As Billy's home came into view, Raizel cast a glance at the elder beside him and, with a casual nod, sent the man off. The elder bowed deeply before scurrying away.
Now alone, Raizel strode toward the house, his usual graceful steps marred by the unforgivable betrayal of mud sucking at his shoes.
He paused. Looked down.
…This is bad.
A sigh escaped him, a mild irritation over the state of his footwear. But there was no turning back now.
Reaching the front door, Raizel rang the bell, his fingers barely exerting any force, yet the chime echoed.
The door swung open, revealing Rachel Black.
She blinked.
Raizel blinked back.
Rachel felt a strange pull—an odd mix of curiosity and a vague warning that her brain definitely wasn't equipped to process. Her instincts screamed at her, but unfortunately for her self-preservation, Raizel's face was very distracting.
Somewhere deep in her DNA, something was stirring—working overtime, trying to kick her into awareness.
But Rachel, still too caught up in staring, forgot all about basic safety measures.
Raizel, meanwhile, took this entirely in stride. "Is Billy home?" he asked, voice smooth, polite, and not at all concerned about how Rachel's brain seemed to be buffering.
Rachel, snapping back to reality (sort of), fumbled with her response. "Uh—No! I mean—he's not here right now," she stammered, internally cursing herself for sounding like a complete fool.
Raizel was… displeased. Not at Rachel's reaction—but at Billy's absence. He had walked through mud for this. Well that was his irritation.
Still, he kept his expression calm. "May I wait inside?"
Rachel, already mentally writing off every self-defense lecture her father had ever given her, nodded. "Y-Yeah, of course," she said, stepping aside to let the mysterious, dangerously handsome stranger into her home.
Raizel walked in, his presence shifting the very atmosphere of the house. Rachel should have questioned her own choices, but instead, she simply rushed to the kitchen, grabbed the phone, and called her father.
The line rang.
Then—
"Hello?"
Rachel straightened. "Um, Dad, there's someone here to see you."
Billy paused. "Oh? Who is it?"
Rachel, suddenly realizing she had never asked for a name (fantastic job, Rachel), felt her face heat up. "Uh… well… he didn't say his name, but he's really…" she hesitated, "uh… striking."
There was a beat of silence.
"…Striking?" Billy repeated, his dad-senses tingling aggressively. "What do you mean?"
Rachel cringed. Wrong word choice.
Trying to not sound like she had invited a serial killer inside, she scrambled. "I-I don't know, Dad! He's just… different. I think he's foreign?"
Billy's concern tripled. "Rachel. Is everything okay?" His tone sharpened. "Give him the phone."
Rachel bit her lip, glancing toward Raizel, who was… sitting on the sofa. Completely at ease. And—oh. Oh. He was already looking at her.
Right. Because of course he had been eavesdropping.
A polite but pointed stare met hers.
Feeling completely out of her depth, Rachel reluctantly extended the phone. "Um… Dad wants to talk to you," she said, her smile nervous.
Raizel accepted it with his usual calm. "Hello, Billy."
Billy immediately cut to the chase. "Who are you?"
Raizel response?
simply said, "You'll know when you return home."
And then, with zero warning, he hung up.
Rachel blinked. "…Did you just—"
Before she could finish her sentence, Raizel's glowing red eyes met hers.
A split second later, her thoughts blurred.
Her consciousness dulled.
And with absolutely no resistance, Rachel Black fell under his control.
------------
As Raizel continued waiting in the hall, the sound of approaching vehicles can be heard. A police car pulled up outside Billy's house, followed by a truck. No sirens.
Raizel's gaze moved toward the entrance.
Billy had arrived, helped out of the truck by Jacob. Several officers stepped out as well. Raizel noted their expressions—tense, wary, and far too serious for his liking.
Then—
Click.
Charlie Swan raised a gun at him.
…Huh.
That was a first.
Well.
Can't be helped.
His eyes glowed red.
"Charlie," Raizel said simply, "please take your friend and leave."
Charlie blinked.
Then, without hesitation, he lowered the gun, turned around, and left, as if this were the most natural course of action.
The other officers followed suit.
Billy could not believe what he was seeing.
"What—Charlie?! What the hell—"
But Charlie was already climbing back into the police car, his mind kinda blank. The other men followed, as though Raizel had casually informed them this is not your scene, kindly leave this stage.
Billy's stomach dropped.
His last line of defense had walked away.
His hands gripped the wheelchair's arms tightly.
Then he turned to Jacob.
And saw the anger burning in his son's eyes.
Jacob was pissed.
If Billy hadn't been holding onto his arm, the boy would've already lunged at Raizel, demanding—
"Where is my sister?!"
Well.
That would have been his reaction.
But unfortunately for Jacob, he locked eyes with Raizel.
And just like that—
Gone.
Jacob's eyes glazed over, his expression going completely blank. His tense stance slackened as his mind fell under Raizel's control.
Seeing this, Billy felt he lost his soul.
His son, who had been seconds away from throwing a punch, now stood weirdly still.
"What—Jacob?" Billy's voice wavered. "Jacob!"
No response.
Billy shook his son's arm.
Nothing.
Pure panic.
And in a last-ditch effort—he slapped Jacob.
Smack.
Jacob did not react.
Billy's breathing turned shallow.
Desperate, he wheeled himself forward, feeling more helpless than ever as Jacob, still dazed, began pushing him toward the hall.
Towards him.
Raizel was waiting, standing in the same spot, utterly unbothered.
Billy's stomach churned.
And then—Raizel's gaze landed on him.
His eyes were red.
Oh.
This was bad.
Really bad.
Raizel regarded him for a moment, then, in the calmest, most unsettlingly polite voice, said—
"Hello, Billy."