Dorian returned home very early the next morning. He didn't even think about the way he came back, he just did. At one moment his body and his mind were in that awfully silent house and then Milot lifted his lifeless, empty eyes and told him to leave. And here he was. Back home.
He lingered on his driveway for a moment. The morning was cold, dark, and snowy but like all his life, he loved these quiet, serene moments when he could hear his own thoughts clear and loud. His house stood at the top of a small hill, only a short distance away. It was situated quite far from his busy town but not inconveniently so. Ten minutes with a car and he was right at the center. Half an hour by feet, through familiar, old paths that led through the forests.
He walked calmly around the large, front yard. Although he was once again only wearing a thin shirt and jeans, he didn't suffer from the cold. Tall pine trees surrounded the place and he felt protected and safe here. Safe enough to allow his ideas that bounced around inside his head to form into coherent thoughts.
He spent the night at Milot's side. They didn't talk much, exchanged a few words every now and then. And for some reason, Dorian felt like he was the younger, weaker one and less experienced one between the two. He felt like he was hurting too much because of Milot and he hoped that Milot would break that awful silence somehow. He was waiting for words that would explain his weird feelings away and remove the nagging pain in his chest.
Ruben left at some point during the night. He said he had other contracts to fulfill. Pawie stayed next to Milot throughout the night as well. It either lay next to his feet or climbed on his lap and tried to comfort him that way. Milot caressed its soft fur absentmindedly and stared into the distance. Dorian didn't know did his presence help Milot at all but he didn't want to go and leave him completely by himself. He still didn't understand where such feelings of compassion came from. And despite what Ruben said – that the boy chose this fate himself – it seemed very unfair to him. It was hard to believe that his kind and gentle kid had done something terrible in his past to deserve to lose all his loved ones almost in one go.
Dorian sighed, stuffed his hands in his pockets, and leisurely strolled home. He entered the kitchen, turned on the lights, and began to make some coffee. The room was stylish, minimalistic, and clean. All the countertops and the stove were black, the refrigerator and the cabinets and drawers were grey. His coffee machine and his microwave were white and the electric kettle was made out of glass. The rich aroma of good-quality coffee drifted through the kitchen. He opened one of the cabinets and took out a sturdy mug. He poured himself a cup, waited a while, and then took out another mug and filled it. He added some cream and sugar and placed the mug on top of the counter. He didn't have to wait long. In less than five minutes, Ruben emerged from the kitchen door, grabbed the mug, took a sip, and let out a satisfied moan. He didn't waste time and emptied his mug in a few hasty seconds.
"Done for the night?" Dorian asked.
"Yes," Ruben nodded and snapped his fingers. A violet, high-tech tablet appeared in his hand. "And I have some new information about your young boyfriend."
"Let's hear it then," Dorian leaned against the counter.
"What? You're not going to tell me to mind my own business?" Ruben gasped. "How unexpected of you. Aren't you even a bit interested to know where I got this valuable information?"
"You're a capable man," Dorian smiled. "With good connections."
"You don't need to butter me up," Ruben waved his hand. "Just pour me another cup and I'll tell you."
Dorian chuckled and filled Ruben's mug to the brim. The Escort lifted the mug under his nose, smelled the steam, closed his eyes, and sighed. "You're the only one who treats me this good."
"I'm guessing you're dying to share this information with me," Dorian began. "Since you rushed here as soon as you had time."
"I'll have you know that I took my time with this," Ruben said. "Would you believe if I told you that I went to the library?"
"What? You?" Dorian was genuinely astonished.
"Yes, I know!" Ruben giggled. "Totally not like me. You know I don't read unless I absolutely have to. But this time it was worth it."
"Alright," Dorian muttered. "You're stalling now."
"Sorry, I'm just too excited," Ruben turned on his tablet. "First, I have to ask you something. How much do you know of devious souls?"
"Surely you're not suggesting that he is one of those?" Dorian cocked his eyebrow. "A serial killer? Mass murderer?"
"Hear me out," Ruben passed him the tablet. "This is what I found out about them."
Dorian looked at a picture that Ruben showed him. It was a photo of an old page, almost too muddled and faded to make anything out of it. Ruben explained it described the most hideous creatures of the spirit realm, the Beyond as it was officially called. The demons, the death-gods, and the devious souls. Corrupted ones who were never allowed to be reborn. Most of them were completely erased but in some cases, the powerful demons of the Beyond took them under their influence and drafted them. If a devious soul managed to be born, its life in the Plains was often very short and lonely and violent. As a part of its punishment, it wasn't allowed to have anyone who would care for it. It would lose all its loved ones in the most painful ways possible. But during that short period of time, they managed to cause insufferable harm and pain to others. The good souls who lost their mortal bodies because of the devious one were usually treated better in their next life cycles. Usually. If the demons didn't manage to draft them and take them for themselves.
"So...you're saying the boy somehow managed to born without permission?" Dorian concluded. "And that's why he lost his parents at his birth, his cat when he was a kid and now his adoptive parents when he turned eighteen."
"Exactly," Ruben nodded vigorously.
Dorian stared at him. "He would have to escape the rehabilitation and get past Virginia. And getting past the Gatekeeper is virtually impossible."
"That's the fun part," Ruben smirked. "I get to throw this at her face. We might even have to report this to the Supreme Commander."
"She's foolproof," Dorian shook his head. "Do you know how deep her roots go? How thick and spiky they are? There is no way she would let the corrupted pass."
"It's happened before so she's not as good as you claim her to be," Ruben said. "Don't tell me you've allowed her to slither into your mind? Don't you know how poisonous she can be?"
"Why? She's very polite and nice whenever we talk," Dorian said.
"I will never understand it!" Ruben cursed. "Why banish her if we both end up in the same place anyway? Why did you buy this land? Why torture me so? You do know she's in the backyard, right?"
"Of course I know," Dorian nodded.
"Look, she could kill both of us immediately," Ruben continued. "You are basically living on top of her. There's nothing underneath your house, just the empty void. If she gets one of her hissy fits, she might just decide to destroy us in a blink of an eye, pull the ground beneath us like a carpet and we stumble down into nothingness."
"She can't kill you," Dorian laughed and sipped his coffee. "Hasn't she tried that a couple of times already?"
"I worry about you," Ruben claimed. "Maybe I should have a word with her, you know...just to make sure she doesn't hurt you."
"You worry about me?" Dorian smiled. "How sweet of you."
"You need to come with me though," Ruben looked at his old friend. "I don't dare to show my face in front of her all by myself. If you are there, she might have mercy on me."
"Are you sure?" Dorian frowned. "This might end badly for you."
"Believe me, I know," Ruben smiled dangerously. "Just a regular day in our marriage. I might even call it foreplay."