He heard a familiar-sounding voice calling out to him. Reality faded back in. Opening his eyes, Ecniv looked up to find David standing over him. The former-lesser demon yawned. His eyeballs stuck to his stiff eyelids. "Where am I?" questioned Ecniv groggily.
The supreme greater demon laughed, "You're home, Ecniv."
Freaking out and looking around drastically, Ecniv gasped, "Didn't I just die!?" Struggling to let reality set back in and return to sanity, the demon clenched his forehead. He felt a wide array of twinges all over his forehead. "Where is that motherfucker, Nicosal?" he fumed, trying to hold up his heavy skull. The high-ranked demon laughed so hard that his head fell back.
Wiping a tear of joy from his eye, David exclaimed, "Don't worry about them! Their fate is already sealed."
Ecniv fell silent—still. "You mean?"
The supreme greater demon nodded in agreement. "Yes," David agreed. "They're going to die. It has always been the devil's seven prodigies' destiny to die out, time and time again. Just like us, they have a purpose to fulfill."
Ecniv looked David up and down. The look of confusion on his face said it all. "Again?" inquired Ecniv. David began to walk away. "Wait! Where are you going?"
"Oh, Ecniv. Your ignorance is the light of my life. The fact that you left almost ensures you won't share the same fate." The supreme greater demon smiled, thinking, "Bullshit! Nobody has figured out how to escape the curse."
Ecniv reached out his hand. Seeking to clear up the confusion, asking, "Hey David, why did you bring me to the Twelve Disciples?"
"Huh?"
"Why am I the lone survivor? Shouldn't it be someone strong?"
David stopped walking, responding, "I don't know. I guess I just saw potential in you." The Supreme Greater Demon's face twitched in desperation to leave. "Ha! He believed that?" he thought.
"Thanks, David. I'll see you around."
Awkwardly, David responds to this, "Where are you going?"
"I'm going out with Beatrice and Lola!" answered Ecniv.
"Have fun," said David. He quickly waved and then turned around.
"Damn, it's like he has a stick up his ass or something," remarked Ecniv quietly. He snickered to himself at the comment. He walked the polished tiled floor out of the west cafeteria entrance.
Just as David was about to finish slouching his way out the north cafeteria entrance, Commander Petersburg and his entourage of greater demons burst through the door. He straightened up. "Oh! Sir, good to see you. What orders do I have the pleasure of fulfilling for you?" said David dutifully, saluting Villematreaux. A bead of sweat ran down his forehead.
Villematreaux leaned his face into his hand. "Ugh! That formal attitude makes me sick. Why can't you guys just talk to me normally?" pouted Petersburg with effeminate overtones.
"My apologies, Lord Petersburg!" said David. He looked down at David as he bowed. "He never listens, does he?" thought the Commander. "He established this rule. What gives?" thought David with a twitching eyebrow.
Petersburg walked over to the sullen David and gently lifted his head with a light hand. "Lift your head, boy," purred the Commander. "Listen, I would like an audience with Captain Solrac."
"Huh? Oh. Yes. I will contact Solrac of the Devil's Seven Prodigies immediately," David said as he gathered himself. He was taken aback by those words.
Grabbing his hands in his own, Villematreaux gazed into David's eyes. "Good. Tell him it's important and that I would like to meet at the Horn-e as Hell Hotel food court," Petersburg said with a smile. He double-tapped David's wrist and walked away with glamorous pep in his step.
"May I ask why that hotel?" questioned David, stunned. Villematreaux quickly glanced back.
"Not many will be looking for us there since I will be disguising myself while I'm there. The numerous others chattering make it confidential, and nobody would suspect right away that we're meeting there, silly," laughed the Commander, face flushed.
David knew what was going on. "Of course, I will let him know," laughed David with a hand on his face. Petersburg hid his true face well but not well enough as he walked back out the door with his entourage–and the doors closed. David thought of all he knew about the Commander and uttered, "Checkmate."
"So, she did it, huh?" said Solrac, sipping his coffee.
"Yup," replied Nicosal with a detached expression, tapping his foot irregularly. Xavier burst through the double doors, sweating all over. He abruptly said,
"Let me go with you. I have valuable—"
"—information? Pfft, really? I thought you died," mocked Solrac, shrugging his shoulders.
"You've changed these past years, and not for the better," said Xavier to Solrac with a conflicted expression.
"And you've become a sheltered idiot! Do your job as a captain of this faction and talk to me when you have something important to bring to the table," rebuked Solrac to Xavier.
"You should talk, Solrac, because you used to be a thoughtful leader, and now you are just like he used to be. An impulsive twat."
"Who cares? You don't seem like you'd be any better of a faction leader. Nicosal and I are discussing vital issues. Like I said, join the debate or get out of my office."
"Fine, I'm leaving," said Xavier, storming out the double doors.
"Have fun at your pity party! Send me an invitation when you get the chance!" called Solrac out the door to Xavier.
"I'll go talk to him," said Nicosal, taking a moment to stretch over his shoulders.
"Don't encourage him," insisted Solrac to Nicosal, leaning on one hand.
"Don't be an asshole, Solrac. You should use nicer words, and people won't run away crying," added Nicosal, walking toward the doors. He left.
Solrac sat alone in his office chair, buried his face in his hands, and thought aloud, "Why does this keep happening?"
Nicosal caught up to him. Xavier turned and looked at Nicosal with sleepy eyes, asking, "What do you want, Nicosal?"
"I just want to talk," said Nicosal, reaching out to try and shake Xavier's hand.
"Why are you carrying an edge of execution? Did Solrac tell you to do me in?"
"Don't worry about it. It's for something else," assured Nicosal, groping the blade's handle under his cloak.
"I'm not gonna ask, but couldn't you have left it somewhere else?" said Xavier, sweating nervously.
Nicosal leaned in toward Xavier and whispered in his ear, "I killed Ecniv."