¡°I need to wait for Isaac.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just teach him the sigil?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want too many people knowing about it. Maybe just being in our group is good.¡± Ugo sighed and nodded. Zeke walked over to his desk, pulled a drawer, and grabbed a black marker. He shoved it into his pocket, stepped out of the room, stumbled down the stairs, and walked into the living room. Zeke stood between the TV and furniture, browsing the family photo frames on the white shelves over the TV. He moved up to it and grabbed a photo of him and his mother at the beach ten years ago. It was long after she separated from Adelmo, and she was getting to know Gerardo. In the photo, he stood before her with her arms wrapped around his tiny shoulders. She looked very healthy in the photo. A woman with a beautiful, contagious smile that¡¯ll brighten the day of anyone who sees it, and they¡¯d be compelled to smile back. Eldora Morata was a happy, caring woman who had to deal with all kinds of adversity the universe sent her way. Her parents clambered their way to the United States to ensure a wondrous life for their daughter, only for her to get caught up in an explosive, wretched marriage with a violent, money-hungry psychopath. Zeke realized he had never seen her panic or complain. Suffering in silence was a bad habit of hers. Funny, the complete opposite of him. Zeke smiled as his eyes stung and welled with tears. Who knows how long she pushed down the will to laugh maniacally all day? How long had the curse really been in effect? How long had she been fighting the multitude of Euphorouses corroding her brain? Even when literal supernatural forces were causing her agony, she decided not to bother anybody with the details, but why? To look strong for him? Zeke studied the photo punctiliously, engraving that wonderful image of Eldora Morata in his mind, just in case. A door made a whine, and footsteps pattered across. ¡°Ezequias,¡± Gerard said with urgency. Zeke put the photo back and turned around. ¡°Apa!¡± he shouted and then forced out a chuckle. ¡°How¡¯re you doing?¡± Gerardo studied Zeke and approached him slowly. ¡°I come back from work and find the house empty. I don¡¯t want to sound like a total Dad or anything, but you two weren¡¯t answering your phones, and neither is your mother,¡± Gerardo said. ¡°Where did you two go?¡± ¡°We were just hanging out with AJ.¡± ¡°Yeah, she isn¡¯t home either, and her parents said that you guys didn¡¯t pass by.¡± Zeke was glad that somehow the universe made it possible for Gerardo not to run into AJ. ¡°We were just walking around, hanging out, right after school.¡± The bearded dentist stared silently. ¡°Right. Sorry, I get it,¡± Gerardo finally spoke and was a bit chagrined. ¡°I just have a bad feeling really about your mother. Where¡¯s Ugo now?¡± ¡°I dunno. Probably stalking somebody.¡± ¡°And your mom?¡± Gerardo¡¯s chagrin left early, and now he was fixed on Zeke with a cold stare. The switch almost felt expertly performative. ¡°She went to Columbia,¡± Zeke spluttered. Gerardo pulled back a bit. ¡°What?¡± ¡°It was an emergency,¡± Zeke said. ¡°That¡¯s why she isn¡¯t answering. She must be on the plane right now.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t she say anything?¡± ¡°It was quick. She was all over the place and only had time to tell me.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Gerardo shook his head. ¡°How was she able to get tickets on such short notice?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ uh¡­ Colombians get special treatment?¡± ¡°This doesn¡¯t make any sense,¡± Gerardo said. He got closer to Zeke and captured his shoulder with a mighty grip. ¡°Ezequias, what¡¯s going on? Is this about her laughter? Is she okay? I knew I should¡¯ve taken her to a brain scan! Is that it? Is she in the hospital right now and is embarrassed to tell me?¡± Zeke¡¯s eyes widened as a scapegoat was dropped right before him. ¡°Yeah!¡± He tapped Gerardo¡¯s arm and squirmed. Gerardo released. ¡°Really?¡± His expression grew sombre. He backstepped and fell onto the couch. ¡°I¡¯m a horrible husband. I should¡¯ve helped her out much earlier, but all she would say is that ¡®everything is okay.¡¯¡± Zeke looked to his side. He said, ¡°Just sit tight and wait.¡± Gerardo shot up. ¡°No!¡± He closed his fists. ¡°Tell me which hospital she went to, Ezequias. I¡¯m going.¡± ¡°The¡­¡± Zeke¡¯s eyes flew around the room. ¡°Ezequias, tell me!¡± The door creaked open and hushed them at once. Isaac emerged and sauntered into the living room, wearing a backpack. He scanned the room with a smile and then studied Zeke and Gerardo. Gerardo glared back at Isaac. ¡°Isaac, now is not a good time. Go home, Ni?o.¡± Isaac held Gerardo¡¯s steely glare as he unzipped a side pocket of his backpack. ¡°I said, ¡®get out!¡¯¡± ¡°Oh, I had a feeling something like this was going to happen¡­¡± Isaac pulled out a drawstring pouch. Gerardo stormed toward Isaac. ¡°I am going to need you to¡ª¡± ¡°Sleep well, Mr. Morata,¡± Isaac interrupted and opened the pouch. He reached into it and slung a fistful of glittering dust at Gerardo. A golden cloud burst from Gerardo¡¯s face, and he collapsed onto his back. Zeke ran to Gerardo and looked down at him. He shot a glare at Isaac. Isaac closed the pouch and raised it. ¡°A special gift from the Anesthesiologist.¡± He put the pouch in Zeke¡¯s hand. ¡°From another one of the Tainted Generation, of course.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°He promised me it¡¯s more potent than Hypnos¡¯ sand and any knock-out spell I could attempt.¡± Zeke glanced at Gerardo spread out on the floor, heaving quiet, steady breaths. ¡°He¡¯s fine, Hezekiah,¡± Isaac said casually, ¡°there¡¯s no need for him to know the truth, okay? It¡¯s going to be taken care of. By the time he wakes up, he¡¯ll be in bed with his wife by his side, all cured, thanks to us.¡± ¡°How long will he be out?¡± ¡°Until we wake him up with a spell.¡± ¡°So, you put him in a coma.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Isaac shrugged, ¡°all his physical needs are frozen as well. He¡¯ll be fine.¡± Zeke groaned. There was no point in complaining. He had to deal with it. He pushed the pouch into his pocket. ¡°Okay, but we¡¯re not going to just leave him on the floor like this.¡± Zeke sat on his haunches. ¡°You¡¯ll have to help me take him to his bed.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°Then, I am going to have to elaborate more on why the angel cursed my mom.¡± Isaac¡¯s expression brightened. ¡°Ooh?¡± he plundered to his haunches. ¡°But before that, I feel I should inform you about something. You know those smiling angels you see at the cemetery and church?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the last stage of the disease. There¡¯s no use in trying to save them now. Their consciousness and souls are long gone by now.¡± Isaac put his hands together for a prayer. ¡°With God¡¯s guidance, we¡¯ll save her, Hezekiah.¡± Chapter 25 - Preoperative ¡°A being posing as an angel,¡± Isaac said as he and Zeke dropped Gerardo from their arms onto his double bed. They turned him over onto his back. ¡°What would the angels want with a being like that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Zeke replied, ¡°but we can¡¯t hand her over.¡± ¡°Because¡­?¡± ¡°Because Vee said¡ª¡± ¡°I see; say no more.¡± Isaac cocked his head back to let his enlightened laugh. ¡°You¡¯re so intriguing, Hezekiah.¡± He scouted the contemporary master bedroom tinted with a grey and brown color palette. As Isaac looked around, Zeke walked over to the door, closed it, fished out the black marker from his pocket, and drew the sigil on the door quickly. He opened the door, and the occult hospital spawned on the other side. The sconces were already lit. ¡°After you,¡± Zeke said. Isaac looked over at Zeke and then took notice of the beige stone-clad waiting room. ¡°How magnificent,¡± he said. Isaac walked to the door and entered. Zeke followed. Zeke closed the door behind him, and the clear air, heavenly warmth, and smoked chamomile fragrance welcomed him back. The howling, demented laughter disrupted his calm. Ugo sat on the timber sofa, slumped forward, and plugged his fingers into his ears. Two stuffed backpacks were on the floor beside him, alongside Zeke¡¯s medical bag. ¡°Ugo,¡± Isaac exclaimed as he approached him with open arms. Ugo stood up and uttered, ¡°Um¡­ hey¡ª¡± ¡°Everything is going to be okay,¡± Isaac interrupted and assaulted him with a hug, pulling Ugo¡¯s head down and cushioning it with his chest. He patted his head gently. ¡°We¡¯ll save her.¡± ¡°Yeah, thanks, really appreciate it,¡± Ugo said, muffled. Zeke looked around. ¡°So, AJ isn¡¯t here yet, huh?¡± Ugo pulled himself away from Isaac. ¡°Nah.¡± ¡°Okay, then.¡± Zeke pulled out the pouch from his pocket. ¡°Oh,¡± Isaac said. ¡°Good thinking, Hezekiah.¡± Zeke moved to the arched door frame, and Isaac followed. The sconces ignited. ¡°What gives?¡± Ugo asked and caught up to the two. The laughter grew louder and more disturbing as they walked down the stone hallway. They stopped at a patient room door, and Zeke opened it. Like uncovering stereo speakers on the highest volume, the laughter blasted into Zeke¡¯s face. As the trio trod into the room, the sick laughter scratched away at Zeke¡¯s inner ears. Eldora was on the floor on her side, with a quarter of her body encased in stone. Her arms were petrified upwards with the palms open and close together. From her knees to her feet, it was all stone. Two large stone wings protruded from torn spots on the back of her sweater. ¡°Oh, God,¡± Ugo said and gasped. Zeke, Ugo, and Isaac rushed to her. The straps of the bed were ripped apart. Tears and saliva slid sideways from her bloated, laughing face. Her cheek was soaking in a puddle of drool and teardrops. They pulled her up and grunted along the way. She was as heavy as an actual marble stone statue, and when they placed her back on her mineralized feet, she stood erect and sturdy like a monolith. Zeke avoided looking at her and focused on the pouch in his hand. ¡°This won¡¯t cause any unwanted side effects, right, Isaac?¡± ¡°No. Just throw some dust onto her face.¡± Zeke opened the pouch and grabbed a handful of dust. ¡°Lo siento, Mam¨¢,¡± he muttered, stepped back, and tossed the dust in her face. The laughter was silenced immediately. Eldora¡¯s eyes closed, her chin dropped to her chest, but her feet remained fixed on the floor, and only light, peaceful breathing came from her. Zeke grinned as he stared at her; she looked at peace. Without taking his eyes off her, he cleared Ugo of any further confusion. ¡°It¡¯s some magic dust another member of the Tainted Generation provided. She¡¯ll sleep until we wake her up and won¡¯t require any maintenance of her physical needs. I used it on Dad, too.¡± ¡°Alright then, cool,¡± Ugo said. ¡°Sandman¡¯s dust, eh?¡± He gave Isaac a thumbs up. ¡°There are instances of people under the same magic-induced sleep to share dreams,¡± Isaac mentioned, ¡°so Mrs. and Mr. Morata might be enjoying each other¡¯s company in the ethereal realm as we speak.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Zeke said. He turned back to the door. ¡°Now let¡¯s go wait for AJ in the¡­.¡± Naomi was standing in the doorway with Ugo¡¯s backup smartphone in her hand. The boys froze and held her blank stare. She was like a kid waiting at their parent¡¯s bedroom door after having a nightmare. ¡°You must be Naomi.¡± Isaac squealed and rushed to her. ¡°The angel¡­¡± Naomi shuddered and cowered as she analyzed Isaac. ¡°You¡¯re an angel!¡± She accused. ¡°No, silly! I¡¯m human,¡± Isaac corrected with a warm smile. Naomi didn¡¯t seem convinced, but it didn¡¯t unnerve Isaac. He pointed back at Zeke and Ugo. ¡°I¡¯m just like them. A Healer of the Tainted Generation.¡± Naomi studied Isaac harder and then gave in. ¡°I see¡­ so you¡¯re a part of Zeke¡¯s team, too!¡± ¡°Naomi, what are you doing out of bed?¡± Zeke asked. ¡°Dude, she¡¯s allowed to stretch her legs, y¡¯know,¡± Ugo said. ¡°I want to help,¡± Naomi said, determined. ¡°With what¡­?¡± Zeke asked. Naomi walked up to Zeke and pushed the smartphone to her side, slamming it into Ugo¡¯s chest. Ugo put his hand over Naomi¡¯s and squealed. ¡°She¡¯s touching me¡­.¡± Naomi gazed sternly at Zeke from up close. ¡°I want to help with your mother¡¯s case. Please, there must be something I can do to help!¡± ¡°Oh, so now you¡¯re interested in doing something useful,¡± Zeke said. ¡°Zeke,¡± Ugo snapped. Naomi withdrew her hand from under Ugo¡¯s, and the smartphone slipped. Ugo caught it in the nick of time. ¡°I can¡¯t give you info, but there must be something outside of that I can do to speed up the curing process,¡± Naomi said. She stole a glance at Eldora. ¡°Her laughter. It was painful and terrifying to hear. She must be in so much pain. I was in pain, too, and I¡¯d like to get rid of any pain someone else is going through. Pain is horrible.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the point of pain,¡± Zeke said. ¡°Right now, our next course of action is finding a Puritas Flor from a Sub-Realm,¡± Isaac explained. ¡°Isaac,¡± Zeke said, scowling at the zealot. ¡°¡®Puritas Flor¡¯... ¡®Sub-Realm¡¯? I know what those are! Okay, only the first thing.¡± Naomi said. ¡°I¡¯ll come with you!¡± ¡°I vote for ¡®yes,¡¯¡± Ugo said. ¡°We need to have a proper party for this to succeed.¡± Naomi moved closer to Ugo and stared up at him with her bright, wide, guileless eyes. ¡°A ¡®party¡¯? I have heard of the grandiose celebrations, but I have never been to one. I could only hear from within the cage whenever they celebrated.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not the kind I was talking about¡­ wait, that¡¯s awful.¡± Ugo slipped the smartphone into his pocket. ¡°Parties are super fun, and we need to throw one after all this crazy mess is over.¡± ¡°And I am allowed to come, right?¡± Naomi asked with her smile extending. ¡°Of course. We have to, and we¡¯ll take tons of photos!¡± Ugo turned to a disapproving Zeke. ¡°Can you imagine how everybody in school is going to react? Those freaking nerds are going to be so jealous! And Michelle is going to be green all over with envy when she sees me and Naomi together. She¡¯ll be begging for me to take her out on a date.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s Michelle?¡± Zeke asked. ¡°The girl whom I¡¯m currently after,¡± Ugo said arrogantly as if Zeke should¡¯ve already known. ¡°I thought that was ¡®Skylar¡¯!¡± If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Skylar is old news, Mano. Don¡¯t you read my social media posts?¡± ¡°No.¡± Naomi raised her hand. ¡°What¡¯s ¡®social media¡¯?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a wonderful place you can go to for a reminder of why you hate yourself,¡± Zeke said. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him, Naomi,¡± Ugo said. ¡°He¡¯s too cynical.¡± ¡°I guess the stress comes from always thinking too much,¡± Naomi said. ¡°Hah! She already realized it on her own!¡± Ugo backed up and slapped his hand on his forehead as he had a laughing fit. Isaac approached them. ¡°Someone like Naomi could be a big help just in case anything unforeseen happens.¡± ¡°The only reason the angels haven¡¯t ransacked this place is because it¡¯s warded,¡± Zeke reminded everybody. ¡°The moment we step out of here, Nananiel will show up, kill us all, and take Naomi back.¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Naomi whimpered. ¡°Yeah, very bad, remember?¡± Isaac held out two fingers and hit Naomi on her head. ¡°Ow!¡± Naomi yelped. She put her hands on her head and pouted. ¡°There, she¡¯s cloaked,¡± Isaac said. ¡°That easy, man?¡± Ugo asked. ¡°There¡¯s no need to doubt my abilities, Ugo. I am the Vicar, after all. Anything about angels, I have mastery of. Now, they can¡¯t locate her at all no matter where she is, like us Healers.¡± Isaac gave Zeke a look. ¡°We¡¯re on our way to a Sub-Realm that is hard to detect for some angels, and Naomi¡¯s presence is completely invisible. We¡¯re more than safe now.¡± Naomi grabbed Zeke¡¯s arm and pouted at him. ¡°Can I go now, please?¡± Ugo hunched down and pouted at Zeke alongside Naomi. ¡°Yeah, please?¡± Isaac followed suit. ¡°Please, Hezekiah?¡± Zeke stared down at the trio of pouting faces and groaned. ¡°Okay, fine¡­¡± They threw their hands into the air and cheered. ¡°Now, little lady,¡± Isaac said. ¡°What will you bring?¡± Naomi looked down at her splotched and tattered clothes. ¡°All I have is what¡¯s on me currently.¡± ¡°Poor thing, she¡¯s been stuck in those clothes for a week or so,¡± Ugo said. ¡°I just realized, oh man, I¡¯m sorry, Naomi.¡± Zeke sniffed and grimaced. The stench Naomi was putting out was foul and overwhelming. ¡°I don¡¯t mind, but if it bothers you, I can just journey without wearing them.¡± Naomi started loosening her tie. ¡°Sure!¡± Ugo said. Zeke smacked Ugo on the back of his head. ¡°Would you calm down?¡± he sighed and said to Naomi, ¡°You¡¯re not going to walk around naked. Humans don¡¯t usually do that.¡± Naomi halted. ¡°Oh.¡± Hurrying footsteps arose. AJ appeared by the door, panting, equipped with a travel backpack. ¡°Hey, guys!¡± She froze in horror when she noticed Eldora. ¡°Oh, my God¡­¡± ¡°Avery,¡± Isaac said as he spread his arms apart. ¡°Just in time. You brought extra clothing, right?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ uh¡­ y-y-yeah,¡± AJ said, staring at Eldora. ¡°Good, you¡¯re going to let Naomi borrow some. You help her get changed in her room.¡± ¡°Huh?¡±
Zeke, Ugo, and Isaac settled in the waiting room. They were doing what they could to remain calm. Isaac stood before the altar singing a silent prayer, Ugo played on his handheld gaming console, and Zeke rummaged through his backpack and medical bag, ensuring everything was there. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± AJ announced as she walked into the room alongside Naomi. Zeke and Ugo got up, put on their backpacks, and scanned Naomi. She was wearing a black striped tracksuit, which was hilariously big on her, but it made her look even more lovably petite than she already was. ¡°Hopefully, you can run around in that without tripping,¡± Zeke said. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, Zeke. Thank you for being so concerned,¡± Naomi said. AJ held up a large empty spray can. ¡°I used a shower-in-a-can to get rid of the stench.¡± ¡°Those things actually work?¡± Ugo said incredulously. ¡°Okay, that is more shocking than discovering magic is real.¡± ¡°Amen,¡± Isaac said aloud and walked away from the altar. ¡°Good, good, everybody is ready, right?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Naomi said excitedly. ¡°Fantastic.¡± Isaac pulled out a jagged knife from his back pocket, alarming everybody. ¡°Isaac¡­?¡± Zeke muttered with fear. ¡°It¡¯s okay, remain calm,¡± Isaac said, swiping the serrated blade¡¯s teeth across his palm in a swift motion and then squeezing his hand shut. As the others stared wide-eyed, Isaac strolled to the door, leaving a trail of blood. He opened his palm and dabbed his finger on the fresh wound. He plastered his wet finger on the door and drew a sigil. It was a ridiculously complicated symbol, and Isaac painted with effortless speed, dabbing his finger in blood a couple of times to continue. It had multiple vertical and horizontal lines and swirls, looped lines, and dots at specific places. It took him nearly a minute to finish. Isaac heaved a sigh of exhaustion. ¡°Dude¡­ we have markers,¡± Ugo said. Isaac stared back with a blank face. ¡°Oh! Silly me.¡± He rubbed his bloody hand on his nape and wiped the rest off his backpack as he laughed. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Isaac grabbed the door¡¯s handle with his unwounded hand and turned it. A screen of blinding white light shone from the door. Zeke, Ugo, and AJ shielded their eyes. ¡°Who wants to go first?¡± Isaac asked. ¡°We¡¯re supposed to just walk into the light? Usually, they tell you not to, but whatever,¡± Ugo said. Isaac took out a vial of white liquid from his backpack and handed it to Ugo. ¡°Purity supplements. Drink it all.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Ugo said, taking the vial, removing the cork, and knocking it back like a tequila shot. ¡°Heavenly angel babes, here I come!¡± he cried as he marched into the light. ¡°Wait, does Mora think there¡¯ll be female angels there?¡± Zeke asked. ¡°Who told him that?¡± ¡°You know that nobody did. He¡¯s crazy,¡± AJ said. ¡°Who¡¯s next?¡± Isaac asked. Naomi shot her hand into the hair. ¡°Oooh! Me!¡± She bounced up to the door and held both her hands out. ¡°You don¡¯t need supplements, silly. You¡¯re an angel,¡± Isaac said. ¡°Oh, yes,¡± Naomi responded as her eyes wandered to the side. She drew in a breath and walked through the light. ¡°I¡¯m next,¡± AJ said, tugging the shoulder straps of her backpack, and walked up to the door. Isaac gave her a vial, and she gulped it down just as quickly as she passed through the light. ¡°Hezekiah¡­¡± Isaac teased. ¡°Yeah, okay.¡± He looked down at his medical bag and hardened his grip on the handle. He grunted with a nod and approached the door. It was like staring into the glowing white eye of an industrial flashlight, burning his corneas and causing a massive headache. Isaac produced another vial, removed the cork, and extended it to Zeke. ¡°Drink up.¡± While eyeing Isaac, Zeke took the vial and then examined it, giving it a few sniffs. It smelled sweet and vanilla-like. ¡°What is this made from?¡± Zeke asked. ¡°A solution of angel feathers, sylph essence, and an ice dragon tooth dissolved in a liquified unicorn horn.¡± He cautiously neared his lips to the vial and then drank half of it. ¡°Come on, Hezekiah.¡± Zeke put on his big boy pants and finished it all. It tasted just as sweet as it smelled, if not a little sweeter. It reminded him of condensed milk. As Zeke contemplated it and checked if he felt any different, a hand touched his back, thrusting him forward. Zeke stumbled into the white blaze and squinted as a world of milk-white glow surrounded him. He blinked continually until the white luminosity dimmed; a brand-new world came into focus. Pure white cumulus clouds floated in the pale blue sky, and off in the distance, a massive cathedral towered over a sea of opaque clouds. It was a complex gothic masterpiece that would put any architect in tears. A supernumerary collection of wondrous spires and flying buttresses capped with pinnacles topped the ghost marble structure with a hint of steel gray. The longer Zeke stared at the magnificent building, the more its beautiful features were unveiled. The towers were geometric perfection, with many arched windows; some had long bridges connected to them that stretched beyond, and there was a giant glazed rose window near the top. A door slammed shut. Zeke spun back and saw Isaac standing before a white door attached to nothing. It dissipated into nothingness not long after. Isaac walked past Zeke and approached the others a couple feet ahead, observing their seraphic surroundings. They were standing on a bridge that was a beauty to behold; the surface was decorated with rose and holy cross relief carvings, and on either side were railings with decorative foliage. ¡°What do you think?¡± Isaac asked them as he outstretched his arms and twirled like an overenthusiastic real-estate agent. ¡°I think it¡¯s the most beautiful thing I¡¯ve ever seen,¡± AJ said. ¡°Yeah, dying and ending up here wouldn¡¯t be so bad,¡± Ugo said. ¡°I¡¯m happy to hear that,¡± Isaac said excitedly. Ugo moved up to Isaac and put his arm around him. ¡°So, Isaac,¡± he put on a sleazy look. ¡°Where¡¯re the angel girls at?¡± ¡°There¡¯re currently no residents, I¡¯m afraid.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°Not even like, I dunno, hostile angelic monster babes?¡± ¡°Why would that be better?¡± AJ asked. Before Ugo could have a chance to give an utterly bonkers explanation why, Zeke said, ¡°This is amazing.¡± ¡°How do you feel?¡± Isaac asked as he slipped away from Ugo. It was a relaxing atmosphere. Zeke¡¯s ears were blessed with a calming quiet. The temperature was neither too hot nor cold. Just right. ¡°I really do feel like I am in Heaven.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Isaac pointed at the cathedral. ¡°Our goal is to get to the bottom of that cathedral to access the garden. The Puritas Flor is there.¡± Zeke peered down the bridge they were on. He couldn¡¯t see the end; a smoky haze blurred the rest of the path. ¡°Walking down this bridge will lead us to an entrance, right?¡± ¡°I sure hope so,¡± Isaac said and then turned away. ¡°Friends! Let us start walking.¡± As Isaac walked, Zeke noticed Ugo looking down at his feet, completely dejected. AJ tapped Naomi on the shoulder and started catching up to Isaac. ¡°Come on, Naomi.¡± ¡°What about Ugo? Will he be okay?¡± Naomi asked. ¡°Ugo will never be okay. Just leave him.¡± Naomi glanced at Ugo and caught up to the two. Zeke picked up the pace and slapped Ugo across the face on the way. ¡°Mora.¡± Ugo groaned back to life and caught up to Zeke. ¡°It¡¯s like the universe is doing whatever it can to ruin my dreams, man¡­.¡± Ugo said. ¡°Dude, you¡¯re literally in Heaven and dare to have perverted thoughts? Wait, a minute...¡± Zeke stole a glance at Ugo¡¯s backpack. ¡°Did you bring anything¡­ gross¡­?¡± ¡°Ezequias!¡± Ugo shouted. ¡°How dare you¡ªno! How dare thee accuse me of something so depraved? I am not a total degenerate, okay?¡± Zeke gave Ugo a stern look. ¡°What kind of games did you bring?¡± Ugo¡¯s expression turned vacant. He remained silent for a few seconds, looked the other way, and sped up to the rest of the group. ¡°Mora, what is wrong with you?¡± Zeke shouted. Ugo turned back. ¡°I¡¯m a human with needs, man!¡± Chapter 26 - Exploratory Biopsy Zeke and his group had been walking for miles. The progress felt non-existent as the cathedral in the distance didn¡¯t pull any inches closer to them, like being trapped in a nightmare with a never-ending hallway. But there were worse places to be perpetually journeying in, like under the scorching sun and shoveling heavy hot sand with your feet¡ªlike Moses and his group did for 40 years on their way to the Promised Land, which was the story Isaac told verbatim from the Bible. Zeke felt bad for not paying attention to much of it and being more fascinated by how the others reacted. AJ definitely didn¡¯t care about not paying attention. Ugo just kept looking at Naomi back and forth, probably fantasizing about a thousand different scenarios that result in them being together, their following marriage, theme, location, and everything until the moment they die surrounded by their children, grandchildren, each of them already named in his head and with their personalities picked out. But there was also a noticeable struggle in his expression. Naomi was the only one paying full attention to Isaac. Bless her. ¡°Why don¡¯t the rest of the Tainted Generation come to help us?¡± Naomi asked. Zeke was startled, caught off guard, not realizing that Isaac¡¯s story had already ended and a new conversion was happening. One that he was interested in. ¡°Unfortunately, not everyone has their schedules cleared to tag along on an adventure like this,¡± Isaac responded. ¡°Or they are all just being assholes like Vee,¡± Ugo added. ¡°She brags about being able to survey us throughout the day and doesn¡¯t show up during a crisis like this?¡± Isaac exchanged a look with Zeke. With his dim gray eyes, he said, ¡®It¡¯s okay, I won¡¯t say anything.¡¯ ¡°Do you know the rest of the members of the Tainted Generation?¡± AJ asked Isaac. ¡°Yes, I do. A bunch of talented and passionate folk,¡± Isaac answered. ¡°I¡¯d like to meet them all,¡± Naomi said, ¡°so far, you¡¯re all so kind.¡± ¡°Well¡­ they aren¡¯t all exactly¡­ amicable, little one,¡± Isaac lamented. ¡°Especially towards your kind.¡± Naomi lowered her head. ¡°Oh¡­¡± She looked down at her hands and twiddled with her thumbs for a while. ¡°I hope angels and the Healers get along soon¡­.¡± AJ scoffs. ¡°Well, maybe you guys should do a better job.¡± Naomi looked back at her with a blank expression. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about the world, of course! How come when it comes to miracles, it¡¯s a rarity, but when it comes to downright bad luck and unfortunate events, there is a straight-up abundance.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry that you¡¯re upset,¡± Naomi said. ¡°But I am sure there is a good reason for that, or maybe the angels are doing their best with what they¡¯ve got, and they slip up sometimes¡­.¡± Losing the will to argue any further, AJ groaned and looked away. ¡°Whatever¡­¡± Even in the harmonious environment, tension brewed in the air. A troubled, suffocating silence took over. A glint shined in Isaac¡¯s eye; Zeke noticed it and prayed that he wasn¡¯t going to whip out a cheesy, never-ending sermon about friendship or something. Ugo came to the rescue and slid over to Naomi. ¡°Hey, Naomi, wanna hear about how we met AJ?¡± A chagrined look flourished on AJ¡¯s face. She stared at Ugo anxiously. ¡°It was first-grade show-and-tell¡­.¡± Ugo turned his head to AJ and gave her a smug smile. AJ¡¯s cheeks bloomed with red. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare¡­¡± she threatened in a feeble voice. ¡°¡®First grade¡¯? Is that a ranking?¡± Naomi asked. ¡°Yeah, for school,¡± Ugo responded. ¡°Show-and-tell is when kids can bring their favorite toy, book, or maybe a photo of their family to share with their class, and AJ sang a song¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah! The broccoli poem!¡± Zeke blurted. Isaac raised a brow. ¡°Broccoli poem¡­? Oh, wait, I think I remember. AJ became somewhat of a celebrity spokesperson for having other kids eat veggies for the school¡¯s Get Healthy Initiative. They made her do all kinds of events till the fourth grade.¡± ¡°Stop talking!¡± AJ shouted. ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll stop talking,¡± Ugo muttered, trying to contain his rioting laughter. While making a face, he looked at Zeke, who responded by looking back and making a ridiculous face of his own. Ugo and Zeke took in an exaggerated deep breath. ¡°I hate you guys¡­¡± AJ said. And they began to march and sing in unison. ¡°Oh, broccoli, I love you! Oh, broccoli, when times are blue! Oh, broccoli, you make me anew! Oh, broccoli, I love you!¡± Zeke marched over to Ugo¡¯s side, and the two put their arms over each other as they continued. ¡°Oh, broccoli, I love you! Oh, broccoli, make my dreams come true! Oh, broccoli, through and through! Oh, broccoli, I love you!¡± AJ sauntered to the railing. ¡°Okay, I am going to jump off this bridge now,¡± ¡°Oh, let me take away your suffering by doing it for you!¡± Isaac said. AJ looked back at a smiling Isaac, puzzled. ¡°I was joking.¡± Isaac laughed hysterically. ¡°Okay.¡± Naomi giggled. ¡°I like the song.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a classic,¡± Ugo said. ¡°You have to learn it, Naomi, then we can all drive her crazy together. Only then will you be one of us.¡± Naomi stared blankly and then took in a deep breath. She sang. ¡°Oh, broccoli, I love you! Oh, broccoli, when times are blue! Oh, broccoli, you make me anew! Oh, broccoli, I love you!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Ugo said like a proud father watching his daughter ride a bicycle without training wheels for the first time. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°I know a lot of embarrassing stuff about you, too, Ugo,¡± AJ said. Ugo stared back, undaunted. ¡°You¡¯re talking to the guy who asked the History teacher out on a date in the middle of class using a serenade from a video game. I know no fear nor shame, Avery Dotson.¡± Ugo looked at Naomi. ¡°By the way, she only said, ¡®no,¡¯ because she was married, so¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, that was the reason,¡± Zeke said. ¡°How about in Sophomore year when you lied about having a girlfriend? Those photos you posted on Friendbook,¡± AJ added. Zeke grimaced as Ugo scoffed. ¡°Please¡­¡± Ugo started. ¡°I found a mannequin, a plastic statue of a woman, alright,¡± he explained to Naomi. ¡°I took it home, cleaned it, stylized it a bit, and took photos with it. Telling everyone she was my girlfriend, so what? I¡¯m not ashamed.¡± AJ arched a brow. ¡°Is that it, Ugo¡­? Or are you still going to deny it?¡± ¡°What else is there?¡± Ugo asked. ¡°Ugo¡­¡± Zeke said. ¡°It was a mannequin¡ª¡± ¡°It was a sex doll, Ugo!¡± Zeke snapped. ¡°I know it, you know it, we all knew it.¡± ¡°There was no evidence pointing to that. It was just a mannequin.¡± ¡°You found it in the alleyway of a strip club.¡± ¡°Strip clubs have mannequins,¡± Ugo said. ¡°Ugh¡­ and what are you criticizing me about? You had a panic attack in freshman year when trying to climb a rope in PE.¡± ¡°I never went up that high before,¡± Zeke said. ¡°You were barely four feet off the ground, Zeke...¡± AJ said. ¡°It was too high for me, okay?¡± Zeke defended. ¡°I¡¯m short. Everything is high to me!¡± Naomi was hunched over, laughing uncontrollably, letting out little squeaks and cries of joy. This had the squabbling trio silence and turn their eyes to the happy sunflower blonde. As the laughter subsided, a chagrined Naomi pulled back but managed a smile that the trio returned. However, Zeke¡¯s didn¡¯t last as long. Of course, his mind didn¡¯t let him enjoy the moment in its entirety. A pang of guilt struck him in the gut, his expression darkened, and his eyes dropped to the face of the bridge. Was it okay for him to be clowning around while his mother¡¯s life was in danger? The usual suspects of harmful thoughts began to wrestle with each other in his head. Some thoughts about his audacity to laugh even though the situation was his fault, others about what he would say at his mother¡¯s funeral: ¡°I was joking around with my friends while my mother was dying!¡± Zeke banged the side of his head with a shaky fist until the thoughts¡¯ volume lowered. ¡°You okay?¡± Ugo asked. When Zeke looked back at him, he noticed that AJ and Naomi held the same expression of concern. As a counter, Zeke forced a smile and said, ¡°Oh, nothing. I was just trying to get something out of my hair.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Curly hair boy problems.¡± Knowing that he only convinced the dewy-eyed Naomi with his piss-poor attempt at assuring that everything was okay, he looked away from them and sped up. Zeke¡¯s face underwent a succession of pained expressions as he struggled with his thoughts, continuously shifting the burden of carrying the medical bag from one hand to another. Maybe, for once, he truly believed that everything would turn out to be okay. Why did that have to be a bad thing? Even if everything were in the hands of someone, he previously didn¡¯t even trust well enough to visit their home. Isaac was weird, sure, but he understood how important it is to save people, and that¡¯s all that mattered. We¡¯re doing our best. Everything we can. We¡¯re in good hands. Panic and gloom won¡¯t save her any faster. You can calm down. A cry from Isaac pulled Zeke from his sea of thoughts, and he, along with the others, halted. Isaac had his back turned to them with his arm extended to the side. Zeke looked away from Isaac and focused forward. The rest of the path was gone. The group stood on the last pieces of the bridge left from what looked like the assault of a giant monster¡¯s bite. The bridge¡¯s edges were curved and undulated, cutting off exquisite relief carvings and leaving awkward and mangled imagery. Isaac stuck one foot out into the open air and let his body drop. Ugo and AJ grabbed his collar from behind and pulled him back. ¡°Zach,¡± Ugo shouted and gave him a look. Isaac reached his hand out to his side. ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­.¡± He grasped onto Zeke and pulled him close. ¡°Watch.¡± Isaac pushed Zeke off the bridge. His friends'' horrified gasps became muffled under roaring winds that punched his eardrums. His heart dropped as he whirled, plummeting towards white nothingness. The medical bag flew out of his grip. He reached his arms out and tried to grasp onto something, but all he got was nil, and then flailed his arms and legs as he gyrated wildly, performing Olympic gymnast levels of acrobatics, executing a record-breaking number of flips in short intervals. As the world spun around him, smeared blue, white, and gray shapes overlaid his vision. He was screaming and cursing in Spanish, using the most rural exclamations he didn¡¯t even realize he remembered. At least he wasn¡¯t going to die confused. His previous hunch about Isaac was right. Up until his chance meeting with the Vicar at the church, Zeke always figured that Isaac was going to be the one to get him killed, one way or another, that, or by trying to defend Ugo in a future sexual harassment accusation. The world fixed back into place. Zeke¡¯s neck dropped and then swung back. He was still falling, but in a more controlled way now. He looked down, saw a hand on his chest, and turned his head to the side, seeing Isaac with his hair blowing upward, happily plummeting to his death alongside him. Isaac¡¯s other hand was on his back to help him maintain balance. Zeke attempted to yell over the sound of the booming winds. ¡°Why did you kill me, man!¡± Isaac screamed back. ¡°We¡¯re not falling, Hezekiah! We¡¯re flying!¡± Zeke¡¯s expression contorted with confusion. So this is how I die, huh? Isaac slowly removed his hands from Zeke¡¯s body and floated a few feet away. He turned around with his back facing the heavenly emptiness below, crossed his legs, and put his interlocked hands behind his head, falling in a hammock position. Zeke did his best to control his breathing, dealing with the violent winds pushing into his face and invading his nostrils, but the air was fresh and warm, feeling good inside his body. He looked to his side, and the cathedral was there ¡ª window after window, relief carving after relief carving, feature after feature shot upwards past Zeke¡¯s line of vision as he descended. Zeke looked down and immediately regretted it. His heart jumped back into place and started beating like a firing machine gun¡ªnothing but more light skies and puffy clouds. The bottom of the cathedral was nowhere to be seen. Woohoos and Yeahhhhs came from above. Zeke peered up, having trouble with the winds forcing his eyelids to move away from his eyeballs, blinding him for a bit. Ugo, AJ, and Naomi descended in an arched skydiving position ¡ª their bellies pointing downwards and their arms and legs spread. They positioned themselves around Zeke. ¡°So, you guys jumped, too. Why?¡± Zeke yelled. They could only communicate by screaming as loud as they could. ¡°Zeke, it¡¯s alright,¡± AJ yelled while clenching her glasses in one hand. ¡°You can¡¯t see them, but there are angelic sigils in this open space,¡± Naomi clarified. ¡°It permits flight to any creature.¡± Zeke furrowed his brows. What Naomi seemed to know and not know was getting equally infuriating and confusing. Then, he noticed his medical bag in Ugo¡¯s hand. Isaac swam to the group and joined the formation around Zeke. ¡°In a specified area within the boundaries of these sigils, you may fly. You need to train your eyes to be able to see them.¡± Isaac stretched out his hand, crossed his fingers, and then released. A myriad of golden, glowing sigils appeared across the sky in the distance. Forming a wall of mystic symbols. ¡°If you fly outside the confines of these symbols, you¡¯ll truly plummet to your death.¡± Isaac drifted away from the group and slowly toward the wall of symbols. ¡°Zach¡­?¡± Ugo muttered. ¡°Somebody better stop me¡­.¡± Isaac chirped as he stared at them. AJ grabbed Isaac by the ankle and pulled him back. ¡°Oh, wonderful, you saved me, Avery,¡± Isaac said. ¡°You¡¯re a real piece of work, Isaac,¡± AJ said. ¡°So¡­ we¡¯re not going to die?¡± Zeke asked. ¡°No,¡± Isaac pointed below to their left ¡ª their southwest. ¡°That¡¯s where we need to go.¡± Zeke and the others looked in the same direction, and there was a bridge connected to a giant door of the cathedral. ¡°Let¡¯s race to it,¡± Naomi screamed, and then, in a quick burst, she soared toward it, positioning her body forward to fly faster. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re on,¡± AJ said. She steered in Naomi¡¯s direction and jetted after her. ¡°The loser has to kiss the winner!¡± Ugo blasted off. Zeke watched, puzzled. How the hell did they get a hold of it so quickly? Isaac wrapped his arms around Zeke aggressively from behind. His lips touched the rim of his ear. ¡°You need to stop thinking so much, Hezekiah,¡± Isaac whispered into his ears. Zeke retreated to his happy place. Uncomfortable wasn¡¯t even the start of what he was feeling. Isaac released a subtle breath into his ear and then spoke. ¡°Her soul does not have purity, but it does not not have purity either.¡± ¡°What,¡± Zeke yelled out without willing to turn around to prevent a rather unfortunate accident from happening. ¡°Sorry, I explained it badly. I mean, um, her soul doesn¡¯t register any levels of purity or impurity.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Isaac said. ¡°Violet was right. Naomi isn¡¯t an angel. I don¡¯t know what she is. I¡¯ve never seen an anomaly like this before. She may be the first of her kind and extremely dangerous.¡± Chapter 27 - Error Zeke and Isaac were the last to land on the bridge. As for the others, Ugo and Naomi examined the giant arched door and moved their hands across its carved surface while AJ stood focused on her glasses as she cleaned them. Looking away from them, Zeke spotted his medical bag near the railing and walked over to it. He peered downward¡ªa floor of angelic sigils was just a few feet below. ¡°I guess there was no way to continue flying down.¡± He grabbed his bag and walked back to Isaac. ¡°Are we still far from the garden?¡± Isaac gave out a laugh. ¡°We¡¯ll see¡­¡± ¡°Also,¡± Zeke said and put his hand over his chest. ¡°Even though our purity levels have been raised... I don¡¯t feel all that different.¡± ¡°Usually, it¡¯s not noticeable for normal people unless you reach close to zero or one hundred percent, but I can assure you that your soul is radiating at new levels of purity as of now,¡± Isaac said. ¡°When you start using magic more frequently, you¡¯ll notice.¡± Seconds later, the bridge quaked as the massive doors creaked open. Everybody wobbled on their feet. ¡°We got the door to open,¡± Naomi announced with a small hop. The trembling abated, and a new path was revealed. AJ held her glasses up to the light momentarily and then put them on. ¡°Let¡¯s move.¡± Zeke and his group walked up to the door, entered, and stood on the top step of a wide spiral staircase with no end in sight. Small round windows dotted the walls and descended along with the stairs, allowing white light to brighten their singular path. Isaac plopped onto the next giant step and turned back, cueing them with a mile-wide smile. They started moving. Just getting to the end of the staircase felt longer than getting to the end of the broken bridge, but nobody was showing discomfort or tedium. Ugo explained the intricacies of role-playing video games to Naomi ¡ª party members and their roles, strategies to take down bosses, and the importance of hoarding special one-use items. The ultimate gamer dilemma was saving the most potent consumables just in case you really need them for a future boss but never using them because they¡¯re too rare ¡ª a classic catch-22. Naomi seemed to be way too intrigued. AJ was moving down the steps rhythmically and counting under her breath, exerting herself even further than necessary. She was using it as a workout. Zeke could never. Just flying on its own was enough exercise for his entire week. Isaac was staring forward, lost in thought. What kind of thoughts could be going through that special mind of his? Zeke studied him. A voice disrupted his concentration. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s stopping Nananiel from just cursing our Mom again after we cure her?¡± Ugo asked Isaac. Isaac sprang back into a lucid state and turned to focus on Ugo. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a good question,¡± he said. ¡°There¡¯s a fundamental fact about curses. Affecting someone with the same curse the second time is not very effective. In fact, the effectiveness is slim to none.¡± ¡°Why? Because of antibodies or something?¡± Zeke said and then chuckled. ¡°Oh, yes, that¡¯s a suitable term,¡± Isaac said. ¡°Antibodies for the soul.¡± Zeke gave Isaac a glazed look. ¡°How can you say that with a straight face¡­?¡± ¡°After surviving a curse, the individual gains greater resistance to it, no matter their affinity to Mana or even purity levels,¡± Isaac explained. ¡°It¡¯s similar to demon possession. After surviving a possession with the help of a well-done exorcism, their immunity grows, but only if they regulate their purity levels and don¡¯t let it plummet.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that a person can¡¯t be possessed by the same demon twice?¡± AJ asked. ¡°A demon rarely goes to possess a human they already did in the past because of the resistances they¡¯ve developed. This is even more true for Minor Demons. Surviving an attack from them can grant you resistance to an entire species,¡± Isaac rambled. ¡°Maintaining optimal purity levels and supplements, wards, and sigils can prevent demon attacks on their own.¡± Round and round they went as they continued to descend¡­ AJ added arm stretches to her exercise, and Ugo moved on to telling Naomi about superheroes in comic books. Zeke worried about all the useless information he was filling her head with. She really just looked like a teenage girl to Zeke, childish and harmless then, he thought back to her first night in the hospital. There was a point when she spoke to them maturely and had an austere air around her. What was that about? Isaac confirmed Violet¡¯s theory about her being something otherworldly, even more otherworldly than an angel, not that he needed his confirmation anyway. A voice disrupted his thinking again¡ªa scratchy voice. ¡°Zeke, with all that thinking you do, I find it hard to believe that you still haven¡¯t heard the voice of your Healer¡¯s Garb,¡± Isaac said. ¡°Maybe, since it¡¯s all cluttered, that¡¯s why he can¡¯t hear it,¡± Ugo said. ¡°And with your mind being cluttered with disgusting things,¡± AJ said to Ugo, ¡°neither of you may have the chance of ever hearing it.¡± ¡°Perhaps they haven¡¯t faced a challenge perilous enough yet,¡± Isaac said. His smile twisted a bit, and it made Zeke nervous. ¡°Dude, we survived a demon and an angel attack!¡± Ugo barked. ¡°Minor Demon,¡± Zeke corrected. ¡°Still a freaking demon!¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you teach them how to use it, Isaac?¡± Naomi asked innocently. ¡°No, that¡¯s something they need to hear on their own,¡± Isaac said. ¡°Why do I feel like you already know the names of their Healer Garb¡¯s?¡± AJ muttered while eyeing Isaac. ¡°Because I do,¡± Isaac said, ¡°but they must learn to listen on their own.¡± Ugo groaned loudly. Naomi patted him on the back. ¡°You¡¯ll get it.¡± Round and round they went as they continued to descend¡­
Human bars were another source of entertainment for Nananiel. They had a sporadic nature to them. One night could follow a monotonous routine, while another could feature a harrowing spectacle of hectic group fights, human females tossing beverages into the faces of eager males, and others in drunken stupors making a fool of themselves. Some nights, he would sit at the counter for hours and overhear stories that reminded him of the telenovelas he would never admit to any angel he liked to watch occasionally. He sat alone at a table with a cup of water in his hand while several despondent humans chugging beers and wolfing down greasy, calorie-ridden food sat nearby. It was another boring night at Heath¡¯s Sports Bar. The TV played a late-night talk show, making the lounging even more tedious. Someone occupied a seat on the other side of the table. ¡°Sorry, I like to be alone¡­.¡± Nananiel trailed off, glancing at the woman, and then did a double-take. The scorching angelic aura was undeniable. The legendary Power Chief had escaped from Limbo. ¡°Irin, when did you¡ª?¡± ¡°Just now.¡± Irin was clad in her usual crimson-red suit; however, holes were burning through the fabric and continuously multiplied. Her singed hair was expelling embers, and her face was covered in soot and cracks. A red glow glared from between the cracks. She was moments away from exploding out of her Container. ¡°Irin, you got out!¡± Nananiel said, holding back the urge to pop out of his seat. He paused to recollect himself and asked, ¡°Did any other angel get out with you?¡± ¡°I escaped on my own,¡± Irin said. Her voice sounded spectral with an undertone of fiery crackles, accentuating her struggle to stay connected to the Human Realm in her damaged Container. ¡°I couldn¡¯t find any other angel in Limbo. Were you able to?¡± ¡°No, I got out on my own.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a possibility that some will never return.¡± ¡°No....¡± ¡°The spell those heathens used. I¡¯ve heard rumors that angel souls can be used to reverse Griffin¡¯s Seal. Didn¡¯t think it to be true.¡± Nananiel shivered, and it wasn¡¯t because of the weather or his faulty Container. ¡°So, the only Major Angels in effect right now on this Realm are you and me. Scary thought.¡± ¡°Because of your negligence, Nananiel.¡± How long had it been? Thirty seconds and already, she was criticizing his leadership skills, but there was nothing she could say to him that he hadn¡¯t chastised himself for already. Irin folded her arms and scowled at Nananiel, heat simmering behind her eyes, literally. ¡°To me, it doesn¡¯t look like you seem all that worried, nor have you been doing much. Here, you are enthroned inside of this modern tavern. Unsightly of a Dominion, let alone a Dominion Chief.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been working nonstop since I¡¯ve escaped. I would¡¯ve searched Limbo, but that¡¯s impossible, so I had to focus on retrieving Naomi. Now, I am waiting for my scheme to succeed.¡± He said, knowing well that even if entry to Limbo wasn¡¯t nigh-impossible, he wouldn¡¯t go. His memories of his time in the Realm were foggy and seemed like a lifetime ago. Yet, the dreadful sensation he would get from daring to reminisce was paralyzing. ¡°What does that mean?¡± Irin¡¯s scowl didn¡¯t go away; it blazed up. Nananiel was convinced the look could set his soul on fire if he stared back at it long enough. So, he pulled his focus onto his cup as he explained. ¡°Naomi has fallen into the hands of two members of the Tainted Generation. They¡¯re keeping her in a Sub-Realm with powerful warding, but here¡¯s the interesting bit: they don¡¯t know how to use magic properly¡ª¡± This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°Yet,¡± said Irin, unfolding her arms and placing her hands on the table. Nananiel stared at them. Cracks were across the darkening skin, just like her face. The river of magma glowing from between the crevices was somewhat mesmerizing to watch. ¡°I planted a multitude of Euphorouses into the mother of one of them. I am not proud of it, but I had to.¡± Irin¡¯s ring finger broke off with a small burst. ¡°That¡¯s your strategy for retrieving Naomi?¡± She said with her spectral voice gaining more vigor, more fire. Magma began to leak out from her finger¡¯s stump and burned a hole right through the table, just like the ones on her jacket and shirt. ¡°His name is Ezequias Rosario, and he doesn¡¯t know much. While in a state of panic and confusion, he¡¯ll let the child out and beg me to lift the curse.¡± ¡°Did it ever occur to you that he could just request the help of other members of the Tainted Generation?¡± Nananiel went silent. Realizing his blunder, he attempted to salvage himself. ¡°They¡¯re not always on the same terms¡­.¡± Irin slammed her fists onto the table, pints of magma scattered in the air. ¡°How can you be this incompetent!¡± Nananiel hissed as the droplets of holy magma touched his face. He pulled back, thinking back to the powerful witch he fought against, Violet Balles, the Neurologist. She was definitely on their side. But, no, the curse was a complicated one to deal with! Yeah, he could say that! ¡°They won¡¯t find the cure in time¡­¡± Irin smirked, but it was spiteful, mocking his foolish decisions. ¡°War was all that you saw of the Tainted Generation, but you weren¡¯t directly involved in the smaller-scale conflicts we had with several iterations of those devils. They are smart, Nananiel. Resourceful, powerful, and blessed with the most terrifying human trait of them all... determination.¡± ¡°This will work.¡± ¡°You understand nothing about the Tainted Generation,¡± Irin said, shaking her head. ¡°Underestimating them will lead to your death. What does the First Sphere think of this?¡± The First Sphere. The ones powerful enough to resolve all of this but chose not to. The ones who appointed him as Dominion just a little before Sister Paschar reported the birth of the Fourteenth Tainted Generation. The ones who let him take Naomi out of the cage. Nananiel understood it was misguided to think so, but it felt that this whole mess was their fault somehow, or was he using it as a scapegoat for his failures? ¡°They have given me an ultimatum¡­.¡± Nananiel started. ¡°Locate Naomi and fix the Seal. Elgorizel won¡¯t even tell me how much time I have left.¡± Cinders burst out of Irin¡¯s face as she chortled. ¡°Wonderful.¡± Nananiel ignored the caustic comment. ¡°How am I supposed to fix the Seals if the soul of the man who set it up in the first place is nowhere to be found?¡± Nananiel shifted in his seat. ¡°He could be hiding in a Sub-Realm of Heaven, but I¡¯ve been banished from all Holy Realms. I can¡¯t even search there.¡± Nananiel looked back at Irin and expected to find some hint of pity on her burning face, but no, she was just overjoyed. ¡°I always ponder upon the stories about your involvement in the Great War. Your victory over Skaggsy.¡± Irin said with a wolfish grin. It was bait. The Thirteenth Damned was practically dead. But Nananiel couldn¡¯t tell Irin that. He couldn¡¯t tell any being that. A saying that humans had popped into his head. It went, ¡°If you have nothing good to say, say nothing at all.¡± Nananiel used the advice and took a sip from his cup. Irin scoffed and got up. Half her nose broke off and shattered on the burned tabletop. ¡°I am going to request an audience with the First Sphere and nominate myself to be your named successor.¡± Nananiel glanced at the pieces of her nose spread across the tabletop. ¡°Or we could just work together to resolve this, Irin.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of your antics, Nananiel. This Realm warrants a formidable Dominion Chief entity.¡± ¡°What do you know about management, Irin? Death and destruction are all you know.¡± Irin glanced at Nananiel and made a soft grunt. ¡°I have a project in development. Once I present the idea to the First Sphere authorities, they¡¯ll consider my nomination.¡± ¡°Let me guess, it has something to do with warfare,¡± Nananiel mocked. ¡°I hope they don¡¯t exile you and, instead, demote you to a regular Dominion.¡± Irin bared her teeth, and her eyes glowed a flaming red. ¡°Then, with me being able to command you directly, I can have some real fun with you, Nananiel.¡± Nananiel gulped but maintained a stern look. ¡°My plan will work,¡± he said with a fickle of confidence. ¡°You should be resting. I can sense your Container¡¯s instability.¡± ¡°After I speak to the First Sphere, I am going to work on my own to find the abominable child,¡± Irin declared. ¡°You can continue your frivolous schemes on your own.¡± Irin went for the exit. Nananiel fixated on the cup. He worked for centuries for the position he had not earned but got, and now he longed for the days of being a regular angel. Perhaps a demotion wouldn¡¯t be that bad, but was the First Sphere really going to let him off with just that? The penance had to be more painful than a status decrease. Nananiel fantasized about what happened in tonight¡¯s Hospital General de Anita episode and wondered if any of his fan theories came true. He hummed the infectious theme song to himself.
The group reached the end of the staircase. A wide, colorless, polished hall greeted them. Zeke looked up at the ribbed vaults and then the rest of the ornate decorations that covered almost every surface. The large stained glass windows filtered the invading white light, making it a sharp gray. Isaac pointed forward with the assertiveness of a sea captain. ¡°Just a little more, friends!¡± They all started moving. Sets of columns lined down the path they trekked through. Naomi bounced over to Isaac. She stared up at him, wide-eyed, ¡°Isaac, what do you think about angels?¡± The air grew heavy as Isaac held her eager stare without saying a word. His expression became eerily wooden. After walking for about twenty seconds, he said, ¡°I have nothing against them, but I do believe they may be incompetent, and that¡¯s okay. I understand. It¡¯s a difficult job.¡± ¡°Even the religious nut thinks so!¡± AJ cheered. ¡°I did not expect an answer like that,¡± Ugo said, ¡°well, do you think you can do a better job, Zach?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Isaac raised his arm and looked at the cross hanging off his rosary bead bracelet. ¡°Well, Vee was right about them being scummy. I¡¯ll tell you that,¡± Zeke said. Isaac shot a look at Zeke and smiled. ¡°Do you think she is in the right to hurt them indiscriminately?¡± Zeke¡¯s brows pinched together as he focused on Isaac. ¡°I know Violet is the Angel-Killer,¡± Isaac said. ¡°She tortures them for a while before ending their lives. All in the name of humanity, she says. Isn¡¯t our generation filled with the most colorful and intriguing people? We are so blessed.¡± ¡°How did you know that¡ª?¡± ¡°I follow all the updates going on in Heaven, Hezekiah,¡± Isaac said. ¡°I¡¯ve seen Violet¡¯s magic first-hand. With the state those angels¡¯ Containers were left in, it isn¡¯t wild to make that assumption. And then there¡¯s the fact she admitted it to me when I confronted her.¡± Naomi looked over at AJ for clarification. ¡°Your friend is the Angel-Killer? I¡¯ve heard terrible stories about the Angel-Killer. Unbelievable scary magic.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Isaac agreed. ¡°Spells she inherited from her Garb that she augmented and modified herself to hurt angels exclusively. It makes it more fascinating that Hezekiah survived an attack from her and got out unscathed.¡± Zeke flinched and glared at Isaac. Damn you, Isaac. Ugo stepped in front of everybody, turned to them, and yelled, ¡°Whoa, wait!¡± They all halted, and all eyes fell on Zeke. ¡°Vee attacked you?¡± Ugo asked. Zeke looked down at the stone floor and didn¡¯t answer. ¡°And you didn¡¯t tell us.¡± Ugo shrugged and scoffed. ¡°I get it. You said nothing because you were afraid of what we would say. You didn¡¯t want to hear the truth.¡± A white-hot rage surged deep within Zeke¡¯s chest. He raised his head. ¡°And that would be?¡± ¡°Vee isn¡¯t exactly on our side,¡± Ugo said. ¡°Face it, she¡¯s the villain.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying,¡± Zeke hissed. ¡°She¡¯s torturing and killing angels. She isn¡¯t showing up to help us save M¨¢, and she attacked you!¡± Ugo said. ¡°You¡¯re blind to Vee¡¯s antics. You always have been!¡± And there it was. The anger was so great he had no idea how to express it other than smirking like a lucky bastard who won the lottery for the second time. Ugo wasn¡¯t just pushing buttons but smashing them with a baseball bat. It was only fair that he returned the favor. Zeke took one step toward his brother. ¡°Oh, wow.¡± He stabbed Ugo¡¯s chest with his finger as he said: ¡°You are accusing me of being blind when it comes to women? That¡¯s hilarious!¡± ¡°You put Vee on a pedestal, Mano,¡± Ugo said softly. Why was he speaking like that? As if he had the higher ground. Zeke pulled his finger back. ¡°And you put every girl you¡¯ve ever met on a pedestal!¡± he said. ¡°Last year, you went to a concert of a band whom you don¡¯t even listen to just to meet girls, and you had one conversation with a girl that lasted like, what, five seconds¡ª?¡± ¡°You weren¡¯t there!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to be there to know it only lasted five seconds!¡± Zeke began to rant at rapid fire. ¡°The next day, you tried to get a belly button piercing from some random guy you found online and ended up with an infection! And at the end of it all, what happened? Oh, yeah! The number she gave you was fake! A Chinese restaurant¡¯s number!¡± He dropped his medical bag, pointed up at Ugo, and enunciated slowly with pure disdain, ¡°You¡¯re just jealous that Violet actually likes me, and I had a real chance with her, unlike you with every girl you claimed to be your soulmate.¡± ¡°Zeke!¡± AJ said. Ugo raised a hand. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡± He folded his arms and chuckled while shaking his head. ¡°He is always like this when someone talks about Vee in a negative light, no scratch that, any mention of Vee gets him riled up. It¡¯s always Violet with you.¡± ¡°Okay, I like her, so what? Do you have something against that?¡± Ugo¡¯s face contorted. ¡°Violet attacked you! Do I really need to say it again? It¡¯s pissing me off that you¡¯re not pissed off!¡± ¡°Stop arguing, please!¡± Naomi urged. ¡°Stay out of this!¡± Zeke and Ugo barked. Naomi shrunk back. ¡°Knowing how smart Vee is and the fact she is so well-versed in this crazy world of magic and monsters. I bet she knows the cure,¡± Ugo said. ¡°Oh, she does,¡± Isaac said. ¡°Terrific!¡± Ugo jeered and stayed away for a bit. ¡°I¡¯m curious, Mano.¡± He turned back to Zeke. Do you believe there is a good reason she isn¡¯t here to help us now? A good reason why she attacked you?¡± Zeke closed his fists and looked right into Ugo¡¯s stupid brown eyes. ¡°She can¡¯t just give me the answer to everything,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m weak, and it¡¯s helping me grow.¡± Ugo stared blankly at Zeke for almost half a minute. ¡°Man, for someone so smart, you¡¯re really stupid.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just jealous she¡¯s looking out for me,¡± Zeke said, getting closer to his brother. Ugo pushed him on the shoulder. ¡°Would you stop with that nonsense?¡± ¡°Ugo!¡± AJ said, ready to engage, but was pulled back by Isaac. ¡°Let them resolve this, Avery,¡± Isaac said. Zeke stopped, glanced at his shoulder, and then squinted at Ugo. ¡°Yeah, I guess it¡¯s a bit presumptuous of me to believe that you could be jealous of me with your perfect memory and everything.¡± Zeke noticed Ugo¡¯s expression crease in confusion but paid no mind to it and continued, ¡°Here I am, wasting hours of my life studying and practicing constantly, and sometimes I don¡¯t even get the highest grades in my class while you can ace anything without effort and yet, you choose not to!¡± Ugo stepped back, fuming now and about to throw a fit. ¡°Okay, I was wrong! It¡¯s not just Violet. You put everybody on this pedestal! What is wrong with you? Do you really think everybody is better than you? Get your head out of your ass, Mano.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to work hard for anything. In fact, you choose not to, and you¡¯ll be perfectly well off, I bet.¡± ¡°Do you think I enjoy having a perfect memory? Hyperthymesia is considered a condition for a reason, you asshole!¡± Ugo said. His eyes flashed, and he trembled and slurred as he went on, ¡°I can¡¯t forget anything about my mom. Do you remember how my mom died? She was sick and stuck in the hospital for months! I remember every trip my dad and I took to the hospital and seeing life fade away from her eyes slowly day after day, and you know what finally killed her in the end? A freakin¡¯ medical error! Because some moron made a misdiagnosis and was adamant it was right, he sent her straight into life-support, and we pulled the plug! I remember every detail of that doctor¡¯s face! His voice, his mannerisms, the way he enunciated certain words, and the weird things he did with his pen when he explained the procedure to my parents! The procedure that got her killed! Every detail of that day down to the goddamn temperature. I remember it all! Do you have any idea how hard it is to forgive someone when you literally can¡¯t forget anything? I wish I could forget! I wish! But I can¡¯t!¡± ¡°Ugo¡­¡± Naomi said. ¡°And then my dad marries your mom, and I learn you want to be a doctor. Do you know how hard it was for me to bury my feelings and root for you, anyway? Stop assuming that everybody is so happy and fulfilled and blessed.¡± Ugo took another step and tried to catch his breath. Zeke paused. He still had something to say. ¡°I¡¯m still right about Violet, though. I know you liked her too¡­.¡± Ugo grabbed onto his collar and slammed him back into a column. Gasps filled the air as he nearly lifted him off the floor. ¡°That¡¯s not what¡¯s important here¡ª!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not an angel!¡± Naomi said. Silence took over, and they turned their heads to Naomi at once. Chapter 28 - Mayday ¡°I am not an angel,¡± Naomi repeated. Ugo let go of Zeke, but neither took their eyes off Naomi. Naomi allowed her discomfort and fear to show as she held the frozen, bewildered stares. The agonizing silence prompted Naomi to continue speaking. ¡°I am an offspring¡­ of an angel¡­ and a demon.¡± Zeke¡¯s eyes popped out as his face turned ghostly white; he looked at the others and found the same expressions. Except for Isaac, he was just staring blankly. ¡°At the end of the Great War of the Thirteenth. Over two hundred years ago. A demon, who was known as the most feared and considered to be the King of the Netherworld, and an angel, a Seraph who was known as the most virtuous of them all and now the greatest traitor and was purportedly going to be the next Overseer of the Universe. They committed the most heinous act in the history of the universe and mated¡­ to make me.¡± The silence returned and lingered in the air. It felt as if the Sub-Realm itself froze in time along with them. Zeke¡¯s mind was blank. No disarray of jumbled thoughts to choose from. All he could do was continue to gape at a dejected Naomi. Ugo broke the silence by brushing his hair back and started off with a stammer. ¡°S-S-So¡­ you¡¯re a crossbred of an angel and a demon?¡± He scanned the others, looking for an answer. ¡°What is that even called?¡± ¡°I do not know if there is an official name for what I am. All I have ever been called is an ¡®abomination¡¯ by other angels¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s awful,¡± AJ croaked. She put her hand over her chest, and a woeful expression settled on her face. ¡°What they did, and my.... um¡­ birth resulted in the deaths of both of my progenitors. The angels stole me¡ªno, sorry¡ªsaved me from the demons and locked me in a cage at the highest layer of Heaven, Primum Paraiso, on the mountaintop of Maliel,¡± Naomi explained despondently. ¡°I am the only one of my kind.¡± ¡°Marvelous!¡± Isaac said, bubbling with enthusiasm. He rushed up to Naomi and cupped her face in his hands. Lasering his wide gaze right into her. ¡°You are a medical marvel¡­¡± he said, choking on his words because of the excitement. AJ gripped his arm and fished him away from Naomi. ¡°You¡¯re scaring her.¡± Isaac whipped to AJ and blared, ¡°Do you understand how big of a discovery this is?¡± He waved a fist at her. ¡°You couldn¡¯t! You¡¯re not one of the Tainted Generation. This doesn¡¯t mean much to you, but let me explain.¡± Isaac pointed at Naomi. ¡°Her existence shouldn¡¯t be possible! Healers, for centuries, have tried to make one. Countless experiments and theses were written on the possibilities of a demon and angel union!¡± He slowly crept up to Naomi, saying, ¡°Now I understand the urgency. You may be the most valuable creature in all the Realms.¡± Naomi fled and retreated behind AJ. AJ fired a glare at Isaac. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Isaac stared at them vacantly and then laughed until he started coughing. He rubbed his throat. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I got carried away, but it truly is an amazing thing to hear,¡± Isaac said. He turned to Zeke. ¡°Hezekiah! You¡¯ve been awfully quiet. Despite your inexperience in this field, you understand the significance of this revelation, right?¡± Zeke stared back in silence and then looked over at Naomi. ¡°So, that was the cage you were referring to¡­¡± Naomi nodded slowly. She rested her hands on AJ¡¯s back. ¡°My existence is dangerous. The revelation of my identity is extremely precarious to the safety of the Realms.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Ugo asked. ¡°I mean, you don¡¯t seem to be interested in hurting people and taking over the world and whatnot.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± Naomi said. ¡°But just existing could cause problems. Angels, purebred demons, and humans who have become demons, which are called ¡®Beta Demons,¡¯ have a strong spiritual connection to humans. Mana affinity or not, humans can directly influence their power. The more humans that believe in an angel or demon, the more powerful they become. Just the mere thought grants them power, and uttering their names out loud gives them a surge of energy. Shrines and worship are very integral. Since most humans resort to darker resources to help with their endeavors. It¡¯s why there are so many powerful demons out there.¡± Naomi took a short beat. ¡°At least, that is how it was in the past. Angels worked hard to lessen the spread of demon names being uttered by humans. That¡¯s why the angels did their best to conceal my identity and eliminate every demon that knew my name. My real name.¡± Naomi paused and then gulped. ¡°The way for humans to pronounce it would be ¡®Catielleneth.¡¯¡± AJ turned her head back to look down at Naomi. ¡°So, that¡¯s why you didn¡¯t want us to exorcize you. It might have killed you.¡± ¡°At most, it would¡¯ve just caused pain,¡± Isaac said casually. ¡°When it comes to Major Demons, exorcisms can¡¯t really kill them, only send them to the Netherworld, from which they can just come back. With the Seals now broken, it¡¯s just a minor inconvenience. And with your levels of Mana, I doubt you would have been able to manage even that much.¡± Isaac turned to Naomi. ¡°However, would an exorcism really send you to the Netherworld?¡± Naomi gave a whimper and looked around for help. ¡°Zach,¡± Ugo said. ¡°Can you just stop being... you, for a moment?¡± The devout raised his hands while making a face and stepped back. ¡°Why are you telling us this?¡± Zeke asked. ¡°I just wanted you guys to stop fighting and focus on something else.¡± Naomi grabbed her arm, and her eyes darted to the floor. ¡°And maybe it was also because of the panging guilt. I am the cause of much trouble, so I didn¡¯t want to be the reason for your friendship ending as well. I thought it would be fair for you guys to understand what is happening.¡± ¡°Naomi¡­¡± Ugo started. He glanced at Zeke. ¡°Look, we¡¯re brothers, okay? Brothers fight and say dumb stuff to each other, but it isn¡¯t long-lasting or anything.¡± He took another glance at Zeke. ¡°Sure, it may take a while to get over it entirely, but when you live with that person, it¡¯s kinda hard to hold a grudge. Frowning from breakfast till dinner is exhausting.¡± AJ turned back to Naomi. ¡°Yeah, the three of us have fought a couple of times in the past, too. I broke Ugo¡¯s nose once or twice¡­ okay, it was definitely over three times, and I will probably do it again many more times in the future.¡± Ugo forced a chuckle and smiled at Naomi. Zeke could tell he was faking it for her sake. He could feel the infuriated nimbus pouring out of him. Maybe he should thank Naomi for stopping the fight before things got really physical, and having two out-of-shape nerds fight was just as unsettling to watch as it sounded. Zeke lowered to grab his medical bag. Faint whispers were produced from a distance. Zeke halted midway. ¡°Do you guys hear that?¡± The whispers grew louder and more articulate. Hums, howls, and mumbles were added to the susurrus. The group stayed alert and scanned their surroundings. A swarm of white shrouds ascended from the stone flooring, filling the room with incomprehensible rambling in their ghostly, fluctuating voices. They were human-shaped and had giant eyeballs where their heads should be, fluttering in the air weightlessly like butterflies. ¡°What the¡­¡± Ugo glanced at each person in the group. ¡°Heaven?¡± ¡°Boo!¡± AJ rejected. ¡°Oh, come on, that was pretty good!¡± The Shrouds, over twenty of them, danced around the group. ¡°What are they?¡± Zeke asked. ¡°Holy spirits,¡± Isaac said calmly. ¡°Must¡¯ve originated from destroyed objects or something, I dunno.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Objects have souls, too, Hezekiah. Well, not all of them, but¡ª¡± ¡°Can they hurt us?¡± Ugo asked. A Shroud fired a white beam of light from its eyeball at Ugo, and he flew across the hall. ¡°Ugo!¡± Zeke said, turning back. Ugo landed on his shoulder and rolled onto his back. ¡°Yeah, they can hurt us. I lost a lot of HP!¡± Naomi pointed up and hissed, ¡°You¡¯ll pay for that!¡± The glint in her eye was menacing. Excitement overclouded fear as Zeke anticipated what crazy demonic-angelic abilities Naomi would show. She dashed with grace and power as she raised a fist. A Shroud floating near the floor was her target. ¡°You¡¯re mine,¡± she said with a smirk playing on her lips. Naomi threw a punch way too early, hitting nothing, tripped, and then fell on her face, skidding across the stone floor. Zeke, Isaac, AJ, and even the Shrouds stopped and stared in silence. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Well, that was disappointing. A cloud of Shrouds huddled around Naomi and lifted her off the floor. She cried in panic. ¡°Zeke, I need a boost!¡± AJ said, hitting the back of his shoulder. ¡°What?¡± Zeke said, fearing the worst. The Shrouds ascended higher with Naomi. ¡°You know what I mean! Do it now. Please.¡± AJ sprinted toward him. Zeke groaned and squatted. He held his hands together with the palm facing up. Without breaking her momentum, AJ stepped onto his palms with one foot, then his shoulder with her other foot, and then launched off the top of his head. She pierced through the Shrouds, fetching Naomi from their clutches and coddling her in her arms. They hit the floor and tumbled across. Zeke and Isaac ran to them. ¡°What an excellent showcase of acrobatics, Avery,¡± Isaac said. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you joined any of the sports teams yet?¡± AJ got up and raised her fists, carefully watching the Shrouds fly around. ¡°I get nervous. This seems less scary!¡± ¡°This is less scary than an audience to you?¡± Zeke yelled. ¡°Yes!¡± Naomi stood up and hid behind AJ. Isaac looked at Naomi. ¡°So, little one, you¡¯ve got no experience in fighting, do you?¡± Naomi smiled nervously and shook her head. ¡°Potentially the universe¡¯s most powerful being, and she can¡¯t fight,¡± Isaac said. AJ threw punches and kicks to Shrouds gliding by. Her attacks phased through them. ¡°Physical attacks are ineffective. Only magic can hurt them.¡± Isaac plucked a round glass bottle filled with blue liquid from his backpack and rolled it over to Ugo. ¡°Drink it. It¡¯s for Mana.¡± He shouted to him. Isaac took out another bottle of the same kind and handed it to Zeke. Another group of bumbling Shrouds grabbed hold of Isaac and flew away with him. Isaac laughed hysterically as he was dragged away. ¡°Somebody better save me!¡± No word came from AJ, just action. She broke into a sprint, raced after the Shrouds, beating their speed, and lunged forward. She wrapped her arms around Isaac and fell out of the Shrouds¡¯ clutches with him. Zeke stared in awe. AJ was amazing. ¡°Mano, now is not the time to space out,¡± Ugo yelled. The callout had Zeke turn back to Ugo. His brother pulled the cork from the bottle and then guzzled it to its last drop. Ugo cringed. ¡°Ugh, it tastes like old effervescent vitamin medicine,¡± he whined. Zeke looked down at the bottle in his hand. It¡¯s now or never. He pulled out the cork and drank it all in one go. He winced and squirmed. Ugo was right. It tasted like a carbon tablet dissolved in unfiltered water and left out in the sun for days. He waited for the surge of clarity, energy, or something, but all he could focus on was the acrid taste lingering on his tongue. Multiple Shrouds appeared in front of Zeke. His eyes darted instinctively to a cowering Naomi, and he grabbed her arm. The Shrouds shot their beams, and Zeke leaped out of the way with her just in time. The rays obliterated the column behind them. Detritus sprayed into the air. Zeke grabbed his bag and ran to Ugo with Naomi. ¡°Feel anything?¡± Ugo asked Zeke. Zeke shook his head. The group was complete once again as AJ and Isaac joined them. ¡°Did you guys drink all of it?¡± Isaac asked. Like children showing they finished their meals, Zeke and Ugo raised their empty bottles and nodded. ¡°Good, now, use magic.¡± They all turned to face the swarming ghostly entities, standing back to back. ¡°Give us a hint on how to use it, Zach,¡± Ugo said. ¡°For people like us, it¡¯s easy. You don¡¯t even need to say the spell out loud. Just focus and think. Your third eye will reveal everything to you!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have magic, Isaac?¡± AJ asked. Isaac laughed. ¡°Yes, I do, but my White Magic Spells are useless against these monsters. I am not good with Black Magic.¡± ¡°Oh, no¡­¡± Naomi cried. ¡°It¡¯s up to me and you, Mano,¡± Ugo said. ¡°It¡¯s just a couple of ghosts¡ª¡± ¡°That shoots lasers!¡± Zeke cried. ¡°We can do this!¡± The floor at the end of the hall exploded, sending a violent dust cloud peppered with debris and rubble their way. They ducked and shielded their eyes. By some act of God, nobody got hit. A giant, gray stone baby face rose from the hole in the floor and ascended toward the ribbed ceiling, showing off an abnormally long, thick, white, cracker stone neck¡ªno ¡ª it wasn¡¯t its neck, it was its body. The creature wriggled and twisted to its side in a chaotic motion, damaging nearby columns and screaming in a deep, thunderous voice. ¡°Okay, guys, we can¡¯t do this,¡± Ugo reiterated. Zeke couldn¡¯t tell if it was more like a snake or a worm. Around its giant head were curved teeth jutting out of the white stone that matched the rest of its wormy body. It looked as if another creature was swallowing the face whole, or perhaps the face was ejecting itself from another creature¡¯s mouth. The group retreated behind a column. ¡°What is that thing?¡± AJ yelled. Isaac eyed the vile creature with intrigue. ¡°Anathemia is its name.¡± The monstrosity jiggled and slammed its head all over the floor, leaving large cracks. ¡°Okay, tell us everything you know about it,¡± Zeke said. ¡°Patterns, weaknesses, strengths, abilities, and resistances¡ª¡± ¡°Oh, no!¡± Isaac interrupted and ran off. ¡°My legs seem to be moving on their own!¡± Zeke and Ugo peeked over the columns and witnessed the Anathemia spit out the White Shrouds from its mouth. ¡°It vomits ghosts? Who designed this thing?¡± Ugo yelled in frustration. It was AJ to the rescue again as she ran after Isaac. ¡°Isaac, what are you doing!¡± Isaac turned back to her while avoiding capture. ¡°You truly have some virtuous qualities about you, Avery.¡± Her luck ran out as a massive swarm of Shrouds collected AJ and lifted her up. ¡°No!¡± Zeke cried. The Anathemia became still. Its baby face turned its chin up and opened its mouth. AJ screamed in terror. Isaac froze and stared. All it took was a second. The Shroud freed AJ from their grasp, and she was freefalling. She dropped into the monster¡¯s mouth, and it closed. The Anathemia cooed with satisfaction. Zeke dropped to his knees and stared in horror. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out, and he couldn¡¯t feel anything. It was like he was dead. Next, Naomi stepped away from the column and scuttled toward the Anathemia. ¡°AJ!¡± she cried before another gathering of Shrouds grabbed hold of her and took her to the monster¡¯s mouth. She was swallowed whole immediately. The Anathemia let out a louder coo this time. It was really enjoying its back-to-back meals. Ugo slammed his back onto the column and slid down, utterly defeated. ¡°They aren¡¯t dead,¡± Isaac shouted. Zeke and Ugo looked over at him. ¡°It takes at least one day for it to digest its food. They¡¯re just rolling around in its belly for now.¡± The Anathemia swung its head at Isaac, shooting him across the hall. He bounced off a wall and crash-landed on his stomach. He was knocked out cold. And then there were two¡­ The Anathemia started slamming its head all over the floor again as it let out a terrifying war cry. Zeke and Ugo scooted and crammed their shoulders against each other as they remained in cover behind the column. Ugo pulled out his smartphone and started browsing through it. ¡°So, what song should I play at this moment? What¡¯s more fitting, an epic 90s¡¯ anime opening or an 8-Bit classic?¡± ¡°What¡¯re you talking about?¡± Zeke asked. ¡°Dude, the song I am going to play while the monster murders us. It¡¯ll be, like, the soundtracks of our deaths, y¡¯know. Our literal swan song.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not going to die!¡± ¡°Even if we get everybody back. We have an angel-demon crossbred who doesn¡¯t know how to fight, a party member whose only skill is trying to kill himself, and he keeps spamming it! AJ¡¯s upper body strength alone is more than both of our full-body strength combined, but she can¡¯t use magic! And to top it all off, you¡¯re a coward, and I¡¯m an idiot!¡± Ugo ranted. ¡°Face it. It¡¯s over; in fact, it never began. Our party was a bad one, to begin with.¡± He looked back at his phone. ¡°Maybe I should make a short playlist?¡± How many songs do you think I should add?¡± ¡°When did you become a pessimist?¡± ¡°When Lovecraft¡¯s and Stephen King¡¯s brainchild over there showed up.¡± ¡°Mora, we can¡¯t die here,¡± Zeke announced, putting another hand over the bag¡¯s handle. ¡°We won¡¯t. I still need to become a world-renowned doctor¡­¡± Zeke trailed off and felt the need to correct himself. ¡°A powerful doctor of the occult!¡± He said triumphantly. The floor trembled angrily under them. They became stiff all over and gripped onto the edges of the columns. The Shrouds rotated and twisted in the air in front of them. Zeke studied their aimless movements. ¡°How come they¡¯re not firing their beams?¡± Zeke said. Ugo gave him a look. ¡°Do you want them to? Go on, ask them.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a bit weird, that¡¯s all.¡± The floor rumbled more violently this time. Cracks sprawled across the floor they were sitting on and up the columns. ¡°Maybe the monster is commanding them to not fire their beams so that we¡¯ll be in perfect shape when we¡¯re eaten,¡± Ugo said. ¡°We have to survive this. We have to save Mom,¡± Zeke said. ¡°I don¡¯t want her to die, either. I don¡¯t want anyone else close to me to die again. If I wasn¡¯t just some useless kid back, maybe¡­¡± He went silent. Ugo raised his hand and looked down at its palm. ¡°But we have magic now. That should be enough to prevent that from happening!¡± ¡°How the hell do we use it,¡± Zeke screamed. He bashed the back of his head onto the column and then repeated over and over as he rambled, ¡°How, how, how, how, how, how, how?¡± Zeke looked over at Ugo and was hit with a shock. Ugo sat still with his eyes closed. He looked¡­ relaxed. At that moment, Zeke realized maybe Ugo had a knack for meditation and must¡¯ve honed it from learning not to dwell on problems and his anger since he was a kid. It was necessary with a memory like his. All the stress would have driven him mad if he didn¡¯t. It wasn¡¯t that Ugo didn¡¯t care. It wasn¡¯t slack. It wasn¡¯t laziness. Being punctilious would be disastrous for him. The floor rumbled, and the cracks multiplied. Zeke flinched and shivered. Ugo remained still. Zeke studied him, astonished. How was he doing that? ¡°I can see it,¡± Ugo said weakly. ¡°What?¡± ¡°All I have to do is think about her. How much I wanted to save her¡­¡± Ugo opened his eyes. His eyes were that of a patient, seasoned warrior. No trace of depravity in his stolid expression. ¡°I think I got it¡­ I think I hear it¡­.¡± Zeke¡¯s mouth fell open, then he asked, ¡°You can hear its name?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the Sixth Born of the Tainted Generation¡­ the Surgeon.¡± He sprouted to his feet and held his hand to his side like a beggar. ¡°Rutapexy Samhita!¡± he cited with might. A blue electric cyclone enveloped Ugo and blew Zeke away. He slid across the stone floor, gripping his medical bag the entire time, and crashed into the wall, now out in the open. But his eyes didn¡¯t immediately move to the Anathemia. He stared at the ionizing, static whirlwind before him, making buzzing and hissing noises like an old-school telecommunication system. A swathed hand stuck out of the electrified winds, holding a metallic blue knife. The swathes shared the same color. The cyclone dispelled, unveiling Ugo, wrapped in metallic blue bandages from his bare feet to the bridge of his nose, like an Egyptian mummy. A jet-black one-sleeve monk robe was draped over his lanky, bandaged body. Mystic symbols dotted the robe all over. Ugo slowly turned to Zeke. His eyes flashed blue. Chapter 29 - Purity Zeke had seen the blue surgical knife before, so he kept his eyes on the lionizing getup. Electricity flickered and sparked from Ugo¡¯s new apparel ¡ª his Healer¡¯s Garb. Ugo did it. He actually did it. He was able to call upon the Tainted spirit within him. Ugo scrutinized his Garb giddily, letting out his dorky giggle. He slid his hand across the soft material of the robe¡¯s sleeve and then caressed his exposed bandaged shoulder. His two-toned hairstyle ruined the austere look, but somehow, a wise and puritanical air was still around him. Then he spoke. ¡°Hey, I am going to kill the next Halloween party we go to!¡± It was like watching an ignorant moron with no subtlety or notion of sensitivity trying on foreign wardrobes with major cultural significance. ¡°How the hell am I supposed to go to the bathroom wearing this thing¡­?¡± Ugo said. The Anathemia roared, demanding their attention. They watched it make a strange swaying movement. Subsequently, a handful of White Shrouds dived at Ugo. ¡°Bring it on,¡± Ugo said dauntlessly. He brandished the knife and held it up like a scalpel, locking it gently between his forefinger and thumb toward the incoming mob. He swung the knife beautifully in multiple directions with impossible speed, leaving enchanting streaks of neon blue in the air. The Shrouds were split down the middle and across, sideways, and stabbed through. They wafted to the floor and vanished. The Anathemia roared once again and slammed its head on the floor. It wasn¡¯t done. More Shrouds flew toward Ugo, all the remaining Shrouds in the room this time. Zeke did his best to keep up with the frantic scene as Ugo jumped onto the nearby column and squatted on it while he was horizontal, generating potential energy like a compressed spring. He blasted forward and bounced off columns, slicing through his enemies as he moved across the hall in a zigzag line. It was like watching a human pinball, and Ugo was racking a crap-ton of points. By the time he got to the last column closest to the Anathemia, all the Shrouds were gone. Ugo rocketed at the monster. As the baby¡¯s face opened its massive mouth, the Surgeon spun in the air and fell to it upside down. He swung the knife curvedly, making a half-circle ¡ª a Pfannenstiel incision. Severing a good number of its front teeth. The Anathemia shrieked and pulled back, hitting its head on the ceiling as the colossal stone teeth fell to the floor. Ugo landed on a tooth with a gymnastic dive, then zapped upwards. The Anathemia screamed and thrust its hardened baby face forward, bashing into Ugo with its forehead. He flew all the way back to the first column he blasted from and plummeted onto the stone floor. He got up quickly and then hunched over. His knife was still in his hand, in a perfect surgical manner. ¡°Mora,¡± Zeke screamed, finally returning to his feet. Ugo panted. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just need to catch my breath.¡± ¡°Amazing, isn¡¯t he?¡± a hoarse voice whispered into his ear. Zeke jumped away in terror and looked back at Isaac. He glanced at the now empty area where he had landed before, unconscious, then did a double-take. ¡°How¡­?¡± Isaac put his arm over Zeke and said, ¡°Ugo did it! What are you waiting for? You have just as much Mana flowing within you as he does.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± The Anathemia turned back, lowered to the crumbling floor, and slithered away. ¡°Hey, we can¡¯t let it get away!¡± Ugo said, stating the obvious. Zeke joined Isaac and Ugo in their pursuit of the monster with his medical bag swinging back and forth in his hand. They dodged obstacles and hopped across the debris. The Anathemia reached the end of the hall, broke through the door with its head, and continued its escape on the outside. Zeke, Ugo, and Isaac leaped through the hole and dropped into a paradisiacal garden. The natural lighting was different. Instead of pure white, it now had a hint of warm yellow that brought out the vibrant colors of the lush botany surrounding the three. The Anathemia slithered across the apple-green grass to their right. Just as Ugo was about to chase after it, Isaac stopped him by grabbing onto his shoulder. ¡°Wait,¡± he said. ¡°What?¡± Ugo said impatiently. Isaac pointed to the north. ¡°That way is where we can find the Puritas Flor. Chasing that creature down could throw us off our path for miles.¡± Isaac turned to Zeke. ¡°And we¡¯re running out of time.¡± Zeke bit his lip. ¡°It¡¯s not like we can just leave Naomi and AJ, either¡­¡± ¡°Right, so Ugo shall go after them on his own while we get that flower,¡± Isaac said. ¡°No, wait, we should support him!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a powerful creature, Hezekiah,¡± Isaac yelled, straining his already broken voice. ¡°With his third eye opened. The Surgeon has more than enough spells to beat that thing on his own. He can do it.¡± ¡°I do feel up to the challenge!¡± Ugo celebrated. ¡°I feel this incredible power like I can do anything.¡± ¡°Mora, you don¡¯t have extra lives in real life¡­¡± Zeke said. ¡°I know, but we really shouldn¡¯t be wasting time. We can¡¯t let that thing get too far, and you two need to cure M¨¢ before it¡¯s too late. I¡¯m going.¡± Isaac pulled out his saw-toothed knife from his back pocket. He raised his hand. ¡°Yes,¡± he said, then sliced off his pinky finger like nothing. Blood squirted and oozed out of the wound. He glanced at it indifferently and then squatted to pick up his finger. ¡°Here,¡± Isaac said, extending the severed digit to a traumatized Ugo. Isaac quickly executed a sign with his other hand, and the finger glowed. ¡°You can use this as a compass. Place it in the palm of your hand, and it¡¯ll point you to where I am.¡± Ugo stared at the finger and then grabbed it. ¡°Okay,¡± he said, without giving himself time to react to the absurdity. He ran in the direction the Anathemia fled. ¡°Use your incision spells to cut open its belly and free the girls!¡± Isaac suggested. Ugo raised a thumbs up and disappeared into the greenery. Isaac let out a sigh of relief and sauntered North. ¡°Come on, Hezekiah, we have a flower to find.¡± Zeke would prefer anything more than to be left alone with Isaac. But this wasn¡¯t the time to be a coward. Everybody exerted themselves to showcase unwavering courage; all he had to do was walk in a garden with an unsettling guy. It was the least he could do. He breathed in and out slowly and then started walking.
Zeke walked side-by-side with Isaac through the perfectly colored landscape. Following his lead diligently. Stopping when he stopped, turning when he turned, as they passed by vast green clearings, small ponds, and areas overly filled with multicolored plant life. Curved trees with vines attached to them that had giant grapes almost the size of Zeke¡¯s head, puffy green shrubs like cotton candy, and a variety of flowers dotting the vista. The scent was pleasant and fresh, and once again, the temperature was just right. A perfect setting of warmth. The grass the pair stepped on crunched with a heavenly sound, and the gentle wind whistled harmonically as it blew through the foliage. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. It was damn near to whatever Zeke could imagine Heaven to be like, for sure. But his eyes fixed on Isaac for most of the quiet journey. Quick flashes of Isaac¡¯s antics shuffled through his mind. The young devout was a dangerous enigma. Zeke looked down at where Isaac¡¯s pinky should''ve been, and the wound was sealed, making it into a stump. When did he do that? Blood was still around his hand, but it didn¡¯t bother him. Zeke thought of Isaac as a representative of the most harmful kind of obedience and fearlessness, like a well-trained soldier who would pull a trigger the second his superior gave the order. As Zeke concentrated, he chewed on to his tongue in his mouth on the sides. His erratic behavior had to be addressed. ¡°Why do you keep trying to hurt yourself?¡± Zeke blurted. ¡°You keep putting yourself in harm¡¯s way, and it¡¯s like¡­ you enjoy hurting yourself, or rather, putting yourself in danger.¡± Isaac looked back at him immediately. ¡°I was wondering when you were going to stop staring at me and finally say something.¡± ¡°Do you find joy in it?¡± Isaac¡¯s eyes did a full rotation as he thought. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call it ¡®joy,¡¯¡± he said. ¡°It is something more grandiose. ¡®Fulfillment¡¯ is the right word for what I feel.¡± Zeke raised his brows. ¡°Hezekiah,¡± Isaac said and then fingered his throat, ¡°have I ever told you why my voice is like this?¡± They both halted. Zeke clenched tighter onto the handle of his medical bag. Was there really a story behind it? He figured it was just because of puberty screwing him over. Isaac reached for a thin branch overhead and snapped it. ¡°My father, Pastor Isaiah, used to have a drinking problem¡­¡± The start of the story already forced Zeke to stagger in his steps. He was staring at Isaac, wide-eyed. Isaiah Noble, Winterberry¡¯s most prominent pastor for over 20 years, had a drinking problem? No way. Isaac nodded to answer Zeke¡¯s hectic thoughts, and the two resumed walking. ¡°My father had to deal with a lot of emotional stress, and, at the time, he resorted to alcohol to remedy it. It continuously worsened since the day I was born. One day, he came home and was quite violent. It was a hard day at church. The news of staff members stealing money came to light, and it was just so stressful, so he was very intoxicated,¡± Isaac explained calmly. ¡°My mother was angry and got into an argument with him. One thing led to another, and quickly, things got physical.¡± Isaac¡¯s everlasting smile faded for a moment and then returned even wider. His hoarse voice remained calm and showed no sign of anger. ¡°My siblings were way too young, so I was the one to step up. I was 14, I believe, and I confronted my father to defend my mother. I feared things might¡¯ve not ended well if I did nothing. Another altercation ensued, and my father punched me in the throat.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve heard of the saying that drunks have crazy strength, right? Sometimes, when I sleep at night, my throat hurts just as much as that night. I screamed right after, louder than I ever had before, which I shouldn¡¯t have, and I remember blood gushing out of my mouth. And I remember, clearly, the look of horror on my father¡¯s face,¡± Isaac said. ¡°That¡¯s when I learned about the importance and the power that pain has.¡± Zeke leaned toward Isaac. ¡°So he damaged your larynx?¡± ¡°Yeah, the doctors said something about vocal cord nodules or something. I don¡¯t remember the full explanation, but yeah, it has to do with that.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe this. I never thought for a second that your voice was a symptom¡­¡± ¡°It still hurts every time I swallow, like a sore throat that never goes away.¡± ¡°Doctors seriously couldn¡¯t do anything about it?¡± Isaac shook his head and then shrugged. ¡°At first, they weren¡¯t promising anything, but then they said they might be able to do something about it. I couldn¡¯t let that happen.¡± Isaac paused. At that moment, a ray of light shone on him, making his eyes radiate saintly, and then it passed. ¡°I had to do some convincing to prevent it from happening.¡± The answer popped into Zeke¡¯s head immediately. ¡°You used magic on your parents¡­¡± Isaac waved his hands modestly. ¡°Mind spells are not my specialty, but I can manage,¡± he said. ¡°If you continue to suggest it over the years, then you no longer have to maintain the spell active.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe that Pastor Isaiah did that...¡± Zeke said, lowering his eyes. ¡°It was the moment I woke up,¡± he said with a contained glee. ¡°My role in this universe became clear to me. After that, my father changed for the better. He never came home drunk again. He never drank again. He cleaned up his act and became a better father, husband, role model¡­ a better human being. I saved him, Hezekiah. My suffering saved him.¡± Isaac shuddered with an unsettling delight. A lake appeared before them. Isaac halted on the bank and stared at the still crystal blue water. Zeke stood beside him and studied the former enigma. The Noble family had such an uncharacteristic problem? Addiction, abuse, and physical injury were all covered under wraps. The Nobles had issues? Isaiah stood in front of thousands, preaching while posing as a sanctimonious figure. He was just a hypocrite. Corrupt Pastors was nothing new, of course, but Isaiah was different. He had interacted with Isaiah personally frequently. Isaiah had visited his house and given him advice on multiple occasions. He was just a damn hypocrite. If Isaiah Noble hid these problems, does that mean that his wife, Lori Noble, aside from a plaster saint alcoholic husband, had scandalous secrets of her own? They are all hypocrites! Zeke watched Isaac walk into the unmoving lake. What they did to their firstborn. That was the Nobles¡¯ biggest sin of all. It all made sense now. They crippled his mind. Feeding his brain with thoughts of being a rescuer, cultivating his savior complex. They did nothing about it. They took him on the road and had him do sermons on TV. No wonder he is like this! Guilt panged in his gut. Or was it pity? Most likely, it was a feeling of sharp relief from hearing that Isaac and his family weren¡¯t perfect, far from it. ¡°Hezekiah, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re afraid of the water,¡± Isaac yelled as he stood in the middle of the lake with the water up to his shins. ¡°It¡¯s fine. We¡¯re so close to it! Come on!¡± The Puritas Flor was near. He had no time to be wasting time in his chaotic mind. Zeke leaped into the lake, splashing water all around. The water was nicely warm. He waddled over to Isaac. ¡°How close?¡± Isaac pointed to his right. Zeke turned his head in the same direction. There was a door standing in the lake, attached to nothing. It was meaty and had jagged mouths crisscrossed across it and one yellow eyeball at the top. Zeke didn¡¯t react to the horror. ¡°So¡­ what? We have to go through another door?¡± ¡°Mhm¡­ It¡¯s just right behind it.¡± Isaac traveled through the water with ease. The water rippled peacefully with his movement. Zeke waded through the lake, hoisting his medical bag high in hand. ¡°Hezekiah, I think it¡¯s time that I explained to you what exactly this place is,¡± Isaac started. ¡°If you paid attention. You¡¯d notice that it feels like it¡¯s still under construction because it is. It¡¯s incomplete, and I inherited it from the previous Vicar, Seraphina Gussalen.¡± They reached the red, fleshy door with pulsating muscle tissue. Isaac touched the slimy surface. ¡°But this Sub-Realm isn¡¯t mine alone to inherit. Your predecessor had a role in starting this project as well. The Damned of the Thirteenth Generation, Alexander Skaggsy.¡± Isaac withdrew his hand. He gazed at Zeke with his mad, widened brown eyes. ¡°Alexander and Seraphina were lovers, you see, and they had a dream. That dream is sealed behind this door¡­ it can only be opened with an Amalgamate Spell performed by the Vicar and Diagnostician.¡± ¡°Wait, what?¡± ¡°Hezekiah, your Mana Pores are open. I¡¯ve given you a well-brewed Mana potion and put you in dangerous situations. You should be able to use your magic by now! I need you to focus. Do you understand me?¡± ¡°What does this have to do with my Mom¡ª?¡± ¡°Focus on the voice of your Healer¡¯s Garb.¡± ¡°Isaac, what does this have to do with the Puritas Flor¡­¡± Zeke paused and played back the comment Isaac made. ¡°Wait, you said ¡®put you in dangerous situations.¡¯¡± Isaac¡¯s expression brightened. Zeke read his elated look and feared the worst. ¡°Isaac¡­¡± ¡°Focus, Hezekiah.¡± Zeke connected the dots quickly in his head. ¡°Was this all a plot? How much of this Realm are you controlling?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t control the Realm, Hezekiah. Don¡¯t be silly, but the Anathemia is one of my summons.¡± ¡°You son of a bitch!¡± Zeke snapped. The water swashed under him. ¡°I need you to help me open this door, Hezekiah! I will now tell you the truth to prove how much I care for this cause and how much I trust you to do the right thing.¡± ¡°Is the Puritas Flor even here, Isaac?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Malparido¡­ you brought me here only to help you open this door.¡± ¡°You should be flattered, Hezekiah,¡± Isaac said. He put his hand over his heart and titled his head to the side. A weak smile stitched across his rosy-white face. ¡°I did all of this for you. I waited for the Diagnostician to be revealed for so long. I figured all I had to do was wait for the Mana Pores of the Diagnostician to open up, but it was taking so long! I had to force it open somehow, but I didn¡¯t know the Diagnostician¡¯s identity then! What could I do? And then a golden opportunity appeared before me.¡± Zeke pulled back. ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°Griffin¡¯s Seals, The Great Seals, conjured by the Deliverer of the Thirteenth Generation, Caden Griffin, the Neurologist¡ª¡± ¡°Oh my God.¡± ¡°Me and three of our wonderful siblings were able to undo them all.¡± Isaac spread his arms far and wide. ¡°I threw the universe into chaos just to meet you.¡± Chapter 30 - Eureka Isaac reached for Zeke¡¯s hair and was slapped away. ¡°Don¡¯t be like that, Hezekiah,¡± Isaac whined. ¡°You¡¯re a psychopath. You put the universe in danger.¡± ¡°For you¡­¡± he said sweetly. ¡°Stop trying to justify it! All this chaos is because of you! Everything is because of you! My mom is dying because of you!¡± Isaac frowned. ¡°Well, don¡¯t exaggerate. I didn¡¯t know about Naomi''s situation.¡± High-spirited laughter exploded out of him but only lasted for a second. Then, a sombre expression took over. ¡°It¡¯s funny. I was looking for the Diagnostician, and he went to the same school as me the entire time.¡± ¡°The angels already have a bad relationship with us, Healers; why would you help to make things worse? What¡¯s wrong with you, you asshole!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t use swear words here, Hezekiah. It is a part of Heaven¡ª¡± ¡°You¡¯re still trying to keep up the righteous shtick now? There¡¯s nothing righteous about you!¡± Isaac¡¯s face crumpled in confusion. ¡°What are you saying¡­¡± He raised a hand, and then his body made a violent twitch. ¡°Why are you acting like this,¡± he said in a brittle voice. Acting like the world''s tallest and least sane child, Isaac lowered his head, sniffled, and wailed. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you are acting like this,¡± he blubbered. ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to be acting like this.¡± He rubbed his eye and sniffled loudly. ¡°You and I. Vicar and Diagnostician. We¡¯re supposed to be close. On the same side. I am just trying to continue what our predecessors left behind for us!¡± He kicked some water to the side in a rage. ¡°Okay, maybe I got a little impatient, but I thought you¡¯d be on board from the moment you heard about it!¡± Isaac sobbed as he dragged his fingers across the sharp yellowing teeth of one of the door¡¯s mouths. Looking at the upset zealot conjured a cold terror that encroached up Zeke¡¯s spine, keeping him still. ¡°Behind this door,¡± Isaac said, looking at Zeke woefully, ¡°is all the further instructions we need to make Mr. Skaggsy and Miss Gussalen¡¯s dream come true, and you¡¯re letting stubbornness keep you from realizing your destiny?¡± He lowered his head again and started muttering to himself under his breath. It might¡¯ve been a prayer. It might''ve been a curse. It might''ve been a scattered conversation with the potential legion of voices that populated his mind. Zeke had trouble picking which would leave him the most perturbed. Isaac raised his head and was smiling once again, but his eyes were puffy and red. ¡°You like to complain about the injustices of legacies, but I strongly oppose your aversion towards the notions of inheritance. I believe that there are the greatest things we humans are gifted with. They are guidelines for how we should live our lives.¡± Zeke bared his teeth and shivered all over. ¡°So, what? If someone came from a long line of serial killers, they should just become one as well?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Isaac said casually. ¡°That¡¯s bullshit.¡± ¡°Stop cursing!¡± The thunderous rebuke almost had Zeke fall back into the crystal blue water. It took a lame effort, but Zeke managed to remain on his feet and tackled Isaac''s deranged look by staring back at him with a flinty expression. ¡°It¡¯s what the universe wanted,¡± Isaac said, his strained, hoarse voice sounding like old sandpaper rubbing against each other. ¡°Anybody who goes against what they are destined for is condemned for a life of misery.¡± ¡°What about everybody who rose above unfavorable conditions they were born into? Is it wrong to want to fight to become rich just because you came from a poor family? Is it wrong to want to be against discrimination even if you come from a family of racists? Isaac, what the hell are you saying?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not listening, Ezequias.¡± Isaac poked at his ear a couple of times. ¡°None of us should stray from the path traced for us. If you follow the path meant for you, you will encounter people like me to save you. If not, then it was not meant to be. You were not meant to be saved.¡± ¡°Huh? What about me, Isaac? I didn¡¯t decide to become a criminal, yet I met you. Doesn¡¯t that contradict your theory?¡± Isaac pointed at Zeke. ¡°You have a duality. You have also inherited the will of Healers.¡± He pressed his hands together firmly. ¡°For as long as I could remember, my father would tell me I was meant to heal people. Save people. Open their eyes. I discovered I was part of the Tainted Generation when I was seven years old. I don¡¯t remember what triggered my Mana Pores''s opening, but I am so grateful to have been chosen.¡± Isaac reached for Zeke. He tried to evade, but the Vicar was able to clutch onto his arms. The medical bag splashed into the water. ¡°My legacy is to be a savior, Hezekiah. Our legacy.¡± Zeke shifted and attempted to push Isaac away but only succeeded in aggravating the situation. The far over six-foot-tall aggressor tightened his grip on Zeke¡¯s aching, mushy biceps and then punched him in his cheek. The sudden attack made Zeke stop resisting and slowly turn his head back to Isaac. Isaac held his glare ebulliently. ¡°Listen, Hezekiah,¡± he urged. ¡°If those who have a tainted path in front of them continue to follow it, then I will find them and save them. Because it was meant to be. Those who stray from their tainted path, I may not find them, and yes, they might do well for themselves, but their purity won¡¯t be at an optimal percentage, and an even better future for them would be lost because people like us didn¡¯t get to them. Do you understand, Hezekiah?¡± ¡°No. You just sound insane,¡± Zeke said, twisting his face in disgust far more than he ever had before, and yet, it didn¡¯t feel like enough for the pure evil before him. He began to groan as he felt Isaac¡¯s fingertips cutting through the fabric of his sleeves and sinking into his flesh. ¡°From seven years old, I was able to accurately detect the percentage of purity in people¡¯s souls,¡± Isaac said. ¡°They would constantly go up and down, while mine always remained the same. Even after saving them, it would go up and then plummet again. The angels aren¡¯t doing a good job; maybe they weren¡¯t meant to. It¡¯s up to us to save everybody. We, the Healers.¡± Zeke raised his foot and thrust it into Isaac¡¯s pelvis. He broke free from the incredible grip and dropped into the lake as Isaac slammed back into the door and slid into the water. The kicker pulled himself out of the water and back to his feet. His left ear was clogged with water, the uncomfortable feeling spreading from his ear canal to his jawbone. He cocked his head and started smacking the side of it. Isaac sat in the rippling water nonchalantly and looked up at Zeke. ¡°That¡¯s why God chose us.¡± Zeke halted and stared at Isaac. A new emotion, eerily calm and aloof, was taking over Isaac as his eyes became unfocused. He rambled, ¡°Sometimes, the Tainted Generation tries to ignore this path, which is why the world is so broken!¡± Even as he screamed, his hoarse voice indicated no passion. ¡°Don¡¯t you see what we are, Hezekiah! We are meant to substitute the angels! We are meant to be the new angels! To be the new saviors! That is our destiny! Our inheritance! Our legacy! The ones who came before try to ignore this, and we can¡¯t make the same mistakes! Look around; this place is designed to be the new Heaven. This Sub-Realm is called: Providence!¡± Zeke scanned the vista of otherworldly beauty. Every exceptionally manicured, lush, and colorful feature of the quasi-Garden of Eden environment supported Isaac¡¯s statement. ¡°It¡¯s still too small and needs a lot of work," Isaac continued with his chillingly calm and dreamy demeanor, his eyes growing even more distant. "If we open this door, we can learn how to expand and complete the project. We will be the governors of this land! It is our duty as Healers to comply! For the salvation of the human race, we will take in souls and shelter them here! Cleanse their souls so that their purity can never lower again! That is what we are destined for! We are the Fourteenth Tainted Generation of Healers!¡± Zeke¡¯s stomach panged as he grimaced. ¡°Isaac¡­ humans being in charge of other souls. That doesn¡¯t sound right.¡± ¡°Oh? So, you say that it is the angels who must do that? I thought you were against the ideas of legacy and roles and whatnot...¡± Zeke fell silent. ¡°It¡¯s like a script, Zeke. Life isn¡¯t hard. You just need to pay attention to what it tells you. The path you need to follow.¡± ¡°What, you want to be God, Isaac?¡± Zeke said, kicking up the water and throwing his hands into the air. ¡°Is that it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not listening, Hezekiah¡­ we will be governors of Providence. This is His will.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just making that up to justify your insanity! You¡¯re doing this out of your own will. No one else¡¯s.¡± ¡°All you do is refuse your destiny, which is why you are miserable!¡± The vigor was returning to his harsh voice. ¡°Accept your role!¡± ¡°My role is what I want it to be! It¡¯s the same with everybody else!¡± Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Isaac lunged at Zeke and grabbed him around the throat. ¡°You need to open your eyes.¡± He squeezed harder. Zeke threw punches at Isaac¡¯s gut as he struggled for air, but they were astonishingly ineffective, like a kitten throwing its paws at a full-grown lion. ¡°Healers like to think of themselves as indestructible,¡± Isaac said while taking his opponent¡¯s pathetic attempts to hurt him in the gut. He watched Zeke¡¯s already pitiful strength slowly deplete as he gave out painful, strained gasps of air and saliva leaked from the corners of his mouth. Isaac tilted his head and gave him a sad smile as he squeezed even harder. ¡°This misconception comes from fighting other beings that don¡¯t understand how our physiology and magic work. It¡¯s imperative that Healers realize that the ones who know how to hurt a Healer the best¡­ is another Healer.¡± Zeke¡¯s face bloated and was changing color. His eyes were bulging and welling as he was still, stubbornly, firing away futile punches at Isaac. ¡°The funny thing about the Tainted Generation is that every member is designed to kill the other. Take the Neurologist, for example. Her mind spells may seem invincible, but they may become useless with the Container Expert¡¯s seal spells or the Surgeon¡¯s incision spells. Fascinating, isn¡¯t it? Who do you think can counter me, the Vicar? Maybe you, the Diagnostician, can counter me, or perhaps, the other way around?¡± Isaac released his grip just a bit and saw the relief on Zeke¡¯s face as he took a deep breath. ¡°I say, let¡¯s find out for ourselves.¡± Isaac squeezed again and pushed Zeke down onto the lake. The many contents of Zeke¡¯s backpack stabbed away at his back. The water vibrations were harsh on his ears as he fought for his life. The sloshing and the sound of his own gurgling and muffled screams were all Zeke could hear. The world flashed black and a dim blue in a sequence as his aching eyes opened and closed continually. Bubbles and white visages appeared for a couple of seconds. Then, he felt Isaac¡¯s thumbs press into his Adam¡¯s apple, his muffled scream elevated. Zeke swung punches wildly, mostly hitting nothing, but his fists connected with bone and fabric at times. It didn¡¯t ease the suffocation in the slightest. Under all the chaos, Zeke heard a faint voice speaking, not with words, but in a way he could somehow understand and translate to: You don¡¯t want to die. Every gasp of air he took was a dosage of excruciating pain, his chest feeling like a cinder block was sitting on it. His lungs, like someone was pushing them against each other from the sides as they filled with water, his thyroid cartilage folding in of itself ¡ª all together made for an incredible mashup of a cocktail of pain. Ezequias¡­ The medley of screams and burbles decrescendo mellifluously. His arms and legs were moving with more weight, as if they were filled with sand. As his appendages tried to anchor into the lake, Zeke exerted himself to swing and flail them in as many directions as possible. His legs ceased movement. His hands clutched onto Isaac¡¯s strong wrists. His vision was dampening. The world was turning dark¡­ Ezequias¡­ He gave up on trying to breathe. The Tree of Life and its twenty-two paths materialized behind his eyelids. Twenty-two paths linking the ten qualities ¡ª Understanding, Wisdom, Severity, Mercy, Beauty, Splendor, Victory, Foundation¡­ Kingdom at the bottom and Crown at the top. What path was he on? Silence took over. Ezequias¡­ listen... The Path of Intimacy seemed fitting. The way of transformation, linking Beauty and Eternity. He reached his hand out and touched wet skin. Thy word is lamp unto my feet and light unto my path. Insecurities, self-doubt, self-loathing ¡ª the card of Death appeared. Death holds the seed of rebirth inside. Yes, he needed to accept Death. Cast away the attitude of being reactive, passive, and fearful. Something needed to be changed. The Tree gleamed. Zeke¡¯s thumb touched a ball. He moved it around, then pressed into it. A sharp cry erupted, and his throat was released. A loud gasp escaped from Zeke. He hunched over in the water and grabbed his throat as he coughed and hacked. He blinked the water from his eyes, and his vision slowly cleared. Isaac rose from the water with one eye closed, and a single line of blood streamed down like a tear. The ringing in Zeke¡¯s ears was persistent, and the lump in his throat was throbbing, but his mind was clear. He fixated on Isaac, who grinned as his closed eyelid twitched. ¡°That¡¯s quite the look you got on you,¡± Isaac said, then put his hand over his damaged eye. Zeke removed his backpack and slowly stood up. ¡°You can hear it clearly now, right, Hezekiah?¡± Isaac asked. Zeke remained silent, and his hands moved on instinct. They raised in front of him, and he brought them together. He lowered his forefingers and pinkies and pushed them together, connecting the joints as the tips of his middle and ring fingers and thumbs touched. Next, he aimed the joined thumbs downward and kept his joined middle and ring fingers pointed up. The Diagnositician''s face turned stolid as he stared at Isaac. ¡°Finally,¡± Isaac said, moving his hand away from his crushed eye. ¡°Now, say its name.¡± ¡°Vesklepios,¡± Zeke whispered. Thick threads of red and blue strings sprouted from his body and waved wildly in the air. They elongated in all directions as they moved. The red entwined with the blue, making even thicker threads, then wrapped around Zeke¡¯s body. It morphed into a long coat. A commingle of cotton and leather tinted with a forest green. The shoulders had epaulets, front flap pockets on the side, and one on his chest, closely resembling a military coat. A dark green leather mask with an exhalation valve to the side materialized, covering the lower half of Zeke¡¯s face. ¡°Eureka,¡± Isaac said. Zeke raised his hand and opened the palm wide. A bundle of red and blue pushed out of his wrist and dangled onto the floor. The licorice-esque things elevated and turned back. Two holes stared back at Zeke. The openings in the center of the threads (the hole in the blue one was much larger) were enveloped with walls made up of three layers. The middle layer looked to be composed of muscle, while the inner and outer layers seemed to be composed of elastic fiber. Could these be¡­? More of them popped out of the shoulder of his fatigues, causing him to groan and his back to arch up. The thick strands multiplied, snaked around his arm and then coated his hand. The number of the dual-colored threads popping out continued to increase and speed up. His arm became a heaping mass of sinew. Miles of pulsating blue and red filaments and fiber sank into the water below. Zeke¡¯s normal hand settled over the bizarre transmogrification. Zeke clenched his jaw, and the sinewy arm lifted off the ground; water poured like a rain shower from the ends of the threads. His expression relaxed, and he stared at it blankly. The arm moved gently to the right, then to the left at his mental command. It wasn¡¯t heavy at all. The fighters¡¯ eyes met, and then Isaac closed his and smiled as he spread open his arms. The fibrous mass shot at Isaac and wrapped its bundle of strands around his torso and throat. Zeke moved his sinewy arm up, hoisting Isaac into the sunless, cloud-filled sky, and slammed him into the crystal blue lake. After the massive splash, Zeke lifted him again and swung his arm backward, hitting Isaac back into the water behind. He raised him out of the water once again. And repeated. Isaac made mighty splashes every time he was thrust into the water. Zeke screamed continually as he banged Isaac into the lake in every direction, indifferent to what was spraying onto him and stinging his eyes or the lump panging in his throat. It was time for a well-earned moment of going berserk. Zeke slung Isaac to the side; he flew through the air like a ragdoll and vanished into the lush green. Zeke waddled toward the garden, dragging his massive arm through the water. Isaac laid face down in a clearing. It was a sight that made Zeke grin as he plodded up to him. ¡°Are you done yet?¡± Isaac asked. Zeke halted and inspected Isaac as his arm morphed back into normal. The devout was soaking wet, covered in bruises, detritus, and grass, but his smile remained. His stupid smile, trying to pose as an innocuous one. It needed to go. Zeke looked down at the palm of his hands. The veins underneath pulsated eagerly. He crouched and pushed his hands into the ground. A venous network sprawled across. Isaac rose to his feet and looked down in awe. ¡°How beautiful.¡± Zeke snarled at him, realizing that he had never seen Isaac scared in his entire life. What would it take? He uttered a war cry, and towering tendrils burst out of the ground. Broad, rubbery blue and red threads populated the garden. They outstretched in every direction, making a laser grid-like hallway as if they were in the middle of that typical scene in almost hundreds of spy movies. There was no more questioning it; Zeke''s Healer¡¯s Garb gave him the ability to summon and control blood vessels and use them as weapons. Isaac gave out a laugh. ¡°You¡¯re using magic! What did you visualize, Hezekiah?¡± He¡¯s still not taking him seriously. The bastard. Zeke scowled and stretched both hands forward, making subtle movements with his fingers. The veins whipped to Isaac and grabbed a hold of his wrists, then his throat. They tightened and lifted him off the ground. More veins appeared and tied around his ankles. Zeke closed his fists and then slowly moved them to the side. The veins followed the order, and they started pulling in opposite directions. As the brutal sound of joints popping was made, Isaac screamed in delight amid the process of dismemberment and his head pulling away from his torso. Zeke bared his teeth and moved his fists faster. The blood vessels pulled with more force, and Isaac¡¯s screams elevated with veins popping out of his throat. He ejected a gout of blood. Zeke released in a hurry. The torture was halted. ¡°That was impressive, Hezekiah,¡± Isaac said with a voice even more hoarse than before. Zeke looked back at Isaac. He wasn¡¯t able to get rid of that stupid smile. He hunched over and tried to catch his breath. ¡°I¡¯m so proud of you, Hezekiah¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Zeke barked. He scanned the grid of veins; on one side, they were all blue, and on the other, they were all red, just like the human circulatory system of veins and arteries. They were standing in a giant vascular system. Zeke navigated through the web of blood vessels and approached Isaac. ¡°Listen, you¡¯re going to help me find a Puritas Flor, okay?¡± he said with authority. ¡°You¡¯d have to go look for one in Heaven. Try killing yourself. Then, the angels will purify you before taking you there. Oh wait, you¡¯re part of the Tainted Generation... maybe you¡¯ll turn out to be the Deliverer. Oh, that would be so great. Hezekiah, why don¡¯t you try to find out¡ª?¡± ¡°What is another way to cure her besides the Puritas Flor?¡± ¡°That is the only way I know.¡± ¡°You think I believe you? I know you know another way, you¡¯re the Vicar¡ª¡± ¡°And you¡¯re the Diagnostician,¡± Isaac interrupted. He licked some blood from the corner of his lip. ¡°You try finding another way.¡± Zeke launched a fist at Isaac¡¯s face. He swung to the side and then pulled back like a rubber band. ¡°Your head is probably filled with hundreds of Euphorouses.¡± ¡°Was that supposed to be an insult?¡± Isaac asked. ¡°I function quite well, Hezekiah, much better than others. Do you know what my soul¡¯s purity levels are right now?¡± Zeke stared, waiting for the answer. ¡°It would be something like¡­ ninety-nine point-nine-nine-nine-nine-nine-nine-nine¡­¡± ¡°My point exactly. They would enjoy being in an organism with purity levels that high¡­¡± Zeke trailed off. He froze in place as his eyes went blank. His mind traveled back. A couple of days ago. Sitting on the timber couch in the hospital¡¯s waiting room alongside Violet, listening to her prognosis on Naomi¡¯s true identity. It¡¯s obvious that she isn¡¯t an angel. A demonic microorganism could never survive in something with purity levels that high, in other words, an angel. That¡¯s what Violet said. Zeke snapped back to reality, and his excited thoughts fired off, not just random, anxious garbage, but answers this time. He smirked. ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± he said. The answer was so obvious. Chapter 31 - Empathy Zeke was pacing back and forth, muttering to himself as he overanalyzed every detail of the idea. ¡°Seeing the Diagnostician¡¯s brilliance up close, what a treat,¡± Isaac said. The excited comment made Zeke halt and stare at Isaac, realizing he completely forgot about his existence at some point; no wonder he was feeling somewhat in control. The bowl-cut lunatic still needed to be dealt with so that he could get to his mother and start the last procedure. ¡°Now, since you¡¯ve decided to be difficult, I¡¯ll have to resort to forceful measures then¡­¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± Isaac fought against his rubbery restraints and brought his hands together in front of his chest. ¡°Vistrea,¡± he cited calmly. An intense white glow emitted from Isaac, forcing Zeke to cower and shield his eyes. Angelic choirs sang for a moment, then the light dissipated. The arteries snapped loudly, and then Zeke looked back at Isaac. He was clad in an open, white robe with gold patterns all over. A white gold mask covered the lower half of his face, and a large gold cross hung from the side of his beaded belt. Isaac held his hand out, and a staff appeared in a burst of light. It had a giant eyeball on top. He looked like a priest from one of his role-playing video games, Zeke thought to himself. A reverberating clap was made, and Isaac¡¯s body emitted a white light and then vanished. After the impressive magic trick, Zeke blinked and peered through the grid of veins and arteries. Isaac was nowhere to be found. ¡°Maybe I can convince Violet to help tweak the insolent parts of your mind,¡± that horrible, recognizable hoarse voice said from behind. Zeke whipped around and backed away from Isaac. Nonchalantly, Isaac ducked under an artery and moved up to Zeke. ¡°That insolence is keeping you from realizing your destiny. Helping the universe,¡± he said, moving his hand across his glinting mask. ¡°But no, there¡¯s no guarantee she would do that¡­¡± There was no time to think. Thinking leads to inactivity. He couldn¡¯t let it take over. Zeke charged at Isaac. He only managed two steps. A golden wheel took shape and encircled Isaac. Zeke screamed as he pulled back and tripped over an artery. His nape bounced off another, and then he was on the grass, lying on his stomach. He gaped up at the wheel that spun around Isaac sideways and slowly as multicolored eyes opened around the giant rims. The divine visage was terrifyingly beautiful, Zeke thought and found himself shoving back the overwhelming urge to deify and venerate Isaac, to grovel and plead to not be smitten out of existence in return. Zeke looked away from Isaac and raised his hand in front. ¡°You have power, Hezekiah, but you and I are nowhere near the same level.¡± Zeke gulped, and his heart began its usual routine of frantic rhythms. ¡°I am going to stop you here and now.¡± ¡°Well, if you truly intend to kill, then it¡¯s only fair that I teach you how to do it properly. There¡¯s still more about magic that you need to learn.¡± With his body trembling, Zeke forced himself to lower his hand and look back at Isaac. ¡°I¡¯m not going to kill you, Isaac!¡± The wheel¡¯s overpowering beauty took effect immediately. Zeke stayed strong and stared at it. ¡°You think you can stop me without killing me?¡± Isaac said. He took several steps toward Zeke, his wheel moving alongside him. Zeke grabbed an artery and pulled himself back to his feet. Holes mushroomed on the veins and arteries. Zeke watched the holes increase until the veins and arteries dematerialized altogether. Not a single trace of them left behind. Isaac heaved a heavy sigh. ¡°You need to keep concentration, Hezekiah,¡± he said like a disappointed teacher. ¡°Listen, this won¡¯t work. I need to try something else.¡± He extended his hand to the side and started to wag his finger stump. Ugo flashed into the wondrous garden clearing. Zeke blinked and pinched the corner of his eyes, doubting their correct functioning. He checked again, and Ugo was still there, clad in his sapient Healer¡¯s Garb, and he wasn¡¯t alone. AJ and Naomi were behind him, gripping onto the back of his jet-black robe. They were all covered in bits, muck, and slime. Ugo had his hand around Isaac¡¯s newly reattached pinky finger. Isaac turned to Ugo and said, ¡°I¡¯m glad you took good care of my finger, my fellow Brother of the Tainted Generation.¡± Like any sane person, Ugo let go of the finger and stepped away from the mentally ill Healer alongside AJ and Naomi. First, there was fear and confusion on their faces, and then curious awe as they gaped at the divine wheel in silence. Without taking a moment to scrutinize his finger, Isaac turned back to Zeke. ¡°Your brother¡ªour brother defeated my Anathemia. Blessed is he!¡± ¡°I knew it!¡± Naomi announced, pointing her finger at Isaac. ¡°You are an angel.¡± ¡°No, little one, I am not.¡± ¡°Wait, did you say ¡®my Anathemia¡¯?¡± AJ asked. ¡°Yes! It¡¯s a summon of my own creation!¡± Isaac declared. He looked down at his pinky finger. ¡°Good thing the girls grabbed onto you when it started glowing. Good instincts! Now everybody is here!¡± Ugo turned to Zeke. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Zeke pulled down his mask. ¡°He didn¡¯t bring us here to help Mom,¡± he said, scowling at Isaac. ¡°Why?¡± Naomi asked. ¡°He had an agenda of his own from the start,¡± Zeke started. ¡°This was all just for me to activate my Healer¡¯s Garb and help him open a door with an Amalgamate Spell.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t leave out the part where I almost choked you to death, Hezekiah¡ª¡± A curved lightning bolt silenced him. It slashed through the wheel''s rim and cut through Isaac¡¯s shirt, cleaving his chest open. The wheel vanished entirely as Isaac soared and slammed into a tree with the top of his head. Isaac plonked to the grass on his side. The others stared at a fuming Ugo without interrupting the intensifying silence. He was glaring at Isaac, hand equipped with the blue surgical knife pointed down to the side. Murder was on his mind and scrawled in his electricity-flickering eyes. Zeke ran to Isaac and kneeled beside him. Blood leaked from the laceration on his chest and stained his once stainless white robe. He pressed two fingers on Isaac¡¯s wrist. A slight pumping motion was made. ¡°He¡¯s alive,¡± Zeke said. ¡°Cabron!¡± Ugo barked. Zeke pushed Isaac onto his back and examined the wound. ¡°He¡¯ll be fine,¡± Ugo said. ¡°I doubt that¡¯ll be all that it would take to keep him down.¡± Zeke got up and looked back at Ugo, realizing he was right. Besides, the Healer¡¯s Garb has regenerative capabilities, he remembered. He committed a great transgression on his personal code and walked away from someone needing medical attention. ¡°Can we even find the Puritas Flor here?¡± AJ asked. Zeke shook his head as he approached them. ¡°He lied about that, but I have an idea.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Ugo uttered with a smile, anticipating the best from his brother. ¡°Yeah,¡± Zeke said. He put on a steely look. This was the one thing that no one could criticize him over, not even himself. When it came to medicine, there was no need for self-doubt, even if it was related to the supernatural. It was medicine all the same. Sure, he made mistakes, but most of those mistakes stemmed from him desperately trying to prove himself and everybody wrong. None of that was of importance. What was important was saving his mother, and no ulterior motive was attached to it. ¡°The only reason why the microorganism is surviving in Mom¡¯s brain is because of her soul¡¯s purity,¡± he said with conviction. ¡°Isaac said it himself that radical devotees were the most usual victims of the virus. All people with high purity levels. So, all we need to do is decrease the purity levels of my mother¡¯s soul to a percentage low enough¡­¡± Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°For the virus to die out on its own,¡± AJ finished. ¡°Okay, it¡¯s a straightforward answer,¡± Ugo said, ¡°but how can we do it?¡± ¡°Maybe Naomi can help with that,¡± AJ suggested. All eyes fell on the small, doe-eyed creature. ¡°How?¡± Naomi asked. ¡°You¡¯re half-demon, right?¡± AJ added. ¡°So, you can use that to lower purity, right?¡± ¡°How would I do that¡­?¡± ¡°Bleeding into her mouth or something?¡± Ugo said. He looked over at Zeke. ¡°You think that would work?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­¡± Zeke answered. ¡°Where did you get that coat, Zeke?¡± Naomi asked, gesturing to his Healer¡¯s Garb. The other two eyed Zeke, and then Ugo¡¯s eyes popped out. He exclaimed, ¡°Is that your Healer¡¯s Garb?¡± ¡°Um.¡± Zeke looked down at the dark green garment that was over his regular attire. ¡°Yeah. This is it. It creates blood vessels.¡± ¡°Cool,¡± Ugo said, nodding and smiling from ear to ear. ¡°Congratulations, Zeke,¡± Naomi said sheepishly, avoiding eye contact. ¡°I really wish it would¡¯ve happened under¡­ happier circumstances.¡± There was clearly an opening to say something, and Zeke wanted to, but that ugly part within kept him from speaking. It told him that maybe it was okay for Naomi to feel bad, at least a little. He made a slight smirk, which he immediately got rid of when he remembered her circumstances. Why did his brain constantly do that? Filter out facts to justify his negative emotions, from the scalding hatred to the caustic envy. ¡°This reminds me,¡± AJ said, cutting off Zeke¡¯s thoughts. ¡°I was reading an article the other day about gourmet dishes made from chicken feathers,¡± AJ said. ¡°What?¡± Ugo asked while giving her a skeptical look. ¡°Humans can¡¯t digest feathers, but they are mostly made of keratin, which is a protein found in nails and hair and composed of healthy amino acids,¡± AJ explained. ¡°By using acid hydrolysis, they¡¯re making feathers edible.¡± ¡°Great,¡± Ugo said and groaned. ¡°Now eating feathers is going to be a trend.¡± ¡°Naomi¡¯s feathers have different colors; maybe the darkest ones are purely demonic, and if Mrs. Morata eats them, then maybe it can make her purity levels plummet. This is just an idea. It might be totally stupid.¡± Zeke''s mind was shot back to that windy afternoon on the docks, where Violet fought valiantly against Nananiel. A key moment replayed in his mind over and over. Violet feeding feathers to the Netherchimera. ¡°He loves angel feathers. Composed of so much yummy, concentrated purity,¡± she said. Zeke blinked rapidly and returned to reality. ¡°I say we just use blood and see what happens,¡± Ugo said. ¡°You¡¯re a genius,¡± Zeke said. ¡°Thanks!¡± Ugo said happily. ¡°Not you. I meant AJ,¡± Zeke corrected. ¡°I¡¯m not too hopeful on the blood idea, I dunno, it seems dangerous, and then there¡¯s the fact that Naomi has angel blood in her as well, so that means she has angelic cells, too, and the last thing we need is more of those in Mom. According to Violet, angelic feathers are a source of purity, so AJ¡¯s idea could have credibility. The demonic part may have the opposite of purity.¡± He looked at Naomi. ¡°Your wings. Your feathers. We need them, Naomi.¡± ¡°Wait, didn¡¯t you guys cut off her wings?¡± AJ mentioned. Zeke and Ugo¡¯s faces went blank. Silence filled the air. AJ rubbed her forehead and averted her eyes. ¡°Oh yeahhhh¡­¡± the brothers drawled as they slowly tilted their heads upward. ¡°But angels can regrow their wings! Don¡¯t worry, I can do it!¡± Naomi said eagerly. ¡°Just give me a moment.¡± She walked away from them, stood in the center of the clearing, raised her fists, squeezed them shut, and then closed her eyes. Her expression relaxed, and she looked to be at peace. Zeke smiled. Watching an angel sprouting its wings will always be something to get excited over, no matter the occasion. Nothing happened. Naomi opened one eye and immediately closed it once she caught a glimpse of the ogling trio. ¡°Are you sure you can do it, Naomi?¡± AJ asked. ¡°Yes! Just give me a moment!¡± Naomi urged. Naomi hunched over and stretched her arms to the side. Her fists clenched tighter, and her expression creased. More nothing. She gave out a muffled scream and started messing up her long, wavy hair. ¡°Come on! Please!¡± she pleaded. ¡°Okay, this isn¡¯t going to work. We need to come up with another idea,¡± Zeke said, ready to move on. ¡°We could check the hospital for feathers,¡± Ugo said. ¡°So, we¡¯re going to have to go all the way back to the cathedral, huh,¡± AJ said. ¡°No, please let me be the one to help!¡± Naomi said with desperate eyes. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You can¡¯t regrow your wings, Naomi,¡± Zeke said. ¡°Yes, I can! Just wait a little longer! We shouldn¡¯t waste time looking for feathers in the hospital!¡± ¡°Naomi, it¡¯s probably not even your fault. This may be because of Ugo¡¯s knife.¡± Zeke argued. He approached her. ¡°We never apologized for what we did to you¡­¡± ¡°There is nothing to apologize for!¡± Naomi said, raising fists to her cheeks and throwing them back down. ¡°You saved my life. I¡¯m the one who needs to apologize. I need to keep apologizing for what I¡¯m putting you through!¡± Her big eyes were already welling up as her brows furrowed. ¡°I wasn¡¯t useful to you in figuring out how to save your mother, nor was I when it came to fighting that monster. I haven¡¯t done anything from the moment I landed in that building! Please, please, please, please let me prove my worth!¡± ¡°Naomi, you don¡¯t have to do that,¡± Ugo reassured. ¡°Yes, I do!¡± Naomi¡¯s gaze fell to the grass. ¡°Stop pitying me as if I were a complete weakling...¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I was trying to¡­¡± Ugo trailed off. Words suddenly became unavailable to him. ¡°Maybe I am,¡± Naomi continued. Then, her head raised in an instant, and tremors spread across her frame. ¡°I¡¯m turning myself in.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re not,¡± Zeke said assertively. ¡°Your mother doesn¡¯t deserve to die because of an abomination like me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call yourself that!¡± AJ snapped. ¡°It¡¯s what I am!¡± Naomi snapped back. Her lip quivered as she struggled to utter any more words. ¡°My¡­ existence is a crime. My essence is sacrilegious. I am a walking, breathing blasphemy who deserves to be locked in a cage.¡± ¡°Do you really think you belong in a cage, Naomi?¡± Zeke said, stepping toward her. ¡°Yes,¡± she croaked and stepped back. ¡°Why? Just because you¡¯re half-demon, half-angel?¡± ¡°I have to pay for what they did. That is the meaning of my existence. Repenting for their sins. It¡¯s my punishment for being born.¡± ¡°That is bullshit!¡± His scream resonated powerfully through the garden like a commanding beast. After the explosive burst, Zeke took a moment to catch his breath as he studied the sorrow and fear on Naomi¡¯s face. He couldn¡¯t help but feel guilty. ¡°That is bullshit,¡± The Diagnostician said again in a calmer, lower tone. Zeke chewed his tongue in his mouth and sank into a sea of thought, and he encountered something that was both funny and frustrating; he had failed to realize the moment she shared her real identity. He and Naomi were the same. She was paying for a crime that had nothing to do with her, just like him with his dad. Why should she be punished for something that was out of her control? We can¡¯t choose our fathers, we can¡¯t choose our mothers, and we can¡¯t choose our parents. Naomi was dealt with the worst-case scenario any being could ask for when it came to a shitty legacy. Zeke took another step toward Naomi, and she backed away accordingly, so he took another one, this time by swinging his arm forward and looping it around her from behind. He pulled her in for a hug. She didn¡¯t resist, just shook and whimpered, perhaps due to the shame of wanting to be hugged. The guilt of feeling that she deserved to be consoled. ¡°Don¡¯t say stuff like that. It¡¯s not your fault,¡± he said directly into her ear. He released her and gazed into her watery, blue eyes. ¡°I know how you feel. My father has been a criminal since he was a teenager. He once ran the biggest underground crime organization in Indiana, even making way in other states and countries. He was known for being ruthless, violent, and selfish. He dealt with mostly drugs, and because of that, thousands of kids were getting dope on the streets. There was a time when there was a full-blown drug epidemic, and he was the reason. Then there¡¯s the fact that he served as a role model for many young people who became notorious drug dealers who deal to this day. I don¡¯t know if my dad has ever murdered anyone or not, but I don¡¯t doubt he has. ¡°People judged me for what my dad did, and most people just assume that I have some of his evil inside me, or all of it. I get it. Feeling that just existing makes you a criminal, but that¡¯s not true. You telling us what you are proves that you¡¯re not evil. You risked putting the whole universe in danger just to do that. You don¡¯t need to prove yourself to anyone, Naomi.¡± Zeke¡¯s expression crumpled slightly in woe. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being mean to you. It was out of line. You didn¡¯t deserve that. Naomi sniffled and rubbed her eye. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, too,¡± AJ said. ¡°I understand how it feels to be treated like an outsider. I outgrew everyone around me very early on, and I could never really connect with other girls. I was lucky to find Violet and Zeke.¡± Ugo looked over to AJ. ¡°What about me¡ª?¡± ¡°But you were alone the whole time,¡± AJ continued, ignoring Ugo throwing his hands up in the air. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Naomi, I didn¡¯t realize that you were going through so much pain yourself. It hurts to be alone and feel different from everyone around you, but feeling different doesn¡¯t always have to hurt. With the right group of people, that pain can go away. A group of other outsiders like us.¡± Naomi sniffled again and gave out a strained laugh. ¡°You guys are way too nice. This¡­ feels... I never had this many people being nice to me at once,¡± she said in a shaky voice. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She wiped away as many as she could and mumbled, ¡°It¡¯s hard to explain how it feels when you say things like that. I don¡¯t know if I deserve to be happy with what you said.¡± ¡°Of course you deserve it, Naomi,¡± Zeke said. ¡°You deserve to be happy. You deserve to be free.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a really good doctor, Zeke,¡± she mumbled. ¡°You know how to deal with all sorts of pain¡­¡± His heart made a strange sensation. Zeke reached a new conclusion about the colossal mess that was his being. He understood what his biggest problem was. He looked at Ugo, AJ, and then around, trying to locate where Isaac was. Zeke stopped and just focused on Naomi. It wasn¡¯t cowardice or anxiety¡­ His biggest problem was the lack of empathy. He put his hand over his calm heart and made a promise to himself to attempt to understand others before letting jealousy take over. Zeke looked down at his chest and smiled. Then he raised his head to beam at Naomi. His expression turned grim. The towering, unscathed zealot stood behind Naomi and raised two fingers high into the air. ¡°When did you get up¡ª?¡± Ugo cried. Isaac hit Naomi on the top of her head. She gave out a soft cry and pouted. Ugo hoisted his knife for another slash. Isaac dashed to him and gripped his wrist before he could attack. It was a pitiful sight. Ugo was putting in immense effort to free himself from the grip, while Isaac was visibly not using even a sliver of that effort to keep him in place. ¡°Now, now, I won¡¯t be letting you get another hit.¡± Ugo bared his teeth. ¡°Cabron!¡± He hissed and then spat in his face. Isaac turned back to Zeke, smiling as the saliva spilled down his mug. ¡°You¡¯re smart enough to realize what I¡¯ve just done, right?¡± Zeke¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°We¡¯ve gotta get Naomi back to the hospital!¡± The sky exploded. It was far too late. Chapter 32 - Pyrexia The group staggered and looked up at the giant crimson-red ball of fire expanding in the sky with flame pillars extending from it and outstretching in various directions. As the crimson inferno sheathed the clouds and sky, a supreme winged figure descended from the firestorm. After interacting with Nananiel and Naomi, it was hard to think of such celestial beings as just an ¡°it.¡± The angel moved downward with elegance and emanating great power as the blaze above spread. She had scraggly, dark, champagne-blonde hair and a youthful, feminine, perfectly sculpted face. Beauty so flawless it was unnatural, a delight to look at as it was frightening, as it made one aware of their own inferior facial imperfections and the infinite possibilities of beauty. The angel¡¯s wings were covered in gray-white feathers that projected outwards like spikes. She wore medallion-gold and bone-white body armor that outlined her shapely figure and held a flaming short sword in one hand and a round shield in the other. As the angel eyed them from above with her haunting, dead, all-red eyes, Zeke analyzed her and remembered Violet¡¯s fight with Nananiel. The angel¡¯s name was¡­ ¡°Irin!¡± Isaac said and waved. ¡°Good to see you here!¡± He let go of Ugo and shouted to the others, ¡°Good luck.¡± He pushed his hands together quickly, and the eyed wheel re-materialized around him; then, two more wheels appeared, each overlapping each other, and opened their eyes around the rim. Isaac levitated in the center of the rotating many-eyed wheels, released a bright white light, and flashed out of existence. ¡°Did he just leave?¡± AJ cried. ¡°Cabron!¡± Ugo cursed. Irin stopped at a speaking distance from the group. ¡°Naomi, what are you doing,¡± Irin said and snarled. ¡°You know that there is somewhere you need to be, where you belong, and you¡¯re out here playing around with humans, no less. Nananiel is a foolish, incompetent, poor excuse for a leader. Him freeing you was no surprise to me, but I never took you as a complete halfwit, as well. We have explained the danger you pose to humans, as well as everything else in the universe, time and time again.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk to her like that!¡± Ugo said, swinging his fist up at Irin. Irin stopped and stood still in the air, her wings frozen in animation. She stared down Ugo incredulously. ¡°What did you say to me, you blasphemous reprobate?¡± ¡°You heard what he said!¡± Zeke joined in. Bulging veins sprawled across Irin¡¯s forehead as her red eyes glowed. ¡°Watch your mouth, heathen filth.¡± AJ pointed up at Irin. ¡°We¡¯re not going to let you put Naomi back in her cage!¡± ¡°Listen, humans,¡± Irin hissed. ¡°Stop trying to fight for things that you don¡¯t understand. It¡¯s always the same with you lot. You fight amongst yourselves for frivolous reasons, and single instances can incite prolonged wars. You destroyed the beautiful environment surrounding you and greedily bled the planet dry of precious resources, and not even that was enough to unite you.¡± Pieces of Irin¡¯s face broke off like clay, unveiling a molten surface underneath. ¡°I never liked humans,¡± she said and growled. ¡°When it comes to your Realm, I have always preferred the animals, such beautiful creatures. I even prefer the insects over the humans, but I don¡¯t let that compromise my duties as an angel, which is protecting humanity. I have been doing it for centuries. That¡¯s what it means to be faithful to a cause and to honor the position you were assigned to. Naomi understands her role, too, and that is why she¡¯ll return to her cage.¡± ¡°No, I won¡¯t,¡± Naomi mumbled as she shrank back. Irin¡¯s entire cheek broke off, and magma spurted out. She fixed on Naomi with smoldering scorn. ¡°I held you after you were... created¡­ if I knew how much of an insolent miscreant you¡¯d turn out to be, I would¡¯ve strangled you in my arms when I had the chance,¡± she said. ¡°Do you understand what you are, child? It is your duty to go back to that cage as the abomination! Do I need to remind you of your origin?¡± ¡°Naomi isn¡¯t defined by things beyond her control,¡± Zeke said. ¡°What her parents did has nothing to do with her, okay?¡± Irin slowly turned to Zeke. She flashed a crooked smile. ¡°So, she told you,¡± she said calmly and then looked back at Naomi. ¡°Catielleneth, you really are a disgrace. I had hopes for you. What were you thinking?¡± ¡°Naomi is her own person. Her legacy doesn¡¯t matter! What matters is what she does now and for the rest of her life,¡± Zeke said and looked at Naomi as he continued his rant, seeing a younger version of himself. ¡°That¡¯s what she should be judged for. She shouldn¡¯t do things only to prove that she isn¡¯t like her progenitors, nor should she do things to be like them unless she wants to. What I''m trying to say is that her actions should be based on whatever it is she wants to do. She is whoever she wants to be and can do whatever the hell she wants!¡± Zeke paused for a moment and shot a glare at Irin¡¯s crumbling face. ¡°So, if she says that she doesn¡¯t want to go¡­ then she doesn¡¯t have to go.¡± ¡°Wow,¡± Irin said. ¡°Interesting. Did you know the Diagnostician has never been the first to die?¡± The skin around her mouth shattered and sprinkled down. ¡°That¡¯s because they¡¯re usually smarter than the others and don¡¯t make asinine comments like that, especially not before an angel.¡± She raised her sword. ¡°It¡¯s a shame that you¡¯ll be the one to break that streak.¡± The flaming sky spat out giant blobs of fire. ¡°I, Power Chief Irin of the Second Sphere, will extirpate the Sixth Born of the Tainted Generation, Ugo Morata, and the Tenth Born of the Tainted Generation, Ezequias Rosario, as well as their accomplice Avery Dotson, and return Naomi to Maliel!¡± Irin announced with grandeur. ¡°In the name of Virtue! For Father!¡± ¡°Here we go,¡± Ugo said, pointing his surgical knife toward the sky. He swung it in multiple directions, propelling electric slashes upwards. The grille of incisions met with the giant fireballs and cut through them, shaping them into smaller square wisps. They hit all around the garden, igniting the foliage. Irin winged down to Ugo and swung her sword. Blood spluttered out of Ugo¡¯s chest, and in the next instance, he caught a shield to the face and was shot back. Irin flew after him just as Zeke pulled up his mask and stretched his hand forward, sending threads of arteries and veins her way. As she disappeared from the kindled clearing, the threads extended through the cinder-speckled trail she left behind. As soon as the threads caught something, Zeke lost his footing. He was flying through the air, taking painful slaps of vegetation and branches to the face as cinders rained, singeing his skin. His body touched the grass. He looked up and was in a new clearing, just as beautiful, even with the flames. His eyes caught Irin on her feet, scowling down at him. She glanced at the threads tied around her ankle. Flames climbed up the blood vessels. Zeke panicked and thought as hard as he could; the vessels snapped off on their own, and he watched them reduce to embers. Before he could catch his breath, Zeke pulled himself back to his feet and stared her down. Ugo stood on the other side, still with his surgical knife in hand, visible in Zeke¡¯s eyeline. They exchanged looks. The concatenation of events led them to that very moment. Earlier that month, they were just a pair of high school seniors whose biggest worry was if a Black Souls 4 game was ever going to be made. In just a couple of weeks later, they got stocked up on Mana, put on defense-enhancing apparel, and turned them into warriors ready to face off against an all-powerful battle angel. After a subtle cue, they charged at Irin from both sides. The angel attacked both at once. Zeke¡¯s jaw connected with the scalding face of Irin¡¯s shield. As he flew back, he witnessed Ugo flying away in the opposite direction with blood squirting into the air from a new laceration on his chest. They hit the ground simultaneously. Zeke¡¯s skin made a concerning sizzle. As soon as he got up, a flaming shield was flying at him. He closed his eyes and ducked with his hands raised. He opened them again and looked up; red and blue threads stretched backward from his palms. He turned back, and the burning shield was wrapped inside a bicolored net of arteries and veins. Red on one side and blue on the other, with a dim mixture of both in the middle. Angry flames boomed. Zeke clasped his hands together and swung the netted shield at the charging angel. Irin plummeted to the side but didn¡¯t make a sound. She got up quickly and squinted, not in pain, just pissed off. The Diagnostician launched the shield at Irin again, and she blasted back. The piece of metal burned away from the capillary net and disappeared into the sky. Irin¡¯s wings pushed her off the ground. A bloody Ugo jumped high behind her, raising his surgical knife. He slashed nothing but air. Ugo tried again with a heavier swing. Irin dodged with another slick movement. When Irin¡¯s turn came up, she thrust her sword, Ugo rolled out of the way, and the innocent tree behind became ashes. The Surgeon sprung up and cleaved off just a tip of the Power Chief¡¯s wing. It was a hit worth celebrating as it made her squeal with rage, but then she readied another sword attack. Threads caught her wrist. She looked at the red and blue angrily and then at the Zeke. He pulled with everything he had, sending Irin spinning into the air. Ugo slashed the angel mid-air, and she gyrated toward Zeke, looping the threads around her body. By the time she made it to Zeke, her body was enwrapped entirely in the red and blue. With a kick, Zeke sent her spinning back to Ugo. As the threads unraveled from her body, Ugo brought his knife up and was immediately intercepted with a flaming kick to the cheek. He went down. Irin tossed her sword to her other hand and cut off her bindings. Switching up tactics, Zeke crouched and pushed his hands into the grass. The spider veins spread, and then red and blue entrails exploded out of the ground. They charged at the Power Chief. Irin discharged a blazing aura, and the entrails became burnt dust. The adrenaline within the brothers was still pumping as it motivated them to charge at her again and throw their fists, and Irin caught them each in her palms. Irin squeezed, and her face twisted with delight, watching the heathens groan to the pain. She released and grabbed the back of their heads, smashing them against each other. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Black and red took over Zeke¡¯s vision as he staggered backward. He blinked rapidly as his head rang painfully. When his vision cleared, he saw Ugo blasting right at him. They collided and dropped. Zeke pushed Ugo off him, got up, and extended a hand to him. Ugo took the offer and was brought back to his feet. They struggled to maintain balance. Irin trod toward the blood-soaked brothers. With a look saying, I haven¡¯t even got serious yet. She sped up, her blade burned more intensely, her wings expanded, growing twice their size, and her hair turned a strong crimson red. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve been slapped by high school girls way harder than what you hit,¡± Ugo said, picking quite the time to resort to trash-talk. Irin¡¯s armored boots ignited. ¡°Stop running your mouth, you¡ª¡± Then, half her face combusted. The explosion made her stagger to her knees and hiss with frustration. ¡°Useless piece of¡­ Those Cherubs! I told them to make the strongest Container possible!¡± As the angel rambled and yelled to herself, shooting fireballs everywhere from her body, Ugo neared Zeke. He said, ¡°She¡¯s unstable.¡± Zeke caught Ugo smirking. ¡°What¡¯re you thinking?¡± Irin, who now just had half a face, arose as lava spilled from the opening. ¡°Die,¡± she said and ran straight, dropping to a knee slide and sweeping the brothers off their feet with her wings. The three got up at nearly the same time and turned to face each other. First was Ugo, who rushed Irin down with amateurish swings of his knife, not landing a single hit on her and launching electric slash projectiles in several directions. Irin forced him to stand still by driving her sword into his foot just as Zeke charged at her from behind; she took care of him with a powerful elbow strike to his forehead. A screaming Ugo reached for the handle of the short sword that fixed his foot into the ground and managed to hold onto it for only a second. His screams aggravated as he pulled his hands back and shook them up and down. Irin pulled her sword from his bleeding foot and said, ¡°Heathens can¡¯t touch my Eternity.¡± She went for the neck, and Ugo ducked just in time. Another swing came from Irin, and Ugo swung his electrified knife back. The metals clashed, releasing a small explosion of magical energy ¡ª a mix of white, blue, and red that pushed the combatants away from each other. Zeke charged at Irin again, and she kicked him in the chest without turning back. He curled into a ball and was reduced to the role of a spectator, watching in agony as Ugo had a sword fight with the Power Chief. With every clash, their blades made deep clangs that reverberated across the fiery, green landscape. The electricity that coated Ugo¡¯s seemed to grow after each swing. Ugo didn¡¯t last long against the angel, but it was boast-worthy, probably much longer than what most living beings could say they lasted. Irin ended the exhibition with a downward slash at his abdomen, and as Ugo fell back, she turned on her heel. Zeke¡¯s eyes popped out, seeing the killing intent in Irin¡¯s glowing red eyes. She hurled her flaming sword at him; he flattened himself on the grass but took a scalding cut up his shoulder anyway. He inspected the wound. The blade had cut through his Healer¡¯s Garb and shirt underneath, leaving a sizzling gash on his skin. Zeke got up while pressing a palm onto the wound, and Irin extended her hand. The sharp weapon flew back, slashing Zeke¡¯s side before returning to Irin¡¯s possession. Ugo went for round two, and it turned out to be another short-lived sword fight. After several clashes, she slashed his face, and he dropped. Ugo immediately started round three by getting up and trying again. As they fought, Zeke looked down at the sleeves of his Garb and then visualized a thick vein slipping out of each of them. It worked. Now equipped with short whips, Zeke joined his tag partner by slapping Irin in the eye with his new weapon. She yawped and pulled back. ¡°Awww,¡± Ugo exclaimed while making a smug look with his bleeding face. ¡°Did that hurt the big bawd Power Chief?¡± He pouted at her mockingly. ¡°There was just more Black Magic energy in that attack than I was ready for,¡± Irin said, pushing the back of her hand into her twitching eye. Ugo¡¯s face grew even more smug as he crossed his arms. ¡°Wow, so you aren¡¯t always ready? I¡¯m not gonna lie. That¡¯s a bit concerning to hear, Karin.¡± ¡°My name is Irin! How dare you misname¡ª!¡± A volcanic eruption blew from the destroyed side of her face, making her fall. ¡°What? What was that?¡± Ugo said, turning his ear to her. ¡°Did you say, ¡®Erin¡¯? Yeah, that works! You definitely look like an ¡®Erin¡¯. Your parents did a good job!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have parents, you moron!¡± Irin said, getting back up. ¡°I emerged from the¡ª¡± Bursts of magma fired off from her mouth, and she doubled over to cough out hazes of black smoke. Zeke glanced at Ugo and picked up on the plan. ¡°Mora, what are you talking about?¡± he said with a dead serious look. ¡°She¡¯s clearly a Caitlin,¡± he added and snickered. ¡°I mean, look at her.¡± Ugo rubbed his chin. ¡°Hm. I think you''re right, Mano. But hear me out¡­ how about Alejandra?¡± Another burst of magma broke out. What was left of Irin¡¯s forehead was now gone. ¡°What do you say to changing your name to Alejandra? I think it suits you!¡± Irin flew to Ugo and grabbed his throat. ¡°I¡¯m going to give you another chance to utter your last words.¡± Ugo made his best shit-eating grin. ¡°The angels in Celestial Blade are much cooler.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of that Realm¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a video game, stupid,¡± he managed to get out with his crushed throat. Irin tightened her grip and shouted, ¡°What is a video game?¡± Zeke extended his hands and shot out as many veins as he could. They snaked around her ankles, waist, neck, arms, and wings. But even with the constraints, Irin dropped her sword and was able to rocket into the blazing sky anyway with Ugo in her grip. Zeke grabbed onto the veins being stretched out of his sleeves and was taken up. As they ascended higher, Zeke defied what a past version of himself would¡¯ve never attempted. He climbed the tangle of veins to reach Ugo and Irin. Under the booming winds, he could hear Irin going off as she repeatedly punched Ugo in the face, ¡°Try to run your mouth now, Tainted! Go on! What¡¯re you waiting for? Try! Do it! Do it! Do it!¡± With his eyes watering from the heat of the burning canopy above and his bones aching, screaming for a rest, he reached Irin¡¯s boot and pulled his fist back. Red and blue threads entangled his fist, doubling its size. End this. Zeke punched the bottom of her boot, and a perfect mix of Irin bellowing and her bones crunching rang out, followed by a small, crimson-red explosion that blew the brothers away. They nosedived to where they started, crash-landing painfully on the scorched grass. An uneasy quiet followed, like the apprehensive moments before a nuclear bomb went off, and then a massive thud shook the earth. Mere seconds after the impact, a charred Irin stood up. Half her face was gone, her forehead was gone, her red hair was singed, and her leg was bent awkwardly, molten rock leaking everywhere, but she seemed to be the type that if her arms were still good to go, then she was good to go. Her burning aura elevated, causing pieces of her armor to melt and peel off. Zeke and Ugo sat up slowly. ¡°Fine then!¡± Her voice was now thunderous and magmatic. ¡°I¡¯ll just kill you like this!¡± She bellowed once again with a noticeably terrible agony in her distorted voice. Her ruined body twisted and then released a fiery burst. A wall of lava formed around her. Zeke felt the bruises under his coat healing, swelling decompressing, bones reconnecting, and the open wounds on his forehead closing, but the effects of the heat worsened. His eyeballs began to burn, and water, and his throat became dry and scratchy. He looked over to Ugo, whose mangled face was slowly healing, and noticed sweat stains forming all over his Healer¡¯s Garb. He scanned the area, and everything was melting. The brothers stood up. ¡°Seriously, how is that, an angel?¡± Ugo shouted as he pointed at Irin. The air became wavy as the lava wall closed over Irin. With the sky completely covered in flames, this was the closest thing they could get to experiencing Hell. Ugo walked toward the wall of lava. He hissed and jumped back. Parts of his skin and Healer¡¯s Garb were singed. ¡°That¡¯s crazy hot! Talk about Area of Damage. I can¡¯t get near it.¡± He turned to Zeke. ¡°Any ideas?¡± Zeke looked away from the inferno and wiped the pool of sweat from his forehead. ¡°We can¡¯t fight that¡­¡± He crossed his arms and looked down to think. He could feel his temples scorching as he thought. He dropped his arms in frustration, felt a bump, halting, and then started patting his pants. Zeke stopped again and reached into the right pocket of his patterned pants. He pulled out a piece of brain-like stone from his pocket. He stared in disbelief that the Communicator Lobe remained in his pocket throughout everything. An idea dinged in his head. Ugo noticed. ¡°What is it?¡± Ugo asked. ¡°I¡¯ve got a really bad idea,¡± Zeke said. Ugo glanced at the lava wall and shrugged, flecking sweat all around. ¡°Qu¨¦ ser¨¢, ser¨¢ Mano,¡± he said. ¡°Even if it ends up killing us. Anything beats being burned to death. Just do it.¡± Zeke lowered his mask and raised the Communicator Lobe to his cracking, dry lips. He concentrated on the perfect image of Violet he had in his mind: Fourteen-year-old Violet clad in a striped shirt, a knit cardigan over it, black jeans, and sneakers, standing in an empty classroom, staring blankly back at him. ¡°Violet...¡± he said, hoping that she was listening. The Communicator Lobe glowed. ¡°Hi, Rulitos,¡± Violet¡¯s silvery voice rang between his ears. Zeke gasped for a moment. He shook his head and tried to focus. ¡°I need a favor.¡± ¡°If this has something to do with your mother¡ª¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t. Listen¡­¡± Zeke braced himself for the unpredictable repercussions this could have on the entirety of the universe. He tightened his grip around the Communicator Lobe. ¡°Naomi is a half-breed. Half-angel. Half-demon.¡± There was silence for a moment. ¡°Something like that can exist...?¡± Violet said. ¡°Although, that explains so much...¡± ¡°Her true name is Catielleneth, and I need you to tell as many people as you can. I don¡¯t know what Realm you¡¯re in right now, but just share it with everyone around you, everyone you know, including the rest of the Tainted Generation, as fast as you can.¡± ¡°Oh, I see what you¡¯re trying to do... how devilish of you, Rulitos. You¡¯re showing progress already. I like it.¡± ¡°Violet, just do it!¡± ¡°I can spread the message far and wide and very fast. I have a spell for that. I¡¯ll get right on it.¡± The glow of the Communicator Lobe dimmed. Zeke and Ugo exchanged looks. ¡°Now what?¡± Ugo asked. ¡°We wait?¡± Zeke said. The wall of lava erupted. Zeke and Ugo dodged a ball of magma that flew their way. It made a small crater in the ground. ¡°Shit,¡± Ugo said, staring at the crater. ¡°Ugo,¡± Zeke shouted. ¡°If things don¡¯t go right and we¡­ I just wanted to say that I am sorry. I¡¯ve been living with you for years, and I didn¡¯t know how much pain you were going through. The things I¡¯ve thought about you. The things I said¡ª¡± ¡°Oh, shut up, Ezequias!¡± Ugo barked and flashed a smile. ¡°I don¡¯t care. You¡¯re my best friend and my brother. It¡¯s going to take a lot more than that for me to hold a grudge against you.¡± He extended a fist toward Zeke. Zeke looked and made a fist of his own. He smiled and bumped it. ¡°Thanks, Ugo.¡± An ethereal scream ascended from somewhere in the garden. Zeke and Ugo lost balance and dropped as it continued. They covered their ears and endured the piercing sound. The flames in the sky split and extinguished in an instant. A beam of gray flames shot into the sky. The screams multiplied into different voices. Zeke and Ugo gave each other horrified looks. ¡°You don¡¯t think¡­?¡± Ugo quavered. A colossal monster grew from the burned foliage afar. Chapter 33 - Cure The titan was the size of skyscrapers stacked on top of each other. Massive not just in terms of height but in width as well. Its dimensions and proportions could crush literally anything Zeke could think of from his world with minimal effort. Just one of its gigantic hands could easily thrash an entire military facility out of existence. It had a scintillating gray sun for a head. A black dress covered its feminine frame, and mystical markings sleeved its great arms. Its left hand held an enormous rotting, severed head with long, disheveled black hair ¡ª it may have been the face of a healthy, beautiful woman at some point. The jaw of the decaying head hung open, making its graying skin stretch irritably. Its colossal wings extended and widened behind it, still in the process of completing its growth. The set of black and white colored feathers overlapping each other darkened as they descended the wings¡ªthey were a spectacle, light at the top that culminated in a jet black. Zeke gaped up at the winged giant. Then Ugo said exactly what he was thinking. ¡°Is that Naomi?¡± ¡°I think so,¡± Zeke said with regret. ¡°Catielleneth, to be exact.¡± ¡°Did you just end the world?¡± ¡°Hey, you gave me the green light. You¡¯re just as to blame.¡± Ugo shrugged. ¡°Welp, after God recreates the world, I wonder how they¡¯ll depict us in the new Bible.¡± As Catielleneth raised its free hand, Zeke¡¯s life flashed before his eyes, reevaluating the decisions he made not too long ago. The hand plowed downwards in their direction and made a mighty pound. The earth quaked intensely. Zeke and Ugo, paralyzed in place, stood between two giant fingers, just long stretches of skin. They looked over where the lava wall was, and all they saw was an enormous hand flesh covering it. Ugo squatted, pointed at where Irin was squashed, and laughed hysterically, being awfully petty about it. A loud rumbling arose. The fingers curled up and retracted. The fist closed, and fiery sparks were spitting out of it. Irin was putting in one hell of a fight. But there was no point. It was already over. Catielleneth lifted her hand and released. Zeke squinted at a shining red dot flung from Catielleneth¡¯s hand and high into the beautiful sky that became a blend of gray and red. Catielleneth pulled out an immense flaming sword from the mouth of the severed head, like some sort of disturbing magic trick. The flames circling the blade were bright and gray, like the sun radiating over her neck. The dot descended. Catielleneth pulled her sword back and swung it upwards at the dot. It was complete overkill. The godly attack left a burning slash mark in the sky, acting like a black hole. Chaos took over as the fissure in the sky intensified, almost as if the fabric of the universe was being torn apart. The crack caused the air itself to rumble and blew strong winds in every direction. Singed trees were uprooted from the ground and went whirling into the air. The apocalyptic scenario magnified every second that passed. Transforming the land into Paradise Lost. The tear in the sky quivered. The fissure closed abruptly, and the sky returned to normal. Catielleneth caught on fire and then extinguished out of existence. Peaceful silence returned. Red ashes rained down on the melted and burned vegetation surrounding the exhausted brothers, and their Healer¡¯s Garbs dematerialized. They shared a look and nodded to their victory.
Zeke and Ugo found AJ and Naomi in the other ruined clearing. AJ sat on her knees with Naomi resting in her arms. ¡°I¡¯m glad she didn¡¯t accidentally step on you,¡± Ugo said. AJ glanced down at a slumbering Naomi. ¡°Where did that come from?¡± Ugo pointed at Zeke. ¡°Our head doctor came up with the idea.¡± Zeke raised the Communicator Lobe in his hand. ¡°With Violet¡¯s help, I used humanity¡¯s greatest superpower: spreading the word. Many species across the Realms now know about Naomi¡¯s identity.¡± He stored the Communicator Lobe back into his pocket. ¡°And it looks like they¡¯ve been saying her name out loud nonstop.¡± Ugo glanced at Naomi. ¡°That was crazy. She became huge. I think I may have discovered a new fetish.¡± ¡°Dude.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°What¡¯s a fetish?¡± a drained Naomi asked, looking up with tired eyes. Ugo raised his hand. ¡°Well¡ª¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t need to know!¡± AJ interrupted. Naomi let out slow, steady breaths. ¡°Was I¡­ helpful?¡± she said sleepily. Zeke gave her a look. ¡°I already told you, you don¡¯t need to worry about that¡­¡± He shook his head and sank down to his haunches. ¡°But yeah, you were very helpful.¡± ¡°That makes me happy,¡± Naomi said and smiled wide. ¡°Now, let¡¯s get to a door.¡± She sat up. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°Naomi, don¡¯t strain yourself,¡± AJ said, waving her hands. ¡°Just let me do this one last thing,¡± Naomi requested confidently. She grew out her wings with zero effort. The white, gray, and black feathers mesmerized the trio immediately. ¡°Everybody grab onto me.¡± They were running out of time, and they had to show some respect for Naomi¡¯s efforts. Zeke took the lead and wrapped his arms around Naomi¡¯s arm. ¡°Okay,¡± he said. AJ stood up and grabbed a hand. Ugo stared at Naomi. All her appendages were taken. ¡°Grab a leg,¡± Naomi suggested with a smile. ¡°You better not think of anything kinky,¡± AJ said. ¡°How would that even be possible?¡± Ugo asked. ¡°It¡¯s just a leg!¡± He kneeled and grabbed onto her ankle with both hands. He gazed lecherously at Naomi¡¯s leg and made a dorky giggle. AJ kicked him in the face. Ugo¡¯s head was knocked back and then dropped back into place. He started groaning. ¡°Everybody ready?¡± Naomi asked. ¡°Yes!¡± Zeke and AJ shouted. ¡°I may have a concussion,¡± Ugo said. Naomi¡¯s wings extended to either side, and she ascended slowly. ¡°Hold on.¡± She zoomed into the sky. ¡°Naomi, wait!¡± Zeke shouted over the winds. ¡°My bag! It¡¯s at the lake!¡± Naomi banked down toward the lake. She straightened right before they hit the water, and they soared forward. The medical bag came into view. Zeke released a hand and grabbed it out of the water as they whizzed past it. ¡°Got it!¡± Zeke confirmed. Zeke glanced at the meaty door before Naomi ascended once again. They winged through the white clouds at high speeds. The nerdy trio¡¯s legs flopped wildly in the wind. The impossibly tall cathedral appeared in the distance and gradually grew as they neared it. They crashed through a window and flew through the spotless, artistic hallway. With Naomi¡¯s superb navigation, she slalomed through incoming columns skillfully. A door appeared at the end of the hall. Naomi descended, and they landed safely before it. Unlike the others, Zeke let go of Naomi and didn¡¯t take a moment to adjust. He dropped to one knee and put down his dripping-wet bag. He opened it and caught a whiff of wet pages rising from the inside before taking out a marker and twisting off the cap. ¡°Isn¡¯t that thing wet?¡± Ugo asked. Zeke got up and walked up to the door. ¡°It¡¯s waterproof, man.¡± He drew the symbol quickly. ¡°I¡¯m ready for anything.¡± ¡°Ahh, the surprising benefits of anxiety,¡± Ugo said. Zeke opened the door, and the waiting room was on the other side. He returned to the bag, dropped the marker in, and picked up his Grandmother¡¯s gift to him. Naomi¡¯s wings folded and shrunk, and they all stepped through the door and darted toward the doorless arch. In the hospital, they dashed through the corridor and stopped before a door. Zeke opened it, and they walked in. Eldora was there, standing. Most of her body was encased in marble stone. It was all the way up to her neck, which kept her head straight up. Her stone wings spread to the side. They approached her. ¡°Estoy aqui,¡± Zeke said heartfully, struggling to keep his eyes on her. Naomi bent over and plucked a black feather from the top of her wing. She handed it over to Zeke. He held it up and examined it. ¡°How¡¯re we going to administer this thing?¡± ¡°We need to liquefy it,¡± AJ said. ¡°A bacterial solution that can break down the proteins in the feathers into edible amino acids. At least when it comes to chicken feathers...¡± ¡°Is that voice in your head telling you anything useful?¡± Ugo asked Zeke. Zeke shook his head and bared his teeth. ¡°Screw this.¡± He pulled out the Communicator Lobe from his pocket. He raised it to his lips. ¡°Violet.¡± Violet¡¯s breath emitted in his head. ¡°What do you want, Rulitos?¡± ¡°I need to learn a way to liquefy a demon feather and administer it to my mom.¡± ¡°Rulitos, I already told you that¡ª¡± ¡°Listen, Violet!¡± Zeke interrupted harshly. The others pulled back. ¡°You¡¯re going to help me with this, okay?¡± He commanded. ¡°We figured out a cure. We just need to administer it. I¡¯ve had enough of your bullshit. If you value whatever the hell kind of relationship we have, then you¡¯ll do what I say. Let me repeat myself: I need a way to liquefy a demon feather. I know, you know. Whatever it is. Tell me, Violet. Now.¡± A moment of silence followed. Zeke wasn¡¯t patient enough to let it linger for long. ¡°Violet!¡± he called. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said. ¡°Violet, I don¡¯t have time for this¡ª!¡± ¡°But Gill must know a way,¡± Violet added. ¡°He¡¯s also a part of the Tainted Generation. I¡¯ll go to him and get what you need. Sit tight.¡± The transmission ended. Zeke looked back at the others. He held their puzzled looks.
Violet arrived in the waiting room about fifteen minutes later. She was wearing her Healer¡¯s Garb over her regular outfit. A flask filled with pitch-black liquid in her hand. The Infirmary team was present. Zeke walked up to Violet and held out his hand. She placed the flask into it. ¡°Gill said to leave the feather to dissolve in the solution for five minutes.¡± Violet produced a black, old-fashioned syringe. ¡°Then you can use this to administer the solution anywhere on her body.¡± ¡°Even her face?¡± ¡°Yes. All the Euphorouses should die after an hour.¡± She handed him the syringe and pulled a vial from her jeans pocket. Thick white liquid jiggled inside. ¡°Then, have her drink this to regulate her soul¡¯s purity. I made this solution myself.¡± Ugo approached them and took the vial. ¡°I¡¯ll take that.¡± ¡°Violet, if you¡¯re tricking us...¡± Zeke started. ¡°Don¡¯t push it, Rulitos,¡± Violet said, fluttering her eyelashes at him. ¡°You¡¯re not in the position to threaten me like that yet. You''re just going to have to trust me.¡± As much as he hated it, he knew she spoke the truth, and worse of all, he knew it wouldn''t take much to get him to trust her fully. Violet gave each of them a look with sinister purple eyes and then let out an annoyed sigh. ¡°Gill wants to meet you,¡± she said and growled. ¡°Now that every member of the Tainted Generation has been revealed. He is organizing a reunion for us.¡± She pulled the hood over her head. ¡°Expect an invitation in the future.¡± Violet turned back to the door. ¡°Violet,¡± Zeke called. She halted and turned her head back to him. ¡°Vee¡­¡± Zeke reiterated. He put on a stern look. ¡°I just want to make one thing clear. I am going to stop you.¡± Violet stared back with a stolid expression momentarily and then exited the hospital silently. Zeke turned back to Naomi and AJ, waiting by the doorway. ¡°Let¡¯s start the procedure,¡± he said. Chapter 34 - Discharged Zeke and Ugo lounged on the timber couch after administering the medicine right into Eldora¡¯s cheek (which was still flesh and bone). The team couldn¡¯t do anything else but wait. AJ was keeping Naomi company in her room. She retreated for a well-deserved rest but didn¡¯t want to be alone, and miraculously, AJ didn¡¯t seem bothered by it. There was the problem of figuring out which spell could snap Eldora and Gerardo out of the magical-dust-induced slumber, but Zeke decided to stress over that only when the time came. ¡°So, Naomi is over two hundred years old. I just remembered she basically confirmed that,¡± Ugo said. ¡°Better an old lady than a child, right?¡± Zeke stared at him blankly. ¡°You know what? Forget that I ever said that.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I can.¡± Zeke heaved a heavy sigh and scanned the waiting room. ¡°What do you think about calling this place Providence?¡± ¡°¡®Providence¡¯? Like¡­ Providence Hospital?¡± ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± Ugo thought for a moment and then slowly nodded. ¡°I like it. Let¡¯s trademark it before that city in Rhode Island comes for us.¡± He glanced at Zeke. ¡°So, what else is on your mind, Mano?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve still got something you need to say. I can feel it.¡± ¡°What¡¯re you, an angel?¡± Ugo chuckled. ¡°What is it, Mano?¡± Zeke lowered his head, and his chin touched his chest. He curled his lip to the side, and his mind sank into deep thought. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. They sat in silence for almost a minute. Ugo waited patiently. ¡°When it comes to the Tainted Generation,¡± Zeke began, ¡°there is always a Damned and a Deliverer. The Damned is condemned to burn in Hell for eternity, and the Deliverer will bask in the holy glow of Heaven for eternity no matter what either of them do. As for the remaining nine members, nobody knows what happens to their souls after death. And there is no way of knowing who the Deliverer or Damned are. It¡¯s only revealed when they die.¡± ¡°Whoa.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Zeke muttered. ¡°Violet explained it to me. Sorry for not telling you.¡± Ugo folded his arms and cocked his head up. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you though?¡± ¡°I dunno. The thought itself just scares me so much,¡± Zeke admitted. ¡°If I said it out loud, it would make it real. It doesn¡¯t make much sense. I¡¯m an idiot.¡± Ugo touched his forehead. ¡°So¡­ Hell, Heaven or¡­ Limbo.¡± He paused for a moment. His expression was hard to read. ¡°We¡¯ve gotta do something about that.¡±. ¡°We¡¯ve gotta do something about the adversity amongst Healers and angels,¡± Zeke responded. ¡°The fighting has gotta stop.¡± ¡°After thirteen versions of us, you¡¯d think someone would¡¯ve figured that out by now.¡± Ugo rested his hands behind his head and put on a relaxed look. ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan?¡± Zeke paused to think. ¡°It looks like Naomi¡¯s powers have been restored,¡± he said. ¡°Do you think we can use her to track other angels?¡± Ugo gave him a look.
The boring night at Heath¡¯s Sports Bar became even more tedious as midnight came along. Nananiel was left alone with one middle-aged employee, slumped over the bar counter, half-sleeping while facing up at the TV playing midnight reruns of a sitcom that Nananiel didn¡¯t even try to identify. He gulped down his tenth round of beer and then slammed the cup onto the table, adding it to the growing collection of beer-soaked glassware. The alcohol had no effect, unfortunately, but imitating the scene he saw in a vast amount of media comforted him. When the hero hits rock-bottom, completely dejected, and then suddenly salvation comes in the form of a love interest, best friend, a burst of motivation, the idea that¡¯ll solve the case, an unlikely miracle¡­ And then it happened. Four people stood beside his table. Nananiel squinted up at them. ¡°This is not us giving up,¡± Zeke said. AJ, Naomi, and Zeke sat on the other side of the table. Ugo took a seat beside Nananiel. Nananiel gave them a puzzled look. ¡°Are you mocking me?¡± ¡°Irin¡¯s been destroyed, bro,¡± Ugo said. Nananiel¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Nananiel.¡± Zeke folded his hands together and leaned forward. ¡°I have a proposal.¡± -END- Character Index (With Portraits)--Volume 4

4. Eleven Tainted: Zeke and Ugo are invited to a winter retreat, courtesy of the Demonologist Gilliam ''Gill'' Destrian, where the rest of the Tainted Generation will be staying. Will it be a relaxing vacation or a violent tragedy as expected, given it¡¯ll be the very first time the Fourteenth Tainted Generation will be together in one place, all at once?

Providence Infirmary Team: Ezequias "Zeke" Rosario ¡°I didn¡¯t choose to be one of the Tainted Generation, but I¡¯m doing the best I can. I want to end the conflict between the angels and Healers, although I am starting to believe that if the only way to put an end to that is by putting an end to all of us, then¡­¡± Summary: A gifted teen who wants to be a world-renowned doctor. What keeps him from achieving his full potential is coming from an unlawful family, low self-esteem, and excessive anxiety, having him overthink and worry about everything from the fate of the world to innocuous things like if that gum he swallowed a few years ago is going to come back to haunt him. He agreed to spy on the rest of the Tainted Generation on behalf of former Dominion Chief Nananiel to discover who were the ones behind the breaking of the Great Seals. First Appearance: Volume 1: Saving Grace, Chapter 1 - Ailment Race: Human (Columbian) Age: 17 Skills: Abilities: Magic:

Healer¡¯s Garb: Vesklepios

As the 10th born of the Tainted Generation Zeke¡¯s soul is bound to the spirit: Vesklepios. An entity that manifests itself in the form of a garment that grants Zeke the ability to summon a nearly infinite amount of blood vessels of whichever size is needed. The veins have many applications depending on one¡¯s creativity. An additional ability of the Garb is improving the wearer¡¯s ability to diagnose supernatural ailments with acute deductive reasoning. Affiliations: Providence Infirmary. 14th Tainted Generation of Healers. Nananiel¡¯s Spies Connections: Ugo Morata (Step-brother), Viola Balles (It¡¯s Still Complicated) Status: Alive Theme: Mattashi - Level One Ugo Morata "That¡¯s a lie. There¡¯s no such thing as too much perfume. Just like too much barbecue.¡± Summary: Lazy and unapologetic about his lecherous behavior. Ugo possesses incredible memory-related abilities, such as photographic recall, but all that is cemented in his mind is how he will attain his first girlfriend. Ugo has been called many things (not many of them good... mostly coming from women), although ¡°selfish¡± isn¡¯t one of them. He will step up to defend those he cares about when necessary, and despite his carefree attitude, he internalizes troubling thoughts and tries to bury them with as much as possible to keep himself sane. He accepted to be one of Nananiel''s spies as well and plans to do so while attempting to swoon over one of the female members (except for Viola) of the Tainted Generation and get his first girlfriend at last. First Appearance: Volume 1: Saving Grace, Chapter 3 - Complications Race: Human (Spaniard) Age: 17 Skills: Abilities: Magic:

Healer¡¯s Garb: Rutapexy Samhita

The Healer¡¯s Garb known as ¡°Rutapexy Samhita¡± grants Ugo a variety of impressive cutting magic spells, including severing objects and living beings at an atomic level and cutting through certain seemingly unbreakable spells (Removal of seals and barriers). Also, can use stitching magic that can conjoin two items and force them to be inseparable, making him the strongest asset when it comes to surgical operations. And finally, the Garb grants Ugo a grand arsenal of mystic surgical tools for both combat and medical operations. Equipment: Affiliations: Providence Infirmary. 14th Tainted Generation of Healers. Nananiel¡¯s Spies Connections: Ezequias Rosario (Step-brother) Status: Alive Theme: NexSard - Betrayal Avery ¡°AJ¡± Dotson ¡°You¡¯re just going to go? Haven¡¯t you guys read Agatha Christie?¡± Summary: Self-conscious about her height and lack of ¡°feminity.¡± She enjoys exercise, eating right (even dedicating herself to learning various complex healthy dishes), and following sports but never applies herself to any of the school¡¯s sports teams due to her shyness. She is overall a sweet, nice person but gets antagonistic whenever the topic of religion is brought up. After facing ¡°unfair¡± outcomes when it came to her body and observing the other graver injustices of the world, she came to despise the idea of God, hoping deep down that everything about Heaven is a lie, and then one day, an angel falls out of the sky. Reluctantly, had to take a backseat and let her friends accept Gilliam Destrian''s suspicious invite and spend the rest of the Christmas break at his mansion. First Appearance: Volume 1: Saving Grace, Chapter 1 - Ailment Race: Human (American) Age: 17 Skills: Abilities: Affiliations: Providence Infirmary Status: Alive Naomi ¡°No, Nananiel! Please let me do this! You¡¯ve always protected me. Please allow me to return the favor." Summary: Somehow created near the tail end of the 13th Tainted Generation¡¯s war on Heaven with the sexual union of the legendary seraphim known as ¡°Cathetel¡± and the just as legendary demon ¡°Terthran,¡± which resulted in both of their demises. Naomi was locked in a cage at the highest layer of Heaven, Primum Paraiso, on the mountaintop of Maliel. She was visited by many angels throughout her imprisonment, but the nicest visits were by Nananiel, with whom she grew a fatherly connection. Nananiel let her out to help out with an operation, and after things went awry, she was found by Zeke, Ugo, and AJ. She¡¯s guileless and excitable about learning new things. Contrary to what most angels believe, she isn¡¯t violent but will resort to combat if the lives of her loved ones are at stake. Acts as the Providence Infirmary''s nurse and custodian. She currently works at Heath''s Sports Bar as a waitress. First Appearance: Volume 1: Saving Grace, Chapter 4 - Tainted Race: Angel/Demon Hybrid Age: 243-years-old Skills: Magic: Affiliations: Providence Infirmary. Second Sphere of the Order of Angels (Formerly) Connections: Nananiel (Fatherly-Figure) Status: Alive Theme: Peter Roe - Victory Angels: Nananiel ¡°Angels exist to protect humanity. I am done with attacking blindly. There is a human soul inside that mess you made, so I will not! I will not hurt an innocent human¡­ even if it costs me my life.¡± Summary: All Nananiel wanted to do was help out humans and maybe try out some of the things they have the privilege of experiencing. That¡¯s why he was happy when he was suddenly promoted to the rank of ¡°Dominion Chief,¡± putting him in charge of management of the Human Realm. Continuous bad luck led to Nananiel being demoted to an angel of the Third Sphere. Being banished from Heaven, he must survive on Earth on his own but is adamant about not using any of his angelic abilities to help himself out. Nananiel now gets his intel concerning angelic affairs from an unnamed contact. First Appearance: Volume 1: Saving Grace, Chapter 1 - Ailment Race: Angel (Dominion) Age: Approximately 550-years-old Skills: Abilities: Magic: Equipment: Affiliations: Second Sphere of the Order of Angels (Formerly). Nananiel¡¯s Spies. Secret Angelic Informant. Third Sphere of the Order of Angels. Stolen novel; please report. Connections: Naomi (Daughter-Figure) Status: Alive Theme: Grumpy Shark - Eye of the Storm 14th Tainted Generation of Healers: Isaac Noble ¡°Have you ever had someone touch your soul before? I warn you, it is not as pleasant as it sounds.¡± Summary: The firstborn of the Fourteenth Tainted Generation of Healers and a rather troublesome young man with a twisted savior complex coupled with devastating power. His goal is to get Zeke to open a door for him in a Heavenly Sub-Realm that will allow him to substitute the angels with the other gifted individuals of his generation and create a new Heaven. First Appearance: Volume 2: Maleficent Dominion, Chapter 14 - Hypertension Race: Human (American) Age: 17

Skills:

Abilities: Magic:

Healer¡¯s Garb: Vistrea

The Healer¡¯s Garb known as ¡°Vistrea¡± grants Isaac mastery over White Magic energy and all things soul purity related. With it, he has access to White Magic spells that no other human soul can withstand. Isaac, with his Garb, has increased Mana senses and can detect the purity levels of other creatures (without the use of machines).

Equipment:

Affiliations: 14th Tainted Generation of Healers Status: Alive Theme: Light and Darkness - Gabriel Viola ¡°Violet¡± Balles ¡°I have no problems with getting rid of people who get in my way, and I don¡¯t really consider you human.¡± Summary: A childhood friend of the trio who served as their "protector" standing up to bullies for them. Unfortunately, she fell out of touch when sent to an Argentinian all-girls Catholic boarding school. The first thing people notice when seeing her for the first time is her petrifying dark cobalt blue eyes--at times, they seem violet, hence why she was given the nickname. There is also an unmistakable hostile animus around Violet that people pick up on quickly when near her, except for Zeke, who is hopelessly infatuated with her. She moonlights as the infamous Angel-Killer. It is a mystery what Violet had been doing since she was sent to Catholic School and her Mana Pores opened, but somewhere in the timeline, she grew a strong contempt towards the angels and is dead set on killing them all. Violet wants Zeke to aid her in her carnage. First Appearance: Volume 1: Saving Grace, Chapter 12 - Conception Race: Human (Argentinian) Age: 17 Skills: Abilities: Magic:

Healer¡¯s Garb: Neurpatia

As the 2nd born of the Tainted Generation, Violet¡¯s soul is bound to the spirit: Neurpatia. An entity that manifests itself in the form of a garment that grants Violet the ability to control the brains of beings across the universe. The range of her powers is vast. Equipment: Netherworld Weaponry Affiliations: 14th Tainted Generation of Healers Connections: Ezequias Rosario (It''s Still Complicated) Status: Alive Theme: Rodrigo y Gabriela - Diablo Rojo Gilliam ¡°Gill¡± Destrian ¡°I dunno, mate. But I¡¯ll tell you this: when it comes to treatment, I don¡¯t like rushing because that¡¯s how mistakes are made. I¡¯m giving each of them proper care and attention.¡± Summary: Gill wants an amicable union amongst the Tainted Generation to achieve something great and have each member reach their full potential. He had a traumatizing childhood; being born into a religious family and later becoming intrigued with demonology was an unfortunate mix for Gill. He managed to escape after years of abuse and now lives lavishly with an army of servants he cares deeply for and claims he doesn¡¯t mistreat any of them. He runs a hospital in the Netherworld where he treats demons. First Appearance: Volume 4: Eleven Tainted, Chapter 39 - Convention Race: Human (English) Age: 17

Skills:

Abilities: Magic: Affiliations: 14th Tainted Generation of Healers. Netherworld. Hospital in Netherworld. Status: Alive Akachi Adeyemi ¡°Have I ever told you about the time Zeus and I did a prank on Poseidon?¡± Summary: Follows a high-octane, hedonistic lifestyle. Always chasing after the next adventure, another surge of adrenaline. Drinking, drugs, parties, sex, all of it, and boasting continually (name-dropping to an annoying degree). He likes to stay in his own lane, hanging out with the gods. Spending so much time with deities made him lose touch with reality and regular human behavior, which is the reason behind his arrogance. First Appearance: Volume 4: Eleven Tainted, Chapter 38 - Transplant Race: Human (Equatorial Guinean) Age: 17 Skills: Abilities: Magic:

Healer¡¯s Garb: Hippocratas

Akachi''s Healer''s Garb, "Hippocratas," signature power isn''t clear as he uses bone magic in combat, which could not be related to his Garb''s abilities. Affiliations: 14th Tainted Generation of Healers, Mount Olympus, Asgard, Orisha, Kami, and other groups of deities. Connections: Aida Koshiko (Close Friend), Wade Rupp (Close Friend) Status: Alive Theme: Grumpy Shark - Absurd Extravaganza Ashlin Kristov "God makes plenty of mistakes. That''s why I''m here. To fix them." Summary: All Ashlin cares about is making a profit off selling high-quality Containers (which are always in high demand). Prodigal, indulgent, excessive, and wasteful. She enjoys lavishing herself with riches. She only wants the most extravagant of items. Cold and brutally honest. She is not really a fan of people (or living creatures of any kind) and only looks out for herself. Any action that grants her the most spoils, she¡¯ll take. First Appearance: Volume 4: Eleven Tainted, Chapter 39 - Convention Race: Human (Russian) Age: 17

Skills:

Abilities: Magic: Details concerning her Healer''s Garb have yet to be revealed. Affiliations: She is affiliated with anybody who is a customer to her; everybody else can go f*ck themselves. Status: Alive Wade Rupp "Nah, man, I am not a fighter. You know this, unless you try to steal some goods from my stash, and then I''ll bite you. That''s about it." Summary: Wade has a lazy approach when it comes to supernatural medicine. Taking away the pain for as long as possible by just using supplements is the way to go for him (Even if it may not be a real long-term solution). He uses a cocktail of self-made pain-relievers and hallucinogens to get through the day due to his inability to fall asleep. First Appearance: Volume 4: Eleven Tainted, Chapter 39 - Convention Race: Human (Australian) Age: 17

Skills:

Abilities: Magic: Details concerning his Healer''s Garb have yet to be revealed. Affiliations: 14th Tainted Generation of Healers. Connections: Aida Koshiko (Ex-Girlfriend), Akachi Adeyemi (Close Friend) Status: Alive (Just not all there) Kian Elbertsson ¡°The poor are still people, though, and that¡¯s the problem,¡± Summary: Introvert. Enjoys time alone. Speaking with his microorganisms. Dejected but calm most of the time and rarely complains. Labeled as the ¡°weirdo¡± of the Healers. First Appearance: Volume 4: Eleven Tainted, Chapter 39 - Convention Race: Human (Icelandic) Age: 17 Skills: Abilities: Magic: Healer¡¯s Garb: Plaga Kian¡¯s Healer¡¯s Garb is named ¡°Plaga.¡± However, aside from its appearance, not much is known about its abilities. Affiliations: 14th Tainted Generation of Healers. Status: Alive Aida Koshiko ¡°Yeah! It¡¯s simple really, it¡¯s nothing, just, uhm, let me, uhm, uh¡­ let me have a look at whatever she¡¯s packing in her pants.¡± Summary: A medical wanderer. Exploring the realms and studying creatures and their mixed breeds. Hopes for one day for there to be peace amongst all beings across the realms. She can be a bit of a perv when it comes to her specialty. First Appearance: Volume 4: Eleven Tainted, Chapter 39 - Convention Race: Human (Japanese) Half-Kitsune. Age: 17

Skills:

Abilities: Magic:

Healer¡¯s Garb: Sukunabikona

Aida''s Healer''s Garb, "Sukunabikona," holds within it the power to access and manipulate the genetic code of creatures across the universe, down to the atomic level. This sensational ability enables Aida to not only alter the molecular blueprint of living beings but also uncover hidden abilities encoded within their DNA.

Kitsune Powers:

Equipment Affiliations: 14th Tainted Generation of Healers. Connections: Wade Rupp (Ex-Boyfriend), Akachi Adeyemi (Close Friend) Status: Alive Theme: Mattashi - NinTENDjutsu Yaalon Tahan ¡°We can change the world, Ezequias, and achieve true equity for mankind. Those with no access to education, sanitation, or basic health services can attend my classes for free and learn how to harness Mana to improve their health and knowledge.¡± Summary: Yaalon is a very virtuous and ethical young man. He takes his role as member of the Tainted Generation quite seriously (takes it upon himself to act as a guide for the others). Loves to teach and is surprisingly patient and understanding in his lessons. He won¡¯t give up on people. First Appearance: Volume 4: Eleven Tainted, Chapter 39 - Convention Race: Human (Israeli) Age: 17 Skills: Abilities: Magic: Healer¡¯s Garb: Serka Yaalon¡¯s Healer¡¯s Garb is named ¡°Serka¡±. With it he can manipulate colorless flames that control living organisms'' resistance levels. Affiliations: 14th Tainted Generation of Healers Status: Alive Theme: Tales Of Berseria OST - Zaveid battle theme Chapter 35 - Readmission What could have been a fulfilling study session was thwarted by the hands of a far greater power¡ªthe hypercharged hormones of a promiscuous teenager. Zeke allowed Ugo to drag him out of the library and across the polished halls of Winterford High School like a child. So far, it was just a theory, but he had hope that maybe, just maybe, there was a good reason for the abduction. ¡°I swear if this is about a girl¡­¡± Zeke started, clenching his doctor¡¯s bag in one hand. Ugo stopped and shot a flinty stare at Zeke. ¡°Come on, mano.¡± His gaze intensified. ¡°Of course, this is about a girl.¡± Silence took over. Ugo read off Zeke¡¯s deadpan look, which prompted him to elaborate, ¡°Dude, this is the story you will share at our wedding.¡± He gushed, swaying slightly, already naming his future kids in his head. ¡°I¡¯m taking you to meet your future sister-in-law!¡± Zeke groaned and rubbed his forehead. He surrendered without the will to argue and asked his tall, pasty stepbrother, ¡°Who¡¯s the girl this time? Janie? Ashley? Mary¡ª?¡± ¡°A brand new girl, mano,¡± said Ugo. Zeke could¡¯ve gone on naming girls for almost five minutes if he wasn¡¯t interrupted. He passed a hand over his slicked-back curls. ¡°In December?¡± ¡°Yeah! The beauty of it all is that she literally doesn¡¯t know anybody,¡± said Ugo, stifling his laugh. ¡°She hasn¡¯t had the chance to talk to any of the girls in this school yet. Score!¡± A clean slate, Zeke thought to himself, eyeing Ugo as he nodded. He was somewhat happy about his brother¡¯s blessed opportunity. ¡°So, what do I have to do with this?¡± ¡°I mentioned you a lot in our conversation. It wasn¡¯t intentional, but talking about you kept our chat alive, and I may have hyped you up.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°And now she wants to meet you,¡± Ugo uttered, slightly annoyed. ¡°Look, I need you to be my wingman,¡± he blurted. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about being a wingman,¡± Zeke lamented, wanting so badly just to return to his serene study session. Ugo waved his hand. ¡°All you need to do is make me look good and liven her up¡ª¡° ¡°And what the hell does that mean?¡± ¡°Oh, come on, mano. Just do some cold doctor-shiz, I dunno. Ooh! She has been complaining about some back pains. Just fix that!¡± ¡°What am I a wizard?¡± Ugo¡¯s expression twisted smugly. ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t answer that.¡± Zeke sighed, accepting that the deviant wouldn¡¯t let him go unless he helped in his newest quest for love. ¡°Where is she?¡± he asked lifelessly. ¡°I left her at the courtyard.¡± Ugo swung his arm over his head, promising adventure. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go.¡± He hurried off. Zeke dawdled along. The boys stepped out of the school building. The open-air welcomed them back with biting winds. Zeke sniffed a couple of times, holding back his sneeze. Ironically, Winterberry wasn¡¯t a city that saw much snow during the wintry season. And, as long as there was no snow, Winterberry officials had no problem letting kids freeze to death on school grounds. Halfway down the steps to the courtyard, the boys halted and stared at a flock of not just students but teachers and other school staff¡ªall of whom were men. The sight was like the prelude to a fight breaking out. Still, instead of two fuming teenagers in the center giving their best Eastwood stare down at each other, a gorgeous senior was seated on the bench. The attractive girl was graced with sunkissed skin that retained its lively glow even in the dry cold and straight, long, light brown hair that stylists would kill to have their way with. As Zeke walked down the steps with Ugo, he scanned the courtyard. Girls stood across the yard, observing the scene with twisted expressions, a mix of hate and jealousy. ¡°What the hell?¡± Ugo kicked the dustbin to his side as they reached the end of the steps. ¡°I left her alone for, like, three minutes.¡± Even with most of the view obstructed by a wall of fellows, just enough of the girl¡¯s gorgeous face was visible to Zeke for him to remain fixed on it. ¡°Wow, she is¡­ crazy attractive,¡± he said, turning to Ugo. ¡°Are you sure she was talking to you?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t imagine it¡­¡± Ugo looked off to the side. ¡°Or did I? Oh, crap.¡± Zeke hissed and grabbed his chest. ¡°Ugh, I feel something in my chest and¡­¡± he looked down and then made a face. ¡°And somewhere else.¡± Ugo flung a fist at Zeke¡¯s chest. ¡°Don¡¯t you fall in love with her now. I saw her first!¡± Zeke analyzed the mesmerized crowd of testosterone, notably the drooling jocks. He recognized some faces, a select group of five, with one of them way more handsome than the rest. ¡°Ah, Raylan and his group are there. Yeah, it¡¯s over. There is nothing you can do here.¡± The spiky-haired baseball star made his way toward the girl and sat next to her, showcasing his million-dollar smile. ¡°We can fight them again,¡± Ugo suggested. ¡°We will destroy them for sure this time.¡± Zeke gave him a look, knowing full well Ugo would use magic if he agreed with him. ¡°There¡¯s no need to fight them. Let¡¯s just go¡ª¡± The lithe girl slipped from the masses and approached the brothers. ¡°Ugo, you¡¯re back, and you brought along Zeke.¡± The pair gazed dumbfounded at their fellow sultry student. The horde of heaving boys and middle-aged men huddled behind her, shoving amongst each other. She wore a wool sweater, blue jeans, and brown boots. The girl¡¯s beauty was frighteningly more apparent up close, mystical even as if she escaped from an exotic, magical island. There was no way she was from Indiana. Forget from out-of-town; she looked like she was from out-of-planet. She stretched her hand out towards Zeke. ¡°Nice to meet you, Zeke.¡± Zeke raised his hand, but a twinge in his chest compelled him to stop. The girl tilted her head to the side, concentrating on him with her deep hazel eyes. ¡°Something wrong?¡± Zeke grunted. The feeling hit again. The girl stepped forward, and he stepped back accordingly, pulling his hand down this time and pocketing it into his distasteful patterned pants. The girl frowned. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m confused. Is there something I did wrong?¡± ¡°Yo, what the hell, you friggin¡¯ Mexican!¡± a teacher screamed from the crowd, riling up the rest of the admirers. ¡°Hey, leave him alone!¡± Ugo shouted back in protest. ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­¡± He turned back to Zeke. ¡°I¡¯ll be the one to kill him!¡± ¡°Mora?¡± Ugo grabbed him by the collar and pulled him close. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing making Jill angry like that?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ something is going on with her,¡± Zeke whispered to Ugo and then snuck a glance at her. ¡°Can¡¯t you feel it¡­?¡± ¡°What is it that you feel, Tenth-Born?¡± Jill said. Zeke gaped at Jill. ¡°What did you call me?¡± Ugo let go of Zeke, and his look mirrored his brother¡¯s. Jill made a wolfish grin, baring her teeth as her fangs elongated and her eyes turned scarlet red. ¡°No need to fight against your impulses. Act on them; you are human, after all.¡± Zeke took another look at Jill¡¯s mesmerized army behind her. He narrowed his eyes, his heart was racing, and his brain began to fill with intrusive thoughts. A deep, primal urge was trying to take over. He fought against it with everything he had. Jill licked her lips and reached for Ugo¡¯s chin¡ªhe was long gone. ¡°Surrender,¡± she said. ¡°Okay,¡± Ugo obeyed. ¡°That¡¯s a good boy¡ª¡± Out of nowhere, her jaw locked in place. She staggered back as the color in her eyes reverted to hazel. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Jill?¡± Zeke asked. Extreme contorted the girl¡¯s beautiful face. She was wobbling and swaying to her sides until she couldn¡¯t take it anymore and dropped heavily. The crowd gasped as Zeke moved up to Jill, who was releasing labored breaths while on the ground clutching her chest. ¡°Jill¡ª¡± Raylan stopped Zeke by planting his firm palm on his chest. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing? This isn¡¯t the time to play doctor, freak.¡± ¡°Who here is playing doctor?¡± Zeke said to him with a dead serious look. Ugo pushed Raylan. ¡°Get off him!¡± Zeke neared Ugo with a hand on his shoulder and whispered in his ear. ¡°It¡¯s time to use that curtain spell you learned.¡± Ugo nodded and wasted no time. He made quick hand signs, with the last being one where he kept his fingers curled downward. The young, mystic surgeon maintained the sign as he grabbed the air¡ªa blue, see-through screen curtain materialized. Ugo pulled the curtain, circling and closing around the three of them. The noise of the fracas was cut in its entirety. Zeke looked past the curtain, and everybody on the outside was carrying on, paying no more attention to them. He gave Ugo a smile, congratulating him on the spell¡¯s effectiveness. ¡°Vesklepios!¡± Zeke called as he turned to Jill, ¡°Rutapexy Samhita!¡± Ugo called. The boys¡¯ Healer¡¯s Garbs cladded them, preparing them for the paranormal medical procedure. Zeke dropped his doctor¡¯s bag and straightened his long, forest-green coat. Ugo inspected his electric blue mummified getup and black robe covering one shoulder. His spiky, bleached hair with black roots matched poorly with his mystical garbs. They kneeled to their distraught patient. Ugo pulled back and said. ¡°Okay, I definitely feel it now.¡± ¡°Welcome back from the land of the horny, Mora,¡± Zeke said and focused on the dark sensation radiating from the patient. ¡°Black Magic energy¡­ feeling a lot of it.¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t look possessed though¡­ no black spots, her skin looks fine.¡± ¡°Yeah, wait¡­¡± Zeke grabbed onto Jill¡¯s wrist and pulled it away from her chest. ¡°I¡¯m going to need to take a look.¡± He pressed his hands together and focused. He quickly made a couple of hand signs¡ªawareness, energy, absolute¡ªand then pushed his hands together again. As he pulled them apart, a stream of green energy formed between his hands, stretching the further away his hands pulled from each other. He hovered the stream horizontally over Jill¡¯s face, and the front top of her skull became visible. Zeke slowly moved his hands down, ignoring images of her skeletal anatomy until he reached her chest cavity. Her heart was encased inside a demon. The fiend was a bony star-shaped creature with a cruel face. It smiled back at Zeke through the X-ray spell. Knowing that it had been seen didn¡¯t seem concerned with the fact. The demon was shrinking, compressing the heart as it fought to continue to pump blood. ¡°What is that thing?¡± Zeke asked. ¡°Izrastellum,¡± Ugo answered with certainty. ¡°I remember seeing it in a book I read at the library a month ago.¡± He stopped, and his eyes started to do a little dance as he sorted out the clutter in his remarkable memory and picked out the info he needed. Ugo¡¯s eyes fixed back on Zeke in an instant. ¡°It¡¯s an intermediate, multicellular demon, but I¡¯m sure we can take it out with an exorcism.¡± With their studying and practice over the past two months, they were more than prepared for an exorcism. Zeke looked down at the demon. One of the new things they learned was that when a demonic entity attacks an organ, the exorcism is more effective when the spell is applied directly to the collection of tissue, meaning¡­ ¡°We have to remove the heart first,¡± Zeke declared. ¡°Alright, boss.¡± Ugo held out his hand in a beggar¡¯s gesture, and his swathed blue surgical knife appeared. ¡°Making a thoracic incision,¡± he announced, holding the blade up, and then there was a flash of electric blue. Jill¡¯s clothing was split down the middle, and her chest was cleaved open. The boys were unalarmed by the black goo that oozed out of her innards. Zeke raised his gloved hands, and the veins and arteries reached out from the wrists of his Healer¡¯s Garb and wrapped around his hands. More blood vessels popped out and twisted around his hands until they doubled in size. Her breastbone was cleanly sliced, granting Zeke easier access to reach in and open the cavity in Jill¡¯s chest even further with his enhanced hands, spreading her flesh and ribs. He saw the struggling heart and the gray star-shaped demon that surrounded it. Zeke pulled his hands back and gave Ugo a look. ¡°Do it.¡± ¡°Making a circular incision.¡± Ugo raised his knife, inhaled, and exhaled deeply. He moved his hand in a quick circular motion, leaving an electric trail around the heart, and the major arteries were severed perfectly. Zeke reached into Jill¡¯s chest, cupped the organ and demon in his massive hands, and gently picked it up. ¡°Ugo, get some chalk and Aba¡¯s book out of my bag for me and turn to page 73 for the exorcism prayer.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t memorized that yet?¡± Ugo jeered. ¡°Mora!¡± ¡°Alright on it,¡± Ugo said, dashing to Zeke¡¯s bag. Zeke walked away from Jill, scowling down at the chuckling demon in his venous hands. Ugo made it to him with the book opened on the requested page, and the two crouched down. Using the chalk, the Surgeon quickly drew a magic circle on the ground with one hand. As soon as he finished the pentagram, Zeke placed his enhanced hands down on the magic circle and detached himself from them, leaving an accursed heart lying on a bundle of veins and arteries. Zeke took the book and exchanged a look with Ugo. They held out one hand with an open palm and began the Latin chant in unison. Zeke followed the words in the book, while Ugo did it from memory. The magic circle lit up, and the demon screamed in its hellish tongue as it began to burn, exuding black smoke. Throughout the chant, Zeke snuck a look back at Jill, and her body was twisting horrifically, splattering her black blood everywhere, which was odd given how the demon had already been removed. But there was no time for overthinking, he needed to focus. Zeke and Ugo intensified the incantation, raising the power in their voices. The demon expanded and writhed until it ignited with bright holy flames and vanished. The heart remained intact. The Diagnostician dropped the book, pushed his hands back into the bundle of blood vessels, like re-equipping gauntlets, and ran back to Jill. ¡°Ugo, prepare the suture spell.¡± He placed the heart back into place and moved away. Ugo held his hand out to the side, contorted, and locked it into a strange shape. A black needle holder conjured in his hand, clasping a small needle with a single long blue thread hanging off the end. Zeke watched Ugo in delight as he used the needle magic to reattach the vessels back to the heart. The red and blue bundle that enveloped his hands retracted. He slipped a flat hand under the heart, placed his other on its surface, and began squeezing the organ. The heart started to contract and expand against Zeke¡¯s palms. ¡°And look at that, you resuscitated a heart,¡± Ugo said. ¡°Just like we practiced, huh?¡± Zeke said, gently pulling his hands away. ¡°Close her up, Mora.¡± Ugo moved the needle in and out of the wound with grace, pulling her chest back together with controlled movements. Bizarrely, the thread was also used to reconnect the sternum like glue. He sutured the cavity closed, leaving a barely visible scar lined down her chest, and then did the same for her sweater. He stood up and made the surgical instruments vanish and then shared a fist bump with Zeke. A jolt of Black Magic energy made Zeke freeze and look down at her patient. She was emanating it, and it was swelling. ¡°I still feel Black Magic,¡± he said. ¡°Maybe residuals? We can give her some purity-raising medicine, and she¡¯ll be alright¡ª¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s still too strong! It¡¯s like¡­ it¡¯s like¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s a demon in an empty Container?¡± Suddenly, his eyes widened as he let out a loud gasp. ¡°Or do you think she could be a¡ª?¡± ¡°Mora, get help.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just saying.¡± Zeke pulled down his mask. ¡°Whatever this thing is, it was probably sent here to kill you and me, so we need to find out who sent it. We need to take it back to Providence to question it.¡± Jill sat up abruptly, her hand over her chest. Her eyes became scarlet red once again. ¡°I¡¯m alive¡­¡± she said in disbelief and then looked up at the two. ¡°You are good. Master will be pleased with this result.¡± She sprung up. ¡°Whoa, whoa, not so fast!¡± Zeke shouted, then stopped, wondering what medical reason there would be for a demon wearing a meatsuit to rest after a cardiopulmonary resuscitation. ¡°Sorry, but I need to be elsewhere.¡± She shoved Zeke to the side and ran past the transparent curtain, making the whole spell fall apart. Zeke and Ugo quickly called off their Healer¡¯s Garb as eyes around the courtyard fell back on them. Zeke grabbed his grandmother¡¯s book off the ground, stuffed it back into the doctor¡¯s bag, and went after Jill alongside Ugo.
The boys chased Jill through the streets, and startled pedestrians jumped out of their way, making it so that Jill and her pursuers didn¡¯t have to worry about slowing down. They dashed across the road forcing some angry drivers to screech to a stop. They cut their way into an alleyway. The running figure was getting blurry in Zeke¡¯s vision. ¡°Stop!¡± he shrieked. Fortunately for the boys, she actually did. Zeke and Ugo stopped, almost tumbling over their own weight. ¡°Oh, gracias a Dios!¡± Ugo exclaimed. He pushed his hands into his back and arched backward. ¡°I can feel my heart beating in my back.¡± Zeke, winded, squinted at Ugo, and he looked to be as close to the brink of death as he was. The difference in physical activity without the Healer¡¯s Garb equipped was jarring. ¡°Who sent you?¡± Zeke managed to get out in a breathless voice. Jill moved up to the two, relieving Zeke, who was a couple of steps away from slipping into a coma. ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon, I promise,¡± said Jill, keeping an ardent eye on Zeke. I just need to check with him first.¡± Ugo pushed Zeke¡¯s head away and forced upfront eye contact with Jill. ¡°What are you?¡± he asked. Jill studied Ugo and bit her lower lip. ¡°Shame. I was hoping to have some fun with you before we had to resort to that.¡± She brushed his shoulder. ¡°Orders were for me to go as far as I deemed necessary.¡± Ugo, entranced, reached out for her as she walked backward, fixed back at them with a lascivious look. Then, crushing bones sounded as Jill twisted her body a bit. A pair of bat-like wings tore out from her lower back and stretched to either side of her hips. Long, black bones lined the top of the wings, with a protruding claw off the end. The wing''s skin was scarlet red and had tears here and there. Her skin, hair, and scarlet-red eyes seemed to get darker as her fangs became sharper. The transformation culminated with red horns sprouting from either side of her head. She squatted and gave them a wink before taking to the sky in a powerful blast of wind. The gale got rid of the sweat Zeke managed to break in the middle of winter. He received a swift slap across the cheek as he turned to Ugo, almost knocking him over. ¡°Ezequias, idiota!¡± Ugo exclaimed like he was one of Zeke¡¯s middle-aged uncles. ¡°That was a succubus! You should¡¯ve let her do whatever it was she wanted to do to me! I should¡¯ve never gone to get you¡­¡± Zeke stared blankly with his hand over his cheek. ¡°Are you serious right now?¡± ¡°Dead serious.¡± As Ugo stormed off, grumbling to himself. Zeke looked up, watched the demoness glide through the white clouded sky, and then began to wonder. ¡°So, who wants to kill Ugo?¡± Chapter 36 - Check-Up Zeke and Ugo let themselves into Heath¡¯s Sports Bar and allowed for a moment to recover from the interesting aroma that came from entering. They waved at the new, fresh-faced employee¡ªNaomi¡ªas she finished jotting down an order. Her flowy, sunflower blonde hair snaked down from her baseball cap, and she wore the cheap long-sleeve T-shirt uniform with the bar¡¯s poorly rendered logo on it. She halted and waved back as bubbly and guileless as ever. ¡°I got some nachos going cold here, Naomi. What are you doing!¡± a gruff chef yelled from afar. ¡°Coming!¡± Naomi ran off. A thin man, sipping a beer way too early in the day, slithered near the brothers. ¡°Man, you see that hot piece of ass?¡± He guzzled down his drink. ¡°I¡¯m going to make my move.¡± ¡°Hey, that¡¯s our friend,¡± Zeke said. ¡°Really? Shit, so is she like 17 or something?¡± Actually, she was a little over 200 years old. Zeke wasn¡¯t sure if telling him that would be a deal-breaker or not. He seemed to be made out of the same degenerate genetic material as Ugo. ¡°She¡¯s not a kid, but back off, buddy,¡± Ugo barked at the man. ¡°She¡¯s taken.¡± ¡°By who? You?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°No, she isn¡¯t,¡± Zeke said. ¡°So, she¡¯s available?¡± The man replied with a smile. ¡°Go home, and isn¡¯t it way too early to be drinking?¡± The man leaned toward Zeke with a mean glare. ¡°What did you say to me, Rosario-scum?¡± Zeke cowered back, looking away. ¡°Nothing, sorry, uh, I speak broken English. I don¡¯t know what I was saying.¡± The man narrowed his eyes and shuffled away, muttering to himself. Zeke let out a sigh of relief as soon as the man was nowhere in sight. Even after learning that literal demons existed, xenophobic locals still ranked high on his personal hierarchy of terror. The boys started walking again, making their way toward Naomi. ¡°Now you don¡¯t think there¡¯s a chance between Naomi and me,¡± Ugo said. Zeke groaned. ¡°I can¡¯t keep up with this¡­ how many girls are you after?¡± he said, exhausted. ¡°And just to be clear, I never thought there was a chance.¡± They halted once they spotted a familiar sweaty man with a scarf, wearing a parka coat over his fancy shirt and tie. He sat alone at a table near the windows. Zeke¡¯s mind went back to the conversation he shared with the dejected angel at the same spot two months ago as they approached the table.
Beer-soaked glassware dotted the table. The celestial was clearly sober but held a hostile and grim look. ¡°What did you just say to me?¡± asked Nananiel, as if he were giving Zeke and his pack a way out. But it wasn¡¯t enough to keep the Diagnostician from repeating the proposal. ¡°I can help you find out who broke the Seals. Let¡¯s make a deal.¡± Zeke could feel the intense sensations Nananiel was emitting from where he was seated. It was like he was granted the abilities of an empath, and could feel his own mood dropping as he sat on the other side of the table alongside AJ and Naomi. Then, Zeke gave the area a quick scan. It was empty, and only one middle-aged employee was present. He was slumped over the bar counter, half-sleep while watching the TV playing reruns. It was midnight, but Sunday as well. There should¡¯ve been inebriated remnants of weekenders scattered around the place like flies at an abandoned picnic. This served as the basis of a new theory for Zeke; he understood how celestial beings¡¯ mental states can affect things around them. The dejected vibrations the angel was emanating must¡¯ve been disrupting the luring power of the bar for potential binge drinkers¡ªlooking for escape via the malty flavor that served as their ferryman toward sweet ignorance. ¡°Angels don¡¯t make deals, Ezequias Rosario,¡± said Nananiel in a caustic tone. ¡°I don¡¯t recall angels trapping innocent beings in jail for hundreds of years, all while calling them an ¡®abomination¡¯ either,¡± said AJ in an even more caustic tone, as if she were challenging him. Zeke gave her a look and then reminded himself that this was the girl who threw a shoe at a possessed supernatural being. Her current act of foolish bravery paled in comparison. Nananiel turned to AJ, eyes growing wide. ¡°Wait, do¡­?¡± Ugo was on the other side of the table, sitting next to Nananiel. In an act that almost made Zeke¡¯s heart explode, Ugo put his hand on Nananiel¡¯s shoulder and leaned in. ¡°Yeah, we know,¡± he said. Nananiel shifted his focus to Naomi. ¡°Naomi, I¡­¡± he trailed off. Zeke brought up the proposal again to prevent them from veering off course (and avoid giving his cowardice time to convince him to back out). ¡°You leave the rest of us alone,¡± Zeke continued, ¡°and the ones I turn over. I want there to be a fair trial.¡± ¡°A trial?¡± ¡°Yes, a trial. We¡¯ll judge them on their character and actions. And as for punishment... a form of rehabilitation.¡± The angel¡¯s expression scrunched up as he sank back in the seat. ¡°A second chance.¡± ¡°Being young and capable of such insane power can mess with your head.¡± The comment had Nananiel study Zeke for a while, and then he reached into his breast pocket. ¡°You¡¯re a good person, Ezequias.¡± ¡°Yeah, he is,¡± Ugo said. Nananiel pulled out his handkerchief and wiped some sweat off their forehead. ¡°How do you know you can trust me?¡± ¡°Someone has to be the one stupid enough to try it out first,¡± Zeke said, ¡°so that the rest can follow, like when Edward Jenner tested the first vaccine on that poor kid or when Barry Marshall performed a biopsy on his own gut to prove that ulcers aren¡¯t caused by stress. I¡¯m going to trust and put my faith in you blindly, hoping that you¡¯ll keep up your end of the bargain.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯ll act as a spy for me?¡± Nananiel asked. ¡°Any info we receive. We¡¯ll report it to you.¡± Nananiel raised his hand to his chin. His face said it all. He was interested, but something was holding him back. A lump in the back of his throat kept him from agreeing immediately. ¡°But doing that¡­ would involve convincing all the other angels. That would be difficult.¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯re hoping you¡¯ll put in the work,¡± Zeke said. ¡°So, we can finally end this senseless conflict between Healers and angels.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not completely senseless since one of them is the Angel-Killer,¡± said Naomi, earning a look from everybody. She shrank back. ¡°Sorry¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay,¡± Ugo said and gave her a warm smile. He looked over at Nananiel. ¡°We¡¯ve been told recently that a dude from the Tainted Generation will be organizing a reunion of some kind soon. We just gotta wait for that invite. We are going full Sherlock Holmes mode when we meet them.¡± ¡°¡®Sherlock Holmes¡¯ as in¡­ you¡¯re going to try to unveil the identities of the four who broke the Seals. I¡¯m not agreeing or promising anything, but let¡¯s say I did. Can you really do that for me?¡± Nananiel said. ¡°Well, we already know¡ª¡± ¡°That Violet isn¡¯t one of them,¡± Zeke interrupted and then shared a look with his friends, giving them the cue to let him continue talking. ¡°But yeah, we¡¯re going to identify them all.¡± This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
By the time Zeke¡¯s mind returned to the present, he and Ugo were taking their seats on one side of the table. Nananiel wasn¡¯t drinking anything. He was just slumped over in his seat, looking down at his clasped hands like a poster boy for men in crisis. All he was missing was the raggedy beard and a black-and-white filter. ¡°Nananiel,¡± Zeke started, ¡°what are you doing here?¡± The angel raised his head, revealing his unkempt stubble. With a closer look at Nananiel, Zeke could detect the enervation on his countenance before even noticing the darkness he was emanating that seemed to sap away his energy. He looked over at Ugo, and he was out of breath, undergoing the effects of Nananiel¡¯s current disposition as well. Even with the dark circles around his saggy eyes, he forced a smile out of place with what the rest of his face was doing. ¡°I like to watch over her¡­ make sure she¡¯s safe.¡± He looked away. Zeke followed the direction he was looking in and saw Naomi scrambling from table to table, delivering orders. He averted his gaze back to the angel and grinned, remembering how much he must care about her. Over the past two months, as the trio helped Naomi adjust to the mundane wonders of human life, she happily prattled on about more stories Nananiel shared with her during his amicable visits to her cage. According to her, he was the only angel who never used the word ¡®abomination¡¯ around her. Other angels would visit only to rebuke Naomi about her paradoxical existence and fill her mind with teachings of what use she¡¯d have to do when the right time came. ¡®Irin¡¯ was the one name she¡¯d repeatedly mention. ¡°Naomi said you were the one who let her out,¡± Zeke said. ¡°And that you would talk to her when she was in the cage. You were the nicest one to her.¡± Without taking his eyes off the sunflower blonde, Nananiel said, ¡°Yeah, it was an unfortunate situation for her. She was caged for the crime of being born. I always found it a bit unfair, but we had the universe¡¯s safety at stake, so what could we do?¡± Nananiel shrugged and pulled his gaze from Naomi to look at the boys. ¡°Although, the abomination is right here. Walking amongst humans for quite some time now, and nothing world-ending happened. So a mistake was made, right?¡± ¡°Definitely,¡± Ugo agreed. Nananiel made a snicker, looking back down at his clasped hands. ¡°She seems happy, and it¡¯s quite nice seeing the four of you together. I¡¯m thankful for that.¡± Zeke¡¯s perspective of Nananiel¡¯s actions during that week had been undergoing some changes. Slowly, Zeke was beginning to understand that Nananiel was trying not only to do his job but also to ensure Naomi¡¯s safety. She was, in fact, being held ¡®prisoner¡¯ by two members of the Fourteenth Tainted Generation. But as always, Zeke¡¯s worries began to overcloud his thoughts, and he had to express them. ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m still worried about some angel coming out of nowhere to try to take her back,¡± Zeke brought up. ¡°Even with Irin out of the picture, another one could try.¡± Nananiel shot a look at Zeke. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®Irin out of the picture¡¯? Irin is not dead.¡± Of course, it wouldn¡¯t have been that easy. Nothing ever was that easy in the tumultuous life of Ezequias Rosario. Zeke¡¯s eyes widened as the image of Naomi¡¯s giant sword-wielding, gray sun-head titan form came into his mind. The visage of Irin¡¯s tiny volcanic body being slashed into nothing but particles repeatedly replayed in his head. ¡°We saw her get sliced into oblivion,¡± Ugo said. Nananiel released a sigh, realizing now he had to be the bearer of bad news. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to be the one to tell you two this. I wasn¡¯t there, yes, and sure, I believe Naomi did a number on Irin¡¯s Container, but no way would her soul be destroyed that easily. I should¡¯ve corrected you during our last meeting.¡± An urge to complain was rising within Zeke, but then he surprised it. He, too, kept info from the angel, such as them knowing Isaac was one of the culprits behind the Seals¡¯ breaking. He felt it may be too early to give out that info for some reason. The sentiment had been shared and agreed upon with the rest of the Infirmary members. ¡°So, if Irin is alive, how come she hasn¡¯t tried to get Naomi again?¡± Zeke asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think the First Sphere angels simply don¡¯t care anymore and have moved onto something new, maybe related to whatever Irin¡¯s secret project is.¡± Nananiel cleaned his damp hands with his handkerchief. ¡°I recently learned that Irin had been disseminating a high percentage of her own soul power for something and has been doing it for years.¡± ¡°Wait, are you telling me that we fought a weakened Irin?¡± Ugo said, despondent. Nananiel nodded. ¡°It would explain the instability of her Container those days. Unfortunately, with her reward, I was demoted and lost what you humans in those government agencies would call ¡®clearance¡¯ to information about grand missions that concern the Realms,¡± he explained. ¡°Some angels were able to return from Limbo. Although, none of them are willing to speak with me. Save for one¡­¡± ¡°So is the Dominion Chief now?¡± Zeke asked. ¡°Irin is now simultaneously the Dominion Chief and Power Chief. Relations and management are now carried by a being who only knows war and bloodshed. The next couple of millennia will be gruesome, that¡¯s if we make it that long.¡± Nananiel said and stored his handkerchief back in his pocket. ¡°As for me. I am back to the title of ¡®angel.¡¯ Third Sphere. My missions are, well¡­ whatever all the other high-ranking angels tell me to do. Oh, and on top of that. I have been banished from Heaven, so I must live on earth and do what I can to survive.¡± Ugo raised a hand up to his forehead. ¡°Man¡­ I am so sorry.¡± Another forced smile came from the former Dominion Chief. ¡°No, it¡¯s alright.¡± But the modesty was quickly replaced with a face of desperation. ¡°You guys wouldn¡¯t happen to know any place where they are hiring, would you?¡± Zeke and Ugo exchanged a look. ¡°You¡¯re an angel. You have literal superpowers.¡± Ugo reminded. ¡°Just use those to get money.¡± ¡°I am not supposed to use my power for selfish gains. My power is for helping humans.¡± ¡°Wait, is that another reason why you came here? Looking for a job?¡± Zeke asked. Shifty-eyed the angel became, Nananiel looked to his left and right quickly. Zeke decided to back off and let Nananiel keep what was left of his dignity. He cleared his throat. ¡°Try Burger Queen. They hire anybody.¡± He was confident in that statement, given that several relatives worked there. Another source of mystical energy touched Zeke¡¯s soul as Naomi crossed by their table and halted halfway. She froze, gaping at Nananiel. ¡°Elder Brother Nananiel¡­¡± she bit her lip and failed to make continuous eye contact. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know that was you I was sensing. I thought it was Zeke.¡± Zeke made a blank face, trying not to think about how she assumed the depressive aura belonged to him, but he could hear Ugo stifling his laugh. Nananiel arose, somehow managing to fleck spouts of sweat everywhere with just one movement. ¡°Naomi, please, just call me ¡®Nananiel.¡¯¡± He moved up to her and put his hands over her shoulders, staring at her poignantly. ¡°I am so sorry for what I put you through, and I am elated for what you¡¯ve found.¡± No words followed as Naomi held his stare and blinked as her bright doe eyes welled. Finally, she said, ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Zeke rested his cheek on his hand as he watched the wholesome moment. They didn¡¯t give any care to the myriad of confused eyes that went in their direction or the vexed chef calling for Naomi¡¯s attention in the background. Then, Nananiel dug his cell out of his pocket. ¡°You have a phone, right?¡± ¡°Um¡­ yes,¡± Naomi answered sheepishly. Zeke¡¯s heart skipped a beat, taking his hand from under his cheek and putting it over his heart. The scene was already topping the unhealthy amount of cat videos he had seen. ¡°Good. Okay, I¡¯m going to give you my number, and then you call me if you decide to quit or if a job opening here pops up.¡± And the feeling inside Zeke died. Nananiel shamelessly went on. ¡°Make sure to tell your boss about my skills. I am really good at cleaning. Cooking, not so much, but I really excel at attending to people because I love people. Oh, also, try to figure out what kind of resume style your boss prefers.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure I want to work at the same place you work,¡± Naomi muttered. ¡°What?¡± Nananiel said in a feeble voice. ¡°It¡¯s just that would be¡­.¡± ¡°Embarrassing?¡± Ugo chimed in and stood up. Naomi nodded with a chagrined expression. ¡°Huh?¡± said Nananiel, turning back to Ugo. ¡°You¡¯re kinda like her dad, dude. It would be a little awkward.¡± Nananiel made a confused smile, touched and hurt by the words at the same time. ¡°Oh¡­¡± he said, looking back at Naomi and then patting her on the head. He went for the exit. After the short, awkward moment of silence, Naomi brought up, ¡°Where¡¯s AJ?¡± ¡°School event,¡± Ugo answered. ¡°She went to yell at some first graders to eat their vegetables or something.¡± Naomi giggled. ¡°That¡¯s funny, I¡¯d like to see that¡ª" ¡°NAOMI!¡± The almost-demonic-sounding call exploded out of the chef. A frantic Naomi told the boys she would be working a late-night and ran off to work. The brothers¡¯ next fated destination was Cold Phoenix Mall, specifically, the bookstore for new fantasy and superhero titles that now only didn¡¯t serve as entertainment but vital knowledge that could help save several lives in the future. Or at least, that was their best excuse for continuing to feed their insatiable hunger for nerd culture. The shopping mall was heavily decorated with gaudy Christmas decorations. With a towering Christmas tree in the center and dazzling lights everywhere, making sure one didn¡¯t forget about what holiday it was. After they got their books, they were seduced to visit the arcade in the mall, where the owner treated them like royalty, crowning the boys as his best customers since they were his only customers. A couple of hours later, after repeatedly topping each other¡¯s high scores on Monkey Kong, one made an impossible score¡ªit was Ugo¡¯s. His eidetic memory was an unfair advantage, but it wasn¡¯t like he could do anything about it. They rode the bus back to their sleepy neighborhood, Blackmarsh Grove, and walked home with their new books in their backpacks. The biting cold of the night was relentless as the dead trees accompanying Zeke and Ugo¡¯s walk reminded them of the harshness of the season. The households of Blackmarsh Grove didn¡¯t let the forlorn environment of dead trees stop them from flaunting their Christmas spirit. As if they were all competing against each other, the colonial homes were covered in flashing, garish decorations. None was giving a damn for whoever enjoys a good night''s sleep. The statutory nuisance seemed illegal, but acting like a crazy person in the name of the holiday spirit was better bulletproof than a Kevlar vest. Abruptly, Ugo halted and took off his backpack. He kneeled and rummaged through its contents like a desert hiker who realized they didn¡¯t bring any water two hours into his adventure. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Zeke asked. Ugo continued rummaging and responded in a whisper, ¡°Mano, look at who is standing in front of our house.¡± Zeke looked forward, and standing before the gate of their small American colonial home was Jill. Chapter 37 - Examination Ugo sprung up with a perfume bottle and started dousing himself with the stuff. ¡°Since when did you walk around with perfume?¡± Zeke asked. ¡°Since I decided to become a real man,¡± he said as he sprayed himself. ¡°What does that even mean?¡± ¡°I forgot to put it on this morning at school. I can¡¯t let myself make the same mistake again.¡± Zeke grimaced as he got a violent whiff of aromatic tobacco mixed in with sandalwood and vanilla. ¡°What about the mistake of putting on too much perfume?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lie,¡± Ugo refuted, dropping the bottle¡ªprobably a lot lighter than before¡ª into his backpack. ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as too much perfume. Just like too much barbecue or oregano.¡± ¡°AJ said so.¡± ¡°AJ doesn¡¯t count!¡± Zeke slapped him across the cheek. Ugo cranked his head back into his place, giving Zeke a look. ¡°I felt like she would want me to do that,¡± Zeke defended. Zeke yipped as he noticed that Jill was now looking in their direction. The thunderous slap caught her attention. She ambled towards them. ¡°Jill, what¡¯re you doing here?¡± Zeke asked her. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare scare her off again!¡± Ugo said, pointing a mean finger at Zeke. The lissom girl¡¯s unearthly beauty was enhanced even further under the moonlight as if that was the setting it was always supposed to thrive in. But with the vitalized features, every trace of innocence on her face went away, and only malice remained in its place. She had eyes that could galvanize even the most jaded souls. Jill licked her lips with her sharp tongue as she focused on the boys one at a time. The aura she fearlessly let out was daunting Zeke¡¯s soul to its core. He could feel it. All of it. An insane amount of concentrated Black Magic energy pressed down on the purity of his essence like a barbell. He made sure his hands were ready, moving them a bit as he held Jill¡¯s hungry stare. ¡°I work for Master Gill,¡± she declared proudly. Zeke dropped his guard to think. ¡°Master Gill? Gill¡­ Wait, I¡¯ve heard that name before.¡± ¡°The Third Born of the Fourteenth Tainted Generation of Healers, yes.¡± ¡°There¡¯s gotta be some way to make that title shorter¡­.¡± Zeke said. Jill spread open her arms and looked down on herself. ¡°Gill made me look and feel more human with a spell he got help with from another Healer,¡± she explained. ¡°So, you¡¯re not wearing a Container?¡± ¡°I have a human-like form I can use. I¡¯m a succubus.¡± ¡°Ohhh, we know,¡± said Ugo, letting out his lecherous giggle. Jill walked up to Zeke and gently pushed Ugo away. She slid her hands down Zeke¡¯s shoulders and pressed her cheek onto his. Sensations of arousal, fear, and confusion fought with each other inside Zeke, rendering him unable to move or make a sound. Jill began to sniff him, then slowly retracted one hand from his body and reached into her pocket. ¡°Make sure you show up, Ezequias,¡± she whispered as she slithered her arm down his back and slipped something into his back pocket. Jill started sniffing him again and cooed. ¡°Oh¡­ so pure¡­¡± she crooned and then wrapped her slimy, sharp, dark red tongue around his ear. ¡°So¡­ untouched.¡± Zeke let out a wimpy stammer. The mediocre effort did nothing to stop Jill from moving on to gently sucking his ear. He caught Ugo scowling at them. Obviously, his brother was more jealous than concerned for his safety. Zeke was convinced that even if he was killed by this, Ugo would still be bitter and green with envy at his funeral service. Finally, Jill let her prey go and withdrew her grotesque (depending on who you¡¯re asking) tongue back into her small mouth and quickly transformed into her natural form. She winked at Zeke, and one of her demonic wings gave him a wave before she blasted into the milky night sky. Without a moment to recover from the trauma, Ugo stomped up to Zeke and shoved him. ¡°What the heck, Zeke!¡± ¡°You think I wanted that to happen?¡± he shouted back. Ugo stared for a bit and then kicked the streetlamp to his side. ¡°Goddamit, the creature I wanted to meet the most just flew away! She was right by my side, and I blew it. I promised myself that I would do something when the time came.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Zeke arched a brow. ¡°What were you going to do, seduce a succubus? Seducing is literally in their job description.¡± ¡°Just let me dream, man!¡± Ugo shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why she was so attracted to you instead of me.¡± Zeke looked at Ugo with a nervous smile. ¡°It¡¯s because of my¡­ stench.¡± Ugo held his look and narrowed his eyes, going into deep analysis in his head. ¡°Oh, I get it,¡± he said, nodding. ¡°The perfume set her off. Succubi are more attracted to the natural manly musk.¡± If by ¡®manly musk¡¯ he meant ¡®nervous, celibate teenage boy body odor,¡¯ then Zeke was happy to let him believe in the deduction instead of the real reason. ¡°Does that mean that Gill just has a bunch of succubi at his disposal?¡± He exchanged a look with Zeke. ¡°Maybe we should invite him to our medical team.¡± ¡°Gill could be one of the people who broke the Seal.¡± ¡°Okay, maybe not invite him, but keep him in close contact. You know, request some succubi to be part of our nurse staff.¡± ¡°Why would we have succubi as nurses?¡± ¡°Okay, you¡¯re right,¡± Ugo admitted. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound right. But, per se, for special circumstances. For example, imagine there is a patient who is having problems with his penis¡ª¡° ¡°I¡¯m going to bed,¡± Zeke announced, walking towards their gate. Ugo caught up to Zeke as he pulled the gold envelope from his back pocket. It was marked all over with demonic sigils. ¡°Well, this looks super cursed. We should probably¡ª¡± Ugo snatched the envelope from him and ripped it open. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°Mora!¡± ¡°You would¡¯ve taken several hours to think about something you would¡¯ve ended up opening anyway. I saved you time. De nada.¡± They reached the gate and stopped. Ugo pulled out the long gold-speckled letter from the envelope and started reading. ¡°What does it say?¡± Zeke asked. Ugo smirked. ¡°It¡¯s the invitation we¡¯ve been waiting for. Gill wants us to spend our winter break at his retreat in the snowy mountains of Z¨¹rich. All the other Tainted Generation members are going to be there.¡± Zeke¡¯s heart started pounding. He knew it was coming, but it still felt sudden. Then, he noticed a large sigil on the back of the note. ¡°Looks like it is time for us to start playing spy and figure out who the other Seal breakers are,¡± Ugo said. Over the wonder and trepidation that Zeke felt imagining the rest of the Tainted Generation, each with their own magic, personal philosophies, and personalities¡ªgood or bad¡ªhe could only think about one variable in the equation. Seeing her again. The boys crossed their front lawn with some distasteful reindeer lights keeping guard and went inside their reasonably decorated home. They greeted their parents and had dinner with them. Chicken zucchini casserole was the meal, and the conversation was helmed by Ugo¡¯s young-at-heart father, Gerardo, who was adamant about reminding everybody of how in touch he was with the younger generation. Zeke¡¯s mother, Eldora, proud bearer of beautiful short curls, happily watched her bearded, fit husband ramble about tabloids and social media trends¡ªneither of which Zeke nor Ugo was familiar with but didn¡¯t have the heart to tell him. After the meal and cleaning up, it was time to get to work. Zeke sent a text to the Occult Doctors group chat, giving a summary of the situation, to which Naomi responded with a page worth of random emojis. Zeke feared how it would be when she inevitably learned about the infinite power of GIFs. He waited alongside Ugo until they were deep into midnight. Then, Ugo drew the transportation sigil, courtesy of Esther Rosario, on their bedroom with a marker. He pushed the door open and beckoned Zeke over. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go.¡± In his pajamas, he clenched his doctor¡¯s bag in hand. With Ugo, he stepped into the Providence Infirmary of the Occult. The welcoming smoky chamomile fragrance of the waiting room eased them into serenity. A soothing song of crackling fires played from the sconces on the white stone walls with missing plaster. Zeke entered the familiar medieval room, where there were wall hangings marked with various occult symbols and the golden wood altar at the end of the space. It had a bowl of holy water, and over it was a multicolored tapestry of a three-faced sun¡ªtheir expressions became more twisted and deranged, going from the left to the right. It was, of course, much cleaner than how they first found it, thanks to the effort of their virtuous custodian who didn¡¯t need, or rather, ask for a salary. The cleaning was done with hundreds of cleaning supplies smuggled in from supermarkets (it was for the greater good, the Infirmary team convinced themselves). AJ was in the room and on her feet near the cushionless carved sofas with her arms crossed. She wore a letterman jacket over her fleece polar bear pajamas. Zeke locked eyes with her. Her hair was tousled but not in a ponytail, which was a rarity. The bedhead look somehow suited her well, Zeke thought to himself. AJ approached the two, shivering. She never did well with the cold. ¡°You¡¯re just going to go?¡± AJ started, opening up the topic immediately. ¡°Haven¡¯t you guys read Agatha Christie?¡± AJ had a point, as usual, Zeke realized. It sounded like a perfect plot devised by Gill to pick out Tainted Generation members one by one in an environment he was in complete control of. A mansion in the Swiss snowy mountains¡ªwalking into that and deciding to spend even a night there would be nothing short of Darwinism for whatever happens to Zeke and Ugo. But this was one of the cases in which Zeke couldn¡¯t let his anxiety take over. He had a duty. He looked up at AJ, feeling the crick in his neck worsening¡ªpent-up from talking with Ugo all day. ¡°All the members of the Tainted Generation are going to be there,¡± Zeke said. ¡°This¡¯ll be our chance to get to know them all at once and gather clues on who helped break the Seals.¡± There were footsteps, and the sound of them slowly increased. The trio averted their gaze to the doorless arched frame next to the polished curved timber counter. Naomi walked out of the frame, clothed in a spot print, long-sleeved nightdress, eyeing down at the bright white screen of a smartphone in her hand. Aside from adjusting well to the human world, she assumed her role of nurse/custodian with stride, spending her nights in the infirmary and keeping it clean. She was the first to brave the horrors of the bathrooms, which was far scarier than any of the supernatural diseases the team had faced. Zeke wondered how long it would take for her to realize how many union legislations they were breaking with the free labor they were getting from her. ¡°Naomi,¡± Ugo called for her attention, bringing her to a halt. ¡°Who¡¯re you texting?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not texting anyone. I am reading what¡¯s called ¡®fan-fiction.¡¯¡± ¡°Naomi, get out of there before you fall into a rabbit hole you can¡¯t get out of,¡± Ugo warned. Naomi took a seat on the sofa and announced, ¡°Oh, and I made a friend today!¡± Zeke looked at the smartphone, arched a brow, and then scrupulously looked at Ugo. ¡°So, you¡¯re fine with that?¡± ¡°A girl needs to socialize,¡± Ugo said while shrugging, ¡°I don¡¯t regret letting her keep my phone at all.¡± Zeke realized Ugo¡¯s kind gesture masked as part of a scheme to win Naomi over had a fatal flaw regarding the male attention she¡¯d receive. But he decided to refrain from commenting on it and wait for Ugo¡¯s eventual breakdown once he realized what he¡¯d done. ¡°Someone asked for my number,¡± Naomi said. ¡°And you just gave it to them?¡± AJ asked brusquely. ¡°Was it a guy?¡± ¡°Yes, it was,¡± Naomi answered happily. Ugo¡¯s smile faded like dissolving cotton candy. ¡°There it is,¡± Zeke said to himself, watching Ugo¡¯s illusion of a perfect plan shatter before him. Naomi¡¯s cell made a loud ding that made her jump. ¡°Oh! He sent me a message,¡± Naomi announced, tapping at her phone. Ugo stormed towards her and looked down at the screen. Their faces went blank. Zeke and AJ exchanged looks. ¡°What?¡± They both asked. Naomi curled her lip to the side. ¡°Hm. Well, um¡­ um¡­.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no other way to put it.¡± Ugo gave the two a stern look. ¡°It¡¯s a dick pic.¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± AJ said. Naomi handed the cell to Ugo and moved up to AJ, confounded by recent events. ¡°What a strange gesture¡­is this how human men win over the females?¡± ¡°It¡¯s what they think wins over women,¡± AJ corrected. ¡°So, they don¡¯t like it?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why do they keep doing it then?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a great question.¡± Ding. ¡°Oh, he sent another,¡± Ugo said as he plopped on the couch. Ding. ¡°And another.¡± Ding. ¡°Man, this dude is prolific.¡± Naomi directed her big eyes at Zeke. ¡°So¡­ we can¡¯t go with you?¡± she asked hopefully. Zeke held her forlorn look, elated to speak with someone at eye level, giving his neck a much-needed break. ¡°No, Naomi. Tainted Generation members only. It¡¯s best if we stick to all the conditions to avoid alerting anybody. This trip is to make connections, not enemies.¡± ¡°But Isaac is going to be there. He¡¯s already our enemy,¡± said AJ as she walked back to the trestle table. Zeke paused, half-expecting someone to bring up Violet as well. He glanced over at Ugo and was relieved he was distracted by the gallery of phallic photos being funneled into his brain. ¡°We¡¯re just going to try to avoid unnecessary conflict. Act as if nothing happened,¡± he said to AJ. AJ crouched down on the table. ¡°You mean, act like the guy who almost killed us all and tried to get you to help him to set a new Heaven did¡­ nothing.¡± Zeke forced a smile. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Wait¡­ these photos aren¡¯t all the same,¡± said Ugo, raising his head. ¡°What¡¯s this guy¡¯s goal? Does he want Naomi to guess which one is his? ¡°Just block him already,¡± Zeke said. ¡°No, wait, I¡¯m curious to see where this goes¡­.¡± Zeke gave out a sigh. ¡°At the end of the note were instructions on setting up an effective hypnosis spell. It¡¯ll make our parents believe in anything that¡¯ll make them okay with us disappearing during the last half of Christmas break.¡± ¡°Gill wants you staying with him for that long?¡± AJ shouted as she sprung up. ¡°I really don¡¯t like this.¡± Zeke walked up to her and brushed her shoulders. ¡°I know you¡¯re scared, but it¡¯s going to be okay. Ugo and I will watch each other¡¯s backs. Besides, if anything goes awry, we¡¯ll text you guys or just use the sigil to return to this hospital. Easy.¡± Zeke studied AJ as she looked to her side, keeping her arms crossed, knowing there was nothing else she could say to stop it. ¡°I¡¯ll miss you guys,¡± Naomi said. ¡°I was hoping we could spend Christmas break together.¡± As much as Zeke was looking forward to Naomi¡¯s reaction to seeing snow for the first time, he had to hold back the urge to abort the mission. He looked over at AJ. ¡°Please watch over Naomi and protect her from creeps like the Dick Pic Spammer.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve been training by keeping Ugo from interacting with her as much as possible,¡± she said. Ugo got up and returned the smartphone to Naomi. ¡°Why did he have so many photos, though¡­?¡± he asked himself. ¡°The quality of the pics was impeccable.¡± Zeke and AJ looked over at him. ¡°I know what I said. I¡¯m not taking it back. A good photo is a good photo.¡± Chapter 38 - Transplant One week later, Winterberry started looking more akin to its name. Christmas break had begun, and with it came the extended members of the Rosario clan (those who weren¡¯t incarcerated or in witness protection or just MIA) to spend the holiday season at the Moratas¡¯ small colonial home. Once the Moratas and Eldora¡¯s own family learned about the presence of good ol¡¯ Adelmo Rosario¡¯s blood relatives at the house, many excuses related to canceled plane tickets, injuries, ailments, and deaths of family members they had never heard of before popped up. Zeke, Ugo, and their parents were stuck in the house with an all-star roster of the Rosarios. Great additions included Zeke¡¯s Uncle Pablo, who was recently released from prison for organizing an underground cockfighting ring in his late grandmother¡¯s home; Aunt ¨¢ngela was the walking definition of an angel with a dirty face. She often bragged about avoiding jail time after pulling off massive swindles and the men and women she left penniless and psychologically scathed. Her son, Esteban, attained internet fame by trying to rob a convenience store with a carrot in his jacket pocket. And who could forget Uncle Juan? Fresh off the slammer after receiving his 20th DUI¡ªjust 11 more, and he can ring up Guinness for a new record. His little girl, Maria, was not even a 7th grader yet (because she got held back), and she was already pulling off shoplifting heists that would make cousin Martinho proud. Martinho was famous for traveling to Nepal and stealing an Asian palm civet to get them to poop out coffee beans and sell Kopi Luwak on the black market. Zeke was glad he couldn¡¯t make it due to being incarcerated. He always smelled like shit. The reason why Eldora continued to entertain and play host to these stains of society was beyond Zeke. After arguing with her back at Esther Rosario¡¯s burial, he learned that she had been visiting his father regularly. He decided his mother was a lost cause. Adelmo had some sort of mental hold over her, like a spell. Maybe the same Violet had over him. Zeke and Ugo shared their room with Uncle Pablo and the world¡¯s most annoying 13-year-old, Ramon, who was on his way to getting expelled from his school with his devious licks. The following nights consisted of loud Christmas-themed dinners, late-night gaming sessions with the stepbrothers against Uncle Pablo and Ramon, and group efforts to diffuse arguments between Auntie Maria and her new boyfriend of the week, Sergio. And estranged Granduncle Javier (who didn¡¯t speak any English) almost burned the house down on four different occasions. Finally, the blessed day arrived, presents were exchanged, speeches were made, spiked eggnog was chugged, slaps were delivered, and breakups were finalized. Remarkably, not a single person was injured, and the police didn¡¯t get involved. The yearly gathering was a success. On the 27th, a true Christmas miracle occurred. All the extended members of the Rosario clan left in the afternoon, leaving the family of four enervated and strained as if they were forced to run a week-long marathon. Once serene silence returned to the home, everybody retreated to their rooms to rest. It was the cue to prepare the spell. Zeke collected Gill¡¯s note from the desk drawer they stored it in and, with Ugo, followed the instructions explained in the bottom half of the message. They traveled back and forth from the Infirmary¡¯s dispensary, bringing vials and jars of various occult items into their rooms. The brothers never ran into Naomi; she must¡¯ve been too busy on her smartphone. They used a teaspoon of water from a lake in which a Kelpie gave birth, a dash of grounded succubus horn, 4 tablespoons of incubus blood, and 2 cups of crushed gorgon eyes. After mixing it all in a large flask and getting a maroon-colored solution, they performed an incantation that took 2 minutes to finish. Zeke was, for once, unworried about the noise they were making as his exhausted parents were probably asleep or just assumed they were playing a video game. The instructions on Gill¡¯s note explained that the mix could be added to any drink, except pineapple juice, for some reason, and the effect would remain. Ugo and Zeke volunteered to set the table for their leftover pig and sides for dinner when nighttime came along. Zeke added the enchanted mix into Eldora¡¯s and Gerardo¡¯s wine. He moistened the rim of the glasses with the magical substance before bringing them to the table. Dinner was a happy bonding cut short. Halfway through Gerardo¡¯s rant about not being allowed to wear jean shorts to work, he froze. Then Eldora followed with the same glazed expression. They awaited their suggestions.
As Zeke packed his luggage alongside Ugo, he felt awful about hypnotizing his parents, but explaining to them the occult world with Healers, angels, and demons seemed even more of a hassle. There was also an odd duty he believed he needed to comply with for his mother to save face, given that it turned out Grandma Esther was never crazy about the supernatural world. In Gerardo¡¯s and Eldora¡¯s charmed minds, Zeke and Ugo would spend the rest of Christmas break at a winter camp-nerd thing in Vermont they won in sweepstakes. Sure, he could¡¯ve set up something less elaborate, like staying over at a friend¡¯s or family¡¯s. But the whole thing would shatter in seconds if either Gerardo or Eldora ran into anybody whom the spell suggested they were staying with. According to Gill¡¯s note, the spell had a time limit, like the sleeping spell they were under at the start of November during the case where Eldora¡¯s brain was filled with Euphorouses ¡ª gradually turning her into one of those creepy angel statues at Ritter Memorial Cemetery. They woke on their own the next day. The hypnotism spell would last a week if not canceled by external means. Ugo finished packing first and was ready in his winter outfit. He wore a black coat over a heavy blue flannel shirt, dark jeans, and boots. ¡°Mano, you ready?¡± he asked nonchalantly as he wrapped a midnight blue scarf over his neck that matched his beanie hat. Zeke zipped his suitcase closed and nodded. His casual attire consisted of a wool gray sweater over a collared shirt, all under a long-length padded coat, gray jeans, and oversized black boots. To top it all off, he wore a crochet hat with pom-poms resembling ears. Zeke watched Ugo walk over to the door and close it. Of course, his brother was calm. Even knowing about his strenuous daily effort to not dwell on things with his eidetic memory to keep from going mad, Zeke was still slightly envious and surprised by his calmness.
Zeke (with his medical bag in hand) and Ugo entered the Infirmary, hauling over their suitcases, and found Naomi and AJ waiting for them¡ªboth in comfy-looking indoor winter attire. The girls approached them. ¡°So, it¡¯s time, huh?¡± AJ started. ¡°It¡¯s only for a few days, Shaq,¡± Ugo said. ¡°We¡¯ll text you. There''s no need to miss us so much.¡± In her red chunky knit jumper and patterned leggings, AJ gave Ugo a sharp scowl. ¡°I¡¯ll miss Zeke.¡± ¡°Do I need to remind you that I was the one who first talked to you?¡± It was true. Ugo was also the first to speak to Violet. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for me, you wouldn¡¯t even be part of our group,¡± Ugo said proudly. He then looked over at Naomi. ¡°Same goes for you.¡± Zeke and AJ made identical awkward smiles, realizing he was right. Not wanting to grant Ugo any more points, Zeke turned back to the door, pulled out Gill¡¯s gold-speckled note from his back pocket, and flipped it over, looking at the strange sigil. He handed the note to Naomi and reached into his medical bag. After pulling out the marker, Ugo snatched it away from Zeke. ¡°I¡¯m on it,¡± he said, drawing the sigil on the door in perfect detail without looking back at the note. ¡°Amazing!¡± Naomi squealed. She wore a pink cashmere sweater and pants set. ¡°Even my memory isn¡¯t that good,¡± she added. Ugo and Naomi shared a smile. ¡°Yet, he uses it to recall his favorite adult movie scenes at any moment,¡± said AJ, conspiring to ruin their moment. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°I don¡¯t do that!¡± Ugo looked away and muttered, ¡°... anymore.¡± AJ took Zeke in for a hug, crushing him with her affectionate strength. ¡°Be careful,¡± she whispered in his ear. A gasp of relief came out of Zeke as AJ let go of him, and then he shared a more delicate hug with Naomi. Once they let go, he found Ugo and AJ sharing an apathetic handshake. ¡°Just don¡¯t die, okay?¡± AJ said to Ugo. ¡°Will you cry if I do?¡± Ugo said with a smug smile. ¡°I¡¯ll frown.¡± Naomi raised a finger and stood on her toes like a child trying to get her parent¡¯s attention. ¡°AJ, what did you mean by ¡®adult films,¡¯ by the way?¡± The room became silent as the rest of the gang stared back at her. ¡°Well¡ª¡± Ugo started. ¡°We¡¯re leaving!¡± Zeke grabbed the back of Ugo¡¯s collar, opened the door, and dragged him over. AJ pushed their luggage to the other side and closed the door. ¡°Wait! I didn¡¯t get my hug from Naomi.¡± Ugo whined as they arrived at a new location. ¡°You¡¯ll get it when you return,¡± Zeke said and then paused to give him a look. ¡°You do know you can¡¯t actually date Naomi, right? I don¡¯t think she understands the concept of love like you do. Which is the disgusting way. In her mind, we¡¯re just family to her. You could even argue she sees us as her children.¡± Ugo paused. He froze in silence for almost a minute, as if his brain was going through a software update. ¡°You know what? Screw it,¡± Ugo said. ¡°I don¡¯t need Naomi. I need to stop obsessing over her. I can swoon over a girl during this retreat.¡± Zeke was taken aback by the sudden character development. If he could call it that. ¡°One of the Tainted Generation could be my next girlfriend¡ª¡± ¡°You mean ¡®first girlfriend.¡¯¡± ¡°You¡¯ve changed, Zeke!¡± Making a thin, smug smile, Zeke looked around the small room. It was a log cabin with a single space that served as a kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom for whatever hermit decided to retreat here. The place had definitely been abandoned for years. There were two doors, a front one and a backdoor (where they came from). The rustic, decrepit contents of the home seemed artificial in a way, like a Hollywood production studio trying too hard to hammer the idea of the killer¡¯s idiosyncrasies into their audience: ¡°Hey, look at where the killer lives! Look how messy and crazy he is!¡± The fireplace was in ruins, had a mount of an ibex in poor condition, and cracked pots on the stand. The bustle of the snow that pattered against the dirty, frosted windows called for their attention. A shiver came out of Zeke so intense it made him think he had fallen through a frozen pond. The blizzard outside looked to be just as cold as it was inside the cabin. ¡°Okay, did we just get pranked by Gill?¡± Ugo said. Zeke didn¡¯t respond immediately and looked around for a hiding camera crew to pop out with the host and announce the prank. He couldn¡¯t spot anybody. ¡°Damn, maybe I got the sigil wrong?¡± Ugo added and looked back at the door they came from. Zeke approached the window, trying not to think about the colonies of super-evolved bacteria. He kept his face away from the glass as he peered out into the hectic blizzard. In the field of white, there was one element that contrasted the rest of the wintry visage. A moving speck that seemed to be increasing into a sizeable dot. Behind it was a golden glimmer. ¡°I think something¡¯s out there,¡± Zeke alerted. Ugo rushed over to him and imprudently planted his face onto the diseased-ridden window glass. Zeke held back his urge to scream as he watched Ugo trying to make out the dot in the distance. The dot evolved into a bodily shape when he looked back to the window. It looked human, but Zeke knew that wouldn¡¯t be enough to calm him down. There were plenty of human-shaped creatures capable of unspeakable horrors. ¡°Oh, he¡¯s definitely coming towards us,¡± Ugo said in a slightly panicked voice, to Zeke¡¯s surprise. The figure was now near enough for them to make out. It was a young black man with a not-so-friendly look and was¡­ shirtless. As if they were trapped in the middle of a prepubescent girl¡¯s fever dream, they watched the handsome man with an impressive physique stride in the snow towards their cabin, wearing nothing but navy blue chinos. The only thing that kept him from being the quintessential heartthrob was not having his hands in his pockets as he walked. He fired a piercing stare at the brothers, and they leaped away from the window. Zeke and Ugo leaned on the wall on either side of the window, huffing out cold breaths. ¡°Mano, get ready,¡± Ugo said sternly. ¡°We¡¯re going to fight that guy.¡± ¡°What, why?¡± ¡°Dude, it¡¯s a shirtless guy walking towards us in a blizzard! He is obviously insane and trying to assert his dominance over us, showing that the cold doesn¡¯t stop him.¡± ¡°Maybe this is his house?¡± ¡°All the more reason to believe he is insane.¡± A loud bang on the door made Zeke yip at a pitch higher than he had ever reached before. The door swung open with a second loud bang, and a sandaled foot extended out the doorway. ¡°Vesklepios!¡± ¡°Rutapexy Samhita!¡± After their Garbs armored them, they got into fighting positions and waited for their opponent to enter. The sandaled foot slammed onto the creaking floor of the cabin; it pulled in the mystery man. ¡°Whoa!¡± he shouted and raised his hands upon seeing the hostile brothers. ¡°Who are you, and why do you want to kill us?¡± Ugo shouted with a flicker of lightning blasting off him at the right moment, adding gravitas to his inquiry. ¡°Kill you? Where did you get that idea from?¡± he shouted back. ¡°Because you¡¯re shirtless!¡± Ugo defended. ¡°Where¡¯s the correlation in that?¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± The mystery person lowered his hands and channeled a relaxed demeanor. ¡°I¡¯m Akachi. The Fourth Born. Deity Physician.¡± Zeke and Ugo exchanged looks and lowered their guard. Akachi had a thin, muscular frame, and his dark brown hair was fashioned into a dreadlock bun with shaved sides. He directed two fingers at the brothers and raised a brow. ¡°So, who¡¯s Ugo, and who¡¯s Ezequias?¡± Zeke put his hand over his chest. ¡°Ezequias, you can call me Zeke¡ª¡± ¡°And I¡¯m Ugo Morata!¡± Ugo interrupted unceremoniously. ¡°The¡­ Sixth Born, I think? I¡¯m the Surgeon.¡± ¡°Okay, cool,¡± Akachi said, then explained the situation in his crisp, vigorous voice. ¡°Listen, while waiting for you two to show up, the servant Gill had ordered to pick you guys up from here got a cold and had to go back. I volunteered to be the one to come pick you guys up because I was curious to see what the brotherly duo was all about.¡± He pointed at their suitcases. ¡°Those are yours, huh?¡± Without waiting for a response, he walked over to them and hoisted them, holding them under his arms. Zeke and Ugo stared blankly at their fellow terrifyingly-robust Healer. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get to our ride,¡± he said, walking to the door, ¡°and call off your Garbs. You are wasting precious Mana, my guys.¡± They called off their Healer¡¯s Garbs and followed him into the snowfall. Playing catch up to Akachi¡¯s quick strides, Zeke felt the pressure of Akachi¡¯s Mana in the core of his soul. He was housing a massive amount of powerful magical energy that made Zeke wonder about the kinds of devastating spells he must¡¯ve been capable of. ¡°Seriously, why are you shirtless?¡± Ugo asked Akachi. ¡°Aren¡¯t you cold?¡± ¡°Nah, I¡¯m not cold,¡± said Akachi, looking back at them and shivering. ¡°You¡¯re shivering,¡± Zeke pointed out. ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± Zeke and Ugo shared a look. ¡°Okay,¡± Zeke said, deciding the man¡¯s pride wasn¡¯t a battle worth fighting. ¡°Hey, you said something about a ¡®ride?¡¯¡± Ugo asked, directing another question at Akachi. ¡°What did you mean by that?¡± Akachi stopped and jerked his chin forward. ¡°That.¡± Zeke and Ugo halted with widened eyes when they saw it. It was a chariot¡ªbut not just any chariot. It was golden and harnessed to a quartet of equally golden, majestic horses. The fantastical hoofed animals and two-wheeled carriage shone like a miniature sun. A classical Greek art relief of a solar deity driving his esteemed chariot manifested in Zeke¡¯s mind, prompting him to ask, ¡°Is that¡­.¡± ¡°Yep, Helios¡¯ Chariot,¡± Akachi said with a shit-eating grin. ¡°Homie hooked me up. I don¡¯t mean to brag, but we kinda best buds.¡± ¡°Helios, as in¡­ Greek pantheon Helios?¡± Zeke asked in awe. ¡°The Greek gods are real?¡± Akachi gave them a look. ¡°I thought you two were already in the loop.¡± ¡°We are¡­ I just¡­ never stopped to think that the Greek gods were all real. Does that mean¡ª?¡± ¡°All the other mythical gods are real, too? Yeah. In reality, they are just humans with special abilities. It¡¯s an unexplained supernatural occurrence like genetic mutations in the normal world we know,¡± Akachi explained. ¡°Sometimes, a lot more frequently in ancient times, a human would be born with special proprieties that would grow more powerful the more they were venerated. It¡¯s like a parasitical ailment. These humans literally got their power from being worshipped, so naturally, they posed as gods. But they are all washed up now since the number of people who worship them has dwindled spectacularly.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it make more sense for raindeers?¡± Ugo asked in jest. ¡°What, you don¡¯t know Santa?¡± ¡°What are you 5?¡± Akachi asked Ugo with a scrunched look. ¡°Santa isn¡¯t real!¡± ¡°Oh, I just thought that since¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s so dumb. Why would Santa be real?¡¯ ¡°Well, unicorns are real!¡± Akachi sighed and shook his head. ¡°So dumb¡­¡± He escorted them to the chariot. Chapter 39 - Convention Akachi flaunted his conceited persona as he steered the set of mystical horses. He babbled on about his godly connections, the mythical places he visited across the realms, and the exciting activities he took part in while staying in such magical venues. On the chariot, the brothers stood on either side of Akachi. Soaring through the sky on a golden chariot was enough to get Zeke through Akachi¡¯s constant name-dropping and the disgusting details of his coital ventures. However, there were a few times he considered jumping out of the chariot to put himself out of his misery. They rode or flew¡ªor whatever the word was¡ªhigh over a scenic mountain range, where the snow was bountiful and as white as the clouds they charged through. From so high up, the undulating black tips that jutted out of the snow made the entire mountain look like stracciatella ice cream. The air became harder to breathe in, but Zeke powered through it and didn¡¯t allow himself to complain. He glanced over at Ugo a few times and was disappointed but not surprised by how he looked at the narcissist as he talked about his drug-filled adventures with Narcissus. It was clear that Akachi was climbing to the very top of Ugo¡¯s list of personal heroes. Even the horses looked fed up with Akachi as Zeke looked over at one he believed to have rolled its eyes. Zeke felt a surge of energy flare up, and his eyes moved to Akachi, who brought his hands up without warning. Then, without letting go of the reins, he began to make a flurry of magic signs. He stopped with his hands facing forward at one of the mountain tops, thumbs and index fingers touching each other. Then, he pulled his hands away from each other. As if an invisible stage curtain was put over that section of the snowy mountain range, the contents of a house appeared starting from the middle and slowly filled in the empty space to its sides. The massive rustic-style mansion was both an architectural masterpiece and an impossibility. It perfectly fit into the side of the mountain, sitting in a pocket of snow, and the area around it morphed into a habitable space. Several tiny figures awaited them at the entrance. Again, without warning, Akachi maneuvered the reins, and the horses started tilting downward, almost leveling the chariot and flinging its occupants and luggage into the sky. They nosedived to the sumptuous retreat, landing at the entrance in seconds. Despite the hectic speed, the horses pulled off a soft landing. As Zeke held back his vomit, he gazed upon the monument of avarice and crowned it as the most expensive and extravagant-looking thing he had ever seen. Beating even the best his imagination could come up with when he thought about what ski resorts high-level celebrities would retreat to. He hopped off Helios¡¯ shining chariot onto the snow, and his feet didn¡¯t sink in. It was flattened and hardened like he was standing on asphalt. Soon after, a suited minotaur approached the three. It stomped past them towards the chariot and grabbed the luggage. Then, Akachi began moving up to the mansion, and Zeke and Ugo followed. On either side of the pathway to the front door were two lines of men, women, and beasts in all-black suits and with radiant smiles. It felt like walking down the red carpet of some bizarre, parallel universe. They all seemed too happy to see them for Zeke¡¯s comfort. Naturally, his anxiety stepped in to help him conjure as many theories as possible. Maybe AJ was right. They walked up the front steps; awaiting them on the plank oak deck and blocking the entrance with his wide body was Gill. After an unbearable ride with a mix of pride and lust. They were now standing before the personification of gluttony. He was huge. Gill stepped aside, letting the minotaur pass, and reached out his big, meaty hand. Zeke hesitated and stared at the hand, fearing that a shake with it might hinder his dexterity permanently. Ugo bit the bullet for him and shook it. ¡°Man, you¡¯re huge.¡± Zeke¡¯s eyes widened, and he started planning his escape, leaving Ugo¡¯s fate to the will of the gods. An enormous belly laugh erupted from Gill. ¡°Yes, I am!¡± he declared jubilantly. He had a strong English accent. But even before he spoke, his classiness was apparent by just his attire. He wore a refined, Italian wool suit, designer and custom-made (because, of course)¡ªcomposed of a black checkered jacket matching his pants over a white dress shirt and a gray tie. Not a single speck of snow touched his Oxford shoes, almost as if it was out of fear. ¡°That¡¯s not something you should be laughing about, fatass,¡± Akachi hissed. Gill replied with a side-eye. ¡°Why don¡¯t you head inside and find something to stick your knob in, huh?¡± Akachi scoffed and went inside. As soon as the door closed, Gill¡¯s smile returned. His brown hair was gelled to the side, he had jowls sagging on both sides of his face and a triple buttchin. Gill reminded Zeke of a British bulldog who had been fed one or two treats too many. Gill made a loud clap with his hands and rubbed them together. ¡°Alright, I understand you two must be tired and would like to see your rooms and maybe a tour, but beforehand, I will have to ask you to follow me to the conference room.¡± ¡°¡®The conference room¡¯?¡± Zeke asked. ¡°It¡¯s a safe place for us doctors to talk about work. I made that space entirely for medical-related topics. No kid likes to talk about school on their summer vacation, right?¡± ¡°Right,¡± Ugo agreed and turned back to the suited collection of people and beasts who stood in place and looked up at Gill blankly. ¡°What¡¯s up with them? Do they work for you or something?¡± ¡°Yeah, they do,¡± Gill said. He waved a hand, and they scattered. ¡°But listen, my servants are your servants, okay? Anything you need, just call one over, and they¡¯ll get it for you.¡± Gill put his hands over their shoulders and led them to the door. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of the cold now, eh?¡± Gill accompanied the brothers through the main floor¡¯s corridors of what had to be the world¡¯s most intricate and overly extravagant log cabin. To their side was a row of huge windows providing heart-stopping views of the mountains and thick glass panels installed on the oak floors with an iron mesh beneath. They reached a door that Gill opened for them. Like their host, the room wasn¡¯t just wide but impressively tall. The high ceiling was reclaimed oak with an avant-garde chandelier with tiny skulls of various creatures spiraling around it, and the rest of the ceiling was marked with sigils. The room was filled with just as many homely decorations as unsettling ones. For every regular-looking vase, there was a statue of a demonic form, and for every innocent painting, there was a brutally bloody abstract painting in return, and so on. On top of the occult symbol-covered rug was a long oak table, and eight seats were taken. The rest of the members of the Fourteenth Tainted Generation of Healers. Zeke was seeing six new faces. He had already met Akachi, who was seated back, relaxed with his feet up on the table, and wearing a white cardigan over his bare torso. Isaac, the First-Born, was there, too. He was seated at the end, wearing a large coat and beige sweater. Once he and Zeke crossed their eyes, Isaac gave him a wave and a warm smile. Zeke froze in place, not knowing what to do. Ever since what happened back in the Heavenly sub-realm, Zeke had seen Isaac around school but did his best to keep his distance from him (like he had always done). As if they had some sort of amicable social contract in place, the zealot never went out of his way to force him back into that place to open that door. Seated at the other end of the long table, looking away from everybody and out the single window in the room¡­ was her. Wearing overalls over a sweater. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Violet. The familiar pangs went off in Zeke¡¯s chest, followed by the familiar chilly tinges in his stomach. The last time he saw Violet was when she brought the vile to the Infirmary that helped save his mother¡¯s life. In return, he had declared that he would stop her. Zeke wondered if she had thought about that day as much as he did. Or at least a small percentage of it. He also pondered if she was still killing angels. The wickedly beautiful glint in her violet-hued eyes suggested that they had seen a lot more bloodshed since last time. Zeke ogled at her, hoping that by some supernatural force¡ªwhich didn¡¯t seem too far-fetched at this point in his life¡ªshe would look over at him without him having to say anything to get her attention. ¡°I present the Diagnostician and the Surgeon!¡± Gill announced. Violet was the only one who didn¡¯t turn to them. One of the Healers the brothers hadn¡¯t met before stood up and made an impression on them with just that. She was the tallest person in the room. Taller than anyone Zeke had seen before, he was sure the same was true for the awestruck Ugo. As the statuesque neared them, she grew even taller with every step. She walked with purpose and dignity as if she knew she was the most important person in the room, and her body was¡ª¡°holy, shit¡±¡ªas Zeke heard, thinking it came from Ugo but then realized it came from his own head. She stared at them with a malicious grin, and then Gill raised a hand. ¡°Can you not do that now, luv?¡± Gill asked politely. ¡°I don¡¯t want the lads to be freaked out so early.¡± She halted, glaring back at Gill. Her body was the pinnacle of an hourglass figure¡ªher tiny waist and voluptuous assets fit wonderfully in her opulent light blue dress. It was tight and stitch detail. ¡°I just wanted to say hi,¡± she said with her thick Russian accent. She had dark red hair that reached the end of her long back and scintillating silver eyes. Her beauty was cruelly intimidating, and her heavy-looking diamond earrings, bracelets, and rings added to the intimidation factor. Despite her seemingly normal pale skin, Zeke had a hard time being convinced she was human but didn¡¯t know how to go about asking it. He didn¡¯t know how to go about saying anything to her. ¡°I¡¯m Ugo!¡± the lecherous half of the brothers blurted. ¡°And you are?¡± She raised her head and glowered down at him as if she was offended by the question, or maybe, just by him breathing the same air as her. ¡°Hey, Ashlin,¡± Akachi said, his hands now rested on the back of his head. ¡°Fun fact about Ugo: He thinks Santa is real.¡± Most of the other Healers began to laugh, including Gill. ¡°Yeah, yeah, I get it. Santa isn¡¯t real!¡± Ugo shouted. ¡°The Tooth Fairy isn¡¯t real. The Easter Bunny isn¡¯t real¡ª¡± ¡°Yes, he is,¡± an Asian girl seated beside Isaac interrupted. ¡°Of course he is. Why wouldn¡¯t he be? I treated him last week.¡± A couple of other Healers were shaking their heads while squinting at Ugo. ¡°What were you treating him for?¡± Gill asked her. ¡°Cavities.¡± ¡°Ohhh, that makes sense.¡± ¡°Ashlin Kristov,¡± the tall redhead announced with gravitas and arrogance. ¡°Fifth Born. Container Specialist.¡± She walked back to her seat. Ugo hit Zeke on his shoulder and whispered to him. ¡°That is the hottest person I¡¯ve ever seen in my life.¡± ¡°She looks like she came right out of a video game.¡± ¡°I know, right? Isn¡¯t it great? She¡¯s my target. I¡¯m going to make it happen. Watch me.¡± Ugo pulled away and followed Ashlin, taking a seat next to the girl an insurmountable amount of leagues above him. The Asian girl sprouted from her seat, dashed over to Zeke, and halted inches away from his face. ¡°Hi!¡± she screamed. Zeke pulled back and picked his ear. ¡°Hi¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re the Diagnostician, right?¡± ¡°Yes, I am¡ª¡± ¡°Okay, great. It¡¯s Zeke, right? Listen, I have a small, teeny-weeny request regarding your hybrid friend.¡± ¡°Naomi?¡± ¡°Yeah! It¡¯s simple really; it¡¯s nothing, just, uhm, let me, uhm, uh¡­¡± She looked around as she stammered. Then, she snapped out of it and fixed on Zeke with a stern look. ¡°Let me have a look at whatever she¡¯s packing in her pants.¡± Zeke stared vacantly for a moment. ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°She wants to see what her genitalia looks like!¡± shouted an unkempt guy with a dirty lab coat who was slumped onto the table. The ecstatic girl raised one finger and pouted at Zeke. ¡°Just one look, please! Let me examine her.¡± ¡°What? No!¡± Zeke said. ¡°Don¡¯t be like that, Zeke,¡± she gave him a playful punch on the shoulder. ¡°We¡¯re practically family.¡± ¡°What does that have to do with letting you see¡­ look, it isn¡¯t up to me anyway, but then again, I just don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to take you to her just for that¡ª¡± ¡°You can watch. All I need is 2 minutes¡­ no¡­ 5 minutes¡­ and a camera.¡± ¡°No, stop being weird!¡± The unkempt guy raised his hand into the air for a moment. ¡°Aida, maybe you should tell him your specialty first.¡± He said in his Australian accent. ¡°Right!¡± She shouted and extended a hand to Zeke. ¡°Aida Koshiko, Ninth Born, Geneticist, and Supernatural Breeder¡­¡± Zeke shook her hand back. ¡°Oh, a breeder. Interesting¡± ¡°Exactly! I¡¯m not a pervert or anything like that¡­ this is purely from a scientific standpoint.¡± ¡°Not entirely,¡± the unkempt guy added. ¡°You¡¯ve helped enough, Wade, thank you,¡± she barked at the unkempt guy and turned back to Zeke. ¡°I need to know what it looks like or whatever it is that she has. I mean, an offspring of an angel and a demon? How is that even possible? Did Naomi come out of an egg or¡ª?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°I wonder if she can reproduce. Just let me do one examination! Please, Zeke, please!¡± Gill pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and cleared his throat, prompting Aida to stop her whining. ¡°Okay, I say we get started with the introduction, starting from one to eleven.¡± He walked, or more accurately, waddled to the table. Zeke and Aida followed, and they all took a seat. A Healer in an all-black outfit with a mouth mask to match raised his hand. ¡°Do we really have to do an introduction? We already know each other,¡± he said in his weak voice. ¡°This is for Azaekias and Ugo,¡± Gill defended. Zeke looked over at Gill. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s pronounced Eze¡ª¡± ¡°So, let¡¯s start with Isaac!¡± Gill said, pointing at the jovial devotee. ¡°Wait, you already know them, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, and so does Violet,¡± Isaac said, slowly turning towards Violet. She waved silently, still looking out the window. ¡°The Vicar, Neurologist, Surgeon, and Diagnostician are all from Winterberry City, huh,¡± an Israeli Healer wearing a multicolored turtleneck sweater said. Gill cleared his throat once again. ¡°Next is me, Gilliam Destrian. Demonologist. Third-Born¡ª¡± ¡°And is going to be the world¡¯s first Healer to die from diabetes.¡± Akachi interrupted, standing up from his seat. ¡°I met Zeke and Ugo outside, but it¡¯s never a waste of time to remind people who I am again. Akachi Adeyemi. Physician of the Deities. Fourth Born. World¡¯s first interdimensional playboy. I saw Aphrodite naked, by the way. Try topping that, losers.¡± ¡°I fixed the Bifrost once,¡± the Israeli Healer said. ¡°No one gives a shit.¡± ¡°Okay, next!¡± Gill looked over at the redhead. She raised to her feet. ¡°Well, you kinda already introduced yourself to them, so how about you tell us a little about yourself?¡± Gill asked. Zeke looked over to Ugo, and obviously, he was ogling with a drool dripping from the corner of his lip. ¡°I like stuff. I really like stuff. If I catch any of you touching it.¡± Her black cat emerged from under the table and climbed to her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll trap your soul into the Container of a dung beetle and sell your original body to some generous customers in the Netherworld.¡± She sat. Gill nodded and looked over to the unkempt guy. He started groaning immediately and searching the pockets of his dirty lab coat. It had food and ink stains, all of various colors, and a multitude of symbols drawn across. ¡°Hold on¡­¡± He said, pulled out a bottle, and then dumped a river of pills into his mouth. ¡°I¡¯d prefer if you were sober for this one, buddy,¡± Gill said. ¡°And I¡¯d prefer to be sleeping, but we can¡¯t always get what we want.¡± He pointed at Ugo. ¡°You, Ugo, right? Do your feet hurt?¡± Ugo looked back, confused. ¡°Um, no¡­¡± The unkempt guy tossed a bottle of pills at him and then took out another bottle from his lab coat pocket. ¡°And for Zeke¡­¡± he said, reading the label. I don¡¯t know what it does, but it does something.¡± He tossed it over to him. ¡°Wade Rupp, anesthesiologist, born after¡­ whatever the last number was. Nice to meet you.¡± The guy in black stood up on his own. ¡°Why does he look like a supervillain?¡± Ugo asked. He stared at Ugo and pulled out a Polaroid photo from his jacket. ¡°Do you want to see a photo of a patient vomiting feces?¡± ¡°No!¡± Ugo said. ¡°Aww¡­¡± he slid the photo back into his jacket. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m Kian. I¡¯m the 8th. Infectologist.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m Aida! But you know that already. Zeke, I¡¯d really appreciate it if you reconsidered my request¡ª¡± ¡°Who¡¯s next?¡± Zeke asked. ¡°Me,¡± the Israeli guy stood up. ¡°Yaalon Tahan, I¡¯m the last. Immunologist. I specialize in studying creatures¡¯ weaknesses and resistances. Aside from being a master at defense spells, I am also working on improving my elemental spell capability. My dream is to teach what we can do to ordinary people.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still going on about that?¡± Ashlin said. ¡°That won¡¯t work.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know, and even if it doesn¡¯t. It¡¯s not time wasted.¡± ¡°That is the definition of wasted time, you moron,¡± Akashi said. ¡°Oh, my!¡± Isaac exulted, all eyes turning to him (except for Violet). ¡°This is exhilarating. All of my siblings are here! It¡¯s a family reunion, so now let¡¯s do our first family activity together.¡± While seated, he started flashing a quick succession of hand signs. Zeke knew that Isaac was being too quiet and waited in trepidation for whatever bullshit he would start. He could¡¯ve never predicted the horrific mutant that Isaac made appear out of thin air. Chapter 40 - Symptoms The Healers leaped out of their seats soon after Isaac conjured the abomination. Violet remained seated, but at least her attention was pulled away from the window. Zeke slowly backed away from it and turned back to see the others. Upon looking at the horror on the faces of his fellow Healers, who were much more versed in the supernatural than he was, it was clear that the abomination really was something appalling. The thing had the body of an average man, a suited one at that¡ªboring workplace attire¡ªmarinated with the thick mucus that leaked from under his chin. Isaac got up and stood by the mutated man. ¡°You¡¯re all doctors of the supernatural kind,¡± said the deranged zealot, ¡°this shouldn¡¯t faze you.¡± The sides of the patient¡¯s greening face were stretched, making it a misshapen oval and one of his eyes was enlarged, taking up most of the space on his forehead. He looked like a byproduct of two species that should¡¯ve never procreated. ¡°The problem is that you brought him here out of nowhere!¡± Gill chided. ¡°Who is this person?¡± The large young man¡¯s jaw locked in place, and the rest of his body trembled as the buttons on his suit held on for dear life. ¡°A patient,¡± Isaac responded happily. He looked over at the patient, who swayed heavily in place due to the weight of his enlarged head. ¡°He¡¯s dying quickly from an undiagnosed disease. The exact time he has left will remain unspecified, although it isn¡¯t much. Get crackin¡¯, doctors!¡± ¡°You are a psychopath and a moron,¡± Violet criticized calmly. Ugo gave her a look. ¡°You¡¯re one to say,¡± he said lowly. The patient¡¯s vocal sac inflated, and a thunderous croak came out, making for a jumpscare that managed to only startle Zeke (forcing his signature yip out of him). The tremors continued to build up inside Zeke and started to show. ¡°Is this for real?¡± he whined. ¡°Is this a joke or something? Is this some illusionary spell?¡± Gill inspected the patient from a distance, his arms folded and one finger on his bloated cheek. ¡°No. No illusionary spell. This is actually happening.¡± ¡°Oh God, is killing him an option?¡± Ugo suggested. ¡°I think he¡¯d appreciate it.¡± The patient dropped; Yaalon rushed to action and sank to his haunches. ¡°Doctors don¡¯t let people die!¡± Yaalon shouted as if quoting a line from an action movie. He pointed at Isaac and said, ¡°You¡¯re a disgrace.¡± Then, he turned to the patient. ¡°If this is a game or not, it doesn¡¯t matter! I¡¯ll solve it quickly without even having to fully examine him!¡± The Israeli Healer took one last glance at the patient and shot up. ¡°This is a 183. Heqet¡¯s Disease.¡± ¡°Pfft! It¡¯s not Heqet¡¯s Disease,¡± Akachi said, giving Yaalon a look of disapproval. ¡°Yes, it is. I¡¯ve seen this before,¡± Yaalon argued. ¡°This is what happens when a deity¡¯s blood gets into a human¡¯s system.¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you that Heqet¡¯s my homegirl. I got her on speed dial and treated her hundreds of times¡­ if you know what I mean.¡± he flashed a dirty smile. Ashlin groaned as she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms under her enormous breasts. ¡°I¡¯ve treated people infected with Heqet¡¯s Disease, too,¡± Akachi added, ¡°and that ain¡¯t it. It¡¯s a 778. Uncategorized Transmogrification. A reverse metamorphosis spell, and he¡¯ll be fine.¡± Aida laughed hysterically and then looked at Akachi, throwing her hat into the ring. ¡°And you call yourself a doctor?¡± ¡°Watch it, Koshiko,¡± Akachi hissed. ¡°Do you have any idea how supernatural genetic mutations work? Tell me, Aka, which metamorphosis spell will you use on him if you have no idea what his original race is?¡± ¡°He¡¯s human, obviously.¡± ¡°And how about if he¡¯s originally a shapeshifter? Or an elf? Even though they have strikingly similar biology to humans, using the wrong spell will worsen the mutation. It¡¯s a 172. Cursed Morsel.¡± ¡°What?¡± Yaalon rebutted and approached the two, making an expression that looked like they offended his entire family. ¡°A dietary issue? Are you insane?¡± As the three argued. Zeke nervously raised a hand. ¡°Uhh, what are all these codes being thrown around?¡± Kian tugged the top of his mask and looked over at Zeke. ¡°You don¡¯t know the codes? What have you been doing all this time?¡± ¡°Wasting my life, apparently.¡± ¡°It happens,¡± Kian said. His voice sounded like he was fighting the flu, but it wasn¡¯t precisely raspy, just weak and quiet, although sweet like a meek child¡¯s. Ashlin stole a glance at Zeke and scoffed. ¡°Weird, the Diagnostician usually has the most codes in their head. That¡¯s what we were told, anyway.¡± ¡°By who¡­?¡± Zeke asked. ¡°Our Healer¡¯s Garbs.¡± Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°You talk to it¡­?¡± Zeke shook his head. There were more pressing questions he needed to focus on. ¡°How many codes are there?¡± he inquired. Violet yawned and stretched her arms up, sinking back into her seat. ¡°Given all of the subdivisions of each code, it easily reaches about a million.¡± Zeke and Ugo shouted at once, ¡°What!¡± Ugo mumbled, ¡°And you guys have how many in your¡­?¡± The patient started to croak repeatedly and shivered while lying on the floor on his side as if singing his own death song. Tiny bubbles of mucus began to erupt all over his slimy, moist skin. Yaalon let out a loud groan. ¡°We have no time for this. The patient is dying!¡± He halted for a moment and then forced his resolve on his own. ¡°I¡¯m doing the Hemodialysis spell.¡± ¡°Try that, and I¡¯ll have your hand turned into the head of a serpent,¡± Aida threatened, stopping him in place. ¡°Fairy Dust Pills. Just pump him up with pills until the pain goes away,¡± Wade drawled. ¡°That¡¯s just a temporary solution,¡± said Gill. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t fix the physical thing, and it won¡¯t matter if he¡¯s dead.¡± Wade nested his hands into his pockets. ¡°At least he¡¯ll go peacefully.¡± Ashlin chimed in. ¡°Cut off a finger, and we¡¯ll make a clone of him in his previous state. I can use it as a base to make a new Container, and then we transfer his soul to it. Easy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a fix,¡± Yaalon argued. ¡°He¡¯ll have to keep switching to a new Container every now and then and take Mana supplements for the rest of his life! Also, he¡¯ll need extensive mind training to remain in the Container.¡± ¡°It¡¯s most likely a curse,¡± Gill pitched. ¡°917.3.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t sense Black Magic,¡± Aida said. ¡°Given that Isaac is behind this, he used his White Magic to cloak the Black Magic energy to throw me off.¡± Gill looked over to Isaac, who smiled back at him. ¡°It looks and feels like a straightforward Black Magic curse to me, and curses have requirements, conditions that make it appear or disappear. We just need to figure out what the condition is.¡± ¡°You may be on to something, Glasses.¡± Violet yawned once again in her seat. ¡°Since Isaac is behind this¡­ it could be something childish.¡± She got up and approached the patient, who was now croaking weakly. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid, Violet!¡± Aida said and made a growl. Violet stopped for a moment and stared back at a fuming Aida. ¡°Now, now, don¡¯t slobber all over Gill¡¯s nice floor.¡± Keeping her teeth clenched, Aida checked the corners of her mouth and passed her sleeve over them. ¡°Gene therapy is the way to go,¡± she added. ¡°Who here has time to monitor this random dude for months?¡± Akachi said. ¡°We gotta be aggressive to get it over with!¡± Violet shared a look with Isaac. ¡°You didn¡¯t only make this with Gill in mind¡­ this is for Ugo and Zeke, too.¡± She looked over at the brothers. ¡°Does this remind you of any video games or comics?¡± They thought. ¡°The only thing I can think of is¡­ well, fairy tales,¡± Zeke said. ¡°What do you¡­?¡± Violet stopped herself. ¡°Oh¡­¡± She shoved Yaalon out of the way and crouched to the patient. Without caution or care for the patient¡¯s comfort, she cupped his slimy face and lifted it off the floor. Her eyes narrowed as she looked into the disproportionate shape of his eyeballs. The rest of the Healers stayed silent and watched as if a miracle was about to be displayed. Zeke definitely was not a fan of what transpired right after. It was like he had taken a quick stab and bullet to the heart at once as he, alongside his fellow Healers, witnessed Violet planting her lips on the froggy mouth of the diseased man. As Violet pulled away, the man¡¯s face glowed, and through a painful-looking transformation that involved lots of writhing and yowling, he was back to being the proud owner of the face of a generic businessman. Violet wiped the mucus left on her lips with her sleeve and got up. ¡°Occam¡¯s Razor.¡± She said, sounding a bit satisfied with the answer. Then, her expression shifted drastically, and she pointed at Isaac. ¡°You¡¯re an idiot.¡± Isaac smiled. ¡°But it made for a fun little case, yes?¡± Violet shook her head and walked toward the door. ¡°Keep an eye on Wade,¡± she said while exiting the room. The Healers all looked over to Wade and caught him extending a bottle of pills to the patient. He froze once he realized he was caught in the act. ¡°Come on, he almost died. He deserves to celebrate¡­.¡± ¡°Get away from the patient!¡± Gill said. As Wade tried to defend his case and another heated argument amongst the Healers arose, Zeke went after Violet. The Diagnostician spotted the Neurologist from behind, pacing past the rows of large windows. ¡°Vee!¡± he called and then made a face, hating himself for how desperate he sounded. Violet wheeled back slowly, forcing his heart into overdrive. ¡°Yes, Rulitos?¡± she said. It had been a while since he heard that nickname. He couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s that smile,¡± she said endearingly. Now, she was just teasing him. Darn you, he said to himself in his head. After curing his mother, he promised himself that he wouldn¡¯t treat Violet the same way anymore or at least not make it obvious he had deep feelings for her. She was, essentially, an enemy. She did allow his mother to almost die when she could¡¯ve cured the curse much earlier. She brutalized him. She was¡ªand could still be¡ªmurdering angels regularly. How could he have feelings for someone like that? He needed to focus on those aspects of her and remember his mission: To stop her. But as she approached him and focused her violet gaze on him. His directives began to blur. ¡°Rulitos,¡± she said again, with a voice as smooth as milk chocolate. ¡°You look¡­ good.¡± Zeke paused for a moment, internalizing whatever the right word would be for the emotions that came up after hearing her say that. ¡° I just¡­ wanted to let you know¡­¡± Zeke looked over at the windows and the scenic view past them. Focusing on them would be much easier than the alternative. He continued, ¡°What you did back there was pretty cool.¡± She touched his shoulder and said, ¡°It was also thanks to you.¡± The comment made Zeke look back at her, and he instantly regretted it. And then came the smile that could be considered a nuclear weapon to Zeke¡¯s psyche. ¡°Rulitos?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Zeke responded, perking his head up with his lips pursed. ¡°Be careful. I don¡¯t know exactly what he wants with this retreat, but you can¡¯t trust Gill. He is a good-for-nothing schemer and wants to take advantage of your and Ugo¡¯s naivety. Don¡¯t let him do it, and don¡¯t ever, ever sign anything he gives to you. Do you understand me?¡± ¡°Yeah, got it.¡±¡¯ She rested her hand on his cheek. ¡°You trust me, though, right, Rulitos?¡± Then she stretched her hand forward and grabbed some of the curls on the back of his head. The solace he felt when she played with his hair was unparalleled. It also messed with Zeke¡¯s thinking ability spectacularly¡ªlike whenever he stayed awake past his scheduled bedtime. ¡°Mhm,¡± is what he decided to say. Violet pulled her hand back. ¡°Good. I¡¯ll see you around.¡± As Zeke watched her walk away, he was left with feelings of disgust and warmth, realizing how much of a hold she still had over him. And then he realized something else that made his eyes pop out as if he had swallowed a marble. He would be staying in the same house as Violet for the next couple of days. Sleeping way closer to her than he ever had before. This was bad. Yet he smiled anyway. Chapter 41 - Oneirology After Isaac¡¯s trial by fire, Gill and Aida collaborated to calm down the flustered outpatient and get him to tell them where he lived. A quick draw of a transportation sigil on the door and a memory wipe spell later, Mr. Frogman was on his way. An overly excited Gill immediately took Zeke and Ugo in his massive, flappy arms and took them on a grand tour of his wintry palace. Gill started with the kitchen, which Zeke suspected must¡¯ve been his favorite place in the lodge. It was big and any chef¡¯s dream kitchen with a vintage touch: state-of-the-art appliances and a massive brick stove in the wall. The island countertop was made of solid walnut, and the oak cabinets and stools shone with a matte poly finish. Many of Gill¡¯s multispecies servants were scrambling the area in great sync. Neither of them bumped into each other as they were putting together dinner for the evening. It looked less like a home kitchen and more like a kitchen for a high-profile restaurant in the underworld. Gill pointed at a freckled-faced, finely dressed woman who stood in the center, intently watching the others move. ¡°Sylvie is my main chef, and she is in charge of all of our meals.¡± The freckled-faced beauty turned to them and gave them a smile before whipping over to a three-eyed girl for cutting onions the wrong way. ¡°With her at the helm, there¡¯s nothing to worry about. You are in for a bloody good threat, fellas.¡± ¡°How did you get all these creatures to work for you?¡± Ugo asked. Gill patted him on the back. ¡°I just asked them to, and they accepted the deal.¡± ¡°Like a contract?¡± Zeke mentioned, thinking back to Violet¡¯s final warning. Gill¡¯s chubby cheeks pushed up into his eyelids as he cocked a great smile. ¡°Why, how else would they know their rights without a proper contract? Workers need to be protected, Azaekias.¡± ¡°It¡¯s pronounced¡ª¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go somewhere else!¡± Gill declared and waddled off. Next was the luxurious living room and the biggest flat-screen TV Zeke had ever seen in his life. It seemed distasteful how much space it took up on the wall, like a movie theater. The furniture looked more expensive than his entire home back at Winterberry. There was a slender, dainty woman in the room tidying the place with a feather duster. The nonhuman wore a medieval maid¡¯s outfit, had platinum blond hair, was no taller than 5 feet, and had no pupils in her eyes, just her white scleras. She stopped cleaning to greet the boys with a curtsy. ¡°This beautiful wonder here is Amice. She is the head of the maids. She¡¯s in charge of keeping this place clean and your laundry.¡± Zeke and Ugo waved at her. ¡°She¡¯s a sylph. There aren¡¯t many of her kind around, and they are the closest things to seeing a fairy up close for people like us.¡± Amice stepped back, agitated, and looked up at them with a fearful look. ¡°No one will ask you to show your wings, Amice. It¡¯s okay. You can get back to work, alright, Luv?¡± She nodded, still noticeably deterred, but forced a smile and returned to her duties. Gill whispered to the brothers, ¡°Sylphs are very shy about their wings, especially around strangers, because they used to be hunted for them.¡± Zeke pondered what just happened, but a new question popped up in his head, making him blurt out, ¡°Where do you get the money for all this?¡± Gill chuckled and brushed his hair back. ¡°Azaekias, as a Healer, money shouldn¡¯t be an issue.¡± Zeke sighed, giving up on correcting the pronunciation, and asked another question, ¡°So what about your parents? How do you keep them in the dark about this?¡± ¡°No need to,¡± Gill responded casually. ¡°Dad¡¯s a dead bloke, and my mum is a vile excuse for a woman whose hypocritical family enjoyed chastising me like it was their hobby. Some of us have specialties that aren¡¯t so easy to hide. Pertaining certain specialties can lead to you having a bible thrown at your face or being doused with holy water.¡± Zeke realized that someone labeled the Demonologist must¡¯ve had it rough. ¡°That sucks, man,¡± Ugo said. Gill nodded with a bittersweet smile on his face like a survivor who can look back at the worst moments of their life and laugh about them but also miss the struggles. He started moving again, and the brothers followed. As if the living room wasn¡¯t enough. There were also multiple media and sitting rooms, each with stone fireplaces. A game room in the basement, banquettes, a dining room that would bring Zeke¡¯s mother to tears, and a narrow wine cellar labyrinth one could spend an afternoon going through in its entirety. By the time the tour ended, dinner was ready. Gill¡¯s servants prepared an elite-class meal consisting of several dishes for the party. Violet didn¡¯t bother to show, nor did Isaac (he was fasting, and it was probably for the best). It was a buffet of delicacies from all over the world, making sure to tend to each of the Healers¡¯ ethnic backgrounds, and dishes from otherworldly Realms¡ªDragon Scale Soup, Fried Phoenix Legs, Harpy Meatloaf, and so on. Shocking to no one, Zeke stuck to the foods he knew. The talk at the table was lively, with the mess of different personalities clashing with one another. Even though Zeke had only met these people today, he felt a solid connection to them as if he had already known them all his life. Ugo had no problem taking part in the dinner table conversation that ranged from celebrity scandals to the weirdest food combinations ever conceived. He blended in as smoothly as chocolate and peanut butter. Zeke heard sniffing. He turned to his side and found the Geneticist seated beside him, leaning towards his shoulder with her nose turned up. Once their eyes met, she froze like a puppy peeing on the carpet caught in the act by its owner. Aida flashed a smile, beautifying her already stunning oriental features even further, and then she pulled back a bit. ¡°I was just¡­¡± she started, unable to hide the chagrin in her voice. At this point, Zeke had already met so many weird people doing weird things he remained unfazed. ¡°It must be my new perfume,¡± he said with a chuckle, impressed with his attempt at a joke. And an even bigger surprise followed; Aida chuckled along and tucked her caramel brown hair behind her ear. She had extremely pale skin, a small oval face with bangs covering her forehead, and a feral intensity in her dark brown eyes despite the bubbly smile on her pink lips. ¡°Our numbers are closest to each other. We gotta stick together,¡± she said, then let out a hyena-like snicker. Zeke looked around and realized that the seats were arranged in order. Aida was the Ninth-Born, he recalled, right before him. Aida grabbed her cup and took a sip of what looked like orange juice to Zeke, but he wasn¡¯t so sure. ¡°I¡¯m glad that Violet decided not to show up,¡± she said, smacking her lips. ¡°She¡¯s just the worst. Don¡¯t you think?¡± The question had Zeke staring back in silence, watching her chug the rest of the drink down. Aida¡¯s eyes widened for a moment. ¡°Oh wait, you¡¯re friends with her, right?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve known each other since the first grade.¡± The Asian Healer curled her lip to the side, looking like a judge hearing a terrible testimony. ¡°She kills angels.¡± ¡°Wait, how do you know¡ª?¡± ¡°She has admitted it to us on several occasions. That monster is shameless.¡± It was the signal for Zeke to play devil¡¯s advocate, and he had all his notes memorized. ¡°Don¡¯t be so quick to judge. There is a reason, okay?¡± he said as if he had rehearsed. ¡°All angels aren¡¯t good. One cursed my mother, and another tried to kill me and my friends.¡±Zeke felt bad about badmouthing Nananiel, who was backed into a corner by higher-ups, but he needed all the ammunition he could gather to support his case. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°So the solution to that is to just kill them all? Is that it?¡± Zeke rose to his feet in an instant silencing the table conversation. He kept his eyes down on his finished plate of Pescado Frito, and as soon as he touched it, a suited zombie appeared and took it away for him. ¡°Please, Azaekias!¡± Gill shouted. ¡°Here, you don¡¯t have to work for anything! Relaaax!¡± Without giving Aida one last look, he announced his departure and went straight to his room. Aida simply didn¡¯t understand what Violet must¡¯ve gone through for her to resort to such extremes, but that¡¯s okay. He will save her and will stop her. Then, all this mess can be forgotten. Zeke spent the rest of the evening studying through the handful of books he brought from the Infirmary¡¯s Library. The chapter he stopped on about demonology was ¡°MAJOR DEMONS¡±. He doused off in the king-sized bed with the plaid fleece sheet set and a tall footboard. ### Zeke stood in the sparkling lake and could see the beautifully designed white cathedral in the distance. There was a door right in front of him, attached to nothing. It was a meaty door with jagged mouths crisscrossed across, and it wasn¡¯t an object he had never seen before. Isaac Noble threw the entire universe into chaos, all to get him to open one damn door. This damn door. Zeke observed it without moving a muscle. ¡°How often do you dream about this place?¡± a voice from behind said. Zeke turned on his heels and found AJ wearing her usual letter jacket and jeans. His expression twisted with confusion. ¡°It¡¯s really me, by the way,¡± AJ said in a tone like a hostage negotiator. ¡°Not some dreamed-up version. Yes, you are dreaming, but this is very much real.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Nananiel and Naomi transferred some of their Mana into me and are helping maintain this dreamwalk spell.¡± She waded closer to Zeke. ¡°Since the minds of Tainted Generation members are mostly fortified against supernatural forces. Nananiel explained that it would be much easier for me to enter your mind not only because I am human, but because you subconsciously trust me more, on a spiritual level or something like that.¡± ¡°Kind of like an immune system. My soul doesn¡¯t see you as a threat, so it doesn¡¯t attack.¡± AJ smiled and blushed slightly. ¡°Yeah.¡± She looked down at the water for a while and then dramatically shifted her expression. Now with a grim look, she fixed on Zeke and said, ¡°Nananiel said that there¡¯s a Cherub in Heaven that has visions about the future. He received information from a contact that she recently got a vision concerning the Tainted Generation.¡± Zeke felt the uncomfortable cold air blow onto the inner walls of his stomach as he braced for the worse. After the dramatic pause, AJ continued, ¡°One of you is going to die. Very soon.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Killed by another member of the Tainted Generation.¡± Zeke¡¯s jaw dropped, and the world began to spin for him as if he had just reached the vertical loop section on a rollercoaster. ¡°Who? Who is going to get killed? Who is the killer?¡± ¡°She never said. The vision was blurry. According to the hearsay, she felt that one member killed another, and the day of the happening is near.¡± AJ said. ¡°Zeke. You need to come back!¡± Zeke looked back at the tears welling in her eyes. She was shaking, which in turn, made him shake like a mirror effect. ¡°Wait,¡± he quavered. ¡°How accurate are these visions?¡± ¡°Nananiel said her visions have never been wrong. Sometimes they lack in detail, but they become true every time.¡± ¡°Maybe¡­ there is a way to stop it from happening.¡± ¡°Zeke, you can¡¯t change the future.¡± The comment made Zeke think back to his scrimmage with Isaac. His deterministic views on life. Legacy. Predestination. Fate. Destiny. Everybody had a part to play, according to the Vicar, and if they stray away from it, they¡¯ll end up way worse than they were supposed to. There¡¯s no way he could prove that lunatic right. ¡°Destiny isn¡¯t set in stone, AJ,¡± Zeke said, clenching a fist. ¡°I can find a way to stop it.¡± ¡°Zeke¡ª¡± ¡°Right now, I am doing my best to get to know them. I must form some relationships before I start investigating. We are all in the same place at once. There is no better opportunity than this one to find out who are the other culprits who broke the Seals. I can¡¯t just leave now. I¡¯ll never get another chance like this.¡± AJ crossed her arms, still shaking but with anger this time. ¡°I¡¯ll be careful, like I said. But now that I know that someone will get murdered by one of us, I can¡¯t just let it happen. I won¡¯t.¡± ¡°What if Violet turns out to be the murderer?¡± Zeke froze for just a moment. ¡°That won¡¯t happen.¡± AJ held out her hand. ¡°Give me your arm.¡± Zeke raised a brow but did as so. She firmly clenched onto his wrist and pulled an archaic knife from her jacket. ¡°What¡¯re you doing?¡± Zeke said, reasonably startled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Nananield told me I have to do so to make sure you know this isn¡¯t a dream.¡± She cut the side of his arm. Zeke sat up on his bed. Pleasantly well-rested. He couldn¡¯t remember the last time he slept in a room he didn¡¯t share with someone else but quickly became accustomed to it after getting a taste and now refused to go back to sharing. Despite Violet¡¯s warnings, Zeke had to admit that Gill¡¯s hospitality was top-notch, and his colorful working staff of monsters was charming, accommodating, and speedy. He had no pride in what he had done the previous night, but curiosity got the best of him, and he pressed the call bell by his bedside¡ªit made no noise, and yet, a suited lizard woman was by his door in less than a minute. After allowing the servant in, he asked for some tea, and the infusion was majestic. Once Zeke was up on his feet, he did his morning stretches and stopped midway when he noticed the cut on the side of his left arm. It wasn¡¯t too deep but fresh and still leaking blood. He covered the wound with his hand and rushed to the spotless, chic bathroom. He found the medical kit in the cabinet, grabbed some gauze, and applied pressure. Only after he began to feel the sting of the wound, fully aware he could just use magic to stop the bleeding, he found a strange solace in doing it the old-fashioned way. So it wasn¡¯t a dream. Somebody was going to commit murder. He looked back at himself in the mirror and started going through the profiles of all the other Healers in his head for who would have the motive to kill. One person gleamed in his mind¡¯s eye and fit the bill. The same for whom was most likely to be killed. The thought made him apply way more pressure than was needed onto the wound, and the reflection that looked back at him had a hostile expression he didn¡¯t recognize. The rumination brought visceral fear and anger from deep within him. The mission had changed. No way he could let that happen. Zeke got rid of the gauze, put everything back where it belonged, and had a shower. He returned to the bedroom with his towel around his waist and noticed that his laundry hamper was empty, and a new basket of folded clothes was on his dresser. Amice snuck into the room, got rid of his dirty laundry, and prepared new clothes for him without waking him up. If only his mother was that gentle. He thought back to all the times he was woken up to loud Colombian music in the morning. He examined the clothes in the basket, and it included snowboarding gear. He shook off the confusion and proceeded to get dressed. He put on his blank, long-sleeved shirt, and wacky-patterned thermal pants for the day. Then, the LED ¡ª Ultra HD TV mounted on the wall entranced him to a halt on his way to the door. He grabbed the remote off the bedside and turned on the TV. It was twice the size of the one he and his stepbrother had in their bedroom. He nearly salivated at the thought of the games they could play on it. A beautiful newscaster wearing a look of extreme worry appeared on the screen. She gabbled with a stylish graphic of a microbe in a box at the upper right corner of the screen. There were blocky letters at the bottom of the screen in German. Unfortunately, the language wasn¡¯t a part of Zeke¡¯s toolset of knowledge. A knock on the door pulled Zeke¡¯s attention away from the TV. The paunchy host opened the door and walked in, wearing a classy suit that Zeke could probably use as a parachute. ¡°How¡¯d you sleep, mate?¡± Zeke studied him, wondering if the Demonologist could have the motive for murder or be killed. But no, his current hunch still made more sense. ¡°Yeah, fine, thanks for asking.¡± Gill knocked on the wall. ¡°Did I tell you that these walls are completely soundproof? Good use of drywall and material from the Elven Realm.¡± Zeke¡¯s focus was on the TV. ¡°Hey, Gill, do you know German?¡± Gill stole a glance at the screen. ¡°You mean, Swiss High German? Yes, but so can you in seconds; it¡¯s just one spell away¡ª¡° ¡°What¡¯s she talking about?¡± Zeke interrupted and pointed at the TV. Gill took another glance and dismissed it immediately. ¡°Something about a new flu going around. It¡¯s just another exaggerated public health scare to stir up the masses. It¡¯s probably going to end up being nothing.¡± Just before Zeke could press onto the matter any longer, shouting erupted from the corridors, and soon after, another Healer let themselves into the room. Yaalon, holding a stuffed duffel bag, glared at the two after stepping in with a field of worry lines marked on his forehead. Lines so defined that they can be played like a guitar by running a finger up and down them. ¡°What are you two doing?¡± Yaalon asked, directing the question to both Zeke and Gill. ¡°Look, I let this slide yesterday because Isaac ruined everything. It is my fault for not preparing for the unexpected with that lunatic.¡± He dropped the heavy duffel bag onto the floor and eyed Zeke as he said, ¡°That¡¯s for you.¡± Zeke gave it one look and raised a brow. ¡°What¡¯s it for?¡± As if he was an absent-minded tutee asking to repeat another simple explanation about a problem, Yaalon groaned loudly and stared with an annoyed look. ¡°Did you not get the email I sent you?¡± He looked over at Gill. ¡°You guys did forward it to him, right? I asked one of you to do that for me. Do you ever read my emails?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± Gill responded dryly. Yaalon facepalmed and slowly moved his hand down his face. ¡°I thought it was weird that I haven¡¯t seen a single person with a copy of the schedule printed out. Ezequias, come eat breakfast quickly and then get back here to dress up. We¡¯re hitting the slopes.¡± Yaalon exited the room. Once the delay for a reaction ended, Zeke pulled back and said, looking over at Gill. ¡°Wait, what?¡± Chapter 42 - Physical After breakfast, Zeke returned to his bedroom, equipped the snowboarding gear from the basket, and grabbed the duffel bag. According to Gill¡¯s explanation, the clothes were made for him by Ashlin, who somehow took precise measurements of his body using her magic during their first interaction. It was the same case for Ugo. The Healers, all clad in their ski and snowboarding getups, were accompanied outside by Gill¡¯s army of servants. Out on the lodge''s patio and having the biting cold blow its winds onto their faces, Gill put on a show for them and summoned several mid-sized demonic, black dragons in a matter of seconds and flashy hand signs. Pairs were formed, and some rode the dragons solo to the top of the white slope behind the rustic mansion. At the top, the dragons vanished as soon as everyone unmounted them. Zeke surveyed the piste''s path and saw that it was well-groomed, like it was prepared for a major Olympic event. There were plenty of opportunities for jumps, flips, and other tricks down the slope, not that it meant anything to Zeke. He¡¯d be lucky to stand on his board for longer than three seconds. The scenic view stretched to the rest of Z¨¹rich, a collection of gothic and baroque architecture with snowy tops dotted all over the terrain. Even so high up, the air was easy to breathe in, which Zeke suspected had to do with more magic. The air was tainted with a cool, earthy scent due to the snow-covered trees huddled together off-piste. He looked over to his fellow brethren with his snowboard under his arm, which already felt like a sports exercise. His gear didn¡¯t seem to be doing much to fight off the cold. He was too embarrassed to ask if snowboards were supposed to feel this heavy, as everybody else had their game face on and looked like they knew their stuff¡ªeven Ugo. This was alarming for Zeke since he knew that his stepbrother had never done anything like this in his life. Ugo went for the skis, which, in turn, slightly bothered Zeke as it was the smarter choice for a beginner. Zeke had forgotten to tell him about AJ¡¯s warning and noted a mental reminder to say to him later in the day. He was confident that no one would want to hurt Ugo, and out of all of his stepbrother¡¯s deplorable personality traits, ¡®homicidal¡¯ wasn¡¯t one of them. As he turned his head in Violet¡¯s direction to see her in her dark-colored snowboarding apparel for the hundredth time, which she looked infinitely lovelier in, he surprised himself by averting his focus onto the least put-together Healer of the bunch. Plagued with red-blotchy skin and a case of the chills, Wade was shaking some pills out of a bottle and onto his gloved hand. Once again, surprising himself, Zeke ambled up to him to inspect from a closer angle. He was a tall guy but awfully slim and haggard, which was noticeable by how big his clothes were on him. Wade chucked the pills into his mouth and swallowed in one swift motion. Then, he made an expression of pure ecstasy. He was paralyzed, staring into nothingness with his now blank eyes and a smile so wide he looked like a painting. Where his mind went to was somewhere far away and probably not even in the same galaxy where he left his body. Zeke was assured Wade had no potential to be a murderer, and with his drug intake, why would anyone go through the trouble of murdering him if they could just wait until he overdosed himself? He backed away and approached Gill while keeping his eyes on Wade. ¡°Is it okay for him to be here?¡± Zeke asked. ¡°Yeah, why not?¡± Gill replied, sliding his goggles up to his head. Zeke stole a glance at Wade. ¡°Does he even know where he is?¡± ¡°Of course he does!¡± Gill looked over at Wade. ¡°Wade! Where are we?¡± ¡°I dunno. Somewhere in Sweden?¡± Wade responded somnolently. ¡°See?¡± Gill said to Zeke. Zeke¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°That¡¯s good?¡± ¡°Very good! At least he said the name of an actual country and got the continent right!¡± ¡°I still think bringing him up here in the snow could be dangerous.¡± ¡°It¡¯s snowing?¡± Wade asked. The gang looked at him vacantly. ¡°Still pretty good,¡± Gill blurted and shrugged. ¡°Wade is doing better these days,¡± Aida said, nodding. Yaalon stepped forward and declared, ¡°Alright, everybody, listen! It¡¯s time to go over safety measures.¡± He wore a helmet and extra padding over his yellow camo print gear. Standing firm like a military general, he turned to them and put his hands behind his back. He rambled on about safety, history, and importance, stretching out his speech by shoving in unnecessary details. Zeke peeked at each of the Healers, and by the looks of their faces, they all became suspects¡ªexcept for Isaac. He was smiling as expected, and despite everything, Zeke felt that he wouldn¡¯t resort to straight-up murder, and with his insane power, it would take a just as insane effort to take him down. Yaalon powered through the groans, complaints, and eye rolls his reluctant audience members made throughout the lecture, but a well-timed fart sound made by an underdressed Akachi using his mouth made Yaalon snap. ¡°Do that again and see what happens!¡± Yaalon shouted as he pointed an admonitory finger at him. ¡°What is that?¡± Ashlin said, looking up. Zeke moved his eyes upward, and multiple white spirals covered the graying blue sky. ¡°Okay, ha-ha, very funny,¡± Yaalon said robotically while looking up, ¡°I kill the mood, I get it. I¡¯m just looking out for everybody, you know.¡± Once he stopped to stare back at everybody, all he got were silent looks. Then the Healers started sharing confused looks with each other. ¡°Well? Who is doing this¡ª?¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Ashlin said. ¡°Don¡¯t talk to us as if you are above us.¡± ¡°Maybe it is just a natural occurrence?¡± Zeke suggested. Yaalon pointed back at the sky. ¡°What part of that looks natural to you?¡± Zeke looked back up at the angry family of swirls teasing a storm of cyclones guaranteed to mess anybody¡¯s life up. They made a daunting whooshing sound, slowly swelling like an orchestral build-up. More of various sizes spawned in the sky. ¡°Alright, everybody, hands up,¡± Gill ordered. All of the Healers raised their hands with open palms. They all checked each other, and nobody was making mystical hand movements of any kind, and yet, the condition of the sky was worsening. ¡°It could be the work of some angry elementals,¡± Isaac suggested. ¡°Nah,¡± Aida refuted. ¡°It¡¯s mating season for them right now. They don¡¯t have time for this.¡± With a mouth mask and in an all-black ensemble like how he usually wears, Kian took a step forward. As he pulled down his ring finger with his thumb and flipped it downwards, he summoned, ¡°Plaga.¡± There was a black flash and a violent boom like a bomb going off. Afterward, Kian was equipped with his Healer¡¯s Garb. It consisted of a medieval hunter¡¯s outfit, including a leather belt slung over his shoulder with multiple skull-shaped pockets. This reminded Zeke of his character¡¯s build in Blooddead 2. The outfit was covered with dark pieces of light armor, and over everything was a feathery black coat draped over his shoulders that reached down to his ankles. A bone-white plague mask concealed his face, and a tilted pointy hat covered most of it. ¡°What¡¯re you gonna do?¡± Akachi asked, unimpressed with the getup. ¡°Fight the sky?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know who, but someone could be attacking us,¡± Kian said. ¡°Well, the guy who has been bragging about mastering elemental spells is right in front of us,¡± Akachi said, looking over at Yaalon. ¡°Why would I sabotage my own speech and, more importantly, my schedule?¡± From where Zeke stood, he could see the sigils and the mold colony on Kian¡¯s Healer¡¯s Garb, which appeared as white-greenish splotches all over his attire. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s one of the new guys,¡± Wade chimed in. Ugo looked back at him. ¡°What the heck, bro?¡± Zeke watched as the Healers started barking at each other, and as he expected, Isaac and Violet kept their distance and watched. As the shouting swelled, the whooshing of the cyclone crescendoed, and from a sizeable distance, one of the spirals in the sky descended in a rotating vortex that drilled itself into the snowy terrain. Violet raised a finger pointing forward. ¡°The storm is here,¡± she said calmly. It was too late for any of the teenage spellcasters to do anything about it. An army of angry snownadoes was dancing all over the slope, uprooting a couple of trees and hurling snow and hail in every direction. They inched closer toward the group. It was like having two of the world¡¯s largest turbine engines on either side of him booming into his eardrums. Zeke could sense the harsh vibrations making his innards pulsate all at once, forcing him down on his knee. First, he saw Aida and Violet get whipped up by the twisters. It was downhill from there as Ugo followed, and then snow blanketed his vision. Zeke was trapped in a rotating wall of white as a choir of screams was added to the cacophony. He spotted some colored blurs across his vision every now and then, but shortly after, he took a massive ice pellet to the face. Everything went black and stayed like that.
Yaalon awoke from his trauma-induced slumber. He slowly lifted his aching head and turned back to its resting place¡ªa rock with some blood smeared on the snow. He reached for the back of his head and felt the open wound. He held two fingers up and closed the wound with a quick spell as he chastised himself under his breath for not wearing a helmet strong enough to stay latched on throughout a tornado. Yaalon got himself back to his feet and scanned the surroundings of the mountain forest he crashed into. He stopped once he spotted something even more unpleasant approaching in their white and gray outfit. Isaac pulled off his gray beanie, freeing his chestnut brown hair. ¡°Nice to see that you are safe, brother.¡± Yaalon paused as he glowered at the Vicar, prompting him to halt with confusion on his face. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one behind the storm, huh?¡± ¡°No, brother. That wasn¡¯t my doing¡ª¡± ¡°You sure do lie a lot for someone who claims the moral high ground,¡± Yaalon said with a lot more disdain in his voice than intended, but he didn¡¯t regret it. ¡°It¡¯s just us against the angels, man. They all want us dead, and we need to stick together, and you keep pulling us apart with these shenanigans.¡± ¡°I also want us to be united, Yaalon.¡± That ¡®I wouldn¡¯t hurt a fly¡¯ dipshit smile on his face like a politician spewing buzzwords to get the votes. All Yaalon wanted to do was punch him until he could no longer produce it. ¡°Aw, shut up,¡± Yaalon hissed. ¡°I know you¡¯re more self-aware than that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re being awfully aggressive, brother.¡± Yaalon gave Isaac a look as he pondered. He was saving this for later, but there was no better time than the present, so he decided to reveal his cards early. ¡°I¡¯ve done some investigating of my own regarding the Seals incident. I have reason to believe that the angels suffered a sneak attack on all three Adyta, or in other words, they were infiltrated amongst their ranks.¡± Yaalon waited and focused on Isaac for a reaction. All he got was more innocuous smiles. ¡°What brought you to that conclusion?¡± Isaac asked. ¡°It¡¯s not important where exactly I got the information from. What I know for sure is that the only way for someone to have infiltrated amongst the angels without being detected is if their soul¡¯s purity was almost indistinguishable from another fellow angel.¡± ¡°Are you making an accusation?¡± His entire deck was on the table. There was no point in turning back. ¡°Yeah, I am,¡± Yaalon said, taking a stance. ¡°You¡¯re the only one with purity levels high enough for that and the only one who could cast a soul-masking spell like that.¡± ¡°Well, I have to relent after all that, brother. You are correct.¡± Yaalon¡¯s stance was disrupted. The confession made him a bit disoriented with how simple it was. ¡°So you admit it,¡± he asked again, ensuring he didn¡¯t misinterpret. ¡°I had to for reasons that would¡¯ve helped our world. Sure, there have been some setbacks, but in the end, we¡¯ll be successful.¡± ¡°Who are the others that helped you?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that. They¡¯ll have to come forward themselves.¡± Apparently, being a ¡®snitch¡¯ is not part of an extremist¡¯s doctrine. ¡°You are a major threat to us,¡± Yaalon said. ¡°You don¡¯t consider Sister Violet to be one?¡± ¡°At least I can understand her. You¡¯re just chaotic. You need to be put down.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re going to be the one to do it, brother?¡± ¡°Stop calling me that.¡± Yaalon got in position and clasped his hands together. He held out both thumbs and middle fingers and summoned, ¡°Serka.¡± His body was engulfed in bright red flames. Once it dissipated, Yaalon¡¯s Healer¡¯s Garb appeared on his body. It was a partly sophisticated garb with a reddish-black hooded trench coat over an onyx symbol-patterned vest and a white collared shirt. Blazing gauntlets rested on each of his wrists with cracks sprawled all over them. A skull mask covered his face, and red flames burned furiously from the eyes and mouth. Isaac looked back at the flaming skull head under the hood and said with a harmless smile, ¡°That looks a little inappropriate for a Healer, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to give you till the count of 5 to summon your Healer¡¯s Garb. 1¡­¡± ¡°Wait, why do we have to resort to fighting?¡± ¡°2¡­¡± ¡°I have no reason to hurt you.¡± ¡°3¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk about this, brother.¡± Yaalon charged on four. He couldn¡¯t stand hearing that honeyed, raspy voice any longer. His boots melted the snow beneath with every stomp, and with his armored fists enhanced with bright flames, he swung rapidly at Isaac, landing hit after hit across the devotee¡¯s face. After the sixteenth punch, Yaalon backed up to catch his breath and stared back at Isaac. Issac¡¯s hair was now messier than it had ever been. He was severely injured for sure, with blackening bruises dotted all over his mug and steam flowing from his slightly charred skin. Blood oozed from his lip, but that smile stayed in place like a stubborn piece of gum. ¡°There¡¯s no need for us to fight,¡± Isaac said, convulsing, gagging some more blood out. ¡°Fight back,¡± Yaalon hissed. ¡°Your specialty is defense. As long as I don¡¯t do anything, there really is nothing you can do yourself.¡± As the rage built up inside Yaalon, he heard his Garb¡¯s cosmic transmissions reverberate in his head. Serka communicated with Yaalon, not with words, but with sounds in a way that only Healers would understand, as usual. It told him as the Eleventh-Born of the Tainted Generation, the Immunologists were always underestimated by those of higher rank. But Yaalon needn¡¯t worry about it. This fact would grant him the upper hand. Yaalon put his hands together and made his hand signs. He had this day in mind for years and had been preparing ever since Serka reminded him. The bright-red flames that emanated from his Garb turned colorless. He pushed his closed fists forward, launching two uncolored fireballs that moved with incredible speed. It was a successful hit. The flames circled Isaac from top to bottom and then dissipated. Serka congratulated Yaalon on the spell. With a specialty in understanding weaknesses and resistances, Yaalon had access to troublesome spells that could modify one¡¯s weakness to particular objects, beings, and environments. Isaac hunched over and began to heave, granting Yaalon a much-needed euphoria and confidence. Yaalon stretched his hand to the side, making several signs, and summoned a frozen spiked mace. Serka told him that now, with the Vicar¡¯s power halved, and susceptibility to the cold increased, all he needed to do was land a couple of icy blows, and it would be over. He ran towards his weakening opponent, who looked like he could topple over on his own at any second. Yaalon leaped into the air, clenching his frozen morningstar overhead. ¡°Vistrea,¡± Isaac said softly. The blinding white glow that emitted from Isaac made Yaalon drop his weapon and crash into the snow. Yaalon heard angelic choirs for a second as the holy light subsided. While blinking the stinging, hot tears out of his eyes, he looked at Isaac in his white robe with gold patterns all over, a white gold mask covering the lower half of his face, and a large gold cross hanging from the side of his beaded belt. Isaac summoned his staff in a burst of light and fired a white beam at Yaalon from its giant eyeball. Yaalon blocked the attack with his gauntlet but was pushed back until he hit a tree. Heaps of snow fell on him from the branches above. Sensing another celestial attack, Yaalon didn¡¯t let himself stay down for long and prepared another spell, buffing up his defenses. As he finished, rocks mushroomed across his Healer¡¯s Garb until he was completely covered in it. Then, it crystalized alongside his mask, becoming gold diamond armor. Isaac strolled toward him. The sound of his white gold boots crunching in the snow reverberated. Serka reminded Yaalon that it was good that he got Vistrea to reveal itself. There was nothing to worry about with their impenetrable defense. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that your Garb is telling you not to worry because of your defenses,¡± Isaac said. Yaalon succumbed to the trepidation, and Serka insisted that he remained calm. Isaac disappeared in a bright white flash, reappeared right in front of Yaalon, and raised both hands. ¡°Have you ever touched a soul before?¡± Serka told Yaalon not to answer. To not respond to his taunts to fire him up. To not listen to his heart freaking out. He just needed to focus. His armor would protect him as long as he didn¡¯t lose focus. ¡°Have you ever had someone touch your soul before?¡± Isaac asked again, his smile twisted eerily. ¡°I warn you, it is not as pleasant as it sounds.¡± He crossed his fingers, and his hands turned translucent. Isaac¡¯s hands phased through the armor, Yaalon sensed the soul-touching, and the Vicar didn¡¯t lie about the uncomfortableness. He groaned loudly as he arched back. ¡°It¡¯s a common misconception that White Magic is useless when it comes to offensive measures,¡± Isaac said. ¡°You know what holy fire is, right?¡± Yaalon¡¯s eyes widened behind his mask. ¡°As long as there is no sin in your soul. No hatred, no unrepented actions, no perverse thoughts. You should be fine.¡± Yaalon had nothing to worry he told himself after Serka did multiple times. All he had were noble thoughts and aspirations. He wanted to help the unfortunate to be able to cure themselves of deadly diseases that required expenses out of their reach. He wanted to teach the poor how to harness Mana to improve their lives. There was nothing bad about that. But then he focused on Isaac¡¯s face and remembered his mention of ¡®hatred.¡¯ Yaalon had never felt so much pain in his entire life. Chapter 43 - Trauma An agonizing scream echoed from deep within the forest. Akachi wondered if it was one of the other Healers and was immediately grateful that whatever was happening to them wasn¡¯t happening to him. The following silence lasted briefly as he cringed at the heavy crunches in the snow that came from behind. He glanced back at Gill, more precisely, at his ever-expanding gut stretching out his already extra large gold and black jacket. With a thick puff of condensation bursting out of his mouth, the Demonologist said, ¡°That is like the seventh time you did that, mate. Why don¡¯t you just take a picture while you¡¯re at it?¡± ¡°I would, but your fatass would take up too much space in my phone,¡± Akachi said with a fiendish smile. ¡°Oh, wow, what a creative fat joke,¡± he responded, making a feigned astonished look. He then started clapping while he nodded. ¡°And you came up with that all by yourself and on the fly. You should be proud of yourself!¡± Akachi¡¯s smile was wiped clean off his face as quickly as Gill finished his mocking. The Deity Physician stood, now glowering at the Third-Born, allowing the powdery snow to slip into his sandals, touching the bottom of his feet and between his toes. The snow that sprinkled from above and the cold winds that blew from all sides weren¡¯t enough to make Akachi regret his choice of attire. His single-striped sweatshirt sweater and regular black jeans were more than enough. Akachi even felt muggy in them. ¡°Man, I would¡¯ve preferred to be killed by that storm than getting lost with you,¡± Akachi said. He thought back to running into Gill shortly after coming to his senses. He wished he just walked in the opposite direction instead of approaching him. ¡°We¡¯re not lost,¡± Gill said. ¡°All we have to do is follow the Black Magic energy coming from the house.¡± ¡°You mean the energy coming from your slaves?¡± ¡°They¡¯re not slaves. It¡¯s all voluntary.¡± Kinda like what a demon overlord would say, Akachi thought. The lump on the back of his throat began to burn. ¡°Oh, we both know you¡¯re using some kind of Black Magic to get them to all serve you.¡± Gill made a snicker and pocketed his meaty hands into his jacket. He started sauntering, moving around the area, and neared one of the spruce trees. ¡°Is that it?¡± asked Gill, looking up at the snow-covered tree. ¡°Is that the problem you have with me? You think I am enslaving those beings?¡± Akachi marched across the snow field, approaching Gill as he said, ¡°Let¡¯s get one thing straight.¡± He stopped once he was standing face to face with Gill again, getting him to look back at him. Akachi had his nostrils flaring and jaw clenching in accordance, all the while shooting daggers at Gill up close. He went on, ¡°Most of your servants are demons, and I couldn¡¯t give two shits about what happens to any of them.¡± He put his hand over Gill¡¯s squishy chest and shoved him back. Gill was thrust into the trees, making the whole plant shake and dump a bank of snow onto him. He kept his classy composure and didn¡¯t even bother shooting a look at his attacker. ¡°Secondly!¡± Akachi continued, his voice now elevating. ¡°That¡¯s not the problem I have with you. I¡­ just¡­ I don¡¯t like looking at you. You¡¯re disgusting, and it pisses me off.¡± Gill calmly brushed off the snow on his beanie and shoulders as he said, ¡°That I am of a higher rank than you.¡± Akachi felt his entire body burn up like a dial was turned up all the way. ¡°You were just born before me. It¡¯s just the order of birth with us. Being the Third has nothing to do with power.¡± Gill pocketed his hands again and got closer to Akachi, their foreheads inches from touching. ¡°How do you know?¡± he said softly, mockingly. ¡°Because I am sure as hell that you aren¡¯t a stronger Healer than I am.¡± Akachi balled both his fists, exposing bulging veins beneath his skin, sprawling from the back of his hands to his elbows. ¡°You¡¯re better at acting like an ape. That¡¯s for sure.¡± The world muted for Akachi. His vision weakened. The scent of the snowy mountains vanished, and he could only taste a strong metallic taste in his mouth and an expanding white-hot rage inside of him as if he had swallowed a grenade. He backed up slowly, his legs feeling heavy like they were filled with hot lead. ¡°What did you just say to me, you racist fuck?¡± he hissed. Gill put his hands behind his back and sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not being racist. You throw your insults about my body over and over but can¡¯t handle it when you think something related to yours is thrown back at you.¡± Akachi stomped forward and blindly shoved Gill again. ¡°You weren¡¯t born fat, moron.¡± After bouncing off the poor spruce tree. Gill returned to his default position instantly and continued, ¡°Anyway, what I said has nothing to do with your skin color, but instead on how you act.¡± Finally, Gill revealed his scowl of repugnance. ¡°Bullocks, mate. Walking around with barely any clothes on and having no self-control. Gloating all the damn time about screwin¡¯ female beings and gods here and there, consuming this and that, drinking day and night. You¡¯re the disgusting one.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re talking to me about self-control? That¡¯s rich!¡± ¡°Maybe if you spent half the time you used partying with washed-up deities to instead study magic, then you could be a better Healer than I am.¡± ¡°I am a better Healer than you! I am better at healing magic, offensive magic, defensive magic, summoning magic¡ª¡± Gill broke out into hysterical laughter, staggering back into the spruce tree. Even in a clearly uncomfortable position, with the pointy branches of the tree pricking his back, sides, and nape, he laughed uproariously. Without saying a word, Akachi backed up a couple of feet. He crouched and brought his hands together with the fingers interlocked. ¡°Hippocratas,¡± he summoned. A mist of intense, bright green swept past Akachi, stripping him of his clothing and leaving him with a red wrap around his waist, covering his lower body. A piece of armor made from bone and covered in red feathers appeared on his left shoulder. Symbols appeared all over his bare body, the most notable being a sizeable medical cross on his back. Satchels and knives in sheaths materialized on his body as well. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. And crowning it all was a massive goat skull headdress. Large horns stretched and twisted down from the top of the skull, with a clump of wine-red ostrich feathers protruding. f Even after equipping the Healer¡¯s Garb, Gill still laughed¡ªit evolved into gales of laughter as if multiple people were laughing. Deciding that it was time to put an end to the fit, Akachi conjured a crooked staff with a green skull on top and wine-red feathers on the back. With the pointy bottom of the staff, he drew a magic circle in the snow and then pushed his hand down on it. The magic circle, the skull of the mask, and his eyes all radiated a bright green glow. A skeletal eel-like creature sprouted from the glowing magic circle, releasing a splash of water, and dove right at Gill. In a split second, Gill made a hand sign and summoned a beast of his own. A yellow portal appeared on the ground before Gill, and a large demonic fishman jumped out. It grabbed hold of the skeletal eel. They wrestled until the fishman wrapped its opponent into a knot and then snapped it in half. Akachi¡¯s monster vanished, and then Gill called off his. ¡°You¡¯re not a better summoner than I am,¡± Gill said. He then held up his index and pinky fingers, making devil horns, and summoned, ¡°Torzelas .¡± Black flames climbed up his body and transformed into a long black robe with demonic markings lined down the sides and sleeves and an upside-down cross formed on the back. A mask made out of black flames covered his mouth. He glowered at Akachi as the bottom of his robe flickered and crackled continually. Akachi had his hand over his magic circle once again and, this time, summoned a skeletal beast on four legs with the head of an alligator. As the monster went in for the attack, Gill pulled his mask down and made a hand sign. A giant gold bat flew out of the yellow portal and gobbled the skeletal creature in seconds. Hippocratas, communicating with Akachi in his mind, kept encouraging him to keep going and not get discouraged. He just needed to focus on summoning bigger things. Gill beat him to it, making another hand sign. A woman in a gray kimono hovered out of the yellow portal. Her long dark hair covered her face. She ambled across the snow and towards Akachi. The woman halted and began to writhe as she wailed. Four giant, hairy legs tore out from each side of her back and planted themselves into the ground, lifting her. Akachi struck his staff into the snow, pressed both hands into the magic circle, and summoned a large skeletal werehyena. As it kept the Jorogumo busy, Akachi ran forward, avoiding the yellow portal on the ground, and attacked Gill. The fatass annoyingly kept up with the hand-to-hand combat, effectively blocking his strikes and kicks. Gill landed a swift punch, hurting Akachi¡¯s pride along with his jaw. Casting honor aside, Akachi pulled out a glowing, enchanted knife from one of the several sheaths on him and leaped for an attack. He slashed the right side of Gill¡¯s cheek, and seeing some of his high-cholesterol blood spill made Akachi smile like a child. The commotion from the summons pulled Akachi¡¯s attention away from his bleeding opponent. The Jorogumo and werehyena had reached a stalemate. Each was trying to land the last deadly blow. A heavy blob thrust into Akachi from behind, and he fell facedown into the snow. A guttural cry bleated out of Akachi as Gill dropped onto his back. He could feel his spine and ribs trembling under the massive pressure, and Hippocratas was screeching for Akachi to get the big oaf off it. Gill wrapped his arm around Akachi¡¯s throat and squeezed. ¡°Admit it, you hate me because you are jealous of me.¡± the fatman said. ¡°What is there to be jealous of?¡±Akachi shouted and clenched his knife. He thrust it upwards until he felt flesh and heard Gill¡¯s piercing cry of pain. Akachi moved the blade a few more inches to the side, feeling warm blood drip onto his nape and Gill¡¯s screaming elevate. Once he pulled out the knife, Gill got off him. The overweight Healer scrambled back to his feet; Akachi saw a pathetic but satisfying sight¡ªthere was a long, deep slit across the left side of Gill¡¯s cheek. He was now rocking a permanent smile. Gill was writhing on his feet with his hands on his lacerated, bloated cheeks. Akachi looked over at the monsters, and his werehyena was winning. It had the Jorogumo pinned, biting off its spider legs one by one. ¡°I wanna hear you say it, fatass,¡± Akachi said, cleaning the blood off the knife on his wrist. ¡°Say that I am the better Healer.¡± With a blank look, Gill halted for a moment and said, ¡°No,¡± in a deep, demonic voice. He grabbed the bottom half of his mouth with one hand and the upper half with the other. Like a bizarre circus performance, he began to pull in opposite directions, stretching his mouth open. Gill bellowed in agony as he continued pushing his mouth open. The tears on the side of his cheeks widened with blood squirting out, and the flames of his robe intensified. A confused Akachi equipped another knife from his sheath and listened to his Garb¡¯s order to attack immediately. Gill¡¯s jaw was stretched all the way down to his gut by the time Akachi got near him. A black-horned demon sprung halfway out of Gill¡¯s mouth and stabbed Akachi in his chest with its horn. After the sickening squelch came an agonized scream from Akachi as he pulled away, and the demon retreated back into Gill¡¯s mouth. Akachi picked up his Healer¡¯s Garb slack and tried to heal the wound manually, but it didn¡¯t work. He looked down at the bloody hole on his right pec. It was seething with a sinister purple aura. He heard a loud whimper and looked over at the summons. With just two spider legs left, the Jorogumo was piercing through the bones of the werehyenna, breaking them, slowly killing the beast. They then both disappeared. A disturbing discord had Akachi refocus on Gill. It was a cacophony of random noises he was somehow making¡ªbleating, buzzing, retching, gurgling, purring, growling, and demonic susurrus that sounded like thousands of different voices at once. Gill upper back curved horrendously and remained that way as a river of black goo spewed from his overstretched mouth. Nothing could prepare Akachi for the monstrosity that he was about to witness.
There were a bunch of beaconing sources of magical power calling her over, but Aida decided to focus on just one and follow it. A malicious aura she had focused on so strongly over the years she could distinguish it from anything else. That with the scent she dedicated to memory and the footprints in the snow, it was just a matter of time before she encountered the miscreant. Her hunt across the snow brought her to her target. Aida found her big game leisurely ambling about. Aida had difficulty controlling her breathing. It was coming out rapidly and hot even in the extreme weather. She got into a fighting stance, keeping one foot forward while the other stayed a few inches back. A long sheathed katana silently materialized in her hands with a sheathe that resembled a painting that belonged on a Japanese hanging scroll. It was a jet-black sheathe lined with kanji characters, and orange flowers eddied around like a whirlwind. She gripped the sheathe with one hand and delicately hovered her other hand over the black hilt wrapped in orange while slightly tilting forward. It was an iaijutsu stance¡ªthe art of the quick draw. She kept her eyes straight and ferocious, fixated on the witch. It would be so easy to end her life here and now. The thought ran rampant in her head, offering her images of the hundreds of ways she could put the infamous Angel-killer out of her misery. As she bit her lower lip with saliva oozing off the sides of her mouth, Violet halted and turned back to her. ¡°Are you here looking for some treats? Sorry to disappoint you, I have none.¡± Aida released her lip, slightly disappointed at her excitement, which kept her from making the finishing blow, but it wasn¡¯t a problem. The victory over the Second-Born would be much savorier this way. ¡°Oh, how lucky it is for me to find you here all alone, Violet,¡± Aida said, grinning wolfishly. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you were behind that cyclone storm or not, but I don¡¯t care. I am just going to do what I¡¯ve been meaning to do for a long time.¡± Violet put a hand on her hip. ¡°And what is that?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a big chance that you¡¯re the Damned, and I have a feeling that killing angels isn¡¯t the only thing on your agenda.¡± Aida tightened her grip on the handle of her sheathed katana and then glanced at the crescent moon-shaped handguard piece. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever properly introduced you two to each other. This is Tsukikaze¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± Aida smiled and then tilted her head to the side. ¡°Thank you for making this increasingly easier for me,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯ve all been separated, so there¡¯s no reason for anyone to think of foul play when you don¡¯t turn up. It¡¯s the perfect opportunity.¡± ¡°So, what, are you going to try to kill me?¡± ¡°Oh, Violet,¡± she said softly. ¡°I won¡¯t be trying anything.¡± Chapter 44 - Mutation It was far quicker than a quick draw. A supersonic draw seemed to be a more apt label for what Aida had just done. She unsheathed her cursed blade, attacking at such a mind-numbing speed it looked as if she hadn¡¯t moved an inch or changed her stance as an afterimage of her stretching her sword to the side appeared in front of Violet. A large, deep cut crisscrossed through Violet¡¯s snow pants and left a bloody mark on her thigh. Aida smirked as the Neurologist hissed and squinted at the nasty gash on her thigh. That was the warning shot. Aida had realized now that if she was to put the witch out of her misery, it had to be in a way she would be proud of; otherwise, she would be no better than her. ¡°Cool party trick,¡± Violet said, and then she healed her wound, passing a hand over it. Keeping her quick draw stance, Aida growled loudly and then raised one hand, holding her index and middle finger up, summoning her Healer¡¯s Garb, ¡°Sukunabikona!¡± A corolla of black flower petals showered Aida and formed her Healer¡¯s Garb¡ªit was a short black kimono with wide sleeves and detailed with white kanji and beautiful, colorful ukiyo-e art. It depicted the light red faces of various Japanese demons¡ªonis¡ªwith blue sashes, flames, and clouds flowing across. The medical cross stood on the right side of the back of the Garb. Her mouth was covered with a red oni mask with daunting, long white teeth. Aida strengthened her stance, applying more pressure to her legs as she squatted down and pulled her sheathed katana further back. A smokey, burnt orange animus laced with black swirled around her as her angry, red eyes were glowing. She did it again. The move didn¡¯t allow her opponent to see her shift from her spot; just an afterimage in the air like it was a separate entity. From the afterimage, shot out a large slash of orange energy. Like a projectile, it carried the sharpness of the blade and went on to cut multiple heads of the forest of trees behind Violet. Another warning shot. Aida¡¯s Healer¡¯s Garb did not aid her in speed but in sheer, destructive power. The heads of the spruce trees dropped onto the snow, still hissing out the intense aura of the Tsukikaze¡¯s attack. ¡°Bring out your Healer¡¯s Garb already,¡± Aida demanded. Violet shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not that cold. No thanks.¡± ¡°Fine then, I¡¯ll make you.¡± Aida dashed at Violet and leaped incredibly high into the air. As she fell towards her enemy, she produced a flurry of afterimages that swung their blades at Violet from every direction. There was no chance that she could see her blade. No opponent of Aida had ever seen her cursed sword, in fact, due to her quickdraws, and she preferred to keep it that way. By the time Aida hit the snow-covered ground, she was staring at a mutilated Violet, pieces of clothing and meat falling from her frame, sprinkling the snow with her blood. Aida stood up straight and growled, not at Violet but at herself for falling for the illusion momentarily. She should¡¯ve suspected such cowardly tricks while fighting the Neurologist. Her Healer¡¯s Garb agreed. Aida sniffed the air and caught the witch¡¯s floral perfume and malicious scent. Wheeling over to the other side of the forest where her slash didn¡¯t reach, she moved towards one of the spruce trees, and Violet was standing at the very top, perfectly balanced on her feet, probably using a spell of some kind. All so she can look down on her opponent, Sukunabikona communicated with Aida. ¡°Are you going to start barking up this tree now?¡± Violet said. Aida answered by running vertically up the tree while slicing through the branches with her magic quick draw technique until she finally reached Violet. She hit her up the chin with the bottom of her sheath, taking the Neurologist into the air with her. During their freefall, Aida polluted the air with afterimages, butchering Violet into many pieces. But there was no blood. Aida stopped her attack and scanned the severed body parts falling through the cold air with her, and then Violet¡¯s severed head turned its uniquely colored eyes to her and grinned. ¡°The olfactory bulb is in your brain. I can control your scent, you dumb bitch.¡± Letting out a rage-induced scream, Aida sliced the head in half, and the entire illusion dissipated. With the top of her head pointing downward, Aida looked down and saw Violet, directly below her, looking up. A spinning afterimage cleaved Violet¡¯s head clean off. There was blood this time, but a comical amount, spraying upwards like a geyser. Aida spun out of the way. It was another goddamn illusion. Aida flipped and landed on her feet, snarling at the headless figure before it vanished. ¡°Was using the word ¡®bitch¡¯ a bit too far?¡± Violet said, appearing behind Aida. Aida leaped back and maintained her distance as she growled, inadvertently letting out a couple of yaps. ¡°I know that word must be especially offensive for you,¡± Violet continued. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Apologize for killing angels!¡± Aida barked. ¡°The angels already hate us, and you purposefully make the situation worse than it has to be!¡± Aida made her quick draw stance once again. Right before she blasted off, a rogue blue thread zipped from behind and looped around her arm. It felt elastic but robust and muscly. She tried to shrug off its tightening, although it seemed like she provoked it as it extended down her katana and wrapped itself over the sheath. She looked back, following the trail of the blue vein, and found the Diagnostician standing erect with the thread extending from within the right sleeve of his Healer¡¯s Garb. It was a long dark green coat that resembled a military general¡¯s with epaulets on the shoulders. ¡°Are you serious?¡± Aida asked Zeke angrily. Even with the mask, she could see the hostility in his face, but with further inspection, Aida could see the compassion in his eyes. It was clear to her that he saw Violet as more than just a friend. Zeke started pulling the thread back. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you two to fight,¡± he said. ¡°Do you have any idea how many she¡¯s killed?¡± Aida asked, tears welling in her eyes. ¡°Angels aren''t people, you know,¡± Violet added. ¡°They¡¯re still living beings!¡± Aida barked at Violet. ¡°You¡¯re a Healer! You¡¯re supposed to value all life!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give me that crap. You don¡¯t feel bad when you squash a bug or eat the fleas off you, right?¡± Aida yanked off her mask, opened her mouth, and her teeth lengthened and sharpened. She chomped on the vein that bound her and tore it into two. She continued to growl, her hackles raised, feeling the burning sensation on her back and neck spread as the hairs stood up. With her teeth and gums showing, she took on the image of a wild beast. She turned to Violet and let out a hoarse scream. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Going in for the kill, she was stopped by a red vein that snared her ankle this time. Aida hit the bed of snow face first and was dragged back to the Diagnostician. She pushed herself off the snow with a flip and bashed her knee into Zeke¡¯s throat. The red vein¡¯s hold was undone, and Zeke pulled back, cupping his neck. Right after that, the Neurologist decided to get serious. ¡°Neurpatia!¡± Violet shouted. Aida turned to her opponent. The Healer¡¯s Garb took the form of a white calico hooded cloak. Violet held her hand up and lowered her middle and ring finger. A pink circle appeared on the snow-bedded ground before her with curved lines and half-circles across it. A long, cushioned chair emerged from the magic circle as it glowed. ¡°Violet, no!¡± Zeke shouted in a weak voice. The Diagnostician¡¯s shrill, pathetic, pleading voice distracted Violet. Aida took advantage of the situation and speed slashed through the chair, splitting it down the middle and disrupting the spell. Once the afterimage vanished, Aida ran up to Violet and feigned another quick draw move. As Violet prepared to evade, Aida instead blasted a fist into her gut, getting a pained grunt out of her. The witch recovered quickly and produced a blood-red flintlock. Aida recognized Violet¡¯s motif of using Netherworld weaponry she modified herself. Aida cut off the molten rock barrel of the demonic gun before she had the chance to fire a single hellfire bullet¡ªIgnismorra, they were called. Violet ditched the weapon quickly and conjured a pair of flaming pistols¡ªmore courtesy of the Netherworld. She managed to fire, and Aida dodged the blazing projectiles with a roll. Then, clones of Violet began to populate Aida¡¯s surroundings, each armed with hellish pistols. The arsenal unleashed their wrath.
Akachi was rendered immobile as the grotesque transformation continued. A tangle of diseased body parts, from humans to animals to demons, spilled out and dangled off Gill¡¯s mouth. And then came tentacles, scaly tails, and long, dark creatures made of fur with one yellow eye and sideway mouths. Gill had become an absolute freak of nature. Gill slurped most of the random body parts back into his mouth, leaving just a couple of tails, tentacles, and human arms, although all the dark, long, wooly creatures remained. One of the creatures with brightest yellow eye stared at Akachi and released a pesky laugh, like a menacing younger brother up to no good. ¡°Look at his face! Look at his face! Look at his face!¡± It repeated in its child-like voice. ¡°He¡¯s scared!¡± ¡°Of course, he is scared. Who wouldn¡¯t be?¡± one of the other wooly creatures said with a much deeper voice. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°If you were a loser human, you would be.¡± ¡°Nuh-uh!¡± ¡°Yes, you would, you liar!¡± ¡°What the hell is this?¡± Akachi said and looked into Gill¡¯s eyes. They were soulless in great contrast to how animated the milling monsters dangling off his mouth were. ¡°Oh, looks like the ape wants some answers,¡± the first creature who started speaking said. Akachi thoughts became a jumbled mess. Static white noise filled his ears as he got back into summoning position, trembling all over, and placed both hands over his magic circle. ¡°You know what? Forget it. I am just going to put an end to this. You think I¡¯m an ape? Fine, then take this!¡± A giant skeletal ape broke out of the circle, banging its bony chest and erupted its eardrum-bursting roar, sending the spruce trees in the area into a great panic. Gill and his monsters looked up at the ape, undaunted. ¡°Oh, he messed up the spell. His mind isn¡¯t intact,¡± a wooly creature who was silent till now said. It was the smallest of them all. The ape charged at the freak of nature and then veered to its left. Tearing trees out of the way as it went on its own adventure. Gill¡¯s body shook as his monsters giggled at Akachi.
There was no time for Aida to sense which was the real one, and she had to dodge and slice through every bullet that came her way, which she succeeded flawlessly. Violet made things more difficult for her by having the illusions teleport around as they fired, but Aida¡¯s supernatural attributes kept her unscathed. The illusion fell apart, and so did Aida¡¯s human form. The color of her hair took on a more rich orange palette as two fuzzy fox-like ears popped out the sides of her head alongside a large, fluffy tail from behind. Her fingernails were now as sharp as her teeth. Aida decided it was time for her to start demonstrating some of her special skills as the Geneticist. She made her hand sign¡ªone hand up with the index and middle finger facing up¡ªand an orange double helix twisted and stretched from her fingers. She swung the double-stranded molecules like a polearm, and it passed through Violet¡¯s arm. The witch¡¯s appendage began to bubble and pretzel, mutating into a mighty, colorful python that snapped at her. Violet stomped onto the large snake¡¯s neck, pinning it down in the snow. She crouched to draw a magic circle into the snow quickly and then pushed her hand into it. After it glowed, a giant hawk flew out ¡ª zooming at Aida. Now she¡¯s really just toying with me, Aida thought to herself. She swung the helix at the soaring bird, and its DNA structure was pulled apart and restructured, transforming it into a snowshoe hare. Aida caught the fluffy rabbit in her arms and kissed it on the head before gently setting it down. It hopped away. Zeke came charging at Aida, and she sent him flying with a slash from an afterimage. She didn¡¯t even need to turn around. ¡°Tell your boyfriend to back off,¡± Aida said. ¡°This is between you and me.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, Ezequias doesn¡¯t always listen to me. But don¡¯t you dare hurt him like that again!¡± A red and blue vein flung towards a spruce tree to the side, and Zeke whipped himself back into the scuffle with a new gash on his chest that slowly healed. Aida¡¯s patience with the lovestrucked moron was wearing thin. She conjured another DNA-modifying helix and had the molecule pass through the side of Zeke¡¯s forehead. It swelled into a massive ball of meat and then burst into a griffin wing. It flapped up and down, taking Zeke to the sky. His other half acted fast, producing a blue gun from her Garb and shooting at a nearby tree. Once the bullet connected, it sprouted a giant ice pillar that Zeke¡¯s ankle got caught in. As the wing continuously tried to fly away with Zeke, he screamed in agony as he was being pulled forcefully with his ankle frozen inside the pillar. ¡°Undo your spell. You are going to break him in half,¡± Aida jeered. ¡°No, you first,¡± Violet said and shot an ice bullet at Aida¡¯s legs using just one hand. Then, with the same hand, while still using her foot to pin the snake creature, which was now her other arm, she made a lightning-fast succession of hand signs as Aida cut the ice bounding her. Violet¡¯s eyes glowed in accordance as powerful winds pushed up from a magic circle that formed under her. Her hood was pushed off her head, and her dark hair blew upwards. A mounted railgun was raised in front of her from the circle. It was marked with sigils and was bigger than her entire body. It looked like it belonged on a battleship. She grabbed the handle on the top of the mystical artillery piece and clicked a button. The giant sphere of pink energy that swelled off the barrel exponentially fast froze Aida in place. ¡°If I ever see you hurting Ezequias like that again. You¡¯re dead,¡± Violet said as the devastating pink blast thrust into Aida¡¯s torso. The pain that multiplied through her body was so intense that it left her unable to scream. Aida saw Violet pull up the weapon, and the next thing she knew, she was flying in the air, losing consciousness.
Yaalon woke up back in his snowboarding gear but in a scorched body. Laying on a bed of snow had zero cooling effects on his searing agony, mainly because most of that scorching pain came from within his soul. Isaac was also back in his gear and crouched to him, holding both hands out as they radiated a pure white, healing glow. ¡°You survived the soul burn. Congratulations, I knew you could do it, Yaalon!¡± Yaalon glowered at Isaac. He would punch him square in the face if his body didn¡¯t feel like it was taking a bath in lava. ¡°So, you¡¯re investigating everyone, huh?¡± Isaac said. ¡°Tell me, who do you suspect the other conspirators are?¡± Yaalon didn¡¯t respond. He just continued to glower. ¡°Hm, okay,¡± Isaac said, flashing his smile. ¡°Is that the only thing you are investigating? Surely, there must be more¡­ like that new virus in Zurich. Something like that must¡¯ve caught your eye, brother. The timing is impeccable. It is almost as if this getaway was planned to be a distraction for us Healers as a sinister plot has its way.¡± Yaalon didn¡¯t want to give Isaac the satisfaction of being right, even though he was. He had been following the news about the unnamed virus that has infected a select few. The symptoms are grave but not deadly under medical care. The concern about the virus is that it is made out of strands never seen before in this world, leaving doctors stumped. It has to be supernatural. ¡°I have a bad feeling about it, but I am positive that you will be able to put a stop to it before things get out of hand,¡± Isaac said. Yaalon raised a brow. ¡°I am leaving this resort. I¡¯ll leave things in your hands, okay, brother? Team up with Hezekiah and Ugo. They¡¯ll be a great help.
The griffin wing melted away, and the side of Zeke¡¯s forehead was back to normal. Violet cast away the ice pillar, and Zeke nosedived into the snow. Zeke wondered how much he would cry in pain if he didn¡¯t have his Healer¡¯s Garb on. He stood up, suspecting his left leg may be a little longer after being stretched for a lengthy period. Then, an intrusive thought invaded his brain as he put his hand over his forehead. ¡°Wait, her spell¡­.¡± Zeke turned over at Violet, whose arm was back to normal. ¡°Does that mean she¡¯s¡­?¡± Violet shrugged and called off her Healer¡¯s Garb. Zeke gave her a look and ran in the direction Aida blasted off. Chapter 45 - Recovery Zeke was speeding through the wintry forest, using his veins to latch onto a spruce tree one by one, and launched himself forward like a comic book superhero. It made him feel a bit embarrassed by the intense childish enjoyment he was experiencing, zipping through the area. The best part was that he wasn¡¯t exhausted due to his Healer¡¯s Garb, even with the mask on and the frigid winds thrusting into his face like a thousand tiny fists. Under all the puerile joy was the usual gnawing pain extending from his gut to his chest. He hoped with everything he had that Aida was still alive, even considering for a moment to make a silent prayer. He whizzed past a figure in black. Making the world¡¯s flashiest U-turn, Zeke maneuvered around the trees to return to where he saw the figure. Zeke landed on the snow and pulled down his mask. He studied the pallid complexion of the Infectiologist, trying to remember his name. ¡°Kian!¡± he spluttered as the name popped into his brain. ¡°Rosario, are you okay?¡± he asked in his small voice. He didn¡¯t have his Healer¡¯s Garb equipped anymore ¡ª just his black snowboarding gear and mouth mask that made him look just as ominous. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Zeke answered. ¡°There¡¯s been a fight¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you mean ¡®fights¡¯? Don¡¯t you sense all the different hostile magical energy in the air coming from various places?¡± Giving his overwhelming anxiety about who would turn up dead a rest. Zeke was able to sense the sources of colliding energy. It was a strange feeling deep within his soul like detergent powder brushing under his fingernails. ¡°Wade, Ashlin, and I were the only ones who made it back to the mansion,¡± Kian said. ¡°Looks like the reason why is clear. Some are taking the opportunity to attack each other.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think anybody would go as far as to try to kill another, right?¡± Zeke then scoffed at his stupid question. He just witnessed Aida being hellbent on ending Violet¡¯s life. Her animalistic, murderous intent was undeniable. ¡°Look, I have to get to Aida. She went flying in that direction. I need to make sure she is okay. Come with me.¡± ¡°No, you get to Aida and return to the mansion. Just focus on the biggest source of Black Magic energy,¡± Kian said. ¡°I will try to find the others and hopefully stop them from killing each other.¡± Zeke¡¯s thoughts began to tune off the world around him as he fixated on Kian¡¯s one pitch-black eye that wasn¡¯t covered by his hairdo. The longer Zeke focused on the eye, the more shades of black and gray he saw mixed in it, like a wet acrylic painting. An ocean of black sludge, Zeke thought to himself. A cold jolt struck him in the chest and raced down to the bottom of his feet, leaving an awful sensation on his soul. As he looked in the eye, an overwhelming wave of pain, malice, and hatred washed over him as if submerged in a sea of damned souls. ¡°I notice how you look at me, Rosario,¡± Kian said, disrupting Zeke¡¯s trance. ¡°It¡¯s how everybody looks at me.¡± Snapping back to reality, Zeke blurted, ¡°What??¡± ¡°If it looks evil, then it probably is evil, right, Rosario?¡± Zeke carefully thought about his next couple of words, feeling that he was being tested, as he stared back into Kian¡¯s eye. ¡°Of course not!¡± he answered. Kian scratched the bottom of his chin, observing Zeke, and then asked another question out of nowhere. ¡°So, are you in love with Violet?¡± Zeke stepped back as the symptoms of extreme embarrassment kicked in. ¡°Is it really that noticeable?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because she is beautiful, correct?¡± Of course, it was much more than that. But Zeke knew he would be lying to himself if he said it wasn¡¯t part of why he was so infatuated with her. There was no need for Kian to know anyway. He didn¡¯t owe him an explanation. As Zeke¡¯s mind was about to spiral into its usual cycle of overthinking, a beastly roar shook all the trees around them. ¡°That¡¯s our cue to split up. Good luck, Rosario. Let¡¯s see each other back at the mansion, okay?¡± Kian wheeled back and ran off. Zeke headed in search of Aida, again considering the idea of praying for her survival.
Zeke didn¡¯t pray. But there were no regrets as he found Aida breathing and in human form. Although the position she was in was rather unfortunate. She was barely conscious, clutched in the arms of his brother, who had a perverse smile on his mug. Zeke stared at Ugo as he and Aida were slumped on the snowy ground propped up to a tree. The staring made Ugo¡¯s smile go away. ¡°Hold on, Mano. I know what you¡¯re thinking, but I caught her,¡± he said defensively. ¡°Dude, she fell out of the sky. Just like Naomi. I think this may be my hidden power.¡± The plea didn¡¯t have an effect on Zeke¡¯s judgmental expression. ¡°She literally flew right into me. I had no other choice! I am a little hurt by the impact, by the way¡ª¡° ¡°No, you¡¯re not.¡± ¡°No, I am not.¡± Zeke noticed the sizable drag mark stretched in front of Ugo and Aida. He concluded that he may be telling the truth. Aida started to twitch and whimper. It was like watching a dog run in its sleep. ¡°Whoa, what¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°Aida... is a werewolf,¡± Zeke said as if that would explain the occurrence. Ugo paused and looked down at Aida in his arms. ¡°How awesome is that?¡± He blurted with a dumb smile on his face. ¡°Hey, do you think I have a shot with her?¡± ¡°Really?¡± Zeke said as his expression grew ever more judgmental. ¡°Really? Mora, you can¡¯t even handle spicy food!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll manage!¡± Ugo shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t care if she is a werewolf. I¡¯ll manage!¡± ¡°What?¡± Aida popped her head up and screwed up her face. ¡°I¡¯m not a werewolf!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Zeke said. ¡°I¡¯m a kitsune. Completely different thing,¡± she explained and then let out a sigh. ¡°I bet you two couldn¡¯t tell the difference between a lycan and a werewolf.¡± Zeke and Ugo turned to her, yelling, ¡°There¡¯s a difference?¡± The innocent question had Aida roll her eyes and sigh in disappointment. ¡°So, you think all we dog-like creatures are the same, huh?¡± She pulled herself up to her feet. ¡°That¡¯s pretty racist.¡± The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°What, no!¡± Zeke said. ¡°This is odd. I¡¯ve never been on this side of the argument before.¡± As Aida dusted herself, Zeke took a step toward her. ¡°Look, I go through the same thing, okay? Everybody just assumes that I¡¯m Mexican.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not?¡± ¡°I¡¯m from Colombia!¡± Zeke corrected. As Zeke tried to calm himself down with measured breaths, Aida began to totter and then was caught by Ugo as she lost her footing. ¡°Damn it,¡± she hissed. ¡°I¡¯m all out of Mana.¡± Aida shot a feral look at Zeke; he moved his eyes down to the snow. ¡°If you didn¡¯t get in the way¡­ What¡¯s wrong with you? Defending a murderer like that!¡± Ugo¡¯s eyes shifted between the two like a ping pong match spectator. ¡°Violet,¡± he said with certainty and then turned to Aida. ¡°We care deeply for Violet and¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± Aida interrupted and pushed herself away from Ugo. ¡°Look, I just don¡¯t want anyone killing each other, okay?¡± Zeke said. Aida squinted. ¡°Mhm.¡± She stepped towards Zeke and stumbled forward, falling onto the snow. With his altruistic instincts kicking in, Zeke crouched and reached out a hand. ¡°We should get back to the mansion. Let me help you walk¡ª¡± Ugo shoved Zeke out of the way and squatted with his back to Aida. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll give you a piggyback ride.¡± In a breath-holding moment, Zeke watched the kitsune girl contemplate her choice, and then her exhaustion made her relent. She climbed onto his back. Even if Ugo learned their home at Blackmarsh Grove was burned down, he¡¯d still consider this one of the best days of his life, Zeke thought to himself, eyeing the two. Zeke stopped to focus on his otherworldly senses and detected the powerfully concentrated source of Black Magic energy; it hit him like a terrible itch. He turned south. ¡°We go this way.¡± With Zeke leading the way, they marched through the snow. The number of spruce trees populating the area dwindled, and the terrain began to tilt as they continued down their path. Zeke¡¯s curiosity had him looking over at Aida, searching for vulpine features. He found none. She had her arms around the base of Ugo¡¯s neck and rested her cheek against his back. ¡°So, even non-humans can become members of the Tainted Generation?¡± Zeke said incredulously. Aida curled her lip to the side. ¡°Well¡­¡± she scrunched her nose and lifted her head. ¡°I¡¯m only part kitsune¡­.¡± Ugo turned his head back for a moment. ¡°The other part being human?¡± he asked. Aida nodded and smirked. ¡°Kitsunes are so much cooler than werewolves! They¡¯re super smart and can shapeshift into human form, and they gain even more abilities as they get older, gaining a new tail every one hundred years.¡± ¡°Oh, so you know a lot about them,¡± Aida said, impressed. ¡°Everything he knows is simply from playing video games,¡± Zeke added coldly. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s the same with you!¡± Ugo barked at Zeke. ¡°So, Aida, there is something I really need to know¡­.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Your mother was the kitsune, right?¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°So, when she and your dad¡­ you know¡­ got it on¡­ was she in dog, human, or some hybrid form?¡± ¡°Dude!¡± ¡°Hybrid form,¡± Aida answered nonchalantly. ¡°Why do you know that?¡± Zeke asked. Abruptly, Ugo stopped before a tree and said, ¡°Hold on, I have an idea.¡± He squatted and Aida hopped off. Then, Ugo made his signature hand sign and summoned the surgical knife. He hacked and slashed the tree into a chopped wood pile, leaving blue lightning lines in the cold air, and then he conjured his needle holder. With the magic needle and single blue thread, he fashioned the chopped wood into a makeshift sled, complete with a backrest. ¡°The Surgeon¡¯s restructure magic,¡± Aida said with wide eyes. ¡°Amazing.¡± Zeke caught Ugo blushing and held back from telling him that she was only complementing his magic. He let his delusions run wild. Aida approached the sled and rested on it. Reading Ugo¡¯s mind as he looked over at him, Zeke shot a long blue and red thread from his Garb¡¯s sleeves and tied it around the front of the sled. He gave the red one to Ugo, and the two pulled her along as they continued down the path. Their journey had them return to the piste halfway down. It wasn¡¯t so well-groomed anymore, with detritus littered all over and holes in the snow. It looked less like a winter wonderland and more like a winter wasteland. Zeke could spot the rustic mansion in the distance from where they stood. He didn¡¯t want to risk trying out summoning magic and ending up with a murderous abomination. He thought the same for Ugo. The brothers haven¡¯t trained too much with summons, and Aida was drained, leaving them with only one option. Ugo got behind the sled and pushed. ¡°Hop on!¡± he shouted at Zeke. His brother knew him too well, not giving him a chance to think and eventually talk himself out of it. Zeke joined Aida on the makeshift sled, and Ugo managed to just before they started to zoom down the rest of the slope. Snow blasted upwards all around them as they sped down the piste. Zeke screamed the entire ride down, swallowing some chips of snow that were flung into his throat, while Ugo¡¯s and Aida¡¯s screams were much different from his. Ugo grabbed onto the backrest and banked their ride as they reached the end of the slope, forcing them to a stylish stop, sending puffs of snow into the air. After Zeke recovered from his scheduled mini-panic attack, the brothers hopped off, grabbed the vein threads, and continued to pull Aida across the path.
A plethora of demonic servants awaited them at the entrance of the rustic mansion. ¡°Oh, more of the Tainted members have returned!¡± a sharp-toothed, red-eyed demon said. Aida leaped off her sled, ran up the steps, and then past the front doors. The brothers followed her inside the house. They chased her to the living room with the movie theater-sized TV. Aida halted and hunched over, scanning the area as she wheezed. The rest of the Tainted members, except for Kian and Isaac, luxuriated in the room. Her object of hate was settled in an armchair, sipping hot chocolate with her legs crossed. A husky growl came out of Aida as she stomped toward Violet. Her path was then barricaded by Gill with his massive body. He looked down at her sternly. ¡°Aida, Luv, what are you doing?¡± ¡°She almost killed me!¡± Aida shouted. ¡°After you tried to kill me,¡± Violet said nonchalantly without looking back at her. ¡°It was simply self-defense. And then you attacked Ezequias.¡± She took a sip from her mug. ¡°Is this true?¡± Gill asked with a brow raised. Aida stammered for an answer, and then Violet raised her hand as it radiated its magic glow. ¡°See for yourselves,¡± she said as she waved her glowing hand, and everyone¡¯s eyes flashed the same bright pink glow that emanated from her hand. All Zeke could see was a pink light, and then, when things cleared, he was back in the forest, witnessing moments before the start of Violet¡¯s and Aida¡¯s showdown. Aida was in her quick draw position while Violet just stood, not taking on a fighting stance of any kind. Their expressions were utterly different from each other. By the looks of it, murder was all on Aida¡¯s mind, while Violet¡¯s was¡­ blank. Aida had definitely started it. Violet called off the spell, and shortly after, all eyes moved over to Aida. She shrank away and lowered her face. Then, Zeke could see the moment a lightbulb switched on in her head as she pulled her chin up and had a new, determined look. ¡°That was just an illusion. That is literally her specialty!¡± Ashlin, who stood by the fireplace, inserted herself into the case: ¡°If there were an illusion, then the Demonologist would be able to tell.¡± The inhumanly sensuous redhead looked over at Gill. ¡°Was it an illusion?¡± Gill closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them. He gave an answer that made Aida shrink back once again. ¡°But wait¡ª¡± ¡°Aida,¡± Wade called, interrupting her. The two shared a long, quiet look. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± She continued staring for a moment and then admitted defeat, storming off. Violet waved her goodbye. ¡°Dang¡­¡± Ugo said, watching Aida leave. Gill heaved a sigh. ¡°We need some R&R.¡± He put a finger on his chin. ¡°Let¡¯s head to the thermal baths.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Ugo screamed with his nostrils flaring. Yaalon slowly stood up from the couch. ¡°I could use a nice bath.¡± ¡°The pious beanstalk is the only one who hasn¡¯t shown up yet,¡± Akachi, sitting on the couch, pointed out. ¡°Probably up to no good. Mr. Emo is gone too.¡± ¡°Isaac left,¡± Yaalon said. As stares went in his direction, Yaalon explained the vague details. ¡°I found him back in the mountains. He didn¡¯t specify why. He just said that he is leaving.¡± Alongside the others, Zeke studied Yaalon carefully. Even though it was unlikely for someone as powerful and insanely ambitious as Isaac to be killed by a single Healer, the presentiment of unease coming from Yaalon was intense. He seemed exhausted as well. It wasn¡¯t just with Yaalon. Zeke began to pay attention to his fellow Tainted Generation members¡¯ expressions, and a severe animus exuded from them that swirled across the room. Like falling into a venomous snake pit, the killing intent was palpable. Chapter 46 - Relaxation ¡°Gill, where are the girls?¡± Ugo asked as he and Zeke arrived in the mansion¡¯s indoor thermal spa, both in their swim trunks. Gill sat on the pool''s edge in designer shorts with his legs dipped in the steaming water. ¡°They decided to go to the sauna,¡± he said. ¡°So, let¡¯s go there¡ª¡± ¡°For some privacy.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°From us.¡± ¡°Damn it.¡± Zeke figured it was probably only Violet and Ashlin enjoying wet heat sessions; there was no way Aida would accept being in the same room with Violet. Like a dungeon, the area surrounding the giant hot bath before them was covered in brown stone tiles. Zeke pulled his gaze away from Gill¡¯s bloated body and followed the steam as it rose from the pool and touched the beautiful vaulted ceiling. He then scanned the other occupants of the area: Akachi was doing laps in the water in his Speedos. Wade was idle under a waterfall; Zeke wondered if he was aware of the water. Zeke forgot that Kian existed until the moment he spotted him. He was squatted in a corner, still with his mouth mask, staring at the ground. ¡°For crying out loud, it¡¯s a pool full of mostly naked dudes,¡± Ugo said and then moped off. Thankfully, Zeke wasn¡¯t as dejected as his brother, so he walked across the stone tile flooring with a spring in his step. He sat on the edge of the hot bath and slowly pushed his feet into the water. ¡°There ya go,¡± Gill cheered from the other side. ¡°Water¡¯s nice, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡®Nice¡¯ was an immense understatement, Zeke thought to himself. As his short legs absorbed the mineral-rich warming water, his face eased into an expression he wasn¡¯t used to. A calming breath flowed out of him as his shoulders dropped, his eyelids fell shut, and his mouth cranked open into a smile. The water was even more snuggly than the bed he slept in this morning, and he was only knee-deep. While he pondered the idea of diving in and taking an underwater nap, a hand landed on his shoulder, but it didn¡¯t startle him. Zeke looked up at the olive-skinned Healer. ¡°Zeke, right?¡± Yaalon asked. His fancy pompadour was hidden under a swim cap. In addition to his swimming trunks, he had nose plugs, goggles¡­ and a skin-tight fish scale shirt with long sleeves. ¡°Yeah,¡± Zeke answered, and then Yaalon sat beside him. ¡°Wait, is there chlorine in the water?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s kept clean with magic,¡± Akachi said, swimming past them. ¡°He¡¯s just a jackass.¡± Zeke inspected Yaalon¡¯s fish shirt closely and asked, ¡°Are you wearing a skin graft? What happened?¡± Yaalon waved his hand. ¡°It¡¯s made from Kraken, but don¡¯t worry about it.¡± He immediately shifted the conversation to small talk, asking Zeke how he liked the resort so far and about his family¡¯s health. Zeke detected a diplomatic tone in his voice; every word he spat seemed tactful. In an effort to cut through the coldly calculated sweet talk, Zeke abruptly interrupted him before he finished asking a question about his hobbies. ¡°I was thinking about what you said earlier. Something about wanting to ¡®teach what we do to normal people¡¯?¡± The question made Yaalon pause with a blank expression. It was as if he was restructuring his entire scheme in his head. As he intercepted whatever information Yaalon wanted from him, Zeke figured he could get some valuable information in the meantime, remembering his primary goal of discovering who conspired with Isaac on breaking the Seals. ¡°Exactly that, Ezequias,¡± Yaalon said. ¡°Teaching magic to those who can¡¯t harness it as easily as we do,¡± he made a negotiator¡¯s smile. ¡°Where are you originally from, friend?¡± Zeke allowed himself to answer with caution. ¡°Barranquilla. Columbia.¡± ¡°When was the last time you were there?¡± ¡°Um, I spent the first three years of my life there and haven¡¯t returned ever since. Honestly, I don¡¯t remember all that much about it.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re unaware of your country¡¯s poverty firsthand, huh? Lemme tell you something, despite all of Israel¡¯s wealthy accomplishments, there are still true horrors to be seen in the impoverished areas in which I¡¯ve lived through. I was left at an orphanage as a baby, and my Mana Pores opened up by the time I was 9 years old.¡± Zeke pulled a face, feeling even more shitty about his late awakening that came when he was more than halfway through his high school career. ¡°I spent the next eight years of my life working to become the best Healer I could be by traveling back and forth between Realms and learning everything I could about the creatures and supernatural ailments across multiple worlds.¡± Zeke guessed he spent less than a little of that time to rest. ¡°We can change the world, Ezequias, and achieve true equity for mankind,¡± Yaalon said. ¡°Those with no access to education, sanitation, or basic health services can attend my classes for free and learn how to harness Mana to improve their health and knowledge.¡± ¡°You¡­ want to open a school and teach people how to use magic.¡± ¡°The poor, Zeke, the poor.¡± ¡°The poor are still people, though, and that¡¯s the problem,¡± said Kian. Zeke and Yaalon looked over to Kian, who was migrating to another corner of the room. ¡°As long as people are involved. There¡¯s going to be a problem,¡± he said, then squatted to stare at the floor. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Zeke asked aloud. ¡°He¡¯s talking to the microorganisms populating that corner,¡± Gill said. ¡°It¡¯s also about these people being able to defend themselves against ethereal threats, you know, the ones that are now frolicking around because of the broken Seals,¡± Yaalon said as he stood up and walked a few steps towards Kian. He made a fist. ¡°Ring a bell?¡± Kian excused himself from his microscopic friends and looked up at Yaalon. ¡°Are you accusing me of something?¡± No answer came from Yaalon. He probably did have an answer but refused to say it. Changing the topic to something just as heated, Yaalon pointed at Ugo, who was lying on the stone floor, dejected with life. ¡°Let¡¯s play a guessing game. Who do you think the Damned is?¡± Ugo raised his head. ¡°Huh?¡± He took a moment to think. ¡°Um¡­ I think it¡¯s Isaac.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s Violet,¡± Akachi said, inserting himself into the conversation while standing in the water. ¡°But I want it to be Gill.¡± ¡°Oh, for the love of¡­!¡± Gill shouted. Wade moved away from the waterfall. ¡°What if we are allllll the Damned?¡± he slurred, having everybody look over at him. ¡°Everything about the Fourteenth Tainted Generation is irregular. The Thirteenth came and gone, and we were only chosen a couple of hundred years later. Zack and Hugo only showed up about 17 years later. Maybe the guys in charge of this stuff are trying to spice things up.¡± Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Aside from blatantly getting his and his brother¡¯s names wrong, Zeke admitted in his head that there was truth to the swaying anesthesiologist¡¯s words. Things were awfully different this time around. ¡°I guess it was too much to ask for everybody to calm down,¡± Gill said as he got up with a tinge of anger in his voice. ¡°Mandatory meeting in the game room in three hours. Whoever doesn¡¯t show up, there¡¯ll be dire consequences. That¡¯s all I¡¯ll say.¡± Zeke got on his feet and followed the fuming Demonologist. The Healer walked fast for his incredible size. Zeke reached his hand out as he walked past the arched doorway. ¡°Gill, wait, come back. We can still¡ª¡± A shriek stopped Zeke in his tracks, and he turned back to find the most tantalizing of the Tainted Generation, leaning back onto the wall on the side of the doorway. ¡°Ashlin?¡± Zeke said as he stared at the towering girl, cowering with her hands over her mouth. He looked down and spotted her black cat by her feet, cowering just like her. She pulled her hands down and hissed, ¡°Don¡¯t say my name out loud like that. What if he heard you?¡± Then, probably picking up on its owner''s tone. Her cat made a hiss at Zeke. ¡°Zvezda, be quiet!¡± she snapped back at the cat, who looked up at her pathetically with its wide yellow eyes. Zeke squinted in confusion and looked back at the hot baths past the doorway. ¡°Were you spying on us?¡± he asked. He had never heard of a case of a Peeping Tina before. Ashlin wore a long red bathrobe and was sweating, probably coming from the sauna. She grabbed her arm, looking away as she blushed intensely. ¡°You don¡¯t think he noticed, did you?¡± her confident Russian accent softened, like an exchange student ashamed of how they spoke. Zeke looked through the doorway again and locked onto Akachi, who was doing flips in the water. He nodded to himself. It checked out. Then, the bashful Ashin quietly asked, ¡°Why is Gilliam so angry?¡± ¡°Gill? Oh, um¡­ it¡¯s probably especially hard for him because he is just trying to be a good host, and everybody¡¯s at each other¡¯s throats.¡± ¡°Poor Gilliam...¡± Ashlin pouted. An epiphany hit Zeke, making his eyes go wide. He turned back on his heel and spotted Gill in the distance before turning the corner and disappearing out of sight. Zeke looked back at Ashlin¡¯s sheepish smile and realized she had been staring forward the entire time. ¡°Wait, were you talking about Gill?¡± He said in response to the question she made two questions ago. He made her blushing worse, and she let out a small shriek. After making a Russian remark under her breath, she said, ¡°He¡¯s just so¡­ so¡­ hot.¡± Zeke wondered if he accidentally stepped into an alternate universe, walking through the doorway. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just tell him how you feel?¡± he suggested. ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Ashlin shouted. ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡± A girl whom wars would be fought over for was afraid of rejection. The disbelief made Zeke chuckle. Ashlin picked up her cat from the floor and hugged it for comfort. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not funny¡­¡± she mumbled, tears welling in her eyes. ¡°Oh, sorry! I didn¡¯t mean to.¡± Zeke studied her. Her lack of confidence in the matter and her spying on her precious without using any magic cemented the idea that love really does turn people into morons. Then, the cat leaped onto Ashlin¡¯s shoulder, and the Russian redhead caught Zeke¡¯s throat and pulled him close. The austere Ashlin he met yesterday returned to eye him with her cold stare. ¡°If you tell him, I¡¯ll kill you, dwarf.¡± She pushed him aside and stormed off. Zeke massaged his throat and turned away from Ashlin. He started walking but only made it about three feet. There was no use trying to relax in the water again. After waiting till the coast was clear, he headed onto the exit.
Zeke remembered Gill¡¯s mandatory request three hours into studying Black Magic-inflicted diseases. Both fear and curiosity were the motivators to get him to end his session and head down to the game room. The subterranean wonder was vast and maintained the mansion¡¯s eye-catching rustic theme. There were soccer jersey display cases, paintings of famous rockstars pinned to the walls, and vintage instruments.i Zeke found Gill behind the room¡¯s mini bar counter, setting up wine glasses. The sight made him panic internally. A handful of Gill¡¯s servants were also in the room, tidying up the area and displaying fancy cocktail party appetizers. Gill invited Zeke to sit on a tub chair while he and his entourage finished up. Zeke looked around the room and its activities. Multiple TVs broadcasted soccer matches as classical music played from the stereo. The games included a pool table, a chess table, a fussball table, a ping-pong table, and a dart board. Ugo showed up next, ecstatic by the environment, and sat next to Zeke. Surprisingly, the rest of the Tainted Generation made an appearance one by one. Zeke figured that curiosity got the best of all of them. They scouted the area like a band of apprehensive explorers in an uncharted tomb. ¡°What the hell is this?¡± Akachi asked brusquely. Gill walked away from the counter and approached the group. ¡°I still believe having fun together during this retreat is possible. So, I organized this party for us to liven our spirits.¡± He waved his hand to the line of wine-filled glasses on the counter. ¡°Let¡¯s drink¡ª!¡± ¡°Ohhhh, no! This ain¡¯t no party!¡± Akachi argued. Zeke found himself nodding. It felt more like a get-together for pretentious members of a gentlemen¡¯s club than dumb fun. Not that he wanted a crazy party anyway. ¡°You want to see a real party? Let me handle it.¡± Akachi continued. ¡°A real party is like the ones Dionysus throws on Mount Olympus.¡± Akachi pointed at the spaced-out Healer. ¡°You know what I¡¯m talking about, Wade.¡± Wade returned to reality turning in Akachi¡¯s direction. ¡°Huh? Yeah, yeah,¡± he said while nodding. ¡°I don¡¯t think the others want to succumb to your debauchery,¡± Gill said. ¡°Wow, how long has it been? Ten seconds, and we¡¯re already arguing?¡± Violet said. ¡°Off to a great start, Gill.¡± Gill gave her a scowl. ¡°How about I show them how I would do it and then let them decide?¡± Akachi didn¡¯t wait for a green light and got started on his campaign. He walked up to a bathroom door and took a piece of chalk from his pocket. He drew a strange symbol on the door and opened it to a vibrant Realm with blaring funky-pop music playing from it. Akachi went in and shut the door, disappearing for a while, and then returned, wheeling in a wooden cart filled with partying goods. He went back in and brought another larger cart. The group approached the carts and scanned the items. They had golden, bedazzled chalices, bags and boxes of snacks, and several large amphoras. Akachi grabbed an amphora by both handles and dropped the heavy clay vessel onto the floor. ¡°Inside each of these is a distinct flavor of wine prepared by Dionysus himself.¡± he snatched a chalice from the cart and held it up. ¡°We¡¯re going to drink like royalty because we are!¡± ¡°Whoo!¡± Wade cheered. ¡°By the way¡­¡± Akachi said. ¡°Um¡­ Dionysus misplaced his special chalice that grants immortality like hundreds of years ago, and there¡¯s a good chance that one of these chalices may be that one. So¡­ congrats to whoever gets immortality, I guess.¡± ¡°Hell yeah!¡± Aida cheered and went to grab a chalice. As Akachi served Aida a drink, he shouted out, ¡°Wade! Do something about the music!¡± Wade raised a thumb and moved over to the stereo. He changed the music to something more upbeat and danceable, turning up the volume all the way. Zeke shook in distress and felt his head throb painfully to the loud music and the horror of watching Akachi serving alcohol to the others as his turn was coming up. ¡°We also need to get rid of all these servants, Gill,¡± Akachi said. ¡°Yeah, I agree,¡± said Ugo, grabbing a bag of pretzels. ¡°It¡¯s going to be hard to party with all these eyes on us.¡± ¡°Okay, fine,¡± Gill said, defeated. He snapped his fingers and said to his servants. ¡°You can return to the Netherworld. Tell the others. Leave us alone.¡± They exited without saying a word. Kian walked up to Zeke, holding two chalices, and extended one to Zeke. Zeke jumped back and shouted, ¡°Am I the only one here aware of the health risks of underage drinking?¡± ¡°Come on, Zeke!¡± Akachi said. ¡°Even Yaalon is onboard and he sucks!¡¯ Breathlessly, Zeke started listing his concerns. ¡°Long-term changes in brain development: affecting memory function, motor skills, learning ability, and attention span and exponentially increases the chances of contracting liver disease. The toxicity of alcohol¡¯s metabolism kills liver cells! And commences the stages of the cluster of liver diseases going from alcohol-related hepatitis to cirrhosis to liver cancer¡ª¡± ¡°We can probably reverse all of that,¡± Ashlin said. ¡°And it¡¯s not like all of that¡¯s gonna happen at once after one drink,¡± Akachi said. ¡°But that¡¯s the thing!¡± Zeke shouted. ¡°What if I get addicted? What if my genetic makeup guarantees that I¡¯ll become an alcoholic after tasting it for the first time? I don¡¯t need alcoholism added to the mix of chaos that is my brain!¡± Violet walked over to Zeke and turned to the others. ¡°Nobody is forcing Ezequias to drink anything.¡± She looked back at him. ¡°If he doesn¡¯t want to, he doesn¡¯t have to, but it¡¯s a shame to not taste Dionysus¡¯ nectar. It¡¯s divine.¡± She touched his shoulder and then walked away. ¡°Well, it¡¯s his loss then,¡± Akachi said. ¡°Let¡¯s toast!¡± Kian gave Zeke a look, put the extra cup on the floor, and joined the others. They huddled up and raised their glasses, laughing and dancing. Zeke fixated on Ugo, convinced he completely forgot about his existence since he was living his lifelong dream of partying with the cool kids. Zeke got into the ring with his old pal ¡ª peer pressure in his head. He put up a good fight but eventually gave in. He joined the group. ¡°Hey!¡± Akachi cheered. ¡°You sure about this, Rulitos?¡± Violet asked him. ¡°Yeah¡­ just one drink.¡± It was way more than one drink. Chapter 47 - Libido Free from the suffocating hospitality of underworld servants, the ten members of the Tainted Generation were the only occupants in the rustic mansion. Somewhere between the group¡¯s second and sixth serving of Dionysus¡¯ sweet, intoxicating nectar, the Healers set up a game of wine pong and split into two teams. They agreed on a strict no-magic rule, but the game still turned out to be hectic and eventful. They set up six chalices in a triangle on each side of the ping-pong table. The team composed of Zeke, Akachi, Kian, Ashlin, and Wade missed a couple of points (thanks to Ashlin missing on purpose), but Zeke beat his brother in the final match, and his team took the gold. And then came a no-holds-barred game of truth or dare. Some blurted out embarrassing secrets; others subjected themselves to challenges, some disgusting, others downright dangerous. Yaalon had to take a shot of cave troll juice Akachi fetched for him. Ugo had to sniff Kian¡¯s armpit for 10 seconds, disgusting the girls and making the guys laugh their asses off. Violet calmly ate an ifrit hot pepper, and Aida had to do a 1-minute handstand while eating an onion. The ideas kept getting worse the longer they played; eventually, the party dumbed down to everybody dancing drunkenly and tearing the room apart. Wade was notably the most energetic of the bunch. He bounced off the walls as he hollered random things, having the high of his life before Aida took him by hand and calmed him down. By then, Zeke had lost count of how many cups he guzzled down his burning throat. Gill suddenly announced his departure, getting a rabble of complaints from the crowd, including Akachi, whom he danced in arms with not too long ago. He didn¡¯t give in. He waved goodbye and went upstairs. Twenty minutes passed, and a dizzy Yaalon declared he was done for the night and weaved up the stairs. Zeke retreated from the dancefloor and slumped onto a seat by the bar counter. Even sitting down, the world wobbled and pulsated along with the fist-pumping music. Then, Kian joined him by the counter. ¡°Rosario, how are you holding up?¡± Zeke slurred out something he thought were articulate words. ¡°Let me get you some water,¡± Kian said, chuckling. He walked behind the counter and produced a water bottle. Zeke took the bottle and looked back at the dancefloor as he drank. Ugo was partying hard with Ashlin and Akachi while Aida and Wade were pressed onto each other. She had her arms around Wade while he kept his hands on her hips. ¡°I wonder if this means they are back together,¡± Kian said. ¡°Wait, what?¡± Zeke blurted, putting down his water. ¡°They used to date a while ago. I don¡¯t know all the details on how it started or ended, but they¡¯ve known each other for a long time.¡± Zeke¡¯s swaying returned. ¡°Wellll, I think itz pretty obviouz why Aida wuld leave a stoner like him. He muz¡¯ be a handful.¡± ¡°Wade has to take those pills, though. Have you heard of fatal familial insomnia?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a ge-ge-ge-genetic degenerative brain disorder¡­ Inability to fall asleep. On its last¡ªon its laaast stage, life expectancy is about three years.¡± it hurt to think, but Zeke could tap into his medical knowledge in his drunken state. ¡°It¡¯s plagued his family for years. Even though he was able to cure members of his family with magic, but nothing worked on him. I remember Violet doing an exam on him and trying out her own methods, but nothing worked, and nobody knows why,¡± Kian explained. ¡°It¡¯s a cruel irony, really. The Anesthesiologist can¡¯t make himself go to sleep. So, Wade spends most of his time experimenting with different combinations of pills he makes in hopes of finding something that¡¯ll help him sleep. The pills he takes make his life less agonizing and manage his mood swings.¡± ¡°H-H-H-How is he still alive?¡± Kian shrugged. Zeke looked back at Wade, now with an entirely new perspective. ¡°Hm¡­¡± ¡°Anyways, I¡¯m done for tonight. Enjoy the rest of your evening, Rosario.¡± They shared a handshake, and Kian was on his way. Wade and Aida were the next ones to exit. With the basement much emptier, Zeke stumbled off his seat and tottered around the room while focused on Violet playing a solo game of darts. She held her liquor well. Visualizing Aida¡¯s and Wade¡¯s intimate dancing in his swirling mind, Zeke began approaching Violet with a nerve-racking objective. Then, he halted, realizing he was still too tense, and looked at the wooden cart and amphoras. He twirled his way over to it. It took Zeke almost five minutes to pour himself a cup, but after he did, he wobbled up to Violet and took a couple of gulps. ¡°Hey, Vee¡ª¡± He tripped and dropped his chalice. After the loud clang on the floor, Violet looked at him and made a sympathetic face, tilting her head to the side. ¡°Ezequias, what are you doing drinking more wine?¡± She dropped the dart in her hand and neared him. ¡°You¡¯re already a lightweig;t, don¡¯t do that to yourself.¡± She took him into her arms as he leaned onto her for support. ¡°Veeee¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re leaving.¡± They dawdled up the stairs. The booming music was cut off as they reached upstairs, almost like there wasn¡¯t even a party in the basement. Zeke started mumbling nonsense into Violet¡¯s ear in Spanish as they ambled through the corridors. She giggled the entire time. Zeke couldn¡¯t help but feel that he had somehow achieved his objective despite failing the task miserably. They reached the boys¡¯ room side of the mansion, and Violet opened his bedroom door for him. Violet led Zeke to the king-sized bed, and he dropped face-first into it. Violet giggled and let out a hiccup. ¡°Get some rest, Ezequias¡ª¡± ¡°Wait,¡± he blurted as he forced himself to turn over and sit up straight. He patted a spot next to him. ¡°Stay¡­ p-p-please.¡± It was a shot in the dark that Zeke didn¡¯t know why he even bothered firing. Violet stared at him vacantly and bit her lower lip. She sat. Zeke could feel the acidic burn of the vomit climbing up his esophagus as he was sitting on a bed with Violet Balles. Their thighs touched, and he began to twitch. Violet swayed a bit and then stabilized. ¡°So, what do you¡ª¡± Zeke planted his hand on her thigh, hushing her. He moved his eyes down and saw that his hand was pretty up high, close to her hip. Violet remained fixed in place and stared back with those scintillating purple eyes of hers. Somehow, Zeke maintained eye contact, getting comfortable with his heart beating frantically and the heated tremors that spread through his body. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Whatever entity it was that stayed in his brain, keeping him from saying or doing anything unintended, cashed in their long-awaited vacation days. ¡°Yurrr so freakan¡¯ beautifulll.¡± Like a knight without his shield, Zeke was left alone without his troublesome but required inhibitions. He felt how Ugo must feel every day. With his state worsening, his other arm moved without permission and reached across her chest, grasping onto her shoulder. He swayed forward slightly, touching Violet¡¯s forehead with his, and then pulled back. He forced his body still and stared into her eyes. ¡°I-I-I wunt tooo kass you so bad.¡± ¡°Then do it,¡± she said softly. He leaned forward and then pulled back as if she spontaneously combusted. ¡°No! No! I can¡¯t!¡± he shouted, shaking his head. ¡°Not like this! I-I-I-It shouldn¡¯t be like this.¡± It turned out that the entity ended its vacation early. It was working in high gear once again. Violet took his hand and placed it on her cheek, cupping her hands over it. ¡°Oh, Rulitos, when will you turn that brain of yours off?¡± Zeke could hear his past self screaming at him across the timeline as he pondered pulling his hand away. Her hand was so soft¡ªit was like touching silk¡ªmaking her light grip ever more challenging to pull away from. Even with the stench of alcohol exuding from his mouth and invading his nose, he could still get whiffs of Violet¡¯s perfect floral fragrance. Maybe he just imagined it as an aftereffect of looking at her for so long, but he didn¡¯t care. The girl Zeke had been in love with for years pulled his hand down from her cheek and interlocked her fingers with his. She squeezed hard, and Zeke¡¯s heart pained like she was squeezing it instead. ¡°You protected me from Aida,¡± she said. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything worthwhile.¡± ¡°Still, you fought to protect me from that mutt. That is all that matters.¡± Violet moved closer. Their shoulders pressed against each other. ¡°Kiss me, Ezequias,¡± she said. The cry of victory from past Zeke rang in his throbbing head. His eyes shifted focus from her purple eyes to her rosy pink lips. Zeke made his move. The childhood friend¡¯s fingers unlocked. Zeke¡¯s arm snaked around her waist, and Violet slid her hands up his neck as their lips touched. They rocked back and forth as they started to get into a rhythm. A little lip-smack sound was produced as Zeke pulled away from her to get some air. Once their eyes locked again, Zeke started with a light brush over her lips, and they got back into rhythm. Their deep kiss had them fall back onto the bed. Zeke stayed on top and slipped his tongue into her mouth to explore. ¡°Ezequias¡­ let¡¯s do it,¡± she said in Spanish, gasping for air. Zeke planted his hands on the bed to either side of Violet¡¯s head and pushed himself up. ¡°What?¡± he said, looking back at Violet¡¯s stimulated expression. Violet stroked his cheek, and then her hand moved downward. It was enough to get him to abort. Zeke leaped off the bed and landed on the floor on his side. Violet propped herself on her elbow and turned to him, no longer putting in an effort to hide her drunkenness. ¡°Ezequias, it¡¯s okay. I want¡ª¡± ¡°No! We¡¯re drunk!¡± Zeke exclaimed. ¡°I was right! This isn¡¯t how this is supposed to go, damn it!¡± ¡°Who cares about all that?¡± She responded and sat up on the bed on her knees, planting her hands down to keep balance. ¡°We¡¯re together, and that is all that matters.¡± Her hair was disheveled, her jaw was slack, letting her mouth hang open, making a dumb, cute smile on her face, and her eyes were glossy but focused on him. It was the messiest that Zeke had ever seen Violet. Making his past self vexed once again, Zeke got up, leaned onto the bedside table, and turned away, knowing he couldn¡¯t take advantage of the situation. ¡°You should leave¡­.¡± ¡°What?¡± She said feebly. Zeke took a peek at her pout and instantly regretted it. Violet looking vulnerable was also new for him and made him feel strange things. ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± he held back his vomit and blurted, ¡°I will go sleep in Mora¡¯s room.¡± He fought with gravity as he zigzagged towards the door. ¡°I thought you liked me back,¡± Violet said, forcing Zeke to stop halfway past the footboard. ¡°Do you not want me?¡± She began to sniffle. Zeke turned on his heel, ¡°Of course I¡ª¡± He spun a little too fast, and one foot was up in the air as he fell towards the side of the footboard. Everything went black. ### Zeke woke up tucked in bed, but the room was spinning. An extreme thirst forced him to sit up, and he grabbed the cup of water by his bedside. He drank it all, but it didn¡¯t have much effect, and then came the cramps in his stomach, and then came the cramps everywhere else. He turned to his side, and there was a letter on the other pillow. He reached for it, and it read: After you got hurt, I knew I had to focus and make sure you were okay, so I used a spell on myself to get rid of the drunkenness and examined you. Thankfully, you were fine, but sorry, I decided not to wake you up. You were right. We were both pretty drunk, and it would¡¯ve been a mistake to have it happen like that. Let¡¯s wait just a little longer. ?? ¡ªViolet. Zeke lowered the letter in his hand and convinced himself that all the throbbing pain he felt was just because of the hangover. He did the right thing, he told himself in his head as flashes of the night before polluted his brain. He did the right thing, he told himself again as he crumpled the letter in his hand. He did the right thing, he told himself again, and then screamed from the top of his lungs. ### Zeke was dressed and cleaned up¡ªdark sweater and hippie patchwork pants¡ªbut the hangover remained. He navigated through the corridors of the mansion and entered the kitchen. The place was lively, and the Tainted Generation was present. ¡°Hey, doctors,¡± Wade drawled while seated with Kian and Ashlin at a table. ¡°My pee smells like chocolate. Is that normal?¡± The others responded with blank stares. ¡°Better question,¡± Akachi was by the kitchen island, eating an apple. ¡°Why are you smelling your pee?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s mine.¡± Wade looked around. ¡°Is that not a normal thing to do? Wait, we¡¯re doctors, for crying out loud. I shouldn¡¯t have to feel weird about this!¡± Zeke looked around and spotted Ugo making a messy, massive sandwich by the counter. Then he found Violet at the corner of the room, looking out the window, holding a cup of hot chocolate in her hand. She smiled and waved at him. He waved back awkwardly. ¡°Wade!¡± a strained voice bellowed from afar. Aida stormed into the kitchen and marched up to Wade. ¡°Where is Tsukikaze!?¡± ¡°How the hell should I know?¡± ¡°I put it away in its case and into my drawer.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know, and¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s gone, Wade.¡± ¡°What does that have to do with me?¡± ¡°You were in the room.¡± ¡°And...? Aida, why would I take your sword? What for?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t understand half of the things you do.¡± ¡°Neither do I,¡± Wade agreed. He pulled a pen from his pocket and chewed on the cap. Aida smacked it away. ¡°Where is Tsukikaze? This isn¡¯t funny!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Zeke inserted himself into the dispute. ¡°Aida, everybody was pretty drunk last night. It¡¯s possible that your memory isn¡¯t being as accurate as you think.¡± An angry grumble erupted, making sets of eyes shift their attention to Gill browsing through the refrigerator. ¡°Good grief, I¡¯m starving,¡± He chuckled. ¡°I think you could benefit from skipping out on breakfast,¡± Akachi jibed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to eat before Yaalon wakes up. He makes some splendid scrambled eggs.¡± Kian checked the clock. ¡°It¡¯s definitely way past his schedule by now, right?¡± ¡°Everybody is recovering from their hangovers,¡± Ugo said, ¡°I doubt he could focus on the schedule now.¡± ¡°He is probably just preparing his new batch of annoying emails to send to everybody,¡± Ashlin said. ¡°Everybody has made it to the kitchen at least,¡± Zeke said. ¡°Maybe, he is having a harder time recuperating.¡± ¡°Just go check on him, Rulitos,¡± Violet said. ¡°You know you want to.¡± Zeke ventured off. He remembered how the rooms were organized according to the order of birth months. Yaalon was the Eleventh-born, meaning his room was right next to his. Zeke knocked on the door softly. No answer. He knocked once again, aggravating his hangover. No answer. ¡°Yaalon, are you okay?¡± Zeke shouted while leaning on the door. A bad feeling had Zeke banging on the door. ¡°Yaalon?¡± He grabbed the handle, and it twisted with ease. The door was unlocked. Zeke walked into the room, and the miasma was strong. But something else made Zeke ignore the smell entirely. There was something even more unsettling to focus on. Blood was everywhere. Yaalon lay still on his bed, his face frozen in a twisted, agonized expression, eyes wide and directed at the blood-splattered ceiling. A black blade lined with red kanji characters was pierced through his gut. Character Index (With Portraits)--Volume 5
5. New Plague: Tragedy strikes at the resort, followed by one of the Tainted unveiling an insidious plot involving releasing a mutating supernatural protozoan onto humanity. It''s up to Zeke and allies to race against time to contain the disease within the city of Z¨¹rich and find a vaccine.
Providence Infirmary Team: Ezequias "Zeke" Rosario ¡°I didn¡¯t choose to be one of the Tainted Generation, but I¡¯m doing the best I can. I want to end the conflict between the angels and Healers, although I am starting to believe that if the only way to put an end to that is by putting an end to all of us, then¡­¡± Summary: A gifted teen who wants to be a world-renowned doctor. What keeps him from achieving his full potential is coming from a family with a sordid reputation, low self-esteem, and excessive anxiety, having him overthink and worry about everything from the fate of the world to innocuous things like if that gum he swallowed a few years is going to come back to haunt him. He hopes to end the conflict between angels and Healers. He accepted to spy on the rest of the Tainted Generation on behalf of former Dominion Chief: Nananiel to discover who were the ones behind the breaking of the Great Seals. First Appearance: Volume 1: Saving Grace, Chapter 1 - Ailment Race: Human (Columbian) Age: 17 Skills: Abilities: Magic:

Healer¡¯s Garb: Vesklepios

As the 10th born of the Tainted Generation Zeke¡¯s soul is bound to the spirit: Vesklepios. An entity that manifests itself in the form of a garment that grants Zeke the ability to summon a nearly infinite amount of blood vessels of whichever size is needed. The veins have many applications depending on one¡¯s creativity. An additional ability of the Garb is improving the wearer¡¯s ability to diagnose supernatural ailments with acute deductive reasoning. Affiliations: Providence Infirmary. 14th Tainted Generation of Healers. Nananiel¡¯s Spies Connections: Ugo Morata (Step-brother), Viola Balles (It¡¯s Still Complicated) Status: Alive Theme: Mattashi - Level One Ugo Morata "That¡¯s a lie. There¡¯s no such thing as too much perfume. Just like too much barbecue.¡± Summary: Lazy and unapologetic about his lecherous behavior. Ugo possesses incredible memory-related abilities, such as photographic recall, but all that is cemented in his mind is how he will attain his first girlfriend. Ugo has been called many things (not many of them good... mostly coming from women), although ¡°selfish¡± isn¡¯t one of them. He will step up to defend those he cares about when necessary, and despite his carefree attitude, he internalizes troubling thoughts and tries to bury them with as much as possible to keep himself sane. He accepted to be one of Nananiel''s spies as well and plans to do so while attempting to swoon over one of the female members (except for Viola) of the Tainted Generation and get his first girlfriend at last. First Appearance: Volume 1: Saving Grace, Chapter 3 - Complications Race: Human (Spaniard) Age: 17 Skills: Abilities: Magic:

Healer¡¯s Garb: Rutapexy Samhita

The Healer¡¯s Garb known as ¡°Rutapexy Samhita¡± grants Ugo a variety of impressive cutting magic spells, including severing objects and living beings at an atomic level, and cutting through certain seemingly unbreakable spells (Removal of seals and barriers). Also, can use stitching magic that can conjoin two items and force them to be inseparable, making him the strongest asset when it comes to surgical operations. And finally, the Garb grants Ugo a grand arsenal of mystic, surgical tools for both combat and medical operations. Equipment: Affiliations: Providence Infirmary. 14th Tainted Generation of Healers. Nananiel¡¯s Spies Connections: Ezequias Rosario (Step-brother) Status: Alive Theme: NexSard - Betrayal Avery ¡°AJ¡± Dotson ¡°You¡¯re just going to go? Haven¡¯t you guys read Agatha Christie?¡± Summary: Self-conscious about her height and lack of ¡°feminity.¡± She enjoys exercise, eating right (even dedicating herself to learning various complex healthy dishes), and following sports but never applies herself to any of the school¡¯s sports teams due to her shyness. She is overall a sweet, nice person but gets antagonistic whenever the topic of religion is brought up. After facing ¡°unfair¡± outcomes when it came to her body and observing the other graver injustices of the world, she came to despise the idea of God, hoping deep down that everything about Heaven is a lie, and then one day, an angel falls out of the sky. Reluctantly, had to take a backseat and let her friends accept Gilliam Destrian''s suspicious invite and spend the rest of the Christmas break at his mansion. First Appearance: Volume 1: Saving Grace, Chapter 1 - Ailment Race: Human (American) Age: 17 Skills: Abilities: Affiliations: Providence Infirmary Status: Alive Naomi ¡°No, Nananiel! Please let me do this! You¡¯ve always protected me. Please allow me to return the favor." Summary: Somehow created near the tail end of the 13th Tainted Generation¡¯s war on Heaven with the sexual union of legendary seraphim known as ¡°Cathetel¡± and the just as legendary demon ¡°Terthran,¡± which resulted in both of their eradications. Naomi was locked in a cage at the highest layer of Heaven, Primum Paraiso, on the mountaintop of Maliel. She was visited by many angels throughout her imprisonment, but the nicest visits were by Nananiel whom she grew a fatherly connection towards. She was let out by Nananiel to help out with an operation, and after things went awry, she was found by Zeke, Ugo, and AJ. She¡¯s guileless and excitable about learning new things. Contrary to what most angels believe, she isn¡¯t violent but will resort to it if the lives of her loved ones are at stake. Acts as the Providence Infirmary''s nurse and custodian. She currently works at Heath''s Sports Bar as a waitress. First Appearance: Volume 1: Saving Grace, Chapter 4 - Tainted Race: Angel/Demon Hybrid Age: 243-years-old Skills: Magic: Affiliations: Providence Infirmary. Second Sphere of the Order of Angels (Formerly) Connections: Nananiel (Fatherly-Figure) Status: Alive Theme: Peter Roe - Victory Angels: Nananiel ¡°Angels exist to protect humanity. I am done with attacking blindly. There is a human soul inside that mess you made, so I will not! I will not hurt an innocent human¡­ even if it costs me my life.¡± Summary: All Nananiel wanted to do was help out humans and maybe try out some of the things they are privileged to that¡¯s why he was happy when he was suddenly promoted to the rank of ¡°Dominion Chief,¡± putting him in charge of the management of the Human Realm. Continuous bad luck led to Nananiel being demoted to an angel of the Third Sphere. Being banished from Heaven, he must survive on Earth on his own but is adamant about not using any of his angelic abilities to help himself out. Nananiel now gets his intel concerning angelic affairs from an unnamed contact. First Appearance: Volume 1: Saving Grace, Chapter 1 - Ailment Race: Angel (Dominion) Age: Approximately 550 years old Skills: Abilities: Magic: Equipment: Affiliations: Second Sphere of the Order of Angels (Formerly). Nananiel¡¯s Spies. Secret Angelic Informant. Third Sphere of the Order of Angels. Connections: Naomi (Daughter-Figure) Status: Alive Theme: Grumpy Shark - Eye of the Storm Irin "This is why you don¡¯t have what it takes to be Chief Dominion. You have the gall to spout discourteous nonsense all day long, but when it comes to doing what¡¯s right. For humanity and the universe. You cower like the low-life you are.¡± Summary: A well-respected legend in the angelic community known for her brutal but effective methods that usually end with blood and ashes. What she likes and hates is simple. Irin likes doing her job and likes doing it right. She hates it when people don¡¯t do their jobs and hates it even more when they don¡¯t do it well. She is constantly switching Containers due to having trouble finding one to contain her explosive angelic soul. Has now been given Nananiel''s title in consequence of his failures, making her simultaneously the Power Chief and Dominion Chief. She stays busy focused on a secret project. First Appearance: Volume 1: Saving Grace, Chapter 4 - Tainted Race: Angel (Power) Age: Approximately 900 years old Skills: The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Abilities: Magic: Equipment: Affiliations: Second Sphere of the Order of Angels, First Sphere Secret Project Status: Alive Theme: Light and Darkness - Appolyon 14th Tainted Generation of Healers: Isaac Noble ¡°Have you ever had someone touch your soul before? I warn you, it is not as pleasant as it sounds.¡± Summary: The firstborn of the Fourteenth Tainted Generation of Healers and a rather troublesome young man with a twisted savior complex coupled with devastating power. His goal is to get Zeke to open a door for him in a Heavenly Sub-Realm that will allow him to substitute the angels with the other gifted individuals of his generation and create a new Heaven. First Appearance: Volume 2: Maleficent Dominion, Chapter 14 - Hypertension Race: Human (American) Age: 17

Skills:

Abilities: Magic:

Healer¡¯s Garb: Vistrea

The Healer¡¯s Garb known as ¡°Vistrea¡± grants Isaac mastery over White Magic energy and all things soul purity related. With it he has access to White Magic spells that no other human soul can withstand. Isaac with his Garb he has increased Mana senses and can detect the purity levels of other creatures (without the use of machines).

Equipment:

Affiliations: 14th Tainted Generation of Healers Status: Alive Theme: Light and Darkness - Gabriel Viola ¡°Violet¡± Balles ¡°I have no problems with getting rid of people who get in my way, and I don¡¯t really consider you human.¡± Summary: A childhood friend of the trio who served as their "protector" standing up to bullies for them. Unfortunately, she fell out of touch when sent to an Argentinian all-girls Catholic boarding school. The first thing people notice when seeing her for the first time is her petrifying dark cobalt blue eyes--at times, they seem violet, hence why she was given the nickname. There is also an unmistakable hostile animus around Violet that people pick up on quickly when near her, except for Zeke, who is hopelessly infatuated with her. She moonlights as the infamous Angel-Killer. It is a mystery what Violet had been doing since she was sent to Catholic School and her Mana Pores opened, but somewhere in the timeline, she grew a strong contempt towards the angels and is dead set on killing them all. Violet wants Zeke to aid her in her carnage. First Appearance: Volume 1: Saving Grace, Chapter 12 - Conception Race: Human (Argentinian) Age: 17 Skills: Abilities: Magic:

Healer¡¯s Garb: Neurpatia

As the 2nd born of the Tainted Generation, Violet¡¯s soul is bound to the spirit: Neurpatia. An entity that manifests itself in the form of a garment that grants Violet the ability to control the brains of beings across the universe. The range of her powers is vast. Equipment: Netherworld Weaponry Affiliations: 14th Tainted Generation of Healers Connections: Ezequias Rosario (It''s Still Complicated) Status: Alive Theme: Rodrigo y Gabriela - Diablo Rojo Gilliam ¡°Gill¡± Destrian ¡°I dunno, mate. But I¡¯ll tell you this when it comes to treatment, I don¡¯t like rushing because that¡¯s how mistakes are made. I¡¯m giving each of them proper care and attention.¡± Summary: Gill wants an amicable union amongst the Tainted Generation to achieve something great and have each member reach their full potential. He had a traumatizing childhood; being born into a religious family and later becoming intrigued with demonology was an unfortunate mix for Gill. He managed to escape after years of abuse and now lives lavishly with an army of servants he cares deeply for and claims he doesn¡¯t mistreat any of them. He runs a hospital in the Netherworld where he treats demons. First Appearance: Volume 4: Eleven Tainted, Chapter 39 - Convention Race: Human (English) Age: 17

Skills:

Abilities: Magic: Torzelas seems to grant Gill strange gluttony magic. Affiliations: 14th Tainted Generation of Healers. Netherworld. Hospital in Netherworld. Status: Alive Akachi Adeyemi ¡°Have I ever told you about the time Zeus and I did a prank on Poseidon?¡± Summary: Follows a high-octane, hedonistic lifestyle. Always chasing after the next adventure, another surge of adrenaline. Drinking, drugs, parties, sex, all of it, and boasting continually (name-dropping to an annoying degree). He likes to stay in his own lane, hanging out with the gods. Spending so much time with deities made him lose touch with reality and regular human behavior, which is the reason behind his arrogance. First Appearance: Volume 4: Eleven Tainted, Chapter 38 - Transplant Race: Human (Equatorial Guinean) Age: 17 Skills: Abilities: Magic:

Healer¡¯s Garb: Hippocratas

Akachi''s Healer''s Garb, "Hippocratas," signature power isn''t clear as he uses bone magic in combat, which not be related to his Garb''s abilities. Affiliations: 14th Tainted Generation of Healers, Mount Olympus, Asgard, Orisha, Kami, and other groups of deities. Connections: Aida Koshiko (Close Friend), Wade Rupp (Close Friend) Status: Alive Theme: Grumpy Shark - Absurd Extravaganza Ashlin Kristov "God makes plenty of mistakes. That''s why I''m here. To fix them." Summary: All Ashlin cares about is making a profit off selling high-quality Containers (which are always in high demand). Prodigal, indulgent, excessive, wasteful. She enjoys lavishing herself with riches. She only wants the most extravagant of items. Cold and brutally honest. She is not really a fan of people (or living creatures of any kind) and only looks out for herself. Any action that grants her the most spoils, she¡¯ll take. First Appearance: Volume 4: Eleven Tainted, Chapter 39 - Convention Race: Human (Russian) Age: 17

Skills:

Abilities: Magic: Details concerning her Healer''s Garb, aside from its appearance, have yet to be revealed. Connections: Zvesda (Cat) Affiliations: She is affiliated with anybody who is a customer to her; everybody else can go f*ck themselves. Status: Alive Theme: Tyler Pierce - Obsidian Wade Rupp "Nah, man, I am not a fighter. You know this, unless you try to steal some goods from my stash, and then I''ll bite you. That''s about it." Summary: Wade has a lazy approach when it comes to supernatural medicine. Taking away the pain for as long as possible by just using supplements is the way to go for him (Even if it may not be a real long-term solution). He uses a cocktail of self-made pain-relievers and hallucinogens to get through the day due to having the inability to fall asleep. First Appearance: Volume 4: Eleven Tainted, Chapter 39 - Convention Race: Human (Australian) Age: 17

Skills:

Abilities: Magic: Details concerning his Healer''s Garb, aside from its appearance, have yet to be revealed. Affiliations: 14th Tainted Generation of Healers. Connections: Aida Koshiko (Ex-Girlfriend), Akachi Adeyemi (Close Friend) Status: Alive (Just not all there) Kian Elbertsson ¡°The poor are still people, though, and that¡¯s the problem,¡± Summary: Introvert. Enjoys time alone. Speaking with his microorganisms. Dejected, but calm most of the time and rarely complains. Labeled as the ¡°weirdo¡± of the Healers. First Appearance: Volume 4: Eleven Tainted, Chapter 39 - Convention Race: Human (Icelandic) Age: 17 Skills: Abilities: Magic: Healer¡¯s Garb: Plaga Kian¡¯s Healer¡¯s Garb is named ¡°Plaga.¡± However, aside from its appearance, not much is known about its abilities. Affiliations: 14th Tainted Generation of Healers. Status: Alive Theme: Lost Judgment - Viper ¡¾Intense Symphonic Metal Cover¡¿ by Falkkone Aida Koshiko ¡°Yeah! It¡¯s simple really, it¡¯s nothing, just, uhm, let me, uhm, uh¡­ let me have a look at whatever she¡¯s packing in her pants.¡± Summary: A medical wanderer. Exploring the realms and studying creatures and their mixed breeds. Hopes for one day for there to be peace amongst all beings across the realms. She can be a bit of a perv when it comes to her specialty. First Appearance: Volume 4: Eleven Tainted, Chapter 39 - Convention Race: Half-Human (Japanese)/Half-Kitsune Age: 17

Skills:

Abilities: Magic:

Healer¡¯s Garb: Sukunabikona

Aida''s Healer''s Garb, "Sukunabikona," holds within it the power to access and manipulate the genetic code of creatures across the universe, down to the atomic level. This sensational ability enables Aida to not only alter the molecular blueprint of living beings but also uncover hidden abilities encoded within their DNA.

Kitsune Powers:

Equipment: Affiliations: 14th Tainted Generation of Healers. Connections: Wade Rupp (Ex-Boyfriend), Akachi Adeyemi (Close Friend) Status: Alive Theme: Mattashi - NinTENDjutsu Yaalon Tahan ¡°We can change the world, Ezequias, and achieve true equity for mankind. Those with no access to education, sanitation, or basic health services can attend my classes for free and learn how to harness Mana to improve their health and knowledge.¡± Summary: Yaalon is very virtuous and ethical young man. he takes his role as member of the Tainted Generation quite seriously (takes it upon himself to act as a guide for the others). Loves to teach, and is surprisingly patient and understanding in his lessons. Won¡¯t give up on people. Has been found dead by Ezequias ''Zeke'' Rosario. First Appearance: Volume 4: Eleven Tainted, Chapter 39 - Convention Race: Human (Israeli) Age: 17 Skills: Abilities: Magic: Healer¡¯s Garb: Serka Yaalon¡¯s Healer¡¯s Garb is named ¡°Serka¡±. With it he can manipulate colorless flames that control living organisms'' resistance levels. Affiliations: 14th Tainted Generation of Healers Status: Deceased Theme: Tales Of Berseria OST - Zaveid battle theme Other Characters: Azaylea "Az" Ashraf "..." Summary: Not much is known about the Egyptian girl aside from allegedly consenting to be a part of Irin''s secret project. The procedure has left her unable to speak. First Appearance: Volume 5: New Plague, Chapter 52 - Experiment Race: Human (Egyptian) Archangel: Human infused with angelic essence. Age: 21 Skills: Abilities: Magic: Has strange Mana and can use a Holy Mark, specifically the Holy Mark of Virtue Chief: Dabriel--Death¡¯s Canticle. Not much is known about this ability. Affiliations: First Sphere Secret Project Status: Alive Theme: Egyptian Warriors - Egyptian Battle Music Rachel Abery (Failure to translate Enochian Speech) Summary: A mysterious girl suffering from a complex White Magic-based illness. Her involvement in the overall story is still unknown. First Appearance: Volume 5: New Plague, Chapter 55 - Hospice Race: Human (American) Age: 20 Skills: ??? Status: Alive Chapter 48 - Terminal After dashing back to the kitchen while screaming his head off, Zeke returned to the messy crime scene alongside the Healers. An awful stench of blood was in the air with a tinge of chemicals. Zeke spotted the katana¡¯s artistic sheathe on the floor before the bed. He then fixated on the katana and noticed that the red kanji on its black blade was changing. The characters would vanish, and then a whole new set would reappear. An agitated Aida jumped in front of Yaalon¡¯s corpse and turned to the others while stretching her arms to either side, blocking the view of the sword. ¡°Nobody look at Tsukikaze!¡± ¡°Okay, we won¡¯t,¡± Gill said. ¡°Just don¡¯t touch the body.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t we look at it?¡± Ugo said. ¡°It¡¯s a cursed sword that has trouble being faithful to a single owner,¡± Akachi explained. ¡°It can change owners on a whim just because they like how a certain human looks. When it makes up its mind, it won¡¯t let itself be used by anybody else, but only if the two make direct eye contact¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk about him like that!¡± Aida shouted. ¡°He just¡­ argh! Just don¡¯t look at him!¡± Ugo glanced at everyone in the room and said, ¡°Let¡¯s just say what we¡¯re all thinking.¡± All eyes fixated on him as he continued. ¡°Isaac obviously did this. The dude is unhinged. He probably has some reason only a lunatic could understand.¡± ¡°But Isaac wasn¡¯t even here,¡± Kian said. ¡°Yes. Isaac was in Winterberry the entire time,¡± Gill defended and sighed. ¡°I was also wondering what he could be up to, so I had secretaries surveillance him. He didn¡¯t leave that spot.¡± ¡°So?¡± Ugo replied. ¡°Maybe he just popped back into the house for a moment, like a nanosecond or something, and your servants missed it. In that tiny time frame, he offed Yaalon and then teleported back. Or maybe he made a clone. With magic involved, literally, anything is possible.¡± ¡°Except, in this case, no magic was involved. No Gray, Black nor White Magic. Nothing,¡± Aida chimed in and peeked at the body behind her. ¡°If a clone did it, then there would be Mana emanating from this scene, but there¡¯s nothing. Aside from Tsukikaze¡¯s. No other Mana is coming from the body.¡± ¡°Maybe a cloaking spell was used,¡± Zeke suggested. ¡°Yes, cloaking spells are used to keep other magic users from detecting you,¡± Gill said. ¡°A reason for wanting to continuously emit Mana and coat your Container, whether it be in Black or White energy, is to ensure you are protected from oncoming magic attacks. There is the option of choosing just not to emit any Mana at all, concealing it within you, but it leaves you completely invulnerable to magical attacks, not to mention susceptible to some supernatural diseases. Sometimes it is worth it, sometimes it is not, it¡¯s up to the bloke really. ¡°The stupidly funny thing about cloaking spells is that they actively burn Mana, so a way around this is to make and use cloaking medicine to reap its effects for a certain amount of time. Or use the medicine to get someone else to conceal their Mana if they are not adept at using cloaking spells. But here¡¯s the thing about cloaking spells and cloaking medicine. If you attack while using the Mana or perform a spell of any kind, then the coating is canceled immediately. You¡¯ll be noticed.¡± ¡°Well, that sucks,¡± Ugo said. ¡°Yeah,¡± Gill responded. ¡°So, it could be anyone,¡± Akachi said. Then, Aida started to snarl and jerk her head to her sides. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Aida?¡± Wade asked while approaching her. She began yapping and covered her nose. ¡°My nose¡­¡± she complained, with her voice now nasally. Aida backtracked to the katana and sniffed it. ¡°I can¡¯t smell anything.¡± Gill stuffed his hands into his pockets. ¡°I¡¯m not the only one getting a whiff of it, right?¡± He smirked while shaking his head, congratulating the perpetrator¡¯s guile. ¡°The murderer used bleach. They must¡¯ve doused themselves with the stuff.¡± Zeke moved up to Gill, raising a hand. ¡°Wait, like nose blindness with dogs? Something as normal as bleach can affect a kitsune¡¯s abilities like that?¡± ¡°Oh, she¡¯s already shared that with you, good. Saves me time on explaining.¡± Gill walked over to the window at the end of the room, avoiding the blood stains on the floor and making eye contact with the sword. ¡°Yes, some normal items from our world can affect magical creatures in ways you wouldn¡¯t expect.¡± Violet shot a look at Aida and smiled devilishly. ¡°Maybe, you were behind this.¡± ¡°Why would I use my own sword to commit a crime and leave it at the scene?¡± Aida said, her nose was still clogged. ¡°And the bleach¡­?¡± ¡°So, no one would suspect you.¡± Wade approached Violet. ¡°I was watching over her the whole night. She didn¡¯t move.¡± Violet looked back at everyone. ¡°We¡¯re really going to depend on this dopehead for credibility?¡± She glared at Wade. ¡°You were barely lucid last night.¡± ¡°I was fine,¡± he argued. ¡°Looking over all the details,¡± Gill said, looking out the window. ¡°You let someone sneak into the room and steal the¡­¡± he caught a glimpse of a growling Aida from the corner of his eye and then said, ¡°Tsukikaze.¡± She smiled. ¡°Well¡­ okay, maybe I wasn¡¯t all there. Something happened to my stash. It ended up way more powerful than expected.¡± ¡°I¡¯d suspect that you probably orchestrated all of this, but no, you don¡¯t have the attention span for that,¡± Gill said. ¡°You were poisoned, perhaps. No magic. This was very well planned.¡± And then it hit Zeke. Someone took advantage of the moment when they were all having fun together to strike. Drinking and partying while scheming a murder in the back of their heads. Zeke felt his skin boil the more he thought about it. He let his guard down because he believed what they had last night was genuine, but a snake amongst them was just maintaining a fake smile. ¡°It has to be either Ugo or Zeke,¡± Ashlin said nonchalantly. Zeke and Ugo shot a look at the comely redhead. ¡°What?¡± They screeched. ¡°Two new members pop up. We have a get-together with them for the first time, and somebody ends up dead?¡± Ashlin argued. ¡°She has a point,¡± Wade agreed. ¡°No, she doesn¡¯t!¡± Ugo said. ¡°Okay, instead of just accusing each other randomly. We need to set up some timelines. Me, Ashlin, and Akachi were the last to leave.¡± ¡°Yeah, you were really drunk,¡± Akachi said, looking over to Ashlin. ¡°Me and Ugo took you back to your room like gentlemen.¡± If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°That¡¯s all you did?¡± Aida asked. ¡°Yes! Who do you think we are?¡± ¡°Anyways¡­¡± Ugo continued. ¡°Before that, Violet and Zeke left together.¡± The spotlight now shone on Zeke and Violet. ¡°We spent the night together,¡± Violet said, swaying to Zeke. ¡°And that¡¯s our alibi, right, Ezequias?¡± ¡°I¡­I¡­ I¡­ yeah,¡± Zeke replied and then caught Ugo with a grim expression. It didn¡¯t look like jealousy, though, throwing him off. ¡°Before us, Wade left with the mutt,¡± Violet said. ¡°I guess that means I left before them,¡± Kian said. ¡°And Yaalon left before me, and Gill, you were the first to leave.¡± ¡°What are your alibis?¡± Akachi questioned and crossed his arms, impersonating the last generic cop he saw in a movie. ¡°I was in my lab,¡± Kian said. ¡°And I was in my room,¡± Gill said reluctantly. ¡°So, you ain¡¯t got no alibis,¡± Akachi said with a smile, declaring checkmate. ¡°We don¡¯t know the time of death yet, so it could still be anyone,¡± Gill said calmly. Ugo looked over to Gill. ¡°You invited us to this resort, hell, you came up with the idea for the party.¡± ¡°I wanted a more sophisticated get-together. Drugs and alcohol weren¡¯t my ideas, but if I must defend myself further.¡± He raised his hands and said, ¡°I constantly exude Black Magic energy. It¡¯s a curse.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Ashlin corroborated. Gill glanced at the body. ¡°As much as I¡¯d like to have something as useful as cloaking my Mana, I can¡¯t, not with spells, concealment, medicine. Trust me, I¡¯ve tried. So if I did it, you would all be sensing my Mana from Yaalon¡¯s body from the moment you stepped in here.¡± As another argument swelled amongst the Healers, the inside of Zeke¡¯s head grew incredibly loud, with rampant thoughts muffling the world around him. You let a good person die again, Zeke said in his head. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was to himself or to a God he had trouble believing in, even after learning that angels were real. And then he clung to one of the myriads of swirling thoughts in his head and said, ¡°Wait, now that Yaalon is dead, is there any way to know if he was the Damned or the Deliverer?¡± The room silenced for Zeke at that moment. ¡°Yes,¡± Gill responded. ¡°Whenever a person dies, essence is left behind in their Container depending on whether they go to Heaven or the Netherworld. As long as most of the Container is intact, essence can be detected. There¡¯s a theory that one of the first Healers came up with the idea of cremation to hide a person¡¯s destination in the afterlife from others.¡± He turned to Aida. ¡°Would you mind sheathing Tsukikaze and not touching anything else?¡± Aida did as asked, and as she walked to her sheath, the others looked away from Tsukikaze. Aida gently grabbed the sword¡¯s handle and pulled it out of Yaalon, making a squelching sound. She cleaned the blade with her hand, got rid of the rest of the blood with one shake, and then sheathed it. ¡°Ashlin, would you do an examination for us?¡± Gill asked politely. Containing her giddiness of being asked for something from Gill, Ashlin sauntered up to the bloody corpse keeping her flinty expression in check, and held her hands with open palms forward. Her palm glowed as her pupils disappeared. She reverted to normal, and the light from her palm dissipated as she announced, ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°Meaning¡­?¡± Ugo asked. ¡°No essence at all. His soul is who knows where. He wasn¡¯t the Damned nor the Deliverer.¡± ¡°He was a good person, though,¡± Zeke said. Akachi scoffed. ¡°Calm down, Shortstack, ya barely knew the guy.¡± ¡°I knew what he wanted to do: help people. He had a great idea and openly shared that dream with everybody, and one of you decided to kill him. I don¡¯t care what it takes. I will find out who did it and make them pay.¡± Zeke began scouting the crime scene, trying not to be deterred by Yaalon¡¯s wide dead eyes following his every move. ¡°Isn¡¯t there a time spell or something someone can use to rewind to the moment it happened?¡± Ugo asked. ¡°Time spells are the most taboo, strictly forbidden, and extremely difficult to learn,¡± Violet explained. ¡°Even with our affinity to magic, we¡¯d have to read through hundreds of scrolls and meditate for months on end just for one spell. And our Garbs won¡¯t tell us how to do them.¡± Zeke¡¯s focus locked onto a laptop on Yaalon¡¯s desk. ¡°There could be something we can find there,¡± He said as he walked up it. ¡°Do you know the passcode?¡± Kian asked. Zeke opened the laptop and booted it up. ¡°There¡¯s no option for biometrics. Anybody have an idea what it might be?¡± Everybody exchanged looks. Zilch. ¡°It¡¯s not like we were his friends or anything,¡± Ashlin said. ¡°Knowing Yaalon,¡± Gill started. ¡°If there¡¯s anything important on that laptop, it¡¯s probably magic-proof, encrypted without any magic, and I don¡¯t think anyone here has any hacking skills.¡± ¡°Vee,¡± Zeke called. ¡°Yes, Ezequias?¡± she responded sweetly. ¡°Can¡¯t you scan his brain or something for clues?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, no, Rulitos, my mind spells don¡¯t work on the dead. His brain is a locked safe.¡± Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. The digital chirp sounded from various sources in the room. The ennead of Healers all slipped their cells out of their pockets, followed by a choking silence that had them glancing over to Yaalon¡¯s corpse. ¡°It¡¯s an email from Yaalon¡­.¡± Aida was the first to say. ¡°The subject is¡­¡± Wade continued for her. ¡°If You Are Reading This, I am Already Dead.¡± ¡°Okay, everyone,¡± Gill said. ¡°Main living room. Now.¡± The email contained a video. The Healers collectively marched into the living room. After Gill transferred the video onto the movie theater-sized TV, he ordered his otherworldly servants to stay clear of the room and keep themselves busy. Each Healer made themselves as comfortable as possible as they fixated on the screen. The video began with Yaalon wearing his mystical Garb ¡ª a reddish-black hooded trench coat over an dark symbol-patterned vest and a white collared shirt. Gauntlets with cracks were on his wrists. Yaalon was sitting on a stool in a tidy medieval laboratory, facing the camera with that determined mug of his as always. ¡°I set this email to be sent in case I went longer than 8 hours without logging into it, exactly 8 hours and 2 minutes, which means if you are watching this¡­ I am dead.¡± Yaalon¡¯s flinty stare through the TV screen from beyond the grave tightened the multiple knots in Zeke¡¯s stomach, forcing him to rise from his seat as the video message continued to play. Yaalon looked to the side and smirked. ¡°Me being murdered should be no surprise. I began investigating some dangerous happenings all on my own. Because I can¡¯t trust any of you, and I believe this video itself proves that I wasn¡¯t just being paranoid. I¡¯ve been looking into the event of the Seals breaking. I know four of you were behind it, and Isaac was definitely one of them, but that¡¯s not why I think I was killed.¡­¡± During his pause, Zeke let out a heavy breath, only just realizing then that he was holding it. He began to study his fellow Healers, hoping to find a slip-up, but they were all¡­ static. Even Ugo. It was eerie, as if he was the only human in the room, with a cog of robots that were not doing a good job at blending in. ¡°It was because of something more recent,¡± Yaalon said, yanking Zeke out of his rumination. ¡°The disease spreading in Zurich is serious. It has doctors stumped. The symptoms aren¡¯t deadly yet, but it is supernatural without a shadow of a doubt. I¡¯ve examined it myself. The infectious specimen is still weak, but its Mana potential is frightening.¡± Like a doctor about to tell some bad news, Yaalon leaned forward and folded his hands. His expression grew a little softer. ¡°Listen up. It¡¯s obvious who would be capable of conjuring an infectious agent like that¡ª¡± ¡°Whoa!¡± Ugo exclaimed while pulling back. ¡°Did anyone see that?¡± ¡°Shhh!¡± Aida reprimanded Ugo. The video continued. ¡°But I am going to say it anyway to eliminate any doubts¡­.¡± Yaalon said. Zeke flinched all over and examined the others with widened eyes. His heart felt like it was expanding, crushing itself against his ribcage. The rest of the Healers stayed quiet and focused on the video. This was it. The seconds leading to the revelation of the turncoat amongst them felt agonizingly long. The Yaalon in the video stopped, and he walked up to the camera. The intensity in his stare was so alive that it didn¡¯t feel like it was a pre-recording. ¡°Kian is the one behind the disease.¡± Zeke¡¯s gaze was now glued onto Kian. He didn¡¯t move an inch. ¡°The infection is his design,¡± Yaalon from beyond the grave added. ¡°The reason why he is spreading it, I am not too sure, but it can¡¯t be anything good. I got too close and acted imprudently. He caught me and murdered me¡­ damn. I¡¯ll say it again. No need to investigate any further. Kian did this. He needs to be stopped.¡± Gill grabbed the remote and paused the video. He removed his glasses and asked Kian with a look that made Zeke wince. ¡°Well, mate? What do you have to say for yourself?¡± Kian didn¡¯t say a word. Chapter 49 - Duck-Footed Nananiel¡¯s shift was almost over. Surprisingly, the gig at BurgerQueen wasn¡¯t much different from when he was a lower-ranked angel (which he became once again) dispatched to the battlefield when the Thirteenth Generation attacked Heaven. Every move he made was watched by his beady-eyed manager, who was like an angel with superiority over him. Any mistake would spell disaster and immediate termination. During work, there was no time to rest or catch his breath. Nananiel even swore that lunch hour at BurgerQueen was just as brutal as fighting a demon infestation, yet he did it all with a cheery smile. Oh, that employee of the month plaque will soon be his. It was funny how being of low rank left him with a lot of free time, and he was way less stressed than when he was Dominion Chief. Even when his time for the day¡¯s battle reached its end, he publically asked for overtime, but with no extra pay, he left his co-workers and boss flummoxed. And so, Nananiel (who was going by the name of ¡°Daniel¡±), the minimum wage overachiever, finally headed home. It was too late to catch a bus, and he refused to use wings to ruin his human experience. He was content with walking 3 miles to his rundown abode that even cockroaches found disgusting to infest. But the walk was¡ªwell, a walk in the park¡ªcompared to the mental and physical struggle it took to open his apartment door after inserting the key. Nananiel suspected he was inadvertently using more of his angelic power to unlock the dastardly thing every time he tried. The battle lasted almost 20 minutes, and in that timeframe, Nananiel fought back sweat and tears and endured the yelling of his angry neighbors whose precious sleep was disturbed. Nananiel lived on the building''s top floor (the 3rd floor), and yet, his home looked like a basement ¡ª a murder¡¯s basement at that. He allowed the door to slam shut behind him as he moved up to the stained striped sofa in his kitchen/living room, which he preferred to sleep in instead of his bedroom/bathroom. He collapsed on the sofa, not bothering to change out of the BurgerQueen uniform, turned on the old TV, and played the recording of the latest episode of Hospital General de Anita. After episodes of stalling, Anita was finally going to do the DNA test to figure out who her son¡¯s father was! Nananiel was betting on Julio and had spent an hour crafting an enormous post on Reddthem explaining why his theory made sense (the downvote/upvote ratio was disappointing). Aggressive knocking on his crappy apartment door forced him to hit pause on his precious show. He opened the door, but nobody was there. Nananiel wondered if his neighbor¡¯s kids were playing Knock-and-Dash with him again. He never understood the objective of the game. Then Nananiel heard a loud, distinct quack. He looked down and saw a white duck standing on his welcome mat. Nananiel blinked twice as he held the duck¡¯s blank stare. The staredown came to a bizarre end as the duck eloquently asked¡ªnot quacked¡ªbut asked, ¡°Well? Aren¡¯t you going to invite me in?¡± The former Dominion Chief stepped aside and contemplated just how tired he actually was as the White Pekin waddled inside. ¡°Thanks,¡± it said in its regular-sounding male voice. Nananiel slowly closed the door while agape as he watched the duck hop onto the coffee table. ¡°Take a seat, Nananiel,¡± the duck insisted. ¡°I¡¯ve got things to do.¡± He listened to the duck and settled back onto the couch but kept the confounded look on his face. ¡°How did you knock on the door?¡± ¡°You see a talking duck before you, and that¡¯s your first question?¡± ¡°Did you use something to knock on the door?¡± Nananiel studied the duck. ¡°But if so¡­ what did you hold it with? I guess your bill would make sense.¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Enough about that,¡± it said and flapped its wings. ¡°Nananiel, focus and sense me.¡± Nananiel followed the pushy duck¡¯s order and concentrated on its Mana. It was undoubtedly angelic and familiar. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ an angel¡­.¡± His eyes widened upon realizing he was sensing the energy of his informant, his special contact providing him crucial information since his demotion. ¡°Wait¡­ you¡¯re¡ª¡± ¡°From now on, I¡¯ll give you intel while in this form.¡± ¡°Why a duck?¡± ¡°What did you want, a penguin?¡± ¡°No, that would be even more confusing.¡± ¡°What I am doing for you is heedless, Brother Nananiel. I can no longer carelessly conventionally visit you without getting caught, and I am going to need you to stop referring to me by that name,¡± the duck said and paused, doing what Nananiel assumed was a stern look. ¡°It is of great importance that you refer to me from now on as nothing other than¡­ Quackziel.¡± Nananiel''s expression went blank, and then he chuckled. ¡°Is this all an elaborate jest?¡± ¡°Do you know an angel that jests?¡± ¡°Well, I do now.¡± The duck looked down and heaved a sigh while shaking its head. ¡°... Can you summon your wings in that form?¡± Nananiel asked. ¡°... yes,¡± Quackziel answered. ¡°Can I see?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Aw¡­¡± Nananiel could still see the paused screen on his old TV showing a helicopter shot of Anita''s hospital and started thinking back to his theory. Quackziel let out a quack, pulling him back to reality. ¡°Nananiel¡­ your gambit failed. One of the Tainted Generation is now dead.¡± An unbearable silence followed after hearing the harsh news. Nananiel got up, feeling the agony and sadness rise inside him like dough in an oven. ¡°No¡­ Who?¡± ¡°Yaalon Tahan.¡± Nananiel sat down, making a sad smile. He felt terrible being relieved, but the outcome was better than he had hoped. ¡°Yaalon was one of the good ones, Brother Nananiel.¡± ¡°Do you know who did it?¡± ¡°That''s not important. What''s important now is to be aware that the wheels of fate are turning, Brother,¡± Quackziel alerted. ¡°We live in days that''ll be told as engaging stories for eons to come. Whether it''ll be a tragedy or a story where good triumphs evil will depend on the moves we make from this point forward.¡± Nananiel gulped, imagining the lyrically terrifying songs Virtue angels would write for the next century. ¡°So¡­ should I go to Zurich then?¡± ¡°No, let those boys deal with that situation. They are capable, Brother, and they have help. You, on the other hand, need to focus on what''s coming to affect you directly.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Elder Sister Irin will be making a visit to Winterberry. Seeking an audience with you specifically.¡± ¡°What for?¡± ¡°I don''t know, but you need to prepare yourself, Brother," Quackziel warned. He hopped off the coffee table and waddled to the door. Nananiel got up and opened it for him. ¡°''ll try to get more info for you when I can.¡± ¡°I appreciate it¡­ Brother Quackziel.¡± The duck nodded and waddled away, leaving Nananiel alone to face a rough session of rumination coming his way. Even as a low-ranked angel, he was buried under a colossal weight of responsibility, and so many eyes were on him, awaiting his next move, expecting him to fail¡­ again. Nananiel didn¡¯t watch his show that night. ### AJ was aware of her parents¡¯ grievances whenever she¡¯d go out at night for a run, and doing it during winter and around midnight was really pushing it. But she had to sneak out. The cool air mended her nerves that refused to allow her to rest ever since the stepbrothers ventured off to Zurich. Giving Zeke the warning about a possible murder didn¡¯t help her sleep the following night either. Every day, her chest got heavier as if rocks were filling her lungs, she¡¯d find herself wheezing in panic randomly throughout her day, and her head would pang continuously like a never-ending hangover. It was the unknown that was the main factor behind her pain. Contacting them was out of the question, and all she had to cling onto was faith¡­ which she wasn¡¯t a good practitioner of. AJ stopped after half a lap and doubled over, clenching her knees as she panted heavily. She didn¡¯t break a sweat in her winter running gear, yet her body was ready to go home. She looked around Berry Park¡¯s tacky Christmas lights and spotted a white duck waddling about. Her face twisted with confusion as the duck got nearer. It looked perfectly groomed and comfortable in cold weather, making it less out of place than it was supposed to. If only something could prepare her for what was about to happen next. ¡°A girl your age shouldn''t be out here alone this late at night,¡± the duck said. ¡°That''s dangerous.¡± AJ stared dumbfounded. ¡°Wait¡­ um¡­ I meant ¡®quack,¡¯¡± the duck shook its head. ¡°I mean¡­¡± And then it actually quacked. It bowed and waddled away. AJ missed the days when the weirdest thing that had happened to her was finding a piece of broccoli in her bra. Chapter 50 - Infestation ¡°I created it using cells from your Healer¡¯s Garbs,¡± Kian explained nonchalantly. ¡°It¡¯s the ultimate specimen. The best efforts of the Tainted Generation can¡¯t destroy it. Not even me. I¡¯m quite proud of it.¡± Zeke checked the others and was relieved they seemed just as puzzled, staring back at the Infectologist. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Ugo started, rising from the couch. ¡°Are you admitting to creating the disease?¡± he asked. Kian turned to Ugo and gave him a look. ¡°I thought I made that clear.¡± ¡°But¡­ why?¡± Zeke asked. After clearing his throat, Kian stuffed his hands in his pockets and asked Zeke, ¡°Is there any answer I can give you that¡¯ll make you okay with the idea of me contaminating innocent people with an abnormal infection?¡± Zeke¡¯s silence answered for him. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought, so what is the point of asking me?¡± Gill took a step toward Kian, and it was enough for him to engage. The Infectologist pulled his hand out of his pocket, which was locked in a complicated sign. As he swung it to the side, a torrent of black sludge shot out and turned a corner, exiting the room. Multiple pain-stricken screams reverberated from afar, followed by violent coughing and hacking. Gill¡¯s main chef, Sylvie, came running into the living room in a panic. ¡°Gill!¡± Gill glowered at Kian and stormed off, moving briskly with his huge body. He and Sylvie were out of the room in seconds. Before anybody had time to finish processing the attack, Kian pulled his mask down, unveiling a diseased mouth ¡ª a collection of pale red sores ringed around his dry, cracking lips and white patches on his sunken cheeks. He broke into a smile that not even a mother could love, showing off black gums and cavity-ridden brown teeth. Aida started moving and was assaulted by a swarm of flies rocketing out of Kian¡¯s mouth. The flies spread throughout the room, attacking the rest. Zeke ducked under the swarm and detected a muscle mass forming on Kian¡¯s back. It was a tumor, and it was growing quickly. It gained a human-like shape, plucked a piece of chalk from Kian¡¯s pocket, and expanded backward, reaching a door behind Kian and closing it. The tumor began drawing a sigil. ¡°He¡¯s trying to escape!¡± Akachi shouted and dashed through the storm of flies, stretching his hand forward, a careless move that he would soon regret. Without any hassle, Kian stepped out of the way while sticking his foot out, and Akachi easily fell for it. He tumbled and rolled across the floor as Kian¡¯s tumor opened the door, revealing a barren, dark landscape. The tumor slammed the door shut and vanished as soon as Akachi entered. Kian was far from done. He opened his mouth again, filling the room with more flies, and added to the mix of infestation were a grumble of maggots cascading from the corners of his eyes and a plague of rats spilling from his sleeves. Zeke and Violet hopped onto the top of the table, swatting the never-ending parade of buzzing flies, making it increasingly difficult for Zeke¡¯s already cluttered mind to think clearly. Through the hurricane of insects, he squinted and saw Wade lose his balance in the mayhem. He was instantly overtaken by a wave of rats and disappeared into a sea of rodents and maggots. Zeke couldn¡¯t see a single spot on the floor that was not covered by a pack of scuttling rats and coats of writhing maggots. They were climbing over one another as more were produced as if Kian was some kind of cloning machine. The commotion swelled as the maggots were eating into the rats, squeezing tiny squirts of blood out of them and making them hiss, squeak, and move more hectically. With the sea level of rats rising, Ashlin prepared to make a hand sign. ¡°Don¡¯t hurt them!¡± Aida screamed at Ashlin and tackled her. They both fell onto the ocean of rodents, grunting and wrestling as they slowly drowned. ¡°Ahh! They¡¯re in my ear!¡± Ugo screamed as he was panicking on top of a couch. ¡°Mora!¡± Zeke shouted back. Violet touched his shoulder and said, ¡°I got him. You go after the asshole.¡± Zeke squinted forward and saw Kian running up to the door behind and cleaning the sigil off it. ¡°Vesklepios!¡± Zeke called for his Garb and then shot out a blue thread from his sleeve that wrapped around the wagon-wheel chandelier. He swung blindly through the flock of insects and hit the door header by the end of his ride. Kian was already following his escape route. Slapping off the rats and maggots climbing over his Garb and face, Zeke got up and chased the culprit. They were running through the main corridor, flies from the living room were buzzing around in the new space, and the rats scratched the thick glass panels on the floors. ¡°Plaga!¡± Kian summoned and put his gloved hand over to the large window by his side. The new window became a breeding ground for bacterial colonies. In an eye blink, it turned foggy and was covered in expanding brown spots, bringing Zeke to a halt as he watched the bacteria destroy the glass. It cracked and finally burst inward, sending shards of glass in Zeke¡¯s direction. He closed his eyes and looked away but got a new set of bleeding wounds all over his face anyway. Kian leaped through the broken window, quickly getting to his feet after a front roll, and was dashing through the snow. Although Zeke wasn¡¯t as smooth, he jumped out the window and got up quickly after landing on his stomach. The pursuit in the blizzard had neither of the Healers slowing down. Zeke shot out thread after thread to no avail. He switched to a new tactic and held his hand before him. Threads formed between his fingers, and after focusing on them, clots formed in the center of them, swelling into balls. He pulled the threads back like slingshots with his other hand and fired. Four spheres of blood jetted and blasted into Kian from behind. Zeke was already standing over him after he hit the ground. ¡°It¡¯s over, Kian,¡± Zeke said. ¡°No, not yet, Rosario,¡± Kian responded. ¡°Only when I¡¯m done.¡± Kian grabbed a handful of snow and hurled it at Zeke. It was a direct hit and had him stumble back. Then, the ground began to shake as thundering footsteps approached. They turned back to find quite a surprise. ¡°What the¡ª?¡± The giant skeletal ape rushed into the scene, roaring and drilling its massive fist down at them. Zeke and Kian jumped out of the way. ¡°You can always count on Akachi and his incompetence,¡± Kian said happily. ¡°Excellent.¡± He made some hand signs quickly and unleashed a horde of random insects at Zeke. They latched on to his Garb; consequently, the ape fixated on him. Zeke tried to shake off the ants, termites, and grasshoppers but was forced to stop as another massive fist was speeding toward him. He outstretched his hand, and the veins twisted around it until it became a veiny hand as big as the skeletal fist. Zeke blocked the attack and crushed the monster¡¯s hand in his veiny palm. It screeched and fell to its side, sending heaps of snow upwards. When Zeke looked over, Kian was crouched and drawing a sigil on the snow with his finger. Zeke released the ape, dissolved his giant hand, and ran to him. It was too late. A wave of Mana pushed him back as Kian summoned a colossal demonic fly with strangely beautiful wings marked with unholy symbols. The Infectologist sat on top of the horrific critter as it flew up. Its buzzing was just as loud as an airplane engine. The Healer and his summon were gone before Zeke got back up. ### The once glamorous rustic resort was now looking more like an apocalypse bunker that failed to negate the effects of a nuclear holocaust. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. The Healers stood in the dilapidated living room where insects and rats were crawling amok all over the walls and floor covered with black mold. Furniture decayed before their eyes, and pieces of the ceiling fell from time to time. Zeke felt he would feel more protected in a hazmat suit, even with his Healer¡¯s Garb on and the mask pulled up. Ugo, Wade (without his crocheted cap), Ashlin, and Aida¡¯s skin were marked with tiny scratches. Akachi was the last to show up in the room and didn¡¯t hesitate to boast about summoning a thunderbird and finding a door in record time (according to him) while stuck in a barren wasteland. Zeke gave the others a recap of what happened out in the snow. ¡°Zaalzebub?¡± Akachi said. ¡°Damn. When did that bastard learn how to summon demons?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a lotta things he probably knows that we aren¡¯t aware of,¡± Aida said, cautiously taking a seat on what remained of the couch with her sheathed katana in her hands. ¡°We should¡¯ve paid more attention to him. Then we could¡¯ve seen this coming.¡± ¡°You wanted us to hang out with the guy who is always trying to show us photos of the most severe cases of leprosy?¡± ¡°Kian was weird¡­¡± Wade said as he wandered the room. He found his crocheted earflap in a corner polluted with maggots and started shaking it. ¡°and a little off-putting¡­ okay, very off-putting, but there was no reason to suspect him of being a future murderer.¡± He casually put the maggot-infested cap over his messy red hair. Ashlin stared at Wade, making a face, and then looked away. ¡°This is why you always judge a book by its cover,¡± she said, watching an aggressive group of maggots devour the remnants of a table chair leg. Then, she gave Aida a sour look. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for you, I would¡¯ve stopped Kian. What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°He was using live summons,¡± Aida justified as she stood up. ¡°Which are¡­?¡± Ugo asked. ¡°There are two types of summons: live summons and empty summons,¡± Aida explained. ¡°Empty summons are mindless creatures created without a soul, but live ones are real creatures with real souls.¡± Aida whipped over to Ashlin. ¡°And you were just going to obliterate them all.¡± ¡°They were trying to eat us!¡± Ashlin gestured with her hands as she slowly and strenuously enunciated, ¡°You, stupid, smelly, simple-minded, senseless dog!¡± ¡°Hey, there¡¯s no need for that,¡± Wade defended as he pulled a pen from his pocket. ¡°Shut up. This is all your fault, you know. You let Kian sneak into the room and steal the sword,¡± Ashlin said and then reverted her gaze to Aida. ¡°I think I swallowed rat droppings because of you.¡± ¡°Just go put on a new Container then,¡± Aida snapped back. ¡°Hopefully, this time, you put on something that doesn¡¯t make you look like a total whore.¡± The comment earned her a swift slap to the cheek. Zeke stepped in between the girls. ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± ¡°What are you going to do about it? If I wanna slap her again, I¡¯ll slap her again.¡± Ashlin said. ¡°You think I¡¯m afraid of you?¡± ¡°Touch him and see what happens,¡± Violet said. ¡°And we are back to trying to kill each other,¡± Gill said, walking back into the living room. ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s not add another murder to the kill count.¡± Ugo said, sweeping away a couple of dead rats with his foot. ¡°We need to focus on this whole infection thing going on.¡± ¡°Correct, good luck on that,¡± Gill said as he approached and closed a door. ¡°Are you leaving?¡± Aida asked. ¡°Kian conjured something ugly, specially made for denizens of the Netherworld¡­ in such a short time frame. Most of my staff got hit.¡± He pulled out chalk from his pocket and started drawing a sigil. ¡°It¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t resolve on my own, but it will take some prudent examination before I use any spells to counteract it.¡± ¡°Are you not aware of the situation, Fatass?¡± Akachi said. ¡°That goth sunuvabitch unleashed a new plague on humanity. You really gonna put the lives of demon scum over humans?¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I am doing, mate,¡± Gill said with a crude smile. ¡°And they are not scum. They¡¯re family. Family always comes first.¡± Akachi scoffed and shook his head. ¡°You think you¡¯re in the position of judging me for the patients I treat?¡± Gill said. ¡°You really wanna die on that hill, mate?¡± He looked away and made a whistle, beckoning his diseased, demonic servants over. They dawdled towards the door in a straight line, coughing, moaning, and wheezing. Gill opened the door, and a hellish Realm was on the other side. Tortured screams boomed into the room. ¡°Gill, when do you think you¡¯ll be back?¡± Zeke asked. ¡°I dunno, mate. But I¡¯ll tell you this when it comes to treatment, I don¡¯t like rushing because that¡¯s how mistakes are made. I¡¯m giving each of them proper care and attention.¡± Sylvie, not looking as sick as the others, was at the end of the line, and after she went in, Gill turned his back to the others. ¡°Zeke, make sure everybody works together on this one, okay?¡± Gill closed the door as he exited the house. ¡°And then there were seven,¡± Wade said. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s a lucky number, right?¡± Ashlin groaned and rolled her eyes. ¡°Humanity is doomed.¡± As the air of hopelessness spread in the room, Zeke wondered if he had said something about knowing a murder would happen; Yaalon¡¯s death could¡¯ve been avoided. Then, a whack on the back of his head snapped him back to reality. ¡°Enough worrying about what could¡¯ve been, Mano,¡± Ugo said, putting his arm over his shoulder. ¡°We need your brain to think up a solution to this mess.¡± Zeke looked back at Ugo and was surprised to find himself smiling at a time like this, even if it was just a half-smile powered mainly by anxiety with a hint of despair. ¡°Listen up!¡± Ugo shouted, catching everybody¡¯s attention. ¡°Zeke has a plan.¡± Zeke stammered as he held the stares of his audience, awaiting something good. If it weren¡¯t for Ugo¡¯s clutch, he probably would¡¯ve been halfway down the snowy slope. ¡°Well?¡± Wade said, flipped his pen, and started spinning it. ¡°What are your ideas?¡± The pressure made Zeke blurt out the first thought that came into his head: ¡°Yaalon is always thinking ahead, right?¡± He moved forward, loosening himself from Ugo¡¯s grip. ¡°He made that video to help us avenge his murder and stop the infection, even if it could end up helping the killer, so he¡¯d want to help us by letting us access his computer, right? There could be more useful info in there.¡± ¡°But we don¡¯t know the password, Shortstack,¡± Akachi said, annoyed. ¡°Yaalon must¡¯ve left a clue behind for us. Why go through the effort of setting all this up without giving us access to what can help us the most?¡± ¡°I wonder if the clue could have something to do with the weird text that appeared on the video,¡± Ugo said. ¡°What text?¡± Aida asked. ¡°When you shushed me, remember?¡± Ugo scanned the others¡¯ puzzled faces, prompting him to become confused as well. ¡°Was I really the only one to have noticed that?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Ashlin asked. Ugo pulled out his cell from his pocket and opened Yaalon¡¯s email. ¡°It was like for a second, kinda like what asshole MeTubers do in their videos where there is this one second of white text that goes by way too fast to be read. So you rewind and pause over and over until you catch it, and then it¡¯s something completely irrelevant.¡± The other Healers gathered around Ugo and looked at the screen as he messed with the controls of the video. ¡°Listen up,¡± the Yaalon in the video said. Ugo paused the video. ¡°It was around here.¡± He let it play until a block of text flashed on the screen for about a second. ¡°Oh, I saw it!¡± Akachi shouted. ¡°How the hell did you notice that?¡± ¡°Ugo¡¯s brain is like a supercomputer,¡± Zeke said proudly as he put a hand on Ugo¡¯s shoulder. ¡°He¡¯s got an eidetic memory and can pick up on things that are too fast to normally process.¡± Ugo rewound the video for a few seconds and repeatedly paused and resumed it until the text covered the screen. ¡°?Bueno!¡± Zeke exclaimed. The blocky white text took up most of the screen and was bolded. It appeared as so: P S R S S A A H A W D R H S N R S O I O H H A T ¡°What the hell?¡± Akachi said. ¡°That definitely has a hidden message in it,¡± Violet said. Ugo lowered his cell. ¡°I need to write it down.¡± He approached Wade and snatched his pen away as he was spinning it. Ugo did a double take and noticed Wade continued to move his hand as if he was still with the pen. ¡°Uhhhh¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Just let him be,¡± Aida said. ¡°Anybody got paper?¡± Violet magically conjured a piece of paper and handed it to Ugo. He folded the paper and used Zeke¡¯s back for support to write down the code. ¡°We should go get Yaalon¡¯s computer,¡± Zeke said. Afterwards, the group made their way back to the crime scene and the horror of it worsened. Now, a fetid scent was added to the fragrance of chemicals and blood in the air. A cacophony of buzzing and squeaking filled the room, and Yaalon¡¯s corpse was now mutilated thanks to the efforts of hungry rats and flies. Zeke doubled over and gagged at the gruesome visage. Yaalon no longer had a face, just a bowl of meat overfilled with rats. The wound on his gut elongated, and his entire torso was opened up and being torn apart. ¡°He deserved better¡­.¡± Zeke lamented, looking at the defaced corpse. Violet marched across the room and grabbed the laptop. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get out of here.¡± The Healers left the crime scene and waited in the ruined corridor. Zeke sat on the floor with the laptop on his lap. ¡°I think I got it,¡± Ugo announced, studying the code in his hand. ¡°It¡¯s a rail fence cipher. Stack the groups of letters on top of each other, and you read off the message vertically, ignoring the extra letters at the end. By the way the code was organized, Yaalon used three rails to make the cipher, so three equal groups.¡± ¡°How do you know this?¡± Aida asked. ¡°Video Games,¡± Zeke and Ugo answered. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious,¡± Akachi said. ¡°In the Professor Clayton series, there were plenty of sections where you had to solve ciphers. They were fun,¡± Ugo said. ¡°I bolded the important letters of the code. Look.¡± He held up the note for everyone to see. P S R S S A A H A W D R H S N R S O I O H H A T ¡°Read it vertically, and you get: Password is Rosh Hashanah.¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s gibberish,¡± Akachi said. ¡°It¡¯s an Israeli holiday, moron,¡± Violet said. Zeke booted up the laptop and tested the password. The laptop produced a welcoming tone. ¡°I¡¯m in,¡± Zeke declared. Chapter 51 - Incubation The desktop area of the laptop was dotted with an array of folders. Every folder Zeke clicked on demanded a password in return, and ¡®Rosh Hashanah¡¯ didn¡¯t work for any of them. ¡°Damn it, Yaalon,¡± Ashlin hissed, with no regard for speaking ill of the dead. ¡°Wait, the background image,¡± Aida alerted. Zeke was on his feet, holding the laptop in his hand. He squinted and could detect parts of a large sigil behind the group of files. He selected all the folders and dragged them to the recycle bin. Now, the desktop wallpaper was unobstructed. Ugo snapped his fingers and pointed at the sigil on the screen. ¡°That could be the sigil for his lab.¡± He held his hand out for chalk, and Akachi tossed one to him. Ugo walked over to the door and got to work. ¡°He already has it memorized?¡± Ashlin said, watching Ugo draw the sigil perfectly and speedfully. She crossed her arms and approached him. ¡°You¡¯re more impressive than I thought.¡± Ugo looked back at her and smirked. ¡°I can assure you I am nothing but impressive,¡± he said slyly, opening the door without taking his eyes off her. Ashlin gave him a leer and then entered the new room. On cue to ruin Ugo¡¯s parade, Aida moved up to him and said, ¡°Please, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve fallen for her.¡± She glanced back at Zeke. ¡°You brothers just have the worst taste in women.¡± Aida went inside. Zeke was the last to enter the room; it was the same lab on Yaalon¡¯s video. It was an organized space, and the surface of everything in the room had a polished glow. Large bookcases were backed into the walls, shelves holding unlit candles, strange twisty plants, and various jars filled with different liquid colors. A collection of ceramics were spread across the floor, and the ceiling was marked with symbols¡ªprotection wards Zeke remembered from his grandmother¡¯s teachings. The Healers explored the tidy lab with a brick furnace at the end, providing light but making the room muggy. Zeke began to sweat as soon as he called off his Healer¡¯s Garb and some of the other Healers were already removing their extra layer of clothing. A booming sneeze came from Akachi. ¡°Great, the temperature change already got me a cold.¡± Wade offered some pills. Akachi held up his hand, shaking his head. ¡°Nah, I¡¯m good.¡± Zeke circled the table in the middle of the room. Flasks of different sizes and medical equipment he was unfamiliar with sat on it. ¡°I found some stairs!¡± Aida shouted from afar. The group followed Aida up the single stone staircase and found themselves in a more sophisticated lab filled with large fantastical machines. Again, Zeke had no clue what any of the contraptions were used for. The search continued until Violet called everyone over. They approached her near the end of the room, and she stood before a table with a sizable microscope incubation chamber on top. Violet tapped on the piece of parchment adhered to the glass. ¡°I think I found what we need.¡± The note on the parchment said: Kian¡¯s Specimen. Aida volunteered to take a look at the specimen. Placing Tsukikaze down gently, she bent over and planted her eyes against the lenses. The Geneticist messed with the knobs and dials of the optical instrument as she let out squeals of excitement. Zeke found a journal near the incubator with an obsessive amount of bookmark tags sticking out its sides. He leafed through its clean parchment paper and was taken aback by the Yaalon¡¯s polished handwriting. It wasn¡¯t cursive, but the print penmanship was exceptional, down to the margins as if a computer wrote it. ¡°Mora,¡± Zeke called abruptly, still looking through the pages. ¡°I am going to need you to memorize this journal.¡± ¡°Noooo¡­¡± Ugo whined, knocking his head back. Zeke glanced at Ashlin and neared Ugo, whispering, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to keep impressing Ashlin?¡± Ugo¡¯s eyes narrowed, and he raised a finger. ¡°I see what you¡¯re doing, but I¡¯m going to fall for it anyway because it¡¯s still a good point.¡± He took the book and walked away to get started on his process. ¡°This is marvelous!¡± Aida said, making a tiny hop. ¡°Koshiko, try to remember you¡¯re looking at the Black Death part 2,¡± Akachi said, gesturing to the box. ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s just¡­.¡± She said, pulling away from the microscope. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡± With curiosity getting the best of him and overpowering his fear, Zeke moved over to the microscope and looked. The specimen was a red, shapeless blob sprinkled with black dots. The various ends of the thing expanded and lengthened and then contracted. Zeke wondered where the beauty Aida mentioned was. Although slightly unappealing, it looked no different from a regular microbe in the human world. Then, Zeke picked up on a sensation that had him shiver all over. It was both malicious and strangely familiar. He pulled away from the lenses. ¡°It¡¯s a protozoan,¡± Aida announced. ¡°Its place of origin is hard to say.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because the goth bastard grew it in a lab,¡± Akachi replied. Zeke looked over to Ugo. ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡± Ugo closed the book in his hand. ¡°Done.¡± ¡°You memorized the entire journal already?¡± Ashlin asked. ¡°Well¡­ half of it.¡± ¡°Mora,¡± Zeke said with a hint of disappointment. ¡°I¡¯ve read enough, okay?¡± Ugo defended. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s straight-up supernatural,¡± Ashlin said, eyeing him as if he were a cat walking on two legs. Her fascination was replaced with concerned curiosity. ¡°How far have you looked into your condition? We should have Violet do a brain scan on you.¡± Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Ugo flashed his lewd smile. ¡°You can scan me yourself if you want. You can scan me for as long as you want¡ª¡± ¡°Mora!¡± Zeke shouted. ¡°What¡¯s in the journal?¡± Ugo put on a serious expression and explained, ¡°It¡¯s notes about¡­ Kian¡¯s Specimen. Yaalon extracted it from a young girl who was admitted to a hospital in some old town. The only discernible symptom is a persistent dry cough, but doctors have no idea how to get rid of it.¡± Ugo legged up to the incubation box. ¡°He had been observing the specimen for about a week and all of his magical efforts to kill the thing failed.¡± The air in the room grew heavy after Ugo¡¯s statement. Zeke could sense a quiet terror rising inside his fellow Healers. ¡°Apparently, he tried using mystical disinfectants he made himself and had successfully killed microorganisms with them in the past, but when that didn¡¯t work, he tried using his weakening spells on it¡­ and the specimen used a defensive spell to block it¡ªa defensive spell exclusive to his Healer¡¯s Garb. After that, it tried attacking him with a mind-disruption spell.¡± All eyes fell onto the incubator chamber. ¡°This little bastard can use magic?¡± Akachi said, pointing at the box. ¡°It makes sense,¡± Aida added. ¡°Not only can I sense a soul within it but Mana as well. It has a Mana Gauge.¡± ¡°Yaalon said it was hard to get the specimen in this warded box,¡± Ugo continued. ¡°It put up a good fight.¡± ¡°Wait, Mora; you said, ¡®mind-disruption spell.¡¯¡± Zeke glanced over at Violet. ¡°Like Violet¡¯s spells?¡± ¡°¡®I created it using cells from your Healer¡¯s Garbs,¡¯¡± Ashlin quoted. ¡°That¡¯s what that weirdo said. It looks like he wasn¡¯t joking.¡± ¡°How the hell did he get a hold of our Garbs¡¯ cells?¡± Akachi hissed. ¡°If it has access to all of our spells, then¡­ we could be looking at the ender of worlds here,¡± Violet said with a smile playing on her lips. ¡°Why are you smiling?¡± Aida asked and then locked her eyes on her sword. Her hand began to twitch as he growled. Violet, undaunted, made a shrug. ¡°It¡¯s a smart idea. If I were to create the ultimate disease, I¡¯d do the same.¡± Ugo lifted the book. ¡°Yaalon said that it¡¯s not contagious, nor does it have the ability of asexual binary fission¡­ whatever that is. But he believes the specimen is evolving, and its true adverse effects on human health will be revealed if it remains loose on the world.¡± ¡°We have to stop this thing before scarier symptoms than coughing show up,¡± Zeke said. ¡°Yeah, no, shit, Sherlock,¡± Akachi rasped and backtracked to lean against a wall. Violet gave Akachi a scowl for Zeke. Zeke passed a hand over his curly hair. ¡°We need to find all the current carriers, quarantine them, find Kian, and work on making a cure.¡± ¡°Who died and made you the leader?¡± Akachi said. ¡°Yaalon did, and I say yeah, he¡¯s the leader,¡± Violet responded, looking at Akachi with a menacing smile. ¡°Alright,¡± Aida said, holding back the rising vomit in her throat. ¡°I have a spell that can help with the carriers. Ugo, the chalk.¡± Ugo tossed the chalk over to Aida, and she caught it between her teeth. She crouched in the middle of the room and drew a sigil. She made her hand signs and then slapped her hand against the sigil. A puff of smoke burst upwards, and once it settled, an excitable canine was jumping around Aida. Its coat was as dark as charcoal with split ends just as jagged as its white teeth. Aida petted and played with the demoniacal animal, making it emit joyful whimpers and wag its bushy tail. Zeke noticed Violet and Ashlin wearing identical, unamused expressions, looking like a set of twins. ¡°Wow, I can barely tell the difference between the two,¡± Violet said. Ashlin groaned loudly. ¡°Dogs¡­ disgusting creatures.¡± ¡°Where is your dumb cat, anyway?¡± Akachi asked. ¡°Found her and sent her away after Kian¡¯s attack. She can¡¯t breathe in that infested air.¡± The black dog with large glowing red eyes hit the floor and rolled over. Aida rubbed its belly as she talked to it in a baby¡¯s voice. ¡°Who¡¯s the cutest doggie? You are! You are!¡± Then, she sprang up. ¡°Who¡¯s a good boy? Who¡¯s a good boy?¡± The demon dog rolled back on its paws and barked happily. ¡°Come on! Come on!¡± She exclaimed as she led the dog over to the incubator. ¡°Here, boy! Here, boy!¡± The panting dog propped its paws onto the edge of the table. The way the sides of its mouth curved while its black tongue was out made it seem like the creature was smiling. It then did something not so cute as its head dematerialized into a cloud of pitch-black smoke and phased through the incubator. Inside the box, the smoke circled the specimen¡¯s slide several times and then retreated. The dog¡¯s head morphed back into normal, and it climbed onto Aida, tackling her to the floor and assaulting her with affectionate licking. ¡°We can use him to find the carriers!¡± Aida said, giggling while trying to push the dog away. ¡°He can follow the scent of whoever carries the same genetic material as the protozoan.¡± ¡°Hey, Wade!¡± Akachi called out as he turned around. ¡°Yeah?¡± Wade answered while holding up a colorful, twisty flower in his hand and fumbling with a lighter under it. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Given Yaalon¡¯s Middle Eastern heritage, at least one of those plants has to give you one hell of a trip.¡± Deciding it¡¯s not worth any more inquiries, Akachi changed the topic. ¡°Look, man, I need you to stay here and see if you can learn more about the specimen, alright?¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°Is that really a good idea?¡± Zeke asked. ¡°He¡¯s fine and completely lucid. Watch.¡± Once again, Zeke was witness to another one of Wade¡¯s sobriety tests. ¡°Wade, bud?¡± Akachi started affectionately. ¡°Who is talking to you right now?¡± Wade stopped to squint at Akachi. ¡°Somebody,¡± was his answer. ¡°Well done,¡± Akachi nodded and walked off. ¡°I am going to swing by my lab and grab a few things. We need to replenish our Mana.¡± ¡°I need to change clothes,¡± Ashlin said, heading towards the staircase. Unprompted, Violet conjured her canvas messenger bag. ¡°Ezequias, hold out your hand.¡± Zeke did it immediately without question as she strode towards him. She grabbed a blue apple from the bag and placed it in his hand. Zeke was reminded of the first time he had seen oddly colored produce. It was during her battle with Nananiel back then when something as strange as a messenger bag appearing out of thin air would¡¯ve sent him into an existential crisis. ¡°Eat,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re low on Mana.¡± Zeke inspected the apple for a bit and then moved it towards his mouth; as he opened it, Violet grabbed onto his wrist. ¡°Wait,¡± she said and then took a slow, large bite of the apple while fixating on him with her bedroom eyes. Zeke gaped at her as she chewed and swallowed. ¡°Alright, all yours,¡± she said, tapping him on the shoulder, and then walked away. While stuck in a trance, Zeke barely noticed Ugo taking his arm and dragging him away to a corner. ¡°Ey, Mano, snap out of it,¡± Ugo said urgently. ¡°Back when we were establishing everybody¡¯s alibis. What did Violet mean when she said you two ¡®spent the night together?¡¯¡± ¡°Exactly that,¡± Zeke mumbled, still in dreamland mode. ¡°What does that mean? You two are together now?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know! I really have no idea, but¡­.¡± Zeke¡¯s lips curved into a dumb smile. ¡°It¡¯s exciting.¡± ¡°Zeke¡­¡± He frowned after noticing the look on Ugo¡¯s face. ¡°What?¡± ¡°She was willing to let your mother die.¡± ¡°I¡­ know¡­ she¡¯s corrupt, but we can fix her¡ª¡± ¡°How about if you can¡¯t?¡± Ugo said, stealing a glance at Violet while she was observing the incubator. Maybe there are just some people you can¡¯t save, some people you can¡¯t change.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not giving up on Violet,¡± Zeke said sternly, ¡°we agreed on that.¡± ¡°I know. I want to help her, too,¡± Ugo said, ¡°but you can¡¯t let her wrap you around her finger. Like you said, she¡¯s corrupt, so she could be scheming something, and we need to be careful.¡± Zeke studied him and was irritated that it was Ugo, of all people, giving him such a lecture. A memory he tried to repress resurfaced. Back at the Cathedral in the Providence Realm. One of the biggest fights they ever had. With a tight clench, Zeke forced the memory away. Why is it that he had to think responsibly all the time? I¡¯m allowed to be happy and have fun. Zeke put his hand on Ugo¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Maybe, try to use this time to get closer to Ashlin. This could be your chance.¡± He walked off, took a bite of the apple, and stood by Violet. Chapte 52 - Experiment Nananiel spent the entire night drowning in a sea of thoughts while lying on his bedroom/kitchen couch until his alarm clock (to make himself feel more human) rang from his bedroom/bathroom. He cleaned himself up, put on his uniform again, and was ready to face another day at work. He opened the door and found the pure white Anatidae again standing on his welcome mat. ¡°What is it this time?¡± ¡°Rather rude¡­¡± Quackziel said. ¡°I apologize.¡± ¡°I need somewhere to keep this Container. Allow me to keep it here.¡± Quackziel said and then let himself inside. He hopped onto the coffee table and made himself comfortable facing the TV. ¡°Hey, do you have Netflim?¡± Nananiel¡¯s face fell. ¡°You know what that is?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a forward-looking duck.¡± ¡°Ducks are supposed to quack.¡± Quackziel grabbed the TV remote by his side using his bill and started poking away at the buttons with it. Nananiel left the angel-duck to it and headed off to work. The BurgerQueen manager complimented Nananiel for his excellent service. His happy-go-lucky attitude resurrected the smiles of dejected customers eating their troubles away with fast food. Nananiel¡¯s co-workers'' sleepy or cranky demeanor when taking orders was a far cry from his radiant attitude. Nananiel worked energetically throughout his entire shift and befuddled his co-workers and manager again by asking for overtime with no extra pay. With a smile on his face, the manager immediately accepted. The patrons of the late-night shift were of a whole different caliber: drunks, stoned teenagers filming with their phones, and naggy mothers who all shared the same haircut. The nighttime crew was different as well: natural night owls who preferred to work through the night and sleep until mid-afternoon rather than wake up at 5 a.m. to get to work. They were surprisingly more energetic, too. Things quieted down, and while awaiting the possibility of a random midnight rush, the workers lazed around and enjoyed a casual conversation. Nananiel eased into the conversation and even made some successful jokes and references that earned him some new friends (all those hours of watching TV paid off!). Then, he helped clean up the place and offered to take out the trash. Nananiel stepped outside into the cold with two filled trash bags in each hand, shivering as sweat cascaded down his forehead. He missed his parka and scarf. Nananiel froze as he found Quackziel sitting on top of the dumpster. ¡°Nananiel!¡± Quackziel said urgently. ¡°She¡¯s coming.¡± ¡°Now?¡± He looked around and saw nothing in the lot. ¡°And she¡¯s not alone.¡± ¡°Who is she with?¡± Quackziel didn¡¯t answer. ¡°Who is she with?¡± Still no answer. ¡°Quackziel?¡± The duck quacked loudly. Nananiel jumped back as Quackziel flew off the dumpster and waddled away. A familiar, petrifying sensation kept him from following the animal. The sensation began to burn from inside, and it wasn¡¯t alone. Nananiel picked up another source of Mana, and it felt¡­ confusing. He turned back and saw Irin approaching him. A young, unfamiliar face wearing a colorful Mandala-print dress was by her side. ¡°Greetings, Nananiel,¡± the angel said. She wore a slightly different Container, but her signature angry look remained. The cruel beauty with champagne blonde hair was clad in a blue pantsuit and white shirt. Nananiel dropped the bags and greeted her back. ¡°Sister Irin¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s Elder Sister Irin to you!¡± Irin snapped and bared her teeth. ¡°You swine.¡± Nananiel shifted his focus to the young woman beside Irin. She had very short black hair with bangs, brown skin, and a diamond-shaped face, giving her an incredibly feminine and elegant look. With a closer look, Nananiel noticed she was twitching, and her eyes kept rolling up and down. Her Mana was still difficult to understand. ¡°Nananiel, let¡¯s go somewhere with less human activity.¡± She looked over at the Egyptian girl. ¡°Help out Nananiel, child. He is a bit slow.¡± The girl started gasping for air as her twitches worsened. Nananiel felt a surge of energy, almost causing him to stumble over. It was clearly angelic energy he was feeling, but it also felt¡­ human. Bone-cracking sounds were made as gray skeletal wings sprouted from the girl¡¯s back. Irin pointed forward, and the girl flew toward Nananiel, grabbed the back of his collar, and took him to the skies. Stolen story; please report. The duration of the flight was short, but they traveled a great distance. Her speed was more impressive than that of Second Sphere angels he knew, like¡­ Virgil or even Irin! As they flew over Christmas lights dazzling Berry Park, the girl threw Nananiel into the ground like a javelin. He collided with some holiday decorations and made a small crater. When he returned to his senses, he witnessed the¡­ thing descending before him with her grotesque skeletal wings that still had some pieces of meat hanging off its bones. Irin appeared and landed beside the girl. Her spiky gray-white wings were as intimidating as ever. ¡°The child¡¯s name is Azaylea, but we can call her Az,¡± she turned to stroke Az¡¯s hair. ¡°Isn¡¯t she magnificent? Child, show him your magic.¡± Az stretched her hand to the side, and after a white flash, an Egyptian flute¡ªthe ney¡ª appeared in her hand. ¡°Wait¡­¡± Nananiel said right before the attack began. The winged creature played her ney to perfection, and Nananiel was locked in a trance, watching music notes flow out from her instrument and shift into cryptic symbols. When the symbols touched his face, half of it turned decrepit, and an ear broke off like dried clay. Irin held up a hand, and Az stopped playing. Nananiel dropped to his knees, groaning when he had a horrifying realization: That magic, that spell, he knew only one angel who used it. ¡°That¡¯s Brother Dabriel¡¯s magic¡­.¡± Nananiel said, clenching one-half of his face. ¡°What¡¯s going on here, Irin?¡± ¡°The future, you swine.¡± Nananiel hadn¡¯t spoken to either Virgil or Dabriel since most of the angels escaped from limbo. Was she one of Dabriel¡¯s new students? No, Dabriel would never take the time to do that, and his music spells were Holy Marks, which were unteachable, like Irin¡¯s Holy Volcanic Magic. The sensation he was getting from the girl was frustratingly eerie. Sometimes, it felt human, and sometimes, it felt angelic as it kept swinging back and forth on the spectrum. But there was a sensation of pain underneath every time. Then it hit him. ¡°No,¡± Nananiel said in a quavering voice. ¡°You didn¡¯t. This is what Cathetel was banished for! That was the whole point. We should never tinker with angelic essence¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare utter Cathetel¡¯s name with your putrid mouth!¡± Irin shouted. ¡°Even though Cathetel¡¯s a traitor, I still would favor not hearing the name come from your mouth.¡± ¡°We¡¯re supposed to protect them. We go to war for them! We fight on their behalf!¡± Irin scoffed. ¡°This is why you don¡¯t have what it takes to be Chief Dominion. You have the gall to spout discourteous nonsense all day long, but when it comes to doing what¡¯s right¡ªfor humanity and the universe¡ªyou cower like the low-life you are.¡± ¡°How dare you fuse a human soul with angel essence.¡± ¡°It was all consensual. They want to fight for the safety of their world. They are the minority of humans that I actually like.¡± ¡°There are more?¡± Irin flipped her hair and shot an unsavory look at Nananiel. ¡°You monster¡­ I can sense the agony coming from her souls, Irin.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a painful ordeal. They were made aware of it and still accepted.¡± ¡°How did you trick them, huh?¡± ¡°Some are willing to do whatever it takes for good deeds. Not all are useless cowards like you.¡± Nananiel shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s because of angels like you that creatures fear us¡­ hate us. It¡¯s why the Angel-Killer exists in the first place.¡± ¡°What did you say, you swine?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing angel-like about you. Everything you do is more akin to a demon. The way you talk. The way you look at others. The way you treat Cat¡ªNaomi¡­ like she isn¡¯t one of our own.¡± ¡°That abomination wasn¡¯t created by Father.¡± ¡°The girl is Cathetel¡¯s child.¡± ¡°And of that demon our late Sister let herself get charmed by. What a disappointment.¡± ¡°Who approved this? Maliel?¡± ¡°I am done talking to you, swine,¡± Irin said, then looked at Az. ¡°This waste of space doesn¡¯t approve of your existence, child. He looks at you like you¡¯re a monster. The only thing I see wrong here is him. Punish him for his insolence.¡± ¡°Irin.¡± She turned her head back to Nananiel as she made a twisted smile. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a chance to summon your unimpressive weapon to defend yourself.¡± ¡°No,¡± Nananiel said sternly. ¡°Are you that scared you aren¡¯t even going to try?¡± Irin scoffed. ¡°Pathetic.¡± ¡°Angels exist to protect humanity. I am done with attacking blindly. There is a human soul inside that mess you made, so I will not! I will not hurt an innocent human¡­ even if it costs me my life.¡± Irin¡¯s smile faded, and she scowled at him as she crossed her arms. ¡°Die, then.¡± Az moved the flute to her lips, and Nananiel closed his eyes, accepting his fate. A loud crash into the earth forced his eyes open, and the park became covered in dust. The sound of flapping wings was made, and the dust settled. Naomi was in front of Nananiel, with her back to him. On the back of the black coat of her preppy uniform, her massive wings, with a seraphic blend of white, gray, and black feathers, confidently jut out. She looked back at the awestruck Nananiel with a serious look on her round, babyish face. ¡°I won¡¯t let them hurt you, Elder Brother Nananiel.¡± ¡°Ugh, the Abomination¡­.¡± Irin said and spat to her side. Nananiel outstretched his hand. ¡°Child, wait¡ª¡± ¡°No, Nananiel! Please let me do this!¡± Naomi shouted as she turned back to him. Her face contorted into a sad smile. ¡°You¡¯ve always protected me. Please allow me to return the favor.¡± She put on her serious look again just as she turned back to her opponents. ¡°You¡¯re horribly misguided,¡± Irin said. ¡°I¡¯m ready for you, Irin,¡± Naomi said, and her wings grew larger as gray fire ignited from her doe eyes. Irin smirked and put a hand on Az¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We¡¯re off.¡± The blonde angel and her underling flew away. Naomi withdrew her wings and crouched down to Nananiel. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, thank you,¡± Nananiel said. ¡°Let me heal you,¡± Naomi said, hovering her hand over the decrepit side of his face. Her hand radiated a moonlight glow. Nananiel¡¯s face was back to normal, and even his ear grew back. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said. ¡°I was telling you to wait because I didn¡¯t want you to hurt the person Irin was with. She was human. I wanted to protect her.¡± Naomi withdrew her hand and pouted, her eyes welling up. She pushed her fists up to her chin. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± she said. The pouty look made Nananiel smile. That was more like the child he knew. He put a hand over her head. ¡°It¡¯s okay, child. You did good. You did good¡­.¡± Nananiel wondered what could¡¯ve happened if Naomi hadn¡¯t shown up. Maybe he would¡¯ve been better off dead, given what¡¯s to come. Chapter 53 - Carriers Upon Akachi¡¯s and Ashlin¡¯s departure, the remaining group explored the lab further and discovered much more to see. They had found a basement with rows of clean beds to its sides. Some ornaments and peaceful-looking flowers decorated the ward alongside stained-glass window art. It wasn¡¯t just Yaalon¡¯s lab but his private clinic. Naturally, they also found bathrooms with working showers and changing rooms beautifully designed with Tuscan-style decor. Zeke returned to the black-mold-infested resort. Its stench was unbearable, reminding him of rotting vegetables, and the sound of angry, scuttering rats and flies in the air filled his ears. It was hard to imagine that he once compared the spot to a place where celebrities would retreat. He fetched his doctor¡¯s bag from his room, wondering when he¡¯d get the courage to try out a conjuring spell with it. A lot stopped him from testing a potentially dangerous spell on such a precious item. Taking the door back to Yaalon¡¯s clinic, he opted for a shower to wash Kian¡¯s bacteria off him, or at least he hoped he could. The lovely Tuscan motif covered everything from the bathroom to the changing room. It maintained a medieval style but was not too archaic (thank God, or he¡¯d have to shit out a hole in the wall). A warm blend of gray, brown, and gold colored his surroundings. Rivaling Gill¡¯s resort before disease tore it apart. Zeke found winter clothing in the changing room that was his size. There were clothes for virtually every size and every season, each sorted into specific compartments. Zeke didn¡¯t know whether to see Yaalon¡¯s meticulousness as a gift or pure insanity. He was both thankful and regretful that he didn¡¯t run into Violet while navigating through the rooms. One glimpse of her in a towel might have sent him into a euphoric state of shock that would incapacitate him for the rest of the mission. Zeke went upstairs and found all the Healers gathered, cleaned up, and with new clothing (except for Wade). Ashlin was performing a spell on the excitable but terrifying-looking black dog that turned it into a Siberian Husky. Now, the beast¡¯s appearance was more in line with its personality: a sweet wolf-like face and piercing blue eyes. It looked ten times more trustworthy after its transformation, making a quote pop into Zeke¡¯s head. ¡®If it looks evil, then it probably is evil, right?¡¯ Zeke ruminated on Kian¡¯s words as he watched the disguised demon dog run around. He debated with himself if he¡¯d accept giving it a belly rub upon request, whether it was in demon form or not. ¡°Everybody ready to go?¡± Akachi asked the room. ¡°We don¡¯t really need to move in such a large group,¡± Violet said. ¡°We don¡¯t need all that attention. Akachi, you stay here with Ashlin and Ugo to watch over or maybe help Wade.¡± Ashlin scoffed. ¡°Did you jut give me an order?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have time for another argument,¡± Ugo said. ¡°Just go and find the carriers. We¡¯ll get them beds when you bring them back here.¡± Zeke looked down at his doctor¡¯s bag in his hand. Then he looked over at Aida, who had a backpack and was crouched to the panting dog, scratching its neck. Lastly, he looked over at Violet with her messenger bag across her shoulder. Aida conjured a black leash marked with symbols and a collar. She attached the collar to the dog. ¡°We¡¯re ready,¡± she said as she moved up to the door and cleaned off the sigil for a new one. According to the teachings of the late Esther Rosario scrawled across the tattered pages of the journal she left for her grandson, there are two general types of Transportation Sigils. The first were specific sigils for specific locations. The second type were generic symbols that can take the conjuror to whichever place they have visited and can see clearly in memory. The generic symbol Aida drew on the door didn¡¯t look hard to remember or draw. It also didn¡¯t look as if it were concealing any hidden meanings. It was a vapid symbol consisting of three lines, two stretching to the sides while one extending upwards. There were circles at the end of each line and one in the middle. Wade dug through the pockets of his lab coat and handed Zeke and Violet a couple of satin pouches. He explained to them that they were filled with his enchanted sand, which they could use in case any of the infected caused issues. Zeke and Violet joined their companions, and the four entered a restaurant, forgotten mid-construction. The dog dropped its head and sniffed aggressively as it led them out of the restaurant and into the snowy streets of Zurich. ¡°Whoa, boy!¡± Aida exclaimed as the dog sped up, dragging her along. Stepping outside, Zeke was hit by an arctic blast, halting him in place. Just after recovering from the cold shock, a sharp twang struck Zeke in his heart as something grabbed hold of his hand. He looked over to Violet by his side, who was gazing back lasciviously. Even under a canopy of heavy clouds where no sunlight pierced through, her sun-kissed-bronze glow continued to thrive. If it weren¡¯t for her dark blue parka, black jeans, and boots with purple shoelaces, she would¡¯ve looked like someone who was frolicking on beach sand, not trudging in the snow. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± She asked softly as she interlocked her fingers with his. Oh, how Zeke wished their hands weren¡¯t gloved, but the sensations pinballing across his innards were intense enough, so he settled with it. She squeezed harder, kindling a pleasurable warmth in Zeke¡¯s chest. A foolish grin stretched across his face. ¡°Not at all,¡± he said, like a mesmerized minion¡ªa happy minion, at that. The couple walked forward, catching up to Aida without haste. Indifferent Swiss pedestrians walked past them as they moved across the black ice with mounds of snow carpeting the sides of the street. Zeke had a different idea of what a city facing an endemic would look like in his head. The round lamp posts they walked by looked like they were wearing white hats, and the trees were like giant white candy treats. Zeke checked again to see if he was actually holding hands with Violet. He was. He could feel the questions trying to escape his lips. Are we boyfriend and girlfriend now? If I were to lean in and kiss you, would you turn away? Can I call my mom and tell her about this? ¡°What¡¯re you thinking about?¡± Violet said while lasering him with those vibrant eyes of hers. For all he knew, Violet reading his mind was a literal possibility. Yet, he decided to lie anyway. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°Just thinking about why Kian would do something so terrible.¡± ¡°Some people are just crazy,¡± Violet said as she shrugged. She started to swing their hands back and forth. Even after visiting a literal pocket of Heaven, the stroll was the most dreamlike environment Zeke had experienced. The black dog-turned-husky¡¯s loud barking suspended Zeke¡¯s dreamy stupor. They were at a bus stop, and the dog sat before the only person waiting there. She was a beautiful Swiss woman in her late 30s¡¯. The canine grabbed her attention immediately, and she spoke in her language as she happily petted it all over. Violet looked over at Aida. ¡°So, she¡¯s sick.¡± Aida nodded, pursing her thin lips. ¡°Okay, then,¡± Violet said, letting go of Zeke¡¯s hand. Her hands did a little dance, and one pink flash later, the woman was idle. She was staring at Violet with an open mouth and her eyes glowing pink, awaiting instructions. ¡°I¡¯ll get rid of her. You two stay here.¡± ¡°Are you going to just take her back to your lab and torture her for your experiments?¡± said Aida. ¡°I never have and never will do that to a human. Now, stay, mutt.¡± Violet walked off with the woman following behind. They entered a designer clothing store. Aida snarled. ¡°I wish she was the one who got killed.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°Zeke! I just don¡¯t get it. You¡¯re such a smart guy. Why are you letting her wrap you around her finger like that? She is using you. Can¡¯t you see? She needs something from you. She wants something from you, and sooner or later, she¡¯s going to ask for it¡ª¡± ¡°Aida, I don¡¯t want to hear it,¡± Zeke interrupted as civilly as he could. He imagined the field of worry lines hiding behind her voluminous bangs as she brought her brows together. But he decided not to show his frustration explosively. With a cold look close to experts like Ashlin and in a sharp voice, he went on, ¡°We need to focus on the mission, alright? For the sake of this city¡­ or possibly, the entire world, so shut it about Violet, okay?¡± She stared at Zeke, frowning, almost looking like a sad puppy. Aida was just an inch shorter than him, but somehow, he felt much bigger in this scenario as he maintained his cold look. She relented and shifted her focus on the dog, crouching and giving the blissfully unaware animal affection. Zeke relaxed his expression, returning to his default meek look, exhausted from the act but a bit proud of his first successful intimidation move. He crossed his arms, still feeling the tension. ¡°So, is it a live summon or an empty summon?¡± With her hand on the dog''s head, Aida turned back to him with a scowl. ¡°He has a name. Shadow.¡± She refocused on the dog and explained but in a biting tone. ¡°I don¡¯t like to use summons, neither live nor empty. I use calling spells when I need help from my farm, and if they accept my request, they appear.¡± ¡°You have a farm? Just filled with magical creatures?¡± ¡°It¡¯s mostly for endangered creatures that shouldn¡¯t be hunted for sport. It¡¯s not just in their own Realms. Sometimes, during Halloween nights, they wander off to the human world and are murdered or captured. When Halloween ends, if a magical creature is outside their own realm, they simply teleport home, but if they are dead, their body disappears. This was all before the Seals were broken, of course.¡± Zeke thought about how that must explain all the urban legends across the human world. He began to notice the fury behind her eyes fade and overtaken by a somber look. She continued with her expression growing more distant and her voice less excited. ¡°My farm is a refuge for the universe¡¯s rarest creatures to be safe and watch over their breeding so they won¡¯t go extinct, with their consent, of course. I have rare plants there, too,¡± she smiled and hugged Shadow absently. ¡°Unlike other Healers, I believe creatures have the right to choose whether or not they want to help you. With this leash, I can see the general area where the infected are, and Shadow takes me to the exact location.¡± As the dog unleashed its licks on Aida, the light returned to her eyes, and excited giggles came out of her. The sight of the breeder and her pet was delightful, putting a smile on Zeke¡¯s face that grew wider as Violet returned to them. Violet sauntered over to Zeke¡¯s side and grabbed his hand in such a natural way it made Zeke feel as though they had already been together for years. ¡°I¡¯m cold,¡± Violet said, pressing herself against Zeke. ¡°Still so cold,¡± she reiterated in an effective, childish voice, pushing her cheek against his chest. Zeke put his other arm around Violet for an amorous embrace while staring at an unamused Aida. He waited for her to comment, and she remained quiet. His gamble worked. Aida didn¡¯t mutter a single word about them for the rest of the scavenger hunt. ### Shadow, the dog, led them up the steps to a residence the group let themselves into. Carrier #2 was a work-from-home dad they had to abduct from his humble abode. They pushed him into Yaalon¡¯s clinic after knocking his teen kids out with Wade¡¯s sleeping sand. Zeke had to remember that their actions were for the greater good and tried not to think about the wife when she returned home. Starting from carrier #3, the group decided to have their Garbs and masks on whenever they were about to abduct the infected. Better witnesses talk about masked LARPing weirdos kidnapping people instead of three 17-year-olds. At least that way, cops will be more confused. The patient in question about to have her day ruined was a tween girl whose epic snowball fight with friends had to come to an early end. The group stepped into the middle of the battlefield and grabbed hold of the girl, taking her to the front door of a nearby house, where they transported her to the clinic. Carrier #4 was an elderly security guard bored to death in an empty, small public office where most workers behind the desk were either asleep or playing on their smartphones. Nobody in the building noticed the security guard¡¯s abduction. They simply grabbed hold of the man by his arms and used one of the doors in the building to send him to the clinic. Carrier #5 was a young woman walking through a gated neighborhood alongside her group of Christmas carolers on their way to their next performance. Her companions put up a good fight during her abduction. But with Violet¡¯s magic, she hypnotized them into acting like chickens. They took the woman to the front door of the house nearest to them and pushed her into Yaalon¡¯s clinic. Carrier #6 was a burly hockey player they abducted from the locker room right before the start of a game. Carrier #7 had the group venture to the Riviera of upper Lake Z¨¹rich; they snuck into a small home in an old coastal, medieval town. The infected girl, maybe 6 or 7, was gaunt and sleeping on her sick bed. She was the same girl Yaalon mentioned in his journal. They picked her up from the bed and took her to the clinic. Unfortunately, the family would learn about her disappearance when it was far too late. The next carrier was the most urgent case. They were located at Z¨¹rich airport. Airports were the last place a Healer would visit with their instant travel capabilities. So the group had to take a cab, and Violet, thanks to mind magic, got them a free one without hassle. As Zeke was subjected to an impromptu cuddle session with Violet, he could hear the groans coming from Aida in the front seat while she held Shadow in her arms. Once close to their destination, Violet did a spell that covered the three of them in security uniforms. They got out and entered the terminal. Zeke was dazed for a moment by the commotion. Travelers from all over the world zoomed across the hall, making a chaotic blend of sounds featuring infants¡¯ crying, the squeaking of encumbered trolleys, heels clicking across the epoxy floor, and different languages being flung around: from friendly chatter to people arguing with confused employees about delayed flights to security guards reporting into their walkie-talkies and announcements from the loud speakers. Aside from the rabble was an odd mix of smells: the caramelized, almost nutty aroma of coffee, the sweet fragrance of cinnamon rolls, and the merging of perfumes. Zeke¡¯s senses were taking a beating by all the different sensations, and his claustrophobia was kicking in as he bumped shoulders with travelers repeatedly and the air became heavy. Nobody bat an eye at them as they walked around with Shadow sniffing the place, although some looked puzzled at Zeke and his doctor¡¯s bag. ¡°Good thinking,¡± Zeke complimented Violet as he tipped the brim of his cap. He thought about grabbing hold of her hand again. As he cautiously reached out, Violet halted with a disturbed, glazed look on her face. Zeke stopped, turning back, and then raised a brow. ¡°Vee?¡± A short, eerie pause followed as he stared back at her. After the sound of a plane taking off boomed in the distance, she opened her mouth, trembling, but no sound came out for a while. ¡°I have to go,¡± Violet finally said in an uncharacteristically small voice. Chapter 54 - Clot Zeke froze after the abrupt announcement as Aida and Shadow halted and moved back to Violet. ¡°Go? Go where?¡± Aida asked eagerly. ¡°Ezequias¡­¡± Violet grabbed Zeke¡¯s hand and gave him an intense gaze. ¡°Solve this, okay?¡± ¡°You¡¯re just going to ditch us?¡± Aida barked. Zeke gently slipped his hand from Violet¡¯s grip and studied her troubled expression. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Did something happen¡ª?¡± She shook her head, forcing a smile. ¡°No, no. You don¡¯t need to worry about that. Just worry about using that big brain of yours to stop the plague, okay, Rulitos?¡± ¡°Is this Angel-Killer related?¡± Aida questioned. ¡°What is it? A detector spell? That lets you know when a vulnerable angel is close by, is that it?¡± Violet instantly switched out her sweet, meek demeanor for her usual hostile one as she glowered at Aida. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± Aida stomped up to Violet and grabbed her shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re really that bloodthirsty; you can¡¯t put your killing spree on hold to help people¡ª?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch me,¡± Violet said with a frightening vibration in her voice. She wasn¡¯t looking at Aida when she said it. Her eyes were unfocused and smoldering. Aida ignored Shadow¡¯s barks as she squeezed Violet¡¯s shoulder. ¡°There¡¯s only one carrier left. At least help us get them to Yaalon¡¯s clinic.¡± Zeke scanned the crowd; some glanced, but nobody was focused. They were too wrapped up in trying to catch their flights. Violet smacked Aida¡¯s grip off her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ve got something to do.¡± ¡°Violet!¡± As Violet started walking away, Aida went after her, screaming, letting go of the leash, ¡°Hey, I¡¯m speaking to you! Don¡¯t just walk away! I still have something I need to say!¡± Violet sped up and continued to ignore her. ¡°Violet! Violet! Violet!¡± ¡°Your yapping is so annoying!¡± Violet said without turning around. Zeke and Shadow followed the girls. ¡°Violet! Violet! Violet!¡± ¡°If you love acting like an annoying dog so much, then why not just become one?¡± said Violet, turning back to Aida with her hand glowing and making a magic sign. A ball of pink light hit Aida in the forehead, making her brain visible for a moment as it radiated a sparkling light. It was alarmingly quick, and none of the travelers looked their way until Aida hit the floor. ¡°She¡¯s fine. Overworked, but fine. Just a bit dramatic,¡± Violet said to the crowd in perfect German. Shadow started whimpering as Zeke crouched to Aida. She was breathing heavily, and her eyelids were flickering. ¡°Violet! What did you do?¡± he asked. ¡°She¡¯ll be fine,¡± she said dismissively, pulling Zeke up by grabbing his arm. As Zeke turned his head over at Aida, Violet forced it back into place while cupping his face. ¡°Ezequias, you know the angels are all bad, right?¡± As the image of Nananiel¡¯s amicable face appeared in Zeke¡¯s mind, he was unable to give an answer. Violet went on, ¡°Rulitos, I¡¯ll need your help soon. I can count on you to help when I need it, right?¡± ¡°What would you¡­?¡± He stopped himself from finishing the dumb question. What she wanted from him was made clear months ago, and he had already made it just as clear to her that he wasn¡¯t interested in aiding her campaign of celestial carnage, so why was she asking again? ¡°Ezequias¡­¡± Violet said in a brittle voice and then repeated the request in Spanish, ¡°You¡¯ll help me, right?¡± The ball was in his court, and Zeke didn¡¯t even know what game he was playing. He felt as if he was being held hostage under that devilishly beautiful look of hers. The way her pink, cupid-bow lips delicately curved into a spellbinding grin rendered him powerless. ¡°Yes¡­¡± he muttered. ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± Technically, it wasn¡¯t a lie, so Zeke didn¡¯t have to feel too bad about it. Getting a wet kiss from Violet following his answer made Zeke even happier he gave an answer. The girl of his dreams wrapped her arms behind his neck and embraced him before walking away. Afterward, Aida tackled him. They fell onto the floor. And Aida licked him. Zeke looked confusingly at Aida as she held her tongue out and panted heavily. He noticed people staring, probably disgusted by their fetishistic public display of affection. If they didn¡¯t have security uniforms, somebody would be yelling at them by now. As some smartphones were exposed to film the two, Zeke escaped from under Aida and got up, observing her as she sat on the floor like a dog awaiting orders. Her focus snapped to the side as a child dropped a rubber ball. Aida went after the ball, caught it in her mouth, and bolted the scene. Shadow¡¯s barking pulled Zeke¡¯s focus from Aida. The demon dog was barking and jumping around an irritated, suited man. The Carriers were the main priority. Violet said Aida would be fine. He had to believe her. So Zeke turned to the dog and moved towards it. He caught something in the corner of his eye, forcing him to stop. The figure stood out in the crowd like a potato in a cabbage garden. Zeke turned to Kian, and just by looking at the yellow-white of his sickly, dark eyes, it was evident he wasn¡¯t open to civil conversation. The Infectiologist plodded towards him with a terrible, hunched posture. He looked notably sicker than before. Remembering every negotiation segment of the role-playing games he played. Zeke raised a hand and kept his voice measured. ¡°Kian. Let¡¯s talk about this.¡± If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Why? I¡¯ve made up my mind, and I know you can tell that.¡± ¡°I just want to understand why you are¡ª¡° ¡°No, you don¡¯t,¡± Kian said, stopping before him. He wheezed harshly. ¡°You don¡¯t want to listen; you just want me to stop and do what you want. I¡¯ll save you time and tell you right now you aren¡¯t changing my mind with the award-winning speech you prepared on your way here, Rosario.¡± Shadow came running back to Zeke and pulled him by the pant leg with his teeth. ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re using to find the Carriers, huh?¡± said Kian, looking down at the dog. He made a hand sign and tapped the dog¡¯s head. Grotesque fungi mushroomed across the dog¡¯s face. Shadow trembled and whimpered as the symptoms worsened, spreading to his legs. The creature barely had enough energy to panic and cry. He silently fell to the floor on his side. ¡°Shadow! No!¡± Zeke crouched down to the dog, but there was nothing he could do. Shadow weakly moved his legs in a final effort to cling onto life but lost the battle seconds later. All travelers and airport personnel were watching the scene, utterly rapt by the horror of the dead dog being consumed by fungi. Yeast, molds, and mushrooms spread across the floor, causing some to scream and run. As a fuming Zeke got up to face Kian, he was hit in the chest by the Infectiologist¡¯s erect pinky and ring finger. Zeke saw his body fall frontward. He scanned the airport, and it was chaotic. Luggage was abandoned, and people were crashing into each other. Turning his eyes back to his body, lying face down in front of him, clenching his doctor¡¯s bag in hand, a dreadful feeling took over Zeke. Kian was staring right at him and then started walking away. Zeke caught up to him and swung his fist at the back of his head. It went through it, making no impact. ¡°You can¡¯t interact with the physical world anymore, Rosario,¡± Kian said. He tried to hit again from the astral plane, but no dice. Zeke stopped to put his brain to work, allowing Kian to look for his Carrier in the pandemonium. There was one thing Zeke was curious to try while in his ghostly form. He raised his hands and clapped them together, surprised they didn¡¯t just go through each other. Lowering his forefingers and pinkies while pushing them together, keeping the tips of his middle fingers and ring fingers aimed upward and thumbs downward, he summoned, ¡°Vesklepios!¡± Zeke¡¯s security uniform was replaced with his Healer¡¯s Garb. A blue thread slipped out from his sleeve, and he swung it at Kian from behind. Still no hit. Intense pain struck Zeke, making him double over and clench onto the side of his head. It was an all too familiar razor-sharp sensation that felt like someone was cutting through his skull with a power saw and into his brain. He screamed as the agony stretched from the center of his brain to his left inner ear; it was as if someone was slowly dragging a knife between the two regions (just like last time). Following the pangs, his vision blurred and went green, and then he could feel a cosmic entity communicating with him in a way that didn¡¯t involve words, yet, he understood anyway. There was also something else he inexplicably understood without a doubt. It was Vesklepios communicating with him. The Healer¡¯s Garb just emitted noises in a nightmarish voice that was just gurgled gibberish. Zeke was able to interpret the instructions from the gibberish. Vesklepios let Zeke know that Healers can go in and out of the astral plane as they wish as well as take others there with them, whether they consent or not. In the astral plane, it is possible to interact with the tangible. For people like Healers with a sublime affinity to Mana, all it took was a focused thought to determine what is tangible to you or not. Only then did Zeke realize he was subconsciously floating mere inches off the ground, or else he would¡¯ve fallen into the floor and the dirt underneath. Zeke¡¯s head was ringing from the cosmic emission, but he endured as he mimicked the hand sign Kian made, keeping his pinky and ring finger up while the others stayed down. He stormed towards the Infectiologist from behind and thrust his fingers into his shoulder blade. Kian¡¯s body arched forward, stressing his spine as his spirit popped out. The plague-maker¡¯s astral form caught its footing as his physical form flopped face-first into the floor. An intense staredown between the two Healers lasted for only a couple of seconds, and then Kian called for his Healer¡¯s Garb. ¡°Plaga!¡± As soon as the gothic, feathery getup finished forming, he initiated his attack, which was an acidic, purple liquid beam shooting out of his hand and right at Zeke. With impressive timing, Zeke had red and blue veins quickly wrap around his arm until it became a huge mass of muscle. He blocked Kian¡¯s first attack with his giant arm, but the stream of viscous goop shooting from his hand wouldn¡¯t stop, like a broken firehose. Zeke started to notice clusters of flesh-eating bacteria leaving gaping holes all over his veiny arm. He detached himself from the colossal arm and watched it deteriorate on the floor due to the efforts of some aggressive bacteria. Before he could do something else, Kian unleashed a rat plague that scuttered its way toward Zeke. The pack of black rodents climbed up Zeke and went for his eye. Zeke screamed in pain as the rats began chewing on his eye. He pulled as many rats off him as he could, crouched, and pressed his hands into the floor. A red and blue venous network sprawled across the ground as his eye healed. Letting out his war cry¡ªthick, rubbery blue and red blood vessels sprouted from the floor and outstretched in every direction, creating a grid of arteries and veins. The panicking crowd at the airport were completely unfair of the hectic battle happening in the astral realm. An undaunted Kian, having mastered what was tangible to him and what wasn¡¯t, ran through the arteries in his way and touched Zeke on the side of his neck. It swelled painfully, bringing with it aches all over his body and a brewing fever. Zeke pushed Kian away with a blind kick to the gut. Kian came running back as Zeke¡¯s mumps healed. Zeke concentrated on a vein near Kian¡¯s side and made a fist. The vessel clotted, and a ball swelled until it burst. The bloody explosion sent Kian flying. As the infectiologist tried getting up, Zeke made three more clot explosions, which made him fly all over the place. Then, a blue vein zipped from Zeke¡¯s sleeve and wrapped itself around Kian¡¯s neck. Zeke went behind him, pulled the vein, tightening its hold on his opponent¡¯s throat, and then launched it upward. It looped around a structural beam near the steel roof of the airport. Dashing over to the other side of the beam, Zeke caught the end of the vein and pulled it down. Like a flag, Kian was hoisted upwards, gagging as the vein snaked around his neck continued to choke him out. Coming up with his next move, Zeke looked up at Kian as he choked and blood dripped from under him like a downpour. His idea came to him, and he acted on it fast. Zeke pulled down his mask, held onto the end of the vein between his teeth, and shot two veins to his side¡ªthey were thicker than usual. With the tightest grip he could manage on the veins, Zeke pulled back like a slingshot and let go, propelling him forward. He blasted into Kian and wrapped his veins around him as they jetted toward the roof. Zeke closed his eyes and concentrated. Once he opened his eyes, all he could see were dark, clouded skies. He took a fist to the jaw and lost his grip on Kian. What followed was a freefalling fist-fight between the two before crash landing onto the slightly slanted roof of the Zurich airport. They got back up and stood on the glass slope, facing each other without losing balance. Thanks to their astral form, they casually defied gravity. ¡°Do you feel good about killing Aida¡¯s dog for no reason, huh?¡± Zeke said. ¡°You brought the dog here to disrupt my plans,¡± Kian defended. ¡°I don¡¯t enjoy killing, but I¡¯ll do what I must when it comes to things that get in my way.¡± ¡°Just like Yaalon?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t kill Yaalon.¡± ¡°You admitted it to us!¡± ¡°The only thing I admitted to was spreading my specimen, but I had nothing to do with Yaalon¡¯s death.¡± ¡°?Malparido!¡± Zeke exclaimed. ¡°We know you killed Yaalon because he was investigating you. He got too close. Why lie about killing him if we already know that you started the plague?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Zeke froze with widened eyes and then got lost in thought. Once he returned to reality, Kian was charging at him, equipped with a strange sword. Zeke dodged the first couple of swings and observed the weapon as Kian stopped and took on a sword-wielding stance; there was a regal-like quality to how he stood and held the blade. The sword¡¯s blade was completely covered in black and green mold with a colony of multicolored and multi-shaped bacteria, large enough to see, overlaying it. They pulsated calmly, expanding and retracting like lungs. Each wriggling and twisting with their own creepy movement. Bacterial-infected fluid leaked from the handle. Zeke had two long veins slip out of his sleeve, holding them like whips. The fight continued. Chapter 55 - Hospice Rachel Abery was having a strange dream. A continuous electronic beep followed her thoughts as she lay on a bed wearing a patient gown and stared at a purple ceiling. She was in so much pain she could barely move. The source of the stony pain was coming from her back; it felt like a boulder was crushing her. Another notable sensation came from the center of her chest, but it wasn¡¯t painful, just a peculiar toasty itch. Rachel averted her eyes from the pockets of light on the ceiling, stared down at her arm, and focused on it. Multiple extension tubes were inserted into her forearm, connected to a syringe pump machine, and electrodes snaked into her back and down the collar of her gown. She looked over at the monitor by her side, showing her real-time vitals: the three strips of steady, undulating lines and bolded numbers to the side suggested she was fine. Then, she noticed a gray stone in her hand that looked like a piece of brain matter. She managed to turn her head to the side and looked back into her enervated self in a tall floor mirror. White lesions climbed up her long, slender neck and dotted her small, triangle-shaped face, but the rest seemed normal. Her curly ash-blonde hair was fashioned into a crown braid as usual, and her hazel eyes were just as dazzling as ever with their gold flecks. With a grunt, she turned her head again and scanned her surroundings. She was in an ultra-modern lab with complex medical machinery keeping her company. The clean floor was blue-purple, and the walls were white with a single stripe of violet across. The dream got weirder as a familiar face entered the room in a fantastical getup: a hooded white cloak and a silver mask covering the lower half of her face marked with cryptic symbols. She approached Rachel, lowering her hood, and those special dark cobalt blue eyes of hers looked sadder the closer she got. ¡°Does it hurt too much?¡± Violet asked and checked her vitals on the monitor. Rachel noticed Violet was wearing a security uniform under her cloak. She wondered what she ate before bed to create such a weird dream. Violet shifted her focus to the syringe pump and started tweaking it. ¡°Sorry. I can only increase the intake just a little bit. It doesn¡¯t always happen, but for some, liquified unicorn horn can get addictive. Especially this synthesized kind.¡± Violet was spouting nonsense, making Rachel grin. It was all so silly, the things she said in her ridiculous outfit, all with a stern demeanor. After Rachel tittered aloud, Violet whipped over at her with widened eyes. ¡°No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,¡± she repeated in a feeble voice, approaching Rachel while shaking her head. Violet cupped Rachel¡¯s crusty, lesioned face in her hands. She studied her silently. Rachel laughed hysterically, causing the beeping monitor to go erratic. Violet let go and started to do weird things with her hands, making them glow pink along with her eyes. She put her radiating hand over Rachel¡¯s forehead and stood still. After a couple of seconds, Violet backtracked and paced around the room. She exited the room and returned a couple of minutes later with a wooden bowl in her arms. The size of the bowl in Violet¡¯s tiny arms made Rachel chuckle. It was adorable like a child throwing to carry something twice their size. Violet gave her another concerned look before settling the bowl down and producing a packet. She ripped it open with her teeth and poured the thick, blood-red liquid from it onto the bowl. Dream Violet was a marvel to watch as she repeated her weird hand signs and spouted gibberish. She¡¯s some sort of badass witch doctor. Rachel started chuckling again at the curse word she had said in her head. Oh, she was acting naughty, and it was hilarious. What happened next was in line with the dream so far, but still unexpected. A ghostly image of a smiling boy with a bowl cut, way over 6 feet tall, appeared in front of Violet. He was dressed casually with a silver cross dangling from his rosary bead bracelet. Violet crossed her arms. ¡°Thanks for accepting my call.¡± ¡°Oh? You¡¯re thanking me?¡± The boy said. ¡°How intriguing and delightful!¡± ¡°Isaac, can we¡­ not do this now?¡± The friendly boy, whose name was Isaac, frowned and looked down at Violet. Their height difference was staggering, yet Violet felt like the biggest threat between the two. ¡°Oh, dear Sister, what is wrong?¡± Isaac detected Rachel and started moving around the room while analyzing her. ¡°And who is this?¡± ¡°That Power angel is behind this. It¡¯s unprecedented.¡± ¡°Those lesions¡­ it¡¯s angel sickness.¡± ¡°Not quite,¡± Violet said, dejected. ¡°I got rid of the Euphorous infestation in her brain using my cleansing spell earlier this morning, but they popped up again just a few hours later. Her purity levels aren¡¯t just going up, it¡¯s fluctuating. I have a record of it plummeting to 0.8 percent before skyrocketing to 92.6 percent. It¡¯s insane. The disease isn¡¯t just changing her Container but her soul¡¯s functionality as well.¡± Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°So, you want help?¡± ¡°This is closer to your expertise, yes, but it¡¯s not just about her. There are others, too.¡± ¡°Wait, so this is the First Sphere¡¯s secret project.¡± Violet raised a brow. ¡°Oh, so you know, of course, you do. I know listening to angel affairs is a hobby of yours.¡± She moved up to Isaac, balling her fists. ¡°We need to plan an attack before they get the upper hand.¡± ¡°An attack? On Heaven? You want to continue where the previous generation left off?¡± ¡°We just need to take out the higher-ups.¡± ¡°And what if we win? What then?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll worry about that when it comes to it, but right now, we can¡¯t let those monsters do whatever they want.¡± She pointed at Rachel. ¡°This is just the beginning.¡± ¡°So, just me and you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t trust Gill. Ashlin wouldn¡¯t be interested because angels are valuable clients of hers. As for the rest¡­.¡± ¡°They wouldn¡¯t agree to work with you.¡± ¡°They are cowards.¡± ¡°Even Hezekiah?¡± Violet curled her lips to the side after the mention of the name. ¡°He¡¯s¡­ coming around, but this would be too much for him.¡± Rachel wondered how they came to know the king of Judah personally. Isn¡¯t that guy dead? She chuckled again, earning her a look from Violet and Isaac. ¡°The euphoria is settling in nicely,¡± Isaac said. Violet scoffed. ¡°It¡¯s possible; it¡¯ll just be the two of us for the attack, and to be honest, with the right preparation, I think we can win. We gather some creatures from the other realms. We aren¡¯t the only ones who hate angels.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t hate them, Sister,¡± Isaac said, waving a hand. ¡°But you think they are incompetent, so please¡­.¡± Violet said in a soft voice. ¡°Let¡¯s start working on a plan to eliminate them.¡± Isaac placed a finger on his chin. The sight made Violet shudder and bare her teeth. ¡°What are your terms?¡± Violet asked, reading his mind. ¡°Violet,¡± Isaac started. ¡°You know what I want.¡± ¡°No. Ezequias is mine,¡± she said with a striking glare, her violet eyes glimmering. ¡°Oh, Viola,¡± he lamented. ¡°Why can¡¯t we share?¡± ¡°What you want from him will get him killed. That Amalgamation Spell set up by Skaggsy and Gussalen? It¡¯s obviously a suicide pact.¡± ¡°And what if it is? It¡¯ll be for a good cause.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even know what is behind that door.¡± ¡°I know it will bring deliverance.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t!¡± ¡°My Garb told me, Viola.¡± ¡°Whose previous owner was a wackadoo who tried to fuse her soul with the Overseer.¡± ¡°Viola¡­ talk to Hezekiah¡­ convince him to open the door with me, and if we live, then I¡¯ll help cure your friend, and we can eliminate the Second and First Sphere angels together.¡± Violet sighed. ¡°This was a mistake and a waste of time.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry you feel that way, Sister,¡± Isaac said with a red carpet smile. ¡°I, for one, don¡¯t share the same sentiment. It¡¯s always great to see my siblings.¡± ¡°Well then, just to let you know¡­.¡± Violet said in a sharp, cold tone. ¡°Stay away from Ezequias or else.¡± ¡°Or else¡­¡± Isaac raised a brow; his amicable smile twisted into a crude one. ¡°You¡¯ll kill me? I thought you were on humanity¡¯s side.¡± ¡°I have no problems with getting rid of people who get in my way,¡± she said casually. ¡°And I don¡¯t really consider you human.¡± ¡°That¡¯s hurtful.¡± ¡°Isaac¡ª¡° ¡°I¡¯m not going to stay away from him.¡± He said, maintaining his smile. ¡°Sorry.¡± Violet stared silently for a moment and then tucked her hair behind her ear. ¡°Okay, then,¡± ¡°What happens now?¡± Violet smiled. ¡°I look for a way to kill you and make sure you stay away from Zeke for good.¡± ¡°Good luck on that!¡± Isaac said hopefully. Rachel finally regained the strength to speak again. She could feel it like a sudden release of adrenaline racing across her body. She fidgeted on her bed, smiling with her eyes widening. The monitor went haywire as the vital signs undulated rapidly, and the numbers shifted to extremely high digits and then nosedived to a concerningly low decimal over and over. The device blew up in a sparkly burst. As Rachel opened her mouth to speak, Violet¡¯s head jerked to the side, and blood squirted out of her ear. ¡°She just spoke in archaic Enochian,¡± Isaac said in awe. ¡°Never seen an ailment that did that. Fascinating.¡± Violet rushed to Rachel, tilting her head to the left and clenching that side of her face. ¡°Rachel, Rachel, Rachel, listen to me. I am going to need you not to speak, okay?¡± She said while nodding to her. ¡°I¡¯m happy you have the strength to speak again, but you have to remain quiet, ¡®kay?¡± ¡°You should document this in the codex,¡± Isaac said. Violet ignored Isaac and pushed a finger against her lips while fixed on Rachel. ¡°Shhhhh.¡± While giggling, Rachel imitated Violet like a kid and pushed a finger to her lips. The smile lasted only moments as her body gave up, and her eyes rolled to the back of her head. She convulsed violently, shaking the electrodes off her body. ¡°Oh my¡­ she just hit 99.9 percent purity,¡± Isaac said. ¡°She¡¯s going into White Shock.¡± Violet rushed to Rachel and hastily tweaked the machines she was hooked up to. ¡°Sister¡­ this project of the angels, they couldn¡¯t have done it alone.¡± ¡°You can leave now!¡± Violet shouted as she started performing spells on Rachel. ¡°Sister,¡± Isaac said calmly. ¡°There¡¯s one thing you¡¯re not paying attention to. Her Container has been changed, yes, but that¡¯s not all. Her soul. Her Mana Gauge has to have been changed as well. A simple examination will draw you to that conclusion. Now, who in all of the Realms is capable of changing a person¡¯s Mana Gauge like that?¡± Violet froze and stared back at Isaac. Chapter 56 - Evolution Zeke¡¯s vein whips weren¡¯t a match for Kian¡¯s bacterial sword. With every attack he made, Kian sliced the veins quickly, forcing Zeke to extend them again. The glass airport rooftop they fought on was littered with pieces of red and blue veins looking like candy licorice. Throughout the fight, Zeke could feel his body going through an exhausting cycle of contracting an ailment and then healing. Kian¡¯s swings of the diseased blade sent a colony of dangerous bacteria onto Zeke to wreak havoc. Rashes would come and go, muscle cramps would form in one area of his body and then vanish, and the desire to vomit would arise and then subside. Zeke¡¯s Healer Garb¡¯s strenuous effort of healing him repeatedly was draining him of his Mana, slowing down his movements and his mind. He took a cut to the cheek, and flesh-eating bacteria had their way with his skin, peeling off almost the entirety of that side of his face. Zeke doubled over and hovered his hand over his missing cheek, being careful not to touch the exposed muscle. Then Kian charged at him, stretching his sword back with the tip facing forward for a devastating pierce attack. The blade ate through his flesh. Zeke groaned loudly and looked over his shoulder, seeing half of the diseased blade sticking out of his back. Blood dripped from the front of his chest as the sharp pain became more uncomfortable; just a few more inches and his heart would¡¯ve looked like the Immaculate Heart of Mary tattoo. Luckily, surgery wasn¡¯t Kian¡¯s specialty. Kian pushed the sword further, making Zeke clench his jaw, enduring the agony. In a last-ditch effort, Zeke focused with the bit of energy he had left and multiple threads of red and blue extended from the bleeding puncture in his chest and wrapped around Kian¡¯s arms. Just like the blade fixed through Zeke¡¯s chest, Kian was trapped as the threads continued to wrap themselves down to his legs. He tried to push away but with no luck, getting visibly frustrated. Not letting the opportunity waste, Zeke allowed the veins to wrap around his body. He expanded in mass until he became a giant ball of veins. Kian¡¯s arms and legs were entangled in the bundle of red and blue¡­ tagging him along for an unsolicited, painful ride. While in the form of a giant ball made of veins, Zeke rolled forward, gaining speed as he traveled down the slope of the glass roof, crushing Kian under the clump of red and blue. For the final spectacle, the ball launched in the air, crashing down with a screaming Kian entwined to the bottom. After one bone-crushing bounce, the ball was untwined, and Zeke was flung into the air (the bacterial sword flew in the opposite direction), landing many feet away from where Kian did. Vesklepios disappeared on its own. Zeke was running on fumes. The only Mana he had left was keeping him adhered to the glass roof. The silence that followed lasted almost 10 minutes before Kian got back up, ready for more. ¡°You¡¯ve wasted all your Mana,¡± Kian said, scoffing. ¡°You¡¯re new to this, while I have been using magic for years. There¡¯s no way you can win, Rosario.¡± Zeke pushed his palms against the surface, and it was like he was back in middle school gym class, unable to do a single push-up. His arms¡¯ muscles were tightened as if they intertwined into hundreds of tiny knots. He got up just a few inches before smashing his chin onto the glass. Kian removed his plague mask, showing his disgusting, patchy mouth, and reached out his gloved hand. ¡°I have to do what must be done¡ª¡± A streak of blue lightning sliced his right arm away in a flash. Zeke¡¯s and Kian¡¯s eyes followed the severed arm as it spun in the air to the side alongside a windborne swathed knife. There was no blood. The arm was cleaved so cleanly that it didn¡¯t look like it was cut at all; instead, it was just detached as if Kian were a mannequin. A faint blue light shone from the end of his stump. Flying into the battlefield was Ugo, clothed in his Healer¡¯s Garb. He had his hand stretched forward with electric blue trickling all over him. ¡°Mora!¡± Zeke shouted with a smile. Disaster struck as Kian blasted Ugo away with a well-timed beam of purple slime. ¡°No!¡± But there was no need for distress; more of the cavalry were on their way. Akachi shot up from the glass roof in his tribal Healer¡¯s Garb. He had a red cloth wrap around the waist, and a single pauldron made of bone and decorated with red feathers protected his left shoulder. On his head was a huge goat skull headdress with bright green mist flowing from his eyes. As Akachi nosedived toward Kian, he pulled back his symbol-marked fist, buzzing with black electricity, and gave the Infectiologist the meanest right hook Zeke had ever seen in his life. A gust of wind exploded as the knuckles connected with the cheekbone. Kian blew back and rolled back onto his feet. He stood shakily and had trouble keeping his eyes open. The last of the cavalry arrived gracefully as she flipped out from the glass roof and landed on Akachi¡¯s shoulders. Even with her voluptuous figure, Ashlin looked weightless, standing on his shoulders. She was clad in her Healer¡¯s Garb. It was an onyx black low-cut corset dress with cyan blue ribbon bows tied down her sleeves. A massive pointed hat, cyan blue on the inside, bigger than her entire body, hovered a few inches over her head, and a black lace mask covered the bottom half of her face. They were all in the astral plane, just like Zeke. Akachi glanced at Zeke and then at Ugo (shaking off Kian¡¯s microbes from his Garb). ¡°Why don¡¯t you kiddos sit this one out and let the adults handle this, okay?¡± In the nick of time, Ashlin leaped forward and kicked Kian right up the chin just as he was about to attack. Ashlin landed and said, ¡°Enough talking, Akachi.¡± ¡°Da!¡± Akachi said with a smile and charged at Kian with his tag partner. Zeke had a front-row seat to a battle amongst true warriors¡ªa grand display of a mix of martial arts and magic. Being outnumbered and only with one arm, Kian never stood a chance. He was taking magic blasts and glowing kicks all over and, at one point, was being pummeled with radiating fists left and right by the merciless duo. Ashlin backed away from the fight (in reality, it was more a beatdown than a fight), grabbed the brim of her giant witch hat, and flipped it over¡ªa multi-armed monster climbed out of the hat. The abomination was a pale, bulky, shirtless man with six arms lined down each side, two jutting off his chest and four more off his back. Zeke did his best to keep his eyes away from Ashlin¡¯s monster as it rushed toward Kian. It grabbed hold of the Infectiologist, pinning him to the ground. ¡°Now, buy me some time!¡± Ashlin shouted at Akachi as she pulled a long witch¡¯s staff out from her hat with a blue orb on top. ¡°How about a please?¡± Akachi shouted back as he summoned his crooked staff. ¡°How about you just shut up and do as I say?¡± ¡°You¡¯re lucky you¡¯re hot like me!¡± Zeke groaned and rolled his eyes as Ashlin got started on a spell. With the pointy end of his staff topped with a green skull and fashioned with wine-red feathers, Akachi drew a magic circle on the glass and pushed his hand down on it. It glowed, and then a skeletal multi-horned rhinoceros leaped from the circle. Ashlin¡¯s monster lifted Kian to his feet and disappeared just in time for the rhino to ram into him and then fracture into pieces. Akachi reached out his hands with open palms and then clapped them together. The bony pieces lodged into Kian and morphed into large cuffs that bound his arms together. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Ashlin, finish him off!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me what to do!¡± Ashlin barked back for a moment and resumed her incantation while making hand signs. Akachi gave her a blank look. ¡°But you were going to anyway¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± she screamed in Russian and unleashed her spell. As cyan blue energy blasted up from her hat, a doll-faced woman with blushed cheeks jumped out. Her body was shaped like a bowling pin. When Kian saw the summon, he began to fret. ¡°No! No! No!¡± The woman hopped up to Kian while singing quietly in Russian. Then, the top half of her body twisted¡­ and popped off. A sucking sound was made as Kian was pulled into the lower half of the woman¡¯s bizarre body. The top part was reattached, and the woman started humming and then shrank to the size of a mouse. Ashlin strutted up to the woman and picked her up¡ªshe was now a matryoshka doll. As Zeke gaped at the sight, Akachi sauntered up to him and sank to his haunches. ¡°Entering the astral plane, holding off the goth bastard on your own, and still with enough Mana preserved to keep yourself from falling through the roof.¡± He ruffled his hair. ¡°Well done, Shortstack!¡± Zeke¡¯s eyes returned to Ashlin as she tossed the matryoshka doll back into the hat. Ugo approached Zeke and Akachi. ¡°You okay, Mano?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Good. We were able to get up here thanks to all those veins you left down at the airport,¡± Ugo said. ¡°Looks like things got real crazy, huh?¡± Zeke allowed himself a chuckle before letting out a sigh of relief as Akachi and Ugo called off their Healer¡¯s Garbs. Sirens blared from a distance. ¡°We gotta work fast to clean up Kian¡¯s mess,¡± Zeke said. ¡°Ashlin and Akachi already got rid of the mushrooms,¡± Ugo said. ¡°Were you able to save the dog?¡± ¡°No,¡± Ashlin responded brusquely, ¡°but it¡¯ll still be of use.¡± The group of four climbed down the side of the airport roof and reentered the terminal. Luggage littered the floor, and people were still crowding the area, all confused and distressed. Flustered civilians rambled to officers who scratched their heads as they stared back, puzzled. The gang¡¯s bodies (Zeke¡¯s body was still grasping onto his doctor¡¯s bag), including the dog, now in its normal form and mushroom-free, were flattened across the floor. Airport personnel gathered around them, reporting to their communication devices. ¡°Where¡¯s Koshiko?¡± Akachi asked. Zeke made a face and scratched the back of his head. ¡°She¡¯s¡­ well, she should be near here, but she¡¯s not exactly herself.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡± Ashlin extended her hands, and multiple thin threads zipped from her fingers and attached themselves to Ugo¡¯s, Kian¡¯s, Shadow¡¯s, and her own body. Zeke was surprised to see that Kian¡¯s right arm was severed, inches away from his body. Ashlin¡¯s fingers started dancing, and Kian¡¯s arm was reattached to the stump. Onlookers backed up and panicked. What followed was a horrific display of puppeteering. To the crowd¡¯s astonishment and terror, the bodies stood up and opened their eyes. She made the bodies smile and wave, and the dog wag its tail. ¡°I can use the dog to help us find the last carrier using the little essence it has left in its Container.¡± She said, looking over at Ugo. ¡°You¡¯ll help me.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± he said, making a goofy salute. They looked freaky at first, but eventually, Ashlin¡¯s puppets began to stride more naturally. Zeke stared at his physical body and noticed bruises on his face, solidifying that all damage taken on the astral form was reflected onto the Container. Akachi clapped Zeke on the shoulder and signaled him for them to get started. They jumped back into their bodies, and Ashlin removed the threads from them. As they ignored the protests of the people around them, Zeke and Akachi searched for Aida. Zeke put Wade¡¯s pouch of magic sand into Ugo¡¯s pocket as the body was puppeteered out of the place and then focused on the search for Aida alongside Akachi. They found her in the bathroom, face down in a toilet bowl, drinking the water. Zeke stared in horror and embarrassment as Akachi took several photos while laughing hysterically. There wasn¡¯t much the gang could do about the travelers¡¯ and airport personnel¡¯s mental trauma before leaving. The place had already been cleaned up nicely with magic. All they could do was hope for the best when the witnesses returned home and shared the story with their families, friends, and therapists. Worst case scenario, people think it was a terrorist attack using a new bioweapon. News stations were going to be really interesting that night. The group returned to Yaalon¡¯s clinic, all back in their corporeal forms. Ashlin puppeteered Kian¡¯s lifeless body and Carrier #8 through the door and over to some seats in the room. Wade was rotating a conical flask in his hand, and blue liquid swirled inside. ¡°Are you working on a cure?¡± Zeke said excitedly, bouncing up to him. ¡°What?¡± Wade responded, looking back, confused. ¡°This is Mermaid Crystal.¡± He guzzled the entire thing. ¡°Gives a wicked buzz.¡± Zeke sighed in disappointment. A growl from behind made Zeke turn back, and he saw Aida chewing on a chair leg. ¡°Aida! No! You¡¯re going to mess up your teeth!¡± ¡°Whoaaaaa, that looks fun,¡± Wade said, staring wide-eyed at Aida. ¡°I want a triple dosage of whatever you gave her.¡± ¡°Violet did something to her brain,¡± Zeke explained. ¡°Does anybody here have any idea on how to reverse it?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s one of Violet¡¯s mind spells we¡¯re talking about, then it¡¯s out of our wheelhouse,¡± Akachi said. Ashlin stared at Aida and leaned against a desk. ¡°I say this mental state suits her.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the dog?¡± Wade asked, pulling his chewed pen from his lab coat pocket. ¡°It¡¯s dead,¡± Ashlin said coldly. ¡°Once I used up all that the Container was good for, I disintegrated it.¡± ¡°Jeez.¡± ¡°Well, it is now in doggie Heaven, right?¡± Ugo said with a nervous smile. ¡°It was a demon!¡± Ashlin rasped. ¡°When a demon¡¯s soul perishes¡­ it¡¯s just¡­ gone.¡± ¡°As in¡­ nobody knows where it ends up,¡± Zeke said. ¡°A real tearjerker, isn¡¯t it?¡± Ashlin said and faked a pout. ¡°It was such a beautiful, smart puppy¡ª¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to be sarcastic about it,¡± Zeke interrupted. Ashlin froze, staring at Zeke as she tilted her head. ¡°Did you just interrupt me?¡± Akachi put a hand on her shoulder. ¡°How about you kill him after we solve this, huh?¡± She shrugged his hand off his shoulder and gave him a scowl. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡± ¡°How did you guys find me?¡± Zeke asked. ¡°When a soul leaves their Container before it¡¯s their time, or in simpler words, when someone enters the astral plane to screw around. Ashlin can sense that and transport to the area instantly like a secret backdoor,¡± Akachi explained. ¡°The goth moron must¡¯ve forgotten about her being the freakin¡¯ Container Specialist.¡± Wade poked at Kian¡¯s cheek with his pen. ¡°I take Ashlin trapped his soul somewhere? I can¡¯t sense anything from his Container.¡± Aida started pulling on Kian¡¯s pant leg with her teeth. Ashlin produced the matryoshka doll and placed it on the desk. ¡°I hate having to use my new model on him, but whatever.¡± ¡°So, do we interrogate Kian now?¡± Ugo asked. ¡°Force him to tell us a cure?¡± ¡°He isn¡¯t going to tell us anything,¡± Akachi said. ¡°You can¡¯t get through crazy.¡± ¡°Kian said he didn¡¯t kill Yaalon,¡± Zeke revealed. Everybody looked at him. ¡°So, what?¡± Akachi said. ¡°He¡¯s lying.¡± ¡°If he admitted to spreading his disease, then why would he lie about killing Yaalon?¡± Zeke defended. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡± ¡°We need to focus on a vaccine for now,¡± Ashlin said. ¡°Worry about that later. Let¡¯s take the Carrier downstairs with the others.¡± They all summoned their Healer¡¯s Garbs Zeke looked over at Wade. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to summon your Garb? We should have as much magical defense as possible.¡± Wade pointed at his dirty lab coat. ¡°This is my Healer¡¯s Garb.¡± Zeke¡¯s expression went blank. ¡°Huh¡­?¡± He paused for a while and then asked. ¡°Then where is your mask?¡± Wade patted his pockets and then dug out a balled-up blue surgical mask. ¡°Right here!¡± he said and put on the wrinkled covering. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The group went downstairs, leaving Aida behind to play with Kian¡¯s pant leg. Akachi carried the snoring eighth Carrier. Zeke opened the door, and Akachi crept around the room of sleeping carriers. He gently put him down on the bed and turned back to the door. At that moment, a carrier woke up. Carrier #2, the work-from-home dad, arose and immediately became cranky, remembering his abduction. He stomped up to them with an admonitory finger, screaming in German. ¡°Now your sand isn¡¯t effective anymore?¡± Ashlin said, looking over at Wade. ¡°That was the only thing you were good at.¡± Wade pulled down his mask and chewed on the cap of his pen. ¡°My sand is effective. Kian¡¯s specimen¡­ negated its effects. Which means¡­¡± ¡°Shit,¡± Akachi said on behalf of everybody. As the other Carriers started waking up, #2 staggered back. ¡°Are you okay, sir?¡± Zeke stupidly asked in English. And then it happened. Carrier #2¡¯s face bubbled, stretched randomly at the ends, and then pushed in and out. The transformation aggravated as his screams got louder. It started with his ear. It slid down and settled under his chin. His face rotated, making squishy and crunching sounds as everything was rearranged. His eyes were on his cheek, mouth right under his hairline, nose down south, and eyebrows on either side of his face. The carrier screamed for help as he writhed on his feet, and the gang just stood and stared. ¡°What the hell is happening?¡± Ugo asked. Wade took the pen from his mouth. ¡°Kian¡¯s specimen is evolving.¡± Chapter 57 - Vaccine ¡°Well, this isn¡¯t good,¡± Wade said as he watched Carrier #2¡¯s mutation evolve. The writhing man collapsed, riling up the other Carriers. Carrier #1 (The beautiful 30-year-old woman) retreated to a corner and balled up while screaming. Carrier #4 (The caroler) took Carrier #3 (The tween girl) into her arms as they bawled. Carrier #4 (The elderly security guard) and Carrier #7 (The sick little girl) remained in their beds staring in horror. Carrier #6 (The burly hockey player) and Carrier #8 (The suited businessman) stomped up to the Healers wearing hostile faces. They were yelling in German. Ashlin was the first of the Healers to act by removing her hat and flipping onto the floor. With the cyan blue inside of the hat facing up, a red, scaly humanoid with a dragon head popped out and blasted a beam of bright blue flames. The hostile carriers jumped back as a wall of blue flames kept them from reaching the Healers. Akachi backtracked to the door and opened it. ¡°Come on, we¡¯re out of here,¡± he said. ¡°Wait!¡± Wade shouted and ran towards the wall of fire as he tossed his pen to Ugo. ¡°Hold my pen!¡± Ugo tragically caught the pen by its saliva-soaked cap. In what might¡¯ve been a sudden, but not surprising episode of madness, Wade dove through the fire and returned with the same diving maneuver. He was seared and had a large syringe in his hand. The others watched him pull himself up as he chuckled and patted away the small torches all over his lab coat. ¡°Okay, we can go.¡± Ashlin pushed her creation back into the hat and equipped it before hauling ass alongside Akachi and Ugo. Zeke was frozen and noticed Wade halting in the corner of his eye. ¡°Hey, what¡¯re you doing?¡± Wade yelled. While unable to move, Zeke squinted through the cyan flames, watching the confused carriers scream and cry, plummeting into the most bottomless pits of despair. ¡°This is wrong,¡± he said, moving closer toward the flames. ¡°We have to¡ª¡± Wade gripped Zeke¡¯s shoulder and dragged him out of the room. With a forceful push, Zeke staggered onto the staircase and got up to find Wade closing the basement door, followed by Ashlin putting a spell on the handle. It glowed a cyan blue. ¡°What did you do?¡± Zeke asked angrily. ¡°If they try to touch the handle they¡¯ll get a burn that¡¯ll make them not want to try again,¡± Ashlin said coldly. ¡°That¡¯s if they¡¯re not stupid.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t just leave them like that!¡± ¡°And what do you suppose we do, man?¡± Wade asked and held his hand out. Ugo returned his pen to him. He started gesturing with it as he elaborated, ¡°We explain to them what¡¯s going on? That¡¯ll only waste time and cause confusion, bruh. Like trying to convince a dude having a really bad trip that the government isn¡¯t tracking him and trying to recruit him for a space program to fight aliens on Mars against his will.¡± ¡°Speaking from experience?¡± Ugo asked. ¡°Don¡¯t mix Hippogriff feathers with Imp powder, dude¡­¡± he said, putting the pen in his mouth. The Healers waited for Wade to continue, but he just stared off into nothingness, chuckling to himself. Ashlin approached Zeke, taking up from where Wade left off. ¡°The best course of action right now is to come up with a cure as fast as possible,¡± she said. ¡°You know,¡± Zeke started, making the meanest frown he could muster, ¡°being a doctor isn¡¯t just about finding the cure. Interpersonal connection is important, too! Those people are scared! We need to think about their mental state!¡± ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll hook them up with therapy after we¡¯re done, happy?¡± Akachi said and walked up the steps. ¡°Let¡¯s get started.¡± Zeke stared at the ground and shook his head as the others went up the steps. He was the last to follow. The group went to the top floor with all the mystical machinery. Everybody except for Wade called off their Healer¡¯s Garbs. Taking everybody by surprise, Wade took charge, revealing he extracted some of the mutated carrier¡¯s DNA into the syringe he conjured. They stood around the room like med students observing a demonstration as Wade pulled up his wrinkled face mask. Zeke still had a hard time believing that the regular-looking items in poor condition were magical. The incubator was where Wade went next and prepared the microscope slide. He carefully pushed the extraction from the syringe and onto the slide, substituting the previous slide in the incubator box with it (the old slide was put in a different compartment inside the glass box). He examined the specimen and let out a whistle of astonishment. Subsequently, Wade stepped away from the incubator box, pulled his mask down, and ambled to the left side of the room, opening a door that nobody knew existed. The Anesthesiologist disappeared into the room and came out pushing a revolving whiteboard (because, of course, Yaalon had one of those). Wade stopped before the Healers and grabbed the black marker from the bottom of the board. First, on the left side of the board, he drew Kian¡¯s specimen¡ªjust a normal-looking shapeless microbe sprinkled with black dots. Under it, he wrote down all the facts and features about the supernatural protozoa, and overhead, he wrote: ¡®BEFORE EVOLUTION.¡¯ Lastly, on the right side of the board is where things got interesting. As if he were a painter about to show off, Wade looked at the board, let out a heavy sigh, and drew a M?bius strip. He marked it with black dots and then added short lines across the edges of the complicated shape¡ªall together they looked like tiny hairs. Wade stepped back to observe the drawing as he took a bottle of pills from his Garb¡¯s pocket and dry swallowed a couple. Ugo sat on a box-shaped piece of machinery with gears all over it. ¡°How the hell did you draw a M?bius strip so perfectly?¡± he shouted, asking the important questions. ¡°I think there are more pressing matters here¡­¡± Zeke said, giving him a look. Over the shape, Wade added the caption: ¡®AFTER EVOLUTION.¡¯ ¡°This is how the specimen looks now,¡± he said. ¡°I took the sample from just the carrier¡¯s face, and there were a bunch of them. So it is now capable of asexual reproduction. All the duplicated cells seem identical. Hopefully, it¡¯s mitosis¡ª¡± ¡°Why hope for that?¡± Akachi asked, leaning onto a machine that resembled a giant laser gun from old-school spy movies. Zeke volunteered himself to explain. ¡°Think of mitosis just like cell cloning. From the parent cell comes two diploid daughter cells, all with identical genetic properties. I think what Wade is hoping for is that the specimen is capable of only doing that instead of meiosis. Which is a process that results in four diploid daughter cells with only half of the chromosome number of the original or, in other words, a higher genetic variation.¡± ¡°Correctamundo,¡± Wade said and chewed on his pen as he looked back at the board. ¡°Dealing with a higher genetic variation would be a major pain in the ass.¡± ¡°Okay, microscopic zoology isn¡¯t really my thang,¡± Akachi admitted, ¡°so just say what we need to do, and we¡¯ll get it done.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s an amalgamation of our Healer Garbs¡¯ cells,¡± Wade said. ¡°It can counter any magic we throw at it and is immune to pretty much every medicine I can think of: Kelpie water, liquified unicorn horn, Caladrius essence. I tried everything that wasn¡¯t on Yaalon¡¯s notes and I got nothing. Ideas, people?¡± ¡°Hold up,¡± Ugo said, raising his hand for a moment. ¡°Aida is the Geneticist. Can¡¯t her magic fix this mess?¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t work,¡± Ashlin said, making her debut in the brainstorming session. ¡°The dog can change genetics, but if what¡¯s causing the mutation is a microbe that can counter her magic, the results will be disastrous: a continuous mutation.¡± She averted her eyes over to the incubator. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°An exorcism is out of the question because it¡¯s not demonic¡­.¡± Akachi said. ¡°We can¡¯t kill it with hellish methods either because it isn¡¯t angelic in nature either¡­¡± Wade added and heaved a sigh. A joyous smile curved up on Zeke¡¯s face as he realized he was in a room of exceptionally bright minds and being treated as one of them. Not only was he learning, but he was participating, too! Zeke would¡¯ve been honored to be one of the Tainted Generation if it wasn¡¯t for being marked as a cosmic criminal by the angels or being forced to play the universe¡¯s worst game of Russian roulette¡ªwhere, aside from dying, you can go straight to Hell. Yet, even rationalizing this, he couldn¡¯t get rid of the pride he felt or the smile on his face. ¡°Let¡¯s try to make a vaccine,¡± Ashlin suggested right in time to reel Zeke back to reality. ¡°Maybe we can¡¯t save those who are already infected, but we could prepare the immune system for others.¡± Zeke curled his lip to the side. He wasn¡¯t a big fan of the play but knew that arguing further wouldn¡¯t get them anywhere. ¡°So, what magical vaccine-making methods are there?¡± Wade replied, ¡°Live attenuated vaccines¡ª¡± ¡°Which are made from the pathogen itself, right? Much tamer and weaker,¡± Zeke said with a smile on his face growing wider as if he was holding back a laugh. ¡°And there are inactive, subunit, DNA, and RNA vaccines.¡± ¡°Oh, so you do know.¡± ¡°Those are the ones that exist in the normal world. Huh, nice to see that they are the same.¡± ¡°A DNA vaccine would be the most effective,¡± Ashlin said and perched on the edge of a desk, ¡°We use plasmids to isolate the protein necessary to trigger an immune response from the specimen and inject it into the patients.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great, except these are regular people we are talking about, and this is a very Mana-charged pathogen,¡± Wade said. ¡°If we were talking about elves or dwarves with good Mana affinity, this would be a different story. To make it work¡­ we will have to fill these plasmids with lots of Mana.¡± ¡°Allegedly, the only people infected are downstairs, right?¡± Ugo said. ¡°Number 2¡¯s protozoa has already mutated; who¡¯s to say that the others haven¡¯t already mutated? Creating a vaccine only to prepare the immune systems of those unaffected could be useless. We need to fix those people downstairs, like, right now.¡± Zeke nodded with his ever-growing smile that lasted until he caught a disapproving look from Ashlin. It was like a mnemonic, flooding his brain with information about why they were in this situation in the first place. Zeke felt like an addict coming down from the best high he ever had. A few of the others argued with Ugo, but Zeke ignored it. As he focused on the incubator box, he thought back to the night of the murder. He was lusting over Violet, making out with her while someone in a nearby room had their life taken away. Zeke slapped the side of his head and tried to focus on reality. He looked at Ugo as he was saying something. ¡°Attacking the cell from the outside is the problem, right?¡± Ugo asked. ¡°It¡¯s got Yaalon¡¯s annoying defensive magic,¡± Akachi rasped. ¡°It¡¯s impenetrable.¡± Ugo giggled. Zeke rolled his eyes, knowing which part of the sentence made him titter. ¡°It¡¯s like a turtle,¡± Ugo started. ¡°Look, there¡¯s this game called First Fantasy, and one of the best boss fights is against this giant turtle. It attacks with spinning moves, all without coming out of its shell. There are no visible openings, so it¡¯s impossible to land any damage, but the secret is to use this phasing lance. The turtle is hard on the outside but soft on the inside like everybody else.¡± For a tense, quiet moment Akachi, Ashlin, and Wade exchanged looks. ¡°I was once messing around with one of Poseidon¡¯s horses, trying to make an antidote for a poisoned manticore. I learned why the horses never got sick,¡± Akachi said as he rubbed his chin. ¡°I don¡¯t understand that stuff all that well, but their cells used Mana bombs to destroy any pathogenic cells that got near it. Maybe we can do the same for the carriers.¡± ¡°That¡¯ll work,¡± Ashlin agreed. ¡°Mana bombs are just concentrated Mana energy. They aren¡¯t exclusive to any of our Garb¡¯s magic and isn¡¯t Black or White Magic either.¡± ¡°Come again?¡± Zeke asked. Wade assumed the role of explaining to Zeke. ¡°Think of it like water and flavored water. Using just Mana on its own is water. You can do stuff like Mana blasts, charging attacks, or even making bombs. Converting it into Black or White energy is adding flavor.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Zeke said, nodding slowly. ¡°So, if we can get it inside the cell, there isn¡¯t any spell it can use to counter it, right?¡± ¡°How would we get the bombs inside the cells, though?¡± Akachi asked. Silence took over as the Healers mentally strained themselves for a solution. Some walked around, others played a bit with the smaller machines, while Zeke stood in front of the board doing what he did best¡ªgetting lost in his head. Like when he was holding hands with Violet. It slowed down their carrier gathering for sure. Maybe they could¡¯ve reached the final carrier before Kian showed up, and the mess at the airport could¡¯ve been avoided. Sure there was the silver lining that Kian was captured, but Zeke¡¯s mind would never let himself be content with that. While staring at Wade¡¯s impressive M?bius strip drawing, Zeke thought back to the fight at the airport. When he used his veins to latch onto Kian after being stabbed was a life-saving maneuver. He pictured Kian struggling to break free in his head and then looked closer at the M?bius strip. The epiphany battered into his head like a power drill. Zeke snapped his fingers. ¡°Wade!¡± He turned to him and pointed back at the board. ¡°These hair-like things you drew around the specimen. They¡¯re cilia, right?¡± ¡°Yeah? Why¡ªoh my God, you are a genius,¡± Wade responded. The others regrouped. ¡°What is it?¡± Akachi asked. ¡°If it¡¯s a ciliated protozoan, then that means it can do sexual reproduction,¡± Zeke explained to the others. ¡°¡®Cilia,¡¯ which are these hair-like organelles, are used by the organism to move and connect to other cells. To perform a conjugation process. It is an exchange of genetic material between two individual cells. If we can make the plasmid have the right mating strains and chemical signals to join with the malignant protozoan¡­.¡± ¡°With the gamones, we can have our plasmid transfer the Mana bomb into the protozoa during the conjugation,¡± Wade finished for him. Zeke pointed back at Wade. ¡°Ka-blamo.¡± ¡°Ka-blamo!¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to pull off a Trojan Horse,¡± Akachi said excitedly. ¡°Nice!¡± Wade started pacing around the room. ¡°But to develop such a plasmid¡ªour Trojan Horse, we need it to mature. I analyzed the specimen Yaalon extracted, which is still in its initial phase in the incubator box. It needs to be a Container with a real soul, I think.¡± he said and stopped pacing. ¡°That makes sense,¡± Zeke said. ¡°And that¡¯s not all. Making a Mana bomb is feasible; in fact, I¡¯ve made a couple myself for¡­ recreational purposes¡­.¡± The others stared blankly at Wade as he stopped to chuckle. Astonishingly, he noticed and shook his head, pulling himself back to the real world. ¡°Shrinking the Mana bomb to the size of something that can fit inside a protozoan is tricky.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t just make a microscopic Mana bomb from scratch?¡± Zeke asked. Ashlin flipped her dark red hair to the side. ¡°Even if we could, there is no way we can make it potent,¡± she said, ¡°and before you ask¡­ no, we can¡¯t perform a spell that shrinks something to that size.¡± Zeke squinted at her trying to make sense of what she said, and ended up thinking how much her back must ache daily. Wade swallowed some more pills and drawled, ¡°There is one way.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say it¡­.¡± Akachi pleaded. ¡°Fairies.¡± ¡°Shit.¡± Ashlin cursed in Russian as she crossed her arms under her breasts. ¡°They¡¯re the only ones that have that kind of magic¡­¡± Wade lamented, removed his earflap cap, and brushed back his disheveled red hair. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with fairies?¡± Ugo asked. ¡°Well, Ugo¡­¡± Akachi started explaining while flexing his arms and staring at them. ¡°The past Tainted Generation screwed them over so bad they haven¡¯t left their Realm in centuries and don¡¯t allow any other creature inside. It¡¯s become a closed Realm. Especially for humans. Just us stepping foot there could cause an all-out war.¡± Zeke scratched his head. ¡°Maybe, if we explain the situation to them¡ª¡± ¡°They were enslaved by the Tainted Generation. Used for experiments,¡± Ashlin said. ¡°They won¡¯t listen.¡± ¡°Here¡¯s the plan,¡± Wade said, putting his cap back on. ¡°Somebody needs to go to the Fairy Realm, sneak into the Queen¡¯s lab. and steal some extract of the fairy shrinking factor. While someone needs to volunteer to be the test subject for our Trojan Horse.¡± Ugo raised his hand. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°Mora!¡± ¡°No more debating!¡± He said and got up. ¡°We have no time.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Ashlin said. ¡°I¡¯ll stay behind with Wade to watch over you¡­¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°... and the mutt,¡± Ashlin said, giving Ugo a disgusted look. ¡°To speed up the process, I will put a temporary aging spell on your Container for the specimen to reach its full potential.¡± ¡°S¨ª, se?orita.¡± ¡°Oh, Dios m¨ªo,¡± Zeke said under his breath. He hoped that Ugo wasn¡¯t putting his life in danger just to impress Ashlin. Then he made a hiss, realizing his brother had no idea Ashlin was already in love with someone else. Akachi clapped Zeke on the shoulder. ¡°Shortstack, you¡¯re with me. We¡¯re going to the Fairy Realm!¡± Zeke looked back at Akachi, smiling nervously, and then looked at Wade. ¡°Hey, there¡¯s something else we need to talk about concerning our Trojan Horse.¡± ¡°I¡¯m all ears,¡± Wade said. And then Zeke explained it to him. Chapter 58 - Haven The Healers went downstairs, where backpacks and several useful items (including Wade¡¯s sleeping sand and Mana bottles, of which they drank some) were conjured for Zeke and Akachi. According to the book of Esther Rosario, conjuring wasn¡¯t making something out of thin air but instead summoning it from somewhere the conjurer had seen the item before. Regarding basic materials, again, as long they¡¯ve seen them somewhere before, the conjurer could summon them, enlarge them, and make copies to form something larger. It was the same with Transportation Sigils as it was impossible to go to a place the drawer had never been to before. Mental visualization was just as crucial as having two working hands when it came to magic. Zeke heeded the warnings about the fairies¡¯ adverse feelings towards Healers, but paying attention to the intricacies of the plan was difficult with Aida¡¯s growling as she nibbled the leg of a desk. He felt bad for her teeth. The plan was to sneak into the Fairy Queen¡¯s Castle, find the royal research lab, and steal some shrinking factor extract. Wade disappeared upstairs for a while as Ashlin found a piece of chalk and drew it on the door. Zeke noticed Ugo staring blankly at the bookcase. Before he had the chance to say something, Wade returned with a double-needle syringe with a handle like a handgun. ¡°You guys can use this to extract the shrinking factor. Get as much as you can.¡± As Zeke reached for it, Akachi beat him to it and grabbed the syringe, ¡°On it, bud, you can count on us.¡± Stepping away from the door, Ashlin announced the sigil was done. ¡°If this place wasn¡¯t visited by Healers for centuries,¡± Zeke started, ¡°then how do you have a sigil for it?¡± Ashlin made a disturbing smile that had Zeke shiver. He preferred her flinty, cold look. ¡°I have my ways,¡± she said sinisterly. A tiny, medieval kitchen was revealed as Ashlin opened the door. ¡°I don¡¯t know where this is in the Fairy Realm, but you¡¯ll have to find a way to the castle from there.¡± Ashlin said. Akachi walked towards the door. ¡°Alright, Fairy Realm, here we¡ª¡± An orange flash zapped past Akachi, and the syringe was no longer in his hand, but he wasn¡¯t confused and knew exactly where to look; turning his head back, ¡°Koshiko¡­¡± A throaty moan of contentment came from Aida as she sat, chewing on her new toy in a corner. Zeke approached her cautiously and lowered to his haunches. ¡°Aida¡­ I am going to need that, okay?¡± he reached out a hand and pulled back as she gave him a deep growl. ¡°Aida¡­¡± he said and tried again. She growled again, and this time her eyes glowed red, and then her dark red pointy ears popped out the top of her head alongside her large tail that sprouted from behind. ¡°Aida!¡± Zeke shouted and extended his hand with less caution. Zeke¡¯s fingers were saved, pulling back in the nick of time as Aida tried to bite him. ¡°?Qu¨¦ huevada!¡± he exclaimed. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re never getting that back,¡± Ugo said calmly. As Zeke contemplated his non-existent future as a veterinarian, Aida, now in her complete hybrid form, held the instrument in her mouth and dashed for the door. ¡°No, dammit, Koshiko!¡± Akachi yelled and chased her into the kitchen on the other side of the door. ¡°I guess it¡¯s time to get started,¡± Zeke said, grabbed his doctor¡¯s bag, and ran. He stopped for a moment to take out a pen and his grandmother¡¯s book from his bag. He found a blank page and drew the sigil that was on the door. Zeke advanced, and Aida was running around the tiny home, growling and yipping happily with the instrument in her mouth, destroying nearly everything in her path, leaving scratches on the wooden floor and walls and the hand-carved furniture with her massive claws. ¡°How do you calm down a kitsune?¡± Zeke asked Akachi. ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± The excited kitsune stopped on her own and sat, dropping the syringe from her mouth and letting out a big yawn. Zeke and Akachi watched as she fought not to doze off. ¡°Really, Koshiko?¡± Akachi said, squinting at her as she got comfortable on the floor.. ¡°After all that, you¡¯re just going to fall asleep?¡± The homeowner arrived, and the door behind her slammed shut as she froze in shock. She was a stunning fairy (which Zeke realized was probably the norm) in a plain blue dress. Even with her small stature, no more than 4 feet tall, childish figure, and cute round face when she spoke, it was the voice of an adult. ¡°Are you¡­ humans?¡± She asked shakily as her colorful insect-like wings folded behind her. When she noticed Aida, she started screaming. ¡°A werewolf? Here? How?¡± Akachi made some quick hand signs, and a long bone shot out of the wall from behind the open-mouthed fairy. It looped around her neck and pulled her back. ¡°Ah!¡± she cried out as she hit the wall with her new neck jewelry crushing her throat. A devilish side of Akachi came out to play as he slowly approached the trembling fairy with his hands in his pockets. The closer Akachi got to her, the higher the fairy raised her head. He must¡¯ve looked like a giant to the poor, dainty thing. ¡°Don¡¯t even try to shrink your way out of this,¡± Akachi said. ¡°I¡¯m pressing into my wings. You¡¯re hurting me¡­.¡± ¡°I know you can feel my energy,¡± he responded, looking down at her with a crude smile. ¡°Now, tell me, what does it feel like to you?¡± Zeke shivered at the surge of Black Magic energy he felt coming from Akachi. ¡°A-A-Are you a demon?¡± Akachi laughed and slammed his hand onto the wall. She flinched. ¡°How much have they taught you about the Tainted Generation, kid?¡± She whimpered. Her knees were facing each other, and tears were welling in her eyes. ¡°No¡­ that¡¯s impossible.¡± She shook her head violently, messing up her dark short, wavy bob. ¡°You¡¯re a fairy. You guys have some of the best energy detection of all the realms. Listen to what it is telling you.¡± The fairy accepted what was happening and started to sob. ¡°This is our haven¡­ Why attack it? What did we ever do to you?¡± Zeke took a step forward. ¡°Akachi, don¡¯t you think¡ª?¡± ¡°Stay out of this, Shortstack!¡± Akachi rasped, waving a hand. Staying put, Zeke watched the scene go on. Akachi placed a finger in front of the fairy¡¯s bone neck cuff. ¡°We need a way to the Queen¡¯s castle. You¡¯re going to tell us how to get there.¡± This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°Queen Titania is not well. Leave her alone. What do you want with the Queen?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t concern you. What concerns you is giving us the right directions, and if you try to give us bogus directions or lead us into a trap¡­ well, do I need to say it? They teach math in your fairy schools, right? What¡¯s three minus eleven?¡± ¡°Eight,¡± she said. ¡°Do you think it¡¯ll be fun for eight members of the Tainted Generation to cruise on over here, hun?¡± ¡°Just go North until you reach the Mana River. You¡¯ll see the castle in the distance if you follow the river. It is the biggest structure in this Realm. Hard to miss. All you have to do is follow it.¡± ¡°Thank you, little lady.¡± Akachi spun a heel back to Zeke. ¡°Sleeping sand, Shortstack.¡± Zeke hastily took a pouch from his backpack and tossed it to Akachi. He caught it. ¡°What are you going to do to me?¡± the fairy asked. Grabbing a handful of glittery, golden sand, Akachi ignored her question and blew it into her face. After the puff of dust dissipated, she was sound asleep. Akachi undid his bone spell, picked the fairy up in his arms, and laid her on her back on the hand-carved sofa. ¡°Narcissistic,¡± ¡°vain,¡± and ¡°gloater¡± were a couple of things Zeke labeled Akachi, but he never thought he would add ¡°black-hearted¡± to the list. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that!¡± Akachi snapped at Zeke. ¡°I had to play the role to get what we needed.¡± He looked over to Aida, curled up in a ball as she slept. ¡°I¡¯ll get her¡­¡± Akachi hoisted her up into his arms and exited the household. A beautiful vista of purple and blue awaited them outside the tiny house. Zeke scanned the mystical surroundings in awe. It was an enchanted forest straight from a storybook. The purple foliage of the trees was shaped like clouds. A sweet fragrance arose from the lilac undergrowth they stood on. The sapphire night sky with its glowing blue moon was like an oil painting with bizarre clouds melded together to resemble waterfalls. ¡°Hey!¡± Akachi hissed at Zeke. ¡°It¡¯s late in this realm, and most fairies don¡¯t move around as much during this time. We need to get to the river before we find another returning from a late-night adventure.¡± Zeke nodded and followed Akachi as he led the way. The familiar sounds of insects chirping, buzzing, and flapping their tiny wings (sounding like a football rattle) all made for a relaxing melody. There was so much Mana emanating from the Realm Zeke felt more and more invigorated just by walking through the forest and its tiny houses. It was as if he didn¡¯t go through two rounds with Kian earlier in the day. Aida let out a low growl in her sleep and dug her claws into Akachi¡¯s chest, getting comfier. Akachi almost stumbled over but caught his footing and powered through it. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we transport her back?¡± Zeke asked. ¡°No, fairies¡¯ magical detection is insane,¡± Akachi explained. ¡°Just that one trip here probably already alerted some higher-ranked fairies. Making another trip and back would raise awareness. We don¡¯t want that until we sneak into the castle. So, we¡¯re stuck with her.¡± They continued their journey without saying a word to each other, but loud inner introspection was enough to keep Zeke distracted long enough until they reached the Mana River. ¡°Whoa, hold up!¡± Akachi had to call out to stop Zeke from mindlessly walking into the river. He jumped back and thanked Akachi for getting him out of his head. ¡°Man, your brain is just always working, huh?¡± Akachi shook his head and let out a grunt. ¡°Do me a favor and do something about Koshiko¡¯s claw, will ya?¡± Zeke kept his breathing steady as he approached the sleeping kitsune and grabbed her fluffy wrist. Luckily, Aida didn¡¯t put up a fight in her sleep, and Zeke was able to pull the claw away from deep within Akachi¡¯s skin. He grunted as some blood spit out. ¡°Thanks,¡± he said, putting her down by a couple of rocks. Akachi closed his eyes, crouched a little, joined his hands, interlocking his fingers, and did a little breathwork. Then as he started to do hand signs, a piece of bone appeared before him. It enlarged, split multiple times, twisted, and connected to one another until it became a row boat. As he let it fall to the ground, he did it again, making a bone oar. Akachi lifted Aida and put her onto the boat. ¡°Hop on,¡± he told Zeke. Zeke hopped onto the side Aida was on as Akachi grabbed the oar, pushed the boat onto the ultramarine stream, and then jumped in. As Akachi rowed them forward, Aida curled beside Zeke and rested her head on her lap. He imagined Ugo threatening to murder him in cold blood. ¡°So, you know how to row a boat?¡± Zeke asked. ¡°Yes, I do, Shortstack. I used to go on crazy boat rides on River Styx with my dude, Charon. He would let me play ferryman for a bit,¡± he smiled that smug smile of his. ¡°Listen, man, about what happened back with that fairy.¡± Zeke raised a hand. ¡°I get it you were doing what was necessary.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just that,¡± Akachi responded aggressively. ¡°It¡¯s time for us to stop lamenting about who we are. I¡¯m not saying we should intimidate people like that using our titles, but maybe just a little wouldn¡¯t be so bad.¡± Akachi was losing Zeke. He forced a smile to remain amicable. ¡°I mean, like, we should declare our titles with pride instead of with shame like we owe the world something. It¡¯s not our fault that the ones before us did all that crap. If we scare people when we do it, then so be it. We¡¯re not just humans, Shortstack! We are extraordinary, and nobody is like us. Nobody should be like us.¡± Zeke fixated on him with a worried look and then smiled nervously. Maybe Akachi¡¯s performance back with the fairy wasn¡¯t just a performance. ¡°I used to be a lot like you, you know,¡± Akachi said out of nowhere. Zeke raised a brow but didn¡¯t say anything and let Akachi go on. Then, he did something that almost had him fall out of the boat. ¡°Spanish was my first language,¡± Akachi said in perfect Spanish and went on. ¡°I¡¯m from Equatorial Guinea.¡± He switched back to English. ¡°I was a social outcast. Afraid to voice my opinions, thinking that everybody was better than me, hating myself¡­ but unlike you, I was very chubby. I didn¡¯t get along with my family, so when my Mana Pores opened up on my 13th birthday, it saved me.¡± Zeke thought about just how much Akachi must have learned from being able to access magic for four years. ¡°I worked hard to understand all the ins and outs of my magic¡ªmy specialty. But I kept it all to myself,¡± he said and stopped rowing. They were stationed in the middle of the river as Akachi looked sternly into Zeke¡¯s eyes. ¡°One day, I was exploring the forest for some herbs and encountered a sick man. It was an easy job, patched him back to health, nothing to it, but the man was actually Oshosi, an Orisha god of hunting.¡± ¡°So, there was just a god hanging out in the forest?¡± Akachi looked up at the sapphire sky, drowning in his memories. ¡°They like to travel to the Human Realm. He was amazed by my talent and asked more about me. I think that was the first time I felt someone thought I was special.¡± he clenched his jacket. ¡°It felt good, so I told him I was one of the Tainted Generation. I told him I was the Physician of the Deities. ¡°Oshosi took me back to the realm of the orisha and insisted that I help cure other gods inflicted with strange ailments. And I did it all without breaking a sweat! I was lavished with all the cool shit the gods had to offer.¡± ¡°What about your family?¡± Zeke asked. Akachi frowned. ¡°What about them? I ditched them. Were you not paying attention? I was hanging out with gods! Gods were treating me like I was a god! It was wonderful!¡± he boasted. ¡°I learned why deities nowadays were weak. They¡¯ve been weakened due to the downturn of worship and shrines., Thus more diseases popped up.¡± ¡°So, no goodbye note or anything to your family?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t focus on that; focus on the cool part of the story, Shortstack.¡± Akachi started rowing again. ¡°After getting bored with the Orisha, I traveled to other lands and treated Egyptian gods, Hindu gods, Shinto gods, where I met Aida, Norse gods, and finally¡­ the Greek,¡± he grinned. ¡°Wait, you could travel to other Realms even before the Seals were broken?¡± ¡°Yeah, Shortstack,¡± Akachi responded. ¡°I met Wade at one of Dionysus¡¯ parties. Man, those were the days¡­.¡± ¡°Just a haze of drugs, sex, and alcohol, right?¡± Zeke said lamely. ¡°You need to live, Shortstack. Next thing you know, you¡¯re going to be old and full of regrets. I wanted to live my life, and I wanted a change to be happy, so,¡± he flexed his biceps,¡± I hit the weights!¡± Zeke looked down at the river, wondering if it would be okay to vomit into the enchanted water. ¡°With a new body and mentality, I finally started to get what I wanted from life. And I know what you¡¯re thinking: no, I didn¡¯t use any shortcuts.¡± Zeke was thinking about how to get rid of his nausea, but he let the narcissist go on. ¡°I didn¡¯t use any magic to reach my physique. Unlike Ashlin¡­¡± Zeke perked up. ¡°Yeah, her whole body¡¯s fake. It¡¯s a Container she made herself. I don¡¯t think that should come as a surprise to you,¡± Akachi said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what she eats or if she exercises. Her unbelievable body will stay the same.¡± ¡°I wonder if that has something to do with Gill¡­.¡± Zeke said under his breath. ¡°What does Gill have to do with it?¡± Zeke flinched in frustration, realizing he didn¡¯t comment to himself quietly enough. There was no point trying to hide it; Akachi¡¯s wide-eyed look said it all. He was going to pry about it endlessly. ¡°Look, don¡¯t tell anybody, okay?¡± Zeke stopped to think and then said, ¡°but if you do, you didn¡¯t hear it from me!¡± ¡°What is it, Shortstack?¡± ¡°Ashlin likes Gill.¡± Akachi dropped the oar into the river. Chapter 59 - Shrinkage ¡°What?¡± Akachi blurted and then froze for a moment, staring at Zeke incredulously like a child being told he wouldn¡¯t be a kid forever. Without the oar, the trio were buoying in a single spot in the still ultramarine river. ¡°Ashlin likes Gill,¡± Zeke repeated, ¡°no, that seems like an oversimplification really. It might be more than that. I think she¡¯s in love with him.¡± Akachi chuckled. ¡°Ash doesn¡¯t like Gill, and she definitely doesn¡¯t love him either.¡± ¡°Yes, she does. A lot.¡± ¡°No, she doesn¡¯t!¡± he proclaimed adamantly. ¡°She told me herself. If you could see the look I saw¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe you. Why would you try to get me to believe such an obvious lie? What do you have to gain?¡± ¡°Why is this hard for you to believe? Because Gill is fat?¡± ¡°Yes, that is exactly why I don¡¯t believe you,¡± he said, using his magic to construct another bone oar. ¡°Don¡¯t be so vain,¡± Zeke said, which was like trying to tell a zebra to stop having stripes. ¡°But, I am vain, and so is Ashlin,¡± Akachi defended and resumed rowing, ¡°which is why that doesn¡¯t make any sense. I¡¯ve known Ashlin for two years now. She¡¯s obsessed with aesthetics and clearly cares mostly about appearances when it comes to people, so no, it can¡¯t be.¡± Aida growled in her sleep and shifted slightly. Her fluffy ears tickled Zeke¡¯s belly. ¡°Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder,¡± Zeke said and shrugged. ¡°I bet an ugly person came up with that saying.¡± Akachi paused and then gave out a groan. ¡°If¡ªif! What you¡¯re saying is true, then how come none of the girls are going after me? Violet is chasing after you, Ashlin is crushing on Gill,¡± Akachi snuck a glance at Aida, ¡°and I bet that Koshiko still has feelings for the Pothead.¡± Zeke failed to keep himself from snickering; seeing the arrogant in distress was always amusing. ¡°So, you¡¯re jealous? Don¡¯t you boast about having sex with literal goddesses?¡± ¡°And that¡¯s the problem! I¡¯ve had goddesses chase after me, and I can¡¯t catch the attention of a couple of mortals? No, this isn¡¯t right.¡± Akachi went silent for a moment and started making faces like those of a troubled scientist doing an absurdly long calculation in his head instead of just doing it on a piece of paper. ¡°You and Violet have known each other since you were kids, so there¡¯s that. She¡¯s got some kind of nostalgic hold over you and Wade got with Koshiko when she was in a very vulnerable place, so she¡¯ll always correlate getting out of a bad time with the memory of him¡­.¡± Akachi stopped rowing to cup his chin and nodded silently, satisfied and amazed with his intuition. Giving himself a mental jackoff, increasing his crude smile. Zeke stared with a screwed-up face. Akachi raised a finger and continued his dissertation. ¡°Gill must¡¯ve used a love spell on Ashlin.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that kind of impossible, given who we are?¡± Zeke rebutted immediately and then looked down at Aida. ¡°Nevermind¡­¡± ¡°It must have been a really elaborate, powerful spell. As much as I hate to admit it, Gill is brilliant. He could probably find a way of casting an effective love spell on a member of the Tainted Generation. That¡¯s why I¡¯m convinced he killed Yaalon.¡± ¡°But the Black Magic¡­¡± ¡°He found a way around that!¡± Akachi snapped. ¡°That fatass is cunning and meticulous¡­ to be honest, for me, he¡¯s the only person who can pull off something that big without getting caught. Gill is very dangerous, y¡¯know.¡± Zeke retreated from reality and sank into his head for his scheduled thinking session. Gill invited them to the house. Gill arranged the ¡°party¡± and has a literal army of demons to help him. Everything is under his control, but pinning the blame on him was too easy. It wasn¡¯t just a red herring but a flaming vermillion herring with multiple flashing arrows pointing at it. His session was cut early by a painful uppercut. Zeke fell on his back and rubbed the bottom of his chin, hissing at the pain as he watched Aida, now sitting up, and looking around in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± She asked. ¡°Welcome back, Koshiko,¡± Akachi replied. Zeke pulled himself up and then caught Aida narrowing her glowing red eyes at him. She began to snarl. ¡°Violet¡­¡± ¡°Oh, so you remember having the spell put on you,¡± Zeke said. ¡°That bitch!¡± Aida exclaimed and then touched her pointy ears. ¡°Dang it¡­ did I do anything too embarrassing or gross while under the spell?¡± The image of Aida licking the toilet water in the airport bathroom flashed in Zeke¡¯s mind. He shared a look with Akachi and knew he had the same flashback. ¡°No,¡± they both answered. The two updated Aida on current events for the rest of the boat ride. Leaving out the part about what happened with Shadow. Luckily, she didn¡¯t ask. ¡°Is there an actual plan on how we¡¯ll sneak into the Queen¡¯s castle?¡± Aida asked. Zeke stammered, and then Akachi guided the boat to station at a river bank. The Queen¡¯s castle was visible from where they were at. It had the anatomy of a classic medieval construct with multiple turrets topped with pointy spires, and it was of the same whimsical color palette as the forest. ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea,¡± Akachi announced. ¡°Oh, no¡­¡± Aida said in horror. She turned to her side. ¡°Zeke, are you sure you don¡¯t have anything?¡± Akachi jumped out of the boat and pulled it up the lilac terrain. ¡°You two will get into the research lab while I distract the guards¡­ and possibly the entirety of the Realm.¡± Zeke and Aida climbed out of the boat. The Diagnostician almost got hit in the face with Aida¡¯s tail before adding, ¡°What kind of distraction?¡± The dark-skinned Healer answered by summoning his Garb. He dropped to the ground with his legs crossed. ¡°Have I ever told you about the time Zeus and I did a prank on Poseidon?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Aida replied dryly, ¡°only a bazillion times.¡± This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°I was talking to Zeke!¡± Akachi shook his head and joined his hands. ¡°I¡¯ll give you guys as much time as possible. Koshiko, you¡¯re already in hybrid form, so you know what to do.¡± A sigh came from Aida, and she got in a pouncing position. ¡°Get on,¡± she said to Zeke. ¡°Uhhh¡­¡± Zeke said and looked down at the doctor¡¯s bag in his hand. ¡°Put that away,¡± Aida said. ¡°You¡¯re going to have to hold on with both hands.¡± ¡°I know¡­ I just¡­¡± Zeke sighed, shakily walked over to some vegetation, and placed the bag down. He knew if he ever hoped to see the gift from his grandmother again, he was going to have to try out the conjuring spell to summon it back to him. As Zeke got up, he staggered forward, sensing an electric aura from behind. He looked over at Akachi, who was reciting an incantation under his breath; his eyes were all white, and a dark nimbus was flowing out of him. His body transformed into an electric cloud and shot up into the sky. The cloud expanded and twisted until it formed a god-like face. The darkening blue sky was covered with jagged streaks of lightning. And even louder than the roaring thunder was a powerful voice. It said: ¡°I AM THE MIGHTY ZEUS! HEED MY WORDS, PUNY FAIRIES! MOUNT OLYMPUS HAS BEEN IGNORED FOR TOO LONG! THIS REALM SHALL BE THE FIRST IN OUR NEW CRUSADE OF CONQUEST!¡± Zeke gawked at the godly sight. His knees were now facing each other and shaking under the massive weight of fear. ¡°Aka can mimic the abilities of gods,¡± Aida said casually. ¡°What?¡± ¡°But it takes a lot out of him. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he were out of Mana for the rest of the day. Let¡¯s not have his efforts be in vain. We have to go now, Zeke!¡± He obeyed Aida¡¯s order and carefully latched onto her back. ¡°Please, don¡¯t go too fast,¡± Zeke pleaded, wrapping his arms around her. Aida smirked. ¡°No promises, Zeke.¡± And she blasted off without even making a countdown. She dodged the thick lightning bolts raining from the sky as she sped through the enchanted forest. Zeke could hear Aida laughing under all his screaming in terror. It was like he was 12 years old again, riding the Frozen Twisty at the now-defunct Winterberry Theme Park just to impress Violet. His regret back then came only 2 seconds after the ride started. Zeke¡¯s regret now hopping on the kitsune came 1 second after the hell ride started. They dashed through the castle¡¯s front gates; Zeke couldn¡¯t see the guards or most of the courtyard. He thought he saw a pool of Mana but wasn¡¯t sure everything was just a blur. The guards must¡¯ve been distracted by Akachi¡¯s stunt, although Aida might have been simply too quick for them to attack. The hell ride ended, and they were safe and sound inside the castle¡¯s entrance hall. Zeke slipped off Aida¡¯s back, only to get up to spew out chunks onto the castle¡¯s spotless hardwood flooring. ¡°I guess I should¡¯ve told you to equip your Healer¡¯s Garb first,¡± Aida said with a sympathetic smile. With his hands on his knees, Zeke groaned lifelessly. He lifted his head slowly to scan the surrounding area and avoided looking down at his puke. There was a regal double staircase in front of them, and the hall was covered with colorful flowers and highly detailed decorations all over the walls. ¡°It¡¯s all so beautiful,¡± Zeke said, still hearing the thunder rolling from outside. Aida put a hand on her hip and took in the view. ¡°Yeah, it is.¡± ¡°I get to explore all these fantastic worlds, but it¡¯s always under the worst circumstances. Last time it was about my mother¡¯s life, and now it¡¯s the fate of the planet.¡± Aida looked back at him. ¡°You¡¯re definitely a glass-half-empty kinda guy, huh?¡± Following the comment, Zeke asked, ¡°So where¡¯s the lab?¡± ¡°How am I supposed to know? You were the one lucid enough to hear about the plan.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t given a map or anything like that!¡± Zeke stopped to rub his forehead. ¡°I guess we¡¯re supposed to run around here until we find it.¡± His stomach whined about not being able to handle another trip. Then, an orotund voice sounded from the top of the staircase. ¡°You¡¯ll do nothing of the sort!¡± Zeke and Aida looked up the staircase and saw the Queen. Queen Titania was a slim, bony, statuesque with impressively long dark blue hair that touched the floor. Her hair was dotted with various flowers. She walked down the staircase, her look growing angrier with every imposing step she took. ¡°Sukunabikona,¡± Aida called and then summoned Tsukikaze. She got in position. ¡°Aida, wait, maybe we can reason with her,¡± Zeke said, extending his hand to her. ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen, Zeke,¡± she replied, gripping her sword and locking eyes with Titania. A single flower was in the center of the bust of her yellow, moss-dotted dress. She had an hourglass figure but a sickly variant of it. Her waist looked small enough to fit in both her hands, and her hips and torso were wider, however, still concerningly thin. ¡°You lot figured you were clever with that childish ploy of yours outside?¡± the Queen said. ¡°Is that the entire plan? Distract my troops while you waltz in here and end my life as I sleep?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not here to kill you,¡± Zeke said, taking note of her hollow cheeks and unfocused eyes, wondering if it was due to stress. ¡°I understand the Thirteenth Tainted Generation has hurt your kind in many ways for a long time, but we, the Fourteenth, are different.¡± ¡°You¡¯re telling me there isn¡¯t a single reprobate in the current collection of Healers?¡± ¡°Well¡­ okay¡­ some of us are,¡± he said, then glanced at Aida. ¡°Listen, we need just a little of your shrinking factor¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s no use, Zeke,¡± Aida hissed. He went on. ¡°This isn¡¯t for us. It¡¯s for humanity! There¡¯s a plague and¡ª¡± ¡°Allow me to theorize,¡± the Queen interrupted as she raised her hand. ¡°One of the current members of the Tainted Generation is the culprit behind this plague.¡± ¡°Yes, but we already took care of him. He¡¯s imprisoned, and now we just need to get rid of the protozoa he left behind.¡± ¡°It baffles me how villains like you dare to call yourselves: ¡®Healers.¡¯¡± Her angular face contorted in disgust. ¡°I¡¯ve heard enough, and I decline your request. Leave this Realm at once, vermin.¡± ¡°Zeke¡­¡± Aida whispered to him. ¡°Summon your Garb already. This is happening whether you like it or not.¡± Queen Titania¡¯s giant sparkling blue fairy wings sprouted from her back. ¡°Leave!¡± she demanded. Zeke sighed. ¡°Vesklepios,¡± he summoned. Aida made the first move. A flurry of afterimages of herself swinging the blade flashed around the Queen as Aida stayed in place without moving an inch. As the amazed spectator, Zeke watched the Queen evade the attacks with her nimble flight and then glide to Aida. With just a quick brush across Aida¡¯s right arm, the Queen¡¯s magic was successfully applied. Tsukikaze dropped as Aida¡¯s right arm shortened and shriveled. She then took a kick to the face. The Queen delivered it so delicately, yet the impact was massive as it sent Aida crashing into a wall. The awestruck Zeke finally made his move and shot a red vein out of his sleeve to wrap around the Queen. She was constrained, but not for long as she shrank to the size of a dragonfly and sped around the room; Zeke¡¯s eyes had trouble keeping up. Queen Titania grew to full size behind him and brushed the top of his head. It miniaturized to the size of a tennis ball. He looked up and saw a giant palm moving downward to him to crush his tiny head. After letting out his high-pitched, squeaky scream, Aida jumped over him, and the Queen was pushed back. Even with his new head shape making him only able to see the world as if he were looking through a small telescope, he surmised that Aida was attacking the Queen using her sharp teeth, trying to tear off her throat with it. The Queen escaped the hold by shrinking and flying away again, during which Aida pulled back and picked up her sword in her mouth. She grabbed the handle with her regular-sized hand, pulled to unsheathe the sword, and then bit onto the handle. The claws on her regular-sized hand sharpened, and she went in for the kill, attempting to cut the Queen in her tiny form with either her sword or claws or both. Aida didn¡¯t succeed, but at the end of the assault, her arm grew back to normal, and the Queen returned to normal size. Titania tried to attack Zeke but was stopped by Aida, who bit onto her shoulder. It was a rough bite as the Queen screamed with blood gushing out. Zeke¡¯s head returned to normal, and as the Queen fell to her knees, her face crumpled in pain, Aida and Zeke shared a look and nodded. He raised his arm and allowed for the spool of red and blue veins to cover his arm until it was thrice the size. Aida leaped off Queen Titania just in time for Zeke to blast his giant fist at her. The gambit failed. Queen Titania shrank in the blink of an eye, swirled around his veiny arm, and suddenly returned to normal size and grabbed hold of his throat. ¡°You Healers think you are so smart. Allow me to give you a riddle. Which creature is the fastest flier in all of the Realms?¡± They zoomed past the ceiling. Chapter 60 - Healer While in an unbreakable chokehold by Queen Titania, Zeke was moving across the clouded, lightning-covered sky with her in what he believed to be close to Mach speed. During the flight, he saw fairies flying around Akachi¡¯s god face and attacking him. Looking down, he saw Aida with bat wings; she must¡¯ve grown thanks to her powers. She tried to catch up to them, but the distance continued to increase. Aida became smaller and smaller in Zeke¡¯s vision until she was nothing but a faraway dot that disappeared out of existence. Zeke guessed they were now somewhere between the Realm¡¯s equivalent of the thermosphere and exosphere. The air got colder, and the sky grew darker as they continued to ascend. His eardrums were in a painful cycle of rupturing and healing. The nails that dug into his throat were starting to feel like hot needles administering mercury into his bloodstream. ¡°Allow me to ask you, Healer,¡± The Queen shouted upbeat; she was having too much with this. ¡°Do you understand how all the Realms are connected to one another?¡± As the Queen averted her eyes upward, Zeke¡¯s eyes followed the same direction, and he was staring at the universe. A swirly, dreamy mix of colors sprinkled with tiny stars. They were moving toward a stream of light. Once inside it, the speed of their flight doubled. The intense light surrounded Zeke, and booming eerie sounds blasted into his ears. The Queen managed to speak even louder than the stream they were in. ¡°There are three ways to travel to other Realms. The conventional way is traveling by foot, transport, or flight. The mystical way you miscreants like to use is using the Transportation Sigils you all are so fond of. And the cosmic way is by using the universal stream, which is reserved for highly powered entities. If it weren''t for that Healer''s Garb of yours, you''d be dead by now, but no worries, that can be arranged.¡± Zeke gripped tightly onto her arm as the heat began to broil his skin. As she continued talking, he had some veins climb up her arm with the weakened strength he had left. ¡°If I push you out, you¡¯ll fall into a random Realm, but that crash isn¡¯t survivable, or even better, you fall in the space between Realms where not even Death can find you,¡± the Queen''s face twisted cruelly. She was too caught up in the moment to notice the vein climbing up her cheek. ¡°Let''s hope for the latter, shall we?¡± The Queen maneuvered towards the beam''s edge, pushing Zeke near it. Only Zeke''s head passed through and what he saw was indescribable. A Realm that wasn¡¯t meant for human eyes, not even the Tainted Generation. Zeke clenched his eyes shut before his Garb started screaming for him not to look any longer. Lingering a second longer might¡¯ve melted his brain. Zeke pulled his head back, still gripping Titania¡¯s arm, and fought against her effort to push him out. ¡°Die, you Tainted Generation scum!¡± she screamed. The last moment before she closed her mouth, Zeke¡¯s red veins went in just as the blue veins shot up into her nostrils. The Queen''s eyes bugged out as she started to choke. Zeke gripped the veins, feeling that they latched onto something inside her. And he pulled. Queen Titania yawped as loud as a rocket launch, and the two fell out of the beam. The pair plunged through an orange-tinted sky, whirling rapidly on their way to plummet onto unknown grounds. Despite the insane speeds they were moving at, it took¡ªwhat felt like hours¡ªto finally reach the ground. It was solid sandstone, and the first crash launched them back into the air. A second impact into the ground had them bounce up just a little higher and then came the tumbling. They rolled and rolled and rolled, making hoarse grunts as their bones released reverberating cracks. Their tumbling lasted almost as long as their fall, and then they slid across the sandstone for almost as long as the length of a football field. The cacophony of pain climaxed, and no sound came from the two as they stayed down, twisted in horribly crumpled positions. Zeke had one side of his face pressed onto the ground while the other faced the triple suns in the orange sky. There was no skin on that side of his face. The fresh meat was fully displayed, with missing spots that showed the bone underneath. He moved his eye down to the Queen and couldn¡¯t see her face. Her emaciated folded figure showed only the back of her head with the heel of her twisted foot touching it. Her once beautiful wings were now crushed and shriveled. Zeke fought back the urge to call for her. He was too afraid to mess up his rearranged organs even further and allowed his Healer¡¯s Garb to do its work. Still, he could feel how low he was on Mana and was a bit worried about his purity levels. And the cycle of deprecating thoughts commenced. As he healed, he thought about how much he had been slacking off as Nananiel¡¯s spy. He had done absolutely nothing to uncover the other three members of the Tainted Generation who helped Isaac break the Seals. The image of Yaalon¡¯s heroic face appeared in his mind. Once again, he was reminded of what he was doing while the Immunologist was killed. Violet. Violet. Violet. Violet. He let out a scoff. This is what happens when I have fun. When I let myself slack off. His self-torture ended early as Queen¡¯s body folded back into shape, and she rolled over to face Zeke. Zeke was relieved she had an impressive healing factor and wondered what it would take to kill her. He smiled. ¡°Good,¡± Zeke said feebly. ¡°What did you say?¡± the Queen rasped. ¡°I¡¯m just glad you aren¡¯t dead," Zeke said feebly. ¡°Do not attempt to amuse me, boy.¡± She exerted her broken wings to fly up but wasn''t going anywhere; she fell right back down on her stomach. ¡°Don¡¯t try to fly. Just stop and let your regeneration do its job¡ª¡± ¡°Silence, worm!¡± Her jaw clenched tightly as she bared her teeth. Something was bothering her. ¡°Why do you care?¡± ¡°Because I am a doctor,¡± he proclaimed breathlessly. ¡°These mind games won''t work on me¡ª¡± ¡°I''m not trying to trick you or anything like that. I get it¡­ you hate us!¡± Zeke thought back to Isaac wanting to restructure Heaven and what he did just to meet him. He thought about Kian unleashing a plague. The Tainted Generation was scum. ¡°And you know what? I don¡¯t blame you! We are the worst! One of us started the plague, and he isn¡¯t even the one who murdered Yaalon! The murderer could be any one of us, and I have no idea who it could be, but yeah, we are scum. And there¡¯s even a chance that the murderer isn¡¯t one of the members who helped break the Seals! How crazy is that? We are the worst. Just like how most of my family is scum. You¡¯re right to hate us, okay? You¡¯re right!" Zeke paused for a moment to wheeze in pain. ¡°I didn¡¯t choose to be one of the Tainted Generation, but I¡¯m doing the best I can. I want to end the conflict between the angels and Healers although I am starting to believe that if the only way to put an end to that is by putting an end to all of us, then¡­¡± he was afraid to let himself finish the sentence and sobbed quietly. The Queen sat up with her mangled hands folded on her lap. ¡°How much knowledge do you have of what the Tainted have done to us?¡± ¡°Nobody specified the details.¡± If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The Queen enlightened him. ¡°We are what they called a Special Conduit for Mana. The Mana that goes into our system can be extracted into a much more powerful version of it. Filling Mana Gauges much quicker than direct means. Hundreds, thousands of us were abducted from our realm and taken to strange dark labs where they poked us with strange instruments, force fed us disgusting morsels, performed painful spells on us and when a fairy died... they¡¯d throw them away like unwanted leftovers and continued their research on another one. ¡°Sometimes they¡¯d do something to our bodies to keep us from growing to our full size and trap us in jars they¡¯d carry around. They¡¯d pump us with Mana and let it marinate within us, and then they would pluck us out of the jars and physically wring the Mana out of our bodies and into new Mana jars.¡± Zeke pulled himself up and folded his legs as he continued to listen. ¡°They put us through all kinds of experiments¡­.¡± Queen Titania continued. Her voice grew increasingly brittle with each painstaking word. ¡°Cross-breeding included. They would force-feed us aphrodisiacs. Leaving us unable to control our arousal, or if they were lazy, they¡¯d let creatures have their way with us. The worst was that the children we gave birth to¡­ we were repulsed by them because we believed them to be abominations¡­ but they were our kin!¡± She shook and buried her face into her hands. ¡°When the Tainted killed our offspring or took them away, we were¡­ relieved.¡± Zeke watched the Queen sob heavily and controlled himself from saying something stupid like: ¡°I understand what you''re going through¡± because he didn''t. There wasn''t a single injustice in his life that compared to seeing hundreds of loved ones being tortured and killed. The best action he could do as a Healer was silently sitting with the Queen in solidarity. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the angels, the torture would¡¯ve gone on for much longer,¡± the Queen said, lifting her head from her hands. ¡°The angels?¡± ¡°Whenever the next collection of Tainted would show up. The cycle of fairies being kidnapped and experimented on would begin once again. The angels fought against many versions of the Tainted and worked day after day to return as many as they could to the Fairy Realm,¡± she explained. ¡°It was the Power Chief¡¯s Vanguard to whom we owe our thanks to. Irin, of the Second Sphere.¡± Zeke¡¯s face fell. ¡°I-I-I-Irin?¡± He remembered the armored angel with cruel beauty descending from a flaming sky and spouting awful things about Naomi and humanity, attacking him and his friends. That Irin. She was the reason fairies were safe and sound today. ¡°Irin and her Vanguard worked tirelessly. Nilel, Ytris, Caladriel.The most gruesome battles were when the Thirteenth showed up, but eventually, they left us alone. Still, Irin made sure to keep some soldiers in the Realm for a few centuries to protect us. She¡¯s our hero.¡± As much as Zeke fought against it, he started to understand Irin¡¯s repugnance towards humanity. The conflicting thoughts had him lower his head and push his brows together. As the saying goes, it takes walking a mile in someone else¡¯s shoes before judging them. What they did to fairies was only a microcosm in the galaxy of atrocities 13 different versions of Tainted have done. Hell, I¡¯d hate humanity, too. The thinking made Zeke dizzy. He fell back and stared at the strange sky. His eyes closed, and he drifted off without realizing it. Zeke woke up in a panic, releasing a loud gasp as he sat up. He didn¡¯t need to look long to find the Queen. She was sitting on her knees, mostly healed (like him), and her wings were folded but looked to be in good condition. ¡°How long was I out?¡± Zeke asked. The Queen didn¡¯t answer and continued her unfocused gaze. Zeke began to wonder why she didn¡¯t book it and left him for dead. He looked around and couldn¡¯t see anything else but sandstone plains for miles and miles. He grunted as he forced himself to his feet and studied the Queen. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you leave me?¡± ¡°Just finish me off if you want,¡± she said without turning her head to him. Zeke slowly circled Titania. Her head followed his movement but not her eyes. He stopped halfway and noticed the milkiness in them. His instincts were telling him it was time to get to work. He raised his hands and looked down at them. His bones were straightened, and most of the flesh had returned. Zeke closed his eyes and pictured his grandmother. Esther Rosario was a small Columbian lady with a round, sweet wrinkled face. The night she gave him the bag was during another one of her supernatural teachings. She sat beside him on the edge of his bed with an old book in her creased hands. He was indeed too old for a bedtime story, but he wasn¡¯t like most 11-year-olds anyway, and it wasn¡¯t a normal bedtime story. It was a lesson on apotropaic symbols. She enthusiastically explained their functions in warding out evil as Zeke examined each of the 70-year-old¡¯s alluring jewelry: talisman earrings, ancient gold rings that pillared some of her fingers, charm bracelets clamped together, covering her wrists, and a multi-strand red coral bead necklace. All were marked with nightmare-inducing sigils¡ªapotropaic symbols themselves. Ugo, at the time, was lying back on his bed, mesmerized by the flashing screen of a GameGuy punching the buttons like an addict and making his pervy giggles. Esther snuck a glance at Ugo and let out a groan as her expression crinkled. ¡°That child is beyond salvation.¡± It was another regular night with his grandmother, but a precious memory of when she was free. Then it happened quickly, like a master incision, to remove the cyst from his life that was his grandmother. One second, his grandmother was speaking to him in an enthusiastic but measured tone, and the next, a patrol of bulky men in white barged in and dragged her out the door. While she was screaming and crying, Zeke could see his mother in the doorway, watching with no expression at all. Zeke visited his grandmother in the ward every week without fail. Aside from the setting, their conversations seemed like everything was normal. Zeke had hoped, which he admitted was childish, that maybe one day she¡¯d be allowed to leave. Hoping for that day didn¡¯t matter anymore. She was gone. Gone forever. In her memory, he had her book and the doctor¡¯s bag. With closed eyes, he made hand signs. When he opened his tear-filled eyes, he saw the bag materializing in the air. It fell out of the sky, and Zeke dove forward with his arm sticking out. After catching the item, hugging it, and then checking if everything was inside (it was), he took out a small medical flashlight from the bag and approached the Queen. For the examination, he turned on the light and checked her eyes. Her pupils didn¡¯t react. ¡°That¡¯s why you didn¡¯t fly away. You¡¯re blind. How were you able to fight us, then?¡± Zeke lowered the flashlight. ¡°Mana detection¡­ right? Maybe you have some way to see as long as you have Mana in your system, but now you¡¯re all out.¡± Zeke said, and then she studied her emaciated figure. ¡°When we arrived we met a fairy. She said you were sick. How long have you been feeling ill?¡± ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying to help you. Did you eat anything strange? Have any accidents? Anything note-worthy you can tell me? Because what you have is obviously related to your emaciated figure.¡± ¡°Do not talk about my body, Tainted.¡± ¡°Are you having trouble sleeping? Abdominal pain? Nausea? Diarrhea?¡± ¡°How dare you?¡± The Queen spat at Zeke. He backed up, raising his hands. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m just trying to help. Have you been having trouble eating?¡± Maybe it was the pathetic look on Zeke¡¯s face or his wimpy voice. Perhaps she was tired of being sick, but something got through to the Queen. She paused and then quivered ¡°... yes. I¡¯ve had¡­ quite the loss of appetite.¡± Zeke nodded. ¡°Okay, let me check something. Lay down on your back for me¡­ please.¡± The Queen¡¯s silent stare lasted for a while, and then she followed the doctor¡¯s request. Zeke pressed his hands together and focused. He made the hand signs for his scanning spell. As he pulled his hands apart, a stream of green energy formed between his hands, and he hovered the stream over the Queen''s gut. The stream showed him fresh live, colored footage of a lengthy, thick purple worm marked with symbols swimming around her deep red intestines, and then he moved up to her head. The front of her brain showed him nothing. ¡°Sit up, please,¡± he asked. As the Queen sat up, Zeke circled her until he reached the back of her head. The occipital lobe had symbols identical to the ones stamped all over the worm. Zeke canceled the spell. ¡°You have a tapeworm. I don¡¯t know how you got it, but it is stealing your nutrition and affecting your brain. There¡¯s one in your intestines right now, and somehow it is affecting your brain with symbols it left all over it. Maybe it migrated to your brain for a while before returning to your gut. We need to get it out.¡± ¡°How so?¡± Ugo¡¯s magic would¡¯ve been perfect since his cuts are precise, and he can stitch up stuff back to its original condition, which differs from regular healing. Zeke needed to take action. ¡°Sorry about this.¡± He summoned his veins from the ground around the Queen and had them wrap around her. Zeke crouched to her as he reached out his hand. The veins slowly snaked out of his sleeve. The Queen struggled to break free from her constraints. ¡°No! Stop! No!¡± ¡°I have to get them out. It¡¯s the only way!¡± ¡°No, stop! Stop!¡± The Queen turned her head away as Zeke got closer. Zeke used some threads to turn her head to face him forcefully. ¡°Stay still!¡± he shouted, and then he froze as he looked at the Queen¡¯s troubled face. He pulled back and undid the spell. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. That¡­ that¡¯s not how a doctor should do things.¡± he stood up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I want to save lives but won¡¯t treat somebody against their will. That makes me no better than the Thirteenth. I¡¯m sorry.¡± He turned around and had a massive, veiny hand erupt from the ground, blasting many sandstone rocks into the air. Using his creativity, Zeke had the veins connect the pieces of stone together and fuse into the shape of a door. He took out a syringe from his bag and stabbed the needle into his arm. Then, Zeke pushed the blood from the syringe onto his hand. With his clean hand, he dropped the bloody syringe into the bag and dug his grandmother¡¯s book out of the bag. He skipped to the page with the Fairy Realm¡¯s symbol and drew it on the door with his bloody hand. Zeke turned back to the Queen. ¡°Let me take you back home, Queen Titania.¡± Chapter 61 - Illness Gill entered his hospital¡¯s ward and couldn¡¯t help but be pleased with its art nouveau architecture and design. Just because he was running a hospital in the Netherworld didn¡¯t mean he had to stick to the Hell and brimstone aesthetic. It wouldn¡¯t be original, which Gill detested more than the lack of style. Ignoring the grotesque massive pillars of red slimy substance descending from the ceiling, it was a place where even humans would be comfortable resting. From the door openings to the stained glass, arched windows, and furniture molded with mesmerizing undulating lines, all shined with beautiful warm colors. Decorative ornaments of flowers and beautiful demonic women with curly hair covered the walls. Gill walked across the parquet rug with a fancy pattern while eyeing the hospital¡¯s demonic staff in their black uniforms treating his house servants. In the room, all the demons remained in their natural forms, which were beastly for some or human-like for Beta Demons (humans who became demons). He stopped when he reached the bed where his head maid rested, having her vitals checked on a machine by a Succubus nurse. ¡°Can you give us some space?¡± Gill asked the nurse as he delicately put a hand on her shoulder. She nodded and walked away without a protest. Amice, the head maid in a patient¡¯s gown, had completely recovered. Her face with Swiss-like features was spotless once again, and her platinum-blonde hair returned to its original color. All traces of Kian¡¯s infection had been erased. It was an easy job. Sliding his hands into the pockets of his checkered suit, Gill looked down at the sylph. ¡°Feeling better, Amice?¡± He already knew the answer. Of course, he did. He led the operation himself. ¡°Yes,¡± she said, smiling her beautiful smile. ¡°Thank you for saving me, Master Gill.¡± Gill smiled his hollow smile. ¡°No need to thank a doctor for doing their job right. It¡¯s what they are supposed to do, what¡¯s expected. Speaking of which, why didn¡¯t you do your job properly?¡± Amice made a look that had Gill visibly twitch as he kept his hollow smile. ¡°Sorry?¡± she asked cautiously. Gill slightly tilted his head to the side without getting rid of the smile. ¡°Why did you help Kian?¡± The sylph paused, trying to read his look, and said, ¡°Master, I¡¯m not sure I follow.¡± Gill beckoned her over. ¡°Come here, you beautiful thing.¡± Amice obeyed, sat up, crawled closer to him, and then positioned herself with her back straight, hands on her lap, and her eyes fixated on Gill like a disciplined child. The simultaneously warm and cold intoxicating feeling of decreasing purity had commenced inside Gill. While on his high, he moved his head close to Amice until their noses touched. ¡°Are you going to make me repeat myself?¡± Amice didn¡¯t dare to move back. She tried the same futile tactic again. ¡°Master, I do not know what you are¡ª¡± ¡°Amice, please answer my question.¡± She stayed quiet. Finally, realizing that wasn¡¯t the best play. Dropping the act of playing dumb, she said, ¡°I didn¡¯t help Kian¡ª¡± The beautiful being took an ugly punch to the lip. Working staff and patients alike stopped and stared as Amice shakily pulled herself up to sit in the same position. Back straight. Hands on lap. Eyes focused on Gill. Her quivering lip and glossy eyes were a dismissable sight for Gill. He pressed on. ¡°When did you start lying to me? Who taught you to do that?¡± Gill looked back at his spectating underlings. They quickly looked away and carried on. Amice began to cry. The sound of the sylph¡¯s pathetic sobs was annoying and had Gill squirm in place. Amice was a being that lacked demonic beauty and was only able to exist at such a deep level in the Netherworld thanks to his genius supplements. Seeing her divine face twist in anguish wasn¡¯t pitiful, just bothersome. ¡°Ey, did I tell you to cry, or did I tell you to answer my question?¡± Amice tried holding it back, but it only made her cry louder. ¡°Amice, what is the order I gave you?¡± And she ate another fist to the lip. ¡°Did I order you to cry?¡± Gill asked, no longer smiling. ¡°No, M-M-Master,¡± Amice answered, sitting up again. Back straight. Hands on lap. Eyes on Gill. ¡°The order was for me to answer the question.¡± ¡°So, why?¡± Gill shouted. ¡°He said he¡¯d help me get out of the contract.¡± Gill froze as his jaw dropped. ¡°You little ungrateful¡­.¡± He pulled back a fist. Amice flinched back with her eyes closed. A disappointed sigh came from Gill. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯d betray me like this.¡± He stepped away from her bed and paced around in circles. Once Gill stopped, a male demon nurse hastily approached him¡ªstraightened his tie, and wiped the sweat off his forehead with a handkerchief. After the demon walked away, Gill focused on Amice. ¡°I put a stop to hunters killing your kind for your wings. I single-handedly saved your kind from extinction. I gave you a home. Let you be a part of a family. My family.¡± He spread his arms wide apart. ¡°Our family! And this is the thanks I get?¡± Amice stared back at Gill, dropping her posture, and then corrected it immediately. Back straight. Hands on lap. Eyes on Gill. The sight of the sylph shivering with tears cascading down her cheeks and her busted swollen lip only made him want to hurt her more. ¡°Y-Y-You tricked me,¡± Amice said, digging her own grave. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°The contract you tricked me into signing. You said I¡¯d be treated like family, but I am nothing more than your slave.¡± ¡°So now families can¡¯t help each other. I¡¯m sorry; someone saves your entire race, gives you food you never have to pay for, clothes, a community, and a place to sleep in exchange for you to dust off a couple of pieces of furniture, and that makes me a bad guy? Bloody hell! The audacity!¡± ¡°It¡¯s more than that, and you know that!¡± ¡°Did you just raise your voice at me?¡± Gill chuckled chillingly. ¡°Never mind that, Luv. What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a human teenage boy. I¡¯ve seen what the carnal desires do to the males of your species,¡± Amice said. ¡°You deliberately have more females under your contract than males. I know you have them do much more for you than you claim.¡± The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°And now you are accusing me of being a deviant.¡± Gill removed his glasses and crushed them in his hand. His purity continued to plummet to the point where the demons in the room shook in fear. The nimbus of black energy was blowing out of him like the chimney of a steam locomotive. Each step he took formed a large crack somewhere in the room. Amice dropped her posture and crawled back until she pressed onto the headboard of her bed. Her knees were up to her chest. ¡°I-I-I-I am sorry, Master¡ª¡± Gill grabbed the back of her neck. His massive hand could almost cover the entirety of it. He dragged her over to the middle of the room as she screamed and cried her heart out. Amice was shoved onto the carpet. ¡°I want everybody to watch now!¡± Gill announced. ¡°I mean it. All eyes on me right now!¡± ¡°Master, I am sorry!¡± Amice cried before being kicked in the face. ¡°Bring out your wings right now, Luv,¡± Gill ordered. Amice stared up at him without answering. ¡°Bring out your wings, you bloody minger.¡± Amice put her hand over the bruise on her cheek and shook her head. ¡°Oh, I see. You still want to act like a complete twit.¡± A tap on the shoulder had Gill whip back, and he saw a face he could trust: Sylvie¡ªhis freckled face personal chef. She held up a vial in her hand. ¡°Use this,¡± Sylvie said while swirling red-orange liquid in the vial. ¡°It¡¯s a lovely cocktail of concentrated Hellfire and J?rmungandr venom with a teaspoon of chimera acidic blood and a dash of garlic because you can never go wrong with garlic.¡± Gill smiled and took the vial. He turned Amice over with a kick to her side and dumped the liquid onto her back. Amice skin sizzled like hot oil, and her long, skinny, white, insect-like wings burst out. Gill forced the screaming creature still as he pressed his shoe on the center of her back, between the wings. The sylph screamed and writhed as it repeatedly apologized, but Gill was way past accepting an apology. He gripped onto one of the panicking wings and pulled. A smile began to widen on his face as blood sprayed from her back and splattered on his cheek. After the wing was torn off, Gill tossed it aside and asked Sylvie, ¡°Are there any dishes you can make using a sylph wing?¡± ¡°Yes! There¡¯s actually something I¡¯ve wanted to try for a while,¡± Sylvie replied, her eyes shimmering with excitement. ¡°Roasted sylph wings with shredded satyr cheese and garlic. Served with sweet potatoes and elven veggies, it should be unbelievably delicious. I never tried making it because you know¡­ out of solidarity for Amice.¡± Gill glared down at the bawling Amice. ¡°What a waste of consideration.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get started immediately,¡± Sylvie said. Gill snapped his fingers, and a large demon appeared to collect the severed wing. ¡°Make enough for everybody, including Amice.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± she said, making the OK sign. ¡°Make sure she finishes the meal.¡± ¡°Oh, of course, Master Gill. I hate when people are wasteful with food. So inconsiderate.¡± Gill pointed down at Amice. ¡°Somebody treat her wounds and clean up this mess.¡± Staff members rushed to obey his order as he walked out of the room alongside Sylvie. ¡°Such a shame,¡± Sylvie started as a demon appeared and put a new set of glasses on Gill¡¯s face. ¡°Having one of our own betray us like that. And Kian, too. Does this mean you¡¯ll return to the Human Realm soon, Master Gill?¡± ¡°Yes, but not to confront him just yet. To be honest, there is no need to.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Sylvie said and then made a bizarre giggle. ¡°Ehehehehehe,¡± she laughed and would stop momentarily to raise her hand to cover her mouth. ¡°There¡¯s someone else I want to confront.¡± ¡°Ooh?¡± ¡°I have a hunch on who Yaalon¡¯s killer might be¡­.¡± ### Aida didn¡¯t feel good about leaving Zeke to deal with Queen Titania on his own. But it wasn¡¯t like she didn¡¯t try. No amount of mutations on herself coupled with Tsukikaze could rival the speed of the Fairy Queen, which was news to her. Deciding to do something useful with her time, Aida explored the castle in search of the research lab. She was on all fours and moving fast. The halls and rooms she wandered in were devoid of life; however, she could sense sources of Mana. The fairies residing in the castle must¡¯ve shrunk to the size of an ant and hid. Poor things had no experience when it came to war. Aida could still hear Akachi¡¯s thunder from outside as she found a door to a basement. She stood up and sped down the staircase as her mind went back to thinking about Zeke. He¡¯s smart. He¡¯ll be okay. It wasn¡¯t just something she was telling herself. It was true. The Diagnostician made a genius gamble by spreading the word about Naomi¡¯s identity to get her to defeat the Power Chief. Aida couldn¡¯t imagine doing something that crazy in the first month she learned she was a part of the Tainted Generation. Zeke was one of the good ones. She wondered if he could help her achieve peace between magical beasts and the rest of the Realm... and other goals; maybe it was time to stop acting solo and get stable help. Before she could finish her thought, Aida was at the end of the staircase and in the royal research lab. There was no time to pay any attention to the regality or sumptuous machinery of the medieval facility as Aida scanned her second murder scene for the day. Blood was everywhere. And laying on the red puddles were fairies¡ªscientists in their light blue lab coats. Their faces were bruised, bodies riddled with holes, and wings mangled. Along with the metallic stench was a distinct scent she was all too familiar with and should¡¯ve noticed earlier. She followed the scent until she found the witch, covered in blood and sitting on a desk. Violet, wearing an oversized floral knit sweater and jean shorts equipped with her messenger bag, looked back at Aida with her glowing purple eyes. ### Zeke let himself in the same tiny fairy home he arrived in when first traveling to the Realm. Holding his doctor¡¯s bag in one hand, he helped carry Queen Titania into the house, who leaned onto him. He found the same small homeowner Akachi terrorized earlier. She dropped her wooden cup of tea and cowered back. ¡°You again!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry about what happened earlier; I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d¡ª¡± ¡°Her Majesty?¡± the fairy said, eyes bulging at the enervated Queen. Zeke settled her down on the hand-carved sofa. ¡°What did you do to her?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± Zeke said and rummaged through his doctor¡¯s bag. He recalled one of his many study sessions in the Infirmary¡¯s library¡ªan interesting book about beings with an unusually high affinity to Mana. ¡°What¡¯re you doing?¡± the fairy asked, keeping a distance from Zeke. ¡°She has Mana Enervation,¡± Zeke explained. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯e aware of it. Beings like you with an abnormally high affinity to Mana can get fatally ill when the Mana Gauge depletes, but this is more common for beings without combat experience.¡± He studied the Queen. ¡°You guys haven¡¯t been attacked in centuries, so the Queen is out of practice, and her body no longer remembers what to do when there¡¯s no more Mana in the system.¡± He produced a Mana bottle. ¡°She needs to get some Mana in her right now.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to use the opportunity to poison her!¡± the fairy accused while pointing at him. Zeke extended the Mana bottle towards her. ¡°You guys have incredible energy detection. Sense it, and you can administer it yourself.¡± The fairy looked away. ¡°It feels like Mana, yes, but¡­ the Tainted Generation is capable of doing all sorts of tricks.¡± ¡°I¡¯m dangerously low on Mana myself. I have no more power to perform a spell like that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not lying¡­ it¡¯s not just that¡­ I can¡¯t sense any malice from you. Why is that?¡± The Queen began to wheeze. Without any energy left to scream, Zeke forced his eyelids open and focused on not passing out as he pleaded, ¡°Please, we¡¯re running out of time.¡± He opened the bottle and took a sip. ¡°Convinced, now?¡± The fairy stared in silence and then moved toward him to take the bottle. She kneeled to the Queen. ¡°Pardon me, my Queen.¡± She slid her tiny hand under Titania¡¯s head and moved the bottle to her lips. The Queen drank it all. Zeke let out a sigh of relief and grabbed a Mana bottle from his bag. He guzzled the entire thing down. The fairy looked up at Zeke. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Why are you here if not to kill our Queen?¡± ¡°I am on a mission to save humanity,¡± Zeke said. ¡°There¡¯s a plague, and the shrinking factor from your laboratory may be the only thing to help us find a cure. I know what the Tainted Generation did. I promise you we won¡¯t let anything like that happen again. We just need that shrinking factor, and you¡¯ll never see us step foot in this Realm again.¡± ¡°Diagnostician¡­¡± The Queen drawled. ¡°My Queen!¡± The fairy shouted. ¡°Not so loud, my child¡­.¡± ¡°I apologize, your Majesty.¡± The Queen lifted her finger and pointed at Zeke. ¡°I want you to do it.¡± ¡°What?¡± The fairy asked. ¡°The operation¡­ please¡­ get the worm out of me.¡± Chapter 62 - Therapy Ugo Morata was once a pale Spanish teenager with an ever-goofy smile on his face. Now, he was an old man whose smile would be difficult to find in the blobbish mess that was his face. He sat on a chair, humming weakly. His face was barely human ¡ª his brown eye was located where the right side of his forehead should be, and the rest (eye, mouth, nose¡­) were covered under or spread across the smeared tumor-like surface. It was like a botched AI art project. Oily zits, red bumps, random growths of hair, and fingers were scattered on his swelled face. His doctor unhooked him from the machines to give his body a breather. Wade was crouched before him, jotting down notes on a yellow pad. ¡°Wait, are you actually writing something down about the mutation?¡± Ugo asked, his voice muffled by the excess growth blocking most of his mouth. ¡°Or are you just coming up with a new drug cocktail idea to get high?¡± ¡°What, I can¡¯t do both?¡± Wade placed the notepad down and stabbed a syringe into one of Ugo¡¯s bumps. He extracted some blood. ¡°I am going to examine this now,¡± he announced, leaving the room. Ugo looked over to his side and found Ashlin sitting on the edge of the desk with her black cat, Zvezda, settled on her lap. ¡°So,¡± Ugo began. ¡°You into older guys?¡± ¡°I¡¯m into guys that have a face,¡± Ashlin replied. ¡°Where¡¯s your sense of adventure? Don¡¯t knock it till you try it.¡± To Ugo¡¯s surprise, Ashlin smirked, and it didn¡¯t seem like a pitiful one or the¡ªokay, now please leave me alone and go away smirk, which Ugo was all too familiar with. Even with his vision slightly impaired, he was enamored by Ashlin¡¯s beautifully shaped face and all its perfect Eastern European features¡ªher almond-shaped eyes, high cheekbones, lush red lips, and slim nose. It was the first time Ugo paid attention to just her face instead of glancing at it and then ogling at her unbelievable figure. Ashlin sent her cat away and then hopped off the desk, making certain body parts jiggle that made Ugo forget about her face again. ¡°I can not stand looking at that ugly face anymore,¡± Ashlin said, holding out her hand. Zvezda returned and leaped onto the desk with a roll of bandage tape in her mouth. Ashlin took the tape and wrapped the adhesive around Ugo¡¯s disfigured mug. Ugo held back the urge to move or even make a sound as Ashlin¡¯s large breasts pressed onto the sides of his face repeatedly as she applied the adhesive. Leaving just the eye out, she stepped back with her hands on her hips, eyeing the mummified Ugo with a smile. ¡°Much better.¡± Zvezda jumped onto Ashlin¡¯s shoulder and received an affectionate stroke under her chin. ¡°Don¡¯t you think so, Zvezda?¡± Ashlin said, and the cat replied with a purr. The horrid asymmetrical shape of Ugo¡¯s face marked the outlines of the bandages, yet, his confidence remained intact, and he continued talking casually as if nothing had just happened. ¡°What¡¯s your story?¡± he asked. Ashlin stared back with a flinty look. ¡°Why should I share it with you?¡± ¡°Oh, come on, I am risking my life to help save the world. You can¡¯t just help me kill time by letting me get to know you better?¡± Her eyes narrowed, making her icy glare even more frigid, and then she walked away and returned with a chair, placing it right by Ugo¡¯s side. ¡°Control¡± is what Ugo had to keep in mind as his gambit worked. He released his dorky giggle as lowly and quickly as he could and then composed himself as Ashlin took a seat with Zvezda stationed on her shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re from Russia, right? What is it like over there?¡± ¡°It was terrible for me. I haven¡¯t gone back since I left.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ sorry to hear that.¡± ¡°Do you know what it is like to grow up in extreme poverty? Wondering how long it¡¯ll be before you get another meal as you eat, apprehensive about getting sick because it might as well kill you since you have no access to health care. Then you look at your struggling parents and consider that maybe dying isn¡¯t so bad,¡± she stopped to shrug, pouting her lips. ¡°It¡¯ll be much less of a burden on them.¡± ¡°Only child?¡± ¡°I have a younger sister who I looked after the most. We depended on hot meals provided by social services and spent many nights on the streets, or sleeping in tents, sharing the space with other unfortunate people.¡± Ashlin took Zvezda from her shoulder and held her as she stroked her back. ¡°I watched my father die of illness. I screamed for help, but nobody useful was around, and things got worse from there. My sister and I found a cat and kept it as a pet. We named it Zvezda and did our best to take care of it.¡± Ashlin turned to Ugo and gave him a sad smile. ¡°It died only a few months after.¡± Ugo¡¯s eye moved down to the purring black cat. He¡¯d be pulling away if it wasn¡¯t for Ashlin touching his shoulders with hers. He allowed her to continue. ¡°My sister, Ally, was devastated. So, I tried to make her feel better by stealing a cat doll from a store and giving it to her. We named it Zvezda.¡± Ashlin cranked her head up at the ceiling, and Ugo noticed she actually looked vulnerable, which was surprising. He wondered if she was lifting her head to keep the tears from falling. ¡°It was her prized possession.¡± Ashlin brought her head down. ¡°I would even make clothes for the doll whenever I could, and then our mother died shortly after. As girls, we had no choice but to give in and accept the support of social services to be institutionalized to avoid a life of sniffing glue at the metro stations and prostitution. ¡°The orphanage was terrible. The rooms were large, like barracks, and we suffered abuse from other children and supervisors. Girls were allowed to do activities in their free time; like knitting and crocheting. I liked the hobby and made more clothes for Ally¡¯s cat doll.¡± ¡°Do you still do it? Crocheting?¡± ¡°Everyday.¡± Ugo wondered where all the items she made stayed. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°My Mana Pores opened when I was 13. I had been living in the orphanage for two years at that point. I picked up on my abilities quickly. I escaped, leaving my sister behind and traveled to other Realms. The most important place I visited was the Realm of the Dead, the astral Sub-Realm of the Human Realm. Th,ere I learned about spirits and ghosts. Most of them wanted to be able to interact with the realm of the living again.¡± Ashlin froze, and her face twisted chillingly with her eyes widening and a growing deranged smile. ¡°That¡¯s when I realized what I could use my talents for. We buried my parents at this impromptu graveyard set up by other useless members of society, and they were my first candidates to be my Containers.¡± ¡°You¡­ gave your parents¡¯ corpses away to be Containers for ghosts?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t give anything away, Ugo¡­.¡± She started to twist Zvezda¡¯s ears gently. ¡°I sold them.¡± Ugo visualized the Hot/Crazy Matrix in his head, and Ashlin was at the top right corner in the danger zone. ¡°The young dead couple promised me a good part of their riches if I gave them the new Containers,¡± Ashlin explained, scratching Zvezda¡¯s ears. ¡°That was the most money I had ever made in my life, and I wanted more. I studied the supernatural harder and practiced my abilities until I could make Containers from scratch. I sold them to all sorts of monsters that granted me treasure that helped me make a profit even in the Human Realm.¡± ¡°What about your sister?¡± ¡°She¡¯s happy and healthy. I got her out of the orphanage and left her with millions.¡± Ashlin picked up her cat and stared back into her eyes. ¡°I resurrected Zvezda and gave her a new, improved body.¡± As Ugo watched Ashlin hug Zvezda (probably suffocating the cat with her assets) he realized when it came to the morals of being a Healer Ashlin was no example. She focused on making high-quality Containers and selling them to anyone with enough valuables to trade. She can make them look any way they want. She made a good suspect behind Yaalon¡¯s murder, but even her being cold-blooded enough to commit murder wasn¡¯t reason enough. Maybe there was a monetary incentive behind the killing... ¡°I have to say volunteering to be the guinea pig is quite brave of you.¡± Ugo turned back to her, and his brain returned to its default state. ¡°It¡¯s what I do,¡± he said, trying to sound cool. ¡°But equally stupid, so they cancel each other out.¡± She allowed Zvezda to jump down to the floor and then crossed her arms under her breasts to focus on Ugo. ¡°Did you do it because you thought it would make me think more of you as a man?¡± At that moment, Ugo felt as though he had sobered up. Ignoring all of her enticing features, he silently focused on the cruelty of her look. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t. In fact, I don¡¯t think of you as a man at all,¡± Ashlin said harshly. ¡°Do you know how I tell the difference between men and boys? They all ogle the same, that¡¯s fine; I mean, look at me, how could you not? But real men would approach me, and boys would stay back and fantasize or try to devise some scheme to get my attention.¡± She groaned and rolled her eyes. ¡°It is pathetic. I like when people take action, Ugo, not passive useless people who wait.¡± Ashlin stood up and walked in front of Ugo. ¡°But there¡¯s more. The reason why I would never give you the time of day is the same reason why women don¡¯t like you.¡± She bent forward and pushed her palms onto the back of Ugo¡¯s wrinkled hands on the armrest. ¡°You were ugly even before the disease took over, and I sped up your aging.¡± Ugo didn¡¯t react. He was told far worse by many women, none of them close to Ashlin¡¯s unattainable beauty, but still roughly the same experience. ¡°I thought your manlet boyfriend was the most pathetic of your duo, and then I took a look inside.¡± Ashlin leaned in closer, her silver eyes sparkling. ¡°You¡¯re an even bigger loser with mommy issues.¡± Ugo startled himself with how quickly and intensely he started trembling all over. He was livid and breathing heavily under the bandages. ¡°Mommy was too busy with work to give her only child the attention he believed he deserved. Little Ugo always tried to get her attention and succeeded a couple of times. Those were the memories Little Ugo cherished the most¡ªwhen he and Mommy spent time together. And then Mommy goes and gets killed by an incompetent doctor.¡± ¡°Did you¡­ look into my memories?¡± Ugo said in a measured tone. ¡°When Wade knocked you out with anesthesia to help with the pain as the mutations started. I decided to take a peek. I¡¯m not as good as Violet, but I saw enough,¡± Ashlin explained casually. ¡°Mommy left you with the need to try to get women¡¯s attention constantly, and you fail time and time and time and time again. It must be hard with that photographic memory of yours that doesn¡¯t let you forget any of those shortcomings.¡± Ugo gripped her shoulder and shoved her back. With his old man strength, she didn¡¯t move too much, but it was enough to have her glare at him, plus Zvezda hissing. ¡°You¡¯ve got some nerve touching me like that¡ª¡± ¡°My memories are not something you can go looking around in!¡± Ugo shouted as he pointed at her. He pulled back and put his hand over his aged heart. Repeating the breathing exercise he would do to push a damaging thought away. If it lingered in his head for too long, he would never be able to get rid of it. Ashlin smiled as she looked back with curiosity. ¡°Oh, does that make you mad? Do you want me to apologize now?¡± She glanced at Zvezda and laughed. ¡°Look, how about I give you some advice instead? If you were smart, you¡¯d use that brain of yours to learn about charm spells to force women to fall in love with you. That¡¯s the only way you will get them to like you back.¡± Ugo stayed quiet and let the acidic words seep into him. ¡°God makes plenty of mistakes. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here. To fix them,¡± Ashlin said. ¡°Or if you would prefer a more attractive Container, I can help. I can make you look like whomever you want to get you women, but there is a hefty price. My services aren¡¯t cheap.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look inside my head again without permission.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever I want. You don¡¯t tell me what to do, you ugly nerd,¡± she rasped, and then Zvezda climbed onto her shoulder again. ¡°Seriously, if I was you, I¡¯d be making so much money with that memory.¡± ¡°Is making money really all that you think about?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She looked back with a confused expression. ¡°I thought I made that perfectly clear. How can someone be slow with a photographic memory? You must take every opportunity to make as much money as possible, and now that I think about it¡­.¡± She turned to her side, looked at the matryoshka doll on the desk, and approached it. ¡°What¡¯re you doing?¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t been feeling any pain since the transformation was finalized¡­.¡± Ashlin said as she picked up the doll and examined it. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of demand for beautiful Containers in a world where everybody is ugly.¡± She threw the doll onto the floor, and it shattered. A cyan blue light shined, blinding Ugo¡¯s old eye for a moment, and when his vision returned, a disoriented one-armed Kian was getting up to his feet. ¡°Listen, you,¡± Ashlin said as she grabbed Kian by the collar and pulled him close. ¡°I am going to ask you some questions, and if I don¡¯t like the answers, you are going back in. Understood? Okay? Good. This disease of yours, is it fatal?¡± ¡°No,¡± Kian said. ¡°I don¡¯t kill people.¡± ¡°But you are okay with killing dogs. Not that I care anyway. It was a filthy creature.¡± Kian looked away somberly. ¡°I didn¡¯t enjoy doing that, but I was forced to do something that brash. My pathogen doesn¡¯t have the intention of death. It¡¯s to heal¡ª¡± Ashlin let go and pushed Kian away. ¡°I don¡¯t care about your reasons. I¡¯ve heard what I wanted to hear.¡± She pulled a piece of chalk from her cleavage and walked to the door. ¡°Your carriers are downstairs,¡± she said, drawing a sigil on the door. ¡°Rutapexy¡ª¡± Ugo was stopped by his elderly hacking and coughing, his legs buckled, and he was back in his chair. As Ashlin exited, Kian summoned his diseased sword. ¡°Kian, wait!¡± Ugo pleaded, stretching his hand out. The Infectiologist didn¡¯t listen and charged forward. He swung the blade delicately at Ugo¡¯s face. The sliced bandages fell onto the floor. Ugo checked his face with his hands, and there were no cuts or blood, just his regular disfigured features. Kian leaned toward him and brushed his hair back, having both of his eyes, now sparkling, study Ugo¡¯s face from up close. ¡°You¡¯re beautiful,¡± Kian said. Chapter 63 - Extraction Zeke now had permission to perform the operation. He pushed the wooden table away and ensured the Queen was comfortable as she lay on the couch. He eyed the frightened fairy and approached her as amicably as possible. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± The fairy looked away and answered meekly. ¡°Tansy.¡± Zeke couched a bit so they would be of the same eye level. He hoped she wouldn¡¯t take it as some gesture of mockery regarding her height. ¡°I need you to help me¡­¡± he said, picking his words carefully. ¡°For Her Majesty.¡± Tansy glanced at the Queen. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. You said she had Mana Enervation¡­ but Her Majesty mentioned a worm in her. What condition does she actually have¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all the cause of a worm,¡± Zeke replied, recalling one of his many study sessions in the Infirmary¡¯s Library. ¡°Its name is ¡®Taenia Occularis.¡¯ When its egg is ingested, it goes for the brain after it hatches, specifically the occipital lobe, which is the visual processing center. It leaves its curse mark there before it returns to the intestines, causing appetite loss. Queen Titania has been exhausting her Mana to see, leading to the Mana Enervation.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Tansy nodded. ¡°What is the cure?¡± Zeke pursed his lips. ¡°It¡¯s simple. We just have to remove it and all the symptoms will go away, but I don¡¯t have the right tools with me to do that. I have another idea¡­ but it is going to be very painful for her.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°I am going to attempt to remove the parasite through her mouth¡­ and I need your help.¡± To Zeke¡¯s surprise, the fairy nodded sternly, showing her acceptance as his surgical first assistant. This specific weight of responsibility came with a sense of status that made Zeke smile, and he felt even more empowered as it was up to him to teach the petite fairy how to perform the X-ray spell, which was more of an MRI the more Zeke thought about it. Thankfully, she learned fast and nailed it on her first try. Zeke kept his envy in check, remembering she was a mystical, Mana-based being who had probably been using magic before she could walk. Still, there was some distress he was experiencing as he and his assistant approached the Queen. Without the adrenaline rush of falling out of the universal stream and having literally every bone in his body shatter, it just hit Zeke that this would be an operation he¡¯d be doing without any other Healers present. It was like a Math final: no redos and no aid who will have your back. Zeke kneeled before the Queen. ¡°Are you ready, Queen Titania?¡± The Queen turned her bony face to him and nodded. Her small neck looked so weak that it might¡¯ve snapped if she had moved her head any quicker. Good thing her regeneration was fantastic. The first step of the procedure was on the surgical assistant. Tansy made several hand signs, and at the end, with her hands pressed together, she slowly pulled them away from each other, and a magical energy stream formed between her hands. Zeke pointed at the Queen¡¯s gut, and Tansy held the stream over it, showing a window to the stomach and intestines. Of course, with her smaller hands, the view of the organs¡¯ inner workings was narrower, but Zeke had a clear view of the purple parasitic bum living off the Queen¡¯s nutrients rent-free. Raising his hand, the red and blue veins snaked out Zeke¡¯s sleeve, ready to play. ¡°Now, please, Tansy, I will need you to guide me.¡± Tansy nodded and slowly moved the stream up as Zeke had the veins go into the Queen¡¯s mouth. ¡°This¡¯ll be very uncomfortable,¡± he warned the Queen¡ªno use sugarcoating it. Tansy was an excellent guide, moving her hands down as the veins traveled the esophagus. Zeke couldn¡¯t help being giddy with the process as he kept his eyes on the magical stream, giving him a view of the Queen¡¯s insides while he piloted his veins like a professional examiner with an endoscope and observing a monitor. As the Queen began to choke and writhe, Zeke instinctively held out his hand; she grasped it and squeezed with all her might. Zeke took his eyes off the magical stream to glance at Tansy and the Queen. Their twisted faces of pain were almost identical. The Diagnostician realized it might¡¯ve not been his words that got through the Queen but her desperation to get rid of her symptoms. And as for Tansy, she was only doing this because the Queen said so. She was just as terrified since if anything went wrong, not only would she lose her Queen, but she would be shunned by her community for being the heathen who trusted a member of the Tainted Generation and helped him kill her. The deeper the veins got in the Queen¡¯s body, the more Zeke realized the long list of ramifications if he botched this operation. He trembled but forced himself to stop immediately by clenching all over and maintaining a brave face. He couldn¡¯t show his hesitation to the two fairies who put not only their lives¡ªbut the fate of their entire community¡ªin his hands. He needed to look the part. He needed to fake it till he made it. The veins were past the stomach and venturing into the coily deep-red junction that was the intestines. Zeke focused on the imaging as he moved the veins through the undulating path of the duodenum and found the target in the jejunum. He had the veins wrapped tightly around the wriggling parasite. ¡°We¡¯re almost done,¡± Zeke said, noticing tears falling down the Queen¡¯s sunken cheeks. Zeke stood up and pulled his arm back, making his veins backtrack the path it took now with a reluctant companion. The constrained worm snaked up through the middle and top sections of the intestines, dragged through the stomach, and then came the part that had the Queen gagging painfully. Zeke let go of the Queen¡¯s hand and pulled as he walked back, forcing the worm up the Queen¡¯s esophagus. It must¡¯ve felt like trying to give birth through the mouth. He wanted to close his eyes to save himself some discomfort watching the Queen¡¯s purpling face as she fought for air, but as a doctor, he needed to suffer with her and get the job done. Zeke pulled and kept walking back. The worm was now showing its face out of her mouth. Zeke grabbed the veins with his other hand and hauled the slimy, cursed parasite out of the Queen. Acting quickly, Zeke contained it in a ball of veins, and then Tansy ran up to it, making a war cry, and extended her hands with open palms. The ball ignited with sparkling blue flames, and then she stomped on it. She jumped on the small fire repeatedly until only ashes remained. Zeke and Tansy shared a look. He gave her a thumbs up. The Queen¡¯s retching called back their attention. ¡°Tansy, I need you to do the spell again, and this time for her brain, okay?¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Tansy did the spell and had the stream over her forehead. The front of the brain was fine. ¡°I need to see the back of her head.¡± Zeke approached the Queen and carefully lifted her. Tansy gave him a view of the occipital lobe and the symbols the worm left behind were disappearing. ¡°I¡­ I can see,¡± Queen Titania said feebly. Zeke smiled as he let go of the Queen and stepped back. ¡°How is it like seeing the world not via Mana-powered lenses?¡± ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Queen Titania said, looking around the house with sparkling eyes. There was the gnawing need to pester or rather lecture the Queen on how she didn¡¯t consult anybody about her condition. Zeke figured it was a reason related to pride and didn¡¯t want to embarrass her in front of a Fairy Realm denizen. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Tansy dropped to her knees, crying. ¡°My Queen! I am so happy you are okay.¡± Queen Titania smiled and then redirected it at Zeke. Her eyes returned to their regular ultramarine blue like the Mana River. ¡°Thank you, Diagnostician. The both of you.¡± ¡°Her name is Tansy,¡± Zeke added, settling his hands back into his pockets. ¡°She was fearless.¡± ¡°Yes, she was. I am forever grateful, Tansy.¡± Tansy blushed and cupped her face as she shook her head. ¡°Not only is the Queen in my home, but she is expressing her gratitude to me. What a fantastic day!¡± She got up and shyly asked, ¡°Pardon me, my Queen, but I am confused. I thought the Tainted Generation were all monsters.¡± Just as the Queen was about to open her mouth, Zeke said, ¡°We are.¡± He searched for his doctor¡¯s bag and then picked it up. ¡°But sometimes a good apple can fall from a bad tree.¡± The Queen settled her hand over her stomach. ¡°I¡¯m hungry,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°Excellent!¡± Zeke celebrated. ¡°You¡¯ve got your appetite back already! Have your retainers prepare you something scrumptious.¡± And there came that warm but scarily fragile feeling of hope. Zeke gave himself a pat on the back and tried not to focus on his anxiety. ¡°I help with the cooking,¡± Queen Titania added and stood up. ¡°First, I¡¯ll allow you to take some of the extraction you need.¡± ¡°Thank you. Thank you so much.¡± Zeke turned to Tansy and held out a hand. ¡°And thank you so much for helping me.¡± Tansy wrapped her small hand over three of Zeke¡¯s fingers and shook it up and down. He chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll take you back to the castle now,¡± Queen Titania said to Zeke. ### The Queen had Zeke (one hand holding onto his doctor¡¯s bag) gliding through the sapphire blue sky with her by just gripping onto his wrist. Zeke had no idea how she was holding him up without his arm feeling like it was going to be torn out of his socket. They were parallel to each other, almost as if he was flying too. As they neared the royal castle, Zeke was alarmed by the lack of lightning and ominous dark clouds, which made him wonder what had happened to Akachi. Zeke knew he should¡¯ve said something about Akachi and Aida, but for some reason, he just didn¡¯t, and the Queen seemed to have forgotten to ask. They flew past the courtyard and into the main hall. The Queen briskly slalomed through the castle and halted when they reached the basement door, which was already opened. The Queen descended to her feet, let go of Zeke, and ran down the staircase. Zeke followed. The research lab was in bloody shambles. Zeke ignored everything around him and kept his focus on Violet. There she was in an oversized floral knit sweater with her shoulder exposed and matching shorts. Incongruous to her innocent-looking outfit was the blood splattered all over her as if she showered with it, and oh, of course, her shimmering purple eyes of malice. She sat on a desk with her legs crossed, fixated on a glass jar in her hand. Several fairies were clamped inside, and their screams could not be heard. ¡°Vee!¡± Zeke shouted and then scanned the horror around him. He could feel the Queen seething near him, but she didn¡¯t move. Maybe it was the paralyzing aura Violet emanated. ¡°What are you doing?¡± he asked. ¡°They¡¯re allied with the angels, Ezequias,¡± She responded and shook the screaming cramped fairies in the jar. ¡°Of course they are!¡± Zeke shouted and dropped his bag. ¡°The Tainted Generation have been torturing them for centuries! The angels stepped in to help¡ª¡± ¡°These little pieces of shit are helping Irin with her project!¡± Violet snapped. ¡°They¡¯re hurting humans and¡ª!¡± A flying katana interrupted Violet and had her leap from the desk as it was sliced in half. Not long after she landed on her feet, a rabid Aida lunged at her and launched her into the air with a vicious claw slash. Aida joined Violet in the air and cut her up a few more times as she flashed past her. Aida clung onto the wall using her claws and then slid down to jump onto Violet, pinning her to the floor. Aida was growling and attacking with her maw. Violet¡¯s screams grew louder as the attack went on, making it certain Aida was getting good bites. Zeke ran to intervene just as Aida was pushed back with a kick. She slid to a stop next to Zeke. Aida was in hybrid form on all fours; her mouth was soaked with blood, and she spat out something that landed before Zeke¡¯s feet like a house dog bringing home a hedgehog it killed as some strange form of showing affection for the family. It was Violet¡¯s bloody nose. A mix of anger and concern rose in Zeke, which had him glare at Aida right before running to Violet. ¡°Vee!¡± A muscular hand gripped his shoulder, bringing him to a halt. Zeke looked over at Akachi¡ªdoubled over and panting heavily. ¡°Hey, Shortstack¡­ just want to make sure of something. You¡¯re going to attack her, right?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Whose side are you on? Here¡¯s a hint.¡± Akachi pointed at Violet as she got back on her feet, covering her face with her hand. ¡°Her side is the bad one.¡± Violet picked up the jar of fairies and dashed backward to a nearby door. She turned and drew a bloody sigil quickly, ¡°She¡¯s getting away with the fairies!¡± Aida said and chased after her. Zeke and Akachi followed the girls. Past the doors, they were now running down the tunnel of a sewer system. Aida was in sight, running on all fours. Abruptly, she collapsed. ¡°Koshiko!¡± Akachi shouted and slid down to her. Aida transformed back to normal. ¡°You¡¯re all out of Mana, babe.¡± He looked up at Zeke. ¡°Mana bottle now.¡± Zeke froze with widened eyes. He forgot his bag. ¡°Oh, come on, man, isn¡¯t walking around with that thing your whole character?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll summon it,¡± Zeke said and made the hand signs. Nothing happened, and then his Healer¡¯s Garb disappeared. ¡°You¡¯re out of Mana, too,¡± Aida said, breathing heavily. ¡°What about your bag?¡± Zeke said to Akachi. ¡°It¡¯s hard to keep track of your belongings when you become a giant freaking cloud,¡± Akachi replied. ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do. We gotta wait till our Gauges replenish.¡± ¡°What the hell happened?¡± Zeke asked. Akachi put his hands on his hips and explained, ¡°The fairies who were fighting me felt some kind of disturbance coming from the castle and dipped. I followed them and found Aida fighting Violet.¡± ¡°I found her there after she finished her carnage,¡± Aida added. Zeke stroked his chin. ¡°What does she want with the fairies?¡± ¡°Chaos, Zeke!¡± Aida said and sat up. ¡°That¡¯s all she wants!¡± ¡°There has to be a reason.¡± Akachi groaned. ¡°I¡¯m out of Mana, but believe I can kick your ass easily with just my fists.¡± Zeke stood his ground. ¡°We have to give her the benefit of the doubt,¡± as the words left his lips, they left a sour aftertaste in his mouth. Yet, he kept going. ¡°Naomi was trapped in a cage for hundreds of years just because of being a demon-angel hybrid, but thanks to us believing in her, we¡¯ve proven that she isn¡¯t a threat!¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± Aida rasped. ¡°Ever since she¡¯s been out of that cage, she hasn¡¯t done anything to put the universe in danger, but Violet has! Time and time again! Proving that she¡¯s a¡­.¡± ¡°That she¡¯s a what?¡± ¡°A piece of shit!¡± Aida screamed back. ¡°It¡¯s why the angels hate us! It¡¯s a good reason! It is because of what all thirteen previous versions of us have done in the past. Because of the Violets, the Isaacs, and the Kians that live to make everything worse! Sometimes, Zeke, you have to forfeit all the belief you have in a person. Some people are just lost causes! It¡¯s time to lose hope.¡± This time Zeke had no urge to refute and was scared to see what he would say if he opened his mouth. He just stared back with his lips pursed. Then, Aida fisted the wet, concrete ground. ¡°Damn it!¡± Akachi grabbed hold of her wrist. ¡°Whoa, stop!¡± He glanced at her bloody knuckles. ¡°Right now, just focus on calming down and letting¡ª¡± ¡°I can¡¯t let that monster be alone with those fairies any longer,¡± she said as she forced herself back to her feet. ¡°Koshiko. Violet is fully pumped with Mana. You won¡¯t stand a chance. She won¡¯t let you get that surprise attack again.¡± Aida looked back at Akachi, and her stern expression grew weaker by the second. ¡°I¡¯m failing at everything.¡± She said with a brittle voice. Zeke neared the two as Akachi grabbed onto her shoulders. ¡°Ey, Koshiko!¡± Akachi said. ¡°What¡¯re you talking about?¡± ¡°That monster is always beating me. She¡¯s just¡­ stronger than me.¡± Aida stopped to snivel. ¡°I let Shadow die¡­.¡± The boys¡¯ eyes widened. Akachi let go of Aida. ¡°Wait, how do you know about that? We didn¡¯t¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, come on, Aka,¡± she said while giving him the ¡®ya shoulda already known, dumbass¡¯ look. ¡°Sorry,¡± he said, backing up. ¡°I used a live summon for personal gain. I went against my own rule and got that innocent creature killed.¡± Aida said, then retreated to the curved wall to curl up into a ball and cry. Akachi and Zeke exchange looks. They both took on the role of counselor and moved up to Aida. The two sat, each on one side. Akachi put her arm over her. ¡°It¡¯s that goth bastard¡¯s fault he¡¯s dead. Not you.¡± As a connoisseur of negative emotions, Zeke picked up on the flavor of wallowing self-deprecation Aida was going through. He raised a hand. ¡°Maybe she doesn¡¯t want to hear that stuff now and would prefer to just sit in silence.¡± ¡°No offense, bro, but shut up,¡± Akachi said. ¡°I¡¯ve known her for years¡ª¡± ¡°Silence would be great,¡± Aida said with her face pushed against her knees. Akachi gave Zeke a sour look. So, the three sat in silence. Chapter 64 - Deformity The word ¡°uncomfortable¡± was nowhere near accurate enough to describe what Ugo felt in his frail body as Kian passed his hand over his facial deformities. It was as if he used a monkey¡¯s paw to wish to be caressed lovingly. Instead of a smoking hot girl in a bikini, he got a moaning one-armed weirdo clad in his black, feathered Healer¡¯s Garb. Ugo realized that whatever happened to the astral form would happen to the physical Container as he focused on Kian¡¯s missing arm. ¡°I did this¡­ it¡¯s amazing,¡± Kian said. ¡°You¡¯re not in pain, are you?¡± ¡°Well, physically, nah, but emotionally? Yeah¡­¡± Kian pulled away and studied Ugo. ¡°You do realize you look better now than you ever had before, right?¡± As Ugo contemplated whether he would take the words as Kian¡¯s strange form of a compliment or the greatest insult he had received in his life, the Infectiologist grabbed him by the arm and pulled him up. ¡°You¡¯ve been aged rapidly. I guess this is part of the plot to kill my specimen, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t force people to change into¡­.¡± Ugo pointed at his bumpy face. ¡°This.¡± ¡°It¡¯s for their own good!¡± ¡°How, Kian, how?¡± Ugo shouted back. Kian suddenly turned to his side and said, ¡°I can sense my Carriers¡­.¡± He tightened his grip on Ugo¡¯s arm. ¡°Let¡¯s go to them.¡± They moved towards the staircase and descended to the basement door. ¡°Your cutting magic is formidable,¡± Kian said, looking down at where his arm used to be. ¡°Even with my Garb equipped, I can¡¯t grow my arm back.¡± ¡°Sucks to be you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a bad guy.¡± ¡°Yeah, sure, because good people have to constantly say: ¡®I¡¯m not a bad guy.¡¯¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand how the relations between the races are. You¡¯ve recently learned about the supernatural; I¡¯ve lived in it since I was born.¡± They reached the door. Kian quickly undid Ashlin¡¯s spell on the knob, and a cacophony of groans blew out as soon as he opened it. Kian hauled Ugo into the room. For Kian, it was his paradise, and for Ugo, he believed it to be the closest thing he could imagine Hell to look like. The sounds of dry coughs filled the air, and puddles of green and yellow vomit were across the floor. The specimen had matured in all the Carriers. If it wasn¡¯t for their clothing, Ugo wouldn¡¯t have been able to distinguish one from another. Their tumorous-like faces had growths of different tissue. The infected reminded Ugo of the teratoma documentary Zeke showed him once. That day gave him another reason to hate his excellent memory as the vomit-inducing images of the cancerous growth were stored in an easily accessible section of his brain. All it took was a second to think about it, and he would see the movie¡¯s highlights in his mind in 4K. Ugo scanned the infected. The sick little girl lay on the bed, and her swollen face with extra eyeballs looked to have been fused with the sheets. On one side of the room, the caroler was humming sadly from all four of her different colored lips as she moped about the room with her arms wrapped around herself. The elderly security guard with teeth and tongues protruding from his bumps was banging his head onto a wall. In the corner sat the once beautiful 30-year-old woman whose massive misshapen blob for a face had swelled to the point where it was heavy for her neck and body to support. She¡¯ll probably need a wheelbarrow to get around. And on the other side of the room was the defeated work-at-home-dad with his back against the wall whose rearranged face had now cemented into a swelled swirly mess of eyes, noses, and a stretched mouth. Seated on the floor next to him was the suited man from the airport with muscle tissue and different-colored hair growing out of his rotund face. The tween girl was seated on the floor as well, sobbing with curved bones growing out of her bulbous face, and rested her head on the shoulder of the burly hockey player who sat next to her and whose face was sunken deep with the rest of his head shaped into spheres of various sizes. Kian let go of Ugo and frolicked around the room, stroking and hugging the deformities of the Carriers. It was a sickening sight. Ugo recalled the origin of the word ¡°teratom.¡±. It came from the Greek word ¡°teraton,¡± meaning ¡°monster.¡± With what he saw, he had no doubts about its apt definition. These regular people had started their day ordinarily without expecting it to end with them becoming abominations. ¡°You hate looking at them, don¡¯t you?¡± Kian asked as he stopped to turn back to Ugo. ¡°I hate looking at them because they are miserable, Kian. They are scared and confused and want to go home to their families, happy and healthy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the one who is keeping them from their families, Ugo, and who says they aren¡¯t healthy? You can do all the analyses you want on them, and you won¡¯t find a single irregularity with their physiological health. ¡®Misery¡¯? Well, that¡¯s only because they think they are ugly now.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve made them into monsters, Kian.¡± Kian¡¯s face twisted angrily. ¡°A monster is someone who hurts others. It has nothing to do with appearance.¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure the Oxford definition has the word ¡®ugly¡¯ in it.¡± A chilling smile formed Kian¡¯s disgusting lips. ¡°This is why I have yet to face any doubts during my crusade. People like you just continue to prove my point.¡± He walked over to the sick girl and sat on her bed. He stroked the swells on her face as he went on, ¡°You know what the Realms consider to be monsters? Ogres, cyclopses, slimes, reptiles¡­ goblins, all harmless creatures that have had lies spread about them and were believed just because they were¡­ ugly. Monsters are creatures who willingly exist to cause harm: vampires, sirens, gorgons, kappas.¡± He stopped to scratch his head. ¡°When beautiful creatures like mermaids, fairies¡­ and elves are in trouble, beings from all over the Realms rally to help them, but the creatures with an extra eye or two in an unpleasant place? They are left to deal with their crises on their own.¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°So, that¡¯s what this is about? You¡¯re making a statement about beauty standards?¡± ¡°It¡¯s more than that, Ugo.¡± ¡°People¡ªI mean¡ªbeings gravitate towards things that look more appealing. That¡¯s just how the world works.¡± Ugo began to think about how many things beautiful people get away with just because of their looks. Even outside the world of celebrities, he has seen examples in classrooms. Stunning girls who skipped out on tests by bursting into tears on command and blubbering about how they didn¡¯t have enough time to study. He wondered if Violet wasn¡¯t as exquisitely beautiful would Zeke be as obsessed with her. Beautiful people seemed to have a supernatural hold over others and could alter their behavior like a magical virus. ¡°The world doesn¡¯t have to work like that,¡± Kian said. ¡°Whatever happened to character? Did you know that pixies are extinct? Pixies were said to be mischievous, good-for-nothing creatures, but that rumor was spread by humans when they were denied to have certain wishes granted. A deadly disease spread that killed the pixies, and no one did anything to help. Not even fairies, and they are close relatives. Nobody cared because they weren¡¯t nearly as beautiful as fairies. So they all died. The same fate will probably happen to selkies since they aren¡¯t as popular as mermaids. This is not the type of world I want to live in, Ugo,¡± Kian said. ¡°This disease is made to unite us. To not be so caught up in appearances and learn to appreciate each other for what we are, not how we look like! Sure, there are growing pains now, but soon they¡¯ll adapt, and their children will adapt more easily, and then¡­ this will be the new status quo. My disease will spread outside the Human Realm, and a truly beautiful universe will be born out of it.¡± Out of nowhere, Kian got up and summoned his sword, which was colonized with bacteria, prompting Ugo to step back and raise his hands in surrender. ¡°Come on, I can¡¯t fight.¡± ¡°Here to stop me?¡± Ugo realized that Kian¡¯s eye wasn¡¯t directed at him. He turned back and saw Wade with his hands in the pockets of his dirty Healer¡¯s Garb while languidly leaning against the door frame. ¡°Nah, man, I am not a fighter,¡± Wade said to Kian. ¡°You know this. Unless you try to steal some goods from my stash, and then I¡¯ll bite you. That¡¯s about it.¡± He entered the room and casually scanned the abominations around him. ¡°Besides, you¡¯re my perfect counter; you can just put a pathogen on yourself that inhibits the ability to sleep.¡± Kian lowered his weapon along with his guard. ¡°I¡¯m taking my Carriers.¡± ¡°Sure, sure, but first, let me share something,¡± Wade said, then wolfed down some pills. ¡°I¡¯ve been analyzing your specimen for hours now, and the most recent iteration I took from Ugo had me realize something. Sometimes I forget our Healer¡¯s Garbs¡¯ DNA also contains our own, so I found human DNA, Kitsune DNA which is from Aida obviously, and¡­ Elven DNA.¡± Wade pointed to his side. ¡°Aida reminded me of some genetic detection techniques she taught me a few years back.¡± Ugo looked over in the direction Wade was pointing, and nothing was there. ¡°Uhh¡­ you do know Aida isn¡¯t here, right?¡± Wade looked at him as if he was staring at a human for the first time in his life. ¡°Oh, right, she¡¯s a hallucination. Thanks for the heads up, man.¡± He turned to Kian. ¡°With the technique, I was able to separate the Elven DNA part of the specimen and found traces of the Icelandic genome.¡± Kian¡¯s Healer¡¯s Garb vanished. ¡°Is there something you¡¯d like to share with the class, Kian Albertsson¡ª?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Elbertsson.¡± Kian heaved a sigh. ¡°My mother is a Gold Elf, and my father is human.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a freakin¡¯ elf?¡± Ugo said and scanned Kian up and down. He couldn¡¯t find a single feature of his that would hint at him being an elf. His aura only felt like that of a human with low purity levels. ¡°Even before the Great Seals were broken, Halloween was the one day of the year when its power was depleted,¡± Wade explained to Ugo. ¡°During Halloween, many creatures across the Realms traversed to the Human Realm and interacted with humans, not doing anything too flashy to avoid the detection of watchful angels, but some succeed in willingly getting sexually involved with humans in hopes of impregnation. That¡¯s more or less how Aida¡¯s parents got involved with each other.¡± ¡°Getting sexually involved with humans is even ordered and encouraged by various Kings,¡± Kian added with a tinge of acidity in his voice. ¡°As it is believed that mixed breeds garner great power. My mother sought a human, only to sell the child to House Biwynn. She succeeded.¡± Wade¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°So, you¡¯re a part of the Royal Gold Elf Family.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing to be proud of.¡± ¡°Why do you hate your family so much?¡± ¡°The Royal Family isn¡¯t my family, and they¡¯re monsters. All elves are, and yet, are praised just because of their beauty,¡± Kian said. ¡°They need to be taught a lesson by being forced to turn into the thing they hate most.¡± ¡°You plan on taking this sickness to the Elven Realm.¡± ¡°I plan on taking it everywhere, but yes, the elves are the prime target.¡± ¡°Humans and elves have a strikingly similar biology,¡± Wade said with a smile, admiring the well-thought-out plot. ¡°You¡¯re just testing it on humans first.¡± No longer able to play spectator any longer, Ugo raised his hand and asked, ¡°You¡¯ve changed your appearance to look less like an elf, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t bear looking at myself in the mirror.¡± ¡°Did you use magic to change your hair color or just regular dye?¡± Kian stared silently at Ugo. ¡°I¡¯m just asking because I know Gold Elves are blonde wait¡­ or are Wood Elves blonde? Hey, does this mean you¡¯re originally black or¡ª?¡± Before he could finish, Ugo took a punch to the throat, sending him staggering back into a wall. He flopped onto the floor on his stomach and helplessly watched Kian slash his sword at Wade, cutting him across the chest and launching him into the ceiling; he hit some wooden beams and blasted back onto the floor. Talking time was over, and the man on a mission crouched to the hurt Wade and brushed his finger across his bloody wound. He stomped up to the door and drew a sigil with a bloody finger. ¡°Healers have a higher calling: to do more than heal individual patients. We need to heal the world!¡± He pushed the door open, and a hospital waiting room was on the other side. ¡°Someone needs to be willing to do whatever it takes to make a better world for everybody.¡± Using his grotesque magic, he had a tumor grow out of his stump and shape into an arm and hand¡ªit was a red, fleshy appendage. Kian walked over to the tween girl and burly hockey player and dragged them over to the door, ignoring their screams of terror. ¡°In the present, I¡¯ll be seen as a monster, but in the future, I¡¯ll be a hero.¡± He pushed them into the waiting room, where mass panic immediately erupted. The caroler and elderly security guard were the next Carriers to be hauled into the waiting room. ¡°I¡¯m trying to get this done without bloodshed, but you¡¯re forcing me to draw blood! Do you think I enjoy that?¡± Kian continued to rant, straining his small voice. ¡°I¡¯m not a monster!¡± He grabbed the ankle of the woman with the enlarged head and dragged her across the floor. ¡°I am not a bad person!¡± Only the woman¡¯s body made it through as her massive head got stuck in the frame. ¡°If you would just let me show you how this will help¡­.¡± He said as he pushed his foot against her head and started kicking it. ¡°Then you would be ashamed for trying to stop me in the first place.¡± After the woman got through, Kian started to mumble to himself as he wandered the room. He was losing it. Ugo had seen a similar fit in Zeke, the mumbling, wandering aimlessly, letting out screams of varying pitches, and fisting whatever surface was nearest; while Zeke¡¯s was whinier, Kian¡¯s was rage-filled. He twitched in his steps as if a worm was in his ear. Continuing his vexed fit, Kian got a hold of the businessman and work-at-home dad while rambling inarticulately about something. When he was done pushing them through the door, Kian slowly approached the little girl on the bed and stared solemnly at her. ¡°I am doing what needs to be done.¡± He picked up the girl in his arms (the bed sheets were still fused with the side of her face). Kian paced back to the door and launched her into the chaos. Ugo got up on his shaky legs and stared at Kian as he stopped by the door. ¡°If every face is a horrifying visage,¡± Kian said and turned back to Ugo with the waiting room in shambles behind him, ¡°then there would be no need for comparisons, and everybody would learn what to truly value about a person, and what¡¯s important.¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to stop you, Kian,¡± Ugo said sternly. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting, and trust me, this time, I will be ready. Although I admit being killed by you guys is a definite possibility, but my beautiful, perfect disease will never die.¡± Kian went into the waiting room and closed the door. Chapter 65 - Bruises Zeke, Aida, and Akachi followed the linear path of the sewer tunnel they were stuck in. The party of three remained silent, with only the sounds of thick wastewater sloshing away in the distance, making Zeke grateful they were in an area pleasantly dry with a bearable stink. He thought about how Ugo, if he were here, would comment on the adventure of reaching its sewer level, which was commonplace in many video games. Usually, those areas would be where the developers would hide their most heinous creations to jumpscare the player¡¯s soul right out of their body, but Zeke needn¡¯t be wary because he had already seen the monster in this level, and it wore a beautiful face. He snuck a glance at Aida; although the tears had dried, her expression was distant¡ªher eyes blank and lips narrow. It was far different from the bubbly expression that seemed cemented on her face when he first met her, requesting to have an invasive look at Naomi¡¯s privates. That was merely two days ago, and yet the memory felt like it came from another lifetime. It was Akachi to the rescue as he cut the silence by saying to Zeke, ¡°Did you know Aida acted as a superhero for some time?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Zeke looked back, confused. Aida gave Akachi a look. ¡°Aka¡­¡± He ignored her and continued as he put his arm over Zeke. ¡°Check this out, Shortstack. With her sword and mask on, Aida would go out into the night in hybrid form and protect endangered beasts from hunters. During Halloween, magical beasts would wander into the Human Realm. You may have heard reports of a fox woman with an oni mask slashing people on Halloween night, mostly in Japan.¡± He paused to smile at Aida. ¡°That was our girl right here.¡± ¡°You were a vigilante?¡± Zeke said with excitement in his voice; he soon regretted it. He couldn¡¯t help it. Any mention of superheroes would get him excited. ¡°It wasn¡¯t the smart way to go about it,¡± Aida said, still distant. ¡°Honestly, it was all done out of spite, and I often overdid it. Instilling fear into people is arguably effective but not the right way to do it.¡± ¡°Then what would be?¡± Zeke asked. ¡°The odd behavior humans have towards magical creatures stems from the lack of contact with them for hundreds of years. Most of the time, a human would try to kill a magical creature because they were scared of it, even though it was harmless. I wanted to increase the contact between them and humans. So, I was hoping to form a deal with the angels to do it subtly and tell them that the universe would actually benefit if magical creatures and humans were together again. And so¡­¡± she shuddered. ¡°Painful incidents wouldn¡¯t happen again. Then, the Seals were broken, and with that, the angels¡¯ hatred towards the Tainted only grew; no negotiations of any kind could be made possible. To make things even worse, Violet decides to go on an angel-killing spree.¡± At this point, it would be pure stupidity to ignore any more of the signs the universe was giving him. Still, he found a part of him fighting against the incoming wave of sullied thoughts about Violet. ¡°I need to achieve my goals through a different means now,¡± Aida said, ¡°but it is getting a little bit overwhelming trying to do it all myself.¡± Zeke looked at Akachi and then back at Aida. ¡°Why not team up with Akachi and Wade? Aren¡¯t you three the ¡®Tres Amigos¡¯?¡± Aida flashed a sad smile. ¡°Akachi is too focused on partying with his washed-up god friends to help me with something like this long-term.¡± ¡°Why are you saying it like I don¡¯t spend time with you?¡± Akachi said. ¡°Because you don¡¯t. We barely hang out with each other.¡± She looked over at Zeke. ¡°And Wade, well, he can¡¯t focus on something long-term either.¡± Zek crossed his arms. ¡°I dunno. It seems to me he can rise to the occasion when needed.¡± ¡°He is still inconsistent.¡± ¡°Well, it would be cool to have somebody like you in Providence Infirmary. We never treated magical beasts, and you could be like our vet,¡± Zeke said and chuckled, not thinking much of it. ¡°Much needed strength too.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Aida replied nonchalantly. Zeke stopped, and subsequently, the other two did as well. ¡°What?¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯d be honored to join your Infirmary team.¡± Zeke studied her expression, trying to find an inkling of a humorous smirk, but her face only told him she was dead serious. He started stammering. ¡°Unless you were just joking. Which is fine¡ª¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s just that, um¡­.¡± Zeke scratched the back of his head and looked away. ¡°I guess I would have to ask for the other¡¯s opinions.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± she said and resumed walking. Would a new member be that bad? In the swirl of conflicting thoughts, some voices were on board with the idea, while others worried if she would fit in with the others. Maybe he was just bummed out by how anticlimactic the invite and acceptance were. It was way different from what happened in anime when a new crew member was invited to hop aboard for the adventure. Zeke resumed walking while wrestling with his thoughts. The world flashed white. And Zeke was now in an absurdly spacious area of the sewer. Large enough to serve as an underground lair. There was dim lighting and surprisingly breathable air despite it being the literal bowels of whatever city he was under. Zeke felt a hand stroking the back of his hair. He wheeled back and saw Violet. Pulling himself back, he touched the curls hanging from the back of his head. He thought of how Isaac was able to summon Ugo, AJ, and Naomi back to him with his severed finger. Violet must¡¯ve used a similar spell that required her to have a piece of his hair¡ªshe had plenty of opportunities to get herself a sample. Her nose had grown back, and Zeke could sense the hefty amount of Mana emanating from her soul. They were standing on a platform split in four directions like a crossroads. Portable barrier fences stood on the edges of the walkway. The jar of cramped fairies was grasped firmly in Violet''s hand. ¡°Rulitos, listen about the fairies,¡± Violet started softly. ¡°They are working with Irin¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it, Vee.¡± He looked down at the fairies in the jar. They were barely moving. ¡°Let them go.¡± ¡°Listen to me, Ezequias! They need to be taught a lesson. We can use this as leverage¡ª¡± ¡°Where does it stop? First, you say you¡¯re killing the angels because they deserve it, and now you¡¯re going to do the same to fairies just because they are allied with them? Where do you draw the line?¡± She held the jar next to her hip and walked to Zeke to caress his cheek. ¡°Rulitos¡­¡± she said sweetly. ¡°Help me.¡± Her next tactic was stroking the bottom of his chin before rendering him motionless with a tender kiss. ¡°We can finish where we left off last night, and this time, we''ll both be fully lucid¡­ and in control.¡± Violet put the jar down on the platform, grabbed Zeke''s hands, placed them on her hips, and then wrapped her arms around his neck as she gazed at him with her purple eyes. ¡°Help me punish the fairies, Rulitos¡­.¡± But the powerful spell of her enticing eyes wasn¡¯t as effective. Not this time. All the disillusioned Zeke could see while staring back into her eyes was that of a malicious she-devil who mercilessly manipulated, injured, and killed anyone and anything she saw fit. Violet neared to grant him another kiss, and he did the unthinkable.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. He pulled back, mentally apologizing to his past, naive self. Zeke studied Violet as she stared back, confused, ignoring her questioning. The longer he stared at that incredibly beautiful, sun-kissed face the more of a sobering effect it had on his mind. He thought back to all the moments they¡¯d shared since the winter vacation from hell started and viewed them with a new pair of sobered lenses. The truth was so cruel, but it was time he stopped denying it. ¡°I get it now, so that¡¯s what you were doing.¡± Zeke arduously removed his hands away from her hips. ¡°You were seducing me.¡± He grabbed her wrists, pulled them down, and increased his distance from her. ¡°Last time, you told me you wanted me to hate you. I guess you changed tactics, huh?¡± ¡°Rulitos, I¡ª¡± ¡°You kept your distance initially, setting the trap, and then ensnared me. I bet you were never drunk in the first place. It was all an act. That card you left was just to get me to desire you more. Everything was just to butter me up to get me over to your side. Kissing me, holding my hand¡ª¡± ¡°Yes, I did all those things to help incentivize you, but it doesn¡¯t mean I didn¡¯t enjoy it.¡± ¡°It was all a lie.¡± ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t!¡± She took a step forward, and he stepped back. Violet stopped with a quivering lip and removed her messenger bag. ¡°I¡¯ve already made it clear how I feel about you. I¡¯ve thought about you every day since I left Winterberry, Ezequias¡± ¡°Violet, enough with the mind games.¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious!¡± She averted her gaze and slowly wrapped her arms around herself. ¡°When you asked me to be your girlfriend. I didn¡¯t accept immediately because I knew I was leaving for Catholic school. I didn¡¯t know what to say. I didn¡¯t want to hurt you. I didn¡¯t want you to think I was rejecting you. I know not giving you a clear answer and just leaving wasn¡¯t smart, but I was confused and flustered.¡± She settled her hands over her chest and directed her sad eyes at him. Her usually fierce purple eyes were now glistening sadly. ¡°The truth is¡­ Ezequias¡­ I love you.¡± And there it was. The three words directed at him that only existed in his fantasies. Those words he imagined coming out of Violet¡¯s mouth for years, subsequently, in the fantasy, leaving him with a smile that would never go away and running for miles screaming at strangers in joy. It was supposed to be a celebratory occasion that left him with a euphoric warmth. But in reality, hearing those three words strung together coming from the girl of his dreams only left him cold. A biting iciness spread in his bones, and his heart beat silently. ¡°No, you don¡¯t,¡± Zeke said. ¡°The truth is¡­ I care more about you than you do about me.¡± Violet¡¯s face twisted somberly. ¡°Is that what you think?¡± Zeke made a fist and forced himself to continue. ¡°It¡¯s what I know, and now I am starting to believe what Aida said about you.¡± ¡°And that is¡­?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a piece of shit.¡± As silence filled the air, it seemed to have sucked away all the oxygen within it. Zeke struggled to breathe, and he started panting. ¡°I was just trying to¡­.¡± Violet started and then stopped. ¡°I just wanted us to work together, and I¡­ I¡­ I¡­ wanted us to do it together¡­.¡± Then, Zeke saw something he had never seen before in his life. Violet began to sob. She attempted to speak as she sobbed, but Zeke couldn¡¯t understand any of it. He couldn¡¯t even tell if she was blubbering in Spanish or English. ¡°Palerma¡­¡± Violet said articulately enough, then started shaking her head as she went on. ¡°Palerma, palerma, palerma, palerma, palerma, palerma, palerma!¡± She grabbed the jar of fairies and opened it. ¡°Well, if that¡¯s how you feel¡­ you can take your stupid fairies back, cabeza de pija!¡± She turned the jar over, and none of the fairies fell out. Her wicked smile curved on her soaked face. ¡°Oh, look at that. They need help getting out.¡± Zeke ran towards Violet. ¡°Violet, no!¡± She kicked him away and pulled out all the fairies by hand. Violet threw them onto the ground, and as they tried to grow back to normal size, she squashed them under her boot. Zeke stared in horror as Violet flattened the fairies, with their screams shrinking and the sounds of bones cracking and meat squelching growing. She began grinding the tip of her boot against the dead fairies and then cleaned the bloody mush and crushed wings on the sole of the boot against the platform. ¡°Whoops. That was clumsy of me.¡± At that moment, Zeke could no longer see a person he felt intense affection for, not even as a long-time friend. The person standing in front of him, smiling wickedly and playfully stomping on what was left of the fairies who had their own dreams, lives, and families, was his enemy. The cold feeling inside Zeke continued to spread. His vision began to darken as the coldness made him numb, freezing all his senses: anxiety, pain, and touch were all erased. Leaving him weightless and devoid of sensation, he was enveloped in the soothing black embrace of death. Nothing. Without needing to say anything aloud, his Healer¡¯s Garb appeared on him and silver-black electricity was bursting out as he extended a darkened blue vein out of his right sleeve. He whipped it across Violet¡¯s face, making her stop playing with the fairies¡¯ unfortunate grave. Violet turned her head back with a black-bloody whip mark across her cheek. She waited, but it didn¡¯t heal. She touched the wound, and her eyes widened as she looked back at Zeke. Black liquid leaked from his lips and the inner corner of his eye. ¡°Wait, Ezequias, you need to¡ª¡± Zeke swung the vein again to her side, and she caught it. ¡°Neurpatia,¡± she called as he released a darkened red vein from his left sleeve, which latched onto the top of a steel barrier to his left side. Quickly, another vein shot out of the same sleeve and latched onto a steel barrier on the other side of the room. With his arms crossed, Zeke pulled them in different directions yanking the steel barriers with the veins and sending them flying at Violet. It was a brutal double hit as one barrier bashed into the right side of Violet¡¯s skull, and the other rammed into her ribs from the left. Violet spun vertically in the air like helicopter propellers as Zeke dashed towards her, preparing his giant veiny arm to attack. The merciless fist (bigger than her entire body) shot Violet back into the wall. Seconds after recovering, Zeke was already on his way to give her another oversized knuckle sandwich. He didn¡¯t know how he was using magic despite having no Mana in his system, but he didn¡¯t care and only focused on the cold darkness spreading within him. It felt empowering and intoxicating. Violet summoned two Netherworld pistols and fired multiple rounds of hellfire bullets at the boy she confessed to not too long ago. The veiny arm blocked the bullets, and Zeke swung another fist, splashing black liquid everywhere. This time, he only punched the wall as Violet spun out of the way to fire more bullets. They were dodged, and Zeke was already executing a new tactic. He conjured multiple clots on his veiny arm as Violet exchanged her pistol for a massive, mystical blunderbuss. The supernatural firearm made a demonic screaming noise as she pulled the trigger¡ªmonstrous spirits lined with jagged mouths came flying out. Zeke leaped off the platform, evading the monster bullets, and on his way down, he stretched his normal arm hand upwards, and a darkened blue vein shot out to hook onto the platform''s edge. He pulled and launched himself into the air right before touching the water waste below. Mid-air, he flipped and had his feet meet with the ceiling. With his giant arm, now dotted with large swollen balls filled with black blood, he lunged down at Violet and had the arm detach like a missile. The thrombus arm burst, and a big, black, bloody explosion covered the area and the combatants in red and black. Unclear if it was a direct hit, Zeke didn¡¯t care and continued attacking Violet as she was wobbling on his feet. He took a flip kick to the face when he got close, serving as a reminder that she still was a skilled martial artist and guns weren¡¯t her only play. Zeke shot darkened, wet veins out of each of his sleeves, squirting more black liquid everywhere, and had them wrap around Violet¡¯s wrists. Two more jetted out of his pant legs and wrapped around Violet¡¯s ankles. He pulled her close, and she had no choice but to follow. With their movements limited and linked to each other, Violet still retaliated and tried to attack. They moved around the room throughout the struggle, and the spectacle began to look less like a fight and more like a synchronized couple¡¯s dance routine. Where his foot moved, hers followed; where her hand moved, his hand followed. When they neared Violet¡¯s messenger bag on the walkway floor, she clasped his hand in hers and led him to it in classic tango fashion. She dug out a Mana bottle from the bag, and Zeke knocked it away with his knee. The bottle shattered on the floor. At one moment, he made her spin and then wrapped his arms around her from behind. She broke free from the hold by giving him a back head headbutt to the mouth and then unleashed an insane flurry of punches. It was like a superhuman drum solo with how quickly she moved her fists and punched in harmonic rhythm. The onslaught climaxed with a Mana-charged uppercut, and the veins released Violet. Zeke vomited some black chunks and struggled to get a hold of himself. While he was disoriented, Violet dragged her messenger bag back to her with her foot and took out another Mana bottle from it. She took a swig and then embraced Zeke. As Violet pushed her lips onto his, the Mana was forced down Zeke¡¯s throat. After gulping it all down, Zeke kicked Violet away with a Mana-charged kick and then shot out a darkened vein to pull her back. The vein was wrapped tightly around her waist, and Zeke pushed her back with a heavy punch and then pulled her back again with the vein. He repeated, getting more aggressive with his attacks every time he pulled her back to him. The final attack was with his veiny fist enlarged to a size he had never reached before. Violet took the devastating hit triple the size of her entire body and was blasted back into a steel barrier. Her Healer¡¯s Garb vanished as she slid down onto her side and didn¡¯t get up. Zeke¡¯s veiny arm dissipated along with his Healer¡¯s Garb, looking at her horribly bruised all over without any concern about her getting up again. If she decided to go another round, he was more than ready. He coughed out some more black liquid and approached Violet, his steps still feeling floaty, and then halted to glare down at her. ¡°Violet. I don¡¯t care about what you do anymore.¡± He said, cleaning off the black liquid leaking from his nostrils and eyes with his sleeve. ¡°Just remember this: if you come to my Infirmary to stir up trouble or put my friends in danger in any way. Expect a fight coming your way. Goodbye.¡± Zeke walked away. Chapter 66 - Epidemiological Triad Kian silently finished his hot chocolate. It was like drinking a melted chocolate bar. Still, the drink¡¯s creamy and rich chocolaty efforts couldn¡¯t elevate his mood. Not even the beauty of his surroundings could help as the tiny confiserie was filled with deformed customers and workers groaning and crying at their attractive new features. They¡¯ll learn to like and appreciate it soon. It then occurred to Kian why he was dejected. He looked down at his empty, dirty cup and remembered she had never tried hot chocolate. She would¡¯ve loved it. He took out some francs, left them on the table, and walked out into the snow. Bahnhofstrasse prided itself in being one of the most expensive streets in the world, but to Kian, there was nothing beautiful about predatory department stores and boutiques. The half-mile-long railroad street looked much better after his specimen gave the locals and tourists bewitching makeovers. It was a picturesque view with snow sprinkling from the milky night sky. The snow looked like stars gently descending on the blessed street. People of all ages were running around panicking with their bloated faces, extra eyes, or enlarged mouths. As Kian strolled under the moonlight, he thought back to his life living as a Solar Elf in the Elven Realm. There was nothing more disgusting than living as a royal¡ªencouraged to treat others like dirt as they treat you like a deity, having access to anything you want without giving anything in return, and no respect towards nature. After being sold to the House Biwynn as an infant, he never sought to find his mother. Kian was told she was enjoying a lavish lifestyle in another Realm. When his Mana Pores opened around the age of 10, he began to travel between the Elven Realm and Human Realm at will, and that¡¯s how he met his father for the first time. He was a swell man with good values and would be considered ugly by the standards of stupid people who populated most of the Earth. Sure, his father allowed his carnal desires to be entranced by his mother¡¯s vanity, but he admitted to his mistake. Kian eventually started to work as a doctor for the Biwynns and earned their respect with his formidable medical knowledge. He was better than any other elf of his time. He journeyed to many other Realms to study the many different infectious diseases. Funnily enough, the best stop was the one nearest to the Elven Realm: the land of goblins. He decided to visit it out of curiosity, even after being told all the atrocious things about them. From the second he met Iloszea, it was clear that the rumors were a load of crap. Kian pulled himself out of his head and continued his tour of the street into a clock and watch museum. The building was filled with even more of his beautiful creations. Unfortunately, he was unable to communicate with the receptionists in their state. He left money on the desk and carried on. He explored the display room and its wondrous pieces from around the world and different periods. A magnificent miniature singing bird clock called for his attention as he neared it to observe it up close. It was mind-boggling how a species could be capable of creating such captivating things while capable of heartlessly taking away other people¡¯s lives or their stuff and lying and raping. When it came to the elves, their heinous actions outweighed the good they¡¯d done by a large margin. It didn¡¯t matter what kind: Sun Elves, Moon Elves, Wood Elves ¡ª they were all monsters.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Iloszea was the sweetest soul he had the pleasure of meeting. She showed him around the goblin¡¯s domain and all its beauty. The community of green humanoids was powered by love, happiness, and mutual respect. He was invited into Iloszea¡¯s home and was given delicious food. Kian had never heard of a Solar Elf show that kind of hospitality to strangers, let alone a stranger of another species. Of course, he had to keep his visits to the goblins a secret. To be more cautious whenever he played with Iloszea, he ensured they were in more secluded places. Iloszea helped Kian understand his magic powers better and taught him how to fight with a sword far better than any of the teachers his royal family arranged for him. She moved with a sword with such grace that would embarrass even the Solar Elf princess. In return, Kian took her to other Realms. They swam with selkies, climbed on the backs of playful giants, danced with gnomes, and enjoyed feasts with friendly lizard people filled with laughter. Throughout the years as they grew, Kian began to notice Iloszea¡¯s enticing features. Normally, her green skin and fangs that protruded upwards would have an elf running in the opposite direction, but not Kian. She was more beautiful than any elven his family tried to set him up with. He only wanted Iloszea, and luckily, she felt the same. There was no honeymoon phase. Their entire relationship was the honeymoon. But nothing can stay a secret forever, and the Biwynns couldn¡¯t accept, in their words, the atrocity Kian brought to elvenkind. They demanded that the relationship be terminated immediately. Still, he tempted fate and continued to see her in secret, and without realizing a couple of his siblings realized this. In reality, Kian had a sad smile and banged his fist into his thigh. He looked at more unique timepieces on his way out. Kian reached the quaint area of Lindenhofplatz and walked down the path that gave him an excellent view of the river and historical landmarks. Police officers were scattered around the scene but were too preoccupied with their deformities. As he stopped to look at the boats sailing on the waters, his mind spun back into the painful past. One day, his father in Iceland got sick. He traveled back to Earth and cured his illness quickly, but took it as a sign to spend time with him for a couple of months. When Kian returned, he learned that the Royal Solar Elf Army had invaded the goblins and taken whole communities as slaves. He picked up a sword and fought against his family, demanding to know why. The reason was just as senseless as their gold-plated undergarments. The elves¡¯ disdain for goblins reached its pinnacle, and they decided to do something about it. They hated them simply for finding them too ugly and lowly creatures but were well aware of their incredible natural strength, meaning they would make great workers. The plan had been brewing for years, and thousands of elves set out to capture goblins and make a transdimensional market out of their goblin slaves. Elves would put special markers on the goblins¡¯ so that only their master could sense and locate them. After spiling gallons of blood, Kian¡¯s brothers confessed to toying with Iloszea until they grew bored and sold her a black market. She could have been in any of the thousands of Realms by now. Dead or even worse. Markers were like contractual curses or, specific lock spells, or amalgamation spells. Even with all the magic in the world, there was no way to break them unless certain conditions were met. He demanded the name of the one who bought Iloszea, but his siblings lamented about not knowing the mage¡¯s name, and he kept his Mana identity hidden with a strong cloaking spell. Kian had enough of the agonizing memory and sat on the ground looking at the river as he sobbed heavily over his failure to find Ilozsea. Not knowing even if she was alive or dead. He swore revenge against the elves before leaving to work tirelessly on a perfect disease. He was now close to living in the reality he had fantasized about for years. Just a little longer, and he will take the disease to the Elven Realm. They¡¯ll learn what true beauty is. Chapter 67 - Remission As Ugo fell in and out of consciousness, Wade dragged him up to the floor with the mystical machinery and placed him on a chair to be hooked up to scanners. Ugo was now somewhere between 80 and 90 years of age. His lungs were burning, and arthritis plagued his body. He and Wade seemed to be groaning in unison as blood continued to leak out of the gash on the Anesthesiologist¡¯s chest. When Wade noticed Ugo staring at the unhealing wound, he said, ¡°This is why they say sleep is important. My Garb¡¯s healing capabilities are really slow.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Or maybe the cells are just lazy, and I can¡¯t blame them. It sounds like a tiresome job.¡± He pulled up a closed box containing machinery of some kind and sat on it. ¡°I believe the specimen within you has reached full maturity.¡± A new slimy mouth appeared on the left side of Ugo¡¯s forehead and spewed a river of yellow chunks. Wade pulled up his wrinkly mask. ¡°It¡¯s time to start making the plasmid.¡± He left and returned with a syringe, extracting some of the bile into the tool. He took his smartphone out of his pocket and had psychedelic rock music play from it as he got to work. Watching Wade use the complex machinery as if it were his own lab intrigued Ugo. Before witnessing him work, Wade was the kind of guy Ugo wouldn¡¯t even trust to watch over a pen for him. Now, he was confident that the development of the plasmid was in good hands even though he couldn¡¯t understand any of the steps he was doing. Wade heated up flasks with different liquids, carefully pushed out samples from various syringes onto slides, used the microscope a couple of times, and occasionally made magical hand signs followed by sudden bursts of light. It was like watching a foreign independent action film without subtitles ¡ª he was confused but entertained. As coughing fits arose and Ugo began vomiting from both his mouths, he thought Kian¡¯s statement about the disease being painless was complete bullshit. Unprompted, Wade began asking things about Ugo as he worked and rocked his head to a band whose lead singer sounded like they were either drowning or half-asleep. Maybe it was due to suddenly becoming a nonagenarian and being able to taste death on all his sets of lips that made Ugo answer the questions and then overshare about his life. He opened up about his past and how he adored his busy biochemist mother. In his eyes, the barcelonina was the most beautiful and wonderful woman in the world. Even though the time he spent with her dwindled as she climbed higher up her career ladder, he was still proud of her. Ugo talked about the days when she was hospitalized and how he could remember every enthralling detail of her, physical and personality-wise, slowly peeling away. He spoke coldly and precisely as if he was a famished actor on his 100th take and just wanted to go home. After vomiting one last time, he ended his story with the medical error that caused her death. ¡°Damn. That¡¯s rough,¡± Wade said and walked to the closet. Then, he moved over to a machine that looked like a microwave and opened it¡ªyellow smoke hissed out of it. Wade took out a lidden wooden bowl from the device and settled it on his workstation. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Ugo asked. ¡°The Mana bomb,¡± Wade said and put his hand over the lid. ¡°Just for you to know, I wasn¡¯t just up here fooling around. Now we just need your brother and company to show up with that shrinking factor.¡± He leaned onto the workstation and crossed his arms. ¡°You have nothing more to worry about, aside from being infected with Kian¡¯s specimen, Ashlin¡¯s aging spell should wear off any moment now. That¡¯s if she was actually telling the truth about the spell being temporary.¡± After seeing Ashlin¡¯s true colors up close, Ugo could see her deceiving them like that in an attempt to have leverage over them to get something in return. Her witch-like Healer¡¯s Garb outfit was quite apt for her. Ugo shook his head, trying to get rid of the thought before his brain fetched a perfect image of her insanely proportionate body in that skimpy Garb. Wade produced a bottle of pills. ¡°You know why I take these, right? I can¡¯t sleep.¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t a spell that beats Ambien?¡± Wade laughed and then revealed his dilemma. ¡°Fatal familial insomnia,¡± he said and talked about how it was a common disease for his family members. ¡°When my Mana Pores opened up, I was 12, I think, and I let my family know immediately.¡± ¡°You told them you were a wizard?¡± ¡°I could use magic to prove it,¡± he said, gulping down some pills. ¡°I developed my skills to craft potions and pills. One day, I switched one of my mother¡¯s pills with one of my own. Looking back now, using her as my first test subject was really messed up. Luckily, it all turned out swell. She was able to sleep, and then I went on to share the drug with the rest of my family. It was a success. But for me? Yeah, nah.¡± ¡°Your own pill doesn¡¯t work on you?¡± Wade slowly shook his head with a strange, hopeless smile on his face. ¡°I made hundreds of versions of that pill, but nothing effing worked.¡± He shook the bottle in his hand. ¡°I have to take these dissociative drugs to make life just a little more bearable.¡± Wade drifted off for a bit and then continued, ¡°I really screwed things up when I started to sell my special drugs in my community. It spawned a horde of junkies. The fam ordered me to stop, but I didn¡¯t listen, so they rightfully kicked me out.¡± ¡°Who did you stay with then?¡± ¡°I just traveled the Realms and stayed in whatever vicinity was near me.¡± By ¡®vicinities¡¯ Ugo could imagine Wade meant benches, cardboard boxes, and most likely the backyards of strangers. ¡°I have a knack for screwing things up, I tell you. That¡¯s probably why Aida decided to end things all of a sudden. She finally had enough of my bullshit.¡± ¡°You dated Aida?¡± Ugo shouted. His heart was racing. Wade looked back, wide-eyed. ¡°Uhm, yeah. She was my girlfriend for two years. When I started to travel on my own I settled in Japan for a while, and that¡¯s where I met her.¡± He made a faint smile. ¡°I remember this one time¡ª¡± ¡°But she¡¯s¡­ beautiful and you¡¯re¡­¡± Wade raised a brow as he looked back at him. There were plenty of words Ugo could use to describe Wade¡¯s rather eccentric qualities, but he decided to not say anything and let the confusing anger boil within him. Ugo spent his days trying to look as presentable as possible (even dyeing his hair!) and building up his confidence, and here was this unkempt stoner who scored a babe like Aida. ¡°Were you a lot more cleaned up back then?¡± Ugo asked desperately. ¡°Not really. I just got more dreamy, you can say. I can¡¯t remember the last time I cut my hair. Good thing it just froze into¡­¡± he removed his cap. ¡°This.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t get it¡­ how?¡± Wade shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m lovely?¡± Ugo listened to the beeps on the monitor as he continued to think. He wanted to inquire further but dreaded Wade saying some crap like: ¡°You just need to be yourself.¡± Then he let slip out, ¡°What the hell do women want?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ they don¡¯t all want the same thing. You do know they are not all the same, right? Just like with men and every other thing in the universe.¡±A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°How did it happen? What did you say? What kind of tactics did you use to get her to be with you?¡± Ugo then scoffed, realizing he was already asking more questions than intended. ¡°Man, it¡¯s not a video game,¡± Wade said wisely. ¡°There isn¡¯t a set of commands you press to unlock a feature. It all happens naturally. Maybe if you stopped forcing it to happen¡­ it¡¯ll, well, happen.¡± Ugo sighed, and there was the dreadful advice he despised more than the ¡°just be yourself¡± babble. He had to consider that there was something seriously wrong with him if he was losing to a guy who didn¡¯t know where he was most of the time and looked like he just slipped out of a trash can. Ashlin¡¯s harsh anti-therapeutic words replayed clearly in his head. Maybe using magic was the way to go for him to have a chance with a girl¡ªany girl. He clenched the arm of his chair and ignored Wade¡¯s words of concern. A world where everybody¡¯s face was that of an abomination would level the playing field for Ugo. The fleeting thought sickened Ugo, and then he looked back to Wade, understanding that looks really had nothing to do with the equation he had spent years trying to solve. Ever since puberty struck, all Ugo did was strike out with women while his peers got what he desired quickly without breaking a sweat. It was as if everybody around him was given the right constants to the equations, and he was left guessing the answer, painfully going through trial and error and reaping no spoils at the end of it. Perhaps when Ashlin told him a woman would never love him because he was too ugly, she meant on the inside, too. Ugo sank back into his chair and stared at the ceiling, cranking his neck all the way back so that the tears would stay in place. He didn¡¯t say a word and continued to ignore Wade. Eventually, Wade stopped probing for a response, returned to the workstation, and turned up the volume of the music. Ashlin¡¯s spell wore off, and Ugo returned to his default age of 17 but remained with the dejection of a geriatric filled with regrets.
The cavalry had arrived and found Wade and Ugo in the upstairs lab. ¡°About time,¡± Wade said as he turned down the music playing from his smartphone. He fixated on Aida and smiled. ¡°You¡¯re back to normal,¡± he said to her. ¡°Oh, Dio m¨ªo,¡± Zeke exclaimed as he froze, staring at Ugo¡¯s new, mutated face. ¡°You look fantastic,¡± Akachi jested. ¡°So, this is what Kian is doing, and he thinks it¡¯s doing good?¡± ¡°Enough talk,¡± Aida said and raised the syringe Wade gave to Zeke. ¡°We got the shrinking factor right here. Let¡¯s get started.¡± Zeke approached Ugo in his seat as Aida joined Wade at the workstation. ¡°How do you feel?¡± Zeke asked and scanned his stepbrother¡¯s oily, bumpy, bloated face with hair and fingers sticking out. He now had two sets of mouths, and the one on the left side of his forehead had chunks of vomit on the corner of the lip. Zeke kept from commenting about the fetid smell of the vomit or even allowing his face to contort in response to it. Ugo¡¯s self-confidence had probably already taken enough beatings being forced through a transformation. ¡°So, who is going to clean this shit up?¡± Akachi asked as he made a face looking at the pool of puke before Ugo. ¡°You are,¡± Aida said to Akachi. ¡°I think I saw a mop in the closet,¡± Wade added. Akachi glared at his old pals, and they gave him a thumbs up with shit-eating grins on their faces. He sucked in his teeth and walked away. It took a while for Ugo to respond, but when he did, it was one of the most Ugo-like things Zeke could imagine him to say. ¡°Do you think Kian¡¯s disease could affect people¡¯s bodies, too? What do you think the possibilities with women¡¯s boobs could be? Maybe some girls could get extra sets of boobs, back boobs, or one way bigger than the other¡­ I don¡¯t know if I am into that or not. I¡¯ll have to see for myself to conclude.¡± Zeke stared blankly for a moment and then chuckled. Of course, Ugo wouldn¡¯t be brought down by having his face look like something a psychopath would make in an RPG character creation with way too many options. However, Zeke struggled with an unnerving feeling that Ugo¡¯s pervy demeanor seemed a bit forced. An angry, mumbling Akachi returned with a mop and a bucket filled with water. ¡°How does using the extract work exactly?¡± Ugo asked as he looked over to Aida and Wade at the workstation. Aida put a hand on her hip and explained, ¡°We mix the extract into a potion with other ingredients. And with my genetic abilities, I¡¯ll edit the genes of the potion to instruct it just how small we need the Mana bomb to be.¡± ¡°And then we pour the potion all over the bomb,¡± Wade added as he tapped the lidded wooden bowl on the workstation, and then he tapped his head. ¡°That¡¯s why I had to take precise measurements of the plasmid.¡± He gave Aida a look. ¡°Unless you¡¯d like to take measurements of the plasmid yourself.¡± Aida grinned and clapped his shoulder. ¡°Nah, I trust you. I know I can count on you¡­ well, most of the time.¡± As the two shared a laugh, Zeke noticed Ugo¡¯s stare lingering at the ex-couple. Almost as if he knew he was being watched, Ugo cleared his throat and looked away from the two in a hurry. ¡°So, how did you guys get the extract?¡± Zeke filled Ugo and Wade in about the events in the Realm of Fairies and about what went down in the sewers they chased Violet into. Without pulling any punches, he explained in detail what Violet had done, what he learned about her in person, and their bloody fight. Leaving out that weird and satisfyingly cold feeling he experienced as his magic power seemed to swell to a level higher than he had fought with before. ¡°Dude¡­¡± Ugo said. ¡°¡®There are just some people you can¡¯t save,¡¯¡± Zeke quoted his brother with a sad smile. ¡°Some people you can¡¯t change, and Violet is one of those people. She¡¯s corrupt and rotten to the core. There¡¯s no fixing her because she doesn¡¯t want to be fixed. She thinks she is in the right, and I let her wrap me around her finger. She was seducing me this entire trip so that I would join her in killing angels.¡± Aida paused on the potion-making to comment: ¡°Violet is an awful human being and¡ª!¡± Wade stopped her by putting a hand on her shoulder. She looked over at him, and he shook his head. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay,¡± Zeke said. ¡°She¡¯s right.¡± ¡°You can do so much better, Zeke,¡± Aida said. Zeke snickered and then frowned. He dropped his head down and started fumbling with his hands. It felt as though a painful disease he had been suffering with for a long time finally began to subside. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mano,¡± Ugo said tenderly. ¡°I know how much you liked her.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just a complete idiot.¡± Ugo shrugged. ¡°She was your blindspot, Zeke. We all have one. No use in beating yourself up over it. What¡¯s important is what you choose to do from here forward.¡± Zeke raised his head and nodded. ¡°What happened around here?¡± Akachi asked as he finished cleaning up Ugo¡¯s vomit. Now it was Ugo and Wade¡¯s turn to update. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that red-haired bitch!¡± Akachi shouted as he slammed the mop onto the floor. ¡°Kian is an elf¡­ a Solar Elf,¡± Aida said, adding the finishing touches to the potion. ¡°Pretty embarrassing as the Geneticist to not see that¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. He worked really hard on his cloaking spells to hide it,¡± Wade said as he watched her mix. While Akachi stormed out of the room, Zeke asked, ¡°But what was the triggering moment that finally made Kian snap?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not sure,¡± Ugo responded. Akachi returned, looking down at his smartphone. ¡°Guys, ya need to see the news.¡± ¡°Are you connected to the internet?¡± Zeke asked. ¡°This place has wifi.¡± ¡°How?¡± Everybody shouted in unison. ¡°I dunno,¡± Akachi shrugged with a dumb look on his face. ¡°Magic.¡± He put the phone away. ¡°The goth bastard is tearing Bahnhofstrasse apart. We need to go put him down. Now.¡± ¡°But our vaccine¡­.¡± Zeke said. ¡°You guys go,¡± Wade said, having everybody look over at him. ¡°I¡¯ll stay behind and finish up while you all try to help as many people as possible and stop Kian from causing more destruction.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do it!¡± Ugo said as he got up from the chair. ¡°Are you sure you are good to fight, Mora?¡± Zeke asked. Zeke, Ugo, Akachi, and Aida huddled together. First was Ugo, who stretched his hand in the center. ¡°When I am done with that asshole, he will look even worse than I do.¡± Next was Akachi, who put his hand over Ugo¡¯s. ¡°I actually came to the retreat to relax, and he totally killed the vibe. I¡¯ll make him pay for that.¡± Following the two, Aida put her hand over Akachi¡¯s and snarled. ¡°I am getting revenge for what he did to Shadow.¡± And finally, Zeke put his hand over Aida¡¯s. ¡°Kian is a disgrace to what it means to be a Healer. We are supposed to cure people, not make them sick! Let¡¯s go put him down.¡± ¡°Wait, Aida,¡± Wade called. ¡°I need you for one more thing,¡± he said and then shared a nod with Zeke. All part of the plan¡­
They split and gathered their things, helping themselves to as many Mana bottles as they could find in the lab. Akachi drew a Transportation sigil on the door, exited the lab, and then returned with more Mana bottles and bags. The group reunited at the now-empty ward in the basement. They all summoned their Healer¡¯s Garbs and equipped backpacks filled with items as Wade prepared a sigil on the door for them. He opened the door, revealing a vacant shopping mall in shambles. ¡°Good luck,¡± Wade said. The party of four went through the door, navigated their way through the mall, and made it to the final stage of their ordeal. Bahnhofstrasse was in chaos. Chapter 68 - Outbreak It was code red under the dark blue winter sky. The party of four stood before the shambolic, snowy vista. It was littered with vehicles flipped over, a rolling flaming tire raced across the asphalt, and the infected of all ages and sizes¡ªsome wandered aimlessly and bumped into each other, while others lay on the snow in defeat, all of them were releasing the same horrible, droning moans. A sudden squelch coming from the side pulled Zeke¡¯s attention from Bahnhofstrasse. Akachi was pushing the pointy end of his staff into his palm. After pulling it out and making another squelch, he turned back and crouched to draw a bloody sigil on the asphalt. The sigil breathed out a giant cloud of bright green smoke that lingered in the air for a while. When it vanished, it left behind a massive green tent that towered over every building in the area. Akachi stood up and put his hands on his hips while happily staring at his conjuration. He turned back to the others and frowned. ¡°Well? This isn¡¯t a movie! Stop staring! We have to help these people.¡± ¡°Are you going to explain the tent?¡± Ugo asked. ¡°This is my traveling party tent. I had this spell prepared because, in a lot of the parties thrown by gods that I attend, there were always instances when a god would get fatally sick, sometimes even multiple gods. It¡¯s warm inside, and there¡¯s water, beds, and anything else we need to get these people out of the snow and somewhere safe while we can administer medicine to help with the pain.¡± Zeke smiled, elated with Akachi¡¯s focus on the patients instead of finding Kian right away. They were the main priority before bringing the well-deserved barrage of pain onto the deranged Infectiologist. Aida transformed into her hybrid form and set off on all fours without saying a word. She helped a group of elderly women (their heads massive and dotted with several eyes) make their way into the tent. Like what Akachi said, it wasn¡¯t a movie in which he was a spectator protected by the barrier of the fourth wall. Zeke was in the movie, and his actions would directly affect its ending. He tightened his grip on the handle of his doctor¡¯s bag and started moving just as Ugo and Akachi did. Zeke turned to his side to a bench area and hopped over a small hill of snow where a woman whose eyes had vanished from her face and were now on the back of her eyes¡ªpainfully obstructed by her tangled black hair. Half her mouth was fused shut, and her nose was upside down; she was sobbing in German while scrambling and moving her hands around in a panic. A mutated baby lay on the snow on its back near a flipped-over stroller, crying from all three sets of mouths he had. The baby was dangerously close to the woman¡¯s scrambling feet. Playing action-hero, Zeke dropped his bag, slid to the baby, and picked it up right before the woman¡¯s boot was going to crush its tiny organs under her boot. Zeke stood up and looked at the woman he presumed was the mother. He shot a blue vein from his sleeve and wrapped it around her waist. Zeke noticed more infected in the area having trouble getting used to Kian¡¯s blessings. He grew out extra veins and had them grab hold of each of them. Like a shepherd, Zeke led his facially mutated sheep into the tent while holding the baby tight to his chest with his arm (with extra veins to help hold its head up). The inside of the tent was spacious and toasty. The rows of beds available in the room seemed to go on endlessly. Beside each were heart monitor machines, water, and cabinets that were probably filled with more essential materials. He caught a glimpse of Aida tucking in the last elderly woman in one of the beds before she sped out of the tent, leaving a trail of smoky, burnt orange aura behind. Akachi appeared and took the baby from Zeke. ¡°Ya gotta stop daydreaming, man,¡± he said. ¡°Leave them to me. I¡¯ll make a crib for the baby and some more in case you find more.¡± Zeke nodded, released the other infected, and ran back into the chaos. It was a hectic dance going in and out of the tent with new groups of infected each time, all while trying to avoid slipping on the snow in the process, but when Zeke started getting a hold of the rhythm, it was like riding a bike. Aida was killing it, speed-dashing around the area. Ugo was holding himself up well despite his mutations and helped out a lot of patients. Then, Zeke found a bus flipped over on its side and could hear a choir of groans coming from inside as he stood back to think about how to handle the situation¡­ His thinking was disrupted as his soul was struck with powerful sources of Mana, and he heard flapping from above. He looked up and saw the petite-winged being descending from the winter night sky, holding up a tall girl by the wrists. Zeke¡¯s mouth fell open as AJ dropped near him. Her messy hair showed from her knitted cap, and she had a vest over a long-sleeved thermal shirt and pants, looking prepared for a winter jog. Before Zeke could say anything, Nananiel appeared and landed on the bus as Naomi alighted near AJ. ¡°Hi, Zeeeeeeke!¡± Naomi shouted and withdrew her wings, bubbling with enthusiasm. She wore a winter edition of her usual prep uniform-inspired outfit wearing a coat over her sweater and a collared shirt. ¡°What are you guys doing here?¡± ¡°It was all over the news before the signal was cut off,¡± AJ said. Nananiel withdrew his wings. ¡°We know of the Tainted who lost his life. I¡¯m sorry.¡± He was wearing the Burger Queen clerk uniform, and even with the lack of long sleeves, he managed to sweat in the snow. Zeke refrained from commenting on Nananiel¡¯s pit stains and said, ¡°The only one who has to apologize here is me, Nananiel. You gave me the warning, and I still screwed things up.¡± AJ cautiously neared him from behind and cowered slightly to appear smaller¡ªa mannerism he was familiar with. ¡°I am sure you did your very best,¡± AJ said. ¡°And that wasn¡¯t good enough.¡± He then took a pathetic punch to the shoulder by the angel-demon hybrid. ¡°Stop it¡­¡± Naomi pleaded. ¡°AJ¡­? Naomi!¡± They looked in the direction of the voice and found Ugo halted near them. Naomi covered her eyes with her hands while screaming in terror with a higher voice than usual. ¡°Whoa, it¡¯s me!¡± Ugo confirmed. His Healer¡¯s Garb looked quite strange on him with the mutations. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Naomi said, opening her eyes. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°Ugo volunteered to get himself infected with the disease to help with the vaccine,¡± Zeke explained, ¡°which is finishing development right now as we speak.¡± Nananiel grinned. ¡°You Healers never cease to amaze me.¡± The next addition to the scene was Aida, who stopped before them. ¡°I sensed angelic energy and thought I was going crazy¡­¡± she said, looking up at Nananiel. ¡°I come in peace,¡± Nananiel said, waving down at Aida. Aida waved up at Nananiel and then whipped over to Naomi. ¡°Wait! Are you¡­?¡± She dashed over to her. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s Naomi,¡± Zeke said. ¡°Hi!¡± Naomi said with a happy wave to a star-struck Aida, who waved back absently. ¡°Ezequias,¡± Nananiel called and then pointed at the tent. ¡°You¡¯re taking the infected over there, right?¡± Zeke nodded, and Nananiel ran to the bus¡¯s door and tore it open.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Right after, Akachi zipped by them, riding Helios¡¯s Chariot and catching everybody¡¯s attention. ¡°Uh¡­ was that Helios¡¯s Chariot?¡± AJ asked. ¡°That¡¯s Akachi,¡± Aida answered. ¡°He is one of the Tainted like us and always needs to be the center of attention.¡± ¡°People!¡± Nananiel clapped. ¡°That¡¯s enough catching up. We need to help these people. Help as many people as possible and get them to that tent.¡± ¡°Yes, Nananiel!¡± Naomi said, sprouting out her wings and flying off. The rest of the gang split to help out. Zeke ran forward in search of more infected, but something stole his focus. It was a malicious aura coming from a distance. The image of Kian¡¯s pale face and acrylic painting-like black eye came to mind. It was his aura, alright, Zeke looked over his shoulder, and everybody was dead set on getting people to the tent. The aura was like a beckoning finger, calling him, taunting him. The sensation had him staring forward. Without turning back, Zeke ran towards the source.
After dropping off some more infected, Akachi was out on the streets again, feeling good, doing a great job of saving a handful of people, and looking the coolest while doing it was a bonus. Still, an annoying itch on his soul was tampering with his focus. It was of Black Magic. Black Magic energy was swirling everywhere in the air, but this specific source was one he dedicated to memory. Once he felt close enough to the source, he couldn¡¯t ignore it any longer and commanded Helios¡¯s steads to a stop. He stepped onto the sidewalk and stared at a patisserie. Letting himself into the aesthetically pleasing shop, he found the fat source of the annoying itch stuffing his gullet with Swiss milk chocolate truffles straight from the box. Gill was the only one in the shop with shelves holding boxes of baked goods around the place, tables, and a glass counter displaying beautiful desserts. ¡°I thought treating your demons was top priority,¡± Akachi said, giving Gill a disgusted look. ¡°When it comes to innocent people in danger, that¡¯s not enough for you to stop tending your demons, but cakes? Definitely, right?¡± Gill swallowed and gave Akachi an empty look. ¡°My family is cured, thanks for asking.¡± Then he fixated on the box again, helping himself to more chocolates. ¡°You really can¡¯t come up with something more clever to attack me with than my weight, huh?¡± Akachi scoffed and removed his goat skull headdress. ¡°So, are you here to help or just eat, Fatass?¡± Gill put the box back on the shelf and gestured to a table. ¡°Sit. I owe you an apology, Akachi.¡± The words had Akachi stagger back a bit and wonder if he picked up a strain of Kian¡¯s specimen that messes with hearing. ¡°Apologize for what?¡± Gill plopped down at a small table with two apple strudels picked out for them. ¡°Take a seat, and I¡¯ll elaborate.¡± His brain lost the fight to curiosity, and he sat, placing his headdress beside him. ¡°As I was saying¡­ I owe you an apology,¡± Gill said, grabbing the pie fork and picking away at the pastry. ¡°I assumed you to be a complete imbecile incapable of ever doing anything that¡¯ll impress me. You¡¯ve proved me wrong, although the reason why is quite predictable, unoriginal¡­¡± ¡°What are you going on about, Fatass?¡± ¡°Akachi¡­ I know you killed Yaalon.¡± Gill said casually as he cut a piece of strudel. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡± Gill took a bite and chuckled. ¡°This¡¯ll be a lot quicker if you would just admit it, and then we can move on to my proposal, but fine, let¡¯s do this little dance, shall we?¡± He took off his glasses, leaned back into his chair, and folded his hands on his lap. ¡°Let¡¯s begin with the how. You¡¯ve been planning to kill Yaalon for a while, and then the golden opportunity showed up when I announced the winter retreat for us. With Ugo and Azaekias being newbies in this whole mess, they were potential scapegoats for your plan.¡± ¡°You organize for us to stay in your big-ass house, and you suspect me?¡± Gill raised a hand. ¡°Let me finish, Akachi, and allow me to take you back to the night of Yaalon¡¯s murder. Remember when you suggested to spice up my get-together?¡± ¡°Yeah, so?¡± ¡°It was perfect. Getting everybody drunk and, or, drugged.¡± Gill pointed at Akachi. ¡°You brought in those wooden carts filled with goods, remember?¡± ¡°Again, I just wanted to spice up the party, nothing wrong with that,¡± Akachi said as he shrugged and then wondered why he was still giving the obese Demonologist the time of day. ¡°It was a good situation to conduct your murder. No one would suspect you because the get-together was my idea anyway! This gave you the opportunity to poison Wade. You being close to him, he wouldn¡¯t suspect any of the drugs you gave to him, but that wasn¡¯t enough; you also got a hold of his stash and tweaked it.¡± There were so many more important things to do than hear the overweight hack and his moronic theories. Despite wanting to leave, Akachi¡¯s legs refused to get up. It was like a spell had been put on him that fused his feet with the floor. He listened to Gill while focusing on not making facial reactions of any sort. ¡°I bet Yaalon was difficult,¡± Gill said. ¡°He was already pushing it with sipping alcohol, but there was no way he was getting drunk. So you spiked the cave troll juice with more of Dionysus¡¯ nectar.¡± Akachi thought back to the crazy truth-or-dare game everybody bravely subjected themselves to after the team wine pong game. Yaalon chugged down the entirety of the slimy cave troll juice Akachi got for him. ¡°You have no proof of that,¡± Akachi said. ¡°Sure,¡± Gill responded, still casual. ¡°Now, let¡¯s proceed to the next part of the plan¡ªyour besties. Of course, you have a stronger resistance to the nectar than the rest of us. You were able to nudge Aida and Wade back into each other¡¯s arms. You wanted them to retreat to their room together.¡± ¡°What am I? Paschar of the First Sphere? I can see the future now?¡± ¡°No, but you know those two very well. It¡¯s probably not the first time it happened while they were inebriated at a party.¡± Akachi¡¯s lips narrowed, and he looked down at the strudel. ¡°Kian left after Yaalon did, right? Then Aida and Wade, and then Azaekias and Violet. And finally, you, Ugo, and Ashlin. Everybody was already in their rooms by then. That¡¯s when you carried out the plan. You put on something that covered your whole body and bathed in bleach. You snuck into Aida¡¯s room and didn¡¯t have to worry about Wade¡¯s condition because he was really out of it, thanks to you.¡± Gill finished his strudel and then finalized his argument. ¡°You got a hold of Tsukikaze, avoiding making eye contact with it, confronted Yaalon in his room, who was dazed thanks to your spiking, killed him, exited through the window, ditched your clothes somewhere, or burned it. I don¡¯t really know about this part, to be honest, but you¡¯re the kind of vain guy who feels the need to walk around shirtless in a snowstorm, so it¡¯s plausible you made your way back into the house completely naked.¡± ¡°Everybody knows about Wade being unable to sleep and bleach messing with Aida¡¯s sense of smell and Tsukikaze¡¯s curse. Just because I¡¯m close to them doesn¡¯t prove anything.¡± Gill pointed at Akachi¡¯s strudel. ¡°Are you going to eat that?¡± Akachi growled. ¡°Are you really thinking about food while accusing me of murder?¡± ¡°Do you remember who suggested that I get rid of my servants that night?¡± Gill flashed a smile. Akachi gulped as Gill took his plate. ¡°Now, let¡¯s review the reason why,¡± Gill said, devouring his second serving of strudel. ¡°Akachi, I know how much you enjoy being part of the Tainted Generation. It makes you feel special in a way you didn¡¯t before your Mana Pores opened up. Having to share that specialness with 10 other people was bothersome enough, and then comes Yaalon yapping about wanting to teach normal people how to use magic.¡± Akachi remained silent as he watched Gill finish the strudel and clean his mouth with a napkin. ¡°What would be so special about you if everybody else could use magic like we do? And sure, their affinity isn¡¯t all that great, but anomalies could happen. Someone could rise to surpass us,¡± Gill smiled wolfishly as he tilted his head down slightly, having his dark green eyes gleam in the moonlight. ¡°Yaalon just wouldn¡¯t shut up about it, so you did it for him.¡± Silence took over again, and the two stared right at each other. ¡°Akachi,¡± Gill started, ¡°after that just comes the process of elimination. I know I didn¡¯t do it. Azaekias and Ugo are too new to this to pull something like that off. Aida has too much respect for life in general; if she were to commit murder, she wouldn¡¯t hide it. It¡¯s the same with Isaac and Violet when it comes to admitting to murder, but doesn¡¯t quite share the same respect for life. If either of them killed Yaalon, they wouldn¡¯t lie because they don¡¯t see any of us as threats. Wade was drugged, and Kian has no reason to kill Yaalon¡ª¡± ¡°So, it was Ashlin!¡± Akachi suggested eagerly. ¡°No. If she did, she would tell me.¡± Gill looked over to his side. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, beautiful?¡± As the sound of clicking heels arose, Ashlin appeared from behind the glass counter in provocative winter clothing. ¡°Right, darling,¡± she said and moved around the counter. She approached them with a super-feminine walk, her unbelievable hips moving back and forth to her sides, emphasizing her tiny waist. What happened next had Akachi¡¯s heart jump into his throat. Ashlin pressed herself against Gill and leaned onto the top of his head as he wrapped his flappy arm around her curves. ¡°Between you and me,¡± Ashlin started as she grabbed Gill¡¯s glasses and cleaned them on her skin-tight, low-cut winter dress. ¡°I am happy you killed that Jew. He was annoying.¡± Akachi sprouted out of his seat, decided he had had enough of the horror show, and wanted to return to the other one outside (at least that one made more sense). He grabbed his headdress and was on his way. He was steps away from the door when Gill called him back. He turned around and saw Ashlin putting Gill¡¯s glasses back on his face as he slapped a piece of parchment with text scrawled across it and black flames around the edges. ¡°You¡¯re freakin¡¯ stupid if you think I am going to sign that,¡± Akachi said with a smug smile. ¡°Akachi,¡± Gill said, now caressing Ashlin¡¯s behind, ¡°with what I know. I can set your life on fire.¡± ¡°That includes ruining your precious relationship with the mutt and the dopehead,¡± Ashlin added. ¡°Whatever joy you find in being a third wheel is beyond me¡­ oh yeah, there¡¯s the hope it won¡¯t stay like that forever.¡± She slowly reached into Gill¡¯s inside pocket and pulled out a fountain pen with a screaming skull on top. Gill pushed the contract forward. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to fret about. I am inviting you to be a part of my family.¡± Akachi stared at the contract. Chapter 69 - Vectors Zeke had no idea how long he was running for or how far he was from his allies, but that didn¡¯t matter to him at the time. What mattered was that he was nail-bitingly close to the source of the malicious aura. The beckoning aura had him running towards a commercial building with an urban design. He burst through the front doors with his shoulder and found Kian in the vast empty hall¡ªsave for the modern columns all around. Kian was clad in his Healer¡¯s Garb with a pink-red tumorous growth that substituted his missing arm. It was time to bring the pain. Zeke fired a blue vein out of his sleeve; Kian dodged without realizing that wasn¡¯t Zeke¡¯s plan. Zeke pulled the blue vein, launching himself toward Kian, and kicked him off his feet with a sliding tackle. As Kian was about to enjoy a painful, backbreaking landing on his face, Zeke shot out another vein; it wrapped around the top part of a column, almost touching the ceiling. Then, Zeke was airborne and fell toward Kian, pulling back an angry fist. Miraculously, Kian nimbly landed on his hands and pushed Zeke back with a well-timed kick to the chin. Zeke flopped onto his back as Kian rolled forward and got up. ¡°Rosario. I am trying to do good here,¡± Kian said, straightening his plague mask. ¡°There is a reason to all of this, and that is¡ª¡± Zeke interrupted him with a strong, Mana-charged right hook. It wasn¡¯t just any Mana-charged punch. No, this was a punch that carried all the pain he endured throughout the incredibly long day in which he let one of the Tainted die, in which he helped develop a vaccine, in which he fought against a Fairy Queen, in which he realized just how much of a scumbag Violet really was. Kian wasn¡¯t to blame for that last one, but Zeke felt it was fitting for him to take the pain of that, too. The punch blasted Kian back a few feet and broke half his mask. ¡°Oh, so now you want to talk!¡± Zeke shouted and then extended a vein from each sleeve. He never thought in a million years he would be doing something akin to the infernal-looking rope workout he¡¯d see on TV sometimes, and here he was doing a violent version of it. He pushed into the balls of his feet and moved the veins up and down, hitting Kian with each swing. ¡°I¡¯ve been told about what you are,¡± Zeke screamed as he continued the cardio. ¡°I know you¡¯re an elf, and to be honest, I no longer care about the specifics. I¡¯m way past that!¡± Zeke paused for a moment and swung both veins in a single robust move, making Kian do a backflip, and that wasn¡¯t it. Zeke speculated that this poor building would have to be reconstructed from scratch by the time he was done with Kian. He apologized to the architects and construction workers in his heart as both veins wrapped around Kian¡¯s throat. Zeke spun, slamming Kian through multiple columns. The ride didn¡¯t last as long as Zeke wanted once Kian sliced the veins. Kian tumbled across the floor and charged at Zeke, thrusting his diseased sword forward. Zeke had his arm transform into its giant veiny form, grabbed onto the sword, yanked it from Kian, and threw it away before it could do any harm. In that split second, Kian thrust the top of his head into Zeke¡¯s face. The Columbian staggered back and contracted a purple rash on his forehead; as he fought back the urge to scratch, Kian landed a 4-hit combo ¡ª neck, shoulder, gut, and knee. Soon after, Zeke contracted rashes in all those areas and immediately tried to scratch as many spots as possible (with his normal hand). Kian crouched and summoned his legion of rats. The plague charged at Zeke, using his veiny arm, grabbed onto a column behind him as high as he could reach, and flipped himself up. He shot out a vein, wrapped it around the top of a column, and launched himself even higher, crashing through the ceiling. Now, on the first floor, which was also empty (and lacked columns), Zeke landed on his back and detached his giant arm. He sent a vein down the hole he came through and reeled Kian up onto the floor like a fish. He hit the ceiling on his head and plummeted onto the stone flooring. While panting and ignoring his body¡¯s whines to scratch the rashes, Zeke eyed Kian covered in dust, struggling to get up. ¡°Isaac truly believes that there was nothing wrong with what he was trying to do, but your mind isn¡¯t that far gone,¡± he said. ¡°A part of you knows this is wrong, and you don¡¯t care anymore. I don¡¯t really know the specifics of your end goal, but I do know there is nothing noble about what you are trying to do, and you know it! You just want to cause pain, and you¡¯re relishing at the sight of all this misery. Just admit it, Kian.¡± Kian sprung up and spat purple phlegm at Zeke. He dodged it and then was attacked by a swarm of mosquitoes. ¡°Alright then, Rosario!¡± He smiled as Zeke tried to swat away the bugs. ¡°Yes, I like seeing it. I want to make people hurt just like I did.¡± Zeke dashed through the swarm and conjured a small ball of veins in his hand. Smaller balls swelled all over the ball of veins, and he hurled it at Kian. It caused a bloody explosion. With Kian blinded by the blood in his eyes for a moment, Zeke landed a kick to his chest. ¡°And what makes it better is that you know the misery you will bring to the Elven Realm will be much worse, isn¡¯t that right, Kian? This here is just your appetizer before the main meal.¡± He hissed as he felt multiple mosquito bites at once at his neck rash. In that moment of letting his guard down, Kian zipped at Zeke and pushed his glowing palm against his gut. Zeke arched up, pulled down his mask, and vomited continually. The puke ejected from his mouth for 20 seconds straight, and Kian didn¡¯t seem to mind the thick, yellowing substance splashing onto his sleeve, followed by bloody foam populated with maggots. Zeke collapsed and curled up on the floor, groaning, feeling as if he had just forced out a thousand tiny knives from his stomach. ¡°Have you ever met a Solar Elf?¡± Kian asked. Zeke was in too much pain to respond, which was aggravated as Kian turned him over with his boot and pressed it onto his gut. ¡°Mierda!¡± he exclaimed after coughing up more blood and chunks that fell back onto his face. ¡°They¡¯re all pompous assholes who think they are above every other creature across the Realms,¡± Kian ranted. ¡°I can leave if you promise to leave me alone. The disease has been perfected. Save humanity, fine. Even though the angels will continue to pursue you for doing that, but let me have my revenge on the Elven Realm. They deserve it.¡± Zeke coughed as he felt the maggots crawling up his sore throat. ¡°You can¡¯t punish a whole race just because of what a couple of them did to you,¡± he managed to get out. ¡°Rosario, you don¡¯t know. They¡¯re all the same. Every single one of them.¡± Zeke succeeded in pushing Kian¡¯s foot off him and got back up. He attempted a punch, and Kian caught his wrist. ¡°You¡¯re low on Mana. I can feel it,¡± Zeke said with a smile as his fingers turned black and started to fall off. The cocky smile vanished quickly after losing the second finger. He screamed in pain and then took a punch to the face. ¡°And your soul¡¯s purity is quite low,¡± Kian said. ¡°You¡¯re going to get yourself turned into a demon.¡± The pain had Zeke look down at leprosy spreading on his hand. Blood and pus were leaking from the stump. He cleaned off the vomit and blood on his face with his sleeve. ¡°You¡¯re just another member of the Tainted Generation who proves what the angels believe is right. You¡¯re just another fine example of how terrible the Tainted Generation can be. And the worst part of all this is that you have the power to solve most of the world¡¯s health problems, but you, Ashlin, Isaac¡­ Violet¡­¡± Zeke looked off to the side and shook his head. ¡°Instead of using your gifts to help people, you want to use them to help tear the world apart for selfish, insane reasons. The angels were right about us. We need to be excised. We cause way more damage to the Realms than good.¡± ¡°So, you get to determine whose motives are righteous or not?¡± Kian said, landing another punch across Zeke¡¯s face. ¡°If it¡¯s not on your moral compass, then it¡¯s wrong?¡± Another punch. ¡°What makes you so pure?¡±This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Punch number 3 followed. ¡°Because you¡¯re trying to stop me?¡± Four. ¡°You¡¯re only doing this to give yourself a nice pat on the back to feel better about yourself, Rosario.¡± Quinco. ¡°You want to win over the angels with your actions, but let me tell you something, they¡¯re still going to smite you in the end. And guess what?¡± Six, seven, eight. ¡° If you turn out to be the Damned, then you¡¯re going to Hell no matter what you do. You have things you want to accomplish¡ªselfish things¡ªand you¡¯re just too afraid to act on them. Rosario, don¡¯t waste your time trying to maintain an image you think the world has of you. Do what you want!¡± A war cry came out of Zeke as he intercepted an oncoming punch from Kian. Pushing his diseased hand onto Kian¡¯s elbow, red and blue veins wrapped around his arm. Kian tried to punch Zeke with his other arm but was again intercepted. Zeke connected the veins to Kian¡¯s other arm, bringing them together, and the bundle of blood vessels continued to grow. Next, Zeke pulled back onto a wall and pushed his palm onto¡ªthe venous system spread behind the walls, reaching the floor and ceilings, and then burst out. The room was covered in a grid of blood veins. With Zeke¡¯s precise hand movements, the veins followed his command and enwound Kian. The veins moved quickly and aggressively, doing their little entrapping dance for over a minute until Zeke dropped to his knees to catch his breath. Kian¡¯s struggling grunt had him lift his head up to look at him. It was like looking at a moronic roadside attraction. The vibrant blue and red sight looked the part for a contender of the world¡¯s biggest ball of yarn. With only Kian¡¯s head sticking out, the rest of his body was hidden under hundreds of pounds of blood vessels. Zeke walked up slowly to Kian as he struggled. There was no need for concern since the mental case had no way to use his hands. The match was over, yet Zeke found himself blanking on what to do next. An option came from Kian. ¡°You better kill me right now, Rosario,¡± Kian hissed. ¡°Right now.¡± Zeke¡¯s eyes widened, and he retreated into his thoughts. Thinking if he was capable of committing murder and the ethics of it. He could sense Vesklepios telling him to finish the job and have the veins contract until Kian¡¯s head popped out of his body. He grew increasingly frustrated but wasn¡¯t sure why. Was he frustrated with himself for hesitating to end Kian¡¯s miserable life, or was it because he was considering it in the first place? A strange wet, chewing sound pulled Zeke out of his head, and he saw Kian doing something awfully petty, solidifying himself as a sore loser. Kian was sticking his tongue out at Zeke. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Zeke asked unamusedly and then flinched to a rageful plea from Vesklepios to kill the Infectiologist immediately. Foolishly, Zeke ignored the ethereal presence¡¯s voice and called for Kian, realizing he was biting his tongue. ¡°Kian, no, don¡¯t!¡± His sense of rightness kicked in to stop the suicide. Then, Kian screamed, ¡°Egretatio Plaga!¡± and bit off his tongue. A hefty piece of the muscular organ dropped to the floor, and Zeke was blasted back with an expulsion of sickly aura. He got up and watched in horror as Kian¡¯s face corroded and peeled off, and then it expanded along with his body tearing through the veins in seconds. Kian was growing alarmingly fast and filling the room before Zeke had the time to run; he was hit with a speeding wall of meat.
The impact had Zeke crash through a window and fly across the night sky. He whirled hectically and then started to descend. His iconic high-pitched screams followed, and he hit the surface much sooner than expected¡­ much less painful, too. Zeke opened his eyes and was on the base of the chariot staring at three different pairs of shoes. He stood up cautiously and looked at Ugo, Aida, and AJ in confusion. Then, he looked at Helios¡¯ golden-glowing horses in front of them, running in the air. AJ was holding the reins attached to the horses. ¡°There¡¯s no way we were going to let you fight the final boss on your own! We¡¯re your party!¡± Ugo said. Zeke blinked and noticed Naomi and Nananiel, each flying on either side of them. ¡°Wake up, Ezequias!¡± Nananiel alerted. ¡°No time for spacing out on this battlefield.¡± Zeke slapped both his cheeks, getting his head in the game. First, he asked AJ, ¡°So, you know how to ride horses?¡± ¡°Aida just told me what to do,¡± AJ said, smiling at Aida, who nodded. Secondly, Zeke asked Aida, ¡°Where¡¯s Akachi?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she responded. ¡°I found the chariot abandoned by the street and can¡¯t sense nor smell him anywhere near this place.¡± There was no time for Zeke to theorize what happened to Akachi as the commercial building blew up, sending debris flying everywhere. Kian was the tallest thing in Bahnhofstrasse. In the form of an ever-growing tumor, he crushed all the buildings and cars around. The gang stared in horror. ¡°What the hell¡­?¡± Ugo said. ¡°That¡¯s Kian¡­ he said something and then bit off his tongue,¡± Zeke said. ¡°He activated his Manifestation,¡± Aida said. ¡°What is that?¡± Naomi asked fearfully. ¡°It¡¯s the awakened form of the Healer¡¯s Garb. It¡¯s basically giving most of the control over to the Garb and allowing it to manifest in the physical realm with its real body.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen a couple of Healer Manifestations myself¡­.¡± Nananiel said and squinted. As Kian grew, more tissue formed around his abominable form¡ªdifferent colored hair, mashes of brain tissue, blood vessels, and muscle fiber, misshapen eyeballs, hundreds of mouths with jagged teeth, short and long noses, elongated and short arms, contorted legs and bent bones jutting out. ¡°Things always seem to end with a giant being of some kind, huh?¡± AJ said, staring up at the monster. ¡°Speaking of which¡­¡± she looked over at Naomi. ¡°I don¡¯t know how I did it the first time¡­¡± Naomi muttered. Aida held her sheathed sword up and put a foot on the chariot¡¯s front rail. ¡°Ugo¡­ you can excise him with your cutting magic.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ugo said and glanced at the massive tumor coated in bright red. ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t think I can.¡± ¡°Yes, you can! We can only cut, but your magic can separate things more precisely. Just focus on where Kian is and separate him from the giant form.¡± Aida said. ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± Nananiel summoned his snow-white sword. ¡°So will I.¡± Ugo stared at the swordmasters offering aid, and it took all doubts away. He raised his surgical knife. ¡°Alright¡­¡± Aida made a loud neigh, and the horses responded, running quicker toward the monster. ¡°You speak horse?¡± Zeke asked, thinking that he had already seen all of the weirdness the world had to offer. Clearly, he hadn¡¯t. A collection of meaty heads rose from the massive tumor, releasing a demonic roar. ¡°Ezequias, stay alert,¡± Nananiel said and then looked over at Ugo. ¡°Ready?¡± ¡°Vamonos!¡± Ugo yelled. A giant head sprouted out from the center of the tumor. It had a long beak and looked similar to Kian¡¯s plague mask but much more alien-like¡ªits brass color blended well with the intense red of the rest of its body. AJ banked the chariot, allowing the Surgeon and Geneticist to lunge toward the tumor alongside Nananiel, who sped forward. What followed was imagery Zeke¡¯s brain was going to remind him till the day he died. The sky was covered with electric blue, smoky orange, and snow-white slashes in every direction. There were more of Ugo¡¯s slashes than the others. Chopped pieces of meat and organs were blasting off like some kind of bizarre hurricane, and Kian was falling mid-air in his human form. As Ugo, Aida, and Nananiel whirled in the bloody meat-covered sky, AJ lowered and brought her hands together. ¡°Zeke!¡± she shouted. He acted fast and used the boost to launch himself into the air. He fell for just a moment before Naomi caught him by the wrist and threw him at Kian, who was spinning in the air. Zeke tackled him, and the two glided through the air (Naomi threw him a little too hard). Their flight ended when they crashed through the giant clock of a tower. As they rolled across the floor of the tower¡¯s interior, their Healer¡¯s Garbs dissipated. When they stopped, neither of the combatants got up. Some time passed, and nothing happened. Zeke was awakened by his smartphone¡¯s ringtone (playing the God of the Rings theme). He slowly pulled the phone out of his pocket and stared at its cracked screen in shock that it was still working at all. It looks like tech giants earned the right to overprice their products, after all. Something someone said over the line had Zeke spring up on his injured legs and nod repeatedly. He hung up and began shaking. A menacing laughter rose from his gut. In response to the laughing fit, Kian got up on one knee. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± he asked angrily. ¡°You just lost.¡± Zeke continued laughing as he slogged up to the clock they crashed through. ¡°Come see.¡± His laughter raised a couple of volumes louder. Kian pulled himself up and slogged over to Zeke. The two had a clear view of the city through the hole in the clock. They could see the debris, pieces of meat littering the streets and buildings that weren¡¯t destroyed, and the massive tent in the distance. But there was also an army of mosquitoes buzzing around. ¡°I bet most of your confidence stemmed from believing that we wouldn¡¯t have an effective way of administering the vaccine even if we came up with one,¡± Zeke explained. ¡°When it comes to infectious diseases, vectors are the best agents to spread it quickly, so why not use a vector of our own to spread our plasmid?¡± He looked over at Kian as he thought back to the suggestion he gave to Wade before leaving for the Fairy Realm. They were lucky Aida turned back to normal in time to finalize the vaccine when returning from the sewers. ¡°With Aida¡¯s breeding powers, creating mosquitoes which carried our vaccine wasn¡¯t hard and look¡­.¡± Zeke pointed up at the moon. ¡°Scientists say mosquitoes are more active when the moon is full. Lucky us¡­¡± Kian glared at Zeke. ¡°You lose,¡± he said, smiling. Chapter 70 - Cosmetics Zeke could sense the absence of Mana in his opponent¡¯s system and figured his opponent could feel the same about him. Still, Kian went all out. In a rage, he attacked Zeke with his mystical Elven martial arts, and the enervated Zeke had no other play available but to take the hits. Kian was landing flip kicks and jumping punches, making Zeke shed more blood¡ªThe floor of the clock tower looked like an abstract European painting. The elf-human hybrid¡¯s onslaught stopped abruptly. Zeke fell on his behind and looked up at his opponent. Kian¡¯s jaw was locked in place, and he struggled to exhale. As his body tensed up, he clenched his chest and collapsed with a rough grunt. ¡°Kian?¡± Zeke said as he stood up. He fought against his medical instincts to attend Kian. It could be a ploy, but he was already winning, so it didn¡¯t make sense. Like a burglar wearing the world¡¯s loudest shoes, he tiptoed toward Kian. He was curled up on the floor, clenching his chest tighter and tighter, looking like Nananiel with beads of sweat all over his face. Zeke kneeled, hearing the concerning shortness of breath, and reached a conclusion. Kian was having a heart attack. Calling an ambulance was out of the question, so Zeke resorted to a spell and it stopped on its own halfway¡ªNo Mana. No Magic. No duh. As Kian seemed to be losing consciousness, Zeke gently turned him over on his back and began CPR. He kept his arms straight and pushed hard and fast on the center of Kian¡¯s chest in a rapid rhythm¡ªa rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute. ¡°Come on, Kian! Come on!¡± Most of the strain in Zeke¡¯s voice was due to the overexertion of his muscles. He endured the aches and sped up until his body gave up, and he collapsed on top of Kian. Zeke pulled himself up and froze as he saw Kian had also given up. His hauntingly-still face and unblinking eyes stared back at him. ¡°No¡­¡± Zeke muttered and checked his pulse. Nothing. Zeke crawled back and hugged his knees as he focused on Kian, not knowing what to feel. Relief? Sadness? Victorious? Regret? He just felt numb. A part of Zeke¡¯s consciousness already started chastising him for not being able to save Kian with CPR. As this went on, a yellow portal appeared in the room. Gill stepped out of it, prompting Zeke to get back on his feet. ¡°Gill?¡± Zeke said as the portal closed and then glanced at Kian. ¡°Gill, you have to help Kian¡ª¡± ¡°He¡¯s already dead. What do you want me to do?¡± Gill said coldly and then began wandering the place. He observed the clock tower¡¯s quaint architecture like a tourist, avoiding stepping on fresh blood stains on the floor. ¡°This place is marvelous.¡± It baffled and angered Zeke how indifferent Gill was to the corpse in the room. But the more he thought about it, the less he cared about Kian¡¯s death¡­ ¡°This country is where the Black Plague started,¡± Gill said as he stopped to turn to Zeke. ¡°No,¡± Zeke quickly refuted. ¡°It started in China¡­ or was it Kyrgyzstan?¡± ¡°Azaekias,¡± Gill called with his expression growing more serious. He pointed at the floor. ¡°This is where the Black Plague started, and it was done by an Infectiologist of the Tainted Generation.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because he was an asshat. Most of the Tainted Generation were and are. Kian had the disease start in this city out of superstition. Believing it would grant him luck in spreading the disease,¡± Gill put his hands behind his back and approached the broken giant clock. ¡°The Infectiologist who made the Black Plague had the same thinking and only started here because this was the same area where the one who came before him spread the Plague of Justinian. Obviously, there was no Zurich in either of those times, but this was the general area, and Plaga reminds every Infectiologist of it.¡± Zeke joined Gill in observing the moonlit glow through the clock. ¡°You seem to know an awful lot about Kian¡­.¡± ¡°I did spend quite some time with him, yeah, but to be honest, most of the dirty work was done by Yaalon,¡± Gill admitted. ¡°I¡¯ve been able to take a couple of peeks into Yaalon¡¯s files.¡± Zeke glanced at Gill and surmised he achieved that with the help of his legion of demonic servants. ¡°You guys were lucky that you only had to reverse engineer the genes to make the cure,¡± Gill continued. ¡°Kian had to make it from scratch. Do you think our Healer Garbs¡¯ cells were the only prime ingredients for his specimen? There were loads of other materials he needed to craft that thing¡­ and he got them from me.¡± ¡°Just for free?¡± Gill laughed. ¡°That¡¯s adorable. Of course not. The condition was that he would help me break the Seals.¡± Zeke almost lost his footing and then pulled back. ¡°You¡ª?¡± ¡°Me, Ashlin, Isaac, and Kian. There, I solved your mystery for you, mate,¡± he turned to Zeke and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. ¡°It baffles me how neither you nor Yaalon could figure out that at least Ashlin was part of it. She is the Container Specialist; I mean, come on.¡± Zeke wanted to ask just how many servants he had surveilling him but decided to stay quiet and let the fat man speak. ¡°It was clear Kian was trying to make a super pathogen with that alarming list of ingredients he wanted. That sorry bastard turned his brain off when it came to his beloved.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Her name was Iloszea, and she was a goblin. Kian was in love with her. The Solar Elves launched an invasion on the goblins when Kian was visiting his sick father in Iceland for a while. She was gone when he returned. Whoever bought her put a Marker on her. Long story short, she¡¯d never be found again,¡± Gill shared. ¡°He told me the story the night before we attacked the Adyta. I could feel the rage in him when he told it. Clearly, he was going to make a major move.¡± ¡°So, this was all for a girl.¡± Gill turned on his heel and walked back to Kian with a bounce in his step. Zeke followed. ¡°Kian was a smart guy, but when it comes to emotions¡­ yikes. Of course, she liked him. He¡¯s an elf! They are the most naturally beautiful creatures in all of the Realms! It doesn¡¯t matter which kind of elf; they all put out pheromones that make them instantly likable. Why do you think Solar Elves are still loved and respected even though they are all dipshits? It¡¯s all cosmetics, Azaekias,¡± Gill stopped and looked down at Kian¡¯s corpse. ¡°To a goblin girl, he was probably the most beautiful thing she had ever seen up close in her entire life! And Kian confused being worshiped with true love. He was just a shiny trinket to her she couldn¡¯t help looking away from.¡±Stolen story; please report. Zeke curled his lip to the side and said, ¡°Maybe it didn¡¯t have anything to do with appearance. Maybe it was true love.¡± Gill laughed uproariously. His bulldog-like facial features stretched horrifically. ¡°Are you taking a piss, mate? Did you not hear what I just sa¡ªah, you know what? Nevermind. I don¡¯t have time to argue. Believe what you want.¡± Zeke looked down at Kian¡¯s body and attempted to feel empathy, imagining what he went through to go mad in such a way. But it was far too late for that. ¡°Was he the Damned or the Deliverer?¡± Gill closed his eyes and checked. ¡°Nope. No essence. He¡¯s neither.¡± ¡°Kian was so delusional I bet he didn¡¯t read the fine print of the contract he signed, or maybe he did and was too confident in his plan.¡± Gill looked over at Zeke. ¡°¡®If his specimen fails, then he will perish.¡¯ That was in the fine print, and violating that agreement would result in the Izrastellum crushing his heart until it no longer pumped. And that¡¯s what happened. You¡¯ve seen the Izrastellum before. You saved Jill from being killed by it.¡± The image of the star-shaped demon¡¯s creepy face appeared in his mind. ¡°So you let that happen to a subordinate of yours?¡± Zeke asked. ¡°She¡¯s family. I needed to know your level of skill, Diagnostician. Yours and the Surgeon.¡± ¡°You psychopath,¡± Zeke said, shaking his head. The word didn¡¯t seem to deter Gill, not at all. It probably wasn¡¯t the first, nor the thousandth time he had been called that. ¡°I guess your vectors wiped out the last of his specimen,¡± he said. ¡°Good job. I guess you killed him in a way.¡± A pang struck Zeke¡¯s chest after Gill¡¯s comment. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Gills said and clapped Zeke¡¯s shoulder, ¡°what he wanted to accomplish would¡¯ve got lots of people killed. He was deranged, Azaekias.¡± ¡°Why are you here, Gill?¡± Gill paused for a moment, positioning his head perfectly for moonlight to reflect on his glasses. He looked like a supervillain with the ominous glare covering his eyes. ¡°I am going to be honest with you, Azaekias. I don¡¯t want you as an enemy,¡± Gill said, ¡°your intelligence and resilience make up for your cowardice. But I know offering you a partnership is out of the question. I¡¯m still tempted to do so anyway.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t just let people like you do whatever they want,¡± Zeke said. ¡°Oh, so you already expect that I am up to no good? Isn¡¯t it exhausting to always be the good guy? No one is forcing you to, you know.¡± Gill looked away, moving his glasses from the moonlight. ¡°I won¡¯t be an easy opponent.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Gill bent over and grabbed Kian by the arm. He opened another yellow portal. ¡°See you around, Azaekias.¡± And he was gone.
Zeke stepped out of the tower and was struck with a cold blast, reminding him of the unrelenting Swiss winter. His ears were filled with a symphony of thousands of buzzing mosquitoes. Now, without his Healer¡¯s Garb, he was feeling the pain of the aftermath of the prolonged fight multiplied and the cold weather biting through his clothes and sinking its icy teeth into his bones. He slapped his neck, missing a mosquito, and it flew across his eyeline in mockery. Zeke had to remind himself that they were carrying the vaccine. He waddled forward, unsure of where he was going and on the verge of passing out. The gods of convenience gave him a break, and his friends appeared in the distance. Naomi was dashing towards him, screaming, ¡°Zeeeeeeeeeeeke!¡± and attacked him with a strong hug. Zeke groaned at her tightening, anaconda-like grip. ¡°Ease up, ease up, ease up,¡± he muttered as he tapped her arm. She let go and pouted. ¡°Sorry¡­¡± He nodded with a smile, letting her know it was okay, and then the others caught up to them. ¡°Sorry!¡± Nananiel started. ¡°After the attack, Ugo landed in a peculiar spot and got stuck between two buildings¡ª¡± ¡°And then I got a call from Wade saying he released the mosquitoes,¡± Aida, still in hybrid form, continued and allowed a mosquito to land on her palm. She gently touched it with her pinky. ¡°We had to go back and open the tent to let the mosquitoes do their job,¡± AJ said. ¡°We felt Kian¡¯s aura vanish,¡± Ugo finished. ¡°Did you¡­?¡± As the eager eyes fixated on Zeke, he explained what happened up until after Gill showed up, doing his best to focus with annoying mosquitoes buzzing in his ear. ¡°The attack on the Adyta was done by the hands of the Vicar, Demonologist, Container Specialist, and the Infectiologist,¡± Nananiel said, rubbing his chin. ¡°But we¡¯ll think about that later. Right now¡­¡± he turned back to the ruined city. ¡°We¡¯ve got a lot of cleaning up to do. You guys need to fill up on Mana, help me reconstruct some buildings, and wipe out some memories.¡± Ugo, with a field of mosquito bites on his forehead, pushed his hands against his mutated face. ¡°I wonder how long until the vaccine takes effect.¡± ¡°I have to say,¡± AJ started and then crossed her arms while eyeing Ugo smugly. ¡°your new look suits you.¡± The dirty jab had Ugo contort his face into what must¡¯ve been a mean glare. He called off his Healer¡¯s Garb and slowly moved up to AJ. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen you, buddy.¡± He outstretched his arms. ¡°How about a hug?¡± ¡°Wait, no!¡± AJ shouted as Ugo grabbed her before she could escape and rubbed his oily, bumpy face against her cheeks. ¡°Ahhh! Ew! Ew! Ew! Ew! Ew!¡± Zeke chuckled, watching the two, then noticed Aida leering at an unaware Naomi. He acted fast and intercepted an overly excited Aida by stepping in front of Naomi. ¡°Hey, hold up,¡± he said. ¡°Zeke, I am a professional. I am not going to do anything weird,¡± Aida said, insulted. ¡°I am just going to ask her to bring out her wings so that I can lick them¡ª¡± Everybody stopped to stare at Aida blankly. ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand. It¡¯s so that I can taste the feathers.¡± The blank stares didn¡¯t go away. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make it better,¡± Ugo said. ¡°Doggie!¡± Naomi shouted, stepping around Zeke and running up to Aida. She started stroking one of Aida¡¯s pointy ears. ¡°No, don¡¯t! They are sensi¡­!¡± Aida melted into a dazed state with an open mouth and stood on wobbly legs as she growled happily with her body twitching. ¡°I was fighting back the urge to do this,¡± Naomi said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to meet a kitsune!¡± Watching his pals being idiots made Zeke feel calm in a situation he knew he shouldn¡¯t be. He felt slightly guilty for it. ¡°Oh, yeah, um¡­.¡± Zeke said, remembering something. ¡°Aida wants to join our team. Is everybody cool with that?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Naomi shouted without releasing Aida from her stupor. AJ slipped away from Ugo. ¡°Sure, why not?¡± ¡°Another chick. I¡¯m cool with it.¡± Ugo said. ¡°Alright then! Aida, welcome to the team!¡± He stretched a hand toward her, and she was still out of it. ¡°Um, Naomi, maybe stop stroking her ear?¡± ¡°Ohhhh, just a little longer!¡± she whined. Aida¡¯s smile widened as she started drooling and twitching more violently. ¡°You¡¯re going to break her, Naomi,¡± AJ said. ¡°Fine¡­¡± As she was released, Aida snapped back to reality. ¡°Huh? What? What happened? Where am I?¡± They waited for Aida to fully recover and then walked down the messy street. Zeke pulled Ugo away from the group. ¡°Hey, Mora, are you okay?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Ugo responded. It was either the power of their step-brotherly bond or his stomach churning from disgusting maggots and blood that made Zeke sense something was wrong, leaving him unsatisfied with the answer. Almost as if Ugo picked up on this, he changed topic. ¡°Hey, we solved another big one, eh?¡± He raised his fist. Zeke bumped Ugo¡¯s fist and then said, ¡°Yeah¡­ but Gill is still on the loose and¡ª¡± Ugo smacked Zeke on the back of the head and wrapped his arm around his shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± he said. ¡°Hey, we should celebrate stopping a plague and our new team member!¡± He shouted loud enough for everyone to hear. ¡°I like the sound of that!¡± AJ cheered. ¡°A real Christmas party together! Yeah!¡± ¡°Aww¡­ thanks, guys,¡± Aida said coyly, with her tail wagging like crazy. ¡°Nananiel, you¡¯re coming too!¡± Naomi said. ¡°But the place is warded¡­.¡± ¡°If we let you in, it¡¯ll be fine,¡± Zeke said. ¡°Alright then¡­¡± The now larger Providence Infirmary team and their angelic ally ventured to clean up the Bahnhofstrasse and tend to Kian¡¯s mutating pathogen victims. And so, the era of Kian¡¯s plague reached its (luckily) early end. Chapter 71 - Damnation Violet entered her lab with all her bruises healed, but her clothes were torn and covered in blood¡ªred and black. She wandered the place doggedly, then allowed herself to slam onto a wall with her shoulder and slowly slid to the floor. Even alone, Violet felt the need to hide her face as she sniveled at her failure. She accepted her body¡¯s request to let out tears but denied the request to blubber, no matter how powerful the urge was. Sobbing in front of Ezequias like a preschooler was enough showing weakness for the entire year. She wiped her tears and punched the wall until her knuckles bled and internalized her screams, pondering if she should¡¯ve shared more with Ezequias. Not that she could anyway. Also, he was in no mood to listen. He didn¡¯t even believe her when she declared he loved him¡­ Violet shuddered, and her chest ached like never before, having a violent mental battle with herself to get rid of the thought. It was a cruel joke. Being the master of the mind, and yet there she was, losing to her own. The mental image she¡¯d cling onto to keep herself motivated¡ªher and Ezequias, together, stopping the angels and their hellish actions¡ªbegan to blur. It was becoming less of a possible future and more of a fantasy. Violet cried noisily and then started to punish herself for punching herself on the thigh. How the hell are you going to beat them if you cry over something like this? He doesn¡¯t love you back, it¡¯s fine! You can do it on your own! Don¡¯t be weak! You can¡¯t be weak! Her consciousness¡¯s critical voice wasn¡¯t effective that day. The more it demanded her to deny weakness, the more the urge grew to head over to her favorite ice cream shop in Winterberry and buy a bulk of Jen & Jenny¡¯s biggest tubs. And then find a quiet place somewhere. Where she could binge the seasons of Hospital General de Anita she had missed over the years as she would gobble the ice cream and update her list of favorite flavors. Violet smiled sadly and looked over to the empty hospital bed. It took a while for her to realize it wasn¡¯t supposed to be empty. She sprung up and searched the room in a panic. Only then did she notice the draft in the room and looked over at the large window that even she forgot she was there at times. It was opened. She stepped out into the coastal-decorated patio furnished chicly, and gray-pink clouds obscured the view. They were either high in the sky or in a Realm that lacked creativity. Rachel was in her hospital gown, standing as still as a statue while barefoot in front of the patio¡¯s railing. Her ash blonde curls had been released from their crown braid. ¡°Rachel¡­ you¡¯re up¡­¡± Violet said but could only see her from behind, focusing on her supermodel-worthy neck. ¡°you shouldn¡¯t be¡ª¡± ¡°Hello, Violet,¡± Rachel said sharply without turning around. ¡°You¡¯re not speaking Enochian anymore.¡± Violet slowed her pace as she got closer. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not, Violet. How could you deprive me of such a blessing?¡± Violet halted and stood just a few feet away from Rachel, but it felt like they were universes apart. She could sense that her Mana had changed into something powerful¡­ something dangerous. ¡°Rachel¡­ you don¡¯t understand,¡± she said, trying to get through to her. ¡°I don¡¯t know what Irin told you, but she tricked you!¡ª¡± ¡°I asked for this, and you willingly tried to take it away from me. The blessing I earned. Now tell me¡­.¡± Rachel turned around, revealing her golden-gray, sparkling eyes, and held up her hand¡ªa gold, old-fashioned balance scale appeared over it. ¡°How is that fair?¡± Violet chose her words carefully. ¡°Rachel¡­ there is a lot of power coursing through your soul right now. I know it¡¯s overwhelming, but you need to calm down¡ª¡° ¡°DON¡¯T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN.¡± Violet dropped to her knees. Whoever was talking back to her merely wore the face of Rachel Abery, drowning the original within her with an exorbitant amount of White Magic energy. As Violet tried to get up¡ª ¡°I prohibit you from standing up while in my presence,¡± Rachel ordered, and a group of golden-gray fireballs formed a ring behind her as the scale glowed. Despite this, Violet tried to anyway and immediately regretted it. Her eyeballs caught on fire. ¡°Do not defy what is just,¡± Rachel said sternly, watching Violet scream and writhe to her eyeballs melting and spilling from her sockets like magma, further burning away her cheeks. ¡°I can feel¡­ everything. You seem to be suffering from a broken heart. Unfortunately, that does not excuse you from your crimes, Violet.¡± Now eyeless, Violet urged while on her knees, ¡°Rachel, this isn¡¯t you! Whatever angel essence Irin fused within you is messing with your head. You have to fight it!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never felt more lucid in my life. I am Rachel of Irin¡¯s Archangels, and you are a heathen that needs to be exterminated but also¡­ in times¡¯ past¡­ a beloved friend of mine.¡± Rachel approached Violet and put her hand over her head. Violet¡¯s eyes returned, and her charred cheeks had been healed. ¡°I show thou clemency. However, the next time you show your face before me...¡± Rachel stepped back, made the scales disappear, and sprouted out her massive 3 pairs of wings. ¡°I¡¯ll treat you like the impure, Tainted trash you are.¡± Her wings were horrifically beautiful, with their defined golden-gray color and tiny eyes dotted all over them. They outsized Rachel¡¯s body by a large margin, but somehow it still looked graceful. The wings folded, covering her like a cocoon leaving only a small space for her eyes to look through. She took to the skies in a powerful thrust and vanished into the clouds.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Violet tried to look for her in the nimbus.
A week later, well after Christmas break was over. School was back in session, forcing kids to memorize mathematical formulas in the freezing cold. The gang held their belated holiday party at the Infirmary. In the waiting room, festive lights covered the white stone walls, a wreath was put over the colorful three-faced sun tapestry that hung over the golden wood altar, and a large, overly decorated Christmas tree stood in the center. Upbeat music played from the multiple Bluetooth stereos sprawled around the waiting room, and a feast of Christmas-time snacks filled the trestle table and drinks. Zeke was on his feet with a cup of eggnog in his hand, cozy in a red cardigan and plaid pants, and had a Santa beard clipped onto his face. He stopped by the carved sofa where Ugo (with his regular goofy face once again) and Nananiel were seated, each with a cup of eggnog. Zeke eavesdropped on the two. ¡°Wait, so you¡¯re telling me Julio murdered his father, who was actually his father¡¯s twin, who happens to be Anita¡¯s long-lost uncle?¡± An invested Ugo said to Nananiel. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I am saying, Ugo,¡± Nananiel, wearing his Burger Queen uniform, answered and reached for a snowflake-shaped cookie on the table. Ugo, in his striped crewneck sweater, adjusted his Santa hat and finished his eggnog. ¡°Daaang¡­ this show sounds amazing! I kinda wished you didn¡¯t spoil me so much about it though¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯re you talking about? Everything I told you is just from the first episode!¡± Ugo gasped. Zeke walked away, smiling and shaking his head. He moseyed over to the timber counter near the doorless arched frame with even more snacks sprawled on it. AJ towered over Aida, looking like a mother teaching her daughter as she passionately shared her healthy cooking techniques. ¡°Oh, does Winterberry have Japanese shops?¡± Aida asked as she looked up at AJ as if she was a painting on the ceiling. The Infirmary¡¯s new Geneticist wore a reindeer sweater and plaid shirt combo. ¡°I actually bought the Momotaro tomato seeds online and grew them in my garden,¡± AJ said in her closed wool jacket. Aida¡¯s kitsune ears popped from the top of her head as she blurted, ¡°You have gardening skills, as well?¡± She pushed her ears down, chagrined. ¡°Sorry, I got excited. AJ laughed. ¡°No, worries.¡± Aida raised her hands, and her pointy ears vanished. ¡°You know, gardening and cooking are extremely useful abilities for a doctor of the supernatural. Some foods in the Human Realm can increase Mana and even Mana Gauges if made in a certain way. If you applied your understanding of nutrition to otherworldly foods, you could become a force to be reckoned with.¡± AJ blushed and cowered. ¡°You really think so¡­?¡± She smiled shyly. ¡°Yeah!¡± Suddenly, Aida turned to Zeke. ¡°Hi, Dr. Rosario.¡± ¡°Oh, um!¡± Zeke said, startled. ¡°Did you know I was here the entire time?¡± ¡°I can smell you, stupid,¡± Aida said, smiling and tapping her nose. ¡°And I¡¯ve already dedicated to memory.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± Zeke looked around. ¡°Have any of you seen Naomi or Wade around?¡± He looked over at AJ, but she was in no position to talk. She was hunched over and now at the same eye level as Aida, covering her red face. Aida pointed a thumb over her shoulder. ¡°I remember seeing them go down the hall?¡± ¡°Together?¡± Zeke said, his parental instincts going haywire. He sped past the doorless arched frame and approached the door to Naomi¡¯s room (formerly her patient room). He let himself in and found Naomi and Wade seated on the white carpet. The former patient room had now been tweaked to look more like a teenage girl''s bedroom, thanks to some generous donations by the gang. Everybody put money together to buy things for the room, aided with the money Naomi earned from working at Heath''s sports bar. It had a black, white, and blush pink color palette with a well-made bed and multiple pillows at the end¡ªa student desk and chair to the side and posters on the wall with vague inspirational quotes. Wade was wearing his dirty Healer¡¯s Garb as usual and had some Christmas glitter sprinkled on his cap. He held up a white feather in his hand and a lighter under it. ¡°The high you can get from just inhaling a smoked angel feather is incredible, trust me.¡± ¡°Come on, man!¡± Zeke shouted, throwing his hands into the air. ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡± Naomi asked. She had a white knit sweater and black skirt on, sitting on the floor with her legs closed in front and knees bent towards the side, in an S-shaped position. ¡°Everybody said he was one of the good Healers, and he told me he wanted to show me something so¡ª¡± ¡°Did he give you anything? Like drugs?¡± Naomi shook her head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°But I was going to,¡± Wade said and produced a handful of colored pills. ¡°Dude!¡± ¡°They¡¯re harmless!¡± Wade yelled, and then his eyes popped out when he looked back at the pills. ¡°No, wait¡­¡± he picked up a red pill. ¡°This one would¡¯ve definitely put her in a coma.¡± ¡°Okay, everybody out!¡± Zeke ordered. The two got up and walked towards the door. Zeke glared at Wade as he walked past, and Naomi stopped to play with Zeke¡¯s snow-white beard as she giggled and then carried on. As Zeke returned to the waiting room, Wade plopped onto the unoccupied sofa and was later joined by Aida. Aida pulled her phone out of her pocket. ¡°I can¡¯t get a hold of Aka,¡± she said. ¡°Probably had some deity business to attend to,¡± Wade said, gently patting her shoulder. ¡°He¡¯ll be back.¡± ¡°Nananiel?¡± Naomi called. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°What are we going to do about Irin?¡± ¡°You¡­ let me take care of that.¡± ¡°What are you two talking about?¡± Zeke asked. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you more about some other time,¡± Nananiel said, forcing a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s try not to kill the mood.¡± Zeke paused, and another thought came to him. ¡°Hm¡­ It¡¯d be nice if we could find some of Yaalon¡¯s family¡­.¡± he lamented. ¡°And he kills the mood anyway,¡± Ugo said. ¡°Sorry¡­¡± There was also the fact that they couldn¡¯t find his corpse after everything went down¡­ ¡°We should toast to that guy,¡± Ugo said, raising his eggnog. ¡°He wanted to do good, and we¡¯re going to continue that crusade for him.¡± ¡°Hell yeah!¡± AJ said and then awkwardly glanced at Nananiel. Everybody made sure they had a full cup of eggnog and joined the center. ¡°For Yaalon,¡± Zeke said, somberly. The cups rattled, everybody chugged down the sweet drink, and then the dancing came. With a clump of the chilled beverage taking its time to slide down his throat, Zeke felt something else that kept him from turning his brain off entirely for the party. He slinked away from the group and walked past the arched frame. His heart pounded madly as he plodded down the empty hallway, and then there it was¡­ A burning figure in a black cloak with a zombified face and the top of its head missing. It looked to have been cleaved off. Its eyes were dark green dots in a pool of demonic yellow. Zeke believed it to be a human man at some point. The figure smiled and said in its dead voice. ¡°See you soon, Ezequias Rosario.¡± A burning hole appeared under it, dropping out of the hallway. The worst part of it all. Zeke clearly understood what it meant¡­ and who that was. Chapter 72 - Tezoraka The chubby 12-year-old boy named Gilliam Destrian was in need of a great deal of help. Pastor Alfred was not proud of beating the boy until blemishes marked the flabby skin on his face and the stumpy legs that squeezed into his uniform shorts. But he had no choice; on that windy Halloween night, he found the youngster in his office drawing Satanic symbols all over the walls with blood, of which he had no idea where it originated. No one else in the institution was awake, and Pastor Alfred had heard an action-invoking call, perhaps from an angel, that he needed to deal with the matter alone since the means may be too horrific for others to witness. The most challenging part of the ordeal was the boy¡¯s weight, but he persevered thanks to the Lord and was able to overpower the boy. As the boy was sprawled on the floor, weakened and out of breath, Pastor collected the things he had prepared from day one of Gilliam¡¯s arrival. At the Boys of Eden Academy, they¡¯ve seen their fair share of ruffians take shelter in their Manchester-based school, but Gilliam was different. He was unlike any of the boys that came before. Mr. and Mrs. Destrian¡¯s haunted countenances said even more than what their lips did when they dropped Gilliam off. They were good folk brought to their wit¡¯s end, who had tried everything to save their boy and settled for confiding in the instructors to do what they couldn¡¯t. As he collected his travel bag from his solid wood storage chest, Pastor Alfred could see clearly what was wrong with the boy. It should¡¯ve been clear from the start¡ªthe foul language, the drawing of Satanic symbols, trying to form deals with other students and teachers, giving them something they desired in exchange for something they held dear. The boy was possessed by a demon. Pastor Alfred had faith in why a young man of God like himself would be tasked with curing this boy. He wasn¡¯t going to falter. No, he had no reason to because he was chosen. He dragged Gilliam out of the main building and into the monastery. While inside, he beat the boys¡¯ vessel containing the demon even more until it remained still long enough for him to prepare the room. He lit the candles around the space, illuminating the richly ornate architecture, and took a moment to look at the magnificent mural of two nuns to keep him at ease. He took in a deep breath, exhaled, and continued his work. Pastor Alfred drew a pentagram with chalk from his travel bag on the altar floor and then dragged the possessed boy onto it. He took a bible and vial of holy water from the pack, flicking the boy with the blessed liquid as he started his prayer. The water seemed to have been taking effect as the demon inside the boy silenced and remained idle within the vessel. Maybe, the next part was unnecessary, but Pastor Alfred had to take precautions. His travel bag contained a large wooden cross and industrial chains. He fixed the stainless steel around the boy¡¯s wrists and then around his hands with the wooden cross between them. A lock was the second to last item he got from the bag, and he engaged it onto the chain link. The demon had the boy look up at Pastor Alfred with an empty look. As the chill came over the young devout like a cold fingernail slowly scraping down from the center of his back, Pastor Alfred expected his heart to be beating fast; instead, it slowed down. His chest panged as he felt death pulling him forward like a hand tightened around his neck. He tried to gulp, but the muscles in his throat weren¡¯t responding. He wiped the sweat from his brow and mustache and grabbed a few more vials of holy water from his bag. He circled the boy as he flicked water onto him and started the prayer again from the beginning: ¡°Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii, omnis legio, omnis congregatio et secta diabolica. Ergo, omnis legio diabolica, adoramus te¡ª¡± ¡°--It¡¯s adiuramos te,¡¯¡± the demon said from inside the boy. ¡°If I was actually possessed, a mispronunciation like that could make the demon even stronger, and where exactly did you get a hold of this so-called holy water of yours?¡± The demon laughed. ¡°I hope you know it¡¯s bogus and part of the ruse the other old blokes set up in an attempt to scare us straight. If not, then that¡¯s very concerning¡ª¡± ¡°Silence, demon!¡± Pastor Alfred commanded, convinced that the boy¡¯s soul was long gone. His mission now was to just get rid of the unholy spirit. ¡°I am not possessed, mate!¡± The world spun slightly for Pastor Alfred, but he fought against it, straining his eyes to adapt to the dizziness. He did not comply with years of celibacy and rigorous study to be wavered by a vile demon. He went back to praying while circling it. ¡°You¡¯re just so typical. So¡­ unoriginal,¡± it said as it grimaced. ¡°Anytime something bad happens, it is because of the Devil, and if something good happens, it is because of God. Or sometimes, if things don¡¯t go as planned, well then that means He didn¡¯t want it to. It wasn¡¯t part of His plan, right¡ª?¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. A droplet of water flew right into its eyeball. ¡°Ow! Bloody hell!¡± The demon hissed. ¡°The God you¡¯re praying to won¡¯t help you because this isn¡¯t a matter of possession. Do you know who I am?¡± The demon raised its head and smiled. ¡°I am the Third-Born of the Tainted Generation of Healers. The Demonologist. Do you understand what that means? The magical power I possess is and will always be infinitely more effective than whatever it is you think you¡¯re doing.¡± ¡°Just be quiet¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not in any immediate danger. No one will come because there aren¡¯t any demons in this room, you wanker!¡± The demon said as it swung its chained hands up, then lowered its head, suddenly going quiet. Pastor Alfred prayed harder, but it was hard to not waver with the sight he was seeing. The archfiend had its new heavy body sway side to side like a corpse hanging from a meat hook. It became even harder not to waver as it began to sing in a soft voice. ¡°Don¡¯t ever laugh as a Hearse goes by For you may be the next to die They wrap you up in a big white sheet From your head down to your feet They put you in a big black box And cover you up with dirt and rocks And all goes well for about a week And then your coffin begins to leak.¡± Pastor Alfred hated to question it, but he began to wonder when the prayer he sang would get it to shut up. The demon¡¯s macabre ballad was getting even louder than his saintly song. ¡°And the worms crawl in, the worms crawl out The worms play pinochle on your snout They eat your eyes, they eat your nose They eat the jelly between your toes A big green worm with rolling eyes Crawls in your stomach and out your eyes Your stomach turns a slimy green And puss comes out like whipping cream You spread it on a slice of bread.¡± The demon lifted its head. ¡°And that¡¯s what you eat when you¡¯re dead.¡± It finished and then said something that had Pastor Alfred freeze and gape down at it. ¡°If you want them here so badly, I can bring them.¡± Pastor Alfred¡¯s mind betrayed him as it failed to instruct him on what to do next aside from standing and staring. ¡°Elrinarah. Maranwyn. Zellineth. Those are the demons I like to pray to.¡± The demon laughed after it got a good look at Pastor Alfred¡¯s pathetic expression and went on. ¡°Sorry to disappoint you, but no. This isn¡¯t the result of an overactive imagination. Do you know why you don¡¯t recognize the names of those demons? In fact, the names of all the demons you know are baloney. It¡¯s because the angels made sure of it. The human tongue has a special ability. Just by uttering their name, we make them more powerful. What do you think will happen if I continue chanting their name?¡± Its eyeballs rolled to the back of his head, showing its whites with tiny red vessels crawling up them like plant roots. ¡°Zugdran, Belios, Ogdral, Ragthaan¡­¡± The demon sped up as the room began to tremble, and wind from the outside battered against the walls. ¡°Bergulsaab, Kizzunaad, Borgrath, Ongraz, Terthran¡ª¡± Faith wasn¡¯t strong enough to keep him on his feet, Pastor Alfred¡¯s legs buckled, and he, a man of God, was down as the demon rose. With his world flipped, unsettling imagery filled his vision: sigils he had never seen anywhere before, but even without understanding their meaning, it made him shiver all over and sob. ¡°Stop, please, stop!¡± Pastor Alfred bellowed as he covered his eyes. Staring at the back of his eyelids gave him no solace either. The hundreds of tiny cryptic sigils rapidly flashed before his eyeballs. His ears were filled with howling winds and demoniacal whispers of a language he realized someone of his title was never meant to hear. He opened his eyes again, and the demon was closer, looking down at him with the smug smile of a politician who knows they¡¯ve won the race from the moment they start running. ¡°No need to be scared. Unfortunately, they can¡¯t crossover. Well, usually, but wait¡­ it¡¯s an hour before Halloween ends.¡± The demon raised his index and little fingers, making devil horns. Seeing the wooden cross in between demonic hand signs irked Pastor Alfred. ¡°Torzelas.¡± After it cited the unfamiliar word, black flames circled the demon and then shaped into a long black robe. Hellish markings lined down the sides and sleeves. As the dark fire spread to its mouth, making a mask, the demon pulled its chin up for a second and then gave Pastor Alfred a look. Even if he had studied more before signing up to be an instructor at the school, he still wouldn¡¯t have been prepared for the imagery he witnessed above. Monsters oozed down from the arched ceiling. About five of them; they were large but freakishly long and covered in shadowy black fur. Their mouths were lined down their appendage-less bodies with one yellow eyeball at the top of their round head. Laughing with the voices of children in kindergarten, they stopped stretching down, hung from the ceiling like stalactites, and hungrily eyeballed the Pastor with their sideways smiles. Yellow liquid leaked from their sharp yellowing teeth and touched the paralyzed Pastor¡¯s skin, getting a pained shout out of him. It burned like acid. ¡°Soon, the Netherworld will rise,¡± the demon said. ¡°And you can join our family, Pastor Alfred.¡± ¡°Dinner time!¡± one of the monsters said, chomping onto the Pastor¡¯s head. While inside the monster¡¯s mouth, he saw a vast valley blanketed with yellow flames filled with the sounds of thousands of souls burning in agony, screaming for salvation. He felt the sharp teeth sink around his neck and then into other parts of his body. Pastor Alfred knew then and there that he was going to join that yellow Hell. Chapter 73 - Paging Zeke barged into the Providence Infirmary of the Occult with his Healer¡¯s Garb equipped, mask pulled up, and doctor¡¯s bag in hand. The spirit known as the Healer¡¯s Garb was an entity that existed within his soul and granted him mystical power¡ªjust like the other members of the Tainted Generation. His Garb manifested in the form of a long, forest-green leather coat¡ªwith epaulets on the shoulders and flap pockets on the side of his arm and chest¡ªlooking like something military-issued. The dark green leather mask covering the lower half of his face had an exhalation valve to the side. As he stepped into the waiting room, the chamomile fragrance and song of crackling fires from the sconces welcomed him back. It gave him a much-needed sense of serenity before his stress rocketed to its regular high levels once he started the final procedure. Naomi walked out from behind the polished timber counter. She was wearing her white nurse uniform, complete with gloves and a cap of the same clean color. A red bow was tied at the center of her waist. Zeke halted as she rushed up to him with a face filled with concern, but he spoke first. ¡°Any more patients?¡± ¡°No,¡± Naomi said, shaking her head and then lowering it, twiddling her thumbs as her expression took on a more pathetic look. ¡°But that might not be so good because that means there may be people or creatures with ailments that need our help and¡ª¡± ¡°Naomi,¡± Zeke said as he touched her shoulder and glanced at the red cross on the center of her cap. ¡°We can¡¯t think about that right now. We need to focus on who we can save now.¡± Zeke broke off and rushed past the doorless arched frame. Naomi caught up to him and maintained the same walking speed. ¡°Were you able to get it?¡± Naomi asked, referring to the imp tail extract needed for the cure. ¡°Yeah,¡± Zeke answered and started running; Naomi kept up. The patient¡¯s unfortunate form was caused by an imp, doing its sadistic equivalent of ¡°it¡¯s just a prank, bro.¡± Luckily the Infirmary¡¯s newest staff member could summon a black dog with genetic tracking capabilities to locate the creature that fell under the Major Demon category. Zeke promised the conjurer he¡¯d take good care of Onyx, the black dog, as he searched for the imp. He found it in the back alley of a restaurant, probably waiting to pull another prank on an unsuspecting human. It wasn¡¯t much of a struggle. Zeke cut off its tail, banished it back to the Netherworld, and phoned Aida to call off the summon so Onyx could safely return to her farm. After Zeke and Naomi turned a corner, he told her, ¡°Naomi, go to the dispensary and get White Magic medicine for the patient.¡± Naomi nodded, and the two split in different directions. The ailment belonged to the Black Magic category, but it didn¡¯t mean it could be easily solved with White Magic. The procedure required a couple of things to be done before having the patient gulp down White Magic solution with a whitish-blue color made from Naomi¡¯s white feathers and unicorn blood they¡¯d stockpiled in the dispensary. Zeke flinched as a monstrous roar spread through the Infirmary, booming into his eardrums. He tried to keep himself from imagining how much the patient¡¯s mutation had worsened since he left. There was no point in imagining because he would see it for himself in just a few seconds. Zeke finally reached the operating room door, just like all the other doors in the Infirmary¡ªIt was engraved with beautiful reliefs, a single pentagram, and a plaque. It read: OPERATING ROOM. He had no excuse to pause to catch his breath since he had his Garb equipped. A part of him wished he did so he could stand outside the operating room to brace himself for just a little longer. Another roar erupted from the other side of the room. Paging Doctor Rosario. It was go time. Zeke clenched all over as he put on a brave face and stepped inside. If the shape of the patient¡¯s current form had a name. Zeke didn¡¯t have a clue about what it might be. It was like staring at the world¡¯s largest bacterium, breaking through the confines of the microscopic realm with its massive size. Multiple oozing mouths and dark eyes were all over its gray-black skin. The patient had grown slimy, gray-black tentacles with plenty of eyes. Ugo, clad in his blue, mummy-like Healer¡¯s Garb, was caught in one of them and swung around the room with the green ceramic tile walls, making for the worst amusement park ride ever. An orange slash projection swept past the tentacle, setting Ugo free and letting him drop to the oak wood floor as the mutant bellowed in agony with its green gushing wound. Zeke looked over to Aida, clad in her Healer¡¯s Garb: an oni mask and a short black kimono decorated with colorful ukiyo-e. She wore it over her gray cropped striped shirt, khakis, and white sneakers. Ready to do some more cutting, she was in her quick draw stance, one foot forward, both legs slightly bent with her long sheathed katana¡ªTsukikaze in her hands. ¡°Aida, you¡¯re hurting the patient!¡± Zeke said to her. She stood up and clenched her jaw, showing her teeth. ¡°I know¡­¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯ll make it up to her by curing her. Did you already mix the extract?¡± Zeke crouched, opened his doctor¡¯s bag, and took out a corked bottle filled with thick red liquid. He spotted the crushed operating table on one side of the room. Then he saw AJ standing near the beeping supernatural machines and monitors, gaping at the mutant, which now touched the ceiling with its top. She wore a dark red leather lab coat over her sporty outfit: a jersey, joggers, and sneakers. ¡°Mano!¡± Ugo called Zeke over as he slipped out from the grip of the severed tentacle. ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± Zeke looked over at his step-brother, still not used to his new look. His bleached hair tips had gone the way of the bouffant, and now his spiky tips were brushed down and regained their natural black color like the rest of his hair. The Geneticist and Surgeon eyed Zeke, eagerly waiting for instructions. A tentacle came swinging in their direction; they all ducked at once and got back up. Zeke glanced up at the patient. From the day Aida joined, she shared with the team all the books she¡¯d found that contained detailed information about the Codex of Supernatural Ailments the previous Tainted Generation had put together. Soon, they discovered that their library had held books containing the same information. Frustratingly, the Codex described the ailments but not always the exact solution. It was funny how quickly one finds something when they know exactly what they are looking for. Zeke wasn¡¯t sure if all the books they had contained, in fact, a million different ailments, but they were massive tomes nonetheless. The team had diagnosed the ailment of their current patient as a 938.1: Incomplete Demonic Transmogrification. When a demon performs a transmogrification spell poorly on its victims, whether by accident or on purpose (concerning the case, it was the latter for sure), the victim takes an abominable, shapeless form. He looked at Aida first. Thanks to her Garb¡¯s abilities, she could see every being¡¯s genetic code, access them for vital information, and even edit them, changing their physiological and meta-physiological properties and many more changes that¡¯ll persist in future generations. It was like hacking a computer for her. ¡°I need you to splice her DNA,¡± Zeke said. Aida gave him an unamused look and then dodged another tentacle that came her way. ¡°Zeke, you know, changing her back to normal won¡¯t be as simple,¡± she said. ¡°As soon as I get the gene back to normal, she¡¯ll just morph back if what is causing the spell is still in place.¡± Zeke grinned, already expecting this reaction, and was glad he would be able to use the rebuttal he prepared. ¡°I know. I just want you to start looking for her original genetic code now so you¡¯ll be ready to insert it when needed.¡± He jumped over a swinging tentacle. ¡°And add new hereditary codes to help with her soul¡¯s production of antibodies for demonic curses, and so it can be carried onto her future children¡­ if she chooses to have them!¡± Aida nodded and ran off to get started. ¡°Ugo!¡± Zeke called. ¡°Talk to me, Mano!¡± ¡°One of the imp¡¯s horns is lodged somewhere on her body. Find it and remove it. But it¡¯s very durable and can¡¯t be done in an instant or else we could risk tachycardia. She¡¯ll die. You need to remove it slowly.¡±The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°I¡¯ll use my saw,¡± Ugo responded, stepping back to make hand signs for his spell. It ended with a gesture where he held his hand forward and fingers curled downward¡ªcobalt blue electricity collected under his hand and materialized into an archaic surgical saw. Arabic-like occult symbols were dotted all over the serrated blade, the same color as his Garb¡¯s bandages. Ugo held up the saw. ¡°I think I saw the horn when I was flung around.¡± He looked over at Zeke. ¡°What will you be doing?¡± Zeke raised the corked bottle in his hand. ¡°I have to rub this on her uvula.¡± Ugo stole a glance at the patient. ¡°From which mouth?¡± ¡°The biggest one,¡± he said as confidently as possible. Sure, one of the Codex tomes they had explained the 938.1. can be cured that way, but never specifying which mouth. Even though it was a personal milestone for him to go with the flow, he wasn¡¯t quite ready to admit he was guessing out loud. ¡°Zeke, what do you need me to do?¡± AJ asked. He ducked under a swinging tentacle and stared at AJ as if just remembering she was in the room. ¡°Uh¡­¡± he said while scanning the room in a panic, and then pointed at the machine she stood next to. ¡°Watch the machine!¡± Next, Zeke crouched to his doctor¡¯s bag, grabbed a flashlight, and turned it on as he ran towards the blobby patient. He caught Aida doing her genetic splicing spell from the corner of his eye. With unwavering focus, she rearranged the DNA structures before her and made hand signs between each delicate maneuver. The DNA took the form of orange double helixes, floating in front of her like 3D holograms made with technology years beyond. ¡°Found it!¡± Ugo shouted as he ran behind the patient. It was time for Zeke to pull his weight in the procedure. He unscrewed the cork from the bottle, lowered his mask, put the flashlight between his teeth, and dived into the patient¡¯s largest mouth. Living a nightmare for claustrophobics everywhere, Zeke crawled deeper as the firm, pink muscle tissue squeezing him from all sides pushed him forward. The inside of the patient¡¯s mouth was clammy and moist, marinating him with goo. As he neared the throat that looked even more cramped, he aimed the flashlight beam up at the fleshy ball that hung over him. With barely any space to move around, he hastily pushed two fingers into the bottle and reached for the uvula hanging over his head. He was now deep enough to see the curve in the throat that led to the digestive juices. He could hear its bubbling; it sounded like a taunt letting him know that if he fell in, he would be dissolved in seconds. After the third session of rubbing the uvula with the viscous red liquid, his surroundings began to rumble and slowly shrink. It was the cue for him to get out, but with the slimy muscle tissue pressing onto his body from all over, crawling back out of the mouth was a struggle. The tongue he lay on pushed him onto the gooey roof of the mouth, and the tissue to his sides was compressing him as it made throaty clicking noises. He kept the flashlight in his mouth despite wanting to scream in panic, not wanting to risk the patient choking on it. His jaw ached as he forced himself back through the cramped space. He managed to get one foot out of the opening. Then, the mouth made a violent contraction, constricting his movement entirely. It was hard to tell whether he was stuck in the mouth or the throat as the patient was transforming back. Right before Zeke had the chance to accept death and put in his bets if he turned out to be the Damned, Deliverer, or neither, he felt a tug on his ankle. He was pulled out with brute force and slid onto the wooden operating room floor, dropping the bottle from his hand and spitting out the flashlight he almost choked on. Naomi stood above him with a blanket slung over her shoulder. She was crushing his ankle in one hand and holding a corked bottle of white liquid in the other. Zeke gawked up at her. Sometimes it was hard to remember that the doe-eyed sunflower blonde was a hundred times stronger than any winner of the World¡¯s Strongest Man. ¡°Uhh, Naomi, thanks for the save¡­ but you¡¯re hurting me,¡± he said. Naomi let go. ¡°Sorry, Zeke!¡± ¡°I¡¯m done,¡± Aida announced, with the set of newly arranged DNA molecules floating before her. Ugo stepped out from behind the weakening, shrinking blob with a cut horn in his hand. ¡°Got the horn.¡± Afterward, Aida pushed the DNA molecule, and it absorbed itself into the blob. Not only was her magic useful to help patients¡¯ bodies become stronger with better genetics after recovering from supernatural ailments, but it also allowed the body to return to exactly how it was. According to what he had read on the topic regarding Incomplete Demonic Transmogrifications, even after doing the procedures to have the victim transform to normal, sometimes the body is left with deformations, on the inside or the outside¡ªMaking it a 938.2: Demonic Post-Malformation. Relief left the building as Zeke winced at the mucous-like substance stretching from his hair to his hand. The patient glowed and transformed back into her form of a 25-year-old skinny brunette: Cindy Berkman¡ªAnother cured patient to add to the growing list. She lay sprawled on the floor and was completely naked. As Naomi unfurled the blanket from her shoulder and approached the patient, Zeke located Ugo. He shoved him out the door before he could see the young nude woman. The woman moaned softly as Naomi knelt and wrapped her in the blanket. ¡°It¡¯s okay, you¡¯re okay now,¡± Naomi said, removing the cork from the bottle. ¡°Please, drink this. It¡¯ll help.¡± She helped the patient drink the liquified angel feather to wash out any remnants of demonic microorganisms in her system. ¡°Another case solved,¡± Aida said as she removed her mask and blew at her bangs. Zeke smiled and gave everybody a thumbs up. ¡°Good job, Providence team!¡± His smile faded as he noticed AJ looking away from everybody and cowering to make herself seem smaller.
Before returning the patient to her fianc¨¦, they needed to let her rest in one of the patient rooms since a 10-hour slumber follows after being cured of such an ailment. Like state-of-the-art smart lights, the sconces in the rooms of the Infirmary somehow knew when an occupant didn¡¯t want them on, not that their light would have woken up the patient anyway. While crossing through the waiting room with his Infirmary team, Zeke stopped midway as the others went through the door marked with the Transportation Sigil. Zeke focused on the tapestry of a three-faced sun hanging over the altar, which contained the bowl of holy water, thinking back to the incident. And the culprit was the one to snap him back to reality with a smack on the side of his head. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Mano,¡± Ugo said. ¡°Stop thinking about that already.¡± Zeke sighed, putting the thought aside, and followed him to the exit, reaching their bedroom via Transportation Sigil, leaving his medical bag behind. The nerd-wonderland had bookshelves filled with American and Japanese comic books and video games with limited edition figurines on top of them and other collectibles scattered across the room (including Zeke¡¯s study desk). Multiple game consoles were also hooked up to a TV on the other side of the room with two bean bag chairs before it. ¡°?Diablos! I am starving,¡± Ugo said. He had called off his Healer¡¯s Garb, just like Zeke and Aida, and was now in his blue sweatshirt, worn jeans, and black sneakers. ¡°I could eat,¡± Zeke said. Staying true to his unusual fashion sense, he wore a plain black T-shirt, dark blue slip-on shoes, and printed pants displaying an eye-watering Persian rug pattern. ¡°So, what should we have?¡± Naomi asked. She had changed from her nurse uniform and wore a yellow plaid pinafore dress over a white sweater. Zeke watched Naomi amble toward the bean bag chair and drop onto it. Then his attention was stolen by Aida, who picked up a Hyperman figurine and sniffed it. ¡°Careful with that,¡± he said, keeping his tone measured as he took the precious item from her. Aida grinned. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. By the way, you didn¡¯t happen to give the patient any new, unsolicited genetic traits with your spell¡­ right?¡± She put her hands on her hips as her mouth fell open. ¡°What are you accusing me of? I didn¡¯t give her anything that wasn¡¯t completely necessary.¡± ¡°So, you did do something.¡± ¡°Helping her genes develop more child-bearing hips wouldn¡¯t hurt. She¡¯s getting married soon¡­ completely necessary,¡± she said with her eyes sparkling. ¡°Aida!¡± ¡°It¡¯ll help her deliver her future babieeeeees! I did it for the children, Zeke. Cindy would thank me.¡± ¡°What else did you do?¡± Aida curled her lip to the side as she tapped the tips of her fingers against each other. ¡°You know¡­ just in case the marriage doesn¡¯t work out, and she decides to seek love in other¡­ beings. I made sure the mating process would be much easier.¡± Zeke dropped his face into his hand. ¡°Oh, Dio m¨ªo,¡± ¡°Can we go to the mall?¡± Naomi shouted, raising her hand as she sank into the bean bag chair. ¡°We can go to the food court and then visit that really cool comic shop.¡± Zeke reminisced about the last time he and Ugo walked into their regular comic book shop with the girls and the chaos that followed¡ªa couple of heart attacks and several comic readers harassing the stepbrothers for their brainwashing secrets. ¡°Let¡¯s just hang here, order a pizza, and watch a movie,¡± Ugo said, sitting on the edge of his bed. Zeke carefully put the figurine back in its spot and said, ¡°How about Heath¡¯s Sports Bar?¡± ¡°You just wanna eat there because of the discounts we get, thanks to Naomi,¡± Aida said in an annoyed tone. ¡°What is wrong with you guys? You¡¯re thinking too small. We can go anywhere! Dum aloo in India, Festival in Jamaica, Ketoprak in Indonesia, or we can eat outside this Realm.¡± AJ stepped forward and said, ¡°I think we should¡ª¡± The doorbell ring cut her off. ¡°Door!¡± Aida said and perked up. She dashed out of the room. ¡°AJ, hold that thought,¡± Zeke told her and left the room. Zeke and the gang went down the staircase and into the entryway, where Aida bounced up and down as she stood before the door. ¡°I wonder who it could be!¡± Aida said. Zeke approached the door and pushed his eye against the peephole. It was somebody he didn¡¯t recognize¡ªa young black man wearing sunglasses. He stepped back and opened the door. The visitor looked like a rock star from the 90s¡¯. His brown skin seemed to be glimmering under the spring sunshine, and his fantastic taper fade haircut kept the top of his short hair brushed up and slightly tilted to the side. He wore a leather jacket, black pants, and brown leather boots. ¡°Buenos diaaaaaaaaas!¡± He said in his booming voice, like an entertainer, almost knocking Zeke off his feet. ¡°How¡¯re you doing, Ezequias Rosario?¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Ugo said. ¡°Who are you, and how do you know my brother¡¯s name?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t just know his name, Ugo Morata, Sixth-Born of the Fourteenth Tainted Generation of Healers,¡± Sunglasses said. ¡°Damn, that¡¯s a mouthful. You guys should really consider shortening the title permanently.¡± Zeke turned back to share a look with his comrades. ¡°Sorry to ruin your afternoon,¡± Sunglasses said, smiling, ¡°but I¡¯ve come to kill you all.¡± Chapter 74 - Insemination As the sudden introduction went from bizarre to hostile, Zeke and the rest of the Infirmary team stood in the entryway, studying the smiling young man in sunglasses. Zeke paid attention to what his ethereal senses were picking up, telling him that Sunglasses¡¯ aura was not only human but normal. Until it suddenly wasn¡¯t. The surge of Mana hit him like a coffee rush taking effect. He stepped back and narrowed his eyes. While on the doorstep, Sunglasses looked off into the distance to his left as he pointed at Zeke. ¡°I want to test him out first, though.¡± Naomi approached Zeke from behind, put a hand on his shoulder, and whispered, ¡°He¡¯s human, but I sense a lot of Mana from him.¡± ¡°Me, too,¡± Zeke whispered back. A human with strong Mana affinity? It wasn¡¯t an impossibility, though. It was just something Zeke was sure he¡¯d never see in his lifetime. Aida stepped forward, growling, and Zeke stopped her by grabbing her wrist. He gently pulled her back. ¡°For some reason, he wants me,¡± Zeke said to her on a low level without taking his eyes off the hostile visitor. ¡°We don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. It may not be a good idea to show all of our abilities at once. Let me handle this.¡± ¡°Good thinking!¡± Sunglasses said as he took a plastic water pistol from his jacket pocket. ¡°You¡¯re very smart, Ezequias!¡± ¡°Is that a water pistol?¡± Ugo said, narrowing his eyes at the cheap-looking green toy. ¡°Squirt!¡± Sunglasses announced as he pulled the trigger. A torrent of shiny, silver liquid blasted into Zeke¡¯s chest. The weight of it had him flying across the room, slamming past the swinging door into the kitchen and crashing through the door window. Zeke rolled across the landscaped lawn of the backyard. He looked down at the shiny liquid slipping from his clothing. It didn¡¯t just feel cold, but like it was actively drawing heat away from his body. As he got up, he noticed how heavy it was, like lumps of thick mud attached to his body. He expected some smell to come from it but got nothing. ¡°Is this¡­?¡± ¡°Mercury. Heaviest liquid metal on earth,¡± Sunglasses said, running up to Zeke. ¡°Vesklepios!¡± Zeke summoned his Garb and then quickly made another hand sign, clasping his hands together. Sunglasses was caught in Zeke¡¯s capillary net¡ªa network of arteries and veins where red and blue met in the middle. Zeke smiled under his mask as the visitor dropped to the grass. He was happy to defuse the situation without ruining his mother¡¯s vegetable garden or patio dining set. ¡°Leprechaun shows up before you,¡± Sunglasses started out of nowhere. ¡°He has rashes all over his body and says he¡¯s been experiencing painful mouth sores and diarrhea. What do you do?¡± Zeke raised a brow while staring at his captive. A pop quiz? ¡°What. Do. You. Do? Doctor¡­?¡± Zeke scoffed and took the bait. ¡°I would perform a urine test, looking for protein in the urine and a tissue biopsy of the rashes, but that¡¯s all just to make sure. Given that the patient is a leprechaun, 9 times out of 10, it¡¯s a 275: Enchanted Gold Poisoning. The remedy is to boil kidney vetch from Druid Grove in half a gallon of kelpie water. Have the leprechaun drink it, and symptoms should go away in 2 to 3 days¡ª¡± ¡°Correct!¡± ¡°Okay, who are you?¡± ¡°My name is Yuri!¡± He answered and then pulled his hands together in the net, folding his middle and ring fingers down while keeping his index and small fingers pointing upwards. He folded the tip of his thumbs to touch the tips of his middle and ring fingers and held one hand over the other. Yuri¡¯s body released a blue-green radioactive glow that melted the capillary net. Zeke stared in awe as Yuri let the red and blue goop slip off his body. He could sense his Mana energy doubling, converting into Black Magic. What kind of spell is that? There was no time to ruminate more about it as Yuri charged at him and launched a heavy straight punch. Zeke¡¯s head was knocked back as he took the hit to the lip. It was no ordinary punch; it was laced with Black Magic. Once his head fell back into place, he saw Yuri with his fist raised and legs slightly bent as he took on a fight stance. The nimbus of Black Magic energy emanated from Yuri¡¯s frame; it turned out his magic alone wasn¡¯t the only thing Zeke should be worried about. Yuri had a grounded street fighting style, barraging Zeke with quick straight strikes and reverberating kicks to his sides¡ªall enhanced with deadly dosages of Black Magic. ¡°Human. Experiencing an abnormally high fever and spontaneous combustion,¡± Yuri started quizzing again as he brutalized Zeke. ¡°The intervals between each combustion are shortening. What do you do?¡± Zeke, enduring the pain, blocked the incoming attack as he put his brain to work. He felt an inner sense of duty compelling him to answer the question. ¡°What kind of fire is it?¡± ¡°Hellfire,¡± Yuri said, basing his Black Magic-charged knee into Zeke¡¯s gut. Zeke spat blood and backed up while hunched over with his arm over his gut. ¡°W-W-Well, it depends. Suppose we can find a hellhound bite anywhere on the patient¡¯s body. In that case, it is a 399: Supernormal Pyrexia,¡± he said, summoning a blue vein whip from his sleeve and whacked Yuri across the face with it, sending him flying back into the wooden fence raised on the side of the yard, ¡°which we can cure by exorcizing the wound to get rid of the microorganisms and have the patient endure a holy fire shower for about 4 minutes.¡± Zeke whipped Yuri up the chin as he charged at him again. ¡°If there are no bites, then it¡¯s a 194: Hell Giant Syndrome caused by contact with a hell giant¡¯s saliva. That can be cured with a smoothie made from an elder frost giant¡¯s tooth and a teaspoon of gold elf¡¯s tears.¡± ¡°Right again!¡± Yuri said as he slid below an oncoming whip and landed a strike at Zeke¡¯s jaw. His strikes were continuously executed with high outputs of Black Magic, sneding out bursts of black lightning. He either didn¡¯t care about his soul purity or filled up on a lot of purity-regulating medicine before coming to the house. Zeke swung his vein whip again; Yuri caught it, made his hand signs again, and the vein melted into goop. Yuri slid across the blue puddle, ruining the yard¡¯s landscaping, nearing Zeke as if he were snowboarding, and then struck him in the face with a flip kick; a streak of black lightning stretched from Zeke¡¯s chin to the bottom of Yuri¡¯s boot. After the two landed, Yuri asked, ¡°Mermaid with seasickness!¡± Zeke got up, made a quick hand sign, and pushed his palm into the ground. He apologized to his mother in his heart as two large veins burst from the ground and wrapped around Yuri¡¯s arms, covering his hands completely. The landscaping was destroyed for good. ¡°Now, you can¡¯t use magic,¡± Zeke said. He walked up to Yuri and put his hands in his pockets. ¡°And the answer to your question is 541: Bishop Fish Syndrome. Caused by them and can only be cured by them. You need to get scales from the top of a Bishop Fish¡¯s head and then rub it on the mermaid¡¯s infected area. It¡¯s usually on their fins.¡± ¡°Fascinating! I just learned about it today.¡± ¡°You¡¯re human¡­ with strong Mana affinity.¡± ¡°You Tainted are just a couple of gatekeepers when it comes to magic, huh?¡± Yuri said. ¡°Other people can use magic, man.¡± ¡°I know that I¡¯m just saying¡ª¡± Like one of the little soccer players at the foosball table, Yuri flipped backward and spun as his arms stayed in place, twisting them off his sockets. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Blood gushed, the squelching and cracking sounds of muscle tearing and bones breaking arose, and Yuri continued to free himself with a smile on his face in the most gruesome way possible. Yuri charged at Zeke, with both arms successfully torn off. He jumped high; the torn meat and broken bones that hung from his bloody sockets flapped in the air as he came rushing down at Zeke and gave him a headbutt, buzzing with dark electricity. Zeke wobbled backward, trying to recover from the attack. However, what he had just witnessed Yuri do was far more damaging to his brain functions than the Black Magic-charged headbutt. ¡°Oh, sorry you had to see that,¡± Yuri said. ¡°It must¡¯ve been troubling for you, and I know what you are thinking¡­ no! I am not a zombie!¡± Zeke¡¯s head throbbed, making it difficult to think of what spell he should attempt next to take down Yuri. His mind got even more rattled as he watched Yuri kneel and lower the stump on the left side of his body to one of his arms¡ªit reattached, making a popping sound. The sleeve of his jacket fell off. Yuri stood up, grabbed his other arm off the ground, and popped it back into its socket. The other sleeve fell off as well. ¡°Hey, wanna see something cool I can do too?¡± He said, grabbing each side of his head and then plucking it out of his body as if he were a toy. Blood squirted from the stump as he removed the solid metal frame sunglasses from his severed head and stored them in his jacket pocket. The eyes on his head remained closed the entire time. ¡°Now, watch this¡­.¡± He threw his head up and kicked it rearward with an impressive bicycle kick. The Black Magic-enhanced severed head blasted into Zeke¡¯s chest, and he felt the augmented pain shock through his ribs, bringing him to his knees. ¡°That¡¯s a headshot!¡± Yuri said, laughing as the head rolled back to the body. As soon as Yuri popped the head back on, the cavalry stopped in. An orange aura flashed past Yuri, and Aida was now before Zeke, in her quick draw stance and wearing her Healer¡¯s Garb. Zeke blinked, and Yuri was split down the middle for a few seconds. Then, he pushed his split parts back together and became whole again. ¡°I didn¡¯t even cut him that hard. I didn¡¯t expect to go right through him,¡± Aida said while eyeing back at Yuri. ¡°His regeneration is powerful, but his defense is weak.¡± ¡°Wow! All you doctors are so observant.¡± Yuri said right before blue electricity zipped below him, and his foot flew to his right. He caught it but lost his¡­ footing, falling on the grass. Ugo, in his Healer¡¯s Garb, appeared and stood by Aida. ¡°Is this guy some sort of science experiment who escaped?¡± While on the ground, Yuri pushed the foot back into the stump, but it wouldn¡¯t pop back on. ¡°Whoa¡­ it¡¯s not¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m the Surgeon, bud,¡± Ugo said, brandishing his scalpel. ¡°That foot is no longer your foot¡­ it is now a body part that has only existed on its own.¡± ¡°Dang¡­¡± ¡°Stop hurting my friends!¡± A small voice whined. Zeke, alongside the other Infirmary members, looked over at the wooden deck where Naomi stood. Naomi¡¯s wings were out. Spread behind her, showing off their beautiful blend of white, gray, and black feathers. Her doe eyes ignited with gray flames. ¡°Oh, my¡­ that¡¯s some scary Mana I¡¯m feeling now...¡± Yuri said. Naomi raised a hand, burning with gray flames, and then with an open palm, she moved her hand in a circular motion, creating a gray flame ring in front of her. Yuri let out a panicked scream and raised both hands in the air. ¡°Hey, wait! Sorry! I surrender! I didn¡¯t mean it! Really!¡± He said. ¡°I don¡¯t actually want to kill any of you. I just had to test your abilities for myself to know the extent of your powers, and you¡¯ve all surpassed my expectations.¡± He pouted. ¡°Please, please, please, please call her off. Hear me out. I came here to talk to the Providence Infirmary team about something.¡± Zeke rose, studied the pathetic, pouting young man, and looked at Naomi. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Naomi. You can stop.¡± Naomi nodded and powered down, retracting her wings as AJ stepped through the broken window door. The girls joined Zeke, Ugo, and Aida as they listened to what Yuri had to say. Yuri sighed, put his glasses back on, and his smile returned. ¡°I feel like we got off on the wrong¡­.¡± He extended his severed foot toward them. ¡°Foot.¡± And he started laughing. The Infirmary team stared back at him with vacant expressions. ¡°This guy is a real piece of work¡­.¡± AJ said. Yuri held up a finger. ¡°Allow me to show you something.¡± He slowly reached into his jacket pocket and took out a vial filled with white liquid. He opened it and poured it into his hand. The liquid thickened and gained a rectangular shape. Zeke watched the liquid transform into a sheet of paper, and words appeared on it. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± he asked. ¡°It¡¯s my CV,¡± Yuri answered. ¡°I¡¯d like to apply for a job here.¡± For the second time, the Infirmary team¡¯s faces collectively went vacant. ¡°Huh?¡± Zeke said on behalf of all his confused friends. ¡°CV stands for Curriculum Vitae.¡± ¡°Dude! What the hell are you talking about?¡± Ugo said. ¡°You show up here, attack us, and now you¡¯re giving us your job application?¡± ¡°Listen, I¡¯ve heard great things about the Providence Infirmary team,¡± Yuri said, ¡°and I wanted to see some of that greatness for myself, well, by ''see,'' I mean, you know¡­.¡± He let out his strange fit of laughter. ¡°I¡¯m blind, by the way!¡± Aida walked up to the cackling Yuri and took the CV. ¡°Aida, what are you doing?¡± Ugo asked. ¡°I¡¯m curious to see what¡¯s written on it.¡± She shrugged and skimmed the sheet. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to learn more about supernatural medical science,¡± Yuri said, ¡°and what better way to do that than with a team that includes 3 members of the Tainted Generation of Healers?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a hot dog-eating champion in 5 different countries?¡± Aida asked while looking at the sheet. ¡°Why would you put that on your CV¡­?¡± AJ said as she looked at Yuri. ¡°Because it¡¯s awesome!¡± Yuri said. ¡°I won¡¯t ask for payment for the internship, but there¡¯s no need to be an asshole. You could at least offer it for me to reject.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not offering you anything!¡± Zeke said. ¡°Fine¡­ and I put all this work into typing this. Do you have any idea how hard that was? I had to find a guy to check it for me....¡± Yuri sighed. ¡°Then, at least let me request your services. There¡¯s someone that needs your help. Your expertise. I have a case for you guys.¡±
It wasn¡¯t that Zeke no longer saw Yuri as a threat. He had to hear him out if there was a possibility of someone facing a supernatural ailment that needed their help. At least he helped clean up the mess the fight left behind. The visually impaired young man was good with magic, maybe even better than him and Ugo, and he was rivaling Aida. Yuri made all trails of mercury vanish by somehow sucking them back into the multiple empty vials he pulled out of his pockets. Putting the glass of the kitchen door back together was far easier than the effort it took to restore the backyard to its former glory, which took filling in the new dirt holes and extracting grass from Aida¡¯s farm to replace what had been obliterated by Zeke¡¯s veins. Zeke was grateful his mother decided to spend her whole day at an old friend¡¯s house. He had had enough of messing with his parents¡¯ heads using magic. The Diagnostician wondered if Yuri had access to memory-wiping spells, which would haveve been more useful than the glawackus solutions that they made human patients drink when they were discharged. The team and Yuri sat around the kitchen table, grabbing some extra chairs from the dining room. Zeke and the rest of the Tainted had called off their Healer¡¯s Garbs. Yuri kept his severed foot on his lap as he dug into his seemingly bottomless jacket pocket and placed a printed photograph of a gorgeous young black woman on the table. ¡°This is Kimberly.¡± In the photo, Kimberly was walking down the street wearing a flowy shirt tucked into high-waist jeans. She had a triangle floral head scarf that covered the top of her exceptionally long, straight, dark brown hair, which snaked past her backside. Zeke looked over at Ugo, who was eerily quiet about the photograph of the attractive young lady. ¡°What?¡± Ugo said in response to the staring. ¡°Nothing¡­¡± Zeke said, shifting his focus back to Yuri. Yuri pulled out another photo of Kimberly walking down a street. She had another headscarf on, but her face was fuller¡­ and her belly was protruding from her floral maternity dress. ¡°This is her about 10 days after that photo was taken.¡± ¡°10 days? She looks well past 26 weeks¡­.¡± Aida said. ¡°You guys know much about the supernatural. I don¡¯t need to explain to you what¡¯s going on here.¡± ¡°Is she pregnant with a monster¡¯s baby?¡± Ugo said. ¡°She has been artificially inseminated with a Rebirth Seed,¡± Yuri said. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Naomi asked. ¡°You guys don¡¯t know?¡± He said incredulously. Aida turned to Naomi. ¡°It¡¯s a demonic technique that only high-level demons can do. It¡¯s high risk and high reward. The technique has the demon transform itself into a reproductive cell that can be delivered in many ways, like using an incubus.¡± ¡°Right, I remember reading about that,¡± Zeke said. ¡°So... like reincarnation?¡± Ugo said. ¡°I guess you could say that, but I don¡¯t know any actual reincarnation spell that exists.¡± Aida crossed her arms and continued. ¡°The demon will be birthed from a human mother with all its memories of its past life and enhanced power.¡± She explained and then looked back at Yuri. ¡°And this Seed is of¡­?¡± ¡°One of the old King of the Netherworld¡¯s best pals: Bergulsaab. He played a major part in the War of the Thirteenth.¡± Zeke noticed Naomi¡¯s expression darken after Yuri finished. She looked away from everybody and focused on the window. He let it go for the moment and asked Yuri, ¡°Who the hell put the seed in her?¡± ¡°An ally of yours,¡± Yuri said. ¡°Gilliam Destrian.¡± Chapter 75 - Irredeemable ¡°He¡¯s not an ally,¡± Zeke corrected, contorting his face. ¡°Right, right, I assumed so,¡± Yuri said, smiling tactfully. ¡°I just needed to make sure.¡± Zeke bared his teeth as the image of the bloated but well-kempt and personable Healer appeared in his mind. The last time he had seen the Demonologist was in the clock tower in Zurich months ago. He had shamelessly confessed to aiding in breaking the Seals, and his spell had killed Kian. The bespeckled Healer had teased Zeke that he would be a formidable opponent to face in the future. The time had come much sooner than he had expected. ¡°So, you are not on good terms,¡± Yuri said. ¡°That¡¯s an understatement,¡± Zeke said. ¡°I see¡­¡± Yuri responded and chuckled as he pointed at his eyes and shook his head. ¡°Anyways¡­ I need confirmation you¡¯re willing to help me save Kimberly from Gill.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Ugo said. ¡°We¡¯ve been looking for an excuse to kick that bastard¡¯s ass anyway. Take us to him. Where is he hiding her?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. He used something on Kimberly that keeps her cloaked. The Black Magic coming from her Container is unnoticeable even though a powerful demon is growing inside her.¡± ¡°Cloaking medicine,¡± Zeke said. ¡°Kimberly is not skilled in using magic, so Gill probably fed her some to ensure the demon can¡¯t be sensed.¡± ¡°How were you keeping track of her in the first place then?¡± AJ asked. ¡°I have¡­ connections, and with it is how I am going to pinpoint her location again,¡± Yuri said. ¡°I want you all to stay put for now but prepare for whatever is coming. I know it might be frustrating being told to do nothing after receiving this news, but given how you¡¯re a part of the Tainted Generation, I can¡¯t risk you looking into it and putting him on high alert, so leave that to me. I¡¯ll notify you when I have a proper plan to save her, and then you guys can figure out a way to remove the Rebirth Seed without killing her.¡± After the debriefing, Ugo reversed his spell and reattached Yuri¡¯s foot. Then, the blind young man exchanged phone numbers with Zeke, using his phone¡¯s voice-over feature to aid the whole process, and he went on his way. The Infirmary team exited the American colonial, deciding to process the information over getting discounted food at Heath¡¯s Sports Bar. Winterberry had shed the biting remnants of winter in exchange for a much more vibrant season. The sun shone calmly in the brilliantly blue, almost cloudless sky. The sounds of insects buzzing, birds singing, and children playing nearby were melodic. Zeke and the others were all walking on the sidewalk. He was in the front alongside Naomi. He continuously looked over his shoulder, taking note of Ugo and Aida, who were side-by-side while AJ was behind them, walking at a slower pace than everybody. When Zeke¡¯s and AJ¡¯s eyes met, she smiled, but it looked forced, even with the golden glow of the warm weather. But there was something closer to him that seemed more urgent at the time to deal with. Zeke¡¯s eyes flew back onto Naomi, who walked with a faraway look on her face. Her brain was keeping her body moving on auto-pilot as thoughts cluttered her mind¡ªhe should know. He was a total expert in it. The Diagnostician started by asking, ¡°Naomi, is there something on your mind? Something you want to share?¡± Naomi looked at him, widening her big eyes, and then shook her head. ¡°You sure? Maybe it has something to do with¡­ the demon trying to be reborn. Bergulsaab?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of that name before,¡± Naomi said. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about Bergulsaab either,¡± Aida said, ¡°but I have heard of the name before. How much do you know about demonkind?¡± ¡°Almost nothing,¡± Naomi said, turning back to Aida. ¡°When I was in the cage, angels barely talked about demons. Whenever Irin visited, all she would do was scold me about how terrible of a crime my existence was and how I should make up for it. Nananiel told me nice stories, and Maliel instructed me about how important angels were and taught me lessons about them. He put me through mental trials using illusionary magic, and sometimes, when he had a hard day, he would come into the cage and¡­.¡± She grabbed her arm. ¡°And¡­¡± she repeated with her voice breaking. Zeke touched her shoulder, stopping her from torturing herself any further. ¡°You don¡¯t have to go into more detail¡­.¡± ¡°Is this Maliel-guy a First Sphere angel?¡± Ugo asked while he kept his hands in the pockets of his sweatshirt. ¡°He¡¯s the current Overseer of the Universe.¡± ¡°So, like... the president of the universe? Was there, like, a vote? Are there angel elections? With campaigns and stuff? Wait, wait, does this mean he is, like, watching and hearing our every move?¡± Ugo started looking around. ¡°From what I understand,¡± Naomi said, letting go of her arm. ¡°He isn¡¯t fully omnipresent or omniscient.¡± ¡°Your mom was supposed to be his successor, right?¡± Naomi stopped, causing everyone to follow suit. She stared blankly at Ugo. ¡°Mom?¡± she said in a squeaky voice. Ugo removed his hands from his pockets. His face scrunched up a bit as he said, ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to¡ª¡± ¡°No, you did nothing wrong,¡± Naomi reassured as she raised a hand and released a glowing smile. ¡°It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve never thought about it like that, but yes¡­ Cathetel is¡­ technically, my mother.¡± Naomi shook slightly as she finished her sentence and put her hands over her chest. ¡°I wish I could¡¯ve met her,¡± she said and then flinched. ¡°Was that a bad thing to say?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± Aida said. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about Cathetel, maybe because most info on her was erased, but if you came from her, then I am certain she was an amazing angel.¡± ¡°But she betrayed Angelkind and got involved with a demon¡­.¡± ¡°Naomi, we don¡¯t know the full story,¡± Zeke said. He eyed some residents who walked past them and gave them looks, but he gave it no mind. They probably assumed they were talking about a movie or were really thorough method actors. ¡°It¡¯s completely natural to want to connect more with her,¡± he said to Naomi. ¡°I am also curious about Terthran. My¡­ father,¡± Naomi said. ¡°The old King of the Netherworld. Is that bad?¡± ¡°Despite everything, they are your family, and it wasn¡¯t right how the angels kept info about them from you. It¡¯s your right to know.¡± Zeke turned back. ¡°Right, guys?¡± Everybody agreed while AJ stayed silent. ¡°AJ?¡± Zeke asked her. She perked up and looked at everybody wide-eyed. ¡°I have to go.¡± ¡°Go where?¡± She broke into nervous laughter. ¡°I haven¡¯t even started working on my college application letters.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you do that later?¡± Ugo said. ¡°Zeke and I haven¡¯t even started yet.¡± ¡°I applied to medical schools the summer before senior year started.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ugo pulled back. ¡°You traitor!¡± ¡°Did you get in?¡± Aida asked. ¡°I¡¯m going to hear back during May, I think,¡± said Zeke. Aida looked up at AJ, smiling. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try for a sports scholarship?¡± Zeke suspected he was the only one to notice the twitch at the corner of AJ¡¯s lip after Aida¡¯s innocent question. She was holding back her urge to scream in Aida¡¯s face. ¡°AJ doesn¡¯t play sports, Aida,¡± Zeke said for his friend. ¡°She¡¯s going for a major in the nutrition field, like food science, dietetics, or biochemistry, right?¡± AJ didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m still the new girl here,¡± Aida said, laughing as she scratched the back of her head. ¡°Is it just me, or did AJ get taller?¡± Naomi said. Everybody looked at her, examining her from top to bottom like a science project model. AJ looked away and began to slouch. ¡°I did get a little taller. I grew two inches in the last three months¡­¡± she muttered. ¡°Now, you¡¯re two inches taller than me, dang...¡± Ugo said. ¡°Oh, wow, good for you!¡± Aida exclaimed. ¡°Your growth plates are still active. What great genes. It¡¯s possible you can continue growing after 18.¡± AJ looked back in horror and then spun on her heel. ¡°You guys will let me know when that Blind Weirdo calls back, yeah?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Zeke said, and she was already long gone, walking super fast with her long legs. The group stood in silence for a while, then continued walking, crossing the street and stationing themselves at a bus stop where nobody else was around. Zeke leaned back onto the street post and began to think. Now that the world of the supernatural opened up to him, college seemed irrelevant. The sense of urgency of his original plan of becoming a world-renowned doctor to prove to everybody, not all Rosarios are bad was starting to fade and gain a new form. Before he could visualize that new form, Naomi pulled him back to the real world by tugging on his sleeve. Naomi looked down at the concrete and said, ¡°There is something I¡¯ve been meaning to share. I¡¯ve been having¡­ strange dreams.¡± Zeke¡¯s face fell, and he noticed a similar look on Ugo¡¯s and Aida¡¯s faces. ¡°But you don¡¯t sleep¡­.¡± Ugo said. ¡°Some nights when I am in the Infirmary, I actually fall asleep and have these strange dreams, they don¡¯t last long, but they feel real.¡¯¡± ¡°The problems keep on piling on, huh...¡± Zeke said. Naomi stepped back and shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s probably nothing. Maybe it wasn¡¯t actually dreaming. Perhaps, I was just exhausted and just fantasizing. We have been dealing with a lot of stressful cases lately.¡±If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Don¡¯t write it off like that. With your mixed physiology, there is a chance you are capable of dreaming,¡± Aida said. ¡°If the dreams have been disturbing you, then Wade could look into that, but it¡¯s been so hard getting a hold of him lately. Akachi, too. I bet those two morons went on some party vacation with Dionysis again.¡± ¡°I am wondering if this has to do with the Rebirth Seed,¡± Naomi said. ¡°Hm,¡± Zeke said, putting a finger on his chin. ¡°That is definitely weird. How about we take one problem at a time? Let¡¯s just wait for Yuri¡¯s signal and go save that girl first, alright?¡± Naomi nodded just as the bus arrived. The group of four hopped on and were on their way.
Once again, Nananiel was in the leadership role, although the stakes were much lower. Instead of the human race¡¯s safety, his new mission was to ensure the satiety of Winterberry City residents¡¯ junk food cravings. Nananiel paced through the kitchen, overseeing his subordinates as they hurriedly prepared orders. After grueling months of hard work, Nananiel was now Daniel Smith, the manager of BurgerQueen. He added a black tie to his uniform, which included a company-issued hat and shirt. The sizzling rising from the commercial fryers and griddles was music to his ears, and he grew fond of the unmistakable aroma of oil, salt, and beefy fats in the air of his empire. He exited the kitchen, went around the counter, and leaned against the wall to watch how his front-line soldiers dealt with hungry and indecisive customers. Nananiel detected trouble from one of his soldiers having difficulties working the touch screen register. The fuming customer wasn¡¯t making things much easier by barking incessantly about what was taking so long. Just as he pushed himself off the wall to intervene, the restaurant¡¯s new star beat him to it. She demonstrated what needed to be done to her co-worker and then sweet-talked the customer into calming down¡ªit was effective. Nananiel returned to his initial position and crossed his arms, focusing on the star as she returned to her station and attended to the customer. Even though they were left to wait, they still maintained a smile that grew wider once she returned. If Nananiel didn¡¯t know any better, he would¡¯ve labeled her as an elf. She had been working at the place no longer than a month and was a clear candidate for employee of the month. Throughout the month, Nananiel tested his theory by listening to his senses whenever he was near her. All they told him was that she was a certified, normal human being. Rachel was just an exceptional worker¡ªhelping out other staff members, being speedy with registering orders, and making customers feel on top of the world, despite most of them going to BurgerQueen to eat their sorrows away. Parts of her curly ash-blonde hair dangled from under her uniform hat. Her eyes were hazel with gold flecks. She had a long, slender neck and a supermodel-like figure that belonged on a fashion runway instead of a fast-food restaurant. Nananiel was already thinking about making her assistant manager someday. A shock of Black Magic had Nananiel push himself off the wall again. His alert, angelic senses directed him to the kitchen. He moved into the area and looked around for the potential demon. The workers were too busy (or simply didn¡¯t want whatever his problem was to become theirs) to pay attention to the distressed Nananiel. As the energy source grew more powerful, Nananiel darted for the backdoor. Stepping out into the warm sun, Nananiel spotted a sneezing homeless man leaning beside a dumpster. It¡¯s coming from him. Is he being possessed? No, that wouldn¡¯t make much sense. Demons usually go for people with ambitions and those heading toward success; he said in his head as he kneeled to the unkempt man. He reeked of sulfur. It¡¯s a minor demon. Yeah, now that makes sense. Most minor demons barely had minds of their own and didn¡¯t put too much thought into who they latched on to. Nananiel pulled back as a violent sneeze blasted out of the man. The man sniffed, and then his mouth hung open as he groaned. ¡°Are you having trouble breathing through your nose?¡± Nananiel asked. ¡°Spring cold,¡± the man said in a hyponasal voice, ¡°freakin¡¯ Winterberry, man,¡± Nananiel squinted, focusing on the bridge of the man¡¯s nose. Its complexion was much grayer than the rest of his face. He grinned, knowing running to the Providence Infirmary for help wouldn¡¯t be necessary. This ailment was purely caused by Black Magic: Xathrhinokarias Virus, a demon that was no match for angelic White Magic. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, friend,¡± Nananiel said as he stood up and extended his hand. ¡°I am going to solve your problems for you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to give me money? A job? A house?¡± ¡°I am going to cure you,¡± Nananiel said and smiled. The homeless man groaned and rolled his eyes. ¡°So no money.¡± Nananiel faltered for a moment to give the ungrateful vagrant a stale look. Then another sneeze ejected out of him¡ªthis time, thick, black liquid came out and landed between them. The homeless man looked at what came out of him and passed out. ¡°Hold on!¡± Nananiel raised his hand again. ¡°Brother Nananiel, wait.¡± A voice from above resonated. Nananiel turned and looked up, noticing an intense surge of White Magic and a quiet string song. He saw the Virtue Chief in a white robe descending with his massive heavenly white wings spread out while playing the lyre. ¡°Elder Brother Dabriel?¡± Dabriel landed and retracted his wings as he stopped playing the instrument. ¡°Please don¡¯t refer to me with such a title. It¡¯s strange,¡± he said while grimacing. ¡°You¡¯re my superior. I must show respect,¡± Nananiel said. It was also why he held himself back from chastising Dabriel for his conspicuous arrival in the middle of the day with so many humans around. Nananiel turned back to the sick, homeless man. ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse me, Elder Brother, this man is in need of my help¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t let you do that,¡± Dabriel said with a smile and then pointed at the ailed man. ¡°He has been sentenced as irredeemable.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± Dabriel shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve been told why, but I forgot.¡± Nananiel looked back at him with a glazed expression. ¡°You¡¯re the Virtue Chief. You¡¯re the one in charge of miracles, so you would know why¡ª¡± ¡°Saving humans directly isn¡¯t within your directives as a Third Sphere angel anyway, Brother Nananiel,¡± Dabriel added. Nananiel¡¯s expression darkened, and he glanced back at the man. ¡°I know, but he is right here, and I thought that¡ª¡± ¡°Nananiel,¡± Dabriel said with all the laid-backness in his voice washed away. ¡°Even if I told you, it wouldn¡¯t make a difference. It¡¯ll just make you feel worse. You know how this works, Nananiel. If they are irredeemable, then we don¡¯t save them unless you want to take part in some Tainted-like behavior.¡± ¡°No,¡± Nananiel said. ¡°Of course not¡­¡± Dabriel clapped Nananiel on his shoulder. ¡°Excellent. Let¡¯s go for a walk.¡± He turned and started walking. Nananiel looked back at the man. ¡°Leave him, Brother Nananiel.¡± Nananiel abandoned his shift without much concern as he left his star to watch over the brigade. They walked down a sidewalk. It was a glorious day; the air was crisp, with the sky as blue as waters found in some heavenly Realms and flowers blooming on trees and bushes. Plenty of passersby stared at Dabriel¡¯s garments. His lyre playing was really pushing it. ¡°Do you like my lyre?¡± Dabriel asked as he played. ¡°It¡¯s imbued with rocks from Mount Maliel.¡± ¡°Were you authorized to do that?¡± Nananiel asked. ¡°Of course not,¡± Dabriel said with a smile. ¡°So, how are you?¡± ¡°Me? I, um, I¡¯m good.¡± ¡°Really? You¡¯ve been outcasted from Heaven, lost your rank, and are labeled as the failure who let the Tainted break the Great Seals and are considered the sole reason why the universe is in absolute chaos,¡± he said as he continued playing leisurely. ¡°Thanks for the recap,¡± Nananiel responded stonily. ¡°What I am trying to say is that if I were you, I wouldn¡¯t be ¡®good,¡¯ so either you¡¯re lying to yourself or to me.¡± Looks like some angel¡¯s observant today. Nananiel persisted in convincing Dabriel. ¡°I am the manager of the BurgerQueen, and I was able to pay this month¡¯s rent in time for the first time ever!¡± And there was the fact his latest theory on Hospital General de Anita was confirmed last night, so his high spirits weren¡¯t completely feigned. ¡°To be honest, I missed when you were the Dominion Chief. Irin is such a downer, I mean, you were too in a way, but with you, it was funny.¡± ¡°Thanks?¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome!¡± Nananiel sighed and rubbed his forehead. ¡°How is Master Virgil?¡± ¡°He still doesn¡¯t understand what retirement means,¡± Dabriel responded. ¡°He¡¯s even started aiding my underlings with his wisdom, giving them helpful advice and guiding them in honing their angelic attributes. Can you believe him? Taking the job, I am too lazy to do myself.¡± ¡°Does he ever mention¡­?¡± Nananiel pursed his lips and shook his head, switching gears. ¡°How does he feel about Irin?¡± ¡°I think he likes her leadership. They get along pretty well,¡± Dabriel said and stopped playing to shake the cramps from his hand. ¡°I see¡­¡± Nananiel said and looked away. The last time he had seen Virgil was when the Great Seals were broken. After Nananiel lost his title, more angels who were sent to Limbo on that day began to show up one after another; regarding Virgil, he only learned of the news of his return second-hand. Virgil never visited him, which wasn¡¯t a surprise to Nananiel. He let his nominator down. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t want anything to do with him anymore. Dabriel diverted from the straight path they were moving in and went for the grass field to their side. As Nananiel watched Dabriel twirl and revel in the sunshine, he was reminded how the spring season was the Virtues¡¯ favorite (Winter was the season they disliked the most because it meant the most work). He noticed bystanders staring and felt the need to smile back at them with a look saying: ¡°He¡¯s a special one.¡± Dabriel fell to the grass on his back, laughing uproariously. Nananiel moved up to the angel, who was clearly not meant to wander the Human Realm without getting any attention. ¡°Isn¡¯t Father¡¯s inheritance glorious?¡± Dabriel said while staring at the sun. ¡°Sit next to me, Brother Nananiel.¡± Nananiel heaved a sigh and plopped down next to him. He put his hands over his knees as he looked at the clear blue sky. A question popped into his mind, prompting him to glance at Dabriel and wonder if it was worth attempting. He cleared his throat and exhaled loudly before asking: ¡°And how do you feel about the Archangel program?¡± He had learned more about the egregious experiments after his encounter with the one named Azaylea. He held back from sharing anything more about it with the Infirmary until he got all the proper information. Dabriel shrugged and answered, ¡°If the First Sphere approved, then there¡¯s not much I can say about it.¡± Nananiel frowned. He should¡¯ve known that trying to get a reaction out of Dabriel was like trying to push a roll of salami through a keyhole. ¡°Although I don¡¯t know why all the angels are so focused on preparing a counter for the Tainted Generation when we still have plenty of our demonic friends under us who want to destroy us.¡± ¡°No. The Netherworld would never try to attack Heaven. At least not for another millennium. They are aware of the difference in power.¡± ¡°So you¡¯ve come to believe that less morale means less power, hm?¡± Dabriel let go of the lyre and put his hands behind his head. ¡°You know Heaven hasn¡¯t been keeping watch of the Archdemons.¡± Nananiel curled his lip to the side as he looked down at Dabriel. Archdemons. That was a title he hadn¡¯t heard in a long time. The first time he was told about the entities was from Master Virgil during his teacher-student walk with him. Unlike Dabriel, they were a group he had never encountered himself, as they were at large before his time. He didn¡¯t even run into the one Archdemon that participated in the War of the Thirteenth. The Archdemons were indeed powerful and allegedly said to be on the level of the Chief angels of the Second Sphere and even rivaled some of the First Sphere. Still, the demons have had a problem with morale for centuries. The Archdemons were now nothing more than an unmotivated collection of has-beens who were well aware that their time had come and gone. ¡°You think the Archdemons will try something?¡± Nananiel asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I do know that not a single soul would¡¯ve seen it coming if they did.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. They¡¯d lose immediately.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Dabriel said absently and then closed his eyes. ¡°Brother Nananiel, do you think the humans would be safer if they knew about the supernatural? For instance, have everybody be like the Tainted? With a strong Mana affinity and means to protect themselves?¡± Nananiel¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Where is this coming from?¡± ¡°Answering my question with a question,¡± Dabriel said. ¡°How rude.¡± ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t even know how to answer a question like that.¡± ¡°Maybe we don¡¯t want that because we fear becoming obsolete.¡± Nananiel¡¯s mouth fell open, and just when he was about to respond¡ª ¡°You can go now, Brother,¡± Dabriel said, opening one eye. ¡°Just continue keeping your head down, and hopefully, one day, those grumps of the First Sphere can forgive you.¡± What did forgiveness mean in this context? Nananiel thought as he stood up. He wondered if he wanted his title back at all. It was a conflicting feeling working under authority that violated one of the angelic main creeds, which was to protect the integrity of a human soul, and here they were audaciously fusing human souls with angelic essence. ¡°See you around, Dabriel,¡± Nananiel said and walked away. It seemed that all angels were fans of Irin¡¯s extreme ideas, so he was convinced there was no way he¡¯d be Dominion Chief again with her still alive. Working directly under her was a scary thought that made Nananiel shiver. Chapter 76 - Emergency The savory phantom taste of the Arroz con pollo dinner his mother made kept Zeke company as he took on dish duty after the end of the meal. In Eldora Morata¡¯s house, no dishwasher was allowed, even if they had one in pristine condition, just waiting to do something useful with its uneventful existence. Since she never had one as a child, then for sure her kids would be put through the same ¡°discipline¡± (she¡¯d call it instead of ¡°unnecessary torture,¡± a term coined by an unfortunate 12-year-old Ugo who said it aloud one time and then caught a flying slipper to the ass). Zeke¡¯s svelte mother, with black curls more voluminous than his, entered the kitchen and approached him by his side. She put one hand on his shoulder as he rinsed the suds off some glassware. ¡°Did you get taller, Ezequias?¡± Eldora asked in Spanish. ¡°No, only AJ did,¡± Zeke answered in Spanish, and the two continued speaking to each other in the language. ¡°Well, I just feel like there¡¯s something¡­ different about you. I think you have more confidence!¡± Her black curls bounced up and down as she shook with excitement. ¡°You¡¯re going out so much more and have more female friends. First that cute little blonde girl and then that beautiful, cheery Japanese girl.¡± ¡°Mom, I already told you they¡¯re just people we met back when we worked at Heath¡¯s Sports Bar,¡± Zeke said, placing the last wet cup onto the rack. ¡°Nothing is going on¡­.¡± ¡°And soon, you¡¯ll be off to college. Oh, my Ezequias is becoming a man!¡± Zeke shook his head and moved onto the plates. As he cleaned, he thought more about college, thanks to his mother putting it on his mind, and for some reason, he allowed the thought of Isaac to weasel its way in. He wondered if the Vicar even thought about college at all. Isaac had shown up to school after the Christmas break, and like always, Zeke avoided him like the plague. Still, he made no advances on him or anybody else from his friend group. For months, Zeke expected Isaac to approach him with a deranged request to avenge Yaalon and Kian or something, but it never came. ¡°Listen, there¡¯s something I wanted to talk to you about¡­.¡± She glanced back at the swinging kitchen door and lowered her voice. ¡°Doesn¡¯t Ugo seem strange to you these days?¡± ¡°This is Ugo we¡¯re talking about, Mom. When is he not being strange?¡± ¡°And that¡¯s the strange thing!¡± She said as she pointed at him. ¡°It¡¯s strange that he isn¡¯t being strange.¡± It was a mutual understanding between them that ¡°strange¡± meant ¡°downright disgusting.¡± ¡°His father was the first to notice and told me about it. One time, when he was out with him, a college girl from somewhere in Europe walked up to them and asked Ugo directly if he knew the way to the new thrift shop they had opened. He said that Ugo gave her one look and then stared at his phone as he brushed her off. Saying: ¡®I don¡¯t know.¡¯¡± Zeke stopped washing and looked at Eldora. One of Ugo¡¯s main creeds was to always take advantage of a beautiful girl looking for directions. He claimed it to be on the list of possible ways he¡¯d meet his future wife. It was among the top five sandwiched between getting drunk at a bar and competing in a Black Souls trivia championship. ¡°She even asked if he would help her find it,¡± Eldora added. ¡°He declined.¡± ¡°Maybe she wasn¡¯t his type?¡± Zeke said this, knowing it was a useless argument since every girl was Ugo¡¯s type. Eldora put a hand on her hip and gave Zeke a look. ¡°She was a hot redhead, wearing a low-cut tank top and shorts.¡± Zeke was concerned about his stepfather explaining that detail to his mother and Ugo ignoring thighs and cleavage. ¡°Okay, maybe Ugo was just pretending to be uninterested because Dad was there.¡± ¡°Since when did that ever stop him?¡± Eldora said, throwing her hands into the air. Her light brown eyes remained wide throughout her rant like a deranged conspiracy theorist. ¡°Remember when he tried to hit on your cousin? In front of the entire family? On the Thanksgiving table? While we were praying? And then kept going even when your Uncle Pablo had that heart attack scare.¡± ¡°Oh, my God, Ugo is dying.¡± Zeke stroked his chin. ¡°Maybe he has a brain tumor.¡± Eldora glanced at the door again and brought her hand to her lips. ¡°Do you think Ugo has a girlfriend?¡± ¡°I think the brain tumor is more likely,¡± Zeke said bluntly and returned to washing a couple of plates left. He noticed his mother pace back and forth, lost in thought with her curls bouncing, reminding him of himself. Once he finished, he stacked the wet plates on the rack, waiting for Ugo to do his part and put them away. Then, Zeke grabbed the rag, dried off his hands, and cleaned the sink. His cell began to chirp. Eldora stopped and gave Zeke a smug smile. ¡°And your phone has been ringing a lot more lately. Is it a new cute girl for your little group?¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably just someone from school,¡± Zeke said, taking the cell out of his pocket. ¡°Regarding a project or something.¡± He checked the caller¡¯s ID and felt the breeze in his gut as it showed the name of the intruder who had attacked them earlier. It had been a couple of days since they last spoke to each other. ¡°Doctor, doctor! It¡¯s an emergency!¡± Yuri exclaimed from the other line as Zeke answered. ¡°It¡¯s go time! So, can I see you all? Even though I can¡¯t see?¡± He released laughter that had Zeke pull away from the cell. He could see his mother wearing a face of concern as Yuri¡¯s boisterous laughter could be heard from the cell, and it wasn¡¯t even on speaker. Zeke bet that even Ugo and his stepdad in the dining room could hear it. Once Yuri settled down, Zeke cautiously inched the cell back to his ear. ¡°Where?¡± he said in English. ¡°Cold Phoenix Mall,¡± Yuri said. ¡°Get here quick.¡± Zeke hung up, maintaining his English as he said, ¡°I need to go.¡± Then he walked past the swinging door. Eldora followed Zeke into the dining room as he interrupted Ugo¡¯s conversation with Gerardo. ¡°Mora,¡± Zeke started. ¡°We gotta go.¡± Ugo got up without protest. ¡°Whoa, where are you two going?¡± Gerardo asked. ¡°Science-homework-project thing. Our group ran into some problems, and they need our help.¡± Zeke looked back at his bespeckled stepdad with an impressive and out-of-place physique for a dentist. ¡°But Ugo doesn¡¯t take AP classes like you,¡± Eldora said to Zeke, crossing her arms. Zeke hissed at the blunder and then eyed Ugo for support. Before he could say anything, Gerardo raised his hand. ¡°Listen, guys, if you want to go out and just mess around, then do it,¡± Gerardo said. ¡°No need to lie about it. It¡¯s a school night, so be home before 11¡ª¡± ¡°10,¡± Eldora corrected. ¡°Be home before 10 pm,¡± Gerardo restated, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. The boys nodded and started for the staircase. While they changed and put on their jackets in their room, Zeke sent a text to the Occult Doctors group chat alerting everybody of Yuri¡¯s emergency call and to meet up at the arcade. Naomi replied with several GIFs of people giving thumbs up. Aida sent a video of a snake mating ball¡ªwhere almost a hundred male snakes wrap themselves around a single female and engage in combat to win her over. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. She then texted: I JUST FOUND THIS VIDEO. ISN¡¯T NATURE BEAUTIFUL! (I¡¯M ON MY WAY, BTW). Zeke texted Yuri where to meet up, put his cell away, and then grabbed his medical bag. As the boys exited the bedroom, walked down the staircase, and approached the front door, Eldora stopped the two in the entryway by calling from the dining room: ¡°Ezequias.¡± She neared them, glanced at Ugo, and gave Zeke a woeful look. ¡°Take care of your brother, okay?¡± Ugo glanced between the two and said, ¡°What?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± Eldora said, blew them a kiss, and waved. ¡°Just go, have fun, and be safe!¡± The boys waved back and stepped out the door. That was as far as they were going to go. Zeke crouched while standing on the doorstep with Ugo. He took out a piece of chalk from his bag and handed it to his brother. Zeke grabbed a rag and a water bottle from his bag as Ugo drew the sigil. When Ugo finished, he opened the door. On the other side was the empty and nearly defunct arcade in Cold Phoenix Mall. Showing some brotherly courtesy, Ugo held the door open for Zeke as he stepped through. Then Zeke gave him the rag and water bottle to clean the chalk off the door¡ªtheir neighbors believed the Rosarios to be criminals; there was no need to add ¡°witches¡± to their long list of unwanted titles. They were in the corner of the arcade where the bathrooms were. Zeke and Ugo had stepped out of the boys¡¯ bathroom, and then Naomi and Aida came out of the girls¡¯ bathroom from the Infirmary. The Infirmary was basically the girls¡¯ home. Aida moved into the Infirmary to keep Naomi company and to man (woman) the place in case they caught wind of any supernatural cases in the middle of the night. Aida was pressing down her messy, black hair. ¡°What¡¯s up with your hair?¡± Ugo said, closing the boys¡¯ bathroom door behind him, ¡°I can¡¯t find my favorite brush,¡± she said, frowning. ¡°I think I left it somewhere on my farm. Anyways, let¡¯s go.¡± The gang moved towards the arcade entrance, which was filled with old-school fun. They encountered Yuri walking in their direction with a white cane. Once again, he was rocking an all-black outfit. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here!¡± Yuri stopped. ¡°Great!¡± Zeke eyed his all-white cane, reserved for people with no usable vision. ¡°Do you need that cane?¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯m a blind guy. I am allowed to appropriate my own culture as much as I want,¡± Yuri said and laughed, ¡°but no, I don¡¯t need it. I just like the aesthetic, just like how I dig the rockstar look but couldn¡¯t play an instrument to save my life.¡± ¡°How do you see then?¡± Naomi asked. ¡°Well, Naomi, there¡¯s Mana everywhere, even in this Realm, and with it I can see the soul essence that every being emits, the spiritual aura that permeates through the realms, that can also be found in objects.¡± Zeke remembered Titania, Queen of the Fairies, using the same method to see when she had that worm inside her. Meaning just like her, if Yuri ran out of Mana, he would be completely blind, and that cane wouldn¡¯t just be for show. An old man¡¯s grunt loud enough for people outside the arcade to hear; had everybody jump and turn to the counter. ¡°When did you get in here?¡± the old owner, who was at least a million years old, said from behind the counter. Ugo snapped his fingers and pointed at the owner. ¡°We were always here.¡± The owner narrowed his eyes, processed the information, and then conceded, ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Was that the Surgeon¡¯s magic?¡± Yuri asked. ¡°No, he¡¯s just really old.¡± Ugo looked at Naomi. ¡°Hard to believe he is a lot younger than you, though.¡± ¡°So, the girl is here?¡± Aida asked Yuri. Yuri nodded. ¡°I got a tip from some demons.¡± ¡°Where are they?¡± Naomi asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know the exact location, but they are in this mall and perhaps for a short time, so we need to split up and find them.¡± ¡°If they are already here, then we should be able to sense them,¡± Ugo said. ¡°I remember Gill saying his Container was cursed. It constantly exuded Black Magic and couldn¡¯t be cloaked. What gives?¡± ¡°Hm. That¡¯s true. Something¡¯s fishy,¡± Zeke said. Just as Zeke and the group started moving towards the doors, AJ appeared behind them. ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± she asked. Zeke, alongside the group, halted and looked back at her. ¡°Sorry, I was just helping my dad find his glasses,¡± AJ said. Zeke¡¯s mouth fell open, staring at AJ, realizing he completely forgot about her. He shook his head and summarized the situation quickly for her. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s split,¡± Yuri turned and stopped, ¡°but not literally, which I can do. I can also do the splits! Wanna see?¡± ¡°How about after we save your friend first?¡± Zeke said. ¡°Right!¡± Zeke switched the medical bag to his other hand. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take the store side on the third floor, and Mora will take the food court side.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take the second floor!¡± Naomi said while bouncing and raising her hand like a first grader asking to use the bathroom. ¡°I¡¯ll search the second floor, too,¡± Aida said. ¡°I¡¯ll check the massive EarlyBird supermarket on the ground floor,¡± Yuri said. ¡°Okay¡­¡± Zeke said. ¡°AJ, that leaves you covering the rest of the ground floor.¡± ¡°Wait, what do we do if one of us finds the girl?¡± AJ asked. ¡°What if she¡¯s with Gill?¡± ¡°We can engage them because that¡¯ll make their Mana energy surge,¡± Zeke said. ¡°With or without their Garbs out, it should be easy to follow since they¡¯ll be the only other source of Mana aside from us¡ªmaking it a beacon. We will come and help.¡± ¡°But wait¡ª¡± ¡°No more talking! This is an emergency!¡± Yuri said and sprinted off. Zeke followed suit and exited the arcade with Ugo, Naomi, and Aida.
Doing his part in the operation, Zeke scouted the shops on the third floor for the girl. As he moved quickly, he stayed attentive to his ethereal senses but couldn¡¯t detect any nefarious Black Magic. After checking several shoe shops, he went into a place more welcoming for him and populated with kindred spirits¡ªBertrum¡¯s Bookstore. It differed from the mall¡¯s comic shop, with its vintage European aesthetic, gray color palette, and earthy, smoky smell. Zeke walked across the gray wood flooring, scanning his surroundings. There were no gaudy decorations like loud posters or tacky memorabilia. There were only shelves and books, as there should be. He searched the place, feeling his mood lighten as the attic-y smell of the place increased the deeper he explored. He reached a section with old college-level medical books on either side of the bookshelves. Zeke¡¯s mind did a great job of pulling his attention away from the urgent task at hand and directing it at one of the 99 other problems that polluted his brain. He put down his medical bag, grabbed a book on internal medicine, and leafed through the pages as he wondered if it would make more sense to forget about med school, focus on supernatural medicine, and expand his operations to other Realms. Sometimes, they¡¯d find creatures from other Realms in the Human Realm that needed treatment. Still, maybe he needed to actively station himself out of his home and connect with otherworldly communities to wash away the bad reputation of being a Tainted Generation member. A surge of Black Magic cut off his thoughts. Zeke whipped back and stared at the back of a young man in a refined blue plaid suit, grabbing a book from the shelf. The sumptuous suit, the fancy shoes, the sophisticated whisky perfume, and the Black Magic all pointed to Gilliam Destrian, but the young man''s body type was wrong. He was skinny, thin as a rake. And then he spoke with his distinguishable British accent. ¡°Oi, mate, no need for us to confront each other like we¡¯re in an action flick, yeah?¡± he said and opened his book. ¡°Relax, Azaekias, continue enjoying your book. Let¡¯s talk.¡± Zeke twitched at the uncaring mispronunciation of his name and leafed through a couple more pages, pretending to be reading. There was definitely nothing until Gill made his presence known. He got past his exuding Black Magic problem, but how? The two spoke with their backs facing each other. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Gill asked. ¡°Just came here to hang out at the mall,¡± Zeke said. ¡°This is my city, after all. I should ask you what you¡¯re doing here in Winterberry.¡± Gill snickered. ¡°Unlike you, I¡¯m not going to lie. I¡¯ve come here to close a deal.¡± ¡°A deal¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, a deal. Giving someone exactly what they want in exchange for their soul.¡± Zeke shivered as he remembered being warned not to sign anything Gill gave him. He didn¡¯t understand what it meant at the time, or maybe he did and tried to convince himself he didn¡¯t because it was just too horrible to believe it was that. But now he had confirmation from the man himself. ¡°How did you trick some poor sap into selling his soul?¡± Zeke hissed. Gill turned a page. ¡°I made it perfectly clear to the man. I don¡¯t trick anybody, Azaekias. Some people are just weak and act on that weakness. If you ask me, I think that¡¯s the strongest thing a person can do.¡± He slammed the book shut and increased his output of Black Magic. ¡°Are you now going to tell me why you¡¯re here to stop me, or will the answer be as unoriginal as I imagine it?¡± Zeke raised his head from the book and put on an angry look. ¡°Gill¡­ where¡¯s the girl?¡± Gill sighed. ¡°Unoriginal, it is, then.¡± He snickered again. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s another thing I came here to do. Give her one last outing before it begins. But why do you care? You believe her to be some innocent girl who needs saving?¡± ¡°Innocent or not, anybody who has been forcefully inseminated with the Rebirth Seed of a powerful demon needs to be saved from the likes of you, Gill.¡± ¡°Do you believe you can stop me?¡± Gill said. ¡°I have to try.¡± Silence filled the room, and Zeke felt his heart racing. Slowly, he put the book back in its place and raised his hand, pointing his pinky and ring finger upwards. Zeke took a deep breath. He spun back and extended his fingers at Gill just as he did the same. The two struck each other in the chest, ejecting their astral forms as their physical bodies slammed back into the bookshelves. ¡°Vesklepios¡ª!¡± ¡°Torzelas!¡± Gill said while making devil horns. The fight in the Astral Realm was on. Chapter 77 - Narcissistic Ugo reached the food court, standing in the panorama of several restaurants grouped together. A composite fragrance of fatty oils, salt, meats, and fish was in the air. The place was considerably occupied with noisy eaters, most of whom kept their eyes directed at a table furthest away from the masses. And the young lady who sat alone at the round table was the topic all the eaters had in their mouths aside from the food. Men mumbled while they ogled at the young lady, ignoring their food, while those accompanied by other women failed to notice their companions trying to catch their attention. The women grouped with their families or other female friends glared at the young lady. Some even looked at her sadly¡ªwanting so badly to be her. Ugo felt his chest pang as he got near enough to identify the girl. She looked slightly different, and he couldn¡¯t sense her Mana, but once she aimed her cold silver eyes at him, there was no denying it. It was her¡ªthe Container Specialist. Ashlin had definitely added more augmentations to her sensual Container. Her face was even more feminine with longer, silkier, curlier red hair that blended nicely with her light pale skin and improved silver eyes, more scintillating than ever. ¡°Ashlin,¡± Ugo said, frowning. ¡°Ugo Morata¡­ still as ugly as ever. I see you didn¡¯t take my advice regarding your Container.¡± She said in her thick Russian accent and then tilted her head. ¡°No, wait. You changed your hair¡­ not much of an improvement, though.¡± Ugo took a seat on the other side of the table. He maintained a relaxed demeanor, keeping his legs open, and leaned back into the chair with one hand on the table. Despite the mental wound she left on the last day of Kian¡¯s endemic still throbbing as if he received it yesterday, showing the scarring to the inflictor was not an option for Ugo. ¡°What do you want?¡± Ashlin asked. ¡°I¡¯m working.¡± Ugo scoffed. ¡°Working?¡± ¡°Look around. This place is a cesspool of potential clients with no self-control.¡± ¡°What do you know about self-control?¡± Ugo said as he leaned forward. ¡°You live in a Container that doesn¡¯t change no matter how much you eat. You don¡¯t even have to exercise to maintain your figure.¡± She rested her chin on her palm and smiled. ¡°Poor Ugo is still hurt from our last conversation. How long has it been? A couple of months? So sad.¡± She glanced back at her watchers, and her smile widened as if she was a solar panel and they were miniature suns radiating power into her. ¡°I can do the same for them and make their lives infinitely better. That¡¯s what I told you the last time we saw each other, correct? I fix God¡¯s mistakes and give people the bodies they believe they deserve.¡± ¡°In exchange for money.¡± ¡°Nothing is free.¡± And she spat something in Russian that he believed to be an insult. Ashlin stood up, showing off her towering height, and inhumanly curvaceous figure in her tight, low-cut gray and silver medieval dress with pieces of armor on her shoulders. Ugo heard some men gasp and make other noises only those of his kind would recognize. She was way past caring about standing out. Her hips were wider, her chest larger, and her waist smaller, as if she had walked out of one of Ugo¡¯s old fantasies. ¡°You¡¯re still alone, aren¡¯t you?¡± Ashlin said, bent forward purposefully, trying to dominate him with her luscious cleavage. ¡°You reek of just as much desperation since I last saw you. No¡­ you look just a little more miserable than before.¡± Ugo kept his eyes on Ashlin¡¯s, but then her eyes averted. She grimaced, looking at something behind him. Ugo turned and saw Aida stepping right into the fray. ¡°You?¡± Ashlin hissed and straightened herself. ¡°But I wasn¡¯t even exposing my Mana¡ª¡± Aida tapped the side of her nostril. ¡°I¡¯ve memorized your scent, Ashlin. I ran over here as soon as I noticed it.¡± ¡°Ugh, so you¡¯re working with the brothers now?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve joined the Providence Infirmary,¡± Aida said proudly. ¡°Oh?¡± Ashlin looked over at Ugo. ¡°You guys got yourself a pet! That makes sense. Every organization needs a mascot.¡± Aida growled and neared the table. ¡°The fact that you¡¯re here and we got called for a case can¡¯t be a coincidence,¡± Ugo told Ashlin. ¡°You¡¯re working with Gill, huh?¡± ¡°I told you that I prefer real men,¡± Ashlin said, bending her voluptuous body forward again, but it didn¡¯t divert Ugo¡¯s gaze. ¡°Inseminating a girl with a Rebirth Seed, seriously?¡± Aida said. ¡°What is wrong with you?¡± ¡°Nothing. Look at me. I am perfect.¡± She replied, quickly reaching into her cleavage and throwing something off the side. A faint thud was made, and then Ashlin raised her hands to form magic signs. She touched the tips of her ring and pinky fingers against the tips of her thumbs while keeping the index and middle fingers straight and pointing up. The Container Specialist¡¯s hands glowed cyan blue and energy of the same color collected in the middle of the food court. Ugo and Aida got up and looked to the side. A tiny doll was on the floor, and it was the source of the energy. The eaters were oblivious to the doll growing and mutating into a massive figure that almost touched the ceiling. It was another one of Ashlin¡¯s hideous Containers: Two giant women in different colored gowns with decrepit skin, mangled faces, and tattered hair¡ªboth missing half of their bodies on opposite sides from each other. They were stitched together by the torso. Giant white doves sat on each shoulder; their white feathers were blood-tinted. Then, Ugo realized why nobody was reacting. ¡°The doll is in the Astral Realm but can still interact with the people here, right?¡± Ugo asked Aida. She nodded. Both of the monstrous women were missing eyeballs and were barefoot. One foot was missing a toe, while the other was missing a heel. ¡°Oh, no! That means they¡¯ll be attacked and never see it coming!¡± Ashlin feigned concern as she pushed her hands onto her cheeks. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing there are heroes around to save the day,¡± she strutted off laughing. ¡°I don¡¯t remember her having an evil laugh, jeez¡­.¡± Ugo said as he raised his hand with his pinky and ring finger pointed upwards. Aida made the same sign, and the two struck themselves in the chest, entering the Astral Realm as their physical bodies dropped onto the round table. ¡°Sukunabikona¡ª¡± ¡°Rutapexy Samhita!¡± The two summoned their Garbs as they dashed toward the monster. Ugo halted when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. It was a middle-aged man in simple street clothing standing still and staring at him with unblinking eyes. Also, the man was in the Astral Realm. ¡°Ugo?¡± Aida shouted and then stopped to look at the man. The man¡¯s face burst open, stripping his skin to ribbons and expanding into a fleshy funnel of mouths. Red flesh was exposed on the outside like melted licorice with rows and rows of sharp teeth ringed around the edges that got smaller for each row, making it seem like it went on infinitely. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Another doll,¡± Aida snarled. The abomination fell on its knees and pushed its palms into the floor, making an eerie sucking sound. The souls of a select few eaters were pulled out from their physical Containers and sucked toward the abomination¡¯s mouth. Panic finally arose as people took notice of others violently fainting. Aida quickly morphed into hybrid form¡ªher hair turned as orange as the fox ears that popped out the top of her head and the fuzz tail she grew. Aida chased after the souls. They were all sucked into the abomination¡¯s mouth, but it didn¡¯t stop Aida. She yanked off her mask, jumped, bit onto thin air, landed on all fours, and pulled back with a struggle like an overly excited dog. Ugo stared in confusion before remembering what Zeke told him about Containers last Winter. Zeke had read an astral projection book from the Infirmary¡¯s library, motivated to learn more about it after the airport fight. His brother had told him that astral projection separated one¡¯s soul from the mortal body¡ªthe Container, granting access to the Astral Realm and interacting with the physical world like a spirit. The soul tether was what kept a soul connected to its Container. If it were severed, the body would die immediately, transporting the soul to the next phase of existence. And with the Tainted, the risk was greater. If the Tainted had their soul tether severed, their soul would go to Heaven if they were the Deliverer or to Hell if they were the Damned, and then there was option number three, which no one knows where your soul ends up. The soul tether took some concentration to see even while in the Astral Realm, which is what Ugo did until he could make them out. They were blue threads of energy connected to the unconscious Containers of the unfortunate bystanders in the area. The other end of the threads were deep within the abomination¡¯s mouth (s). Aida was in between, biting onto the multitude of threads as she pulled with everything she had¡ªher red eyes glowed intensely. Each person had a limit on how far their soul tether could go across Realms. The longer the distance, the thinner it got until it snapped. Ugo summoned his surgical knife, and right before he could do something, the white doves flew toward him and sank their claws into his skin. He was taken for a joyride with the birds leaving Aida to deal with both of Ashlin¡¯s freaks of nature all by herself.
Zeke, just like Ugo, had trained hard with the uses of the Astral Realm. It was a constant mental dance of deciding what you wanted your body to phase through and what you didn¡¯t want it to phase through, including the bottom of his feet. As people gathered around their slump Containers, Zeke studied Gill and his Healer¡¯s Garb. It was a long black robe with demonic sigils marked down the sides and sleeves. The robe was fashioned over his suit like an overcoat. A black flame mask covered his mouth. But where had all the weight gone? The height was the same, although the frail young man that stood before looked like someone the Gill he knew could eat for breakfast and still go for extras. Gill lowered his black flame mask and smirked, taking notice of Zeke¡¯s bewilderment with his new body type and relishing in it. Zeke shook his head and refocused. ¡°Where¡¯s the girl, Gill? I¡¯m not going to ask again.¡± ¡°Enjoying her last day on Earth,¡± Gill said and started sprinting. ¡°Just like you.¡± He rushed Zeke down with skilled punches and kicks. Skinny Gill moved like a cheetah and hit like an elephant. Of course, every hit was enhanced with Mana. The nth punch Zeke took to the cheek had him spin back almost all the way. Zeke turned away from Gill and bent over, allowing his veins to wrap around his arm and increase in mass. He turned back to Gill, extending his massive veiny fist. A hairy monster with a bulbous head emerged from Gill¡¯s Garb and caught the enhanced fist in its mouth. Zeke cried out as the thing bit down on his enlarged arm. It was long, without any arms or legs, like a snake but massive in width. It had one demonic yellow eye that stared at Zeke as it continued to bite down. As Zeke tried to pull away, more monsters of its kind grew out from Gill¡¯s Garb, and they munched onto the arm. Zeke detached himself from the veins and fell back, watching the monsters devour the veiny arm. Once they finished, one of them said in a deep, fiendish voice, ¡°Delicious!¡± Another one released a laugh that made Zeke¡¯s ears ring. ¡°Hah! Loser!¡± It said. ¡°What the hell¡­¡± Zeke muttered. Gill stretched his hand forward, pointing his index finger back at himself while keeping the others erect¡ªimitating a dog¡¯s face. A black, burning hole appeared on the floor before him, and a pack of hellhounds crawled out, bringing Zeke back to his feet. ¡°Sick him, boys!¡± Gill ordered, and the black flaming hounds charged. Zeke turned tail and bolted out of the bookstore. He dashed through bystanders on the third floor and snuck one look over the shoulder. There were four of them. The burning beasts were ugly and skeletal-like, with charred meat hanging off their bones. They were live summons; Zeke could sense their hellish souls desiring nothing more but to tear him apart. He returned to looking forward and began making hand signs as he ran. Once he finished, he dropped and slid across the floor. When his palm touched the floor, a trap was conjured. Zeke stopped his momentum and turned over on his stomach to see the hellhounds get trapped in the net of veins. It was a success, and they were pulled up, suspended in the air as the top part of the net closed, and a single string stretched up and attached itself to the ceiling. Zeke got up and didn¡¯t even manage a breath before seeing more trouble come his way. Gill charged at him, bashed his shoulder into his gut, and wrapped his arms behind him. He lifted Zeke up effortlessly and ran forward. Several punches from Zeke onto the back of Gill¡¯s head did nothing to slow him down. Gill tightened his grip on Zeke, jumped, and nosedived toward the floor with him. Gill forced Zeke to phase through the floors with him, a technique he didn¡¯t know existed. Gill halted the phasing when they dropped into the middle of a sporting goods store on the ground floor. Zeke groaned as Gill got off him and dusted off his Garb. ¡°Oi, get up. I don¡¯t have all day, mate,¡± Gill said. Zeke glared up at Gill and slowly rose. He took a second to scan the area, slightly intrigued with seeing the inside of the sporting goods store for the first time. One of Gill¡¯s yellow-eyed monsters stretched out from the side of his Healer¡¯s Garb, grabbed a basketball off its rack in its mouth, and stretched upward. Bystanders looked up in horror as the monster arose with the basketball. ¡°Oh, my God, it¡¯s floating!¡± One middle-aged woman shouted and pointed. Zeke looked back at the growing frightened and befuddled crowd as he pulled down his mask. ¡°Gill¡­¡± He glared at his opponent while baring his teeth. ¡°What are you doing¡ª?¡± A flying basketball to the lip interrupted him. The crowd dispersed in a panic and went for the exit, including employees save for a couple of curious minds who stayed behind and observed the ball as if it were a new creature. More monsters stretched out from Gill¡¯s Garb in different directions grabbing tennis rackets, soccer balls, and a bike, and then hurling them at Zeke. Zeke quickly had his veins coil around his arm, and he swatted the incoming projectiles out of the way. The remaining bystanders now ran out of the store for their lives. ¡°Stop that,¡± Zeke shouted. ¡°Why?¡± Gill stopped and asked. ¡°It¡¯s like you¡¯re worried about maintaining order as if you were an angel. You like them, don¡¯t you? I bet you¡¯re trying to help them. The angels hate you, hate us. Why are you trying to help the ones who only want you dead¡ª¡± Zeke punched him in the mouth. ¡°Shut up!¡± As Gill staggered back, Zeke had the veins unwrap from his arm and add to the ones around his hand, having his fist grow to a massive size. He then gave his other hand the same treatment. ¡°You know who I want dead? You and every single other Tainted Generation member who makes the world a worst place for everybody!¡± Zeke began the rushdown.
AJ walked with her fist balled and pulled down as she did her part in the operation and scouted the ground floor of Cold Phoenix Mall. She tried to warn her friends that she wouldn¡¯t be able to sense the Mana energy surge if they engaged any of the culprits, but maybe they didn¡¯t listen on purpose and wanted her away from the action. AJ was dumbfounded to find herself feeling just like she did back then when Violet was still with them. She was the only plain one. Just a boring, white girl, and now, she was the only normal one with others capable of pulling off amazing, God-like feats. A chorus of groans stole her attention, and she looked at the source¡ªa long line of dissatisfied people craving sweets stretching from an ice cream kiosk. AJ peered at the front of the kiosk, and the sleep-deprived worker with a forced smile on her face waited as the one holding up the line browsed the wide variety of ice cream flavors. The indecisive customer had a group of men and women wearing shades and refined wool suits forming a half-circle behind her. AJ leaned forward as she continued to peer and made out the young woman holding up the line. She was the one in the photograph the weird blind guy showed them: Kimberly. Kimberly wore a floral maternity dress and kept one hand over her swollen belly. Bending over, she waved her finger between the many tubs of ice cream before her. After identifying Kimberly, AJ immediately pulled out her cell phone and called the rest of the Infirmary team. Several rings later, no one picked up. She texted them in the group chat and waited. Nothing. After all her efforts, she looked back at the kiosk, and Kimberly was still making a choice. AJ suspected people only let it go on for so long because she was pregnant, or else she probably would¡¯ve been physically removed from the line by the collective behind her. AJ began to wonder if the suited individuals with her were demons hired by Gill to protect her. Unfortunately, she had no otherworldly senses to tell if they were, just some bad vibes they were putting off, but she resolved to do something anyway. As she put her cell back into her pocket, she began to tremble and walked towards the kiosk. She wasn¡¯t sure what she would do but convinced herself that she had to do something on her own to help with the situation. After all, she was a prominent member of the Infirmary crew and helped with Naomi¡¯s demon sickness. Another step forward, and she was pulled two steps back. All her sensations went numb as she glided away from the kiosk and then saw her body collapsing frontward. The forceful gliding motion suddenly stopped, and she was pushed back onto the wall. A hand was wrapped around her throat. With so much overwhelming her mind, it took her a while to realize who the person pinning her against the wall was. ¡°Who are you?¡± the Russian girl with silver eyes said. Chapter 78 - Deglutition It was AJ¡¯s first time seeing a girl taller than her. She beat her by an inch. The redhead fit all the wild descriptions Zeke told her after the day they stopped Kian¡¯s plans. This was Ashlin, the Container Specialist of the Tainted Generation. There was cruelness to her extreme beauty, like a heartless heiress who would use servants as tables and ottomans. ¡°Why are you watching her? Are you working with the brothers?¡± Ashlin asked. AJ glanced at her collapsed body near the kiosk and mall goers gathered around it. This was something else Zeke had shared with her. Ejecting one¡¯s soul to enter the Astral Realm. ¡°I asked you a question,¡± Ashlin said, squeezing AJ¡¯s throat tighter, pulling her out of her reverie. ¡°Yes!¡± She croaked. ¡°I see,¡± Ashlin smiled and let go of AJ. Ashlin raised her hand with her pinky and ring finger pointed upward and struck herself in the breast. Her body dropped as her astral form stepped to the side, and then she clapped and wrapped her right hand over her left thumb while her right thumb touched the tip of her left middle finger. ¡°Albutius,¡± she said. Her revealing medieval dress was magically replaced with an onyx black low-cut corset dress with cyan blue ribbon bows tied down the sleeves. A black lace mask appeared and covered the bottom half of her face as a pointed hat bigger than her entire body materialized and hovered a few inches over her head. ¡°So, you¡¯re part of the Infirmary¡­ wait¡­.¡± The hostility on Ashlin¡¯s face eased a bit as she studied AJ up and down, and then her expression went vacant. ¡°You¡¯re just a normal human. No affinity with Mana. There¡¯s not even Mana in you. What is this? You¡¯re not special. What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ he-he-re¡­ to help!¡± AJ said, cowering. Ashlin laughed. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious. How could those two be that irresponsible? You¡¯re going to get yourself killed.¡± The redhead began to examine AJ like an art piece. She was wide open, but AJ knew she couldn¡¯t do anything about it. ¡°Your Container. It¡¯s so¡­ ugly.¡± The word stung like acid, getting rid of the numbness she felt when first entering the Astral Realm. Even as the pain swept over her, she remained utterly still. ¡°Your face. That hair. Those glasses. Those clothes. That body. Bleugh. It¡¯s all so hideous.¡± AJ could feel the back of her eyes burn as she clenched all over to avoid tears leaking, but she couldn¡¯t do anything about her quivering lip and labored breath. ¡°Did I hurt your feelings?¡± Ashlin said, putting her hands on her hips and looking at AJ, not paying any attention to the concerned people who gathered around her unconscious, physical body. ¡°I am so sorry, really. I pity ugly women. I have a soft spot for them. I am only telling you the truth as a friend, you know? And I am not someone who would point out problems without offering a solution. I can make you beautiful.¡± A sharp tingle shot down AJ¡¯s spine. She knew that she shouldn¡¯t listen to another word that came out of the redhead¡¯s mouth. She was literally a witch and wearing the apparel of one. No good would come from accepting an offer from her, yet, she wasn¡¯t strong enough to keep herself from asking: ¡°How¡­?¡± ¡°Well, with magic, of course,¡± Ashlin said, placing her finger on AJ¡¯s nose tip. ¡°I already know what kind of body you want. I have a design in mind, which I know you¡¯ll love. Something elegant and nothing like this brutish vessel you¡¯re forced to wear. Something¡­ smaller.¡± Her heart palpitated as if telling her this was the chance she had been waiting for and she should take it. The witch most likely read her mind, her pulsating heart. It was hard for her to ignore the sweet words that came from Ashlin¡¯s red lips. She didn¡¯t need to consume a lifetime¡¯s worth of comics and video games like Zeke and Ugo to know how these things worked and what she needed to ask. ¡°In exchange for what?¡± ¡°Ooh, smart girl!¡± Ashlin said and pulled back her finger. ¡°Stop running around with those two morons and swear your allegiance to Gilliam. I promise you, you¡¯ll get everything and anything you could ever want.¡± ¡°No¡­ I can¡¯t.¡± Ashlin frowned. ¡°Turns out you¡¯re very stupid.¡± She bashed her knee into her gut. As she hunched over, she saw Ashlin stretch her hand to the side, beckoning something over as she said something in a language she had never heard before. The wicked smile Ashlin had on her face while doing it made chills spread all over AJ¡¯s insides.
Aida¡¯s jaw ached as she pulled back the soul tethers with her mouth while planting her hands and feet on the floor. The food court was in chaos as the friends and families of the unconscious panicked. The souls were deep within the endless pit of teeth of Ashlin¡¯s monstrosity. It made a continuous sucking as it relentlessly fought against Aida¡¯s grip, pulling the souls deeper into its funnel of mouths. Aida had known Ashlin for years and had heard her many ideas for weaponized Containers for just as long. Therefore she suspected a portal to another Realm was inside the monster, meaning that even if it failed to sever the soul tethers, the souls would be stranded in the Astral Realm of another world with no means of returning to their Containers. There was another problem. In the form of the first monster Ashlin let out to play. As Aida pulled, she watched the giant, zombie-like women reach into the space between their sewn-together torsos, making squelching noises. It pulled out an oversized cleaver and laughed maniacally. Aida¡¯s eyes widened as it approached her, realizing what it wanted to do. With Ugo out of the picture, Aida screamed in panic through her clenched teeth at the thought of what could happen next. It stood between Aida and the other funnel-mouth monster, positioned its cleaver a few inches over the soul tethers, and raised it high. Aida was lucky to have joined a team with such dependable allies. A broad stream of gray fire blasted at the cleaver-wielding monster, and it was sent flying away, screaming in agony. Aida smiled as she looked over at Naomi. She was in the Astral Realm with her beautiful tricolored wings out and wearing the expression of a warrior. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°Thank you!¡± Aida said through her teeth. Naomi nodded and then moved her hand with an open palm in a circular motion, creating a gray flame ring hovering in front of her. She pushed her hand forward, and the flame ring shot at the funnel-mouth monster. Following the movements of her hand, the ring flipped over, opened, and then closed around it. Naomi made a fist, and the ring shrank, constricting the monster. As she squeezed her hand, the ring tightened around the freak like an anaconda, crushing it until it forced out the souls it gobbled up. With the sucking motion suddenly cut off, Aida fell onto her back, losing her grip on the tethers, and the souls flew into the air. Naomi rushed to Aida and kneeled to her. ¡°Sorry, Aida! Are you okay?¡± she asked in a brittle voice. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Aida said as she sat up. She watched the souls return to their respective Containers easing their loved ones as they woke up. Then Aida looked over at the squealing giant women, rolling across the floor as the inextinguishable gray flames burned their dying flesh mercilessly. ¡°Your gray fire has the properties and functions of hellfire and holy fire, right?¡± Aida asked Naomi. ¡°Yes,¡± Naomi replied, watching the monster burn. ¡°It must hurt a lot, but it was doing bad things, so I had to stop it, right?¡± ¡°Of course, Naomi,¡± Aida said and studied the flames. It was a frightening ability. No matter what Realm a being was from, Naomi¡¯s flames would hurt it, and being burned with ethereal flames while in the Astral Realm allows for triple the pain. Hellfire could be extinguished with White Magic spells and holy fire with Black Magic, but what could get rid of the gray flames? ¡°I sense a soul in it,¡± Naomi said as she stood up, looking at the constricted funnel-mouth monster. ¡°In that one, too.¡± Aida got up and focused on her senses. She felt hot all over, realizing that Naomi was right. ¡°She used real souls,¡± Aida said, growling. ¡°Ashlin once said that she was trying to look into making artificial souls, but it was hard. So sometimes, when she creates a Container and needs a soul to occupy it, she takes one from another Container. Even if it¡¯s against its will.¡± Naomi¡¯s clenched her fists. ¡°That¡¯s terrible,¡± she said, then frowned as the giant women melted into a burnt puddle. ¡°So that means I¡­.¡± Aida touched Naomi¡¯s shoulder and gave her a solemn look. ¡°You did the right thing. It¡¯s better for them this way.¡± She twitched, having trouble containing her vexed growls and holding back the urge to bark until her throat hurt. As Aida¡¯s eyes moved away from Naomi¡¯s dejected look, panic took over as she failed to locate the funnel-mouth monster. She began to scout the place and sniff but to no avail. She couldn¡¯t sense it either. It didn¡¯t just leave the area. It blinked out of existence. Now that things had calmed down, she began to pick up a myriad of clashing Magic Energy sources in various spots of the Cold Phoenix Mall, including Ashlin¡¯s¡­ and Gill¡¯s. ¡°Naomi, let¡¯s get going¡­.¡± She turned back to Naomi and found her standing with a blank look. Aida raised her brows and looked in the direction she was staring at. There was nothing. She studied Naomi and slowly approached her. ¡°Naomi?¡± The little blonde didn¡¯t respond. Aida waved her hand before her eyes, and she didn¡¯t react. ¡°Naomi!¡±
As AJ fought against the pangs in her gut and straightened herself, a cyan blue light shone to her side, and once it dissipated, a monster appeared in place of it. It had the body of a man in street clothes, and that¡¯s where the normalcy ended. Its head was a meaty funnel of mouths with sharp teeth. Seeing it made AJ scream at a pitch higher than she knew she could reach. The tears were released but for a completely different reason than what she had been holding them back for. ¡°I¡¯m still thinking of what to name it,¡± Ashlin said, looking at her monster and then redirected her look at AJ. AJ hated feeling like a defenseless child left to fend for herself in the woods. She could barely see Ashlin in front of her with her glasses all foggy and her eyes welled with tears. ¡°Last chance to change your mind,¡± Ashlin said. AJ wiped away the tears, shook her head, and hated herself for it. The unamused Ashlin groaned. ¡°So stupid.¡± And then she looked to her side, and her eyes popped out. ¡°Hey! What are you morons doing? Where is the girl?¡± Kimberly¡¯s suited bodyguards were startled and looked around. Kimberly was nowhere near them. ¡°Absolute morons! How do you lose a pregnant lady? Oh, Gilliam will hear about this, I promise!¡± Ashlin snapped her fingers, and her physical body disappeared. Then, she spat an order in an unknown language to the monster and ran off. The monster she left behind for AJ to deal with dropped on its knees and pushed its palms into the floor. AJ turned and made a break for it. The monster started to make an eerie sucking sound, and AJ felt herself being pulled back. She refused to look over her shoulder and focused on out-running the monster¡¯s gravitational pull. She had no idea if all her physical attributes had transferred to her astral form. It was like she was on a treadmill, and behind her was a jet engine propeller, pulling her towards it for a gruesome end. Even in the Astral Realm, she could feel the muscles in her legs burn and beg for rest, her chest tightening, her body struggling to get enough oxygen. Every time she made significant progress in distance, she was pulled two feet closer to the monster. AJ reached for a wooden bench in front of her¡ªher hand passed through it; she cursed at the physics of the Astral Realm and tried again. No dice. Her heart rate accelerated as the inside of her gut grew colder, and the taste of death in her mouth became more pungent. She clung to how much she wanted to live, to see herself accepted as a worthy asset to the group, to see herself happy in a beautiful body¡­ with Zeke by her side. Ashlin had given her an answer that should¡¯ve been clear to her ever since she discovered the existence of the supernatural. Magic was the key. AJ let out a sharp cry and reached for the bench. She grabbed onto it, making for a short moment of relief. Her legs rose behind her as the gravitational pull of the monster intensified. She held onto the bench with her other hand, hanging on for dear life, and closed her eyes. The vision of herself in a beautiful, petite body worked as fuel to strengthen her grip on the bench.
The giant white doves pecked and clawed Ugo as they took him into the air. Ugo suffered a bad case of motion blur while fighting with the white birds in the air. They began to go after his eyes, trying to poke them out. Somehow, amidst the chaos and whirling in the air, Ugo was able to bring his hands together for a spell exclusive to the Surgeon of the Tainted Generation. He rubbed them quickly, making an electrical charge. Then, like a defibrillator, he touched each bird with a palm, sending an electric shock that had them blast away. As Ugo fell through the air, he glided towards the glass railing on the third floor and gripped the top. He looked at the screaming birds, flapping about hectically as they were continuously electrocuted. Ugo summoned his surgical knife, pulled himself up, and perched on the edge of the railing. He squatted further, collecting more potential energy, feeling his muscles contract, and then zapped at the birds. He cut both birds on their back with some electrifying incisions. Then, while freefalling, Ugo faced up at the birds, held his hand out to the side, and locked it in a contorted shape¡ªsummoning his black needle holder. Ugo flipped and landed on a glass railing on the second floor. He squatted and bolted up at the birds again. He moved the small needle with a long blue thread hanging off it with incredible speed and stitched both of the screaming birds together, hoping Aida would forgive him for hurting otherworldly animals like that. He could feel that there were legitimate souls within them. The last procedure of the impromptu surgery had Ugo close one eye and hold his knife like a pencil, keeping it tight between his thumb and index finger while the blade¡¯s tip rested on the remaining fingers. He threw the knife, and it blasted like a lightning bolt. It went through both of the birds¡¯ heads, but no blood was spilled, and no wound was made, but at the end of the knife that rocketed toward the floor were two tiny brains in perfect condition. The birds turned stiff, like they had turned into magic props, and plummeted. Ugo managed to grab onto a glass railing on the third floor again as he fell. He pulled himself up and sat on the edge, catching his breath. The time to rest didn¡¯t last long as he reminded himself he needed to help Aida. He hopped and stood on the railing but was stunned by the overwhelming collection of different Magical energy surging from various areas in the mall. While trying to determine which energy source he should follow first, a crying scream from below forced him to pay attention to it. He looked down and saw a distressed girl hanging onto a bench with her legs wailing behind her as she was pulled by the sucking winds of the funnel monster he left Aida to deal with alone. He silenced the questions that began to sprout in his brain as he noticed that he couldn¡¯t feel any Mana from the screaming girl¡ªit was AJ. She lost grip, and he blasted downwards with an outreaching hand. Even with his lightning speed, he wasn¡¯t quick enough and only managed to touch the tip of the fingers of her desperate outreaching hand. AJ was gobbled up by the monster. Chapter 79 - Abaddon The sporting goods store was deserted, and the floor looked like a Jackson Pollock painting if he had only used one color. Zeke punched Gill left and right with his giant fists, made of swollen veins and arteries, moving as fast as possible. His body heated up, and his arms and neck muscles ached as he kept up with the swinging of heavy, enlarged fists. The rampage ended once one of Gill¡¯s yellow-eyed monsters caught Zeke¡¯s fists in its mouth, and another one chomped onto his other fist. Zeke shrieked in pain and glowered at Gill. The rush down left him with plenty of bruises and blood leaking out, but it wasn¡¯t enough to get rid of the smug look on his face. ¡°So, you focus your magic just to throw stronger punches?¡± Gill said and then shook his head. ¡°What a waste¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the waste!¡± Gill laughed. ¡°That¡¯s your best trash talk? Holy hell, mate, ya gotta work on that.¡± Suddenly, Gill frowned, and he looked off to his side. ¡°Idiots,¡± he scoffed. He turned back to Zeke, re-equipping his smug look. ¡°Sorry, mate, I gotta go. We¡¯ll continue this later.¡± ¡°You can go when I¡­.¡± Zeke halted as he took notice of the sources of Mana surging in various places. ¡°It looks like you¡¯ve got to go, too.¡± The yellow-eyed abominations let go of Zeke, and Gill opened a yellow portal behind him. ¡°We¡¯ll take a rain check on this scrap, Azaekias,¡± he said with a wink and fell back into the portal. After the portal vanished, Zeke turned to the store¡¯s exit and ran towards the closest source of Mana he could sense.
Ugo hit the floor hard on his cheek, breaking some facial bones, but he got to his feet quickly, ignoring the fresh throbbing coming from his cheek. He could see the monster¡¯s red flesh contract and its body shake with ecstasy as it made loud swallowing noises after consuming AJ¡¯s soul. Fury took over Ugo; he gripped his knife until his hand became numb. Then, using a liquid metal puddle, Yuri skated into the scene on just his shoes. He veered and halted in front of Ugo. ¡°Hold on there, friend.¡± ¡°Out of my way, dude!¡± Yuri waved his hand around while nearing Ugo until he touched his shoulder. ¡°You need to calm down and use your eyes. Focus!¡± Ugo recalled the breathing exercises he taught himself. Once his nerves were under control, he looked over at the monster and focused. He saw AJ¡¯s thin soul tether extending from her collapsed physical Container on the floor with concerned people gathered around it. Most of them were on the phone with emergency services. ¡°She¡¯s not dead,¡± Yuri said. A gray flame ring shot into the scene and hovered over the funnel-mouth monster. It descended and shrank around the freakshow, constricting it and making it fall over to its side. Naomi and Aida came running. Naomi first noticed AJ¡¯s physical Container and looked back at Ashlin¡¯s creation with widened eyes. ¡°No!¡± she cried. Ugo sensed another Tainted from behind. He turned and saw Zeke rushing to the scene. He halted and scanned the hectic surroundings. Getting Zeke¡¯s attention, Naomi pointed at the monster. ¡°AJ¡¯s soul has been swallowed by it,¡± she said while pouting. ¡°Ashlin always loved to talk about her sick ideas for weaponized Containers,¡± Aida said. ¡°I think this is one of the kinds that has a portal to another Realm inside it.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we just pull her out?¡± Ugo asked. ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be a good idea now,¡± Yuri said. ¡°Yeah, look at how thin her soul thread is. Forcefully pulling it has a higher risk of it tearing,¡± Aida said, scratching her fox ear while eyeing the struggling monster. ¡°Ashlin¡¯s Container finished its job, so AJ must be in another Realm right now.¡± Naomi closed her fist and squeezed; the flame ring around it tightened accordingly, but AJ¡¯s soul wasn¡¯t spat out. She relented. ¡°AJ is too deep within it.¡± ¡°So, let¡¯s go in and get her out of it,¡± Ugo said. ¡°Wait, what happens if Ashlin summons it away again?¡± Naomi asked. ¡°Good question,¡± Yuri said. ¡°And if she sees the soul tether extending from it, she can just cut it, no problem.¡± Zeke stepped towards the monster and stared at it in silence. Ugo smirked, knowing that deductive greatness was to follow. ¡°Theoretically,¡± Zeke started, ¡°there¡¯s a portal inside this thing, right? Can we remove it?¡± Yuri smiled. ¡°That¡¯s a bonkers idea!¡± Zeke looked over at Naomi. ¡°Can you¡ª?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± she said, pointing at the flame ring constricting the monster. As she lifted her finger, the monster rose. ¡°Mora,¡± Zeke called. ¡°Open it up!¡± Without asking any questions, Ugo prepared his knife and made a midline incision, revealing the innards of the monster. Nothing was inside but a human stomach organ emanating a demonic aura. ¡°The portal is definitely in there,¡± Aida said. ¡°Zeke, you¡¯re a genius!¡± ¡°Mora, remove it quickly before Ashlin calls it back,¡± Zeke ordered. Ugo nodded, expertly cut out the organ, and held it in his hand. It reeked of sulfur and felt cold and gooey, like a rotten meaty dessert. As the Surgeon of the Tainted Generation, Ugo had variants of his cutting magic. He learned three different kinds: The first allowed for regular cutting, severing a part from its source, which could be done painlessly or not (clean cuts or bloody cuts). The second allowed him to do the severing painlessly without cutting off the connection (the subject could still move their arm after amputation). The third, also painless and most Mana-consuming of them all, was a technique that, upon separating anything, creates two entirely new parts as if they were never connected and had always existed on their own (what he had used on Yuri to prevent him from reattaching his limbs). Ugo had done the third option. ¡°Now what?¡± Ugo asked. ¡°We take it back to the Infirmary,¡± Zeke said.
Zeke summoned his medical bag into the Astral Realm, caught it as it fell from above, and led the group to a door only mall personnel could go through. He took a piece of chalk from his bag and drew the Infirmary¡¯s sigil. Hopefully, no poor soul was looking at the door that time, or else they would¡¯ve seen a flying piece of chalk casually drawing an occult symbol. When it came to writing or drawing, even from within the Astral Realm and using items in the Astral Realm, the results would be visible to those outside the spiritual domain. It is how ghosts pulled off their most signature scares on the living. This was the norm concerning writing or drawing on something while in the Astral Realm, but there are means to ensure the writing remains unseen. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Wait,¡± Aida said as Zeke opened the door. She turned back, stabbed her palm with her sharpened nail, dragged it across her skin, and then crouched to draw a summoning circle. A few hand signs were made, and Aida planted her cut hand on the drawing, and a smoke cloud blew out. The creature that appeared as the smoke began to thin had Ugo point and scream like he was about to get murdered, ¡°Ahhhhh! What the hell is that¡ª?¡± A scowl from the creature¡¯s caretaker changed his tone and demeanor. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s beautiful.¡± ¡°Her name is Cherie.¡± Aida snorted. The beast resembling a cross between a dragon and a porcupine, was covered in an entanglement of green hair with quills protruding off its back. It had a scaly neck, head, and tail to match and was about the size of a well-fed lion. ¡°She¡¯s French¡ªa peluda. Beautiful animals,¡± she said as she caringly petted its shaggy head. ¡°Cherie can store things in her fur. I summoned her into the Astral Realm so our Containers will be invisible to regular people.¡± Cherie, the peluda, shook with excitement as she flicked her slimy tongue out and then bolted. ¡°Godspeed, Cherie,¡± Zeke said as he watched the monster. Then, he turned back to the door and made sure to clean off the chalk after everyone stepped inside. ¡°Oh, wow, this place feels amazing!¡± Yuri said, looking around the waiting room. For a moment of panic, Zeke wheeled back to Yuri and stared with widened eyes, realizing he just let a stranger into their sacred haven. Ugo walked past Zeke and approached the trestle table. ¡°Guys, let¡¯s figure out our next game plan,¡± he said. Unfortunately, Zeke would have to deal with his blunder internally; there was no point in trying to do something about it now. Zeke closed the door behind him, put down his bag, and moved up to the trestle table with the others as Ugo placed the pale pink J-shaped organ in the middle. It looked normal but felt like it came straight from the Netherworld. This was the first time Zeke (and the other Infirmary team members) entered the Infirmary in astral form. He felt great relief as it seemed as though it didn¡¯t take much of a mental strain to interact with physical objects while inside the hospital. Was it because of where it was or the spells set in the structure¡¯s interior? Zeke looked at the tapestry over the altar behind him, thinking about the incident again. ¡°What¡¯s the plan here?¡± Ugo asked, pulling Zeke back to reality. ¡°We open it up and save AJ, that¡¯s it,¡± Aida said, looking at Zeke as her tail swept behind her. ¡°Or do you have another idea, head doctor?¡± Zeke¡¯s infinite capacity to worry didn¡¯t allow him to relish what the Geneticist called him endearingly. He fixated on Yuri as he scanned the room with an infantile smile on his face. Infatuated with all the Mana in the air, he must be seeing. He felt a strong tug on his shoulder and turned over to Ugo, who was beside him. ¡°We can worry about him later,¡± he said. ¡°AJ is our priority right now.¡± Ugo pointed at Yuri. ¡°Hey, blind guy!¡± ¡°Yeah, buddy?¡± Yuri said without turning to him. ¡°If you turn out to be a spy, we¡¯ll kick your ass, okay? We¡¯ve done it before, and we can do it again!¡± ¡°Of course, I am well aware of that!¡± Yuri said and then laughed. Zeke winced as he fixated on Yuri. ¡°You¡¯re not satisfied yet, are you?¡± Naomi asked. She frowned and walked toward Yuri. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Zeke. I¡¯ll make sure he doesn¡¯t pull anything.¡± Yuri stopped scanning the area as Naomi halted before him. ¡°Your Mana output feels so strange and wonderful!¡± Naomi scowled up at him, making Zeke grin. He was reminded of her more austere side, and she was an over two-hundred-year-old otherworldly being after all; whatever test she had in mind to ensure Yuri wasn¡¯t going to screw them over would undoubtedly be a suitable one. ¡°Yuri, do you have any ulterior motives?¡± Naomi asked. Silence filled the air, and even Yuri¡¯s smile went away. ¡°No,¡± he said. Naomi¡¯s scowl grew more intense, and then she raised her pinky. ¡°Pinky swear?¡± With an unyielding expression, Yuri locked his pinky with Naomi¡¯s. ¡°Pinky swear.¡± Naomi pulled away and turned to the others with a satisfied smile. ¡°Okay, he doesn¡¯t have any ulterior motives.¡± Zeke stared at her blankly as Aida slapped a hand over her face, sighing. ¡°He swore!¡± Naomi shouted while pointing back at Yuri (who nodded with his arms crossed). ¡°Okay, if Naomi confirms it, then I¡¯m convinced, and you should be too Mano,¡± Ugo said, turning to the stomach as he brandished his knife. ¡°I¡¯m cutting this open.¡± Ugo did so, and dark energy rose from the organ and swirled into a dark portal. ¡°What Realm does it lead to?¡± Ugo asked. ¡°It feels like...¡± ¡°The Netherworld,¡± Yuri said matter-of-factly. ¡°It¡¯s a portal to the Netherworld.¡± ¡°I guess we¡¯re going to Hell,¡± said Aida, walking over to the waiting room¡¯s entry door. Cherie, the peluda, stepped in. ¡°Good girl!¡± Aida dropped to her knees and scratched the beast¡¯s fur all over. ¡°Poor AJ, she must be so scared...¡± Naomi said. Eyeing the portal had Zeke think about how this would be his first time venturing into the Netherworld¡ªa place with a one-in-a-eleven chance of being his permanent residence after his death. What would it look like? What would it smell like? What would it feel like? Would it feel wrong¡­ or like somewhere he belonged? The image of the figure that appeared during the festive get-together in the Infirmary sometime after eradicating Kian¡¯s specimen flashed in his mind. He dreamt of its burnt, zombified face every other night. Remembering the unsettling imagery of the missing top of its head and demonic yellow and green eyes had Zeke shake slightly where he stood. That figure was¡ª ¡°On you go!¡± Ugo said, grabbing him by the wrist. ¡°Mora, wait!¡± Was the last thing Zeke managed to say before screaming in terror with his eyes closed as he was pushed into the portal. He fell on his stomach and then turned over, looking up at the rest (including Cherie, the peluda) as they stepped through the dark gateway. Ugo looked down at Zeke. ¡°We both know ya would¡¯ve stayed in your head forever.¡± Zeke got up and dusted himself off. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to be so rough¡­¡± he said, frowning. ¡°That¡¯s what she said,¡± Ugo replied, suppressing his dorky laugh before turning away. All there was genuine shame on his face, having Zeke study him for a bit until he concluded that perhaps he was overthinking it, which deserved a pat on the back for self-awareness. It was time to take a look at the Realm, and it was a hauntingly beautiful landscape. The blackish-blue barren ground was littered with rock fragments and had multiple light red puddles. Pinkish-like colored flames flickered from various spots across the ground. Overhead was a clouded sky with a dark blue hue that grew lighter in the distance, with mountains radiating the same hue visible. Zeke¡¯s legs finally started moving, and he increased his distance from the portal behind him. Expecting the usual stench of rotten eggs, Zeke instead got a spicy fragrance of musk and burnt pepper. The only noises he could hear were from the flames and the footsteps of himself and his group. The area looked like a battlefield after the war was settled. ¡°So, this is Netherworld,¡± Ugo said nonchalantly. ¡°Abaddon, to be exact,¡± Yuri said. ¡°Remember that the Netherworld is composed of many, many Realms.¡± Then, under a bizarre, twisty rock formation in the distance, Zeke spotted AJ kneeling before something. ¡°AJ,¡± he shouted while moving up to her and halted in shock once he saw the skull-faced flower snapping before her. ¡°Watch out!¡± Ugo exclaimed and rushed past Zeke. He sliced the demonic plant in half and stomped on it before it could do any damage. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Zeke asked and then realized how weird of a question it was to ask someone in Hell. AJ stood up. ¡°I¡­¡± she glanced down at the crushed plant, sighed, and smiled softly as she looked back at her friends. ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry we didn¡¯t get to you in time!¡± Naomi said, running up to AJ and wrapping her arms around her. ¡°Thanks for coming for me,¡± AJ said stonily, then noticed Cherie. What is that?¡± ¡°She¡¯s Cherie,¡± Aida said and then snarled a bit. ¡°The peluda,¡± Ugo added, earning him a nod from Aida. ¡°Okay¡­¡± AJ said. ¡°So, shall we get out of here?¡± ¡°Wait¡­¡± Yuri said, having everybody look over at him. ¡°Kimberly¡­¡± Zeke thought back to what Gill told him before they started trading blows. ¡°Gill said that he was at the mall to: ¡®Give her one last outing before it begins.¡¯ Does that mean¡­?¡± ¡°He is going to deliver the Rebirth Seed. They are probably at his hospital preparing the procedure as we speak.¡± ¡°Okay, then, point us in the direction of Gill¡¯s hospital, and let¡¯s keep it from happening,¡± Ugo said. Aida turned to AJ. ¡°The portal leads back to the Infirmary, so¡ª¡± ¡°Use it to get back home while you guys leave me out?¡± AJ replied and pushed Naomi away from her. ¡°Do you expect me just to stay back? I¡¯m coming, too!¡± ¡°Oh, okay, I just thought¡ª¡± ¡°You thought what? I would be too scared for this?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡± Aida sighed and kneeled to the peluda. ¡°I was going to suggest for all of us to return to the Infirmary because of Cherie. She can handle it, but I don¡¯t want her in the Netherworld for too long. And we can get back into our Containers.¡± ¡°If we¡¯re going to do this,¡± Zeke said, ¡°then yeah, we might as well do it in our Containers so we don¡¯t have to worry about our soul tethers.¡± Chapter 80 - Demonification The group returned to the Infirmary. The first order of business was their Containers. Aida gently tapped Cherie¡¯s head. The green monster trembled, and then its back arched up. ¡°Come on, baby, you can do it,¡± she said supportively, and voila, all six Containers, one by one, slipped out of the mess of quills on the peluda¡¯s back. ¡°Good job, Cherie!¡± Naomi cheered. Aida kissed her pet on the head, made a hand sign, and it disappeared in a puff of smoke. ¡°So freaky,¡± AJ said, looking at her body sprawled on the ground. Somehow her glasses were still on. ¡°So, how do I get back into my body?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a no-brainer, AJ! Watch me.¡± Yuri moved up to his Container and demonstrated. He did a spin for no reason and then dropped into his body. Only one Yuri remained afterward. He pushed himself up and displayed some spirited jazz hands. ¡°Good as new.¡± Zeke walked up to his Container and jumped into the air, imagining launching off a diving board (something he had never done and didn¡¯t plan on changing that fact), and reinserted himself into his physical form. He sat up and saw the others absorbing themselves into their Containers¡ªAJ being the last to do it by lowering to her knees and slipping into her body like an aquaphobic trying to best themselves by dipping into a pool. Once everybody was back on their feet and reacquainted with being in their physical forms again, AJ asked, ¡°So, we can enter the Netherworld in our physical forms?¡± With what he had read on the subject¡ªcourtesy of a book he found in the Library some time ago¡ªZeke offered himself to explain and started with, ¡°The Heavenly and Netherworld Realms don¡¯t function like other Realms, as in, they do not have a separate Astral Realm. They are, in a way, Astral Realms themselves. They are meant to reside in the astral form. So, when a being in a physical form enters Heaven or the Netherworld via a gateway: the universal stream, regular portals, or even just walking past a border, the physical Container is automatically converted into a state where the physical Container and astral form become one.¡± Yuri chimed in, ¡°An added risk is that no Container would be left behind if one were to be killed while in this form. What happens next is unknown, just like with all other living things in spiritual form after they are killed.¡± Zeke was reminded of the next order of business when he spotted his medical bag on the stone floor¡ªit was still in astral form. When it came to bringing objects to the Astral Realm, they followed the same principle as with Containers, converting into spiritual form, but did not leave a physical counterpart behind. Dragging items in and out of the Astral Realm was more of an exercise of concentration than power. The technique became laughably simple as soon as one got the hang of it. He walked over to his grandmother¡¯s gift and pulled it back into the physical Realm by grabbing its handle. ¡°Before we head out, let me get supplies,¡± he said, running off.
Walking back into the Netherworld voluntarily with his group was a strange feeling. Zeke could imagine the souls trapped in the underworld cursing them out for their privilege and idiocy to enter the land of eternal punishment again. His medical bag was even more filled, with Mana bottles and medicine aimed towards soul purity¡ªsome were already in the dispensary, and others they had added over the months working as supernatural Healers. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure we can¡¯t just walk in there,¡± Zeke said as they strolled back to where they found AJ. ¡°It¡¯s most likely filled with an army of his demons, and we¡¯re in their element now.¡± ¡°With how much you guys reek of Tainted Generation energy with your Garbs and all, the whole place will go on high alert from the moment you step in the hospital,¡± Yuri said. ¡°And with so many demons on us, we might not find the delivery room in time.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll keep ourselves from emanating our Garb¡¯s energy then. No energy, no nothing,¡± Ugo said, waving his hand. They stopped and settled under the bizarre, twisty rock formation to continue their discussion. ¡°But then you¡¯ll just be humans stepping into the hospital, which can also cause an alert,¡± Yuri said. ¡°Remember, some demons can even pick up the scent of a human. They¡¯ll wonder why one that hasn¡¯t been demonified yet is in the hospital.¡± Aida hopped over a puddle and approached Yuri. ¡°So, what you¡¯re saying is that we need to sneak in and stay hidden while we search for the delivery room,¡± she said. ¡°We need to disguise ourselves as demons.¡± ¡°Yes, what a wicked idea, huh?¡± Yuri said, chuckled, and then plopped himself down onto a rock. ¡°Can¡¯t Aida change our genes to match a demon¡¯s?¡± AJ asked. Aida crouched and turned to sniff the puddle behind her. ¡°If I did and changed our souls into that of a demon¡¯s, it would be permanent since a spell like that would take a lot of Mana to perform, and changing us back would be near impossible,¡± she said, sniffing the rocks near her. ¡°A demon¡¯s soul can¡¯t be unpurified,¡± Yuri added as he lifted a finger. Aida got back up¡ªsatisfied with her intake of sniffing a new environment. ¡°Exactly, however¡­¡± she curled her lip to the side as her tail rose and wagged. ¡°I can change our appearances to fit in without changing our genes.¡± ¡°How?¡± Zeke asked. ¡°I¡¯m part-kitsune, remember?¡± she said, wiggling her fuzzy ears. ¡°Rock on!¡± Yuri said, pumping his fist in the air. ¡°So, you can enter people¡¯s dreams, shapeshift, do illusions, and all that stuff?¡± ¡°My illusionary skills aren¡¯t all that impressive¡­¡± Aida admitted dejectedly. ¡°But! A kitsune gift I¡¯ve honed is shapeshifting and dealing with astral forms. Wade and I used to¡­¡± she trailed off as a pensive expression overtook her vulpine face. The group remained quiet and waited for her to resume. ¡°Anyway!¡± Aida said, flickering something wet out of her eye with her pinky, and then sniffled. ¡°It¡¯s easier for me to change the appearance of astral forms, but with the mystical composition of the Netherworld, it¡¯ll be like I¡¯m doing that anyway, so I can make our skin and eyes more akin to that of a demon¡¯s.¡± ¡°We¡¯d be pulling off the demon look,¡± Ugo said, rubbing his chin, ¡°but we won¡¯t be putting out demonic energy.¡± ¡°Maybe I can help!¡± Naomi said, raising her hand. ¡°If I suppress my angelic side and focus on the demonic side. I can coat you all in Black Magic energy. You¡¯ll feel and even smell like demons.¡± ¡°Wait, you can do that?¡± Naomi chuckled sweetly. ¡°I have been practicing with my powers since you went to Zurich.¡± Then, she looked over at Zeke. ¡°The demonic energy will envelop you and leave what is under intact¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s a coating technique,¡± Aida said. ¡°If you do that, it can help mask my kitsune magic.¡± ¡°Sounds like you¡¯ve been reading a lot more in the Library than we¡¯ve noticed, huh, Naomi?¡± Zeke added. Naomi snickered. ¡°I think I can do it, and your souls should be unaffected. Just give me a moment to¡­¡± She distanced herself and then hid behind a rock. ¡°About the bit of our souls being unaffected. That¡¯s not entirely true,¡± Yuri said. ¡°Prolonged periods of being coated in Black Magic can cause purity levels to drop.¡± ¡°Our souls¡¯ purity is already dropping from just standing here,¡± Ugo mentioned as he spread his arms far apart. ¡°Right,¡± Zeke agreed and then raised his medical bag. ¡°That¡¯s why we need to take as much soul-purity medicine as possible.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to give me medicine. I¡¯m good!¡± Yuri said. ¡°Okay.¡± Yuri¡¯s face slowly darkened as he sat in silence. ¡°You¡¯re not even going to insist?¡± he asked, dejected. ¡°You said you were good!¡± ¡°As for our voices,¡± Aida said. ¡°I¡¯ll have to actually use my gene editing to change them. It¡¯ll feel like a tickle.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t I believe you?¡± Ugo said as his eyes narrowed. Yuri clapped his knees and stood up. ¡°This sounds like one hell of a plan!¡± The gang stared at Yuri with vacant faces as he laughed at his own mediocre joke. A part of Zeke was hoping for him to turn out to be a traitor so that they could get rid of him. He shook the thought away and then got startled by everyone¡¯s sudden shocked looks. ¡°What?¡± he asked and touched his face. ¡°Is there some demon bug on my face? My head? In my eye?¡± A dainty finger tapped his shoulder from behind. Zeke turned back, his heart gave him a jolt that forced him to leap a few feet away from the demon who snuck up on him. ¡°Hi,¡± the demonified Naomi said, waving at him. She was thinner, although not as sickeningly thin as when she was sick, making her face more angular. A graying tone took over her complexion, and her blonde hair lost its brightness as her blue eyes were exchanged for glowing red ones. ¡°With the Netherworld environment focusing on just my demon side was really easy.¡± Her pointy ears completed her new demonic look, and Zeke gaped back at her in horror. Now, all that he could feel from Naomi was a devilish aura. He waved back absently with a nervous smile on his face. ¡°Hi,¡± he said. Naomi closed her eyes and pushed her brows together¡ªBlack Magic energy began to emanate from her rough, ugly hands. ¡°Is everybody ready?¡± Aida asked as she made her hand sign, raising her index and middle finger and holding them close together. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Zeke and Ugo called off their Healer Garbs, and nodded along with AJ and Yuri. She pointed at each person in the group, except for Naomi, and orange imagery of their DNA structures was expelled from them. Aida made successive hand signs, editing their genes. It took some time. ¡°Reminder, this may tickle¡­ feel a bit weird. Brace yourselves,¡± she said as she finally finished and pushed the edited DNA back into them. ¡®Weird¡¯ was an understatement. Zeke and everybody else but Yuri dropped to their knees and groaned as they wrapped their hands around their necks. ¡°Aida!¡± Naomi shouted, turning to the Geneticist. ¡°If I told them it hurt, it would¡¯ve been worse!¡± Aida said, raising her hands. ¡°I knew you were lying!¡± Ugo said with a strained voice. ¡°My dad¡¯s a dentist. I¡¯ve fallen victim to that tactic before!¡± Zeke curled up on the ground, squeezing his hold on his throat and shaking to the pain of his vocal cords being pulled and twisted. Then came a burn, like sandpaper was rubbing against them. He pushed a palm against the ground while the torture reached its end, and Naomi rushed to help him up. Aida raised her hands in a position where the tips of her middle fingers and thumbs were touching. ¡°Now, just the kitsune magic. This time it really won¡¯t hurt, I promise.¡± She did the spell before Ugo had the chance to call BS. A dark orange mist drifted away from her hands and breezed past the group. The transformation was alarmingly quick and, more importantly, painless, like promised. First, he saw Yuri, still with the same happy-go-lucky smile on his face, but his teeth were now misshapen and rotting. His forehead had demonic markings like tattoos, his complexion had become grayer, and his ears were pointy like an elf¡¯s. Then, he looked over to a groaning Ugo as he got up. His face was now longer, like his even darker hair in contrast to his demon-blue eyes. He was feeling his pointy ears and the horns on his head. ¡°How do you feel?¡± Zeke asked in his demonic, gravelly voice. He stepped back. ¡°Whoa,¡± he said. Ugo took the opportunity to let out an evil laugh in his new devilish, echoey voice. ¡°This is cool!¡± he said. ¡°Wait!¡± He turned slightly away from everybody and pulled the waistband of his pants forward. He sighed after checking it and let go of the band, turning back to the group with a dejected look. Zeke read his mind and looked back in disappointment. ¡°Did you¡­ want it to transform, too?¡± ¡°I mean¡­ yeah,¡± Ugo said and shrugged. ¡°Only incubi¡¯s look different,¡± Aida added. Zeke removed himself from the conversation before it sank into even lower levels of degeneracy. He moved up to AJ as she got up and froze in place as he looked at her. ¡°What?¡± she said, alarmed. Her voice was sinister and croaky as if she had a sore throat. AJ¡¯s new supernatural form was sinisterly beautiful. The demonic markings on her face only added more to the beauty. Something about how her complexion grayed compared to the others was just different, even the way her pointy ears stuck out. They were jutting to the sides instead upwards. The elastic hair band that held her ponytail had snapped during the transformation, and now her lengthened, messy hair snaked down her shoulders. ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± she asked while raising her brows, attracting attention to her shining dark golden eyes. ¡°Um, nothing,¡± Zeke said and looked away. AJ looked down at her glasses on the ground and halted. ¡°Whoa, wait, I can see¡ª!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Yuri said and laughed. ¡°You don¡¯t really need the glasses at all while in the Astral Realm or the Netherworld,¡± Zeke explained. Regarding clothing, theoretically, with a certain level of mental power, an individual could wear anything they wanted. Still, most, by default when crossing over to the Astral Realm, would always wear the garments they had on in the physical Realm¡ªit was less of a burden on the mind. It¡¯s why AJ¡¯s glasses came along with her in the Astral Realm, but she didn¡¯t need them. ¡°Oh, wow¡­¡± AJ said as she looked around the otherworldly landscape. Zeke caught himself ogling at AJ and knocked it off once he noticed the others were observing him. He had gone through a notable transformation he didn¡¯t notice yet. Horns were protruding out of his head, and he bore a grayed complexion like everybody else, but he had the most conspicuous red eyes with marks of the same color lined down his cheeks. ¡°And now me,¡± Aida said as she directed her hand sign at herself. The transformation was swift, and she kept her beauty even with a slimmer and grayer face which was stained with veiny marks extending from below her eyelids. Her bangs slightly parted as the demon horns grew out from each side of her forehead, and her pointed ears jutted out from her thickened black hair. ¡°Changing your voice didn¡¯t hurt?¡± Ugo asked. ¡°No,¡± Aida said in her husky voice. ¡°Because I didn¡¯t actually change it. It¡¯s just an illusion. I can manage that much if it¡¯s just for myself.¡± ¡°Okay, now it¡¯s my turn,¡± Naomi announced. ¡°Please prepare yourselves.¡± The group braced themselves as Naomi stretched her hands forward and expelled the Black Magic energy onto them. The expulsion of energy went on for a while. It was like being attacked by a smoke cloud. Darkness filled Zeke¡¯s vision as he bathed in the blackened power; once it was over, he blinked rapidly to adjust his eyes to see clearly again. He looked back at everybody else, and they were also blinking away the smoke in their eyes (except for Yuri, who was just laughing the entire time for some reason). Zeke turned on his heel hastily as a hellish energy surge put his senses on high alert, and then realized the output was coming from the group. For a second, he thought a demon army was approaching. He shared a smile with Naomi and gave her a thumbs up. Naomi rubbed her throat. ¡°I should take on a more demonic voice,¡± she said as her voice got lower and ominous. ¡°Quick!¡± Ugo said. ¡°Someone give me something awesome to say,¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Yuri responded in his new low voice. ¡°Say¡­ ¡®let¡¯s play a game.¡¯¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Ugo cleared his throat and put on a stern look as he said: ¡°Let¡¯s play a game.¡± He and Yuri burst into laughter as they approached each other. ¡°Hey, check this out¡­.¡± Yuri turned dead serious to say: ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡± The two continued laughing. Ugo mimicked holding up a machine gun in his hand and twisted his face comically, sticking his lower lip out as he said in a thick, Cuban accent: ¡°Say hello to my little friend¡­¡± and then he began to shoot his imaginary bullets. ¡°Ra-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta!¡± Zeke stepped toward them to interrupt the fun. ¡°Where can we find the hospital?¡± ¡°Quick geography lesson on the Netherworld,¡± Yuri said. ¡°It is composed of many, many, many Realms that are found inside Circles.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve read about that,¡± Zeke said, reminiscing another night of studying at the Infirmary¡¯s library. ¡°Neat, so you know that there are actually Five Circles. Right now, we¡¯re in the Abaddon Realm in the First Circle: Maladorium. Abaddon is where you exit and enter the Netherworld. Right past the border of the Netherworld is the Realm of the Lost, home to lycans and vampires.¡± A rough ¡°ugh¡± came out of Aida as her nose scrunched, and she snarled. ¡°Lycans...¡± she said. ¡°Our destination is the Second Circle: Avernus. In that Circle is a Realm called Gehenna, and that Realm is where the main hospital is.¡± Yuri said. ¡°There is a Transportation Sigil to get there, but... hehe... funny thing about being blind... it made me suck at remembering all kinds of Transportation Sigils, and there¡¯s not really a Braille version of those. Remembering hand signs is way easier for me. I guess you can say I cashed in all my memorization skill points into that.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t see sigils at all with your special way of seeing?¡± Ugo asked. Yuri shook his head. ¡°I can see the outlines of things touched by Mana, but not things like sigils or magic circles.¡± ¡°None of us have ever seen the hospital,¡± Aida said. ¡°This is our first time in the Netherworld.¡± ¡°No problem. I¡¯ve prepared for this, too!¡± Yuri said, pulling out an absurdly long, thin vile from his pocket. ¡°You all might want to take a step back.¡± They did as so, and he dumped its colorful liquid contents onto the ground. Yuri made several hand signs and then directed his hands at the liquid with open palms. A blue-green glow shone from his palms, and the liquid began to bubble and rise like batter in the oven. It began to shape and solidify before their very eyes, eventually becoming a blueish-mint-colored luxurious 8-seat SUV with a fantastical touch, somewhere between mystical and high-tech. ¡°Wow, and I thought I¡¯d seen it all,¡± Aida said. ¡°With this, we can reach Gehenna in no time, rivaling the speed of using a Universal Stream, I promise,¡± Yuri said. Naomi slowly raised her pinky. ¡°No, we don¡¯t need to do that again,¡± Zeke said to Naomi, and she slowly lowered her pinky finger. ¡°Remember. This is for the Tainted. No pulling energy from your Garbs, okay?¡± Yuri said. The trio of Tainted Generation members shared looks and then focused. Zeke pressed down his Garb¡¯s energy, concealing it deep within him. While he did this, he felt Ugo¡¯s and Aida¡¯s Garb¡¯s power dwindling away just like his until there was nothing. ¡°Wonderful. Let¡¯s get moving,¡± Yuri said while moving up to the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Zeke, you sit up front with me. It¡¯s quite comfortable inside. It even has a microwave!¡± ¡°What does a car need a microwave for?¡± AJ asked as she approached the backseat door and opened it. ¡°No, no, the question is, why wouldn¡¯t it have a microwave?¡± Ugo answered and climbed in. ¡°Exactly,¡± Yuri said, opening the car door. ¡°If you can, then you should!¡± The vehicle¡¯s interior was mystical, with everything radiating the same color as the SUV¡¯s exterior. Zeke looked around, checking if everyone was there¡ªthe girls were together as Ugo was alone in a 3-seater behind them. Yuri pulled the gear stick back, alerting Zeke to strap on his seat belt and brace himself. He closed his eyes and hunched over with his hands on his head, waiting. After a couple of seconds, he cautiously opened his eyes, and nothing was happening. ¡°Why haven¡¯t we started moving yet?¡± ¡°We are moving,¡± Yuri said while steering the vehicle. Zeke looked out the window, and everything was flashing past them. They were moving at near lightspeed. ¡°Told you, it was comfortable,¡± Yuri said. ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Zeke said and allowed himself to relax, which lasted for a whole second before he panicked again. ¡°Wait, how are you driving? Oh, right, the Mana thing...¡± ¡°Yes, Zeke, but actually, I¡¯m not driving,¡± Yuri said and took his hands off the steering wheel. It continued moving on its own. ¡°It¡¯s a type of empty summon modified for transportation,¡± Aida said, ¡°It¡¯s called a mobile summon, creating a means of transportation without a soul but with the capability of taking the summoner to a destination and finding the best route possible.¡± The explanation had Zeke let out a small sigh. No matter how much information he crammed into his head about magic, there was always something new. Or even worse, maybe he did already read about it and simply forgot. He seriously needed to step up. ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s like magic self-driving AI,¡± Ugo said. ¡°Hah! Yeah, I guess it is,¡± Yuri said. ¡°Programming the destination you want the mobile summon to reach can be done orally or mentally. When there¡¯s a location I want to reach is nearby, I risk using my way of seeing to steer.¡± Yuri¡¯s finger reached for a button on the dashboard, and after a click, a TV screen lowered from the vehicle¡¯s roof for the girls and Ugo behind them. And then, Yuri said one of the dumbest things Zeke had ever heard in his life, even though it was based on reality: ¡°You can find a TV remote under your seats, and yes, I have Netflick.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Ugo cheered. Zeke blinked while staring at Yuri with a vacant expression. There he was inside a magical SUV that came from a vial on his way to a hospital in Hell as his friends, demonified, just like him, watched Netflick. The driver patted his pocket. ¡°My summons stay in a liquified form stored in my vials. When they are in liquid form, they don¡¯t waste my Mana. This way, I can have it reform with a spell that doesn¡¯t waste as much Mana as a regular summon, and I don¡¯t have to go through the hassles of drawing specific magic circles.¡± Like a responsible bus driver, Yuri made an announcement once the speedy journey reached its end. He killed the engine, and they all climbed out of the vehicle. As soon as Zeke¡¯s feet touched the ground of Gehenna, he almost staggered over by the overwhelming conglomeration of Black Magic energy in the area. The rocky landscape they stood in had sinuous black and blue flames stretching into the sky, which was blanketed with dark clouds. Once again, Zeke noted the expected stench of sulfur was strangely lacking. The place reeked of smoke with a tinge of sickening sweetness and fruity undertones. Zeke looked back at Yuri as he executed his bizarre magic to melt the vehicle and got the liquid to swirl back into the thin vial. ¡°Follow me. The hospital is just up ahead,¡± Yuri said as he marched forward. The gang followed the blind young man. Chapter 81 - Asylum They journeyed through Gehenna with Yuri in the lead. Naomi caught up to Yuri. ¡°How many times have you been here?¡± She asked. ¡°Many times,¡± Yuri said. ¡°I¡¯ve been keeping track of Gill¡¯s adventures for quite some time, but I¡¯ve never actually entered the hospital.¡± He stopped. ¡°Can you guys see it?¡± They all halted, and Zeke could see the dark blue building far from them. It had a beautiful art nouveau aesthetic with a Scottish accent. Twisted black tree branches and blue and black flames were spread across the hospital¡¯s exterior. The most notable piece of the landmark was the giant screaming demon skull at the top of the center of the building. There were two smaller buildings of the same architectural style to their sides. Winged demons descended from the skies to the entrances of the buildings; other wingless demons appeared from portals approaching the building. ¡°Yup, we see it,¡± Ugo said. ¡°I¡¯ve been told that what you see on the outside doesn¡¯t compare to what¡¯s on the inside,¡± Yuri said. ¡°Demonstone Hospital. Opened by the Demonologist of the First Tainted Generation of Healers.¡± ¡°Gill has definitely added some modern touches to the architecture,¡± Zeke said. Aida crossed her arms and blew at her bangs. ¡°I don¡¯t think Gill is going to perform the procedure in a regular delivery unit that every other demon uses,¡± Aida said. ¡°And then there¡¯s the problem with the cloaking Gill has over Kimberly¡¯s Container.¡± ¡°What reason would he have to keep her cloaked while in the hospital? Gill doesn¡¯t know we followed him to the Netherworld unless he could somehow sense us from Abaddon when we arrived,¡± Ugo asked. ¡°Maybe he doesn¡¯t want every soul in the Netherworld to know yet,¡± Naomi said. ¡°Or just being cautious about other Tainted who could be in the Netherworld at the time,¡± AJ said. ¡°Yeah, the Rebirth Seed without cloaking could probably be felt across the entirety of the Netherworld,¡± Aida added. ¡°Even if she wasn¡¯t cloaked, would we be able to discern her Black Magic energy from all the other energy radiating from the hospital?¡± Zeke asked and crouched, taking out some potions from his bag. ¡°She feels different. Trust me,¡± Yuri said firmly. ¡°I guess our best shot is to pay attention to Gill¡¯s and Ashlin¡¯s Garb¡¯s output and follow it, but then there¡¯s the caution thing again¡­.¡± Ugo sighed and put his hands on his hips. ¡°So, we¡¯re going in blind.¡± ¡°The good thing is that, from what I¡¯ve studied, Rebirth Seed deliveries can take up to 39 hours,¡± Aida said, and then she accepted the Mana potion given to her by Zeke. ¡°Thanks.¡± She drank it all in one go. ¡°Gill most likely has means to induce labor,¡± Yuri said. ¡°Still,¡± Aida responded, turning to him. ¡°There is a risk of complications like the death of both the mother and the demon. From what I know, the shortest time to force someone to complete delivery to a healthy Rebirth Seed is about four hours, and that¡¯s pushing it, but I could see Gill doing it. Any less than that would be inefficient.¡± Zeke gave Ugo, AJ, and Aida the White Magic-based solution made from Naomi¡¯s white feathers and unicorn-heart blood. ¡°Okay, so we have time,¡± Ugo said, downing the purity-raising medicine. ¡°We¡¯re going to have to split up,¡± Aida said. ¡°Look, there must be something in there to help us find the delivery room. Talking to personnel, following any suspicious things we see or feel. Something.¡± AJ finished the medication in two gulps. ¡°If we do that, how will we communicate with the other groups to come to us?¡± she asked. ¡°Fetch Spell,¡± Zeke said, explaining the mechanisms of the Gray Magic spell to AJ. It was a simple spell of great convenience as it allowed one to summon anybody to them as long as they were in possession of something that came from their Physical Container, like how Violet brought him to her with his curls. The spell also worked in reverse, like when Isaac brought Ugo and the rest to him since they were with his severed finger. After Zeke helped himself to the whitish-blue liquid, which had an odd, buttery taste, he returned to his bag and took blood packets from it. He had everyone extract a sample of their blood into the pack and sign their names on it with the marker he always kept in his bag. They agreed to split into three groups: Zeke was with Yuri (they had Aida¡¯s and Ugo¡¯s blood packets), Ugo was paired with Naomi (they had Zeke¡¯s and AJ¡¯s), and AJ was teamed up with Aida (they had Yuri¡¯s and Naomi¡¯s). Yuri removed his sunglasses and stored them in his jacket pocket. ¡°As you can see, unlike me, there are three buildings,¡± he explained as he kept his eyes closed. ¡°The main one, one for the psych ward, and the miscellaneous building.¡± Zeke glanced at the buildings and then looked back at his group. ¡°We will take the main building, Aida and AJ will go to the psych ward, and Ugo and Naomi will go to the¡ª ¡°Zeke, I apologize for interrupting,¡± Naomi said, stepping towards him, ¡°but can Ugo and I go to the psych ward?¡± Her red eyes adopted a steely look as they focused on Zeke¡¯s. "W-W-Why?" Zeke asked, feeling both confusion and fear. He knew otherwise, but all his brain told him from her look and her new voice was that a full-fledged demon was in front of him who wanted to tear his heart right out of his chest. ¡°I¡­ just want to,¡± Naomi said, her eyes losing some of its hardness. ¡°Please.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Zeke said quickly on instinct. Not wanting to upset her. ¡°Thank you,¡± Naomi said and turned back to Aida. ¡°Is that okay with you?¡± ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± Aida responded. ¡°Oh, right, I almost forgot. Concerning the changes I¡¯ve made to everyone¡¯s genes. I did more than mess with the voice. You can understand demon tongue and will speak it without realizing when with other demons. And your voice, it¡¯s something you can turn off if you want. You¡¯ll know how with the new genetic coding I gave all of you. And one last thing,¡± Aida folded her hands together with the palms facing upwards and the tips of her thumbs pressing onto each other. Her hands glowed, and then she extended her hands at the group. Their regular clothing was morphed into something more appropriate for the hellish landscape to complete their demonic disguises. ¡°There we go,¡± Aida said with a smile and then applied the same spell to herself. "More kitsune magic?" Zeke asked. ¡°Having the ability to change your body just isn¡¯t complete without being able to change your clothing, don¡¯t you think?¡± Aida said and gave him a wink. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s move,¡± Zeke said, tossing his medical bag aside.
The group neared Demonstone Hospital and split, venturing into their respective routes. Zeke and Yuri moved up to the main building, and the giant demon skull grew larger the closer they got to the entrance. The rest of the building was to either of their sides. Zeke halted to study the skull, wondering if it belonged to a real demon at some point, and the first Demonologist slayed it and made it a headpiece just to make an example of their power. Yuri bumped into Zeke, pulling him out of his reverie. ¡°Hey, Zeke, do you know what demons hate the most?¡± Yuri started. ¡°Exorcize!¡± He hunched over as he let out his ear-piercing laugh. Zeke looked at him stone-faced and then walked away, moving up the entrance steps alongside other admitting demons. There was more art nouveau architecture to see in the hospital¡¯s foyer. Everything was coated in dark, cool colors. Intricate, swirly mosaic work covered the floor, and sinuous flower motifs took over the walls and climbed up the massive arches in the room. Multiple benches with undulating shapes were around the room where legions of demons were seated. Some were black; some were gray, some were blue; some were red; some had horns; some had way too many horns; some without horns at all; some had human-like bodies with goat-like heads; some were the opposite; some had large vampiric wings; some with black feathered wings, some had gooey skin; some with skin that looked as craggy as dry desert land... The idea of what horrific ailments these creatures were carrying made Zeke want to run out of there. Even with his demonic modifications, Zeke felt out of place with his plain black T-shirt that had morphed into a long-sleeved tunic and his tacky pants that had become gray breeches. Yuri¡¯s leather jacket became a long overcoat of the same material that closed up from top to bottom. The two wore dark boots lined with fur at the top. They found signage bolted into a wall and approached it. Zeke leaned forward and started reading, realizing Aida¡¯s gene editing also allowed him to understand the demonic text. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Cardiology, curse casting, dermatology¡­ emergency unit, exams, general medicine, general surgery, spell reversal¡­.¡± Zeke pulled away, giving up reading the rest of the extensive list. ¡°Where do we even start looking?¡± ¡°Can I help you?¡± a vexed voice said. Zeke turned back in the direction of the voice and looked at the receptionist¡¯s desk. Each disinterested demonic employee had their own window compartment, attending to other demons. Zeke approached the one who asked. ¡°Let me guess, another chastity belt removal?¡± the demon lady behind the window said. ¡°When are you guys going to stop trying to have sex with elves? It¡¯ll never happen. One of these days, they are going to put a spell on you that not even our best doctors are going to be able to take care of.¡± ¡°Um¡­ that¡¯s not what I¡¯m here for.¡± ¡°Oh, you looked like the type.¡± Zeke smiled nervously as he waited for an apology. It never came. ¡°Well¡­ what do you want?¡± she asked again, her pink, rocky face contorting in anger. The receptionists in the Netherworld weren¡¯t passive-aggressive like in his world. They were just flat-out mean. Yuri appeared behind Zeke and whispered: ¡°I have an idea. Follow my lead.¡± The words from the punny weirdo with closed eyes made Zeke panic, but he had no choice but to go along with it as he started speaking. ¡°That¡¯s an awfully sharp tongue ya got there,¡± Yuri said, which was true, literally and metaphorically. ¡°How courageous of you to speak to an inspector like that.¡± There was a short pause. The receptionist¡¯s red eyes scanned Yuri¡¯s smiling face silently, and then they widened. ¡°Wait, are you with¡ª?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, and so far, I¡¯ve already deducted many points from the receptionists¡¯ evaluation.¡± ### Ugo entered Demonstone Hospital¡¯s psych ward with Naomi by his side. The sensations of Black Magic energy he was picking up were so intense it made him dizzy. He fought against the intensity by clenching all over. The foyer was colored with dark shades of red-orange and decorated with curving lines, fancy ornaments, insect motifs, and a single fleshy column in the center of the room. Light seeped into the foyer from a round window just over the door they entered from¡ªthe window¡¯s contents made it seem as though it was day outside. Ugo wore a black medieval cowl hood, dark brown breeches, and black sandals, while Naomi wore a red, lean kirtle dress with a low square neckline and detachable sleeves. As Ugo walked further into the deserted room, scouting the place, he realized the space was annular. There were multiple, unlabeled doors on the curved wall with no distinction from one another, like a Choose Your Own Adventure ¡ª the only way to know what was behind each door was by stepping through it, thus choosing your playthrough. ¡°So, where do ya wanna start, Naomi?¡± Ugo asked, getting a bit startled by his new echoey demonic voice, and waited. He got no answer. ¡°Naomi?¡± Ugo turned on his heel. ¡°Naomi?¡± He halted and stared at the former sunflower blonde as she stood on her toes with her body arched back a bit while her eyes stayed closed, and a look of ecstasy was on her face. Ugo felt a surge of Black Magic energy that almost toppled him over. As he straightened himself, he witnessed long gray horns with tiny spikes across them grow from her head. He rushed to Naomi and tapped her shoulder. ¡°Naomi!¡± She snapped back to reality and looked around in confusion for a moment before adopting a joyful look. ¡°Yes?¡± Ugo pointed at her demonic horns. Naomi felt them and snickered. "Oh¡­ um¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to do that. But¡­ it felt good,¡± she said. ¡°This is my first time in the Netherworld, and from everything the angels told me when I was in the cage, I thought it¡¯d be scarier, but it isn¡¯t. It feels like¡­.¡± she backpedaled on whatever she was about to say and turned to the column. ¡°Do you feel that?¡± ¡°What?¡± Ugo said as he turned to the column as well. Engorged veins descended from the top of the fleshy column till the middle, and a skinless demon head emerged. ¡°Hello!¡± the meat-faced demon said in its native tongue that Ugo was able to pick up. ¡°Um¡­ hey, you!¡± Ugo approached it cautiously, having no idea if it was a female or male demon. ¡°Visitor, touring, or admission?¡± the demon head asked. Ugo wondered who would come to a psych ward in Hell for a tour but couldn¡¯t ask and had to stay focused on the mission. Just as he was about to open his mouth¡ª ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter!¡± The demon head exclaimed without directing its black eyes at any of them. ¡°As Dr. Rathru emphasized, this isn¡¯t a prison or a place of punishment. Admissions here are completely voluntary, and so is roaming and leaving.¡± Naomi neared the demon. ¡°Well, we were wondering if¡ª¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for formalities nor systemic organization around here. Do what you¡¯d like here, and our staff will accommodate you accordingly.¡± Ugo realized that the demon head was the Netherworld equivalent of an automated voice message system. ¡°For any further questions, please find Dr. Rathru in his office. Thank you.¡± The demon head smiled and absorbed itself into the column. ¡°At least it was nice,¡± Naomi said. ¡°Like Aida said, if we want to get to Gill, talking to staff members could be a good bet,¡± Ugo said as he stroked his chin, remembering that¡¯s how it usually worked for the beginning of numerous main quests across many role-playing games. ¡°Let¡¯s try to find Dr. Rathru.¡± ¡°Which door do we start with, though?¡± Motivated by the same determination that led him to beat and find every hidden collectible in all 3 Black Souls games, which were games utterly devoid of an in-game map. Ugo pointed at a door randomly but with a firm, confident stance. ¡°That one.¡± He marched towards it, and Naomi followed. Past the chosen door was an intricately decorated dark corridor illuminated with weak red-orange lighting from candle sconces on the wall. Skipped breathing and strings from a broken guitar playing filled the air. ¡°I wonder who is playing the music,¡± Naomi said. ¡°Maybe one of the inmates¡ª¡± And then, a pack of small creatures ran across the floor. Creatures that Ugo had no idea what species to identify them with. Their entire anatomy consisted of a human head and an oozing demon hand stretched out from under its neck. They made a distorted mix of wailing and laughing as they scuttered on their leaking fingers, leaving a trail of red slime behind. One of them slipped and let out a siren-like scream before using the hand that made up the other half of its body to get back up and join the rest. The breathing in the air grew louder as the two courageously moved further down the corridor. ¡°Sorry, Ugo,¡± Naomi said, ¡°but we¡¯re going to have to move faster than this to get to Kimberly in time!¡± As Naomi sped up, Ugo was having a hard time keeping up with her quick steps. The scenery was straight out of a personal fantasy. There he was, walking down a corridor that looked like it was ported right out a level from President Evil, and with a companion, who was a beautiful demon girl. Yet, there was no bounce in his step, no showing of excited thrill on his face, nor the need to fight against an urge to let out his dorky laugh. If Ugo, from just as early as one year ago, could see the unfun bastard impersonating him, he would proceed to kick his own ass. ¡°Hi, do you know where we can find Dr. Rathru?¡± he heard Naomi ask. He caught up, and she was talking to a demoness in a lab coat. She was red-skinned with several yellow eyes, and the horns stretched from her forehead curled back like a ram¡¯s. ¡°Dr. Rathru?¡± the demon asked. She paused and studied Ugo up and down. Ugo kept himself from reacting to her blatant Mana inspection. There is nothing to worry about. She has no reason to suspect you being a part of the Tainted Generation. Just focus on keeping Rutapexy suppressed. The demon¡¯s eyes retreated and settled back on Naomi. ¡°What for?¡± Naomi curled her lip to the side and hummed. ¡°Well, we were wondering if¡ª¡± A red-haired beast pounced on the demon doctor from the side. Ugo and Naomi stood and stared idly, not out of shock from the creature¡¯s sudden entrance or even its appearance with its hyena-like anatomy, bulging eyes, and jagged black teeth, but what kept them still was confusion as the doctor laughed as she was being mauled. The creature was incessantly clawing away at the doctor¡¯s face like a dog trying to dig through a marble floor. ¡°Trikaz!¡± The demon said after taking multiple lacerations to the face. ¡°We¡¯ve been looking for you!¡± Ugo and Naomi took a back step as pitch-black blood spurted toward them. The doctor¡¯s red face was now coated in black, and her head dangled limply as the beast pierced its teeth into her neck and held it up. ¡°Could you please specify what you need from Dr. Rathru?¡± the mauled doctor asked as she smiled. ¡°It¡¯s just that so I can tell you where to find him before it¡¯s too late.¡± Ugo turned to Naomi as he sensed her Mana energy swell. She had bloodlust in her eyes as she stepped forward and raised her hand with an open palm. ¡°No, stop,¡± The doctor shouted as she pointed back at Naomi. ¡°I will not let you hurt a patient on my watch. We love our patients and have no problem dying for their sake.¡± Naomi halted, taking back the look of confusion she had almost a minute ago. As the beast released a demonic growl, the doctor chuckled and caressed its fur. ¡°Oh, he¡¯s starting to hit bone.¡± Ugo and Naomi shared a look. ¡°Okay¡­¡± Ugo started and recollected himself. ¡°We need to talk to Rathru for¡ª¡± Naomi let out a cry. The doctor wasn¡¯t going to be giving any directions any time soon. The creature tore off a fist-sized chunk of meat from her throat and bolted, gobbling the meat in victory. Naomi was the first to act, rushing and kneeling to the doctor. She raised her hands with open palms before her. ¡°Naomi,¡± Ugo said as he reached out his hand. ¡°What¡¯re you going to do?¡± Naomi¡¯s nose scrunched. She lowered her hands and let out a sigh. ¡°Ugo, can¡¯t you do something?¡± she asked, looking up at him with her red doe-eyes. It didn¡¯t take the ability to sense Mana energy to know that the doctor was dead for good. Ugo looked down at the mangled corpse with zero energy emanating from it, surrounded by puddles of its own black blood. ¡°I don¡¯t think resurrection is in my toolbox, Naomi, but...¡± Ugo recalled another important action to do in video games when it came to corpses¡ªsearching them for loot. Although his hands were raised, ready to search, noticing the feminine figure of the demon made a painful tremble spread along his fingers. He turned his hands into fists and then said to Naomi, without looking at her. ¡°Search her and see if you can find anything useful.¡± As Naomi nodded and did as asked, Ugo looked away until she said something. ¡°I think this could be useful,¡± Naomi said, getting back his attention. She held a brass-plated skeleton key and directed it to Ugo. ¡°That does look useful,¡± Ugo said as he took the key. ¡°Let¡¯s keep looking around.¡± Chapter 82 - Nutrients The first room welcoming AJ and Aida as they stepped through the front doors of the miscellaneous building reminded AJ of Winterberry¡¯s rec center. However, this one was much more appealing and was holding no more than ten occupants (which was already much more than what the Winterberry rec center had at any given time). They were all male and female demons with horns protruding out their heads, varying in skin colors, from a blackish purple to a rosy pink. Some wore lab coats, and others scrubs. The eclectic aesthetic of the room was breathtaking, with its cool undertones and twisty patterns all over the floors, walls, and furniture. AJ felt like she was on the set of a 1960s movie that happened to include a demonic cast of characters. Even with the demons in the room, it was a complete far cry from the hellish landscape past the front doors. The room had a foosball table, a chess table, and a couple of dart boards with which the demons entertained themselves. AJ started moving around the room, trying not to make direct contact with any of the demons. She wore a white chemise shirt, not low cut nor too high. The sleeves were puffed till her wrists with cuffs fashioned with pleats. And for her lower half, she wore black leather pants and boots of the same color. As she scouted the room, she began to cower, reached for the top of her horns, and tried to push them down. AJ stopped when she spotted a vending machine, and then a thought came to her mind that sounded like it would spur into a marijuana-induced debate between a couple of stoners: ¡°Is there demon currency?¡± ¡°Does the Netherworld have an economy?¡± ¡°Does that mean there is a Ministry of Finance?¡±, ¡°Are there taxes here too?¡± She received a tap on her shoulder, pulling her out of her thoughts before it reached Zeke Rosario-levels of overthinking. AJ wondered if Zeke was doing okay¡­ ¡°Cafeteria or gym?¡± Aida asked in her regular voice. AJ raised a brow, but the confusion didn¡¯t last long as she studied Aida¡¯s figure and forgot all about the question. Aida wore a beige, skin-tight tunic dress with a cinch belt, making her waist look even smaller, complimenting her small, supple body. AJ guesstimated Aida to be maybe 5¡¯4, just an inch taller than Naomi and an inch shorter than Zeke. ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± Aida said as she looked down at her tunic dress. It was a good thing Aida wasn¡¯t a mind-reader. ¡°No,¡± AJ said in a harsh tone. She cleared her throat and attempted to attenuate her speech, switching to her human voice. It was hard for AJ to understand how, but it was as easy as blinking. ¡°I mean¡­ uh¡­ what did you ask me?¡± ¡°Come,¡± Aida said as she walked towards the doors to the side of the room. AJ followed her, keeping a good distance from her to continue analyzing her body from behind. How come Aida gave herself and Naomi dresses while she got leather pants? One part of her trying to convince herself that it was done randomly clashed with the other part that believed there to be some malicious intent. It was possible that Aida was just like many other women in AJ¡¯s life from classmates to cousins. Aida, like them, didn¡¯t believe her to be able to flaunt femininity as gracefully as her. Can¡¯t flaunt what you don¡¯t have. AJ was baring her teeth by the time Aida reached the glass door and opened it for her. ¡°After you,¡± Aida said with a smile. Something about the smile irked AJ. It looked fake. Her holding the door open for her felt like some cruel form of mockery, as if saying that no guy would ever do the same for her. AJ endured the burning pangs in her chest that felt like acid reflux, giving Aida a quick side-eye as she stepped into the corridor. In front of her was another clear glass door leading to the cafeteria, and to her right was a spiral staircase. ¡°Out of all the rooms the signs on the wall mentioned, I think the gym and cafeteria will probably be the best places for information,¡± Aida said. ¡°Unless you think other rooms will be better.¡± AJ pursed her lips, thinking about how she didn¡¯t see any signs and was too busy dealing with troubling thoughts. ¡°No, I agree,¡± she said, not wanting to admit the truth, and turned to the glass door. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the cafeteria.¡± AJ led the way and stopped a few steps in to look around. The cafeteria looked more like a European caf¨¦, but it wasn¡¯t small. It was vast and covered in a green and brown palette. Various artsy pillars rose from the checkered brown floors, which connected to a deco ceiling. Then, AJ noticed the numerous demons seated at tables enjoying their meals and others in the cafeteria line. They all filled the room with lively chatter. AJ stared at their horns and then reached for hers again as she hunched over. ¡°Did you have to make my horns so long?¡± AJ mumbled. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with them?¡± Aida said, turning to her. AJ had forgotten about Aida¡¯s supernatural hearing, but a part of her did want her to hear it anyway. She opened her mouth, ready to unload her grievances onto the Geneticist, but nothing came out. AJ averted her gaze and said, ¡°So all of them are demons who work in the hospital?¡± ¡°Some of them could be patients, too,¡± Aida said. ¡°These aren¡¯t only Alpha Demons; there¡¯re some Beta ones, too.¡± ¡°Humans who became demons¡­¡± AJ said. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean they are only here due to eternal punishment?¡± ¡°Being sentenced to spend the afterlife in the Netherworld isn¡¯t the only means for living beings to become demons, but that is the general rule,¡± Aida explained. ¡°Maybe, Gill outsourced some workers for the kitchen.¡± AJ looked over at the brown swinging doors and caught a glimpse of the kitchen as a demon chef stormed into it. Her foot moved on its own and took a step forward. Aida grabbed her by the wrist. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go get some food.¡± Staring at her hand, AJ felt a twinge, thinking about how dainty Aida¡¯s fingers were¡ªfingers men would desire to put a ring on instead of her veteran basketball player fingers. The perturbed thoughts lead to AJ shaking Aida¡¯s grip off violently. Aida didn¡¯t stop walking. She looked back at AJ and fixed on her with a concerned look, which AJ brushed off. The two reached the line, stood behind a towering, bulky demon, and spoke to each other on a low level. ¡°Let¡¯s find someone to eat with, and hopefully, we can get some information,¡± Aida said, looking around. ¡°A table with some doctors would be good. We can pretend to be old patients or aspiring doctors who want to work with Gill.¡± She turned and looked up at AJ. ¡°What do you think?¡± Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. AJ looked down at her as she frowned. Aida was cranking her neck back just a little too much. It seemed performative¡­ Did she really have to look up at me like that? AJ crossed her arms and looked away. ¡°Yeah, sure, whatever.¡± ¡°So¡­ let¡¯s pretend to be aspiring doctors or old patients?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Aida curled her lip to the side, stared at the ceiling for a while, and then brought up a new topic. ¡°The Netherworld is home to a lot of interesting creatures. But coming here to observe them isn¡¯t a good idea for me since I¡¯ll be having so much fun that I¡¯ll forget to check my purity levels and could easily let them drop to 0 percent,¡± She said and snickered. AJ gave her a quick look and nodded with her lips pursed. The line moved forward, and the girls followed. ¡°There¡¯s one creature I¡¯ve actually been meaning to find,¡± Aida said as her face darkened. ¡°The Amdukias. It¡¯s an endangered creature that demons like to hunt for sport since its horns work as medicine for healing and psychedelic purposes. It¡¯s beautiful. It has the body of a man and the head of a unicorn.¡± ¡°That sounds horrifying,¡± AJ said. ¡°They¡¯re suuuuper cute!¡± Aida exclaimed with a twinkle in her eye as she raised her fists. ¡°At least it doesn¡¯t act like an unicorn. I love all the beasts, but unicorns are just grade-A assholes,¡± Aida said. ¡°Anyways, I don¡¯t know how many of them are left, but I want to take them back to my farm to let them breed in peace in a controlled environment and then let them back into the Netherworld¡­¡± AJ stopped listening to Aida as she went on. Even her ¡°problems¡± were extraordinary. It must¡¯ve been nice to be born with incredible gifts and live a life filled with adventures where you don¡¯t end up as the deadweight of the group. The line moved forward, but AJ didn¡¯t follow, she halted, and some demons cut her in line. She felt the back of her eyes burning up. Deadweight¡­ the thought rammed into her head like a freight train, and then she darted for the kitchen doors. The place was vast, filled with various ancient and modern cooking equipment and demon chefs. The demons were too busy crafting their culinary masterpieces to pay attention to her. ¡°Move!¡± a four-eyed purple demon from behind her shouted and bolted past, carrying a pot of stew. AJ paced forward, looking around the intense work area with its stone walls and floor tiles decorated with mystic symbols. She grinned after getting a whiff of the delicious, pungent aroma in the area¡ªa mix of spices and herbs with a hint of smoke and oil. It was the most dedicated space for cafeteria cooking AJ had ever seen. She analyzed the chefs, and maybe it was due to their monstrous faces, but the majority looked tired and vexed. AJ spotted one exhausted chef standing before a counter with a tray of ham sitting on it. The blue-skinned demon with a single yellow horn poking out of its chef hat was shifty-eyed and cautiously scanning the area. Once he had decided the coast was clear, it snapped its finger repeatedly as if it were a busted lighter until its hand ignited. AJ moved toward the demon as he proceeded to cook the ham with his flaming hand. He halted once a blonde woman in an elegant striped dress stormed up to the demon and flicked its horn. ¡°What are you doing?¡± the woman shouted. ¡°Use the damn stove, you brainless mongrel!¡± ¡°They¡¯re all being used!¡± the chef snapped back at the woman without moving its flaming hand from the seasoned piece of pork. ¡°It doesn¡¯t even make any sense for us to use it. We have magic; we can just make it like this. Your rules and instructions are stupid!¡± The entire kitchen stopped, and all demon eyes were on the two. AJ got close enough to smell the herby fragrance of the meat and see the beauty of the freckled-face woman that remained even after it was taken over with seething anger. The woman looked human, yet the other demons gaped as if she were the most monstrous thing there. The woman glanced at the meat. ¡°You¡¯re ruining a high-quality meal¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same thing. It¡¯s all fire.¡± ¡°Yeah, but heat transfer can work in different ways,¡± AJ blurted, and all eyes went on her. She looked back at the demons and cowered. Just as she was turning away the thought crashed into her head again: Deadweight¡­ AJ clenched herself all over and got even closer to the two. She looked at the woman and said, making sure to do it in her demon voice this time, ¡°The oven you want him to use is a convection type, right?¡± The woman put her hands on her hips and nodded, concentrating and analyzing AJ. AJ studied the meat and the fire and said, ¡°What you¡¯re doing is using radiation cooking, which works best with small amounts of foods. For this entire ham, it isn¡¯t ineffective, in fact, you would be sacrificing some of its flavor.¡± AJ caught the woman still staring at her but now with a look that seemed to say: ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°Radiation energy is transferred by electromagnetic waves,¡± AJ started again and then stopped for a moment to look around, spotting a stove. It was mostly made out of stone and wood. Under it were two doors, each one over the other. The one on top was an oven, and under it was a compartment where wood burned. She hoped they functioned in the same way the ones from her world did. ¡°Radiation energy will only heat up the surface of the food,¡± AJ continued. ¡°Convection is a type of heat transfer that is better for roasting this ham over here. The fans and pumps of the oven move the air around the food as new molecules are added to the surface of the food to generate heat. Convection allows for the food to cook faster and evenly.¡± ¡°What?¡± the demon chef said as it stared back at AJ in confusion. The woman pulled the demon by the back of his collar and stepped up to AJ. She began analyzing her up and down and then her fingers. ¡°What are all of you looking at? Get back to work!¡± The demons scattered back to their stations, and then the woman shot a glare at the humiliated chef. ¡°Get out of my face.¡± The chef scoffed, extinguishing his flames, and walked away. AJ was taken aback by how beautiful and human-like the woman was. When the woman, much shorter than her, smiled, it made AJ feel warm inside, like a motherly embrace. Aida appeared from afar, right in AJ¡¯s eyeline. When their eyes met, she rushed up to her. The woman pointed at a bowl of spiced honey near the ham. ¡°When should we glaze the pork? Before or after roasting?¡± she asked, getting back AJ¡¯s attention. ¡°I would say the last 15 to 20 minutes of baking,¡± AJ said. ¡°Why?¡± Aida arrived just in time to hear AJ¡¯s answer. ¡°Because it is necessary to manipulate the Maillard reaction, which is a browning process that requires an amino group and a reducing sugar. It can be manipulated to bring out complex, delicious food flavors.¡± AJ turned to the ham. ¡°Glazing the ham sooner will cause the sugar and the ham¡¯s skin to burn. With the glazing and roasting process we can bring out flavorful compounds like thiophenes and furans.¡± AJ noticed Aida staring in awe while the woman¡¯s smile grew. ¡°You are a Beta-Demon, correct?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± AJ affirmed as quickly as possible to avoid showing any hesitation. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°...J.¡± AJ said. ¡°Okay, J. Were you a nutritionist before you died and sentenced to the Netherworld?¡± ¡°A¡­ erm¡­ student.¡± The woman nodded and settled a finger on her chin. ¡°Fantastic. Most of these Alpha Demons think they know what they¡¯re doing with their archaic cooking methods and are annoyingly insubordinate. I¡¯d prefer to work with humans who actually understand culinary science. Still, not many of them have been sentenced to the Netherrealm, or at least, the ones who are allowed to leave imprisonment.¡± The woman¡¯s eyes narrowed at AJ. ¡°How come Gill never told me about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure, sorry, Ma¡¯am, I¡ª¡± ¡°Call me Sylvie,¡± She said and then looked off to the side. ¡°He¡¯s awfully busy today, so it makes sense.¡± She directed a thumb over at the ham. ¡°You take care of this ham, okay?¡± She turned and was startled by Aida. ¡°Who¡¯re you, another newbie?¡± Aida scratched the side of her head. ¡°Well, I¡ª¡± ¡°If you¡¯re as competent as she is, then help her finish the food, and what¡¯re you two doing without your coats? Go grab some in the back and stop wasting time. We¡¯ve got demons to feed!¡± Sylvie stormed off. ¡°Um, AJ¡­ what¡¯s going on?¡± Aida asked. AJ turned on a heel and walked. Aida followed. ¡°It looks like I just got a new job. We can use this place to get information, maybe from Sylvie herself,¡± she said in her normal voice. They reached the end of the kitchen, where they found a selection of chef coats on a wall-mounted rack. ¡°Are you sure you know what you¡¯re doing?¡± AJ frowned and took a black coat. ¡°Yes, I do,¡± she said harshly as she buttoned it up. The Geneticist not noticing her being less involved in the group in the last couple of months was understandable, but neither Ugo nor Zeke picking up on it really stung. But she knew she had to give Aida some credit; she was the one who gave her the idea to look into otherworldly nutrition in the first place. AJ had spent most of her time trying to apply what she already knew about nutrition in a supernatural context. Some of the books on seeds and herbs in the Infirmary¡¯s Library were hard to understand, but she had absorbed enough information to know that the ham they left behind was seasoned with golden clary, which was primarily used by solar elves for the shine in their hair. Aida took a black coat from the rack. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll follow your lead, but let¡¯s remember to have each other¡¯s backs, okay?¡± The coat fit AJ better than Aida, but she didn¡¯t know if apparel meant for demons fitting well on her frame was worth celebrating. Chapter 83 - Inspection The demon receptionist stared at the two in silence through her window. Her eyes thinned as she said, ¡°I don¡¯t believe you. Prove that you¡¯re inspectors.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll get your proof when your review reaches your boss,¡± Yuri said and clapped Zeke¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s go looking around.¡± He turned on his heel and walked away. Zeke caught up to him while glancing back at the rocky-face receptionist over and over. ¡°Wait,¡± he whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t think she believed us.¡± The pair switched back to their normal voices. ¡°Maybe she did, or maybe she didn¡¯t,¡± Yuri said. ¡°Give it some time.¡± Zeke groaned. ¡°I don¡¯t like this.¡± ¡°I know we¡¯re in the Netherworld, Zeke, but if you keep stressing like that, you¡¯re going to give yourself one hell of a bad time,¡± he said, holding back his chuckle. Another groan came from Zeke, and then he rubbed his temples. He might kill himself before they¡¯re caught by the demonic staff. ¡°I say we head to the emergency unit,¡± Yuri said. ¡°The signage said it was on the ground floor, yeah?¡± The words from the punny weirdo with closed eyes made Zeke panic, but he had no choice but to go along with it as he started speaking. He looked to the side and saw the extending hallway. ¡°We can get there through the hallway,¡± Zeke said as he raised a hand, pointing in the hallway¡¯s direction and then lowered it in embarrassment. ¡°Sorry,¡± he said. ¡°About what?¡± ¡°I forgot that you were blind.¡± ¡°Well, to be honest with you, Zeke, what I have isn¡¯t actually blindness.¡± He opened his eyes, giving Zeke an unsolicited answer to the question: ¡°What is behind the eye?¡± Zeke wished he didn¡¯t see Yuri¡¯s eyeless sockets, even as an aspiring doctor. Despite his stomach¡¯s complaints, a mix of curiosity and pride kept Zeke from looking away. The gooey anatomy of the sockets had greening and yellowing dead nerves, muscles, and blood vessels that together looked like moldy chicken soup. Yuri closed his eyes and moved down the hall. Zeke followed. ¡°My Container is busted. The appearance of it may change with the help of magic, but anything that changes its core functionalities is a no-go,¡± Yuri said nonchalantly. ¡°My soul tether has also been messed with, making it impossible for my soul to occupy any other Container than my own. Plus, the procedures done on me made the connection that my tether has to my Container so strong that it is affected by its physical shortcomings. That¡¯s why I still can¡¯t see even in an Astral Realm.¡± ¡°Wait, does that mean you¡¯ll be blind when you die and cross to the afterlife?¡± ¡°I¡¯m technically already dead, though,¡± Yuri said and laughed. ¡°However, my tether is inseparable from my Container.¡± ¡°Why did someone do this to you?¡± They reached the inpatient department. Multiple doors began to appear on either side of the walls, and Zeke could hear wails and screaming coming from beyond them. Zeke brought his attention back to Yuri. ¡°That¡¯s awful,¡± he said softly. ¡°I hope you find whoever did this to you and reverse it¡ª¡± ¡°Yeah, about that. Nah.¡± ¡°¡®Nah¡¯?¡± ¡°Nah. I have thought about that whole revenge thing. Find the person who did this to me. Make them pay and get my vision back, but then I decided: ¡°Nah.¡± That¡¯s too typical. I¡¯m not going to dedicate years of my life doing that when I can be doing other stuff.¡± ¡°Other stuff like what? What can be more important than making the person who did this to you pay and get your vision back?¡± Yuri smiled. ¡°Being happy.¡± Zeke¡¯s face contorted as he paused. ¡°What does that even mean?¡± ¡°Well, it has a different meaning for everybody; for me, it¡¯s just enjoying life.¡± Enjoying life being eyeless while the person who ruined you roams free. How can someone be happy like that? Zeke thought while studying Yuri. He was clearly delusional. Nobody can be happy living like that. He was just in denial because he failed to find the culprit. ¡°Hello, there!¡± a male demon in a black lab coat said as he approached them. ¡°Would you two like me to show you around?¡± the sharp-toothed, red-skinned demon said as it nervously rubbed its hands together. Zeke looked over at Yuri, who winked back at him, knowing his gambit worked. It was the weirdest that the Diagnostician had ever seen. Equipping his low, demon voice again, Yuri said: ¡°We¡¯d like to¡­ see¡­¡± he chuckled and then took an elbow to the side from Zeke, bringing him back to focus. ¡°Your emergency unit.¡± ¡°Okay, it¡¯s just straight ahead. Follow me!¡± The demon turned and marched forward. The two followed. ¡°We can start interrogating the emergency department to see if they know anything, and then we move up,¡± Yuri whispered to Zeke. It was a long walk, leaving Zeke plenty of time to wonder how many demons the place could fit at once. Zeke and Yuri stopped as they reached the emergency unit. It was packed with hundreds of demonic patients and emergency room personnel. Oddly, Zeke found beauty not in the hospital¡¯s consistently bewitching interior design but in the controlled chaos of underworldly ER doctors using supernatural medical equipment and magic to save lives. Demon paramedics were rushing in with severely injured denizens of the Netherworld strapped onto gurney-like vehicles. The paramedics would find a free spot in the room where ER personnel bolted in an instant to help lift the patient onto their bed for treatment. The doctor who accompanied them turned to the two and said in an apologetic tone, ¡°Rylkaz is going through some stuff¡­¡± Zeke assumed he was talking about the receptionist who treated them with oh-so-wonderful hospitality. ¡°That incubus she was seeing impregnated a succubus from Kriappetora, even though he promised her he would only do that with other succubi from their homeland.¡± Zeke raised a brow. Infidelity in the demon world was nothing to be shocked about, it was the rules around that infidelity that confused Zeke. ¡°Just¡­ don¡¯t mind her.¡± His voice was silvery, hypnotic-like. Definitely influenced plenty of minds to do heinous crimes in his free time. ¡°Is there anything else I can assist you with?¡± he said, folding his hands. The demon wasn¡¯t only good at kissing ass but watching out for his own. It was a very human-like attitude making Zeke wonder if he was a Beta Demon or if purebred demons and humans really were that similar in behavior. ¡°Is there anything else I can assist you with?¡± ¡°Yes, we have some questions,¡± Yuri said, ¡°How have things been around here regarding cases?¡± ¡°Well, there are always hard cases and easy cases,¡± the doctor said, ¡°But today we only lost 179 demons, which is a pretty good rate to have by this time of the day.¡± Zeke scrunched his face at the comment. ¡°Any particularly eventful cases today?¡± Yuri asked, maintaining the nonchalance in his baritone voice. If there was a depressed rock band in the Netherworld in need of a lead singer, he would make the cut. The doctor took a back step and turned his head to the side. He paused. ¡°Today so far¡­ I would say there hasn¡¯t been anything we haven¡¯t seen before.¡± Zeke decided to join in on the interrogation. Making sure to stay with his gravelly voice as he spoke. ¡°You said so far there have been 179 failed cases. Even with the head doctor around?¡± ¡°Dr. Destrian helps us way more than we deserve!¡± The doctor turned to his side and got more jumpy. ¡°Dr. Destrian is brilliant and the best thing that happened to the Netherworld and demonkind. Without him, we are nothing, okay? I support Dr. Destrian fully, no matter what.¡± The demon¡¯s wording started to sound rehearsed, and Zeke picked up on its Black Magic energy flaring up¡ªa clear sign of a Netherworld resident getting nervous. ¡°Where is Dr. Destrian now?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± the doctor answered firmly, then added, with an exaggerated shrug, ¡°I don¡¯t even know if he is in the Netherworld¡­¡± Yuri snickered. ¡°Okay, you can go now. We¡¯d like to talk to the others.¡± Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°Okay,¡± the doctor said as it cautiously backed away. ¡°Do not hesitate to summon me if you need anything.¡± The two waited a bit after the doctor walked away and then debated in their human voices. ¡°We have to be more careful with how we ask questions,¡± Zeke said. ¡°Aye, aye, Head Doctor,¡± Yuri tried for a salute but missed his forehead. ¡°Aida said we have 4 hours, right?¡± Zeke said. ¡°That might seem like a lot, but we could easily lose track of time if we mess around. And it¡¯s been 18 minutes since she announced it.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been counting the time? Aiiiight, your brain is always working, huh?¡± Zeke avoided responding and scanned the hospital again. ¡°Let¡¯s split and meet back here in¡­ 15 minutes.¡± ¡°Okie-dokie!¡± Yuri said and walked off. Zeke watched him move with a bounce in his step. You have no vision, and a friend of yours has been inseminated with the seed of a powerful demon that can end the world. How in the hell are you so¡­ He forcefully put an end to the thought by smacking the side of his head and started scouting the vast area. Zeke felt the familiar sensations of envy as he observed the intensity of the emergency room. Gill had so many underlings working and taking care of so many patients at once, while Providence Infirmary was absurdly understaffed, but it wasn¡¯t like there was a need for more personnel since they never took on more than two supernatural cases at once. Zeke clenched his jaw and shook his head. What was he saying? Did he want more Winterberry residents to be inflicted with supernatural ailments? He looked over to a demoness crying in pain on her bed while a group of doctors applied ointment on her burnt flesh¡ªHellfire burns. Even some variants of the Netherworld can be scorched by it. Zeke stopped to stare, and a cold, comfortable feeling spread within him. The sight reminded him that sometimes the universe was just. Bad things did happen to bad people (and other beings), and that was good. One of the doctors finished with a limb and stepped away from the patient. The exhausted demon noticed Zeke and stared. ¡°Who are you?¡± Zeke told him he was an inspector, and the being¡¯s eyes widened. Zeke guessed it to be male. Either he was extremely gullible, or news within the hospital spread stupidly fast. Next, he asked the demon some basic questions about medical procedures, the staff, the patients, and anything eventful, but the devil clammed up when Gill was mentioned. After staying silent, he said, ¡°Dr. Destrian is brilliant and the best thing that happened to the Netherworld and demonkind. Without him, we are nothing, okay? I support Destrian fully, no matter what.¡± ¡°Do you have any idea where he is now?¡± He looked away and said. ¡°Sorry, I have to go.¡± Zeke sighed and continued exploring. He tried other paramedics and ER doctors who weren¡¯t busy with anything but heard the same scripted response whenever he asked about Gill, followed by: ¡°I don¡¯t where Dr. Destrian is¡± after he asked. Things were different when Zeke approached a station in the emergency unit where a duo of nurses watched over a much younger-looking nurse applying an ancient tourniquet onto the leg of a young demon boy. The nurses looked human in their black uniforms. They were absurdly stunning, but upon closer inspection, Zeke noticed their horns poking out of their caps and their scarlet red eyes and paid attention to their Black Magic output; they were all succubi. They were most likely avoiding having their wings out for better mobility. It turned out that succubi are used as nurses. Ugo would¡¯ve lost it if he had been here, Zeke thought and titled his head to the side. He realized he wasn¡¯t sure of the statement as Ugo had been acting so non-Ugo-like recently. Although, he did for a while during the incident at the Infirmary. Zeke approached the older duo and greeted them. They answered back with courtesy. It was implicit that they already thought he was an inspector. He went through the script of basic questions and cautiously asked about Gill. One of the nurses started with, ¡°Dr. Destrian is brilliant and the best thing that happened to the Netherworld and¡ª¡± ¡°Where is Dr. Destrian right now?¡± Zeke interrupted. ¡°Working on an important case?¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± the younger nurse said and then flinched as the older ones shot a look at her. ¡°But to be honest¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± Zeke looked at each of the older nurses. ¡°Same with you two?¡± They both nodded. Zeke remained still as he thought about what other questions he could try. ¡°What is Gageriel like?¡± The older nurse to his left asked. ¡°Huh?¡± Zeke asked, startled. The other older nurse smacked her shoulder. ¡°What? He works with the Administration, so I¡¯m curious to know what he is like.¡± ¡°Gageriel is¡­¡± Zeke stopped for a moment to find a word and used the first one that came to him. ¡°Cool.¡± He turned his back to them. ¡°Thanks for the questions.¡± Zeke asked more demons as he walked back to where he separated from Yuri. The name: ¡°Gageriel¡± stubbornly stayed in his head. It sounded like an angel¡¯s name. Could an angel be down here in the Netherworld? Zeke asked himself. No, it would be impossible to do so without losing a single percentage of purity. Perhaps, a dirty angel? Zeke couldn¡¯t agree with that thought either. Then, he remembered what Violet had told him about angels losing their purity and wings. They didn¡¯t become human, but something similar to one¡­ could that be what¡¯s going on? ¡°Gill trained these guys well,¡± Yuri said, startling Zeke with his voice. Zeke jerked to his side and then regained his composure with one hand over his accelerated heart. ¡°Sorry,¡± Yuri said, changing back to his normal voice. ¡°You¡¯re so tense, Zeke.¡± Zeke sighed and did the same, ¡°So, no luck with you, huh?¡± He stared at the decorative ceramic tiles. ¡°I know there are clearly a lot of demons in here, but it¡¯s crazy to think that the entirety of the Netherworld comes here for treatment.¡± ¡°That is crazy to think,¡± Yuri said. ¡°There¡¯s not only one hospital that treats demons in the entirety of the Netherworld. Demons have learned from Demonologists for centuries. All kinds of clinics are set up throughout the hellish Realms under the Demonstone Hospital name.¡± ¡°Multiple hospitals?¡± Zeke shouted. Luckily, the place was too chaotic for any demon to bat an eye. He quickly scanned the area and continued while lowering his voice. ¡°Yuri, if that¡¯s the case, then how do we even know that Gill is doing the delivery here?¡± ¡°This is the main hospital with the best infrastructure,¡± Yuri argued. ¡°If he is going to do it anywhere. It will be here. O-O-Or¡­ at least this place will lead us to him¡ª¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know for sure. We need to¡ª¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t play around with Kimberly¡¯s life like that!¡± Zeke pulled back, pausing for a while, and raised a hand. ¡°Okay, sorry.¡± Yuri also allowed himself to pause for a while and said: ¡°Me, too.¡± He slightly slouched forward. ¡°Listen, Aida didn¡¯t mention, but I think you¡¯re all aware that the survival rate of giving birth to a Rebirth Seed is slim to none. I don¡¯t think Gill will work as hard to keep her alive as he would for the demon.¡± The solemn expression on Yuri¡¯s face made Zeke¡¯s brain work to devise a solution to ensure Gill didn¡¯t get his way. No matter what. There was a much quicker way to resolve this¡­ He looked off to the side, and his mind began to replay the events of when he visited the Fairy Realm. What Akachi did to the fairy, Tansy, in order to get information about the castle. Imagine if they wasted time asking around during that time¡­ If the world treated him like a Tainted, then perhaps it was time he started acting like it. ¡°Screw this¡­¡± Zeke said and looked around the emergency unit. He selected a target: the red-skinned demon who accompanied them into the hallway. He was exiting the emergency unit. Zeke followed him, and so did Yuri. ¡°How certain are you that they are completely convinced that we are certified inspectors?¡± Zeke asked. ¡°Well, claiming to be an inspector means to claim to be a part of the Administration which is the main outfit that represents the Netherworld Ministry of Infernal Planes,¡± Yuri answered as they re-entered the inpatient department. ¡°It¡¯s way bigger of a risk for the demon saying that they¡¯re an inspector than for a demon to not believe them. Impersonating an Administration officer warrants a punishment far worse than death.¡± Zeke stopped to look at Yuri. ¡°Seriously?¡± He shook his head and continued tailing the doctor, impressing himself with how quickly he dropped it. ¡°Okay, whatever; now I need you to follow my lead.¡± A tap on the shoulder had the doctor stop and turn around. He flashed his diplomatic smile that didn¡¯t contribute to making his demoniacal features any more amicable. ¡°Yes? Thought of more things I can help you two with?¡± The gravelly voice made its return. ¡°In fact, there is. We¡¯d like to talk to you. In private. If that¡¯s no trouble,¡± said Zeke.
The doctor led them back to his office without making any fuss. It was clear to Zeke that the doctor was truly trying to take advantage of the opportunity, grabbing it by the horns to get himself a promotion or something. ¡°So, what is on your mind, inspectors?¡± the doctor said as he walked up to his desk and sat behind it. Aside from the demonic sigils and candles all around, the office was regular-looking with a medieval accent. Zeke could take a photo and show people in the Human Realm. They¡¯d probably think he was showing them an office in an eccentric place they were hopeless to understand¡­ like Europe. ¡°Now what?¡± Yuri asked Zeke. The doctor opened a drawer and then placed a couple of small glass jars on his desk. ¡°Please, help yourselves.¡± Curiosity had the duo approach the desk. Zeke took one of the items and inspected it. It was filled with blood. ¡°Is this¡ª?¡± ¡°Human blood. Virgin, however, with nearly zero purity. Got it from the Market. A brilliant blend of essences. Trust me, it¡¯s delicious.¡± Zeke clenched the bottle in his hand and made the phoniest smile he ever produced since his last Rosario family reunion special. He turned, dropped a hand on Yuri¡¯s shoulder, and whispered into his ear: ¡°Black Magic energy. Hit him. Hard. Do it now.¡± As he walked up to the door without looking back, Zeke pulled out the cork stopper, wet his hand with the blood, and started to draw the Infirmary sigil. Zeke stopped halfway and looked over his shoulder. Mister Eyeless was standing, doing nothing. ¡°Yuri!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Yuri scoffed and pulled back a fist, coating it with a high output of concentrated Black Magic energy, manifesting in the form of black smoke streaming from the skin. The doctor rose to his feet. ¡°Hey! Wait, what¡ª!¡± Cut off by the enhanced fist that drove into his cheek, the doctor¡¯s face blasted into the floor¡ªcracks diverted in multiple directions. ¡°Good,¡± Zeke said and added the finishing touches to the sigil. ¡°Bring him over,¡± he ordered as he opened the door. ¡°What are we doing?¡± Yuri asked. Zeke groaned, rushed to the disoriented doctor, grabbed him by the back of his collar, and dragged him over to the door and into the waiting room of the Infirmary. Yuri stepped inside. ¡°Zeke¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing what¡¯s necessary to save Kimberly, okay?¡± Zeke snapped and ran back to the door. He smeared the sigil with his arm. The doctor, mouth drenched in black blood, was coming back to his senses and rose to his knees as Zeke closed the door. As their eyes met, there was silence. Then, Zeke allowed for his suppressed Healer¡¯s Garb energy to flare up. The doctor flinched and pulled back. ¡°You¡¯re not a demon.¡± Zeke pictured how Akachi put the fear of God into Tansy back at the Fairy Realm that day. He resolved to do the same with even a demon. Increasing the intimidation, Zeke closed both his fists and kept his eyes wide as he flashed an evil smile. ¡°Oh, yes, I¡¯m something much worse than a demon.¡± He moved up to the doctor slowly and then raised his hand to the side; a tangle of veins slipped out from his sleeve. ¡°Can you guess what?¡± The shivering demon gulped. ¡°Tainted Generation.¡± ¡°In the flesh,¡± Zeke said. Chapter 84 - Remnants Ugo moved through the corridor alongside his tiny companion. As they walked down the red-orange hallway, lighting from the candle sconces grew stronger, but it only made the area even more unsettling as details on the walls and floor became apparent¡ªdemonic markings, symbols, and oil portraits of distorted hellish entities stained with black goo. Once again, Ugo noticed the sounds of skipped breathing and strings from a broken guitar playing. This time, there was an undertone of murmuring and what sounded like belching mixed with churning bowels. Doors and wall clocks began to appear. The clocks were insanely shaped, with devilish symbols replacing the numbers. How the hell do you read the time on that? Ugo thought as he looked at a clock with an elongated, twisted shape. Naomi tapped Ugo on the shoulder with her finger. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we use the key to check what¡¯s behind these doors?¡± She asked in her normal voice. And the pair kept it that way. Ugo fished the key out of his pocket and backtracked with her to the part of the corridor where doors started to appear. He approached the first one to their left. The key entered the keyhole with no problem and turned just as smoothly, unlocking the door. After letting himself in, Ugo wished that he had some of Zeke¡¯s overthinking that held him back from doing things heedlessly. It would¡¯ve saved him from the terrible imagery that burned permanently into his brain that was bad at forgetting. The room¡¯s occupant was a humanoid creature with three sets of arms that pulled the skin of its torso apart, revealing its dead tissue and misshapen bones. Ugo didn¡¯t see a head, face, or anything that suggested it was capable of speaking, but he heard it say in its guttural voice, ¡°Is it mealtime already?¡± He pulled Naomi back and shut the door. ¡°So these must be the patient rooms,¡± Naomi said. ¡°Are you okay, Ugo?¡± Ugo responded by forcing a smile back at her. ¡°Do you mind if I¡­?¡± Naomi said as she reached out her hand. There was no argument. Ugo gave her the key, relieving himself of the duty, and let her nonchalantly check door after door. ¡°So, it works for all the doors!¡± Naomi said. Ugo followed her through her search but stayed far away enough to keep himself from feeding more nightmare-inducing imagery into his brain. Something about the real thing was way more unsettling than video games. On the other hand, Naomi was checking the rooms like a natural, as if she had been working there for several hundred years, saying: ¡°Excuse me!¡± before entering a room and: ¡°Sorry¡± after closing it. ¡°Most of them don¡¯t seem to be in any condition to give us proper information,¡± Naomi said. After she checked the twelfth door down the corridor, Ugo asked her: ¡°Does being here make you feel comfortable?¡± Naomi halted for a moment after the question and then walked over to the next door, averting her eyes to the floor. ¡°Is that bad?¡± she asked in a brittle voice. ¡°No!¡± Ugo said, touching her shoulder and then pulling his hand back with force a second later, enduring the shock he felt in his chest. ¡°I mean¡­ well, it is a part of you.¡± Ugo wondered if it was right to say that Hell was a part of somebody. The comment caused a wan smile to emerge on Naomi¡¯s lips. ¡°It is¡­¡± she said in a quiet voice. ¡°Ugo¡­ sometimes, it¡¯s hard to tell which is my home.¡± Ugo looked away as Naomi checked the thirteenth door. He heard garbled words come from the monster on the other side after Naomi said her thirteenth: ¡°Excuse me!¡± ¡°Sorry!¡± Naomi said and gently closed the door. As she moved to the fourteenth door, Ugo made another comment that caused her to halt. ¡°You mean¡­ you don¡¯t know if either Heaven or Hell is your home.¡± Naomi nodded as she brought her hands together. ¡°Sometimes it feels like I am part of neither.¡± Her words made Ugo think about the mixed kids he met in school who felt as if they were stuck between two cultures and simultaneously rejected by both sides. ¡°There¡¯s not even a name for what I am,¡± Naomi said as she looked up at him. ¡°Calling myself an angel is blasphemy, and calling myself a demon is¡­¡± Naomi bit her lip and looked at the next patient¡¯s room door, leaving the sentence unfinished. ¡°What do you feel more like?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Naomi pushed the key in. Ugo raised a brow. ¡°You don¡¯t know, or the answer scares you?¡± Naomi unlocked the door, and she paused for a while. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She opened the door quickly, and there was not enough time for Ugo to look away. A large moaning figure was seated on the bed. It wore a dirty rag with a cowl over its head. Ugo felt the suppressed energy from his Mana¡¯s Garb trying to burst through its constraints. The pulsating inner itch he picked up from the monster was a mix of familiar sensations. ¡°Sorry,¡± Naomi said. ¡°Is there any chance you could tell us where we can find Dr. Rathru?¡± The monster¡¯s moaning became more disturbed as it turned to them. Its entire body was covered in bandages, with only its black right eye exposed, and it had a metal collar around its neck. The size of the thing was even bigger than Ugo thought as it rose to its feet. Two arms were on one side of its body, and the other had a straight white wing jutting out the socket. Ugo took notice of the dried blood it was coated in and the teeth-like spikes protruding off random spots on its body. Ugo knew that judging a book by its cover was wrong, but in this case, it was necessary. He sensed an incoming attack, and just as he reached for Naomi¡ªshe beat him to it by wrapping her arms around him and diving out of the way as the monster bolted past the door. It crashed onto a wall with its head. A jolting sensation had Ugo place his hand against the side of Naomi¡¯s head and push her off him as quickly as possible to not give his mind any time to lewdly obsess over what parts of her were being pressed onto him. While crouching, he looked over the monster, and it was banging its head against the wall it crashed into. The chain that hung from its collar clanked against the floor, and the monster¡¯s moaning intensified, evolving into ghostly weeping. On the back of its rags, Ugo could make out something written with black ink: ¡°No. 19¡± ¡°Are you okay, Ugo?¡± Naomi asked. Ugo looked back at her, surprised; she asked such a thing after he violently pushed her. He allowed his face to crumple a bit. ¡°Naomi, sorry for¡ª¡± No. 19 released an ear-piercing scream, bringing their attention back to it. Then, it turned to them and started making hand signs with the pair of arms on one side of its body. There was a flash. Immediately after, a weapon was in each of No. 19¡¯s hands. An archaic sword with jagged edges in one hand and a massive, in height and width, rectangular sword in the other. The Mana energy Ugo sensed from the monster was undeniably Ashlin¡¯s Garb. Ugo bared his teeth as he got up, scowling at it. ¡°It just used magic!¡± Naomi said as she got up. ¡°It¡¯s one of Ashlin¡¯s Containers¡­ and it looks like it wants to fight.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I kinda get it,¡± Ugo said. ¡°If I looked like that, I¡¯d be fighting people randomly, too.¡± As No. 19 moved up to them, Ugo stretched his hand to the side. ¡°I¡¯ll cut him up good.¡± Just as he was about to curve his hand, Naomi grabbed his wrist and pulled it down. ¡°You can¡¯t use your Garb¡¯s magic, remember?¡± Naomi said. Ugo scoffed. ¡°Oh, crap!¡± Naomi turned on her heel and grabbed onto Ugo¡¯s hand. ¡°We can only run for now!¡± As they sprinted down the corridor, Ugo looked over his shoulder, and No. 19 was no slowpoke despite what its size would suggest. The distance between them and No. 19 was shrinking, but Ugo¡¯s mind decided to focus on Naomi¡¯s hand that was wrapped tightly around his. A pang of guilt started in Ugo¡¯s chest even though her demonified skin was cold and rough; he was enjoying holding her hand. Enjoying something he didn¡¯t deserve. Ugo pulled his hand away from Naomi¡¯s grip. She looked over at him. ¡°Ugo?¡± she asked before a flying, jagged blade cut through her shoulder. ¡°Naomi!¡± Ugo shouted as she crashed to the floor on her stomach. He slid to a halt and ran back to her. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°No, don¡¯t heal me¡­¡± Naomi said. ¡°You can¡¯t use White Magic here. I¡¯m fine.¡± Ugo grimaced at her wound and the black ooze leaking off it. ¡°Naomi, your blood¡¯s black. How deep of a demonification did you¡ª?¡± Another attention-pulling scream came from No. 19, and it started banging its massive sword against the wall to its side. Launching its weapon was the Container¡¯s way of making it clear that it wouldn¡¯t let them run away. It wanted a fight, and Ugo was glad to give it one. ¡°Stay down, Naomi,¡± Ugo said. ¡°But, Ugo¡ª¡± ¡°I won¡¯t use my Garb,¡± Ugo said, searching his pockets as he schemed in his noggin. All I have to do is just focus on using Black Magic energy¡­ He pulled out a ballpoint pen from his pocket and analyzed it. Ugo was surprised that all the random junk he carried was still there, even after Aida had changed their clothes. After learning about Mana Bombs, Ugo pulled a Zeke and had a stint of continuously pondering the many ways to use pure, concentrated Mana energy without it being Tainted with Black Magic or blessed with White Magic. In other words, Gray Magic for offensive means. No spells, just energy. So what about using Black or White Magic in its natural form as well? He had seen it, other Tainted enhancing their attacks with magical energy; hell, it was possible he did it a couple times himself without realizing. ¡°My Garb is a source of Mana I can pull from to perform spells that are exclusive to it,¡± Ugo said, ¡°but I still have Mana in me without the Garb, so if I just use the energy as it is, there should be no traces to my Healer¡¯s Garb... does that make sense?¡± ¡°... I think?¡± Naomi answered. Yippee ki-yay. Ugo focused on the Mana in the form of Black Magic energy flowing around him and in and out of his soul via his Mana Pores, staying clear of his Garb¡¯s source of power, eager to be let out. Ugo emitted the Black Magic unfiltered by his Healer¡¯s Garb¡¯s. The black smoky aura overlaid his frame, and then he focused on the pen as he gripped it like a sword and crouched while holding it up horizontally. This should work. No. 19 was just inches from Ugo, raising its large sword at the ceiling. It quickly brought it down. The sword bounced off the enhanced pen along with its wielder. Ugo slowly straightened himself and looked at the Black Magic-coated pen. It was a technique so generic that it didn¡¯t even count as a spell. All it took was focusing on what he wanted to do. No. 19 made a growl, announcing that it wasn¡¯t staggered anymore, and charged at Ugo. It swung the massive blade at his side, and Ugo blocked it. Ugo felt his entire body reverberate but remained firm, unlike his opponent, who spun back in the opposite direction. Without his Garb to automatically use White Magic spells to heal himself and regulate his purity levels as he used Black Magic, caution was paramount. He could sense the cool, dark feeling¡ªlike sinking in cold sludge¡ªof his soul¡¯s purity plummeting with every second that passed as he emitted Black Magic. I can¡¯t keep doing this for too long. Ugo thought and then clicked the pen. ¡°Come here!¡± Ugo shouted at No. 19 as he charged at him and slashed downward at it with the pen¡¯s ballpoint tip. As the rags on its face parted, Ugo was stun-locked. It was Kian Elbertsson¡¯s face.
Dabriel¡¯s visit was all Nananiel could think about as he leaned onto a wall of the BurgerQueen, observing his employees cook and handle customers. The Archdemons attempting something¡­ no¡­ impossible. Nananiel shivered and bit onto a nail as he tried to adjust himself into a more comfortable position on the wall. Does Irin think the same? Are the Archangels not only for the Tainted but a contingency for the Archdemons, too? He contemplated with a back so soaked in sweat that it was like laying on a wet towel. Rachel crossed his view, prompting him to focus on her as she zipped around the restaurant, taking orders, helping out workmates at the cashier, and in the kitchen, and then, when no one was waiting in line, she¡¯d strike up conversations with lonely customers, which was completely unheard of in the industry. This girl was some kind of fast food messiah. Nananiel checked his wristwatch, and it was almost time for the meeting. He returned to the kitchen, found some trash bags, and stepped outside. The sun was moments away from ending its shift for the day, leaving twilight to take over the sky¡ªa lovely blend of dark blue and bright orange. After slinging the trash bags into the dumpster, Nanaiel spotted his informant waddling up to him. Quackziel, the angel who chose a duck as their Container, jumped onto the top of the waste container, and now both were at eye level. ¡°What did you want to talk about, Brother Nananiel?¡± Angels were gifted with telepathy and could create private Mind Channels through which only angels could communicate. Nananiel and Quackziel had their own Channel but couldn¡¯t spend too much time talking on it since the exposure risk increased the more the Channel was used. ¡°Any relevant news concerning the Netherworld?¡± Nananiel started, getting straight to business. ¡°None that I know of,¡± Quackziel answered. ¡°Why are you thinking about the Netherworld?¡± Nananiel sighed and took off his cap. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just¡­ forget it.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± Nanaiel looked to the side and cleaned some sweat off his forehead with his arm, realizing he wasn¡¯t ready to abandon the topic just yet. ¡°Sometimes, I wonder if the Netherworld plans to get Naomi back now that it seems the angels don¡¯t care about her anymore.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± the duck said, nearing the dumpster¡¯s edge. ¡°The Netherworld is technically her home as well. If she decided to go and reside there, would you really have the right to stop it?¡± Nananiel suddenly lost the ability to speak. ¡°Maybe, I shouldn¡¯t have said that,¡± Quackziel admitted. ¡°I apologize.¡± ¡°No,¡± Nananiel said, forcing a smile. ¡°That is a good point. If she decided to, it¡¯s not like there¡¯s anything I can do about it, but I would try anyway.¡± He eyed the ground, wondering if he was acting like an overbearing parent. ¡°I see.¡± Nananiel shot a look at Quackziel. He could tell the duck was aware that he would go down to the Netherworld, losing his wings and purity from the millisecond he entered if it meant ensuring Naomi¡¯s safety and happiness. ¡°Brother Nananiel¡­¡± Quackziel said. ¡°I have something to share with you. A recent event higher-ranked angels haven¡¯t decided to share yet.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Nananiel asked, bracing himself and putting on a brave face. ¡°Elder Sister Irin¡­ the Archangels¡­ have successfully imprisoned a Tainted.¡±
Gill had left the delivery room to wander Ashlin¡¯s lab while lost in deep thought. He wore a closed yellow lab coat and black gloves that went up to his elbows, and even with his double-valve mask, the smell of formaldehyde and hearth got through the filters. The Container Specialist¡¯s lab bearing a spotless glass and white wood motif was filled with empty, naked human and demonic Containers on glass stands and in different dynamic poses. A couple of them were imitating models across fashion magazines, from squatting to standing stylishly on one foot; some were throwing punches, and others locked in a sprinting animation. There were also a number of ignited fire pots on the floor and multiple tables in the room where separate parts of Containers were still in their initial phase before going through the cooking process. Gill approached a boy¡¯s head and leaned down to it, studying it. Thinking back to what Ashlin shared about the first Container Specialist. He was the one who came up with the concept of Containers in the first place. Before then, angels and demons had no feasible way to interact with the physical Human Realm besides using interdimensional messaging techniques (like burning bushes or abstract dreams). The first Container Specialist had a supernatural genetic mutation that, like others of his time, led to him being labeled a Titan. His name was Prometheus. Prometheus had developed a way to produce clay that could later be cooked, ready for a soul to occupy it. The Prometheus method was quickly adopted by creatures across the Realms, including demons and angels, but no being is as capable of creating formidable Containers as the Container Specialists. Footsteps reached the room, having Gill stand up straight and turn around. ¡°What are you doing here, darling?¡± Ashlin said in her soft Russian voice as she moved up to him. ¡°Got bored of monitoring the mother and the baby?¡± Her outfit was the same as Gill¡¯s, just much tighter, flattering her unobtainable curves. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that many of us to watch over the inducement process,¡± Gill said. Ashlin pulled her mask down, showing a smile. ¡°You¡¯re right, darling¡ª¡± ¡°When am I not?¡± A giggle came out of Ashlin, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. ¡°Never,¡± she said. Gill gave her a wan smile. This girl was so easy and unoriginal that it made him sick. ¡°Even with all the inducements we¡¯ve used, the dilation process is still going to take up to another 2 hours,¡± she said. ¡°Any more we use and both the mother¡¯s and baby¡¯s hearts are going to explode¡ª¡± ¡°I know.¡± Ashlin¡¯s mouth fell open as her face dropped a bit. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, darling, I know you do. I watched over all the inducements and left him for supervision. I¡¯m a little tired. Needed a break. Is that okay?¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Ashlin said softly. She moved her hands over to his shoulders and rested her cheek against it as she fixed her eyes on Gill with a coquettish smile on her lips. ¡°The Special Project is going very well, by the way.¡± ¡°But how much longer?¡± She moved her lips closer to his ear. ¡°They¡¯ll be out today.¡± ¡°Is that right?¡± Ashlin nodded and took his hand. ¡°Let me show you.¡± Gill let Ashlin lead him to the line of kilns at the end of the room. They were akin to the ceramic ones the ancient Greeks used for pottery, except these were much larger, and the hole in the center was big enough for several human bodies to fit in. They moved down the line of kilns, each marked with a sigil that would only make sense to Ashlin. If Gill asked for their meaning, he knew she would tell him immediately with no chance of her attempting to trick him. The pathetic soul inside of that voluptuous meatsuit was devoid of surprises. When he said: ¡®jump,¡¯ not only would she ask: ¡®how high?¡¯ she¡¯d also ask: ¡®for how long?¡¯ followed by: ¡®Is there anything else I can do for you?¡¯ Ashlin stopped and turned to Gill, cupping her hands over his. ¡°Gill¡­¡± she said with her eyes sparkling and jerked her head over to the kiln they stood next to. It was much larger than the others. ¡°No. 66 is cooling down in there. It¡¯ll be a couple more hours before I infuse it with the residual essence. I tried some experimental things with it that makes me believe it may be the best one, yet.¡± She giggled as she started to hop up and down. ¡°I think you¡¯re really going to like it!¡± He glanced at the kiln¡¯s dark hole and said, ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°I promise it¡¯s going to be great!¡± Ashlin said and then bowed her head. ¡°I worked really hard on it, dear¡­¡± she muttered. So unoriginal. Gill slipped his hand under her chin and lifted it. He held back the burning vomit rising from his chest as he did something quite unoriginal himself¡ªgiving her a deep kiss and then putting her concerns at ease by saying: ¡°Can¡¯t wait to see it.¡± Ashlin giggled and curled up, averting her eyes from Gill. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± she whispered, then hunched down to wrap her arms around Gill and rest her head on her chest. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Gill rolled his eyes back. ¡°For what... sweetheart?¡± he said in a honeyed voice, groaning on the inside. At least the warmth of her enlarged breasts felt nice against his body¡­ her curves and Container-making skills were all she was good for. In any other case, he¡¯d rather spend time with a house plant. ¡°For a moment, I doubted your plan to get rid of Isaac and Violet. I¡¯m sorry for that,¡± Ashlin said. Gill looked down at the top of her perfectly and unnaturally lush dark red hair. He started to think back. A few months back¡­ The end of January when, he successfully got the Vicar and Neurologist out of the picture. Chapter 85 - Retribution Purifying zombies was not what Isaac had in mind when visiting Kek Lok Si Temple on the warm late night of January 28th. Isaac was supposed to meet with his beloved Tainted sister, but she was nowhere to be found. Could she have been behind the infestation? Isaac had dismissed the thought quickly. Violet wasn¡¯t the type to use such cheap tricks. On Chinese New Year, the Malaysian Buddhist temple wasn¡¯t only flooded in a sea of colorful lanterns and neon lights, but a horde of zombies inundated it as well. In truth, it may have been incorrect to call them zombies. They weren¡¯t undead but infected with a virus¡ªa weak one that Isaac had realized its frailty as soon as he was greeted with the first wave when he reached the Liberation Pond. The infected had overcrowded the platform, causing some to flip over the fence and fall into the pond, where they proceeded to munch on the tortoises. The virus that changed the tourists and locals wasn¡¯t complex or even that infectious. It was a low-effort Black Magic zombie disease¡ªa 937.1-Basic Black Zombification. A disease that not even late brother Kian would find interesting enough to study. Rest his blessed but misguided soul¡­ He just wasn¡¯t meant to be saved. The ailment contracted by the sufferers made their skin gray and decrepit, with pieces of it peeling off like old paint, their limbs were misshapen and bent in deadly directions, and they all emitted Black Magic energy. They moaned continually¡ªcrying for Isaac¡¯s help, and without hesitation, he called for his Healer¡¯s Garb, put up a barrier, and purified them all. That¡¯s what he had thought anyway after scouting the temple, lit up with a thousand lights blending well with the night sky. While backtracking, rechecking every area on his way to the entrance, he spotted someone in need in the Avalokiteshvara Hall. The vast shrine had a trio of giant, golden Bodhisattva statues, and the walls were lined with neatly put-together rows of small Buddha figurines that almost looked like wallpaper with a repeated pattern. From where he stood, Isaac had a spectacular view of the multi-colored luminescent pagoda looming near the outside of the main hall. The person in need¡¯s choked cry got his attention back. She was a small, poor thing hiding behind a column and peeking her head out. Isaac lowered his mask as he ambled up to the girl, widening his amicable smile. He hunched down as he got closer, holding out his hand. The girl was Malaysian. She shook and took a glance at his hand before redirecting her teary gaze at Isaac. ¡°Are you¡­ an angel?¡± she asked in Malay. ¡°No¡­¡± Isaac responded in her language while shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯m better.¡± He stepped closer, stretching his other hand as well. The girl stepped away from the column and outstretched her hands, getting closer to Isaac. She continued moving up to him even after her head had fallen off. A flag pole raised from the stump, and a purple flag appeared; it read: ¡°GOT YOU.¡± Isaac snickered, understanding why Zeke was so interested in her. As the illusion dissipated with a pink flash. He stood up but was attacked before he could turn around. Violet latched onto his back, wrapping her legs over his arms and around his body, snaked one arm around his throat, and thrust a sharp object onto the front of his skull. Isaac groaned slightly as he tried to shake Violet off him. His fellow Tainted sibling was brilliant. Even with her illusionary magic capable of manipulating Mana senses; someone as keen as Isaac had learned how to detect Violet¡¯s magic. Therefore, she masked the entire area with a copious amount of Black Magic energy to the extent that he wouldn¡¯t pay attention to the distinct feel of a Healer¡¯s Garb¡¯s Black Magic beneath it all. However, Violet felt strange while latching onto his back. With his arms being held down by her strong thighs, thus no way to bring his hands together, he turned and pressed back onto the column, crushing her, but she maintained her grip. Throughout the struggle, a black viscous substance squirted out of her and splashed down on his forehead. The liquid felt sinisterly cold as it cascaded down his face and onto his lips. Isaac realized it was the same feeling he was picking up from Violet¡¯s Container. ¡°I thought you were on humanity¡¯s side and only got rid of people who got in your way,¡± Isaac said, laughing at the pain. ¡°And here you are infecting innocent people with a virus.¡± ¡°I had to do what needed to be done,¡± Violet said in a strained voice. ¡°Using a subpar virus onto the innocent and now succumbing to the use of Tainted Mana,¡± Isaac said, seeing bursts of silver-black energy flashing in his eyeline. ¡°Oh, how out-of-character you are acting today, Sister.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me that, bastard!¡± Violet neared her lips to Isaac¡¯s ear and sang an incantation. Isaac could feel her purity levels plummet as she continued a spell he wasn¡¯t familiar with, weakening him. Violet began to twist the sharp object lodged into his head, forcing Isaac to drop his knees and scream in genuine discomfort. A reel of thousands of random imagery played before his eyes at near lightspeed. His head throbbed from the overload of information it was receiving. Whatever the spell Violet was using had to be something only accessible with dangerously low levels of soul purity. Tainted Mana spells were a gamble that could be worthwhile if used right. No being¡¯s Mana Gauge actually reached 0 percent. Every creature¡¯s Mana Gauge had a ¡°built-in¡± limiter that stopped them from depleting it in its entirety. Breaking the limiter allowed one to use up all the Mana in the System to access the reserves of the Mana System, which was the equivalent of a gas-starved vehicle running on fumes. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. These reserves were where Tainted Mana lay. The Tainted Mana seeping into the soul diminishes a Container¡¯s life expectancy and forces soul purity levels to plummet to low levels. Granting access to the most powerful Black Magic spells. Isaac felt as if his brain was put inside a blender. Not only was he seeing random imagery, but his other senses were also going off the rails. A succession of flavors came and went from fruity to nutty to bitter to rancid while he smelled a variety of aromas and stenches, and a cacophony of static-like sounds ringed in his head like listening to a broken radio changing stations. He could feel himself losing power over his body and soul as the incantation went on. Congrats, Sister. I guess this is checkmate. Isaac smiled. I¡¯m sorry, Vistrea. I¡¯m sorry, Gussalen. Skaggsy, I have failed. A surge of heat pulled Isaac out of his thoughts, followed by an agonized scream from Violet. The grip was lost, and Isaac slowly returned to his feet, still wobbly, as he turned back and saw Violet screaming and rolling across the floor with her body burning with black flames. Isaac shook his head as he watched Violet burn; her mask was already lowered. Despite having her Healer¡¯s Garb equipped, the tradeoff of defense for power that came with using Tainted Mana disrupted the Garbs¡¯ automatic White Magic healing. ¡°I¡¯d apologize for interrupting,¡± a voice with a British accent said, ¡°but I did just save your arse, didn¡¯t I?¡± The overweight Demonologist was in the scene, clad in his Healer¡¯s Garb over a wool gray suit. Gill lowered his mask made of black flames as he reached the writhing Violet, rolling around and splashing her black blood everywhere. ¡°This your first time feeling those flames, innit?¡± Gill said, looking down at Violet with a cruel smile. ¡°Ah, sorry, it looks like it hurts, well it should. Demonfire hurts a whole lot more than Hellfire,¡± he kicked Violet in the stomach. ¡°Enjoy!¡± ¡°Now, that was unnecessary, don¡¯t you think, Brother?¡± Isaac said. Gill gave Isaac a glower and then pointed his finger at him. ¡°You¡­ you remember what we talked about just before we raided the Winterberry Adytum?¡± How could he forget? Gilliam had proposed for them to unite in the ascension of demonkind, but how could he govern a peaceful world overrun by demons? Their grand ideas didn¡¯t coalesce well. Isaac slipped his hands into the pockets of his Healer¡¯s Garb. ¡°I told you, I only helped you break the Great Seals to find the Diagnostician. What Hezekiah and I will do to save Heaven will be beautiful, and you can drop your plans and join us¡ª¡± Violet got back up, screaming, and charged at Gill. Gill waved a hand, and a long creature covered in black fur and a bulbous head sprouted from under Violet with its giant maw opened and swallowed her whole. ¡°Luv, just wait a bit, yeah?¡± Gill said and turned to Isaac. ¡°I was able to enhance one of my creatures. Doesn¡¯t it look better now? Soon, they¡¯ll all look like this.¡± The hairy monster with one yellow eye looked at Isaac, blew a raspberry at him, shared a nod with Gill, and then withdrew, disappearing into the ground. Then, Gill made devil horns with his hand and pushed it into his flabby chest. He doubled over and started retching. ¡°You¡¯re going to regret not being on my side, ya got that?¡± Gill raised his head. ¡°I¡¯m going to be the bloke to wipe that stupid smile off your mug.¡± His body convulsed as he grabbed the bottom half of his mouth with one hand and the upper half with the other. Isaac¡¯s Tainted siblings were so full of wonderful surprises he couldn¡¯t help from standing and watching Gill stretch his mouth open. Gill upchucked a cow skull. ¡°Oooh,¡± Isaac said and clapped. Gill glowered at him again, bent over to grab the slobbery cow skull, and threw it at Isaac. He dodged the pathetic attack easily and turned to look at the wet cow skull as it landed and slid across the ground. It was emitting an impressive amount of Black Magic energy and kept increasing. When Isaac turned back, Gill was gone. Isaac made a face and scratched his head. It was a bit disappointing that a meeting with his siblings ended so abruptly. He moved up to the cow skull, which emitted rising levels of Black Magic, and crouched. He grabbed onto its horns, and it burned him. Isaac pulled back and shook his hands. I have to use a lot more White Magic for this. He clapped and rubbed his hands until they emitted holy light, and just as he extended his hands toward the horns, a surge of unfamiliar energy had him turn around. A pair of new faces were eyeing him with hostility. ¡°Do you know who we are?¡± The one on the right said, stepping forward. Isaac smiled. He knew exactly who they were. With his angelic level of soul purity, listening in on angels¡¯ Mind Channel Frequencies became a risk-free hobby for Isaac. ¡°Want an autograph?¡± The one who stepped forward said while raising a fist, armored with a silver gauntlet. ¡°C¡¯mere, I¡¯ll give you a real nice one you won¡¯t forget.¡± So aggressive, Isaac thought, and then noticed energy rising from him but had trouble identifying what kind. The Archangel, raising his fist, had medium-length, wavy brown hair, and intense light brown eyes. Like Brother Akachi, he had a lean, athletic build and a deep skin tone that aligned with his evident Southern Asian ethnicity. White Enochian symbols were stylized across his skin-tight, short-sleeved black shirt and pants. His apparel also included white cross emblems on his silver gauntlets and the metal guards at the tip of his red shoes. The aggressive Archangel put his hand over his chest as he announced, ¡°I, Mackenzie Tojo, and¡­¡± He waved his hand over to his more aloof companion to the right as he continued, ¡°And Zakiah Horowitz, in honor of Power and Dominion Chief Irin of the Second Sphere, as the Archangels under the jurisdiction of the Second Sphere will subdue you, Isaac Noble, the First Born of the Fourteenth Tainted Generation and bring you to holy justice!¡± Isaac began clapping. ¡°That was very imposing! Good job, you sound just like Irin,¡± he said with a smile. A chagrined look took over Mac¡¯s face as he clenched his fists. ¡°We have the means to kill you if necessary,¡± he said. ¡°Surrender or die.¡± Isaac glanced back at the cow skull. It was a beacon for the Archangels. Did Gill strike a deal with an angel? Isaac thought. ¡°You should stop thinking and give us an answer.¡± Zakiah, the other Archangel, finally spoke. He had eye-length, messy blue hair with a dark shade. His apparel was a blue astronaut-like jumpsuit and a backpack with harness buckles strapped onto his legs and chest. ¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯t do either for you. Sorry, I just have too many things I need to do first,¡± Isaac said in response to Mac¡¯s threatening proposal. He turned his back to them and waved a hand as he walked away. ¡°I¡¯m leaving now. Goodbye.¡± Isaac felt the surge of energy nearing from behind and vanished in a white flash. He reappeared behind Mac, who was in the middle of executing a running punch. I would¡¯ve expected better from those hand-picked by Irin, Isaac thought and sighed. As Mac turned back, Isaac reached forward and grabbed his face. He slammed Mac back onto the temple¡¯s stone floor, pulled back a White Magic-charged fist¡ªa plume of white aura emanating from it¡ªand then finished him with a devastating hit that caused cracks to extend in every direction across the stone. With superhuman quickness, Isaac wet his finger with the fresh blood leaking from Mac¡¯s lips and drew a magic circle near his bruised face. The magic circle glowed, and Isaac¡¯s trusty, giant worm-like creature ascended from the divine marking and rose to the ceiling in a looping motion like a Chinese dragon. It released a quaking cry as it crashed through the hall¡¯s roof. A thought was all Isaac needed to indicate his Anathemia to attack. It inclined downward, making another hole in the ceiling as it crashed back into the hall. Its gray stone baby face with sharp teeth ringed around the edges nosedived at Zakiah. Isaac watched calmly and then blinked. Mac sped past him in a burning flash, leaving a trail of volcanic fumes. The Anathemia was inches from swallowing Zakiah whole before it got kicked in the side of its face by a flying kick. Its head exploded in a magma burst, making Isaac¡¯s mouth fall open slightly. The monster¡¯s headless snake-like body collapsed as pieces of molten rock rained from the sky. As Isaac dodged the volcanic rain, he kept his eyes on Mac, who had his back turned to him and stood perfectly still beside his partner. Both didn¡¯t put any effort into dodging the flaming rocks, yet none neared them. Isaac noticed the bottom half of Mac¡¯s pants were burned off, and on the back of his calves were fuming volcanic craters.