I just realized I write X792 February part one. I meant X793 lmaooo my mistake!

Eipar thek itl't kumkind

i'm sin aln nikil gutal

Lrattch dre ban fier eipar ioal

It took me a good 30 minutes to finally translate this. :D I was kind of fun actually.

My chest isn't pumping

I'm sin and naked guts

Scratch the back of my eyes

Doesn't really make sense because it's not supposed to. Don't forget, Jackal was in a pretty bad place in October...

- ML

P.S.:

False Winter mixed with summer Grey Bellow: late November - January

Hot Spring Black Qora, nights are sometimes cold due to the darkness: February - April

Warm/cool Crimson Bellow: sometimes year round, most prominent in May - mid September

Cold Autumn Cloud Nine Kichi: late September - mid November

Weather is about as consistent as the state of Virginia (slight exaggeration)

UPDATE 16 September 2024: Adjusted my author note

Chapter Eleven: March, Part One

?? ?? X792, ??:?? ??

I won't let them hurt you, never again...

Fucking liar.

Clear vision in the darkness stopped mattering after the third day of uncontrollable fear. Jackal gave up on begging and crying at the cell door. Once again, he was left to rot. This time, he had no rations and no water to curb his appetite (not that really malnourishment affected him). Jackal laid in a fetal position near the door. Whether he slept or lied awake, his mind drifted back to the script on the walls all those months ago.

Death is my only release, he mused over and over again. He wrote it in the corners of pages or scribbled it away from entries. A single simple phrase. It was meaningless on its own. He died multiple times, they all did. And death finally released them from the Book of Zeref. However, this world felt so much worse than existing as a book. Jackal understood torture from the torturer's perspective. Now that he was powerless, he fought internally against ending his life everyday.

Eipar thek itl't kumkind

Tempesta said he would protect him, but even he could do nothing against healthier, stronger creatures in armor. Jackal should have protected Lamy, Minerva too. He could not remember the sensation of a beating heart, but he felt so heartbroken over his weakness.

i'm sin aln nikil gutal

Each day he woke up to complete darkness, Jackal felt more naked than a nudist wearing socks and sneakers in a cold room. The silence was deafening. The walls closed in around him until his skin buzzed with numbness. His body felt like nothing.

Lrattch dre ban fier eipar ioal

Here, kitty-kitty...

Jackal jolted awake. Or maybe he had completely dissociated again. It was hard to tell when it was so very quiet and dark. After what felt like several days of playing dead, the blonde demon sat up slowly. His body felt stiff and his shoulder was sore from lying on his side. Jackal rolled his arms back and fourth while massaging his neck and shoulder muscles.

Look at me, dumbass...

Jackal curled and uncurled his toes, ears twitching attentively. Whatever that noise was, he was either hallucinating or Angelic was finally paying him a visit.

He nearly jumped out of his skin was a single eye opened in one corner of the cell. Jackal was stiff with fear, too exhausted to scream. He couldn't even bring himself to cry or whimper as the eye drew a bit closer. He simply pulled his legs up to his chest, wrapping his tail over them. The mysterious figure turned out to be himself, younger and maintaining disgustingly cartoonish grin.

"W-w-who, w-what?" Jackal stuttered to form words. His throat was parched and thick with mucus from lack of hydration. He coughed and cleared his throat, to no avail. The thirst came back all at once. He licked his dry lips, then cringed a little at the cracked skin.

"You won't get out of here moping like a loser," the copycat smirked. Even his clothing was the same as that fateful day: gloves over his arms, big pants, barefoot, long black scarf.

Ugh, that outfit is so stupid.

"It's your style," the copycat sneered. Jackal furrowed his brows in confusion. "If you really wanna leave, you have to use force."

Jackal nodded, eyes downcast. It wouldn't be the first time he made himself into a suicide bomber. But when he looked up again, the copycat was gone. He rested his head between his knees, ears flat against his head.

He envisioned the ball in his palm, sending zaps of electricity throughout his body each time he threw it. He smelled his own palm burning and heard skin breaking. The blood that should've leaked was burned against his palm or vaporized in the small zaps of electricity. It was only a couple of days of self injury, but it was enough. His palms were clear of any scarred tissue, of course. No amount of injuries could leave a mark except for his lost eye and heart.

If he could hold Lamy in his arms for the first time again, he would have kissed that scar on her chest a little bit more. He wanted Tempesta to wipe his tears again, but neither could come to him right now. Jackal wept quietly, utterly defeated.

On the other side of the left wall, Lamy paced back and forth. The darkness stopped freaking her out days ago. The back of her head did not ache anymore, thankfully. She gad spent the first few hours of consciousness yelling through the door, banging and kicking, but there was no response. Now the bunny demon spent her days—or waking moments, thanks to no windows—pacing in her cell, stretching to avoid stiff muscles, or letting Angelic veer around her mind.

Please, Angelic. Can't you use your little veering power to let me check on them? Jackal's probably scared and I don't even know what Tempesta could be doing!

'I'm sorry, I can't veer someone in other people's brains, only I can veer,' Angelic replied solemnly.

What about combining our thoughts? Can you do that?

'I doubt it. Even if I could, the idea of your thoughts blending together sounds dangerous.'

I don't care! Jackal's dangerous to himself with or without mushing thoughts! Lamy argued. She kicked the cell door with the bottom of her foot.

"We've learned our lesson, damn it! We won't interfere again, so let us out!" she shouted at the door.

'Guards hear you, but they exchange humored looks every time any of you makes a sound,' Angelic informed the bunny demon. 'Your telling us pointless...'

You know, you're really unhelpful right now, Lamy grunted, sitting on the floor. At least my stomach stopped yelling at me after all the dirty water I drank.

'When is the last time any of you genuinely felt hunger?'

I don't know, Angelic. I don't care.

Lamy sighed audibly, resting against the wall. Angelic saw Lamy's passing thought of her boyfriends in distress. She imagined Jackal in a catatonic state on a tiny island, starved and broken beyond recognition. Angelic found amusement in watching an imaginary Tempesta balancing on his hands to do pushups with an occasional show of emotion. At that moment, the telepath decided to reassure Lamy about the other two.

'Tempesta sleeps a lot,' Angelic began. 'He doesn't cry or feel anger. But when he thinks about your being closer to Jackal, he is quite envious.'

Envious?

'He thinks of what you and Jackal did together on the fourteenth of February.'

Oh, that. Lamy blushed lightly. I didn't know he had those types of needs too. He couldn't told me! YOU could've told me too! Lamy frowned outwardly. "Does he... ever feel unwanted?" she muttered under her breath, furrowing her brows.

'Not really. He mostly yearns for more of Jackals attention. He loved him for much longer, after all.'

Lamy hugged her knees against her chest. I'm bad at this, Angelic. I thought it was enough to read and talk together. Eat together. Hell, sometimes he lets me touch him! Will he dump me because I don't do enough?

'Do not speak it into existence, Lamy. All the attention you give to Jackal, you must divide it evenly.'

But Jackal is... h-he needs me.

'You are not a caregiver. You three chose to be together this way. You cannot neglect one in favor of the other, it is unfair.' Angelic said. Lamy opened her mouth, then closed it, remembering she was not actually talking out loud.

'Jackal will be depressed and strange no matter what happens,' Angelic continued. 'Tempesta deserves just as much attention as Jackal. Balance, Lamy.'

... How is Jackal now?

'I believe he has begun hallucinating. Poor thing cried his tear ducts dry.'

This caused Lamy to whimper dejectedly, ears drooping. "I want to help them. I'm tired of sitting like a duck..."

'Okay.'

Suddenly, a small white hand reached through the wall beside her. The bunny demon covered her mouth before she could let out a cry of fear. Angelic's little head popped through, just as white as the rest of her body. Even her prisoner uniform was a ghostly transparent white as she floated into the cell. The white haired child gave a faint little smile, a rare sight.

"W-what? What the fuck? How the fuck?!" Lamy scooter back several feet, eyes wide in shock. A ghost? Really??

'I'll interfere with the plot,' Angelic said, then proceeded through the wall next to the cell door.

On the right side of Jackal's cell, Tempesta was sprawled out on the floor, eyes closed. He faintly heard Lamy's protests and cursing, which was much shorter lived than the desperate cries and pleading of his boyfriend. The white haired demon wanted to scream too, but no one actually cared to listen. It was so obvious that begging was futile.

The snow haired demon could hear almost everything outside their three cells despite his ears missing. Shift change occurred once every twelve hours; he counted thirty-one shift changes so far, and the thirty-second was coming up soon. That being said, it was probably around March 6 by now, past midnight, possibly almost six o'clock. February 30 had definitely already passed, as they were taken away on February 20. Every month except October is 30 days long, while October is only 28 days.

All Tempesta cared to do was think about passing the days. He knew when a fight was useless. It was a waste of valuable energy one could spend just... thinking. Reflecting. Sometimes the cell got cold at night. It's supposed to be warm in typical "Earthland winter months," but Tempesta figured the darkness of the Black Qora still cooled the night anyway.

It was so cold, it reminded him of his old guildmate Silver. He could freeze anything and everything. Grey, Silver's son, could also freeze things. The ice-make wizard had easily defeated Tempesta, marking his final death on Earthland. Tempesta could not possibly call his last fight a "fight"; Grey's newly obtained Ice Devil Slayer magic was quite a shocker.

Anyway, the temperature was so cold in the isolation block, it felt like he might just freeze to death. The idea of freezing to death was not that bad. That would be the second time, if he recalled correctly.

Tempesta jolted up from the floor when a white head emerged from the floor near him. He sat up, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. He was not afraid, but one could not assume this creature was trustworthy. His posture relaxed when he recognized a projection of Angelic.

'Do not speak, I'm going to find a way out of here for you three.'

How do you plan to do that? They will see us out there.

'I am not busting you out, I will simply tweak their memories.'

'Tweak? I see. Your telepathy is more advanced than I thought,' he replied, climbing to his feet. 'Whatever you do, thank you.'

'You have been very patient,' she complimented him blankly. He gave a simple nod. Before she proceeded toward Jackal's wall, Angelic looked back at him. 'Lamy and Jackal love you very much. I hope you will not think of them differently.'

'I know that. Don't embarrass me...'

'All six of you are embarrassing everyday. I don't have to lift a finger.' Tempesta let out a lighthearted chuckle. The white haired demon had his fair share of embarrassing memories as far back as Earthland. Angelic placed a hand on her heart, veering into his mind for just a moment.

In one of Tempesta's earliest memories, he used to throw himself down the stairs on purpose because his pain tolerance was a lot higher. He lived his whole life in the floating cube Earthland humans only knew as "Cube," where the stairs were all brick and stone. How he managed to avoid broken bones and concussions, one may never know.

One day, the little demon child decided to jump down flight of ten steps rather than tumble down. The blonde Tempesta made his great leap straight into a mound of thorns placed by Mard Geer Tartaros himself. But what caused his embarrassment was pup Jackal and Kyôka pointing and laughing hysterically.

But the snow haired male tempered it as a fond and distant memory of his childhood. The embarrassment was there, but so was the nostalgia. Angelic turned away. Only a couple of seconds had passed in real time, but it felt like a full day of experience to the veering telepath.

Good luck, Tempesta echoed as she passed through the next wall.

Jackal still sat hugging his legs, head down. Every so often, he faintly heard his neighboring cellmates, but all was still quiet otherwise. The blonde demon buried his face in his knees, groaning out a sigh.

'Jackal.'

Go away, Angel... Angelic? He lifted his head, gazing into the ghostly Angelic's dull eyes in front of him. She hovered in place. He wanted to feel excited about seeing someone from outside, but he assumed it was just another illusion to taunt him. He put his head back down.

'I can feel your sorrow, Jackal. I'm sorry I did not intervene sooner.'

Why bother apologizing? You almost never do shit with your powers.

'I...' Angelic trailed off, averting her blank gaze. 'Be that as it may, I have chosen to act now.'

His ears perked up at the jingle of keys, followed by his door unlocking. He began to stand up as a guard opened the door. When the light hit Angelic's hovering place, her body completely vanished. Jackal covered his eyes from the light spilling into the dark, stagnant cell.

"You've sat long enough. Get on out," the guard said. Jackal hesitantly emerged from the cell, looking around for Tempesta and Lamy. They were let out at the same time. Lamy immediately rushed to Tempesta to hug him. He looked surprised at her sudden show of affection. Lamy went to Jackal and hugged him as well. Tempesta pulled Jackal's head against his chest in a tight hug. A relieved smile crept across the blonde feline's face.

"Tempesta, Lamy, I—"

"I missed you both!" she said with glee.

"Save it for outside the isolation unit!" another guard barked. The trio hurriedly walked out into the main area where all the remaining three prisoner units intersected. Few other prisoners paid them any mind. Jackal yelped when his girlfriend hugged him from behind.

Meanwhile, Angelic woke up from a "cat nap" on Sayla and Kyôka's floor. She was cozy, rolled up inside of a blanket. The little white haired girl slithered out of the blanket roll and walked out to meet Jackal and the others.

Once the trio were out of the isolation unit, Lamy threw herself onto Jackal, wrapping her arms around his neck. He nearly staggered backwards from the weight around his neck. Tempesta stretched his arms over his head. "T, get over here!" Lamy ordered. The snow haired demon shrugged, walking over. He wrapped his arms around Jackal and Lamy in a tight hug, lifting both of them. He dropped them soon after, as they were pretty heavy, weight and muscle loss be damned.

"Tempesta, that hug sucked!" Lamy pouted. Jackal grinned as he embraced her again, smothering the bunny demon. Jackal felt he had to pretend he was completely fine, even if there was a chance nobody would fall for it. As happy as he was to being his lovers again, it was actually a little bit stressful when they stressed over him. He felt Tempesta's hand patting his head for a moment.

"I missed you, both of you," Tempesta smiled, cupping Jackal's cheek gently. The blonde demon's eyes softened. "I'm glad to be out of that dump."

"You guys!" Sayla had stepped out of her unit with one of her books. Her eyes lit up with joy when she saw the trio. She ran to them. "You're all okay! I thought they might have taken you away for good this time !"

"Che! I wouldn't let 'em!" Jackal smirked.

"Bullshit, you'd cry for help if they tried," Tempesta teased. Jackal grabbed his face, pushing the demon away from him. "Shaddup!"

Lamy lifted her head from her boyfriend's chest, inhaling fresh air. "Enough hugs! What day is it?"

"March 7," Kyôka answered. She walked up from the cafeteria hall, holding a half eaten blue apple. A cold hand touched Jackal's shoulder. He jumped when he saw metal fingers. To his surprised, it was the buxom bird Kyôka.

"Whoa! Kyôka, your arms look so different," he observed. The blonde bent each of her fingers, noticing how they bent exactly like human fingers. He would not attempt to break it, however. Her arms were entirely polished automail to the shoulders now, covered with little shoulder and elbow plates.

"Yes, they feel great," she replied with a grin. "I can't maintain them myself without tools, but that new doctor said automail shops exist all over this world."

"New doctor?" Lamy questioned. Kyôka pointed up toward the old human unit. Jackal, Tempesta, and Lamy looked up at the sign above the double doors that now said "INFIRMARY UNIT" in Kanaji script.

"16 days in there," Tempesta murmured. "What happened since then?"

"Like Kyôka said, we have doctors now," Sayla said. "The third floor is entirely inaccessible to all except the guards and other staff. Do you remember the Jade Dragonoid Wendell?"

"Uh, who?" Jackal responded.

"What's a dragon noid?" Lamy questioned with a raised brow.

"Wendell is Izumi's mate and father of her children," Sayla answered. "Dragonoids are descendants of dragons who chose to live with human forms. Part dragon, if you would. And as of late, he was involved in a lot of fights at night. Minerva actually witnessed the aftermath of his battle against over a creatures."

"As one might've guessed, he was caught and punished," Kyôka added with a frown. "They cut off one of his arms."

Lamy covered her mouth with one hand. "Thats awful!"

"What about the guys he fought?" Jackal questioned. "Surely they got punished too."

"Wendell essentially disabled half and mentally broke the rest," Sayla shrugged. "I wouldn't be surprised if they were put to death for said disabilities. I'm grateful Wendell was spared, at least. His children need their father..." She looked at Kyôka somberly. Jackak watched their troubled looks, thinking of Minerva. He furrowed his brows in confusion.

"Wait, where is Minerva?"

"She... was taken," Kyôka answered, looking away. "She started having horrible cramps a week after you three were locked up. We encouraged her to seek one of the doctors, and so she did. We... we never saw her after that," she sighed solemnly. "Not even Angelic would tell us anything."

The looks of horror on their faces solidified the gravity of the situation. There was nothing they could do but wait for her return, whenever that would be. Lamy looked like she was close to tears. Tempesta clenched and unclenched his fists, simmering with fury. Sayla took his hand, shaking her head disapprovingly.

I, Angelic, stood idly by as they kept their silence for a long moment. I'm certain Jackal could sense the dread I felt after I veered into his thoughts. Jackal turned towards me, his good eye was filled with unreadable emotion. Maybe it was rage, despair, hatred, I don't know. I nervously stepped back, clutching my shirt. He is very angry. Am I scared of him?

"You knew," he glowered, grabbed the collar of my shirt. Angelic gasped in surprise when Jackal lifted her small self off the shower.

"Put her down, Jackal!" Sayla exclaimed. Kyôka grabbed her girlfriend's shoulder.

"Don't bother, you knew this would happen. Let it."

"You could've went to her instead!" Jackal growled in her face.

"Jackal, don't hurt Angelic!" Lamy exclaimed, grabbing his arm. The blonde demon did not care, shrugging her away with force. Lamy fell against Tempesta, who held her back from attempting to touch him again. Jackal shook Angelic as he spoke again. "You know everything that happens and you just let us suffer! Is this fun to you, you fucking brat?! Do you think Tartaros is too scummy for your fucking help until the last minute?!"

"That's enough!" a guard shouted as he got up with a rifle. Jackal dropped Angelic, head down. He turned his gaze toward the guard. The guard hesitated. I veered into the male's fear. Through his eyes, Jackal's face was scrunched up with rage, homicide in his eye. I felt my nervous breaths increase just feeling that male's fear of death. I am afraid of Jackal, whichever Jackal is standing there.

Lamy finally helped Angelic stand up. Jackal stared her down once more, holding that same hateful expression. Kyôka and Sayla continued to observe. Other prisoners began to gather, watching the encounter with spectating, curious eyes.

"I-I-I'm s-sorry, I c-can't... inter-f-fere," Angelic whispered, tearing up. "I-I haven't t-the courage..." A lie. I could, but I can't. I don't understand why, but I simply can't!

"But you knew this would happen, didn't you?" he drawled, taking a threatening step closer. Even Lamy recognized the venom in his voice. She backed away to stand next to Tempesta again. The snow haired demon could feel her trembling. He realized the only one left from Earthland's Tartaros was Jackal, in a way. Everyone had changed. But Jackal was still fighting back.

Angelic nodded slowly. "I knew. I-I foresaw it all," she murmured. Jackal closed his eye, nodding slowly.

"I see. Did you foresee this?"

"Foresee what?" Kyôka whispered to Sayla. Jackal proceeded to lift his foot, kicking Angelic square in the face. Her head knocked backwards, blood spilling from a slightly caved nose. Lamy shouted in alarm. Tempesta rushed in to grab Jackal, pulling him back from the girl who was now on the floor again, holding a bloody face. Her plain clothing was splattered with blood from her broken nose and mouth.

"What the fuck, Jackal!" Tempesta snapped, practically strangling the blonde from behind in the struggle to hold him back. All Jackal saw was the red spilling from Angelic's face. What have I done? he thought in horror, but his angry expression said otherwise.

"YOU COWARD! YOU LET MINERVA SUFFER!" Jackal snarled. He tried to make another run at Angelic, immobilized by Tempesta's stronger arms. "I WAS TORN WITH GUILT. EVERY. DAY. BUT YOU! FUCKING FUCKER! YOU CAN LEAVE WHENEVER THE FUCK YOU WANT!" Jackal literally spat as those venomous words came out.

Angelic was sobbing, her shoulders shaking with every breath. Her teeth hurt. Her nose hurt. Her everything was hurting inside and out. Jackal hated her, she could feel it. Lamy wrapped her arms around the little girl protectively.

"It's okay, Angelic, I'm here," the bunny demon soothed her. Angelic leaned into her embrace, drooling and leaking blood onto Lamy's shirt. But she did not care.

Several other guards ran in after the assault. Two creatures bigger than Tempesta grabbed him, separating the two boyfriends. Kyôka drew back with Sayla as a total of ten armor-suited staff surrounded the group. One of them held a syringe in a little clear pouch. Lamy assumed that must have been one of the new doctors. The buxom bird demon and her hornless girlfriend were pushed back by one guard. Tempesta's arms were kept behind him back as the guard briskly dragged him toward his unit.

"Lamy, get away from there!" he shouted. But his voice fell short under the hollering, roars of laughter, and war cries of other prisoners. Tempesta spotted Elfine and Bird, who watched with amused expressions over tea. He glared darkly at them. He knew they couldn't do anything either, but their wordless mockery just pissed him off more.

It took three guards to successfully dogpile the screaming, thrashing Jackal. The rage in his eyes chilled Lamy to her core. She covered Angelic's eyes. She knew Angelic was old, but she was still a little girl. She had seen enough today. Lamy watched the suited doctor open the pouch and remove the cap on the syringe. It was filled with a green fluid.

"Get back, seven-eight! You, sedate seven-zero!" one of the guards on top of Jackal barked at the doctor who was already in motion. Guard two held down Jackal's legs. Guard three grabbed his head, exposing a vein on Jackal's neck.

"IT HURTS! YOU'RE HURTING ME!" Jackal's shrill screams rang Lamy's flat ears.

I, Angelic, had stopped sobbing, petrified by all of the noise. My head spun will the racing thoughts in all the heads around us. My skull pounded with their increasing volumes. My sight is covered, but I can still see into others' eyes. Jackal is scared now, I can feel the tremors of terror all over my skin.

The syringe punctured Jackal's neck, and the light green fluid was injected. In seconds, Jackal and I felt the tingling sensation from the neck down. His limbs felt like jelly. His vision drifted far away from him.

His pupil dilated, turning his dark brown eye nearly black. He looked at Lamy, ears flat in fear. He reached out with a weak, trembling hand. That was when Lamy saw that the brown of his hands had returned to his skin, ending it splotches and spots of brown on his forearms. Lamy squeezed Angelic against her chest. If she still had a heart, her pulse would have most likely surpassed 120 beats per minute from panic.

The three guards kept him on the ground as the light slowly faded from his eye.

"Don't... let th... t-take... me..."

Jackal's head dropped, his mouth still slightly open and drooling a little. Lamy's mouth hung open, lost for words. The three guards lifted him up and carried him upstairs to the second floor infirmary unit. The bunny demon kept her eyes on Jackal's limp body until it disappeared through the now electronically secured doors.

The nurse stayed behind, then went to where Tempesta and Jackal's unit was, most likely to check on the guard who escorted the snow haired make away.

Lamy looked down at Angelic, blinking. Something seemed to flicker in her mind, a very subtle change to her surroundings. She held a broken chair in her arms. The legs were bent beyond repair and the back of the chair hung onto the seat by one bar. Her mind began to buzz with the memory of Jackal smashing said metal chair on a table, nearly hitting Lamy when she tried to stop him. He shoved her away in his meltdown, then nearly threw the chair at a guard's head

In fact, every single humanoid creature who witnessed his meltdown either by hearing, sight, or both, processed just another crazed demon taking his anger out on inanimate objects. It happened sometimes.

But what happened to the little girl Lamy protected?

Who was that girl, a figment of imagination? An illusion?

Lamy stood up, leaving the broken chair for someone else to clean up. Now that the spectating "event" was over, prisoners continued about their dull afternoon. Kyôka and Sayla came back to the bunny demon's side to walk to her cell.

"Are you okay? You seem to put yourself between Jackal and whatever he's going to punch pretty often," Kyôka commented. Lamy frowned.

"I hate when he is violent. I'd rather he hit me than another person," she replied.

"Is a guard more important than your face, Lamy?" Sayla asked. Lamy shot her a look.

"I-it's complicated, okay?"

Lamy went straight to Jackal and Tempesta's cell. The suited doctor emerged from the cell, securing a used syringe in a little paper bag. He smiled softly at the bunny demon as he passed.

He certainly looked and smelled like a human, but that did not matter to her right now. The trio of women peeked inside Tempesta's cell. He was sitting on the edge of Jackal's bed, looking solemn.

"Hey, T," Lamy waved with a smile. "They, um, they took him to an infirmary unit."

"Mmhmm."

"Did that human medicate you?"

"Mmhmm. Just to calm down," he responded, raising his head. "Jackal, he... was really mad at that chair." He raised his eyebrows with emphasis, staring into space. His eyes looked cloudy and a thousand yards away.

"You are higher than a kite, Tempesta," Sayla chuckled, stepping into the room.

"The drugs act fast. I'd gladly overdose."

"D-don't talk like that," Lamy frowned worriedly, sitting next to him.

"We'll leave you two alone, Kyôka and I will be going to the mines soon, anyway," Sayla chimed in before her girlfriend could speak. She grabbed the buxom bird's hand, shutting the cell door as they left.

"Poor chair," Tempesta mumbled.

Lamy tensed up. The chair? No, it was someone else! It was, it was... just a chair. Huh.

"Y-yeah, he's scared for Minerva. We all are." The bunny demon entwined her fingers with his, resting against his shoulder. He squeezed her hand a little, resting his head on hers.

"I'm too high to be sad," he murmured. Lamy chuckled a little.

"Do you think she had the baby by now?"

He hummed an "I don't know," shrugging lazily. "Every time I try to stop Jackal, someone knocks me out or drugs me. But J? They throw him in a cell, drive him mad. Like he's too dangerous."

"He indirectly touched the wall, but only Minerva felt the impact. Hell, the electric security kills! I bet they do see him as dangerous," Lamy affirmed.

Tempesta climbed into bed, sliding his slippers off. Lamy squeaked when he pulled her into his arms.

"I love you, L," he mumbled, kissing her head. Lamy internally screamed with joy. It had been weeks since they laid together. Angelic never wrote about their past encounters, but they used to cuddle and talk. Finally, she got to be close to Tempesta after weeks of her neglect! "But you're talking too much," he finally finished. He groaned a tired sigh against her head.

"Sorry, I forgot you're high," she blushed lightly, scooting closer to him. Their legs rested one on top of the other, with Tempesta's outer leg practically draped over her hip. It was oddly comfortable, cold off position and cold body temperature considered.

"I love you too," she whispered. The snow haired demon was already snoring softly by the time she had replied.

I, Angelic, now sit in the corner of the False Line Council meeting room. I have only come here for the second time. By now, all of the prisoners and guards' memories are rewritten. I wiped my existence from the script of their lives. I feel so much guilt over what could or should have been. The pain of having the power to do something, but lacking the courage is quite stressful. I hate running away, but sometimes retreat is the wisest decision. Prison is not a safe place for my kind, after all.

I just had to move away from Tartaros and focus my attention elsewhere. But I hope that Jackal and the others will continue to write. They will not recognize my handwriting no matter how much they think about it. I admire their perseverance very much.

In this meeting room sat the same individuals from this previous point of view: False Line dark guild master Mephistopheles; Phantom 13 Supreme Penelope Saylor; dark guild master James Deus; Titania Devil dark guild master Jerza FDS. Mephistopheles was the female demon who shouted at the scarlet haired Jerza. Mephistopheles grimaced at Jerza, sitting down with one leg crossed over the other. Her light and dark purple striped tights make me nauseous.

"Still no results, Daywalker! You must be so proud of your six ginormous disappointments!

"The required celestial lacrima was implanted almost five months ago," Mephistopheles continued on her rant. "The correct books were sent by the council ourselves. They have begun to understand Kanaji. But Jackal is still miles behind in progress! The last thing I expected was that human scum Minerva discovering her curse first."

How disrespectful!

I held my breath, shocked by Mephistopheles' comment about the lacrima. I have seen its horrible, violent origins. I shudder at the memory sometimes. And the books? I gave each Tartaros demon a book to study, hoping they could master the magic or curse power. I also wanted them to understand a little bit about this world before they were set free. In order to escape, they had to surpass the security and know where to go! I did not think I was still giving them exactly what this council wanted. My stomach feels queasy. At least the do not remember me...

Jerza sighed, placing her palms on the table before standing.

I fucking hate this bitch, Jerza thought angrily. I wish to snap her stupid candy cane horns, cook the marrow, and make her choke on every bite. I want her dead in a ditch!

But on the outside, the armored demon was calm and collected. I am disturbed the most by Jerza Fernandel Daywalker Scarlet. Stupid name, but still. She is the number one enemy: a major voyeur; allowed Minerva and Lamy's abuse; executed that horrible lacrima implanting process (honestly, the isolation was simply a power trip). I hate this monster with my entire being, but there is zero proof of her crimes...

"With all due respect, Mephistopheles, you were made aware of the lengthiness of this operation. Phase one was estimated to last up to a whole year! Penelope, could you please illuminate?"

"Of course, Ms. Daywalker," the dark cloaked female replied, standing from her seat. After Jerza sat back down, Supreme Penelope continued.

"Sayla has unlocked her demon eyes again, as we already know from our newest reports. Minerva Orland discovered the seam only her fingers can touch. She was able to cut through flesh without killing or causing any pain. We did not predict such an advanced technique.

"Furthermore, Jackal is nearly immune to the electroshock of the walls, thanks to the Aquila spirit," the Reaper explained. "If I remember correctly, the electricity concentrated in the Dominique Empire prison walls are more deadly than Thunder Palace. But Jackal managed to make contact through tossing of a ball while only suffering minor injuries to his palms."

Penelope Saylor casted her holograph spell showcasing the couple who were electrocuted to charred remains, followed by the few examples of Jackal tossing a ball at the wall.

"An object bouncing off these walls is also enough to kill an individual who touches that object," Penelope said before closing the holographic image. "Jackal does not react to the effects at all. And Minerva's baby survived the electricity as well."

"His treatment is breaking him," James Deus said, shaking his head. "Isolation and euthanasia do not affect him anymore. Perhaps it is the psychological trauma that increased his pain tolerance."

"Hmph, the infamous Tartaros, suffering from trauma," Jerza jeered. "You all know they deserve far worse. They should be grateful we have chosen to spare them for this project instead."

"I believe Jackal unintentionally emptied that build up onto the next close target," the Reaper said, switching the conversation back to the topic.

"It could've happened to anyone," Mephistopheles shrugged. "Minerva just so happened to intervene at the right moment and survive the attack."

"And so, my disappointments continue to progress. Remember, Phase One only ends when Jackal awakens," Jerza said with a smug smile at Mephistopheles. The False Line guild master glared. She knew she was right, but Mephistopheles hated when the strawberry blonde was correct about anything.

"And what about the girl?"

"Phase two will begin after her first objective is reached. Remember, we can only discuss one topic at a time or she will learn too much."

I swallowed a gulp, shrinking into my hiding place. How could they still speak of me like this? I wiped their memories! Did someone miraculously pull through my radar? I knew I was not visible in the form of a projection, but I felt so very seen being spoken of in third person. I know without a doubt that the Reaper could spot me with ease, and yet the Supreme of all Reapers has ignored me since I got here. I would wonder why, but their mental barriers are impossible to breach right now.

"And you are certain phase two will begin in April?" James Deus inquired. Jerza nodded.

"Rest assured, the length of this process is entirely intentional. The Demos Empire is depending on our success."

"Any additional reports?" Mephistopheles asked, looking around at the three councilmen. No one answered. The horned demon smiled with glee, standing back up.

"You are all dismissed. Return to your respective guilds and get the hell out of mine!"

And so, the four demons departed from the room. I almost forgot to mention how dark the room was due to Black Qora and the few dozen candles lit. The only presence remaining nearby was Penelope now. I remained seated in my corner. I was expecting a word of acknowledgement right about now.

'Did you manage to veer this time?' the Supreme asked. The cloaked figure never looked in my direction, but I knew she could see me.

You know I couldn't veer, Penelope Saylor, I replied telepathically, pouting. I came all this way for more open ended questions... How have you all not forgotten me?

'I am a Supreme, Angelic. Your spells will not work on me,' the Supreme smiled softly. I could only see the lower half of her face in the candlelight. I could still feel her taunting triumph. She turned toward me at last, holding her hand out. Two souls circulated around each other in her palm.

'They are safe with me: [REDACTED] and [REDACTED] of the fallen Tartaros. I wish I could have spared all twelve of them from such a fate, but... you know already.'

That's okay, Penelope. You have an image of a tyrant within the False Line council and Phantom 13 that must be upheld. Besides, the end of this story is nearly upon us. I'm certain my smiling face was enough to imply what all I already knew.

'Nonsense. This story does not end after April,' Penelope replied sharply. She closed her palm and the souls vanished. 'Even after they enter the next chapters of their lives, I will continue to do my part in making things right in this world.'

Right.

The projected girl and the Supreme Reaper smiled at each other, but not a hint of genuine kindness resided in either female. The candles all darkened at once, leaving the meeting room in complete darkness again.

I wonder why Penelope feels so obligated to "help" Tartaros. It's not like it's her job to babysit them or anything! For now...

Thanks for waiting! :D

- ML