Invictus

04: I want a boyfriend.

Emily's brothers were in the study when she entered without knocking. They seemed to be in deep thought as they individually read documents scattered around the beautifully crafted table made of mahogany.

They once allowed her to read some of it and she didn't understand one bit what it was about. It ranges from supplies of different kinds to people with red and green marks. What do those marks mean, she didn't ask because she didn't want to know.

It's funny. While people avoided the dark and repulsive part of life, her brothers seemed to thrive in it. They feed greedily on it as though it's the only thing keeping them alive until that dark and repulsive part is embedded within them, planting its seeds of sin and unscrupulousness within her brothers, corrupting their minds and tainting their souls until it could barely be called pure anymore.

Emily thought that she'd be corrupted too by now. That she'd turn out to be like her brothers but they genuinely didn't want her to be like that. They want her to be pure. Her role was to be the only light that could guide their dark minds and souls. She was and still is their balance, she was a reminder of good and what it is to be normal human beings without the haunting echoes of voices inside their heads that tell them to do what they aren't supposed to do.

While everyone was busy, she moved closer to the table and took a peak. It was people this time. Who those people are, she doesn't have a clue, but they looked like résumés.

"Who has caught your eye?"

Her brother's voice, more specifically, Benedict's, came behind her, causing Emily to whirl around to look at him in surprise. She met his curious gaze as he towered over her. Benedict was kind to those he was close to but he often used his kind demeanor to his advantage.

Her heart started beating wildly against her chest at his sudden presence and she was afraid he'd hear the loud and fast drumming of her heart.

Her eldest just smiled innocently at her, making it more irksome. He probably knows. He always knows. Benedict knows everything about everyone.

"No one," Emily answered sharply, forcing herself to calm down before turning around to look at the scattered files. She didn't want to face his scrutinizing gaze, as though she was only a book for him to read easily.

"Well, since you've sneaked in here like a mouse, why not check it out?" Peter said seriously as he continued to read. Emily knew he was in his business mode because he wasn't bullying her for once.

Emily looked at him for a moment. He was on the couch and he had only begun reading a different file. Peter seemed calm for once and not the big bad wolf that everyone hated. He'd always been like that. Making the atmosphere light with his fanfaronades. It was funny and annoying at the same time to hear him shitting on someone.

"What exactly am I looking at?" She asked hesitantly, picking one up. It has what looks to be like ten pages with the person's personal history, family history, medical history, friends, and families. It also has random pictures of them doing random things, which is creepy but not enough to scare her. Emily hummed thoughtfully as she read the first few pieces of information. "Are you guys hiring?" She asked her brothers.

Vincent chuckled and moved towards her to look at the paper she held. "Do you see the coloured stamps on each paper?" He asked, pointing at the said stamp at the top of the first page.

Emily nodded. Some have red, some green while others don't have stamps on their files. "Red and green." She nodded before grimacing at the thought of these people being their next victim. "Is red means kill?" She asked, looking at Vincent with a frown.

Peter sighed. "Not everything we do is about murder, angel." He said seriously as though what he said wasn't already wrong enough.

"No, Em. Green stamps mean we're considering them to work for us. You know how we have a little business, right?" Vincent asked softly.