Chapter 71 - Deja Vu

*Kaler's POV*

My bodies to heavy... I can't get up. Man...I hate this feeling. When am I ever gonna wake up feeling fresh a spring flower?

I used all my effort and lifted my eyelids which felt like they weighed a ton. I could feel the stress on my facial muscles, fighting to keep my drowsy self conscious. I looked to my left slowly to try and gather my bearings, attempting to scan the room. 

It didn't take me too long to realise I was lying on a soft, marshmallow-like mattress, in a dark, spacious room. Wait. Have I been here before? This feels strangely familiar...

I looked all the way to my left, seeing a wooden bedside table with a digital alarm clock on it. The clock red "12.30 pm, 9th September 2023." 

'What on earth?' was what was going through my head. I feel like I had lost all sense of time. The date didn't even carry any meaning for me. It like how I was before meeting Aurora, its just another day.

Aurora… RIGHT! I promised myself that there would be one day I would never forget. The 5th of September, 2023. Its been 4 days since then… It been less than a week, but I feel that I already am more comfortable with her than anyone else in the world. I want to see her…

I tried to get off the bed, but felt something pulling me down. My eyebrow raised on its own. What's this? I threw the blanket to one side and saw a park of arms encircling my waist. This feel familiar…

I traced the arms, leading me to a my blue haired angel hugging onto me for dear life, sleeping peacefully. This feels like deja vu…

I slowly laid back down on the bed and scooted closer to her. Her beautiful face a mere centimetre in front of mine. I could feel her soft breathing on my face. Her serene expression as she is sound asleep is more beautiful than any model, more precious than any gem, more priceless than any antique. That described her as a whole. 

"Hey." I heard a raspy yet melodic voice call to me. I snapped out of my stupor to see her smiling at me with her pinkish lips. Her bright blue eyes staring straight at me. I stared into them, feeling like I'm getting lost in their hypnotic beauty. I felt like I was falling deeper and deeper into an endless abyss. They were just so-

"How long are you gonna keep staring?" She chuckled. She propped her hand up on her hand. The blanket slipped off as this happened, realising that she was wearing a very…enticing nightgown underneath. Once again, I started staring, this time, at her body. 

She noticed this quickly, especially since i wasn't giving her a reply. "What you looking at?" She said teasingly, shaking her upper body, consequently, her chest. I groaned as I saw it move in such a dirty manner, forcefully peeling my eyes away.  She giggled at me again seeing my pained reactions. 

She's teasing me, torturing me. Her giggles were a sweet and tasty poison. Something I could drown in all day and all night. But, I need to shut her up, this once. While she was still giggling. I pushed my lips against her, holding it there for a few seconds.

Her laughter stopped immediately as I saw her eyes widen in surprise. Satisfied, I smirked and closed my eyes, savouring the kiss. There was no movement of my tongue, just contact with our lips. I was perfectly content with that, because finally, I got her to shut up.

I pulled away, leaving her astonished, frozen like a petrified statue. I smirked at her and slipped off the bed. I walked over the closet to reach for a set of clothes. realising that she was still in the same frozen state, I fired back at her. "What are you staring at?" I asked in a mocking manner. 

As I asked that question, I took off the shirt I was wearing, revealing my trimmed body. In fact, I was surprised as well, I seem to have gotten more fit. "Eh?" I heard a soft expression of confusing coming from her, she seems to hav finally come to he senses. "N-Nothing!" She exclaimed as she practically jumped off the bed and rocketed to her closet. 

I shook my head. This girl, so unpredictable. I quickly changed my clothes into something a little more appropriate as did she. "How are you feeling?" She asked from across the room. 

"Fine. How long was I out for?" I replied.

"17 hours. Not as long as before."

"I see." 

There was a silence for a long time as we both got back on the bed. She cuddled in my arms and rested her head on my chest.  "I thought you promised me you wouldn't do something so dangerous again. " She abruptly blurted out.

I was silent for a few seconds, staring at her with a stupefied expression. "Y-Yeah…About that…" I had not reply to that… but she did.

I promptly felt a crisp slap as the sound of flesh on flesh rang through the room. Because I was not prepared, I felt the full force of that one. "OW!" I exclaimed as I even jolted forward a bit. Next thing I knew, she was looking up at me with furrowed brows and an angry pout.

She was not happy in the slightest, but its so damn cute!

I chuckled nervously, both brimming with happiness from he adorable expression and feeling overflowing guilt. "S-Sorry…" I said as I kissed her forehead, the spot between her brows. They immediately went back to normal, but she was still pouting. 

"You better be! This time, a kiss isn't going to save you!" She said angrily. She started repeatedly striking my chest. Every punch and slap harder than the last. I felt every single one of those hits striking me. It was absolutely brutal, but I suppose it was what I deserved. 

After that brutal onslaught, she was panting, sitting on top of me. I sighed deeply, still feeling the pain from all those hits on my chest. "Are we good now?" I asked, hoping my job as her punching bag was finally over. 

"Hmph!" She grunted and slid off me, lying on the spot next to me on the bed and crossing her arms like she was still angry. Although, at this point, I am pretty sure she wasn't. To be honest, I doubt she was even angry to begin with. She wants something. "Nope! I am still not satisfied…"

Her voice was dignified, sounding almost like a noble from ancient times. In fact, sometimes I wouldn't be surprised if she was some reincarnated noble. Like a king of queen of something. 

I sighed deeply. "I apologise, your highness," I said as I dramatically bowed my head. I was sitting up cross legged, so it was possible.

"Hmph! Show me your sincerity." She said 

"And how shall I do that? My Queen?" I said jokingly, raising my head slightly, ready to accept her request. 

"When we get back, take me out on a date." 

Hearing that, I felt that the world around me suddenly stopped turning. I thought I was hearing things. "Um…what?" I said, confused.

She sat up  and looked up at me "You heard me!" She practically shouted. Then, I noticed that she looked away, her face flushed a healthy red. "We became a couple. But we haven't really been on a date, have we?" She said. 

I chuckled nervously, knowing that we did rush things a little. "Do those play dates when we were little count?" I asked jokingly. Unsurprisingly, I was rewarded with another crisp slap to the chest for my A-tier joke.

Soon, her onslaught ensued once more. The pain started flooding back again, this time, she was more relentless than before! Now where was safe! Arms, legs, body, even my precious face was being abused by this enraged beast.

"Ok! Ok! Got it!" I said to save myself. To my relief, she finally stopped. I panted, feeling a wave of relief wash over me. " I'll arrange one when we get back." 

She finally smiled. But this smile was a bright one, brighter than the sun. Genuine happiness. "Yay!" She said as she jumped a little. "C'mon! Let's go!" She said as she excitedly walked over to her closet and started throwing her clothes back into her luggage. 

"Um…go?" I asked in confusion.

"We are still in Volance Manor. We are departing this evening. So pack." She said.

I watched her for a few more seconds, excitedly hopping to and fro, stuffing things into her big travel bag. She was just too much fun to watch! I laughed at my self and slipped off the bed to start packing as well. 

****

At Wraith Corps Base, somewhere in North Ourannos. 

Two men were watching surgery taking place from an open window. One wore pink robes, the other, the other, purple. The one in purple was young looking, with a rather short stature, the one in pink was much more mature with scars all over his face. Both men were members of the 10 reapers, but were de-masked, only wearing their cloak to denote their rank. 

There was silence for a long period of time, both men simply watching the surgeons delicately operate on the patient. The room was dark, only illuminated by the light above the operating table. 

"So, I assume your mission was unsuccessful?" The short, purple one said. 

"Yes, Coronacht, we found the source of the power, but were unable to capture him." Ardante said with evident regret. 

"I see, you and your men were pretty messed up. Bruises all over, internal bleeding, concussions. No serious injuries though. The most they received was a dislocated limb, you got third degree burns. Meanwhile, Axios lost his eye." Coronacht pointed out, in complete awe. 

As he said that, the doctors extracted a small, red metallic object form the patient, dropping it onto the sterile pan. 

"Yeah. The power, the precision of that man. It was out of this world. Though, I felt that I could have still captured him, had I played my cards right." Ardante said.

"That's intriguing, coming from you that is. You are always so calculated."

"Hubris gets to us all sometimes…"

"Indeed." 

There was another brief silence. 

"Tell me, what happened to you guys." Coronacht probed further. 

Aradante hesitated a bit, almost shivering from fear, just form recollection. Coronacht noticed it. If Ardante, the 5th strongest individual in the organisation was so rattled by his experience, than this must be serious. 

"I fought the man one on one. I bound him in my chains, which he broke. Granted I did not use all my power, I was still shocked. He then used a weapon infused with his power to blast me straight to hell. The soldiers were all knocked out by a massive wind blast…" Ardante recollected. 

"Axios…he…" He hesitated. "He caught Axios's first bullet, then used wind to fire the second straight back at him. He controlled in so perfectly, causing it to go through his scope, and into his eye."

Coronacht was taken aback upon hearing this. "Damn…What a monster…" 

The two men stood in silence once more. They watched as the doctors brought over a black and red box than was very detailed in design. It was locked with a skull insignia. The doctor press both of the eyeholes as the box opened, mist rushing out of it.

Just before the item was taken out, the window faded to black, no longer allowing the two men to see inside. They both turned around and began to walk away. 

"We are running out of time, how goes your mission." Ardante asked.

"Honestly, its been rough, I have met a rather troublesome problem…" Coronacht said regrettably..

"Hmmm…" Ardante hummed as a reply.

"Don't worry, I have a backup plan.. I will not fail Lord Thanatos."