SCARLETTE'S POINT OF VIEW
Everything was backed to normal after Asher came back. All the students that we killed came to their old selves. It was as if the time was reversed. Only my injured thigh was not. Asher told me that Rhode was the woman-in-cloak. Gosh! I did not expect that she was the daughter of that Durlen! And yes, he also told me that my dad is in the Underworld.
Now, here we were, in the school clinic. The school doctor had just finished rolling the bandage around my thigh. Asher entered the not-so-small room. "Are you now okay?" he asked worriedly as he sat down beside the bed where I was resting. "A little bit fine," I lazily uttered. He sighed and then, all of sudden, he took off my blanket. My eyes widened. "Hey! What are you doing?!" I began to panic. "Relax." He gently touched my wound and I felt a familiar cooling sensation. After a while, I could no longer feel the pain. He gave me a smile. "Healed." He gently removed the bandage and yes, he was not lying. There was no mark left that a knife was thrust through my thigh!
"Are you feeling well now, Babe?" I got annoyed again after hearing that. "I already warned you not to call me that. It is inappropriate. We are cousins. Come on!" He became serious. "And who says that?" I let out an awkward laugh. "Duh! You are the son of Aunt Wart, the twin sister of my mom." I had a guess that he was the one not feeling well. "And you believe that?" Confusion attacked me. "What do you mean?" He shook his head. "Goddess Heta is my mother, not Aunt Wart. It must be Mom but your aunt wished to come with me instead. She said that she could no longer wait to see you personally." Ah, now that he told me about it, I realized his powers have a resemblance to what Aunt Heta has. "It means we are not cousins, Babe," he continued, "and calling you 'Babe' is not inappropriate like what you have said."
I sighed. "It was still inappropriate." It is just for couples! "Then be my girlfriend," he uttered. That made my mouth gape open slightly. When he saw my reaction, he laughed. "Just kidding!" Out of annoyance, I kicked his face, causing him to fall from the bed. "That hurts," he groaned. I looked away. "It serves you right, asshole," I muttered.
Through my peripheral vision, I saw him sitting on the floor and facing me. He already stopped laughing. "Look at me," he said. I did not. "Look at me," he repeated. "I will say something important." When I heard the word 'important', the idea that it was about my father came into my mind so, I faced him.
My eyes widened when his face was only a few inches away from my face. His gray eyes started to drown me again. And I had no idea why I became nervous. I could feel my heartbeat fast. "But, I am serious, Babe." His right hand touched my left cheek as he moved closer. "I like you."
After that confession, I walked out of the clinic. I got my bag from our classroom and went home. He did not say anything. He did not follow me. He just let me go.
'Okay. This is weird. I am confused. Is that why he is so worried about me? Is that the reason why he is helping me? Damn, Asher, how dare you confess in the middle of freaking problems?!' I screamed out of frustration as I rest on my bed. 'What is happening in my life? It gets more complicated!'
After a while of shouting, I calmed down. Tired, slowly, I got myself asleep. I woke up when I felt myself starving already. I went to the bathroom to take a bath and changed. I looked at my red watch on my bed's side table. It was half an hour before midnight. Instead of cooking, I went outside with my wallet and my phone.
I went to the near all-night-opened café. It was surprising to see that there were still lots of people inside even at this time. The server smiled at me when I reached the counter. I ordered a cappuccino and a slice of vanilla cake.
While eating, a guy that looked like a tourist based on his outfit, with a black coffee and chocolate cake on his tray, approached me and asked if I could share the table with him. "No," I coldly replied. "But I have something important to say to you." I stopped eating and raised a brow. "What?" He placed his tray on the table and sat down on my opposite chair. "I will help you to save your father. He is a swordsman, right? I know where he is. And I know how to let you enter the Underworld," he said in a low voice.
'How come that he knows all about it?' I kept my emotions to myself and maintained my composure. This might be the bait of the enemy.
"Who are you?" I asked. He smiled as he introduced himself, "Nel Adriano. I am the son of Durlen who plans to betray him. You can trust me." I felt my blood boiling upon that evil god's name. "How can I make sure that you are not lying?" I eyed him with deep mistrust. "You are free to kill me if I will let you be in danger."
NEL'S POINT OF VIEW
After giving and saying what I had to give and say, I came to the Underworld once again. It had been a long time since I left this place. I was still a kid back then. Why did I leave? It was because my conscience kept on haunting me.
I was the one who killed Scarlette's father. I made him like he died because of a heart attack but truly, it was not. I killed him using a sprayable poison and while I was doing it, I covered myself with invisibility liquid. I was brilliant, right? But hey, I am not as evil as my father. I was very guilty while doing that crime. My father's minions captured his soul and prisoned him in hell.
I asked my father to let me leave. He let me but with the condition that I would never and ever be a hindrance to his plans.
This place did not change, still hell and dark. Only torches on the walls gave light. Every demon that I had met, they were shocked before they gave their bows.
When I finally reached his room, I heaved a sigh before I opened the door. "Hi, Dad!" I greeted him. Like always, he was sitting on his throne while frowning. When he saw me, he smiled. "Long time, no see, Son," he said as he stood up. I thought he missed me by saying it but, "Perfect. You can help me with the upcoming war." I just smiled to stop myself from shouting at him. 'Shit! He will use me again.'