Damaged

It'd been ten minutes now, since the little brawl between max and the gangsters. The motel was quiet, mostly because everyone remaining had fled and the rest dead.

Kyle sat on top of Danny's lifeless body, his eyes sunken as his face was more paler than usual. Yuna had come out from the room not quite long seeing the scenario, she didn't have any reaction whatsoever as if it was a casual stuff.

'What's wrong with him.' She could see max wasn't severely injured from the fight, but she could feel a heavy dark cloud looming over him.

"Are you alright?" She softly asked not knowing why, but having this distinct instinct to do so. She saw max didn't respond still lost in his thoughts, staring at the unconscious female gangster laying on the floor.

"The cops will be here soon, we should leave now while we still can." Yuna urged knowing the situation at hand, but max wasn't bothered In the slightest. Infact he had other important matters to ponder on.

"Max! we have to leave now or we'll be arrested and charged!" Yuna shouted, hoping to jolt max from his stance but it was hopeless, he was long gone. Seeing the latter not responding to her made Yuna frown, crunching her brows as she clenched her fist.

Stomping her foot she proceeded to where max sat, anger fuming all over her face. Looking down she saw he still wasn't moving, enraged she lifted her fist punching max hard in the face not holding back at all.

[-3 soul]

The system notification flashed in max eyes but he didn't care, nor did he feel any pain. Seeing her attempt prove futile Yuna punched max three more times, giving him a purple eye and bruises to the face.

'Why isn't he listening to me..' frustrated and not knowing what else to do, Yuna picked up the knife from the floor inching it close to max eye. She was hoping for a reaction, a blink, or scuff but all she got was the cold arms of silence.

"Argh! That's it.. I don't care anymore, if you want to get us killed then so be it." Annoyed Yuna gave up, sitting besides max. She'd tried all she could, but max was just not in the same space with her anymore.

"You know I used to be just like you. Alone sad and empty. My parents were rich and busy, so they never had time for me and my sister. Always going on trips and shit like that." Yuna calmly spoke with a sad expression.

"We had the good life yeah, but we just wanted to be loved and that's when I met Kane. He seemed nice and caring at first, until I learnt of what he did for a living. I couldn't handle it and wanted out but, he took my sister and threatened to kill her if I reported to anyone." Yuna's eye had now gotten teary, as her dam continued building with caged up emotions. She was shaking slightly recalling her past, as terrible memories flooded her head.

"I was trapped by him, doing his biddings by delivering human packages. I wished I could've killed myself and end it all, but if I did then my sister would've been a slave like I was, and I wouldn't be able to live with myself." Yuna sobbed, balls of tears rolling down her cheeks as she poured out her feelings. Glancing at her, max thought she wasn't any different from him. Both their parents were rich but they never had time for them, always focused on their damn work.

"I've always thought of myself as an orphan since my parents rarely ever comes home. Only I and my sister live together, so I basically get into trouble much." Max slightly chuckled, causing Yuna to raise her head staring at him a bit shocked. She didn't expect him to open up to her at all, as this was the first time he'd ever revealed anything about himself to her.

"Sometimes I think if they were there for us then maybe I wouldn't have met Kane and none of this would've happened." She said clenching her fist tightly.

"Yeah.. maybe." Getting up, max finally felt somewhat relief after talking to Yuna. He didn't know why and how he did so but he did.

[Ding! +100 unholy points for satisfaction.]

'Huh?' Max was a bit taken aback, seeing the system screen pop up. What confused him more, was the fact his system rewarded him with unholy points. which was weird, cause he'd have to commit unholy sexual sins to receive such.

[Great job master you managed to make your slave wet. How evil of you taking advantage of her like that.] Frail cheekily spoke in Max head, causing him to roll his brows.

"Do you recognize any of these people." Max asked pointing to the dead gang members. Looking, Yuna didn't recognize any of them from before as she vividly recalled all the gangsters she'd met.

"No none of them seem familiar. Why do you ask?" Yuna didn't know why max asked her that, but she knew it was important to him.

"Because they kidnapped my sister." Max spoke with anger in his tone. "They want to make a trade, you for her." Max revealed, causing Yuna to gulp a bit staring in disbelief.

'My hunch was right, they aren't here for her.' Max wanted to see if there was any relationship between Yuna and this gang, which was why he asked if she recognized any of them. Seeing her shake her head confirmed his thoughts, as the main reason they came was for him.

Opening the crunch up piece of paper max read the handwriting note.

'Come to 04 himea street with the girl. You took something important from me so I'll return the favour.' There was a small skull drawn at the buttom of the note, with drops of red fluid. Looking at the skull max could've sworn it looked familiar, as he'd recognized that symbol somewhere.

'Wait.. the gangsters in that alley.' Max immediately recalled seeing that same skull symbol, on the back of the jackets of the gangsters he killed in the alley in himea street. He didn't know how they found out about Layla, but knowing his sister he knew she wouldn't stay idle amidst his absence.

"Let's go." Max softly spoke to which Yuna nodded, as they headed down for the exit.

"Wait, what about her?" Yuna pointed, referring to the unconscious female gangster.

"What about her." Max shrugged, not having any interest whatsoever

"Aren't you going to take care of her? She might spill out everything to the cops or worse, warn the other gang members." Max couldn't deny Yuna had a point, as it would be a huge risk leaving her here. Considering his weak body and low hp, max wasn't stupid to leave any traces that might backfire on him.

Crouching down max activated soul steal, as the female gangster life force flowed into his.

[Soul: 30/30]

[Hp is full! Absorption process will continue..]

He'd refilled his soul but he kept on absorbing more, draining her of life. He had an expressionless face killing her, as he felt she deserved it. She is a gangster mean, evil, and all the bad things one could think of. hell! max didn't even want to think of all the innocent lives she'd taken. So this was kind of an easy way out for her.

'Hey, Jenny.. where have you been?' Max heard an unfamiliar female voice in his head, as his vision changed to a scene he didn't recognize. It was in an apartment not too spacious but comfortable, as a woman in her late thirties wearing brown top and pants sat on the floor.

'Sorry mom, I got carried away and chased a butterfly again.' The young girl innocently spoke, standing in front of her mother.

'Jenny.. you know it's dangerous out there, you shouldn't wander off like that.' The woman scolded, causing the little girl named Jenny to cry.

'Oh Jenny..' the mother pulled her daughter close into her warm embrace, tightly hugging her in her clutch. A bitter warm smile formed on her face, seeing her daughter's innocent and childish behavior.

'The world isn't as bright as you see it Jenny.. in life you'll meet good and bad people, make right and wrong choices but don't worry.. I'll always be there to protect you.' She smiled hugging her sweet little girl more.

'Frail, w-what was that.' Max telepathically asked, as his vision reverted back to normal. He didn't know why he saw that, but he knew it happened the moment he started stealing the female gangster soul.

[The soul is a very complex thing no one understands. As they say the eyes are the windows to one's soul. It's like a store recording all what a being does while alive, saving precious memories. What most likely happened was you saw a glimpse of her past, while absorbing her soul.] Frail said causing max eye to widen a bit in surprise, as he didn't expect such to happen. From his count he'd absorbed more than 5 people's soul, but none like such happened so why now.

[I wouldn't take it to be anything though, the chances are 1 to none that this will frequently occur now but it isn't weird. To steal a soul requires a bonding process, so it's likely you'll begin to see more of this visions in the future.] Frail concluded to which max nodded. Looking at her he could see her body had turned pale, her breathing very faint it couldn't be heard clearly.

[Soul: 5/30]

The absorption process was almost complete, as her soul was now critically low. She looked dead already, but in a short span her life would be ended finally by max hands.

'Is she crying?' max didn't want to believe his eyes, but he could clearly see little balls of tears streaming down her cheeks.

[What are you doing, why'd you stop?] Frail questioned seeing max suddenly stop, moving away from the female.

'If I didn't stop she would die, and where's the fun in that. She's already dead anyways, so might as well have her suffer a bit.' Max inwardly spoke, chuckling a bit making frail scoff at him. Max could see yuna's inquisitive eyes staring at the female gangster, and he knew what she was thinking.

"She's not dead." Max cleared her suspicions, causing a confused look on yuna's face.

"M-may I ask why master?" Yuna didn't know why max didn't finish off the unconscious female, unlike before he normally does.

"Because she's just like us.. damaged." Max softly said walking away, with Yuna tailing behind.