Chapter 1: Curious Case Of An Eye Stealer...

The bodies lay scattered across the ground, all missing their eyes, yet someone had taken the time to cover each with a blindfold. I'd heard about the "incident" on the radio, but seeing it was something else.

"You finally made it."

I knew the voice, but I didn't bother to turn around. So, this was Xing. To me she was newly made family by marriage but to everyone else she was an infamous Saint who had heard about me yet never cared to meet me—until now.

"Not even a hello?" she continued, a hint of amusement in her voice. "This isn't how you greet a superior, let alone your new aunt." She paused, her tone shifting slightly to a difficult one.

"How's your father?"

My shoulders stiffened at her words. I knew she was right; addressing a superior with the proper respect was drilled into me. Still, I didn't feel the need to entertain her familiarity just yet.

"he's fine," I said disgruntled at the mention of him. 

She nodded approvingly, an expression of mild satisfaction playing on her face. I knew the look. This was Xing, after all—

The one saint to trick the devil when negotiating her contract.

Usually a Saint has a single ability, weak or strong it usually depends on what you want and how much you're willing to give.

Xing's got two abilities, three if you count her being a Zahran now.

Xing's eyes lingered on me as if searching for something familiar in my features, something that linked me to the Saint of all saints who was my father. I knew what she was thinking: Is this really his daughter?

"What happened here?" I asked, keeping my tone even.

"A Stray attacked. Some police officers, by the looks of it. Same Stray as last time," Xing replied, her eyes glinting as she glanced over the bodies. "I got here a little before forensics, so I'm scoping it out before they do."

She said as she playfully traced the blood from a body from her thumb to her finger, poking at it as though she was a child.

Her soft but commanding voice was as unnerving.

"Are you sure it was a Stray?" I asked, unable to keep a bit of skepticism from slipping through. "Couldn't it have been a Youkai? Or a Demon?"

She chuckled, that faint hint of mischief resurfacing in her eyes. "Demons are way more violent than this. Look closer—these men's eyes were ripped clean from their sockets, each with a trace of Karma, untainted by any contract. Besides," she added with a grin, "you don't seem like the youkai type, Kozo."

I ignored her jab and crouched beside one of the bodies, observing the empty sockets. Strays usually left a signature, a trace, and this one's Karma was faint but unmistakable.

"Stray's really don't hold back anymore" I muttered, half to myself.

Xing smirked. "Good observation. But save the criticism—police are here."

Sirens sounded in the distance, approaching fast. The police didn't like working with Saints, and they especially didn't appreciate our being at crime scenes.

I hear the police sirens ringing but I was a little too invested into my research. As they exit the cars, I get the same stares and look of annoyance I always do, the policemen never like working with saints or even seeing them for that matter. But with a case like this where specifically policemen were targeted and killed, they're justified.

But our jobs are different, we can't interfere with them even if we wanted too anyway.

Xing began.

"No worries officers, we were just scoping some things out no need to worry-'

"GET OFF OF OUR SITE"

"Ok." We both said in unison.

We began walking away at a pace that was fast enough for us but one that kept us in the polices sight for just long enough to spite them anyway, I guess me and Xing are alike in someways.

"Whatever Stray did this has an M.O, it's the third incident like this in a month and it's not even the sixteenth yet."

I pondered at a small dam we were walking by instead of giving Xing my full attention.

"Most strays for a long time were never too intelligent. They're all from hell so it never made sense to think they would hold any form of intelligence, but for one reason or another they do now. And it's starting to become quite the problem."

She sighed as she pulled out a cigarette, she reached into her pocket to get her own, but she looked confused as she kept digging through her pocket as she found nothing.

While she did this; I withdrew a lighter my father had given me the second he heard I'd be working with Xing.

He told me she was the type of girl to always forget her lighter when she needed a smoke, and so it'd be my job to make sure she was always lit up.

I guess strength comes without the basic qualities of a responsible individual.

I light her cigarette for her as we speak and she gives me a smile, we begin walking.

"Just last week a stray ate a family and when we finally got to it, the thing was dressed in the daughters clothing trying to pretend play a form of "House." It makes me sick."

She continued on detailing recent reports of strays.

"Don't you think we should consider the fact they were human too?"

"Not at all" Xing clapped back immediately with a look of slight anger stopping her walk to which I halted

"They're not human, they forfeited that right whenever they did what they did to end up in hell. You're a stray hunter not apologist, if you're going to be one of those I suggest you quit and head to Chicago they're holding another protest down there maybe you can join them and-"

"OKAY I get it" I interjected, halting her usual tirade in its tracks.

Xing, the epitome of virtue for many, rivaled only by my father, was a formidable force. Her strength was matched only by her disdain for anything infernal, be it a stray demon or a beguiling succubus. She's apathetic when it matters most of the time, but when she does care she's a brilliant Saint. 

"Good" She grinned as we resumed our walk.

"I've already conducted a few interviews. It couldn't have gone far. Locals mentioned strange noises from an abandoned motel nearby. Why not check that out?"

"Me alone? You sure have a high opinion of me," I quipped.

"Stay safe, 'pretender' She said with a hint of sarcasm.

"That's what they call you. Isn't it?"

Pretender; It was my Epithet, although I did theater for a number of years in both high school and college it had nothing to do with it, everyone's appointed an Epithet by the church if they're good enough. For a long time to tell the truth, I wasn't sure why It was bestowed upon me however I guess it's because that's what I am.

Millions of men, women, children even angels have died trying to be something they weren't, and I guess I'm the same; A pretender, just someone who blindly followed in their parents footsteps without any regard for their own life, or what they wanted.

I stopped 'Pretending' to be a good person a long time ago. But I know whether I'm a hero or just another actor on this cosmic stage is decided by someone far greater than I.

I always said to myself, I'll play my part as the 'Pretender' until time reveals I should do otherwise.

These days I'm not sure when that'll be or if it ever will be.

I turned to face Xing, and suddenly before I could even blink, she leaned in, fingers encircling my head, locking me in place. Her gaze bore into mine.

Her speed caught me off guard and her sudden intimacy absolutely shocked me, never had someone touched me like this or even been so close.

Who the hell was she?

"But... I guess they won't be as perfect as you, Pretender," she mused. Her fingers prodded at my mouth uncomfortably eventually even getting it to open with my tongue in display, and despite my attempt to resist, she held firm. Studying me intently, she remarked,

"Your fangs… Pretender, they're my weakness, Guard them, won't you? Your eyes, too— I know they're not yours but… They fit you well."

Xing was a fair bit taller than I, but my height wasn't anything special to begin with. But due to this difference it was easy for her to look down at me with a sense of inferiority.

She lets go of me causing me to pant violently given the sudden aggression;

Xing apparently had a thing for expressing herself through dominance, it was annoying it always caught me off guard but what could you do against the strongest in the 3rd division?

Equally so, it didn't help that Xing now considered me, her new niece to be the "Cutest" In the division already.

Xing's admiration for my fangs went beyond aesthetics; it was a recognition of the bloodline curse that had shaped my family for centuries.

Xing was always interested in things like that, I guess I wasn't.

 A majority of my bloodline was debited with this curse, some were blind, some were physically unable, but the best of us simply got an abnormality, and mine just so happened to be in my teeth.

 Even if I was 'The Saints' Daughter I didn't get a pass like he did. Not everyone could be the spinning image of perfection as he was, good teeth, great eyes… Instead I got to be born with fangs and partially blind… For a while at least.

My eyes 'aren't my own' because of a deal my family decided to make for me before I was even born, a deal with the devil, that same deal was made by my great grandfather, and his grandfather before him. It's probably where our 'Curse' finds it's origin but, we don't know.

Those born with the Zahran curse are said to all die young, and again my father was an exception to this rule.

Xing looked fulfilled and finally let me go.

'Go and catch our eye eater Kozo'

She fell into her own shadow.

A technique of hers I'd heard of.

As she submersed herself in shadow the sound it made was a sort of icky, creepy thwip- sort of sound that came as fast as it left.

'I'll never get used to that' I softly whispered to myself.

I looked off into the distance, red and blue police lights and sirens beginning to encompass the night, more and more taking over the area as well. 

A lead and time, all I really had these days.

After a few mishaps and duds the "motel" Xing was talking about came before me, it was dilapidated and definitely in no condition to use.

I hesitated for a moment, staring at the rundown motel that Xing had mentioned. The flickering neon sign above it seemed like a beacon of despair in the dimly lit neighborhood. With a sigh, I pushed open the rusty gate and stepped into the motel's small, cracked parking lot. The gravel beneath my feet crunched with each step, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease wash over me.

The motel itself was a two-story building, its once-vibrant paint now faded and peeling, revealing the decay that had taken hold. Windows were shattered, and some were boarded up, giving it an eerie, abandoned look. The entire place exuded an atmosphere of neglect and decay, as if it had been forgotten by time itself.

As I approached the entrance, I noticed the glass door was cracked, hanging on to its frame by a thread. The flickering fluorescent lights inside cast unsettling shadows across the dimly lit lobby. The reception desk stood covered in a layer of dust, and the old-fashioned bell sat motionless, long past its days of welcoming guests.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what lay ahead, and pushed open the creaking door. It protested with a loud groan, echoing through the empty lobby. Inside, the air was stale, and the scent of mildew hung in the air. The faint hum of the vending machines in the corner added to the eerie ambiance.

I walked up to the reception desk, my footsteps echoing in the silence.

After a bit more exploring, I suddenly heard a soft groan not far from me, I turn around not being able to immediately trace it but it was followed shortly by another, as I got closer the groan became a soft cry.

I track it to one of the rooms on the first floor and slowly open the door, it was silent.

I reach to my pocket and pull out a box of matches, using one the second I got it out.

I started scanning around the room and there's nothing else. I begin to leave the room thinking I misheard until I hear a small crack come from the room's bathroom. I looked back in and right before me it appeared, its back was facing the now gone bathroom door as its figure inched in length.

Its head was not even there as it outgrew the door by a few inches or so. The most I could make out is its 4 arms but, in that lighting even that's a stretch.

I step into the room, and I feel an immediate change in aura before the monster appeared before me staring intimidatingly at my own eyes.

Its face was devil-like, and its horns didn't help. He had several holes split out amongst his head akin to eye sockets, most of them were filled but there remained four sockets for eyes.

I can't move I can't even think, whatever the hell this is it's not Karma.

The monster disappears before reappearing and lunging at me, I swipe up at him with my knife causing him to disappear again but even within my range of Karma his presence completely disappears, this is beyond even Karma. I keep swiping at him the second I see him but I slip up once and he's got me, he grabs my arms and holds them against the wall as I drop my blade and force a stare at his increasingly disgusting face.

"YOUR EYES YOUR EYES YOUR EYES"

It shouts with a surprisingly human voice.

What?? Did this stray just... Communicate? 

My eyes??

"GIVE THEM TO ME" it commanded.

I can't fight back his strength is far too overwhelming for someone like me.

His two arms make his way up to my eyes and then my eyes, his thumbs prodding every crevice of my face, for just a second he put his palms over my eyes covering them as I continued to struggle but a blackness ensued and the beasts ability got to work finally showing itself

Suddenly I felt more and more as if my eyes were being violently sucked in by this creatures palms

If this continued I was sure to be a dead saint soon, I wasn't sure how long the process took but I wasn't going to wait

I began pleading with myself to think, think of any good way to escape and then I got an idea

"BREAK!" I violently shouted

Using my Karma I formed a 'Break' encounter through my vocal coords, not many can do it due to it being extremely impractical however Xing once said it'd come in handy… It did

Immediately it sent him back by at least a room or two; Him going through each wall and breaking the old foundation of the motel crumpling our makeshift battlefield mostly to the ground.

"W-WHAT??" It shouted laying on the ground in clear pain

The stray showed clear confusion and awareness to what was happening, a trait never before seen in a stray.

I grabbed my dagger from the ground and began to come for it.

I position my knife accordingly and I stab it through the chest leaving no room for error, I make sure to wiggle the blade a bit just so this thing can feel as much pain as possible.

It shrieks and it shrieks its almost like he thought he'd never have to answer for the lives he took.

Am I supposed to feel bad for it?

As my dagger was lunged into him, I notice a few things.

One, my nose began bleeding, terribly which means I overexerted myself.

Two, the creature's body wasn't disappearing.

Three, because of two he was still alive and who knew how much more he could take I dash at him and we clash, my blade against his skin one more time creating a loud CRASH sort of sound.