Love paced around in her new bedroom at the beach house. She still couldn't believe Death would leave Shiuli alone in this house, knowing she was in danger. No matter what kind of a workaholic he was, he sure wasn't going to just leave without telling her where exactly he was going. Unless there was something he had to hide to protect the love of his existence.
Just as these thoughts crossed her mind, she heard a knock on her door. Not wanting to concern the others in the house with her anxiousness about the situation, Love straightened herself up, put up a fake smile, and walked towards the door to open it. As she did, she found Faith standing there with Time. Both of them had the same expression of worry she had just moments ago. She discarded her fake smile and pulled the two creatures into the room so Shiuli couldn't hear them.
"Time, you told us not to worry about Death, but by the looks of it, you two are just as worried as I am."
"I said that because Shiuli was there. She looked scared and I just wanted to calm the young girl down. She's been through enough."
"Something must be wrong," Faith added, "where exactly did he go?"
"Listen, he would never leave Shiuli alone here unless it was something important. The bond is also blocked, how do we find him?" Love's frustration was evident.
Time walked towards the chair by the window to sit down. He was the wisest of them all and everyone here depended on him. But right now, he felt helpless and his mind was blank. Only Death could tell them what he was up to.
"I brought Death and Shiuli here and then I left to find you, Love." Time recalled, "I'd instructed Death that I'd be back only after I find you. Both of them looked happy and relieved at that point, I wouldn't have known even if something was going on and Death was hiding it from me."
And just as he recalled, something came crashing down on him…the idea just hit him and he knew that he was probably thinking on the right track. It was as if the universe itself was helping him find out the answers unknown to them.
Time straightened his posture as his eyes bulged out of his sockets. He sat there still for a moment, blocking out the noises in the room. Love and Faith were shaking him by the shoulder trying to get him back to reality, but his mind felt like he was shot with a bullet.
Once he was back, the voices slowly came back to being audible.
"What's wrong?" Love shook him hard.
"Listen!" Time yelled and everyone in the room went still, "What would you do if you were Life and you knew that your opponents had blocked their bonds? Also knowing that you cannot reach the human girl who had broken the forbidden rule of the universe because other creatures were trying to protect her?"
"What?" Faith frowned with confusion.
"Just answer me… what would you do?"
And then the realization hit Love too. They were ancient creatures, after all, they had seen it all. All kinds of evil, tracheary, betrayal, they knew about them all. Hence, even though their hearts were as pure as fresh snow, they knew how to think like a criminal if they had to.
"No, Time." Love was in disbelief, "I know he is corrupted, but he would never fall so low!"
Time did not answer. He just looked at Love as if he was just as pained as she was, knowing that the creature they had grown up with, was a monster after all.
***
Death stood in front of the hotel he knew Life had claimed as his own. Run by Louis and his family, this wretched hotel was luxurious and just perfect to house the creature who governed life itself. This was where it had all started and he was here again, knowing that everything had changed since the last time he was here.
The last time he was here, he thought he was the monster. All of humanity painted him as a grim, disgusting monster who was heartless. He was the embodiment of death itself, something that always brought pain to the mortal world. He was the end. Hence, it was only right that he was the monster and his older brother – Life was the embodiment of everything nice.
But circumstances had changed. Having found Shiuli and discovering the love he had for her, he knew that he was better than he thought he was. Knowing that a girl as pure and innocent as Shiuli could love him so unconditionally, he had started to believe that he was more like the humans than the creatures.
But what about his brother? The one he had been following so blindly so far? The one he knew hated him to bits but still believed that they shared a hidden bond of sibling love.
Death took a deep breath in as he felt the cold air around him almost suffocate him. Was he ready to face the monster who had kidnapped an innocent girl for his gains?
"I'm coming, Life. We need to end this."
Just as Death started to take a step towards the building, ready to take his brother down, someone pulled him back. Death stumbled and almost fell back, but another hand supported him from the side. As he turned to look back, he saw the three creatures he trusted the most in the universe staring back at him.
***
Armel parked the limo at the gas station. Everyone around them tried to take a look at the wealthy couple who dared to bring their fancy limo to a common gas station. Some clicked pictures of the car, while others just stood there staring.
Ignoring the eyes, they were getting, Armel quickly excused himself from the car and dashed to fill the limo up. As he did so, he tried to spot his friend by the store next to the station. As you can imagine, Armel had not brought the car to just any gas station, he had cleverly taken a longer route away from the destination to bring them to this particular one that he was familiar with. Just as he was done filling up the gas, he noticed his friend Ben step out of his store and wave at him.
Ben was deaf and dumb. He was born so, and hence he had learned the French Sign Language ever since he could make sense of what was going on around him. Armel was Ben's only friend at the local High School and to interact better with his best buddy, Armel had made sure he taught himself the sign language as well. Who would've known that teaching himself this new language would come in handy at a crisis like this?
"Kidnappers in the car. Call the police." Armel signed to his best friend as quickly as possible, making sure that the people inside the car couldn't see what he was up to.
A look of confusion took over Ben's features. He wanted to make sure he was interpreting him right.
"What the hell did you just say?"
"I can't keep doing this! I'll try and make them stay here as long as possible!" Armel signed quickly, "Young girl in the car – unconscious – call the police. NOW."
Ben was still confused, but having understood what Armel was signing, he quickly ran into his store and opened his drawer looking for his cell phone. Once he found it, he quickly dialed the police. As the phone rang, he pushed the phone into his co-worker's hand and asked her to relay to the policemen whatever he was signing to her.
As Ben and his co-worker were on the phone with the police, Armel realized that he had to do something to stall their stay here. As he finished filling up the gas, he walked over to the window of the limo and knocked gently. As the windows came down, the older lady stared back at him with a Cheshire grin.
"Are we done here, handsome?"
"I thought you wanted to use the washroom!" screamed the woman's husband from the other side, "Make it quick, Marcie! You know we need to be at the hotel as soon as possible."
"I am done filling up the gas, ma'am." Armel tried his best to smile at the vile lady, "I wanted to use the men's room myself, would you like me to escort you to the ladies' room?"
Marcie's eyes lit up! This is what she wanted! Some time alone with this beautiful boy before she was back to her disgusting, old and pudgy husband.
"Oh yes!" Marcie's excitement was evident, "let's go."
If Armel said that he wasn't scared, he was lying. He was shitting his pants. First, he had just asked the pervert old lady to go to the washroom with him, and second, he had just called the police on his brother's bosses. What the hell was he even thinking? But then he caught a single glance at the pretty young girl still lying unconscious next to the old couple and all doubts left his mind. He had to save her from these criminals and he'd do anything to set her free.
As Marcie stepped out of the limo, she quickly locked her arms with Armel's. She then gave him the same creepy smile and started walking towards the washroom. Marcie tried to move closer to the boy and considering she was wearing a fitted red bodycon dress, it just felt super weird when she was rubbing onto him like that.
"That's the ladies' room, ma'am"
"Oh, we reached already?" Her smirk got wider, "Do you want to use the ladies' room too little boy?"
"No, I'm good," Armel wanted to hit her on the head, "I'll finish my business in the men's room and escort you back to the limo."
Even though a little disappointed that the boy didn't accept her offer, Marcie was a narcissist and thought she had plenty of time to seduce the boy. Who wouldn't want to get with her? – That's what she thought.
As Marcie entered the washroom, Armel quickly bolted the door. This was his plan. He would lock the door from the outside so that Marcie wouldn't be able to come out of the washroom until the police arrived. Louis wouldn't leave his dear wife alone at a gas station, would he?
Armel dashed back to the limo as his heart beat so fast that he thought he'd die from a heart attack any moment now. As he approached the car, the windows to the back were still down and he could hear Louis on the phone.
"We're at the gas station, sir." Louis sounded nervous, "Marcie wanted to use the washroom."
Armel couldn't hear who was on the other side of the phone, but by the tone of Louis' voice, he knew it was someone far superior to the Billionaire Louis himself.
"We will deliver the girl to you soon, then she is all yours and you can do whatever you want."
A chill ran down Armel's spine. What he'd suspected was right… Louis had kidnapped the girl and now wanted to sell her to some pervert!
He could only hope the police arrived as fast as they can.