Chapter 30
"Ugh! I cannot believe Teto just took off!" Miku shouted as she hefted a tank top into her suitcase with enough force to break something inside. "She was our ride! She can't just-" she paused for a deep breath, "can't just take off! Some people are the rudest, most despicable, pieces of trash to ever walk this earth!" Miku finished, spitting out every last bit of breath in her lungs. She dropped to the couch in pure exhaustion. The kind that comes from shouting all morning. She groaned heavily into a decorative pillow that sat there before she fell silent. Luka sat beside her idly sending messages on her phone. Len would've paid better attention, but he found his thoughts were already preoccupied.
The current situation baffled him, stupefied him even. It was gone; everything...every last thing Rin had brought with her was missing. Her very living space had been cleaned out as if she'd never existed in the beginning. He couldn't understand how any of it could've been possible. Well, truthfully he could but just couldn't fathom it. None of it made sense. Where had she gone? Where could she have gone?
And if it wasn't enough that Rin was gone, so was Teto. Both unmistakably missing, and even the presence of Teto's car gone along with the rest of her belongings. Not to mention that besides the dissipating anger of no longer having a ride no one seemed bothered by their disappearance. That, troubled Len the most.
He couldn't stop worrying. Couldn't stop thinking of a million horrific things that could've befallen Rin. Anything and everything could've happened. She was so innocent and the world was so cruel. Her world especially seemed...unusually sadistic. And then Len thought of a scenario that was the worst of them all.
Rin had no memories and she didn't know who she'd been for the most part. There was only one place she'd left and one place she could go if she were to leave. But Len's muscles tensed up and his mind wouldn't allow him to speak of where she'd gone. He opened his mouth, but his throat closed up. He couldn't make a sound. But he knew, he knew. And that realization, was the worst he'd ever experienced in his life.
Len pressed himself back into his chair. He sunk into it for some reason wishing to be hidden. He felt powerless, useless even. The whole stressing and dreading wasn't helping either. Because if she was in fact where he believed her to be: first, he'd never find it and second, it was possible...she'd never come back. He felt something at that. A feeling he couldn't quite describe. A sort of sad-
Len stopped himself there: completely halting his train of thought. He shouldn't even be thinking about this stuff. Shouldn't even care. He was a delinquent and had always been by himself. Obviously he wasn't in any right frame of mind if he was thinking like this. What did it matter if Rin was gone? She wasn't really his responsibility and who knows, if she'd figured her things out then everything would be fine. He'd get his privacy, his bed, his food, his home and his very finances back. It wasn't all bad. If he thought about it logically like that, she'd just saved him the stress of having to get rid of her on his own.
She'd saved him from having to act like a soulless, heartless jerk by throwing her out eventually. Spared him her tears and sadness. If he really thought about it, things had somewhat tilted in his favor. Everything had just, gone back to normal for him.
But then he found himself thinking of how he'd found Rin and wondered what kind of unholy treatment that man Ted might be giving her. Why she'd been chained up and locked away. How she'd managed to do all those abnormally amazing things. He'd asked questions and yet, had received no answers. Len shifted in his seat. If anything, Rin owed him that much before she just took off.
Len frowned and then cleared his expression. That's how it was; a genius deserved all matters of answers to their questions. The stay he'd given Rin also wasn't free, definitely not free at all. He was a delinquent and likewise being himself demanded compensation. He was very much entitled to it as well. And so he decided that until Rin compensated him in some way she couldn't possibly just go. He was determined to give her a short lecture as such to his reasons. It definitely wasn't because he cared anything for her. It was just that, she had questions to answer for.
Rin owed him everything and she would answer to that. He'd almost died for her sake. She couldn't just take off after that fact! It was preposterous! Blasphemy! Outright ungratefulness! Whether or not what Miku had said was true, Len had his answer. It was a valid enough reason.
"Miku I'm sure Teto had her reasons, whatever they were," said Mikuo cooly. Len hadn't noticed when Mikuo had made his way into the living room. Usually he wouldn't have listened, but there was something in Mikuo's voice that portrayed he was saying less than he knew. Len couldn't help but wonder what it was Mikuo knew that he didn't. Rin couldn't have possibly told Mikuo or anyone more than she'd said to him, right? "We managed to hail a taxi here so be happy with that. It's better to pack now and leave early in the morning anyway, so let's not waste time worrying about things when we have our own problems." Miku groaned unintelligibly in response to Mikuo and he chuckled before coming over to the couch and taking a seat on the armrest.
"I've secured us a ride home," Luka informed the group. "They'll arrive first thing in the morning." She stood to face Mikuo.
"Is Kaito up?" Miku asked, her voice barely plausible through the pillow. "He's been out for a while." Mikuo shook his head.
"No, he's still fast asleep. He must have been exhausted...passed out on the beach like that."
"He's not tired at all," Luka snapped. She'd changed into a heavy yellow sweater and tights since everything else she'd been wearing was either dirty from the forest or wet from the sea water. "He's just lazy and decided to fall asleep so he could cause me trouble. I got fined because of him. Fined! He better pray I don't catch him when he wakes up because I'll be kicking him straight in his family jewels!" Luka ended. She stormed out of the room with a graceful twist and Miku followed wordlessly.
"Get some sleep Luka, Miku," Mikuo called after them optimistically. When they were out of sight and earshot Mikuo focused on Len suddenly seeming all too serious. "Len, mind coming with me for a minute?" Mikuo asked. It took Len a minute before he realized what Mikuo had said and he nodded in agreement.
They slinked off outside to the balcony, and Mikuo closed the door after them. They stood in harmonic silence until Mikuo said. "So spill Len, I need to know everything that's going on."
Momentarily Len was thrown off. His demeanor was shaken and he knew not how to proceed. He knew what Mikuo might be talking about, which were the same things he'd been troubling himself over for the past few hours. Despite that, he couldn't possibly tell Mikuo anything that was going on. Len didn't even knowhimself what was entirely going on.
"Mikuo? I'm not sure what you're talking about," Len lied. Mikuo didn't fall for it. And even Len himself admitted it was a terrible lie. Possibly the worst he'd tried to tell in his life.
"Don't lie to me Len. I know when something is wrong, how long do you think we've been friends for?"
"We've never been friends Mikuo," Len said harshly. "I never once said we were."
"Okay then I'm a persistent stalker who's been following you and speaking with you for years just by coincidence," Mikuo stated with noticeable sarcasm. "Whatever it is, that doesn't negate us from the fact that something's wrong. You need to tell me what's going on Len. Rin...she isn't normal is she?"
Len froze. He didn't know what to say. Any other day, any other person, any other subject and he would've been able to lie. Would've told a million brilliant lies to cover for Rin and him. Because the truth, little of it he had wasn't a light one. Len searched his mind for a lie, a small one, good or bad: but there were none. His mind was too scrambled to achieve such a feat and this day had been long and confusing. The fact that it was Mikuo whom he was speaking to didn't help his case either. And without lies...there was only the truth.
"No...," Len whispered. His mind heavy, his gut empty, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. "No...no she isn't."
"Can you tell me? If anyone I'm the one to tell Len," Mikuo declared. "Next to Miku I've known you the longest and with everything that's happening it'd be a safety benefit."
"Mikuo, I-"
"Len, just listen to me okay? You know me despite what you say and so strongly believe. I wouldn't be asking you anything personal if it weren't important." And no matter how much Len thought about it, Mikuo was right. "Whatever secret you're keeping Len...it's dangerous. A security risk to you and everyone around you. Judging by how you've looked all evening it's safe to assume you also have no clue where Teto and Rin went?" Len didn't answer.
"Just think about it then Len," Mikuo said. "If anything happens to you next you won't be able to be found if nobody knows. You can't deny the sound logic in that." Though Len wanted to deny Mikuo, he was right and there was a point.
There was also something about Mikuo. Something none of the others had. His eyes bored into Len's and somehow saw further: Len looked away.
"If I tell you Mikuo, you'll also be a part of this," Len warned.
"You don't get it Len," Mikuo said. He crossed the balcony and leaned against the rail. His arms firmly crossed. "From the second you met Rin, everyone you've ever known has been a part of this."
"Then get comfortable there, I'll share with you what I know. You just can't-" A raise of Mikuo's hand stopped Len from finishing his sentence.
"I wouldn't dream, of telling anyone else."
Rin gaped at Yuma the handsome man before her. Awestruck, horrified, mortified. She was dismayed, shaken. Equally revolted and sickened by Yuma and herself. She couldn't breathe, couldn't speak, couldn't move. She wasn't capable of anything except staring gelidly in silence. She had no words, no thoughts: nothing. She was thrown aback and on the verge of a traumatic breakdown. It was a miracle then when she found her voice.
"No. . ." she whispered. "That's a lie...a lie!" Rin shrieked. Her chest heaved and she all but gasped for air: the air she'd been cut off from. She denied herself the truth of what he'd just told her. From this man there could come no truth, only lies and trickery. She wouldn't allow herself to be hoodwinked. To be taken in by his honeyed words and smooth voice. "You're a liar!"
Rin's anger swelled as she saw Yuma's face was as calm as before despite the accusations she spat at him. His calmness was only tinder to an ever burning inferno inside her.
"It's no lie of mine," Yuma said coherently. "We can have a test done if you do not believe me."
The world seemed to tilt around Rin and she staggered forward so suddenly it was as if she'd been bashed over the head with a blunt object. And who knows, in a way she had been. This information was too much, too hard of a blow to take all at once. Her hands were balled into fists so tightly her knuckles turned pale white. She forced herself back as not to fall. However, her knees still buckled and she slid toward the ground. In seconds Yuma had caught her, before she'd even had time to fall much. Rin wriggled in his grip and shoved at his chest.
"Don't touch me! Don't you dare touch me!" Rin's voice was sharper than she'd thought possible directed toward him. Yuma frowned and set Rin back on her feet. He made space between them, minimal as it was.
"I deserve that," he said, for once not completely indifferent. Because of that comment, Rin looked up. He seemed to be wavering, waiting for a response. Involuntarily, Rin's eyes filled with tears that spilled over onto her cheeks. They coursed down her face and she covered them to keep Yuma from seeing them further. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing them.
"Rin, I know this must be a lot to take in. I'm not unsympathetic to your feelings; I realize how stressful this must be for yo-"
"Stressful?" Rin scoffed, cutting her father off. "Try devastating, traumatic! This can't possibly be true!" Her gaze faltered to Ted. "Ted...please, this isn't true...it can't-"
"It's true," Ted said bluntly. "If you need evidence, he's given his consent to some."
But Rin didn't want evidence. She wanted everything to prove that it wasn't true. She was nothing like Yuma. Looked nothing like him, acted nothing like him.
"I'm nothing like you," Rin barked. Determined to point out any obvious flaw. "I look nothing like you."
"You took more after your mother," Yuma said. He smiled sadly.
"Where is she?" Rin asked. "I want to see her."
"She passed away a long time ago Rin." He admitted it all too solemnly and for a second seemed floaty. "My love..."
"You're a liar!" Rin screamed again. "She didn't pass away I-I killed her..."
"You did not kill your mother Rin," Yuma snapped. And suddenly his face was so hard, so devoid of any lovable emotions that Rin was terrified. "Such a belief is a folly and a lie."
"Just like the fact that you're my father?" The second it had left her mouth, Rin wished in a way...that she hadn't said it. He who was supposed to be completely unfeeling looked...wounded.
"I'm sorry you feel that way about me Rin," Yuma said. His voice shook a few times as he attempted to hide his grief. "The last thing I wanted to be was a disappointment as a father to you."
Against Rin's will her hand seemed to reach out to touch him. Provide some reassurance; heal the sudden pain written deeply on his face. It was completely an impulse to help someone in need more than anything else. But Rin recoiled before he noticed and she forced a hardness into her heart. She hated this man as well as everything he stood for. Everything he could ever stand for. Facts were still facts and no matter what, he was a cold heartless killer. He'd made her one as well but unlike him there was a sliver of hope for her salvation.
She hated him and yet, he couldn't be lying. It dawned on her then. A man who was lying wasn't able to make such a face when his lie was rejected. No liar was capable of making such an honest, agonized expression.
"If you didn't want to disappoint me, you should've been a better father. This agency shouldn't even exist if you cared so much about me." After she'd spoken Rin avoided his gaze, remembering all the things he'd done. The little things she'd managed to remember.
"Rin, you have to understand that I did what I needed to do. I had to protect you. Had to make sure you couldn't be harmed. That you were tough and durable. So that..."
"So that I wouldn't end up like my mother?" Rin added firmly, finishing his sentence. Yuma didn't respond nor did he answer her. He just stared at her. Gazed at her with all the pain and worry any father would have when his daughter went missing.
"Do you have any idea how I've worried about you?"
"No, I don't know," Rin said. "I still can't decide whether I should believe you or not. For all I know you killed my mother."
And Rin could tell that was the worst accusation of them all. For he looked pained worse than before.
"I didn't kill her," said Yuma. His hands tightened to solid fists, the knuckles so tight they went white. His blood was a languid ribbon of color over his clenched hands. Rin winced with pain when she saw it drip to the floor. Then all in one backwards movement the injury was gone.
"What happened exactly?" Came Ted's voice. "Surely the young lady should know."
"I'll share that information with her in due time Ted. Right now, I don't believe she can handle that much." Rin would've protested but she couldn't deny she already had so much to think about.
"Take the test," Rin said suddenly. "Take some of my blood, whatever you need to do it." Yuma looked at Rin, his face full of relief.
"Rin..."
"If the results say so, I'll believe you then. Until that time, you're not my father until proven so." Yuma was silent for a painfully long time until he spoke again.
"Fair enough." He stepped forward. "I've missed you Rin, I can't explain in words how important you are to me."
Then Rin was suddenly in his arms as he hugged her close to him. This time around, she allowed it and for a few brief seconds she even hugged him back when she let go of her rigidness. "You are the only one that matters to me now," Yuma whispered. His breath was warm and scentless despite them have eaten dinner. He smelled faintly of rich spices which was either cologne or just him. It was a dangerous fragrance that many women could get easily lost in. The kind that made you want to yank someone so much closer. However to Rin, it was merely fatherly.
The entire situation couldn't be more awful and ironic and yet, a certain peace swept Rin's spirit. The familiarity she felt from the hug was comforting and somewhere deep in her senses she recognized it. Her heart beat with a slow steady and unmistakable rhythm: another one that seemed to resonate. The same strong resignation she'd gotten from the boy she'd seen while waiting for Teto. It was oddly satisfying and once she knew that, Rin separated herself from Yuma. They both straightened but Rin was the first to look away.
"Ted, if you could take Rin to her room for the night," Yuma ordered. Rin couldn't help but feel a giddiness inside of her at the mention of her room. As dreadful as the memories of it probably were, she truly couldn't help it. She did manage to hide it under her exterior though.
"Yes sir." Was Ted's reply and before Rin had time to ask Yuma anything else that night Ted courted her off.
Wordlessly Rin followed after Ted. He didn't say much to her on their walk from Yuma's office. He didn't even look at her really. Somehow, Ted's silence was piercing. She couldn't help but wonder if he hated her. Hated that she'd been the reason for everything that had befallen him. Ted along with Len were the last people she wanted to be rejected by. When they were in the elevator she took that time to speak with him.
"Ted, everything that's happened…I'm sorry," Rin said.
"For what?" Ted asked as he hit a button to go up. The door closed and the elevator jolted into motion. He cast her a sideways glance.
"Everything," Rin said. "I'm the reason for everything tragic that's ever happened to you. If I wasn't here you-"
"No," Ted cut in. "None of it's your fault Rin. I'm responsible for everything that's happened to Teto and I. I was the one who ignored the work request letter. I was the one who came home late knowing my family was in potential danger. I was the one Rin," Ted said. The elevator door opened and he stepped out. Again Rin followed. "It's my fault, not yours." Then he was silent again.
The atmosphere around them was suddenly dark and heavy. Ted the scientist seemed distant. A distance that was as much unbreakable solitude as anything else. Rin wished there was something she could do for Ted. He seemed so alone and a sad regretful aura circulated him. It pained Rin to see him like this. To see Ted sad at all. Ted, who had done nothing but try with all his might to help others. Ted, who despite what could happen protected his sister and as best as he could other members of the agency.
So, Rin took Ted's hand in hers. She hoped the contact, trivial as it was, would be comforting. To her surprise Ted didn't push her away or let go. He merely tightened his grip in hers, returning the gesture. He held on too, and squeezed her hand once as a sign of thanks for her support. Rin couldn't help but smile at that. However the walk was short, too short even as before she knew it they were before a bright colored door.
"This is it," Ted said. He nodded towards the door in front of them. "This is your room." He glanced down at her then and let go of her hand. His hand was on the small of her back as he gave her a light pat to go into the room. Rin couldn't help but suddenly feeling cold.
She hesitated before the door. She couldn't bring herself to enter her room. Until recently she'd spent her entire life here. In a way it was a prison she'd escaped. Now she was coming back to it and as giddy as she was, Rin couldn't help but feel reluctant.
It was then that Ted gripped the handle before her and he was close. Rin noticed the dark circles under his eyes now. They were deeply embedded like small sad smiles. He was pale too, a deathly bleached sort of pale that was visible and prominent in direct light. His hair was still long but its shine had faded. Instead of it being pulled together neatly he had several stragglers. His complexion though unblemished, this close up it held an apparent tiredness and exhaustion seemed to radiate off him like heat.
It was heartbreaking to see him like this, Rin thought. Ted Kasane who was always so readily prepared and pulled together. The very same Ted who had defended her, possibly the only person in the entire agency to stand up for her as a person was deteriorating into . . . nothing. The joy and life that he'd so easily produced back then had faded from him. He was but a shadow of his former self even if remnants remained. She finally understood what Teto had meant. You haven't even begun to receive what you deserve. The words echoed loudly in Rin's head and singed like licks of fire. It was then that Ted pushed the door open and urged her inside.
Saying the room was large was an understatement. Rin's room was massive. For a few seconds she thought the entire floor had been reserved only for her and wondered even how this room could be larger on the inside than it appeared on the outside. Then Rin realized she was at the agency and things didn't need to make sense. Nor would they even if she knew everything.
The floor for once was not entirely sheeny marble or polished wood. Rin was pleasantly surprised to find it was a large square of carpet with simple oiled wood framing just the outside. The softness of the material was unreal under her feet as if she'd been blessed enough to walk on a textile as satiny as clouds looked. The carpet itself was a tame blonde color that shone like strands of tinsel in the lighting of the room. Her walls were a bright yellow and seemed golden as lining them were hundreds of gold plaques, each containing thin and eloquent script underneath them. The plaques only ceased when the windows broke them on the farthest left wall. Those stretched from floor to ceiling and were pristine enough not to exist. If not framed, Rin would not have known they were there.
There was a balcony too with thick white marble railings. The marble had lines of black just like all white marble. The balcony floor had a black marble that had a brilliant sheen and the surface was spider webbed with lines of lemon color. All of it glowed in the moonlight and stepping in further Rin noted the extravagant view of the gardens of the agency she was sure she'd gazed upon and knew with great detail.
Next to Rin was her bed. It was on the same wall with the door she and Ted had entered from on her left: not too far from the windows. Compared to her size alone it was massive for just one person to sleep in. King sized if she had to estimate. It was lined with bright white sheets and a summer blanket with linear lines of a darker yellow running across it. Her pillows were also a paled form of dark yellow in their cases. A night stand sat at each side of her bed. Each was made of a rich wood with black and white marble on their tops; they held no designs or further color. However their knobs were more thin metallic handles than holds. The one on the right next to the windows held and assortment of novels all arranged alphabetical and slanting downwards according to height; a cubed tinted glass lamp with a small green line running its middle sat horizontal left to the books. The left stand was identical except it lacked books.
In the center of the room was a dainty circular rug, it was a flaxen shade of bronze. A round glass coffee table sat atop this rug with its angular supports. A basket woven love-seat sat before the rug, a daffodil yellow fireplace with a masonry grey brick base pressed against the wall in front of it. The fireplace rose no more than mid wall and on its ridges sat no more than a few pictures. On the edges of the bronze rug sat to other basket woven seats: all of the seats had impeccably white cushions. Rin's gaze travelled to the right but the rest of her room faded from view behind a wall.
Rin stepped forward further into her room. On her right she noticed a door she had not before believing it to be a bathroom she'd overlooked. She advanced around the couches and chairs towards the fireplace. She wanted to see who it was she had taken pictures of. Noticing a small study behind a sliding glass door and more windows that had been hidden from her view behind the wall along the way. The study was a small room encased with bookcases that lined the walls inside. A fine wooden desk sat at the center, a leather recliner behind it. The desk held nothing of significance besides a shaded reading lamp and writing utensils. There was also a book on physical combat on the right.
The whole room was a lot for Rin to take in with its bright colors and shades.
"I don't see one," Rin said suddenly in the room that was alien to her: even if it had been her own at one point. She couldn't imagine the little girl she'd once been growing up in such a mature room. It was void of anything a normal little girl would have for there were no stuffed animals, toys, posters about the wall or even any electronics. She doubted she had any hidden away either as there were no CD racks or cases.
"What do you mean? What don't you see?" Ted asked.
"My closet," Rin replied. "There are no dressers in here." Giving her room another once over Rin confirmed her speculation was true. Her room was barren of any scattered clothing or dressers and she couldn't understand why. That was until Ted pointed to yet another door she'd overlooked and she wondered how that was possible.
"The closet is over there Rin." And Rin didn't mean to sound spoiled or disappointed when she said what she did next.
"Is it really that . . . small?" Her voice came out like a tiny squeak. But Ted only smiled.
"I could answer that for you," Ted stopped and grabbed hold of Rin's shoulders. He directed her to her bed. "Or you could see for yourself in the morning."
So Rin crossed the room closing the space between her and her bed. She stepped before her bed and was thankful that Ted was with her. As strained as she knew Ted must be, she wanted at least his familiar face with her no matter where she went. Rin realized how selfish that sounded and promised she'd berate herself for it later but right now Ted was next to her and that was enough.
"Right now, it'd be better if you went to bed," Ted said. However Rin didn't want to sleep, somehow she was afraid to.
"Ted, I don't know if I'll be able to sleep tonight," Rin said. She hadn't meant to seek console from Ted, but who else could she trust? Rin was surrounded, surrounded by hundreds of faces she knew and couldn't remember. Everything was out of her grasp like a favorite song that lingered and yet no matter how she tried she couldn't remember the words to. It could've bothered her immensely but she focused hard not to let it. All that she'd once known was locked away in the deepest crevasses of her mind and therefore she could trust few or nobody at all.
Though she sought console Ted didn't respond, he only ushered Rin to her bed where she got in without argument. She felt she'd caused Ted enough troubles for a lifetime. Then a sudden question plagued her and Rin found herself speaking again.
"I can't understand why he did it," Rin said as she settled into bed. "If Yuma was really my father, if he truly wanted to protect me than why? If he loved me...why put me through all of...that?" Rin's voice felt pitiful in her throat. As she spoke she couldn't help but recall memories that made her wince and other thoughts that saddened her. She sank deeper into her sheets.
"Some of the most terrible things men do, they do in the name of love Rin," Ted finally said, his eyes gleaming. He got up to go but Rin caught his hand concerned. Despite what had happened to him Ted still looked professional. The air of death and tiredness that clung to him did nothing to divert him from his state of professionalism. He looked stern and solid and unbreakable but Rin knew, she knew that wasn't true.
"Is that possibly why you do what you do for Teto?" Rin asked. She felt Ted stiffen momentarily, his muscles tense. A silence lingered between them for so long she thought he might not answer.
"I have many other reasons, but that is one."
"She's going to be all right Ted," Rin assured. She saw through to the pain hidden in his eyes. The desperation and unsteadiness in his voice and posture. "I promise, so don't do anything reckless okay?" But Ted only looked away.
"I have your word then that you'll protect Teto?" Ted asked. And though the clutches of sleep clung to her Rin managed a nod. The last thing she heard that night was a whisper of Ted's thanks before sleep cradled her and she welcomed it with heavy lids.
The second Ted stepped out of Rin's room he was hit with a gust of cool air. It blew against his face none too lightly in the windless halls of the agency, chilling him no more than he was already gelidly cold. Since earlier with Teto he found himself detached of a sort. His heart had frozen over and it was only ice that filled his veins. Ted placed a hand against his chest and just barely heard the light steady flutter of his heartbeat. He was astonished that it hadn't stopped, and equally amazed he hadn't snapped or lost his control.
Snapping out of his daze, Ted looked down. He set his eyes on the only person that could've caused such a gust of wind in these halls. It was mere force of habit when he reached down and patted the girl upon her purple hair. He registered the petite girl before him before she'd managed to open her mouth. He had trained and seen to all of the Dolls personally so he was every bit as tuned into them as Yuma was. He was taller than she was but his height gave him no advantage, Ted knelt so he could look her in the eyes.
"What can I do for you Yuzuki?" Ted said. He pushed firmness and professionalism into his voice that disciplined his thoughts: so they did not wander to Teto's well-being. Again he berated himself for not being stronger, not being of better use: another stain to his pride.
"Ted. . . Ted! I'm so glad I found you! It's Luki! He's-there's-I don't know." Ted set a hand on Yuzuki's shoulder and she took several breaths to compose herself of her frantic state.
"Yuzuki, calm down. What happened to Luki? He's usually with you or lurking nearby."
"That's the thing!" Yuzuki shouted. Any normal person would've flinched at her high pitched shrill but Ted was used to it. "It's past curfew and he's not around. I can't find him anywhere! I can't even sense him!" The fact that Yuzuki, a Doll of all people seemed shaken and unorganized disturbed Ted slightly. For unless the situation was urgent or likewise desperate they were so put together you'd imagine not a thing in their lives had ever been in disarray.
"Have you checked his room?" Ted suggested. To this Yuzu sighed heavily and blew her bangs out of her eyes.
"I'm not so foolish as to overlook such a place Ted Kasane," Yuzuki pointed out sounding ever bitter. "It's just recently he's been more . . . distant."
"Give him time," Ted assured. "He'll turn up." However even as Ted said it, he had a hard time believing the words himself. "I mean you know how Luki gets. Some days he just wants to be alone," Ted said, trying to calm her.
"Ted. . . I think…" But Yuzuki was silent and suddenly she spoke no more. Her head tilted slightly to the side and she gazed off into the distance. The neon purple of her irises flamed a brighter neon, her pupils shrank to small dots. "I think I shouldn't worry about it anymore. He's probably just roaming."
"Exactly," Ted agreed. "Luki never really was one to listen to rules. The curfew I applied was not exactly something I expected him to follow anyway. It was merely for safety reasons," Ted said. He was referring to his problems before concerning how to get Rin back to the agency before Yuma went mad with insanity, loneliness, and distress that he decided to go look for Rin himself. Since she was back it was a problem he wouldn't need to worry about anymore for the time being.
However, Ted knew it wouldn't be long until the boss decided he wanted to dispose of Len merely because he wanted nobody to be above him when it came to his daughter. Because he wanted her to care for him and only him. He didn't want the world to take her from him as it had his wife. That much Ted knew, but he knew the bosses reasons were far from intentions that simple.
Rising, Ted ruffled Yuzuki's hair which she seemed annoyed by in a playful way. She gave him a brief hug before taking her leave. To where exactly, Ted wasn't sure but he knew the Dolls and it was better not to ask their reasons. Their minds were more complex than even they portrayed. Even Ted with all his knowledge still managed to be confused by them
Luki's absence bothered Ted though he kept brushing it off. It came back to him fluttering and buzzing in his mind with importance like a persistent mosquito. Still, Ted brushed it off. He was worried about Teto as he knew he'd been gone too long from her side. So with heavy steps Ted made his way to the infirmary swearing to himself that he wouldn't leave her side until she was better.
"Well, everything seems to be in order, but I'll look over it one last time," said the man who Luki had learned was Gakupo: this school's principal. His office was a small cramped space that left only enough room for small parental meetings and nothing more. The walls were noticeably thick, probably to block out student noise pollution. For the first time Luki sat unarmed in a seat. He was anything but defenseless though. Everything around him was a weapon and if the situation presented itself he'd have no problem handling the principal before he drew his next breath.
Gakupo set Luki's folder down for the fifth time this meeting. He cast his gaze from Luki to the woman next to him, bewildered. Never before had he laid eyes on any young man that handsome. His mother was also quite the stunning specimen. With her hair the color of blonde so bright her hair was almost white. The way each strand seemed of more value than diamonds was invaluable, it gave off light like a halo. Her body was curvy in two of three measurements, her waist thin but voluptuous. Her face was unblemished and she wore no makeup besides the light pink of her lips. The sight was strangely alluring as her eyelashes were thick, long and gorgeously black. Her eyes were a pale red and her skin too was fair.
Gakupo flushed and did his best to remain composed. The dress she wore focused heavily on cleavage and was one of the purest whites he'd ever laid eyes on. Afraid he was staring; Gakupo diverted his gaze elsewhere away from the woman's daunting bust. This woman was a mother and with his wife and two kids he had no right to be ogling her. He straightened in his seat and cleared his throat.
"It's strange to have a transfer student this late in the year, but it's not uncommon," Gakupo stated firmly. "I'm glad your son has selected our school for his high school education." The principal gave Luki another once over. It completely escaped him why such a skilled young man would want to learn at this school. The boy with pink hair before him didn't seem like the slacker type. He actually had a determined and dark aura around him that Gakupo didn't feel like trying. He was nothing like the many other teens that'd been in his office before.
"Pardon my rudeness, but could I trouble you to ask why it was you chose this school?" Gakupo asked fighting the urge to twiddle his thumbs
"My son took an interest in the extra courses you have available here," the woman responded. Her silken hair fell perfectly around her face. Her voice an estranged melody that enchanted him.
"Ah, I see...," Gakupo smiled. "He'll need to handle those tattoos of his before he comes in on Monday though," the principal finished.
Gakupo's eyes settled on the script on the boy's skin. It trailed up his arms and circled them thickly before snaking up his shirt. Through the deep V-neck of the black T-shirt Luki was wearing he could see the revealed tattoos over the skin of his chest as well. The writing was unbelievably harsh and unlike anything Gakupo had seen before. His eyes couldn't help but wander back to the writing. It drew him in and he wondered what font it might be for it was in a language he had no hope of understanding. Maybe he'd place the boy in the art option.
"If all goes well they'll be gone before you know it Kamui," the woman spoke again. Gakupo did his best to hold back a shudder of pleasure from hearing one of his names from the lips of the woman. If she ever actually spoke his real name he was sure he'd go crazy. He'd drop at her feet like the unworthy man he was. He'd never felt like this before and in the woman's presence it was hard to control himself. Harder still to act composed and in control. He realized then that the pink haired boy hadn't said a word since he and the woman had walked in.
"Have a nice evening Kamui," the woman said before rising from her chair with Luki.
"Wait, my pardon but what was your name again?" Gakupo asked, ashamed he'd forgotten it. The woman stared for a while and blinked twice before she answered.
"Ein." Her name was the last thing her melodic voice said to him before she left and a gaping hole filled his world.
The moment Luki exited the principal's office he sought out a room in the school that was dark and suitable enough for what he needed to do next. Ein walked beside him though she really did not need to walk. She hung close to his shoulder like any angelic blade would. Luki had noticed how the principal had been undressing and studying her with his eyes. It was only natural, Ein's beauty captivated many humans. But it was deadly. If they weren't careful they'd lose their lives and an eternity of time just staring at her. Many men had done it before, but she never paid them any mind.
Ein only had eyes for Luki as a tool would for a master. She lived for only him and the sole purpose of serving him. None knew what Ein looked like truly besides Luki. She had many glamour's and very few managed to see through them.
While many saw Ein as the most gorgeous woman they'd ever laid eyes on, Luki saw what she really was. Of course Ein was still profoundly beautiful, but once one saw past her angelic human farce they saw that she did not walk upon the ground entirely: with the exception of right now as he'd ordered her to do so. What humans saw as a small silver pendant around her neck was actually a sort of choker embedded with a crimson ruby and jagged edges of silver lashed into the fabric resembling tiny spikes. A thick platinum medallion hung from a chain that came from the ruby. The inside of the medallion was hollow and held an emblem of a flickering soul.
She still wore the flattering white dress that focused on her cleavage, but the dress was actually hidden battle gear. Luki could also see her unique wings that branched off her like large single wild feathers, some curled up and others down in a languid motion. Ein's wings shone with a near transparent shimmer, but it was beautiful all the same. Her halo hovered above her like a hollow disc above her head.
The most prominent change was Ein's eyes: or really . . . eye. There was a hole in the right side of her face where her eye should be. Where humans saw two sets of captivating pale red eyes, Luki saw only one. Of course the hole did not diminish her beauty; if anything it made her more gorgeous and all the more alluring. The hole had no hanging flesh and no gore: it was just a hole. Like any ordinary void in a broken mask except while others might have been destroyed or undermined, Ein remained an exquisite heavenliness in the eyes of anyone who could see her.
Finding no suitable rooms Luki settled for the schools roof. There was a lock on the door but it opened with a snap when he struck it mentally. Ein wordlessly locked it back for him so their meeting would not be disturbed should anyone care to come snooping. The roof overlooked the city but Luki paid it no heed as he proceeded to set up for a summoning. All the while Ein hovered silently next to him like a shadow.
He had after all promised his being to her in exchange for her help removing his accursed runes. Just thinking about what the Vocal Corp scientists did to him made Luki seethe with anger. No one had the right to strip him of his power and finishing the last of the charcoal circle the summoning was ready. Taking Ein's blade, the thin silver pommel, transparent crystal bladed ebony dagger he slid it across the inside of his right palm. It was a clean, deep cut.
He watched as his blood dripped down a thin line of red across the circles he'd just finished drawing. Ein spoke a few words in her language. A language that was more music than a real voice with actual words. It flowed together like a harmony. And he felt the screaming pressure of a conscious pressing against his. He stepped forward then into the circle and a vermillion light flashed through the area, momentarily blinding him.
When his vision cleared, she of the void stood before him. Luki would've felt joy, could've felt happiness and glee, but he didn't bother waste time on such things. The queen of darkness was terrifyingly beautiful, a beauty that was as morbid as it was stunning and breathtaking. Her hair swirled around her and dropped only slightly, defying gravity the rest of the way. It hung around her like a long languorous dark cage and was a maddening shade of liquid black that stripped the atmosphere around her of color. Her wings were a shadowy shade of black.
Her pale dress was long and hugged her refined curvy figure and separated into fabric that only covered the front and back of her legs loose like a loincloth. Her sides were all the visible. She possessed what Luki assumed was a belt at her waist hanging at an angle from her hips. It was made of an ancient metal not even he could place. She wore a thick gold necklet and she had metal bands made of the same material of her belt around each arm. Her eyes pierced with a blinding silver light that burned like the rays of the sun.
Lilith obscured and twisted the lighting of the world around her into a blurry darkness. Smoke drifted off the circle Luki had drawn and clouded Lilith's feet. The only thing that unsettled Luki was how angry she seemed though her face was utterly calm and collected.
"Who are you to call summons to me as if I am some dog to beg at a master's hand?" Lilith demanded. Her voice was just as Luki had imagined. It was neither high nor low. It did not crack or halt. It flowed with an authority that judged all before her.
"My apologies my lady," Luki apologized. "Had my situation not been urgent I would not have summoned you."
"And who deems this situation urgent? I care little for the affairs of mankind as they are not mine children." Lilith declared, her eyes stabbed into Luki merely taking him in. She stood straighter suddenly and tilted her head at him. As if he were a rare animal she was trying to figure out. It was then that a thick black liquid dripped off one of her wings and hit the floor with a splash. What Luki had thought was water transformed into a snake the same instant it hit the ground and slithered over the roofs edge through an opening in the fencing.
"However I see you are of neither origin and such humbles you Luki, son of none. State your business," Lilith ordered.
"Thank you my lady, such a compliment means much from one so wise and morbidly beautiful." It was then that Lilith laughed. It was such a dark unpalatable and yet enchanting melody that the plants growing near Ein withered to nothing but gnarled stumps. It was a wide grin laugh that revealed her long teeth that were eloquently white and just as sharp.
"You are well spoken and exceedingly charming Luki, son of none. Do state your business my child," said Lilith rather pleased as far as Luki could tell.
"We have spoken before my lady using more indirect means, and you know that of which it is I want from you." With an implicit reply, Lilith's eyes trailed Luki's runes. All the runes that constricted him from his power.
"Ah yes," said Lilith in remembrance and agreement. "The runes of which bind your true power. We have spoken before Luki, son of none and as before I cannot help you until you bring me the vial of pure human essence." Ein walked forward then, crossing the clearing towards Luki. She produced from her very palm a single vial and Luki took it bowing briefly before he offered it to Lilith.
"And such a vial I have produced."
When Lilith's hand ran over Luki's to take the vial, a fire burst through him. It was followed up by a blistering cold that chilled his very veins.
"Stand up Luki, son of none," ordered Lilith. "I shall have no mannerisms from you. From today on I claim thee as my son and thou shall bow to no one. Not even I who am barren. Come to me my son. However I will ask you this for humans have always been foolish and selfish creatures. Do you Luki, son of mine expect that I with all my wisdom should believe that in all your years of life to follow you'll never meddle in the ways of the world or commit sinister acts?"
"I will continue to use my powers as I have for the soul purpose of service." Lilith raised a slender dark eyebrow.
"Oh? And to whom do you owe this service?"
"After you have freed me from all that binds me I will only serve anyone my conscience deems worthy." To that the edges of Lilith's lip curled into a cold smile of approval.
"A man of conscience? Then you truly are the most dangerous kind of man Luki, son of mine. For who can hope to stand before you if you are determined and have a strong belief you are right?"
Lilith strode towards Luki, her hair billowing like wicked flames behind her. Her silver eyes cut through the dark savagely and she placed a hand on Luki's cheek before drawing him close. Once Luki was in Lilith's embrace another hot and cold flash shot through him. She hugged him for a long while almost lovingly before releasing him.
"Long since I have waited to have a son," Lilith spoke softly with care. "No matter what I try all my children that aren't created from my hand are born dead. I ask you now to take care my son and not to act foolishly for power is one of the greatest traps any being can wield." Then with a sudden bitterness the queen of darkness said, "I must warn you though. Whomever you took this blood from is as much a part of you as you are a part of them. They are your counterweight and therefore you may not kill them with your own hands nor can the ones you cherish kill them off. For no power comes without a price."
"With that I shall have no problems then," Luki said offering an open palm to Lilith. "This person I am already tied to."
He made another clean cut then with Ein's blade and Lilith opened the vial. With a flick of her wrist black blood fed into the tiny bottle. Luki nodded to Ein and she too contributed some of her blood to the vial. It was then and only then that Lilith took his hand, popped the stopper from the bottle and pushed open the clean cut he had made with Ein's blade.
She dropped the blood into the cut and with a minor sting of pain that faded as fast as it had appeared: his skin webbed back together mended.
"How I have watched you grow and waited for this day Luki," Lilith spoke with a motherly smile on her face.
"As have I mother," Luki responded. He clenched and unclenched his fist already feeling a draining on his strength as the rune breaking concoction took its effects. The pain came back again, this time much more intense. Any normal person would've fallen to the floor. Any human being would've vomited and convulsed and ached. They would've screamed and clawed and cried for the pain to end. The pain was a combined mixture of what it felt like to receive several lashes upon ones back with a metal whip and the mental pressure of standing in an iron maiden. The needles close by, pressing deeply and slowly into ones flesh.
However to Luki the pain was no more than a playful kitten during its teething. It was no more than a pinch or prick of the neck. No more shocking or stunning than a slight zap from a light switch. The pain was nothing compared to what he'd endured many times before in repeated succession. And so he took it without wincing and without much strain at all on his part.
He had all the means now for he was no longer bound. He didn't have to obey orders if he didn't want to and needn't rely on the agency anymore. He was restored, returned to what he'd once been. He no longer had to obey humans and their petty fetchers. He would only have to wait a while and it would be done. The second the very last rune erased clean from his body he would be stopped by no one. If he so pleased he could find Kagamine Len and kill him. Draw every last drop of blood from his body or leave him for dead in several ways. But the most glorious thought of all, the most wonderful thought was that nobody; not Ted, not Lily, not Yuzuki, not Rin, or any of the agencies weaponry or workers could do a single thing about it if he decided to.