Maybe that was it. Maybe I was just too eager. Maybe... if I didn't
go looking for that job none of this confusion would've existed. If I
hadn't gone to my instructor a few days ago (but it felt like weeks) I'd
have never seen Earth and fallen in love with it. I'd have never seen Dante
and fallen in love with him. That, unfortunately, would have made things
easier and less complicated. And, now, I was too distracted to hear what he
was trying to tell me. Dante was silently calling out, warning me, but I
was deaf to the silence. I could neither see nor hear him. And that's why I
went along with his so-called plan. More like a suicide attempt, if you ask
me.
He was forfeiting his chance of winning so I could. Now, I had no idea why but he was. But the thing was, I didn't want to win and he knew that but he ignored it. And I was ready to give up everything to make him change his mind but, despite the changes he underwent, he was still a stubborn bastard. I cried for him because of that.
That weekend was when the other eight Hunters arrived. Most came late at night so Dante waited until Sunday to tell of his plan. And, the words with which he spoke, were confident, as if he knew his plan would succeed. Which was something that worried me. I sat there, listening to him for nearly an hour. And every time I heard his voice I knew something was wrong. He was still neglecting to give us the final piece of the puzzle. That one piece... the one that would make the picture complete. And, I feared, this piece of the puzzle was the most important or was at least a key part. He was making a mistake.
Dante had decided that the three of us (him, Dartan, and I) would go first and then, approximately one hour after we walked through the portal, the Hunters would come and it would be a massacre.
Then we moved to phase two. Dartan opened a portal, exactly the same as the ones I was so used to, and we went to the Underworld. We appeared in the corridor that contained my door, putting us closer to my father. Quickly, we slipped into my room. As my instructor closed the door, Dante lifted up his black shirt, checking to make sure that Ebony and Ivory were still there and hidden in the top of his jeans. He nodded and I handed him a short leather jacket which he put on instantly, covering the arms.
He obviously knew how much I didn't want him to do this. "Zoe, baby, I'm sorry... but I have to do this." I blinked back a few tears.
"I know, which is why it hurts." He looked down, clearly distraught, but knew that he was right. So, sticking to business, he turned around and held his hands out behind his back for me. I reluctantly bound them, letting him turn back around again. I looked over to Dartan who gave me the most fake smile I'd ever seen.
Dante leaned back down and whispered in my ear. "I'm sorry. I really am." He repeated before he kissed me softly but quickly, for the final time. Bringing complete shock and fear into me, I noticed that he looked... like he was going to cry. And that confirmed my uncertainty. He really was going to go through with everything.
We waited in there for about a half an hour, until it was the precise moment Dante had chosen.
I opened the door, looking out to make sure no one was around. When everyone was gone and the hall was empty, Dartan, Dante, and I left to go see my father. As I walked before them down the hall, I watched the floor, trying to get my mind off the present situation. It was creepy because it wasn't carpet, or linoleum, or even wood; it was grating. And, what really made it disgusting, was that it was wet and stained with a red liquid. It was darker than I remembered, down below the grating, which made me wonder about what was there. The lights were dimmer than usual, making it seem like a death-march. I was full of pure, undiluted fear.
We passed through a door at the end of the hall, leading us into another hall. But this one was different. To the left was a "stadium," where Gwen had been killed. Across from us was another hall, and on our left and right were two more. They were all connected, leaving a walkway that stretched around the entire, massive room. As we walked down this one, passing several doors on our right, we came to yet another door. One more of those things and I would've been sick.
I opened that damn door and passed through, hearing Dartan shut it softly. That's when I felt it. My father was near. Oh-so near. The room was dark, lit by only a few carefully placed candles on an altar at the front of the room. Tapestries were hung, one on each of the walls. There was a mortar and pestle, a few "demonic" herbs, and an ancient book. Standing in front of said altar was one of my father's advisors. So Dante brought in the act.
"Goddammit, you fucking bastard! Let me go!" He started struggling violently. I rolled my eyes, not even bothering to look around. The robed demon in front us quickly faced us, hearing a loud crunch as Dartan's hand collided with Dante's cheek. I, too, turned to face them and saw that Dante was on his knees, a drop of blood escaping through the side of his mouth. He looked pissed but Dartan and I knew it wasn't real. The advisor, on the other hand, didn't. His jaw dropped instantly at seeing the Hunter.
He glanced up at me. "I will get him right away." He ran off, practically skipping and giggling with joy. When he'd left, Dante stood up and watched the door he left through.
"Dick." He said, shaking his head.
We waited for a minute until the demon came back. He quickly arrived with a large smile on his face. "Right this way." He gestured towards the door he'd just come in through, so we went. Fifteen minutes until the Hunters would arrive.
Through the threshold was a purely white room. There were a few pillars leading down the sides of the center, as if they were making a path to my father. We walked forward on a floor that was far too reflective. In fact, it was so shiny, that I couldn't even look down at it for fear of losing my sight to the blinding lights.
Going further, we continued our walk, between the towering pillars, until the only thing in front of us was a large throne. It, too, was as white as an angel's wings.
My father opened his eyes and looked down at us, aiming his gaze directly at Dante.
"Well, Son of Sparda, we meet again." He spoke in a loud, clear voice.
Dante saw him and turned to look at me, completely oblivious to the fact that this was the time we needed our cover the most. He whispered to me in a tone that was angry, upset, and confused, all at the same time. "Your father... is Mundus?"
He was forfeiting his chance of winning so I could. Now, I had no idea why but he was. But the thing was, I didn't want to win and he knew that but he ignored it. And I was ready to give up everything to make him change his mind but, despite the changes he underwent, he was still a stubborn bastard. I cried for him because of that.
That weekend was when the other eight Hunters arrived. Most came late at night so Dante waited until Sunday to tell of his plan. And, the words with which he spoke, were confident, as if he knew his plan would succeed. Which was something that worried me. I sat there, listening to him for nearly an hour. And every time I heard his voice I knew something was wrong. He was still neglecting to give us the final piece of the puzzle. That one piece... the one that would make the picture complete. And, I feared, this piece of the puzzle was the most important or was at least a key part. He was making a mistake.
Dante had decided that the three of us (him, Dartan, and I) would go first and then, approximately one hour after we walked through the portal, the Hunters would come and it would be a massacre.
Then we moved to phase two. Dartan opened a portal, exactly the same as the ones I was so used to, and we went to the Underworld. We appeared in the corridor that contained my door, putting us closer to my father. Quickly, we slipped into my room. As my instructor closed the door, Dante lifted up his black shirt, checking to make sure that Ebony and Ivory were still there and hidden in the top of his jeans. He nodded and I handed him a short leather jacket which he put on instantly, covering the arms.
He obviously knew how much I didn't want him to do this. "Zoe, baby, I'm sorry... but I have to do this." I blinked back a few tears.
"I know, which is why it hurts." He looked down, clearly distraught, but knew that he was right. So, sticking to business, he turned around and held his hands out behind his back for me. I reluctantly bound them, letting him turn back around again. I looked over to Dartan who gave me the most fake smile I'd ever seen.
Dante leaned back down and whispered in my ear. "I'm sorry. I really am." He repeated before he kissed me softly but quickly, for the final time. Bringing complete shock and fear into me, I noticed that he looked... like he was going to cry. And that confirmed my uncertainty. He really was going to go through with everything.
We waited in there for about a half an hour, until it was the precise moment Dante had chosen.
I opened the door, looking out to make sure no one was around. When everyone was gone and the hall was empty, Dartan, Dante, and I left to go see my father. As I walked before them down the hall, I watched the floor, trying to get my mind off the present situation. It was creepy because it wasn't carpet, or linoleum, or even wood; it was grating. And, what really made it disgusting, was that it was wet and stained with a red liquid. It was darker than I remembered, down below the grating, which made me wonder about what was there. The lights were dimmer than usual, making it seem like a death-march. I was full of pure, undiluted fear.
We passed through a door at the end of the hall, leading us into another hall. But this one was different. To the left was a "stadium," where Gwen had been killed. Across from us was another hall, and on our left and right were two more. They were all connected, leaving a walkway that stretched around the entire, massive room. As we walked down this one, passing several doors on our right, we came to yet another door. One more of those things and I would've been sick.
I opened that damn door and passed through, hearing Dartan shut it softly. That's when I felt it. My father was near. Oh-so near. The room was dark, lit by only a few carefully placed candles on an altar at the front of the room. Tapestries were hung, one on each of the walls. There was a mortar and pestle, a few "demonic" herbs, and an ancient book. Standing in front of said altar was one of my father's advisors. So Dante brought in the act.
"Goddammit, you fucking bastard! Let me go!" He started struggling violently. I rolled my eyes, not even bothering to look around. The robed demon in front us quickly faced us, hearing a loud crunch as Dartan's hand collided with Dante's cheek. I, too, turned to face them and saw that Dante was on his knees, a drop of blood escaping through the side of his mouth. He looked pissed but Dartan and I knew it wasn't real. The advisor, on the other hand, didn't. His jaw dropped instantly at seeing the Hunter.
He glanced up at me. "I will get him right away." He ran off, practically skipping and giggling with joy. When he'd left, Dante stood up and watched the door he left through.
"Dick." He said, shaking his head.
We waited for a minute until the demon came back. He quickly arrived with a large smile on his face. "Right this way." He gestured towards the door he'd just come in through, so we went. Fifteen minutes until the Hunters would arrive.
Through the threshold was a purely white room. There were a few pillars leading down the sides of the center, as if they were making a path to my father. We walked forward on a floor that was far too reflective. In fact, it was so shiny, that I couldn't even look down at it for fear of losing my sight to the blinding lights.
Going further, we continued our walk, between the towering pillars, until the only thing in front of us was a large throne. It, too, was as white as an angel's wings.
My father opened his eyes and looked down at us, aiming his gaze directly at Dante.
"Well, Son of Sparda, we meet again." He spoke in a loud, clear voice.
Dante saw him and turned to look at me, completely oblivious to the fact that this was the time we needed our cover the most. He whispered to me in a tone that was angry, upset, and confused, all at the same time. "Your father... is Mundus?"