A/N: Thank you Hartanna, AoWoSora, and DebbieKun3 for commenting!
Hartanna: :D Thanks! I was jumping for joy after reading your comment! At first it was hard to write about Sanguis because everything that comes out of his mouth is some kind of riddle, and his actions are unpredictable (even to me, the author 0.0') I had him in my mind from the very beginning but putting him in words was a challenge. My sister helped a lot with these chapters. In other words… I'm sooo glad you like him!
AoWoSora: ^^; Oh my! It looks like Sanguis has affected you the same way he did to Yukio. He's insane... no doubt about it... Hope the chapters were enjoyable though!
DebbieKun3: Thanks! :D
The cave ran down five miles beneath ground.
Sanguis walked every inch to reach his destination. The man held up a lamp as his feet sloshed in the river beneath. Beside him was the cat-demon, still under his influence. It wheezed and dragged huge, clunky paws one after another, leaving behind a trail of red-dyed water from the blood of its neck. The man's thoughts sung in happy praise.
Oh how wonderful!
Oh how joyful this feels!
When Sanguis finally reached the cavern's heart, the demon flopped onto its side in exhaustion, causing a heavy wave to crash against the rocky walls. The area would've been perpetually dark if it wasn't for the lantern, which provided a faint orange illumination. The man set the object on a boulder and kneeled into the water.
"I have come."
Silence. The only sounds came from the creature's breathing and tiny ripples splashing against rocks.
"Does my master ignore my calling?"
You have failed me, Sanguis.
The man looked up in delight to see a lone flesh doll, sitting on a high stone. The Dollmaker's toy. Its voice was soft, slow… yet piercing as a shard of ice.
"Ahh, my lady! I feared you abandoned me. Oh…? You haven't come in person."
You have failed.
"Yes, yes. And what a bitter failure it was, my lady, truly heart-breaking indeed – "
You have FAILED.
The voice was shill at the word 'failed,' sending echoes and violent tremors throughout the cave.
In an attempt to sustain his laughter, Sanguis bowed his head, smirking.
"M-my lady, I shall do everything in my power to honor your covenant with the Goddess."
Where is the boy? You failed. You failed. You failed.
"Yukio Okumura shall be yours, as Rin Okumura shall be the Goddess's."
Where is the boy? Bring the boy.
"And I shall, but miss? What about the girl?"
Silence.
"Have you forgotten?..! Oh how cruel of you, my lady – haha! How cruel! You are only the epitome of her nightmares!"
I do not care for the girl. I want the boy. The child of...
"But you told me yourself to bring her back one day, shouldn't that time be now? I believe she is ready."
I want the boy.
"All good things take time, my lady, and as much as you have your desires… the Goddess's plan shall never go in motion unless you have the girl."
More silence.
"If you anger the Goddess… I fear she will sever the contract and take away Yukio Okumura."
Bring the girl.
Arisu's eyes snapped open.
The girl saw nothing but darkness ahead. The room smelt of cleaning supplies and sterilizers – she nearly hacked on the air. Kicking her legs, Arisu realized she was lying in a bed with bars at its side. Ignoring the aching muscles, she attempted to sit up. However, exhaustion did not allow her to do so.
Fr*ck!… Why am I…. 'ere?
Why was she here? The last thing the girl remembered she was in… some kind of church… right? And then….was there screaming? She couldn't recall…
Her memory of the Monastery was already beginning to fade… To blur.
In the distance she heard a voice, Isaac's voice talking to some other man.
"I found 'er in ze abandoned shopping area. Completely delusional."
"Does she have the ….the illness…?"
"No. I tested ze girl. She iz clean."
"R-really?..! How?..! She was outside for so long – "
"As a doctor I can only give you facts, and ze test results came out negative."
"But there are some who get sick the moment they set foot in the rain!"
"Perhaps she iz lucky?"
"…I suppose…. Did you sterilize her clothes?"
"All burnt. She was scrubbed down 'ead to toe 'n placed in a 'ospital gown."
What – What?..! I WAS?..! Since when?..!
When did zis all 'appen, you dirty bastard?..!
Arisu kicked the side of the bed in frustration. The men seemed to hear the noise because there was a long silence. Isaac, however, chose to ignore it and continue speaking.
"Furzer more, ze girl iz clean."
"…..Mr. L'Écarlate?"
"Yes?"
"You told me… your sister was… delusional…? Why? If she's not contaminated like you said."
The girl balled her fists, her stomach constricted with fury.
SHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUP!
DONTTALKABOUTITDONTTALKABOUT IT!
"Ah well, 'arsh childhood memory."
"Excuse me?"
I SAID SHUT UP!
"My sister, Arisu, was abducted as a child."
Once upon a time, there was a little girl who thought the way normal little girls were supposed to think – tea parties, frilly dresses and princesses. But one day, apparently, she was taken by a bunch of psychopaths and held for ransom. And although she couldn't remember what they did to her, she supposedly developed a form of post-traumatic-stress – diagnosed by the one and only pompous jackass Isaac.
And he forced her to swallow pills ever since.
There it was – the apparent reason. The 'explanation' for why the girl was the way she was. The EXCUSE for her insanity, her hallucinations, her forgetfulness, her obsession in demons. A sad little sob story her family could tell others when she acted improper. That she just 'couldn't help' but have irrational, warped thoughts about herself and the people around her.
To hate everyone.
But that was simply a lie. Even if Arisu was taken as a child, she didn't remember a thing.
Now the man with blue eyes… and all the other people trying to kill her brother in cold blood, she certainly remembered that. Arisu didn't hate others because of some kind of traumatic event; she hated them because it was the truth… that every person who laid eyes on Aidyn makes a move to kill.
And for eight years Arisu had fought off those people with a knife.
Yes, she was always like this. The girl was never interested in stupid tales about pathetic maidens who couldn't do anything for themselves, and arrogant princes who rode on obnoxious white steeds. She never cared for fancy dresses. The girl would rather throw tea in Isaac's face or drink it alone. All of her pretty little outfits were caked in mud and ripped to shreds after searching for demons, a hobby she ALWAYS had – since a child. And why? Arisu couldn't explain it.
She couldn't explain why her mind was a clock whose hands ticked backwards.
"O-oh… really? I'm sorry… How long was she taken?"
"Six months."
'Six months to tell'
'Six months you fell'
"Six months you drowned in a murky black hell' –
Said the corpse who was oh so clever
Surely this was all false –
Surely Arisu wasn't really abducted –
They were all liars – liars – LIARS –
"Mr. L'Écarlate… if your sister is as troubled as you say… Why is she training to be an exorcist?"
"Oh zat – ha! She iz not really going to be an exorcist."
"What do you mean?"
"You see… my sister's mozer works abroad 'n zerefore 'as no time to look after ze girl. So I was unfortunately given ze responsibility. Arisu 'as strange interests. So I enrolled 'er in cram school to keep 'er busy."
"Strange interests? Why would cram school keep her– "
"She likes démons. Sometimes more zen people, I believe."
"Ah…. that's…. um…."
"Strange, I know."
The conversation ended, and the patter of footsteps faded into silence. Suddenly a brightness – equally blinding as the dark – filled the room. Pains shot through the girl's sensitive eyes. Someone had walked in and flipped the light switch. Arisu's vision gradually adjusted to see Isaac standing before her. At that moment she realized the room was an infirmary and her brother was about to give a lecture.
"I know you were eavesdropping," he started, "Isn't too early to be zrowing tantrums? First few minutes of lucidity and you're already kicking ze bed."
The girl snorted.
"Your little doctor-on-doctor chats mean nozing to me."
"On ze contrary, stupid girl, zey mean everything at ze moment."
"Hmph. Go to 'ell."
"I am increasing your dosage."
"WHAAAT?...!"
Arisu nearly jumped from her bed.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU'RE INCREASING MY – "
"It seems like your delusions are getting worse. You should've seen yourself when I found you."
"Zat was because I 'aven't taken ze medicine in a couple of days – "
"Wrong. The medication remains in one's system for at least a week. Neglecting it for two days would not take away it's effects."
"…"
"Ze prescription iz meant to prevent 'allucinations, meaning, it's supposed to stop you from seeing zings zat aren't truly zere."
"I know what it means!" The girl retaliated defensively.
"Zen you should know zat 'allucinating despite taking ze medication iz very serious. Ze drug iz becoming ineffective as your tolerance for it increases."
"….My tolerance iz going up…so you're going to increase ze dose? Wouldn't zat kill me? Some doctor you are!"
"I am much more experienced in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder zen you are."
"I am NOT traumatized! And I wasn't kidnapped, I don't remember being taken! Ze family just made zat story up to – "
"You truly are a stupid, foolish, girl. Are you aware of the symptoms of PTSD?"
"I don't care."
"You should, because zey apply directly to you."
"TCH!"
"One symptom iz a lack of memory of ze event… another iz flashbacks."
"…"
"Must I tell you over and over again? Ze reason you don't remember ze kidnapping iz because you don't want to. And those delusions are elusive flashbacks to zat moment."
Like ze corpse in ze water….?
"…Shut up. Don't spit zat technical garbage at me."
"Go on and deny ze truth all you want…. As a matter of fact, Arisu, maybe it's a good zing…I'll assist you in denial. I'll try to make ze abduction feel as unreal as possible, give you some normalcy. But you must do as I say. In the mean time, you must be severely punished for leaving ze school premises. Zere shall be no leeway time for ze next two months. You shall get up, go to school, do 'omework, study, zen go to sleep – no exuses."
With that, the man turned on his heel and began to walk out. Arisu tried to throw in one last biting comment.
"You zink you're sooo clever and smart just because you're an exorcist n' mozer left me in your care."
Isaac did not respond to the comment as he left the room.
Afterwards, the girl sat in complete silence until two more visitors arrived.
