This is the official chapter 32. Sorry for the wait, and thank you so much for understanding. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to change his mind. I tried to. I tried like hell, so that entire week was a kind of hell. My college funds were almost pulled and I would have gone home tomorrow, and my options dwindled down to joining the navy, going to a community college while staying at home, or living somewhere - somewhere - and get a job while I figured out what to do next. None of those options were very appealing, so I stayed at school and kept the damn major.

That said, I'm not quite done yet. Watch me. I'm going to finish editing my book and publish that thing before May 29th. Then I'll publish another book, and another, and another, and I'll win this little war not with a frontal assault, but a passive and peaceful way. Will I continue to study? Absolutely. Will I maintain my GPA? Definitely. :) Somehow or another, it'll pay off in the end.

I'm going home in two weeks, during the long weekend. We made a fragile peace treaty and we'll see how long it'll take to crack. We're supposed to talk about it again during the summer, after I finish this semester, but we'll see how that goes. Right now, I'm just going to focus on tonight. Tomorrow will worry about itself.

Before I begin the chapter, I just want to say thank you for all of the instant support. Seriously. I saved a few of those reviews to my phone. They're keeping me motivated hahah. Thanks for being so awesome!

(PS - trying out a different writing style; shorter sentences and a little more dry humor, but less poetic descriptions. Let me know how you like it! *please*)

. . .

Yukio's POV

. . .

Yukio Okumura wondered when everything had changed. Their places - his and his brother's - had switched. Now Rin was leaning against him and Yukio was the rock, the silent sentinel, his finger always on the trigger. His muscles were taunt, his ears rang.

It was annoying. Not to mention that his body was slowly becoming more and more translucent. Yukio didn't mention it though - didn't want to scare Rin into thinking the worst. The worst was on everyone's' minds at the moment. No need to blacken the mood even more.

Besides, Amaimon and Angel were slowly becoming more and more pale as well. Yukio was beginning to be able to see the wall behind him, that brick blood-stained wall. The scarlet was almost artistic; great sweeping arcs that bent at the tip like waves decorated the wall. It had begun to dawn on Yukio that they weren't just in any old room. They weren't even in a real storage room as he first thought.

This was an old torture chamber.

The blood and other stains were proof enough.

Suddenly Amaimon raised his head. His gaze was bored, but then again, when wasn't it? "It's time to go," he said suddenly.

Yukio arced an eyebrow and his arms tightened in his embrace around Rin. Rin made a faint noise of protest but didn't move. He was much too exhausted.

"Go to where?" he demanded. "We can't exactly leave."

"Not here," Amaimon clarified. There was a faint edge to his tone. "There."

Angel let out a long sigh as he got to his feet. "There," he agreed.

Yukio wanted to punch them. He didn't really know why. "We can't go back!" he protested. When the pink-haired demon glared at him, he added in a quieter voice, "We can't leave Rin like this!"

"I don't think you have a choice," Angel pointed out. Sure enough, Yukio was practically translucent. His skin also glowed faintly and his heart squeezed painfully in his chest. He hoped that it was from nerves and not because Mephisto's thrice-cursed demon magic was making some sort of mistake.

Yukio gritted his teeth together.

"You don't have much time," Amaimon added.

The exorcist turned to his older brother. "Rin," Yukio whispered, giving him a light shake. Rin's dark eyelashes fluttered open.

"Whaa...?"

Yukio swallowed hard. "I have to leave," he whispered.

Rin only blinked at him, blinked those gentle sapphire eyes. He was seeing him, but at the same time, he stared at Yukio blindly. "'Kay," he finally mumbled. Yukio felt a momentary stab of annoyance - didn't Rin care at all that he was leaving? - when he added in a faint voice, "What do you want for breakfast?"

Yukio opened his mouth, stunned, then closed it again. That wasn't what he had expected, and because he wasn't prepared, the simple good-bye - yet not a good-bye at all - cut deep. He bowed his head and let his brown hair fall over his eyes, though their color was a faint silver now.

Willing himself not to cry, he whispered, "Chef's choice."

Rin smiled, a ghost of a smile, and his liquid eyes crinkled just barely at the corners. "Rice and . . . omelet sound okay?"

Yukio squeezed his eyes shut. "It sounds perfect."

Rin closed his eyes, a smile still on his lips. "Okay," he murmured, and fell asleep. Just like that.

Yukio opened his eyes, their turquoise color watery, and raised his head to the sky.

"Damn it," he whispered.

Those were his final words before he faded away.

. . .

Raziele's POV

. . .

Raziele effortlessly caught the unconscious Rin before he hit the hard floor. He was lighter than he remembered, more thin. Raziele had realized it earlier as he carried the younger demon through the halls, but he was reminded every time he looked at him now.

"We're in a real mess," he whispered to no one in particular.

Rin didn't answer.

With a faint groan, Raziele hoisted Rin onto his back one more time. Rin's head rested on his shoulder and he could feel Rin's faint heart beat through their clothes. It was comforting, Raziele realized. He hadn't known comfort in so long, he had forgotten what the emotion felt like. Now that he knew, he was almost embarrassed and flustered.

But he didn't have time for that.

Burying his emotions deep down, deep enough that he could no longer feel them, he creaked open the door. Still, the comforting feeling left a warmth in his stomach, a warmth that reminded him of Agni's hot soup.

Soup.

Raziele grinned as he darted into the empty hallway, destination in mind.

. . .

Sophiel's POV

. . .

A loud crack resounded in the air when she was backhanded across the cheek. A ring cut into her skin, leaving behind an angry cut that bled when she fell to the floor in a daze. Her basket fell to the ground and spilled its contents.

"Clean it better, slave," hissed the demon in charge of these dungeons, "or your body will be added to the count."

"Yes," she murmured, keeping her violet gaze lowered. Blood dripped from her chin and dripped freely to the floor.

The demon raised his head, though his deep red, blood-shot eyes did not leave the top of her head. She could feel his gaze like a thousand needles pricking her skin. Her stomach clenched with dread as she expected the worst.

The worst didn't come.

But it was close.

"You have a pretty face," the demon master murmured. She felt his rough talloned fingers stroke underneath her chin, leaving three red scratches behind, and then a sudden jerk as her head was lifted to meet his own. She scanned the demon's face in a moment; dark skin, white lips, silver eyes. A beautiful face that terrified her to her core.

His finger's tightened on her chin and he leaned forward. His moist breath lightly danced against her pointed ear, sending shivers racking her spine. "Do you fear me?" he asked her. An honest question with a thousand darker meanings.

He couldn't see her face, so she squeezed her good eye shut. The other stared blankly ahead underneath its eye patch, silently monitoring the world. She would never take that eye patch off. Not ever.

Not even now.

"Yes," she whispered.

Suddenly a hand reached down towards the small of her back and arced her up. It was an unexpected movement and she opened her mouth ever so slightly in surprise, and the demon snatched the opportunity. Smooth lips crushed against her own, breaking the skin. The sweet tang of blood filled her mouth as his canines nipped at her, and then suddenly pulled away.

"Hades," he muttered, standing. Sophiel nearly fell back to the ground, but she tried to maintain the last of her dignity by continuing to kneel on the ground.

"Asmodeus," hissed a dark voice. "Why the fuck are you in the dungeons? This is my realm. Get the hell out."

Asmodeus, the Prince of Lust and Revenge, slowly turned around. "Watch your tone," he growled, his eyes narrowed and deadly, "or I will mount you to the wall by your neck."

Hades visibly recoiled, but he made a fast recovery. "And displease Lord Satan?" he asked. His tone was mocking. "Not even you would dare."

"Would you like to find out?" the Prince demanded. A smile was in his voice, a false warmth that chilled Sophiel to the bone. As he walked away she tentatively wiped her mouth with her arm. Blood smeared on her wrist, but she pretended not to notice as she reached to pick up the contents of her straw basket.

One ear here.

One arm there.

A mutilated leg against the wall. She tried not to cringe as she picked it up and gently placed it inside the basket.

Hades had his fun tonight.

A sudden harsh laugh filled the air and there was a loud crack as someone was thrown against the wall. She didn't look. She was a slave, little more than furniture, and she instead picked up her basked and continued to walk down the hall without a second glance. The cries of the damned followed her as blood dyed the basket red and seeped into her hands, making her palms slick and stained. Hades screeched behind her. Asmodeus laughed as the two demons fought. Bones cracked and flesh ripped. Sophiel numbed herself against the spectacle.

I'll find Raziele and Rin after this, she repeated to herself. It was an anchor. A safe haven for her mind. I'll find them, she thought again. Blood dripped down her fingers as she forced her legs to walk.

I'll find them.

It's a dark chapter, but I'm pretty sure that most of you love that type of stuff hahah xD And don't worry about me - things work out. :) They always do in the end, and in the mean time, I'll just write and write and write and write some more. It definitely won't hurt, right? :D

Anyway, hope all of your lives are in order and I hope that you have an amazing week this week! :) And an amazing next week too!

Thanks for being so patient, and once again, thanks for the support. :) Oh, the drama of a dreaming writer hahah.

Stay awesome,

Rand0mSmil3z