Serafina pov
Hours have passed since Millennium left the room, leaving a very dark aura that still floated around in the air, making the room feeling ice cold. A shiver ran down my body, while I wrapped my body in a blanket, staring at the door, almost waiting to see Millennium running back in and aiming his anger at me. Not that I want it to happen, but I was still confused over his behavior a few hours ago. It was like he forgot my failed attempt to escape. Whatever the Apocryphos was, it was something that made Millennium furious, so much that he forgot to be mad at me. I tried to get Wisely to tell me what the Apocryphos was, but he just brushed me off, saying it was not something I should worry about, and changes the subject. But it just made me more curious and made me ask question after question, but Wisely didn't say anything. After a while, I gave up and tried to come up with something that would pass the time. It wasn't easy when my forehead was pounding so painfully, and fresh blood running down from the stigmas on my forehead. And the awful smell that was all over me from the dry blood filling my nose.
A shower would have fit perfectly right now. The only problem was, I didn't have any clothes. And there wasn't any wardrobe in the room.
I turned to Wisely, who was resting on the end of the bed staring at the roof in deep thought.
" Wisley," I said in a low voice, feeling my forehead pounding harder. He didn't answer or showed any sign that he heard him. " Wisley." I tried again, with a little more force.
This time he heard me and turned to me with a smirk on his face.
" What is it, Snow White?."
" That nickname is getting old, Wisely. " I said annoyed, put my hand over the stigma in reflex when another wave of pain appeared. Much stronger than before, making me see lightning flying past my eyes while it felt I was near to pass out any second.
"Are there any clothes I can change into?." I asked while breathing heavily to stay conscious, which wasn't easy. Wisley just sat there watching me in interest." I was thinking about taking a shower."
He was quiet for a few seconds until he pushed himself up from the bed and walked to one of the empty walls that didn't have a window or furniture covering it. He pressed his hand against the surface of the wall, and immediately, marks appeared on the wall. Growing fast until a brand new door with beautiful markings was there.
" Here you go, you will find something suitable in here," Wisley said with a small smile, while his eyes were on the door out to the hall.
" Thanks," I said with a low voice and slowly got out from the bed walked with shaky legs over to the new door. But when I open the door, it wasn't a little wardrobe like I thought. It was a big freaking room with a high ceiling decorated with big beautiful crystal chandeliers, roads of shelves filled with fancy clothes and accessory. Things that were way too fancy for me, Still I was amazed by the view in front of me. I thought it was going to be a small little room with just a few selections of clothes. Seeing this giant room was like a slap in the face. After a while of staring, a question appeared in my head. Was there anything else to wear than dresses?. I am not the kind of girl who likes to wear dresses, especially after my experience traveling with Master Cross. Lucky me, there was a small section with shorts, shirts, and even vests, hidden behind some big puffy dresses.
I smiled while grabbing a pair of black shorts, a clean white shirt, and a black vest. And I even found a pair of socks and boots before I walked to the bathroom. I only wish the pain on my forehead could go away instead of increasing every second.
" I think Millennium would prefer you to be in one of the dresses." Wisely said through the bathroom door." Or a skirt."
" Never going to happen," I said back annoyed, before trying to pull off the bloody clothes from my body that sat on me like glue.
There was no way I was going to wear any of the dresses or any of short skirts, just because he said that. I have seen how men walked behind Lenalee. Trying to get a peek under her skirt when she wasn't looking. I never forget the time she and I were shopping together after a long day of keeping an eye on her brother. We had a great time in the beginning, until a group of guys who didn't look much older than us, began to talk to us. Lenalee was happy to talk to them while I was more on my guard. Being with Master since I was little has taught me how men work when they see a woman they want to use, especially when they are drunk.
Those guys were one example they wanted more than talk. In the end, they tried to make their move, but the only thing they got was either a fist or a kick in the face and ran away like cowards.
I chuckled to myself when I remember that time, but the smile died down as quickly as it arrived. I wonder what Lenalle was doing right now?. And everybody else. I wanted to think they were searching for me, and Allen was safe, instead of what Wisely showed me. His words were playing in my head, torturing me what I hoped was a big lie. But deep inside of me, I had this feeling it was the truth.
' I hope it was a lie I really do. ' i thought to myself while I got the clothes off my body, and walked into the shower, to enjoy the warm water washing off the sweat and blood off my body.
Wisely pov
Anger, fear, kill. All this feeling was running through my body the moment I felt one of my family getting hurt. For all these years, the Apocryphos finally decided to appear. And he dared to hurt, Road.
I grabbed hard on the fabric over my chest I could still feel, Road's aura. She was still alive, but she was weak. Very weak. I could only be happy that she was lucky she didn't die. Sheryl is probably really upset right now because of somebody hurting his little girl.
I sigh heavily before glanced at the door out to the corridor and crossed my arms.
" Its open, Tyki."
The door opened, revealing Tyki standing there with a down look while servants walked in with stuffed rabbits in their arms, and put them in a shelf that appeared out of nowhere.
" You got Serafina's things." I walked over to one of the servants and grabbed a white rabbit dressed in a red victorian coat, with a black hat with golden gears. " I think she will appreciate it."
" Well, its thanks to her love for them that we got one way into the black orders headquarter." Said Tyki while lighting his cigarette. " We found them in the orders underground trash ground, they throw every single of her things, like they wanted to erase any memory of her. Only her precious rabbits were the only things we could save everything else was far from saving." His face hardens. " Millennium wants Serafina to join our family meeting."
I narrow my eyes at him." Because she maybe knows where the fourteenth is going?. It would have been easier if you just took him when he was still weak. Why did you let him escape?."
He blew out some smoke and smirked.
" Just wanted to see how long he could hide from us and the order." His eyes turned to the bathroom door, with his smirk getting bigger. "Besides, I wanted to see how Serafina would take this news maybe it would finally break her down. I don't think she likes the thought of her loving brother leaving her behind."
" Maybe it will, even how stubborn she is, she will break down sooner or later," I said while waving my free hand to get the smoke away from my face. " So, the Apocryphos finally appeared."
" he sure did, and he was targeting Allen Walker. We saved him in the nick of time the Apocryphos, but sadly Allen's innocence is connected to the Apocryphos now."
" That means the Apocryphos will use his connection to Allen Walker's innocence to hunt him down. " I stared at the rabbit in my hand and chuckled. " Guess we are playing cat and mouse game with an extra player."
" Sounds fun."
I chuckled and was going to ask him a question, but was interrupted by the bathroom door opening. My eyes turned to the door, and there stood Serafina looking healthier than before she took a shower. Before she took a shower, she looked tired, exhausted, in deep pain while covered in blood and sweat. Now she didn't look so tired, a little exhausted, but it was much better than before. Now she was wearing a clean white shirt with a black vest and black shorts with a pair of black socks that were going a little over her knees, wearing a pair of boots over it. It fitted her perfectly, showing off her curves on her petite body.
She sighs in relief while trying to dry her hair with a white towel, with her eyes closed.
" That felt good." She said with a small smile on her lips and opened her eyes when she put the towel on her shoulders. Almost Immediately her eyes widen in surprise when her eyes landed on the rabbits, the next second she ran over to them, looked at every single one of them in a mix of happiness, and confusion.
" Happy to see your rabbits?." Asked Tyki and put a hand on her shoulder with a smug smile.
She turned to him, with her mouth open and closing like a goldfish, until she finally got some words out.
" How did you get them?."
He grabbed her chin and looked deeply into her eyes.
" Will I get a kiss for getting them for you?."
Her eyes glared, at him annoyed.
" No." She slapped his hand away from her face, turning back to the rabbits.
I couldn't help to laugh, just seeing Tyki's face, when he got rejected was priceless. For being the Noah of pleasure, he always gets a woman under his spell. But Serafina was not like any other woman who would do anything to be together with him.
" Haha, it looks like you lost your touch, Tyki-poo~," I smirked at him when he glared at me angrily, while I walked over to Serafina, handing her the rabbit I had in my hand.
" Tyki, got your little animal collection, when he and Road were going to get the...I mean, your brother."
She stared at the rabbit in her hand and then at me.
" But how?. The order had updated their security, how did you even get past it?."
I smiled and poked her nose. " Its thanks to you."
Serafina pov
Thanks to me?. What in the world is Wisely talking about?. I haven't helped them with anything. I don't remember telling them how to get past the security of the black order even I didn't know how to get past them. So, how in the world did they get past the security?.
" What do you mean, thanks to me?. I haven't helped you with anything."
Wisley smirked and walked around me like a predator circling its prey.
" Actually, it was with your help that we got our way into the black order. " He turned to the shelf with the rabbits that were nicely sorted in the rabbit's skin color and grabbed the white one with the king costume that I got on my birthday with no idea who it was from. " Because of your love for these things, we had a way to sneak in."
He throws the rabbit to me, and I quickly caught it in my arms before it landed on the floor. Even if they were rabbits made of wool and fabric, I couldn't bear the thought of them hitting the floor.
" Millennium made that one especially for you, thanks to that one we got a way to see everything that happened in the black order. And a way into the order without them knowing. " Said Tyki with a smirk, watching me.
His words hit me like a punch in the face, and I quickly dropped the rabbit, like it had burned me, and backed away to a distance from it. All this time I thought it was from Lady Terisa because it was made from a very expensive material, something I could never afford with the small amount of money I earned.
Guess I was too stupid to even think so far that the expensive rabbit was from an enemy and not a friend. A shiver ran down my back when I thought what they saw through the rabbit while I was unaware of it, a new level of creepy.
Wisely picked the rabbit up from the floor without breaking eye contact with me.
" That not nice Millennium put a lot of work to make this stuffed animal just for you. Don't think he will be happy that you treat it like that."
" I apologies to him next time, " I said while looking away feeling my heart beat faster in fear and stress of the thought of what they saw when I had the rabbit in my room back at the black order
In reflex, I hugged the other rabbit that was dressed in victorian clothes closer to my face to calm myself, but instead of the fabric smell i was used too, I smelled an awful smell, like it had been in very smelly water, it stank.
But before I could even think more of it, a butler with a star on his forehead open the door, bowing deeply to me, Wisely and Tyki.
" Lord Millennium is waiting for your arrival."
" Ah, is that time already." Tyki walked over to me with his arm out, waiting for me to take it. " We better get going, or do you want me to carry you again?."
I glared at him and walked past him to get to the door.
" I learned my lesson last time, and this time I walk."
I could hear Wisely chuckle behind me before he appeared beside me, looking over his shoulder with a smirk.
" Your charm doesn't work on her."
" Tsk, my charm will get through to her. I have time and other ways to make her fall for me."
I shook my head while following Wisely out from the room and to the dining room where every other member of the Noah family where, beside Road who want anywhere in the big room. That surprised me and felt weird. I know I haven't been here long, but it felt empty when Road wasn't here. And I guess it was the same for the others, who sat quietly on their seat at the table, with serious eyes. I just stood there wondering what this whole meeting was about, prayed it was not about me and my escape attempt. I didn't want to feel Millennium's anger at me.
" Good you are here, " Millennium stood up from his chair and walked over to the chair I sat in the last time I was in the dining room. " Serafina, take a seat.
His voice was serious when he spoke, and glared at me with hard eyes.
I gulped loudly and slowly walked over to the chair he stood behind and sat down.
"Now," I felt his hands on my shoulders, pressing me down in the chair like he was making sure that I wasn't going to run away. " I give you a chance here and now, Serafina. If you help us now, I will not punish you for trying to escape." His hold on me tightened so hard that I knew it was going to leave a very dark bruise on me. " If you try to lie to us, your punishment will be worse."
I slowly nodded while hugging the rabbit in my arms tightly.
" Your dear brother is on the run. And we have to find him before the black order does. Tell me where do you think Allen Walker is right now?."
I looked up at him in surprise and thought for a second. But apparently, Millennium didn't like my silence.
" Well?." He tightened his hold some more it felt like my shoulders were going to break.
" I don't know. " I said truthfully while holding back a scream. He glared down at me hard. " I swear, I don't know. Me and Allen never had a place we called home beside the black order. He can be anywhere. " Tears began to build up in my eyes because of the pain on my shoulders. " You have a better chance to find him by following Cross's debt list."
I froze that just come out from my mouth before I even knew what I was saying. But at the same time, Cross's debt list was really long, he has been all over the world. If I was lucky my advice wouldn't help them find Allen, hopefully.
I just have to pray that Allen isn't stupid enough to go after that debt list to pay off all Cross debt while he is on the run.
I just have to pray that Allen isn't stupid enough to go after that debt list to pay off all Cross debt while he is on the run.
" I think its the best lead we have, for now, Lord Millennium." Said Tyki, caught everybody's attention. " beside the twin have a small copy of Cross's debt that he left for them and Allen Walker."
Crap, I forgot that Cross made the twins pay off his debt when they were chasing after him.
I hit my face hard with one of my hands, hoping for my dear life that Allen was hiding somewhere far away. But another part of me knew that Allen was too loyal to leave the trail of debts that Cross left, even if he was dead.
I remember when we were little, Cross left a long trail of debt in different bars that he left us to pay. Allen was determined to pay off every single debt Cross left like it was his duty to pay it. Telling him to ignore it was impossible.
Of course, we still have it. " Screamed the twins at the same time really angry like small kids. " That stupid Cross left us a thick list of debts he left to us."
Oh, come on, you haven't even done a fifth of the debts I had to pay when I was little. Sure I haven't done any work since Cross and Allen accidentally left me behind without even realizing it. But I could still feel every single work I have done, like bad scars.
" Tell the akumas out in the field to keep an eye open the order will look everywhere to find Allen Walker, we have to be a few steps faster than them. " Millennium looked mad when he spoke like he was going to explode any second.
All the other nodded, while I just sat there hoping Millennium wouldn't turn his anger on me next.
" I have another matter we need to discuss. " Lulubell slowly stood up from her seat and walked over to me without showing any expression.
Millennium follows her with his eyes till she stood right behind me.
" What would that be, Lulubell?."
Lulubell raised her hand to my face and gently moved the hair on my forehead to the side, showing the stigma.
" Am worried that her transformation won't be complete."
" Hm, why do you think that Lulubell?." Tyki jumped up from his seat and stood on the other side of me. " She hasn't gone through the worst part of the transformation yet."
She turned to him.
" True, but Allen Walker is holding back the 14th to take him over. I think he gets help from his innocence. I think it will be the same for her." She looked down at me with narrow eyes. " I suggest we remove her innocence immediately before it affects her transformation badly."
I froze the moment I heard those words and wanted to disappear on the spot, be anywhere but at this table with the devils around me. I even shrunk down in the chair, so far that I was almost under the table.
" Hm, I think you have a point there, Lulubell. " Said Millennium in deep thought, with his eyes locked on me.
" Wa..Wait!." I said with a shaky voice and stood up. " You said if..if I help you, you wouldn't punish me
Sweat ran down my face when I said those words while staring at Millennium, pleading with my eyes to him to not do it. But it was a hopeless try I know he wants to remove my innocence, I am just lucky that he hadn't done it sooner. But even if I hate my innocence that had killed so many lives, I still wanted to keep it. And if Lulubell was right with the theory, that my innocence keeps me from transforming completely into a Noah, it made me want to keep it more.
Millenium narrow his eyes at me, sending a hard look that made me look down in fear.
" You better watch your mouth Serafina, or a much bigger punishment is waiting for you."
He was quiet for a few seconds before nodding. " Lulubell is right that innocence is a problem. I was hoping you would give it up freely, but how it looks now, we need to take it so you can complete your transformation."
"Let's not forget about the Apocryphos. " Said Wisely and caught everybody's attention. " He is a creature who can connect with the innocence if Serafina keeps hers, she will be his next target."
