Chapter 88

"Would you like to have something to drink?" She asked.

Her mellifluous voice softly ringing throughout his fleshless soul.

"What happened last time when Coen was here?" He straightforwardly asked. "What was the bargain he had proposed?"

Airen smiled whilst plucking a flower beneath her. "He wanted me to let go of your soul."

Toren quickly dissolved his confusion to focus on his purpose. "Am I your prisoner?"

"From the very start, you already were," She grinned, her lips stretching lushly and white teeth exposed. "I have given a task to your brother in exchange for your soul. There was a collateral too, of course."

"A task?"

"I gave him a bullet that he must use to kill his own master. Unless he accomplishes such a thing, your soul stays with me. You will return at the void tomorrow, so it would be best to make out of something until then. Memories, perhaps?"

"What was the collateral?"

Airen smiled, "Your brother. Coen himself is."

Airen led Toren to a different gateway whilst saying her farewell sweetly, as if she was still his mother in spite of everything.

Toren looked behind him one last time and glanced at the beauty that forever beguiled him.

"Godspeed," She whispered.

And with that, he threw himself at the gateway and finally returned to reality as a ghost.

He immediately went into the En household and met his brother's rage.

Coen went on yelling and scolding him as he had escaped the locked room once more.

But Toren just remained silent until it was over.

Toren went to the kitchen, grabbed the sharpest blade, and went to stab his brother.

Coen held his breath after a surprised gasp, staring wide-eyed at Toren, and suppressing a tear.

"You really sold yourself off too," Toren whisperingly said. "Why are you doing these things for me? I thought you hated me."

Coen immediately removed the knife out of his flesh and mindlessly stared at his brother's ghost.

"Just because you think I'm immortal doesn't mean I don't get hurt," Coen was glaring at him.

They could not answer each other's questions, but they have somehow told one another's tinge of secrets. There was a lingering heavy air that followed.

They could not just wash it away. Plodding slowly, the creaks have somehow consoled them a bit.

Toren went out to the rear of their house and climbed up the roof.

He lied down there and waited until sundown.

This might be the last time he would truly see the sky unfolding along with the stars.

He had already witnessed the future, so he would not worry much about how long he would have to stay imprisoned.

Later on, at a young nightfall, Coen joined his brother at the roof and lied down beside him.

They watched the stars brightly twinkling, as if shooting beauties down to earth.

"Looking back, we have never spent our time together like this," Toren said in an undertone, groping at the mood. "It was only you who could see the skies from the room as we lay down beside each other."

"Now that you are seeing and experiencing the same things of what I had before, do you understand now why I am doing these?"

"A little," Toren answered. "I was there with you in the future, you know. I have seen you go through the world's changes and revolutions up until the modern times."

"I don't quite understand, but it seems like it will be a long time before I accomplish the end of my bargain. Would you still be able to wait for me then?"

"Do not worry. I can be patient."

"Airen is beautiful and she is also our mother. But she is a devil. It must be a shame to experience afterlife like this."

"It is fine. I do not mind. Why do you think that I am feeling miserable?"

"Because when your life ends with death, you are much saved. But you did not. Toren, you may not realize this, but you are underneath a looming danger."

"I understand that more than anyone."

It felt like they had mutually reconciled without even saying a word about it.

Their conversations had deepened along the race of night going through twilight until Coen had finally fallen asleep.

And when he wakes up the next morning, it will be a brand new world, a different emotion, and a whole other league of troubles awaiting him like keen predators.