Chapter 4 Blinded eyes

DID I say something wrong? Why does my heart hurt after realizing what I just said? Aish!

No one is guilt-tripping me, but I feel that way voluntarily.

I was lying on my bed for hours, waiting for the moonlight to show so I could have reason to go to the basement. Hiro is just at the corner of my room, not talking at all.

I lifted my head a little to glance at Hiro, wondering if he had fallen asleep. But he didn't.

Now, what?!

I can feel him looking at me occasionally.

It seems like he badly wants to bother me.

AISH! AT THIS RATE, I MIGHT BITE MYSELF! That was it. I was going to mate with him a while ago.

If only I didn't let my anger out of me, we should be talking now, cuddling, having sweet conversations, exchanging promises, and so on.

"I MISS YOU, HIRO!"

I wanted to shout that.

But the only thing left for me is my pride. I couldn't lose it.

Out of the blue, he suddenly coughed to catch my attention while thinking about him.

I immediately glanced at him. He's now standing.

"I think I should go now," he said.

I rolled my eyes.

"Go. It's not like I need your update. We live in the same mansion. I can still see you."

"I'm talking about leaving this mansion, Aya. I will leave."

With that said, I can't help myself from standing.

I ran towards him, unintentionally making the color of my eyes red, and got a grip on his arms.

"We just argued for a couple. Why leave?"

"Couple?"

"W-why? Aren't we in a relationship?" I asked.

He cleared his throat.

"We are in love, and I consider you mine and vice versa-"

"So we're a couple!"

"But I haven't asked you to be mine officially, Aya."

I stomped my feet and threw tantrums.

"So what are we? What do we share? Are we just playing a family game? You're the father, I'm the mother, and our children are those creatures outside this room? HUH!"

"No-"

"THEN WHAT ARE WE?!" I asked, gasping for my breath.

I should be the one he's patronizing. It turns out that acting like the angry one at first will turn the tables upside down.

MEN!

"Don't make it a big deal; I'm not planning to entertain another woman. You're the only one here," he said and formed a heart in his chest, where his heart locates.

"But why do you have to leave? Why don't we have a label? Why do I have to ask these questions?!" I continuously said.

Hiro took a deep breath.

He was all serious for a few minutes, and then he looked at me straight in my eyes. What happened next shocked me to the bone.

Who else wouldn't?

He just laughed.

"...are you crazy?" I asked.

"Yes, I'm crazily, madly, deeply in love with you, Aya. I hate having arguments with you. You were staring at the ceiling, blowing into thin air, and not talking. You made me worried. What do you expect me to do?"

"Well, come to me and do some talking to calm my heart? It's not like you didn't know how to tame your girl?" I asked.

Hiro put a piece of my messy hair at the back of my ears and lifted me back to my bed.

"It came into my mind. But I think you will act up if I do that. You're that brat."

Well, he has a good point. I have that attitude.

"I like you."

"Whoa, that was so random," Hiro said.

"I can't help to say it. You kept on giving me reasons to like you. What do you expect me to do? Keep it a secret?"

"I want it to be real."

"I offered you that pill, but you refused to take it," I said.

"I was afraid."

"Afraid of what?"

"Come on, don't ask. I'm sure you know it."

"I told you, I will do my best to remember you. Your memories are still intact in my brain and tattooed in my heart."

"Amaya, the feelings might not be as genuine as it was."

"There might be a consequence, but we have to face them. I badly want to love you by heart, not with the help of anything else."

Hiro retook a deep sigh.

"I don't know. I want us to stay this way while catching the fallen deities."

"So what are we, Hiro? If we're not a couple, what do you call us?"

He suddenly chuckled.

What was that?! I'M NOT PULLING PRANKS!

Where did he learn to laugh while we're having a serious conversation here?!

"That is for you to know."

After saying that, he ran to reach the door and left me here, dumbfounded.

"YOU! SHITHEAD! I'M GONNA GET YOU!" I shouted.

I heard him shout as well, saying, "IF YOU COULD!"

Aish! He's giving me more reasons to catch him and slit his throat.

The last line was a joke, though.

I was cut short by running because Nathan stopped me.

"It's nearly midnight."

"I know, kid. Why not enjoy my night? The night was invented to enjoy it."

"Yeah, but you have no right."

"Just because of my curse?"

"And the people you might hurt if you did something wrong."

"Nathan was right. Let's go to the basement now," Mune uttered.

"What? Why so soon?" Yna asked.

What a clingy girlfriend.

"Coming from a clingy sly fox," Mune said telepathically.

Why am I always forgetting about it?!

"Because you're old."

"If I am, then you will be."

"Shush it. YOU, HIRO! GO, RUN FOR YOUR LIFE! I WILL GO NOW!" I shouted and turned my back.

While on my way to the basement, he suddenly showed up.

He awarded me a sweet hug from behind.

"Please come back soon, okay?"

"Only if you tell me our status."

"Only if you come back."

"AISH!"

I was about to hit his head, but he managed to escape from me.

That crazy human.

How come I kept on falling in love with him each day?

"That's the magic of love," Mune said after hearing my thoughts again.

I rolled my eyes.

"Tss, old soul."

"Hmm, that will be acceptable for me."

"Why?"

"I think it's a compliment."

Mune and I set up the chains to lock ourselves, back to our old habit of keeping the humans safe.

"Why?"

"At least I'm good at something."

I chuckled.

"Don't start on me. I know how good you are at so many things."

"Brought by my powers?" he asked.

"Ohh, you're talking about your natural power."

"Yeah, a power that no one can steal. Wisdom."

"I think that's how you managed to get a girl."

"She's the one who kept on following me around. I just realized her worth, so her effort didn't put to waste because of my good deeds. She should be thanking me."

"Is loving someone should be thank of? Feelings are something that human craves. Even we, nine-tailed and werewolves, were so into it. We're so immersed to love that we can't even stop ourselves from doing unusual things for our loved ones. Why? It's the most real thing in the world."

"What is your point, Amaya?" he asked.

"Your feelings are genuine toward Yna, so don't make her suffer by guilt-tripping her that you only love her for the sake of doing good deeds. Don't you ever repeat that in front of her, or I will be the one to hit with my bare hands?"

"Okay! Whoa! Calm your horses!"

After that small talk, I kept my mouth shut, waiting for the moon to arrive.

My head hurts.

I can't stop thinking.

The fallen deities, souls I have to collect, my feelings, and these weird dreams I kept on having.

I have so many things to do other than that. But instead of focusing on it, I was left here, doing something for others. Collecting souls, punishing the cruel humans, and loving Hiro. It feels like it's a small job, but it isn't.

I don't even know my purpose and why I live.

Does the highest deity create me through Kira's womb to be a savior all my life? To keep thinking about the remaining other nine-tailed foxes? Am I here to cause trouble to bring peace?

If so, then why does chaos have to happen?

I thought the highest deity was there to help us when the road was rough.

I thought that if I did something wrong with my decision, he would be there to protect and save His people, to make things right and get back on track again.

Turns out, He lives only to watch us from His throne above.

I don't know.

I don't want to question anyone, especially Him, but I can't help it anymore.

The moonlight came out, Mune and I transformed into our beastly nature, and I kept biting at nothingness.

If I fail to fulfill my mission, do we have to endure our situation in our whole life?

"FOR today's schedule, we have to catch the culprit who caused the arson in the Andwenda. His soul was sitting beside his body, laughing all day and night," Mune said.

Nine-tailed foxes, humans, and a werewolf were set to take the souls who died from the arson.

"That crime was committed by the man who lost his child to a fire two years ago. Are you ready to escort the souls?"

"Being a grim reaper slash missionary is my passion. It's nothing to me," Yna shouted.

"My hands are getting shaky, and I want to break his bone right now!" Amaya said.

"Though I have no powers, I will collect that soul no matter what," Hiro added.

"YES! Now, this is an adventure!" Hein said.

But all of their gazes locked on Hein after she said that.

"Who says you could come?" Amaya asked.

"You've been bothersome to us since you decided to live here. So you don't have the right to come."

Nathan, a werewolf, joined forces with the nine-tailed foxes to collect souls, hoping he could see his brother's soul too.

He believed that the real Dylan's soul was wandering around, waiting for him to be found.

"But please! Staying here is so sickening! It's so terrifying. You don't know how to wipe your ceiling, clean your eyes, and so many things! This is just the last thing you could do to me!"

Mune used his powers to zip her mouth.

"I hate her more when she talks," Nathan said.

"Yow, man, how did you love her? She's a total freak and a nuisance to our team. Why did you court her?" Mune asked.

"Well, he used to like garbage."

"Used? But I think he still likes garbage. Look at his girlfriend now!" Hein said, trying to irritate them.

Hiro grabbed her chin.

"Insult my girl again, and you will know the experience of being burned," Hiro said and threw her chin.

"Let's go now."

The supernatural creatures left Hein on purpose at their mansion so she would not cause any trouble, especially to the humans they were visiting.

They locked Hein up inside the mansion like it was a cell.

After they left, Hein shouted like crazy. She made a mess to ease her anger.

She made a phone call promptly after they left.

Little did she know, someone was just watching her.

Amaya didn't go to the crime scene yet to collect the dead soul. She was planning to double the enchantment the mansion had to lock Hein. But while processing... she ends up eavesdropping on Hein and someone on the phone's conversation.

"I'm sorry, I think it will take a whole month before I get to escape from this haunted mansion. We should film this suspicious house once I find out the evidence. I'm sure they're just hiding the other soul I'm with that day."

'What is she talking about, hiding the soul? Am I wrong for suspecting that Venus has awarded Hein supernatural powers? She's still talking like a real human. I hate it.' said Amaya to her mind.

Amaya frowned as she flared from afar at Hein.

'Is it because she's the human ex-girlfriend of my boyfriend why I chose to act so silly and suspicious over her? Oh, I was mistaken. Hiro and I don't have a label; it even came out of his mouth. I'm so dumb.'

Amaya kept on thinking by herself while glaring at her.

Even her mission completely slipped off her mind until Hiro showed up.

He was gasping for his breath.

He has bruises all over his body.

"W-what happened?!"

"Where have you been? I've been waiting for you to come back," Hiro asked.

"I just needed to do something. Oh- shit!" Amaya said after realizing her mistake.

"We have to hide."

"What are you talking about? We're not the grim reapers for no reason. We have all the authority and power to collect those souls."

"Yeah, but I can't see the souls anymore. Yna and I can't do it."

'Huh? What just happened? I was gone for only a little while. What did I miss?' said Amaya to her mind.

"...duck!" Hiro shouted.

Amaya's reflexes help her to do what Hiro ordered her unintentionally.

"I thought you couldn't see them anymore?" Amaya asked.

"Yeah, but I saw Nathan running over here. I trusted my guts."

After realizing it, Amaya looked behind her.

"Those criminals. I will make sure to get them," said Amaya.

She didn't waste a single millisecond of her life. In an instant, she captured the soul.

"You, crazy bastard!" Amaya shouted while gripping his neck.

Mune and Yna showed up after that.

They both took a deep sigh in relief. Mune lifted his head to check for that human soul's condition and was shocked.

"HEY! STOP CHOKING HIM! YOU GOT THE WRONG PERSON!" Mune shouted.

Amaya was shocked after realizing her mistake.

"THEN WHY ARE YOU CHASING HIM, NATHAN?! You're the one who made me think I got the right soul!" Amaya shouted.

"Of course, he is going after him, and he's the accomplice to accomplish this crime perfectly."

Amaya rolled her eyes.

Her eye color changed into blue, and she used her power to make the soul unconscious.

"Then, I'm not fully dumb."

"You're still dumb, shit head. Look at your guy," Mune said.

"Oh shoot!" Amaya shouted.

She looked at unconscious Hiro.

"...why does he have a lot of bruises?" I asked.

"I have it too," Yna replied.

"Then how did you get those?"

While waiting for her response, Amaya carried Hiro in her arms.

"We were the hostage of the fugitives. They used us to escape from Mune and Nathan. Hiro got the most bruises while trying to protect me."

'How did they manage to touch these humans when they're unseen in their eyes?' Amaya thought.

'That's what has been bothering me too,' Mune replied after unintentionally hearing her thoughts.

"I will go inside and treat her," Amaya said and advanced to the mansion's main entrance.

There, she notices the worried Hein.

She's been shouting for a while. But Amaya didn't notice her sooner as she was focused on knowing what had happened.

"I knew it. I should've believed Venus sooner. You're just putting Hiro in danger!"

"Shut your mouth, Hein. You have no right to shout at her. She could flick her fingers to kill or torture you, but she didn't. Behave yourself, or you will be the next one to die in vain," Yna said.

Amaya rolled her eyes.

'This isn't a normal case again. Why are you giving me such heavy tasks while putting the love of my life in danger, Supreme? How am I supposed to be the key to freedom of all cursed nine-tailed foxes? How? Do I always have to figure it out on my own? I'm not a smart kid.' Amaya said in her mind.

She lay Hiro down on her bed and closed the door.

"Please, just play safe and don't put your life in the line again. You're making me worried sick."

Amaya looks troubled, but she remains calm.

Suddenly, someone knocked on her door.

"AMAYA! COME OUT NOW!"

His voice looks like it came from a man, and he keeps banging on her door. He's not even thinking that Hiro is sleeping.

"KEEP IT DOWN!" Amaya shouted.

"Just come out! You need to know this!"

She rolled her eyes and opened the door using her power.

"What?" said Amaya irritably.

It was Nathan at the door. He checked if it was safe to talk now. After assuring, he entered Amaya's room.

"I found Dylan's soul. I mean... the real Dylan."