I hear a whistle echoing in my head.
A mellow melody, with a hint of rasp underneath it that prevents it from being truly soothing to listen to.
I squeeze my eyes tightly, trying to ignore the pounding pain I'm feeling in my head.
When I open them, I'm a brightly lit white room with very minimalist furniture inside of it.
The walls are made of mirrors, which leads me to believe it's obviously one-way glass.
I'm strapped down by my wrists and ankles onto a small bed, the constraints very clearly charmed.
When my vision begins to focus a bit more, I see that the whistling was coming from Shiro, who's standing on the opposite side of the room with a lit cigarette in his mouth.
Unable to move my body, I move my head slightly upward to get a better view.
"...Shiro?" My voice is completely shot, and my throat is burning.
I immediately catch his attention, to which he just smiles at me and proceeds to smoke.
"Ms. Rilegeki." He bows his head. "Welcome back."
Looking around the room, I realize it's the same kind of room that they're keeping Lucifer in.
That means he can't be too far now.
Shiro slowly walks towards me, studying me closely with every step he takes.
"You do not go down easily, Judi." He blows smoke in my face. "I like that about you. Reminds me a lot of Rin. I'd say you're just as stubborn as he is, too."
"You have to help me, Shiro." My voice croaks. "You have to. You know what he's doing is wrong, don't you?"
"Of course I do." He sits on the bed next to me. "That's why I've volunteered for a 24-hour watch."
I wrinkle my eyebrows at him. "What?"
"What, would you rather have Lewin or Angel in here with you?" He laughs. "Consider it a favor that you can pay me back for whenever you get yourself out of this."
I don't say it, but knowing Shiro will be the one in here with me alleviates some of my stress.
I feel like he's the only one here beside Rin that doesn't want to rip my head off.
Maybe he will understand me.
"I need to get out of here now, Shiro." I tug on the restraints, feeling more defeated as the second's pass. "God... I am such an idiot! I should have never met with Mephisto again. This would have never happened if I would have just said no-"
"You and I both know that whether or not you agreed to meet with Mephisto, you'd be in this exact same cell regardless." He shakes his head. "His way is the only way, unfortunately."
"That's exactly why I need to get out of here." I look up at Shiro.
"Hah, you and me both." He smiles at me again. "Mephisto has this entire institution on lockdown. I'm not sure if I can be much help to you, Judi."
I throw my head down and close my eyes.
I really have to choose my moves wisely from here on out.
I need Lucifer.
Where could you be, Lucifer? Can't you see that I need you right now?
A single tear rolls from my eye.
Betrayal.
Pain.
Heartbreak.
That's what you've taught me, Mephisto.
If only you could care for something. If only you had a soul. A heart.
The thing that hurts most is I believed that you had all of those things.
It's going to drive me crazy, absolutely insane.
Maybe I already am there.
Maybe I'm already crazy like you think I am.
"Don't beat yourself up, kid." He sighs. "You're in for a world of hurt if you let this run over you."
"Well, what am I supposed to do, huh?" My eyes begin to water. "I'm sitting here strapped to this table like a goddamn animal."
"You are a demon, right?" He chuckles. "That's pretty animal like to me. Especially since you plan to kill everyone here."
"That's not true." I laugh in an attempt to ward off my anger.
"Well, Mephisto seemed pretty confident when he said that you wanted to-"
"Yeah, well Mephisto is full of shit." I glare. "He knows nothing. He wants me to be some rabid murderer because it will make all of this easier for him."
"Are you?" He asks.
I purse my lips. "What?"
"A murderer." He smiles.
"... No." I hesitate. "Every human I've killed had it coming, so it doesn't count."
"Fair enough." He shifts his body towards me so that he's directly facing me. "Killing is easy when it's the best option for them, huh?"
I shrug my shoulders. "Yeah... it is."
"Death is imminent for all humans," He exclaims. "Something you wouldn't necessarily understand."
"Of course I understand that." I furrow my eyebrows. "I have a human mother, do you not remember that?"
"Adopted mother." He corrects. "Say what you want about how you were raised, but your body is filled with nothing but demon blood. Death and killing, to you, is a desire you will never be able to suppress for as long as you exist."
"Are you trying to make me feel as if Mephisto is right about me?" I joke.
"I'm trying to help you understand what you're feeling right now." He looks into my eyes. "I see it when I look at you. You want so desperately to get rid of those who threaten your existence and the existence of the demons in Gehenna. You almost feel as if it's your duty to protect them as their queen."
He smiles. "It's an honorable duty for a demon. But what you choose to do, who you choose to kill... you come closer and closer to surpassing the powers of the Demon Kings in succession behind Mephisto."
"What about Mephisto?" I ask. "Why can't I surpass him?"
"He's a tricky one, let's just say that." He exhales. "Now that Satan is gone, he's virtually undefeatable. If anything, Death comes crawling to his feet begging for mercy. Everything in our existence... inevitably falls from his hand."
I shake my head.
It's not going to be easy going past Mephisto.
He's going to do everything in his power to keep me in the exact same position I'm in now.
"I'm not trying to discourage you... or encourage you." He says softly. "No matter what I tell you, you're going to do what you feel as if you're meant to do."
I smile. "I'm surprised you haven't already killed me yourself. It seems pretty unlike you to even be talking to me right now."
"Perhaps I'm actually quite fond of you." He raises his eyebrows. "But if you attempt to harm anyone here at this Academy, I'm afraid that will change our friendship drastically."
"Understandable." I nod my head. "I'd prefer to stay on your good side, anyways."
"Is that so?" He laughs at me. "Good to know."
If Shiro were Paladin again like he should be, maybe I wouldn't be in this situation right now.
Even if Mephisto doesn't respect anyone else's authority, I know that Shiro still holds a sphere of influence over him.
"Tch... I know that Mephisto is doing this just to rip me apart." I shake my head. "He could have easily just killed me to make things easier."
"You know, technically as Paladin, Angel has the authority to kill you," Shiro says, glancing over at me. "But Mephisto has specifically stripped him of that power for this instance."
"Oh, I'm flattered." I hiss.
"Just saying," He chuckles. "Mephisto is a being of many evils, but the last thing he wants is for you to be dead."
"Bullshit." I shake my head. "He wants to kill the parts of me he doesn't like. And he's not going to stop until he's done."
"Perhaps." He throws his cigarette butt on the floor and smashes it under his boot. "But he can only kill what you allow him to."
I turn my head and look into his eyes.
There's an odd sense of him that I'm picking up.
He's a man of law and rules but still has the rebellious intent underneath it all.
Something about it is so... charming.
"Hey." I smile at him. "Why don't you take these restraints off of me just for a moment?"
He laughs and takes another cigarette out of his pocket. "Yeah, and why is that?"
"I've always had a thing for older men," I say. "There's something about men like you that just... excites me."
"Well, that's great for me, isn't it?" He lights his cigarette between his teeth, immediately breathing it in. "Nice try, Judi."
I focus all of my attention in his eyes.
"I'm not trying to fool you, Shiro. I respect you too much." I sit up a little bit. "And now that I finally have the chance, I want to take advantage of it.
He glances over his shoulder and smirks at me. "C'mon, Judi. You know I can't let that happen."
"At least do my wrists, Shiro." I smile. "They're too tight, anyway. It's starting to hurt."
He raises his eyebrows at me, the smoke in the air filling the space between us.
He ponders for a few moments before exhaling deeply and shaking his head. "Try anything and I'll shoot you myself."
He grabs the key from his pocket, unlocking both of the cuffs that were binding my arms to the table.
I rub my wrists, which feel a bit tender, as I look at Shiro.
He shakes his head and laughs at me. "You're a daring young woman, Judi. I'll give you that."
"How sweet of you to call me a woman." I lay back, looking at him with an inviting expression.
"What are you doing, Judi?" He turns away from me. "Your mother wouldn't approve of your behavior, now would she?"
I grab his arm so that he faces me again. "Be honest with yourself, Shiro... you've never wanted to kiss me?"
"You're 22, Judi." He narrows his eyes at me. "Maybe it's time you started dating men your own age, huh?"
"I was with a man who's over a thousand years old," I pull him closer to me by the collar of his jacket. "I'm pretty sure I'll have no problem with you."
He's inches away from my face, but I still want him closer.
I watch cautiously as the color of my flames move towards his body.
"What's holding you back, huh?" I place my hand on the back of his neck, slowly moving him closer to me. "Is it because I'm a demon, Shiro?"
I watch as he slowly becomes more and more uneasy.
"Judi, I tried to hook up with your mom a while back. I'm sure you can see why this is a bit-" He stops talking and just looks down at my lips.
Give in to your temptation, Shiro.
It's okay.
He suddenly pulls away and releases himself from my grip. He laughs under his breath and breathes in his cigarette.
"Don't make me do something I'm going to regret, Judi." He shakes his head.
"What, killing me or fucking me?"
"You know, as the Paladin, I learned how to distance myself from the temptation's of demonesses." He says. "Don't think that you're any different."
Wow.
He's really going to make me work even harder than I already am.
I sit up and place my hand on his shoulder.
"You know me, Shiro," I whisper into his ear. "I won't hurt you. I promise."
He glances over at me.
"You have the potential to get yourself out of here, yet you're wasting your time trying to get me on your good side, now." He looks at me. "No need to waste your time. I already am."
I smile at him. "Well, thanks for believing in me."
I wrap my arms around his shoulders. "Are you at least going to hug me?"
He turns to me and looks at me, examining me slowly.
I want so badly to just break my legs free and wrap myself around him.
What is this behavior?
Why am I acting like this?
I almost can't control it.
Perhaps I don't want to anymore.
He leans in a bit closer to me.
I exhale slowly, waiting for the moment when my needs are finally satisfied.
The sound of the door opening stops both of us.
Shiro slowly pulls away, winking at me as he puts his cigarette back in his mouth.
"Shiro, I've come to alleviate you for your break."
Mephisto's voice.
"Break?" He laughs as he slowly stands up. "I don't need a break, Mephisto."
"I believe you do," Mephisto exclaims. "You may report back when I give you the word."
Shiro laughs as he walks up to him. "So, can I expect to not hear anything from you at all then?"
"You can be the judge of that." He snaps, staring at him as he walks out the door.
I sigh.
I'll have my moment with him eventually.
Mephisto slams the door shut and immediately faces me.
"Shiro has never taken a liking to a woman so young before." He says sarcastically. "You must feel quite flattered."
"Why are you here?" I throw myself back on the bed. "I was behaving just fine."
"I'd like to remind you that you're my prisoner." He walks towards me, his hands behind his back. "So questioning my actions regarding you is quite unnecessary."
"Your prisoner, huh?" I narrow my eyes at him. "Getting a bit possessive there, aren't you?"
"Your personal affairs are not of my concern if that's what you've come to believe." He notices that my wrists aren't bound to the bed. "Your methods will eventually come back to bite you later, Ms. Rilegeki."
"Well, hopefully, something bites me." I stretch my back. "That will be the first good thing I've felt in a while. Perhaps I would have felt something even better if you hadn't interrupted-"
"What are you doing, Judi?" He narrows his eyes at me. "Seducing your captors isn't going to aid you in what you think is an escape."
"Shiro isn't my captor. Neither is Rin, Yukio, Lewin, Angel, or anyone else who kisses the ground you walk on." I fold my arms across my chest. "If I'm going to die, I'm not going to die fiending."
"I do not wish to see you dead." Mephisto says softly.
"Well, right now, I sure do." I bite the inside of my lip. "And if I have it my way, maybe you'll find yourself dead right next to me."
He laughs and looks down at me. "You've become quite the adventure. Whatever man you decide to victimize sure is lucky."
"Fuck you."
"I just hope you know that no ordinary man will be able to handle you in the way that you wish." He grabs my wrists and binds them again, purposely making them tighter than before.
I look at him and scoff. "Well, it looks like I'm gonna just have to find an unordinary man."
He glances at me and raises an eyebrow. "I wish you luck on your search, then."
I groan and try my hardest to move away from him.
I'm going to have to get out of here at some point, whether someone lets me out or not.
~
Shiro Fujimoto's Point of View
I smoke another cigarette as I wait for Mephisto to come back out.
Goddamn Judi.
Her intentions are crystal clear for a person who's slowly but surely developing into nothing but pure evil.
Pure evil, yet naive enough to maintain a small level of innocence.
I chuckle.
As sexy as she is, she's a time bomb.
I'd like to consider myself as just being along for the ride, and whatever happens, happens.
And while I don't mean disrespect towards Mephisto or, for heaven's sake, her mother... it's almost as if she was preventing me from disagreeing with her.
Goddamn demons.
No matter how strong you are, demons like Judi come around and make you feel as if you have the strength of a little girl.
I look over and see Mephisto walking towards me down the hallway.
Down in the prison quarters, the lack of lighting adds to his ominous demeanor.
"You left her unattended?" I blow a bit of smoke towards Mephisto.
"I have asked Lewin to cover the remainder of your shift." He replies, not even looking my direction as he speaks.
"Lewin?" I laugh, walking next to him. "You sure you wanna do that?"
"What do you presume I do, Mr. Fujimoto?" He stops and glares at me. "Leave her with you? Not even 20 minutes in, you removed half of her restraints. I'm not as inept as you might paint me to be."
"Look, with me, I can at least guarantee that she'll never leave the room." I chuckle under my breath. "I'm not as careless as you might paint me to be, Lord Pheles."
"Don't get me started on your carelessness, Shiro." He exclaims. "I'm sure Jennifer would love to hear all about it."
"Haven't you learned to separate your personal life from your duties as the Preceptor of the Order?" I glare at him. "Surely, I don't have to remind you that any hatred Judi might hold towards you is all your doing."
"Don't speak on her behalf as if you know the first thing about her." Mephisto immediately gets defensive. "She's a threat, and she needs to be contained."
He smiles at me and shakes his head. "You fool. Judi will never be able to love again. She's incapable of it now. You can have me to thank for it."
"Is this what you wanted, Mephisto?" I take my cigarette out of my mouth. "Did you, Shura, and Yukio groom her and train her to become a powerful warrior just to imprisoner her once her power reached a level that even you fear you won't be able to contain?"
He glares at me, hauntingly.
"You've ruined a young woman's life because of your own cowardice. How must that feel?" I shake my head. "But surely, you know how this all plays out. Maybe, in the end, she forgets about all the trickery and deception and runs back into your arms as if you never did a thing to her."
I scoff. "Time's ticking, Pheles. And I'm afraid things aren't going to play out the way you want."
"Shiro, it's a shame to hear a man of such wisdom and vigor like yourself say such inane things to me," Mephisto says jokingly.
"Like you said... Judi is powerful because of me. And what is given can also be taken away."
He walks off without another word, the sound of his footsteps disappearing into silence.
God... what has this Order turned into since I've been dead?
I smoke the last of my cigarette before tossing it onto the ground.
Maybe it's time that I resume what I started.