-Eve-

“Hehe…”

I laughed as I lied in the ominous space. Horrors of spirits circled me, crying at me, yelling nasty things to me. They’ll torture me but I don’t care… This would only be temporary.

“They can do whatever they want to you, Eve.”

I reminded myself.

“They can burn you, slice you and kill you…but they can never take away your charming smile…”

I chanted before the world grew black…

“Hm?”

My eyes popped open, evaporating the hellish space I was in. My slender fingers touched my face. As smooth as a baby still. And not only that, my charming smile remained.

“Ya can’t take that from me.”

I giggled, rolling to the side. That’s when I noticed where I was. Just a few blocks from the Banjo district as I called it.

“I flew away pretty far but that was to be expected.”

I signed as I took to my feet. My body felt murky like always. But soon this feeling will fade away. Now wasn’t the time to get stage fright. That girl…might be just what I’ve been looking for.

With that passion in my chest, I crawled out of the scummy alleyway. My hands pushed on the tight walls. The twilight sky beckoned me to strive forward. It had to be only a few minutes since that…woman did that to me. Finally, I made it out that dark enclose. I could hear the banjo playing around two blocks away. So, I kicked my feet forward and marched towards the noise.

“Ah, ma’am?”

“Hm?”

A skinny man approached me. With that symbol of Ave strapped around his neck, he held out a piece of bread my way.

“Are you hungry?”

A charitable priest of the goddess Ave’s church. There being a food shortage they journey around what’s left of our homesteads trying their best to feed the poor. This is the church’s way of showing that Ave hasn’t given up on her precious humans…

“I’m starving, thanks pops!”

I ripped the hardened bread out of his hand and kept stepping. It’s a little pathetic that this was the best the almighty church of Ave could do…

A warm breath escaped my mouth as I finished chewing my stale meal. My destination was to first, search around where she attacked me. From there I’ll see if I can find any trace of that black-haired demon.

The twilight sky glared in my face as I searched around. She’s my only hope so I couldn’t let her getaway. As I walked down the street, I saw a woman with her head cranked to the sky. Her gaze was merciless to the point I felt chills run down my spine.

Out of curiosity, I peered in the same way she did only to see a black figure sitting like a stone atop the Inn and Pub. Her eyes watered and it sounded like she wanted to say something, but her words wouldn’t come out.

But then suddenly, the woman with long pink hair turned around and raced away. I had an idea where she was going so, I had to make my move and quick.

“She’s running to the church, isn’t she?”

I started rushing to the inn now.

“Eve!”

My feet stopped as I turned to the elderly man whose name I’ve already forgotten smiling at me. The group of rowdy boys and girls all cheered at me too.

“Eve, we were just going to grab dinner at the pub! We’ve been looking for you!”

“Oh sure, I’ll meet you all there!”

My ever-enduring smile met them before I raced off to the Inn. As I approached, I saw the shadowy figure fade back into the window. I pushed open the door causing the lady at the reception desk to jolt. So, I showed her my charming smile and put my hands on the desk.

“I’m looking for a woman with long black hair, a dress that exposes her shoulders and a two-handed blade at her hip.”

She leaned back a tad curiously.

“Ah…sorry I haven’t seen anyone like that.”

Of course, she wasn’t going to say she did. That’s professionalism at it’s best. But even that can be bought. So, I reached in my pocket and brought out the last 9 Chills I was saving.

“Take’em. Now tell me…what room is she in?”

I could see the guilt taking over her body as she nodded softly.

“Third floor…Room 5.”

“Thanks, sweetheart!”

I jeered before taking a large bottle of wine from her desk.

“H-Hey! That cost money!”

“I paid for it though, cutie!”

Her cute cheeks just puffed as I raced up steps now armed with my new weapon. My excitement couldn’t be masked any longer. My eyes intensified as I counted down the room numbers. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5….

“Now how should I approach her?”

Gently, I knocked on the door. After a moment of silence, the door creaked inwards, revealing a sword sticking out to my chest. The figure emerged as she forced me out into the hallway, pointing her blade at me the entire time.

“How the hell are you alive?”

She scorned edging her blade closer to me.

“Beats me.”

I shrugged as I jumped back and brought out my very own…blade. The bottle’s body clanked with her pure black sword.

 

 

“En-garde, bitch.”

The demon sighed sharply, certainly not in the playing mood. Her long lashes waned as her expressionless face searched me.

“This is ridiculous. Unless you want to be killed, leave me be.”

“No can do…you’re a Ruiner, aren’t you?”

She didn’t budge. That kind of worried me. She didn’t make any sudden moves. This caused my stomach to flutter with butterflies. The excitement was nearly unbearable.

“Listen Ruiner…you've been granted the power by Wails, your god, to bring about the end of the human race with your very two hands…”

I chuckled but she didn’t share my delight.

“But here you are…sleeping in some rando inn. Not only that but in a human's settlement.”

“…”

The sparrow head sat like a stone, watching me. That’s when my bottle of wine’s bottom fell to the floor. Red wine spilled like blood against the carpet as it soaked through.

With lightning speed, she sliced it in half. I wonder if I hit a sore spot for her...

“Leave me be.”

I let go of the neck of the bottle, letting that crash to the floor too. Then I brought myself closer and poked my neck on her blade.

“I think we got off on the wrong foot, sparrow-head. You know, slicing me to pieces an all then burning my body.”

I couldn’t help but giggle as her blade drew deeper into my skin.

“You gotta admit, that’s pretty messed up, demon!”

“You’re annoying…what do you want from me?”

She spewed, edging her blade in me.

“My name is Eve and I have a favor to ask of you…Ruiner.”

The blade twisted slowly drawing into my neck. But not enough to go through, just enough to feel a slight bit of blood ringing from it.

“And why would I give you anything?”

“Hear me…out.”

My breath was becoming painful now. But interestingly enough, the sparrow-head didn’t end me yet.

“I want you, Ruiner of Wails, to take me to the End of Time.”

For the first time, I saw her eyes perk up. Something was different in that emotionless face of hers.

“…What?”

“I want you to take me to the palace your god resides. Because my name is Eve and I come for the sake of Wails.”

“For the sake of Wails?”

The sparrow turned to the wall now away from me. She retracted her blade into its holder as well.

“Hm?”

But then an earthquake raddled the inn. I fell to the floor, covering my legs in glass and wine. That’s when a voice, amplified by a speaker of some kind echoed in through the windows.

“Creature of the shadowlands, I have come to exorcise you!”

Just then angelic wings appeared on her back as she turned to the hallway window. Elegantly, her body faded into a black flame as the demon flew out of the inn. The voice sounded as if it came from the front. So, I raced into the demon’s now empty room and looked outside. The sight was nothing short of marvelous.

A pure white dragon seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Nearly the height of the building I stood in. But on top of the attraction, a woman in a skirt far too short and fluffy hair all too fluffed up laughed manically. With the symbol of the elite holy order around her slender neck, she sat atop her dragon, like it was a horse.

“I’ve come to eradicate you!”

She cried from her shout-mic. The vibrations echoed through the room, shattering the window. I flung my head back as the pressure caused my shoulders to ring. As I felt my ears, I came to the realization that they were bleeding. Suddenly my vision became blurry.

“Oh hell…she’s an exorcist from the holy order...”

I leaned back into the empty bed. There I lied my body down and began laughing maniacally. I couldn’t control how funny this was…My palms now crippled with blood. The madness grew deeper within me but nevertheless, my smile remained.

“Let’s hope you don’t die, Ruiner…”