Time of Dying
A Hagi story based off the song "Time of Dying" by Three Days Grace
Saya: Something just hit me… Serin said "Where the HEAVEN". What??
Aldedron: Serin's really weird. Whenever someone would ordinarily use hell, she uses heaven and vice versa. *shrug* It's how she talks
Serin: Excuse me, but if you're going to talk about me, then stop doing it when I'm in the same room, please
Saya: *nervous laughter* Sorry…
She looked so peaceful, sleeping away the seconds, minutes, and hours of the day. I quietly entered the room, setting down the tray as silently as physically possible. It still made an audible 'clang' that I cringed at, but she didn't stir. It had been more of a psychological sound than anything else, my mind making it sound louder than it really was. Or maybe my new, hyper-sensitive hearing. Or more likely… both. Her bangs had fallen over her eyes again and I brushed them away. With my touch, she finally woke.
Slowly, her eyes opened and the moment she saw me, she bolted upright. "I'm sorry! I just… close my eyes and suddenly… I didn't mean to—"
I simply smiled and handed her the glass. "It's fine." She took the cup and gazed at the red liquid with shock. "I've seen Joel prepare your medicine many a time, and the recipe was also in his diary," I explained, 'coincidentally' failing to mention the ingredients.
She shrugged and downed the drink, handing me the goblet absently. It was then that she saw the food. "Whoa! That looks great!" she cried, her face lighting up in delight. I moved the tray onto her lap. She was already more energetic. It looked like the blood had done the trick. Relief washed over me at this knowledge. She was going to be just fine. "I don't remember David's chefs being this good," she exclaimed, her eyes widening as she bit into the toasted Panini.
It took almost all my will to remain apathetic at that comment. She'd just said my cooking was better than a professional chef's. And I'd just winged it, going by a memory over a decade old, too. To receive a compliment from Saya… It was the second thing I lived for. First and foremost, though, was to see her smile. For her to be happy. She was even more beautiful smiling than asleep. And here she was… doing both. I had to have been the happiest man alive at that moment, but I concealed it, fearing that anything might ruin this perfect moment.
There was a light knock on the door. And… it was ruined. After a moment, David peeked his head through the already partially open doorway. "Hagi, could I speak with you a moment?" He didn't sound angry or dark. But he also didn't sound cheery or happy. I had no idea what he wanted. I rose, bowing my head slightly to Saya as I exited the room, closing the door softly behind me. "Come with me. I want everyone to get together to hear my proposition."
I followed him to his office. There was a small group of people gathered inside. They all conversed quietly, sitting in their seats. I didn't recognize anyone. I took a seat off to the side as David sat behind his desk.
"Alright, I'd like everyone to introduce themselves. And explain how your life has been effected by Chiropterans, as well."
I remained blank on the outside, but inside, I was startled by this. He had gone through with my idea rather quickly. Such effective sources…
A redheaded woman in her late thirties spoke first. "My name is Elena. My mother and father were killed by a Chiropteran."
A gruff looking man with dark brown hair in his early forties spoke next. "Robert. My son was killed by a Chiropteran."
A stiff looking blonde man in his early twenties introduced himself. "Isaac and my home was destroyed, all the staff along with it, by a group of Chiropterans."
A street-smart lady in her late teens spoke confidently. "Elizabeth. My friends were killed by one-uh-those monsters."
David spoke up. "And I'm David, but I'll be taking on my father's name as Joel from now on. As I'm sure some of you are already aware… my father, Joel Goldschmidt, died a couple days ago. He and four hundred other people were killed by Chiropterans. Hagi over there is the only staff member at his mansion to have survived. Also, his experiment, Saya, survived, but she's resting at the moment."
My fingers twitched at that comment. "Experiment". What a crude way to put it. I didn't like people referring to Saya so rudely. She wasn't an experiment, but a person. It was one of the things I had disliked Joel for, but him treating her as an experiment was the reason she hadn't been killed upon her birth, so I couldn't actually hate him. Just feel frustrated with. I also reacted because two hundred of those people had been killed by me. David didn't know, though, so he was assuming the agents to have also been killed by Diva. It wasn't like there was anyone to say otherwise. Our lips were sealed and David didn't want to press either of us too much, considering what we had witnessed.
"And a close friend of mine will be coming in a couple days. He couldn't make it here by today, considering that he's currently on his voyage home from America. But his name is also David and shall remain as such."
The air was tense. David was obviously avoiding the topic, but we all knew he wouldn't succeed with such a feeble strategy. Elizabeth spoke up. "So what's this whole "proposition" o' yours that brought us all here?"
David sighed. He'd been defeated already. "I was hoping to hold off the explanation until David got here, but I'll just have Hagi assist me in the explanation. All our lives have been gravely affected by Chiropterans and we can never return to life the way it was before their intrusion. We have two choices: do nothing or do something. My father and four hundred other people were killed by Chiropterans, but by one in specific. A Chiropterans Queen by the name of Diva. Hagi and Saya are the only two people alive who have seen her, so you'll have to ask him for a description."
Everyone turned to me. He'd planned this. But I also had a photograph on me. I reached inside my coat and pulled out the picture, handing it to Elizabeth who was closest to me. "She looks like the girl on the right."
Elizabeth turned to me with a doubtful look on her face. "This ain't no Chiropteran," she said flatly.
"As David said, she's a Chiropteran Queen. All Chiropterans possess the ability to transform, but Queen are perfected it to the point where they can't revert to their original form anymore."
"Please stop calling me David. I'm Joel now, Hagi," David said with a hint of annoyance.
"Sorry. Force of habit," I said quietly.
"So how's this guy know so much about Chiropterans?" Elizabeth scoffed, looking back at David—Joel II.
"Hagi has served under a Chiropteran Queen for ten years," Joel II answered simply.
Everyone blanched at that. He kept turning the attention back to me. If the other David was here, he wouldn't be avoiding the spotlight as much. Why did the other David have to be in America…? "This guy serves that homicidal maniac!?" Isaac screamed in outrage.
I sighed, looking up at the ceiling. David was such an idiot. He should've known better than to say that to people whose trust he was trying to gain. I meant Joel II. This was so annoying!! For ten years, I'd known Joel as Joel and David as David, and now that Joel was gone, he expected me to call him Joel when it was hard enough to believe that they were even related. David was his estranged son.
"Wait, wait. It's not what you think," David II objected. "My father didn't just have one experiment. He had two. I've been reading over his Diary. It seems that there are actually two Chiropteran Queens. I've seen that picture before and I can tell you right now, that's not Diva standing next to him. That is Saya. Saya and Diva are twin sisters. But they don't think of each other as such. When they were born, my father separated them, placing Diva in a tower to 'mature in a state of nature'. Saya was raised like and among humans and was treated as his daughter. I've known Saya since I was a child and she is basically human. Her Chiropteran blood is the only thing that can say so otherwise. I've never met Diva personally, but she killed all those people, so she is obviously a monster who is nothing like her sister."
Hagi. My ears perked up as I stood. I nodded at David. "Excuse me for a moment," I said quietly.
"Huh? What? What is it?" he asked with confusion.
I looked at him, puzzled. "You didn't hear that?"
"Hear what?"
Everyone stared at me with bewilderment as well. What? Hadn't they heard her calling me?? I could feel that invisible string pulling me towards her as well and yet they heard and felt nothing?? "It's nothing. Just… excuse me." I quickly left his office, everyone staring at me with surprise and confusion.
Saya: *smugly* It's like we've got a psychic LINK or something
Hagi: If that is your wish
Serin: I don't think it's psychic. I can contact Seras exactly the same way
Saya: Are you SURE he isn't a Chevalier??
Serin: *sigh* He's a Royal Knight, not a Chevalier
Saya: He's a Knight serving a Queen. That sounds like a Chevalier
Serin: *frown* Neles is a Royal Knight
Saya: *silence*
Serin: *smugly* Don't have anything to say NOW, do you?