Grant Me The End

Rei

Evelyn Mercer

***** The Morning After The Ferry Incident — Blackwood & Co. Books *****

I kept thinking about the woman screaming about people in the water.

About the thing beneath the ocean.

About Kairen standing in the middle of the ferry while the entire world bent around him like it was afraid to touch him.

Normal people did not stop oceans.

Normal people definitely did not make reality shut up with one raised hand.

And yet somehow the most disturbing part wasn’t the monsters.

It was him.

The way he hadn’t looked surprised.

The way he’d looked irritated.

Like saving forty terrified people had interrupted his evening.

The bell above the bookstore door chimed softly as I unlocked the front entrance.

The smell of old paper wrapped around me immediately.

Usually I loved it here.

Today my chest hurt too much to enjoy anything.

I dropped my bag behind the counter slowly, pressing a hand against my ribs when sharp pain stabbed through my lungs again.

God.

Breathing was becoming exhausting.

Like my body charged extra for oxygen now.

I coughed hard into my sleeve.

Blood.

Again.

Not a lot.

Still enough to ruin my morning.

“Fantastic,” I muttered.

“You’re talking to yourself more lately.”

I looked up.

Mina stood near the café section holding two coffee cups and a paper bag of pastries.

Her eyes immediately narrowed.

“You look awful.”

“Good morning to you too.”

“I’m serious, Eve.”

“I know.”

She walked toward me quickly.

Too quickly.

That worried look appeared again.

That same careful expression people got after hearing the word terminal.

I hated it so much.

Like I’d already started disappearing while still standing in front of them.

Mina handed me coffee.

“You should’ve stayed home today.”

“I like money.”

“You barely make money here.”

“I like the illusion of independence.”

That earned a tired snort from her.

For a few seconds things almost felt normal.

Then she frowned suddenly.

“Wait.”

“What?”

“That creepy guy from yesterday.”

My stomach tightened slightly.

“Kairen?”

“Is that his name?”

“You seriously don’t remember him?”

Mina blinked slowly.

“I remember a tall guy standing near us at the hospital, but his face is weirdly blurry.”

I stared at her.

“That makes no sense.”

“I know.”

She rubbed her temple.

“It’s like trying to remember a dream.”

Cold unease slid down my spine.

People forgetting him.

Again.

The ferry passengers probably didn’t even remember what happened last night either.

Or maybe they convinced themselves it was panic.

Hallucinations.

Bad weather.

Human beings were talented at lying to themselves.

The bookstore bell rang again.

Mina turned automatically.

“So sorry, we just opened and the coffee machine is still fighting for its life so if you want caffeine you’ll need prayer instead.”

No answer came.

The atmosphere shifted.

Subtly.

But enough.

The temperature suddenly felt wrong.

Not colder.

Sharper.

Like something invisible had entered the room and all the oxygen stepped aside for it.

A man stood near the entrance.

Tall.

Dark coat.

Black gloves.

Silver rings across pale fingers.

Beautiful in a way that immediately felt dangerous.

Not warm beautiful.

Not approachable.

The kind of face people stared at right before ruining their lives.

His eyes moved across the bookstore lazily.

Then landed on me.

And stayed there.

My stomach dropped instantly.

Something was wrong with him.

Deeply wrong.

Mina straightened awkwardly.

“Hi. Welcome to Blackwood & Co.”

The man smiled slightly.

Not friendly.

Not fake either.

Like amusement without warmth.

“I’m looking for someone.”

His voice was smooth.

Calm.

Controlled.

Every word sounded carefully chosen.

Mina opened her mouth again but stopped suddenly.

Her expression blurred strangely for half a second.

Then confusion crossed her face.

“Actually…” she muttered slowly. “I just remembered I need to check inventory upstairs.”

I frowned immediately.

“Mina?”

She blinked at me.

“What?”

“You okay?”

“Yeah?”

She looked disoriented.

Then glanced toward the man briefly before looking away too quickly.

Like her brain rejected focusing on him.

Unease crawled through me harder now.

“I’ll be upstairs,” Mina said.

And just like that, she left.

The man watched her disappear.

Then looked back at me.

Silence stretched.

Heavy.

I swallowed carefully.

“Can I help you?”

“You’re Evelyn Mercer.”

Not a question.

My chest tightened slightly.

“Who’s asking?”

He walked closer slowly.

Every movement deliberate.

Controlled.

The closer he got, the harder it became to breathe.

Not physically.

Instinctively.

Like my body recognized something dangerous before my brain did.

“You summoned Kairen Vale,” he said.

Ice slid through my stomach.

“You know him?”

A faint smile touched his mouth.

“Unfortunately.”

He stopped in front of the counter.

Close enough now that I noticed his eyes properly.

Grey.

But wrong.

Too pale.

Too still.

Predatory eyes pretending to belong to a human face.

“You smell like death already,” he said calmly.

I stared at him.

“What the hell is wrong with you?”

“That depends. Human standards are very inconsistent.”

Definitely not human.

Absolutely not human.

My pulse quickened painfully.

The man tilted his head slightly while studying me.

Curious.

Like I was some strange animal he hadn’t seen before.

“You’re disappointing,” he said.

Excuse me?

“I’m dying, not auditioning.”

That amused him slightly.

Interesting.

Not enough fear.

Most humans either froze or cried around creatures like him.

I was apparently too exhausted for survival instincts.

“Who are you?” I asked quietly.

“Rei.”

The name settled wrong in the air.

Like the bookstore itself disliked hearing it.

Rain hammered against the windows outside.

Rei glanced toward them briefly.

Then back at me.

“Kairen has become careless.”

Something in his tone changed slightly when he said Kairen’s name.

Not affection.

Not respect.

Recognition.

The dangerous kind.

“You know,” Rei continued casually, “in five centuries I have never once seen him linger around a human this long.”

I crossed my arms carefully.

“He’s not lingering. I made a wish.”

“No.” Rei looked almost entertained. “You became interesting.”

That unsettled me more than it should have.

I forced my voice steady.

“What are you?”

He ignored the question completely.

Instead, his gaze dropped briefly to my wrist.

To the faint glowing mark hidden beneath my sleeve.

Then back to my face.

“The contract is real.” His expression sharpened slightly. “That’s unfortunate.”

My lungs burned suddenly.

A violent cough tore through me before I could stop it.

Pain exploded through my ribs.

I grabbed the counter hard.

Blood hit my palm.

Rei watched silently.

No concern.

No reaction.

Just observation.

Like watching weather happen.

“You’re deteriorating quickly,” he said.

“Thank you, Doctor Doom.”

“You misunderstand me.” His voice remained calm. “I simply expected Kairen to choose someone harder to break.”

Anger flashed hot through my exhaustion.

“I’m standing right here.”

“Yes.”

“I have leukemia.”

“I’m aware.”

“Then maybe stop talking about me like I’m already dead.”

Rei looked at me for a long moment.

Then finally said:

“That is exactly why he should not be here.”

Silence.

Rain.

My heartbeat pounding too hard inside my chest.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Rei leaned one shoulder lightly against the bookshelf beside him.

“Demons do not stay beside dying humans without reason.”

Something cold settled low in my stomach.

“He said he’s here because of the contract.”

“That is part of it.”

Part.

Not all.

I hated that word immediately.

Rei’s eyes remained fixed on me.

Sharp.

Knowing.

“You think Kairen saved that ferry because he cared whether those humans lived?”

I didn’t answer.

Because honestly?

I didn’t know.

Rei continued calmly.

“Kairen Vale does not care about humans. Not their pain. Not their deaths. Not their loneliness.”

The loneliness part hit harder than it should have.

“He stays because he wants something.”

My throat tightened.

“What?”

“That,” Rei said softly, “is the dangerous question.”

The bookstore suddenly felt too small.

Too quiet.

Like something terrible was approaching slowly.

I looked away first.

Bad choice.

The second I broke eye contact, dizziness slammed into me hard.

The room tilted sharply.

Pain ripped through my chest.

I grabbed the counter again breathing unevenly.

Not now.

Please not now.

My vision blurred slightly.

Rei watched me struggle silently.

No movement.

No sympathy.

Nothing.

“You humans are fragile,” he said quietly.

I laughed weakly despite myself.

“You sound disappointed.”

“I am.”

Another cough hit me harder.

Blood splattered across the floor this time.

My knees almost gave out.

Then a voice behind Rei spoke calmly.

“Step away from her.”

The entire bookstore changed instantly.

Pressure.

Cold.

Violence held tightly on a leash.

Rei smiled slowly without turning around.

“Kairen.”

Kairen stood near the entrance.

Black coat damp from rain.

Gold eyes fixed directly on Rei.

Stillness wrapped around him like a weapon.

Customers near the café section looked uncomfortable suddenly.

One woman grabbed her child’s hand and left quickly without understanding why.

Kairen walked closer slowly.

Measured steps.

No wasted movement.

Rei straightened.

The air between them felt wrong.

Ancient.

Dangerous.

Like two storms recognizing each other.

“You followed me,” Rei said.

“You entered my territory.”

“I was curious.”

Kairen stopped beside me.

Not touching.

Not looking at me either.

His attention remained completely on Rei.

“Leave,” Kairen said.

Simple word.

Heavy enough to feel like a threat.

Rei glanced at me lazily.

“She’s weaker than I expected.”

My jaw tightened.

Kairen’s expression didn’t change.

That somehow made him scarier.

“She is irrelevant to you,” he said calmly.

“Oh?” Rei’s eyes sharpened slightly. “Then why are you here?”

Silence.

Kairen didn’t answer.

Because there wasn’t one.

At least not one he wanted spoken out loud.

Rei noticed too.

I could tell.

A dangerous kind of amusement flickered across his face.

Then he looked at me again.

“Careful, Evelyn.”

Kairen’s posture changed instantly.

Small shift.

Barely visible.

But lethal.

Rei smiled faintly.

“Demons only stay near humans when they want something from them.”

My chest tightened.

Kairen finally spoke again.

Lower now.

Sharper.

“You speak too much.”

Rei ignored him completely.

“If Kairen begins acting kind,” Rei continued calmly, “run.”

The bookstore lights flickered once.

Every shelf near us rattled violently.

Customers gasped nearby.

Mina shouted upstairs.

“What the hell was that?!”

Kairen took one step forward.

And suddenly I understood something terrifying.

He was very close to killing him.

Right here.

In public.

Rei understood it too.

But instead of backing away, he smiled slightly.

“You’ve changed,” he murmured.

Kairen’s voice turned deadly quiet.

“Leave before I seperate your head from your body.”

Complete silence hit the bookstore.

Even the customers nearby froze instinctively.

Not because they heard the words clearly.

Because something primal inside them sensed danger.

Rei stared at Kairen for one long second.

Then finally stepped backward.

The pressure eased slightly.

But not completely.

He looked at me one last time.

“You should make your wish quickly, Evelyn.”

Then his gaze shifted briefly toward Kairen.

“Before he forgets what he is.”

And just like that, he walked out into the rain.

The second the door shut behind him, the tension snapped violently.

A bookshelf crashed somewhere upstairs.

Mina yelled again.

I looked at Kairen slowly.

He still stared at the entrance.

Motionless.

Controlled.

But something about him felt dangerously close to breaking.

“What the hell was that?” I whispered.

Kairen stayed silent for a moment.

Then finally looked at me.

Cold gold eyes.

Emotionless face.

Controlled breathing.

Yet somehow the room still felt full of restrained violence.

“He should not have spoken to you alone,” he said quietly.

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

“No.”

Frustration burned through my exhaustion.

“Who is he?”

“Kairen.”

Mina appeared halfway down the stairs looking annoyed.

“Why do I suddenly feel like I forgot something important?”

Neither of us answered.

Mina frowned harder.

Then looked directly at Kairen.

“…Wait. Who’s this?”

I blinked.

Again.

She forgot him.

Completely.

Kairen looked away from her instantly like the conversation no longer mattered.

Meanwhile my heart kept pounding painfully in my chest.

Because Rei’s words wouldn’t leave my head.

Demons only stay when they want something.

And suddenly I couldn’t stop wondering what Kairen Vale wanted from me.