I Thought I Knew You

Last Hope

Elaine's P.O.V

"Are you two sure about this?"

I can't help but feel nervous, my heart thudding powerfully against my ribs as we're waiting outside the music room. Its beat is erratic, constant. A quick, fast-paced pulse as I nervously knot my hands together, staring pleadingly at the unusual pair.

As always Ban and King had kept their plans separate from me, making it clear that they didn't want me knowing anything about it. They made it blatant that I wouldn't know. The looks they shared, the silent communication... all of it led towards them purposely leaving me out of their plan. It led to me being excluded. Both Ban and King made sure to leave me out of all the details, the usually bickering duo somehow becoming close confidants in a matter of minutes.

It didn't help that their plan was rather reckless. It was a very stupid yet noble plan and I was very vocal about it. Nevertheless, that meant I was left in an even deeper state of darkness, intense panic gradually beginning to control me more and more as the seconds ticked by.

It was no secret that King and Ban saw me as an obstacle that may change their minds. They knew that I would be able to sway their decision, so I was left hanging onto an edge about what reckless plan they may have against one of the Commandments. The same Commandments that were the type of students people like us shouldn't be messing with. The reasons for that were too numerous to count. Too dangerous to even utter.

"Yes."

"As sure as I'll ever be, I guess."

Both responses were so different, one belonging to my usually levelheaded brother and the other my regularly reckless boyfriend. King was much shorter than Ban, causing a very odd contrast between the pair. 

King's auburn hair shone brightly compared to the pale hue of Ban's spiky locks, while red eyes gleamed with a hidden intent that was only amplified by the graveness within golden amber. In fact the pair's stances and expressions seemed to foil the other's too, one looking deadly serious and intent, while the other gave a small yawn.

The yawn giver was my brother, King most likely feeling the effects of missing the nap he usually took during lunchtime. The reason for that I don't entirely know, but many say it's because of the lesson he had before lunch. However, I don't recall any lessons that are straining to a draining extent. Only PE was draining, but that was usually once or twice a week, not every single day.

But the mystery of why King's nap time was reserved for lunch could wait. Right now I had to make sure these two didn't kill themselves, or ruin their chances of getting a quality education, in order to help me. 

I already have assured good grades (due to me being an useful asset to the demon schools, whether I liked it or not) and my future was solidified in one of the companies that had a deal with the school. Everything was set in place for me long before Ban had ever met me and ages before King had even found me again.

Therefore doing all this was pointless. Useless.

Even if I thought that I could escape that set path when I came to Liones, I should've known it was futile to try. Part of me, my very soul, was owned by them and even if I wandered as far away as I could, the owners could still find me. All it took was bit of manipulation and torture and I would come running back, my mind stripped of its free will and thoughts. I would be a mindless drone to use and control, a puppet with finely tuned strings, and no-one could disrupt that.

As a result I was left to simply try and find freedom, already knowing that the chances of finding that were slim. Incredibly slim. My only assured way of freedom was getting that owned part of my soul back, and even then I'd have to find something as valuable as a soul to trade.