Today was the day they learned of Lucifer's decision. Eden inhaled deeply, calming his speeding heartbeat and silently praying that the feminine teenager would accept their offer. After all, Lucifer required protection, and Eden needed someone to lean on...it was akin to killing two birds with one stone.
As Adrain and Eden approached the door that had caused Eden so much worry, the redhead abruptly came to a halt, eliciting a surprised cry from the teen. "Don't be nervous," Adrain said as he kneeled in front of him and patted him on the back. The blue haired boy's face lit up with a little smile, and he discreetly nodded in answer.
The two of them finally arrived at Lucifer's door and Adrain began knocking.
Meanwhile, Lucifer who was practically falling asleep jolted upwards as his heart pounded against his ribcage, insinuating a shocked gasp. He sighed and placed the palm of his hand atop his racing heart. 'Thank goodness, it was only a knock.' He thought and began stretching.
"Come in." Eden and Adrain heard a muffled reply. A bunch of beeping noises sounded throughout the silent hallway and the door made a clanking sound before opening, revealing the brown haired petite male who was smiling though, the smile didn't quite reach his eyes.
"So....what's your answer, brown boy?"
"I guess, I'll go with you guys since it's so boring here at the hospital." While scratching the back of his neck, Lucifer spoke up. As he rubbed his cheek, the teen laughed nervously.
Eden silently cheered as he did his hardest to be indifferent about everything...but alas, the teen failed as a twitch at the corner of his lips was evident for all to see. Adrain couldn't help but chuckle at his antics. He ruffled the boy's blue hair earning himself a glare from said boy.
"Great! We're going to go shopping for clothes today," He paused glancing at Lucifer's hospital gown. "Let's get you dressed for the occasion now, shall we?" Adrain continued and Lucifer hummed in response. The frail boy's face was bright red, like a tomato, and he was making an effort to look decent.
"Don't be so ashamed, little man." The redhead exclaimed, rubbing circles on the back of the teenager. He nodded and a paper bag appeared out of thin air, startling Eden. Lucifer only stared in fascination and...familiarity? Maybe he's reading too much into this.
'This is getting weirder and weirder, Ed.'
"How so?" He whispered as Eden excused himself to the toiletries. Azrail only floated around him like a snake wrapping its whole body around its prey. 'Think about it! How does Adrain always have these clothes prepared like...all the time?!' Azrail flailed his arms around while staring into Eden's eyes.
Eden was about to open his mouth to speak until Azrail cut him off. 'Like seriously. It seems to me like he knows Loki or whatever the fuck his demonic name was going to come with us.' He frowned—or at least tried to—as black goo dripped down onto the floor.
"I mean...I do see your point but he did take us in so we should trust him a bit..."
'Fine but my point still stands. My advice would be to not trust anyone because you, right now, are a murderer on the loose.' He shrugged his shoulders and Eden could feel an arrow snuggle its way into his heart. Fuck, that hit a sore spot.
All Eden could do was nod in response as he walked back to his possible new family. Things are getting more interesting...maybe. His footsteps echoed and Adrain lifted his head from his phone. The older man waved and grinned in his direction, showing off his pearly white...fang-like teeth? Since when did he—never mind. Eden shouldn't pry too much.
"Hey, Eden! Welcome back. Talk to Lucifer a bit, I need to check something." With that, Adrain left the two teenagers. The redhead sighed as he took out a badge. A holographic display of an interface appeared.
It had Adrain's name on it, as well as his face. He bit his finger as blood trickled down his thumb and pressed it against the badge, which made it vibrate. A small beeping sound was emitted, and the badge's wires extended and hooked themselves to his veins, causing the man to groan in pain.
In his vision lay a portable ATM and so, he clicked on the button: Balance. While glancing at the numbers, he breathed a sigh of relief. 'It's a good thing I didn't overspend last month.' He paused for a moment before clicking Deposit.
The badge was then filled with one million, two hundred thousand, and three thousand Etzas*. The wires extracted itself from his wrists and Adrain put it back inside his wallet. He hoped it's enough for this shopping spree.
(A/N: Etza* is the currency of Pelirose. 4000 Etza is the equivalent of 1 American Dollar.)
He walked back to where the teens were with a small smile on his face. 'I hope you're proud of me...' Adrain shook his head and chuckled. Maybe he had gone crazy but he could've sworn, he saw ◼ talking to the two boys.
Meanwhile, Lucifer finished changing and walked out of the room with the largest smile he could muster...it was a little unsettling in Eden's opinion, but at least his friend was happy.
His neck was securely cradled by a black scarf that was worth more than his life. Though the brown jacket was slightly big for the frail boy, it fit him...somehow. A white T-shirt lay inside said jacket. Lucifer wore dark blue jeans as well and that completed his look of the day.
After smiling to himself, the color he once had drained from his face immediately. Eden, sensing this, turned to him and raised an eyebrow before asking: "What's wrong?"
Lucifer didn't answer as he hugged his body. 'HOW THE ACTUAL FUCK DID HE KNOW MY EXACT MEASUREMENTS THAT EVEN I DON'T KNOW ABOUT?!' The poor boy shrieked mentally as his imaginations ran wild before he gagged as if he wanted to vomit.
"You sure you're okay?" Eden's voice broke him out of his thoughts. Lucifer managed to smile, trying his best to shake off the unnerving feeling, circling his body. And speak of the devil, the redheaded man was here. Great.
"Yo! Are you guys ready?" He exclaimed, flashing his signature smile which blinded everyone's eyesight...was this revenge because he has only a single eye? Maybe. Lucifer wouldn't know nor does he want to know. He has a lot on his plate already and he won't deal with any more of this bullshit.
"I think so." The blue haired boy turned toward Lucifer with a worried gaze.
"We're ready." He confirmed with a smile plastered on his face. And with that, the shopping spree commenced with Eden and Lucifer leading the way much to Adrain's dreaded wallet. Azrail was pouting while glancing between the two teens.
'Give me my share of clothes alreadyyy!' No reply came his way and this riled up Azrail even more. 'I know what you're thinking! And yes, I, as a matter of fact, need clothes as well. Can't be stuck wearing a fucking T-shirt with sweatpants. Blegh.'
"You do know that nobody except for me can see you, right? Why should I worry about your clothes?" Eden retorted in a muffled voice. Azrail gasped and more goo fell out of his eye sockets as if he was crying.
'Aren't we brothers?!'
"Imaginary things can't be related to one another."
'Oh c'mon! I'll shut up for 2 days if you just listen to my demands for today~'
Now that was a rather tempting offer but Eden knew better. "5 days for the demands today."
'Ugh, fineee. Now give me my new clothes!'
"Okay, genius. Tell me how."
'You just have to imagine it.'
Eden could only click his tongue in response and so, he closed his eyes. He envisioned every little detail of his clothing, such as how the scarf he used to strangle two men with wrapped around his neck and how his sweater was too big, making his physique appear even smaller than it already was.
And with a poof, Azrail's worn-out look has completely disappeared and replaced with an identical—if not, exactly the same—outfit to him. 'Thanks, dude!' Azrail cheered and smiled brightly at his brother.
'Did he seriously forget that he tormented me 3 or 4 days ago...?' Eden shook his head while sighing into the palm of his hand. On the other hand, Lucifer stared at his friend with a gaping mouth. It looked like Lucifer's luck ran out because he just made friends with a madman.
He kept talking to himself and completely forgot his and Adrain's existence for Christ's sake! Was that why he landed himself in the hospital? Because he's mentally unstable...? Hmm...it's a possibility but Lucifer couldn't just assume things out of nowhere! Misunderstandings were too much for his already failing heart—probably.
As a tiny seed of curiosity hooked itself onto Lucifer, the two kept talking as if nothing had happened. If you ignore the upbeat music playing in the background, the car ride was rather calm.
Eden was chilling while Yoo Seon-Nyeo's music blared from the speakers...heck, Azrail swore Eden was smiling, and the scene would be eternally etched in his mind, possibly even becoming his sleep-paralysis demon. Oh, how that smile sent shivers down his spine!
When the Korean artist's playlist was finished, it was up to the frail teenager to choose the music. He played a song by Celeste, a newly debuted solo-idol who goes by the moniker of Star.
Her music was definitely a new experience for Eden and after getting used to it, the car ride continued without any interruption. And just like magic, as soon as the playlist came to an end, they're finally at the mall!
Adrain, meanwhile, was sulking that he didn't get to play Rose's* song. He sighed in defeat as his two kids ran inside without even waiting for the wallet (Adrain). After what seemed like forever, the new family left the mall with two smiling teenagers—though, one looked murderous—and a deflated Adrain.
(A/N: Rose * is a friend's name. This is a thank-you gift for beta-reading!)
He took out his badge and pressed the button and luckily saw no negative numbers. The man exhaled a breath he didn't know he was holding and calmed down his heartbeat. There was no way he was going to go into debt when he just adopted two kids! 'How did a million Etza get spent so quickly?' Adrain deflated once again and wobbled to the car.
"Cheer up, Adrain. Have some bread." Azrail who begged Eden at the mall to switch places with him snickered, holding up a large bag of various pastries that they managed to squeeze in the bag.
Lucifer laughed quietly on the sidelines but later flinched when he saw Adrain's will to live disappear. The two new brothers—three but nobody except Eden needed to know that—were carrying three bags each filled with clothing.
Eden who was now in spirit form cackled. He did feel guilty but the older man's expression was too funny to pass up not laughing. "Oh! Can we try ice cream next? Pretty please with a cherry on top?" Azrail begged while giving him his secret weapon—puppy eyes—but of course, cuteness didn't exist in Eden's body and it looked more like a threat rather than a begging motion.
"Fine," He paused and swore under his breath "But you can only get one each." Adrain added while searching through his wallet for some change.
"What's that? Ice cream, I mean!" Lucifer asked with a twinkle in his eyes. Adrain found himself shifting his gaze to Eden, who did the same. Eden (Azrail) placed his hand on Lucifer's shoulder, which produced a weak squeak from the frail kid.
Azrail walked to a secluded bush and muttered: "He's probably trying to gain sympathy points. There's no fucking way that he's never seen or heard of ice cream," He paused for a moment before taking a deep breath in. "I advise not to trust him too much, Eden Satire. Don't forget it."
'Whatever you say...let's just eat some ice cream and be done with this.'
Azrail hummed in agreement and walked back only to see a distraught Adrain trying to say something to Lucifer. "O-Oh hey, Eden!" Adrain walked to Azrail in just a few seconds and cleared his throat. "Um...could I ask you to explain what ice cream is...?"
"What's in it for me?"
"Damn you and your deals—You get to buy your precious Kim Cheon-Sa's merch. Only one though!"
Azrail glanced at Eden who nodded vigorously. He sighed and nodded before walking off to Lucifer who was sitting on a bench. "Hiya~ I'm supposed to tell ya the basics of what ice cream is so let us begin!" He clapped his hands and cleared his throat.
"Ice cream is a soft, sweet frozen dessert made with milk and cream...typically flavored with...vanilla, fruit, or other ingredients! Easy peasy. Oh! And it's usually served in either a cone...or a cup or anything really." Azrail puffed out his chest proudly as his head expanded to the size of Jupiter—luckily, it was only in his imagination.
Lucifer's eyes twinkled with wonder, and he wore a grin on his face. He turned his attention to the ice cream parlor. The refreshing scent of vanilla filled his nostrils and sent thrills down his spine. Surely, this 'ice cream' would taste amazing.
"What flavor do you want?"
"U-Uh...there's just so much...what do you recommend, Eden?"
"Well for starters, you can choose between vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry, which are the three most common flavors. Personally, I love vanilla."
"Then we'll go with yours..."
"Alright." Azrail gestured to Adrain who only sighed while taking out some coins. And so, they received the delicious cold goodies of their choice with Azrail and Lucifer having vanilla and Adrain with pistachio.
"I've only met grannies who loved that type of ice cream...are you secretly an old woman?"
"This is ice cream flavor-cist! I'll be reporting this to the authorities—oh wait, I'm a part of their program."
"Whatever~ Let's just enjoy our delicious delicacy."
Azrail opened his mouth and was about to bite into the dessert when suddenly, Eden stopped him. 'My teeth can't handle the cold well so you're just going to damage my body.'
"Fine." Azrail accidentally said his response a little too loudly and earned some stares from his new family. He could feel his soul leaving his body as Eden mouthed the words: 'Idiot~'
"Uh...who were you talking to?" Lucifer asked with a tilt to his head.
"No one. Just thinking on how to eat this ice cream."
"There are different ways to eat ice cream?" With ice cream around his mouth, Lucifer spoke up while licking his lips. Azrail, being the one with all the knowledge, nodded as he bit into the ice cream, completely ignoring Eden's protests. Lucifer stared at him like he was a madman and tried it too only to wince.
'YOU MOTHERFUCKING DUMBASS. FIRST, YOU NEARLY EXPOSED YOUR OWN EXISTENCE AND NOW YOU'RE RUINING MY FUCKING BODY?! DID YOU FORGET YOUR OWN SHIT WITH YOU DYING IF I DIE?! YOU ASSHOLE!'
Azrail clicked his tongue and grabbed Eden's soul that was floating next to him. 'WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING NOW, JACKASS?!' Eden, still enraged, shouted, his gaze falling on Azrail's hand. Said boy shrugged and pushed the soul inside the body making Eden stumble a bit.
'You can have your body back. Getting pretty boring.'
"Whatever." He zoned out while still licking the ice cream. Excuses filled his mind like Tsunami waves crashing through buildings, causing people to scream for rescue. "Be careful next time. We might be questioned." He said in a hushed whisper, wiping his mouth with a napkin.
'Eԃǝп?' Eden remained deafeningly silent. A man with green hair stood in front of him, crying? As he dropped his ice cream, Eden couldn't understand what was going on. The picture of the man began to morph into that of a smaller boy...a teenager?
«Have fun~» The unknown black goo of a teenager said, grinning widely.
*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*
"Get away from here, Azrail! Run for your life!" He heard a mulled-wine haired woman scream. Half of her body was crushed by a burning building as she winced in pain. The strange woman began praying to who knows what, praying that Azrail will survive even if she's left for dead.
Suddenly, a man who was wielding a katana walked towards Eden—in this case, Azrail. When Eden looked down, he noticed that his body had shrunk, indicating that he was younger than before. Azrail appeared to be a toddler.
The woman was crying and screaming for him to run for his life. "RUN, AZRAIL! PLEAS-" The man plunged his katana into the woman's head, penetrating through her tongue and neck and exposing the blade through her wide mouth which was gargling out blood. The scene was gruesome leaving little Azrail traumatized.
Eden began freaking out as he just witnessed a murder right in front of him. 'What's happening?!' He asked himself, backing away slowly from the scene. The man began to walk towards him while still holding the bloody katana of his, then he picked up the pace.
Eden's face turned ghostly pale. 'Fuck. I'm next.' He pondered as a surge of energy went coursing through him as it accelerated his heartbeat. Yes, he could run from that man and escape his death! He needed to. He couldn't die now. Not yet.
'Ah, shit!' He cursed, holding onto his broken arm that was probably crushed when the building collapsed. The whiteness of his bones had already poked out of his twisted elbow.
Blood was leaking out as Eden took a sharp breath in, trying to stop himself from screaming and destroying his own throat. When he took a step forward in an attempt to flee, he was jolted by electric shocks that ran down his entire left leg.
FUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUC—
His goddamn fucking ankle just had to be twisted now out of all the times. It seemed like life wasn't on his side this time. This was fucking amazing!
"Come here, let's have some fun!" As he licked the blood from the katana, the man yelled, flashing his horrible smile—the smile that will haunt Eden for the rest of his life. His eyes are starting to betray him. Shit. Eden lost too much blood. Shit. This wasn't good.
The man crept closer and closer, swinging the bleeding katana like a baseball bat. That wretched smile was still plastered on his disgusting face. By this point in time, Eden was panting while trying his best to stay awake.
'Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit...' As he bit the bottom of his lips and drew blood, a string of curses flooded his head like a mantra. The short pain seemed to jolt him out of his trance as everything became clearer.
Those filthy hands nearly touched his face when adrenaline pumped itself into his veins immediately. Eden disregarded the aching pain that his ankle was in as he bolted for his life.
This toddler body wasn't helping as he heard the man laughed in the background while chasing after him. "Hoo? So we're playing tag now, little Azzy?" Tears sprang from his eyes as a sob escaped his battered lips. Damn him and his toddler body.
Eden dashed to an alleyway, hoping to lose track of the psychopath but of fucking course, he was met with a dead end. "Where are you, Azzy? Are we playing hide and seek now? Should I say the cliché line? Alright, I'll say it. You can run but you can't hide~"
Was this how he'll die? Fuck.
"Oh! There you are. Tag, you're it~" The man giggled and was about to slash across his neck when the coldness of a blade touched his neck.
He jumped back and pointed his blade only to find no one. "H-Huh...?"As he desperately searched for the source of the sword, his confident manner was steadily eroding. The back of his neck was now drenched with cold sweat.
'Shit. The adrenaline ran out. FUCK, THAT HURTS. SHIT.'
"It's not nice to be chasing a kid, y'know?" A mint-green haired man appeared behind the psycho, successfully scaring the shit out of him. All Eden could focus on right now was how it was possible that a human can have two different colored eyes. Maybe the fatigue was getting to his head...he was feeling sleepy.
"And who are you to talk, punk?"
The newly appeared hero smiled and took out his blade that seemed to be custom-made. The psycho froze in his steps as his mouth hung open like a gaping fish. "S-Super Sonico?!" The bastard screamed in horror.
Said man continued smiling as both his eyes seemed to shine underneath the moonlight with the burning building in the background.
The bastard could only curse as he brought his katana and shoved it into one of the eyes. This 'Super Sonico' just stood there as he received the blow. The psycho was sneering as that ugly grin was back. His confidence was bloated once again.
Super Sonico placed his hand on the blade and took it out. His eyeball plopped onto the ground, making a fleshy sound. "Aww man...and I just got this eye today too! How sad~" He picked the eyeball up and shoved it into the psycho's—Eden wasn't sure if the bastard was the psycho anymore—mouth who was still shocked.
"Since you ruined my new eye, might as well ruin your fucking face."
The bastard shivered as he dropped his blade. He was gagging on the eyeball, feeling vomit coming up from his throat. "Oh no no! You aren't allowed to vomit it out. This eye costed me a ton of money~" Super Sonico grabbed the man's neck and squeezed, earning a gargle. Foam can be seen erupting from the bastard's mouth as his flailing motion ceased.
"Mannn~ you aren't fun at all. Already fainted."
"I would feed you to master's dogs butttt, that would be too nice." He slit the man's throat wide open as blood oozed out.
"Hmmm...should I punch a hole into one of your organs?" As fast as he said it, the man did just that. He carved out a star and ripped his shirt open and saw 003 craved on the collarbone.
"Oops! I nearly forgot there was a kid here." Eden froze as he tried to look for an escape route. "Don't worry kid. I won't hurt ya." He whispered gently as he tied the blindfold around Eden's eyes.
"You aren't supposed to see what I'm doing. Sorry about that...we'll get you treated soon, don't worry." Super Sonico reassured while rubbing circles into the toddler's back. Suffice to say, he's bad at comforting people because his goddamn hands are still stained with blood!
"U-Uh...mister...who are you...?"
Super Sonico smiled and said..something? Eden couldn't quite catch what he said. Maybe it was because of the blood loss getting to his head. He took off the blindfold and the older man's face morphed into static all of a sudden. "Huh?" He managed to utter out while subconsciously wiping his eyes with his still working hand.
What the hell did he just see?
"Sorry little man but I'll have to—" Eden didn't hear what he said since he lost consciousness. Super Sonico sighed and cracked his knuckles.
'There's still time to harvest these.' He thought and began removing the psycho's kidneys, liver, eyes as well as other body parts he could get his hands on. After all, it'll fetch a hefty price and he was running pretty low on cash this month.
The stench was terrible. It was as if there was decaying meat on top of which were cheap perfume drops. He nearly gagged thanks to the intense aroma, which was tinged with a nauseating sweetness. If he were any normal human being, he would've already vomited more than once.
Super Sonico finished placing everything inside the black bag and placed it on the road. He took out his phone and began dialing a phone number.
"Hey, ◼. I got 003 as requested."
"Good job as always. If there were any witnesses, you know what to do."
"There were no witnesses." He glanced at the unconscious toddler in his arms, snoring peacefully. Super Sonico hung up the phone and sighed. His face began morphing into that of a similar look to the kid in his arms. He clutched his head and took a deep breath in.
'Shit. I should've gotten used to this. Why the fuck does it still hurt?' He shook his head and opened his eye. 'Damn, I'm lucky I have a spare eyeball.' Super Sonico placed the eyeball inside of his empty eye socket with a small smile on his face.
Now with blue hair and yellow eyes, Super Sonico walked to the hospital.
Eden could feel himself jerk up. 'Holy shit...what happened?' He began looking around as the familiar scent of medicine hit his nostrils. It looked like he's now in the hospital. On his right side was an unknown man with blue hair, similar to his own.
He reached out his hand to wake the man up only for his wrist to be grabbed out of nowhere and a dagger to his neck. The unknown man's eyes widened. "I'm sorry, little man. I didn't know it was you!" He quickly retracted his hand and weapon while apologizing profusely.
"Who...are you?" Eden asked, tilting his head that was still throbbing. He glanced down and found that both his arms and legs have casts. Great. He'll be a cripple for a while. The unknown man's face flushed for...some reason.
"Uhh...remember the green dude who saved you last night?"
"You mean the scary but nice mister?" Eden could feel his lips moving on their own. Perhaps, this was Azrail's younger self emerging from the darkest pits of hell to finally save his ass.
"Yeah, him. I'm him."
"Eh?! But you don't look like him one bit! Why are you lying?"
The unknown man claiming to be 'Super Sonico' chuckled as his face morphed into that of the same one Eden knew. His eyes widened in surprised. "W-What?"
"I have the ability to change my appearance, you see."
"That's so cool, mister!"
And of fucking course, he just had to be flung out of the body with such violence that his head hit the wall. 'Even a memory isn't kind to me, huh?' Eden grumbled while crossing his arms. He floated around the room.
Eden tried reaching out to touch Azrail's small body to ruffle his hair but he couldn't. His hand just phased through as if he were a poltergeist. He sighed and just watched it unfold.
"M-Mister, I didn't catch your name last night...I was too hurt..."
"Oh I'm ◼. Pleasure to meet you, little man."
"T-Thank you, Mr. ◼!" Azrail grinned as the man ruffled his hair affectionately.
"Y'know? You're pretty lucky that you met a guy like me who's willing to take in a snot-nosed brat like you."
An offended look can be seen on the boy's face. To add more exaggeration, Azrail placed his hand on top of his heart while faking a cry. Super Sonico only snorted in response before flicking his forehead. "That doesn't work on me, kiddo." This earned a pout on Azrail's sharp features.
"So may this humble savior of yours have the chance to hear your name, brat?"
"Humble? Puh-lease..." Azrail muttered under his breath, his arms crossed. Adrain just responded with a blink before clearing his throat and downing a bottle of water he had procured from who knows where.
'What's this? A magic show?' Eden who was watching on the sidelines only snorted before sitting down on the couch and crossing his legs, enjoying the show.
"Nice to meet you 'Humble? Puh-lease...'? Never knew kids these days have such...f-fascinating names. Not judging you, of course." The boy gave the green haired man a deadpan expression since the older man's smile was trembling at the edges. It seemed like acting wasn't his expertise despite his ability. Tsk tsk. What a joke that god has bestowed upon him.
"My name isn't like that and you know it, mister. It's Azrail...Azrail Nyx. It's nice to meet you. Also as a matter of fact, I am not a snotty-nosed brat. I'm pretty smart for kids my age. That's what mommy—" Azrail cut himself off and his eyes began to widen. "M-Mister. Were you able to save mommy?" He asked with his voice trembling as he stared deep into Super Sonico's yellow orbs.
'Wellll shit. How do I break the news to the kid?' The older man bit the bottom of his lips as he nervously glanced around the room, avoiding eye contact. "You see, kiddo..." He began before placing the palm of his hand onto the kid's blue hair, ruffling it.
"She was already crushed under the crevices."
'Well damn, you're bad with kids, sir.' Eden pondered as he ate his non-existent popcorn. He locked his gaze on the boy's body, which appeared to have froze after hearing the news. He pitied the kid...well, as much as a murderer could feel.
"I'm sorry, little man." Soft sniffling could be heard throughout the small house, and the boy's shoulders swayed at an uneven rate. Before clenching his hands until his knuckles turned white, the child bit on his lips almost to the point of bleeding.
Droplets fell onto the wooden floorings, sounding out a plop for every single drop. Super Sonico, watching this could only wordlessly wipe Azrail's tears away as it continuously fell.
A moment of silence commenced before the bubble was popped when the door creaked, taking everyone's attention to the doorway. "Uh...sorry for...interrupting?" A soft voice filled with anxiety spoke up before a head popped into the doorway.
Blonde hair and a beautiful pair of oceanic jewels that seemed to shine brightly underneath the faint light coming from the living room greeted them. She had soft pink lips and at a considerable height of 165cm (5"4').
"Hey, Charlotte." Super Sonico greeted with a smile before returning to wipe the tears that fell from Azrail's face. The woman in question only stared silently at the scene before she walked to the kitchen to grab some more tissue paper.
She knelt down next to the boy and she too wiped the tears away. "I uh...bought ice cream. I think it could help with this sad atmosphere." Charlotte exclaimed before pulling out a tub full of chocolate ice cream. "Here's your chocolate ice cream, ◼." Said man only grinned widely at the gesture before scooping the dessert and biting into it like the madman he was.
"You can enjoy it too, kid. I'm going to enjoy the savoring tastes of pistachio ice cream!"
Azrail only nodded solemnly before scooping the chocolate ice cream and munching on it. The blonde woman smiled before digging into her mint-green colored ice cream. It tasted divine in Azrail's opinion. A little bit bitter but it had a sweet after taste. Normally, he wouldn't be eating chocolate but it wasn't like he had a choice to begin with. Vanilla was much better and cheaper than most flavors.
Super Sonico suddenly leant in closer to Charlotte's face as they were eating their ice creams, smiling softly and bringing his hand to wipe the ice cream that was near her mouth. He brought the pistachio ice cream to his mouth and licked it with a small smirk on his face...that is until he tasted said ice cream and spit it out into the nearby trash can.
"WHAT IN THE STARCHY TEXTURE THAT'S BITTER—I can't even english anymore after tasting it..." Super Sonico's whole body deflated before he quickly saved his tongue with the brown ice cream.
Azrail who was watching all this happen could only laugh loudly as he quickly covered his mouth while his cheeks turned a light pinkish color in embarrassment. "It seems like your idiocy is entertaining." Charlotte nodded in approval as the green-haired man whined in the background.
'Was this why Azrail wanted to get him vanilla? Wait...if he has a past like this...how the actual fuck did he end up in my body as my twin? What...'
The memory suddenly began collapsing into random shards that were now floating in a void-like space. The black-goo from before descended from...somewhere and approached Eden while extending its hand.
«It isn't the end yet. Be prepared!»
A blinding white light surrounded them both and Eden was thrusted into a...smaller field of view? Huh?
Eden blinked a bit before seeing a familiar set of faces that were heated with a fire he wasn't a fan of. Why was Charlotte and green man so...angry? As he was processing what was happening, a ringing hit his ears, making him yelp in pain.
The blue haired teen was then pushed outside of Azrail's body. His vision was little blurry but it quickly focused onto the small trembling body hiding underneath the table. The once-pre-teen was now an adolescent, around the age of twelve or thirteen. Everything seemed like it was fine but the room Eden was in had cracks all over as maggots crawled everywhere near his feet.
One had made its way onto Azrail's nose and entered it with a disgusting wriggling sound but the latter hadn't even reacted. They only seemed to notice Eden. Maybe it was for the best for the people in this memory not to know...
The navy hair peeked out from underneath the furniture while tears were threatening to fall from the corner of his eyes.
Eden could only watch as his hand subconsciously reached forward to try and wipe those tears away, to tell his future twin brother that everything will be okay...haaa...life sure loved the both of them, huh?
A bitter smile formed on his face as his outstretched hand was pulled back to his side with his fists clenched in frustration. Eden Satire was forced out of his thoughts by Azrail Nyx, who took small steps away from the table, careful not to make any noise.
As the navy haired teenager approached the scene that caused his mind to be in such turmoil, a photo book was thrown across the room and landed against the window of their once happy home. Ahhh, what a great reunion for Eden to witness.
The photo book was then swarmed by the maggots and those pests began eating away at it, leaving...ashes?
W-What?
The place the book landed in slowly morphed into that of a fireplace that constantly emitted ash particles.
Super Sonico entered the room and his lone eye widened along with his mouth. "What the fuck...?" Charlotte followed closely behind him and stared at the blazing fire with no interest in her eyes.
Ah, so she was the perpetrator. That explained her lack of remorse.
"Why the fuck would you do that to o-our family portraits?!"
"Don't try to change the fucking subject. Why the hell did you lie to us for however long you've kept it under wraps!"
"I did it for the both of you! I needed multiple jobs to provide for both of you and if I were to—"
"Enough. I'm fucking done with your bullshit."
"Charlotte. Listen to my explanation first, please." Charlotte didn't respond to which Super Sonico inwardly smiled before taking a deep breath. "If I were to reveal it to you two...your lives will be in danger...I...I didn't want that."
"If you understood how dangerous it was, couldn't you just...find a normal job and not whatever this is!"
"We were in a huge amount of debt damn it! We needed money quickly so we could treat your disease." The green haired man bit the inside of cheeks while avoiding eye contact with the woman he loved. "I...I couldn't bare you dying on me. Not yet..." He added quietly and Charlotte's eyes softened before something flashed within her blue orbs, making them turn a tad bit darker in color.
"You could've at least told me and not lie for years..." The blonde haired woman spoke before tears fell from her pale face. She ran up the stairs and into their shared bedroom only to lock it. Super Sonico rushed upstairs as well but stopped in front of their door as loud sobs can be heard from inside.
Young teen Azrail could only watch from afar, biting his nails and shifting his gaze between the fire place and the couple. He walked gingerly up to the green-haired man, who was lying on the floor with his back to the door.
"I'm sorry...I'm sorry..." Those two syllables repeated over and over as if Super Sonico was a disk that had scratches over the player. He couldn't seem to stop saying it. The older man was now a shadow of his former self...an empty shell of a fallen man who faced everything with a smile on his face.
Azrail blinked back his tears that were threatening to fall down and swallowed the lump that was stuck in his throat. He patted the man as the soft whisper of apologies rang throughout the cold empty home. The maggots crawled up to Super Sonico and began eating away at his face, making it glitchy.
Eden who was watching everything suddenly had goo-like chains wrap itself around his neck and hands as that same goo-like teenager approached him at an awfully slow pace. The being brought its drippy hands to underneath his chin and the azure haired teen could've swore that it grinned wildly.
«This is the last one, Edie~!» It blithely spoke before pushing its fingers through Eden's brain, making the latter's eyes roll back until his pupils were no longer present. «Rest well...» It whispered and retracted its hand from the teen's brain.
The black goo pushed Eden's body off of a ledge and the rag doll-like body fell with no complaint.
The sixteen year old teenager woke up with a startled gasp. 'What happened? Where am I this time?' He thought while glancing around to what seemed to be a road of sorts. There were no buildings on the other side...just a road with a pavement and a—OH GOD THERE WAS A TRUCK COMING!
Eden frantically tried getting up but his body felt as if it were chained down onto the ground as he watched the blonde haired woman rushed forward toward him. "Don't come here!" was what he wanted to yell out but his throat only tightened further making him grunt in pain.
As the azure haired teen flailed his arms around, the woman only got closer with a sense of urgency plastered on her face. Out of the corners of his eyes, Eden found Super Sonico rushed by with the same look on his face.
'Wait...why is all this in slow motion—' His thoughts were cut off as the world around him sped up by ten fold. The truck closed in on him and the teen closed his eyes, not wanting ti witness his own death.
He anticipated a heaviness in the pit of his stomach. Instead, he reopened his eyes with surprise when he heard a tremendous thump and the sound of flesh being smashed. The stepping on the brakes generated loud noises that nearly deafened him.
It didn't help that his head was buzzing, and that he was having trouble focusing his gaze on the crash site. Everything happened too fast and the lone Satire found himself being flung against a pole on the other side of the road.
People's voices began entering his ears as more of their figure appeared to circle around a single figure he saw that was alive and well just a few moments back. Eden felt his body move on its own and crawled to the crash site with trembling hands.
The coppery scent of fresh blood entered his nostrils as he neared the site. Loud sobs can be heard being emitted from the green haired man. Eden felt his own eyes getting more blurrier as the lump in his throat thickened.
His head hurt a lot. It felt as if someone was continuously bashing his head with a bat, never slowing down their pace. The thoughts that flowed through his head felt like that. It was torture.
'It's all my fault...my fault, my fault, my fault, my fault, my fault, my fault...'
'If I hadn't r̶̴̶̶̶̶̶̬̘͑͜a̶̷̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̖̯̯͗̈́̂ṇ̶̴̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̗͉͍̑͆ ̶̸̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̧̪͎̥̈́͝t̶̵̶̶̶̶̶̶̡̙̭̓͌ȯ̶̵̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶͚̱͓͕̒̃̕ ̶̵̶̶̶̗̀t̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̼͔͕͛͐̚͠ḩ̶̸̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̰̹̃̉ͅe̶̵̶̶̶̶̖̾̈́ ̶̷̶̶̶̶̶̻͓̋̽m̶̴̶̶̶͖̋i̶̸̶̶̶̺d̶̸̶̶̶̶̶̶̶͓͚̉̆̋ͅd̶̴̶̶̶̶̶̶̶͙̼̩̾̃͝l̶̷̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶͖̞̗̱̈́͂̂ȅ̶̴̶̶̶̶̞͑ ̶̷̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̨̜̗͊́̅ǫ̶̸̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̡̞̹̃̓̓f̶̵̶̶̶̶̶̶̶͓̲̗̎͗͝ ̶̴̶̶̶̶̶̶̟͕̍͊̈ţ̶̸̶̶̶̾h̶̴̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̦̝̩̾̀͝ḛ̶̵̶̶̶̶̶͓̒̏ ̶̵̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̺̼͉͐̈̏r̶̸̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̞̺̖͆̃̌o̶̸̶̶̶̶̶͍̿̀̆a̶̴̶̶̶̶̶̬̭̲̾d̶̵̶̶̶̶̶̛͖̑͘ ̶̷̶̶̶̶̶̶̧̳͉͠͝j̶̷̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̲͕͍̾͊̌u̶̷̶̶̶̶̶̡͉̍ͅs̶̷̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̛͖̄̂̓ͅt̶̷̶̶̶̶̶̶͚͚͎̩̚ ̶̷̶̶̶̶̶̛͔̒͌b̶̵̶̶̶̶̶̶̢̀̋͜͠e̶̸̶̶̶̶̶̶̫͊̓́ͅc̶̷̶̶̶̶̶̤̒̈́͐ä̶̷̶̶̶̶͔̪́u̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̫͈͍̽͊̚s̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̮̈́̈̒̋e̶̷̶̶̶̶̶̶̦̓̑̓͘ ̶̷̶̶̶̶̱͠͝o̶̴̶̶̶̶̶̶̡̝̦͌̈f̶̷̶̶̶̶̶̶̭̼̞̫͛ ̶̷̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̻̃͋̇̃ͅş̶̷̶̶̶̶̶̶̥͉͜o̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̰̦͉̟͛̋m̶̶̶̶̶͗ͅe̶̴̶̶̶̶̶̶̢̤͚̯͛ ̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̫͎̄ͅs̶̸̶̶̶̶̶̶͖̘̃̌̂t̶̷̶̶̶̶̶̼̒̿͝ú̶̷̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̹͙̣̈́͜p̶̷̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶͕̣̜̿̃̇̾i̶̵̶̶̶̼͒d̶̸̶̶̶̶̶̨̜̘̾ ̶̵̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̡͕̿͂̌̉r̶̴̶̶̶̶̶̩͘͜͠ȩ̶̴̶̶̶̶̶̶̘̖͇̑a̶̸̶̶̶̶͈̪s̶̸̶̶̶̪̔o̶̵̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̹̰͐͐̆̉ṅ̶̴̶̶̶̶̶̶͖̘̱̈, she would've still been alive.'
'Why did I do that?'
'Can I...turn back time?'
'Make the ringing stop, please. I know it's my fault. Please stop. Please...'
'This is my fault. Let me die in her stead. Please, please, please, please, please...'
'◼ will miss you, Charlotte...please come back. Take me back instead. P̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̮͐̎Ľ̶̵̶̶̶̶̶̶̫̖͂̋Ę̶̸̶̶̶̶̶̶̶͖̙̒̆̂Ä̶̸̶̶̶̢́S̶̸̶̶̶̶̶̩̗̍̎Ë̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̪̦̫́.'
Eden felt himself reach forward to grasp onto Charlotte's hand as if it were his lifeline. Cold. It was too cold. It was chilly. Why was it chilly? Wasn't it supposed to be warm like always? Why? w̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̧̢̩͈͗̿ḣ̶̷̶̶̶̶̨̽ÿ̶̸̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̛͈̹̩́̈́?
Static was all Eden could hear after that. After what seemed like forever, he was then teleported to another room. This time, whiter than ever. The smell of medicine and alcohol was the first thing Eden noticed. He smiled bitterly. It seemed like this black blob has a knack for irony.
The icy body of Charlotte still haunted his mind...what? Wasn't it supposed to be Azrail's? Why was he feeling it too? Was he finally going insane? That wouldn't be too far off now, would it?
While sitting on the chair next to the green haired man, he felt himself glance subtly at the blank look plastered on the older man's face. Super Sonico's face was blank, devoid of any emotion. E̶d̶e̶n̶ Azrail noticed that he sat straighter than usual and he seemed more tense.
It made sense, after all, the love of his life was in the emergency room—how long has it been?
He lost count after ten minutes. Everything was a blur for Azrail. What happened and how did he get here?
E̶d̶e̶n̶ Azrail shook his head, his gaze fixed on the emergency room's flickering lights.
On
Off
On
Off
On
Off
On
Off
On
And finally, off. It no longer flickered and the doctor finally came out with sweat glistening her forehead. "Are you Charlotte Perez's family?" She asked while adjusting her glasses. The familiar blonde hair sent shivers down Azrail's spine. It was too familiar for its own good.
"Her family's...abroad...so we're here in their stead..." The green haired man managed to say while glancing down at the nurse's shoes. He couldn't meet those familiar blue eyes yet. If only he were faster. He could've saved her. He could've—but he didn't.
And now, her life is in critical stat—
"Well, since you're in our records...I'm sorry to say this but, she didn't make it. The shattered glass from the vehicle's window penetrated her muscles and managed to cause permanent irreversible eye damage. Not only that, the vehicle's wheels had shattered both her legs' bone structure to the point where it was unrecognizable."
"In fact, we had asked the patient herself when she awoke from the surgery. We had recorded our conversation as proof of the matter of the patient wanting euthanasia." The female doctor finished and handed a small black box to the older man.
There was a button atop said box and Super Sonico clicked on it only to hear his beloved's voice say something so...heartbreaking.
"Doctor, please euthanize me. I-I don't want to live anymore if...if I can't see or even walk."
"Alright. Please let us cut your hand to get your blood to imprint it on this contract." The voice of the female doctor paused for a moment before taking a deep breath in. "Do you...have anything to say to your loved ones as a final goodbye?"
"I do...I just want to tell him that—"
'ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!' Eden thought while glaring at the black box. Of fucking course! Of course he won't be able to hear the goodbye message. Great!
Chuckles can be heard throughout the now-empty hallway. Everything seemingly disappeared into golden dust, leaving nothing behind.
«I lied~ This isn't the last one!»
If Eden could move right now, he'd probably flip the black goo off. He was supposed to watch Kim Cheon-Sa's World Tour! But noooo, this black goo had to show him memory fragments. The blue haired teenager sighed before finally opening his eyes only to be in shock.
Why was he staring at Azrail?
The navy haired teen wept and wept until his knees couldn't take it anymore and buckled, making his black suit be dipped in mud. 'Of course, it had to rain just when a sad moment happened.' Eden rolled his eyes as he watched through...someone's eyes?
Wait...why was he in the air?!
Eden managed to glance down and he shivered. There he was, being laid down in a casket.
Oh god, was he going to be buried alive?
His breath began quickening as the see-through casket was finally laid six feet under. Dirt started filling up at an alarmingly fast pace.
Why couldn't he move?
"May you rest in peace...and the death of the night accept you into the heavens above." He somehow heard Super Sonico whisper while in a praying motion. Said man then grabbed the shovel and the final patch of dirt finally landed in it, leaving Eden no sunlight.
As if on cue, his body was finally free and now he's able to move. 'Damn it.' He thought trying to find some way out but to no avail, he was trapped underneath dirt. He had to get out now or else he'll die of starvation here. The dirt was still soft after all.
And so the teenager thrusted his fist into the glass chamber and it barely made a change. It only made said teen wince in pain instead. But the flare of determination...the will to survive that bore its roots deep within his heart made him persevere and so Eden punched the glass again. But this time, it made a crack.
It brought a small smile to his face as he continuously brought his fists against the casing that trapped him. 'One last punch...!' Eden thought while the glass shattered into pieces. One nearly ended up in his eyeballs but the black goo conveniently appeared.
«Y'know...you could've just...waited...»
"You should've came faster." Eden retorted while a green-ish glow enveloped his body as if it were armor. Maybe it was since it kept all the broken shards from entering deep within his skin. "Anyhow, where are you taking me to next?"
«You're an eager one, aren't you? Ahem! We're going to the very last place! Trust me, Edie.»
"Just...hurry up..."
«Let's go!» The goo approached him and placed its hand on top of his forehead and pushed its fingers through Eden's forehead yet again.
Before Eden fully lost consciousness, he saw Azrail place a purple hyacinth on top of the grave with a grim look before running to catch up with Super Sonico who already left.
That night, Eden finally awoke on top of a hill with a woman's back facing him. 'When will this shitty memory end?' He paused for a moment before looking at the woman, whose golden blonde hair glistened like gold in the moonlight. 'Who...?'
He moved to the front and finally saw the woman's face. It was Charlotte!
As the light from the stars above reflected off of her eyes, it seemed to depict both the morning sky and the sea...it was just stunning. The depth...the loyalty that laid deep inside were astonishing that it froze Eden in place. She looked like an angel...
Wait...wasn't she supposed to be dead?
He blinked and Charlotte's figure seemed to become more transparent. The small red ribbon that was tied around her wrist glitched. The sound of grass being stepped on can suddenly be heard.
Eden turned back and saw Super Sonico walking slowly with an expressionless face while holding a bouquet of white roses. Eden could hear the green haired man inhaling before exhaling as he approached them closer than ever.
The man lowered the bouquet before whispering the words: "I'll love you forever...just like we promised back then..."
The red ribbon on her wrist suddenly expanded and stretched towards his hand before suddenly, the black goo appeared and cut it. «Hehe...I told you this would be the last, wouldn't it?» Eden blacked out.
*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*
Eden woke up on a bench and luckily, it was still day-time. Azrail who was sitting next to his unconscious body was the first to notice his brother's state. 'You're out for like thirty minutes. You're welcome, by the way.' The navy haired teen revealed while flicking his imaginary long hair.
Lucifer was the next to notice and so, he frantically came to Eden and cupped his cheeks to study...something...Eden didn't quite get why he'd do that. After that examination, the brown haired teen handed him a cup of vanilla ice cream.
"Um...didn't we already...eat this?"
"Oh! I figured that you'd want more...after fainting and not being able to finish it..." The teenager gestured to the fallen vanilla ice cream, now being eaten alive by ants.
"Gee...thanks, Luce." Eden spoke as he unwrapped the ice cream and inhaled the scent of joy and childhood that came with it. With his newly unwrapped wooden spoon, the azure-haired adolescent opened the lid of the ice cream cup and began digging into the velvety layer of vanilla.
It broke bit by bit just like when your foot landed on snow, making a dent and marking it to be forever remembered until more snow fell atop it...erasing everything.
He placed the small chunk into his mouth, savoring the flavor by sucking on it. It was sweet but not as sweet as pure sugar. It was mild...it tasted nice. This flavor reminded him so much of his...sister's cakes that she would bake on random occasions.
A bitter smile formed on his lips but he quickly crushed the thought as he took a deep breath in. "Why are you eating so...dramatically...?" Adrain asked feeling dumbfounded. Was this what kids do nowadays? Oh god, he was getting old...
Eden just gave Adrain a blank face before shrugging and shoving the spoon back into the cup, transcending time itself as he finished the ice cream in less than 3 seconds.
"Hey hey..." Lucifer began as he scratched his cheeks. "Ummm...are you some sort of...reincarnate of the seven deadly sins?"
"What?"
"I-I meant...uhhh, since you ate so fast, I thought you were...y'know the reincarnate of gluttony..."
"I'm just a normal teenager," He responded, placing down the now-empty cup. "I was just really hungry since I haven't had ice cream in ages..."
"Ohh...that makes sense!"
'Why are you lying about the ice cream part, little Edie?'
"I'm not though! This was the truth." The azure haired teen whispered while scoffing in displeasure. "I'm nobody special. Just a teenager who..." He stopped himself from uttering the next few words, feeling the scent of blood reappear in his nose—
'Just a teenager who murdered his parents, yeah. Glad you finally accepted that, Eden.'
"Shut up."
'Fine, dear prince. By the way, the weird kid and half-blind man is about to leave to go shopping.'
"Haaa...thanks." Eden got up from where he sat and threw away the cup into a nearby trash can before rushing to catch up with the others.
'You're welcome.'
"You're too slow! Let me carry you." Adrain shouted before he picked both of them up and ran full speed into the shopping center. Both teenagers could feel their hairs flowing with the wind along with their scarfs.
"S-Slow down!" Eden exclaimed, nearly panicking. Azrail, too, nodded on the side as he flew at the same speed as Adrain's running. Adrain only gave a grin and slowed down a tad bit, giving room for the kids to breath.
"Relax, kids. You'll be fine! Trust me." Lucifer laughed hesitantly while tightening his hold on Adrain's shoulders. Eden, seeing this, did this as well as he tried to calm his fast-beating heart.
"Wait..this isn't the mall!" Lucifer nearly shouted before composing himself. And he was right, this wasn't the mall. There was no way that a mall would be so dark and scary-looking while many cars are in here.
"You're right. This is a parking lot."
'WHY THE FUC—'
Eden coughed. "Why are we here, sir?"
"Well—I forgot that we were supposed to be shopping..."
Eh?
EH?
EH?!
WHaT THE—
Okay calm down, Eden. Calm. Calm. Calm. Calm.
"Uhh, wanna go on another uh...human car ride with good ol' Adrain?" The redhead said sheepishly, showing off his pearly whites. Eden and Lucifer looked at each other subconsciously and turned to look at the awaiting man.
"No." They both said in unison making the one-eyed man deflate and sink into the floor while growing mushrooms all around him.
"Fine...let's just...go home...we can go shopping another day." He sniffed before pulling himself back up from the floor. Adrain took his car keys and pressed some random numbers before the car came speeding from god-knows-where and now it was in front of them.
"That's pretty cool." Eden heard Lucifer murmur before opening the door to the driver's side.
"Hey kid! You're not old enough to drive."
"Sorry!" He profusely apologized before going to the backseat with Eden following closely behind.
"Today was fun, huh?" Eden began.
"It sure was."
