A steady laugh echoed in the dilapidated hallway. The source of the sound was a kneeling man. Streaks of scarlet blood flowed from beneath his wet clothes, staining the floor red.
" Even inside a dream... you behave pitifully... What else are you waiting for… I don't bite."
The courageous attitude of the victim rendered the attackers speechless. They nervously rolled their eyes at each other, silently hoping that one of them would take the initiative.
Ramiel snorted with disdain. The indecisiveness of his former, what you might call friends, not only annoyed him but also bored him. Even in dreams, they didn't have the balls to end his life. A long and very boring spectacle awaited him...
" Either you will come for me, or I will come for you. "
The white-haired woman froze with her hand on the hilt of the rapier. Ramiel's cold voice paralyzed her.
" Tsk... pathetic... " - Ramiel looked at his former comrades with superiority and contempt. He had had enough of loopy and boring nightmares. He had to take the initiative to break out of the present one.
The huge sword that nailed him to the floor went up with a rasp. Standing on even feet, Ramiel shot out his knuckles, awakening primal fear in his victims. Wasting no time, he moved slowly toward the terrified hunters.
" Tick, tick, tick, tick, the clock is ticking my dear ones. "
Ramiel's voice echoed down the hallway like an executioner's axe. His robes, or rather what was left of them, were covered with trailing streaks of darkness.
" I keep asking myself one question. How did you kill me? I am unable to comprehend it... "
Ramiel's former companions took a few steps back in terror. His behavior deviates from the norm... If the poison didn't work... well, in that case, they are all the walking dead.
Only Samantha showed remnants of courage and stayed in one place. But it wouldn't last long. When Ramiel stood next to her, she involuntarily closed her eyes. The pressure exerted by his aura was terrifying. It was as if a living being was standing next to her. Drops of sweat ran down the woman's forehead, and her hand trembled on the slender handle of the rapier.
" Then how? Are you going to kill me... or should I butcher you all... " - Ramiel whispered ominously over the ear of the woman he once loved with all his heart. " Torture... has become boring, but I will always make an exception for you. "
A cold shiver ran down Samantha's spine. Ramiel... he... he... something was wrong with him. Only after a few minutes did the woman open her eyes. She was immediately greeted by the sight of the hunter's empathy-washed smile.
" Before you start, I want to thank you, Sam. You taught me how easily the most beautiful feeling can turn into boundless hatred... It... was a valuable lesson.
"
Samantha gathered her courage during the monologue and looked into the amethyst abyss of the beautiful eyes. But the result surprised her. After Ramiel's words, she expected to see boundless hatred, contempt, and loathing in them... but instead, she found remorse and longing.
After what I did to him... he still... No, it's impossible... - The white-haired woman's rethinking was interrupted by Ramiel's depressed voice.
" When a man learns what love means, he must also take the risk of understanding what hate is... "
This was already too much for Samantha. The realization of the gravity of her mistake hit her like a thunderbolt. She had fallen victim to her own desires and ambitions, losing something she could always call home.
And that hurt her the most.
Could she blame anyone else but herself? No...
Did she have the right to regret? Yes... but grief wouldn't change anything anymore anyway. The wheels were in motion, words were said, and deeds were committed.
It was too late for guilt. Samantha had to accept the path she had chosen for herself.
" Finish what you started. " - Ramiel said nothing more, but he didn't have to. He had already fulfilled his role.
A silver rapier blade emerged from its sheath. Even in the light of the torch, it shone brightly. Samantha, holding the weapon in both hands, pierced Ramiel's heart.
He didn't even let out a groan. He only turned his head to look into the beer eyes one last time.
" I hope it was worth it. " - This time, Ramiel really fell silent for ages, leaving the white-haired beauty alone with her thoughts.
" Sorry... " - Samantha whispered mournfully. The former hunter heard remorse in her voice, but it was too late for that...
Together with Ramiel's last breath, the surroundings slowly disintegrated, turning everything into nothingness. A few minutes later, Samantha woke up in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat. Her hair was sticking to her face, and her mouth was greedily catching air. The woman reached for a glass of water with a shaking hand.
Samantha sat on the edge of the bed, resting hands on her temples. The naked blond man, awakened by the noises, also rose from the bed. The sight of the shaken woman worried him. Samantha wasn't one of those people who would be frightened by the first better nightmare.
The blond man was none other than Arthur, a former friend of Ramiel. He sat down next to the woman and hugged her. He had always envied Ramiel for having such a treasure...
In his last moments, he even felt sorry for him. Until the very end, he couldn't accept the truth.
Ramiel didn't deserve what happened to him... But his death was necessary. He stood in the way of their power and sick ambitions. By his very presence, he stifled the team. The rest of the hunters could only follow in his shadow.
Arthur was puzzled by only one thing. What had Ramiel done to lose Samantha's love? After all, the woman had once truly loved him. He was her shining light illuminating the darkness. How did he know that? Because he courted her once... with poor results.
Anyway, nothing has changed in this regard. Just because they slept together doesn't mean the white-haired beauty has feelings for him.
" Are you okay? " - Arthur whispered and rubbed Samantha's shoulder.
" It - it's Ramiel... " - Samantha whispered shakily.
After listening to her, Arthur concluded that she was mad. It is impossible to resurrect a dead person. Even the best healers can't do something so absurd.
" Sigh... Ramiel is dead, Sam. "
Samantha was silent for several minutes, putting everything together in her head. She took a deep breath and recounted the grim nightmare. Finally, she expressed her concerns.
" What... What if Ramiel is alive? "
Arthur, after listening to her, concluded that she was crazy. Resurrecting a dead person is impossible. Even the best healers can't do something so absurd.
" Isn't that why we kept Lily alive? " - The man muttered, convinced of his intelligence.
However, the reality was a tad different.
Samantha looked at the blond man as if he were an idiot. She had made such extensive preparations because she was well aware of Ramiel's strength and skills. She also knew his personality more intimately than anyone else. Therefore, she knew that despite the immense love he had for his sibling, taking her hostage wouldn't change anything. At most, it would only make an already hopeless situation worse.
" You... you really don't know what you're talking about... " - Samantha fell silent, leaving many questions unanswered. After a few minutes, she shook off Arthur's hand and started to get dressed.
" Are you going somewhere? " - The man muttered longingly at the sight of snow-white buttocks disappearing into the woman's pants.
" Yes, I have to go for a walk... " - The woman chuckled in passing while putting on the rest of her closet.
" At 2 am?"
Samantha didn't answer. She just gave him a passing glance.
Arthur didn't pursue the matter. He left the woman with her quirks and went back to sleep. There was no point in worrying about someone who was dead anyway.
~~~~~~
A few minutes later, Samantha walked ahead, thinking about the past. The recent dream had given her a lot to think about. She really loved Ramiel... but she had always wanted power and domination... Therefore, when the opportunity arose, she just took it, sacrificing what was most precious.
However, was it worth it?
No...
Samantha knew that she had probably made the worst mistake of her life. Unfortunately, time cannot be turned back, and one must take responsibility for the mistakes made. Unfortunately, a simple word of apology isn't enough in this case. Especially since the person she wronged is Ramiel. He doesn't forgive, nor does he give second chances.
Now Samantha was genuinely terrified. Ramiel inside the dream seemed real. It was as if she was talking to the original, not a product of her lush imagination. What's worse, she met the worse side of the former hunter, the one she was really afraid of.
Ramiel wasn't innocent... far from it. Samantha knew that all too well.
He could be cruel, ruthless, and devoid of human feelings if he wanted to, especially towards people who had wronged him.
And now... the white-haired beauty counted herself among this noble group. Partly, she already felt like a walking corpse.
Lost in her inner dilemmas, Samantha didn't notice when she arrived at the cemetery where Ramiel's tombstone stood. With an uncertain step, she made her way towards it.
Being there, Samantha was surprised to see two people. The first was Ramiel's best friend, Max. However, the second person she never expected to see here. In front of the former hunter's gravestone stood a young woman.
She had long, silver hair that half turned velvet black. Her figure was a knockout. Perfectly maintained body proportions. They were certainly eye-catching. On top of that, mother nature was generous, endowing her with long and shapely legs.
The girl standing in front of the grave with an indifferent face was Lily, Ramiel's younger sister.
It's strange... what is she doing here? Samantha didn't know what was going on. Lily hated her older brother with all her heart, so much so that she didn't even show up at his funeral. So why is she here now? This question occupied the woman's mind.
Max was the first to notice the uninvited guest. The man put on a sour face. He didn't like Samantha. He considered her a fake person and despised such people the most. His dislike intensified even more after Ramiel's alleged accident. The woman immediately spread her legs in front of Arthur.
Besides, Max had his own suspicions about his friend's death, and Samantha was the prime suspect.
The woman extended her hand to Maximilian. However, the man didn't reciprocate the gesture. Confused, Samantha withdrew her hand. She knew Max didn't like her, but such hostility was beyond her expectations.
She took two steps away from him and turned her eyes to the gravestone. It depicted a hooded figure holding a scythe. The monstrosity leaned forward in the pose of a broken man.
Ramiel had a fantasy. He personally placed an order for such a gravestone when he was alive. When Samantha asked him why he chose such a motif, he replied that it just looked cool.
To quote his words.
" I would rather stand out from the crowd than sit like a gray mouse. Even after death, I want my enemies to know that we will all meet in hell anyway. "
Admittedly, he had an imagination…
The moon hid behind the clouds, and from time to time, lightning flashed across the sky.
The awkward silence was broken by falling raindrops. Max used mana to create a force field to protect all three from getting wet.
Lily opened her mouth, and a pleasant voice came out. Surely a woman, she could make a splash as a singer and captivate the crowds at concerts.
" What was he like when he was alive? "
Max took a cigarette out of his pocket. He inhaled the smoke and calmed his mind.
He looked longingly and angrily at Ramiel's empty grave.
" Tender, brave, loyal, for the people he loved and considered important, he was able to do anything. At the same time, to his enemies, he was his worst nightmare. Brutal, ruthless, there was no such thing as mercy in his vocabulary. "
A sad smile appeared on Max's face, and tears gathered in the corners of his eyes.
" This fool was an incredible lover of food. During trips to the dungeon, he would take the entire kitchen with him and cook exquisite dishes. This might seem ridiculous to people, but most hunters appreciated him for it.
Ramiel had a strange ability to gather talented people around him. He acted on them like a magnet. From what I saw, I can confirm that his ability to command a team during a battle was great. The boy had his head on straight without succumbing to emotion or panic.
He wasn't broken by prestige and wealth like most of us. He was truly a good friend who didn't deserve his fate.
Don't get me wrong, he also had flaws. Being one of the strongest men, he sometimes became arrogant but never underestimated his opponent. It was hard to get it out of his head if he insisted on something. "
Max fell silent for a moment, inhaling smoke from his cigarette.
" But no matter what would happen, no matter how much life would give him a hard time, he would always stick to his own rules... Without them, he believed, a person wouldn't live but only exist. "
Lily listened carefully, conflicting emotions raging in her heart. Ever since her parents' accident, she had hated her older brother. However, despite her terrible behavior, he was always there for her, or at least tried to be. Ramiel could be called her silent guardian angel or a monster from the darkness. Depends on your point of view.
Ramiel would take this little secret to the grave, but Lily's best friend chimed in. She was partly involved in most of the incidents. To be honest, she was his spy for the former hunter, informing him when something bad happened around Lily.
" You forgot that he loved cats. Rain and storms were his dream weather... He hated working with stupid people because he had to do everything himself... Ramiel trusted a person only once. If someone stabbed him in the back, that person was dead in his eyes. He was afraid that he would one day become an emotionless monster capable of mass murder. He hated being ruthless and brutal, but this was the only way he could keep his enemies short on a leash. "
Samantha added reluctantly. She wasn't sure why she did it, maybe she felt sorry for the woman? After all, she had lost her real older brother.
" Ramiel wanted to reconcile with you all along. He often recalled the time before the accident and cherished your shared memories very much. Your irrational hatred hurt him... " - Samantha sighed. " I'm sorry. I shouldn't interfere in your internal problems. "
Lily looked at the unknown woman. Her amethyst eyes scanned the white-haired beauty. She was pretty and definitely to her older brother's liking, at least the one before they parted ways.
" And you are? " - Lily asked with a bit of suspicion.
" Samantha - Ramiel's ex-girlfriend and companion. " - Samantha made sure to look sad... or didn't she have to pretend?
Max snorted in disgust, hiding the cigarette filter in the pack. He didn't like littering and would hang people who did it. He didn't need to speak to express how he felt about the woman.
Samantha looked at him angrily but didn't respond. Her goal wasn't to argue but to find peace and... and just what? She wasn't sure what she was really looking for here. Perhaps she subconsciously longed for the warmth and home that Ramiel offered her?
Lily sensed the subtle tension and interfered. She had come here for a specific purpose, not to find herself in the middle of a battle between hunters. " Max, we should go. " She then turned to the woman. " It was nice to meet you. Um... my condolences... I think so. "
Lily didn't wait for a response, she grabbed Max's hand and pulled him towards the exit. She really didn't want to see the hunters fighting up close. Luckily, the man didn't resist. He followed the young woman obediently.