"You saved her. Why did you do it?"
Samael couldn't tell where that voice was coming from. He had no clue where he was, or if he was still alive in the first place. He was just glad to have some form of conscience left.
"Because she was going to die. And I hate death."
The question seemed ridiculous to him, as if he was being asked why humans breathed, or why the sky was blue. It was simply the way things were. When someone was in danger, was it not a natural instinct to step in and save them?
Humans wouldn't have been able to thrive in the cruel world if they didn't help each other out.
He may have lived his entire life being hurt by others, unable to stand up for himself. However, he refused to let others live the same fate he lived.
The voice chuckled. It was deep and almost sinister, but Samael felt oddly comforted by it.
He was glad he could still hear something, anything, that he hasn't ceased to exist yet. Or maybe he died and now he was seeing the afterlife humans used to speak about, before the god of death Etreum disappeared with no trace, leaving no deifers behind. In his absence, death seemed even scarier, but Samael still held a glimpse of hope that there was something more to his death or whatever that odd experience was. He had to believe his life had actually been meaningful, or else he wouldn't know how to cope.
"Most people hate death, but that doesn't mean they would jump straight into its arms just to save someone. I'm sure you have another reason, but it might be best if we don't discuss it now. That just might ruin all the fun..."
"Who are you?" Samael asked. That question was never answered.
⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆
When Samael woke up, he was alone.
The room was neat but it still seemed lively.
There was a warm brown sofa and some plush toys all over it, as if someone had moved them recently. He guessed this was probably a fancy hospital room. A bouquet of white orchids was put on the coffee table. The flowers seemed fresh, and whoever put them into the vase seemed to have put them in a hurry. Samael could faintly smell them and he wondered who had chosen to give them to him. Alex didn't seem like the type to give them. Maybe Yatzil had sent them, trying to thank him for saving her life. Is that what orchids represented? He never bothered to learn about flower language.
He moved around the bed, trying to sit up so he could get a better view of his surroundings.
That's when he realized there was a huge band placed over his waist and arms, making him unable to do anything but lay down there awkwardly.
"What the...?"
"I'm glad to see you are finally up." A man was sitting in front of him.
"What happened? Why am I tied to the bed?"
"Sorry. It's a safety precaution. We can't risk Ranul's deifer causing havoc inside our hospital, Mr. Ruiz." he smiled. At least, that's what it looked like. He was wearing a black face mask so Samael could only see his blue eyes close slightly.
"I'm doctor Adrian Anaya. Welcome to Deicidium Hospital."
"A deifer? I am not..."
"Ordinary people are not able to withstand a building collapsing on top of them. You are completely healed now and it's only been a few hours." He pointed at the clock. It was only 3 AM.
Samael suddenly felt like laughing. This had to be a joke. There was no way he was a deifer, let alone the deifer of a god like Ranul.
Of the Thirteen Gods, Ranul was the god humanity despised the most. He was the God of Night and Darkness, a god who took pleasure in humanity's dismay, and drove the previously generous earth god Arreit to madness. Ranul had no deifers, for it was said that no human would ever be able to sustain his abysmal power, and if such a human ever existed, it would mean the downfall of humanity.
"What? No. You must be mistaken"
"I am not. It's clear to me that you are not an ordinary human, Mr. Ruiz. Your sister sustained similar injuries and is now fighting for her life while you are awake like nothing ever happened to you."
"What do you mean Leila's fighting for her life?!" Samael screamed, shaking from side to side in an attempt to free himself. "I want to see her! Please, just let me see my sister. She's all I have left." Tears began pouring down his face once more. He had cried so much that he was beginning to feel like every tear hurt. A bitter taste filled his mouth, and it wasn't only because of the tears that fell. The idea of wanting to see his sister, who he had tried so desperately to avoid, would have seemed ridiculous before, but now, it was all he ever wanted.
"Hmh." It was beginning to annoy him how calmed the doctor seemed while he was in such dire circumstances. He placed his hand over Samael's arm and he flinched in pain. "You're lucky she was rescued so soon and rushed to one of the best hospitals. If more time had passed, her injuries would have been life threatening, but now, I believe she will be able to make a full recovery. You need to worry about yourself first. Even if most of your wounds have healed, you still seem to be in pain. Your body doesn't seem to be adjusting well to Ranul's power."
"Good. I want nothing to do with him, or any of the other gods."
"You don't seem to fully understand your situation, so let me explain it to you in better detail. Ranul has taken you as his deifer, and that it's not something you can refuse. He hasn't chosen a deifer in millenia, so I am not sure why he decided to choose you of all people, when your body doesn't seem to be prepared to deal with all this power... Either way, the Deicidium Propellente will ensure that you are able to adapt to it and if you don't... I am afraid your deifer status will be... terminated."
"What do you mean by that?"
A blonde woman entered the room in a hurry. Samael was a bit startled by her. She made no noise when entering. Her steps were elegant and seemed perfectly calculated, and her beautiful face had a serious expression. She looked exactly like he had pictured a Deicidium agent to appear, wearing the all black suit uniform with a white tie and black sunglasses.
"It means that, if you fail to work for us, you will be executed under the Human Safety and Deifers Act." Her voice was gentler than he expected, despite her harsh words.
The doctor smiled again, as if she hadn't just said he was going to kill him. It sent shivers down Samael's spine. He stopped smiling when he met the woman's cold gaze.
"What?"
"Ah, sorry, that must be a bit scary to hear, but please, don't be alarmed. Why don't you let him sit down, doc? The poor boy must be so uncomfortable."
"It's dangerous if..."
"Nonsense. He has just awoken his power, and his body is weak right now. I assure you, I will have no trouble dealing with him if he plans to attack. You won't, though, right?"
Samael nodded. The doctor did as he was told, allowing Samael to finally sit on the bed before leaving the room. He breathed in relief, feeling his muscles finally relax. The woman sat on the sofa in front of him, and smiled before taking off her glasses..
"Sorry about that. I don't understand why he was trying to scare you, but I'll make sure to talk to him so that doesn't happen again. You are still young, so it's unreasonable to treat you as anything else than a kid," She crossed her legs and rested her arms on the sofa, not looking the least worried about the fact that she was apparently in front on Ranul's deifer. "Please, forgive me for putting you in such a stressful situation, Samael. I am special agent Eunice Truman, and I will be responsible for you under the Deicidium Propellente's orders."
The woman placed her hand on her chest and smiled at him when she introduced herself. She seemed confident and surprisingly friendly for a law enforcer. After being treated like a monster by that doctor, Samael welcomed her kindness.
"Agent Truman... may I ask, is what that doctor said about my sister true? What about the rest of my friends? Are they okay?"
"Your sister is injured just like Doctor Adrien said. Your friends are safe, but you may not be able to see them now. Do you have any family members we can call?"
"Just my sister."
"Well, seeing as you have no one else to take care of as your legal guardian, you will most likely be sent to a deifer care facility,which I strongly recommend against, or be placed under the care of another Deicidium agent. Do you know any?"
For a brief moment, he thought about Alex's father, but then decided against it. He highly doubted the Solis family, who despised Ranul's wrongdoings, would be happy to take care of its deifer.
"I don't..."
She nodded, pulling out her cell phone out of her pocket.
"Then, you will be temporarily placed under my care. I hope we can get along well, Samael Ruiz Luna."