Souls

It was a dark and rainy night.

These words flickered on and off the screen of a monitor that illuminated the room to which a young teenage girl sat frustrated with a pending class thesis assignment given during summer, which was inconsiderate in all manner of speaking. Truth be told, it had been way past any graduating student's bed time and definitely not what one should be doing at 12:15 am.

If her roommate had been there, that girl would have nagged her about the hypocritical importance of sleep as she deprived herself of it as well. Instead, the said roomie had been out, probably teasing someone to their wits, on a party which that particular someone had the audacity to try and drag her along, fully knowing that it was a school night. A week into school and yet this was that girl’s agenda.

Truth be told, the essay she had been continuously editing had been finished a long time ago. It’s just that her perfectionist self has surfaced its way up her skull and bugged her of non existing errors in the said sheet which majority wasn’t even her doing in the first place.

With a sigh and an empty cup of coffee, she glanced at the clock. 12:15 am. "What? Had it stopped working?" she groaned, reaching for the clock on the bedside. Just then its numbers rearranged itself, indicating that around 2 hours has passed in that mere second. 3:14 am. With a raised brow she gave another sigh. "Great! Just add that problem to the bucket list." She silently laughed at this as the statement would normally be coming from her grumbling roommate rather than her.

The wind howled a final time before the rain outside ceased completely. The light from her screen dissipated with a click as she closed the laptop shut upon itself. Rolling on the bed, she raised the sheets towards her and clung to it, shielding herself from the unnatural cold that seeped into the room.

"She would be a great host now wouldn't she?" a silent conversation struck unbeknownst the sleeping girl, to which prying eyes of the onlookers were watching ever so intently.

With a nod and a grin to its accomplice, they were ready to devour the girl, only to be stopped by the dread that seeped in their nerves.

An ominous feeling crept at them, making it comparable to if a corpse were to roll in their grave. This caused the assailants’ stomach to churn and twist in a manner indicating only one thing --- which was rightfully dread-worthy indeed. They would gladly accept a sick stomach than this any day. A wicked grin stared before them as the figure strode in from the doorway where it had been for the past minute.

“Why hello, little uh… miscreants?” The figure spoke in a calm demeanor, aggravating the fear toiling in the said assailants, earning their silence.

“You know, I usually have no concern whatsoever towards this creature’s well being. don’t get me wrong, I still do not. I could care less if you harmed her in whatsoever way you please with these little games you indulge in playing, but tonight I am not in a charitable mood to let two little hellions out of my sight.” The figure continued approaching the creatures before her, frozen in fear.

“We’re sorry. We really are…” the assailants cried and begged scrambling towards freedom but the windows shut and locked in its own accord.

The two then laughed at the figure. “Was that what you think we were going to be doing?” one said and laughed harder.

“Bold of you to be speaking out of bound. Tell me what you are doing here in the first place.” The figure spoke.

“Keep this pathetic flesh bag. We don’t have to explain anything to you.” The two growled. In the mixture of sarcasm and spite, the two added, “Please spare us, your highness.”

The figure rolled her eyes and begrudgingly, feeling a presence she wouldn’t want to involve in the commencement of a fight if one were to happen. With this in mind, the window opened once more. Delighted the two looked up at her with false gratitude. “Get lost.” she spat.

And in a wisp of smoke the two disappeared, snickering as the clock on the bedside table ticked back to life.

The girl on the bed stirred awake and stared at who she assumed to be her roommate that stood at her bed side.

“Lily? When did you get home?” she asked.

Ignoring the question the figure replied snarkily. “Now you decide to wake up? You’re welcome by the way.”

With a questioning look at the strange and unfamiliar voice, the girl tried to remove the sleeping causing her blurred vision. Seeing as there was no sense of harm nor did her body have any energy left, the girl passively went back to bed while she watched the figure exit her room and presumably into the adjacent space.

As soon as the doors had closed, the figure jumped out the window and leapt unto the ground. “I know you’re there, get your ass out here right now. You have some explaining to do.”

Another figure, shorter in frame, had stepped out of hiding and faced the glare that awaited her. “Nothing gets by you does it? And here I thought I was well hidden. I even wore all black!” Phoenix groaned.

Aurelia huffed at her sister and flicked the younger sibling on her forehead. “You always wear black so nothing new there. You better haul you’re ass back home before mom finds out and decides both our lives are expendable.”

Phoenix was about to argue when a creak of what they could presume as the hinges of a window opening, had resonated in the general direction above them. Aurelia roughly pushed aside the nuisance she called her sister as she kicked open a falling pot. Soil had scattered in various directions over them as it cracked and in turn momentarily incapacitating the girl. Looking up, she grunted in frustration to see the hellions she had let loose had decided to return and not only that but with company. “This is what I get for being generous?!” she said, mentally taking note to tie up whatever was responsible in her mind for pity and sympathy and shove them back to the corner when it comes to handling the said creatures.

Aurelia leapt back up in an inhuman height whilst having her head turned to her sister who brushed the loose gravel off herself.

“I can help you know!” Phoenix yelled, opening her palm as a soft glow started to permeate threateningly off it. Aurelia’s eyes widened a fraction as she flicked her wrist toward its direction, sending a wave-like field, to mask or better yet, cease the glow. As Phoenix grumbled, Aurelia sent another towards the girl’s mouth. “Yeah! And I’m willing to have my face mauled off by hellions. Now shut up and just go home!”

As the company had disappeared, presumably commencing a postponed battle, silence followed soon after and the night calmed once more.

“Well I’m not about to go back there when I just got here.” she stubbornly stated to herself with a smile, paying no attention to her sister’s orders. Feeling a breeze, she lifted an arm up, closer to view to see there was a slight tear on her body suit. Its not like she had a jacket or anything on her to hopefully cover it , and nor would there be a need for such either, as she had only matched it with grey track pants and her black heeled combats. Albeit still new at the choice of garment, it was considerably comfortable and more freeing than the clothing she was forced to wear to match the image her mother wanted her to portray.

‘Stop grumbling. You’re not a child anymore.’

She shivered slightly at the thought and paused, reminding herself of her current dillema.

“Nope. Not going back.” she reaffirmed. Reaching her hand, she moved it towards her pocket and fished out a small notebook. It was simple to say the least; dark leather binding the aesthetically yellowing pages, filled to the brim with countless information that needless to say weren’t for her to peruse.

“Okay… just a small peek.” she uttered the statement, more for her own sanity rather than a confirmation of what she had been blindly getting herself into. Truth be told, she wasn’t entirely sure of her actions either but it was better than nothing.

“Hey…” a man’s voice resonated in head. Now what? She’s been interrupted for the nth time that day alone and now for some reason someone else decide it would be the perfect time to just speak out of nowhere?

“This better be schizophrenia.” she muttered out loud to no one in particular.

“Think again short stuff.” replied the voice. It’s tone gave away the vividly foreseeable sly grin of its source. “Look princess,” he starts once more, “I don’t want to bother you as much as the next unlucky soul to do so, nor your whole…” he paused, to which Phoenix could only imagine the embodiment of the voice to be doing something similar to jazz hands.

“---clan for that matter, but you seem to be getting yourself in a lot of things recently. Don’t think I haven’t noticed my missing list.”

Tch. Right when she was just about to open it of all times.

“I don’t have it.” Phoenix lied, albeit knowing the possible repercussions of doing so as she shoved the notebook back in her pocket. “--- and I’m sure you’re as busy as can be so… expect that I will be blocking you off.” she stated. Doing so would not only hinder the other party to be infiltrating her the partitions of her mind as a whole, therefore shutting it up, but also disallow it to pinpointing where in realms she could be situated.

“Of course I’m busy.”

Well… too late.

This time, the voice wasn’t swimming in a disembodied mess in her ears but rather, emanating from an actual solid figure behind her. She flinched slightly as her mind bagan processing the shift in provenance of her conversant when the man stood behind her. He stood looming over her with his impressive build and height that could go on for days. Aside from this, an escape route would be great just about now.

Her first instinct told her to run. It wasn’t out of fear but rather, quite similarly to the measures taken by a child that refused to take their medicine or go to bed on time, she had no intention of giving compliance.

The fact of him currently standing before her made it evident that if she was going to be given a fighting chance, a decision must be made that instant. Before she could even process her thoughts completely, he had made a step towards a decision for her by placing his palm flat on her head. One which she would definitely not be in agreement with.

“Hand it over.” he stated, extending his free hand towards her.

“I don’t have it Zeelan.” she replied calmly, as if to play the trump card of innocence over the subject matter. He could have been insinuating a wide array of objects; that which she could have stated to not be in her person at the current time they were engaged in a conversation. She could have made countless excuses but the fact that the notebook was molded visibly on the fabric of her lower garment did not aid her stand. Zeelan sighed. “Fine. Since you clearly repudiate compliance, you’ll just have to get dragged along with me.”

Phoenix looked up at the man. He couldn’t possibly be serious? Wait… was he?

“Wait, really?” she asks warily. If there was any surety with whatever dealt and something to be about in all present, it’s that he wasn’t the type to give up that easily.

Zeelan looked down at her as his palm which was once placed on top of her head, slowly rubbed her hair before slipping it loose from his fingers. “I can force you to comply but we both know that would take me a lot of effort to do so. Frankly I am a busy man, as you yourself aforementioned.”

Whatever this generous mood he was in, she was definitely benefiting from. Thank the heavens.

“So for the time being, you’re coming with me.” he added.

No…Do not thank the heavens! It was too early for that!

She mentally cursed at herself for even thanking at all! This wasn’t part of her escape plan, which mind you, she had been slowly crafting in the crevices of her mind, digging up experiences and going through every possible scenario he could concur.

The parking lot at which they had been situated in, warped into a vision of a bar. Sweaty bodies grind against one another in an uncomfortable manner to say the least as music boomed through the speakers. A few people bumped into her as she made her way through the crowd passively. Needless to say, she found it both pleasing and distasteful. She was no prude of course, but would rather keep her personal space when it came to creatures she was far too unfamiliar with.

“I didn’t think you would actually come.” A man spoke, turning his head away from the group of ladies flocking him and towards the two who had just arrived. It seems to have not made a difference at all since he seemed to have held disinterest for the company that he was encircled in.

“Oh? Who’s she?” among the aforementioned group, one of the girls had braved to ask. The three ignored the quip and conversed to themselves; that is the two male speaking amongst themselves while Phoenix kept her peace.

“Zeelan, I could care less with what you do with your free time if you could do your job properly.” the man aforementioned stated. Unlike Zeelan, he seemed slightly younger although in contrast to his rule abiding personality.

Zeelan’s face lost the slightly beaming demeanor he had gained from the short moment earlier due to the discomfort of the company he had dragged with him. The man stood up and was about to excuse himself from the group. “Ah, how cute. Is she your little sister?” a girl asked, closing the distance with Phoenix and opting to tug at her sleeve as if to insinuate for her to sit and chat with them.

“I am doing my job Ciel. As I said before, I’m making myself useful to you and… them.” Zeelan replies , eyeing Phoenix intermittently whilst ignoring the company that had demanded her attention, from the lack of it with their former subject of interest.

Phoenix was visibly in an awkward state, which caused a ghost of a smile to form on Zeelan’s lips once more. Just as quickly as it had appeared, it dissipated when Luciel spoke.

“Then explain why I just saw two hellions roaming a nearby school? Was that supposed to be in your records, or is the job of a grim reaper too hard for you?” Luciel asks, a hand resting on his hip and the other pointing at Zeelan. His ash hair was painted with hard strobe lights that bounced off every direction in a fickle manner. Although placed in such a non enchanting scenario, his aura radiated otherwise that it was no surprise people would find allure in the man.

Although…

“You don’t seem to be from here are you? I’m Diana.” the girl who had tugged her sleeve earlier introduced, offering a hand to shake and hooking her other arm unto Phoenix’s shoulder. Had people always been this friendly? She was about to ask as she turned to the two reapers deep in conversation, when she thought it was maybe best to hold her tongue for the time being. It was evident that they weren’t filtering their words and this confused her slightly. It may be her fascination for their complete disregard that she had been lost in thought as a girl adjacent to them spoke.

“Ooh, Diana… befriending the competition? Sneaky.” turning to her, the girl added. “I’m Lily, and you must be his little sister or something right?”

“Hell no.” she replied with a little too much enthusiasm, cutting off her train of thoughts. She already had one stuck up sibling, she didn't another.

Zeelan turned his head at this before taking her arm, and excusing them from the unwanted company as he and Luciel silently came upon an agreement to lead the conversation elsewhere. Placing as much distance as they could with the crowd, they opted for the empty bar stools in one corner. It was a place that seemed cut off from rest of the party. A ground zero per say.

“Finally, I was wondering how you two were speaking about things so openly like that.” Phoenix commented before fiddling with a half filled glass someone abandoned on the counter.

“You’d be surprised at how often humans would only think of you to be jesting even though you blatantly tell the truth.” Zeelan paused before turning back to Ciel. “Don’t get your panties in a twist. I’ll look into it. I swear.”

“Don’t bother swearing. You’re not exactly the type to be held accountable by his word. Do your job properly and everything will be as it should be.”

Zeelan sighed and gazed at the surroundings. “On another note, why are you squandered in this pathetic excuse of a party?”

“Covering for you. And besides, I have souls to collect tonight. Unlike most of us, I actually take this seriously. The hellion leakage has been a pain in the ass recently but other than that, there wasn’t a significant difference.” Luciel commented. “How about you? Why are you here? And who even are you?” he said turning to the girl who had dipped her finger in the amber liquid out of curiosity. Ciel raised a brow at this before turning to Zeelan, raising a question with his gaze as if to ask if his company had been slowly losing their mind.

This glance didn’t go unnoticed, earning a small smack from Phoenix.

“That’s a lot of questions and unwanted judgement from someone I just met.” Phoenix said and asked. “is he alway like this? I mean, as much as I want to run right now from just being dragged here,” Phoenix shot at Zeelan once more before turning to Luciel, half in a desperate plea to take her off the former’s grip. “I am…” she paused reassessing the situation and that her plea might be all in vain due to the sudden strike she had just done. “Intrigued.”

“Wait, aren’t you supposed to be--.” Ciel started.

Welp. There goes her ticket to stay.

“Not here.” Zeelan cuts him off, opening his palm at her once more. “Last chance shortcake.”

“And again… no.” Phoenix said before standing up in visible rebellion. “You can try this all night, I’m relentless.”

Her feet started to move as she walked away from the two. Before Zeelan follow, she managed to slip in between the crowd and away from sight.

She sat on one of the stools and kept sight of Zeelan chatting with another group.

“I don’t seem to recall inviting you at this party, but I’m not complaining.” a voice spoke, emanating from the man that sat beside her.

“Um… hi?” she started, taking in the drunk demeanor of the person before her. Seeing as nothing significant was happening, she decided humoring them wouldn’t be so uneventful. “My friend dragged me along so, sorry for being unwanted.” she smiled. “Also, I suppose this is your excuse of… what do you call it again --- flirting?”

“Was it that obvious?” the guy laughed, extending his hand towards the girl. “I’m Mage. I’m actually the host of this party.” From looks alone he seemed to be young. This was confirmed from his statement when he spoke again. “I just debuted in Keiya Entertainment, so I thought why not have some fun?”

His drunken slurs made Phoenix slightly wary. She knew the boy posed no threat to her although… This boy is laughable. “Oh? Where I’m from, fun is defined as my sister sicking hell hounds on me because of a few souls I plucked from the river.”

The boy seemed to take it as a joke and laughed while the former kept a straight face. “Sounds fun.” Mage rides along.

“So, anyways, what do you want to drink?”

Ha! Zeelan was right! This person didn’t believe a thing.

“Go home kid. You’re drunk, and although I have barely been here, I heard this is barely a pathetic excuse of a party.” she raised her hands “not my words…”

Mage laughed and gripped her arm. The action caused the girl to be surprised, accidentally scalded his skin at a mere touch. He flinched and in a flash, retracted his hand in pain, nursing his unexplained wound before dropping to the floor in confusion and fear. His drunken state didn’t make it easier for him to scamper away. Due to the immense volume of the music and that he was already seen drunk moments before, the people around him chucked it up to being a drunken outburst of someone’s rejection. They weren’t wrong but not nearly there either.

Phoenix eyed Zeelan from the corner of her sight as he followed a girl who had just stood up. She recognized the girl from earlier to be one of those that surrounded Ciel. The girl wobbled uncontrollably and struggled with her heels as she walked, finally fumbling to the ground and yet just as the people had ignored Mage, the same amount of attention had been directed towards the soon to be corpse. Just like that she was dead.

Phoenix bowed in apology at the host before walking to meet Zeelan, a slight distance from where the girl lay. As she did, she passed by another guest and intentionally brushed their arm against hers.

‘Call 911.’ The guest glanced around looking for the source of it and saw no one which could have been it. Instead they saw the fallen body slumped on the floor and opted to do as told by the disembodied voice.

“Lilian Sherwood. 18. It’s written in that notebook you stole from me if you would only give it back.” Zeelan muttered, hooking his arm on Phoenix's.

“Ah. Lily was it? Could it have just been a coincidence that the girl’s roommate was targeted by those hellions?” Phoenix quipped, changing the subject as they left the area. Police surrounded it as soon as they did, and being caught in all of it would have been an inconvenience one way or another.

“You saved someone? Hardly believable.”

“'Save' isn’t really the word I’m looking for. And besides, it wasn’t me. You already know my sister wouldn’t even let me move a muscle in their direction.”

“She’s just trying to protect you.”

“She’s trying to be a kill joy, that’s what. I’m perfectly capable of protecting myself.” she paused. “Hey uh… Ciel mentioned something about a hellion leakage? Why haven’t I heard about it--- you know scratch that. No one lets me know anything; treating me like a precious little kid.” she said mockingly.

“I’ll tell you some other time, or you could just go ask around yourself when you go back. You have to go back or it’ll be a catastrophe.”

“So I’ve been told. Don’t tell me you believe that nonsense too. You guys are just being over dramatic. If you don’t want to divulge the information, I’m not forcing you to; just don’t boss me around like everyone else.” she sighed. Zeelan was one of the few people he felt comfortable being around as well as someone who she didn’t have to filter out her words and thoughts just to fit in the portrayed image the world forcibly perceives without question.

The night passed quicker than expected and a early rays of sunlight shied through the clouds, painting it a light pastel hue.

“I have to go get a day job if I’m gonna stay here… so I’m leaving you to fix whatever this is while I get employed.” Phoenix muttered before starting to walk away.

“As always. You sisters just drop the mess on me don’t you?.” A slight snarl played on Zeelan’s lips when the girl gave him a half assed wave goodbye. In a flurry, he appeared before her, arms crossed. “You’re forgetting something doll. You’re sister told me to get your ass back to your fancy home.”

“And you’re supposed to be my babysitter now? Think of it this way. You haven’t even brought me back yet so I’m considering this a rebellion. Why not stretch it out even more and just let me stay?” Phoenix fished a small vial from her pocket, containing a florescent fluid. A child’s soul. “Don’t finish it all in one gulp. The memories of children are… distinctively innocent. As a reaper I assume you know that?”

Zeelan remained silent as if in contemplation.

“Just tell them I blackmailed you or forced you to. I mean its not far from the truth but hey, might as well make it sound a if you’re really innocent here.”

He only remained silent, barely moving at all. “Uh.. Zee?”

Nothing.

“Zee? Realms to Zee?”

Still silence.

“Zeela--”

The man raised his hand to shut her up, while giving back the soul. “Sssh. Can’t you see I’m thinking dimwit? And keep it. You'll need it more than I do.”

Well okay then. She already blew her plea with Ciel earlier, but this time she was going to comply if it meant she could stay.

“Can you cook?” Zeelan asks.

Strange as a question it was, she nods.

“Can you clean?”

“---and lemme tell you I got this ring! Gobble--”

“Just answer the damn question before I change my mind.”

“Yes. I can cook, clean, make you a bath… wait a minute. ARE YOU PLANNING TO MAKE ME YOUR MAID???”

Zeelan shut up once more and began thinking.

Grrr. What does it have to take for this man to keep his head in the current realm?

“Fine.” she sighed. “Just let me stay please?”

“I’m not thinking about making you a maid dumbass.”

Phoenix placed her hand at her hip leaning back slightly as she unknowingly made an anime referenced pose. “--- but you’re only going to make me clean and cook meals, same difference right?” sarcasm dripped from her voice as she spoke.

“Don’t make me regret this.” Zeelan said as he started to walk away.

She stood there dumbfounded at the utterly confusing conversation that had unfolded, if one can even call it that. “So I can stay?” she yelled, picking up her pace as she half jogged towards the reaper. Upon reaching him she jumped up and hooked both her arms on his shoulder. He on the other hand instinctively grabbed her legs and hooked it in his arms before he could hurt herself on her drop or bring him down with her.

As he carried her on his back, she let go of his shoulders and slightly pushed. “I didn’t ask to be carried. I’m not a child Zee. Now put me downnnn.”

“Stop complaining before I make you walk by yourself the rest of the way.” he said in reply, readjusting his hold on her as she had wriggled and made his grip loosen.

“By the way, think of it as my birthday gift. Happy birthday gremlin.” Zeelan gave a small smile before dissipating, carrying her along with him.