As Lucifer's last word slowly faded away into nothingness, the doors abruptly parted, allowing them to enter the meeting room. Gulping on something that forcefully formed inside her throat, Mia's eyes slightly watered as a want of puking her stomach content washed over her. With everything she could muster, she overwrote her body's innate reaction, hesitantly moving forward but keeping a small distance between her and the Reaper. It was only natural, in her opinion, to allow a vastly more experienced man to lead the way. She hoped he would be the one the council focused on first, but deep inside, she knew it was counterproductive. Compared to the others expected to participate, Tayaki was but a mere assistant. There was no chance that some of these council members would not put her through hell just for the sake of doing so.
Without turning, Lucifer extended his left arm towards the conflicted Asian woman, wordlessly urging her to take it and stay behind him. The man willingly took it upon himself to be her shield, or perhaps it was all Akali's doing. After all, the council's leader might have foreseen this exact situation. Shaking her head energetically, she realised it mattered not. Whether it was Miss Tepes standing behind this interaction or the Reaper acting on his own will, it was inconsequential. Though, she took the offered hand, and tried to focus on steadying her breathing and calming down her galloping mind.
It took Mai a few seconds to finally realise that the meeting room was not directly behind the doors they passed by. Instead, a relatively long, plain, and empty corridor welcomed them with a stairway looming in the distance. The assistant found the passage's design lacking, with only seemingly ancient-themed braziers hanging from the endlessly black ceiling, filling the air with thick, ashen smoke. Out of sheer curiosity, the dark-haired woman sniffed, trying to identify the smell these vapours spread. Their strong and intoxicating scent reminded her of expensive, oriental balsams, perhaps similar to those used in the ancient rites. The longer she analysed the pathway they were currently crossing, the more intimidating and terrifying it became. It was clear that whoever had designed this corridor had a particular scenery in mind: a long and empty descent into a grave. Unwittingly, Mai shuddered, feeling cold shivers running down the entirety of her spine.
Compared to her, Lucifer seemed completely unaffected by the eerie design, bored even. Considering he had been through this a couple of times by now, it was hardly a surprising outcome. But … as far as she knew the man, it was more than likely that his first participation had been any different. His movement was fluid, filled with innate grace and nobility. Within this bounded space, he seemed more like a reincarnation of an ancient king than a servant. That being said, Mai could only speculate what kind of relationship lingered between Lucifer and Akali. On a surface level, these two seemed hand-picked and destined to be partners or even lovers. That, however, was a questionable part. No matter how perfect they seemingly mashed against each other, there was something inexplicable about them. Perhaps the Reaper was no servant at all but a business partner. The longer she pondered over seemingly inconsequential questions like these, the more she was willing to pay to know the truth.
Nonetheless, it was hardly the time or place for such thoughts as, before long, they reached the stairs and began the relatively steep climb. With each step taken, the pleasant warmth radiating from the braziers receded and slowly faded into nothingness, replaced with a chilling cold that would inevitably sink its fangs into exposed flesh. Once again, Tayaki completely lost control over her body as dark and scarily realistic visions forcefully entered her subconsciousness, making her shudder. Had Lucifer not still held her hand, serving as a beacon of light and driving force, she would have halted midstep, turned around, and fled. That, however, was thankfully not the case. The moment the Reaper noticed her distress surfacing, he acted immediately without as much as an ounce of hesitation. He pulled her closer and wrapped his left arm around her shoulders. As if he was a pillar of bright flames amidst the darkest of nights, the cold disappeared, taking the horrific visions alongside. Mia wanted to say something, but no word could pass through her throat, making itself audible. The only thing she could do was to turn slightly towards the man, stealing a few glances at his face. Lucifer remained expressionless, as if anything that happened or could potentially happen hardly bothered him.
For the next couple of moments, the assistant tried her best to muster her fading courage to speak up, but before this process could yield any result, the Reaper abruptly halted, effortlessly keeping her in place.
"Are you ready?" his smooth, silk-like voice finally finished the reign of silence.
"Is it even possible to prepare for something like this?" the Asian woman replied after a short pause with a question of her own.
"I suppose not," Lucifer retorted, receding his left arm and straightening up slightly. "When we pass through this gate, they will throw themselves at us akin to the hungry wolves pack at their prey. What you witnessed inside the corridor was the mix of their auras clashing back and forth," he added, keeping his keen eyes glued to the heavy, black-iron doors before them with various pictograms engraved into their surface. "Make no mistake, this meeting will be anything but pleasant. Akali's leadership has been seen as flawed for as long as she has sat on this council. Most of the councilmen only abide by her bidding because they fear her and the power she wields. That being said, of how many monsters it consists of currently, I do not know," a whisper-like statement escaped the man's slightly parted lips.
"There's no point in postponing the inevitable."
"One more advice," the Reaper quietly said. "Whatever happens, keep your brave mask on. If they as much as sniff a weakness coming from you, they will be relentless."
"I'll do my best," Mia replied, but she doubted her own words.
"I hope your last hunt was successful," a heavily filtered voice from the mobile's speakers said.
"You could say so," a reserved response was provided, followed by an exhausted groan. "But … it is only a matter of time before I need to go again."
"Oh, so the doctor hardly satisfied your sadistic drive. Am I reading this right, Morgul?" the modified voice replied, keeping its tone even and emotionlessly cold.
"It is never enough," Morgul retorted, straightening up and slowly pacing away from the boxing bag he had been punching for some time. "None of them had ever sated my desire to sin for long," he added after a short pause, lowering his voice.
"What about this girl you let go unharmed?"
"How … who am I trying to fool … of course, you knew all along, right?"
"As much as it pains me to say, you are not as extraordinary as you think you are."
"Get to the point, Abaddon," the dark-haired man remarked, switching his tone to emotionless. "You never contact me without a good reason. So … what is it? Who do you want me to get rid of?"
"There are certain people whom you could silence for me, Morgul," the filtered voice started. "However, for now, I would like you to sate your desire. After all, I would not want you to degenerate or devolve."
"Pff," Morgul scoffed, somehow containing irritation rapidly growing in him before he could hit the nearest wall in the fruitless attempt to vent off. "I would appreciate you treating me as something more than a sharp knife in your possession," he added, partially allowing this discontent to taint his voice.
"Noted," Abaddon retorted reservedly. "I will contact you soon, but till then, try to relax."
Without as much as a parting word, the man utilising the filtered voice ended the call. Morgul wanted to shout at the top of his lungs, pummel something, or sink his trusted blade into still-warm flesh, feeling the life-giving liquid rapidly tainting his hands. Yet, despite all of these options, he remained motionless, allowing wave after wave of chilling anger to wash over him as he regarded how to handle it.
The concept of time seemingly ceased to exist for the raven-haired man, as each passing minute lasted an eternity, and instead of bringing salvation, it brought anguish. With no appealing answers popping into his mind, he made a difficult decision to leave his hideout and venture towards the surface. Perhaps fresh air is all he needed. As much as Morgul doubted this speculation, it was seemingly the best idea he could come up with. Hence, without any unnecessary pondering, he headed towards the bathroom, seeing a need to clean himself up and change his sweat-drenched clothes before turning his trivial plan into reality.
Akali tried to make herself comfortable at the table's top, but it proved far more challenging than it should have been. Her 'peers', as the outsiders called the other council members in their oblivious naivety, constantly tried their hardest to make her life akin to a living hell. Of course, it was a vast generalisation, considering that amongst these hyenas, there were a few who were willing to cooperate. Still, the vast majority of the council had their eyes peered at her, waiting for any slipups. With a heavy sigh passing through the snowy-haired vampire's slightly parted lips, she regarded her 'peers'. Expectedly, not all of them showed up, deeming an ad-hoc meeting inconsequential or simply lacking the capability to alter their schedules. Who did she want to fool? Apparently, only herself. Besides the long ebony table designed to accommodate one hundred people, without taking her into account, three councilmen sat. To her indescribable discontent, all of them were her sworn rivals who had made it their life goal to see her downfall.
"Could you finally tell us why we're here?" a male venomous tone sounded.
Tepes slowly averted her eyes from the sheets of paper she had nearly organised before her, turning slightly to her right. There, a relatively young-looking man sat with his clenched fists firmly resting against the table's pristine surface. His blonde hair was a bit darker, reminding Akali of a grain. He had it fashionably trimmed and pulled back. Clad in a beige, branded Italian shirt with two top buttons undone and sleeves messily pulled up, he could be described as eye candy for perhaps only touch-deprived teenagers.
"Patience, Arthur," the snowy-haired woman commented, slightly narrowing her eyes. "I assure you that the moment my subordinates arrive, I will answer all of your questions. They should be here shortly, but for the time being, please help yourself with a drink," she added, lazily pointing at the diamond carafe filled with crimson-red liquid resting to the man's left.
"I have better things to do than wasting my time sitting here!" Arthur snarled, putting so much venom into each word that it could have killed an elephant. "Spending time with you is hardly pleasant," he added, focusing his bright blue eyes on his long fingers bumping against the table's face.
"Is that so?" Akali inquired, faking amusement. "The last time I checked your schedule, it was relatively empty," she commented, a smirk slowly forming on her beautiful face. "However, considering your rather questionable life choices, it would hardly surprise me if your personal calendar were filled with various meetings many would deem inappropriate for a man of your calibre," she added, flashing her fangs mockingly. "Recently, you must have been really busy. After all, your favourite brothel had undoubtedly legally 'acquired' a few new girls. As far as I have heard … they are worth their price tags."
"Shut the fuck you, bitch!" the blonde exploded, unwittingly standing up.
"Sit down, idiot," a much deeper man's voice filled the air. "Even though we all know you're shameless, you should realise by now that your actions taint this council's reputation."
"I could not have described it better, Friedrich," the council's leader immediately shifted her attention, focusing on a tall man of ashen complexion sitting to her left, with only two seats separating them. "It is rare for us to agree on a matter. I appreciate this change."
"I'd appreciate you not to mock me, Akali," Friedrich replied reservedly, keeping his tone formal. "That being said, it's rather impolite of you to keep us waiting," he commented. "I'm pretty certain that you'll end up mentioning the investigation that you personally participated in, but I failed to hear its conclusion. Is it possible that you failed to capture the killer, Akali?" he questioned emotionlessly.
Compared to the hot-headed blonde, Friedrich was a vampire with a reputation to uphold. Throughout his long life, which spanned hundreds of years, he undoubtedly left his mark on humankind's history. Despite his reserved and calm demeanour, he sought power and influence. It was the primary bone of contention between them, as the ancient vampire did not deem her suitable for such a prestigious position as the leader of this council. If Akali were to guess, Friedrich would see himself amongst a few candidates he would be willing to support. That being said, he was not blinded by his discontent. All the snowy-haired woman needed to do was to plan her arguments wisely and play them right.
Akali did not reply immediately, taking a few seconds to consider the man's words and finally take a closer look at him. As mentioned before, he was a tall man with an ashen complexion who did not like the sun all that much, preferring the cover of the darkness lingering amongst shadows. Clad in a dark grey trench coat, he looked imposing, as if taken from a vastly different time. Underneath the thick fabric, fragments of a snowy shirt and black Windsor tie peeked. Similar to the council's leader, Friedrich could switch his eye colour freely between crimson-red and light brown, doing so unwittingly occasionally. His hair was long and of chocolate colour, combed into a stylish braid that fell onto his broad shoulders. A neatly trimmed stubble covered his sunken cheeks and strong jawline.
"As much as it pains me to admit, the case is still far from being concluded," the snowy-haired vampire finally answered, opting to state the truth. "If you speculated that I wanted to raise this subject, then I applaud you, for you were right," she added, offering a slight nod of acknowledgement.
"Then, is it farfetched to assume that you wanted to introduce us to someone who'd lead the investigation in your stead?" the brown-haired man followed up with another reserved question. "After all, if you decided to continue on your own, you wouldn't have much use of us gathered here."
"Another correct assumption," Akali retorted. "Even though this affair lasted a couple of days, I feel like some details discussed by this very council are slipping past my fingers," she added, allowing her tone to grow colder. "That being said, I heard some rumours about you supposedly extending your reach amongst our fellow councilmen whilst I was busy. At first, I did not want to believe these mere whispers, but perhaps it is for the best to ask you about this. What would you say, Friedrich?" she inquired, causing the man to still for a fraction of a second.
Even though the brown-haired councilman regained his composure nearly instantly, he had already given her what she wanted, undeniable proof that these rumours were indeed true. As hard as he tried to hide his raw emotions, he failed to erase them from his eyes. One glance was enough for Tepes to mark this exchange as a sound victory. What made it even sweeter was the fact that Friedrich realised the situation's gravity. A seed of fear and doubt was successfully planted within this ancient being.
"First … I'd need you to elaborate on what you mean by extending my reach," the brown-haired vampire replied after a few moments of silence.
"Why do you not tell me what you have achieved whilst I was gone?" Akali questioned sweetly.
"Perhaps … we could hold this conversation in four eyes?" Friedrich asked. This, however, was hardly a suggestion even though the man's tone masked his emotions well. It was a plea.
"Of course," the council's leader agreed immediately, adding another victory to the long list of achievements. "What about you, Sabine?" she questioned the last gathered.
"I wonder why you didn't consider any of us suitable for this job?" a black-onyx-haired woman sitting at the far end of the table questioned. "Weren't we good enough … or you had another reason behind this decision?" she asked sweetly.
"Oh, please," the snowy-haired vampire faked a gasp, standing up. "I briefly considered each of you," she started, slowly pacing towards Sabine. "However, I concluded that I needed to discard these options due to the same reason I needed to step away from the investigation."
"That is? Would you enlighten us, Miss Tepes?" Sabine commented sweetly, but underneath the apparent façade, the venom overflew.
"As the members of this council, we have other matters to tend to," Akali replied vaguely. "Would you not say that what we usually deal with are much more pressing problems than leading an investigation that might take weeks, months, or even years?"
"Do you expect us to believe that?" the golden-eyed woman asked, smirking openly. "Because … to me, all of this sounds like a bullshit."
"You are free to believe in whatever you want," Tepes retorted emotionlessly, finally closing the gap between them. "Whether you believe me or not … is inconsequential, Sabine," she leaned in, whispering into the woman's left ear. "Your perfume is delightful, though; I feel like I have smelled them somewhere before. Oh … yes, 'Il Paradiso in terra' … I must give you that, compared to Arthur, you chose a decent place to get laid," she added quietly, making the dark-haired vampire fluster.
"Who's your candidate?" Sabine asked, trying her best to control herself.
"Lucifer, of course," the snowy-haired woman announced with a broad smile.
Author's notes section:
The main focus for me remains the rewriting of "My home is where my heart lies". That being said, I know fully well that this process will be long and painful for me, so in the meantime, I will be dropping smaller updates of various stories.
Please note that the dialogues written in italics are thoughts.
As always, I would like to thank you for everything. See you soon :)
Changelog:
[2024-08-07] - A preview was released.
[2024-08-10] - A major update applied and the final revision released.
References:
- Whitney Houston - One Moment In Time
- Whitney Houston - I have nothing
End of the author's notes section.