Their faces were scorched into his mind, watching him as he tried to sleep and mocking him as he tossed and turned endlessly. He was sweating, the images causing him to break out in a fever and giving him no option but to wrestle the sheets from his skin. He couldn't deny it anymore. It was real. What he had seen, what he had done, was real.
You devil, you killed everyone.
You devil.
Todotori didn't know what to do. He'd become a puppet, a toy for that wretched woman to use as she pleased, and he had no way out. There had to be an escape, a loophole to their arrangement. He never wanted to feel like that again, as if shackled within his own mind, helpless and immured.
Halo had disappeared before he cleared the building, not returning for the rest of the night. However, he knew she would be back. He could feel her tugging on him from the inside, like a fish hook snagged on his soul. The hell he'd lived through the night before was only the beginning of the nightmares. Delirium was setting in, and he wondered if he'd ever be able to sleep again, staring up at the ceiling as it spun around him in bed.
"Good evening, my pet."
The day had slipped away from him. Perhaps he had been subconsciously waiting for her return, unwilling to arise from his bed until she did.
"Here again?" Todotori groaned, her once paralyzing presence less startling to him than before.
Halo grinned ominously, strolling from her gloomy corner into the blue gleam of the moon. "Is that an attitude I'm sensing?"
"Just tell me what you want," he demanded dryly. Unmoving and defiant, he refused to look her in the eye.
There was no point in dancing around it. Todotori knew why she was there. She wanted him to do something for her. She wanted him to kill someone. Of course, the task's details didn't matter because he'd be forced to carry out her will regardless.
"Getting straight to it today, I see. If only all my pets could be like you." Halo relaxed her hands gently on her waist. "I have another task for you. It's nearly identical to the one last night, a bunch of rabble I need dealt with in a timely manner."
"Another suicide mission? Why am I not surprised?" Todotori closed his eyes, unprepared to relive the torment he'd endured the night before.
"Do you plan to refuse? After last night, I thought you would have grasped your situation by now," she patronized. Blinking, the Shadow turned away and shrugged her shoulders indifferently. "I suppose some dogs never willfully obey their masters. It makes no difference to me. Now, get up-"
"Wait!"
His body shot upright in an instant, his breathing heavy. She nearly retook control, attempting to pull him up from the bed like a puppet on a string. Like before, he had felt that petrifying ordinance creeping up within him and reaching toward his mind.
He couldn't let it happen again. He would do anything to prevent that feeling.
"I'll do it," Todotori blurted, his eyes wide and begging. "Please... I'll do it on my own. Just... let me-"
"Good," Halo interrupted, barely turning back to glance at him through the corner of her eye. "I knew you would come to your senses."
After getting dressed and following Halo by his own will, he stood in another dark alley like the night before. He was still uneasy, terrified that one wrong word would cause her to seize his body and use him as before.
She explained the objective, and it was just as he'd predicted. The remainder of the scum from the night before operated out of a separate building, a deserted warehouse stationed off the river at the edge of the city. The ring of criminals undoubtedly used the space for illegal trade and smuggling. Giant, neglected factories and mills surrounded the area and created the perfect camouflage for any trucks or boats that possibly came in and out.
The building was massive, and it was hard to imagine how many men were garrisoned inside. At night, Todotori could barely see fleeting flashes of security lights from the other side. He knew that particular gangs within Renu ran organized operations, but he had never ventured close enough to see it for himself. It was unbelievable.
"Holy shit," was all he could say.
"Oh yes, this is going to be a much better challenge than last night," Halo grinned, pressing her palms together in excitement. "Bring on the entertainment!"
She had lied. The circumstances were nothing like the night before. Preparing himself for certain death, Todotori couldn't believe what he was about to do. The only reason he survived before was due to Halo's control. He didn't know how to use his Angel abilities or how to fight as efficiently as he had then. He considered relenting to her will for a moment if only to survive.
He stepped into the street, staring down the ominous warehouse that would likely become his final resting place. There was no time to think. He just had to do it.
One thing that Todotori knew he was proficient at was stealth. He would use that to his advantage as he pressed along the walls of neighboring buildings, clinging to the shadows for as long as he could until reaching the gates of the storehouse. The tall, metal fence surrounding the area was rusted and worn down, with plenty of gaping spaces to slither past. He carried on, sneaking closer to the back end of the warehouse, where most of the commotion was echoing from.
"Man, I didn't sign up for all this," a voice grumbled from around the corner of the building.
Security lights illuminated the entire back end of the warehouse, exposing several men packing and loading boxes onto two small feeder ships. The scum walked back and forth from the open terminal, numbering about thirty in total.
"Tell me about it," another voice replied, a gritty accent coating his words. "How'm I suppose' to pick up women when I'm stuck here, movin' crates for hours?"
"You were never picking up women in the first place, moron," the first chuckled. "Either way, we should just quit and go have a drink."
Todotori cautiously glanced around the corner, trying to catch a look at his two closest targets while they were preoccupied complaining. The two were scrawny, small enough that he could likely dispose of them discreetly using his Angel ability. That was if he could figure out how to use it.
The second man huffed. "Can't do that," he said. "The boss'll hunt us down."
"The boss is dead. Didn't you hear? He was killed two days ago, and the body still hasn't been found."
"Seriously?" there was disbelief in his tone. "I thought the boss was indestructible. I'd hate tuh run into the guy who killed him-"
As the two men stepped near the corner, Todotori took his chance. He moved swiftly, grabbing both scum from behind and stifling their mouths as he jerked them back into the shadows. He focused on his hands, willing them to activate whatever power they had before. Seconds went by, the men squirming and kicking to escape his grip. Nothing.
Finally, one of the men flailed his head and bit down on Todotori's finger with grinding force. Reflexively, he jolted in pain as sharp teeth clamped down, releasing the toothy monster.
"What the hell?! Let go of me!" the other man yelled as he also wiggled loose.
The plan had gone sour faster than he expected.
The sounds of struggle must have been evident because Todotori could sense more men walking over to investigate. His powers were useless. He'd have to come up with something else before anyone spotted him. Panicking, he followed his first instinct.
Grabbing both men by the head, he smashed their skulls into each other with overwhelming force. Almost instantly, both of them fell limp. He didn't think it would work, and he was actually just trying to get them to stop yelling, but it would suffice. Before he could hide or dispose of the bodies, two more men stepped around the corner.
"Hey! Who are you?!" one of the men exclaimed, his eyes flashing between the two men on the ground and Todotori. "What's going on?!"
So, that was how it was going to be.
As much as Todotori tried to avoid it, the universe seemed to be forcing him to face his mission head-on. He stepped over the unconscious bodies, immediately approaching his new opponents. They were larger than the other two, their faces twisting from confusion to anger as they realized the situation. Advancing aggressively, he had already accepted his fate.
Todotori swung first, refusing himself the opportunity to contemplate what he was doing. He jabbed at the man on the left, landing the hit to his jaw as he was still standing, surprised. Quickly, he turned to the other man, who was proceeding to retaliate. With a strong front kick, he knocked the scum back.
He wasn't moving fast enough. Their struggle had already alerted a few other men as the fight moved beyond the cover of the building's corner. Men dropped their boxes, calling attention to other workers and running towards the commotion. Finishing off his current enemies, Todotori noted at least ten more heading his way, all fully prepared for a brawl.
"Shit," he muttered, bracing himself.
Glancing down at his useless, powerless hands, it seemed his Angel ability wouldn't show itself anytime soon. He was on his own.
"Screw it," Todotori grinned and curled his fingers into a fist. "Bring it on, idiots!"
Launching forward, he confronted the crowd fearlessly. There was no time to think; thinking left room for mistakes. He just had to move. Jab, dodge, move. It only took moments for the docking area to erupt into complete chaos, scum rushing up in droves and overwhelming him quickly. No matter how efficiently he fought, there was no winning. He might have taken out five men before it became too much for him to handle.
One man attacked from behind and put Todotori in a paralyzing chokehold while he was distracted by the rest of the swarm. He ground his teeth, the pain in his ribs and cheek stinging deep as two or three others jabbed at his immobilized body. There wasn't much he could do, tugging at the arm that strangled him. The corners of his vision began to turn black as he took several more blows to the face.
Wrestling and kicking were useless. His fists were growing numb, the static climbing up his arms and restraining his energy. He stared at the scum before him, disgusted. Was he truly going to lose to such a group of filth? Each of their grimy faces scrunched and leered as they tortured him. No doubt, they'd done the same to the innocent time and time again.
What garbage. What rubbish. They didn't deserve to live. They didn't deserve to beat him like this.
Suddenly, the man behind him shrieked, the arm that was wrapped tightly around his neck abruptly shoving him away. Todotori jolted forward, stumbling and light-headed. As he fell into the crowd, other men began to scream. It took him a moment to realize what was happening, the faces in front of him boiling up, seared with disease. They were dropping to the ground like flies.
It was him. His Angel ability had finally triggered, and at a much larger scale than he'd witnessed the night before. The power exuding from his body was almost palpable, a field of pure energy bursting out from every inch of his skin. Bellowing, wailing cries echoed throughout the dock and bounced off the walls of the open warehouse. Anyone brave enough to continue attacking quickly became consumed and expired within seconds.
The mangled faces and bodies were the same as before. Red and flaking skin peeled away to expose ligaments beneath, the men's expressions permanently stamped with pain as they lay there, lifeless.
Todotori stepped over mounds of corpses, his boots crunching on fragile bones as he walked toward the large warehouse garage. He'd cleared everyone outside within moments, and it was likely that the ruckus alerted others inside the building. Turning back, he took in the revolting scene one last time before entering. It was apocalyptic, yet he somehow remained unfazed. In fact, there was a tinge of contentment deep within him as he stared at the worthless scum.
There were voices quickly approaching from inside. He couldn't revel in his success just yet.
On the other side of the vacant garage, Todotori found himself entering a massive storage room. Rows of half-empty racks stretched to the ceiling, their length reaching from wall to wall. Very few boxes remained, and what was left seemed to have already been scrounged through. Above was an open loft, accessible only by two ladders on either side of the room. More boxes obscured his view of the upstairs area, but he assumed it was used for more storage.
"What the hell is going on out there?" a male voice echoed to the left, slightly muffled behind one of the storage racks. "I'm going to go tell those eggheads to stop messing around. This place has to be cleared out by morning, or someone else will come and claim it for themselves."
Todotori swiftly lunged to the side, pressing himself against another nearby rack before the man rounded the corner. Footsteps inched closer, and he contemplated his next move. Glancing at his fingers, he wondered why he was able to trigger his Angel ability so suddenly a moment before. He couldn't use it at will, though it worked effortlessly during a moment of distress. There had to be a way to use his ability freely. After all, whether he was being controlled or not, he had done it the night before.
Before the steps grew any closer, Todotori moved from his hiding place. The man before him stumbled back in surprise, his chubby face painted in shock. Pointing a single finger at the scum, he recalled a method he'd used before. He focused on the tip of his finger, begging his power to obey.
"Wha-" the scum stuttered, "what are you doing in here?!"
Concentrating, Todotori waited for it to happen.
The man stepped forward, quickly becoming irritated. "You're not one of the loading crew," he said, waving an accusatory finger. "How did you get inside?"
Please, just work. He shut his eyes, breathing slowly. Shoot. Please shoot.
"You thought you were being sneaky. I know what you are! You're a thief!"
Todotori's eyelids fluttered open. His annoyance increased by the second, and the man in front of him was irking. The abominable scum approached him with such insolence, such audacity. Didn't he know that he was going to be scorched to death in an instant?
His face was disgusting. Todotori furrowed his brow at the mere sight of him. He wanted to irradicate that face and every face like it. He needed to eliminate every last one of the men within that place, cleaning the earth of their pollution before they could steal from anyone else.
At that moment, as the anger gradually welled up within him, he knew he could do it. The radiation flowing within his body focused, peaking at the tip of his finger. Staring down his own arm, he watched as the man's head blasted away, immediately disintegrating into nothing. The body that remained collapsed to the ground with a thud, blood splashing from its neck.
Stepping back, Todotori glared at the red splotches on his boots and jeans. His reflection greeted him with a smirk as a crimson pool formed on the concrete floor. It seemed there was a trick to his ability after all, and he'd finally figured it out.
Anger was the only thing standing between him and unlimited control of his power.
"So, that's it, huh?" He struggled to hide a laugh, realizing how obvious it had been. If only he'd had this power before.
The rest of the mission was going to be simple.
----
No matter how much she begged, Tilluan refused to explain himself.
"Why won't you tell me?" Lazzir pleaded. "You can't just say something all mysterious like that and then disappear right after! What is a Shadow?"
"You're so impatient," Tilluan sighed, clearly enjoying her struggle. "I'll tell you later, okay."
"You're so annoying," she huffed, crossing her arms with a pout. "I'm starting to think you made it up to irritate me."
He grinned, ignoring Lazzir's deadly glare. "Maybe I did. Maybe you were imagining things."
She groaned, giving up. "Why are you the way that you are?"
They walked silently for a few minutes, the one-sided tension between them quickly outweighed by the eerie, twilight forest. Subconsciously, Lazzir began inching closer to Tilluan as they trudged along. Ever since seeing the shadowy creature in her room, she'd been on edge. Why was such a tiny being able to frighten her so much? She wasn't entirely sure. Either way, something about it felt unsettling.
Keeping her head on a swivel, she swore she could hear something deep within the trees. The darkness of the woods had never bothered her before. However, her senses were suddenly on overdrive, and every gust of wind or moving leaf would likely send her jumping. She forced her mind to be quiet, convincing herself that nerves and lack of sleep had her feeling so tense.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you," Tilluan said abruptly, nearly jolting Lazzir. "Mai won't be there today. She got called into work at the hospital."
Lazzir blinked, surprised. Deep down, she was grateful that she wouldn't be forced to face that wretched woman again so soon. Even after training all day, she doubted she could escape another fight unscathed.
She rolled her eyes, masking her relief with confidence. "That's just an excuse. She's probably too scared for a rematch," she huffed.
"If that's what you want to tell yourself," Tilluan laughed. "Either way, we'll still get in a bit of training. I think Spoons has an idea about how to trigger your Angel ability."
"Spoons?" Lazzir repeated.
She hadn't spoken to the man other than the night of her kidnapping. He seemed nice enough, though he was always very quiet and constantly looked bored. She never even thanked him for stepping in against Mai that first night, his speaking up likely saving her life. If Spoons knew how to trigger her powers, she was curious to see what he had in mind.
"Yeah, I couldn't believe it either," Tilluan smirked. "I didn't think that idiot had any thoughts outside of eating and sleeping. Nevertheless, he's got something he wants to try. I think he plans on using his own ability somehow."
Lazzir wanted more details than that. "What's his Angel ability again?"
"Matter manipulation," he replied, his brow lowering. "I'll be honest, I don't know how it works. He can control and reshape objects to a certain extent. There are drawbacks, of course, but I wasn't exactly listening when he explained it to me."
Of course he wasn't.
"Sounds pretty powerful," she replied.
"I guess so," Tilluan shrugged. "As useful as Spoons's ability seems, he doesn't use it very often."
"That's a shame." Lazzir looked down at her hand, pondering the possibilities of her own Angel ability. She wondered what holding that kind of power must have felt like and if she'd ever experience it herself. At this rate, it seemed unlikely.
Tilluan relaxed his arms behind his head as he walked. "It's better than abusing his powers. I probably use mine too much," he admitted. "But it's the only way I know to survive. I'd be dead if it weren't for this stupid little Angel mark."
"You say that a lot," she said, dismissing his downhearted speech. It wasn't the first time he'd mentioned his supposed near-death experiences. "I doubt it's true."
"It is true. You don't have to believe me," he responded sharply before glancing down at her through the corner of his eye. "Being an Angel isn't all rainbows and sunshine. Some of us believe we were given supernatural abilities for a purpose, to do good. You don't realize how hard that is until you actually try. You have no idea how deadly doing the right thing can be."
She didn't know what to say. It was as if she unknowingly pressed a forbidden button of some sort. Her gaze shamefully lowered to the gravel below her treading feet. Even after spending hours together the past few days, it appeared she didn't know Tilluan that well. He seemed bubbly and oblivious on the outside, but that didn't mean she understood his past. Her judgment had come too quick.
A sigh echoed off the passing trees. "Maybe I'm being dramatic," Tilluan confessed. "After all, life hasn't been that hard since we ended up in Renu and found that run-down church. It was actually pretty boring until you came around. Mai and Spoons don't like talking, so it's nice to have someone I can tease every once in a while."
Lazzir finally looked up, meeting his eyes. Almost immediately, she straightened under his smile. He didn't say anything, but his gaze alone was reassuring enough to relieve her anxiety instantly. It turned out she hadn't said anything wrong after all.
A subtle grin found its way onto the corner of her lip as she looked back to the road ahead. "Don't get too comfortable," she warned jokingly. "If you tease me too much, I'll have to break your nose again."
Tilluan's demeanor was back to normal, his face lighting up again. "Yeah, that really hurt," he said, leaning in front of her and pointing at his nose. "I didn't know you could pack a punch like that. It was scary."
"You were asking for it," she shrugged.
Suddenly, a bright blue streak caught her eye. It brushed smoothly and without sound, just inches from her face. Jumping back, she swatted her hand at the blue object with a yelp. Her panic kept her from seeing it clearly, though she wasn't trying to.
"Ahh!" she screamed, flailing her arms at the bright creature. "Not again!"
"Woah, wait a second!" Tilluan stepped in, swiftly grabbing her by the wrists and tugging her away. "Don't swat at it!"
Lazzir struggled within his grip, panting as she looked around frantically. "Where'd it go?!"
"Calm down," he was trying not to laugh. "Just look."
She tried to catch her breath, glancing over at where she once stood. Beside them was a bright sapphire butterfly, flapping tranquilly along the path. It almost seemed to glow against the shadowed forest as its majestic wings pushed forward without a care. The insect didn't seem disturbed by her outburst a moment before.
"A butterfly?"
"Uh, sort of," Tilluan replied, gently releasing her hands.
Cautiously, Lazzir inched closer to the insect. Upon better inspection, the creature almost looked like it was made of crystal, practically translucent. She reached out a finger, encouraging it to land. However, the butterfly paid her no mind, fluttering as if she weren't there. It was so beautiful. She was mesmerized.
Again, she stretched out her finger to capture the butterfly. The result was the same.
"Wha- It's acting like it can't see me!" she complained.
Tilluan chuckled. "That's because it can't."
"What are you talking about? How do you know the butterfly can't see?" Lazzir was growing aggravated. There was an unexplainable, primal desire to catch the flying bug before her. She would simply resort to brute force if it wouldn't submit on its own.
Moving like a tiger stalking its prey, she leaned in behind the blue insect with focus. Pouncing, she clasped her hands together and confined the butterfly.
"Aha! I got it!" she exclaimed. "Come look, Tilluan. It's-"
Unexpectedly, the butterfly escaped her grasp. She watched as it happened, the blue creature slowly fading through her fingers like a ghost. Its wings flapped, carrying on as if never captured.
Lazzir jumped back in utter shock. "What the hell?! It just flew through my hand!" she screamed.
She whipped her head around to see if Tilluan had witnessed what had happened. To her surprise, he wasn't stunned at all. Instead, he was laughing. She couldn't believe it.
"What are you laughing at?" she demanded, becoming distraught. "Did you just see that?"
"Yes," Tilluan giggled. "That was hilarious. I did the same thing the first time I ever saw one."
"Saw what?"
"A Spirit."
Turning back, Lazzir watched as the sapphire insect continued down the gravel road. It almost seemed to be on a mission, traveling in a straight line ahead of them. Tilluan walked forward, stepping past her and closer to the butterfly. He bent over to admire it himself.
"This little thing is related to the Shadow we saw in your bedroom earlier," he explained. "I was going to wait and explain all of this to you once we triggered your Angel ability, but it appears the universe has other plans." He glanced at Lazzir softly. "Come look."
Hesitant, she approached Tilluan and the butterfly once more. This time, she was more alert.
"This butterfly is actually a Spirit," he began in a guiding tone. "It isn't actually real, so you can't touch or hear it, and even though you can see it, it can't see you. This is because Spirits live in the Spirit Realm, with no access to the Physical Realm we live in. As Angels, we are the only people who can see this little guy."
Lazzir's eyes were glued to the mysterious creature, unable to completely understand what he was saying. Reaching out curiously, she stretched out a finger to test the theory. As he said, her finger went directly through the butterfly's wings. It was like the bouncing, untouchable black hairball in her room earlier.
"The Shadow from your room is the same. We are the only ones who could have seen it. To anyone else, it would have looked like you were going mad, throwing objects at something that wasn't there," he smirked. "Unlike the Spirits, however, Shadows live in the Shadow Realm. The two realms are different but function the same, overlapping the Physical Realm just enough for us to see. Apparently, Angels are somehow linked to the other two realms. It's believed that's how we get our abilities."
It was too much for her to process. She still didn't fully comprehend Angels and their abilities, and now he was rambling about alternate worlds and the creatures that reside within them. It didn't sound real.
"I'm not really following," Lazzir admitted, shaking her head. She could sense a headache coming on. "How come I haven't seen one of these until now? I've been an Angel for a few days now."
"Well, Spirits and Shadows only come out at night, between when the sun sets and rises," Tilluan explained. "Plus, they usually only like to hang around unpopulated areas. Don't ask me how they know where those areas are. It doesn't really make sense to me either."
"What about the Shadow in my bedroom? I live in the city. That seems pretty populated to me," she questioned, studying his expression.
Tilluan shrugged. "The little guy must have gotten lost," he finally stood upright, losing interest in the butterfly. "Like I said, I don't really know. Shadows are a bit more unpredictable than Spirits. They take on strange and erratic shapes, unlike the Spirits, who usually take the form of animals and plants."
That explained the difference in appearance between the black fur ball in her room and the glowing butterfly before her.
"Wait a second," she said, standing to meet his gaze. Just as it began to set in, another question popped into her head, a puzzle piece that did not fit in her mind. "If the Shadows and Spirits live in their own realms and we can't touch or hear them, then how come you could step on the one in my room, causing it to disappear?"
He smiled, shaking a finger at her. "Wow, you pick up faster than I thought," he teased. "Angels are the only people who can see the Shadows and Spirits, and we are also the only ones who can manifest them into the Physical Realm. It takes many years of practice and uses a lot of energy, so Angels have historically chosen to leave them alone. Most of the Shadows and Spirits are harmless anyway. It's best to just ignore them."
Lazzir looked down at the butterfly. It was amazing. She couldn't believe such a thing was real. Bending over, she wished to poke it one last time.
"So this little guy could come into our world if I wanted him to..."
"Hypothetically speaking," Tilluan corrected. "It took me five years to manifest my first Spirit. Maybe if you practice, you'll one day be able to-"
Suddenly, as Lazzir's finger grazed an area of the butterfly's wing, it erupted into color. Like paint spilled on a canvas, the insect's wings spread with greens and yellows. Its body slowly mended into a deep violet. Her eyes grew wide as the pattern of its flight changed, now beating its wings in wispy circles to evade her touch.
"Wait, what just-" she began, absolute amazement overtaking her expression.
She looked to Tilluan for an explanation, but this time, he appeared even more appalled than she was, his jaw hanging wide in astonishment.
The baffled man shook his head like he couldn't believe his eyes.
"HOW DID YOU DO THAT?!"