Chapter 19 - The Demon Version Of My Family : Part 3

The moon was getting higher as the night befallen them. The guards were getting farther away from them while the lieutenant, the mercenary, and Axel's dear old bully stood among the building ruins.

"He's just... gone?" Aster muttered as he finished searching the whole building ruins together with his brother. A white cap stayed in his hand while he looked around.

The lieutenant sighed while putting down the last wall crack. They had been looking around for the mute murderer, but they just could not find him.

He diverted his gaze to the mercenary who was just following them around without actually helping. It irritated Valerian because it was the mercenary's boy they were searching for, yet the criminal himself was just hanging around, watching Aster and himself work.

"Aren't you worried about him?" Valerian turned his body around to meet face to face with his sworn enemy.

The mercenary tilted his head, black hair swayed along with the breeze as his dim blue eyes met with the green one. "Who?"

"The mute murderer?" There was uncertainty in the lieutenant voice. It was more like a question rather than a statement.

Blue unreadable eyes glinted with the moon as the owner raised both of his eyebrows lazily. "He's just a murderer, someone I used, why would I be worried?"

Frowning at his answer, Valerian opened his mouth to retort back at the mercenary but quickly got cut off.

"Besides, I would be more worried about the hoard of guards coming at us."

Valerian blinked at him. "The hoard of what?"

The mercenary tilted his head towards the ocean of guards who just arrived at the scene. There were three helicopters coming and a dozen of cars full of people with weapons.

"Shit." Valerian staggered back a little, injured hand gripping the pistol harder.

Aster ran to the front, trying to shield Valerian. He wore the white cap in his hand and took out his bow.

He aimed his bow at the guards, green eyes sharpened while steadying his hand. His face turned stern as he gritted his teeth, looking forward to the hoard of enemies.

He took a deep breath, gripping the bow tightly, and let the arrow flew to the guards. He copied his movements and did it a couple more times over.

Though he missed almost all of them.

"This is just sad at this point," The mercenary commented impassively.

Aster's green eyes twitched at the comment. "Hey! I'm trying to help here, you bitch." He ventured towards the mercenary angrily.

"At least I actually try to do something and help, unlike you!"

The mercenary raised one of his eyebrows, a glint of amusement glazed in his eyes for a second before fading away right after. "Now I know why you two are related. Seems like annoyingness run in the family."

"You little-" Valerian snapped his head toward the mercenary before cutting himself off. They did not have time to banter when the guards were actually getting closer.

He let out a sigh and brought Aster right behind him. "Stay right behind me and don't get hurt."

Right after that sentence was spoken, the lieutenant aimed his pistol at the guards and shot them at the shoulders. Blood trickled down from his shoulder to his gun as he ignored his injured hand.

He reloaded his gun while trying to shield his little brother. He then shot the guards again, feet dragging along the ground as he let the blood flow from their shoulders.

The mercenary scanned the area with his sharp blue eyes. He dodged some bullets that were aimed at him easily as if he was dancing with them. His feet kicked some of the building ruins, sending them flying towards the guards and knocking them out.

A loud sound adorned the air and the mercenary quickly noticed that the three helicopters were already surrounding them. The wind blew the three of them, making their clothes sway with the air.

Kiaran diverted his gaze to the two brothers. The lieutenant's little brother foolishly still tried to shoot the arrows while the lieutenant himself shielded and attacked at the same time despite his injured shoulder.

His blue eyes looked around once more and caught the big looming trees that stood behind them. This ruined building was surrounded by a forest, trying to hide its secret from the world.

He took out a rope gun from his trench coat, gripping hard at it before snapping his head toward the lieutenant. "Jump onto me and hold tight on my signal."

Valerian looked over at him, frowning. He nodded anyway before continuing shooting the guards.

Kiaran shot his rope gun at a tree, making a snap sound as it stuck and found its way to the tree's heart. He grabbed the back of Aster's clothing, making the boy let out a startled yelp.

"Now."

Right as he said that, he snatched Aster away and let the rope gun bring them flying. Valerian shot the guard that tried to catch them one more time before jumping onto the mercenary's back and clinging to his neck like a piggyback ride.

Aster let out a high-pitched scream as he looked down, clinging onto the mercenary's hand that was holding his back. Valerian managed to look down once more, his uninjured hand still holding the mercenary's neck as his other hand shot the guards below them.

The mercenary landed on the ground gracefully, letting his trench coat dance around as he took in his rope gun. Valerian rolled onto the ground, holding his weight with his legs before he bumped onto a tree.

While Aster just fell face-first to the ground, grunting.

The helicopters quickly caught up with them, shining their lights to show where the three runaways were.

Valerian gripped Aster's hand with his uninjured hand and quickly brought him running further to the forest. Kiaran followed right on their back, catching up.

"Val, what about murder boy?!" Aster questioned his brother between his staggered breath as they ran.

Valerian bit his lips, ignoring his little brother's question. "Just keep running."

A bullet flew right in front of them. The two brothers jumped back before looking at the source of the bullet. The helicopter started shooting them, aiming their guns from the inside.

The footsteps of guards chasing them were getting closer and they continued their running, stumbling a little but fastening their pace.

The rain of bullets was thrown at the three of them, making it graced the lieutenant's mask a little. Sweats formed on Aster's forehead as they kept running.

"Hey, police clown," Kiaran spoke, catching up right beside Aster.

Aster blinked while kept dragging his feet. "Me?"

"Yes, you."

Kiaran jumped to the nearby tree, his hands caught onto one of the branches and broke it. He threw the branch to the first helicopter, making it sway. It bumped with the other two helicopters as it tried to balance itself. He then caught up with Aster again.

"What's with the mirror? I managed to find you after I followed your voice within the black roots mirror."

Aster stumbled a little, hand still getting grip by his brother as he looked over to the mercenary. "We got in the mirror and stuck in there for a little while."

"In the mirror you say?" Kiaran raised his eyebrows and stopped at his track.

Valerian halted when he saw the mercenary stopping. Aster almost fell down face first again when they did so.

"Mercenary?" Valerian asked. His voice was mixed with concern and uncertainty.

Kiaran's blue eyes looked over to his sworn enemy. "Take your brother with you. I'm going to make them follow me."

"Wait-"

"Until next time, police boy." The mercenary saluted and quickly ran the other way, leaving the two brothers behind.

Valerian gritted his teeth as he watched the mercenary fade away. Before the helicopters could see the two of them, he jumped into the bushes beside them and dragged Aster with him.

He clamped his hand over Aster's mouth as the guards searched around. Lowering his body, he could see the helicopter already spotted the mercenary, alerting all the guards.

Valerian could not help but feel uneasy as he watched his sworn enemy get chased away.

✵✵✵✵✵✵

Axel opened his eyes slowly, blinking as the light caught with his pupils. He grimaced a little at the pain in his head. Ocean-colored eyes tried to look around the room he was in.

"You're awake."

Axel looked over to the voice and noticed that the demon version of Kiaran sat right beside him. He blinked again, still trying to collect his soul.

"Do you want me to read you a story?" Kiaran offered, a genuinely kind smile was displayed on his face.

Axel shook his head a little, hoping to push the dizziness away. He tried to sit from his sleeping position slowly, controlling his breath as he looked over to Kiaran once more.

"You did."

Axel noticed how sore his voice was and coughed a little. "You read to me, every night?"

"The voice, it was you, wasn't it?" The human continued as they had a staring contest with each other.

The room was oddly warm and comfortable. Axel tried so hard to ignore the lingering danger that was screaming at him as he sat with this Kiaran.

"Yes," Kiaran answered, red eyes watching over him like he was some kind of a rare thing in a museum.

"Why?"

Kiaran tilted his head. "What do you mean why?"

"Why did you read it to me? Was it meant for the other me?" Axel followed his head movement. There was a beat of silence before Axel continued his question.

"Where's the other me?"

Kiaran's eyes darkened, though they quickly fade away as soon as they came. "There's no other you."

"Only you." Kiaran suddenly hugged him, making the boy stiffen.

"And it's enough." The demon continued, placing a soft kiss on top of Axel's hair. "Because you're the same." He exclaimed and tightening his hug. "You're my little brother."

"I don't- I don't think it works that way." Axel pointed out awkwardly, trying to wriggle out of Kiaran's grasp.

He pushed his pseudo brother away gently, trying not to anger him. "Did he leave?" Axel asked again, blue eyes met with the red ones.

"He's here and it's you." Kiaran brought him to a hug again, more straining this time. "And again, it's enough."

Axel sighed as he let his brother hug him.

No- not his brother, just a demon version of his brother.

"You could stay here," Kiaran mumbled between the hug, closing his eyes as he held Axel as if he would run away the second he let go.

"I'd love to, but my Kiaran needs me too, you know." Said the boy while hesitantly returning the hug.

Maybe the demon version of his family was clingy, unlike his human family.

"Well, I can be your Kiaran, don't you think?" Kiaran whispered to his right ear, sending a chill down his spine.

He decided that demons were pretty creepy.

"Kiaran, stop patronizing your brother." A familiar voice came from the door. A smell of something good caught Axel's nose and he quickly snapped his head to the source.

Cain came in with his black wings dragging the floor, reminding Axel that this was not his father. A cup of hot chocolate was in his hand as he went closer to the human.

"I made you your favorite drink." He smiled as he sat at the edge of the bed, offering the cup to Axel. Kiaran let Axel go unwillingly from his grasp, letting Axel take the hot chocolate.

Axel could not hold back his smile as he received the drink. "I- thank you. My father never made me hot chocolate before."

"Really? It'll be his loss then." Cain answered back. Axel did not really understand what his pseudo father tried to imply but he could not care less as he drank the hot chocolate.

When the liquid touched his tongue, it burnt his mouth. He yelped a little and spilled some of the hot chocolate to the bed.

He gasped at the sheet and opened his mouth to sprout apologies. "I'm sorry- I wasn't-"

"Oh lord, are you okay, son? You should be more careful." Cain checked on Axel, trying to make sure he did not hurt himself.

"He's clearly not okay. You should at least wait until it was colder." A monotone voice chimed in, revealing a beautiful girl in her late teen with porcelain wings walking from the door.

"You are so careless." Adreanna continued, empty red eyes staring down at Axel.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

Kiaran sighed beside him and ruffled Axel's head. "Our dumb sister right here is a hopeless case at showing emotions. What she meant was 'be careful and don't hurt yourself.'"

Axel blinked at Kiaran confusedly before diverting his gaze to Adreanna who's looking away from him. She did not confirm nor deny what Kiaran was saying and just stayed silent.

A smile grew on Axel's face. "Thanks, Adreanna."

A faint blush crept up on her face before she decided to turn away and left the room.

"Told you, she's hopeless." Kiaran chuckled as they watched Adreanna go away.

"My Adreanna is kind of like that too, though she covers it up with her porcelain mask most of the time," Axel exclaimed happily while looking towards the open door where Adreanna left.

He did not notice how Kiaran and Cain's faces went dark at the comment.