Year N.O-44.
Red Biscuit City.
A girl giggled and tenderly bit her lip. A strong hand caressed her cheek while two fingers pushed her chocolate cherry hair behind her ear.
She blushed and beamed. The handsome figure that was reflected in her brown eyes had a talent with his fingers that made her twitch every time they were close to her skin.
"What have you got against my hair, Emil?" the girl said jokingly.
"Nothing, Rina," the young man seated opposite her said. "It's just that… after going a full week without seeing you, I'd prefer to not have your hair working against me. I always love having the full image of my prize on display."
The girl, Rina, shook her head but her smile grew wider.
It was almost surreal.
She could hardly believe that the daring devil before her was hers and hers alone.
Emil was a tall young man with a full head of curly brown hair and a set of sweet violet eyes whose shimmer was almost supernatural. Maybe it was. He also had freckles pooling below those striking eyes and a set of thin lips which Rina thoroughly enjoyed in more ways than one.
Rina had met Emil a few years ago in high school. He had been the epitome of all that could be considered handsome and cool. His stoic nature, mysteriously succinct responses, and surprisingly diverse – albeit lightly gothic – fashion sense were all points that drew attention to him everyday.
Every girl at school practically threw herself at Emil, but he politely declined any and all attempts made to 'tame' him.
The faint smile he wore as well as the squint of his eyes as he dished out endless bowls of "Sorry, I'm not looking for a relationship right now," had cost many girls sleepless nights and flooded pillows.
Not Rina though.
She had won him.
He was hers.
"So, what's our itinerary for the day?" Rina asked, her face oozing with affection.
Emil pondered for a few seconds with his index finger tapping his chin.
"How about the Whacky Don Carnival? We're probably a bit too old for it, but it'll be fun. What do you say?" he asked.
Rina blushed all the more.
She remembered how she found Emil to not have been the bad boy everyone thought he was. He was sweet, thoughtful, and kind. The full year they had been dating had made her appreciate him even more.
"I'm sold. Let's do it," she said.
Emil smiled before standing up and extending his hand to Rina. The two linked arms as they left the outdoor cafeteria where they had been having a morning coffee.
The bright sun illuminated the city which was riddled with splendid structures that rose into the sky. Most of them were built with a heavy emphasis on glass on their faces. The overall view of the 990 square kilometer Red Biscuit City was always quite the sight because of this.
The city was heavily commercial, with a lot of luxurious hotels to accommodate the massive influx of tycoons who visited to discuss investment plans with local firms and to partake in the wide assortment of the city's... pleasures.
One would find all sorts of business opportunities on either side of the law in Red Biscuit City. After all, at the end of the day, business was business.
The security within the city was also top-notch, with multiple stations being erected to guard against the ever-increasing crime rate that was brought on by the city's wealth.
Emil and Rina walked around the city sharing stories with smiles. The atmosphere around them was so bubbly that stares of jealousy were sent their way multiple times.
The two ignored.
Emil was especially intolerant of anything that would ruin this day.
Five years ago, he had fled from home. He was fed up with the monotonous life he lived there. It was always the same; painted in liquid red or worse.
As soon as he escaped, he found that life was much more colorful than he had been led to believe. It was bigger than the six other people that he had to be tied to since birth.
His experiences, like going to school for the first time, had been blissful. He enjoyed the energy of youth, the smell of raging hormones, and the impulsiveness that came with having the prefix 'young' attached.
It was marvelous.
Walking with his girlfriend on the street without a care in the world was one of the best things to ever happen to him.
The two soon arrived at the Whacky Don Carnival. The setup was flooded with laughter, chatter, and the smell of sugar. It made Rina nostalgic.
Children pulled on their parents as they pointed to different games, rides, and food while the adults either had a light smile on, or a look of depression that spoke volumes about their desire to not be here.
"Oh, this brings a lot of memories. I didn't think I'd ever come here again," said Rina with a smile.
"Told you it would be fun," said Emil as he looked down at the shorter figure of Rina and suddenly planted his lips onto hers.
Rina was a bit taken aback by Emil's sudden action, but she clung to his shoulders and paid back his passion with her own. Their tongues tangled and tangoed within the moist spaces of their mouths while their warm breaths brushed against each other's skin.
The two enjoyed the sweet bliss with their eyes closed and soon – exclusive to them – the booming sounds in the surroundings slowly faded away.
Shortly after, Emil drew back and licked his lips.
Rina's eyes showed the yearning that was still floating within her for more of the tall young man, but she held herself back.
"Sorry, I couldn't resist," said Emil.
"You're so cruel. You got me fired up but you're just gonna leave it at that?" Rina said feverishly.
Emil merely smirked.
The two stood beside the road, facing the entrance where quite a long queue extended into the distance.
"Shall we?" said Emil.
"Of course," replied Rina.
A black, open-roof jeep drove by, slowing down to a stop when it was adjacent to the couple who had begun walking toward the line.
A slender hand wielding a pistol peeked from the car and...
BANG!
Following the loud sound of gunfire, Rina's head exploded into bloody chunks.
Nothing remained of her once jovial mood except the happy juice that spilled from her splattered brains, and the pungent smell that wafted into the air because of it.
"EEEEEEEEK!"
A young girl who had been passing by with her parents screamed, prompting similarly noisy reactions from the crowd.
Emil froze as the corpse he locked arms with swayed and fell forward.
He turned sharply with a cold look in his eye that held nothing less than nigh palpable murderous intent.
Who had done this?
In his vision, a beauty with waist-long reddish-blonde hair, purple eyes, and heart-shaped lips appeared. The mole that nested under her bottom lip complemented her apathetic face as she held the steering wheel with one hand and a pistol with the other.
In the back seat of her jeep were a young man and woman slotted into tight straitjackets. Duct tape was plastered on their mouths and Emil could see the terror in their eyes as they pleaded with him for help.
"Wassup, little bro," said the young lady in the driver's seat with a voice devoid of emotion.
Emil bellowed as he looked at the familiar face. Smoke nearly flew from his nostrils.
"Ugh..." he grunted before pointing at Rina's corpse. "Did you have to kill it?"
"She would have been a distraction," said the lady in the car. "Besides, we need you home, asap."
"Screw off, I'm not interested," said Emil as he turned his back to the car and walked in the opposite direction amidst the chaos and panic.
"Father has reincarnated again," said the lady. "We need you."
Emil's face darkened and he stopped in his tracks. His eyes bulged.
'Seriously?!' he thought, finding it hard to believe. 'He's back?'
Emil clenched his fists and turned to the apathetic face of the woman in the jeep, glaring into her eyes.
Unlike others, he could tell when she was being serious. This was a miraculous quirk born from being acquainted with someone for nearly two decades.
'Unbelievable!'
Emil cursed under his breath and turned back to the car. He swiftly dived into the passenger seat and cursed again.
The eyes of the mannequin beauty beside him sparkled.
"I missed you, Ass."
"It's Ess. That joke isn't funny anymore. Some sister you are," grumbled 'Emil'.
Blaring sirens rang in the distance, multitudes of heavy cars speeding into the street.
Before 'Emil' could ask, the girl at his side answered.
"I robbed all the banks in the city and killed a few nobodies as a plan B to reel you in. Fortunately, I didn't need to use it," she said.
Emil face-palmed.
The lady beside him pressed her foot on the gas and the chase began.