After half an hour or so, Angela's eyes open.
But unlike the earlier case with Walter, she finds herself comfortably seated on a sofa chair with an empty glass and a jug filled with water kept in front of her along with some cookies.
Seeing all that, she curses under her breath as she realizes that the reason for all this is that Walter Schmidt doesn't even consider her enough of a threat to tie her up.
This is how you truly demean someone.
Walter: "I see you are awake."
He says with a smile as he comes out of the same bedroom she had earlier.
Walter: "I have to say, you are kinda early. I was expecting you to be out for half an hour more."
She clicks her tongue, again realizing how his words, which are the exact opposite of hers from earlier, are far more condescending and hurtful to her pride than her words were.
Angela: "So, what are you gonna do to me?"
Walter: "Don't make me sound like a felon here."
He says with a dejected tone.
Walter: "I only want to know who you really are, why you did what you did and stuff like that."
Angela sighs as she hears so. Of course that's not all Walter Schmidt would want from her. If that was all, he would have peaked into her brain using his psychic abilities, found out all the answers and went away.
But still, Angela decides to be cooperative and tell him the answers to his questions.
Angela: "I am a Volcano in Vermillion and Angela Holystone IS my real name. As you should be able to tell, I am bit above the level of most Volcanoes. In fact, the Phoenix once said that I'm like a Demi-Hellfire, whatever that would mean."
Walter nods with a smile.
Walter: "Yeah, you are definitely above the level of Volcanoes. Still, you are not as powerful as Hellfires. I guess that sort of cringe-worthy term does suit you, Mrs. Demi-Hellfire."
Angela: "Don't you dare think you are completely safe just because you are more powerful. Irritate me again and you'll regret it for the rest of your life!"
In an annoyed voice that she has had ever since waking up, she tells Walter so as she glares daggers at him.
Walter: "Scary!"
He remarks while lightly laughing and motions her to continue. She clicks her tongue but does continue.
Angela: "The reason I decided to do that was to show the Phoenix that I should replace one of the two Hellfires who have died recently and become a new Hellfire."
As he hears that, Walter is unable to control his laughter anymore.
Walter: "And going after me was the best plan you had!? I mean, you could have picked one of the remaining Hellfires and did this to them. Who knows? It might have actually worked!"
Angela: "And how do you think they would take the fact that aside from that guy named Abgere, there is someone else trying to harm a Hellfire, and for a reason like this."
She looks at him as if it's the most obvious point in the world but he looks back if it doesn't make sense. But then, as if he just got what it meant,
Walter: "Oh, I see how you thought going after me was better. I guess you guys do not know it after all, do you?"
Angela: "Know what?"
She asks in an irritated tone.
Walter: "Well, name all the Hellfires for me, will you?"
Despite not understanding the purpose of it, Angela sighs and decides to play along.
Angela: "Gin Hanks, Julius Rome – those two are dead."
Walter nods and urges her to continue.
Angela: "Halogen Dietrich, Vaika Smith, Gabriel Washington, and Akio Miyamoto – those four are in hiding and managing all the underground workings of Vermillion."
Walter nods yet again and urges her yet again as well.
Angela: "Laurie Brown, Chang Lu, and Ross Green – those three are managing the entire surface working of the Vermillion."
Walter: "Yes, yes,"
He nods as he asks,
Walter: "And the tenth one?"
Angela: "Nobody except the Phoenix and these Hellfires know who that is."
On hearing that, Walter smiles. As he does so, a possibility occurs in her mind, making her eyes go wide, but she immediately dismisses it.
'There's no way that could be true, right?' She asks herself.
Seeing her reaction though, Walter smiles even more.
Angela: "W-what the hell are you smiling for?"
Walter: "Nothing, just give me a moment."
He says as he dials a number on his cell phone and puts it to his ear. She can practically hear the loud ringing noise coming from the phone and so, when the person being called picks up, she is able to hear their voice too – and it is a voice she has heard seldom but can never forget who it belongs to.
Rosevelt: "What is it, Walter?"
The man on the other end of the line asks as if he's busy and doesn't have much time to talk with the person calling.
Walter: "Seems like you are busy."
Rosevelt: "Yes, I am. So, if there's nothing important you have to talk about, call me later."
In complete contrast to Walter's carefree tone, the Phoenix speaks in a no-bullshit tone.
Walter: "Wait, wait, wait!"
Walter stops him as he almost seems to be about to cut the call. Because of that though, Walter cuts to the chase.
Walter: "Two of the Hellfires are dead, right? You think we should replace them?"
He asks a bit nervously, as if worrying he'll say no.
Rosevelt: "If a suitable candidate appears, I don't see why not."
However, the Phoenix has always been more than willing to replace Hellfires even if they don't die. All he needs is someone who is suited for the job.
Walter: "In that case, I think I have found someone to replace one of them."
Rosevelt: "Who?"
Walter: "Hey, it's someone I think would be suitable for it. Don't you trust me!?"
With his best voice, Walter Schmidt asks so. And the Phoenix – is not affected by it at all.
Rosevelt: "It's not about trust. Hellfires are supposed to be the most elite of psychics. Even if it's you giving the guarantee, I can't just blindly give that position to that person without seeing their skills first."
Hearing so, Walter sighs and leans back on the couch as he says,
Walter: "Alright, I guess I'll bring her to you as soon as I can."
Rosevelt: "Good! Now if that's all,"
Walter: "Yeah, that's all."
Hearing so, Rosevelt ends the call.
Angela is left utterly baffled at that exchange and only looks at Walter with astonished eyes.
Walter: "What, you still haven't figured it out?"
Angela: "You … you are the tenth hellfire?"
The possibility she had denied earlier seems to have come true, and she cannot comprehend how.
Walter: "Yup!"
Angela: "B-but why?"
Walter: "Why not?"
Angela: "I mean, I mean …"
While the question is clear inside her heard, it takes a moment of stopping and taking a long breath to finally be able to recover from her surprise and ask,
Angela: "You are stronger than the Phoenix, aren't you? Why would you work under him then?"
Walter sighs and his gaze falls to nothingness as he says,
Walter: "It's not about strength. Well, at least, not JUST about strength. I was never willing to be a leader of any sorts. Even as a kid, I never did the leading, despite being best at almost everything."
He then stands up and looks Angela in the eye.
Walter: "So I just denied the position of the Phoenix when Rosevelt asked me to take it. And so, we are in this situation. Come to think of it, Mrs. Demi Hellfire, I am pretty sure Rosevelt once called me a Demi Phoenix. I guess I am a whole one level above you."
While it made sense, Angela still finds herself troubled in wrapping her head around everything. And so, Walter asks her,
Walter: "You don't need to think so much. The deal is this – you become an ally of mine – and I will make sure Rosevelt sees your potential as a Hellfire."
A moment of silence follows. She contemplates on his deal in this moment.
Many, many things come to her mind. Many, many ways this could go wrong. Many, many possibilities in which she regrets agreeing to his deal. And yet, this slim, 5'7 tall, ivory white, copper-haired woman with a round face and close-set crimson eyes says,
Angela: "Consider yourself lucky to have me!"
-as she shakes the hand Walter Schmidt asks to be shook.
*******************************
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And if you liked this story, please support it by voting with power stones, grading the chapters, and/or giving a review.
Stay healthy!
The darkness made of black smoke envelops him.
All around him, this darkness seems to exist.
And only this darkness seems to exist.
Ethan Kales does his best to understand this darkness, this concentration of horrendous smoke, but he doesn't make any progress at all. Despite all his efforts at trying to come up with an explanation or meaning for it, this darkness seems to just simply be darkness.
Ethan: "Why doesn't it ever go away?"
He questions himself.
Ever since gaining the Eyes of Truth, Ethan has seen this black smoke all around him whenever he has tried to sleep.
This is the reason why, ever since that day 12 years ago, this man had never been able to sleep peacefully. After all, this uncomfortable darkness is what he finds himself in as soon as he closes his eyes.
The sleep he finds himself in while in the middle of the smoky darkness, it can never be a peaceful slumber.
Ethan: "Just go away already!"
He yells at the smoke, but no response comes back.
Ethan: "Just ... let me sleep for one night, damnit!"
He even begs, but no response comes back.
What is the meaning of this black smoke? Is there any meaning at all?
Ethan has asked himself those questions many a times, but never once had he found answers. There were no books on this subject and there was no theory he could come up with that he was able to confirm.
"You didn't have any purpose to live."
Yet, when a particular 'god' said particular words to him, Ethan found himself getting closer to unveiling the mystery of this smoke.
"It was as if, you were living for the sake of living."
When he heard those irksome words back on the island during the reverse time dilation fiasco, Ethan's mind froze with the image of this place coming in the forefront of his brain.
"It was as if, no, you really were … hollow inside."
Ozyllus had given that observation of his 8-year-old self, and said that he thought giving Ethan the purpose of something as grand as saving the world would fill that hollowness inside him.
But, he had also himself realized that this boy wasn't completely hollow either. There was … something … inside him.
Something?
*******************************
Gabriel: "Are you kidding me!?"
Gabriel Washington asks with an expression that would tell any onlooker that he is at a loss-for-words.
It makes sense for him to be at a loss-for-words though. He is looking at an apartment complex, a place where Kais used to live, being used for something completely different.
A jet – broken into a thousand different pieces – with each apartment in the apartment complex having 3-4 pieces hidden in them.
Gabriel: "Wasn't this place supposed to be turned into something different? I had heard the government had plans to make a-"
Sneha: "Yeah, they are about to extend the neighboring shopping mart to this place."
She says in a casual tone.
Sneha: "There job starts 2 days from now and before then, if any of them comes here, they will find the illusion of a perfectly normal and abandoned apartment complex."
Hearing that, Gabriel Washington really finds himself at a loss-for-words.
Abgere: "Not a bad strategy to hide your stolen jet here, though, I guess it is kinda … weird."
Sneha: "Well,"
She says with an awkward smile,
Sneha: "Weirdness is always a part of our head of the strategy department's schemes."
Abgere: "Please don't!"
Gabriel: "Stop!"
They both say to her, almost at the same time.
Gabriel: "I can see Kais and Sona using that 'head of strategy department' bullshit but it is just plain heart-breaking to see you using it."
Sneha: "…"
Abgere: "Although I hate to agree with him, you feel much more like a normal person than those two and so it is pretty uncomfortable seeing you use their jokes."
Sneha: "…"
And so, Sneha Stone finds herself at a loss-for-words now.
Sona: "Are you guys done with your chit-chat? We could really use some help."
Sona says from a distance away.
Abgere: "Why should I help? I wasn't even-"
Sona: "Get your asses to work!"
Abgere: "… fine!"
Abgere clicks his tongue and starts heading towards the upper floors. Gabriel sighs and starts heading towards the lower floors.
Sneha, who carries the pieces of the plane from the room they were all in just a moment ago, smiles sheepishly.
Sona: "Speaking of helping though, where the heck is Ethan?"
She asks, quite annoyed by not seeing him helping.
Sneha: "He said he had some business to take care of back at his house so he'll be joining us some time after."
Sona: "Tsk!"
Hearing that not so comforting answer, the blonde-haired spirit-user clicks her tongue and says,
Sona: "I am gonna ask him what exactly he had to take care of when he gets here. It better be something really important or he's going to go through hell pretty soon."
Though she could, Sneha Stone decides to rather not comment on that statement made by the hot-head of their group.
And so, the five people continue their work as they slowly bring out all pieces of the jet out in the open and finally, with help from Sona's spirits, Gabriel and Kais' psychic and Sneha's aural abilities, they reassemble the jet.
*******************************
Ethan: "What the hell do you want now?"
He asks, quite irritated, to the person on the other end of the call he is on.
Bronzer: "Are you alone?"
The man on the other end casually asks as if he's oblivious to Ethan's irritation.
Ethan: "Yeah, I am alone. Now what the hell do you want!?"
Bronzer sighs and it only gets on Ethan's nerves even more.
Bronzer: "You know when I hear all these exploits of you being all cool and stuff, I think you might have matured somewhat. But I see that I was clearly wrong in thinking that."
Ethan: "Tsk!"
Bronzer: "You can only act cool in front of those that you have convinced yourself are below you in intelligence. When having to talk to someone like me, you lose all that and become just a shell of a man who is … completely hollow inside."
A sound of a plastic object hitting the floor does not reverberate. If it did, the sound of a Smartphone hitting the floor right now would be reverberating pretty hard.
Bronzer: "Throwing away your phone only proves my point, you know?"
With a toe, Ethan turns the call to loudspeaker mode and says,
Ethan: "I'm getting sick and tired of listening to you."
Bronzer: "And yet, you are listening nonetheless."
Ethan: "Tsk!"
Bronzer: "Oh, don't be mad. I like that you have so much trust in me that you don't hang up the phone no matter how irritated you become."
Ethan: "Tsk!"
Bronzer: "It is trust, isn't it, Ethan? Or … is it fear?"
His eyes starting to form a glint in them, Ethan Kales yells.
Ethan: "THAT'S ENOUGH OF YOUR BULLCRAP!"
Hearing so, the man on the other end sighs and says calmly,
Bronzer: "Alright, alright, I'll get to the point."
Ethan barely holds himself back from yelling pointless things at Bronzer as he listens to what the strategist of the Vampire Kingdom has to say.
Bronzer: "I am assuming you guys have teamed up with Abgere already. So, what are you planning to do next?"
Ethan can only hope that Bronzer does not come to know about Abgere having an aunt, who happens to be a psychic.
Ethan: "We are planning to go to Reid Vezalius Rosevelt and ask him some questions."
Bronzer: "Is that so?"
Bronzer asks with a doubtful voice.
Bronzer: "I am assuming this came about because of the hints Barry left those two when they were little."
Ethan: "…"
Bronzer: "He did leave them a lot of hints so it's good that you guys are capitalizing on that. However,"
In a disapproving voice,
Bronzer: "It's not like the Phoenix would just tell you what you want to know and none of you stand a chance against him so you can't force the answers out of him either."
Ethan's fists tighten.
Bronzer: "I really don't see how going to Rosevelt would accomplish anything, especially at this stage. Better to think some more before you act, Ethan Kales."
Silently cursing him, Ethan picks up the Smartphone and says.
Ethan: "Well, I guess I didn't think of that."
Bronzer: "Nah, I am willing to bet you did think of it."
Ethan: "…"
Bronzer: "And you are probably not going to Rosevelt. You probably have some other strategy in mind."
Ethan: "…"
The voices everywhere grow silent. Silence would permeate the room if Bronzer's voice wasn't coming through the cell.
Bronzer: "Well, whatever your plans are, I am going to be at the edge of my seat waiting for you to reveal them."
In this silence that is haunting for Ethan, only one man's voice exists.
Bronzer: "Good luck, Ethan!"
Just like in that black smoke, the silence that comes about when that call ends is not comfortable at all. It's not peaceful at all.
It's a chaotic and nauseous silence, a silence that grips at Ethan's soul and tries its best to tear it apart.
Ethan: "Damn you, Bronzer!"
*******************************
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