PART VIII

Memories and Bonds

30 minutes later, Satan arrived at Lands End. He got out, paid the driver then started searching for the village harbor before he saw it. The village harbor wasn't far, about a 10-minute walk. After 10 minutes, Satan arrived at the harbor. As he entered the harbor, he immediately searched for the passenger boats and found them docked at a pier. Walking toward the pier, Satan searched for the boat called the Land n' Sea. It wasn't long before he spotted it. The boat was slim with colors of silver and white. It was a beautiful boat. Satan walked toward the boat then boarded it. On the boat, he searched for the pilot before he spotted him wiping down the boat's railings.

"Excuse me sir, is this the Land n' Sea"?

The pilot looked up and gave a friendly smile, "Yes, it is. How may I help you, sir?"

"I'm visiting a friend. She's staying at her family's villa. I was wondering if you could take me there."

"You mean Kagura?"

Satan nodded.

"Of course, let me finish here then we can go."

After the pilot finished wiping the rails, he took Satan to Kagura's villa. The trip wasn't long and the ocean was calm. When they arrived at the dock, Satan got off and said his thanks. Standing on the pier, he searched the area for Kagura's villa and saw it. It was a beautiful silvery white Victorian house sitting on the wild cliffs by the ocean, but difficult to get to. He looked for some sort of path that could take him up the cliff and found it, the trail lead up to Kagura's villa. Following the trail, he arrived at the house only to find that she wasn't in. Curious as to where she went, he searched the area and found another path leading to the sandy beaches of the ocean. Something pulled him toward the path and he followed it before arriving at the ocean. Walking on the sandy coast, he froze when he saw Kagura not too far from him looking out at the vast ocean. Satan's heart clenched as he saw her standing there. She looked so beautiful, the wind blowing her dark hair around her face.

"Kagura, is that really you?"

Kagura froze when he heard the voice. It sounded so familiar and something pulled at her heart. She turned and stared. It was the blonde haired man with the green eyes from her dream. Satan was his name, but she didn't recognize him.

"I'm sorry, but who are you? How do you know who I am?" Kagura asked with no recognition whatsoever in her eyes.

Satan felt his heart break as what she said confirmed what he so desperately didn't want to believe. His beloved had amnesia and she didn't recognize him. The pain in Satan was so intense that he closed his eyes.

Kagura noticed his pain and she felt her own heart break. She went still as she remembered the dream she had. This was exactly like what happened in her dream. She had a feeling that the next part of her dream would come true if she didn't do something about it. Kagura hesitantly walked toward the man called Satan and said, "I'm sorry that I don't remember you, but I sense that I can trust you. Come with me to my villa and we'll talk there."

Satan opened his eyes and forced the pain away before nodding. If Kagura feels that she could trust him then that would be at least a small comfort.

Meanwhile, in a hidden cave underneath the villa, a shadowy figure stood, furious at what had transpired. Curse that woman for interfering with his plans. She had ruined everything. She indeed has power, lots of power. No wonder his Master wanted her and the key she held. No matter, he still had a chance. For now, he shall wait until he could put his plan into action. He smiled cruelly. His twin's weakness was easy to take advantage of, his soul already weakened from the Darkness within him. It would be so easy to shatter it. Once he was out of the way, his Master's plan can finally come to pass.

Once they arrived at the villa, Kagura motioned for Satan to sit which he did. Kagura sat as well.

"Let's continue our conversation from earlier. Who are you and how do you know me? Not to mention how you found my villa."

"My name is Satan. I've known you for a long time. We're also friends. I found your villa through your uncle. He told me that you were staying here."

Kagura frowned, "We're friends? That's impossible. I don't even know you. In addition, how do you know my uncle?"

Satan felt as if a dagger had pierced his heart. Closing his eyes, he forced the pain away then looked at Kagura. "We are friends. We have known each other for a very long time. You and I are also similar. Both you and your uncle had told me that you love mysteries. You do remember your love for mysteries, right?"

Kagura nodded. "I remembered that when my childhood memories returned to me. Is that how we became friends?"

Satan nodded. "Yes, I also love mysteries. The love of mysteries is a common interest we share. You and I have talked about mysteries before and both of us had solved a mystery together."

Kagura looked at Satan with curiosity. "We talked about mysteries before and solved one together? What mysteries did we talk about and when did we solve one together?"

Satan managed to smile before saying, "Yes. Both you and I share a love for Ms. Agatha Christie's mysteries. Do you remember your love for her books?"

Kagura nodded, "That is one memory I've not forgotten. I've always loved her books and had read many of them. I know that I grew up reading her books. So we also shared the same love for her books. That's good to know. If this common interest made us into friends then I'll acknowledge it. You also mentioned that we solved a mystery together. Which mystery did we solve?"

Satan was relieved, so not all her memories were lost. That meant she had partial amnesia. Returning to the present, Satan said, "Yes, we did solve a mystery together. It happened when we were on a train going to London. There was a murder on the train and both of us found out who the murderer was. This led to us talking about an Agatha Christie book that had a similar crime. The book we talked about was Murder on the Orient Express. Do you remember the conversation we had about that book?"

Kagura went still as a faint memory came to her. She closed her eyes. She was sitting in a room filled with books. Next to her was a tall figure encased in shadow. The figure had sat next to her and she had felt safe. She was reading a history book on a historical event. A gentle and loving voice coming from the shadowy figure, "Reminds me of the murder mystery we solved on the train." Her voice, "Yes, similar to a murder mystery I've read. It's one of my favorites. Murder on the Orient Express…"

Kagura's eyes flew open in shock, "I remember but I can't place the shadowy figure next to me."

Satan didn't say anything yet because he wanted her to remember as much as she could, but hope had blossomed in his heart again. He looked at Kagura and said, "Can you remember more of that memory?"

Kagura closed her eyes again but nothing came to her. She shook her head and said, "No, my memories are still fragmented. However, I will try remembering more. But first, I still would like to know how you know my uncle."

Satan said, "I met your uncle when I was searching for you."

Kagura blinked in surprise, "You were searching for me? Why?"

"I was searching for you because you went missing. It's a long story."

"I went missing? Well, that could be true. I did hit my head and got amnesia so I probably did go missing. Go on with your story."

Satan nodded, "When I learned from some of your other friends that you went missing after an incident, I immediately started searching for you. I don't know if you remember the incident but it happened in London."

Kagura frowned, "What incident? And it happened in London? London is where I'm from. I haven't heard of anything happening in London."

Satan looked at Kagura closely then said, "You do, but you have forgotten because of your amnesia. When I met your uncle, he told me that you unexpectedly arrived at his Bed and Breakfast. After what you told him about your accident, he suspected that you had amnesia. You do remember that, right?"

Kagura nodded then said, "So you know my uncle owns a Bed and Breakfast."

Satan nodded. "While I was searching for you, I followed your trail from London to here after I found out that the last place you were at was his Bed and Breakfast in St. Ives."

Kagura couldn't believe it. The man named Satan had tracked her all the way from London to her uncle's Bed and Breakfast then to here because he was searching for her. What drove his determination?

Kagura looked at Satan and asked, "I can't believe you tracked me all the way here. Why were you so determined to find me?"

Satan looked at Kagura before saying quietly, "Because I was worried about you. More than you know."

Kagura stared at Satan, "You were worried about me?"

Satan nodded. "You were very special to me, no, important. We shared a very close bond that had later turned to love. When I learned that you went missing, I was determined to find you no matter what. Later, I learned that you had amnesia. You don't know how much pain I felt when I learned about it. Your uncle was in pain too. I want to help you regain your memories not only for your uncle and family but also for myself. Your family and I wouldn't be able to bear it if you stayed like this forever."

Kagura was stunned into silence. Was love the reason why the man named Satan wanted to find her? Did he love her so much that he would go to such lengths to find her? If that's true, then that would explain why she felt so much love and longing for this man. Was the connection she felt the bond and love she shared with this man? There were no answers to her questions. Maybe the man named Satan held the answers she was looking for.

Kagura thought about it for a bit then said, "Okay, I do want you to help me regain my memories because I trust you and believe that you can get my memories back. Once my memories return, all my questions would be answered as well. Thank you."

Satan nodded, "I intend to do just that. Thank you for trusting me and for accepting my help. You don't know how much your answer means to me. Then let us return to the events that happened which led to my search for you. We'll start with the incidents that occurred in London. You were there when these incidents happened."

Kagura nodded. "Go on."

Satan continued, "While you were still in London, blackouts had occurred in and around the coffee houses around the Covent Garden area. Do you know that you live in that area?"

Kagura nodded, "I do. I remember my name, childhood, and Covent Garden. I've also remembered that this villa was one of my favorite places to go to when I was a child and have managed to remember who my parents were."

"That's good to hear. Your uncle will be very happy."

Kagura nodded, "Let's return to the blackouts. You said that blackouts had occurred around my home when I was still in London. Do you mind filling me in on the details?"

Satan nodded. "The blackouts that occurred in the area all happened in coffee houses there. Two days before you left London, Will's Coffee House also had a blackout."

Kagura stilled as a faint memory flickered. She knew that coffee house but the only memory she had of it was that it had been one of her favorite places because of the view. She closed her eyes, hoping that more flickers of memory would appear. After a few minutes, she remembered something else. She remembered that she had sensed something evil and remembered seeing a dark aura before it dissipated after touching something. What was that something? She thought hard before it came to her. A Shield! She had created a Shield! Magic! Kagura remembered something else. After she had hit her head on that rock, she somehow healed an egg-sized bump and the deep cut behind her head. That was magic as well, healing magic, but she didn't know how she learned magic in the first place. Opening her eyes, she returned her attention to the man named Satan who didn't notice her momentary silence. How she learned magic can come later. Right now she needed to know what had happened to her before she got amnesia and who the man was, not to mention figuring out how she is connected to the man.

"So, what happened during the blackout?"

"I'm coming to that now. During the blackout, the customers and staff there was put into a trance which resulted in memory loss. Later, after the lights went back on, seven people had gone missing. Does this ring any bells?"

Kagura frowned and thought hard about it, but nothing came to her. She only remembered what her uncle had told her while they were talking about her parents. Her uncle had told her that Scotland Yard was currently involved in a baffling case. As baffling as the Jack the Ripper case centuries ago. Kagura had been fascinated when he had told her.

"I'm sorry no, but I do remember that my uncle had told me about a Scotland Yard investigation that was currently in progress. However, the case was baffling. He told me that it was as baffling as the Jack the Ripper case centuries ago."

Satan nodded. "I think I know which investigation you're talking about. Your uncle told me about it. The next part of my story will lead to that and hopefully may help you remember something else."

Kagura nodded. "I hope so. So, what happened next?"

"After the blackout at Will's Coffee House, I learned that you went to Cornwall from the owner. He's an old friend of your father's. His name's Will. Do you remember him?"

Kagura closed her eyes and thought about it. The name was familiar to her but no flickers of memory came to her about the man. Sighing and opening her eyes, Kagura shook her head.

"It's all right Kagura. I'm sure it will come to you later. Continuing on, the owner told me that he learned that you were in Cornwall from one of the waitresses working there. He told me that you haven't contacted him ever since you left for Cornwall. It had already been several weeks and he had become worried. He had also told me that was not normal of you because you would always contact him whenever you were on a trip. When he told me that, I became really worried as well. It meant that you've gone missing. I asked him to call the waitress over so I could talk to her about your whereabouts and whether she had any information on you. Her name is Anna. Do you remember her?"

"Let me think. Anna, that name sounds familiar." Closing her eyes, she tried to remember. A few minutes later, something flickered in her memory. Kagura saw a brown haired young woman serving her favorite coffee and dessert, a slice of tiramisu. Kagura's eyes flew open.

"Yes. Whenever I'm at the coffee house, she would serve my favorite coffee and a piece of tiramisu. Continue with your story."

Satan looked at her, feeling relieved before continuing. "The owner had called the waitress over and I started to ask her questions about you. She told me that before you left for Cornwall, you ran into a Detective Inspector of Scotland Yard at the coffee house and chatted with her. While you and the Detective Inspector were talking, the blackout happened. Both you and the Inspector were there when it happened. During the blackout, she told me that everyone had no memories of what had happened."

Kagura went still, a Detective Inspector of Scotland Yard? Why did that sound familiar to her? She closed her eyes as another flicker of memory suddenly appeared in her mind. She saw a woman a few years older than her with brown hair tied in a loose ponytail drinking coffee and reading a newspaper. Kagura remembered that she had sat with her while drinking her coffee and eating her tiramisu. However, she couldn't place a name. Kagura quickly opened her eyes again then looked at the man called Satan.

"What was this Inspector's name and what did she look like?"

Satan looked at her closely, "Her name is Shirley McPhee. She is the Detective Inspector for Scotland Yard who works under the current Commissioner of Scotland Yard, Commissioner James Monro. Your father is a crime consultant for Scotland Yard and has done numerous consulting jobs for both the Commissioner and the Detective Inspector. As to Inspector McPhee's looks, she is a few years older than you. She has long, brown hair."

Kagura went still as she heard the description of the Detective Inspector. It was the woman she had sat with. According to the man named Satan, she had also talked with the Inspector before the blackout occurred. So that woman is a Detective Inspector named Shirley McPhee. That was probably how Kagura had met the Inspector. It does answer the question why Inspector McPhee's name was familiar to her. Now, Commissioner Monro, why did that name sound familiar as well? She remembered. While she was at her uncle's Bed and Breakfast, he had told her that both her father and Commissioner Monro were involved in a case. Could the case be…?

"I know the Commissioner's name because of what my uncle had told me. He told me about an ongoing investigation he read about in the newspaper. According to my uncle, my father was called back to London to help the Commissioner and Scotland Yard with the investigation because it was baffling. Another memory fragment came to me when you mentioned the name, Shirley McPhee, and when you gave me a description of her. She was the woman I sat with at the coffee house. She was reading a newspaper."

Satan went still. Could her memories be returning of her time in London?

Kagura continued, "I don't know if Ms. McPhee is also involved with the same case as my father. Do you know?"

Satan shook his head. "I don't know if she was involved in your father's case. However, when I talked with her, she did tell me that she was in the blackout along with you. Do you remember the blackout?"

Kagura shook her head. "I don't remember it but there was something else that I did remember. I don't know how it is related to Ms. McPhee, the blackout we were in, or the coffee house, but I was in someplace dark. While in the darkness, I sensed something evil and saw a dark aura appear before it dissipated."

Satan had gone silent as he stared at Kagura. "You were in someplace dark then sensed something evil and saw a dark aura before it dissipated?"

Kagura nodded. "There's something else that happened which I have no explanation of. I don't know if it's related to what you told me about a talk you had with Ms. McPhee. If I tell you, would you be able to explain it to me?"

Satan looked at her for long time before replying, "I have a feeling that what you're going to tell me may be one of the keys to unlocking all your lost memories. Tell me."

"Okay. I told you I sensed something evil and saw a dark aura appear before it dissipated. The reason it dissipated was because I somehow used magic to create some sort of Shield. When the dark aura hit it, it dissipated. Can you explain to me how I know magic?"

Satan stared at Kagura. Could that be the reason why she and Inspector McPhee weren't affected by the memory loss during the blackout? It was the most logical reason. How did she create such a Shield? That Shield is one of the most advanced forms of protection magic. It protects everyone who's in it, and at the same time, destroys Dark energy. The reason why the Dark aura dissipated was because the Shield had destroyed it. When, not to mention how, did Kagura learn such a strong form of protection magic? The RAD classes that teach students these protection spells are for students whose magical powers are ranked at Arcane Stage. The highest level of magic in the Devildom.

"Sir, are you all right? You look a little pale."

Satan shook away these thoughts. He'll figure that out later.

"I'm fine. About your question, it's because you learned them while you were living in the Devildom. The school is RAD, the Royal Academy of Diavolo. You were chosen as a human exchange student to attend classes there. The School President is Lord Diavolo, the Demon Prince and next ruler of the Devildom, hence the name of the school. Lord Diavolo wanted to strengthen the bonds of the Three Realms: Human, Celestial, and Demon so he invited two human exchange students from the Human World and two exchange students from the Celestial Realm to study at RAD so his dream would come to fruition. You were one of the human exchange students while the other one was a powerful sorcerer from the Human World named Solomon."

Kagura froze. The Devildom and RAD. Why were the words so familiar to her? She suddenly remembered. The strange cell phone had those names on them. In the Chat app, she had seen the active chats, "RAD Newspaper Club" and "Devildom Prince." If what the man named Satan told her was true then the School President must be the "Devildom Prince". If Kagura was a normal person, she wouldn't have believed such a place existed nor would she have believed what the man named Satan said about the exchange program. However, upon learning she had magic, everything sounds almost normal.

With a sigh, Kagura said, "If I was a normal person. Everything you have told me would lie under the realm of fantasy, not based on reality. However, after learning that I have magical powers, this information almost sounds natural. So I am one of the human exchange students of RAD while the other one is Solomon? Wait, Solomon. That name sounds familiar. Is he who I think he is? King Solomon the Wise?"

Satan nodded. "He is known as that among other things, but it's not an accurate identification. We all know him as a very powerful sorcerer who is centuries old. In addition, he's a member of the Sorcerers Guild."

"He's centuries old? That means he's an Immortal. He's also part of the Sorcerers Guild? I've heard of the Sorcerers Guild. They're a pretty secret society of sorcerers who lives in the shadows of London."

Satan raised a brow, "So you know of the Sorcerers Guild? That's news to me."

"I've read about the Sorcerers Guild while living in London so I know about it. Returning to what you said about me being an exchange student, you also mentioned that there were also exchange students from the Celestial Realm. What is the Celestial Realm and who are they?"

"The Celestial Realm is the human equivalent to Heaven so the exchange students from there are Angels."

Kagura stared, "Angels actually exist?"

Satan looked at her strangely, "Is it that surprising? My kind exists."

Kagura sighed. He was right. The man named Satan was a demon. Demons exist so why not Angels?

"Okay, fine. So both demons and angels exist. You're one of the demons so the telephone book on the strange cell phone has the name of the other demons that exist. Am I right?"

"Yes, the cell phone would be the D.D.D, your D.D.D. The D.D.D is the cell phone we use in the Devildom. It can also be used in the human world. We made them that way."

"Okay. So the cell phone belongs to me and I got it when I was in the Devildom?"

Satan nodded, "We gave it to you when you first arrived in the Devildom. Do you remember your time there?"

Kagura shook her head. "No, I have no memories of my time there nor do I know who those other demons are. Out of all the demons, you're the one I actually met but I have no memories of you. You also told me that I learned magic in the Devildom. I'll accept that information. However, remembering my time in the Devildom can come later. Right now, the memories I want to regain is what happened to me before I hit my head and what my connection to you is."

Satan nodded. "Let's start with what happened to you before you hit your head. You were on the train heading toward Cornwall. You remember that part right?"

Kagura nodded. "Yes. From my train ticket, I saw that the train was from London-Paddington Station and it was heading toward St. Ives, Cornwall. There, I met my uncle. I told him about my memory loss and had asked for his help to help me regain some of my lost memories. He agreed and gave me advice. His advice led me to my ocean villa where I remembered my childhood and my parents. However, those were only partial memories. I needed to remember more, like what had happened to me on the train. Do you know anything?"

Satan nodded. "I don't know what had happened to you on the train but I do know something about the train you were on. While searching for you, I came upon another incident that happened two days after the coffee house blackouts. The incident was of trains disappearing from the wilds of Cornwall. The train you took to St. Ives never made it to its destination. It disappeared into the rocky grasslands of Cornwall along with all the passengers and staff on board."

Kagura drew in a sharp breath, "Then that means, I was the only passenger left."

Satan nodded. "Yes. When I learned of the train's disappearance and that you were one of the passengers on it, I immediately investigated it hoping to figure out what had happened to you. I went to the Rail Security office in London-Paddington Station and asked one of my acquaintances to track your train's route. He tracked it and found the location of where your train disappeared to. The location was 20 minutes from the transfer station, St. Erth. After we learned of the location, we went to the area to search for clues and found that your train had been forced to a stop by a tampered railway signal. Later, my acquaintance found another clue. The railroad telephone wires were cut. That was why Rail Security never got any emergency calls from the train."

Kagura went still as another memory fragment flickered in her mind. The memory had appeared while she was looking at the photos of her and the man called Satan from the Instagram-like app in the D.D.D. It had showed her a room with many books. The same location as the memory she had of the conversation fragment between her and the shadowy figure on Agatha Christie's book, Murder on the Orient Express. The memory fragment was of her sitting in the same room and reading the same history book. However, this time, she remembered that she was reading about something. The same shadowy figure was sitting next to her. What was she reading about? It soon came to her. She was reading about a historical train robbery and had come upon the same clues that were mentioned by the man called Satan. In that memory, the shadowy figure had shown her those clues before sitting next to her. Kagura still did not know who it was, but she had felt the figure's love and protectiveness. She remembered his scent. His scent embracing her, comforting her, giving her strength…Kagura's eyes flew open as he stared at the man named Satan. It couldn't be him could it?

"Hang on a moment. Those clues you mentioned sound very similar to something I've read about before. Can you tell me more about what you and your acquaintance found?"

Satan went still. Did she remember the time when he showed Kagura additional information on the Great Train Robbery of 1963? He prayed that it was so. "They were the same clues that were found during the Great Train Robbery of 1963. Before the heist occurred, the robbers jammed a glove into the railway signal's compartment forcing a red light. Later, the train fireman found the cut wires of the railroad telephone. Before he could report to the driver, both he and the driver were brutally attacked. The evidence my acquaintance and I found were the same. I found a black glove jammed in the railway signal's compartment which forced a red light that made your train stop. My acquaintance found the cut wires of the railroad telephone."

Kagura drew in a sharp breath as the shadows from the memory fragments slowly cleared. The evidence from the man's investigation was the same to what she had read about. It was shown to her by the person who had been sitting next to her. That person was Satan. She still didn't know why she was reading about the historical train robbery, but the shadowy figure had finally been revealed.

Kagura stood up on shaky legs, and in a voice barely above a whisper said, "I remember now. You showed me the same evidence from the train robbery then sat next to me. You were the figure in my fragmented memories that was encased in shadow. You are Satan. The love and protectiveness I felt in that memory came from you. The conversation fragment I remembered on Agatha Christie's book, Murder on the Orient Express was between you and me. The murder mystery we solved happened when you were in the human world. I remember now."

Satan stood up then pulled Kagura into his arms.

"Yes, I was the one who showed you the evidence from the train robbery then sat next to you. We talked about the heist in my room. I was the one who told you that the train robbery reminded me of the murder mystery we solved together while you were the one who initiated the conversation on Agatha Christie's book that had a similar mystery to the murder mystery we solved. I am Satan. You are my beloved. You finally remembered me."