Chapter 18: Where There Is Hope, There Is Despair
Time was of the essence, everyone was pumped, and the mission was given. The clock above held only 30 more minutes to find Niffty as quickly as possible, but for this rag-tag team of demons, it would pose little challenge. Zack adjusted his jacket and stepped throughout the room, his arms crossed in thought.
"Alright, we don't have much time, so let's get to work! Everyone, break into teams of two and search this building for anything out of the ordinary! Maybe you guys can find Niffty on the way. Moxxie, Millie, you two stay with me and help search this room. We might be able to find some clues to where she could be hiding."
With a nod, they all went out to do their jobs, all except Moxxie, Millie, and Zack, who stayed in the room to search for info. With any luck, they could find something that would help narrow their search. Taking this opportunity, Zack began to scan the room. Upon closer inspection, it seemed to be a study of some sort, though it was much smaller than Stolas's. A book shelf leaned against the left wall, filled to the brim with novels, dictionaries, and informative reading material, while a small corkboard hung to the right wall. It was filled with multiple pages and papers, each pinned by a thumbtack. At the center of the room, behind the fake body, was am oakwood desk, the surface of it coated with books, papers, and writing equipment. Zack could only scoff; it reminded him of his small little writing room back in the living world.
With a clasp of his hands, he looked towards the imp couple and began to divvy out assignments, "Alright, Millie, take a look at those papers on the cork board. Moxxie, look over at that bookshelf and see if there's anything of note. I'll handle the desk."
Millie saluted with a grin, "You got it investigator! Let's go Mox~!"
The two split into their respective spots and got to work, while Zack began to work at the papers littering the desk. Most of them were just old newspaper clipping, each one holding an even from years ago. His fingers flipped through them, as he frowned in questioning. He held the clippings in his hands, as he stared at them in thought.
"Hm...they all seem to have something to do with some sorta virus. The Omega Virus...? It was being developed by some sorta government group. Never got released, due to it being way too risky and dangerous to use." He mentally read, his mind setting that to memory. He would soon notice something else. There was another newspaper, but it was one that was too memorable to him. He brushed his fingers against the monochrome page, reading it mentally, "Boy shoots father for protection. On December 27th, a deranged father took the life of his wife. The cause of death points to the use of a berretta, however, he would soon get his just desserts. A boy, who is presumed to be the son of the dysfunctional couple, was found at the scene. The police state that the evidence points to him protecting himself in a time of stress and fear. We can only hope that he will recover from the events that had transpired..."
He couldn't read anymore, lest he get emotional. The very sight of the article sent a wave of memories to crash into his psyché. Why would something like this be here? Was it just there to throw him off, or was it some sort of clue? He shook his head; this wasn't the time to get sensitive about a measly clipping. There was work to be done, and it had to be done fast.
"Zack! Could ya come over here?! I can't make heads or tails of this writin'!" Millie called out, her foot tapping against the floor in confusion. Dropping what he was doing, he quickly bolted towards her, along with Moxxie, who was holding a book in his hand.
"What's wrong? Find anything odd?" the demon husband asked, his tail flicking about slowly. She smiled awkwardly, as she held up a newspaper clipping.
"It's more like I found this here newspaper clipin'. It seemed like something important, so I called you guys over. Um, is that bad?"
Zack remained silent, his eyes scanning the clipped newspaper article quickly. With widened eyes and a huff of intrigue, he nodded his head, before taking the newspaper article into his hands, "Huh, the Alpha Antidote. Says it was used to combat the Omega Virus, and it actually worked. Not exactly sure what this has to do with anything, but it could prove yourself."
His eyes looked towards the other scraps of newspaper on the board, his finger tapping at his left temple, "The rest of these clippings don't seem to have any correlation with each other. Maybe the main resident of this place enjoyed collecting articles that interested them?"
Moxxie only shrugged, before looking back towards the body. It still was hard for him to even believe someone would go to the trouble of putting together an entirely new body just to fool everyone. He had to admit, however, it was a fairly unique plan. As his eyes wandered about the carcass, something caught his eye. Underneath the desk, hidden just beneath the victim's hand, was a folded piece of paper. Without even thinking, the male imp slowly reached forward and clutched it into his hand, before opening it with a slow and gentle touch.
"Hey, Zack, take a look at this." He said, handing him the now unfolded sheet of printer paper. Zack raised an eyebrow, as his eyes scanned the contents on the page's surface. Seemed like it was a note of some kind.
"Hm... The path is set for those who live. One may move forward, but going backwards may benefit one as well." He read aloud.
"Is that supposed ta be a poem of some kind? Ain't poems supposed to rhyme?" Millie muttered, a look of disappointment on her face. Moxxie only smiled awkwardly, though Zack couldn't help but chuckle at her visible disappointment.
"Millie, I don't think that's the point here. Still, this could mean something..."
"Well, if it's saying that going backwards may be beneficial to someone, then maybe we should do the same? Wasn't there a whole bunch of rooms that we all had to pass when we woke up? Maybe she's in there." Moxxie interjected, his thumb pointed towards the exit. Zack, nodding his head, slipped the clippings and folded page into his pocket.
"Good idea, you two. The others are searching the other halls that they all passed, so let's head down the hallway that we traversed to get here, and if I'm understanding this right, we may need to go even further back."
--
"Niffty!! Hey, if you can hear me, say something!" Loona called out, as she stepped down the dark hallway. After the plan was given out, everyone had left to go and search the area, in hopes that they could find the real Niffty. A part of her, though worried about the situation in a way, was also relieved. After Zack had a handle on the situation and took charge, he seemed so confident, dare she say, even badass. It made her slightly blush just remembering it.
"Thinking about your friend, my hellish hellhound harlot?"
She looked towards the voice, seeing just who she had reluctantly paired up with. Out of everyone there, she had to pair up with the radio demon himself; the very same person who fought Zack when he got stuck in Pentagram City. She huffed and glared at him, not even bothering to give him a response. He, of course, took this as a sign of affirmation.
"You and him seem to be quite chummy. Very peculiar, what with the two of you being so different," he stepped closer to her, his cane twirling in his dominant hand, "However, it's also interesting. A demon dog and a human detective; not exactly the most likely pairing, but I digress."
Loona only growled, as she peeked into a nearby room, "Yeah, well, I didn't ask for your fucking opinion, strawberry ass. Shouldn't you be searching?"
Alastor shrugged, letting out a confident chuckle. He didn't even look worried, even with the possibility that his friend could be killed already. Was he even thinking about anyone here, or was he just that cocky? She rolled her eyes, merely deciding to enjoy the silence. It wouldn't last long, however...
"You're the one to blame for his plight, aren't you?" She froze in place, her eyes widening slightly in shock, "I could tell from the moment I saw you that you had something to do with it. Hmhm, I wonder if he knows already-"
She moved do fast that she almost looked like a blur to him, as her clawed hand wrapped around his thin neck, pinning him against the wall. Her eyes held such malice, distrust, and anger, as a low growl rumbled deep in her throat.
"I don't wanna hear shit from you, Mr. Cannibal. You don't know jack shit, so don't even think about lecturing me."
Alastor's grin grew darker, as he chuckled once again, "My my, I hit a nerve. I'm merely making small talk, my dear. No need to get so defensive. Besides, it's not like I'm angry at you, far from it. Your little action actually makes this entire situation so much more interesting! A story like this deserves some stakes, wouldn't you agree?"
Her grip tightened and her eyes growing a dark shade of red. She couldn't believe that he was fucking with her. What did he know about their situation? He didn't have any right to say anything about it, what with the many things that he did to other demons.
"He's not some television show, dumbass. Keep your goddamn nose out of our lives, and you won't have to worry about me ripping out your throat."
"Oh, but my dear, that's the thing. Zack is, to be frank, a very important individual. The last thing I need is for him to be hurt, or worse, you see," static sounded in her ears, as his head tilted to the side. The very air around her grew tense and heavy, the very sight of him sending shivers down her spine, "So, listen to me well; Whatever happens to him is on your hands. Do NOT let him die, or there will be hell to pay, for everyone."
She could only stay silent. Was he serious? He was actually telling her to protect him. Wasn't exactly something that The Radio Demon was known for. There had to have been a reason, and it definitely wasn't just because he wanted to see Zack live. She shook off her fear and pulled her hand from his neck.
"That was the plan. I don't need you telling me what to do. Zack is always gonna stay a living, breathing human." she growled out, as she turned to walk away. Alastor, who went back to his teasing nature, merely smirked.
"Well, you're only half-right there," Loona stopped once again, her eyes closed tightly in hopes to keep calm, "Though, I'm sure you know all about that, Ms. Murderer."
--
"This seems to be the spot..." Zack mumbled, as he glanced into the room he first awoke in. Moxxie and Millie were both right behind him, their eyes scanning the room for anything out of the ordinary.
"Do you think that note was sayin' that we need to go further back down the hallway? It did say that going backwards is beneficial." Millie questioned, her finger tapping at her chin in thought. It seemed like that was the case, but there was a bit of an air to this whole situation. Why even go to the trouble of leaving a clue like that, especially when the monochrome mastermind was tasked with killing them. It seemed off to him. Zack merely shook his head; there would be time to worry about that later, but for now, they only had 25 minutes to figure this out and find Niffty.
"Yeah, good idea. There's nothing in this room, but maybe there's something further back..."
With that, the trio quickly continued their journey down the dimly lit hallway, all of them staying on guard. It was quiet, really quiet. The only sound filling the hallway was the breathing that they were all letting out with their speedy movements.As they had thought, there was indeed more space further back down the hall, both walls holding more doors, too many to search all of them thoroughly. Millie groaned, her arms drooping at her sides in worry.
"There's too many rooms! We'll never find her in time at this rate!" she exclaimed. Zack's ear perked in curiosity.
"Maybe we don't have to..."
There was a sound, a foreign one. It almost reminded him of a machine's revving and whirling. Definitely not something you'd hear in an abandoned building. He slowly followed the sound, with Moxxie and Millie watching his back. The sound slowly grew louder to him, as he stepped closer to the back wall of the hallway.
"Is this it? It's just a dead end..." Moxxie asked, his hands gripping his book and readying to smack anyone dumb enough to jump them.
"I think so. You two stay on guard..." Zack answered, as he touched the wall gently. He felt around slowly and thoroughly, before his hand brushed against something strange. It felt as if it was a makeshift handle, one that could easily be pulled. If this was what he thought it was, then he just found his ticket in. With a soft huff and a bit of a mental pep-talk, he slowly pulled the wall open slightly by the handle, anxiety and nervousness eating at the back of his mind, "Hello? Anyone in here?"
That's when he heard it. The sound of a muffled voice. Could it be the one they were searching for? Zack quickly opened the secret door all the way and bolted into the room.
"Niffty?!"
The trio stared in shock. Niffty was alive, though not safe. Her body was strapped to a table tightly, a machine sitting at her left side. Not only that, but a PICC line was connecting the machine to her arm, as if she was in a hospital room. This didn't look good, it was a trap! Millie quickly began to move towards her, bit Zack gripped her wrist, stopping her advancement.
"Don't touch her!"
Millie looked back at him, "But we gotta get her outta there! We only have 10 minutes left!"
"I know that, but we need to keep calm. This thing is obviously some sorta trap, one that may result in her death. Just leave this one to me, I've got this."
Millie's face grew a worried expression. If things were this bad, then there was a chance that he would get hurt, or worse! She looked towards Niffty, her mouth gagged and her eyes blindfolded.
"A-Are you sure you can handle this...?"
"Positive. Don't worry, Niffty is in good hands," he looked towards Moxxie, his face holding a serious expression, "Mox, take Millie and round up the others. I'll join you all back at the main hall."
With a nod of his head, Moxxie gripped Millie's hand and lead her out of the room. He mentally wished Zack luck, as the two sped back down the hallway to complete their task. With a sigh, he quickly stepped closer to the bounded woman, his hands moving to remove the gag and blindfold off of her. To his surprise, she did, in fact, only have one large eye.
"You're Niffty, right?"
She silently nodded, her body completely tense. Zack smiled softly, hoping that it would at least calm her down.
"It's okay, I'm not gonna hurt you. I'm a friend of Charlie's, so don't worry. I'm gonna get you outta here." He said, giving her a thumbs up and a toothy grin. She nodded her head once again, giving him a smile back. Taking a deep breath, he stared at the machine, his eyes scanning and surveying the situation. A timer was set to it, and he could hear the faint sound of beeping coming from it. Most likely a bomb of some sort. Gulping a lump of nervousness, he continued his observing. At the top of the machine were two canisters, each filled with a blue or red liquid. He tilted his head; he almost felt like he saw them before. That's when he noticed it. At the base of the canisters were pieces of paper that were taped to the side of it; the red canister had an omega symbol, and the blue canister had an alpha symbol.
"Millie, you single-handedly just saved our asses..." he mumbled, as he looked towards the controls. The only things that were on the face of the death machine were three dials, a red button, and tubes that led to the PICC in Niffty's arm, and one that led to a bucket. Zack nodded his head, understanding exactly what was the goal.
"I get it. I need to get the antidote into her body while simultaneously diverting the virus into the bucket. Damn it, this is some Saw level shit here..."
His eyes glanced at the clock. 30 seconds in counting; there was no time to waste! He groaned, as he quickly touched the dials and began to turn them at a quick pace. 25 seconds left; wrong combination! 15 seconds; wrong again! 10 seconds; wrong a third time! This wasn't good! Time was running out, and if he didn't figure this out, Niffty would not only be infected with a deadly virus, but also charred to a crisp from the bomb lurking in the machine. There had to be some sort of clue, anything that could give him a clear sign as to what to do! That's when it hit him. There was only one clue, but how would that correlate to this? There were no numbers to the dials, except for arrows that pointed clockwise for the first and third dials, and counter-clockwise for the second dial. Using that knowledge, there could only be one way to do this. He quickly set the dials to their default positions and took a deep breath, his hands moving on their own.
"Clockwise 12 degrees for the first dial," 8 seconds, "counter-clockwise 27 degrees for the second dial," 6 seconds, "and...9 degrees clockwise for the third..."
With only 4 seconds to spare, he slammed his hand against the red button, a clicking sound invading his ears. 2 seconds left; the blue liquid and the red liquid flushed out of the canisters and into their respective pipes at an alarming speed. 1 second left; this was it! Was he able to make it?! Zack glared at the timer, bracing himself for the explosion to occur. A second past, then another, then another. Everything was completely silent, even their breathing was being held, in fear that a single sound would jinx their chances and end both their lives. After a few more seconds, they slowly began to relax.
"H-Hoo boy..." Zack's legs slightly wobbled and buckled under his weight, causing him to fall back on his rear, "that...was way too fuckin close for comfort..."
--
After calming himself and getting the feeling back in his legs, he found himself untying the mono-eyed demoness, a smile on his face. With the immediate threat gone, he could at least let himself relax for a second.
"You alright, kiddo? No wounds or injuries?" he asked, his eyes glancing at her body, in search for any gashes. She shook her head quickly, her face holding a large grin.
"Nope, not at all! I'm right as blood rain, but I'm more worried about the dust and dirt around the place! It's all filthy!" she quickly said, her eye darting to every direction. He could swear her pupil was shrinking. With a slow nod, he smiled awkwardly.
"Something tells me that she's a bit of a germaphobe."
He brushed his thumb against his nose, as he took a deep breath to still his nerves. She was a slight bit strange, to say the least, but she didn't seem all that bad. In fact, she seemed fairly adorable, like a grade-school girl, or something.
"Well, luckily you won't have to worry about that for much longer. Charlie and the others are just down the hall. Can you stand, kiddo?" he asked, his hands slipping into his pockets.
"Of course! Um, but the ground is kinda dirty..." she mumbled, her eye staring down at the ground. He should have guessed that this would happen. After all, someone who hates germs would be a bit out of her element here. With a soft huff, he gripped her hips and placed her on his left shoulder.
"There we go, that should help. Don't worry, the main hall is much cleaner. Hold on tight, okay?"
She nodded her head, never losing the child-like smile on her face. With that said, Zack stepped out of the room, with Niffty in tow. Even with the hall being so dark and grimy, it felt more comfortable, most likely due to the crisis being averted. However, something still didn't sit quite right with him. Why make this game fair? The clues were literally placed for him to find, and with the others there, it made them so easy to find. What was the point in even doing that? Needless to say, it ate at his mind, and his face made it very apparent.
"Hey, you okay Mr. Zack?" Niffty asked, pulling him out of his thoughts. Zack glanced up at her, smiling softly at her.
"Yeah, just thinking about things; Mostly about why we're here. Which, speaking of that, how'd you get here? Did you get knocked out too?"
"Yeah, that's right! Mr. Alastor asked me to go and get some groceries for the hotel, but then someone came about and asked me for direction. Usually, when someone comes around, they're the type who are into kids, even though I'm 22! You know, pedo-bears and such. So, after I killed him, I felt a stinging sensation on my back and I got all sleepy. Next thing you know, I'm awake in that dirty room."
Zack nodded his head, his eyes wide with shock at the revelation. He was astounded by the info, but the one thing that truly shocked him was...
"She's 22...?"
He quickly shook off his stupor and looked forward, making sure not to stare at her in complete intrigue. Guess being a demon had its upside. Within a few minutes, the entrance came into view, allowing them to finally be enveloped by the light that they were searching. As they entered the main room, the two would soon develop smiles, their eyes landing on the very people that they considered friends. The moment that they stepped in, they were both crowded by the group of demons, to which Niffty waved at everyone.
"Hey guys! How's it going?" she asked, her smile growing. Charlie was the first to scoop her up, pulling her into a tight, warm hug.
"Niffty!! Thank Satan you're alright! After we saw that body, we thought that'd you-"
"Body? What body? Is there a dead body here?" Gasped, her eye lighting up with intrigue, "Oooooh, can I see it!"
As Charlie and her group continued to talk and converse with each other, Zack silently watched, her hands slipping into his pockets. Seeing them all so relieved and happy instantly made him gleeful. One moment, it all seemed so hopeless and awful, but now, everyone was happy. That's when it hit him; demons were so similar to him, to all humans. They laughed, they cried, they cared, they hated; it was like they were all just humans in a demon's form. In a way, it brought a new wave of courage and self-respect into him. Even if he wasn't seen as family by Blitzo, he still had his friends, and Loona would always be right there beside him. There wasn't anything better than this. He turned to look towards his co-workers, his friends, a smile present on his face. One thing that this whole event reminded him of, is that they were all important to him, in one way or another.
That's when the sound of clapping pulled him from his thoughts, along with the sound of footsteps from behind them, "Very nice, very nice. I'm so very impressed by you, my rival."
The demon group turned to look towards the evil-sounding voice, their guards all on high alert. Just as they thought, the very mastermind that started all this decided to show his face. This time, however, they were much calmer. Well, calm may not be the best word, since they all still were holding some sort of anger. Zack frowned, as he stepped closer to the monochrome-dressed demon.
"Yeah, well, I aim to please. Happy to see you've come to greet us." he greeted back, as he slipped his hands into his pockets.
"More like made it easier for us to tear you apart!" Husker shouted, his brows furrowed. He stepped closer to the mastermind, but to his surprise, he was stopped. His face morphed into a look of shock, as he looked back at the roadblock to his revenge. Alastor merely grinned, his cane blocking his way.
"Now now, let's not be too hasty here. After all, I'm fairly certain our dear investigator here has other plans."
Husker quickly stared at Zack, along with the rest of them. He was indeed right; after all, this entire thing was completely fishy.
"Yeah, he's right. I don't think we have to worry too much about this guy. In fact, I think he's not even our enemy, more or less." he explained, his eyes trained on the monokrome individual. The demon posse only responded with a collective "huh". Well, all except Stolas and Alastor, who merely watched him. Zack gave them a reassuring grin, before stepping closer to Monokrona.
"Think about it; this entire time, one thing has been apparent about this game of his. Clues had been laid out to find, the body was displayed in a way that left me suspicious, and the trap he set for Niffty wasn't even tampered with. It's almost as if you wanted me to solve this puzzle. After all, if you really wanted to kill us, why put us through this game at all? You could have just removed us when you knocked us out. So, what's your game?"
Monokrona merely smiled, as he slipped his hands behind his back. His eyes stared deep into Zack's, as he chuckled softly, "Brilliant deduction, and a great question. Why indeed, hmhmh," his face grew more serious, "I wanted to test you. To see if you were actually capable of taking down the man you seek."
Zack's face lit up in intrigue, his line of sight never breaking away from his proclaimed adversary. Why would he want to test him? The only reason he'd want to test him is if he wanted him to take down his employer, but why? A question he would ask next.
"Seems to me that answers something for me. For starters, that tells me that you want me to kill your employer, but what I wanna know is why that is."
Monokrona scoffed, "Simple; I want that man dead. He's a manipulative, boorish, and ungentlemanly individual, who has destroyed countless plans and many opportunities for me. And above all else, he thinks that he can kill my one and only rival? Simply put, he's a thorn in my side. The last thing I want is for him to stay alive. I desire him, and his empire to be destroyed permanently."
Zack could only listen in silence, his mind quickly memorizing his reasoning and words. The monochrome-dressed demon wasn't lying, that much he could tell, but could he really take his words to heart? If what he was saying was true, then it was very apparent that he and his friends had just found their meal ticket. Someone on the inside was yearning for the demise of their boss, and luckily for him, he was going to get his wish. Zack nodded his head in understanding, deciding to change the subject.
"If that's the case, then please, tell me anything you know about him. If we can find this guy, we can easily nail his ass, however, we can only do that if you're willing to cooperate."
Monokroma stared at him silently, before stepping closer to him, "As much as I would love to see you solve this all by yourself, I will give you a bit of a break. After all, you have been at your wit's end, and this technically is your first big case that you need to solve. You must promise, however, that you will see to it that he has lost his life. If you can promise that, then I will divulge my findings."
With a nod of his head, Zack held his hand out for him to shake it, "You've got yourself a deal, Monokrona."
Though a bit hesitant, the demon rival took his hand and shook it gently. After their agreement was set in stone, the two backed up slightly, before Monokrona began to speak again.
"What I know is not much, but what I do know is that you, my rival, are indeed on the right track. You see, the place you and your hellhound beloved found in the sewers is not his hideout, but it is a hub for his information. I believe you saw the computer room, along with the monitors that have been watching the many places all over Imp City and The Pentagram?" Zack nodded, allowing him to continue his explaining, "Well, that place is where he meets with anyone who wants to work for him, or anyone who he requests to meet or hire. Perhaps request isn't the right word; more like, commands."
Zack furrowed his brows, "And I'm guessing that he commanded you to work for him?"
"That's correct. After all, if someone as dangerous as him requested your appearance, wouldn't you do as he said?" He sighed, before continuing, "His name, is Nagasaki; Kokichi Nagasaki. Not much is known about him, except for one thing." He pointed towards Zack, an intense look I'm his eyes, "He has power that is identical to your own. He's a man with the powers of a demon. A demon-human; an Akuma-Ningen."
To say that Zack and the other's weren't flabbergasted was an understatement. If he was exactly like him, then that meant that their target was someone who was a human at one point! This changed everything. Now that they knew, then that meant that all they needed was to broaden their search to the living world! Maybe they didn't have to leave, but a few documents and news paper articles could help. Not only that, but what with him being japanese yakuza, it only pinpointed where to look! Still, that raised some questions too.
"Wait, but that's what I still don't get. How did he and I gain these powers?! Last I heard, these powers are given to you, and how to do that is apparently, you have to mix the essence of the demonic and the neutral," he looked towards Octavia, "That's what it said, right?"
She nodded her head in response, "Exactly. Besides, it'd be impossible for him to do that! I mean, the books that detailed rituals like that were destroyed and discontinued, so how would he be able to do such a thing?"
Monokrona shook his head, before gesturing to Moxxie with his left hand.
"Not all of the books were destroyed. I believe that the imp here has something that can prove otherwise."
The demons turned their heads to Moxxie, who still had the hardcover book in his hands. Octavia quickly grabbed it and pulled it towards her, her eyes scanning the title it. Within seconds, her eyes lit up with disbelief, utterly awestruck by the revelation before her.
"There's no way... This is the book! Rituals Of The Damned and Neutral! This is exactly what we need, the holder to all our questions!"
Zack quickly stepped towards her and grabbed the book, his eyes staring at the very clue they needed. Perhaps the owner of this place had an interest with these kind of things. He slowly looked up at Monokrona, frowning.
"And you're certain that this will answer the question of what's up with me?"
"My dear rival, this will solve much more than that. Go on, read it. Page 162 is what you're looking for." He answered, waiting for him to flip through the pages.
Zack's heart started to pound uncontrollably. Though he knew he wasn't in any danger, he still felt nothing but anxiety. The very answer to his biggest question was within that book. Without even consulting any of his friends, he slipped his fingers into the book and flipped it open, before slowly finding his way to the desired page. The book smelled musty, dust littering every corner of the pages. It only showed just how old it really was, a testament to the many years it had seen and been a part of. Soon, he found his desired page and began to read it aloud.
"Demon Blood Ritual; for thee who desire the power of the damned. One must first get in contact with the damned soul, one that is completely compatible with one's own psyché. If the damned sees you fit, request...the..." His voice trailed off, as his eyes widened. This couldn't be what had happened, but it was there as clear as day. He quickly began to pick up where he left off, "...The blood of the damned. If given, inject the blood into thyself at a slow pace. If done correctly, they body will slowly obtain the power of the damned. Strength shall be yours, your mind will become more sharper, and your person will become untouchable..." His eyes soon fell upon three words that he hoped would not be present, "but be warned... If they body rejects the demon essence, your life will become forfeit and your soul will be shattered. If done correctly, you must face a trial of the soul. Once the time is right, face the damned within thyself, and reject thy humanity. If done...then..."
His eyes widened and his body trembled, his face showing just what he was thinking. It put everyone on edge, especially his co-workers. He just couldn't voice it; if he did, he would surely go insane. In fact, he already felt like he was going completely bonkers, that he had to have been reading this wrong. It had to be fake, it had to be!
"What? What is it? Finish reading it, Zack." Monokrona voiced, pulling Zack back to reality. Zack closed his eyes and took a shakey breath, as he continued to read it, his voice barely above a whisper.
"If done...then thy soul will consume the damned's essence. The greatest sin will be made, and in turn, thy will be rejected by the anointed and the neutral. Thy will...lose the ability of choice... forever branded as demon... Forever trapped in hell... And thy soul will... Shatter through death..."
The entire room went silent, everyone merely staring in disbelief. They knew exactly what that meant, what that spelled out for him. The very man they knew was a lie... He wasn't a human anymore, merely a demon in a human's skin.
Angel was the first to speak up, "Wait... You're trying to tell me that, Zack is actually..."
"That's right! A human who is forced to live as a demon!" Everyone looked toward Alastor, who answered the pornstar's question, "Not only that, if he were to die now, he would have no way to be reborn as either a real demon or an angel! No, he'd simply be erased, just like any other demon who'd meet their end."
Zack looked towards Alastor, his right eye flickering slightly, "You...you knew...?"
"But of course! I knew the very moment I saw you! Though, to be sure, I had to test your prowess, which is why I started our little bout that we had. It was the only way to tell, you see. Once I did, I knew it would be very interesting to see what you would do when you found out, thus I let you live," he chuckled, before letting out a hardy laugh, "and let me say, your reaction is just what I was hoping for! It will make it even better, once you figure out who did this to you!"
Zack's eyes widened. Why would that be important? Why would he care if he found out who was at fault? Unless, it was... He looked towards his co-workers slowly, his body trembling more. They all had a look of remorse, perhaps even, guilt.
"You all knew... You all knew, and you didn't tell me..."
Millie, who was fidgeting, looked up at him, "Y-Yeah, we did... It's not that we... You know, didn't wanna tell you. It's just that, some things happened and when we saw you getting along with-" she quickly covered her mouth, looking as if she was about to spill out a secret. The group all had pained expression, but Zack, his face held a look of realization. It all was finally starting to make sense. The only one who could have done this, was the only one who had the opportunity to do so. That, however, only made him feel worse. His eyes slowly looked up towards the culprit...the one who, in a way, killed him.
"...It's your blood that's in me... isn't it... Loona..."
The many heads whipped towards her direction. Her back was turned to them, as she remained quiet throughout this entire situation. Zack, however, needed to know the truth. If he didn't, then he wouldn't be able to understand. He wouldn't be able to know why she would do this. Her body language and the constant times that she asked him what was going on and how she would always be watching him all made sense now, but what he wanted to know is why she even did this. He stepped closer to her, his heart pounding even harder and faster.
"Loona... Why did you do this...?"
No answer, only silence. He had to get something out of her. She was the only witness, the only source of information that he could talk to. However, that's what made it all the more harder for him; knowing that he had to press her, of all people, for information only left a hole in his heart.
"Loona, please. You have to tell me! Tell me why you did this..."
Once again, nothing. He stepped closer to her, everyone tense that he was going to do something he'd regret. They had nothing to worry about, he cared about her too much to harm her. He'd never hurt her, but right now, he had to get her to talk, and of she wasn't going to say anything, then he had his own hypothesis.
"...If you won't tell me why, then at least tell me if my theory is correct..." He sighed, before speaking once again, "The day that you and I met, back in the living world at my place, I got shot in the side by a sniper, remember? I was losing a lot of blood, and was close to dying from blood, which is why I was knocked out, if I'm not mistaken."
She was still quiet, but he noticed something. As he spoke, she began to tremble more and more, and her ears were pressed against her head. An evident sign of sadness. He still kept going, however.
"I believe, you gave me your blood in order to save me from dying. It'd explain why Blitzo and the others were shocked from me being there, whereas you already knew where to change my bandages. It'd also explain why you were alright with me staying at your place, so you could keep an eye on me... Am I wrong...?"
Silence engulfed the room, but this time, after a few seconds, she began to speak. Her voice, however, was silent and shaking, "...I didn't know what else to do... There was no time to figure out your blood type and find someplace that had it..."
She admitted it. It was all true, all of it was true. Zack slowly looked towards the ground. He didn't know what to feel. On one hand, he was grateful to her, but on the other, he felt as if something tore a hole in his chest. It was just as Stolas said way back when. He was no longer the human he thought he was. In the end, Loona actually did settle the score, finish the job, made the hit, and any other way you wanted to say it. In a way...
Loona killed Zack...
To Be Continued...