Sera

Denial holds the girl hands and silently go out of the store because he knows something. Something that he can understand.

That night, Denial was silence maybe he saw something that had triggered something similar to him happened in the past or others. Who know? 

He grabbed the girl gently and slowly walked out from the store, far away gradually and then up to the surface. 

Machine voice's: Thank you for using our service.

Chinese Old Woman: "Oh, the exist is just like before. Get out. Wait," 

Denial: (stop) 

Chinese Old Woman: (look at the kid)

Chinese Old Woman: "Kid, do you know this guy?" 

Sera: Big brother. 

Chinese Old Woman: (silence) 

Chinese Old Woman: "Well, if you are saying like that." 

Denial: start walking. 

Chinese Old Woman: "Young man, I don't care what had happened to you in the past, but don't take responsibility of something you can't." 

Chinese Old Woman: "Also, we are closing down next week." 

Denial: "Are you serious?" Why?" 

Chinese Old Woman: "How should I say? There are less customers lately. We have to go back to our hometown to start a local business. I don't have any children, no relative, I think, I should find somewhere I can be happy rather than something I can make profit." 

Denial: "....." 

Chinese Old Woman: "But don't worry, you had been our customer since last 1 year, all thought we close the store, our passage is opened for every customer in need. Good luck young man." 

(around 6pm) (door noises) (beep) 

Annie: "Oh, Wasso? are you home?"  (screams from the kitchen)

Denial: Yes, how's is work? 

Annie: "Good, just a min, I was doing the dishes" (screams from the kitchen) 

Denial: "Annie, I have something to discuss with you. Can you come here for a sec?" 

Annie: "What do you want to talk about? About moving out? I thought we already discussed about this already, no?" (slowly walking out of the kitchen) 

Annie: "What is it, that you are in such a hurry to talk about? No way, you are asking for a night after just a few days, you pervert, I already said, let's get to know each other for a few weeks." (silence) 

(see Sera) 

Annie: "Your daughter?" "No way, you look so young. And I don't think no one other than me, would be able to like you?" 

(Savage)

Denial: "She is Sera, (thinking) a granddaughter of someone I used to know. I want her to stay with us. Can she?" 

Annie: "Oh?" (silence) (thinking) (Look at Sera) 

Annie: "Who is this? Name is Sera, right? Call me big sis? Ok? How cute!" 

Annie seems to like this child, 

Annie: "Sera-Chan, are you hungry?" Let's go to the kitchen. Big sister is cooking something delicious tonight. 

(looked denial, serious stare) (mouth moving) "WE WILL TALK AFTER DINNER" 

Denial: "Shxt" 

Scutum: "My lord, is there a strong monster nearby? Your vital signs are rising." 

(instantly realized) 

Sera: Eating deliciously. 

Annie: Delicious? 

Sera: A little bit salty, but I like it. He he (continue eating) 

Annie: Death stare to Denial. 

Denial: (pretending to eat but failed) 

After dinner. 

Sera: Sleeping. 

Annie: "I though there is only you and me living in this house, so I don't get an extra futon. I let her sleep on mine." (sit beside Denial) 

Denial: "Try to move his sitting location away from Annie. 

"Ouch" 

Annie: "pinch Denial's thigh muscle" 

Annie: "Where are you going? I thought you have something to tell me right now. Am I wrong? (fake smile) 

Denial: "It is not what you think it is." 

Annie: "Oh, tell me then. I want to see what kind of story you will come up with?" 

Denial: (told her everything) 

Annie: "So, it is like that." (suddenly emotional)"I know her feeling because at some point, I used to be like that as well." 

Denial: (realized that her mother was also in coma at hospital because of magi sickness) "how is your mother?" 

Annie: "Silence" (gloomy face) 

Denial: "Is something wrong with it? Tell me Annie." 

Annie: "In fact, I had been delaying her medical bills for half a year now, at first, they let me delay my payment since I was working at the nurse. But the bill becomes bigger and bigger, I tried everything, and I had been working every day to save up, but I can't help but ended up delay another month payment again." 

Denial: "You aren't telling that the reason you quit your job at the hospital is?" 

Annie: "yes, they can't take it anymore. I am only a normal person, so even when I work 16-20 hours shift every day, my income won't increase beyond 75,00 USD per month. The medical bill is between 10,000 to 15,000 per month. And now I have about 500,000 USD to that hospital with interest per month. I don't know what to do. Even if I sell this house, I am afraid, that if I died somewhere on the street, there will be no one to take care of my mom." (sad tone) (hopeless tone) 

Denial: "It is the hunter's hospital?" 

Annie: "No, after the accident, the hunter's hospital closed down. It is now a renew hospital owned and managed by the hunter guild called "Wind Spear" But, I was enduring the pain because it is very hard to find a job for a norma people these days. But they tried to force me to do things that I don't want to. In the end, the interest rate is getting higher and higher to the point and there is nothing I can do about it no matter how much I tried to save up and hard working." (crack tone) 

Denial: "Hug Annie gently" 

Denial: "You should have told me before; I can probably help. Give me, the debt paper with your name and signature as well as with your blood stamp. I will to the hospital right now." 

Annie: (already asleep) 

Denial: realized. "Scutum, you have been with her all the time, right. Do you know all of this?" 

Scutum: "Yes, my lord." 

Denial: "Why didn't you report it to me?" 

Scutum: "My apologies, my lord. It doesn't concern with her life security. I thought I don't need to bother my lord with something as trivial as this." 

Denial: "Scutum" 

Scutum: "Yes, my lord." 

At that time, scutum had felt something that it never felt before. XENO parasitic race is something that only work with calculation, they are usually very numb at emotion. But maybe because of fusing with Denial, or any other unknown reason, scutum felt an immerse pain, guilt, anger and disgust at the same time.

Denial: (red crimson eyes) "Report everything back to me. THERE WILL BE NO NEXT TIME" 

Scutum: "This humble servant crossed the line. Don't dare to ask for forgiveness. My lord. Please delete me from existence." 

Denial: "THERE WILL BE NO NEXT TIME", I don't say it again. (serious tone) 

Denial gently picks Annie up in his arm, gently dropping her off on the futon, next to the sleeping Sera.

Denial goes to the hospital that Annie said, and that being said

The next day, the Annie (wakes up) 

Wooh, when was the last time, I sleep that deeply? Sxxt, I am late for the work. Let's hurry up, take a shower and go to the work. No, on the second though, let's go to the work after I take a quick morning toilet break, there isn't enough time for other staffs.

As she is busy with speeding for work, she noticed a black, shadow, that is standing beside her. 

Annie: "Arhhhh" 

Sera: "wakes up" 

Annie: "What is that?" 

Scutum: "My name is Scutum" 

Annie: "Arr... it talks? Grab Sera and hold tightly.

Annie: "What are you, a monster?" 

Scutum: "I am a servant of my lord, now in my lord's order, I am repenting on my previous grieve mistake, that I made. I begged for your forgiveness, my lord's mistress." 

Annie: "Wait, what? Denial? How are you related with Denial?" 

Sera: "Oh, a shadow is talking?" 

(after a lot of question and a long conservation) 

Scutum explains everything he knows about his lord to Annie, Sera is also listening to him at the same time. 

Scutum explains how he meets with his lord, Denial, all the other stuffs.

Annie: "So, you are saying is that he went to the hospital last night while I was asleep?"

(door noise) 

Denial: walked into the room. 

Denial: I bought you some breakfast, though you guys might be hungry. Some season vegetables and some meat, pork and fishes. Wait here, I will cook for you guys. 

Annie: "Wait, did you go to the hospital, last night?" 

Denial: "Yes, don't worry. I paid off all your debt, in addition, your mom has transferred to the hospital to the region hunter's one, with better service with prepaid VIP, one year." 

Denial: "Now, you don't have to work there and have to go there since they don't exist anymore."(whisper) 

Annie: What? 

Denial: "I was thinking what breakfast, you guys might like?" 

Annie: "I heard something about... exist?" 

Sera: (answer with energetic voice) Can I choose? I want to eat meat, any meat is, ok?

Denial: Alright, come with big brother. Big brother will teach you how to cook delicious meat. (gentle smile) 

Annie: (silence) (think- maybe I misheard) (I should ask about him while we are talking?" 

Denial: "Oh, Annie. Have you meet Scutum?" (smile) 

Annie: "Oh, yep. Wait, is he yours?" 

Denial: "Yes, can we talk about that later while eating? Can help me making breakfast for now? OK?" (smile) 

Annie: "What's wrong with you today? Alright don't laugh at me, I just started cooking recently, my skills are not good at yours." 

Denial: "Hear it, Sera. Big sister is not confident in her cooking skills, big brother is better right?" 

Annie: (shocked) (eyes are on fire) "You really want to dead today; you have woken up a sleep tiger. I will show you my real cooking skills?" 

Chatting, chatting, chatting. Sera voice - "big sister, isn't that sugar? I thought we seasoned the meat with salt and pepper." Denial voice - "maybe she is about to create new recipe. (laughter)" Annie - "Shut up!" 

Nearby restaurant, 

Television new - Last time, there is a new dungeon breakout at the hospital owned by "Wind Spear" Guild. Although there aren't any causalities, most of the doctors there, especially the 2 managing hunters and Head director of the hospital went some trauma and went insane. From our info, a group of black monsters appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the hospital and disappeared after a while. The professional is investigation whether it is a crack or false alarm. It is surprising that all the rest of the doctors, nurses and patients in the hospital aren't hurt or anything. Rather, the only three people in the entire hospital suffered some mental damage, some people say they are going insane because the evil spirit. Some people say they deserved it. Rather a lot of people are happy about this, as they are forcing people and patient to give out money, giving out illegal loans with great interest rates which increased the total debt per month. Let's hear some eyewitnesses say about this case, 

Witness One: Last night, I was about to take a dump in the toilet, but I heard something from the hallway direction, a group of shadow like monsters, big ones at that, very scary. But after I blink my eyes, they all disappeared, that is why. I thought I somehow met the ghost. 

Witness Two: I was the security guard, last night. I saw a man walking down to the side of hospital that I work for. But I don't see his clearly, it was so dark. I don't even know it is a human or human-shaped monsters, because its eyes are red, very red, like blood, as soon as I met it in the eyes, I know that I was gone. But turn out, I was asleep and that was a dream. I think. 

Witness Three: I saw it. It is not a man or any monster. I borrowed some money from them before. They also forced to sell my body and spend a night with them. I have a child to take care of, so I had no choice back then. I always hated these monsters, since then. Last night, after I was sleeping in their room, after they called me for a night, I heard them, screaming and begging for forgiveness, in the office room. I was scared so I couldn't get out and checked what is really happening but from the blurry glass window of the door, I saw a shadow, a shadow of neither a man nor a monster. It was a grim reaper, he told to not to come out if I want to live but his voice is so mysterious and although I couldn't see his face, I am sure that someone who respect a lady must be a handsome grim reaper. He has a handsome red eye, glowing in the dark as well. I thought it was my destiny to be die at his hands, finally opened the door to whatever kiss him, but there is no one and instead I saw those threes, lying naked on the ground, spewing nonsense like death and white bubble coming out of their mouth. Maybe he was my angle or guardian to protect me, I think. 

Reporter: That is all that we have. Seeing the sign of the three witnesses, there is more like a chance for a monster like "Nightmare Ghost(B) had roamed around here. There is also a sign of large number of monsters' tracks had also left behind in the crime scene meaning there was probably a temporary space crack, happened nearby. For those, who don't know, Nightmare Ghost(B) is a monster of invisibility and ghost like ability that suck the life force of the hunter, although it is very destructive and powerful, it threat level is only "yellow, not a legal threat" because it only attacks the specific targets, hunters and no serious damage done to the normal people over the decade record, if one comes into contact with these, normal people might suffer from a nightmare and nothing more. The victims last night were all ex and current hunters of the Wind Spear Guild as well as the witnesses seems the monsters in red eyes and only for a sec, the experts concluded that the cause of this is Nightmare Ghost(B)." The surrounding neighborhood also reported that they had a nightmare that night. Nearly everyone in that neighborhood of radius 1 mile, had nightmares making the conclusion of the experts, becoming undeniable truth. 

"That conclude the news for this morning. We will come back soon."