Rade's Demon Elimination Service

Chapter 13: The Arrival of The Shadow Fantasm

Kalleid was breathing with difficulty.

His father's indifferent words rang within his mind. Be careful, he said to him in that damn letter, just be careful. This immortal wasn't the only teen in the whole world that have a parental issue. It was normal, of course, or normal for most people at least to have removed feelings for those people that brought them out to this world.

But Kalleid has always hated the fact that he feels alone even when he wasn't supposed to be when he was at home.

Those indifferent words of his father were only just a member of the few words he uttered towards his son whom he hasn't even seen for the last ten years.

Kalleid could still remember that time that his father, one of the greatest hunter of the Elite Officials' Cohort, left him on the doorstep of the Aldeia. He was shivering that time because the rain was so hard and his father only gave him a thin jacket (his father was only wearing a hunter's gear then), promising warmth at the place of their destination.

For the first time in his life, his presence graced the operation room of the Aldeia clan, someone whom he only heard like characters from legends and myths. He was given a paper that was as important as his entire life and when he turned to ask his father about the mentioned paper, he was gone already.

Faded into thin air, not to be seen again except for those mails every once in a while.

Now more than ever, Kalleid hated his father for bringing him in this place and hated himself for not listening to his words but he can't do anything now that he was here.

From the time that Kalleid was supposed to go to the Attic, before he could even take another step forward, he was already snatched up. There were questions, of course, such as who kidnapped him and what for?

This wasn't how this day of the Shadow Fantasm's arrival started though.

While Kalleid was some place that he does not, New York was already alerted that all of the protective boundaries that he installed all over his boyfriend's apartment complex were now broken. And going back to the seventh hour of the day, the sky was clear and the ominous gloom of the Fantasm could be felt upon the wind.

It was Wednesday, exactly the middle of the week. The morning was very like the other mornings with people grabbing their coffee, either late for their work and school or just getting off the bus. But New York was already running around, sweat trickling down his temples and his face was reddened to the extreme.

He entered the Attic with an the anxiety that has been bothering him since the other night, faintly banging the door to the wall behind it and almost cracking the glass. The closed sign was still put over the front though the lights were already opened. When he entered the shop, New York saw Lyu putting on his black school shoes.

Megumi, wearing her usual traditional hanfu dress, was also putting her wooden sandals, looking like she was also about to leave. Both of the siblings' peach blossom eyes, gentle and still glassy from the morning dew, glanced at New York who sighed with a heavy breath. He was still relatively calm though his inside was in a turmoil.

"New York, what is it, dear?" Megumi asked delicately while she put one hand at the back of the boy. "You look quite a fright."

"He gave us fright," Lyu interrupted, smiling when he caught his sister's glare at him. "I mean, it's still morning, why are you here, New York?"

Lyu's smile faded though as New York relayed what happened and the news that Kalleid was missing with most of the protective boundaries broken. He couldn't do anything during the night, of course. Even the hunters have given up fighting the malicious and ferocious demons, only putting up stronger boundaries that could suppress them.

At night, the streets were bare and quiet. Tension was thick and no one dared to interrupt the fake calmness of the region. The demons were restless, affected with the Shadow Fantasm's presence. The mortals, however, were thankfully not foolish enough to have been oblivious of the tension between the demon and the mortals worlds.

And so, when New York closed the door yesterday and said his good-bye to Kalleid, it was an actuality. The really let New York just went ahead and strengthen the boundaries around his apartment. New York, upon the wake of the sun, visited Kalleid first before doinng anything else just to ensure that he was safe and sound before going to his designated place where he was assigned by his older sister. Yet there was no Kalleid who welcomed him inside and he even found all of the boundaries he erected destroyed.

With his calibre, New York was certain that whomever stole Kalleid would also up to the par of his stregth otherwise why would they even bother to do this kind of stunt. The fact that the Shadow Fantasm was only a few miles did nothing to loosened New York's tensed muscles.

Meanwhile, Lyu invited New York to the second floor of the Attic. He poured the other boy a cup of freshly steep tea leaves and arranged it to how New York liked it. The aroma calmed New York's nerves somehow, and his breathing slowed, his heart wasn't racing like a horse in a race any longer.

Megumi, however, was watching New York with a serene expression on her face. Her beautiful peach blossom eyes were delicate and also held anxiety. In the morning sunlight, Megumi looked like an angel rather than a demon. As best as he could, New York told the siblings what he thought Rade would do today and that Kalleid might be in danger.

"No," Megumi said firmly, there was a small twitch on the side of her lip that didn't escaped from New York watching eyes. "The Shadow Fantasm is very unlike the other demons. A slip is what it would only take for anyone to be possible under its influence, with its vessel, it is also very powerful. For hunters, it might even be a fate worse than death, like what happened to that poor girl. You are not going anywhere near the Fantasm."

Lyu looked down at the low table at the center separating the three apart. From his pants' pocket, New York saw that Lyu fished out a glimmering emerald stone— a demon core from the looks of it.

"She gave me this yesterday," Lyu said quietly, his plump cheeks were both unusually down and not bouncing his dimples nowhere to be seen. "I... I didn't know. I just didn't and I thought we were having fun too."

"Do you both know where she lives in?" New York asked sincerely.

Both of the siblings shook their heads, but within Lyu's peach blossom eyes was a determination, turning both of his eyes into a brilliant shade of gold.

"I have the Sky Teller, I can help searching for both of them," he said with an absolute resolute, unwavering with his innocent countenance.

Lyu looked at Megumi, asking for her permission. The older sister smiled gently, putting her right hand on the top of her younger brother's head. When she spoke, it was gentle and very timid despite the words she uttered.

"You two probably shouldn't bite off what you cannot chew," she told Lyu, releasing her hold of him. "It is better not to involve yourselves in this matter. This is a dangerous time for us, demons, that even if I've enough influence within the hunters' society, they probably won't listen to me."

"Megumi," New York said, his heart racing inside his rib cage, "I apologized for bringing this to you but I don't know how to find Kalleid and Rade."

Megumi only shook her head at New York. She stood up and patted the younger boy's shoulder lightly.

"I think from how you told me of Rade, she is a very good kid. Only pressed to do certain of things. And we all do what we can in a situation, yes? And Kalleid, someone might be trying to use the Shadow Fantasm to use this as a distraction to get an half demon immortal. I will let Lyu look for them both through the Sky Teller, but under no circumstances are you two allowed to go directly to the Fantasm. Now, I must attend first to some other things."

New York stood up as a respect for the departing lady. Lyu followed suit and bowed at Megumi who also bowed lightly.

"I must go now," she announced, "I trust you two will have positive results. As I go along my own, I'll ask around the demons I know if they saw Kalleid or Rade somewhere. Call me if you have progress, but don't ever engage in a battle. Do you understand?"

Both of the boys nodded their heads.

"That should help a lot, Megumi!" New York said but with much anxiety and concern, a crease was appearing in between his eyebrows. "Thank you, Megumi!"

"Take care, Nee-san," Lyu said and waved a good-bye.

"The Aldeia clan is in a hot spot right now," New York told Lyu, closing his eyes and concentrating on how to keep himself calm.

How come everything turned for the worse now? New York thhought.

"Nee-san said that multiple demons have broken out throughout the night. Other demons are stronger than ever, and your clan have some casualties. Or maybe just injured people, I'm not sure actually. But now, she's summoned by Lady Aldeia to draw more boundaries at the center of the city. It's really scary."

"Yeah," New York responded unconciously, a frowning was staining his pretty hair and even his usually neat hair was unruly, "everything's now f****d up."

New York can't think straight now, he was supposed to go to his assigned place now to conjure up some protective boundaries but this issue about Rade and Kalleid held hhim up. It would have been fine if New York knew that Kalleid went to stop Rade from her plan but the protective boundaries were all broken and it was better to act early rather be sorry later.

"I'll call London ," he told Lyu who only nodded with his eyes still closed, both of his brows were furrowed in total concentration.

New York went outside of the shoji, sliding it gently behind him to give total peace and silence. On his hand was the android phone he has. After dialing London's phone number, he put the phone on his ear, listening it ringing at the other side of the line.

"Hey, London," he said when it was picked up.

"I told you to take care of everything yesterday because I would be useless today!" London scolded New York. "Geneva's being a b***h and ordering everyone to draw up boundaries around the city to guide the Fantasm to only touch the town's outskirts and you're not here, dickhead."

"You hairless balls!" New York scolded right back to his own older brother. "Kalleid's gone! Someone stole him and destroyed all of the boundaries around his apartment that I personally did!"

"Well that's f*****g f****d up," London finally listened, New York was aware that the silence at the other side of the lane was out of shock more than anything else. "What the? How did that even happened?"

"I'm scared," New York confessed. "He's vulnerable right now and he's missing. I don't know where he could have gone."

"s**t," London cursed again, there were noise in his background that told New York he was as equally (if not more) than busy than him. "I'll alert everyone to keep an eye for him, yeah? Everything's fine, once I'm done with the boundary with Megumi, I'll personally go around to look for you Kal."

London is the second child of the Aldeia clan, and because the clan is the topmost people in-charge of the arrival of the Shadow Fantasm, he would, inevitably, be busy for the preparations and ordering the hunters inside the Aldeia clan's hunters around.

"We're using Sky Teller," New York infomed his brother. "To find Rade and Kalleid, I'll updated you when we got news." He did not wait for London to react any further because New York was aware his brother would only be cussing nonstop.

"London's no good too," New York informed Lyu whose eyes were narrowed in concetration. "He's been dispatched to create the biggest boundary with Megumi."

I probably won't forgive myself if he got hurt because of what I wanted you to do, New York thought with despair slowly corrupting his chest.

"I still haven't found anything," Lyu finally muttered, sighing as he did so. His eyes lowered to his own tea. In one gulp, he swallowed the content of it.

Both New York and Lyu were on their school uniforms. Lyu never thought that he wouldn't make it to school and now something like this happened. He furtively looked at New York who might have put on his uniform only because of habit.

"What is it?"

Lyu's eyes that have now turned into golden shades. The reluctance was even more evident now that he doesn't seem to want to response to him.

"What is it, Lyu?" he asked gently again, prodding and a little impatient.

"Carys Haeven's death was over a year ago," Lyu finally started, but there was still the reluctance on his eyes though that stayed lowered on his cup of tea. "Between staying at the Haeven clan's compound as their ward and moving in this region, there are about ten to thirteen months interval. Where do you think Rade was? And..." Lyu took a deep breath as if he was making, forcing, himself to be calm. "What is she doing?"

That made New York's face frown, there was no trace of his usual mocking and mischievous self. His gaze told Ai that it might not be the best time to tackle such a matter.

"The clairvoyance of the Sky Teller is not all-seeing," Lyu said regrettably, a ripple went past through his golden eyes which was initially a hazel color. "I cannot see what would happen or what happened already clearly, but my power is enough to see the traces of both. I can see her hands were tied and bloody from battles."

"What about Kalleid?" New York asked earnestly, hoping that something could be found on Kalleid's whereabouts.

"I'll try," Lyu only said whose his eyes were already closing to meditate again and concentrate. A silence enveloped the two and New York waited then waited. He became restless doing nothing and wanting to go out and personally find where Rade was.

"It's too dangerous, New York," Ai said suddenly, seemingly reading what was on Kalleid's mind. "Even without the Sky Teller, I could tell what you wanted to do. You might be good with your holy weapon and among your peers but you must know that the Shadow Fantasm is out and about."

"Isn't it taking too long?" New York instead asked Lyu impatiently. "We've been waiting for at least three hours. We need to find Kalleid and Rade before night falls or we'll be meeting the Fantasm. I don't even know what to think of what might be happening with Kalleid whereever he's in now."

"I can't seem to pinpoint ther exact location," Lyu defended himself, his eyes were already turning red. "Kalleid was being moved from place to place as if whoever kidnapped him knows that I'll be tracking him while Rade is also moving too much because of the Fantas. The Fantasm's presence is also disrupting with the Sky Teller."

Finally, Lyu opened his eyes which were bright with the use of Sky Teller. He sighed and looked at New York whose face was full of anxiety which was very unlikely to see on his face.

"I did manage to get Rade's address though," Lyu stated, "maybe we should wait for her there while I'm tracking where Kalleid might be? Besides that, we aren't sure if that's actually what she'd like to do. What if she's here just because she wanted to have a normal life? Starting over again on a foregin land isn't unheard of within the hunters's community so then we can focus on tracking Kalleid."

New York shook his head, contradicting Lyu's statement. As usual, Lyu was only looking at the bright and positive side of the things.

"There's only one reason Rade would have on why she moved here, Lyu," New York shared to Ai who was sipping his tea carefully. "And wasn't it too coincidental that she moved here? Within the my clan's region? Just before the Shadow Fantasm made its appearance when she also had a history with it?"

Lyu nodded, conceding to New York point.

"If we let her go, she might get killed."

"Should we go then?" Lyu then asked which surprised New York. After seeing his initial surprised expression, Lyu pouted at New York, seemingly sulking. "I'm not much of a coward, no! If we're going to wait for Rade on her address, at least we could set up boundaries then I'll focus on Kalleid's missing case."

Since the journey needed them both to get on the train, Lyu and New York opted to just walk to the station. It was such a mistake though as there were multiple distortion spells all around the area, indicating that there duels and battles between the hunters and demons.

The atmosphere was tensed. Being half a demon and vulnerable to the forced around, New York gripped Lyu's arm firmly, listening closely to him while Lyu used the Sky Teller to see where were the battles being held and where they should avoid. After twenty minutes of walking, they finally arrived at the station where they them quickly get on the train, not prolonging the exposure of their little existence on the outside world.

Since Lyu is a demon, it was difficult for them to dodge hunters running around and clearing the town of demons. It took them another hour before finding Rade's low rise apartment.

It was shabby and almost dilapidated, not very ideal to lived on, but both Kalleid and Ai waited for Rade to appear.

"Are you sure she's not anywhere else?" New York asked Lyu for the hundreth time, the latter shook his head as an answer. "What if—?"

"No and no," Lyu responded, telling him off even before New York was able to say something or asked another matter to him. "She's not inside, not in the school, not even somewhere close. And we can't go around to find her. I'm half a demon, it'll be easy to just execute me since the Sky Teller is worth a fortune, you know? And you're no better than me being half demon yourself. When hunters that doesn't belong to the Aldeia clan find us, we'd be dead meat!"

Lyu put his hands up, pouring energy on his fingertips until he could generate a boundary that might (or not) mask both of the boys' presence from other hunters.

"Where in the world is he though?" New York demanded. "No appearance?" he asked and the two shook their heads.

"It's already twilight," New York muttered, his eyes flickering towards the darkness outside. A particular kind of emotion, panic, was overwhelming New York that made him want to scream and tore on his hair. "Kal..."

Two hours later, the Sky Teller finally saw a glimpse of the Shadow Fantasm and on its tow were both of the person the all have been looking for in the entire day.