The air hung heavy, thick with the smell of his body odor; the blazing heat from the sun turned Aaron's body into a living furnace. He walked towards the window to gaze at the beautiful houses or we should call his neighbors.
Only to see the heat haze swirling, by looking at it; Aaron, felt more resentful by the heat causing him to wrung-out. "A simple walk at the mall wouldn't hurt." He wondered in himself his voice, slow and languid.
"Even taking a shower wouldn't fight off this heat." He added.
Later he entered the mall, his face is soaked in sweat; It's like he ran before arriving at the mall, he was panting as he approached the security guard for a quick pocket check, the guard looks at him with a confused look before grabbing his metal detector.
"Nice... day we're h-having huhh??" Aaron said to the guard, wheezing.
"You look like, you've got been chased." Replied the guard, his brows furrowed.
"Already chased by the heat, I hate sunny days," Aaron spreads his arms widely, preparing for the metal detector. "Mall was the best choice, I should've took the taxi but My apartment's near this mall, So I ran."
"Okay you can come in now sir." The guard stated, his expression neutral.
Aaron took a deep breath. "Thank you." He said, politely.
Inside the mall felt like he was inside the freezer, the place isn't crowded that much yet there's still more people inside. Some are eating at the restaurant; some are shopping, and some are enjoying their leisure time at the arcade.
He walked around the mall, exploring like he never stepped in that place before; Aaron, inhales to smell the cold yet soothing smell coming from the air-conditioner. The smell was so good it felt like it can cure clogged noses.
He walked inside the arcade to play some whack-a-mole game or dance at the dancing simulation game where you follow the arrow at the screen with your feet by stepping at the given arrows.
He even grabbed some root beers at the mall's grocery to soothe his dry throat, the day felt like a never ending journey to him, he doesn't even want to go home yet. By the time he got bored, he entered the gadget store only to find one familiar person checking up some phones.
By the time that one familiar blonde guy turns around; Aaron knew this guy is no other than, that one grumpy dude named Sermon.
Sermon noticed him. "What the hell are you doing here?" Sermon questioned, tilting his head.
"That's what I'm going to ask you, didn't know you had a thing for phones?" Aaron quipped, raising an eyebrow.
"I need a new phone so I'm checking for some good stuffs here." He answered, nonchalantly.
Aaron chuckled as he began approaching Sermon. "Wrong choice of words," Aaron said wryly. "Just say devices." He walked passed Sermon.
"What's the difference you idiot." Aaron responded with narrowed eyes.
"Come on, I'll check some phones for 'ya." Aaron said, leading the way.
The two began asking for some features on some specific phones that Sermon would consider buying; Sermon, is a little picky when it comes to phones, deciding whether the phone has some good features he is expecting.
"Half saint like you, shouldn't have interest when it comes to phones, you should be picking up some butcher's cleaver at the hardware store." Aaron said jokingly, he bumps Sermon's arm.
Sermon, seems not buying Aaron's cheesy joke, so he looks at him with a scowl. "Next time, make it funny." Sermon said with a stern voice before looking back at the devices.
"Oh come on, I'm just playing with 'ya." Aaron said, holding up his hand in mock surrender.
Sermon sighed and rolled his eyes and pulled out his phone from his pocket. "This thing has been with me for more like 4 years, and look," He turned his phone upside down, the screen is facing the floor; Sermon, phone's screen started hanging like a paper that is about to fall. "Even my screen is trying to hold on."
"Damn! You literally had that phone working for a decade, man." Aaron said, jokingly.
"But things do really get old, so find a new phone that has a built in katana holder for my next fight, just in case that I'll bring this." Sermon demanded.
The seller as well as Aaron gave out a puzzled look, they look at each other and back to Sermon before the seller's speaks. "Uhm, sir there's no kind of phone exist here with a katana holder." The seller chuckled awkwardly as he scratched the back of his head.
"Did you just went to this planet two days ago or something?" Aaron asked, confused yet jokingly.
But when he realized that Sermon was a half saint, everyone shouldn't know about this. "Oh right! You're bad at phones but Sir," Aaron looks at the seller. "We're taking this U-phone17 pro."
Later; outside the mall; the sun was setting, it seems like Aaron and Sermon has been at the mall for hours. The air was cold outside; the cold yet gentle breeze brushed against their skin. "You almost slipped right there, I almost knocked you on the head." Sermon said, his voice is a bit serious.
"Yeah, wrong choice of words." Aaron said, as he gently knock his forehead with his knuckle, twice.
Sermon puts on a smirk and chuckled. "You're funny..." He said before looking back at the road.
"Well better throw my old phone to the river-" Sermon was cut off from a sudden buzz on his phone, he took his old phone from his pocket and answered the call by tapping the screen, he puts the phone on his ear. "What?" He asked, his voice direct.
"I maybe don't have the time, because I admit! I'm a total slacker." Hendrick said over the phone.
"What are you trying to say?" Sermon questioned Hendrick, his voice is a little cautious, like he knows something bad is going to happen.
"...What I'm trying to say is, The Giant crucifix's cleric knights are on their way to take Aaron." Hendrick responded with a stern voice.
"Wait, I thought-" Sermon was cut off.
Aaron on the other hand, looks at him in confusion, tilting his head slightly. "That's what I'm going to ask them but I'm currently on my way to you now." Hendrick said, the tone of his voice seems like he is in a hurry.
"They're on their way tracking Aaron down, I thought we could trust them but you can't stop hypocrites from changing their mind, now they're targeting us, I'm running along with Angela, w-we'll call you later and tell you about our exact location." Hendrick added before shutting the phone call.
Hendrick looks at his phone's screen then back to Aaron. "I don't abandon deals." Sermon said in his thoughts as his brows furrowed.
"Aaron, remember when I told you that you're involved with Mara's business right?" Sermon questioned him, at this point; Sermon, doesn't really show any signs of rushing or a desperate look on his face, but calm.
"Yeah?" Aaron responded with a puzzled look.
Sermon walked, pulling Aaron along with him. "Well, It begins now! No time to explain we have to hide inside the mall, they hate crowded people-"
"Hold on right there!" Yelled the female voice behind them with a stern yet angry tone of her voice.
Aaron and Sermon slowly turned around to gaze at that person who yelled at them, it turns to be a female wearing an armor with cross symbol on the chest plate. "Anastasia." Sermon said her name, narrowing his eyes, showing no signs of fear.
"The archbishop's order is too take the half demon along with you, do you have any complaints?" Anastasia demanded, her voice stern and yelling.
"W-what's going in here? I-I didn't-" Aaron stammered and was cut off by Sermon who steps in front.
"I made a deal, and a deal shouldn't be abandoned. You got any complaints?" Sermon growled.
"Yeah, One complaint, making a deal with a devil, Save your words for the archbishop." Anastasia responded with a growl, her voice threatening.
Sermon, clenched his fist and extended it facing Anastasia, when Sermon opened his hand, a bright light emerged from his palm, making Anastasia cover her eyes, Sermon and Aaron took this chance to run inside the mall.