ã€ŠBlack Roseã€‹


 Chapter 1: I am not paid to kill you

    Chapter 1

    I¡¯m not paid to kill you

    Lovisa

    I breathe in the stillness of the dead hour. My hand fumbles through my side table to grab my mobile phone. I sit slowly on the bed, sleepy demons still lingering in my head. I stretch lazily. It''s 12:07 and the power is out. Talk about good luck!

    I turn on the torch of my phone, and a sharp tinnitus rings in my ears. I rubbed my eyes and got up from my bed.

    There are nights I spend at this hour illustrating web novels with a late-night playlist humming in the background, but tonight¡ªtonight feels different.

    "Perhaps..." I think, "I need some fresh air..." I shuffle over to my lone window, drawing the ghostly white curtains aside, and open it quietly. The cool air brushes against my cheeks, contrasting with the heat of my stuffy room. The clouds spilled over the moon which shone over me gloomily.

    I was born with the powers of a necromancer. I could see and talk with them, but it was pretty much useless. After all, I can¡¯t catch those ghosts or fight with other people. The only ghost I ever talk to is my ghost homie¡ªOlivia and for some reasons that I don¡¯t know, she is not here.

    I lean low, resting my chin on my hands, I feel the cold window sill on my skin. I gaze at the busy highway bustling with cars even at this hour, it strikes me as beautiful, serene, and peaceful¡ªuntil I saw a garbage bag tumbling down happily.

    I back away. Was this guy really tossing trash out in the dead of night? Who does that? The guy living in that apartment has always struck me as a total mess, a womanizer apparently. Maybe his mother was visiting tomorrow, pushing him to resort to a last-minute cleaning strategy. I chuckled at the absurd thought and wondered how stupid I could be.

    I close the window with a loud thud, retreating to my bed. I sighed, trying to shake off the unease due to the outage and that crazy garbage bag. I reach for my earbuds, scrolling through my playlist. I own a proud collection of around 300 songs and flaunt it likewise.

    But do you think my imagination and paranoia will leave me like that? Do you?

    I already started to think of endless possibilities of the contents of that bag. A part of me wanted to get up and examine that thing. There was a start of a crime scene in my head. My inner detective awakening inside me. Even if I don¡¯t have any powers, I can use my brain and I will be famous for being the greatest detective. I will own the trending search over the search engines. Lovisa Ericksson¡ªthe greatest detective the humankind ever witnessed!Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    I forgot about everything. I was drenched in my own sweat but my imagination is such a sweet escape to the harsh reality. It¡¯s the best place to stay. And being a detective isn¡¯t that bad.

    As I scroll, a sudden knock at my door jolts me upright¡ªsomeone is knocking in the middle of the night. The sound echoes through my empty apartment, continuous and insistent. I flinch for a moment and freeze in place, my mind going blank. The detective inside me shatters into infinite pieces.

    I live on the 14th floor, the second-to-last in a building that is hardly occupied. The thought sends a chill down my spine. Who would be knocking on my door at this hour? The knocking grows louder, and more aggressive, and a shiver runs through me.

    Deciding to stay quiet, I slip nimbly into the kitchen, my breath harsh and ragged, betraying me with every exhale. I grab the kitchen knife; it almost slips through my sweaty palm. I am not sure whether to call the police or not. What if he is the guy from the upper floor? No¡ªI am in hysterics, walking back and forth in my little room, not knowing where to go. I can feel the demons under my bed go like¡ªwhat the hell is happening?

    Suddenly, my phone buzzes. It''s Adriel.

    ???

    Adriel: Lovisa, you still awake?

    Me: There''s a freak outside my

    door and they won¡¯t stop

    knocking.

    .

    Adriel: What? Are you okay?

    Me: You think?

    Adriel: To think you can''t deal with some pests...

    Me: More like I don''t wanna die!

    Adriel: You are helpless...

    I am coming over, so don¡¯t sulk a lot, princess.

    ???

    I step out of my bedroom and stand in front of the door, holding my breath. The knocking has stopped, but my heart is still pounding, the silence thick and oppressive. I dash back into my room, crouching by my side table to retrieve my watch¡ªsimple on the outside, but with a hidden location tracker. Adriel''s gift.

    I glanced at myself in the mirror. My lavender hair were a mess as they hung loose over my shoulder. My teal eyes were begging for sleep. My zebra-striped night suit hung to my figure. I was in particular a mess. Regardless, I turn around and freeze, the breath leaving my body.

    A tall figure stands in the corner of my room, draped in a ghostly white hooded cloak. He blends into the curtains, motionless, his face shrouded in shadow. I didn¡¯t notice him in the mirror. I looked back at the mirror and saw his reflection¡ªcrystal clear. How could I not notice him earlier?

    My pulse hammers as I clutch the knife tighter.

    "A knife..." he scoffs softly, his voice cold. ¡°That won''t help you."

    My eyes dart toward him, catching a glint of a twisted grin beneath the hood. My limbs shake as I stagger back, the knife handles digging into my sweaty palm.

    I force out a shaky breath. "Why don''t you just kill me and leave me alone?" My voice trembles, but the words spill out before I can stop them.

    He tilts his head slightly, his grin widening. "I can''t." He shrugs casually, his voice low. "I''m not paid to kill you."

 Chapter 2: Sorry (Previously- I dont wanna die frozen like an ice-cream!)

    I''m unsure of what happened after that. He leaped at me suddenly. Before I could scream, he moved behind me, quick as a flash. I managed to stab him in the thigh, but before I could react again, he struck me hard on the neck, and everything went black.

    Now, I find myself stuffed inside an uncomfortable bag, the rough jute scraping painfully against my skin. Oddly, I feel calmer than before. After all, it wouldn''t be a surprise if my life finally came to a full stop. Though I have to admit¡ªI hate waking up again after I''d already made up my mind that I wouldn''t. But I''m stubborn too. I kick against the bag with all my might and drive my elbow hard into his back. Frustratingly, he doesn''t even let out a moan. Then he drops me with a thud and unzips the bag. I jumped out like a maniac, my first instinct was to run. But before I can get far, he grabs my hand tightly. I struggle, barely aware of where I even am.

    "Just take a look at where you are." he sighs, still holding on as I desperately smack his hand, trying to break free from his grip.

    A huge realization washes over me¡ªI¡¯m in a corridor and few people clad in black are staring at me.

    "Where am I?" I shout with all I have.

    He drags me to a room as I struggle like an animal. He opens the door leading to a cell and locks me inside. I lean against the cold wall and notice spider webs clinging to the corners. At least the cell is relatively clean.

    Next, I examine my clothes and see a spray of crimson blood on my pajama near the calf. It must be his blood. I tremble in fear, but pride surges through me for having him harmed, even if just a little. Being a low-grade necromancer is a waste as I can''t summon spirits for my defense and I am grateful that he didn''t use his abilities on me. I glanced at my hand, the watch was still with me, and so Adriel knew my location. Perhaps he''ll blow up this place with a hurricane or something. I mean, he''s reckless and he can manipulate winds. Unlike me, who can just see some petty ghosts.

    He hacked me to be my friend and is a dedicated fan of mine. I thought he was a creep at first and even thought to report him to the cops but then he was a nice guy despite holding a lovely reputation in the underground world. If he saves me today then I probably owe him a portrait of ¨C

    Hold on. Someone is watching over me. I can feel it. It''s not a human... maybe a ghost?

    I swung my head downwards and sighed, it was a presence of a spirit.

    "I know you¡¯re here.¡± I said in an irritated tone.

    The spirit perhaps moved an inch I suppose but it didn''t show up. That''s how mediocre ghosts are. I was disappointed, if it were to be a violent, malicious spirit, it would attack me right away and then the guards or someone would open the gate and¡ªthat would be my escape. I will have to tolerate some injuries that way but it¡¯s fine.

    "Listen. I have no Ouija to talk with you, I can see you if you come out of that goddamn wall." I said, my voice laced with frustration.

    I was hoping to at least gain some information from this pathetic passerby ghost because Olivia gave me all sort of gossips and news. Maybe this ghost could tell me something useful rather than blabbering about how he died. I once met an old ghost who told me his sad life story and lectured me for my rash behavior. It was such an unpleasant memory to be honest and he went on for hours until he became bored and walked away abruptly. There is a limit to mood swings but some people don¡¯t have any.

    After some time, I swear I saw a head pop out of the wall. I almost jumped up, looking at the ghost who had a dirty face and deep blue messy hair. His sapphire eyes still shone in a weird yet calming way.

    "You- can see me?" The ghost asked me with a perplexed expression on his face.

    "Of course, I''m a necromancer after all." I shrugged.

    Perhaps he died recently and doesn''t know much about the ghost realm. But it''s none of my business because I''ll make sure I don''t end up like one.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    "What is this place?" I inquired.

    "Karma''s headquarters. Like, they are a mafia group or sort of." The ghost replied and sat down beside me.

    "You were killed by them?" I asked. I was now curious about this guy.

    "I killed myself, I was a spy." He shrugged nonchalantly as if dying is the most normal thing he can experience.

    "I see..." I replied, "So, Mr. ¨C uh..."

    "Quentin de Luca" He replied.

    "Fine Quentin," I paused, "Do you seek revenge?"

    "No. Why?" he looked at me innocently.

    I was taken aback by this man¡¯s casual demeanor. I was partially jealous of his calm and aloof nature because if I were at his place, I would have killed my killers till now.

    "So, why are you still lurking as a ghost? Why didn''t you move on?" I inquired frustrated.

    "For fun. If that counts?" He rolled his eyes.

    I sighed. He doesn¡¯t take this all seriously. But this is my chance, my chance to get him help me for I, ladies and gentlemen, had a fantastic idea in my mind.

    I leaned in closer, my voice excited but low, "Let me help you kill the guy who was the cause of your death."

    *****

    "Wait, whom is she even talking to?"

    A brown-haired guy with an unshaven chin in his mid-20s looked amused over the large screen. It was the surveillance room.

    The man in a white cloak from before leaned against the wall, well merged within the envelope of darkness. His face was visible even in the dark, especially his icy grey eyes and snow white hair parted carefully on the right.

    The guy in brown spun on his chair and casually stretched.

    "Blizzard," he moaned, "Did you bring a maniac?"

    "More or less." He replied in his deep, husky voice.

    "You..." he was dumbfounded, "Could have finished her off, you know."

    "Behemoth didn''t pay me for that." He walked across the room and grabbed an apple on the table at the far end of the room.

    "He will be infuriated when he knows ¡ª"

    "Do I care?" He snapped and tossed the apple, which he only took one bite of, in the trash can.

    "Mind you," he continued, "It''s not me who needs him, he needs me."

    *****

    Quentin looked at me awkwardly and then... he burst out laughing like an idiot.

    "You kill them? Are you even capable of that?" He chuckled. His laughs echoed through the empty cell.

    Infuriating! I wonder if I can beat him up right now. Maybe there is a way to punch ghosts?

    Suddenly, a bright light fell over me, the gate opened with a huge roaring sound and I didn''t like that. There in front of me were several men. I half expected to see that bastard in white cloak, but he wasn''t there. Instead, a brown-haired guy came toward me, the rest of them stayed behind. The light from outside was pretty much blinding that I couldn''t study his face but regardless he was handsome, I¡¯ll give him that. Quentin and I shot glances at each other as the man stood in the center of the room.

    "Mind if I join you in your little self-talk?" he chuckled at me.

    Oh, he mustn''t know I was talking to a ghost. And then Quentin came behind me, and whispered in my ear, "He''s Walter Uhlmann, and his codename is ECHO."

    "No." I replied firmly, "I would love to be left alone."

    He grinned at me and bent down. Before I knew it, his cold amber eyes collided with my pitch-black eyes. He held my chin in his hands and forced me to look at him, "You will die soon." He said and waited, perhaps waiting for my reaction but I looked at him indifferently.

    "Blizzard will ruin your pretty face like that... Maybe if you become my toy then-

    I head-butt him the moment he spilled those words. I looked back at Quentin, who luckily cooperated. He used his powers and a sparkling, scalding jet of blue water, blue as his eyes, dragged all the men away.

    I realized ¡ª He''s strong. But then, people who killed him... are stronger?

    He came from behind and broke the cuffs. I quickly got up, not wasting another minute. He led me to a sort of storeroom and pointed at a vent in the ceiling. He was perhaps worried about how I would reach there and before he found a ladder, I was already in the vent. I just climbed one of the shelves and went insidthere. It was a risky gamble but it worked.

    I was crawling in the vent when he poked his face out in the narrow vent right in front of me.

    "Holy ¡ª" I gasped. "You almost got me."

    "Perks of being a ghost." He winked.

    ¡°Why are you helping me?¡± I asked softly, my eyes filled with gratitude.

    ¡°I am bored.¡± He said straight away.

    ¡°You¡¯re bored, so you¡¯re helping me?¡± I looked at him skeptically.

    He just shrugged, ¡°I can be a little hero for the time being.¡±

    There was silence for a few minutes. I was not appreciating the fact that he helped me for his own entertainment rather than genuinely helping me out, but I was feeling relaxed that he seemed to have no ulterior moves behind his actions. I crawled a bit further and remarked, "I think you became stronger after you died."

    It was my theory to justify him wiping off those guys despite having died at the hands of people from the same organization.

    "No, my powers diminished than before."

    "So... how are you gonna fight those guys if they ¡ª"

    "Sorry." He mumbled.

    I was speechless. Did he just mumbled an apology? Does he think this is some circus? How dare he experiment with my life?

    "Now you gotta be kidding me." I mumbled frustrated.

    And then, an inch away from me an icicle popped from below, tearing the vent and my cheek''s flesh simultaneously. I felt the cold piercing touch with a minor pain and there was a crimson trail flowing from my cheek.

    Now, I never really wanted to die frozen like an ice cream and yes, I laughed.

 Chapter 3: SHES NOT MY GIRL! (Adriels POV)

    (Adriel)

    "To think she got kidnapped so easily." I scoffed, "I expected more from her."

    "She''s just a low-grade necromancer, it''s enough for her to survive against Karma," Yannick said who walked quietly beside me.

    We stopped at a cliff, taking refuge in the shadows of the trees. It was a moonlit night that shone all over the panoramic view of the headquarters.

    "What are you waiting for? Just go find Behemoth already." I ordered.

    Yannick sighed, he was surely annoyed by being ordered around me. Nevertheless, he shape-shifted into a hawk and dived toward the headquarters.

    I sat down, leaning against the old oak tree. I was sure she was trying her way to break out and make all of those guys regret their life to capture her. But, she could have been dead long ago.

    I put my thoughts on a halt for a second, filling my lungs with the damp fragrance of the grass. Perhaps, they are trying to sabotage me by putting her life on the line. Thinking, I would gamble for her. If this ever happens, will I give up everything for her? I mean, she''s just an illustrator living with ghosts. Why would I give my whole life to her? I just liked her art style and I want her to draw a portrait for me.

    Right- I won''t leave her till she draws my portrait. That feisty, lazy cat keeps on procrastinating when it comes to drawing my portrait.

    Then, I saw Yannick from a distance, circling over an area above the headquarters. I flew over to him quickly. Some guards saw us and there was a siren which set off.

    I love how they welcome their intruders!

    I stretched out my left hand nonchalantly. There was a sudden change in the surroundings, there was hardly any wind before, and now, there are gusts of strong wind blowing over the area. It''s my work. I can, after all, control wind or Aerokinesis, they say.

    I concentrated wind energy in my left palm and aimed for the window. Time to pay a visit to my good ol'' friend Behemoth. I hovered in the air for a few seconds, preparing for the welcome attack. I let go of a strong gust of wind before their men could attack us. The musical sound of the windows being shattered touched my ears. I flew inside the room from the broken windows, to meet my friend of course!

    I swiftly flew inside the room through the broken windows and signaled Yannick to search for the stupid girl.

    "Look who''s here!"

    Behemoth laughed and looked at me. His dirty blonde hair fell over his forehead and his mossy green eyes looked at me from above his spectacles.

    "You haven''t changed a bit." I clenched my jaws, even his face was infuriating enough for me.

    "You hoped I would change?" He mocked and put his hand on his chest.

    My lips curled into a smirk, "You need a memory refresher now."

    "But I am assuming you didn''t come here to talk of the golden memories."

    "Right, you dared to kidnap someone I know." I let out a small chuckle.

    "I don''t remember giving an order to kidnap anyone." He tilted his head slightly.

    "So now you''re suggesting that I''m wrong" I pinched the bridge of my nose and my temper started to rise.

    "There must be some misunderstanding." He shrugged casually.

    "Don''t give me that attitude." I snapped and forced a gust of wind to enter the room through the broken windows. His spectacles flew away with the wind as he struggled with the gust of wind. I stopped the assault with my wind.

    "You cocky wind user." Behemoth laughed.

    "Where is she?" I asked and stepped closer to him to stand face to face.

    "I have no clue." He shrugged again.

    I grabbed his collar, "Spit. Out." I commanded.

    "I''m not interested in kidnapping your girl." He protested.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    "She''s not my girl!" I spoke up abruptly.

    "Then why are you so concerned?" He grabbed my hand to let go of his collar stood beside me and gave a playful nudge to my elbow.

    "I''m not concerned, I''m just-" I stammered as if all the words were dead but I was forced to speak up again, "I''m just a fan of her art style."

    "Oh, she''s an artist?" he mused, "Well, we certainly are not interested in kidnapping artists."

    "And, what if I found her here?" I crossed my arms.

    "Then, we can have a fight." He said and went back to put his chair back in its place which was displaced by the wind.

    I laughed, "You think your Alchemy can fight with me?"

    He remained quiet, but a prominent smirk floated on his pale and ghastly face. I plopped down on the little chair which survived the wind.

    Now, I''ll wait for Yan to bring that idiot back.

    *****

    (Lovisa)

    A drop of blood fell from my cheek. To think that a petty necromancer like me will ever get caught in such a big mess. I''m not even born strong and yet I''m here.

    Before I could glance at Quentin again or utter a word, I came down crashing on the ground. The noise was as loud as thunder. I felt a shiver run down my spine, it was strikingly cold. My head spun and I held my head, slowly sitting on the ground. I looked up. Him again.

    A part of me wanted to scream, but I laughed. Habits, you know.

    "We meet again, sir," I said sounding as pleasant as I could.

    I expected him to speak something, but he didn''t. He looked at me and raised his left arm. I quickly backed off. He dashed at me, creating a beautiful ice dagger in a fraction of a second. He nearly got me, but Quentin let out an enormous jet of water. It was clear that he was at his limit.

    Ghosts are like a glitch. They are the bugs in the system of life and death. However, if a person with meticulous abilities were to die and become a ghost due to reasons, he still possesses his abilities in the form of ''Hex''. Hex in simple terms is like a weakened form of abilities of a person. If a person dies, their powers are weakened. If the ghost possesses an object under a contract with a necromancer, then their lost power will be regained as Hex, and in some cases, they can be stronger than their human form, but it solely depends on how powerful the necromancer is.

    Also, if a ghost were to use excessive Hex without a contract, they are prone to become visible to humans till the time they restore their Hex from the environment, and assuming in this form, Quentin is a D-grade ghost. So, we don''t stand a chance against this ice maniac.

    Quentin shot a glance at me. A signal to run to be precise and I did. I ran as fast as I could. My breath was ragged and labored. I was in some endless corridor, running hopelessly in every direction. The impact of the collapse started to have an effect on me. My body ached, I am not used to all this stuff.

    I don''t know but it seems that the heavens grudge me now. In the midst of some unknown commotion, I ran into the annoying brown-haired guy from before. His plain white shirt stuck to his body, revealing his abs while his blue jeans were dripping, leaving a wet trail behind him. He also had a bruise on his forehead which in my opinion was deserved actually.

    "So the princess is trying to run away?" He said, his dirty face looked up and down my figure.

    I threw my head up in disbelief and laughed, "Run away? I was just exploring these wonderful corridors."

    I walked a few steps towards him. There was a good difference of quite a meter among us.

    "Quite an explorer!" He remarked, "But, now you''re coming with me."

    He stretched his right arm and pointed a pistol at me. I decided to play along and held my hands in the air.

    "Easy." I said, "I thought you were an ability user."

    "Who told you I''m not an ability user?" He smirked and tilted his head, "I feed on emotions, darling."

    This guy is full of surprises. I don''t find him menacing at all, despite having him talk big.

    He observed me and as I am guessing he can read emotions. So, he must be disappointed in reading my emotions.

    He sighed and covered his face with his hand, the pistol still pointed towards me.

    "Looks like, I have to show you a bit of my power."

    How I hoped I could have been scared at this, well knowing that he is dangerous!

    And he lowered down the pistol and kept it back in his waist leather belt which was as brown as his hair. From his right hand, a bright pink chain lashed out towards me. I felt my whole body jerk at his sudden attack.

    "Love chains." He commented, "It can enslave a person and make them fall in love."

    The actual heck! Wasn''t he about emotions? And why did this cringe move out of everything?

    I started to run. A desperate effort despite knowing I would be caught. How can I fall in love with such a cringe person? Wasn''t there anyone better?

    I felt a swift white thing fly towards me and it smacked the chains on the ground.

    A hawk. I don''t know, but a hawk saved me from a major catastrophe. But it simply implies that a hawk is better than me.

    Walter''s eyes darkened. I could see a maniacal look on his face. He started to move forward in the direction of the hawk.

    "Who are you?" He asked the hawk.

    The hawk suddenly changed into a human. Now, there was someone in front of me with messy white hair, reaching his shoulders. He had a lanky build and a pale white complexion. He stood with his back against me. I couldn''t help but feel this person oddly familiar.

    "Tsk. Tsk. You are an ordinary shapeshifter." He shook his head sorrowfully, "I hoped for something better."

    Suddenly, a loud siren set off.

    "Intruders? Must be you guys then." He looked at the shapeshifter.

    The shapeshifter looked at me and said, "I''m with Adriel, wait for a moment till I handle this man."

    I nodded in agreement and went towards a corner in the corridor. I remember him, he is supposed to be some Nick or something. I can''t help but sulk. If I were to be born with some good powers, I would be invincible and win every battle. Yet, here I am, acting as a damsel in distress. I stomped the ground with my foot and looked at those guys. I was too angry to listen to their conversation. Everyone gets to have fun while I sulk around (Fun for Lovisa is to battle at par with her opponents).

    I looked at those guys again. Nick or whoever he may be, turned into a magnificent white serpent and the other guy was throwing fire at him. Bright crimson fire mingled with venom. So, the love chain thing must be his Lust/Love form and this one must be his Anger form. I can''t help but admire them. They look so focused and proud of themselves. Why was I born so weak?

 Chapter 4: I wont be a damsel in distress

    I realized my brain was not in the right place. No, I didn¡¯t realize a few things.

    First and foremost, I am not at anyone¡¯s mercy to be saved. I can get out on my own. Second, the corridors are empty as most of them would be occupied with Adriel. This gives me a clear opportunity to run away. Third, this guy is using flames inside the building so there is a sure chance he will burn this place down.

    Without any thought, I started to run towards the faint presence of Quentin I could sense. If I were to dump that ice guy on this shapeshifter as well, Quentin will accompany me then. If Quentin is with me, then I can make sure to get away safely.

    Not that I don¡¯t trust Adriel, but I don¡¯t want to be called as a damsel in distress. I hate those good-for-nothing damsels. I will risk my life, but I won¡¯t bare myself to be called that.

    I was almost there when suddenly, a mountain of ice broke in the corridor. I stopped in my path, saved from being frozen a second time. Quentin poked his head out of the wall in his usual fashion and was dumbstruck to see me there, looking at him.

    ¡°Are you dumb or something?¡± He asked quietly.

    ¡°No, follow me.¡± I commanded him.

    ¡°You wanna join me in my ghost party?¡± He asked, still amazed by my stupidity.

    ¡°For god¡¯s sake follow me!¡± I spoke abruptly.

    Quentin groaned in annoyance. Then, there was a roar of the walls shattering. Blizzard started walking towards us. I started to run. Quentin gave him a final splash of water, to stun him momentarily and hovered besides me.

    I ran through the corridor. Every instinct screaming inside me. I took a quick glance behind.

    Dude was ice skating at the speed of light-

    I ran the fastest I could, faster than the time I won a silver medal in my high school. If only he would have been chasing me then, I would have entered nationals.

    I reached those two guys. Who were still indulged in fighting. The shapeshifter turned into a serpent and swiftly dodged his flames. There was now a cloud of smoke engulfing the area. Great! The building was on fire. That¡¯s what I exactly needed.

    ¡°Nick!¡± I called out. I was feeling embarrassed if I called out the wrong name, but that was of my least concern.

    The two figures stop moving and stared at me. I ran towards Nick or whoever he may be and pointed out towards the ice guy, who stopped at the end of the corridor.

    ¡°He¡¯s trying to kill me!¡± I shouted.

    He looked at the guy. His white cloak was torn and water dripped from his body. Quentin surely gave him a hard time.

    ¡°I will handle him, don¡¯t worry.¡± He reassured me and turned into a magnificent serpent.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    I shot a victorious glance towards Quentin who was oblivious to what I was scheming.

    Walter leaped at Nick, with fire enveloped around his fist. Nick slithered away to the left swiftly.

    The ice guy leaned against the wall casually. He was perhaps confident that Walter will handle it.

    ¡°You are pissing me off.¡± Walter hissed, ¡°This time I will put an end to your little games!¡±

    He took a few steps behind and summoned a spiral of fire around him. The ice guy suddenly ran towards them, ¡°Stop it, Echo!¡± He shouted, ¡°You will burn the whole building!¡±

    But he didn¡¯t budged, it was impossible for him to take back this much amount of magic back.

    I started to back off slowly and then in a second, I started to run. Quentin followed me.

    ¡°Quentin, get me out of here!¡± I said in hysterics, ¡°I don¡¯t wanna die!¡±

    ¡°Stop.¡± He commanded, ¡°I have an easy way to get you out of here.¡±

    I looked at him, my eyes twinkling with hope.

    He sighed and ran his hand through his blue hair. ¡°Stay still and cover your head with your hands.¡±

    I did as I was told. He was the only support I had right now.

    He stood seriously in front of me and exhaled loudly through his mouth.

    ¡°Ready? 1...2...3... and...¡±

    I felt pressure over my body. Before I knew it, I was flying backwards inside the water. I couldn¡¯t breathe. I wasn¡¯t ready for this. My ears were filled with water and I couldn¡¯t hear anything. I felt numb... and dumb to trust this guy. Why didn¡¯t Satan drag him to hell already? What sins I did to end up here? After a while, I felt a blow of wind running through my whole body. I opened my eyes and realized I was descending towards the ground. I wanted to let out a scream, but I couldn¡¯t. I felt drowsy. That¡¯s not what I planned. The idiot ruined it all. If only I had some strong powers then maybe...

    *****

    (Adriel)

    I was still standing face to face in front of behemoth. I could sense the entire Karma headquarter around me. One move and they¡¯ll attack at me together. But do I care? Am I afraid? No.

    I just stood as still as a stone, staring him in his soul. But he¡¯s also a brat, he won¡¯t give up that easily until he irks me up completely. How I wish to snap his turtle like small neck at this moment. This anger won¡¯t subdue. Why am I angry? I¡¯m not angry for her surely. This guy just got that kind of face and I can¡¯t help it.

    I was dancing with my own thoughts when a loud sound of a glass break and the splashing of water ringed in our ears. We all looked outside. There was a girl falling before our eyes. There was Lovisa falling before my eyes. A part of me wanted to kill Behemoth there only, but I rushed towards her through the broken window of his office.

    I swear I have never felt so afraid. It¡¯s all because of that idiot Lovisa. Even her name makes me cringe out or maybe not.

    *****

    (Quentin)

    Shit, I went overboard! My hex is running out and my control over my powers is losing. Anyhow, I need to save her, although a ghost friend might be good too. I shook off my evil thoughts and flew across the broken window. I peered down, she was falling. I tried to do water bending, to cushion her fall with water, but I couldn¡¯t control it.

    Suddenly, suddenly, the winds grew violent. I looked at my left, it was a guy coming to save her. I don¡¯t know much about Lovisa, but she doesn¡¯t seems like a princess who would love to be saved by some random guy.

    I immediately looked towards the ground. A faction of seconds. I have to save her in a faction of seconds. I put all my hex in controlling the water. Anyhow, somehow, please work. The other guy was almost near and could save her.

    Oh blue waters, hear my call...

    The water glittered and enveloped around Lovisa. From the water, the heavenly maiden ¡®Umika¡¯ summoned. I couldn¡¯t believe it, never in my life as a human was I able to summon a water deity. Her ethereal glow, her long silken hair shimmering in the darkness set the whole surroundings in silence. She¡¯s the 12<sup>th</sup> maiden of the water shrine- the dew deity. She might be of the lowest rank in the water shrine, but she¡¯s the youngest deity the shrines have ever had. She is just like a 9 year old human kid in physique and mentality. But that makes her the most difficult to summon as she is a stubborn child.

    Is Lovisa a lucky charm? If I stay with her will I get more shrine deities? Or is it solely because of my capabilities?

    Umika laid Lovisa on the ground and the other guy watched from the distance. I still can¡¯t understand how I summoned a deity?

 Chapter 5: Deserved

    I felt a soothing presence around me. My body relaxed in the cool embrace. My palpitations stopped. I opened my eyes and found a kid staring at me.

    She had brilliant blue eyes like Quentin, white marble hair with a blue tint, a small mouth and she gazed at me intently. I slowly got up.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked softly.

    ¡°Umika. The 12<sup>th</sup> deity of the Water Shrine.¡± She said with an undeniable presence of pride in her voice.

    ¡°Thanks for saving me.¡± I smiled.

    She smiled back. Quentin came towards us.

    ¡°You are- Umika right? The 12<sup>th</sup> deity of the Water Shrine. Did I summon you by any chance? How can I summon a deity despite being a ghost? How-¡±

    He went on and on. Suddenly, I saw Adriel coming towards me. Quentin and the deity looked at him. He knelt besides me and grabbed me by my shoulders.

    ¡°Are you hurt?¡± He asked and scanned me from head to toe for any signs of injury.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± I replied quickly and released myself from his grip on my shoulders.

    ¡°Who threw you from there? Who was that petty water user?¡± He shook me possessively.

    That¡¯s right, he can¡¯t see Quentin and Umika. I looked wide-eyed and awkwardly at him. I was unsure of what to say. Not able to find a perfect lie. I gulped nervously. Yes, nervously because I don¡¯t want him to know that I paired with a ghost just because I don¡¯t wanted to feel vulnerable but if I lie, that will also make me sound vulnerable.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t intentional.¡± I murmured.

    ¡°Oh really? Come on don¡¯t be an angel.¡± He put a hand on my shoulder.

    ¡°You are so worried about me.¡± I smirked because he was way more distressed than me.

    ¡°I- I will be worried of course. They could kill you.¡± He replied trying to uphold his poker face.

    ¡°Funny. I never knew you are that of a bleeding heart.¡± I poked him.

    ¡°I am not a bleeding heart! It is only natural for me to be concerned.¡± He protested.

    ¡°Bleeding-heart~¡± I teased him.

    He clenched his fits. I know he probably wanna blow me away with a blow of wind, but he wouldn¡¯t.

    ¡°We are in the enemy¡¯s base right now, there¡¯s no time to mess with each other.¡± He looked back, there was a group of people coming after us. We stood up and faced towards the people approaching us.

    ¡°Karma huh.¡± I scoffed.

    He didn¡¯t expect me to know about this and he was begrudgingly amused, he looked at me, ¡°How did you know about Karma?¡±

    ¡°I have my own ways.¡± I whistled.

    He looked at me and said, ¡°Full of surprises aren¡¯t you?¡± he looked up and down my body, ¡°But, you are just that small to eavesdrop in any convo.¡± He smirked.

    There it was, his usual way to irk me up but I composed myself quickly. His usual comment over my height is just hilarious. I sighed internally.

    I looked back to Quentin and Umika, they were chatting on their own. Quentin, who was amused over this summon and Umika, who was- well annoyed with him---, it was written all over her pretty round face.

    Suddenly, I sneezed.

    ¡°You are not even resistant to cold.¡± He mocked me.

    Slowly, he removed his jacket and put it around me.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you being extra nice today?¡± I asked him.

    ¡°Well, can¡¯t help if you noticed it today only, darling.¡± He replied.

    His sarcastic responses and the way he jokingly said me ¡®darling¡¯ was riling me up. If I could send him flying across with the winds, I would have done it eons ago.

    He stepped forward, towards those guys who stopped at a distance. In the midst, was perhaps their leader. He wore a tuxedo black coat and omitted an aura, a vibe of authority which was perhaps intimidating. He looked middle-aged, had a prominent scar on his left cheek. A golden earring hung on his right ear. His hair were parted carefully from the center and the left side was left loosely on his face in an attempt to cover up the scar. I back off a little and sat down, close enough to whisper to Quentin.

    ¡°Quentin!¡± I whispered, he was in a whimsical state of happiness and disbelief.

    ¡°Quentin!¡± I whispered rather audibly to others.

    Adriel looked over at me, ¡°Got a problem?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± I said firmly.

    He looked at me for a while, to ensure I was not lying and went up to speak to the leader whom he addressed as Behemoth.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    ¡°Care to explain, Behemoth?¡± He said in a low dangerous tone.

    I felt shivers through my spine as I heard his voice. It was threatening. I have never seen this side of his. I shook my head and once again called to Quentin.

    He broke from his thoughts and asked abruptly, ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s that guy?¡± I pointed towards the guy at the center.

    ¡°Behemoth. He¡¯s a hell of a beast.¡± He rested his face on his palm.

    ¡°Hell of a beast? That¡¯s a nice intro.¡± I scoffed, ¡°Does he have some beastly powers or something?¡±

    ¡°Alchemy.¡± He replied nonchalantly.

    ¡°Alchemy? I thought he would have a more bulky power.¡± I looked at him slightly disappointed.

    ¡°Well, he is extremely rich, that¡¯s the main point. Whatever he touch turns into gold but of course, if he wishes to turn it then only.¡±

    I was surprised. If I had a power like that, I¡¯d bring an army to protect me, live my life buying companies, resorts, hotels. I¡¯d have jewels stacked to the ceiling, a fleet of luxury cars, and a mansion on every coast. Instead, here I am¡ªa petty necromancer. I was so jealous that I was worried if my face was turning green and my hands found my cheeks instinctively. -

    ¡°I have no idea where she summoned from.¡± Behemoth shrugged casually.

    My attention diverted towards the guys, the tension in the air was palpable.

    ¡°Are they bad guys?¡± Umika asked.

    I looked at her curious expression, ¡°More or less.¡±

    She shook her head in understanding. If anyone were to see us together, we would like three little kids sitting together, casually witnessing a fight amongst some neighborhood aunts.

    ¡°What do you mean she got summoned? She was kidnapped!¡± Adriel yelled at them.

    ¡°Easy brother.¡± A man chimed in, ¡°She¡¯s just a toy, why mess up your relation with us?¡±

    ¡°You are a toy, bastard!¡± I shouted casually and lift my middle finger to him with a smug expression.

    ¡°Vulgar.¡± Umika commented.

    ¡°Deserved.¡± I whispered back.

    Adriel laughed at the other guy, who was obviously riled up by now. Behemoth held him back and signaled him to not do anything rash.

    ¡°Well,¡± he laughed, ¡°She¡¯s quite skilled to put bastards like you at your place. Nice move.¡± He clapped with a smirk on.

    I looked at Quentin and whispered, ¡°What should we do now?¡±

    He darted at me, ¡°What do you intend to do now.¡± He huffed in annoyance.

    ¡°I¡¯m bored.¡± I protested childishly.

    He motioned me to stay quiet and I turned my attention towards those guys.

    ¡°I need an explanation.¡± He demanded.

    ¡°Explanation? I have never seen her before in my life.¡± Behemoth replied and crossed his arms over his chest.

    ¡°So, who was the men who kidnapped her?¡± Adriel¡¯s voice dropped dangerously.

    There was an uncomfortable silence. All the men from the opposite party exchanged glances amongst each other.

    Adriel turned towards me. His expressionless face gazing at me with unusual softness behind his ravenous black eyes.

    ¡°Lovisa. Who kidnapped you?¡± He asked softly.

    I looked at Quentin. He took the hint and answered, ¡°Blizzard.¡±

    Right, I forgot his name. I turned to Adriel and replied, ¡°Blizzard.¡±

    He turned to Behemoth, ¡°Where¡¯s this fella?¡± He asked trying to maintain his composure as if he could erupt at any given moment.

    I could see right through his expression. He was as dangerous as lurking around an active volcano that could engulf you in any moment.

    ¡°Blizzard.¡± He called out, his eyes scanning for him in the sea of faces.

    ¡°He¡¯s not here.¡± Someone shouted from the crowd.

    I don¡¯t know if there could be a more perfect moment than this, but suddenly the nearest building was on fire and there was a huge sound of explosion.

    Everyone was alarmed. I got up and so did the other two monkeys with me. The next moment, we saw icicles coming out from one of the floors.

    ¡°Could it be those two?¡± Quentin asked in bewilderment.

    ¡°Yeah, I guess.¡± I saw the dangerous combination of fire and ice at play and in the midst of it we knew was a shapeshifter struggling.

    ¡°You petty human are struggling with fire and ice.¡± Umika sighed.

    ¡°Can you do something?¡± I asked her skeptically.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a choice.¡± She shrugged proudly, ¡°A goddess has to save the humans.¡±

    ¡°No one¡¯s dying here.¡± Quentin chimed in.

    We three looked at each other and thought of the same thing ¨C do nothing.

    We looked back at the mayhem. Ashes and ice sparks in the windy night cutting across the full moon. Water ability users controlled the raging fire. There were voices filling the otherwise quiet night.

    A dragon flew out of the building. Standing close the edge were two familiar faces. Walter and Blizzard. Both the parties suffered significant damage.

    Hold on¡ªa dragon! I have never seen a dragon. I was speechless and happy and excited. My eyes might have twinkled at seeing a dragon. I suddenly felt someone nudging me. For lord¡¯s sake, Umika.

    ¡°You have never seen a dragon?¡± She teased, ¡°I have got many dragon friends, what a pity.¡±

    She kept on flaunting, telling little tales about her dragon friends.

    ¡°But,¡± she added, ¡°This is not a real dragon, he¡¯s a human.¡±

    I looked at her in disbelief. Not finding the right words to get out of my throats.

    ¡°I think he¡¯s a shapeshifter or something.¡± She looked intently at the fake dragon.

    A wave of realization washed over me. I have been so excited that I forgot Yannick exists.

    ¡°Can a shapeshifter turn into a dragon?¡± I muttered under my breath. It¡¯s quite admirable to be honest.

    ¡°It¡¯s my first time witnessing such a phenomenon, but I guess he has seen a dragon before.¡± She shrugged like usual.

    I was dumbfound. Why, out of everyone, am I the only person to miss all the things? But, at least I have seen a shrine god. I looked at Umika. She is just like a little kid but she has that divine aura. Her white-blue marble bangs covered her little forehead.

    I glanced at Quentin. He was just looking at Umika. Must be a lucky guy to summon a god but I wonder why he has been awfully quiet than before.

    Adriel came over to me, striding with his long legs. He grabbed my shoulders gently, ¡°Stay here. I am going to calm down Yannick.¡±

    I nod my head in understanding. He flew, a blow of wind following his direction. Guys are impossible to understand.

    My eyes followed his figure. He flew effortlessly and went on one of the buildings behind Yannick. They were not audible to me. But, Yannick did respond to him. I stretched my arms.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± I announced and started to walk away.

    ¡°Where?¡± Umika caught up to me and Quentin followed behind closely.

    ¡°To my home.¡± I replied.

    ¡°Why should I go with you?¡± Quentin spoke with irritation visible in his tone.

    ¡°Fine, don¡¯t come.¡± I retort back.

    He rolled his eyes as I momentarily stopped. I looked at Umika, ¡°You¡¯re not going back?¡±

    ¡°You want me to go back?¡± She looked at me puppy-eyed.

    I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose, ¡°You won¡¯t go back to the shrine?¡±

    ¡°Can I join you?¡± She pleaded, ¡°Pleaseee...¡±

    I let out another sigh. ¡°Why do you want to join me?¡±

    ¡°Remember why I was summoned?¡± She asked.

    I gave her a skeptical look. Quentin drew in closer eagerly.

    ¡°Gods are not easily summoned. However, if a god wants, they can be summoned accidently by the user under the same shrine.¡± She paused and looked at us, ¡°I am the most mischievous deity in the shrine, and I want the extraordinary. Quentin is a capable ghost, he could open the gates of my shrine, and you on the other hand are a weak necromancer.¡±

    The word ¡®weak necromancer¡¯ tore through my heart, ¡°Thanks for the reminder.¡± I mumbled. But she is just here for fun, because I¡¯m weak and dependent.

    I looked at Quentin. He is cooperative, but not a person I could get along with. If only Olivia was here... But that¡¯s how life is. On the contrary, I¡¯m having a God at my side.

 Chapter 6: Lovisa Dies?

    There was smoke and ashes covering the place. I could hardly see Lovisa from here. But I convinced myself that there¡¯s no need to see her whatever the case may be.

    ¡°That¡¯s all Yannick, stop fighting.¡± I ordered him.

    There was silence all over as I ordered Yannick. He flew back towards the building and changed into his human form. His figure was all bruised and he looked pathetic, he sat down on the ground taking support from the wall. I turned behind. Behemoth and his right and left hand men were there with him.

    ¡°I need an explanation.¡± I demanded.

    The two of the chaotic mess who were equally wounded as Yannick came and stood beside the three men.

    ¡°My men are a bit rash, you should have considered before stepping in my territory.¡± He said with a slight smirk, his eyes shot between me and Yannick, ¡°He¡¯s quite good whatever.¡±

    He walked past me and towards Yannick. He kneeled over to Yannick, ¡°Must be pathetic to be ordered around him, young man.¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± I snapped.

    He cut me off and stood straight face to face to me with his hands behind his back, he smiled slightly. His golden disheveled hair fell over his forehead, ¡°No need to be so defensive, my dear.¡±

    ¡°First, you kidnap someone and then one of my men fought solo with these two bullshits.¡± I spoke in a harsh tone, trying to control my voice, trying not to let him get under my skin which was in vain of course.

    ¡°Bullshits? You have no grace in your words, Paradox.¡± He put on a new pair of spectacles which one of his men gave.

    ¡°Tell me why you kidnapped her in the first place.¡± I ignored his attempt to lecture me and tried to stick on the primary conflict.

    ¡°We didn¡¯t kidnap her.¡± Behemoth said firmly and stood inches away from me, ¡°Stop acc¡ª

    The guy in the torned and drenched white cloak spoke up, ¡°I kidnapped her.¡±

    All eyes were directed towards him who just casually blurted out such infuriating words.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    I and Behemoth asked together. I knew I cared more for her then I should and it¡¯s frustrating.

    The wind blew giving chills. The smoke and ash which covered the air cleared away.

    ¡°You told me to kill, but she witnessed the crime so I had no choice but to bring her here and I didn¡¯t kill her because I was not paid for it.¡± He explained nonchalantly, leaning against the wall still bleeding.

    ¡°Seems like we had a misunderstanding.¡± Behemoth stepped away from me.

    ¡°W-we sure did.¡± I stammered, embarrassed that I was so panic-stricken because of her.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°But, he was on his job so he had to do it anyways and she¡¯s lucky that he didn¡¯t just finish her instantly.¡± He walked away.

    ¡°More like you guys are lucky that he didn¡¯t harm her.¡± I shot a death stare at Behemoth.

    He scoffed but remained quiet. After a while, he broke the silence, ¡°But make sure to pay for the mess you¡¯ve created.¡±

    I sighed, knowing well that I had to, ¡°Fine.¡± I groaned.

    I helped Yannick to get on his feet. He put his arm around me and I flew away. I was relaxed to see her where I left her although she has been acting strange lately, always staring in a distance. Yannick looked at me with anger, ¡°It¡¯s all because you¡¯re such a lovesick puppy.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me, what?¡± I looked at him in disbelief.

    ¡°Lovesick puppy, fan boy.¡± He repeated, ¡°Are you deaf or what?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re my right-hand man, behave like it and I¡¯m not whatever you say.¡± I protested.

    ¡°Deny all you can.¡± He looked away.

    If I could, I would have punched him but he¡¯s already in such a miserable state, which is deserved in my opinion. I decided to stay quiet. We landed softly on the ground. Everything was wrapped up. It was a good ending. I had Lovisa with me and I got this idiot back alive. I looked at Yannick who was still pissed off. I let him rest on the ground and walked towards Lovisa.

    ¡°Yes, yes, go for your girl.¡± He taunted me.

    ¡°Shut up.¡± I mumbled and started to walk away.

    My eyes were fixed on her. Her eyes darted from one place to another as if talking to someone or was she just being wary of something? That¡¯s the worst way to be wary of something, there are all ways to attack her right now if someone wished to.

    I opened my mouth to speak something, but before I could utter even a single word, there was a big fire blast over her, right over her. My eyes widened in shock, I stayed frozen for a few seconds before running to her. But I felt someone¡¯s grip over me. I looked behind me. Yannick.

    ¡°Leave me.¡± I struggled.

    ¡°It¡¯s too late.¡± He mumbled.

    I stopped struggling and looked at him. His eyes met mine, ¡°This fire blast was by a master, she can¡¯t survive it.¡±

    A tear rolled down my cheek. I could sense the magic power, he is right. More tears felt through my cheek as I collapsed on the ground. I didn¡¯t know why. Why I was crying for her? Why did I care so much for her? But it hurt too much. Too much for me to stand.

    It was suddenly windless, dry and gloomy all around. Behemoth and the entire Karma was watching me defeated, crying hopelessly over her death. Ain¡¯t no way she could survive it. But a part of me wished for a miracle. If she comes back, I will never let her be with herself. I will always protect her. I cursed myself for being incompetent to protect her, for always behaving like a jerk towards her. I was in short, a disappointment.

    I lowered my head as tears continue to drip down my face. I felt someone kneel besides me. Behemoth. I can feel him. I wiped my tears but let my head hung lower, I didn¡¯t had the energy left to deal with him, I didn¡¯t had any energy to meet his or anyone else¡¯s eyes. I just want to see her in her beautiful teal eyes, but it¡¯s not possible.

    ¡°Can you feel it?¡± He said in an almost whisper, close to my ear.

    ¡°Feel what?¡± I inhaled deeply, trying to calm myself down and play strong.

    ¡°The faint presence of some magic?¡± He asked.

    I stopped for a moment, trying to gather my thoughts, as I let my senses melt with the surroundings. There was indeed one, no... three presence.

    I looked at him suddenly with hope, ¡°Does that mean?¡±

    ¡°She may be alive.¡± He said, looking at the bright hell red flames, ¡°But these flames are quite¡ªethereal.¡±

    I looked at it, it sure did. Suddenly, there was a bright, sparkling stream of blue which came from within the flame enveloped area. The flame and smoke dispelled and the entire place was filled with tiny dew drops reflecting the moonshine. It was a spectacular sight to see but I was still fighting back anxious tears.

    From inside, a little girl of nine years or so emerged. Her smooth, glass like long white-blue marble hair flowed freely with the soothing wind and her bright blue eyes looked at us as she floated in the air. She was a deity for sure. The aura, the demeanor and power she excluded was not ordinary in any sense. And there was Lovisa, casually sitting on the ground with a poker face like nothing happened at all. This little moron will be the death of me.

 Chapter 7: Who Died?

    ¡°As an offering, you can give me a tour to your petty human world. Feel grateful for this opportunity.¡± Umika blabbered.

    ¡°Why should I give offerings to you?¡± I retort.

    ¡°Because I¡¯m a goddess, dumb.¡± She replied haughtily.

    ¡°I am not even born under the Water shrine, I¡¯m born under the Death Shrine so there¡¯s no need for me to worship you.¡± I justified.

    ¡°Death Shrine. Are you born under the blessings of Goddess Banshee?¡± she inquired.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± I replied.

    She burst off laughing, ¡°Banshee? She is a fool and a weakling.¡± She teased.

    ¡°But Banshee defeated you several times according to the myths.¡± Quentin chimed in.

    ¡°She was just lucky, and I have defeated her 6 times, she only defeated me 5 times.¡± Umika pouted angrily.

    ¡°That means you are on an equal pace with her.¡± Quentin shrugged.

    ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± Umika protested, ¡°Moreover, I¡¯m cuter, she¡¯s just an old hag who looks like a teenage girl.¡±

    ¡°And you look like a kid.¡± I commented.

    ¡°Impudence! How dare you talk like this to a god?¡± She was pretty pissed off. Her bright turquoise eyes flared up.

    She looked at us. We looked at her. We were not afraid by an inch.

    ¡°I will take back my blessings!¡± She threatened.

    ¡°You need to ask Goddess Banshee if you need to neutralize my power and not that I care much, I¡¯m just a petty necromancer.¡± I shrugged.

    She looked at me, pissed off and then turned to Quentin, ¡°I was the one who blessed you with Water manipulation, no?¡±

    ¡°The blessing has turned to hex, you need to go to some death deity.¡± Quentin brushed her threat away.

    Her cheeks turned pink, she was pouting real hard, ¡°I¡¯m going away you petty mortals.¡±

    She walked away a bit. We watched her silently go away.

    ¡°You need to open the portal to go away, goddess.¡± Quentin said sarcastically.

    Umika turned towards us abruptly, ¡°You¡¯re supposed to stop me!¡± She grumbled.

    Before we could answer anything, there was something huge coming towards us and in a blink, it crashed above us. It was red as hell could ever be. There was no time to run or speak anything. I could feel the uncomfortable heat radiating from it. I closed my eyes and then, there was something cool, something comforting that dispelled the heat. I opened my eyes to see my reflection in front of me. My teal eyes gleaming in the reflection but my hair were quite messy. I groomed my hair with my hands and then touched the reflection, it was cold water.

    ¡°Sit down.¡± Umika commanded.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    I looked at her in confusion but I did as told. Then, the water barrier expanded in the surroundings, extinguishing the flames and the smoke rose from the extinguished flames, a reminder of its presence. The water barrier then divided into thousand tiny droplets hanging in the air like diamonds reflecting the moonlight. It was spectacular!

    Before we could get a clear view of the front, Umika did a hair flip so she can look more like a goddess, maybe. I never knew Gods can be like this until I met her. In my opinion, she¡¯s quite ordinary with extraordinary powers.

    The smoke cleared. In front of me was the whole Karma headquarter surrounding us, I wonder who attacked us. Was it Walter or someone else?

    But then my eyes met with Adriel¡¯s. Was he crying? Why? He¡¯s looking so vulnerable, so scared, I have never seen him like this. Why is he so let down and kneeling defeated on the ground? Why is Behemoth besides him? Did he do anything to him, is he the reason why Adriel¡¯s so miserable right now? Questions, questions and questions. But really, get that monster¡¯s paw off his shoulder. I hope he¡¯s not possessed or anything because he is not the Adriel I ever knew. My eyes then roamed from face to face. All of them looked as if they¡¯re at a funeral. Who died? Did anything happen while we were arguing?

    I was strangled in my own train of thoughts and questions when Umika spoke up, ¡°Come out, Sorath.¡±

    Sorath? As in Sorath the demon? I don¡¯t remember much about him, but he¡¯s a fire demon that was sealed by the dew goddess¡ªUmika. Why is he here?

    A weird bright red and black kestrel flew in front of us and transformed into a tall man, hovering in the air and then he landed gracefully on the ground. His red eyes were a stark contrast against Umika¡¯s blue eyes.

    His laughter filled the air, ¡°Look who we have, a little kid.¡±

    Everyone grew wary of his presence. Even Quentin was quite alert and ready for anything. I watched Adriel get up and run towards me past Umika.

    ¡°You ok?¡± He asked in a desperate voice, ¡°Are you hurt anywhere?¡±

    He leaned a bit and I felt his cold palm on my cheek. I was momentarily frozen and I almost blushed but I quickly regained my composure and shoved his hand away, ¡°Yeah, but you look as if you¡¯re mourning for someone.¡±

    He rubbed the nape of his neck sheepishly, not meeting my gaze.

    ¡°Tell me, what happened?¡± I insisted.

    Before he could speak anything, there was a loud grumble from the sky. Thousands of portals opened, giving way to hungry demons flying and circling above us. They soon started to attack us. Adriel quickly pulled me behind him. His tall figure guarding me. I hate it. I hate it. I hate it. But he¡¯s acting adorable so I can¡¯t help it but why can¡¯t I do something good. Did I just admit his adorable? God. No!

    ¡°They are a lot many.¡± Adriel remarked, ¡°Guess I¡¯ll just use this [Fierce Skybreaker].¡±

    There was a flash of strong wind, his black messy hair flew back as the winds forced their way angrily as if tearing the sky. Some demons backed off just in time, others got caught up in the wind and were either tossed away or slashed by the force of the gust.

    ¡°Good one.¡± Umika praised him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think you have won yet, kids!¡± Sorath called out with a twisted grin, ¡°Be prepared to witness my Kingdom of Cinders.¡±

    The dark night sky was illuminated and there was a huge city on fire visible in the sky and the structure came falling towards the Earth.

    Umika retaliated with equal force with her Valiant teardrop. A teardrop fell from her skin which radiated immense energy and soared up in the sky and took form of a giant mermaid made from her teardrop. The mythical mermaid made from her teardrop. The mermaid charged towards the falling infernal structures and a wingblade emerged from her body.

    It was a huge collision. Everyone protected them in barriers to withstand the impact. Adriel wrapped me in his arms and made a barrier from wind¡¯s strong embrace. I could feel the air spin along with my head. My muscles tensed immediately from the close contact and I yelled, ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±

    ¡°Woah, calm down.¡± He reassured me, ¡°You don¡¯t wanna let the impact hurt you, no?¡±

    I relaxed slightly, his voice was unexpectedly soothing and soft. This dumb guy just made me blush twice... twice! He was quite warm and I was still somewhat drenched from the series of unfortunate incidents from before, so I felt comfortable in his warm embrace but why? A part of me wants to pull away, but I don¡¯t. Hell I don¡¯t! But I¡¯m sure if I were capable enough to protect myself, then I would have pulled without a single thought... right?

    I could feel his chest rising and falling slowly. Why am I acting like a silly teenage schoolgirl? I am so helpless and delusional. I sighed in resignation.

 Chapter 8: Cherish in both

    She¡¯s so close to me but I will have to eventually let her out of my arms. It¡¯s her fault. First she gets herself in danger due to her rash behavior and then I have to¡ªwell... never mind.

    I try not to focus on my heartbeat and look in the sky. The clash subsided. I slowly and unwillingly release her from my arms. She eagerly jumped off and acted aloof but her whole face was red like a raccoon.

    ¡°A purple-haired raccoon blushing.¡± I chuckled.

    She was taken aback. Everything she did was so adorable. Every move she made was fabulous. The way her blush spreads across her face is too much for me to handle. She is perfect yet she aims for more. And as of me? I might be a fan boy in an unrequited love. After all, any girl would blush with the close contact we had just now. There¡¯s no need for me to overthink.

    I will have to drink the whole night to get her out of my head. Another night in my lonely penthouse. I shook my head. It¡¯s useless. I didn¡¯t heard what comeback she just gave to me. All I know is that I will never have her. She doesn¡¯t feels the same for me.

    I snapped out of my thoughts.

    The demon still stood there. The mermaid vanished that emerged from the goddess¡¯ teardrop. (I forgot their names.)

    ¡°Fight somewhere else.¡± I called out to the little goddess, how can kids like her be gods?

    ¡°You are saying as if this is a casual neighborhood fight!¡± She retorts back to me.

    ¡®Kid.¡¯ I thought. I can just not bring myself to believe she¡¯s a goddess but she got some power moves in there.

    I was getting back to my usual demeanor but I¡¯m sure Lovisa and Behemoth will tease me for ages and there¡¯s no way the news of me crying for her won¡¯t spread all in the underground world. I better be ready for it. She¡¯s lucky that she won¡¯t have to deal with it. I looked over her. She was awfully quiet and still red despite her usual poker face. Is it because of the hug and that I protected her or the purple-haired raccoon remark? Regardless, I think I should do both more often. I grinned to myself. She darted at me angrily. I could tell you, if she had some badass powers, she could have killed me right here, well good for me she doesn¡¯t have any. I bet she could have been scary otherwise.

    I don¡¯t know why, but I suddenly feel as if I¡¯m forgetting something.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    I looked away from her. The goddess flew away and the demon chased her.

    ¡°Where are they going?¡± Lovisa asked.

    ¡°Oh, I was worried you were too flustered that you forgot how to speak.¡± I walked across to her with my arms crossed and leaned a bit over her but while respecting her boundaries.

    ¡°Shut up for once.¡± She said and looked at the small figure of the two supernatural entities fighting somewhere far in the dark night.

    ¡°Can¡¯t even think of a comeback?¡± I teased her.

    She clenched her jaw. Her blush was subdued beneath her fair cheeks. She walked past me, ¡°The headquarter is ruined.¡± She remarked.

    I walked over and stood beside her. ¡°Well at least everyone¡¯s safe.¡±  I said casually.

    ¡°But to think so much wealth would be required to restore all this back.¡± She replied thoughtfully.

    ¡°Do you think of money 24/7?¡± I asked her, well knowing she¡¯s gonna be angry on me.

    She glared at me before finally speaking up, ¡°Well not 24/7 but I think of it more than you.¡±

    ¡°So you do admit you think of me but less than money. That¡¯s a win in its own way, princess.¡± I replied, somewhat hurt by her comment.

    ¡°Oh please...¡± She mumbled before rolling her eyes and looking back at the ruins.

    ¡°I understand, purple-haired raccoon.¡± I nudged her playfully.

    There was an uncomfortable silence. The weight of her remarks tore through my heart. I stood silent as my heart ached mysteriously. Her words are either dead poison or eternal bliss and I seem to cherish in both, embracing her dagger in my heart and yet she fails to recognize her power.

    ¡°Did he just turn that mass of tile into rock?¡± She tugged my arm eagerly.

    I looked at her and then I looked at Behemoth. I smirked, ¡°He¡¯s an alchemist after all.¡± I shrugged.

    ¡°No fair!¡± She cried.

    I laughed, ¡°You¡¯re acting like a spoiled baby now~¡± I teased her and leaned close to her ear.

    I expected her to pull away, I braced myself to face that disappointment a hundredth time but she stepped closer and whispered in my ear, ¡°Let¡¯s steal it.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh at her ambition to be a thief. I laughed again and more heartily. ¡°You are not a merciful person, Lovisa.¡± I laughed again.

    How can a person make me both¡ªlaugh and cry? Lovisa indeed.

    ¡°Well then,¡± I leaned in even closer, ¡°We will steal it, but let them restore the losses first.¡±

    She nodded. My eyes suddenly wandered towards Yannick leaning against one of the surviving walls. So that¡¯s what I forgot :)

    I quickly went to him and asked Lovisa to wait for a moment.

    I stood in front of him and rubbed the nape of my neck awkwardly, ¡°So... how are you know?¡± I asked him awkwardly, well knowing the answer.

    He scoffed, ¡°Funny that you remembered, I thought you would be busy with her.¡±

    Before I could protest, he went on, ¡°But it¡¯s good to see you as a lovesick puppy every now and then, you know.¡±

    I can¡¯t stand his mocking smirk but he¡¯s right somewhat.

    ¡°You¡¯re so embarrassed, can¡¯t even resist a blush?¡± He continued to irk me up.

    ¡°I swear, once you get your love, I will tease you forever.¡± I stomped away while gritting my teeth.

    ¡°That¡¯s highly impossible.¡± He shook his head.

    Yeah, that¡¯s what I thought too. But, I swear you will fall just like me and then I will make sure to tease you even while on some important job. I swear.

 Chapter 9: Eye-rolls and sighs

    He was too close. Too close to make my heart burst. But I won¡¯t deny that I still wanna steal Behemoth¡¯s gold. It¡¯s too tempting. I wonder what¡¯s more tempting though. I hit my cheeks hard. Get. To. Your. Senses. Lovisa!

    ¡°You¡¯re blushing too hard.¡±

    I turned around, my hands still resting on my warm cheeks. I was a little surprised to see Quentin there in front of me.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t follow Umika?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No, I guess I¡¯m a coward to do that.¡± He looked away in embarrassment.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you can still steal his gold with me.¡± I pointed towards the rocks of gold they were loading in a truck.

    ¡°Wh- what? You¡¯re becoming a thief?¡± He looked at me skeptically.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious, moreover he¡¯s an alchemist, and sparing some gold to us won¡¯t be that bad.¡± I explained.

    He looked at me before holding out his hand, ¡°Deal?¡±

    ¡°Deal.¡± I shook his hand but all I got hold of was the air.

    ¡°Guess we can¡¯t shake hands.¡± He looked at me with a somewhat sorrowful smile.

    I am quick to catch other people¡¯s emotions, but I don¡¯t know how to confront them even if I want to.

    ¡°But don¡¯t you think it¡¯s easier to steal money than gold, the jewelers may find you suspicious.¡± He shoved his hand inside his pockets.

    ¡°You do have a point.¡± I nod in agreement to his logical concern.

    ¡°Well, we should just steal money.¡± He suggested.

    ¡°That¡¯s too boring.¡± I rejected his suggestion, ¡°Even a street kid can steal money.¡±

    ¡°So you want a challenge.¡± He sighed and rubbed his chin.

    We stood there silently. After a while, I spoke up, ¡°We can think of it later, but for now it is final that you are my business partner.¡± I smiled.

    ¡°That¡¯s some funny business plan you have in there.¡± He joked.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    I looked up at the night sky¡¯s retreating colors that were soon to be turned golden by the rays of sunshine. This night was a long one. I got kidnapped by an assassin, I looked at his figure at a distance as I thought of the event. I met Quentin who helped me so much and now is my business partner. We then met the goddess, who too helped me a lot and we had so much fun teasing her. I then met Yannick, then Adriel. Adriel...

    ¡°You¡¯re blushing.¡± Quentin teased me.

    ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± I protested quickly.

    ¡°Is it because of that guy?¡± He smirked.

    ¡°Which guy? I don¡¯t know anyone.¡± I lied as I blushed even harder.¡±

    ¡°The guy which saved you.¡± He voice dropped low and he moved close to my ear to earn my reaction.

    I stepped back while avoiding his gaze.

    ¡°Anyone can see you are in love.¡± He stood upright and laughed at me.

    ¡°I¡¯m not in love, it¡¯s just I¡¯m grateful for him saving me.¡± I looked at the rising sun. I finally managed to control the weird reaction and blush I was giving off. I¡¯m sure he never meant anything by that. I sighed in letting go. Some things are beyond are control and it is foolish to even ask for them then.

    ¡°You¡¯re a real mood killer you know, it was fun teasing you.¡± Quentin looked at me in disappointment.

    I ignored him. For now, I will have a nice sleep and finish my work before the deadline. After all, I¡¯m not meant to be here. I belong to a small town and then I moved in the capital. I closed my eyes. The warm morning wind drifted me back to the old town memories. Hiraeth. That¡¯s what I¡¯m experiencing Hiraeth because I will never be able to go back to the small town.

    ¡°I¡¯m back.¡±

    I opened my eyes to see Adriel in front of me. I saw him for a moment and then closed my eyes again. He stepped closer, ¡°You seem tired.¡± He said, his voice as gentle as the warm sunshine over me.

    ¡°A bit.¡± I replied back.

    ¡°I will drop you back to home then.¡± He smiled. A kind of smile I haven¡¯t witnessed since ages. I was too tired to have a banter or protest, so I simply obliged by his offer. I was in fact, too tired.

    ¡°Um... about before, why were you crying?¡± I asked him.

    He gulped and turned his face away from me sheepishly, ¡°Promise you won¡¯t laugh?¡± He asked with some sort of vulnerability. Regardless, I promised him.

    ¡°I- I was afraid you died...¡± He blurted out.

    ¡°Seriously?¡± I looked at him in disbelief and disappointment.

    ¡°That was not the reaction I wanted either...¡± He complained, ¡°But I wonder how that ki- ... I mean goddess appeared?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a crazy story, but I will kill you if you laugh.¡± I threatened him but I didn¡¯t really mean it, in fact it was quite good to have someone who cares.

    And no matter how I tried, I couldn¡¯t suppress the small smile that tugged at the corner of my lips.

    I told him everything on our way back to home. And guess what, he laughed at me and as usual, I didn¡¯t do anything except a few eye-rolls and sighs.

    It was a peaceful end or so I thought. I know readers, you may think what now? But do you think I will be left in peace and have a good sleep with tasty food? If you do then you¡¯re too na?ve. Because no person can live in peace if there was a murder of the guy upstairs in there building.

    And now, I find myself in my room which is filled with the footsteps of three cops searching my apartment and two detectives in front of me, ready for the interrogation. After all, I¡¯m a major suspect since I was out of the house the whole night.

    But I must say, one of the detective looks straight out form the fiction. Yes, he¡¯s all handsome and tall ;)

 Chapter 10: The Interrogation

    As far as I know, they are Soren Ipsen and Adrian Bellator. I have come across their names in news multiple times. One of them¡ªMr. Ipsen as I had already the honor of saying that he is all young and tall, now that I think of it, Mr. Bellator too is handsome but he doesn¡¯t looks good in formals. Surely his denim colored hair would fit well with denim jeans and jacket and maybe a white T-shirt underneath.

    I then suddenly realize what I am thinking. How can I do this? I¡¯m sure this is all because of hormones and stuff, nothing related to me. Wait, how does hormonal trigger takes place? ...Dunno, but never mind.

    ¡°Ms. Ericksson.¡± Mr. Ipsen called out, forcing me to focus on reality... harsh reality.

    I was honestly a little scared, it¡¯s too young for me to end up in jail. They tortured me with their endless questioning but in the end, they were still unsatisfied. Mr. Ipsen glared at me with his magenta eyes on which his cream hair were spilled at.

    ¡°Bellator.¡± He uttered the other detectives¡¯ name.

    The other detective nodded and asked me to get up from the couch. Are they gonna beat me? My mom used to say bad kids get whipped by police. Was she right? I¡¯m so sorry mom.

    He motioned me to sit on a chair. Wait, it¡¯s my house, how did he lead me so swiftly across my own house considering he¡¯s unfamiliar with the house layout.

    ¡°Um... you seem quite familiar to my house layout.¡± I said, my tone somewhat timid.

    ¡°So you¡¯re observant.¡± He shot me a smirk as he lowered his eyes down at me. I felt a chill run down my spine. He¡¯s weird.

    I sat down on a chair, ¡°So you were here before I arrived.¡± I muttered loud enough for him to hear me.

    ¡°Yes, but where did you arrive from?¡± He asked.

    ¡°I told you I was at my boyfriend¡¯s place, I can call him if you want.¡± I retorted.

    ¡°Oh? And I came from heaven just now.¡± He chuckled, not buying my lie.

    ¡°Oh I can tell, you are an angel, the purest I have ever seen.¡± I said in sarcasm laced with anger.

    He shook his head, ¡°Oh thanks for the compliment.¡± He replied and kept a hand on my shoulders, his ultramarine eyes piercing into mine. I don¡¯t like this.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Then, I felt the room fade away as I found myself in a void with black and white sides, each side stretching endlessly and dividing the void in two but somewhere in both the sides was a small dot of black or white in the contrasting color just like a Yin-Yang. I then looked at Mr. Bellator and a loud gasp escaped from my lips. There he was, his one eye socket shining black and another white, his hair also parted from the mid and one side black and another side white.

    I stared at him wide-eyed and jaw dropped.

    ¡°Are you by any means acquainted with the murder or the murderer?¡± He asked me, his voice as plain like a robot.

    ¡°N-no.¡± I looked at him terrified.

    Then suddenly, the void shifted as I blurted out. In front of me was Yang¡ªthe white part. But Bellator moved behind me, revealing the small dot of yin in it. He bend and whispered in my ear.

    ¡°You¡¯re innocent but not completely true.¡± He said in a low dangerous voice.

    I knew he got me there.

    ¡°Reveal the truth.¡± He commanded.

    There was a certain force in this void. Something constantly intimidating me and pressurizing me. The tension was palpable in the space. I let out a shaky breath. Something. I need to lie about something. It should be convincing. Focus. What information can I convincingly manipulate in a lie?  Something. Something. Then it hit me.

    ¡°I- I saw a bag tumbling down my window... a garbage bag.¡± I said in a jittery manner, ¡°The light was out and I got up to see a bag tumbling downwards, I was spooked out and I thought I heard a scream. I was scared it might be a fearful ghost. I- I am a low-grade necromancer and I do encounter such ghosts. I was so scared that I went to my boyfriend¡¯s place.¡± I continued to babble.

    ¡°Stop.¡± He said firmly.

    I felt myself again back to my room. I peered at him, he was back to his denim hair and ultramarine eyes. Damn, the heck was that? My hands were shaking and I was dripping in sweat. He offered me a glass of water but I rejected it furiously.

    I managed my way back to the living room with my shaky legs. I never encountered such a scary ability. Maybe because it hits psychologically and emotionally. Yin- Yang? That¡¯s a rare and an unusual ability which is well required in his field. I sighed and drifted in the comfort of my couch, feeling the soft fabric against me.

    ¡°But still, if you have a boyfriend, why don¡¯t you have any photos?¡± He inquired.

    ¡°Photos?¡± I looked at him dumbstruck.

    ¡°Of course, you have no photos on your phone and your house.¡± He crossed his arms and kicked back in the couch.

    ¡°It¡¯s because I got rid of my ex¡¯s and I have yet to photo frame my boyfriend¡¯s, I don¡¯t keep digital photos, my friends just dig into it then, and they tease me.¡± I lied again despite having a record of being ever single.

    ¡°You¡¯re weird.¡± He remarked.

    ¡°Thanks.¡± I forced a smile.

    Later, they did some formalities and inquired about the garbage bag, it was a few hours till they finally went away and I was all alone by myself.

    Why the hell am I always stuck in such situations? But I made it through. I lied to experienced detectives, or either they were too dumb. I mean I¡¯m weak and harmless, right? For the first time, I finally loved my powers and I thanked Banshee for my weak and useless power. Banshee? Right, I wonder what Umika is doing right now? Did she defeat Sorath or not? Well, whatever I¡¯m going to sleep. We¡¯ll take care of it tomorrow.

 Chapter 11: Stop me if you can~ (UMIKAS POV)

    I cut across the dark sky. My blue hair flowing with the wind as I lured Sorath elsewhere. I looked down at the passing scenery. It was mostly desolate in this region the only human settlement I encountered was the headquarters of Karma. I gathered my senses and concentrated. I headed straight for southeast, I could sense a large water body at a distance.

    ¡°You little¡ª¡± Sorath yelled.

    ¡°Ombra Flame Purge!¡± He chanted.

    I turned back. Meeting him in the eye. I saw a vortex of dark flames engulfing me.

    I smirked, ¡°Even after ten-thousand years you haven¡¯t realized this petty move is no match for me.¡±

    ¡°Dew Dance: Espoir!¡± I stretch my arms outwards and summon a sparkling fountain of ice cold waters. The water met with the flames producing a sizzling sound as a cloud of smoke arose from the collision.

    ¡°You think you¡¯re the greatest, no?¡± He cackled.

    I lowered my eyes. Something was off.

    He continued to snicker and I was unsure of what he is going to do. Was he distracting me to not go near the water body? Did he read through my moves? I didn¡¯t expect him to be this thoughtful, considering his dumb personality. But I¡¯m smarter. I know what you¡¯re trying to do. Stop me if you can~

    I focused on my destiny¡ªtowards south-east, but he didn¡¯t follow. He looked at me as if a bird in a cage trying to flee in the blue skies. But he doesn¡¯t know, I am the blue sky¡ª

    ¡®Ouch¡¯

    I bumped into something¡ªhard. I rubbed my forehead. I looked to see nothing. I turned back. He was charging at me, his fiery fist connected with my jaw. My head snapped backwards. I backed off, feeling my skin around the jaw burn with his unholy flames.

    ¡°Good one, Sorath.¡±

    A demon. I didn¡¯t notice his presence.

    ¡°Finally you hit her.¡± Another demon came up.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    I never sensed them. How... is this possible? I composed myself and shook my head. No. I can¡¯t let them outwit me.

    ¡°How brave of you to fight 3 v 1 with a young goddess. Truly manly.¡± I mocked, every word dripped with sarcasm.

    ¡°Young? You¡¯re just a kid.¡±

    ¡°What was your name again? Was it skelly?¡± I asked, smiling in my sweetest way.

    ¡°Skelthor.¡± He glared at me.

    ¡°Skelly.¡± I corrected him.

    He felt speechless.

    ¡°Shut up.¡± The one standing between Sorath and Skelthor.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re the Doggy Demon right?¡± I said in the sweetest way possible.

    Someone kicked me from behind which was infused with magic. I crashed into the ground.

    ¡°Demon King of Wolves and Blood¡ªWolfriamer. That¡¯s my name.¡± He stared at me with his blood cold eyes. His lips parted slightly.

    I tried to sit up, but he kicked me in the gut and I winced in pain even though it didn¡¯t hurt. Gotta lower their guards before beating their ass.

    ¡°But... you know... a wolf is a dog only, sorta.¡± I smiled.

    He kicked me again. I felt his foot connect with my stomach sharply. Now! I released Dew Dance: Quetzal. It flew with them to the sky. I got up. This is my chance. I can¡¯t possibly fight these three at once. I turned into my companion animal¡¯s form¡ªa baby albatross. I whimpered on the ground helplessly. A baby can¡¯t fly sadly. I whimpered and tried to run before they come back. I hid inside a bush and hid my presence.

    They looked around for me and cursed under their breaths.

    ¡°Where did that brat go?¡± Skelthor grumbled.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think she could break through my barrier.¡± Wolfraimer hummed.

    ¡°That brat broke my barrier too, a thousand years ago.¡± Sorath rolled his eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a weakling like you.¡± Wolfraimer glared at him.

    Sorath grabbed his collar and shook him, ¡°Say again.¡±

    ¡°Weakling.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a time for an in-fight, we have to catch that kid.¡± Skelthor intervened in between to calm them down, ¡°We have to get our revenge.¡±

    ¡°Tch.¡± Sorath let go of his collar and stepped back.

    ¡°I think she went towards the lake.¡± Sorath said.

    ¡°But I can¡¯t sense her.¡± Wolfraimer crossed his arms.

    ¡°Of course she hid her presence.¡± He mocked him for his idiocy.

    Wolfraimer lowered his eyes and stared him, ¡°But there¡¯s a chance she¡¯s still here.¡±

    ¡°Here?¡± Sorath laughed, ¡°I can¡¯t see her.¡±

    Wolfraimer sighed in defeat and they moved towards south-east. Fools!

    Now that they¡¯re gone, I wanna tell (more like brag) about my Dew Dance: Quetzal. Since a droplet is a natural prism and refracts and then internally reflects light and finally disperses it to form a rainbow. By controlling its refractive index, I can change the color of the quetzal. Making it colorful in color which is gorgeous. I am the only goddess with such beautiful yet powerful moves.

    Anyways, what now? The barrier they erected in this area is still not gone. Being a goddess is tiring. I bet Oceanus and Vann (other water deities) must be having fun. Aghhhh!

    I spent a long time in boredom, nagging to myself and occasionally stomping my foot, no my soft claw on the ground.

    But still, it was good to see em pissed off. I mean, I would love to see them to try and catch me. Good Luck to them!

 Chapter 12: Real Dreams (LOVISA)

    The detectives finally left. How tiring. I stood in front of the mirror, examining my appearance. My lavender hair were a mess! I combed them frustratingly. Why do I have bags under my eyes? Ughh. I even have to complete my deadline. What was I drawing again? How did I, a web novel artist end up here?

    I looked out of the window, it was morning and I could fall asleep if given the liberty to do so, but I have work to do. After all, it¡¯s the only thing I do right. But the pay is not enough to sacrifice my sleep. I sighed. Work is work, I have to do it anyways. I sat down on my table and switched on my tablet. I only have 2 days to complete the two chapters. How cruel!

    I got to work instantly. A couple of hours passed as I continued drawing. The soft sunbeam landing on my mirror got reflected on the wall in front of me. I could feel my surroundings, I could feel myself immersed in my work. I loved it. It was a striking contrast to whatever happened earlier. I could hear the birds chirping and the occasional sounds of police workers outside the corridor, chatting with each other. I feel content despite knowing I¡¯m under suspicion of the murder but I don¡¯t care, I¡¯m innocent. But I do feel chills, what if he ghosts me? Moreover, where¡¯s Olivia? Is she gone for a holiday? Lucky. I stretched and yawned. When my phone vibrated. I picked it up. Adriel. Adriel. He sent a message. Why am I breathing so fast? What should I say? Is he in trouble? No Lovisa, stop being paranoid. He¡¯s a fan and a friend, it¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine.

    I unlocked my phone and read his message. He just said he reached home safely. Oh wait, that was like a couple of hours ago. The recent one asked if I¡¯m ok.

    Should I tell him about the detectives? No, he¡¯ll probably freak out. He cares for me. He cares for me? I felt heat rise up in my face. The hug, that proximity flooded in my mind. LOVISA YOU¡¯RE SO HOPELESS! I¡¯m not like other girls at all. But it¡¯s hard. Now that I think of it, he looks good in that one earring. Nooooo! What are you thinking? It¡¯s not true.

    I kept on internally debating that I forgot I had to reply back. That day, I realized why girls take so long to reply. I mean I am a girl, but I am a quick replier, an eager one to be honest. But this is the first time, I wasted half an hour dealing with my internal thoughts and another half an hour so as to what and how to reply. God I¡¯m so pathetic.

    I finally replied with, ¡°I¡¯m good, you?¡±

    God, that¡¯s such a dry reply. Not that I can do anything about it.

    Tch. Stupid me.

    I closed my eyes. My apartment went dead silent. My soft breathing filled the room. Just yesterday night I was indulged in that chaos, but now everything¡¯s normal. Umika. Quentin. I opened my eyes. Just a dream, right? They were just some passing individuals in my life. For now, I looked at my drawing tablet, I should focus more on my work. Some things are just ¡®Real Dreams¡¯. They happen in actual life, but are doomed to vanish in thin air. A distant memory.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Not again.

    I won¡¯t remember it again.

    My vision blurred as I saw a glimpse of that memory. Dangit.

    ¡°Lovisa!¡±

    I turned my head to see Olivia. Olivia!

    ¡°Where were you?¡± I asked eagerly. My eyes were widened slightly in surprise and happiness.

    She came and plopped down on my bed. She flicked her olive green hair backwards, ¡°I went on a tour.¡± She boasted.

    I raised my brows, ¡°You act as if you went on a date.¡±

    ¡°I had a boyfriend when I was alive, unlike you.¡± She taunted.

    I was taken aback by her sassy behavior. Nothing new for me, but hey, this is a sensitive topic for me. Regardless, I spoke again, ¡°A shitty boyfriend, right.¡± I said mockingly.

    ¡°Shut up.¡± She rolled her eyes.

    We often had such arguments like this, but I can¡¯t disagree that she is a good friend regardless. As of her sassiness, she¡¯s only like this in front of me or else she¡¯s just an awkward idiot. It¡¯s been a long time to see her interact with other ghosts. Should I take her to a ghost hotspot (sort of a ghost gathering and a hangout area)?

    ¡°Turn your face.¡± She commanded out of the blue.

    ¡°What?¡± I was baffled, but I did regardless.

    She came closer and inspected the bandage on my cheek. The same one which blizzard¡¯s icicle did.

    ¡°Who did this to you?¡± She asked rather angrily?

    I think Adriel asked something similar too.

    ¡°No one.¡± I lied. I don¡¯t want to bring up the topic of last night.

    She gave me a glare and I coughed a bit awkwardly. There¡¯s no way she can¡¯t see through my lies. Damn.

    ¡°Fine,¡± I gave in begrudgingly, ¡°I got caught up in a mess.¡±

    ¡°I bet this is his work.¡± He said with heavy emphasis on ¡®his¡¯.

    ¡°His?¡± I asked feigning innocence despite knowing whom she¡¯s referring to.

    ¡°You know what I mean.¡± She said in a low dangerous tone and added, ¡°That Adriel idiot.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not an idiot.¡± I retort back quickly. I know she refers to him as an idiot, but this is the first time I actually felt offended with her remark for him.

    ¡°Oh? That¡¯s new.¡± She teased.

    I know where she¡¯s getting at. Ugh. How infuriatingly tiring!

    ¡°Shut up.¡± I grumbled and looked away. A blush creeping on my face. How the hell can she be so good at reading me?

    ¡°It¡¯s ok, kiddo. People fall in love.¡± She scoffed and sat back down.

    I tried to protest, but only a low annoyed grunt came out from my throat. Why lord, why?

    ¡°The main point is, who hurt you?¡± She asked.

    I don¡¯t know, but she looks badass when she asks who hurt me. But it¡¯s equally amazing to see her awkwardly talking to people, I mean ghosts.

    I tell her everything. But everything doesn¡¯t include the hug scene of me and his. I mean, I will never tell her that, she will tease me to my death.

    She grabbed my ear and shook me a bit, scolding for my recklessness.

    But it would be a lie if I say I hate her, she¡¯s the best friend and a motherly figure I can ever find. Guess, life ain¡¯t that bad.

 Chapter 13: F- Everybody

    I sighed in defeat and threw my head backwards. I looked at the white ceiling above my head. Olivia was in the living room, sitting on the couch and scrolling through some reels on my phone. Now that I think of it, why was the guy even assassinated? I sit up straight. The image of the trash bag floated in my mind. My eyes darted subconsciously towards the window. The cops would have already got that, right? I got up and walked towards the window. I peeked outside the window, gently pushing aside the snow-white curtains.

    My eyes widened. ¡°The hell¡ª¡± I muttered under my breath.

    ¡°You okay?¡± Olivia walked towards me, ¡°You look like you saw a dragon.¡± She said.

    I looked at her in awe and then back to the guy outside. Olivia leaned against the wall and looked at him with a brow raised, ¡°Oh. He died?¡±

    I just nodded and looked back at him. He seemed to be searching for something, maybe the trash bag or whatever might be the contents inside it.

    ¡°He¡¯s Garon, no? The cheeky guy upstairs.¡± Olivia inquired casually.

    ¡°Yeah...¡± I mumbled.

    She hummed, ¡°The one who blows smoke directly on your face from his cigarette?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± I said with slight irritation, ¡°Don¡¯t dive into details.¡±

    She chuckled, ¡°You never get along with guys, do you?¡±

    I shot her a glare before looking back at him. But this time he was staring back at me, with his usual cheeky smirk. Guess some things never change. I sighed internally.

    ¡°But Olivia,¡± I said out aloud, still meeting his gaze with irritation etched on my face, ¡°What do you think were the contents of the bag? Why would a mafia be so hell-bent to kill him?¡± I asked in frustration. ¡°He¡¯s a nobody.¡± I added quickly.

    ¡°Beats me.¡± Olivia shrugged.

    Soon, he walked away and got out of our sight.

    ¡°But you know, something¡¯s off.¡± Olivia leaned fully against a wall and crossed her arms.

    ¡°Well life¡¯s messed up in general.¡± I replied and sat down on my chair with legs crossed.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    ¡°No¡ªI¡ªWell true.¡± Olivia looked at her side, recollecting her thoughts, ¡°But he doesn¡¯t feels like a normal ghost, you know.¡±

    ¡°Normal? Do you think he¡¯s normal? Everything about him is abnormal.¡± I replied in disbelief.

    ¡°No objection indeed!¡± She raised her arms in mock surrender, ¡°But what I mean is that he doesn¡¯t feel like a ghost, but more like an... illusion? As if he¡¯s alive but acting like a ghost?¡±

    ¡°Olivia...¡± I trailed off and shook my head, ¡°He¡¯s dead. The cops ran an autopsy on him.¡±

    ¡°Did they do the machine autopsy or the magical ones?¡± She inquired.

    ¡°Well most probably the machine ones.¡± I grumbled.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll stick to my doubts.¡± She said in an ultimatum.

    ¡°And I¡¯ll stick to the facts.¡± I retorted.

    We both glared at each other. None of us willing to back down. When finally, I broke the silence, ¡°You know what? Fuck him. He¡¯s not that important.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Fuck him. I¡¯m gonna go watch my favorite show.¡±

    Olivia walked away. Right, her favorite show. I scoffed internally.

    Suddenly, Olivia came back with a sly grin, ¡°Do you know his abilities?¡±

    ¡°Leave me alone.¡± I begged her and face palmed.

    She snickered and went back to the living room. I sighed in relief as I heard the T.V. turned on.

    But a voice in my head suggested: ¡°What if she¡¯s right?¡±

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤

    Adriel

    I shifted in my bed restlessly. Every time I try to fall asleep, she pops up in my head. God, I was scared so shitless, I thought I lost her. Now, everyone¡¯s gonna know I cried for her. Even Yannick teased me all the way back and the whole Karma fucking saw me.

    Fuck everybody.

    I got up and sat straight on my bed and checked my phone for yet a trillionth time. No reply from her. Guess Dad was right when he said that women take forever to reply. She¡¯s gonna be the death of me. I¡¯m so close to snapping and throw my phone on the damned wall.

    REPLYYYYY!!!! I shouted internally for maybe another hundredth time.

    Suddenly, my phone buzzed. Lovisa. Oh my god, finally! I couldn¡¯t resist the small smile that tugged on my lips. Words can¡¯t express my excitement.

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤

    Lovisa: I¡¯m good, you?

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤

    That¡¯s it? This is the reply she made me waiting for hours?

    I finally snapped. Before I knew, I threw my phone out of the window. I took multiple deep breaths. The heck? Is she for real? That¡¯s a reply a kid would write.

    I suddenly realized that I threw my phone out. I rushed over to my window and looked down. The guards were wary of the mobile phone. I ordered one of the guards to dispose the mobile phone.

    ¡°Well done.¡± I muttered to myself.

    I lied down on my bed and buried my face in the pillow. Well, since my phone is gone, I can¡¯t reply to her now. Maybe tomorrow? But what if she¡¯s avoiding me? I bet she is. I put her in trouble because of me. I have to leave her alone. If she stays with me, she will be in danger.

    Get yourself together, Adriel. Let her be free, I will just weigh her down. And to see her in danger is the last thing I want. The image of the fireblast which was directed on her came in my mind. I felt a pang of hurt in my chest. Right, I will avoid her.

    The scene played again and again in my mind. I sighed in defeat.

    But¡ªwhere did the goddess and that demon even come from? Why was Lovisa so calm as if she knew that she¡¯ll be saved? I pursed my lips together. I have to meet her for one last time and ask her everything. Tomorrow... tomorrow I will go to her home...

 Chapter 14: Blood Drops On Black Rose

    There was a firm knock at the door. I shivered slightly as I get d¨¦j¨¤ vu. Wasn¡¯t this the way how Blizzard broke in too?

    ¡°Should I answer it? It¡¯s a little late at night though.¡± Olivia raised her brows in suspicion and muted the T.V.

    ¡°Sure thing, you check out who¡¯s there.¡± I replied hesitantly.

    She walked swiftly towards the front door. Her intangible ghost form passing through the wall.

    I waited, the only sound was the ticking of the wall clock. Then, I saw her rushing towards me, her olive green eyes widened slightly.

    ¡°It¡¯s Garon.¡± She speaks hurriedly.

    ¡°So?¡± I shrugged. Garon is not dangerous, right?

    ¡°Lovisa, he¡¯s not a ghost.¡± She spoke firmly.

    ¡°We have already talked it out, Olivia.¡± I replied back nonchalantly and took a step towards the door. My hand hovered inches away from the doorknob when she spoke again.

    ¡°He didn¡¯t notice my presence; he has the spiritual aura, not the hex one.¡±

    I looked at her in disbelief and before I could open my mouth to say anything, a smooth deep voice cut me off.

    ¡°Lovisa, open up.¡±

    Garon. It¡¯s him. My eyes flickered between Lovisa and the doorknob. If he has ill-intentions, he will break in anyways. I took a deep breath and opened the door. Better to face him, I can¡¯t handle living in a mystery anyways. Why is he alive? Why he was even assassinated at the first place? How did he survive?

    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°Hey.¡± He smirked, his fiery orange eyes bore deep in mine, ¡°Took you long enough.¡±

    ¡°Hey.¡± I answered back calmly, ¡°What brings you here?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t a guy visit his favorite woman?¡± He smiled charmingly.

    Favorite woman my foot. I know that smile well, it¡¯s not a smile but a trap.

    I smiled back as charmingly, ¡°You are supposed to be dead.¡±

    Of course, the best way to avoid his trap is to change the topic. Garon Ramos, I won¡¯t be swayed by your charms.

    ¡°Straight to the point, I like it.¡± He chuckled deeply, no dangerously and stepped inside.

    ¡°The police questioned me like hell, you ungrateful brat.¡± I scolded him.

    He walked inside with me and Olivia observed him closely, noticing his every movement. The way his eyes darted around the room, the subtle smirk, the way he eyed me up and down. Everything he did was purposeful and not to mention his devilish charm. I shot him a glance; waiting for him to speak, to explain all this mess. But what he said caught me off the guard.

    ¡°Lovisa I knew you were a kid, but to think you watched cartoons and that too¡ªtoasters playing hide and seek!¡± He shook his head in disbelief, ¡°The animation quality is so trash too.¡±

    At this moment, I knew he fucked up. Insulting Olivia¡¯s favorite T.V. show in her presence was not the smartest thing to do. But he didn¡¯t know that I¡¯m not alone. Suddenly, my kaolin vase went flying straight towards his head with sheer force. I gasped, that thing was worth a lot! I turned and looked at Olivia, her face imprinted with rage and then I looked back at Garon, the kaolin pieces in his head drawing out blood. His blood drops fell on the artificial black roses which were tangled with the pieces of the vase.

    ¡°A-are you okay?¡± I stuttered and stepped closer to him. I kept my hand on his shoulder.

    After a split second, he chuckled and removed the pieces from his head.

    ¡°Well done, well done!¡± He smiled and looked at me.

    Wh- Did he just regenerate? His wounds were healed completely in no less than a minute!

    Suddenly, he lunged at me and pinned me against the wall. Gone was his charming demeanor, which was replaced by something... dangerous.

    ¡°I thought that you¡¯re just a petty necromancer.¡± He spoke an octave lower, ¡°So, care to explain?¡±

    ¡°Explain what?¡± I said trying to appear as calm and unbothered as possible.

    ¡°Explain who you are.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯m Lovisa Ericksson.¡± I looked at him in confusion and fear.

    ¡°No, what¡¯s your ties with Yugen* or more specifically... Paradox*?¡± He traced his finger along my jawline.