The girl's gaze drifted over my body, sharp and deliberate, like she was peeling back my layers. Her expression shifted; a slow, unsettling grin spread across her face, and the man slumped beside her seemed to melt into the background, as if he no longer mattered.
For better or worse, all of her attention had now been placed squarely on my shoulders.
Of course, my instincts were yelling at me to run away and personally, I was more inclined to let them take over, but I couldn't allow myself to do so. If I did listen to my instincts and run away, what would become of the man lying in the alley?
At the moment, I had no concrete evidence that the girl in front of me was some evil force, but every fiber of my being truly believed that to be the case. 'Evil' may be a juvenile method of putting this feeling into words. It was just... foreign. Unnatural, unneeded, and infectious.
Stray beads of sweat rolled down the side of my face and I attempted to swallow the dryness in my throat.
Seeing this, the girl's smile widened, the crosses in her eyes catching the dim light of the alley as she took a step closer.
As she did, I took a step back. "Hey, slow it down. I'm only going to give you a single warning so you'd better listen close. I am Veri the Dark King and if you take just a mere few steps closer you'll be within my dominion. Even in this weakened state, I have the power to manipulate the very space around me. Now then assassin of the Heavenly Order, I'd recommend that you go running with your tail between your legs!"
Hearing my words, the girl stopped her advance. "Is that so? Then I'll be careful and not get too close.", something about her voice seemed flat. It was like there was some disconnect between the emotions laced in her words and the emotions that her words wished to express.
She looked toward the sky, similar to what I was doing shortly before, she was taking in the nice winter atmosphere. "My name is Layla the Futureteller. Have you heard of me?"
Hearing that name caused me to remember. Jean had mentioned that name before when I went shopping with Cacophony.
"I have. Can I assume that you've heard of me as well? Many of my exploits have made intergalactic news. Not that a feeble creature such as yourself would know."
"In fact, I have heard of you before. You're definitely a person of interest to me. I must say, you're likely one of the most unique humans that I've had the pleasure of meeting. I've never been called a 'feeble creature' before in my entire life! So far you haven't disappointed me. I believe that you may be worthy of becoming the newest member of Tactica!"
Tactica?
Before that, I can't tell what she means. Has she actually heard of me before or is she just playing along? In the situation that she has actually heard of me before... That's a scary line of thinking. When would she have? From who? Why is she interested in me? How much does she know? Does she know about Cacophony? Charlotte? Jean? Fang? Every aspect of my life? I don't think it'd be wise to press the issue right now. Instead, I'll ask—!
"Can I assume then that you're not... human?"
In response, she only smirked though that was enough to confirm my worries.
"Allow me to pose a thought experiment. To what end do we exist? What is the purpose that our existence serves? When we disappear from this world do we leave a hole where we once stood? And if so, is that hole ever to be filled by another? If not, do those who once looked upon us with favor have no choice but to bath in the despair and knowledge that their loved ones will never return?"
Layla's words hung in the air, her gaze focused intently on me, her grin as sharp as the edges of her questions. She seemed to revel in the confusion and unease spreading across my face, each word dropping like a stone into the silence between us.
Her sudden stream of questions was more than enough to cause me to falter. Whenever I took a moment to ponder her questions, the answers I came across only served to weaken my mentality.
She was clearly playing with me, yet her questions were unsettling. They felt less like idle thoughts and more like the musings of someone who genuinely believed in the futility of human existence.
"You know there's something that's confusing me far more than your questions. If you're a great futureteller, should you already have the answers to all of your questions? I'm sure you've seen the future of tons of people. By now, you must have at least some sort of working answer.
She tilted her head, her curls catching the light, giving her an almost innocent look. "The answer? There is no answer, at least not for those who live as humans do." She gave a faint, humorless chuckle as if amused by her own cynicism. "Humans hold so tightly to lives that end before they can even make a dent in this world. They cling to fleeting things like happiness, love, and even family, knowing full well it'll all be taken from them by the whims of time. Doesn't that seem absurd?"
"I'm not understanding you at all. How else would people live?"
"In this world, I guess there may not be another method of living. You shouldn't confuse that to mean that this method of living has value."
Something about what she says and the way she's saying it. It's causing me to clench my fists, but I don't get why.
"For someone like you who watches from their high horse, I guess there really would be no value."
Her smile faltered for the briefest second as if my response had thrown her. But it returned, colder, sharper than before. "Value? What's valuable about spending a short, difficult life chained to the limitations of mortality?" She leaned forward slightly, her eyes glinting. "I've watched human after human trudge through a lifetime of suffering, chasing meaning that always slips away. What's the point of life if your time's just one long struggle? Chasing dream after dream in some hopeless attempt at obtaining a fulfilling life, I mean what a waste. All that time, that absurdly short amount of time that you have to live you all spend so absolutely pointlessly. Crying over the deaths of loved ones, getting depressed over failed relationships, yearning for something that was just out of your grasp, such slothful folly! Don't you understand the limits of your mortality? Is it only on your deathbed that you understand that you must be frugal with your lives?! I can't understand from my high horse? You should understand! We must strip away all excess wastefulness and sadness, we must strive to create a world filled to the brim with ideals. Yes, a world where every mortal is capable of living out their ideal life, one where there is no unhappiness or strife! It's only after experiencing such a world that you'd understand the fruitlessness of this horrid world you currently reside in!"
Almost as though she wished to completely dismantle my previous descriptions of her, Layla exploded with emotion. Once she was done for a moment, Layla was silent, her unblinking gaze fixed on me as if searching for something beneath my expression. Her smile softened, though not with kindness. It was a smile that masked a deeper and more primal feeling. It was a deep-rooted pity that even her smile wasn't enough to mask.
After listening to her outburst, I was speechless. Despite her words sounding like the absurd delusions of a dreamer, I couldn't dismiss them as such. After all, it would be hypocritical to do so.
Even I wished to maintain an ideal reality. I didn't want any of the things or people precious to me to slip out of my hands. In a way, I was like a child clutching his toys and refusing to share. It was only natural though. I mean, how else were people meant to live? Completely alone? Not attached to anything? Well, I tried that and I didn't have a great time. Instead, I'd rather I keep living like this, in this current wave of happiness.
Layla continued her slow, measured advance toward me, her gaze distant as if lost in some personal revelation, yet acutely focused on every step she took. Her hand rose, fingers poised above my face, ready to descend like a veil over my eyes. The intent was as clear as day. Was she planning to use her supposed ability to read my future? Or was there more to it than that?
"My power is not to read the future, that was just a cover I used to gain popularity. In truth, my power allows me to read the minds of all creatures. I came to realize something just now," she murmured, her voice deceptively soft. "Your mind... it's unreadable to me, hidden behind a dark curtain. It's like there's a wall, one that I've never encountered with a human before." Her fingers twitched, hovering just above my eyes. "What could you possibly be hiding that I cannot see?"
My instincts screamed as her hand-loomed closer, but before I could pull back, a fierce, cold wind swept through the alley. A flash of red exploded in my periphery, and Layla jerked back, her eyes wide with shock as her arm was suddenly torn from her shoulder.
"Veri, I must say that you have a very poor choice of company."
Cacophony had descended from above like a vengeful shadow, her fangs bared, eyes gleaming with ferocity. The look on her face was enough to tell me one thing: whatever Layla was, Cacophony considered her a threat.
Staggering back, Layla's pure white garbs were now stained with her crimson blood. The thick scent of iron flooded through that alleyway and as I gazed upon that scene I found myself falling back.
It was a brutal scene. Yet, to my surprise, Layla didn't cry out. Instead, her lips curved into a smile that seemed, if anything, amused.
"Well, well," she said, glancing down at her severed limb with detached curiosity as if examining a broken trinket. "So this is the famed Empress Cacophony. I suppose introductions would've been more cordial if not for the… circumstances." She bent down and, in one fluid motion, reattached her arm. The flesh and bone knitted themselves back together seamlessly as if the injury had been nothing more than an illusion.
Cacophony barred her fangs in return. "You dare to lay a hand on my servant. You'll pay the price with your life."
Layla gave an airy laugh, flexing her restored hand with a sense of novelty. "My, how fierce! Sadly, unlike you, I am a true pacifist. I refuse to engage in pointless combat with mortals."
The air between them crackled with tension, like two forces of nature meeting. I took a step back, unsure if my presence even mattered in the exchange.
Layla looked towards me for a moment, the deranged look in her eyes had now become completely unreadable.
"Truly empress, I find myself worried. What would happen if the world were to become aware of your current arrangement?"
"Ease your concerns. They are of no matter to a creature like you. A creature which has found itself abandoned by its own master."
Layla's smile faded for the first time, replaced by an expression that seemed almost wistful.
"The man there will wake up in a few moments. Be sure to see to it that he's returned safely to his home. He is of no use to me. Veri, if you're interested in what I talked about, there's still a spot left in Tactica for you. Hurry though, a new world will be upon us very soon."
Without another word, Layla turned on her heel, casting one last unreadable glance over her shoulder before fading into the shadows at the end of the alley, leaving me and Cacophony in the chill of her absence.
Cacophony stepped toward me, her fierce gaze softening as she took in my disheveled state. She extended a hand toward me and helped lift me back onto my feet.
"Are you alright?" she asked, her voice low but laced with concern.
"Yeah, I'll be fine. Who was that girl?"
"That girl wasn't human. That was a fallen angel. Likely one that doesn't have much time left on this earth."
"Huh? How would you know something like that?"
"Her halo. The conditions of heaven are different from those of earth. That's why angels use halos when they come down to earth. The halo creates a small reality veil that mimics the conditions of heaven. The issue is that halos don't last forever, they break down quickly."
"And when it's completely broken down they'll die?"
"Based on my understanding I'd say so and a fallen angel like her wouldn't be able to get another."
"You're assuming she's a fallen angel and not a regular angel?"
"No regular angel would be messing around on Earth like this. Trust me, I haven't had too many run-ins with angels, but it's never been like this. Whatever it is that she's doing, without a doubt it goes against god's will."