Embers (Hana ✗ Sen)

[Mu]

Phynex was shocked to see his own friends caught in a situation like this, with Golem's fist buried into the incubus' chest, a look of fury on his face and the shocked expression plastered on Adulio's own. He was about to step forward when he felt hands all over his back, trying to push past him to get inside the room. He looked behind to see a small crowd of wild-eyed women, trying to pull the fire demon out of the doorway. He snarled, placing his arms against the door frame, pushing back the unarmed women while they mercilessly clawed at him and his back. Phynex watched Selene gently lower Belinda onto the floor with a frown on his face, his partner trying to shake some sense into the other girl. It was clear that she had fallen under the influence of the incubus, who was roaring in the pain on his own bed.

His eyes widened, "Kill him?" he asked. "Are we not going to question him?" the fire demon asked her with his eyebrows raised, turning back once in a while to snap at the other women with annoyance. Now that Belinda's mind had been warped by the incubus, they lost their second pair of hands working on the cure to erase the incubus' influence from the mind. The apothecary had even admitted that it had been extremely difficult trying to gather the correct ingredients to recreate whatever the siblings had that evening. And the test subjects were even harder to find, especially when most of them withdrew into the town hall at night, when it was a little safer for the sane to re-enter the village if they were careful enough. If they questioned the incubus under their careful eye, they could be able to pry some answers out of him. Not to mention he was injured, making escape harder for Lord Adulio.

At the mention of injury, a shadow crossed his face. "Hit? Where?" his voice was low, already simmering with anger. Though injuries were imminent with such an occupation, hunting demons day and night, Phynex did not once like the idea of seeing Selene in pain or injured. Despite hunters having quicker healing processes, their body having adapted and was now better and stronger than a normal human being, there was still pain involved with any injury no matter how quick one could heal. He craned his neck to get a better look at the huntress, his eyes flickering over what he could see. But there was no sign of blood, but Selene would never lie. The fire demon's eyes glanced over at the feverish Belinda at her words, nodding slightly before he quickly pivoted, swinging his arm almost as if he was about the claw the women behind him, startling them and making them jump back at his sudden movement. He snarled, small bursts of fire flickering to life. Phynex could see that the flames were scaring them, the girls pressing themselves against the wall which he used to his advantage. Using his flames to guide the women away, he pushed them back, giving Selene enough space and time to run.

The howls inside the room began to subside, the incubus' eyes flickering from the fury and enraged, disgusted face of his assailant to the now unguarded door. With the lust demon on the bottom with Golem sitting on top, smashing anything he could with his fists, leaving most of Adulio's upper body battered and bloody, the incubus' knee jerked upwards to his most sensitive area. Golem flinched and hunched over instinctively, his attack stopping as he gathered his strength again, but it was too slow, giving Adulio the chance to use his uninjured wing to throw the male demon off of him, stumbling off the bed and fleeing out of the room and speeding down the hallway with boosts from the help of his injured wing. His escape was sloppy, blood splattering everywhere on the floor from his injured chest, his injured wing; dark blood stained the floorboards and he would have tripped over the bodies of his own women if not for his wing helping him hover ever so slightly. But Adulio moved fast, dashing down the stairwell and out of the town hall, with Golem on hot pursuit.

 

[Hana]

"I'll be fine," Selene deflected, eyes narrowing back at her partner. She could feel him trying to look over her, but she had pushed Belinda in front of her, holding the healer close to her chest, to keep him from seeing. Some of her blood had already been splashed on the healer's white undershirt, but they probably thought it was Adulio's in the confusion. Best she keep it to herself, she had already put pressure on the wounds to keep them from bleeding too much and worsening for her. And unlike usual circumstances, this was one time where she would recover faster than a demon. Her weapon would cause Adulio's regenerative abilities to stagnate. His blood would continue on flowing liberally from those wounds, his healing slowed down to a trickle. When Phynex didn't see anything amiss with her, she let out a breath. He hadn't scented her blood yet, probably due to the confusing smoke and perfume that clouded the town hall. She was actually surprised he hadn't shown much of a reaction to all the strong and cloying scents, with his sensitive nose.

Rushing past the opening her partner gave her, Selene indiscriminately brought the handle of the dagger on the women's heads, taking them down with the healer still held close to her. She pulled and pivoted out of the way of the clawing hands, casting a look at Phynex's back. Her eyes narrowed as she saw the scratches torn in his clothes, but at least his clothes protected him from the worst of their clawing nails. Nodding at the fire demon, she pulled the healer along with her. Belinda was compliant, letting herself get pulled along by the younger girl, still a confused and uncomprehending look in her eyes that would hopefully fade with time and distance.

But just as they reached the stairwells, the howls from inside the room had subsided. She heard Golem cry out in sharp and sudden pain, before a black and white blur liberally splattered with blood sped down the hall. "Oh no, you don't," the girl snapped at the incubus' retreating back. He was far too injured to escape her, stumbling slightly on his injured wing, his blood splashing on the floor behind him. His injuries weren't going to heal anytime soon, not after she had stabbed that dagger right into his back. While he had gotten the upper hand over Golem momentarily, she was still able to run after him. She didn't look at Phynex as she pushed Belinda into his arms, following after the furious earth demon pursuing Adulio.

They flew out of the town hall, blowing past the women that were still up. By now the men of the village, the ones who weren't under Adulio's spell, were piling into the building. Everywhere there were struggling women who were being held back by their husbands, fathers, or brothers, some also tending to the unconscious women on the ground. They all looked up in shock as they saw the bloodied incubus stumble past, their faces changing into vicious pleasure at seeing Adulio's bloodied and bruised state. The incubus' chest was bruised, turning red and purple in some places with blood coming out of his mouth. Golem had been startlingly vicious in attacking him earlier. With how much blood he was splattering on the ground from his wounds and his wing, he wouldn't be able to outrun her. Even if she was injured, she wasn't as badly hurt as he was.

The chase took them farther and farther away from the town hall, but Adulio couldn't escape them. He was practically leaving a trail of red in his wake. Selene ripped off the cloak, running faster and gaining on the incubus. She overtook Golem soon enough, going into a fast and punishing pace with her eyes set on the one target straight ahead. It was only when they had reached the village's borders, falling into the strange flowerfield, that the incubus stumbled and weakened. Taking advantage of that stumble, Selene grabbed another knife and drew her arm back, before flinging it at Adulio's back.

The strangely colored purple flowers, with white centers, fluttered strangely in the breeze. The huntress barely noticed the odd fragrance that she soon inhaled. This is probably some sort of poisoned flower, isn't it? Did he really think he could stop her by rushing in the middle of this field? She had ingested different poisons before, both liquid and gaseous forms, just to build more of a resistance to their effects. As soon as Adulio stumbled to a halt, a knife digging into his shoulder, Selene also abruptly stopped. She panted, her breath coming out more in gasps as she glared at him. After a few moments, she murmured in a barely audible tone, "You're not leaving." Holding up another knife in one hand, and her dagger in the other, she rushed at him. There was no time to hesitate or let him escape. Covering the distance between them in a few blinks, she threw down the much larger frame of the incubus, kicking him in the chest and bringing him down with her. She pressed on his injured shoulder with her knee, raising the dagger over his head.

"They were never yours in the first place, and have never been," she whispered as her violet eyes bore into his golden ones, cold and impassive. This man, who had looked oddly magnetic and enticing earlier with his false charms, now looked much more pitiful. Was this what he really was? No longer did Adulio look like the strangely beautiful man of before, with his short white hair and deeply tanned skin. Now there was only a battered and bruised demon before her, his lip split from Golem's punches and one of his eyes nearly swollen shut. His chest was battered and bloody, making pinning him down a little more slippery than it would have been. "Those chains would never be enough." The only remnants of the chains he tried to bind her with were the iron shackles on her wrists. She brought down the dagger towards his neck to slash deeply into his throat, uncaring of the people watching.

In the distance, there were two figures who watched the scene, along with many more others who had come to witness the death of the incubus. One of them was a frail young girl, with her sightless eyes turned in Adulio's direction. She was clinging close to the broad and strong form of the woodcutter, who looked on with a grim exrpession. Yet unlike the pleased expressions of the wronged villagers, there were tears tracking down her face. She was the only one who didn't seem to want to be with the other villagers, who were by now murmuring among themselves about the dying incubus.

 

[Mu]

Phynex spun around at the black figure rushing past him, frightening the women he had pushed away from the bedroom and from the huntress. He growled, seeing his friend chase after the escaping incubus with his entire body radiating nothing but hatred and anger. His normally earthy, rather comforting colours that made up his aura had turned into a deep red flickering dangerously like fire, fire that wasn't being regulated and controlled. Leaving the women behind, he ran down after Golem and Selene, who was carrying the still confused Belinda. His eyes widened in surprise when his partner pushed the brown-haired girl towards him, the fire demon catching him with his arms, looking up just in time to see her long snow white hair disappear around the corner and down the stairwell. He looked down at his friend's partner, shivering slightly and her skin flushed. Belinda's top clothing had been taken off, revealing a white undershirt and her pale shoulders. Looking over her, Phynex was glad that she didn't seem to be marked in any way, as incubus liked to do. She was sticky and clammy from sweat, making the fire demon slightly lower his temperature as he gently picked up the light frame of Belinda, slowly following the others down the town hall.

Making his way down the stair with slow, careful steps, he blinked at the crowd of men who had been trashing the shops outside filling the room. Most of them seemed to be happy to see their wives or sisters or daughters, while others held a grim face of determination as they held them back from the main entrance, each and every one of them trying to twist themselves away from their captors and run to where their injured lord was. The little girl he had seen earlier on the streets was also there, another dagger tossed aside near her as a crying middle-aged man wrapped his arms around her, preventing her from moving even though she was trying hard to squirm out of his grasp. Phynex spotted the apothecary, Lucas, breathing a sigh of relief upon seeing the man. Quickly, he explained what he knew about his female friend, the man nodding to show his understanding. Though the progress on creating the cure had been slow, it had at least made a little bit of progress during the week. Not complete, but there was now a framework to work upon. He left Belinda in his care, the fire demon using his senses to carefully track down Selene, her aura tickling the corner of his mind from somewhere out of the town but not far.

Adulio, for the first time, saw the men whom he had stolen from up close. Stumbling down the stairs in fear of the earth demon and the huntress - their footsteps not far behind him - the incubus had fled down to the first floor and out of the entrance. But the image was branded into his mind. Their faces of determination, faces stained with tears and some faces even glowing like the sun upon seeing the loved ones, turned into victorious sneers and knowing looks, others with disgusted looks and others smirking at the sight of him. The incubus was covered in his own blood, his tanned skin pattered with blue and purple bruises all over, one part of his side painfully pushed in and other parts swollen from broken bones. The ruthless punches from his assailant had left him looking like anything but a lord. His wounds weren't closing, despite being a demon with enhanced healing capabilities, Adulio's wing continued to sting and burn with pain. When he flex it, it would only rip even more. Black and red blood trickled down his back and left a path, but the incubus didn't care.

During his monthly reign he had decided that the skills of the villagers should not go to waste. Before he made them live in the town hall, to be his little collection, he made them do what they were born to do. But instead of growing herbs for the hunters and crops to survive on, seeds were sown outside of the second wall just before the train station. A large ring of flowers surrounding all sides, purple and violet, a startling and eye-catching colour that every hunter and every visitor would see upon coming into Southmount. These seeds were special, once planted they would never wilt, they would continue to stay their vibrant colours and take over even more plants like an invasive species. And those who were exposed to the petals and pollen of it would fall into a deep, deep sleep. And as long as they remained there in the presence of these ever-lasting flowers they would sleep forever and ever. Those who would try to rescue them would simply fall asleep themselves. And normal fire could never burn them down.

Running into the centre of the field, the demon stopped running, groaning in pain. He could hardly breathe, his ribcage hurting and his breaths coming out as wheezes. And right behind him was the white-haired huntress, immediately jumping upon her victim. Her foot connected squarely on his chest and sending him tumbling into the flowers. Her gleaming dagger went down on him like lightning, the demon screaming in pain at the deep cut, the throbbing on his shoulder worsening on her weight being pressed down on it. Everything was hurting. "A hunter like you would never understand," he grunted. One of Adulio's hands barely made it to his neck, pressing onto the wound. "What it is like in the Underworld. You special little privileged hunters born into your pretty little world when we have to suffer every day and every night just for being in the wrong tier," he gargled. Adulio grinned painfully, "Y- You can ask your pretty male companions, I can tell they are just like me. Even if they are scum for working with you humans-" he spat out the last few words, tainted with malice. "Heh, I can read on your face that you don't understand what I'm saying at all." The incubus closed his eyes, his breath shuddering as he took it. His eyes flickered to the watching couple, a stony-faced man and the familiar but sightless face. "I didn't mean to hurt Felicia. Who knew some humans could be so sweet?"

With a roar, uncaring about his own wound, he spread his wings wide open, opening them up fully to show that they were bigger than one would expect. Raising them above his head, he swept it down, creating a strong wind that disturbed the flowers, causing the nearest ones to break apart, scattering petals into the wind. "You can come back to hell with me, precious."

 

[Hana]

"Oh?" Selene listened to the incubus' angry words, her expression never changing. Did it matter to her that his life was hard in the underworld? Frankly, she had thought she would just be doing her job. As a hunter, she had never gone against what her work was supposed to entail. Killing a demon was just that - killing. There was no glamour or glory to be found in the work, despite the hunters trying to put on airs or pretenses. "It doesn't matter to me what it was like for you," she stated coolly, grabbing his hand that was stopping the gushing of blood from his neck. His warm, clawed hands were slippery with the dark red and black blood, staining her own pale fingers as she wrenched his hand away from his wound. "That doesn't excuse what you did to those women. Did you really think hardship could justify what you've done?" She arched an eyebrow at him, leaning over his face as her hair fell close to him like a veil. "Don't answer. Even if it's wrong or right, I'm just doing my job... What I think or feel doesn't matter." But I sure as hell feel like stopping you.

Like the incubus, she was taking shallow breathes, but for an entirely different reason. Knowing what this flower field was, he probably thought he had an out. But looking at the incubus close his eyes and take wet and shuddering gasps, his voice more like a wet gargle due to his ruined throat, he likely knew he wasn't making it out alive. Selene stared down at him, her free hand reaching out to touch the gaping wound on his throat. A moment later, she widened the gash by pulling, hooking her fingers through the gory wound. Unfazed by touching the flesh and blood bared before her, she continued to make him bleed out. She wanted nothing more than for this to be over by now. I'm tired. And his words, despite how little it seemed to affect her on the outside, were still oddly, damnably striking out at her. No, she didn't care that he thought she didn't understand. She knew full well that both worlds had their own trials and tribulations, harsh realities were unavoidable. Even in this 'pretty little world', as Adulio had put it. And despite how hard it was for him in the Underworld, nothing could ever justify his actions. Not to those women, who would most likely have the shadow of Adulio's touch on them for most of their lives after this. And definitely not to Belinda. This demon had no right to unleash hardships on others just to soothe his own pain. Yet she knew that it would happen, time and again, with different people. It happened everywhere, in different ways.

Felicia? Following his golden gaze, she found the face of the blind girl looking out unseeingly at the purple flower field. Among many other villagers, the face of the blind girl stood out. Even from this distance, Selene could see the tear tracks and the pain on the sightless girl's face. Colleen had told her beforehand, in the past few days, that the blind girl used to visit Adulio all the time. In the days before he had taken control over Southmount, when he was just digging his claws into the female and male villagers' hearts, only Felicia seemed to be the one who was not attracted to the incubus. Unable to see his face, barely able to hear his voice, she couldn't fall as easily to his spell as most of the girls. The incubus had to talk carefully to her, and brush her hair or her hand, just to get a response out of her. The apothecary's daughter had mentioned how her blind friend's face lit up at the simple gifts the incubus would give her. Adulio at first didn't care much about the blind girl, since she couldn't be as useful as most of the other women. They hadn't realized it then, but he had only given Felicia the simplest of gifts compared to the lavish presents he gave the other women.

And under Andreas' stern, but initially welcoming gaze, he could hardly flirt or touch Felicia in any way. He had to earn her simple trust and adoration of him the hard way. In the end, it hardly mattered, since the incubus ruined any chance he had when he had taken over Southmount. What he had done to the poor girl, when she had been one of the few who couldn't fall for him the way he wanted, had been horrible. With little chance for escape and trapped with the incubus, they didn't even know what had actually happened to her. The huntress noticed a something like a simple, glossy stone dangling from a piece of string, clutched in Felicia's fingers. The blind girl was clutching onto the necklace like it was a lifeline...

"You didn't mean to? So?" Shaking her head slowly, she pursed her lips. He was taking long to bleed out, minutes ticking by them and by now she just firmly wanted to go back to Phynex. Her earlier escape, the confusion and the haze of her emotions and the responses of her body she couldn't control, it was exhausting in its own way. "She no longer speaks. I heard she used to sing for you, even when she couldn't hear her own voice. All because of you." Just because he thought he could twist and manipulate womens' hearts, because he thought they were easy, didn't mean he had a right to. Emotions were already terrifying enough when she couldn't understand it applied on herself, the idea that someone could warp and change what she was just trying to understand was unacceptable. And what I said before... But I have someone to come back to and you will never be able to make me feel the same way he does... Damn. She pushed away those thoughts, focusing back on Adulio's fixation. "She adored you, not because you were 'handsome' or for those expensive gifts. And now," she glanced at the crying girl in the distance, "She knows. You don't deserve her at all..."

Then he did one last attempt. Startled, she barely covered her nose and mouth in time with her sleeve as his large dark wings swept up the petals, rushing at her face. She got a lungful of the strange fragrance... The strong wind tore the purple and white petals from their buds, the petals whipping around the two in the middle of the field. Even in the dark, she could see the small specks of pale lavender, like dust. With a hiss, Selene slashed the dying incubus across the throat one final time, forcing him to turn his head to face towards Felicia and look at her with his fading vision. "Hell? With what you've done, this world is hell enough for her already," she stated quietly. Why do two consecutive missions like this have to be so... Eventful? Meeting all these people. I've seen enough deaths and lives ruined already, but this is... And everything happened only in the early evening. The sky was dim, the moon nearly hidden behind the dark clouds that had come and gathered in front of it. Yet it was only early evening.

Rising from the fallen, dying figure of the demon taking his last breaths, she closed her eyes as she felt the wind brush past her face. Still covering her nose and mouth with her hand, she turned away. There was little the incubus could do with his ruined body by now. His throat had been sliced open, his life bleeding out onto the thick and rich soil that grew these purple flowers. I have a lot to think about after this. Did I just say that about Phynex without thinking? She had said those words in the heat of the moment. And she couldn't ignore them, not when they were probably true. It was ironic that the incubus who warped hearts into twisted love and caring would force her to turn her own sights on what she felt. Walking away from the fallen body, she found it harder to open her eyes than usual. So this is what it does. Adulio's final attempt had forced her to take in a lungful of pollen or sleep-inducing fragrance. Most likely, the flowers' sleep inducing effects had something special to it. But she wasn't going to die... She had to get away from the flower field and as close to leaving it now. Dizzily, she stumbled on an upraised patch of soil, her hands digging into the earth as she sank to her knees. So this flower field surrounding the village was one of his defenses. Either way, she had killed him, it was done. Even if he thought he had the last laugh by poisoning her like this, she was going to live. Probably. She could feel the side her head press against the strangely warm soil, staring at the blurry outlines of smooth green stems and the leaves that rose from the ground. Her last thought before falling into the winding embrace of sleep was that Phynex was going to be furious.

 

[Mu]

He hissed at her in pain, feeling her fingers and her nails dig into his neck wound. He could hardly move the rest of his body now, not only because he was being pinned down by the huntress but because he was slowly bleeding out. The earth underneath the incubus felt wet from his own blood, feeding the thirsty flowers that were growing around them. Adulio could only guess that in the beginning his wounds were not healing because of the white-haired huntress, recalling the dagger she had brought down on his exposed back, he wondered if it was tipped with some sort of anti-demon agent, or perhaps it was the type of weapon itself. But now, whatever technique she had used, it did not matter. He was becoming weaker and weaker by the second, his wounds opening and splitting, her weight on his broken bones causing him excruciating pain that was being expressed in whimpers, gasps for breath that were painful and groans. "T- These women have never been more happy being with me, you should see their faces... I gave them everything a villager doesn't. They have food, they have pretty clothes, they deserve and they love to be part of my collection. It's a win-win situation, little huntress. I cannot believe you can taking that away from them, you're more selfish than I thought." He growled at her, baring bright white teeth at Selene.

Adulio took a deep breath, "Being born in the wrong tier brings so many problems, problems about the demon world that you hunters will never learn from your so called ancient texts and books. Not even the closest of contract demons bonded to humans can spill such harsh realities. With such a shitty world, it's no wonder we decided to come here instead. Plus, the women here are way prettier." The second reason hung unsaid between them, that they were also easier to control. Easier to manipulate to do whatever he wanted with time, the obsession and the loyal behaviour was simple to bring out from women who adored you. "You should be happy I'm not an Aristocrat incubus," Adulio laughed loudly at the thought, "You would be all over me, wanting and begging me to take you as soon as I touch you." Even if he was being trapped and pressed against the earth with no hopes of escaping, his eyes roamed over the woman's body, licking his lips. If he had disarmed her, not underestimated her, perhaps it would have been this huntress warming his bed. A mistake that costed everything he had built up for.

With the violet petals dancing aound them, his laughter subsided from both his voice and his eyes, the incubus turning to look at the mute and deaf, and now blind girl. Adulio's cut lip turned into a frown. "I remember her giving me a pretty flower that she picked herself as well, during my second day here. Maybe I should have left her alone, seeing as she has those disabilities." But his instincts to claim every single female in Southmount had taken over most of his thoughts, setting in as his resolve. "Felicia-" a sharp slice across his neck cut his sentence short, the demon of lust gargling in pain before it overtook his body, turning lifeless within seconds. His blood oozed out of his body, staining the flower field, and Adulio fell silent.

Phynex had jogged down towards the location of Selene's aura, frowning as he passed several empty streets and running down the hill towards the second perimeter of the village. He passed by an emotionless-faced Golem, who was walking back the other way to the town hall. "She's over there, he's pretty much dead." With a nod and an assuring smile, his friend disappeared up the hill, leaving the fire demon to head down and meet up with his partner. With the incubus heavily injured, he was sure Selene would have been able to finish him off, shattering and hopefully ending the spell he had placed upon the women of Southmount. Passing through the archway of the walls, he blinked at the gently swaying field of flowers, glowing eerily violet, yet it looked so beautiful in the midst of dying herbs and plants inside the village. In the background, far behind the violet field, was the pinprick ends of the first ring of wilted, dead plants.

He scanned the field with anticipation, his heart skipping a beat when he spotted the still figure of the incubus, his wings spread out wide and lying dead in the centre of the field. Eyes wide and his throat slashed, the fire demon's heart felt at ease until his eyes rested upon the huntress, laying not too far from the body of the incubus. His heart jumped upon seeing Selene, happy to see her his partner not bloody and battered like the incubus, dashing down to meet the white-haired huntress. "Selene!" he yelped in surprise, slowly sneaking up on the woman with a happy smile plastered on his lips. The fire demon blinked down at her face, seemingly asleep or resting - he wasn't surprised, she must have been tired. But there were plenty of other places to rest. Gently, he shook her body, trying to get her awake. Phynex frowned when there was not a single response. Why wasn't she reacting to him or his touch? "Selene?" he repeated, his voice a little more confused. A dark thought crossed his mind, did the incubus know some sort of trick that he had used on his partner? Did he know some way to kill her, and that was why he had lured her out here? The fire demon choked on his own breath, there was no way Selene was dead, right? But the white-haired huntress remained limp and unresponsive. Phynex sobbed at the possibility, not wanting to believe it, there was no way she would leave him this quickly. Carefully, he bundled her into his arms, bringing her close to his chest, resting his head on her shoulder. "Selene... you promised not to leave me..."

 

[Hana]

The place where the white haired girl lingered didn't leave her completely unaware. She stirred from deep inside, feeling a familiar bright and warm presence approach closer and closer. It was tugging at something in her chest, and Selene clamored to touch it. Deep in her unconsciousness, it was easier to lose herself to her own emotions. Feelings and thoughts that she normally would disregard as best she could were starker and more prominent. And she didn't feel like ignoring it, not right now... But she couldn't move, couldn't open her eyes to look and see. Her thoughts were more sluggish than usual, but she felt it when someone was shaking her by the shoulders. Phynex? Her eyes remained closed, her face still and peaceful. By all rights she looked like she was in deep sleep, her breathing coming slow, faint, and even. Yet she was responding, ever so slightly, as she heard an upset sob followed by a stuttering pain that resonated in her chest. The pain wasn't hers, but why was it focused on her?

Am I asleep? Am I dreaming? It was hard to tell, but the pain in her chest was certainly something that she should wake up to. It was Phynex's pain, and there was the muffled and distant sound of a grief-filled voice. Why? She wanted to wake up immediately and comfort him. Yet the words that he was trying to say came out garbled and blurred, echoing incoherently in the depths of her mind. But grief was a language in its own. And it seemed to be for her. What was causing him to suddenly think such dark thoughts that she couldn't read, but could tell he was thinking? Here in this 'sleep', it was easier to see his feelings. Everything else had nearly melted away, sight most of all. And that made her focus on what wasn't usually seen. This poison worked slowly and surely in her blood, but it wasn't to kill. It was keeping her from waking up, her limbs far too heavy and her mind kept in sleep. The scent of the flowers was still in her nose, though now she could smell the familiar warm and smoky scent that was Phynex's. Pressed almost against her face was... The fabric of his shirt. There was no way she could avoid taking in his scent when he was bringing her close to his chest.

Phynex... He had come to get her after that - that confrontation with the incubus. She was dead exhausted, most likely it was furthered by the flowers, but she had also been tired out fighting off the incubus' influence. Inhaling two foreign substances meant to mess with the body possibly couldn't be good for anyone. After that drugged smoke or mist that filled the entire room, drawing blood closer to her skin and her extremities and making her feel too hot under her clothes, then the contrasting calming and cooling feeling the flowers gave. It was nearly a pleasant sensation, if it weren't for the fact she was essentially unable to leave this sleep. And she hadn't wanted the fire demon to see her like this. Already he was jumping from shock to pain and grief, almost too fast. And... He didn't want her to leave him. She had learned through his own words how his parents had gone from his life. I'm still alive, dummy... Despite her own bemusement, she just wanted to hold him back, and be held in return. Unfortunately, her body remained still and silent against his, her chest only rising and falling slightly...

Isn't it strange that my heart isn't speeding up... When normally this contact would have sent her pulse racing abnormally fast, as it always tended to pick up from just having him touch her. Feelings that only you could give, huh... How? He was the only one who could make her heart race, and not in fright or because of her work. He was gentle, but she had seen the roaring and angry beast that he was when provoked. Yet both sides were sides that she never feared, though his gentleness was like a weapon. His kindness was a weapon in itself, even more dangerous in the hands of a demon. Yet he didn't frighten her. Her own feelings and her heart were far more terrifying to consider. Because he made her happy. And only in the months that they knew each other. Teaching him, watching his face light up at the simplest of things she could give him. His look of pleasure and affection whenever she touched his hair or held him close. He taught her not to fear contact from him when it should have been impossible, not after she had flinched away from others for years. I.... It's not possible... He made her happy just because he was with her and he was himself. Even through all the arguments, she wanted him to understand her, and to understand him. All these things that pointed at something she didn't understand, but knew deep inside herself. Things she didn't experience before, but new intrinsically as a person... Feelings. For him. How? She couldn't answer it, couldn't describe it in simple words to herself. Because that summoned too many feelings and images and memories even within the past months. And the bond that was their contract... Wasn't what caused it, but it made it easier for her to see. From the silver and binding chains mingled with the black blood ink, to a barely noticeable red thread.

What do I do? She didn't know the answer anymore.

 

[Mu]

He held the huntress' body close, shaking where he sat pressing her against his body. He was still disbelieving that Selene had left him, it was far too quick, they had not even been together as partners for a year yet. Was he just going to lose his one and only partner to some incubus? With his head resting on her shoulder, Phynex took a deep breath, catching her scent and slowly engulfed his senses as he left it wash over him. It was amusing how even with his sensitive nose, the white-haired huntress' scent wasn't overwhelming. He wondered if it was natural, or if it came from the soap she liked to used. Nevertheless, he liked it. It was a soft sweetness that tickled him, something he could breathe in again and again, like a gentle sugar. Phynex found it heartbreaking knowing that Selene might not exist in this world any more. No more Selene to hold him and make him feel happy and his heart beat just a little faster just by running her fingers through his hair or touching his hands, or the meals she could cook and introduce him to, even the vigorous training she put him through to make him stronger. And those days in Lumist where he was pressed close against the huntress, peering over the book with the beautiful ink drawings while she read to him in that gentle voice, enough to either intrigue him or lull him to sleep.

Gently, he pulled her away from him, blinking at her pale face. Phynex turned away immediately, it was starting to hurt looking at her face, her eyes closed and non-responsive no matter how hard he tried to wake her. He knew she was a light sleeper as well, there was something wrong. His heart felt heavy in his chest, fearing the worst, afraid of every possibility. Brushing several white locks away from her face with another broken sob, he looked down, spotting a large red stain on her front. His fingers halted, the fire demon's eyes widening. Was her injury this big? The fire demon bit down on his lip, no wonder he had not seen Selene's wounds, she had used the brown-haired huntress to hide it, seeing as she was holding Belinda close to her at the time. "There is no way you are gone... too fast," he mumbled sadly. "I need to get you to a doctor, just wait for me, okay?" he managed to choke out, heaving her into his arms and quickly standing up, a gentle breeze sending violet petals scattering along with the wind.

There was something about the breeze that made the frantic fire demon stop his trudging, spinning around with the huntress bundled in his arms. He took a deep breath, snarling as he instantly felt slightly woozy. Puffing out a small cloud of smoke from his lips, he took a whiff of that instead. At least to him smoke didn't affect his lungs. But the scent was familiar, something he could recall during one of his journeys... Phynex shook his head, remembering nothing as colourful and vibrant as this violet. Yet, after a moment, his eyes darkened as he realised what this was. They were in more and more danger the longer they stayed here. Looking down and watching carefully, he saw Selene's chest slowly rise up before falling down. She was alive, but caught in the grasp of the flower. As quickly as he could, he broke into a run, away from the field of flowers and rushing up the hill at an incredible speed. "Lucas! Lucas!" the fire demon cried out, running towards the man's response as soon as he heard it. "T- Those flower outside... Selene breathed the pollen in..." Phynex panted, gently dropping his partner down on a bed covered with soft sheets for maximum comfort. Immediately, one of the apothecary's men began examining her unconscious body, poking and prodding to see if she reacted with any sort of stimuli. With the fire demon steaming in the corner, the man blinked up at Phynex, shaking his head. "She's breathed in a lot of the pollen, I'm not even sure if being away from the flowers could help her..."

Phynex growled. Was he saying that Selene might be caught in an endless cycle of sleep for the rest of her life? That he basically lost her? No, he wasn't going to take that. It was all Adulio's fault, and those stupid flowers. He had thought them pretty when they had first entered the village, sitting on the train looking out at the field of violet... but now he could see them as nothing more but vermin. Exiting the apothecary's makeshift building, the fire demon headed back to the flowers, already decided on what he should do. He was never going to be able to hear Selene's voice anymore, her gentle voice guiding and teaching him, being kind to him. The person who was willing to accept him for who he was, a demon that was too much like a child. Despite that, she was willing to read to him, to tell him about this human world, to teach him the best ways to do things. These flowers may not burn with normal fire, but hellfire burnt all. Black flames flickered from fingertips, flickered from the corners of his mouth. Looking down at the field of flowers from raised land just before the swaying ring, he spotted the dark lying and dead figure of the incubus. Phynex said nothing as black tongues of fire slowly engulfed the demon's body, a rancid smell emanating from it as it began to crackle and burn, spreading to the flowers that were quenching their thirst with his blood.

 

[Hana]

Looking out on the edge of the flower fields, the villagers of Southmount didn't dare to step foot among the shining violet petals. But they had watched. Oh, they had watched, as the demon that had put them through months of confusion and pain had finally breathed his last. Some wanted to step foot closer, had it not been for the softly swaying flowers that surrounded Adulio and his white-haired assailant. They could only watch from a distance, seeing the incubus' pain as the hunter had pinned him down to the ground. It was an odd juxtaposition, both of them white-haired and wearing dark clothes, the girl that was. The hunter herself was nearly inhuman in appearance, with her silver hair and pale skin. Some of the more superstitious among them had murmured among themselves if the girl, who they had only learned was called Selene by her friends, was actually fully human. Fae? Spirit? Changeling? They had never seen completely white hair that glowed silver before, not on such a young person. Even the roots of her hair had been white. White like Adulio's hair, whose appearance they had grown to loathe and hate.

They knew Belinda, the young lady healer that would come and go to Southmount to gather their herbs and medicine. The young woman had been a likeable and warm person, often helping around the village during her stays. Whenever she was here, she would look at the children's health without payment, and patiently work herself if there were any illnesses that the people needed help for. Lucas and his family had liked her and her partner, even though they knew Golem was a demon. But come the months that no help had come from the hunters they had trusted for protection, and they had grown to nearly distrust even the healer. It was out of desperation that they had worked with her and her friends, something which had hung unsaid to everyone except for Lloyd.

And now it had all happened so quickly, so quietly in contrast to the earlier panic, that they could hardly believe it. There was no bloody battle that they had seen, only hearing of Adulio's howl of pain coming from his room in the town hall. Then the responding screams of the conscious women, who they had to restrain from rushing to his aid. They even had to tie the females with rope, after they had tried to attack their own husbands, brothers and sons. Afterwards they had all remained in the town hall, taking over the rooms and bringing out makeshift beds for people to lie on. At that point, everyone had just wanted to huddle together, even if they could have sworn the stench of Adulio's acts still filled their noses. Waiting, listening to the pounding and running footsteps above them. Then the incubus had rushed out of the town hall so fast, they had barely caught it. One of the few who noticed was the apothecary, who was watching over his weeping wife and the young healer who was still blinking slowly at the wall, mute. Beside him had stood his son, who couldn't look at him or his daughter in the eye. Lloyd was rubbing ointment onto the bruises on his face, from where his sister had punched him after she had learned of what he had done.

"It's over." The apothecary looked up from where he had been prompting Belinda to take a sip of hot tea, gently curling her fingers around the handle of the cup and standing up. Walking towards him, Andreas looked at him with a grave expression. There was no emotion in the woodcutter's tone. Following after him, her hand being held in his larger one, was a quietly weeping Felicia. Lucas blinked, also unable to form words. Relief? Maybe he felt relief. Because maybe, if he believed, then tomorrow would no longer bring about days of waking up without his wife, his children sullen and hungry. Their home abandoned and forgotten, he could count the months that it had been when he didn't hear his children's laughter and his wife talking with him from across the dinner table. But he knew that he might never see his wife smile at him again. Not after what had happened. It wasn't so simple to forget about what she had done to him, Lloyd and Colleen, and how much she had experienced under that demon. Will we ever be the same? Just thinking about what Adulio could have done to his helpless wife made his blood boil. But then... Hadn't she left the house for that demon? He had woken up one day to find her side of the bed cold and his heart breaking. He had feared and he had tried to hide her and his family away, but to no avail. In the end, she had left him.

He could only nod, before turning his gaze towards where the woodcutter's wife was unconscious. "She's been hit in the back of the head, but she's not hurt aside from that." They had come to the town hall to find a lot of the women fallen on the ground, out cold. Immediately they knew it was the work of the hunters, but they hadn't harmed the women. Among those that they had come upon was Andreas' wife, who had been a favorite of the incubus. The woodcutter's eyes flickered in her direction, before he nodded. "We'll all gather around tonight to discuss what we do from now..." He didn't want to think about what to do about that poisonous ring of flowers surrounding most of their village.

Before he could speak further, the door burst open once again. Everyone looked up; the door had slammed open so loudly that it startled all in the town hall. Their eyes blinked at the fire demon who rushed inside, clutching the huntress close to him in his arms. "Mister Phynex?" Lucas ventured tentatively, his eyes flickering to the snowy-colored girl the demon was holding in his arms. His stomach sunk slightly as he saw the blood staining her shirt, visible even if it was almost black. But he saw her chest rise and fall, no matter how slightly. I don't like where this is going. His face darkened at the mention of the pollen. Of course. He nodded at the men to make way for the demon to drop the girl into a spare bed. They had gathered up blankets and sheets, placing them over the unconscious women and some of the injured villagers. Watching the other villagers, who he was taking charge of, he looked down as they examined the white-haired girl. She looked as if she was asleep, as expected. And there was no response from her even as some of the men shook her by the shoulders, or opened her eyes. Her eyes were unfocused, not reacting as they shone a lamp close to her face.

Then he looked at the furious and wild-looking man in the corner. He didn't want to say this, but... There are already a few bodies lying in that field, probably long gone by now. And there were a few they had gotten back from the field, if it was close enough to pull them back. From what he knew, there was no other plant like this in the human world. Certainly, nothing detailed in the books that Belinda had shared with him, and her knowledge of plants extended far past his own. There was little he could glean from the flowers' victims, only that they fell into sleep, almost like a coma. They were unharmed, but they weren't waking up. Taking a deep breath, the apothecary spoke in a measured tone. "She's breathed in a lot of the pollen, I'm not even sure if being away from the flowers could help her..." Shaking his head, he warily watched the fire demon for his reaction.

He stiffened warily when a feral growl issued from Phynex, already jittery after knowing what someone like Adulio could do. "What-" The fire demon stormed from the place, people sending cautious looks at him. Lucas stared after his back. He had seen the look of pain on the demon's face. A demon, looking pained for his partner? He knew that there were demons who were like Golem, but after Adulio, he found it almost hard to believe. "Wait here," he murmured to Colleen and Lloyd, noticing for a passing second the look of guilt on his son's face. He had a sinking feeling that something more was going to happen tonight, seeing the expression that had hardened Phynex's face. Nodding at the rest of the villagers to keep the place running, he motioned for Andreas to follow as they exited and followed after the fire demon.

The black flames that flickered to life from the demon's fingertips, setting ablaze the field of violet flowers, was not what he had expected. For a moment he gasped, transfixed by the unnatural dark flames that ate away at the poison flowers that had imprisoned everyone in the village. Then, realizing that the fire could travel from the flower field, through the many dead plants and branches to the village, he felt alarm shoot throughout him. "Stop!" He yelled at the fire demon, approaching but not touching the fire demon. He couldn't keep his eyes off of the flames that continually flickered from the fire demon's hands. "This could reach the village!" A few others had noticed as the smell of burning plants quickly filled the air, black and dark smoke rising up from the once beautiful but loathsome field. A rancid odor had wafted over to the edge, making everyone gag at the burning scent of flesh. Soon everyone cried out at seeing the black flames, some looking wide-eyed with horror at Phynex. Quickly some started to protest, but they couldn't approach the demon yet... Some ran to the wells to get buckets of water, preparing for the worst.

But no one was more shocked than Lucas when his son walked up to Phynex, tapping the fire demon on his shoulder. "Lloyd!" Colleen had told him of the fire demon's rage at his son, after what he had done to make the incubus latch onto the hunters while letting his mother escape. The young boy looked afraid, clearly. He had seen his son when he was afraid, and this time the boy's knees were shaking, his face pale. "I will make an antidote myself. Even if Linda couldn't help right now, I would do it. And you can attack me if I fail, just don't burn the entire village down!" His voice came out as a shout at the end as he grabbed onto the hem of the demon's shirt, holding on tightly as if to pull Phynex back from what he was doing. "I know I've made a mistake! This is all my fault! Alright! All my fault that Linda and yours ended up getting hurt! And I'll face it!" Walking up to his son, Lucas also grabbed the fire demon's shirt from behind. "Mister Phynex. Miss Selene will wake up, I promise you." He couldn't leave his son alone. At least the boy had been able to face what he had done. Gathering up everyone, deciding what to do next... and making sure that girl wakes up. I have a lot of work to do...

~-----~
​

Selene didn't know how long she had been asleep, or how long she had been under. All she could tell, under the deep black cover of sleep, was the murmuring, indecipherable voices of people around her. She could tell that someone often sat by the edge of her bed, but she drifted in and out of awareness. Yet always in such a 'deep' sleep that she couldn't respond, no matter if that person touch her cheek or nestle close to her. It was her partner, she knew. He rarely ever seemed to leave her side as she tried to pick her way out of the dark. It was akin to wading through an inky blackness that wouldn't let go, clinging to the person even as they tried to push themselves out of it. Persistent, and drifting in and out of awareness didn't help. It felt like she was trapped inside her own head, with her thoughts, dreams, and memories...

The someone had brought something up to her mouth, forcing her to swallow down a bitter-tasting substance. Selene was briefly surprised that the bitterness was so pronounced, after nearly everything had been dulled down around her. It was one of the few things she really felt, aside from the warm brush of skin against her face sometimes. Sometime later, she had started sweating, shifting on the bed as she felt the heat under the blankets piled on top of her grow to uncomfortable levels. Her skin felt like it was burning up... It was unpleasant, to say the least. Someone had come and pressed something cold on her forehead, a temporary relief. She felt feverish, suddenly, starkly contrasting the nothingness from before. Now it felt like she couldn't take enough air in her lungs. She felt the blankets being carefully pulled back. "She's fighting back against the poison. And... She's recovering so quickly. It's only been less than three days..." And for once, she clearly recognized the words being spoken around her.

What followed was discomfort. She didn't know how chilled she could feel one moment and suddenly hot the next, her body shuddering underneath the blankets and suddenly reaching up weakly to pull them off. More of the bitter medicine was forced down her throat, even when she was starting to struggle or pull away. Hot, cold, hot, cold. There was no right temperature, almost, except for the few moments that she could just feel warm and comfortable, fingers clutching onto who she knew to be Phynex's shirt. But she just inwardly gritted her teeth, having already understood that she had to go through this if she wanted to wake up soon. At least the discomfort could distract her from delving into more uncomfortable thoughts about who was holding her most of the time.

Until finally, she was actually able to open her eyes a sliver. The room was dark, her vision blurry for a few seconds before clearing out as she opened her eyes wider. Her throat felt dry, the girl feeling thirsty all of a sudden. Licking her lips, which felt parched, she shifted. Her movements were sluggish, compared to her usual self, which made the girl frown. She was still quite faint, already she knew she had been in bed for a few days. That flower's effect had been potent... Especially when she felt she couldn't lift much more than the blankets that had been piled on top of her. So many blankets... And yet the warmth of the sheets couldn't possibly be what made the bed so warm. Trying to sit up, she placed her hand flat on the bed to lift herself up slowly. Then she paused as she bumped into someone against her back. She already knew who that person was... He was the one who unexpectedly kept coming to lie beside her.​

 

[Mu]

Under the heavy care of her own partner and the apothecary, Belinda found herself awake in a rather comfortable bed, surrounded by many thick and thin blankets that had been tucked in around her. Upon seeing her awake, Golem had rushed to her side, propping her gently on a pillow. Her limbs were still somewhat weak and non-responsive. The incubus' control had not been fully vanished from her system, making her feel as weak as before, but better and with a clearer mind. Nor could she find herself eating solid foods, preferring the warmth of the hot tea Lucas was providing to her. Belinda could barely hold onto the cup handle, but her partner's sturdy hands helped her, his body as strong and standing as always. There were times the young healer had been jealous of her partner and sometimes, Selene as well. As a hunter, she was still required to train her stamina and magical prowess, but it was never in her element to be physically strong like those who killed demons. Healers were mostly fragile when compared to their more bloody counterparts, specialising in working behind the forces, healing and supporting their team. In history's past, she could have sworn she had read several articles about a massacre a long time ago, where healers weren't required to learn how to fight, leaving a large number of them dead when they had been ambushed, creating a new regime and education plan for future healers.

She sighed, taking a sip of hot tea with some help. "It's over...? How is everyone? Where are Selene and Phynex?" she asked curiously, looking at Golem, who only shook his head. From where she lay on her bed, she couldn't see if they were anywhere near her, much to her disappointment. She could only hope that they were okay, wherever they were. "Lucas... I'm sorry I didn't come here earlier, I should have asked the Council to let me check on you, or at least kept some records..." her voice was full of guilt. She hadn't been keeping tabs on Southmount, thought she should have. Belinda and Golem both knew that they were the ones who were mostly relied upon to check upon the village whenever it was requested due to their friendly relations with the villagers. But she had found it strange that the Council had not given them any papers in the past few months, now she knew it would have been wise to visit on her own choice and not the people whom she looked up to. Her saddened thoughts were broken upon the door being thrown open, almost the the point of unhinging, seeing a wild-eyed Phynex with Selene held in his arms. If she could move, Belinda would have run after the fire demon, but her partner only held her back. "Just let him be."

Outside in the field of black fire, the fire demon stood in the centre of the swirling storm, his eyes almost glazed over as he watched the fire spread. Harnessing hellfire was always far more difficult to any demon, even a fire demon like himself. He blinked down at his own hands, flickering tongues of the black fire appearing from his fingertips. But seeing everything burn, seeing the violet flowers begin to wither and die, their bright petals seared off and burnt into a crisp, to see the body of the incubus burn and burn and fill the air with the horrible stench of burning flesh was almost a sight he wanted to see. After all, it was these two things that had rendered Selene unable to move, locked in a sleep she might never be cured from. What had happened to the two of them looking after each other's backs? They were partners and she wasn't truly dead, but he felt so alone.

Lloyd's tiny voice barely reached his ears, filled with the sound of crackling from the fire. He regarded the young boy with a snarl on his lips. If he were not a contract demon, Phynex would have moved his hand over the boy and set him alight as well. "After what you did, I can say this is your fault she might never wake up," he snapped at the boy. His eyes were almost wild, a small flame burning inside uncontrollably. "Do you have any idea what she has done for me?" the fire demon added. He didn't expect a boy like Lloyd to understand, who had selfishly jeopardized Selene and Belinda's safety in order to rescue his mother, which had not been part of plan. Although a part of the fire demon respected his bravery, the other was completely submerged in the anger he felt. In a way, he thought himself to be a hypocrite. If it had been him needing to sacrifice the safety of those willing to help him to save Selene, would he? He had a feeling he would. Phynex slowly walked up to the young boy, staring down at him with a steely expression. "You shall make that antidote, or I will never forgive you, Lloyd." The way the fire demon spoke his name, it was a voice of a man relying on him to take care of something incredibly precious, and a man who would keep his word.

In the following days, the fire demon was more like a guard dog protecting the white-haired huntress. He had no motivation to do anything else apart from pulling up a chair to sit beside the huntress, nestle into her side with his cheek pressed against the sheets or clasping her hands even though he was sure he would know none of it. He had made his home on that chair, even if it was uncomfortable, the fire demon would not budge from where he sat, even if his own friend and Belinda tried their best to probe some movement out of him. On cold nights, where the wind would howl and awaken the sleeping fire demon, he would hesitantly crawl into the bed with the huntress, keeping her warm. And other nights he would find himself unable to sleep, lying beside the huntress and hoping with all his might that she would just suddenly open her eyes and come back. And then he would be happy again.

He was the one who had been watching as Lucas slowly made the huntress drink the strange green liquid. She became more active, though her eyes refused to open, making those moments when Phynex would simply sit on his chair and watch her every movement intensely. He could tell her body temperature had soared up a little, making her skin extremely warm to touch, only cooled down by wetting her skin. Phynex's own nights became more and more restless, only moving from the chair to beside her on the bed whenever she seemingly through a fit in her sleep, pulling her into a warm embrace or just lying silently watching the huntress' hand close around his shirt. And on one night, the fire demon had climbed into the bed with her, pressing his back against hers as he acted as her quiet and peaceful guard. Movement from behind him startled Phynex, who turned around to see the huntress with her eyes opened a little, enough for her to survey the room and her arms moving to prop herself up. The fire demon was shocked, after days and almost a week, he had not seen her even stir from any sort of stimuli. He found himself unable to speak, only staring at her in the darkness of the room, his arms immediately moving to help her. "Selene?" he choked out in a soft voice, peering into her face with a hopeful expression. "How are you feeling...? I- I was so worried," he murmured, sounding like he was trying to stop himself from crying, helping her sit up properly, reaching for a cup set aside on a bedside table. The fire demon couldn't stop himself from holding back, a sob escaping his throat. "I thought I lost you."

 

[Hana]

His stare was unsettling, boring into her as she turned to meet his eyes. Immediately, he had come to her aid, strong and steady as he propped her up, a hand supporting her back. Selene let her arms support her on either side, but she knew it was more of Phynex's strength that was keeping her sitting up. She eyed him with confusion, seeing the shaky expression of hope and relief in his eyes. His voice was choked, soft and trembling even as he simply mouthed her name. "I'm," she replied, voice husky, rising from her throat with a bit of her tiredness still seeping into it. She paused for a moment, listening to her own voice. From not speaking in what was probably a few days, deep in sleep that she couldn't rouse herself from, it wasn't surprising that her voice ended up like that. "Thirsty..." He immediately knew what she had needed, handing her a cup while his other arm still braced her. She nudged the cup closer to her lips, but he wouldn't let go of the cup. That should have irritated her, since she wasn't an invalid, but seeing him now, she fell silent. Letting him help her, she tilted her head back, drinking from the water in the cup. After a few, long gulps, she pushed the cup back with a sigh. Her own eyes couldn't leave his face, seeing the hopeful expression. He was nearly crying, nearly on the verge of tears, she realized with shock.

Hearing him sob, she shifted her weight on the bed. What happened while I was out? Brief flashes of grief and anger, she remembered clearer than most. That couldn't be for her. He didn't think she had died, did he? She didn't want to see him wear such a tearful face again. Tentatively, her hands rose up between them, grabbing his shirt. Already, the feeling of clutching on to his shirt was familiar, as if she had gone through the motions before. And she had, maybe. Selene let herself take in how he looked, eyes scrutinizing how he looked in the past few days. Her eyes narrowed at seeing the demon look like this, his hair messy and tousled as if he had been running his hand through it many times in anxiety. While he didn't look incredibly tired and exhausted, the way he had suddenly looked at her with a hopeful expression that bloomed from sadness made her worry.

Pursing her lips, she reached up to touch his cheek with her palm. She didn't know what to say to him. He thought he had lost her? "Was it that bad?" She murmured, turning his face and prompting him to look directly into her eyes. It wasn't much trouble. He had already been staring at her for so long, it was making her heart skip nervously. Selene looked down, settling on staring where her eyes were level with his neck and shoulders. Suddenly, she couldn't look at him directly in the eye. But she had to do something about this. Forcing her eyes back up, she tenderly brushed her thumb against the corner of his eye, where a drop had nearly escaped. "You didn't lose me. I told you I'd come back for you, didn't I?" And that sleep, maybe it was more dangerous than she had given it credit for. Trapped in her own body, unable to do or say anything while he had grieved over her? Was that what he had done while she lay unresponsive? Unable to comfort him or assure him that she wouldn't leave, had she caused him much pain again?

But it wasn't as if I was going to die... Oh. She suddenly remembered, startled, the cuts on her chest. Looking down, she realized that someone had changed her out of her clothes, a plain white shift hanging off her body. With her free hand that had clutched his shirt, she tugged down at the front of the shift, slipping it a little off one shoulder to see the bandages that were wrapped firmly, but not too tightly, around her torso. That must have given Phynex quite an unpleasant shock. She knew she had hidden the injury from him that day, and he was probably the one who found her lying in that field. He was the only one who would be able to tell where she was there, the only one who would have dared against the poison flowers just to get her back. But these cuts, despite having looked worse than they actually were, weren't that dangerous to her. At most, the incubus' claws had sliced into her skin, but she had drawn back just in time that they weren't that deep, despite the bleeding. Her lips thinned slightly as she looked up at Phynex again. "Both this and the poison wouldn't have killed me." Yes, the prior injury on her probably hadn't helped when the poison struck. Together, they were worse. Individually, maybe she would have fared better. "I... I could resist poison better than most. And didn't I tell you I'd be fine?"

After a moment, her eyes widened in realization. When she spoke, her voice was rueful. "I'm sorry." She looked away, a familiar sense of shame coming up on her again. Once again, she was trying to justify her own decisions to herself and Phynex. But she was trying to be reasonable. She really wouldn't have died, even if that poison could keep her down for longer if it hadn't been countered. Trying to reason this out with her partner, she had tried to ignore his pain again. Because she didn't like seeing it, she tried to focus on what she could understand better. But did that help, trying to dismiss the grief and concern he must have felt?

 

[Mu]

He leaned against her palm, soaking in her voluntary touch. The fire demon sighed, relishing in the feeling of joy knowing that she was with him now, in the happiness that he could feel her touch. He nestled his cheek comfortably in her palm, peeking at her shyly with his brown eyes, shining from tears that moistened his eyes. Pinpricks of tears were forming in the corner of his eyes, but they refused to drop. He didn't want her to see him cry. "You were not moving... and I thought you-" Phynex couldn't even bring himself to mention the word. What would happen if Selene were to die? Would he be left all alone in the human world without anyone to care for him, or anyone to cheer him up? The warm connection would be severed, and he shuddered thinking about it, that was possibly one of his worse and newer fears. "I almost did, Selene. I almost did." He gently moved his arms around her shoulder, curling around her for an embrace. It wasn't tight, but it was enough to tell Selene that she did mean a lot to him, that if she did leave the fire demon, he would be afraid and lonely.

This girl that he had only known for a few months had already made her spot inside of his heart and he liked her there. There was always this spark of delight and joy in his eyes when she would reappear from the front door, Phynex having been quietly sitting and waiting for her return. Or when she would sit down with a book and tell him about things, even if they were far too complex for him to understand with things like how rain worked or how paper was made. There was the pleasure of keeping warm with her, like the nights spent in the Celestial's Forest in front of the camp fire mulling over the delicious pot of stew. Phynex found himself at his happiest when he was just spending time and days with his partner, much happier than the lonely and dark days cooped up in his own homeland with no one to talk to, no one to touch and nothing to experience.

Phynex looked down to where her eyes were, spotting the bandages wrapped around her torso where a wound was. That was what his partner had been referring to, the bloodstain was larger than he had expected when saw it, the sight of her blood almost terrifying him, added onto the fact that she had been unconscious. Seeing her wound had given him a shock and enough adrenaline to make him run all the way back to the house of the apothecary. But hearing her words now didn't make him forget the horror he had felt when he had found Selene lying in the flower field, unresponsive to everything he did to wake her up. "I know. But I was scared," he murmured shakily. "Never do that again, please..." his voice was coming out like a whimper, the fire demon turning to rest his forehead on her shoulder, almost rocking himself as comfort. "Do not be sorry."

"You are more important to me than you think, Selene. That is why I do not particularly like it when you... do that." He sighed, "And why I feel protective." Taking care of Selene had even restricted his own ability to care for himself. Phynex was aware he looked like a mess, like his sleep cycle was messed up and looking incredibly tired. His hair was a mess, so were his clothing. But he wasn't concerned about himself, he never was during the days he spent beside the white-haired huntress just waiting and waiting for her to wake up or stir or anything.

 

[Hana]

Her breath hitched; his arms had wound their way around her shoulders again, pulling her towards him. Selene's chin was pressed against his shoulder, the fire demon having pulled her up slightly to hold her better. Listening to him speak, she could only nod quietly, the guilt still hanging her over like a cloud. Almost did? But she had already told him that she wouldn't have died. Was he really that upset about her falling into that sleep? With a small sigh, she slipped her arms around his neck. I really should stop asking these questions. It was already right before her eyes, the demon on the very verge of tears. She didn't ever want to see him like this, but it was like she had a talent for pushing just the right parts that hurt him without meaning to. But these actions she had made were all part of her, she had done everything in those past days without any regret. I certainly don't regret what I did to that incubus.

Yet in doing what she had, she had gone and hurt Phynex. Someone had to run after Adulio to finish him off, and she had immediately taken it upon herself without question. She had brushed off the possible effects of those purple flowers, not caring at all until she had seen that demon die before her very eyes. Should she have done some things better? Not have hidden or tried to pass off her own injury? Because it hadn't slowed her down. Or should she have trusted Phynex, asked him to also come and help her? She'd done it alone, she hadn't even asked him and made him feel useful and needed. Two things that she was starting to realize was very important to the fire demon, the feelings of being needed and appreciated, she should have known.

She closed her eyes at his shaky voice, resting her hand on the back of his head and pressing his face closer to her shoulder. Her face heated slightly at feeling his forehead on her shoulder, but otherwise she was calm, nodding against him. "You didn't sleep well." Ironically contrasting the girl who had fell asleep so deeply, the fire demon looked like a mess. He could last longer without sleep, maybe, but it was clear that his clothes and his hair were both rumpled. She even wondered if he took the time to eat, sleep, and change his clothes, or if he had spent nearly all his time just waiting for her to wake up. "Phynex. I can't not be sorry after causing this to you... But take better care of yourself for me. Please." Knowing that he would neglect taking care of himself just out of sheer worry for her, it made her chest burn slightly with both guilt and something else.

Sighing, Selene smoothed the fire demon's hair for him, her fingers once again rhythmically running through the dark brown locks. "You were right beside me this whole time, weren't you?" That was the only way she could explain the telling memories of someone cradling her in her sleep. She leaned back against the bed, taking the fire demon down with her. "Look and listen... I'm alive and I'm here. Stop being so fearful." Pulling him down until his head was settled on her chest, hearing her heartbeat and feeling her chest rise and fall, she was quiet. "I told you I would come back to you. And I meant it. When I was asleep like that, your sadness, you, were the reason I just had to wake up." And the one who makes my heart beat faster, at that. Her face reddened slightly at the unspoken thought, but she continued. "I... You're also important to me... I should have listened to you."

He was just... Unreasonable in her eyes, sometimes. In times like these, it was hard to understand, even though at the same time she was learning more and more about him. She had already asked him why he wanted to protect her. He thought she was his partner, his to protect. He had told her flat out that, in their argument weeks ago. But why was he so terrified at the slightest thing? She could understand his worry for her back then, during those times when both of them knew the dangers of the situations she would walk into. But this... He had never really been close to losing her. Or at least, that was what she could tell. Maybe brushing that poisoning off as a light matter wasn't exactly telling of how she took care of herself, but she didn't think he would react as badly as this. This wasn't like in Lumist, where they both had been in real danger of drowning, one after the other.

"Phynex... Why are you so afraid?" She asked in the silence, still keeping his head against her chest. Her fingers continued on brushing through his hair, but her voice was serious. As much as she wanted to just lull the poor demon into a well-deserved rest, he had to tell her a few things. Things that she had begun to notice, such as when he mentioned he couldn't bear losing what little he had. And he considered her one of the things he had. Why was he so afraid of losing such? Even when the person was alive and breathing in front of him... It was like he didn't trust himself to be able to keep her. "Don't you trust me, not to leave you?"

 

[Mu]

The fire demon nodded gently, "Mhm." He had found himself unable to trust Selene alone with anybody, knowing that Lloyd had betrayed them and that she had been left alone with Adulio when all her injuries had occurred. He had put it upon himself to watch over her day and night, not caring if he was tired or thirsty or hungry. Phynex never let Selene out of his sight and hardly dared to step away from his wooden chair or his spot beside the sleeping huntress. It was the kind Lucas who always bought him a tray of food or a cup of hot tea, seeing his stance with the situation, understanding that he was not going to move from where he sat. His friend Golem visited frequently, bringing food over with him for both the fire demon and the huntress when she would awaken. Belinda, who had been exposed to the demon's spell for longer, had awoken earlier but was weaker, finding herself bedridden but still able to give some sort of guidance and help with Lloyd's mission despite laying on a bed.

He let himself be lowered onto the bed, his cheek pressed against her heart where he could hear it thumping and beating. She was alive and well and there was nothing wrong with her, he could hear the proof right by his ear. Purring with satisfaction as she combed through his brown messy hair, the fire demon drew some of the sheets over his body, closing his eyes in content. "I am so happy to hear that," he purred out, listening to the rhythmic strumming of her heart, beating like a drum filled with life. It was true he had been scared, too lost in the moment of his panic and fear that he had thought her to be dead. Phynex had assumed that the demon had killed her during their final battle on the field of violet flowers, that he had lost her forever. But this beating heart was proof against that and it made him feel the happiest and gladdest he had ever been.

His brown eyes opened a crack, though his face remained relaxed. "Why I am so afraid?" he echoed, mulling over the question. The fire demon was now comfortable nestled into his partner, blankets drawn around him, now knowing that she was awake it had calmed and soothed his worried soul. And her gentle fingers combing through his hair was a comforting and appreciated feeling, making him feel loved. He sighed, his eyes closing once more. "I do trust you, Selene. But even the strongest people can be lost." Phynex fell silence, as if he wasn't sure if she could continue. There were many things demons would keep to themselves, revealing one's tier was not something a demon wanted. True names and tiers held social issues within the demon world, it was a known fact that these subjects were usually considered taboo. But he did trust the white-haired huntress, trusted her to even spare her with his own life. They... didn't know much about each other, only having their feet dipped in shallow water.

"You are alive now, but there is always that possibility. No matter how strong you are or how powerful you are, there is always the fear of dying." It was painful to remember, but now was the time, when his heart was at peace. "My father used to be a general until I was birthed. He was powerful, had so many legions under his name and he was feared by those who were against him. But even he... disappeared one morning." His voice shuddered a little as he continued. "Mother left to find him, left me alone and promised to come back once she brought father home and that I should stay inside. But I disobeyed and went outside and I found out they were both executed." At this point, the fire demon drew his blankets closer to him, clutching them tightly to his own chest. "Mother was not meant to die, she found him behind bars and begged for him to be freed, but in the end she was thrown in as well. I had nothing left, no family and my home was taken away. I really... grew up with nothing. So... when I do have something, I do not like it leaving, because I hate being lonely."

 

[Hana]

Staring up at the darkened ceiling, Selene was silent and patient as she waited for him. She knew he could choose not to answer, but maybe now, he could answer a few of her questions. They were at peace, once again after the unease of the weeks they spent in this village. I hope getting injured like this while I'm outside the city isn't going to become a habit. Even if she still felt fainter than usual, she was safe with Phynex. They had gotten rid of the one threat that could destroy Southmount from the inside, and Golem was watching out for the place while it recovered now. Hearing a small sigh, her eyes flickered down as she raised her head slightly, feeling the fire demon shift slightly against her chest. "I know," her voice was almost inaudible as she closed her eyes. No matter how glorious you are, someday you will fall. That was one of the rules of the world, she had read so much of the history books and even her red-haired mentor had mentioned this once or twice. "Even the Crowned Demons, for all their immortality, will someday be taken by the end of all things. And that is a comforting thought, isn't it~? Even they're not that special."

But how did this relate to what she was asking? She had never mentioned once that her own power would keep her from dying. From his silence, it was as if he was remembering something. Coaxing him to continue further, she continued on brushing her fingers through his hair. Her other hand rubbed up and down his clothed back. He was so silent for so long, hesitation clear in that pause, that she wondered if he was debating on trusting her with something. She wanted very badly to hear more from him, to earn more of that trust, that she was nearly impatient. But she held back, waiting for Phynex. He was only sharing this with her now. And seeing everything that he had done, the sides that she had shown, this side - sadder, more fearful, and lonelier than the face he showed everyday, she still wanted to know more about him. I hardly know him aside from what I've seen and heard...

He repeated, once again, the possibility of dying. These words built up, more and more, until she could hear the pain in his voice. He sounded peaceful, but had she stumbled upon old wounds? For a moment, her gentle ministrations to his hair halted at his next words. A demon general? Isn't that an upper-high tier demon? That's just below Kasimir... She shouldn't have been startled, connecting all the facts. Phynex was, from the description she had been given prior to meeting him, also a high tier demon. They were always the ones that hunters could hardly summon, not unless they had powerful magic and mental fortitude at their disposal. And he was powerful in his own way. From the blasts of fire that he could effortlessly create, no matter how he tried to play it off as nothing special, his talent and control for fire magic was past that of middle tier demons. Those blasts of fire weren't merely parlor tricks. She had seen how he had been able to burn and raze demons while they were out hunting in Nora before. He was also able to control fire with such finesse, if he wanted, that he could create things of fragile beauty. And summoning a named, and special blade only to himself? That was also a powerful ability. She hadn't seen anything quite like Ignis that he made out of fire and breathed to life in steel.

But that wasn't the concern here. Selene listened to the tremors in the demon's voice, which prompted her to rub his back and run her hand through his hair again. Gentle, she combed through his hair with her fingers, softly tousling it when she reached the ends. All the while she was focused on the pain in his voice. His father was executed... Even before he said it, she had an inkling where it was headed to. And as a child? He sounded lost and young again. This was not the recounting of someone who had experienced at an older, more developed age. He had once again mentioned his mother, as well. As the fire demon shifted over her, she pressed her palm to his back, pulling him closer to her. After a moment, she nudged him to move more on top of her, rubbing his back all the while under the covers. "I should not have left you so many times in the city, then," she murmured, thoughtful and serious. What if she had caused him to worry during her absences, whenever she visited her father, or her friend, or went on hunting alone? He had always looked downcast as she was leaving, but lit up whenever she came back. She hardly knew about what he did while she was away, only getting a feel for how he was faring through their contract.

And I'm yours? I'm something? What am I to you? Questions that she was afraid to ask running through her head, Selene's hand clenched slightly behind his back as she breathed out. But this was an opportunity to take care of him, as he had taken care of her all this time. Now she could actually tell him that she cared, unlike when she never responded to his sobbing or his touches to her face and cheeks when she was asleep. "You don't have nothing now." Her voice was calm as she turned her head to the side, looking at where a sliver of light peeked in through the closed window. "You have friends. Golem, Belinda, Jared, Orion. Namah and Kit. Millia and Rina. And me." All these things that he didn't have in the underworld, she wanted to give to him. It was staggering, and she hardly trusted her own feelings at this point. "I'm yours." His partner and his friend, she told herself sternly, before taking a deep breath. "And you're mine... Let's not leave each other, Phynex." She could only hope, with those inelegant words, that his heart was at ease. "Now... Let's sleep." She was still tired out, and it looked like she had woken up in the middle of the night. Now he could get the rest he deserved and needed with her.

 

[Mu]

He shuddered, inching himself closer to the huntress until he was comfortable, sheets tucked tightly around her curled figure. He could breathe in Selene's scent, could feel her hands slowly combing through his hair and rubbing his back, loosening all the tension there. Her heartbeat was under his eat, like a ticking clock, reminding him that she was going to be alive and well and recover. That he should stop feeling scared and relax now that the huntress was not going to vanish from within his arms. With his eyes still closed, the fire demon shook his head. "No, I know you would come back. You have not once left me truly alone before, so I am never truly by myself." One of his hands reached up, clutching a gentle fistful of her shirt at the back. Even if she left the apartment often without him, to either go on missions by herself since his frame was too big or simply leaving him at home promising her return, she never broke her word. Every day she left she would return without fail. In his demon form and in his new human home, they both expressed nothing but joy upon her return. From the wagging of a tail to a smiling, bounding young man in the living room with twinkling eyes sparkling with joy, his face lighting up like a light bulb. "As long as I can find you or you come back to me, I am happy." That warm feeling he would feel whenever he saw her sometimes, a tickling warmth inside his heart, could Selene feel it too? It was a fluttering type of emotion, like the butterflies he chased when he first saw them. He liked seeing the butterflies, liked the sensation of that mysterious warmth that made him feel tingly all over. But he still didn't know what it was, though it did not matter to him too much.

Hearing her words, now filled with truth he could see and realise, the feeling had returned. A sense of hope and wonderment along with that tingling warmth made his hidden cheeks flush a little. That's right, he wasn't alone any more. Phynex had friends, people who understood him and wanted him there. People who would always be there if he was ever lonely. They could teach him and eat with him and drink with him and tell each other stories, make each other want to laugh. Phynex had made so many friends in the human world, this was his new home, where people loved him. He could feel his own heart beating so quickly, doubling in speed, thumping and thumping against his chest. He was quiet for a moment after hearing her words, but he only nestled deeper into her embrace. "You make me happy," he yawned, the fire demon's voice was a low and drowsy murmur. "Promise we will not leave each other?" he asked her in an almost inaudible voice, his eyes feeling heavy. Soon, Phynex's hold on her shirt slackened, the fire demon falling into a deep and peaceful sleep, well deserved after his tired days spent awake.

The days continued to pass by, although each and every one was hectic. Selene and Belinda had not yet fully recovered, nor was the fire demon happy on leaving his partner's bedside. However, Golem was a demon who was very willing to help out with the recovery of the village. Helping to rebuild, he was strong and tough, able to move things with ease and his earth based abilities were very useful. Belinda helped with the medicine, now finding it easier to get up from her bed and walk a little with assistance or a temporary cane. Helping Lloyd and Lucas, together they created concoction after concoction, making new mixtures by the day and trying them out on the women of the village, some of them still tied up to prevent any chaos. Some proved to work, others were on their way. But soon enough, most of the women had regained their senses, albeit their bodies were physically weak and tired as time caught up to them.

But the hunters could not stay in Southmount forever. While bedridden, Belinda had taken it upon herself to do her duties and file a report, writing a long document explaining the happenings of the village. She included every detail she could remember, noting it for the Council to see and discuss about. As the hunters and their demon partners prepared to file onto the train, the healer had spend her last few minutes talking with the apothecary. She was holding hands with him, one in each hand, looking firmly into his eyes. "I promise you, I will come back with supplies as soon as possible. And I will get the Council to look into this, alright?" she confirmed, before finally heading off towards home. Through the windows, the four of them could see the many expressions on the villager's faces. Some were crying, sad to see them leave. Others held their determined looks, eager to save their home. Others were angry, especially some of the women, while others were confused. With a loud honk of a horn, the train began to move, moving past the dead and blackened field that was once the violet flowers, disappearing into the old wilted plantations towards home.

 

[Hana]

And so with the passing of the time in Southmount, so did the passing of the summer season came and went. The village, from what Belinda had told them, was preparing to recover its harvest, once again, next year. Everything they had was nearly lost after being neglected in the summer, which while hadn't been particularly harsh this year, had wilted the plants. All of their year's crops and harvests had been lost, which was why the villagers were seeking for help from the hunters. The healer herself would be coming back to visit them, bringing with her new remedies and medicines, as well as whatever help and goods they could give. Surprisingly, the healer had asked, in return, to take with her the apothecary's two children, Colleen and Lloyd. The young boy, Selene had learned, was the one who had actually made the antidote for the poison flowers. Belinda wanted to help him with his talent, and that couldn't be further done in Southmount. After they had helped with their mother's recovery, the children were planning to leave with Golem and Belinda next year.

Once again, Selene busied herself with teaching and refining her partner's skills. She had been unsettled upon learning that he was the one who had caused the large, blackened field that surrounded Southmount. Phynex had been unwilling to tell her, so she had to go and hear the story from Belinda. He burned down that field with hellfire? It was even more startling to see when she had seen it, long scores of blackened field where there had once been beautiful and vibrant flowers. There was not even a trace of Adulio's body, the incubus having burned along with the field. And all because of the anger of her partner, who had deliberately burned everything down. He didn't have to do that. It seemed like an action entirely out of anger, but she struggled to look past that and come to an understanding with him. There was no use chiding him for what had already happened.

"Maybe you're right." She had admitted to him, once they had come back to their lonely and dusty apartment once again. "That the demons we hunt have their own pasts... But that doesn't justify what they do to humans. And maybe it doesn't justify killing each other, but it's what we have to do." The girl was silent for a moment, looking up at Phynex. Then she looked away with a small frown. "Before that incubus died, he told me... About how hard it is for lower-high tier demons to live in your world. But I did what I had to."

She knew of his hesitation for outright killing all demons they came across, aside from the ones that had so blatantly destroyed and hurt so much. But there were some compromises they had to reach, and when it came to her work, it was one of them. Maybe she could be more aware and knowledgeable of the stories behind the demons she killed. A lot of them were just similar to humans, just people. But even then, what could she do about it? All she could let her partner know was that she didn't kill them in vain or without reason.

Autumn season came to the city of Nora, in some parts quite obviously, in others less so. Within the hunters' district, where there were still quite a few trees lining the streets, fallen leaves fell upon the stone pavements. The hunters themselves, despite their usual attire of dark colors and long sleeves even in summer, had taken to wearing warmer clothing. Despite the summer proving relatively mild in heat, autumn brought with it a crisp chill that was a taste of the winter that was coming. Even the sandwich man was preparing to move the tables of his establishment closer to a new space within his home, his daughter Ellie coming out and helping him along with some other siblings. Back in Selene's childhood home, her father must have been preparing for winter as well. Stocking up on wood for the fireplaces, preparing his garden for the biting cold. Picking fresh flowers to keep within the house, for as long as winter would last.

How many months had it been since meeting Phynex? Over half a year... It's nearing nine months, but it feels much longer. After that mission at Southmount, they had gone on a few other missions with the other contract pairs. Thankfully, they weren't as eventful as Lumist or Southmount had been, until the others had deemed them capable of working together on their own. That in itself made her oddly nervous, considering how much her own regard for him had grown. After being struck down by that poison and forced to confront her own thoughts, it was strange just sitting down and being close to the fire demon. EVen as much as he appreciated it, just touching his hair or letting him come close had made her pulse beat fast. And it was harder to igore it, though she did the best she could.

All that hard earned composure came crashing down one night. Selene had been preparing for bed, having long assumed that the fire demon was back in his own room. She was wiping cream on the faint outlines of claw marks on her chest, which were already fading. Upon hearing a knock on her door, she looked up, blinking. Setting the small container of medicine down, the girl stood up, opening the door. "What is it?" He hadn't knocked or asked to enter her room before, and now she was looking at him with questioning eyes. Inside Selene was hiding her own apprehension at seeing her partner appear in her doorway, not that she was afraid of him... Never that she was afraid of him. She really had to come to grips with whatever she was feeling now...

 

[Mu]

It did not take long for the two to fall back into schedule, either spending their time training or going on missions together. The more and more Phynex participated in, the more he realised his hesitation when it came to dispatching ruckus-causing demons. If they were not notorious for what they did, having ended many lives and deserved death, the fire demon did not stand sturdy unlike his white-haired partner. But what Selene had told him as they returned from the train station and entered their now somewhat dark and pitifully dusty apartment made him think about himself. These demons did many things, from stealing things from humans to even more questionable actions that Phynex would simply find excuses for. His partner reminded him that even if that was true, it did change what they had done, that they had harmed humans in a certain way - justifying themselves with their past did nothing to change the damage they caused. Phynex, thinking about this sort of theory and that belief, made the fire demon think back hard.

He only stared at Selene when she mentioned Adulio, blinking as she told him his last words. Phynex was suddenly reminded of the harsh realities that most hunters didn't know about when it came to their knowledge or textbooks on the Underworld. In some ways it worked similar to the human society, with unspoken ranks, but in the world below them each and every person's rank could easily be made clear even if it was a taboo subject. "Lower-high tier demons are the most shunned of them all. Aristocrats make fun of them, the lower tiers merely look up in fear of their powerful parents. And the upper-high tier demons do not even cast us a second look. I do not blame Adulio if he found his life difficult wherever he came from..." the fire demon sighed, having helped himself to a cold cup of water. "But it is true that does not work as an excuse to what he did to those women, if you think about it." Despite his way of thinking, that every demon with few exceptions deserved a second chance, Phynex didn't feel guilty about burning the incubus' body. Not even ashes remained from what he had done to the violet flower field according to the men who had went to scavenge the blackened land.

But to his wonder, the fire demon celebrated his first autumn. It was a season in the human world, seasons fascinated him because there were no such things in the world he was used to. While outside eating lunch, he would watch as the leaves fluttered in the wind before dropping onto the ground where a small heap of them had been gathered. The weather had also turned colder, prompting the fire demon to wear more and more coats. Now knowing that the coldest of the seasons - winter - was coming soon, he wondered what it was going to be like. Phynex did not know the meaning of cold, nor did he knew what it felt like. Not even with the help of his friends could the fire demon fathom the feeling of being cold. When Millia had tried to help by placing a single ice cube on his hands, the fire demon only felt a tingle, before the clear cube melted instantly.

Over the past few days at night, before preparing for bed in his own bedroom, he was always agitated. Constantly, he would look towards the direction of Selene's bedroom, not sure what it was he wanted. There was always a lick of fear inside of him, worry and the sensation of panic. Phynex would wake up in the middle of the night as if he had a nightmare, shaking with his mind full of panic until he calmed himself down, knowing that his partner was safe and that they were both comfortably tucked away into their own beds.

However, tonight he knew he had to do something. Taking a deep breath, the fire demon stood up from his bed, letting his heart take over his actions. He wounded up standing in front of his partner's bedroom, his hand raised before he rapped the wooden door with his knuckles. He thought he had been prepared, but for some reason when Selene opened the door to look at him with questioning eyes, he couldn't bring himself to meet hers. The fire demon's cheeks were slightly flushed, now knowing what he had to say but also trying to make himself turn back and forget about everything. But of course, it was his will that gave way, leaving him to act upon his heart and wishes. "Selene... I was hoping I could sleep beside you tonight?" he asked, his voice minute and coming out as a mumble. "I keep feeling afraid you might not wake up..."

 

[Hana]

The fire demon's face was just as equally flushed as hers was coming to be, Selene noticed as she looked up at him. She waited for his words, still holding the door slightly open to watch him. It was already late night, the girl didn't particularly sleep early, but she hadn't been feeling drowsy until late. The clock in her room said 11:30 in analogous, blinking white numbers, and Phynex usually slept at 10. She knew that well, sometimes passing by his door and hearing him shuffling around before the hour, before finally his aura evened out in sleep. But she could admit that in the past few days, it felt like he was agitated.

Seeing Phynex's blush didn't help hers, her heart beating harder for one second at the sight. But hearing his words made her pause in shock, her hand tightening on the doorknob almost involuntarily. Was this what had been troubling him in the past nights? Sounding so meek, the fire demon looked like he was avoiding her own eyes. You're afraid again? If she had heard him mention this before, maybe she would have just sighed, once again trying to reassure him. But she couldn't summon the same amount of courage she had when she had held him close in Southmount, letting him hear her heartbeat.

Even that mere memory was enough to make her face heat up. But seeing the utterly serious, and meek look on Phynex's face, Selene bit her lip. Looking down at the floor, she was quiet for a few minutes. "You haven't been sleeping well this week," she finally looked up, her tone quiet and even despite the blush. Tightening the over-robe she had thrown over herself before she had opened the door for him, she said nothing as she placed her hand flat against the door, pushing it further open.

Pivoting on her heel, she shook her head to herself, catching a glimpse of her reddened face in the mirror on her table. She raised a hand to her face, touching the flushed skin there with a sigh. "Close the door and come here." Her own voice as just as meek and muted as his, belying the awkwardness of the situation. But maybe she was the only one who really made things awkward, she thought with annoyance. Looking down at the small pot of medicine she had left on her bedside, she ran a hand through her hair and took a deep breath. Lifting that, she set it on the small bedside table. Then she sat down at one side of the bed, closer to the window. Looking out of the window and at the darkened street outside, she didn't turn to glance at Phynex.

Not expecting him to come to her room, and thinking she was to have privacy for the night, the girl wasn't as immaculate as she usually looked. Her hair was lifted over her shoulder in a careless braid, some long locks still left hanging around the sides of her face. Now she wasn't sure if she should have picked out wearing thin blue and white shirts and a camisole, but at least she still had that robe around her. Why was she even worrying about this now? This hadn't even mattered before.

Finally, she looked up at him quietly over her shoulder. She patted the other side of the bed with one hand, taking off the robe and slipping under the blankets in one swift motion. "You really have nothing to worry about." But despite that, she had still let him come in. I really am weak towards him. It was maddening, but she couldn't say no to him in these times. Even if her own heart still frightened her, foreign feelings she had never felt before often flickering to life around him, she still couldn't say no. And she didn't even know what the feelings were, except that she felt more and more like he made her wildly happy, exasperated, and contented all at once. Those were merely a few of those feelings, at that.

 

[Mu]

"No... I have not really slept much as of late.," he admitted, his tone remaining low and somewhat respectful. He was trespassing her own personal space for his own reasons, but Selene's words were telling him that she understood... he thought. The fire demon stepped inside her room, much cleaner and tidier than his own. Everything in her room looked whiter and the gentle sweet smell that he had come to associate with her filled the room and covered him like a warm blanket. Turning around to close the door behind him, he was well aware that his cheeks were glowing and burning hot. And seeing that Selene's cheeks were also flushed when he had suggested coming in to sleep beside her only made his heart beat strangely faster and his cheeks begin to flare. With his darker skin, the fire demon's blushes weren't that noticeable, but on Selene's pale skin it made them quite obvious... and rather adorable. Phynex took a deep breath, before burrowing under the sheets head first and entering on the other side of the sheet, as if he was a worm wriggling his way to the head of the bed, resting on a pillow. He peeked up at her, blinking at the huntress. The sheets felt cool and foreign on his skin, but he noticed that it smelt mostly of Selene. He didn't mind, he thought, hiding his face in a pillow.

Phynex drew his half of the sheets closer to him, making himself comfortable. "I keep thinking that you might not wake up tomorrow to greet me... or wake me up," he murmured shyly and quietly. "And I keep wondering if you will fall asleep and never wake up," his words were coming out as worried whimpers, dark brown eyes peering up at her from the pillow, watchful but sad. It had taken him a few nights for him to admit that he wanted to do something about those dark thoughts. It was almost as if Adulio might rise from his grave and take the huntress away again. They promised they would never leave each other and he trusted her, but there was nothing more certain than things you see with your own eyes. "I want to make my partner wakes up safely," the fire demon added, before yawning.

He was a little drowsy, Phynex should have fell asleep an hour ago, but his own worries and fear had kept him awake. It was easy to tell if one was sleeping through their aura, when it was calm and nothing spiked from emotions lest they were having a nightmare, but as of late he knew his aura had been disturbed with something, making it harder for the fire demon to even fall asleep. Though tired, Phynex was determined to stay up for as long as possible, at least after the huntress fell asleep herself, so he could keep watch. In the shadows, there was nothing the two of them could be afraid of, fire brought along light that could chase the horrible, nightmarish things away. "Selene, will you tell me a story?" he asked her, tilting his head at his strange request. If she would never wake up, at least he could hear her voice for the last time. No, the fire demon shook his head. She wasn't going to leave him that easily, they promised each other! All he needed to do was to chase away that fear himself, an unreasonable fear that Selene had proved to him that she could get away from. He knew she was strong, she could handle herself. And that he too would always be there to look out for the huntress.

 

[Hana]

Feeling the dip on the other side of the bed, the girl took a deep breath. Selene drew her side of the sheets tighter around her, turning around as she heard him speak. He was burying his face against a pillow. It was oddly calming to see that he was just as flustered as she was. And hearing him speak, the girl let out a small sigh, her hand drifting under the sheets to seek out one of his. She squeezed his hand slightly, settling her hand in his. Now that they were both under the covers, she wasn't as nervous about her appearance as earlier. Her cheeks flushed at his words. I want to make sure my partner wakes up safely? How the hell do you come up with these? And he didn't even know the effect those words had on her, or how significant it was, making her heart clench slightly. Of course he already knew about that night she had told him about. He already had seen her attack him right upon waking up two times now, one when he had first transformed, and one time in Lumist.

Seeing the fire demon look very drowsy, she slid closer to him across the bed. "A story?" The girl blinked at him, her face inches apart from his. She was silent for a moment, just watching his expressions. He was trying hard not to fall asleep, but it was clear that he was sleepier than her. And he hadn't slept much as of late, he told her that much. And now he wants me to tell him a story? To lull him to sleep...? But telling him a story might wake him up, or it might not. Biting her lip, the girl closed her eyes for a few moments, thinking. "I don't know what kind of story you'll like..." Back in Lumist, she had read to him those fairy tales in that leather bound book with the ink drawings. But those tales they had already gone through, so what did he want to hear next? Maybe I could use this to calm him down... He looked like he needed it, drowsy but fighting hard not to fall asleep.

And so, the girl tentatively began her story. She could recall reading this from one of the books on Eastern myths and legends, a creation myth. "There was once a kingdom torn by war in the East. But watching over the humans, wishing to help them, was the Red Dragon. The Red Dragon eventually took on human form, descending from heaven to rule the kingdom on earth..." And so she told the story of the fictional kingdom of Kouka to an attentive fire demon, but slowly she could see his eyes slip shut from drowsiness. Until finally, she had spoke the last words for the sad, bittersweet end of the tale. "Before long, the red dragon grew tired of fighting, and fell asleep... The mission of the four dragon warriors thus ended... And so they left their tribes and disappeared, only to once again come on the day of King Hiryuu's rebirth, waiting to serve their beloved master once again."

She smiled to herself upon seeing the fire demon's sleeping face. Her heart felt warm just watching Phynex sleep, hearing his soft and even breaths. The girl sighed softly, before she leaned in, brushing her lips against his temple. She flushed at the feeling of his breath on her neck as she drew back, before sitting up and closing the bedside lamp. The room was bathed in darkness as the girl slipped back under the covers, turning her back to the fire demon and waiting, waiting until her heart was calm again, and she could follow him in sleep. It wasn't as hard as before. Her heart was learning more and more to trust the man behind her. Closing her eyes, she pressed the side of her face against her pillow, curling up and sighing as she started drifting off.