Deception

Chapter 9: Orphanage, Part 2

It was a bedroom with a queen size bed, broken wardrobes, but clean cabinets, and the bed was split between being the cleanest bed ready for sale, and the nastiest filth there was. The window was curtained covering us but Kan did not like it. He placed me next to the cabinet, and flipped the bed to cover the window and some of the holes next to it, causing the entire room to darken.

"Kan... This is your first time hunting a Chmsin right?" I asked, as my breaths were uneven, this was the first time in a while where I have ever felt great pain. Losing a limb is fine, but that fuck chopped half of my liver and intestines...

"Yeah... you?" He asked, making his way towards me, almost stumbling on protruding wood.

I chuckled weakly, clutching my side. "I was ten... last time. They're not fair. They don't fight you head-on. Always some trick... always behind you."

"There must be something to do against it man. Come on, ya giving up or somet-?"

"Is this worth it? Keeping that girl alive? We could've been home right now. You watching your stupid cartoons, me making dinner. Normal shit. Instead, I'm here... half-dead." I said, stabbing my knife on the floor next to me, over and over again.

"Why'd you accept it so easily back then, to take care of her," Kan said, grabbing my arm, as I barely made his wolf mask features in the dark, "knowing you, you would've murdering both of us back then, so why?"

I pushed his hand off, with whatever strength I had, as I faced the dark floor taking another deep breath.

"...Remember how I always had a black petal next to my tag?"

"Yeah... that never-withering petal made everyone jealous, it was magical to say the least,"

"It was hers... That promise I made a long time ago, is coming to hunt me b- gh!" I puked blood all over the floor, as I rubbed some of it onto my fingers and rubbed around my organs...

Kan's eyes widened behind his mask. "Wait, what? Ilyoh? But she's older than you! How the hell—?"

"I don't know!" I snapped, my voice cracking. "But when I look at her... I just know. She's the one who left us during the ambush. The one who deserted the clan. And yet..." I pulled out my bunker tag, the black petal still clinging to it. "I kept the petal..."

The room fell silent except for the sound of my labored breathing. Kan leaned back against the wall, his mask tilting as he studied me. "You're not as cold as you pretend to be, you know that? You're still holding onto that promise. You're not a bad demon." He chuckled, smiling at me.

"What's the point?" I muttered, my head dropping. "I lost everything back then. The promise... it doesn't mean shit anymore."

Kan sighed, sliding down to sit beside me. "Look... the reason I want to keep Nakumi alive... it's not just about her. It's about me too. She's my atonement. For all the shit I've done." He glanced at me, his voice softening. "Maybe... she's yours too. I guess that technically makes us selfish."

"Psh... Whatever..." I said, letting out a deep sigh.

"Aah.. dude your hand is..." Kan said, as I saw a weird glow coming from within my hand. It was radiant and warm, not so intense like witnessing the sun, yet not so dim that you had to squeeze your eyes... it was just perfect. I looked to my left side as my wounds and limbs healed and regenerated.

"Okay when the fuck were you able to do that?" Kan said, thrilled by what just happened, I would be lying if I said I was not as thrilled.

"I don't know... It never did this before,"