They stood in an alley a few streets away from Kat's own home. Neither of them daring to make a move. She had finally caught up with the man and had him cornered. Night was arriving quickly as the streets became empty. A chilly breeze started to pick up as winter neared closer.
The hunter looked different. His face much more pale, his eyes still soft but his entire face menacing and detached. Kat didn't like it one bit. This was not the man she had fought alongside. This was not Dante.
"Kat," he breathed out while cracking the muscles in his neck, "You look real good," he said in an exhale.
She took a step forward, her boots squishing underneath the faint puddles of water in the mud. The alley which they were in seemed far darker now than just moments before, the cold night breeze blew swiftly through Kat's hair making her skin crawl.
"You did this. Dante, you did this," she confronted him, "How could you?"
The young man chuckled softly, his voice was deep and rumbled smoothly. His hair had grown slightly longer, now covering the faint line of his eyelids. Dante didn't bother in moving it aside. He let that mop of hair stick up and fall in awkward angles
He exhaled slowly, "I killed him for you, Kat. Your foster father, you were supposed to kill him after meeting Vergil. But I killed him for you," Dante explained, a light smile spread across his lips, "So you wouldn't have to go through the pain of meeting Vergil or me."
Of course. That's what Dante had been up to. All those late night study sessions with her own books and journals. The witch should have been more careful. But it seemed that now was not the time to wallow in self pity. She couldn't let her friend fall into such darkness.
"Yes, but at what cost, Dante? Everyone else will suffer now," she tried to explain to him.
It was true. Kat was saved from her foster father, but who would save the humans from the demons? Dante was of no state to go around helping people. He was different now.
"I just want to keep you safe," he whispered, "Keep only you safe, Kat. I want to stay out of your life. For good."
Dante only brought ruin and destruction. He couldn't do that. Not to her. His only good thing in life. Kat had saved him from himself, from throwing his life away on his daily dose of booze and women. He had to repay her somehow. Even after Vergil had gone, it wasn't as though their lives were any better.
He was sure this would be the only way. He refused any other alternative. They all ended in disaster anyway. If keeping the woman safe meant suffering, then so be it.
"Dante," the young witches voice was soft, "come home with me. We can fix this together."
Even in the dim moonlight, his pale skin seemed to have an infected tinge to it. His hair having become completely radiant white, the hunter shook his head.
"There's nothing to fix," he rumbled, "Goodbye, Kat."
The witch took another step forward. a few feet away from the hunter, she wanted to save him. Talk some sense into him and help her dear friend. But even in his present state, Dante was far quicker than her. Before she could reach him, Dante had jerked out of her way and bolted in the opposite direction, fleeing from Kat.
"Shit," she muttered under her breath.
Kat needed to make things right again. She had no idea how she would do it but she needed to start somewhere.