Lunar Awakening-Chapter 35: Death For The Sinners (1)

A massive mass of swirling blue and black light surged and swam in a never-ending vortex inside a huge hangar that looked like an airport.

People walked out of it in the hundreds, all dressed in armour, some in casual wear. Others were heading into the swirling mass of light. Despite the fact that it churned endlessly, it did not seem to create any force of wind whatsoever or suck anyone in, it merely looked like an illusion.

But one that carried people to one location.

"Departure from Glory Base, Mr Hall?" said the woman who worked as an attendant on the other side. She looked at the thin young man with dark bags under his eyes and shaggy black hair, he appeared like he had been run over by a freight train or had the life drained out of him.

’Mister? Oh right, I’ve reached that age I guess,’ he told himself.

He collected his bag and luggage and walked through the scanner, limping as he went. The toll from his training session with Cassandra still weighed heavily on him.

"Aw, crap." He came to an abrupt stop and looked down at the ticket in his hand.

The attendant glanced over and called out, "Is everything alright sir, you seem to be holding up a line."

Leo raised his head and gave her a very poor attempt at a wave before walking away. "I think I broke my butt cheek too."

The woman stood there, dumbfounded, unsure of what to say or do after that realisation. After a moment she spoke, "I need a better job."

Leo continued walking as best as he could, already feeling his vitality doing the best of its work. His stomach growled, causing him to scowl down at it.

With his backpack still hugging him tightly, he walked out of the establishment responsible for portal transfer between Earth and Hellscape, it was known primarily as a gateway transport station.

Outside, a number of hover cars waited in the area, some lined along the street, waving him over along with any other person who seemed in need of transport.

Leo usually chose to walk all the way to the train station before boarding a train back to his city, but today he felt like he could fall apart at any moment.

"All the more reason I should walk," he told himself as he forced his legs down the sidewalk. It turned out his indifference infuriated a particular cab man who shouted after him.

"Fuck you, you stingy prick. Go spend your money on your bitch—"

Before he could finish, Leo turned around and glared at him— his eyes glowing purple with restrained rage.

The man slowly shrank back into his car, nearly crying. "Sorry."

Leo hissed and continued walking. "I nearly forgot how annoying people can be.."

The familiar voice of Xavax returned, assaulting his ears with cold ferocity. "You should have dealt with him then and there, little rat."

Leo rolled his eyes, still limping. "And have the government twist my nuts into a knot? No thanks."

Xavax went silent for a few seconds before speaking again. "Boy, you are boring. I’ve seen mice give better entertainment than you."

Leo observed his surroundings, searching for any change. As always, the capital city of his country, Linnois, somehow managed to make its skyscrapers and tech buildings look even more tacky.

"Why the hell are you even talking to me?" Leo responded coldly.

Xavax let out a dark chuckle. "Did someone hurt your feelings?"

Leo hesitated between responding and staying quiet, but curiosity won out. "Why is it that sometimes I hear you, and sometimes I don’t?"

There was a short silence that made Leo suspect he would not get an answer, but he did. "Talking saps me of strength, and unless it’s a bloodbath, why should I appear?"

"So is that what you are, a bloodthirsty demon?" Leo asked, his voice growing colder.

This time there was nothing but silence. He waited, then tried again. After a few minutes, he cursed, realising the entity was no longer active.

Leo did not know how much time had passed with Cassandra delaying him and the long walk, but the sky was already darkening.

His stomach growled again, and this time he could not ignore it. Hopefully he was craving real food and not raw meat.

He walked through a more populated district, trying to avoid the noise as much as possible. His sensitive nose reacted violently to the scents around him. He had learned how to tone down his hearing, but his sense of smell was still a work in progress.

Office workers filled the busy street on their way home, neon signs above clubs and brothels flashing proudly. What he searched for was a restaurant, somewhere to eat before hunger triggered his wild side.

As he moved calmly through the crowd, he slowly came to a stop. A cold chill crawled across his skin, not one born of weather, but something his senses reacted violently to.

His ears perked up and twitched on their own, reacting to something within the crowd.

One voice pierced through clearly, cold and stuttering.

"Re... Repent..."

"De... Death..."

"Death for the... sinners."

Leo raised an eyebrow and moved toward the sound, his eyes trying to pierce the crowd until he spotted a figure in a dark jacket with a hood pulled low, hiding their face.

The closer he got, the stronger the urge to interact with this person became. He frowned, since he usually avoided talking to strangers.

When he stopped in front of the figure, he could hear the mumbling clearly. He was surprised they had not noticed him.

"Hey, are you okay?" His voice came out louder, rougher, like something else surfaced for a second.

The outburst made the person shriek and collapse from shock.

Leo reacted instantly, reaching out and catching them as the hood slipped back, revealing a pale young woman.

Her face was sickly white, her lips dry and cracked, her hair and lashes shimmering with a light blue hue, almost like reflections of the sky itself.

He studied her with quiet curiosity, wondering how someone so young could look so worn and neglected.

She gasped awake a moment later, eyes matching her hair as tears spilled free. "Please let me go, sir, I was wrong."

Leo loosened his grip and let her stand. He sighed. "I should be the one apologising for the outburst."

She pulled her hood back up, hiding her face until she seemed to vanish into the crowd. "Please forgive me. I’ll be leaving now."

Before she could go, he spoke again. "Wait."

She paused, turning back with trembling eyes.

"To make up for it," Leo said quietly, "why don’t you have a meal with me?"