"Are you unable to perceive colors?" Agatha's eyebrows arched as she involuntarily took a step closer. "I-I usually can," the boy replied, scratching the back of his head. "But whenever my eyes throb, my vision changes, and everything appears different." "Colorblindness?" Agatha interjected. "No," the boy shook his head. "Colorblindness is congenital. My vision has always been normal. But one day—" he hesitated, noticing Agatha's expression of astonishment. "S-Sorry for rambling," he added, this time scratching his chin awkwardly. "No, you're fine," Agatha smiled warmly. "It sounds intriguing to me, and I don't mean that as an insult. I feel for the pain you're experiencing," she said, her lips curving into a sympathetic frown as she extended a hand in introduction. "I'm Agatha, and you are?" The boy glanced at her hand before shaking it. "Takumi," he murmured. "And I apologize for my earlier rudeness," Agatha said, her eyes scanning the surroundings. "Do you come here of
"What will you do with them?" "Read what's inside, obviously." "Why? These books aren't meant for a child like you." "Then why do you have them?" Agatha crossed her arms, her juvenile defiance accentuating Amanda's discomfort in the corner. "U-Uhm, children," Amanda stammered. "Why not share? Little mister Takahashi, you have an extensive collection right here already, can't you let this sweet lady borrow one?" "I question the 'sweet' part," Takumi replied, his lips thinning. "Moreover, these books are part of a series," he shoot Agatha a glare. "If she truly wishes to read them, she'll need to wait for her turn." "How convenient," Agatha said, rolling her eyes before turning to Amanda. "It's fine, Amanda. I don't compel others, particularly those who lack consideration." With that, she departed in search of another library. After an hour of fruitless searching, the sun began to set. Agatha leaned against a nearby wall, gazing at the crimson sky. "I'm running out of tim
As they ventured further into the night, Agatha found herself being drawn towards a looming mansion, its grandeur illuminated by the soft glow of moonlight. In a daze, Agatha followed Takumi, trusting his previous rescue. Despite a ninety percent chance of safety, she remained aware of the residual ten percent risk, a reminder of the inherent uncertainty of their journey. It could be ninety-nine percent, yet again, never zero. The two approached the mansion cautiously, their footsteps echoing against the cobblestone path leading to the imposing structure. With bated breath, they slipped through a slightly ajar gate and crept through the overgrown garden, shadows dancing around them like silent sentinels. "No guards?" Agatha thought to herself. "Where in hell is this?" Despite the confusion, her movements still mirrored Takumi's. As they reached the threshold of the mansion, Agatha's heart pounded with anticipation, her pulse quickening with each creak of the ancient door. But a
Agatha and Takumi stood shoulder to shoulder, navigating the intricate maze of their intertwined destinies. Agatha had come to understand that it was Samantha who bore the weight of their grandmother's curse. Accepting the impossibility of reversing it, she resolved to counter its effects, even if the odds of success were slim. With Samantha's impending fate weighing heavy on her heart, Takumi embarked in a promise to share the mission which was fueled by a blend of determination and uncertainty. Their late-night conversations were marked by earnest exchanges, as they delicately crafted a plan to broach the daunting subject with Samantha. Takumi's arcane expertise and Rener's little help provided valuable insights into the intricacies of the curse, while Agatha offered a comforting presence and unwavering support. As they formulated their strategy, they recognized the pivotal role Samantha would play in her own salvation. They knew it had to be done on the night of their birt
Agatha struggled to make sense of it all, feeling increasingly uneasy, especially seeing Samantha remain so composed throughout the revelation. After much deliberation, Samantha reluctantly agreed to Takumi's plea for assistance in unlocking the door to the other realm. Despite Agatha's fervent interjection and expressions of concern, Samantha's resolve remained unshaken, her curiosity piqued by the allure of the unknown. As they delved deeper into the arcane rituals required to breach the threshold between worlds, a palpable sense of unease hung in the air, like a foreboding omen warning of the dangers that lurked beyond. Agatha's protests fell on deaf ears, drowned out by the whispers of dark forces eager to break free from their spectral confines. She couldn't do much after all. Samantha had already become increasingly ensanred by the sinister seal she shared with Rener, beyond the point of return. Truly is too late. All she can do is to help her sister help Takumi. Once s
"You mean to tell me you fled after Shane provided you with what you desired?!" Kathleen's voice reverberated through the room, her anger unmistakable. Dr. Kim watched the interrogation with a gleeful smirk, eager to uncover the truth himself. He sought to comprehend how a man he once considered a friend could so easily abandon those who had strived to help him. "I did not," Takumi replied. "I struck a bargain with Agatha to save her sister after opening the door; however, neither Rener nor I anticipated the immense power wielded by the demon with whom she was bound. We only recently discovered its true identity." Takumi's lips quivered. "The moment the realm was opened, the demon drained Rener's powers, along with the lives of those nearby. As my servant, it was Rener's duty to protect me, so he had no choice but to take me away with him." He heaved a breath. "I passed out that night after being drained and woke up a few days later, only to learn that Agatha had been taken awa
Kathleen had spent the entire day in the hospital, her thoughts a turbulent mix of worry and reflection. The sterile white walls and the relentless ticking of the clock which seem to only exist in her mind stretched the hours into an interminable expanse. She paced the narrow confines of the room, unable to distract herself from her inner turmoil. As evening approached, the view from the small hospital window transformed into a breathtaking canvas of crimson twilight, painting the sky with strokes of red, orange, and gold. Drawn to the beauty outside, Kathleen stood by the window, the cool air contrasting with the sterile environment within. The fiery colors deepened into rich, velvety shades as stars began to punctuate the darkening sky. The hospital seemed to hold its breath, and Kathleen found herself breathing more steadily. The day's endless hours faded into the background, and in the quiet majesty of the crimson night, she found a semblance of clarity. In that moment, bathe
Belle Del Valle's hands trembled as she carefully traced the detailed shapes on the cold, stone floor, the designs gradually forming a glowing pentacle that pulsed with an eerie, otherworldly light. The dim, flickering fluorescent bulbs overhead cast long, wavering shadows that danced in rhythm with the pentacle's sinister glow. As the last line was drawn, the air around her grew thick with a palpable, oppressive energy. Suddenly, from the very center of the pentacle, a swirling mass of black smoke began to materialize, coalescing into a towering, amorphous form. This entity, devoid of any discernible features, exuded an aura of pure malevolence. Belle's heart raced as she took in the sight before her—this was her first encounter with a demon, a being she had scarcely believed could exist. Paralyzed with fear, she watched as the smoky figure loomed closer, its presence suffocating and terrifying. Around her, her comrades stood in a tense silence, their eyes fixed on the unfold
Tomoya leaned back against his car, his arms crossed defensively as though they might shield him from the piercing gaze of the woman standing before him. Dryzza, a force to be reckoned with even on her worst days, stood opposite him, her face pale, her exhaustion evident. Dark shadows framed her eyes, betraying sleepless nights. Yet despite her weariness, her presence held an unyielding authority that made Tomoya’s discomfort intensify. "What?" he asked, feigning nonchalance, though his mind raced. Knowing Rener had already entered this woman’s dreams made him uneasy. The last thing he wanted was a confrontation with her—it could derail the delicate events set to unfold later that evening. "You tell me," Dryzza snapped, her tone sharp but laden with fatigue. She paused, as if assessing whether she truly had the energy to deal with him. "What are you doing here?" Tomoya smirked, a feeble attempt to mask his anxiety. Pushing himself off the car slightly, he gestured to his ve
Tomoya dragged himself back home, his mind and body weighted by the events of the night. He didn’t bother dwelling on Jess’s fate if her accomplices realized the grimoire he’d handed her was a forgery. Exhaustion had dulled his senses, and the moral complexities of his choices faded into the background. Reaching his condominium, he allowed the familiar silence to envelop him. He assumed Kathleen was in good hands with Theresa, sparing him one less worry for the night. Collapsing onto the couch, Tomoya felt the day’s tension seep into the room. The empty space around him, although spacious, felt oppressive, as if the walls themselves carried the weight of his secrets. Pulling the grimoire from his coat pocket, he placed it carefully on the table next to his laptop. The book’s presence filled the room with an ominous aura, a silent reminder of his uneasy alliance with Rener. The thought of working with Rener makes his skin crawl. What would Takumi think if he found out? The betr
Tomoya slumped into the driver’s seat, gripping the steering wheel as his mind spiraled. “Now what?” he muttered, his voice a mixture of self-loathing and panic. He replayed the moment he handed the grimoire to Jess, realizing with mounting horror that he had fallen prey to Rener’s manipulations. His fists clenched as frustration overwhelmed him. “You absolute idiot!” he berated himself, his voice echoing in the stillness of the car. “You trusted a demon. A demon! What the hell were you thinking?!” He kicked the floorboard like a petulant child, trying to vent the storm raging inside him. He was still seething when a movement in the rearview mirror caught his eye. “Holy shit!” Tomoya nearly leaped out of his seat as he spotted Rener, lounging in the backseat as if he belonged there. His calm, unbothered demeanor only added fuel to Tomoya’s anger. “You!” he pointed accusingly, his voice trembling with disbelief and fury. Rener’s dark eyes met his through the mirror, a faint smirk p
The hospital cafeteria exuded an almost eerie stillness despite the occasional clatter of cutlery and murmured conversations. Its sterile, fluorescent lighting gave everything a pale glow, and the faint smell of antiseptic mingled with the aroma of cheap coffee. Tomoya sat across from Jess, his body language rigid and unwelcoming. The tension between them was palpable, thick as the silence that had settled around their table. Jess had barely touched her salad, her fork occasionally poking at the lettuce while her gaze remained fixed downward. "How’d it come to you that I would just hand you the grimoire that easily?" Tomoya’s voice cut through the silence, his tone sharp and laden with irritation. His arms were crossed, his posture unyielding. It wasn’t in his nature to entertain vague requests, especially not when they revolved around something as dangerous as Samantha’s grimoire. Jess’s unwillingness to provide any meaningful explanation only fueled his skepticism. Jess shif
“We clearly severed all ties long ago. Why is he still meddling in my affairs?” Takumi's voice was sharp, laced with an unmistakable irritation, as he slammed a hand down onto the round table between them. The sound resonated through the quiet room, highlighting the tension that had hung since Tomoya arrived. After his strange encounter with Rener, Tomoya had come to Takumi without delay to relay the archdemon’s unexpected proposition. Now, sitting across from his cousin, he could see Takumi’s simmering resentment—a bitterness that seemed to have settled within him long ago. Tomoya managed a wry smile. “I’d never know his true intentions,” he replied with a hint of sarcasm, leaning back in his chair. “But, whatever his motives are, we both know he genuinely cared for you once.” His tone softened as he finished, a subtle reminder of the past that even demons cannot erase. Takumi froze, the sarcasm seeping from his own expression, replaced by something harder to decipher. His ga
Rener remained standing, merely raising a hand in polite refusal. “No need,” he said, his voice a low resonance that seemed to echo off the walls. “I’m only here for a little pep talk.” “Pep talk?” Tomoya raised a brow, feigning confusion even as his mind raced, grasping for the direction of the conversation. He knew all too well that Rener rarely appeared without purpose, and his visit now only served to confirm Tomoya’s darkest suspicions. “What for?” he asked, his tone guarded. “And in case you’re here to see Takumi-niisan, he’s out.” Rener shook his head slowly, his expression unchanging. “No,” he replied, his gaze sharp, “I came to speak with you personally.” Tomoya’s guard rose, and he decided to press forward before Rener could steer the conversation further. “If you’re here to convince me to stop nii-san from opening the portal, you’ll be disappointed,” he said, his voice cool but unyielding. “Even if you’ve claimed his heart, his connection with Agatha can neve
In the cool, dim light of the police precinct’s entrance, Tomoya felt his nerves on edge, the weight of his recent discovery bearing down on him. The information he’d unearthed in the police database had made it painfully clear—Jess was no ordinary woman, and her connection to the Takahashi case was undeniable. Though his heart raced with the excitement of finally untangling some of the puzzle, his mind buzzed with the complications this revelation brought. He was drawn here, to this place, by an undeniable urge to confront Jess, yet as he crossed the threshold, he saw no familiar faces among the precinct’s busy, bustling crowd. No sign of Zach, Esmeralda, or anyone else he’d anticipated seeing. It was strange, but he felt a pull towards Dryzza, the detective whose skill had uncovered pivotal elements of the Takahashi case. Her name had popped up so often in his search that he felt almost as though he knew her—though not a face in the precinct was familiar to him. He hadn’t
The afternoon had settled into an unsettling quiet. The wind brushed gently, yet coldly, across the cityscape, weaving through empty alleyways and rustling through bare branches as though whispering secrets. The sky was cast in a muted gray, thick clouds obscuring any hint of sunlight and casting shadows across the streets. Distant sounds, a dog barking, a faint siren, echoed faintly and faded as quickly as they came, amplifying the eerie stillness. It was the kind of day where time seemed to pause, hanging heavy with an inexplicable weight, as if something significant were lurking just beyond the silence. From his vantage point on the hospital rooftop, Tomoya watched Esmeralda and Zach as they departed, their figures gradually disappearing into the distance. They had come, as Tomoya knew they would, to speak to Takumi, hoping he might grant them access to the ruins of the Takahashi manor. But as expected, Takumi had refused, his response curt and his demeanor wary. The weight
The stillness in the office was unsettling. Dryzza, Sai, and Esmeralda sat in their usual places, surrounded by the hum of electronics and the soft, indifferent ticking of the wall clock. Yet, despite the familiarity of the environment, everything felt different. Hours had passed since they had returned from the Takahashi manor, but the enormity of what they had encountered weighed down the room, lingering in the corners of their minds like an unspoken truth. It was already 8 in the morning, and the sunlight now filtered through the blinds, casting sharp shadows across their desks. But the brightness outside stood in stark contrast to the dark, unyielding silence that filled the room. None of them had spoken since their return. The quiet between them wasn’t simply a pause; it was a protective buffer, a space that allowed each to process the profound implications of the night’s events. Dryzza, usually quick to process and act, found herself staring blankly at her desk, the sig