Ryosei reluctantly got up after he was critically hurt by Eika's... remark that really SHOULDN'T have been casual sounding. I mean, HER?! Going to his college?! He felt faint again at the thought, and it was then he heard a surprising ring and voice of the system.
{ Ring }
{ Congratulations! User: Ryosei Mors[Kocho Ryosei] has acquired [Lowest Shock Resistance]! }
"..."
He stared at the message, a deadbeat expression on his face as he registered that the system very much so had a little of everything. It made him wonder as to who planned and orchestrated its creation, the one who'd designed it must've been a genius with how complex the system must be.
Come to think of it, he recalled hearing some rings when he had that panic attack. Although he was rather curious as to what he'd gained and what his stats were if they'd changed, he still needed to get to school. Thankfully it was the weekend when he was turned, or else he'd have to deal with school absences.
He sighed, standing up while straightening his outfit- a white jacket over a black button up with gray slacks and black shoes- and going to collect his backpack for his college. He only hoped that Eika wouldn't wear the outfit she'd worn yesterday. That "Gothic Lolita" style would arouse a lot of questions from his peers.
He sighed again. This was going to be a long, long day, wasn't it?
◆◇ⅡⅠⅡ◇◆
Eika hummed as her finger skimmed over her outfits. Even though she would've liked to wear Gothic Lolita or something extra fancy and expensive (what, she was an aristocratic girl at heart!) she chose not to. She was a demon, not a devil, and while she immensely enjoyed making Ryosei squirm, she nonetheless had tack.
As such she chose a far more understated outfit: a blue woolen coat, a crisp white dress shirt, high waisted black jeans, and comfortable but cute black boots. She tied her bangs slightly back from her face, revealing her bewitching jewel eyes. With the emergence of demons and other supernaturals into human society, she wasn't required to disguise her features anymore; she could now proudly present the beauty that'd been passed down from her mother.
She stopped in front of the mirror, looking into her red eye before her focus flitted away to her purple one. Her expression was unreadable as she looked at it closely; it was the mark of her father, the constant reminder of her identity, the identity she ran from even now.
She hated him even now. But even so, she loved him too, for he was far too beautiful to truly hate. She raised her hand to her face, covering her purple eye as she gazed at her reflection, the blood red color of her eye staring back at her. A woman came to her mind, a dream that she'd longed for even now, after all these centuries. A dream of flowing moon white hair, bright red eyes, porcelain skin, and a smile that lit up the world.
'Eika!'
She looked away from the red color, uncovering her formerly purple now black eye as she looked down and whispered with a bitter smile, "I'm going now, Mother. Have a good day."
The image of her lone, slumped shoulders, hung head and the fall of her loose hair created a figure that in her bedroom of extravagance and beauty and wealth... seemed to be very lonely... But perhaps what was most tragic, was the smile that stayed engraved upon her face even as the silence and loneliness smothered her beneath their weight.
◆◇ⅡⅠⅡ◇◆
"Ms. Eika! I'm leaving now if you wish to come with me. If not, stay here and please do not go."
Ryosei heard a laugh come from somewhere in the mansion, and he knew that Eika would likely come, if only to spite him. The fact that he already knew her personality despite only knowing her for two days...
Even so, there was still the probability that she wouldn't and this was all a ruse. He knew he was essentially grasping at straws here, but a guy could dream right? He clapped his hands together, bowed his head, squeezed his eyes shut, and began murmuring, "Please, I'm BEGGING you, please let me at least have school in peace. Please Kami-sa-"
His bright blue, now black eyes shot open as he choked on his words, his hands flying to his throat. He began coughing violently, as his body was attempting to dispel the words that'd come from his mouth. He was choking on his own words and he didn't know what to do.
"Idiot! You're a demon, to say any of His holy names runs counter to your nature!"
The harsh words of his Turner were hurled at him as he fell to his knees, unable to breathe. The world had begun to turn dark, everything was spinning and his body felt heavy as lead, as if it could not bear the brunt of the name he'd unknowingly murmured.
Panic and fear prompted the release of adrenaline, the desire to live resonating throughout the entirety of his body, shaking his whole frame as his instincts implored him to breath, to live.
A warmth surrounded him, thin arms holding him close and a small hand running down his back in an attempt of comfort as the soft voice of what had to be an angel spoke words of controversy that didn't befit its voice. "Father, forgive him, he knew not what he did. Release him, oh Lord Satan, release..."
Air was restored to his lungs as he desperately grasped at it, taking in deep, heavy breaths in an attempt to free himself from the asphyxiation that had choked his throat with unfailing judgement. He coughed long and hard till his throat was raw and black blood had dribbled from his lips. His pants and gasps were all that sounded in the silence.
Even then the arms held him close, for though they were thin, they were strong and warm, gentle and kind as they calmed him down, the panic that had rushed throughout the entirety of his body gone.
He shook heavily, his eyes wide an void black as he attempted to comprehend the fact that his body had rejected the holy name of God itself.
Ryosei had never been a particularly religious person, but he'd always held an admiration and respect for the one known as the Father of the Creation, God himself. Knowing that he could no longer pray to God anymore for even the most trivial things, that he could no longer even utter his name in passing... it felt as if he'd been deprived of something very precious that he didn't realize had been important.
To not even do something as human as worship... was this his punishment? His punishment for becoming a demon? His punishment for living again? His punishment for his crime that'd he'd committed so long ago?
Was this what he'd deserved for giving up his humanity?
That made him feel sad again.
As he stayed there panting, he heard a soft voice of that angel. A warm, soft weight had settled on his back as that voice reached his ears in the silence.
"You're so lucky, y'know? Such a tame reaction to saying his holy name. When I learned of it the first time and dared to say in, not only was I incapacitated for three days unable to breath, but I was beaten by others for saying something so taboo. You're lucky, you humans... you're so lucky..."
It was then, for the first time in a long time, Ryosei genuinely wondered something about another person. This girl, this demon who'd always, in the short time he'd known her, seemed happy go lucky or teasing... what was her past like? What had caused such sentimentality and nostalgic sadness to enter her voice? What made her thin as twigs arms to be so strong and warm? What made that anger towards him as she questioned humanity, or that silent fury in that drawing room or that seriousness at the dining table?
What made her eyes that day, as she turned him, so sad.
He was curious again, curious beyond belief, but he stayed silent.
As she got up, supporting him and smiling with a gentle, worried gaze, he wondered how many others she'd given that look to, and why she'd seemed so genuinely concerned when she was a demon. It confused him, why she was suddenly so kind. It made him uncomfortable, how quickly her mood changes in so many situations; it made him uncomfortable... and yet at the same time, it made his heart feel just a little lighter.
'How strange.', he mused silently as he saw her figure walk out the door with an umbrella and smile at him, urging him to hurry.
'How strange it is, that a demon who killed me and smiled with such ecstasy as my death, would be so comfortable and warm, so happy and almost oddly companionable in my next life.'
As he watched her life, he had weird thought that he really wouldn't mind seeing such a carefree smile on her beautiful face.
'I must be going mad.'
Even then, he could not help the slight smile that arose from his lips as he heeded her urging to hurry up. Perhaps, he wouldn't mind this life... Perhaps... this'll be a good one.
If only he remembered that what lurked in the light wasn't ever the best for the shadows...