The Creatures Series

Seventh Night

Seventh NightCreatures of the Night

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##### Seventh Night #####

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Since my return to Sorcier, I haven’t visited my parents (properly) just yet. So once my match with Shrade is over, I head to the highest level of the Sorcier Tower. When I reached the 150th level, the doors aren’t opened immediately like the usual. Instead, a computer sound fills the room, asking, [Identify yourself].

“It’s me,” I say facing the camera. “Arsene Noirmelns.”

[Identification approved], the robotic female voice says.

The doors are sliding open, revealing a waiting room. I knock at the door and I hear a female voice says, “Come in.”

The room has went back to the original condition (or what I think is its original condition) when I walk in. No sign of battle left in here.

“Hello, father and mother. My deepest apologies for not greeting you immediately when I came back. But I’m sure you two are busy as well,” I say with a bow to the two figures sitting at each of their elegant looking tables.

My father sit with a dark marble table while my mother with a wooden transparent-painted desk. He wears a branded suit, like usual, with white and black interludes hair comb tidily to the back. Balancing him, she wears a branded suit as well, with dark wavy hair dangling on her shoulders.

“Arsene, it’s been a while,” my father smile, but looking rather tired.

“We thought you’ll never come.” My mother doesn’t look less tired as well.

“You two look exhausted. Maybe you should have a vacation-” I immediately bit my lips as soon as I say the word. I remember the last time I say that word that almost ended up becoming the director of Sorcier. That is awful. “Or maybe not,” I say.

“As much as we love to, we are too busy for such thing,” my mother say with a sad smile. Then almost immediately, it fades to a serious mode. “But I’m sure you’re not here just for it.”

“Yes, we need to discuss about my next mission, right?” I ask them.

“You’ll be having one, but not now. We’ve discussed about it and decided to announce it when the time comes,” my father say, looking at his wife.

“Fair enough. I think I’ll need some more break. But too much isn’t good,” I say. “Need any sleeping capsule?” I offer. I can make some so that they can get some sleep without actually losing any time.

“We appreciate your offer, but we’re still too busy. Not now. Maybe tomorrow, honey,” my father say.

“Alright, then. Do get a proper rest. Excuse me,” I say before I leave the two of them in their office, stuck with so much paperwork to do.

I’m actually the leaders’ only daughter. I’m bound to inherit their position someday, but I refuse it since I was little. I’m not interested in living stuck between piles of paperwork for every single day of my life. And I’m not even that enthusiastic with my current job; I’m only here because my friends were here. And now, once again I’m here, to help my friends.

When I kept continue on refusing the inheritance, my parents were ought to force me into many difficult situations that cornered me in two choices: Accept the inheritance, or they’ll fire my friends. In their whole life, being a part of Sorcier has been their trademarks and their pride. If they lose their jobs, they are all as well as nothing.

But I couldn’t accept the position either, even if this community has been inherited from one family line to their children since the first foundation was made. This isn’t what I want to do for the rest of my life. I don’t feel like I fit in. I only did because my friends were here. Are here. I’d thought to escaping. Many times before. But eventually I gave up as well.

It’s a sad fate.

Conducting almost everyone that I barely know. I’m not sure my parents even know half of the building’s population. Sorcier have over 1 million wizards from many backgrounds all over the world. It’s impossible to even have time to know every single one of them. I have far more free time than my parents, and I don’t even know all of them. It’s because we are all busy, when one have time, the other might be stuck in their missions.

“Oh, Arsene,” my mother call me. I stop just in front of the door before I turn around.

“Yes?”

“Can you please make sure to check on your cousin, Link, after this? He said he wanted to absent for today. Make sure that he’s okay. You know how this kind of mission can take all of your energy away, right, honey?”

I nod. “I’ll see what I can do,” I say and walk out from the room.

*

I knock at the door, but isn’t answered by anyone. I know again, this time harder. “Link?”

I hear footsteps and the door finally jolt open when he reaches the front door. He’s only wearing his long sweatpants, which exposes more of his pale skin. I look away almost immediately, darting to his face. Looking at him with the same eye level, I can tell that he is sick. His eyes look like they’re having a hard time to focus. But he even manages to flash an over-confident smirk at this state.

“Is there something I can help you with?” He asks.

“No, but I can. My parents told me that you’re sick and you need help.” I walk in. His room is three times the size of mine, since it’s located in the 149th floor, specially build for strongest and trusted members of Sorcier.

“I’m fine on my own,” he say closing the door, still having that smirk.

“You don’t have to act in front of me. I have known you since we were kids. You don’t have to pretend around me,” I say. Instantly that moment he slips his smirk away, replace it with a dangerous glare.

“I’ve come to love playing pretend, so mind my little habit of in front of the public,” he say walking to me. Our family, the Noirmelns, are a famous, powerful dark masters. But despite our kind of power, we need to create a great public image to gain support from other famous families as well. It’s called keep your reputation in wizards’ good eye.

I turn to look around, noticing a bucket of water with ice on his guest table and the green compress just hanging near the edge. Then the messy cough and blanket spread randomly on it.

Link hugs me from behind, radiating his warm skin on me. One of his hands is on my stomach and the other one is rather below. His breath feels hot and heavy on my ear when he mutters, “Finish satisfying yourself?” He must be in a really serious fever.

I pull one of his hands and the other one so that I can break free from his embrace and head to his bedroom. After I open the door, I push him to the bed. When he tries to get up, I go on top of his to have my hands hold his shoulders down.

“Lay down,” I say, opening my jacket.

He look at me with widen eyes, “What are you-Uuuhh!” He groans when my jacket is on top of him. “What is this, this-thing? It’s so heavy. I can’t move, Arsene,” he plead.

“That’s good, because it will keep you stay in the bed for the whole day. You need to rest properly and get healthy, then get back to work,” I mutter. “Have you eat anything for today?”

I shake his head. “I’ll try to see what I can cook in here,” I say walking out of his room. The fridge is unexpectedly full. But that’s it. It looks like he never really eats from here. The maids must have kept the food storage in for him, in case if he forgets to eat and die out of starvation. I decide to make a chicken vegetable porridge.

Once the porridge is cooked, I pour some to a bowl, sprinkle some black pepper and put it on a tray, along with a glass ginger tea and cut watermelon.

Link is trying to lift my jacket off his body when I come in. “It’s useless,” I say, putting the tray on his desk. “You’re not used to wear it like me.” I help him position himself to sitting on his bed, putting more pillows to make him comfortable, but not lifting my jacket from him. “Can you eat by yourself?” I ask to his unfocused eyes. He must be feeling rather dizzy. I sigh and grab the bowl, scooping a spoon of porridge to his mouth.

*

The next morning, I’ve decided to track down the one who attacked me and Minny that night. Not just that. But to avenge the one who killed Minny. Nobody knows about my plan just yet, but I bet no one is going to be happy to hear it. Then again, no one needs to know about this.

My outfit is set. I wear a different jacket today, because I left mine last night with Link. But that’s okay. White will easily get stain anyway, while black is hard to notice. I open my door and ready to leave the building, when Link walked in the hallway with my white jacket on his hand. Judging from his way of walk, I guess he is already healthy today.

“Well, well, well. I thought you'd never be able to lift it,” I say pointing at my jacket.

“Regained myself to a ready 100 percent working boy, yet I still think you stuffed your jacket too heavy,” he say, handing it to me. I mutter a thank you.

“No, thank you. If you didn’t come last night, I would probably wondered off to somewhere I don’t even know of,” he says.

“And save you from starvation by feeding you,” I add.

“You fed me?” He arches an eyebrow.

“Yes, with my homemade porridge,” I say.

“Well, thanks,” he mutter blankly before taking his leave.

I keep my jacket inside my room before I follow his way. Once I reached the main room, almost every one of my roommates are staring at me, all giving me ‘a’ smile, like they know something that they think I’ve been keeping them away about. Everyone expect for Banri, who isn’t here yet, and Shara, who’s still cranky at me.

“What?” I ask. They just nod their heads, almost all at one. “Seriously, what?” I ask, dying to know.

“Link,” mutter Crease with an obvious tone. “He just came.”

“Yes, I know. He walks that way, remember?” I say in a bored tone, pointing at the direction of my room.

Then Nono say with a smile. “We know.”

“Know what?”

“That you were with him in his room last night”

“So?” I ask cool tone, spotting a pot of lemonade on a table near the corner. I walk to it to grab a glass for myself.

“So?” Crease mimics my tone. “So that means something. Now, Arsene, we’re buddies for like since forever. Tell me, are you and him, you know,” she winks at me, “dating?”

I burst out my lemonade.

Wiping away the mess she made me done, I yell to her, “Creasella Victorm Krover! It’s not nice to tell joke when someone is drinking!”

“Who says I’m teasing you?” She gives me a genuine smile. “And don’t say my full name that loud,” she add, pouting.

“Yeah, come on, Arsene. We heard it from the man himself. He said he wanted to give your jacket back,” Shrade say, joining the tease club.

“He gave me back my jacket. So? I don’t get what’s the big deal is here. You guys are weird today. I have something else to take care of, so good morning and see you later,” I say with a sigh, throwing my hands in defeat and frustration.

*

“So, you were the one who shot that acid to Minny that night, right?” I ask with a dark tone, clenching my teeth tightly. My grip on her neck is as strong as ever and getting tighter and tighter, leaving no room of air for her mortal lungs. She whimpers under me, while the night air blowing towards our direction. She knows that the second I let my hands off her, then she will die. No single dotted blue cat can manage to live through over a 3000 feet high fall. To the sea.

Her yes is a low moan, barely hearable from this point of height.

“Why did you kill her?” I ask, tightening my grip.

“I meant that shot to you, not her. I don’t even know who she is,” she whimpers under me.

“Why do you want to kill me anyway? My family doesn’t have any enemies and I surely don’t have any, before that night.” My eyes fall to her neckline, traveling to the blue dotted skin that now have some black color to it

“Do you really think no one hates your family?” She spat, which makes me tighten my grip more. She moans in pain, before continuing, “Know the Blancort clan? They promised a great deal of fortune for your head. Unluckily for me, I missed my shot.” And that’s all I need to hear from her.

I let go of her, making her yell in panic before death washed her away to the bottom of the ocean with an ice-cold splash. Her bones crack when she touches the water. “And you just missed your life,” I mutter flatly.