Word count: 5210
It was silent, cold, and dark
He looked around nervously, unsure of where he was
"You left me behind"
Suddenly he jumped, startled after hearing someone speak, he recognized that voice immediately
His eyes widened
"Alex?"
Aiden looked back, seeing his friend, yet his appearance was demonic, he had no eyes
"What about our promise?"
His breath hitched, Aiden was horrified
"A-alex, i'm sorry"
Suddenly red pupils glowed up inside his empty eye sockets, he had a monstrous, unnatural smile on his face, his head began contorting and convulsing violently
"I'm so tired of your 'sorry's"
"They don't mean shit"
"..."
"Two years"
"That's how long i've been stuck down there"
"Two.fucking.years, you asshole"
"But you always had a knack for leaving others behind"
"Ain't that right?"
"Your little sis might have something to say about that"
His tone was aggressive and hateful, and he said everything with the intent to hurt
"Even after what i've been through with dad, you're still gonna abandon me?"
Aiden looked down, he was frozen in place, his lips were shaking, he didn't know what to say
"Answer me"
"A͈͎Ṉ̵͓̍̓̏̉S̝ͣ͐Ẅ̆ͩ̂Ẻ͔̿͟R̥̮ ̛̹̉MͣE͑!̜!"
Alex? lunged towards him, ready to kill him
Aiden shouted in horror, but then again, when he came to his senses, he was home, on his bed and covered in sweat, he let out a huge sigh of relief
The morning light shined on his eyes, depriving them from their usual midnight blue
After moving around a little he accidentally knocked over a lamp next to his bed with his tail
The lamp fell down with a loud thud, the same lamp that Lucas always warned him about, saying that it was too close to his bed
This was a matter of concern to Aiden, not because the lamp fell, but because when he drifted to sleep, the night before, he did not have a tail
"What the??"
He stared at it confused, moving it around slightly, it was pitch black and pointy on the end, much like a demon's tail
It moved around frantically, since he never had a tail before, and had no control over it, it slapped against his face several times
"Ow! Augh! Shit! Fuck! Stop!"
He grabbed it with force, it hurt a little, but he endured it
After a while, he started actually feeling said tail, and it slumped in his hands, the nerves in it started working properly and not sorely on instinct, and he let go of it
"Okaaaay, this is sooo...trippy, and weird"
He let out a long sigh, although after a while, the tail vanished, disappearing into his body....
"..."
"Well that just happened"
He got up from the bed, still rather confused, but decided to just ignore this little matinal event
I just woke up from a nightmare, i'm not having any of this crap
He brushed his teeth, and ate breakfast, enjoying the silence of his home
After eating he headed outside, walking through the plaza and admiring the view of the golden city and the decoration all around
He took a deep breath, and then exhaled, taking in the fresh air, and enjoying the morning peace, the sun was just rising
And with it, he saw a small crowd cheering
"Hm?"
Approaching the crowd, he saw something rather pleasant, it was Emily, even this early in the morning, she was already bringing joy to everyone in Heaven
Playing with a few butterflies and other spectrums of her making, she danced with them and played around a little, inviting anyone to come in and have fun aswell
Everyone was watching her, sparks danced everytime she moved, and yet....
Had Aiden barely arrived there, she looked at him directly, immediately noticing his presence
"Aiden!"
She smiled, waving at him and flying closer
"Come on! Let's go have fun!"
Aiden was unsure of doing so
"W-wait, i-i don't know-"
"Come on!!"
Without warning, she pulled him closer, forcing him to use his wings in order to keep afloat, they were black and white, in great contrast of her pure white wings
She spun around with him, using the momentum to propel him forward, still holding his hand, and striking a pose
Contrary to her though, Aiden was too embarrassed about dancing with her and disoriented due to the spinning, which made him extremely dizzy, he didn't pose, only clumsily flew around in mid-air
The residents of Heaven applauded, some of them were a little smug, whispering to each other and giggling
What the hell are they talking about?
Suddenly, as if it was magic, Aiden's hearing became more acute, he heard exactly what they were saying
"Isn't it cute? The young Seraphim got herself a partner!"
"Right?! It totally fits! They're gorgeous"
Hearing this, Aiden blushed to a concerning point, which had Emily worried for him
Emily: "Wha?! A-aiden are you okay!? You're like a tomato right now!"
He did not respond, which only made her more worried, she tried shaking him gently, but his mind could only process a few sentences
Why do people always assume things!?
She's danced with others too! Like Saint Peter!
"Aiden!!"
She shouted close to his face, which genuinely scared him
"AGH! WHAT THE- oh..."
Emily: "Are you okay!? You're RED!"
Aiden: "A-am i? Uhm...s-sorry Em, i-i think i have a fever"
Emily: "Why didn't you tell me?? I wouldn't have dragged you up here if i knew"
She leaned close and pressed her forehead against his, in order to measure his temperature, and his blush worsened
Feeling his skin burning, she backed away from him, shocked....
"WOAH!, you're hot-, I mean-!"
"You're burning!! This is terrible!!"
"You need to see a doctor or something!"
"Wait...can we even catch fevers?"
"N-nevermind-! We don't have time for this!"
She dragged him along with her, he just let her pull him, his body was practically limp, he had a lovestruck look on his face, and his lips were stuck as a smile
While this happened, Adam and Lute watched them both from a distance
Adam groaned out loud
"Ughh! This is so boring, why did Sera make me baby-sit Emily again?"
Lute: "Because, she is too occupied fending off people who are questioning the yearly exterminations practices"
"And so it's our job to do it now...sir"
"Sigh"
Adam: "Right...thanks for reminding me..."
Lute: "Don't worry sir, i'm fed up with this too...although"
"She did task us with this mainly because of that guy"
Adam: "The crybaby?"
"Ugh, that punch from yesterday still hurts"
Lute: "Yeah...he's prone to be rebellious, especially to us now after the exterminations being revealed to the public"
"He was friends with the anomaly afterall, the power he displayed yesterday was proof that he could be dangerous"
"He could lead our Seraphim astray"
Adam: "He's still not fucking stronger than me..."
Lute: "...."
"Sir that's not the point"
Adam: "I know...i just wanna show off"
Lute: "Forgive me sir...but to who?"
Adam: "Who else?, dangertits"
He smirked at her, nudging her with his shoulder
Her eyes widened slightly, and she blushed a little
"R-right, understood"
Adam chuckled
"Anyway, let's just keep a close eye on them i guess...shouldn't be too hard"
Meanwhile, Emily frantically flew around the city, dragging Aiden with her
Emily: "Where is it??
Aiden: "Uhh Em?"
Emily: "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'moooon!!"
Aiden: "Hey!"
Emily: "Where the heck-"
He grabbed her face and turned her towards him, cupping her cheeks
Aiden: "EMILY!"
"Calm down!"
"Chuckles i'm okay!"
Emily: "rEaLLy?"
She could not speak properly due to her face being squeezed together
Emily: "Buh why were u red jush now??"
Aiden: "That's because you're too freaking cute!! Dammit!"
Silence befell between them both, eyes widened, and speechless
Aiden was dying inside, he felt like screamming
Fuck, i let that slip....
Emily was NOT expecting a compliment as intimate as that one, and so she had a hard time processing it
He slowly let go of her face, still in disbelief at what he just said
"I uh...h-haha..."
They both looked away from each other, blushing to an absurd extent
Aiden: "S-sorry about that...it kinda slipped..."
Emily: "N-no...i-it's okay, i'm...i'm used to people telling me that...."
Aiden: "Oh? Really?...Okay then..."
Part of him was a bit saddened
So my compliment doesn't mean much
On the other hand, Emily was going through a rollercoaster of emotions, being extremely confused by Aiden, he had been acting so strange for the last few months, sometimes she would catch him staring at her, other times he looked like he wanted to say something important, but gave up halfway
But this?, it was almost too obvious
She was beginning to think he was trying to give her signs
That was so sudden...i'm not...used to him...complimenting me
Maybe he has a thing for me?
In response to this thought, she slapped herself with both her hands
Don't jump into assumptions! Him? With me?
There's no way he'd...like someone so boring....
Right?....
She glanced behind her, seeing how he was trying to calm himself down
But...maybe...
I'll pay extra attention from now on
Emily did not know what motivated her to do this, whether she actually wanted it to be true, and that she could have someone to love, or if she was just believing she was delusional, and wanted to get rid of these....feelings
Emily: "Aiden?"
Aiden: "Y-yeah?"
Shoot, i'm so nervous
Emily: "Do you uh...wanna help me out today?"
Aiden: "Sure!...wait...with what?"
Emily: "I gotta go show around some of the souls that arrive here, so...maybe i could use some help on giving them a tour?"
Aiden was a little confused, why would she ask him of all people to do this?
She could ask someone more...sociable...
But he was incredibly happy to spend more time with her nonetheless
"Of course...i'll help you out"
She clapped her hands rapidly and happily
"Alright! Follow me!"
Aiden: "Aye aye, captain"
He followed her, flying through the city and arriving a the heavenly gates
While they were waiting for souls to arrive in Heaven, Aiden realized something important
I wonder if she's okay to do this...
It's been difficult for her after the meeting with Hell
I hope she doesn't get upset
He glanced at her just to check if she was okay, and saw that her expression was clearly disheartened
Bags under eyes
Tired smile
Her eyes are wandering a lot
....
Fuck
He approached her a little, leaning close to her ear
"You okay?"
At that moment she was nearly spacing out, and so when she felt his breath against her ear it gave her goosebumps, she jumped out of place from the scare
"AH! S-sorry what did you say again?"
Aiden: "I asked if you're okay"
Emily: "Huh? Oh! I'm fine...i'm okay! Don't worry..."
He crossed his arms and gave her an unamused expression
"Emily..."
She looked down, feeling nervous all of a sudden
"W-what?"
"I'm fine, let's just...keep going okay?"
Aiden sighed
"Alright..."
She let out a sigh of relief aswell, glad that he decided to shift the topic
Finally a soul crossed the gates as Saint Peter opened them and Emily rushed over to receive them
"Hi! I'm Emily! A...S-seraphim...of Heaven..."
She looked down with a saddened face for a moment
"And...w-well you can call me Em, or Emmy or whatever! Welcome to Heaven!"
The recently arrived female angel was a little confused by her greeting, but shrugged it off, stepping into the clouds and taking in the glorious view of the city
They had an expression full of joy and happiness
Aiden extended his hand for a shake
"Heya...i'm Aiden, not a Seraphim but hey, i'm still here to give ya a tour"
"Hey Pete!"
He waved towards the angel behind the closing golden gates
"Hey!"
Peter waved back joyfully
The girl was initially sheepish and nervous when she saw Aiden, but still shook his hand
"Alright! Let's show ya around this cloud nine realm"
He grabbed her by the shoulder, walking along beside her
Emily stared at this for a couple seconds
Why do i feel so uneasy?
She thought
"Em?"
She flinched as Aiden suddenly called her
"Whuh?! Huh? W-what?"
Aiden was slightly confused by her eccentric response but just awkwardly responded
"The...tour...c'mon"
Emily: "Oh!, Right! The tour!!"
She excitedly walked past them, grabbing the newbie by her arm and gently dragging her along
"Sooo, this is the main city...take your time to check out the decoration, or visit some place nice, we're here just to guide you"
"Thank you!" The new girl hopped around the city excitedly, running past Aiden and Emily, who were walking side by side
Aiden watched carefully her with a smile
She kinda reminds me of my sister
He thought, seeing how carefree the new soul was
Emily frowned at this, staring at him from the side, making it painfully obvious that she was upset about it
Aiden noticed and began sweating slightly
"Uhh...need anything?"
Emily flinched, trying to pretend nothing happened
"Uhh n-nothing! H-haha!"
This made him even more worried about her, but in order to respect her boundaries, he didn't insist
Although when Emily looked away, the girl tripped, and Aiden rushed to her aid
Catching her in his arms, when she opened her eyes and saw him, she blushed
"O-oh my"
Aiden: "...?"
"Don't you mean 'thank you'?..."
"I-i uh...yes, thank you"
He gently put her down on her feet, although she was left dazed by his looks
Suddenly he felt strong goosebumps, as if someone had walked on his grave
Looking behind him, he saw something terrifying
He felt his heart jump and bounce throughout his ribcage before he managed to catch his breath
He never saw her angry before, except for that day with the meeting, but at least that anger was not directed at HIM
On the other hand
She instantly softened up, worried for him
Emily: "A-are you okay?"
Aiden: "cough cough i'm fine- wheeze, i just got-....a little scared, is all"
Holy shit, i feel like i'm about to puke
Right behind Aiden, the other angel girl was beyond terrified aswell, she had frozen in place
Aiden thought the anger was directed at him but he was severely mistaken, she felt the full impact of Emily's rage and it scared her to death
A-alright...he's taken...i-i get it
Even her thoughts were stuttering with how afraid she was
Emily caressed his head, feeling guilty for scaring him, then she looked up to the girl with a bit of a forced smile
"May we continue the tour?"
The girl got up slowly, standing on her feet, still shaking a little
"Y-yep...."
They continued walking through the plaza, when Emily's anger faded, and left her with sadness
Maybe i was wrong...
She began thinking she was mistaken about Aiden, and it made her even more frustrated
Ugh, i'm such a moron
Learning about the exterminations only made me reckless, i'm so ashamed of assuming this kind of stuff about him
Maybe as a way to cope, or simply because of her guilt about killing the people in hell
Emily began seeing Aiden in a different light, but it made her feel ashamed because she felt like she was using him, only seeing him as an excuse or an escape from the regret
Emily: "I...i need to go..."
Aiden: "Huh? Why?"
Emily: "I-it's nothing...i just...need some time..."
Seeing her fly away, Aiden felt like he would regret letting her go, he looked behind him and saw the angel girl simply encouraging him to go
He smiled and flew off
"Thank you! Enjoy your stay in Heaven!"
She waved at him from afar, then turned around, walking away with a nervous smile
I sure hope i don't get that level of nasty in a glare ever again
....
As Aiden catched up to her, he called her name
"Hey! Em!"
She did not respond him
"Em! Stop!"
She started to fly away faster, making it difficult for him to catch up to her speed
"EMILY!!"
Hearing her full name made her stop in her tracks, Aiden stopped aswell, hovering closer to her, only to see a saddened, tearful expression
"Oh my God...i knew you weren't okay..."
Emily: "I-i'm sorry i just-"
Aiden: "Shh shh..."
"I know...the exterminations are awful and all"
"I hate that mindset too but-"
Emily: "It's not only that!"
Aiden: "Huh?...t-then what is it?"
As this little discussion unfolded, Adam and Lute were hiding behind a cloud
Emily rubbed her eyes as tears kept leaking out like a river
Emily: "I hate the exterminations, and i wish i could just- stop it!"
"I feel so horrible over those poor souls suffering everyday only to get killed, i'm on Charlie's side here!, and....i know you are too"
Aiden: "Emily..."
Lute smirked as she heard this
"Finally some interesting intel, we should hurry and warn Sera about this...Sir"
"Sir?"
"Adam!"
She poked his belly and he suddenly flinched
"Holy fuck! Lute, why did ya poke at my gut??"
Lute: "You were spacing out sir"
Adam: "Oh...sorry, but wait! Let's stay a lil' more, it's getting interesting"
Lute: "Really?..."
Adam: "What can i say? I love drama"
Meanwhile, Aiden was trying his best to comfort Emily
Aiden: "Emily, let's talk a little okay?"
Emily: "No!, i-i'm just...an embarrassment! I'm childish and naive! I should've known better!"
Aiden: "That's not true! How could you have known that they were trying to genocide the demons in Hell??"
Emily: "As a Seraphim! I should know! I should stop it!, and i should stop acting like a child! Trying to use you for comfort..."
Aiden: "What?...when did you even do that??"
Emily: "When i assumed that you liked me!!!"
Her voice echoed through the clouds, she covered her mouth in embarrassment, then slowly shrank down, covering herself with her wings and becoming a small, fluffy ball
Aiden was shocked beyond belief
She...knew?...
He let out a huge sigh, brushing off his embarrassment
I'm so inconsiderate, that's why she was angry earlier
I should've paid better attention to her feelings
"Hey..."
He opened her wings gently
"I'm...sorry i didn't pay attention to how you felt-..."
Emily: "No...you did nothing wrong, you're always....so kind, and gentle"
"I'm just a mess..."
Aiden: "Emily...this isn't like you, calling yourself a child, you hate when people infantilize you"
"And..."
He crawled inside her wrapped wings
"You're not a mess for having compassion for others...for being empathetic"
The mood became softer and more heartwarming, he crawled out of her wings, and she unwrapped them, he started singing....
Aiden: "You can relax my friend" 🎶
He gave her a headpat
Emily: "Huh?"
Aiden: "I can tell you're getting nervous, so do yourself a service..."
"And try to relax my frieeend!"🎶
Emily: "I-i'm fine Aiden..."🎶
Aiden: "Let my words right now inspire you"
"Think of all the good that you did too"🎶
"I know that you're tired of all this bloodshed"🎶
"Tell me is this how Hell you want to treat?"
"Why do you torment yourself? Enough said"
"When all you ever do is give?"🎶
"You can tell everything just trust me"🎶
"You can stop and lower your guard"
"Here i'll give you time to express your burdens"
"Give it a try it's not that hard!"🎶
She slowly started to smile as he sang, he extended his hand to her and she took it
"I'm telling you"
"This life is amazing when we greet it with open arms!"
"Whatever we face, know that i'm here if you're feeling torn apart..."🎶
"No matter the place you light up the room with all your love" 🎶
"Greet your burdens with open arms"
"Otherwise it's a pain in the arse"🎶
"C'mon!"
She giggled at his goofiness, he danced around sparks and spectrums of his making, keeping his eyes on her the entire time
Suddenly the song slowed down, he took both of her hands, he wasn't feeling that shy anymore
"Oh Em...greet this pain with open arms" 🎶
Her expression changed, from a smile, to hopelessness
"Oh i only wish i could"🎶
"I'm not so free like you, I don't have what it takes to push through"🎶
"I don't know how you make it so..."
"How you make all this pain i feel lately, transform into a feeling of safety" 🎶
Aiden smiled warmly
"Well then..."
"My life is amazing because you received me with open arms"🎶
"How you feel is okay~! Just stay strong and we can restart"🎶
He laughed out loud while he sang
"I'm just a crybaby, i'm flattered that you think i'm such a brawn!"🎶
"If you can't greet the world with open arms"
"Then greet me for your sake and calm..."🎶
Emily wanted to hug him, but stopped
"Oh dear i really want to say that i agree"
"But this pain is breaking me and i still need to pick up the pieces"🎶
"I don't have the right to share your peace, when i don't even notice when innocents are suffering..."🎶
"That's what i got with open arms..."🎶
She turned away from him, instead of embracing him
Aiden sighed, knowing he should let her recover at her own pace, but he still wanted to clear a few things up, so he grabbed her wrist
"Oh my dear, you're the one who taught me that kindness is brave"
"Don't torment yourself for being the light this world needs"🎶
And then he gently spun her to face him
"Okay!?"
"Chuckle, so share your burden and pain with me"
"It doesn't matter whether or not you are worthy🎶"
"Capiche, Emmy?"
Emily smiled, at the verge of tears, her voice was shaking
"Thank you..."
Aiden gave her an understanding look
"You're welcome"
In amidst all the warmth, they both hugged each other, then Aiden spoke one last time, holding her face gently, looking into her eyes with a loving smile
"This life is amazing when you greet it with open arms"🎶
"I see in your face you have so much guilt inside your heart"
"So why not replace it you can light up the world here's how to start"🎶
He pressed his forehead against hers, letting her mind and soul rest
Then she buried her face in his chest, and the hug got tighter, he looked up to the sky with teary eyes
"Greet my world with open arms"
"Whenever you've been torn apart"🎶
Emily: "Greet the world with open arms..."🎶
Aiden: "You can relax my dear....." 🎶
As the melody faded away, they enjoyed the comfortable silence for a few minutes, before she lifted her eyes to look up at him, pulling away from their hug
Aiden: "Better?"
Emily: "Better...way better..."
"Thank you....for caring about me..."
Aiden: "It's nothing snow freckles"
Emily: "S-snow what now?"
Aiden: "You heard me~"
"...."
"And....you know"
"You weren't wrong..."
Emily: "About what?"
He kept silent, only smiling at her sheepishly
"..."
"No way..."
In the middle of her shock, he kneeled down and kissed her hand
Aiden: "Ahem, imma take this chance now that i'm not too shy to say anything"
"Emily..."
"I love you..."
Emily turned pale, then blushed, her expression frozen in deadpan shock
So he did have a thing for me...
Emily: "Holyyy....shit..."
Aiden: "Eh?..."
Everyone present was shocked at Emily suddenly swearing, even herself
Adam: "Well that's...adorable? Are they gonna fuck now?"
Lute: "I don't know and we shouldn't stay any longer to watch, let's go inform the high Seraphim about this, Sir"
Adam: "grunts, alright, let's go..."
While they flew away, Aiden was panicking a little
"I-is it that bad??"
Emily: "No-! Pff! it's okay, i love it-! I mean-! Argh!!"
Aiden: "What do you mean!?"
Emily: "Stop that!!"
Aiden: "Wheeze stop what!?"
Emily: "Stop being so cute!! Dammit!"
"...."
"...."
Silence took over the conversation, and they were both unable to break the ice cold tension
Trying to get rid of the awkward silence, Aiden spoke up
"W-well...i just remembered...w-we should go welcome other souls right?"
Emily flinched slightly when he said that
"Oh! R-right! Let's go!!"
While flying away, Aiden glanced at her hand hanging loose, and slowly he grazed it with his finger, she immediately looked back at him and he looked away
Shoot...that was close...
When she looked forward again, instead of grazing it, he outright grabbed it
She flinched, but didn't look back at him, too embarrassed to look at him in the eyes
Aiden noticed the way he grabbed her hand was a little awkward, he covered her hand accidentally, squeezing her fingers together....
And so he let go of it
Upon losing contact, both their hands gestured towards the other, longing for physical touch...
And....unable to resist it, their fingers intertwined, this time holding each other more comfortably
They couldn't look at the other in the eye properly, but at least they were happy
In fact, both of them were squealing on the inside
They arrived at the front gates, the gates opened once again and they quickly let go of each other
A new soul arrived, both of them greeted them, walking around the shining town
"Well..."
Aiden spoke, both him and Emily walking behind the new visitor
"You sure you're feeling better now?"
Emily: "Giggle, that's like...the 5th time you asked me that in the last hour"
Aiden: "Aw sorry snow freckles, but i'm worried y'know~"
Emily: "S-stop calling me that!"
Aiden: "Aw why? It fits"
Emily: "You know why!"
While they talked, the recently arrived angel hunched his back slightly, he let out a sigh
When are these two gonna stop flirting? He thought
Nevertheless, Emily was smiling much more again, and it was all thanks to Aiden in her eyes
He was attentive, a good listener, gentle, kind...
And strong when he needed to be
Maybe it'll work out...
She thought to herself, glancing at him with a bit of a flirty smile
"Thanks for today..." she said, fidgeting her fingers sheepishly
Aiden's eyes widened slightly, he looked at her with a clueless expression
"Pardon? For what?"
Emily: "Sigh, you're so oblivious..."
She hugged herself, looking to the side
"Yesterday and today...were just....the best...and worst...somehow"
"Y'know...everyday is great here but...the past two days..."
"Have been so hard..."
She wiped a small tear out of her right eye
"But you were right there...even when i felt like falling apart"
"So thanks..."
She hopped up and gave him a little kiss on the cheek, which painted his face red
She giggled a little
"You know, i have no idea how i didn't noticed sooner, you blush like this all the time"
Aiden: "I was that obvious huh?"
They both broke into a laughing fit, enjoying the rest of their day
Together...
Meanwhile
Adam walked into a golden building, going into Sera's residence
Adam: "Hey Sera, got a few news for ya"
She turned to Adam, as she was handling a few documents
"What is it?" She spoke with a soft yet firm tone
Lute walked in, presenting a small device that displayed a video of Emily speaking with Aiden
"I hate the exterminations, and i wish i could just- stop it!"
"I feel so horrible over those poor souls suffering everyday only to get killed, i'm on Charlie's side here!, and....i know you are too"
Sera's expression quickly turned into horror
"Oh no..."
Adam: "Yep, pretty dangerous right?"
"Y'know, at this rate she could-"
"NO!"
She interrupted him, shaking the room slightly, and instantly losing her composure
"Sh-she will not fall!"
"It's just not possible!
Adam, a little spooked by Sera raising her voice, slowly stood up again
"She's naive Sera, you know it's easy to twist something like that..."
Sera: "N-no...she wouldn't-..."
Adam: "But what if she does???"
Sera kept silent, but then recovered her composure...
"Then i'll do what is required"
"Thank you...Adam, Lute"
"You're both dismissed-"
The two of them were interrupted by Lute chuckling to herself
"Oh my..."
Adam: "Lute? What's the joke?"
Lute: "Sir, your highness...take a look at this..."
They gasped as she showed them the paused video, the frame had a perfect shot of Aiden's tail, it had suddenly sprouted out during the song, and the device caught it
Adam: "He's....a demon? Fallen? What the hell? But he used holy energy yesterday!"
Sera: "...h-he's like...the anomaly..."
Adam: "Wait...you mean that, Alex kid?"
Sera: "He must've shared his power with him!!"
Adam: "oho! Well damn!...this is a huge surprise..."
After thinking for a few moments, Sera dismissed Adam and Lute, meditating in her room about what she should do next....
While this happened, Aiden arrived at home, having said goodbye to Emily, he looked at her as she flew away
Her slender and petite figure was attractive, even with a dress, he made sure to keep the view in his mind
But after such a long day of victories, loss had to arrive at some point, and it came right back to bite him
Suddenly he felt a strong headache
"Ugh!!"
Holding his head, he raised his eyes, seeing his sister in front of him
"H-hana?"
She was smiling creepily, her neck was clearly broken, but she did not say a word
He was inhaling and exhaling rapidly, taking in the not so fresh air, tormented by the evening darkness, the sun was just setting....
Hyperventilating and alone, he walked inside his house and slumped into his bed, the hallucination of his sister tormenting him further
Standing there, reminding him of his trauma, he looked at his hands, the knucles started to bleed and swell, and when he came to, he was on top of a bloodied man, with his fist raised high, having beaten him to a pulp
"S-shit...no no no no"
"Leave me alone..."
"Stop...."
He held his head in pain, feeling overwhelmed without notice...
This started happening more often after Alex arrived and gave him a "gift", he was wondering if that gift was a curse
Feeling cold, he tried to comfort himself, but then suddenly he heard his door knocking
"Huh?"
When he walked over and opened it, it was Emily wearing pajamas, she seemed a little shy
"H-hey Aiden...can i sleep at your place toda- WOAH!"
"What happened to you!?"
Seeing how tired he looked, she noticed the tear marks on his face
"Oh my God! Are you okay!?"
Eye widened, Aiden couldn't believe it
It was like she heard his cries, and came to help him immediately, he was washed with such relief, that he slumped in her arms
"A-aiden????"
Sobbing quietly, he hugged her
"M-my sister...i...hic, i'm sorry, i'm just...remembering some hard stuff right now..."
Emily was a little confused, but despite the lack of context, she knew he was going through some problems
So she smiled, going inside with him, she lied down next to him, and comforted him until they both fell asleep, right next to each other...