Chapter 90 - A Payment : Part 1

"Mr President!"

The door burst open as a man in a messy suit ran inside. His face was full of panic as he stood before Alfred's desk. With a face as white as snow, he tried to compose himself in front of the president.

"What is it?" Alfred looked up from the paper in his hands with disinterest. His hazel eyes coldly stared at the man as he continued. "If this is about you trying to interrogate my daughter for befriending Axel Vergessene, I will fire you."

The man looked startled at his statement before clearing his voice. "N-no sir, it's about your wife."

Alfred's grip on the paper tightened to the point that his nails turned white. The edge of the sheet crumpled when the man tried to stay calm at the mention of Isabella.

"What about my dead wife?" He asked tautly. He deepened his gaze at the man like a blade that would cut the man's head off.

The half-moon outside his window adorned the night that had become colder than ever. The air was thick while Alfred waited for the answer from the trembling man before him.

"Someone dug her grave, and now her body's gone."

The paper in Alfred's hands had ripped into two pieces by the time the man finished his sentence.

✵✵✵✵✵✵

Kiaran was still hanging around the scientist's lab when the sun had kindly let the halved moon take its place. He watched Alea's work from behind, peeking around her shoulder with false curiosity.

His blue eyes caught the arrow that had been kept inside some kind of small tube with water in it. The water had roots swimming around it, emerging from the dark arrow itself.

Alea was working on another arrow to put inside another tube. Kiaran could not wait for the hell to run upon this city again. It would be really interesting to watch.

"You came way sooner as I expected." Kiaran suddenly spoke beside the scientist's ear without looking away from her work.

"Wait, no. Actually, I did expect this." He chuckled and formed a little smirk behind his mask.

Alea stopped her movement and looked back to see Kiaran's eyes who were still glued on her work. She frowned a little before glancing back and to the darkest corner of the lab.

She could faintly see a person standing in the shadow—a glint of identical blue eyes as the mercenary's hiding in the dark. The scientist rolled her brown eyes and went back to continue her work.

"If you two want to fight, fight outside." She muttered as she slowly put the black arrow inside the tube. "If you break anything in here, I won't hesitate to kick you out."

"Oh, no, no." Kiaran grinned and side-eyed Adreanna with an insane gaze. "We really get along as a family. Aren't we, Adreanna?"

The latter finally appeared from the shadow, slowly approaching Kiaran with eyes that were as dangerous as her brother's. Both of them let the fight hang in the air as they faced each other with discontent.

"What do you want?" She did not beat around the bush as she coldly stood before him. The siblings ignored another sigh coming from the scientist beside them while trying to observe each other.

"You know, that's the only first thing you said every time we see each other," Kiaran complained while shrugging. "Can't you say hi or something?"

Adreanna did not answer his question as she merely watched her brother under the dim light of the lab. The only sound that surrounded them was the clanking tools from Alea's work and the boiling water of the tubes.

The scientist put the last tube aside and quickly walked away from the ridiculous scenario between the two Vergessene siblings. Before she reached the door, Alea stopped for a second and stared at the back of Adreanna.

"Assassin. Fix my ventilation before you leave. I know you get in from there." She monotonously spoke and blew her brown curtain bangs as she turned away.

"I swear these people never use the door." That was the last word that came out of the lady's mouth when she slammed the door close.

"Don't worry about her. She's just pissed that I broke another window." Kiaran tried to joke and went to sit at a table. He crossed his legs and out a hand to support his weight when he leaned back.

Kiaran caught Adreanna's thrilling gaze and snorted. "Right. I guess you hate seeing me just like how I hate seeing you."

"Let's get to the point now, shall we?" He tilted his head hauntedly stared at her. "I want you to join my force as the payment of your debt.

Adreanna's blue eyes showed a sign of doubt as she deepened her gaze. "That's all?"

"Yes." He clasped both of his gloved hands and showed her his smiling eyes. "I want you to be in the next world burn. This city will soon turn into hell, and it will be so beautiful." There was glee in his voice as he finished his sentence.

"The finishing touch of a tragic story, of a tragedy with Axel as the main character." He continued, keeping the mad enthusiasm in his words. "It's just so glorious."

"A story of the child that was supposed to be normal just like what mother wished him to be. She put so much hope for Axel because her firstborn is a fucking emotionless monster."

"Right, Adreanna?" Kiaran showed the usual mocking eyes, knowing that he had touched a nerve in his sister.

Adreanna was still staring at him without any sign of emotions, proving his every word right. "I asked you, is that all? Stop spouting nonsense. You are wasting my time." She retorted back, getting tired by Kiaran's whole shenanigans.

"Oh, my dear sister." He sang, almost like a sign of pity. "We all know it very well that I wasn't spouting nonsense." He continued, causing the murderous aura between them to thicken.

"Anyway, I think you would love my plan." He quickly smiled again, manipulating their atmosphere with his fabricated friendly tone.

"We're going to kill off the president this time." He clapped and celebrated in front of the unmoving Adreanna.

"Don't worry. You aren't the one who will kill him." He patted Adreanna's shoulder and swirled around, wavering the edge of his back trench coat like he was on a theatre.

"The old lady will. She has a grudge, you see. That's why she's all grumpy and stuff." He added, smiling wider behind his mask.

Adreanna hated the fact that even though Kiaran did not ask her to pay the debt this way, she would join him either way. She also hated the fact that her brother knew about this.

Both of them wished for the fall of the city. Kiaran hid behind his murders while Adreanna hid behind Maera's reason.

"And what do you want from me by joining you?" She asked loud and clear, making Kiaran's eyes widen in delight.

"Sometimes, I forgot that you're also smart, dear sister." He chuckled and fiddled with a coin that he always kept inside his sleeve.

"Well, since I have no murderer on my side anymore because a certain person hide him from me-" He flashed a dangerous knowing look at her before continuing his sentence. "-and I've always been living up to the name of the mercenary who never kills,"

"I want you to be my murderer as a payment of your debt." His messy hair cascaded down his eyes as he stopped circling around his sister.

Adreanna stared dully at him. She wanted to grind her teeth for how helpless she was for going against him. She had promised Axel to never kill unless it was her mission, not Kiaran's mission.

But then again, deep down, she knew that she would never get to keep the promise.

Kiaran lowered his mask to show a winning smile at her. "So, what do you say?"

✵✵✵✵✵✵

A guy with a blindfold and a torn navy cloak stood right on the building's rooftop. He just finished listening to Adreanna and Kiaran's conversation, watching the two with so much interest and resentment.

The wind played with his coak as his fingerless glove hand held a dark bow with back roots painted the weapon. He spun the bow like a toy, watching the divided moon behind his blinded eyes.

"Not going to lie, Kiaran. I kind of enjoy your play." He muttered, smirking like he knew everything.

"I wonder what Adreanna would choose." He darted, breathing in pleasure. "I've taken a little interest in her."

He sat down on the edge of the building as he let the moon accompany him alone. "Poor Tithonus." He chuckled, pitying that turned into a mocking.

"Your Eos still can't let you go." He swung his feet back and forth, putting the bow beside him. "Kind of a pity that Zeus is haunting your back too."

"I really really love this story." The madness started to form in the back of his throat as he laughed maniacally.

"Ah, I can't wait for you to experience the ending that I wrote for you, Tithonus." The bow started to form a black hole that slowly ate him away.

And then he disappeared into the night.