Monarch of Darkness, Arsene

An odd silence crept to my neck like an armed assassin, holding me in its grip, demanding tranquility.

"Arsene," said Mithra, narrowing her stary gold eyes, "how sure of this are you?"

Opening my palm, nodes of darkness congealed out of the ether and from my soul. The Golden Edge of Atonement emerged. "I needn\'t lie to you, Mithra, while we are not enemies. My sister has quite a good relationship with you. And the Teleth is… Well, they are a problem."

"That they are," Mithra added in a hushed tone, touching her slender chin. "Then it\'s good that our daughter isn\'t in the Fourth Heaven any longer." she gave a half smile and lifted her head as her hand twirled with the ends of her hair. " As one of the Heads of the Council, you will be rewarded if this information is true.

"Umm. Bubba did good! Mithra gives the best presents." My little sis joined in with a bright smile as she hopped down from the Goddess of Light. "I\'ll tell the others, and I\'ll send you an invite if you want to join."

"Is that all you\'ve got to say to your bubba?"

The little loli frowned, touching her chin, as her two pigtails twitched. "Oh boy! Truck-kun almost forgot! I\'ll send you pictures! Oh, and Zariel wants you to teach Jin how to play the piano. So brush up on your skills."

Nodding, I smiled. "But of course. And tell Lili to kidnap Jin for me. I want to see the little brat." I said and hung up.

\'I didn\'t know you like babies." Ezra muttered, staring at me strangely.

"Most men like cute things. You know. But most of them can\'t show appreciation due to how weird it comes off. Shit, back on earth, you\'ll be arrested just for approaching one, good intentions or not. To many, we are rapists or just bad guys. Oh well." Shaking my head, I turned to Lavos, who seemed frozen as a statue.

"Oi, Oi, you still with us? Oi!!!" Waving my hands over Lavos eyes, the hero-like man came back to himself. " Get out."

"Ah! She\'s gone… Y-you know The Goddess of Light."

"Yup… now get out. I—"

"Lavos! I\'ve got groceries." A hurried voice came, following the heavy clomping of footsteps, "And I think the town is about to be attacked. A demonic beast raid is fast approaching… and it seems to be led by the one-eye Versi."

Catching sight of the slender young woman in thin plate armor and a long silver saber in her right hand, a bag of groceries in the next, I couldn\'t help but marvel at the pink hair and red eye combo of a woman.

Sweat dripping from her brow, she shot us a long hard look and shifted her gaze back to Lavos, who nodded. " I\'ve got it. With this blade, I got it." He touched the Atonement sword strapped to his hip and nodded. " Take care of Mel."

Withdrawing for sight at a blinding speed, the young woman looked at us with an accusing stare. " Aren\'t you going to help? The town is in danger. All men are too—"

"First off, this isn\'t the titanic. It\'s not women and children first. And I\'m under no obligation to help. If you like, we\'ll watch over Mel, and you can help out your husband or whatever he is to you."

"You\'d do that!" The young knight exclaimed, tightening her grip around that blade in her hand.

"Of course. Ezra here is one of the best nurses I\'ve met." I said with my hand over my heart, lying out the ass. "You can count on me, darling… cross my heart."

"Please go," Ezra suddenly added in a very effeminate tone." Please. A Versi is a dangerous opponent. And look, he gave us his mirror. Surely that has to mean trust of some sorts, right?" she suddenly pointed out, bringing a smile to my lips.

Grunting with a stomp, the young woman nodded. " Then I\'ll be counting on you!" she said and rushed away with a worried look.

Sensing no one in the house, I wrapped my arms around Ezra, and shadow stepped towards poor old Mel, resting with a blank look in her one eye.

Letting go of Ezra, I drew closer and tapped between her brow with a sliver of my divinity and Astral Essene and allowed my intent to finish the job I wished.

"AH!" Sucking in a long breath, Mel\'s eyes suddenly began to focus and became filled with light as she gasped for air.

Looking at her pale cheeks slowly glow with some color, I couldn\'t help but smile in a confusion of sorts.

Why?

Why is he with her? Those two don\'t appear to be soul mates like Lili and me. No, they seem different altogether. Why stay with someone that requires so much work, so much care? Judging by the state of stagnant divinity and blood, she\'s a virgin, so it\'s not the sex.

"Hello," Said Mel weakly, looking at me strangely.

"Hello."

"You can ask, you know."

"Ask what?" I replied, watching the hollow glint in her eye dull.

"Whatever it is that has you so curious."

What a dreadful perception. To know what I\'m feeling despite being as weak as a mortal. My god, even her soul, appears to be deteriorating.

"Why does Lavos care for you?" I couldn\'t help but ask. " You have nothing… you offer nothing."

"Nothing? Of course, I offer something. When he\'s sad or emotional, he comes to me and rests his head over my stomach as I brush his hair. Despite knowing all his problems, and all his woes, I just listen."

Taking a seat on the bed, I stared for a long time, peering into her heart. " Go on."

"Companionship, Mr. Snow. That\'s all I have and all I can offer." She whispered, coughing a slew of blood into her palm.

This was fucked up…

"And this is the curse of Empaths," Lily slowly said. "She doesn\'t love him and doesn\'t even know it. You can tell because you can peer into her heart, and I\'m just piggybacking off you. But all she feels is just a mirror of Lavos emotions. She\'s a young empath, and one of the hardest things to control is differentiating between your feelings and others."