Aragons (TO BE REWRITTEN SOON)

Chapter Eighteen

Raiden sits on the front row of a small nave, staring blankly at the marble floor. His uniform is neatly folded on his lap.

The candle chandeliers give off a warm glow, but not enough to light up the entire place. The air around him is warm, tinged with the aroma of incense and candles lit on the wooden altar table that stands on the predella. The sunlight streaming through the stained glass window behind the altar is turned into hundreds of hues and patterns.

His cheek is smeared with dried blood, which is trailing down his chin in a line. He can still feel a sharp throbbing pain in it.

Why did Antoine do that? Is there a new rule about not being injured or killed? Is that even possible?

While he's still preoccupied with his thoughts, someone quietly takes a seat beside him, but he doesn't bother to look to see who it is.

"Kara." A familiar deep voice breaks his reverie.

"Raia?" he utters, perplexed, as he looks at her.

The grim-faced girl gives him a long stare. After a few awkward moments of silence, she gently touches his wounded cheek.

"What are you doing?" Raiden asks with a frown, then his eyes widen in horror as he realizes what Raia is up to. He grabs her wrist and attempts to keep it away from his face, but Raia refuses to budge. "Don't. Not again, please."

Raia's brows knit together. "Shut up and let me do it, Kara."

"But I thought you also disagreed with Inspector Antoine –"

"This is my own decision," Raia interrupts. "But he's right. As a destroyer of darkness, you must master your emotions. Forget about your guilt for a while and get used to the realities of this world. Don't blame yourself for things you couldn't control. Not everything is your fault."

Raiden lowers his gaze, his brows furrowing.

"Now, Kara," Raia says, her eyes digging into his. "Keep your eyes open and watch me as I heal you. Train your mind to be stronger than your emotions so that you don't lose yourself every time you face them."

Raiden grits his teeth. He lets go of her wrist and allows her to heal him, welcoming her miracle into his body.

Raia's face twists at the same time as his pain fades. He clenches his fists as he watches her suffer on his behalf. He does not take his gaze away from her and does not attempt to stop her as he did before. Instead, he lets the gentle warmth spread through his body, washing away all traces of pain and wound.

***

Meanwhile, in the training room, Nathan's muscles ripple beneath his pale skin as he performs a one-arm handstand. His flame-red hair glistens in the glowing torches that run around the stone wall.

The wooden arch door swings open, and Sunshine enters the room.

Nathan frowns and slows his movement. He gets to his feet, heaving a big sigh. He grabs a towel from the stone floor and wipes the sweat from his brow. His black shirt is drenched in sweat, and the rigid line of his muscles is visible beneath.

"What's a kid doing in here?" Nathan asks with a sneer as he rubs the towel on the back of his neck.

Sunshine gives him a stern look but makes no retort. Her large eyes scan the empty surroundings before she lowers her head. "I feel bad for Raiden. The leaders were so hard on him."

Nathan tightens his jaw, recalling how the Inspector injured Raiden. "I understand why they're worried about him because he's changing so fast and his emotions are taking over, which isn't good. They're trying to keep him from succumbing to depravity, but . . . they're so damn strict with him! I don't really understand it. As though it's his fault if he gets wounded or even dies. Do they understand how difficult our job is? It's not a joke! We are always in a life-or-death situation. At any moment we won't make it."

He pauses. "Not to mention the fact that it's a Blood Demon that he and Raia had encountered. I'd almost been killed by a Cimmerian before, but they didn't even treat me like that. They didn't mind as long as we accomplished our job, which was to exorcise demons. But, don't you think it's strange how they control Kara?"

Sunshine nods grimly. "I'm confused, too. But I believe it is due to his change. He doesn't know how to handle his emotions. He's displaying a symptom of a disciple on the verge of depravity."

Nathan shoots her a look, displeased at her remark. "He won't. Don't underestimate Kara."

The room falls silent. Sunshine raises her head and casts an uneasy glance towards Nathan after a little pause. "So, have you visited them yet?"

Nathan's face tightens, surprised by the abrupt change in topic. "Don't even think about it, Sunshine. I already told you not to talk about them."

"But aren't you worried about them? It's been almost two years."

Nathan's face flushes, but he keeps his voice lowered. "Enough with the nonsense; I don't care about them."

Sunshine stares at him for a few seconds, as if considering his statement. She then spins on her heels and walks toward the doorway. She pauses in her tracks.

"I've already checked in on them and they're fine. You don't need to be worried for the time being," she says softly before walking out of the room.

Nathan grinds his teeth and throws the towel across the room. While he stares at his uniform on the ground, he can feel his chest tighten into a knot and a quiet wrath building inside. He clenches his fists, his nails digging into his palms. But, for some reason, Sunshine's words provide him with some solace.

Maybe I still care about them, but I still can't forgive them. Furthermore, this body of mine now belongs to Azarios and this organization. I don't have time to be concerned with anything other than destroying demons and saving souls.

Because that is my job as an Aragon.