Disclaimer: I do not own Makai Ouji: Devils & Realist, only the OC and my storyline.
Chapter 1: Charan-charan, rang the bell.
me·men·to mo·ri
\mə-ˈmen-tō-ˈmȯr-ē\
noun
: a reminder of mortality; especially : death's-head'
The weary man knots his eyebrows together, frowning, as he alternates between stuffing various articles of clothing into his worn, brown leather suitcase and shooting apologetic glances at the girl who stands by the open doorway.
"I'm sorry, Anise."
The man receives no response from the girl, just the same blank stare that the girl with glassy cerise eyes had been giving him for the past few minutes. Almost as if she had not heard or comprehended the words he had said. Almost as if her attention was not on the man before her; neither here nor there, but rather, lost within the confines of her mind.
'I'm sorry', just that one simple sentence and apologetic glance was enough to trigger another one of her episodes. The man's frown deepened, this had been happening much more frequently. More so after he had announced that he would have to flee the country and that she would be placed in the care of her cousin. It worried him to say the least.
Blinking once, twice and finally for the third time, her cerise eyes had finally seemed to lose its glassy shine and regain some of their former brightness, allowing for the muted sorrow and longing to peak out from her carefully guarded exterior.
Anise allowed a smile to splay across her lips, hoping to ease the tension but it had only came across as sad. Fiddling mindlessly with her blue locket, she gave her delayed reply.
"I'm just worried, father."
For you. For me. For William. For all of us. For the Twining family's reputation.
All of which were left unsaid.
Some things were better left unsaid- she did not want to increase the amount of stress lines on her father's face with her burdens after all. He had already enough on his mind as it was.
Her father paused in his ministrations and directed a tight-lipped smile to her, torn between whether to alleviate her worries by reassuring her or to simply remain silent. Settling a grim expression on his hardened face, he chose not to give her any false hope and went with the latter option instead- silence.
Allowing her gaze to fall back on the man's face as he continued to pack his luggage, Anise took her time to truly look at her father's face, realising that time had not been all that cruel to him. His slightly tanned skin complexion, no doubt a result of his numerous archaeological expeditions, his thick chestnut brown hair that was greying at its roots, the only clue that hinted at his true age, his warm honey brown eyes and the brown moustache that he had obstinately insisted was his most "charming" feature, certainly helped in making him seem younger than his actual age.
Ah, when was the last time they had properly celebrated his birthday?
The sudden thought was fleeting- quickly replaced with fond memories of cakes, candles and melodic laughter that had been evoked as a result. Those had indeed been good times…
"I'm sorry."
His abrupt apology had brought the girl back from her musings on a time long past. She wanted to sigh out of frustration but she refrained from doing so. She didn't want more prominent eye-bags on her father's face.
Instead, she settled for a simple smile.
"It's fine. It'll be like one of your excavations and I'll be with William... it'll be fine."
"Smile, Anise. Smile, even when I'm gone…"
Her cerise eyes constantly flitted towards her locket as she unconsciously fiddled with it, her optimistic words seeming to be more of an assurance to herself than to him.
Barton Twining raises a hand to cup his daughter's pale cheek, forcing her to look straight into his eyes. The taut muscles that pulled his face into a frown relaxes as his eyes softens. He manages to put a sincere smile on his face as he gazes into her cerise eyes lovingly.
"You have indeed become a fine young lady... your mother would have been proud."
A quiet giggle escapes her lips as a genuine smile slides into place upon her face.
Lord Barton continues to glide his thumb across the smooth, white skin as he murmurs a low, "I'll miss you."
Those three words are enough to push the young girl to throw her arms around her father, her soundless sobs muffled by the fabric of his coat as he gingerly wraps his arms around the girl, carefully entwining his fingers within her sandy blonde locks, making sure that he doesn't hurt the fragile girl.
"Goodbye, Anise…"
XXXX
After the tearful farewell, Anise finds herself on a carriage, en route to the main Twining Manor. The worries she once held tucked into a dusty corner of her mind, forgotten, as she hums a jolly tune.
Her head seeming to have a mind of its own as it continually replays the "episode" she had... yet the slow but constant clip-clop of the horse carriage was like a sweet lullaby to her and all too soon, she gave into her fatigue.
The blurred face of a blonde man calling out a pained "I'm sorry" to her, being the last image her head managed to register before the darkness took over.
"Who are you?"
.
.
.
Anise had been to the main Twining Manor a countless number of times before, with the most recent visit being a mere summer ago. She had always enjoyed her time there as she got along well with the inhabitants of the manor, more so with her cousin, his butler and the kind cook, who had taught her many dessert recipes.
However, those trips had been made under completely different circumstances... and she was more than fully aware. Standing awkwardly with her luggage to her side, in front of the large mansion that towered over her, she felt more than intimidated.
How exactly was she to explain?
The young girl could feels beginnings of a sigh forming at the back of her throat and seeing no need for her to repress it, she let the defeated sigh escape through her lips as she gazed forlornly at the path leading to the manor.
"Why the long sigh?"
Jumping at the proximity and abruptness of the voice, Anise quickly whips her head to the side.
"William?"
Her blonde cousin only shoots her quizzical look in return, wondering the reason for the absence of a smile on the usually cheerful girl's face and her sudden visit. His curiosity soon morphs into annoyance as he realises that the servants aren't coming to get them.
"William, I- I-"
He cuts her off before she can even explain, apologising for the inconvenience as he grabs her suitcase and makes his way to the entrance of the manor.
"Hello! I'm home!"
"Wait, I can carry my luggage by myself!"
William only turns around and levels her a cool look that shuts her up instantly. Anise can almost hear the scold in his voice as she imagines him saying, "How can a gentleman such as I, allow a lady to carry her luggage?" so she settles for mumbling a quiet thanks as the guilt consumes her whole.
"Kevin! Is there anyone here?"
The Twining butler stumbles out of a random bush, wide eyes darting between his master and the unexpected guest who has her head bowed low, cerise eyes trained on the ground.
"Young Master, when did you get home?"
"You should have greeted me and Anise! How long do you think it took for us to walk from the front gate?!"
The butler only shrugs, continuing to tease his young master before turning his gaze on the young lady who offers him a shy, somewhat ashamed smile as she fingers her blue locket.
"William."
"Wait a minute... your clothes... why are you working in the garden? You're the butler!"
Kevin sends a hesitant glance to the squirming visitor as he chooses the best way to break the news to the unknowing boy, choosing his next few words carefully.
"To tell you the truth... something terrible has happened."
"What?"
The girl decides it would be best if her cousin hears the news directly from her as she fakes a cough, successfully gaining the attention of both master and butler.
"William, I- I'm sorry." She fumbles over the clumsy apology, her cerise eyes unable to maintain the eye-contact with the blonde as her previous composure crumbles to dust.
The blonde merely quirks an eyebrow in response, confusion rolling off him in waves. Anise takes a deep breath as she looks up, straight into those emerald orbs and continues on with her "confession".
"My father... Lord Barton's business has failed... We're bankrupt."
She whispered the last few words but they still seemed loud within the pin-drop silent room. Resisting the urge to run, her cerise eyes dart across the empty hallway, never lingering on one spot for too long, yet somehow still managing to catch the apologetic gleam in Kevin's eyes and the frozen expression of shock on William's face.
Anise mentally counted down to the incoming explosion.
1...
2...
3...
"AHHHHHH! Wasn't it doing well? Bankrupt!?"
"Yes, bankrupt." Kevin deadpanned.
Rushing forward to the nearest rooms, William flung their doors open- only to find all of them to be completely empty to his dismay.
"Everything was taken by the debt collectors." Kevin supplied quietly. "Fortunately the house is left..."
William still does not turn around, obstinately staring at door he clutches as he softly asks, "What about Uncle Barton...?"
"He's fled the country." Anise replies in a quiet voice.
The blonde abruptly spins around to face his cousin.
"Wait, then why are you here?"
The girl flashes him a small smile as she parts her wavy blonde locks, slightly bowing her head when she unclasps her locket.
"Father can't take me along... and I wanted to be the one to tell you what had happened, so that I could apologise and give you this."
Her pale hands covers his hand as she slips a cool metal object into it.
"I know it's not much, but it's made of pure gold. It should at least be able to cover for half of your school fees for the term."
"I'm sorry." She repeats her apology once more with utmost sincerity, hoping that he would know that she had truly meant it.
"Where will you go?"
She gives him another smile, stating that she would be fine.
William does not say anything in reply, wordlessly striding up to the girl and mercilessly flicking her forehead, hard. She yelps in pain, clutching her throbbing forehead while staring up at the blonde with teary eyes. What?
The blonde lifts up his right index finger.
"First of all, this isn't your fault so stop apologising."
He lifts two fingers before continuing.
"Secondly, I won't take that locket. I know how important it is, especially to you."
William lifts three fingers as he finishes.
"And lastly, stop lying. It's too obvious."
He fixes her a pointed look to make sure she understands before he puts the locket on for her.
The girl slips a goofy smile onto her face as she marvels at how easily William Twining makes her feel like a reprimanded child and how little he's changed over the years. It's a good thing, she supposes.
"Uncle asked you to come to me, right?"
Anise nods, explaining that her father has already completed all the necessary paperwork for her transfer to Stradford School and that she has received a full scholarship on account of her outstanding achievement in the arts.
He raises a brow in confusion - isn't Stratford an all boys' school?
"The principal made an exception on account of the Twining Family's lineage." She replies simply, answering his unspoken question.
Faking a cough to cover up the light crimson blush that has spread across his cheeks, the blonde politely offers her to stay at his house until the break is over. The girl doesn't hesitate to latch onto him in agreement, her tight grip almost choking the life out of the blonde boy.
All the while as Kevin stands slightly off to their side, watching the pair interact with a fond yet slightly strained smile on his lips…
XXXX
"Come to think of it, what happened to the other servants...?"
William questions, as he hastily paced around the empty mansion, confirming that it was indeed void of any other beings, aside from the three of them.
"Everyone except for me has been sacked." Kevin replies sadly.
"I see... It's because I can't pay them anymore..."
The blonde boy reluctantly turns to face his butler, a dejected expression upon his face.
"Then you should also..."
"I don't want to go anywhere else."
Kevin startles William with his earnest words but his next act comes as an even greater surprise. A pleasant one, nonetheless. Gently placing his young master's hand on top of his right hand, he envelopes it with his left hand in a hold that was neither too tight, nor too loose but rather, just right.
He wasn't going to be leaving.
"The Cecil family has served the Twining family for generations, so I'll stay by your side until the end..."
As much as Kevin's words do touch him, William can't help but feel sorry for dragging the butler into such a situation. He was undeserving of such kind words.
"Kevin... I'm sorry."
What Kevin says next... isn't a really surprise.
"Don't be... anyway... I'd made a bet on your intelligence so become an amazing politician and earn lots of money from taking bribes!"
"What!? You made a bet on me?" William squawks.
Anise laughs, a high-pitched giggle escaping her lips as she is thoroughly amused by the behaviour of both master and butler. Typical Kevin...
"And you too, Lady Anise, I'm sure you'll get lots of suitors and receive many exquisite presents and after you've squeezed them dry, you can marry a rich politician!"
The blonde girl nods her head vigorously, agreeing with great zest as she continues to laugh. Tackling both master and butler to the ground, she wraps both of them in a tight hug, loudly proclaiming that, "It would be us three musketeers 'till the end!"
XXXX
All at once, the thought of his unpaid tuition fee resurfaces, causing William to instantly shoot up from his position as he begins to open door after door frantically, ransacking the manor for anything of value, with his two companions tailing behind him helplessly.
"My school fees! If I don't pay them by the end of the holiday, I'll have to leave the school!"
The blonde pauses in his search which only proves to be futile, to ask Kevin if he had heard anything from his father about a hidden safe or a secret door.
"A secret door? Come to think of it..."
As Kevin begins to lead the Twining cousins down the basement, with only the faint light of the lamp illuminating the path and crooked shadows as companions, Anise begins to muse on the possibility of there being a hidden torture chamber or dungeon in it. The Twinings were after all, a family which had a longer history than the Royal family. There had to be some deep, dark secret stowed away, right?
On second thought, Anise hoped not. Desperately so. She wasn't exactly a fan of ghostly apparitions or evils spirits out for revenge… no, she was definitely more of a fairy person.
Amidst her vain musings, the trio had already reached the "secret" door.
"Strangely enough, this is the only door that there's no key for. The Master used to check on it often." Kevin adds as William begins to pace before the door, inspecting every nook and cranny of it.
The air is tense and the mood ominous as the lamp flickers, causing the dark shadows around them to curve and stretch, further distorting them into an unrecognisable mass of black shapes.
Anise fidgets uncomfortably, visibly affected by the ominous atmosphere. She does not think that this is a good idea at all. "Maybe we should leave-"
"How suspicious..." However, she is interrupted by the Twining heir as he decides to take matters into his own hands, pushing his entire weight against the door as he tries to break the door down. His attempt does succeed as the rusty hinges do give way, but he accidentally hurts his hand in the process- the scarlet liquid trickling down his hand in a small stream a testament to that.
Just as both Kevin and Anise were about to tell the blonde boy off for his reckless act, a drop of his blood lands on the ground, causing an ancient magic circle to light up, momentarily blinding everybody in the room. Once the light has dimmed to an eerie glow and the smoke has partially cleared, they both rushed forward to stand by William's side. All three of them braced themselves for who or what it was that laid beyond.
A deep, distinctly male voice reverberated throughout walls of the empty room. "I've waited many years but I've finally found the one who has Solomon's soul."
Anise pursued her lips from her position behind William's left shoulder. The man had sounded kind of... familiar?
The smoke had finally cleared, revealing a raven-haired man who stood in the very middle of the magic circle, his piercing crimson gaze directed straight ahead, in William's direction.
"I am Dantalion, the Grand Duke that commands 36 armies of Hell and the most suitable candidate for substitute king!"
.
.
.
"What?"
XXXX
"In other words, King Solomon who enslaved the 72 demons and sealed them in a vessel, is my ancestor?"
Anise wonders if William truly does have nerves of steel or possibly, no nerves at all. After all, what normal person would be able to nonchalantly sip tea as he questioned a stranger, or a possible robber, that had happened to randomly pop out from the ground?
It was almost as if he had used magic... Dantalion, even his name had sounded somewhat familiar... She shook her head to clear away such thoughts, she had probably remembered wrongly. The girl was sure it was the first and probably the last time she would meet someone brazen enough to introduce himself as a demon- and not just any regular demon, but a demon who was a grand duke nonetheless... What an incredibly bizarre encounter this was!
"You vulgar impostor!"
Anise was jolted out of her reverie by William, realising that she had been staring at the spot between her shoes for the entire time. She trained her cerise eyes on the subdued "demon" before her, scrutinising him from head to toe.
Almost as if he had been able to feel her gaze, the "demon" looked up sharply, locking eyes with Anise. Realisation seemed to have dawned on his face for he was about to say something but before he had the chance to, a sharp lurch on the rope he was bound by cut him off. The police was hauling him away, to be locked behind bars no doubt.
Hollering a desperate "Listen to me", Dantalion tried to catch the attention of the trio but only the girl's eyes remained fixed on him. The last thing that he saw was pink lips mouthing a silent "Who are you?", before all three of them disappeared from his field of vision.
XXXX
"What kind of trick did he use?"
Rapping his knuckles on the ground, William continued to probe the floor of the basement, even putting his ear to the ground to check for any mechanisms that could have triggered the hidden door beneath it.
"It could have been magic."
Anise offers, as she bends down to examine the intricate curves and the ancient symbols that make up the magic circle. Lightly brushing her hand over the surface of the ground, she traces the abstract symbols.
They were beautiful. Beautiful in a mysterious and arcane way, much like the ancient exhibits of Egyptian sarcophagi displayed in museums.
"Nonsense. Magic doesn't exist. The magic circle is probably a subterfuge for the trap door."
The realist in William reappears with a burning passion as he once again tries to find a plausible explanation that does not involve the supernatural.
Anise sighs, there is absolutely no reasoning with him when it came to the supernatural. Instead, she settles for grumbling a soft, "You could try to believe in it for once..." under her breath as she pouts.
A sudden revelation seems to have struck William as he pauses in his acts and raises a fist to his chin. She could have sworn that she heard the gears in his head shifting.
"Kevin I'm sure... Father had a ring that was important to him, didn't he?"
Anise blinked, staring at the side profile of her cousin curiously. William almost never mentioned his parents around her. In fact, he normally evaded any topics related to them; it was somewhat of a taboo subject. To see him starting one, came as a huge surprise to her and to Kevin too she supposed, going by the rigid expression on his face and how tongue-tied he was at the moment.
"Young Master, that's..."
Movement behind William caught her eye and Anise shifted closer to him to get a better look, squinting to allow more light into her cerise orbs, staring right at the area over his shoulder. Was his shadow moving?
"It can't be, even that was taken? I'm sure it was in father's study!"
Everything that happened next was too fast for her mind to fully comprehend. She wasn't even able to scream.
A violent tug.
A shout from a voice that had sounded like Kevin.
Futile struggling.
Tight binds becoming even tighter.
Falling.
Then, all that was left, was darkness.
.
.
.
Anise gasped, clutching her pounding head that felt as though she had just woken up from a nightmare- the kind where you couldn't remember anything that had happened but still made your heart to race at a hundred miles per minute. Those were truly the worst kinds of nightmares.
Slightly angling her head to her right, she noticed the motionless body of her cousin lying a few feet beside her. Making her way to him with guarded footsteps, Anise gently shook him awake.
"Uh..." Groaning as he woke up, William used one hand to prop himself up and the other, pressed to his temple as he tried to steady himself.
"Where on earth is this?"
Anise merely shrugs her shoulders, pointing to the wooden door that was framed by three large pillars, carved into the granite wall, guarded by two grotesque stone gargoyles. "It looks like someone's front door."
How gothic...
"Maybe it's the hidden compartment you were looking for?" She pauses, shifting her eyes away from the door, glancing upwards at the stone ceiling, puzzled.
"How did we get here though?"
A loud grating sound suddenly interrupts the pair as the door is slowly swung open. The doors opened outwards. Did they open inwards too?
The pair enters the unusual house with cautious steps and curious eyes. The first thing that Anise does as she enters the abode is to glance upwards. To her disappointment, the ceiling is not decorated with the perfectly symmetrical perpendicular vaulting that she had so wished to see. It is bare.
"Well... Well... what unusual guests."
Directing their attention to the goat-headed figure that had just spoken, the Twining cousins are at a loss for words. Anise briefly wonders what "logical" explanation William would give for that.
"No... Is this a costume party?"
The incredulous girl turns to the blonde boy in utter disbelief. Surely, he can't be serious? Besides, what costume party would there be behind the "secret trap door", which was located in the basement of his house, which was situated deep in the countryside?
Now that she had thought about it, a ridiculous explanation for a ridiculous situation... how fitting.
Staring pointedly at the goat-human thing for a few more moments, William seemed to have finally found the answer.
"This is a dream!"
"You reached a single conclusion, yet again." The goat-headed figure flatly states, cancelling out the possibility of the goat talking being a figment of their imagination.
"Simple?"
Offended by the fact that his intelligence had been insulted, William launched into another tirade about how "elite" he was while Anise simply contemplated the goat's words in silence.
"What exactly would be the 'correct' conclusion then?"
Baphomet only smiled mysteriously in answer as he slowly led them away from the door and further into the grand compound.
XXXX
"Even the waiters look the part..." The blonde boy mutters, bewildered and exasperated all at once as he places a hand on a waiter's belly.
"I'm not sure you should be touching that, Will..." Anise begins unsurely, her nickname for the blonde boy slipping out in apprehension.
"Lord William Twining and Lady Anisette Twining."
The young girl stiffens at the mention of her full name, straightening her back and tightening her facial muscles in reflex while the blonde boy narrows his emerald eyes in response.
"How do you know our names?" William's sharp question echoes the suspicion of both cousins.
Choosing to reply to his question with another of his own, the goat asks, "Have you met my master?"
"Your master?"
"Yes. The exceptional Grand Duke of Hell, His Excellency, Dantalion."
"Dantalion?! That cosplaying guy!?"
Anise's mouth forms an 'o' shape as she places her right fist atop of her flat palm, declaring with finality, "That weird robber guy who was arrested?"
XXXX
The young girl suppresses a giggle as she begins to think about what a strange adventure she had gotten herself into as she likens herself to Alice. They were even having a tea party at the moment! Too bad her name wasn't Alice... it would make good laugh indeed.
Technically speaking, it wasn't a rabbit who led her down the hole but rather a magic circle which had also summoned a high-level demon... well.
In terms of roles, she would be 'Alice' while William would be the 'White Rabbit' since he was the reason for all the crazy happenings... or would this 'Dantalion' be the catalyst since he was the one who came for him first?
Dantalion.
Grand Duke of Hell.
Candidate for substitute King.
Dantalion...
Her eyes glaze over as her breathing hitches, her conscious mind taken to a place long forgotten.
XXXX
The familiar whitewashed walkway greets her as 'she' continues to walk down the long hallway, occasionally glancing between the large pillars, at the ancient tree in the middle of the courtyard.
'She' suddenly halts, turning around on the spot to face the person who had called out her name. That person, for some inane reason that defied logic, looks that were startlingly similar to that of Dantalion's.
That, however, is not what surprises Anise.
What comes as a surprise is that the figure had a face.
Up until now, all of the people in all her "dreams" had been faceless. They weren't really faceless per say, but rather, their features were normally blurred out, almost as if an angry child had taken an eraser and rubbed their faces off.
"Dantalion" rubs his neck awkwardly as he tries to word his question properly, his body language clearly screaming that he was uncomfortable, his tone much too forced to sound flippant. "Why do you hate me?"
Anise can feel her dream persona blinking once, slightly taken aback with his honest question as an amused smile forms upon her face. "Hate would be too strong a word. Try 'intense dislike' instead."
He notices the playful tone of her voice and bristles.
"Stop avoiding the question and answer why!"
She chuckles. The chuckle is low and bittersweet, just like apples, she muses. The first sin.
"It's because you are the first." She replies vaguely, leaving out the rest of her reply.
The first to come.
The first to disturb the peace.
The man instantly furrows his eyebrows, frazzled with her frustratingly cryptic answer. He hated how her words had always been riddles. He had never been able to decipher her true intent.
"What if I wasn't the first pillar?" He splutters, catching himself before he could vocalise his other question. Would you have liked me?
She takes a mere second to deliberate on her answer, having reached a conclusion much, much earlier on.
"Perhaps. Perhaps not. I wouldn't know."
Her simple answer renders him utterly speechless. Her dream persona doesn't wait for his reply as she stalks off, continuing on her path. Yet, she pauses just before she reaches the end of the walkway. Swiftly turning on her heels once more, she strides back to the frozen figure, giving him one last piece of advice.
"Stop dwelling on it, Dantalion."
.
.
.
The words echo within the confines of her mind before everything in her dream fades, leaving only a cold, blinding light in its wake.
XXXX
Anise didn't usually understand the "dreams" that she had, only that it was probably from a time and place long ago. The person who she became during those dreams was an enigma to her too. Apparently, her dream persona wasn't very fond of mirrors. The only thing that she could gather about her dream persona was that she had the same long, sandy blonde hair as herself.
When her glassy cerise eyes had refocused, the first image that came into view was the worried face of one William Twinning.
Now that was new, William worrying?
"Hey, are you alright?"
Now, how could she pass up on such a great opportunity?
She quirked her brow in mock-horror, widening her eyes dramatically as she placed a hand over her heart.
"Is the great William Twining actually worried about little little me?"
A red-hot blush immediately spread across his cheeks, the blush creeping all the way up to the tip of his ears, either out of anger or embarrassment. She guessed that it was a mix of both. Before he even had a chance to retort to her accusations, Anise cut him off with a small giggle, assuring him that she felt just fine.
"Fine enough to mock me it seems." William grumbled under his breath, loud enough for the girl to hear. She only shrugged, shooting him a seemingly innocent smile.
Raising the porcelain cup to her lips absentmindedly, Anise tipped it slightly forward, allowing the clear, pale orange liquid to flow through her lips.
Dantalion... who was he really?
Just like her dream persona who said before, he was the first, the first to appear... Was that a premonition?
The scalding hot liquid burned her tongue but it seemed to have lifted the fog that plagued her mind, clearing all but one of her idle thoughts - She was in hell. Correction, they were in hell; they, being William and herself. She choked.
"Pay more attention and stop spacing out! You could get hurt!"
William immediately flew to her side, patting her back repeatedly with one hand whilst holding up a napkin to her mouth with another. Anise grabbed it thoughtlessly and began wiping her mouth with it. She could faintly hear the blonde boy's incessant rebukes in the background but she just didn't have the heart to actually listen to them.
"Is there something wrong, My Lady?"
Turning to look the goat straight in the eye, Anise enunciated each and every single word carefully, allowing the full weight of her sentence to sink in.
"This is hell."
Her statement, which was originally meant to be a question, seemed to have lit a spark of amusement in those beady, golden eyes, a sly smirk slowing crossing his stoic countenance.
Whereas, her ever supportive cousin only scoffs, dismissing it with a mere wave of his hand. "Don't be ridiculous."
"Then where are we?" Her voice is quiet as she turns to look at William with serious eyes.
Without waiting for a reply, Anise continues, "In Dantalion's house; Dantalion as in the demon who is a Grand Duke of Hell, who probably lives in hell."
Seeing as the stubborn realist with a hardcore love for modern science wasn't going to back down that easily, she tried reasoning with him once more.
"I don't think you believe that there'd be a house this big, connected to your underground basement right?"
William pursues his lips. He agrees with her previous statement but he can't bring himself to believe in the supernatural, nor can he come up with a rational explanation for the sudden appearance of a house of this size.
"Demons don't exist, thus rendering your argument invalid." He refuted stiffly, maintaining his sceptical attitude towards anything mythical, although it was obvious that he was considerably flustered.
Anise wanted to facepalm, wishing that something magical and unexplainable would happen at the moment, hoping that would be enough to convince her bull-headed cousin. If not, she didn't know what would...
Almost as if her prayers had been answered by God, the wall behind the pair had suddenly exploded into tiny bits, blasting its shards, the furniture, food and basically everything else in the dining room away save from themselves, before their very eyes.
What just happened?
.
.
.
TBC.
EDIT: Fixed some grammar and added some stuff. WOW. I seriously haven't updated in a long time. Anyway this is gonna be my main focus for now! (I give up on CSG atm, because the ending of KNB… -sighs-)
Anyway, to all you fellow Sitri fans out there: REJOICE! The final pairing is more or less confirmed to be Sitri/OC, well unless I change it at the last moment. Just gonna give you all a head's up first though- I SUCK AT ROMANCE. so.
OKAY ANYWAY, PLEASE CONTINUE TO GIVE THIS FIC LOVE, AND STAY AWESOMESAUCE ALL REVIEWRS/FOLLOWERS AND PEOPLE WHO HAVE FAVOURITED! PEACE OUT :D
A/N:
Gosh I shouldn't be starting a new story but KNB is seriously pissing me off these days and coupled with my freaking writer's block. Let's just say it isn't really a great mix.
And well... MODR seriously needs more love imo. A word of warning - the updates for this story will be slow and sporadic. (like seriously.) Pairings are undecided but I'm in love with Sitri atm sooooo... hmm we'll see I guess? And on a side note, this story will follow the manga to a certain extent. (cos I have my own storyline planned out.)