14 Years Ago.

“A talk about what?” Dwayne asked in childish curiosity as he squinted at the older boy, “And where exactly are we leaving to?”

The boy sighed and gave Sophie a stone cold side glance to which she shuddered in response.

“Well?” she cocked a brow at him.

“Sophia Catherine White,” he began in his baritone voice, “I am Umeus Salvador. One of the names mentioned to you by Mrs Daniels's lawyer on the night of her unfortunate death roughly thirteen years ago.”

He spoke fluently and without flaw with the steely tone to his voice making it all the more shocking, “I have come by the orders of the High Priest Granfedyu to take full custody over Dracious Dwayne Daniels to serve his purpose in Tenshisekai as Murasak-Ihel.”

“Eh?” blurted a baffled Dwayne with wide amethyst eyes.

Jennifer practically stormed into Sophie's room, bursting through the door in rage. “I swear to the sun, that I will BURN. HIM. TO. ASHES!”

“I'll provide the sunflowers patterned urn to store this exotic spice of yours,” began the toned female who sat elegantly on the edge of the queen sized bed that was framed with brightly lacquered wood and carved with diamond designs. The coverlet was a pastel red which blended in nicely with her two piece olive blue outfit and blonde head. An evil smile stretched onto her face, “If you know what I mean.”

This display of dark humour gave Jennifer ssomewhat of a calm, allowing her shoulders to drop as she let out the last of her frustration in a pout, “Seh, Purinsessu.” she teased with a puerile curtsey — a friendly mockery of her friend's regal status.

“Yes, you underfed peasant, do my bidding and adorn your uniform before Umeus comes up,” replied the princess with an intoned voice that did not suit her at all and giggled at the mere effort of keeping up the act, “I must say I'm surprised you slept in that.”

Jennifer blushed in embarrassment as she slipped out of her oversized blouse, the cool air gently pushing against her pale skin. She wore the top part of the outfit which was a crop top that just barely exposed her cleavage. The hems of the fabric were lined with silver that complemented the persian green of the textile. She then adorned her pale green stockings and a pair of skorts with the same persian green colour and silver lining. She then knelt to wear and fasten on the pair of leather jump boots to complete her outfit.

“There,” said the princess in another voice, trying to mimic an engrossed photographer whilst peeking at Jennifer from behind her fingers which she had gestured into a simple rectangle. “Perfecto — she mimicked the shutter of a camera — simply magnificent. I'll frame this one. Oh yes, Señorita!”

Jennifer couldn't help bursting into laughter, “You're such a goof ball, Himawari.” she whispered with gratitude.

“Don't tell me you haven't told the poor boy that before he turns fourteen, he will see you for the last time.” said Umeus in a voice one would use to chide a misbehaving child. “Dwayne? Has she never brought up such a topic?”

Sophie gave bemused expression, her eyes widely opened and her mouth agape. No, it can't be. . .not yet! Her thoughts were visible on her face as she pondered over what to say.

“Mommy,” Dwayne called softly, his hand brushed against Sophie's shoulder. He didn't know what was going on and needed his mother's assurance.

Umeus clucked his tongue, and snapped his fingers. A lone figure materialized at his feet, bowed with a single knee and fist to the ground whilst a shoulder rested on the other knee. The boy had shiny locks of black hair and was attired in a blue version of what Umeus was attired in, just without the coat.

“Seh re'nam?” he asked in a formal tone.

“Issei, utilize your Kam'Ikugo to display Miss White's memories for Dwayne here to see.” Umeus's impeccable chestnut eyes, void of emotion, beckoned toward the two people in front of him.

Issei rose and with a nod, his eyes and hair began illuminating in a light shade of blue. Dwayne got up to shield his mother but Sophie gently pushed him back to his seat.

“It's alright Dwayne.” she assure. Although her own voice was trembling, Sophie knew she had to put up a front to keep Dwayne calm.

“Kam'Ikugo, psychic display,” declared Issei with a strong voice and a bright blue effulgence filled the room. The setting changed as the light cleared and they were all standing in a dark hospital ward with only two people inside. A single patient; and an adolescent nurse.

Beep! Beep! Beep! A cardiograph sounded as it charted the beat of a weathered heart. The porous green walls of the segregated ward seemed rather foreshadowing of death as dark shadows clutched at them like claws. Gibbous moonlight crept through the slanted blinds and stripped the linen of a lone bed where a motionless patient lay. She slowly cupped her mouth and rattled her chest with a cough that filled her palm with blood. Any remnants of colour were drained from her skin and she became a porcelain doll with her large eyes and single expression.

Dwayne held Sophie's hand, coiled their fingers together and gave a squeeze to indicate he was scared. The woman's cough affected him somehow and the nurse looked uncomfortably familiar to him. Sophie tightened the grip on Dwayne's hand. It was more to soothe herself than it was for Dwayne as she watched her panicked self tend to Mrs Daniels.

“Doctor, doctor! I need a doctor in ward E immediately!” called a panic stricken nurse when she made out the subtle decrease in cardiovascular rhythm. Sweat beaded her forehead and her clammy fingers struggled to jot down the inspection on her clipboard. The adolescent girl had been caretaking the patient as per an internship to put on her curriculum vitae and was still new to caregiving.

“Who is she?” Dwayne whispered, trying to keep it soft enough for only Sophie to hear. No response. The hand he was holding became sweaty and slippery.

“Sophie.”

She heard her name and immediately looked up. Diana's face was hard to look at: sunken cheeks, hollow and dark circles around her eyes, wrinkled blue lips and small black veins etching the path to death on her face. It was a sharp contrast to the beautiful face that had been admitted just a few days ago,“Yes ma'am?”

“Please co—” a second dry cough scrapped Diana's throat and more blood filled her palm and stained her sheets, “—please come closer.”

“Who is she and why am is that woman calling your name?” demanded Dwayne loud enough for his voice to reverberate in the room. Neither the nurse nor the patient reacted to his shout. Can they even see us? No, they would have reacted by now.

With her heart racing, Sophie complied and strode over to her bedside, put the clipboard onto the cardiac table and crouched to take her clean hand. She took Diana's cold, bony hand in two of her own very warm and fleshed hands, “I'm here ma'am.”

For the briefest of moments Diana was quiet as she seemed to process whatever it was she required from Sophie. Sickness really was a cruel thing. One that settled in a person's body and destroyed them from within. Sophie wished she could locate this pathogen and rip it from Diana's body. It was really hard to watch such an admirable person crumble.

“You've taken such good care of me and made the stay worthwhile,” she began slowly with this distant, glassy look in her eyes, “I really wish our paths could have crossed sooner and elsewhere because there's so much we could have gotten done together,”

“In this sorry state all I've managed to do was cause you tr—”

“—Don't say that!” Sophie softly commanded and cut her short. The way Diana spoke in that moment was painful enough, so having her belittle herself was one blow too much, “I came here with caregiving in mind. This is my choice and I won't let you badmouth yourself over my personal duties.”

Diana let loose this painful chortle as she smiled, “Yes, I know I was amazing, but that's all over now. I'm leaving you with something precious and ask that you give it as much care as you've given myself.”

Sophie's brow creased in confusion, “Huh? Why me?”

“You'll understand soon enough.” she said and looked at their hands, “Please forgive me in advance for making this decision without having consulted you first.”

“Ma'am, you're not making sense,” responded a perplexed Sophie. Was death rattling her wits?

“Does anything in this life ever make sense?” Diana asked. Her voice was distant, as though she had been thinking aloud. That's when Sophie saw the first tears rolling down her cheeks and felt her brittle grip tighten on her hands.

Sophie could not answer. Nor could she understand why Mrs Daniels's grip had become so stiff until she looked up to see her foaming at the mouth. Instant panic shoot through her body like static and she got to her feet. She gently peeled her fingers from Diana's and was now aware of the rapid beeping of the cardiograph.

Once untangled, she wanted to burst through the double doors and into the hallway but just then, a middle aged man in a white coat made his appearance. He was pulling on the last of his latex gloves, “I came as soon as I cou—”

His eyes widened the instant he saw the froth at her mouth, “—Sophie get me a 2 milligram narcan shot immediately and then leave. You were urgently requested by Mrs Daniels's lawyer in the waiting room.”

The doctor hustled over to Diana's bed and took the hand Sophie had been holding. It was a professional, firm grip. He turned it over and when Sophie handed him the injection, he tried to plunge it into Diana's cephalic vein but the needle bent in contact with her skin, “What?”

Mrs Daniels? But isn't mom Mrs Daniels? thought an utterly perplexed Dwayne. His eyes met those of Umeus and he knew an answer would come.

“That, Dwayne Daniels, is your mother,” he replied. His tone made it seem as though her were enjoying this. The slightest smirk tugged at a corner of his lips.

Sophie's hand became cold and her eyes widened. She had this unreadable expression on her face as she watched the scene before her. The scene she had tried so hard to forget many times before. This was the day Dwayne became an orphan, and the same day she became a parent

Dwayne felt something die inside of him in that moment. It was pain. A different kind of pain: The pain of betrayal, the pain of deceit, “M–mother?” he choked out the kernel that had lodged itself in his throat. His voice was unnaturally high pitched.

As Sophie turned to reluctantly walk away, she heard the heart monitor hasten and then out came a heartwrenching scream from Diana. She also saw the doctor throw his needle aside and move back a bit to avoid being struck as the patient thrashed about violently. Tears rimmed Sophie's eyes as she pushed the doors open and slowly walked away.

“Yes, your real mother.” he added with a chuckle. One of his gloved hands removed the fringe that hung over a single of his eyes.

“Dwayne I can explain. It's not what you th—” Began a panicked Sophie who suddenly looked like she would give anything to shrink out of existence.

“—No! I don't want to hear it!” he barked, effectively cutting her off. Dwayne's amethyst eyes glimmered with tears as the heart wrenching scream of the woman who was supposedly his mother furthet tore his broken heart into pieces. His soul felt crushed under the weight of the pain he was now feeling. The scream got louder and louder. He pulled his hand from Sophie's and cupped his ears with both hands and tightly shut his eyes.

“Make it stop! Make it stop! Make it stop! Please make it stoooop!” He plead as if it would change anything. Sophie tried to pull Dwayne's hands from his ears but he pulled away from her in a tug so rough it caused him to fall back onto the cold floor, “NO!”

The hot tears streamed down his cheeks as an anger deep inside him arose like effervescence in a shaken can of soda. He glowered at Sophie for the first time in his life. She outstretched a hand toward the fallen boy, hoping for him to take it. She could see the hate in his eyes, something she had never seen before. Let alone be directed to her, “I. . .I can explain, Dwayn—”

“I said NO!” Dwayne slapped aside the offered hand and made haste to his dying mother's bedside. Nothing seemed to matter anymore, tears kept falling from his eyes.

Just several places away, the screaming seized and a sharp, agonal breath left with Mrs Daniels's life. Sophie's heart felt the serpentine coil of grief over her heart as she walked on.

“No! No! No!” he shrieked as her chest stopped rising and the oscilloscope reading became a single line. The long beep was a lullaby that put to sleep all other feelings, leaving only an ice cold sadness. He balled his eyes out and attempted to grab hold of his dead mother's hand. He caught it. It was still warm but had this bony feel to it that made him cry even more.

What did I do to deserve this? He got to his knees and hid his head beneath the frail arm of Diana Daniels. No, the frail arm of his mother. He gave a cry, a loud, heavy hearted cry that even made Umeus feel pity. The cry of anguish, the cry of a strangled heart and the cry of a bereaved little boy who had not known his real mother.

Suddenly, the room became filled with the cries of innumerable tortured souls pouring out of the two circles that joint into a singlular circle with numerous geometric patterns and had the colour of blood. Umeus shouted something but Dwayne did not hear it. Tears streaming from his face, he opened his mouth to speak but just as he did, some souls began pouring into his mouth. His entire body felt light and the taste was acrid. Dwayne screamed and his sclera filled with veins as his pupils flipped over, plunging him into darkness.