I healed Leila using my power "Vital bloom". It looked like a ray of sunshine, and it quickly heals your wounds very gently. But when I saw her stern yet gorgeous face, I couldn't help but answer her a stupid little question.
''Leila, do you remember Nicholas?''
That name seemed to piss her off. Poor Leila.
''Yes, why are you asking me about that stupid brother of yours?''
''Well..He's back in the medical team. After years of being in holidays, he's back to work now.''
She looked like I was telling her a nightmare.
''I really didn't want to know that, Clyde.''
''I know, but I told you just in case you get scared when you enter the area next time by seeing his face!'
I have two brothers, and I am the eldest. Three of us work in the medical team, and three of us are really educated and focused on everything. Ever since I've joined here, I have never really felt anything. I never felt real, or happy to be exact. Sure, I've had some moments when I've felt joy at least a little bit, but not happiness. I felt true happiness when Leila entered my life. She was the spark. I don't know why she makes me so happy, but I cherish her for it. Everything was fine for me, until Nicholas took Leila away from me. She was emotionally attached to him even after she left him. Well, typical Leila. But still, what did he have that I didn't? What did he have that fascinated Leila so much that she chose him?
Nicholas was always an arrogant person, he thought whatever he said was right. And once you prove him wrong, he insults you or threatens you, what a strange person. But in the end, he's still my brother so I just have to accept it.
My brother Nicholas has been working extra hard here. Because he met this new group. Well, not exactly new because they have been working for around two years, but still new for us. The group had this "leader'', she just led the group, nothing special. Her name was Kory. Many people say me and Kory look similar, with the same blonde hair and grey eyes. It kind of made me laugh. But Kori is a very sweet person.
Recently, Nicholas took me to their group and we hung out daily. It was honestly a good way to relax and just chill. The group had funny, nice and trustable people. I immediately got along with them! It was so fun.
But, I realized something, something I never expected myself to do. I'm spending less time with Leila. And I will never forgive myself for that.
Apparently Nicholas and Kory are lovers. But I never saw the "love'' between them. Kory usually talks about Nicholas's powers, and Nicholas just talks about Kori's amazing healing power. They only talk about how powerful they are, not about how much they love each other. I have no idea how they met, or started being together. But one thing for sure, is that Leila used to be Nicholas's old partner. And for some reason, it made me angry but happy too. It was hard to explain. Leila did love him once, and that makes me want to rip his eyes out. But now Leila isn't his anymore, so it's okay!
I was taking a stroll around the organization, and it was crowded today for some reason. Even in the chaos of the crowded area, I noticed the kindness of students..small gestures that spoke louder than words. Until suddenly, Kori came up to me.
''Hey Clyde! Name me any new spirit hunter, and I'll make them ten times healthier using my power!''
I thought about it for a while, I don't really know any new spirit hunters. But then I looked down at her with a soft expression.
''Do you know Leila?'' I asked her gently.
Her face went into a disappointed look, of course she knew her lover's old partner. She looked kind of mad too.
''Why her?..'' She questioned with a look of disgust and confusion.
''Well, Leila is very unhealthy and it's kind of hard to heal her.''
''Eh? That'll be the easiest task ever for me!''
''Then do it, I challenge you. If you end up doing it, I'll give you a gift!'' I gave her a challenging and playful expression.
''You bet!'' She crossed her arms in confidence.
It is true that Leila is a bit physically weak. But thanks to Crystal, she is improving a lot now. But something is strange about her body and mind. It's almost like she has two personalities and two hearts. But I shouldn't reach conclusions like this. Maybe that's just who she is? The entire group here disliked Leila for some reason. And I think the reason is obviously Nicholas. I seriously don't know what's his problem! It's okay to tell your partner about it, but your whole group? What are they gonna do, confront Leila for treating him badly or something? It's all useless! I never understood him..
Kori looked really confident like she was going to heal Leila very easily. It must be a challenge! But deep down, I really hope Leila finds a healer. It's actually difficult to heal Leila quickly. My own powers don't work on her that much. So, I will be really glad if Kori eventually does heal her..but the gift..! I have to plan it just in case!
''Clyde, where's Leila right now?''
''Oh! She's probably training right now..I'm pretty sure she will arrive after a while.''
''Alright then.''
Kori seemed very focused and interested in the challenge I gave her. It was kind of easy to make her so intrigued over something so small. The main thing I noticed when I first joined S.H.O (Spirit Hunter Organization) is that the medical team and the hunter team are not as friendly to each other as you think. I've heard many stories that these two groups have actually had insane quarrels about leadership, systems and even murder. It's crazy how these two teams still work for each other after all that. The scariest part is, we don't know who is in charge of the medical team. We all are just working. Some say that Samuel owns this group, but that doesn't make any sense because he is not responsible for anything here. So there must be someone in charge, right? I do not see the quarrels not just as a clash of egos but as a symptom of deeper insecurities, hopes, or fears within these two teams.
I hate to admit this, but I do feel empathy for both sides here. Both here are the problem, that's for sure! I know how cruel the spirit hunters are. Crystal told me a lot about how much they torture spirits and even humans. It hurts me seeing all this. Why not just accept each other and move on? Is that so difficult? But then again, humans are complex creatures. They have a sort of ego that slowly drags them away from empathy and kindness. It is very difficult to find a human with true kindness. Some just act kind to get what they want. But, I want to be kind to Leila. Leila loves kindness!
Kindness is something I aspire to embody not because it's easy, but because I believe in its quiet, transformative power.. I'd always recognize the weight of someone's past absence of kindness and feel an earnest desire to fill that void, even if it means treading carefully. And that someone is Leila. The lack of kindness she has gotten, made her cautious and closed-off. I want to be a person that Leila can walk up to without thinking I will get mad or disgusted. My happiness doesn't matter, Leila's does. I can never imagine someone hating Leila. She is like a monster full of anger and distress on the outside, constantly doing horrible things and making bad decisions because of loneliness. But one touch of kindness and love, it can make you tame the monster, and notice it's suffering.
LEILAS POV:
"Hello, Leila.'' Kori greeted me with a skeptical expression.
"Hey.'' I gave her a warm smile.
She looked at me like I did something crazy.
''Y-You smile..?''
What kind of question is that? Am I that quiet that I'm not known for smiling politely?
''Of course I smile.''
''Well.. I've heard that you have some..problems..in your health.''
''Yes, let me guess, Clyde told you?''
''Yeah, he did. But don't worry, I'm here to help you out!''
The conversation was pretty normal and fun. She told me about her interests, hopes and goals. Apparently, her goal is to "marry" Nicholas. No future about anything else. She doesn't even want to be a healer, she just wants to stay with Nicholas. How funny. But another thing she told me is she didn't want to work with this organization at all, she even wanted to escape very badly. When I asked her why, she couldn't tell me the answer. Maybe something or someone was bothering her?
She was indeed an interesting person. She seems..weak and stupid. Almost like she's someone who you can give a little bit of affection to and will be head over heels for you. She kind of looked like Clyde.. And it was quite uncanny. They both had the same blonde hair, except hers was a bit darker. They also had similar eye colors, hers was just more blue. It kind of weirded me out. But overall, everything was okay for now.
She later told me she actually thought I was rude and judgemental. What? I wouldn't bother to care about someone's lifestyle so I'll be judgmental. I'm only judgmental when someone's taste in something I'm interested in is horrible. And about being "rude", I'm not rude unless you piss me off. It's that simple, why judge others because of a stupid rumor you've heard?
However I forgave Kori for thinking that. Of course she's going to believe her dearest lover Nicholas. He was always lying and pushing others to make it look like he was the victim this entire time. I absolutely despise those types of people. They never reveal the other side of the story so that their own side can be noticed and victimized, meanwhile the other one will get bashed without being heard in the first place. Kori is an idiot, it makes sense why she believed it right away. So I honestly don't care what she thinks about me right now or her past view on me.
Kori now thinks I'm a very trustable person. Because I didn't stop her or give her a look of disgust when she was babbling about her interests. I didn't actually call her stupid for her mindset and personality, just to make it look like I am not going to judge her for anything. She seemed happy. It seems like I've completely changed her mind and view on me, which was an easy task. I didn't even have to convince her anything. But there is one problem..
Nicholas. He can literally lie to her only one time and she will start hating me. I don't know what kind of charm Nicholas has that makes his words so believable. But I have the same charm too, I just don't use it.
But let me tell you one thing, I have no interest in the situation about the medical team and the spirit hunters. It makes me laugh that two teams who really need each other to work for the future literally have so much bickering. I see the quarrels as evidence that the teams have lost sight of their shared objectives. I recognized that these two teams probably had some dumb misunderstanding which led them to so many blowups. It's quite childish. My brother, Samuel, is the chillest person I've met. He dislikes all this drama and clash. If he has a disagreement, he will quickly say his valid point. Nobody at the organization except Samuel knows who leads the medical team, so we can't even ask for their side of the story.
I haven't found out what the quarrels and disagreements were about. I'm guessing they were about the wickedness of the hunter side and the greediness of the medical side. I am guessing this because no matter how much freedom this place gives you and how nice the quality of the organization base is, this place is very inhuman. The amount of torture and suffering a spirit has to go through, is unexplainable and too upsetting. Not only spirits, but spirit hunters can also be punished if they break the most deadly rules which are listed. You can even get executed, it's that scary.
And about the greedy and foolish side of the medical team, honestly, everyone knows this. Some just admit it, while some blindly defend it because they have too much pride that their team is the right one. When in reality, both teams are terrible. It is known as a greedy and selfish team because they always ask for money. Yes, it makes sense why they want money, but the bad activity here is that they purposely free some captured spirits to make sure the spirit hunters get injured very often. This is why back then when you asked them to heal, you had to pay them first. Now, it is not necessary for spirit hunters to pay just for simple healing, but the organization authorities have to.
Both teams here need each other no matter what. Spirit hunters need to heal for survival and safety, and the medical assistants need spirit hunters for their healing powers to work. If they do not heal anyone in three days, their powers interrupt their body and slowly make them suffer from sickness. This is why healing is such a hard power and you have to face this every day. The fear of not being able to heal someone is actually insane. Many spirit hunters get injuries, it's common for them. And many medical assistants heal, it's their job anyway. So I don't see any good side in any team. Both of them are the issue here.
CLYDES POV:
I was at the medical room, just minding my own business with my friends. I have no idea how I fit in here, but thanks to my brother, Nicholas. He introduced me here. At first I was a bit shy and awkward but slowly I got so attached to this group. Everyone here are healers, it feels like I've found a piece of me I didn't even know was missing!
Kori was also very sweet, she made sure nobody in the group was left out or anything. We even had our own room for hangouts, and Kori paid for it. It was such a nice change. But.. I also noticed something…A feeling I never wish I got.
I was spending less time with Leila.
"Hey, guys?'' I quickly mumbled in a gentle tone.
They all looked at me, waiting for me to continue my speaking,
''Can I..bring Leila along with us? She's nice and you guys will like her a lot.''
Nicholas was about to speak up with his usual annoying tone, until Kori randomly started talking.
''Sure Clyde, I've talked to her and she's really kind and generous.''
Everyone looked at Kori like she said something a normal person wouldn't say. But it's true, Leila is very kind and a generous person. There was no way Kori would decline my request, especially after meeting Leila herself.
And so, Leila fit in the group like a perfect puzzle piece. She started hanging out with us daily. I get kind of mad when she injures herself on purpose just to meet us. She's a spirit hunter, not a healer..but she fit in so well. It's not a problem if Leila was on our opposite side, right? Leila isn't even interested in the discussions about why the quarrels occurred between the two teams. Kori is also smart, she probably has made the right decision putting Leila in our group.
It seemed fine, everyone was joyful. I didn't know what home felt like, but maybe this was it. Not the walls or the chairs or the cluttered table, but these people..the way they leaned into each other's laughter, unguarded and real. The way no one seemed to mind if someone stumbled over their words or spoke too softly to be heard the first time. There was no judgment here, only patience, like the group had silently agreed that imperfection was a given and kindness was the response.
But eventually, the group slowly..lost its charm. The puzzle pieces seemed like they didn't fit anymore for some reason. It's like their shapes changed because of something..or..someone.
''Kori.''
Nicholas spoke up in a stern tone.
''Í don't think I can continue this anymore.''
''What do you mean, NIcholas?''
''I mean our bond, we can't be together, sorry.''
Later, I heard someone crying. I paused, my heart was tightening at the sound. The kind of sob that seemed to come from a place deep inside, too heavy for the person to bear alone. As I rounded the corner, I spotted the figure against the wall, shoulders shaking with every ragged breath. I could see how tightly they were gripping themselves, like they were trying to hold their broken pieces together.
Kori…
''Are you okay?''
''Yeah, I'm fine.''
''You don't seem okay, Kori.''
''I'm sorry.''
''No, don't apologize, dear.''
''Dear…?''
''It'll be okay, Kori. From the beginning, I always knew you didn't deserve someone like Nicholas. You'll find someone who will make you feel loved and appreciated, i promise.''
''Clyde, you know he mattered to me more than anything.''
''I know, but sometimes we need to move on. And trust me I'll always be by your side.''
''Thank you so much.''
''Now let's help you out, hm? Don't worry, we're all still friends.''
''Yeah..''
''And don't feel like it's your fault, okay? He felt some sort of feeling, so it's all blamed on him.''
I never liked Kori and Nicholas's relationship, they seemed like they only used each other to show off powers and the ''love'' they have. They act lustful and annoying. It's strange how they always act lustful and never give each other true love. I wish Kori understood what real love was, it's not someone who appreciates your powers and skills. But someone who appreciates who you are, and your soul for simply existing. They don't focus on what you're good at, they focus on what you are, and accept it. It's not that hard to love someone, but lustful feelings are way easier to get in our minds now because of how disgusting human beings are.
Kori's and Nicholas's bond wasn't love, or anything close to love.. It was just lust, pride and desire. I wish to change Kori's view on love.
One thing I noticed about her is that I realized she is one of those people who craves love. Once you give her a bit of affection, she will treasure it no matter what. And by noticing this wonderful trait of hers I could already tell what kind of person she is. I comforted her until she felt better, I couldn't just leave her like that. Every single tear that fell from her eyes, made my heart ache. After the entire hassle she has been through, she somehow felt okay and I let her do her own thing. She needed some time for herself.
I hated the fact Nicholas just ended their relationship without an explanation. He could have at least told her why he was breaking their bond suddenly. But no, he never did. He didn't even think about how much he had hurt her feelings. Sure, their relationship was indeed lustful and hideous. But I also perceived that Kori did in fact love Nicholas in some way. I don't think Nicholas ever loved her, not from my view.
And I know what love is, so I've never seen any action that he did that said he loved her.
Some say love is not real. I used to believe that too. Until I met Leila. I couldn't understand why I feel so attached to her even though she is just a friend. I realized...love exists because Leila's heart is full of it. I've observed that Leila doesn't have much sympathy for human beings, because she believes they don't deserve such things. Instead, she feels bad for other creatures that are not humans. Every animal she's seen, has always felt the love they always needed. Her heart is just filled with love and affection. Sometimes, she cannot control who she gives the love to, and ends up messing it, ruining everything, including herself.
I wish I could at least give Leila the love she deserves and always wanted. It hurts to see the person I love the most feel unloved and guilty. I hate how she forgives everyone, except herself. If only I could just show Leila how I see her.
My poor Leila..You deserve love more than anything, why do you do this to yourself?
When I look at Leila, everyone else just..disappears from my mind. Her face looks more stunning and every detail makes her more gorgeous. I do not need anyone else in this world, I only need Leila. And even if she does try to leave me, she doesn't have a choice.
KORIS POV:
After the incident of what happened between me and Nicholas..I, Kori have never felt more heartbroken than ever. I listened to everything he did, did everything he told me to. Only to be suddenly ditched like this. Maybe, Leila was never a bad person. Nicholas just described her as one, to make it seem like he was innocent. He used to act so kind, generous and sweet. Now he just seems arrogant, ever since he started focusing on this cult. It irritates me that he uses this cult as an excuse for hurting everyone's feelings. I've heard that even Leila has the same belief as this cult, and she doesn't act anything like Nicholas! Is it so hard to be kind and explain things?
Thanks to Clyde, I felt so much better. My heart was beating faster when he called me "dear''. It excites me that such a beautiful guy decided to comfort me when I was acting like a damsel in distress. I was now in my dorm, all alone. I then looked around and spotted something..unusual. A book. But it wasn't any normal book. I'm not much of a bookworm, but everyone remembers which books they bought, right? Well, I couldn't remember when I bought this book..I've never even seen it. The cover was just a plain maroon color, with slight golden details. It had no title, but the book was very heavy and had a thick amount of pages. The pages were also thick and hard, seeming like one swift movement could cut skin very easily.
I was curious to see what was in this mysterious book. Never saw it or read it before. When I decided to take a look, I realized this was a history book about spirits. And the last few pages had a full documentary about this shapeshifting spirit. I've never heard about shapeshifting spirits before, so this was a brand new topic for me to learn about.
Apparently, this spirit was the most powerful spirit to ever exist. Nobody knew how old it was, but it was over a thousand years old, crazy. It can perfectly mimic anything, and even fake its personality. It turns out to be insanely intelligent and has a lot of inhuman traits. Intense strength, unusual speed and any kind of harm it wishes to cause can happen. This was scary. It was noted that this spirit had a very mischievous personality, always looking for chaotic behavior and trouble. But it acts timid and sometimes stern, so that it's not suspected. Most information about this spirit was not collected, not even the current information that's noted here is confirmed to be true. These are just theories. When I was a child, I've always wondered if there was any spirit I could summon myself. Is it possible to befriend spirits? What if a spirit hunter and a spirit work together? I want to leave this place, I have no reason to stay here anymore. So what if a spirit can help me out?
And as I flipped through the last page of the entire book. I found something I never expected.
A full ritual, on how to summon this spirit.
You didn't have to do many things, you just had to stare at the mirror for around ten minutes. Then you have to slowly admire yourself, every single detail you have. After that, you had to whisper a few words, but backwards. Because apparently this spirit won't understand when you want it to appear. And it lives at the other side of the mirror, that's how it travels around.
"Leila..You could have asked me before entering my dorm.'' I chuckled, looking at her in the reflection on my mirror. But then..Leila's expression changed.
It looked like a stretched grin, too wide for her face and the teeth were perfectly sharp. Her eyes were very chill though, it was just the smile that looked terrifying. What is that? Why is Leila smiling like that? Leila never smiles like this.
''You know, you could have summoned me a bit more perfectly. You're terrible at trying to admire yourself.'' Leila laughed, her voice was full of confidence.
''S-Summoned you?!.. Y-you're…''
Wait..
''You're the most powerful spirit..?!''
''Whatever you think of me as.''
It took me a while to process what in the world was going on. I was shocked, out of everyone..Leila? So..she was pretending to be a human all this time.
''I have a request..that's why I summoned you.''' I mumbled.
''Ask ahead, but make it quick.'' She looked at me with a bored expression. Her hand was on her hip, of course she was more brave and self loving in her true form.
''I need your help.''
''My help? With what? Healing people?" She snorted.
''No! I need help.. with having a companion..''
''And what makes you think someone mighty as me would be your companion?''
''Because, I believe that we both need each other. I'll help you with whatever you need, and so will you.''
Leila looked at me with a hint of disgust. But then her expression softened.
''Fine, but there's a catch. I need something in return, of course.''
I couldn't help but widen my eyes in shock. My hands were trembling. The most powerful and feared spirit..agreed to be my helper. I told her everything, my problem with Nicholas, the reason I joined the organization, every single detail of my life and my horrible decisions. And she listened to them carefully. It felt amazing. I could be unstoppable now. If I have Leila by my side, I win.
Leila was looking at me with that horrific grin. It was terrifying. But for some reason the smile was making me more safe, because she is my companion now. What if we work together, and escape this place? What if we stay together, forever..helping each other? This was everything I needed. This one and only spirit is immortal..
And now.. This spirit is on my side.
I can kill Nicholas.
LEILAS POV:
I don't remember anything except being in the medical room, nobody knew where Kori went after Nicholas broke up with her. But today I saw her, she looked.. disturbed, violent and she seemed like she was about to crash out or something.
She couldn't even look at me because she was so terrified of something. I don't know what it truly is, but something is telling me I know. But then, I overheard some conversation with Kori and Clyde.
''You don't understand. They can hear and see things they aren't even supposed to! I think they have something cursed. They can hear and see EVERYTHING.''
''What are you talking about, Kori?''
''LEILA AND NICHOLAS! They know. They know everything.''
''What..?''
My expression became numb and silent. I was too tired to deal with all this stupidity. Just then, Nicholas popped out of nowhere behind me, I wasn't even surprised though.
''Is she that stupid?'' Nicholas chuckled.
''I don't know, she's just confused.'' I told him with a stern tone.
''When will she learn?'' He was trying his best to hold his laughter, he didn't wanna burst out laughing in front of everyone. It was hilarious.
But then, we both started laughing mockingly. It was an absurd sight. We both could feel Kori's eyes on us. She was frightened and frozen.
''Something is wrong with them.'' She murmured with a scared tone.
I was minding my own business in a classroom at the organization, suddenly Nicholas showed up. He approached me with crossed arms.
''Hey, don't you think this is getting all boring?''
''What do you want to do then, dude?''
''I don't know, perhaps I'll continue scaring her more. But.. there's something weird I noticed about you. I mean, you are weird. But this is just straight up crazy.''
''What is it?''
''You have two personalities.''
''Excuse me?''
''I said what I said, You have two personalities and I have detected both of them.''
''Why does that even matter to you?''
''I like the awkward and obedient version of you.''
Just then, my smile widened, almost like a big grin.
''Is that so?''
When Nicholas looked down at me, instead of being flushed.. he looked terrified.
''Your smile..-''
I tilted my head, my grin stretching further, too wide..too unnatural.
"What about it?"
His breath hitched. I could see the moment it clicked. The moment his instincts screamed at him that this wasn't right. That I wasn't right. His hand twitched toward his weapon, but it was already too late.
With inhuman speed, I grabbed his wrist, squeezing hard. The bones cracked under my grip like fragile twigs, a sickening crunch echoing in the room.
Nicholas let out a strangled gasp, his knees buckling.
"L-Leila…?"
"Oh, Nicholas,"
I cooed, my voice dripping with false sweetness,
"You always thought you were so observant, didn't you?" I leaned closer, my breath ghosting over his ear.
"And yet, you never saw me."
His free hand shot up in a desperate attempt to fight back, but I caught it effortlessly, twisting his arm behind his back with a single, sharp movement. His scream filled the air as I dislocated his shoulder, the joint popping out of place grotesquely.
"You…"
He gasped, his voice breaking.
"You're not her."
"No,"
I whispered, my grin unwavering.
"I never was."
Then, without hesitation, I drove my fingers into his chest, piercing through skin, flesh, and bone like paper. His eyes widened in sheer horror, blood bubbling past his lips as he struggled to breathe.
Outside the room, Kori stood frozen in place. She had prepared herself for bloodshed, but this… this was something else entirely.
Nicholas's body convulsed in my grip as I twisted my hand inside him, feeling his ribs crack under the pressure. His mouth opened in a silent scream, eyes rolling back as his body spasmed violently.
And yet, Kori didn't look away.
She should have been disgusted. She should have felt fear clawing at her insides, urging her to run.
But instead… satisfaction curled in her chest like a dark, warm thing.
Nicholas, arrogant, insufferable Nicholas was finally meeting the fate he deserved!
With one final, brutal motion, I yanked my hand back, pulling his still-beating heart from his chest. It pulsed weakly in my grip, a dying thing, covered in dripping crimson.
Nicholas let out a wet, shuddering breath, his knees giving out as he collapsed.
I crouched beside him, tilting my head as I watched the life drain from his eyes.
"See?
I whispered, holding up his heart like a trophy.
"You only ever liked one side of me."
His lips parted in one final, pathetic attempt to speak, but nothing came. Just the sound of his last breath leaving his ruined body.
Kori exhaled slowly, her fingers trembling at her sides.
She should have been horrified.
And yet, all she could think was.. Finally.
KORIS POV:
Leila turned, her smile stretching unnaturally, her eyes gleaming in the candlelight. No, it wasn't right. It wasn't Leila.
"Poor, foolish Kori."
Leila sighed, standing up with an unsettling grace.
''You really thought I was here to help you?"
WHAT?
I barely had time to react before Leila moved. A flash of silver, and suddenly, My entire body tensed as searing pain bloomed in my abdomen. I staggered backward, my hands flying to the dagger now lodged in my stomach. My own dagger. The one Ihad gripped so tightly just moments ago.
Leila..no, not Leila..laughed softly, a sound that was almost affectionate. Almost.
I gasped, trying to speak, but the words wouldn't come. The betrayal hit me harder than the wound.
"Why?" I managed to choke out.
It leaned in, whispering against her ear, her voice dripping with venom.
"Because you took something that was mine."
My eyes widened in horror. Clyde.
It all made sense now. The odd glint in her eyes, the way she spoke, the way she smiled. This wasn't Leila. This was someone else entirely. The devil herself.
It yanked the dagger out, and I collapsed onto the cold floor, my breath coming in ragged gasps. The world tilted as I struggled to keep my eyes open. My fingers clawed at the stone, searching for something, anything to hold onto.
It turned her back on me, moving toward Nicholas, who was dead.
"No.."
I tried to speak, tried to move, but my own strength was leaving her.
I watched, helpless, as it lifted the dagger once more, her grin never fading. The last thing I saw was more blood before the candlelight flickered..and everything went black.
LEILAS POV:
The room reeked of blood.
Nicholas's body lay in a crumpled heap, his lifeless eyes frozen in eternal horror. Kori was beside him, her throat slit open in a jagged, ugly gash, her body sprawled as if she had never even tried to run.
I stepped back, tilting her head at my own handiwork. I wiped a streak of blood from my cheek with the back of my hand, sighing softly.
"Such a shame,"
Then..clap, clap, clap.
Slow, deliberate applause echoed from the doorway.
I turned, my grin widening as Clyde stepped into view, his expression calm. As always, that ever-present smile was plastered across his face.
"Well done,"
He mused, stepping over Kori's body without so much as a glance.
"You even made it poetic. Nicholas first, then Kori. Almost romantic, in a way." He said it so cutely.
I wiped my bloodstained fingers on my shirt, still smiling.
"What can I say? She made a deal with the devil. It's only fair I honored it."
Clyde chuckled, crouching beside Nicholas's corpse. With eerie casualness, he nudged the dead man's chin with two fingers, as if inspecting a broken doll.
"He never saw it coming, huh?" His gaze flicked up to me.
"Neither did Kori, I bet."
I scoffed.
"She actually thought I'd let her live after she touched something that was mine."
Clyde leaned back on his heels, shaking his head.
"Tch. And she thought she was smart."
There was silence for a moment. Then, my eyes narrowed slightly.
"How much did you know?"
Clyde grinned, his teeth sharp in the dim light.
"Everything."
I stared at him. Then, she let out a small, delighted laugh.
"You little liar."
Clyde stood, wiping imaginary dust from his gloves.
"Come on now, did you really think I joined Kori's little rebellion out of loyalty? I was just playing along. I fed her everything she wanted to hear, made sure she trusted me, and then…"
He gestured lazily at the carnage surrounding them.
"Well, here we are."
My expression darkened with something unreadable. I took a slow step toward him, tilting my head
. "So all of this… was planned?"
Clyde met her gaze, his smile never wavering.
"From the very start."
A beat of silence.
Then my grin stretched wider, my eerie, endless amusement glowing in my eyes.
"You really are like me."
Clyde smirked.
"Flattering."
He turned, walking toward the door, hands tucked casually into his pockets. Before leaving, he glanced back over his shoulder.
"Come on, Leila" he murmured.
"We have more work to do."
I stared at him for a long moment. Then, with a quiet chuckle, I followed.
And behind us, the blood pooled, the bodies cold, the echoes of their last breaths already fading into nothing.
CRYSTALS POV:
I have memories that I only had a mattress in my room. It was honestly very shocking for me when I first entered this organization because the dorms here are extremely good quality, almost better than an actual house. You don't even have to pay to use any of the services here and you can even decorate it anyway you wish to. Me being Crystal of course, my childhood hasn't been the best. My father has always been outside focused on their work. All I used to know was, their job included a lot of travelling for business, so I barely saw them. I have no idea who my mother was. My brothers were very focused on outdoor work and everything. They couldn't even check on me because they were so invested in whatever they were doing. I remember they didn't even notice or come to check whether there was food in the house. Sometimes they even used to lock the door without realizing there was no way for me to go out and buy food. It was very hard for me to survive in those days.
Eventually, I don't remember when or how. But my father and brothers were found dead in a boat. The news came to me a month after they died. I thought they were happy travelling. And when I thought nothing wouldn't get worse. The house I have lived in has burnt down.
I've been working at S.H.O since I was twelve. I've been a part of this organization for like seven years. I mean yes, I do work for the organization but if I have to be honest, I don't really understand their beliefs and don't support their cruelty and malice. I can agree that spirits are bad and unacceptable. But some spirits are..different. We just don't understand them. They are not as evil as you think they are. They are just lost souls who want vengeance. Sometimes they are harmless and just enjoying their new life, but we just destroy it. So despite having clear orders to exorcise spirits on sight, I try to avoid it and let those good spirits free, no matter what. If I ever get caught, of course, I get taunted, but honestly being the second most powerful in the organization kind of gives me an upper hand. I honestly don't even know why I'm doing this.
When I realized for the first time that I had power, I was very excited and giggling in happiness. My power is known as ''Crystal Sage". It's also a very rare power nowadays. I've read books that say that this power is connected to a very powerful spirit. This spirit is probably exorcised now. But it was a mighty and unbeatable spirit. No information is revealed about how this magical spirit vanished. But the remains and magic passed down to me through generations. The first step I used with Crystal Sage was something called Gemlight Infusion, which infuses objects or allies with the properties of magical crystals to enhance their abilities. When I first discovered this, I realized I wasn't normal.
And so, when I joined here. I've felt out of place, not only because of my opinion on spirits, but for another reason I still can't seem to figure out.
The only two reasons I'm still working here are Leila and Clyde.
When Clyde watched me smooth his hair, the gesture was so tender that I noticed tears from his eyes. He had no memories like that, only the sharp absence of what could have been. He turned away before the warmth in the scene could sting too much. That's when I realized Clyde never had a mother, or someone he would call ''mother''. He had never been held with tenderness, but he had learned how to give it. Maybe that's why he lingered a little longer when someone needed comfort, or spoke a little softer when someone seemed afraid. He couldn't change what he hadn't been given, but he could make sure others didn't feel the same emptiness.
At the time when Clyde was really young, he used to talk to me about this "Leila'' all the time. All I knew was Clyde really loved his best friend Leila a lot. And that made my heart melt. Clyde was never this protective or loving, but when Leila appeared in his life, he found a reason to live.
It made me really delighted when those two reunited again at this organization. I've noticed their genuine affection for each other and their strong bond. It seemed like no matter how far they walk away from each other, there is always a string attached in each of their hearts, and if the strings rips apart, both of their hearts die, leading both of them to lose themselves without their bond being together and strong.
And so, I watched Leila and Clyde get their spark back next to each other. It made me happy seeing them get back again after all these years.
But..I couldn't shake the feeling.
The pit in my stomach had been there since morning, an unrelenting unease gnawing at the edges of my thoughts. Something was wrong. I just didn't know what yet.
I sat at the long, dimly lit meeting table, fingers drumming against its surface, my gaze flicking between the people in the room. The organization had been unusually quiet today..whispers of something off floating through the halls.
Nicholas and Kori were missing.
Vanished.
That alone should've been alarming, but what made my skin crawl was the presence of two people who looked entirely too calm about it.
Leila sat across from her, arms lazily crossed, a serene expression resting on her face. She looked… satisfied. Not worried, not confused, just eerily at peace. As if she already knew exactly what happened.
And Clyde…
He was smiling.
Not just his usual soft smile, there was something about the way he leaned back in his chair, completely relaxed, as if this was all some inside joke only he understood.
My fingers twitched.
I had seen him do this before.
That unsettling, unreadable smile.
I cleared my throat, trying to keep my voice steady.
"No one's seen Nicholas or Kori since last night. It's strange, don't you think?"
Leila blinked, tilting her head slightly.
"Strange?"
I nodded.
"Yeah. It's not like them to just disappear."
I narrowed her eyes slightly.
"Especially not together."
Clyde let out a small chuckle.
"Maybe they ran away."
My head snapped toward him.
"Ran away?"
Clyde shrugged, that smile was never leaving his face.
"Sure. Maybe they got sick of all this and decided to leave. Happens all the time, doesn't it?"
Leila hummed softly, playing with a strand of her hair.
"I suppose if they did run off, we'll never know, will we?"
The way she said it sent a chill down my spine.
There was no concern in her voice. No real curiosity.
It was too casual.
My throat felt dry.
Something wrong will happen. There's something in our organization which will destroy everything. An intruder.