Gates of Ryvah: Demons in Zone 10 (ON HOLD)

City Center, on a back alley of the most luxurious bar. A girl in high school uniform stands under a dim light, in front of her, a middle-aged man almost put his hand on her shoulder. The girl throws off the man’s hand like an angry lion. Suddenly, a boy rushes out of the darkness and grabs the girl’s hand, they run to the street and blended into the crowd. His firm grip didn’t loosen, afraid that she’d get dragged in the stream of people, well humans and others. But she didn’t know about this; most humans don’t. Creatures around them pushed and shoved to arrive at their own destinations faster but avoided them like the plague. She didn’t notice how they created a path for them, her eyes transfixed on the warm hand that held hers while she thought of how to thank him. Without warning, he took a turn to a dark alleyway which led to another street. The establishments shone in burning neon, some guarded by heavy-set bouncers. Along the sidewalk, women of the night, dressed in their tight and colorful clothing that drew the eye to their goods, flaunted their bodies to entice unsuspecting newcomers and tourists. Their pretty mouths promised the satisfaction of any s****l desire and they do keep to their word for as long as they get paid, in cash or other forms. Men from all sorts of life from high-ranking corporate officials to the sexless husbands in search of release shuffled past with their heads hung low, wearing ordinary clothes to avoid identification by a potential business enemy. She fought hard to keep her eyes on the ground, embarrassed of the flirting happening around her. He took a left towards another street, slowing down into a fast walk. A few streetlamps, widely separated from each other served as the only source of the light within the darkness. The smell of decay and bodily excretions hung heavily in the air.  She wrinkled her nose as the foul odor hit her like a blast and she put a hand over her nose and mouth in an attempt to block it out to find little success. It affected him too for he raised his free hand to do the same and sped up his pace, the blinding dark not impeding his sight. She struggled to keep up with him but decided against opening her mouth to speak. Looking around, she noticed worn-out cardboard boxes strewed about with filthy arms or legs jutting out. Then in the corner of her eye, from a spot of light across the street she saw something green and slimy slither into the darkness. Using sheer body weight, she forced herself to a halt and squinted at the direction of the odd thing but saw only an outline of a beaten-up box. As she stared in confusion, he forcefully pulled her along garnering her attention. She glared at his back for his rudeness as she shook the image of the tentacle-like limb from her mind. He led her to a few more turns until they reached an area familiar to her, the zone’s gate. Underneath a massive rusty iron arch, the gate glowed in aqua blue, and small ripples disrupted its viscous surface. More people were coming in than going out. They emerged from the gate and passed through it like it was a normal door. She spotted Clarissa near it, who she lost sight of among the crowds when they entered and waved to get her attention. She had forgotten about her friend, her mind occupied by the strange boy and the new sights of tonight. He let go of her hand then and headed off towards another direction. “Wait!” she called out but he ignored her. She looked at her friend then back at him and decided to run after him. “Hey, wait up!” she yelled, desperately pushing her way towards the crowd. Eyes glued on his back, her feet tangled at her ankles and she tripped, landing with a loud thud. She struggled to get back on her feet but nobody bothered to help her or spare her a glance. “Give me your hand,” a manly voice said. She raised her head and saw him looking down at her, holding his hand out. She gingerly accepted the offer and tried to stand only to stumble. He caught her half-way, held her upright by the shoulders then bent a little to carry her in his arms. She yelped as he swept her off her feet and red colored her cheeks as he pressed her body to his, an arm around her thighs to keep the short checkered skirt from opening. It was her first time in such a position and though she found it comfortable, her heart fluttered at the pressure of his palm on her thigh, dangerously close to her butt. He took long strides towards the gate, unaffected by her weight. She gazed at her knight in black hoodie and denim pants, half of his face covered by a cloth mask and his eyes, with shades. Her eyebrows furrowed at his peculiar get-up then she noticed the small “x” in one of the corners of the mask. It was almost unnoticeable, the letter carefully embroidered in inky black thread along the seam. She raised her hand to touch it but froze when he spoke. “Don’t or I drop you.” She immediately retracted her hand, crossed her arms, and pouted. Her childish act amused him but he showed no reaction. “Thank you for saving me back there, uhm…” she trailed off, expecting him to say his name. Instead, he replied in a matter of fact tone, “I don’t give a f**k on what you’re here for. If you know what’s best for you, leave and never come back.” She was getting annoyed from his rudeness but held back, after all, he did save her and help her back to the gate. She gave him a gorgeous smile and in a serious tone said, “I’m here for an X. You’re one of them, aren’t you?” He stopped walking and lowered his gaze to her. She couldn’t see his features but she felt him tighten his hold on her thighs. Her breath hitched in her throat and she looked away from him to hide her burning cheeks. They were not supposed to have any interaction – he was to lead her back to the exit from the shadows and that was it. He shouldn’t have shown himself to the girl but the situation demanded that he interfere. Maybe if he didn’t, then she’d be afraid of the place and decide to never return on her own, not that he cared. He only happened to be passing by the area where he found her. If he wasn’t there, who knows what atrocious things she would have been put through. He debated whether to reveal his identity or not, trying to figure out how she knew about X. Nobody knew how X started, just that it’s been around for ages and an invite is given to the cream of the crop killers in the zone. Acceptance means adherence to the X credo: “The strong protect the weak who is worthy.” In reality, however, an X takes on jobs that involve unprejudiced killing in exchange for money. Members could identify others using a secret code that changes every week, but only the fearless would risk being exposed. Bounty hunters are always on the hunt for an X, though one is yet to be caught. His thoughts trailed off when she spoke. “I would like to avail of your services,” she said and his eyebrows furrowed. Keeping his voice low he said, “You don’t know what you’re asking for. Whatever you think X is, it’s not. And don’t go mentioning the name to random people unless you want to get killed.” It has been a month since she last saw her sister. Her father didn’t seem to care since her sister often disappeared for weeks without saying anything then popped up again when her allowance ran dry. But she couldn’t shake the feeling of dread when she thought about her. After hiring a private investigator, she learned that her sister was last seen clubbing in the City Center of Zone 10. The PI advised that if she wanted to go further, only the X could help her. His words scared her but she was adamant to find her sister so she pushed on. “Natalie Sparks. Look the name up and you’ll see that I can pay your price. I need you to help me find my sister. Please.” “I already told you, I don’t give a sh*t,” he spat. Clarissa saw them approach and waved. She waved back then felt her feet touch the ground as he let her down. He let her lean into him and when she got her footing, he took a step back, out of her reach. “Goodbye, Natalie,” he said before turning around. “Wait! You’re the only one who can help me. Please. I’ll pay you upfront. Ten million in cash by tomorrow,” she blurted out. Heads turned at the mention of the hefty sum and she realized her mistake. He slowly turned to her, took a step closer, and loudly said, “A run of the mill b*tch like you?! Keep dreaming.” The people around them studied her attire, concluded she was an ordinary hook up, and went back to minding their own business. She gaped at him in shock but recovered when he invaded her personal space. Her head hit his chest and he quietly said in her ear, “Ten million in cash. Five o’clock tomorrow morning, by the gate. A man will hand you a badge, it should have your name engraved on it. If it does, mention my name and hand him the money. You’ll be blindfolded and transported to a secure location. If it doesn’t, run for the gate. It won’t follow you there. Name’s Kade. Now leave before I change my mind.” He then turned around and got lost in the masses, leaving a dumbstruck Natalie. Clarissa nudged her by the side, bringing her back to reality, and inquired, “I take it you found one?” She nodded. Supporting her friend, they made their way past the gate to which brightness greeted them. They shielded their eyes from the light to allow it to adjust. Around them, the passersby gave them either a disgusted or sympathetic glance, having emerged from Zone 10, the most morally repulsive among all discovered zones, in their high school uniform. Clarissa hailed a cab for both of them and when they were inside their dorm, Natalie slumped on the bed. Her friend nursed her swollen ankle with an ice pack before joining her and fell asleep soon after. Natalie recalled the events from the zone, her thoughts focused on Kade. She blushed in remembrance of how close she was to a stranger but pushed those thoughts aside when she recalled how he had spoken to her. She thanked her lucky star to have encountered an X, grateful that the search for her sister could continue. “Hang on, Misty. I’ll definitely find you,” she whispered then closed her eyes to sleep.   Meanwhile, in the low-class residential area of Zone 10, Kade entered a dilapidated building that sat among a row of buildings in the same condition.  Once inside, he was greeted by Sam, a tech genius at the age of sixteen who looked as typical as a nerd could be with his thick-rimmed glasses, unkempt hair, and teenage pimples. If one took a few seconds to study his face, however, he was actually attractive with his hazel eyes, streamlined nose, and square-jaw. Kade happened to save him in one of his missions and he stuck with him since. Sam peeked out from his workspace which spanned more than half of the living room. Bundled wires ran along the floor connected to numerous devices that projected screens similar to that of a computer. The screen on the center was larger than the others and it displayed what Sam was currently working on. “So how’d the mission go?” he inquired, his voice a slight high-pitch. Kade walked out of the kitchen, a beer in hand, and sat on the couch, the only furniture they had. “Same as always. We might have a new one tomorrow. What do we know about a Natalie Sparks?” he replied. Sam’s eyes widened at the name. “The Natalie Sparks?! You mean the daughter of the president of Sparks Co., the leading tech company that discovered the zones?” he exclaimed then continued, “She’s super loaded, man. Anything she could ever want, she gets. How’d you meet her anyway? I thought people of her class steer clear of this place.” “Said her sister went missing here and she made an offer I can't refuse.” Sam threw his hands in the air, annoyed that Kade would take in a ridiculous mission. “Hundreds to thousands go missing every day in Zone 10! We don’t find missing people, Kade. People come here knowing what they want and if they disappear, it’s either intentional or they’re already dead. What did she offer you anyway? And what do you mean you can't refuse it? You've turned down offers before." Kade emptied the bottle then let out a laugh as he remembered how she blushed in his arms. “First of all, she had really nice legs.” Sam facepalmed, unable to fathom the illogical response. “And second, she’s paying ten million tomorrow.” “T-Ten?” Sam asked in surprise. “Ten,” Kade confirmed. “Now get back to work. Pull out everything there is to know about the Sparks sisters,” he said, getting up to stand behind Sam. The keyboard clacked and within seconds, articles of the Sparks appeared on the central screen, images of Natalie and her sister in the surrounding screens. Sam started to read aloud the latest news but Kade wasn’t listening, his attention caught by one of the images. Natalie was beside her sister, brunette hair in a tangled mess while her plump ruby lips curved into a genuine smile unlike the calculated one she had given him earlier that night. She had dark circles under her eyes but Kade paid it no heed, rapt in her moss green irises, its edges a fading blue. It beamed of innocence and it triggered a primal instinct in him to protect it, protect her. His palms began to heat up and his heart skipped a beat, causing a bomb-like explosion to go off in his ears. He knew what was happening as well as what it entailed but he couldn’t look away from the girl in the photograph and when he finally found his voice, he could only manage one word which summed up the state he was in. “F*ck,” he breathed.