Rin woke to a blaring alarm. He moaned softly in protest to the thought of leaving his bed. But that didn't last long, as his brain registered the fact it was Saturday!

He grabbed his phone from under his pillow, turning off the robotic beep it was emitting. The brightness of the screen seared his bleary eyes, blinding him. He blinked a few times before unlocking the screen lock.

He opened the Messages app, partaking in what was, basically, a morning ritual that spanned the last six years.

-Hi, love. Awake? the texts read.

Rin checked the time the message was sent and grimaced. He overslept for exactly thirty-two minutes. That was the third time this week. 

Sitting up, Rin decided it would be better to call Ayala. The phone rang, then a static click.

"...Hello?" a timid voice said tentatively.

'She's angry,' Rin realized, letting out a small breathe. "Hi, I just woke up and saw your texts. How's your morning so far?"

A momentary silence. "Oh? I thought you were ignoring me on purpose," she said rather humorously. "It's all right, I guess... But my bed's so cold without you here with me."

Rin felt his heart flutter violently. She was good at doing that. A goofy smile plastered on his face. "...Well, are your parents still going on their trip?"

"Ah," Ayala breathed quietly, humming playfully. "Is that all that's on your mind?"

"On my mind," he admitted, "and on my heart, and soul. In fact, I overslept because I've been dreaming about it."

Ayala chortled softly. "That so?" she asked. "...Well, it'll be our first time so...I can't exactly blame you."

"So?" he asked breathlessly.

"They already left for the airport," she replied flatly.

"Sorry," Rin said shyly. "I suppose that wasn't very charming?"

"Everything you do is charming," Ayala said, her voice licking seductively around his ears. "I just didn't like it at that moment. Anyway, prepare yourself, okay? I'm waiting. Impatiently, I might add."

He held the phone away from his ear, squinting at it as he checked the time. Exactly eight thirty-seven a.m. 

"Okay, I'll be there in about two hours," Rin said, emerging from bed and blitzing into the bathroom. "I love you."

"Love you, too."

The line fell. Rin pocketed his phone in his pajamas. He then stripped, heading into the shower.

After the shower, he dressed in some casual wear, spritzing some cologne on his collar and wrists. 

"Perfect," he muttered, looking into the mirror while combing his glossy black hair. 

Satisfied, Rin headed downstairs to make himself some toast and coffee to eat. He didn't want to wake the lazy bastards he called his roommates with the blissful scent of his godly cooking. Besides, Ayala would cook him something delicious on his visit.

He took a sip of his tea, deciding there was time to finish watching the last episode of Tensura's second season. 

If Ayala found out he overslept because he was up binging an anime...

Rin shook his head. He knew his girlfriend hated it when he neglected her needs, especially because he was immersing himself in fantasy... Her logic being: why waste time on imagined places and people while you have me? But it was fine, she would never find out.

He finished watching the last ten minutes of the episode, then finished his tea and slices of toast.

He sent a message to Ayala, informing her he was on his way over.

***

Ayala's house wasn't far. She lived in a suburban neighborhood close to the university they attended. So, from the house he was renting with his friends—the house was also fairly close to the university—it was a twenty-minute walk to her house.

Rin rang the doorbell. And a moment later, Ayala opened the door. She was stunning. Garbed in a flower-patterned sleeping gown that cut halfway down her thighs, she stared at him with her almond-shaped eyes and green irises. Her mussy, wheat blonde hair drooped messily to her shoulders.

"Are you going to keep gawking without saying a single word?" she asked, subtly clasping his hand in hers. She led him to the sitting room. 

Rin took the seat directly opposite the TV. Finally, finding his words he muttered, "I missed you."

Ayala rolled her eyes dramatically. "Really now? I'm not so sure about that since you've been ignoring me recently."

He opened his mouth to reply but she cut him off.

"Don't apologize," she said, sitting on his lap. She gently dragged a slender finger on his lips. "I'm fine now that you're here."

"You sure?" Rin asked softly.

Ayala gently tilted her head to the side. "Are you that worried? How cute," she said. "It was a joke. Now, wait here. I'll make you something scrumptious to eat... Unless..."

"I barely had breakfast," Rin said, making a mocking pleading expression. "So, please, I beg of you, cook for me."

"Idiot," she retorted, pouting. She stood, leaving for the kitchen. "I was asking if you'd like to eat something else!"

Rin choked down his saliva, surprised. But upon peeking at her cooking for him with an elated expression he concluded that was false. A cruel joke.

After about half an hour of watching Crustyscroll, he noticed Ayala approach with a platter, placing it on the table.

She beamed at him as if she just whipped up the world's most delicious scrambled eggs. Rin knew from previous meals that was but a delusion. Her cooking was always too salty or too sweet... and if you accounted for the fact it took her roughly half an hour to fry eggs and bacon...

"Well, aren't you going to eat?" she asked, sitting beside him. 

He looked at her, then at the crisp brown eggs. "It looks delicious," he ate the food. Years of training going into his next words: "As expected of the woman who taught me to cook. It tastes like something Resmir would dine on."

Ayala's cheeks and ears lit up with a fiery roseate glow. "I-I try," she blurted, burying her face in his chest. 

Rin gently stroked her head. "Try? Are you being humble, or is it a shameless brag?"

She groaned out an incomprehensible reply, forcing out a laugh from Rin. Minutes passed as they held each other in this embrace.

"Speaking of the head of Solus," Ayala suddenly said, looking up at him shyly. "...those guys have recently been pushing a curious aphrodisiac."

Rin frowned deeply. "What?"

"You don't have to," she said, averting her gaze. "But I was thinking, to make our first time more memorable, we could use it to enhance the experience?"

"...Since when have you been using recreational drugs?" he asked, gently lifting her chin. "Are you hanging around Kaira again?" 'That drug-headed bitch. What has she gotten you into now?' he added mentally.

"That's not it," Ayala said, shaking her head. "Solus—no, Erylia Pharmaceuticals has gone 'straight.' And this new drug is CDA approved."

Rin took in a deep breath. He did hear the rumors circling the Solus Syndicate's next big move. Did they actually do it? No, that didn't matter... "Are you sure about this?"

She nodded firmly.

"...Fine."

Ayala stood, then picked up a small packet, and sprinkled it into the remainder of his glass of orange juice. 

"...Bottoms up," she whispered, bringing the glass to his lips. 

He downed its contents. The juice left a bitter, medicinal aftertaste on the sides of his cheeks. Almost immediately, he felt an increase in his heart rate, his skin tangling ever so slightly. Nothing too overwhelming.

Ayala climbed atop his lap again. Staring at him intently, then meeting their lips. Gently, their kiss became more passionate.

Rin slowly moved a hand up her thighs, his fingers passing beneath her panties and sliding between her wet, silken slits. He relished the fruity taste lingering on her tongue; the warm feel of her skin.

Separating their lips, Ayala panted softly against the back of his neck, avoiding further eye contact. She lifted her hips, then squeezed out the words, "...I'm finally ready."

 

Rin's mouth dried, and he failed to respond—verbally that is. He stood up, grabbed her hands, walking up the stairs, and lay the flustered blonde on her bed. He ran his hands up her thighs, to her most delicate area, gently rubbing it through the soft fabric of her undergarment. 

A moan escaped Ayala's trembling lips. Her fingers gripping the sheets. Rin wanted to hear more, but couldn't resist the urge to kiss her. Then, after removing her panties, he plunged into her deepest depths. He groaned; she was impossibly tight. It felt as though the walls of pulsing flesh were pushing him out. 

Ayala cried out in pain, subconsciously digging her fingers into his skin. Her body tensing; tightening.

'No—! Calm down! At this rat—' a wave of ecstasy the washed through Rin, his mind went afroth; his nerves straining with an electric sense bliss.  He slumped onto Ayala, exhausted, consciousness fading...

...

..

.

Rin groaned. His brain pounded against his skull. The left side of his face seared, bright light streaming into his eyes. He sat up, confused.

Hundreds of corpses lay sprawled out in an open field. He gagged at the cloying scent. Rin felt his stomach upturn. He blanched one more time before spewing out vomit.

"Where th-the hell am I?" he mumbled between breaths. "Am I dreaming? Last I..." his words trailed off as he noticed the corpses around him shriveling up, drying out into bony skin bags.

[Unique Skills: Absolute Soul Field and Perfect Reflection activated.] A flat, monotonous voice resounded throughout his mind.

"The fu—"

He startled back, a burly man appearing in front of him out of thin air. He shot up to his legs instinctively, a strange—physical—aura swirling around the long-nosed man; his cloak fluttering. 

An earth-shattering noise echoed, the vibrations it caused crackling and coiling against his eardrums. Rin shuttered uncontrollably when he saw the dark impeccably dressed dark-haired in the distance.

Wasn't that Diablo?

Just what—no, wait! Did he pass out from coming too fast and is now having some fucked up, hyper-realistic dream to prevent himself from waking up?

Rin cracked up, laughing hysterically.