Creatures of the Night

Second Night

Second NightCreatures of the Night

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##### Second Night #####

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Monsters in the dark

Creeping through the night.

I get back to the same hotel I stayed when Minny died once my friends left.

Can’t believe they all have grown up so quickly. They even wear a formal high class uniform. I remember the color ─ it was black, while I was wearing white. What a contrast. Everything must have gone well for them, judging by their happy looks ─ the happy looks without me. I’m so glad....

Suddenly, I feel wet drips of warmness on my cheeks, falling to the indentation of my neck. I look at the mirror and see myself cry. Is it because I’m not one of them anymore? Or is it because I’m just happy that they’re happy? Either way, I shouldn’t regret my decision.

I end my night, too, after cleaning myself. But my thoughts trail off to them as I embrace them in my dream. I dream of the first time we met when we were all five, inside the wall of the institute, each brought by our member of the Sorcier’s parents to start our training as future members. It was like we were destined to meet, that we became friends instantly (aside from Banri and Shara).

It seems like I’ve been crying some more when I was asleep, because once I’m torn to wake up by the bright sunlight, I find trails of dried tears under my eyes. Another day to waste. What should I do today? Running away from random monster attacks? Seems more like it.

I am about to jump inside the tub of the bathroom, when suddenly I feel something lingering outside this room. I walk outside the hotel quarter to find the source without changing my nightgown or even bother to wear a slipper, as I’m positive I’ll be back soon.

The hallway is silent as death, with only small lights to show feble signs of life. No one’s hanging outside their rooms, but I’m pretty sure I hear some murmurs coming from the room next to mine. Using my sense of aura, I search for the darkest shade of fog to find what is disturbing me. I can feel the carpet underneath my feet, soft, but a little bit dirty and end up in the elevator.

It is where Minny died, trying to protect me.

Now that I think about it again, I think it would have been much better if I hadn’t brought her out from Sorcier. At least she might be alive right now than lying underground, with only a coffin separating her from the dirt. I imagine her still alive and breathing, running under the sun and the open, free sky. She should be living with that kind of life.

If only I hadn’t let my guard down....

Minny was an orphan, so at least there will be no parents waiting to hear the grieving news. If her parents were still alive, if they had known what I did to their daughter.... Oh, Minny was just too lovely and angelic to die at such a young age.

I push the up button, waiting for the elevator to arrive on my floor. Seconds turn to minutes before the screen shows number 10 with a ringing sound and let the elevator doors slide open.

It’s empty.

I step in slowly, eyes lurking at every corner to find something. But nothing out of the ordinary is there inside. Frustrated a little bit, I walk out.

Back to the hallway, I am suddenly hit by a strong sense of darkness. It must be here. And since there are only humans in this hotel, the aura is giving off too much blackness. I follow it back to my room.

But there’s nothing there! I’ve checked. They didn’t leave any evidence or trial. It was like they disappeared after Minny died.

Calming myself, I try to think outside the box. If it’s not inside, then maybe it’s─

In a slip of seconds, I manage to climb up into the air circulation room above me. They might have used this circulator as the way to get in and out.

When my head enter the circulator, I can’t only sense the dark aura, but also smell it. I am right. They have left their trails everywhere!

I’m lucky that they’re not careful enough. With this, I can finally pay Minny’s vengeance. I look for a stronger source, walking past the tunnels to finally find a print of a foot. It’s black underneath white, so it’s not hard to spot, especially when it’s almost the size of an adult human hand. Instantly, I recognize it.

It’s a kappa’s. The swamp creature.

Once I get the scent of it, I follow the trails immediately after I changing into regular clothes. It leads to the rooftop, down to the next lower roof top of another building, and then down more until I find a dark alley with a single café. No one’s there is lurking around, except for supernatural-blessed creatures. Which is good, because I can’t catch a kappa in the open public like it’s for bug collection.

The café is actually quite full, with few different species that can actually stand along each other. But I don’t pay any attention much about just what kinds are present in here. I walk inside soundlessly, following the sense to the back of the café.

I spot a few people walk in and out this wooden door. I step in carefully, in heart ready for a sudden attack.

Turns out there is a secret entrance to a secret black market. The big difference that it has from any other black market is that this one is a little bit extravagant than any other that I usually visit (most places like this are dirty and dark).

Passing all the open shops that offer many interesting things to buy, I end up in front of a building that is so decorated it feels like I’m still in the open sky. This place is underground, so having too many lights is unusual. But it attracts more customers. The board name in many colors of light balls says: Welcome to the Black Water Pool.

Once I step in, I find the changing room directly that separates the building into two. The man to the left and the woman to the right. I put my money in the counter and get into the woman’s changing room.

Inside, I realize that the sum money also included with swimsuit rent, because I can spot a cupboard full of many kinds and styles of swimsuit directly in front of me. I pull out the edge of so many suits randomly and get inside the changing booth, taking every piece of clothes that I have on me.

But just when I’m about to wear the swimsuit that I picked, I realize that it was way too revealing for me to wear. It is overall cute by the pattern, with colors such as red and blue dots and laces. It even covers from top to bottom, different from the other revealing ones. But the bust part is so wide, it almost looks like a cliff can fit in between.

Since I’m already naked and too lazy to put on my clothes to search for a new one, I decide to just wear it, despite the fact it is actually giving away my real cup size. Getting out of the booth, I can surely feel all eyes on me. Even though there’s only women here, albeit from different kinds of creatures, I can feel keen eyes on me all the same.

I can hear someone say, “Hey, are those for real?” while another one says, “Wow, they are huge,” and probably something that sounds like, “I would like to grab one of those,” with a sound of licking lips followed. Okay now, this is my queue to leave, fast.

I walk out immediately. At least males’ stares and comments are saner. I mean, it is not like I am the only female on earth with an F cup size. I think they are overreacting. Sure, I took a glance in the mirror before I walk out of the booth (accidentally, though). But I still think their comments are way too mature for ears as young as mine.

I put my clothes inside the locker tidily and tuck the key to my necklace before I get myself into the center of attention. Great! How am I going to catch that sneaky kappa if I’m taking the spotlight? And you creatures should remove all of your eyes from your skull! It’s not polite to stare, especially with looks as if you’re ready to take away my innocence.

Okay, maybe not completely innocent. I mean, I’ve killed before. Many times. But never doing anything that involves.... adultery.

After taking a few deep breaths, I decide to just focus on my purpose in the first place and ignore their stares and comments. I (forcefully) glance to the view of the pool. Some creatures are sitting and looking like they are enjoying themselves on the rock bench that circle the entire place, some are walking by the edge of the pool, while some that look strong enough are actually inside the pool.

This pool is actually made especially for creatures that are strong enough to actually enjoy the advantage of the black water. The black water is too strong for weak and normal creatures, despite the fact that this place is packed with them.

Only a few are actually in the pool. That’s because the heat of the water is hotter than magma.

Maybe most of them are only here to show off, or other reason (such as mine).

Then, I finally spot the very right of mine to catch a glimpse of Banri (why here of all places?!) standing at the edge of the pool wearing a swimsuit, with a girl around our age in his side. She is a pretty one with those ribboned pigtails.

Banri catches me staring, but doesn’t seem like to notice what I’m wearing (thank goodness!). He then walks from the girl, stopping just right next me to in an instant, grinning like he used to.

“Arsene, what a pleasant surprise to see you in this kind of place. So, what brings you here?” He asks cheerfully.

“It’s nice to see you, too. I think my purpose is the same as yours: Mission,” I say remembering the knife I have spotted on the girl, which she is hiding around the ankle under her strap sandals. They must have been here for some other criminal attack that will encounter here. “Only mine has no organized authority to it,” I continue.

We talk for a minute or two, only to catch up on each other, but not long enough to interrupt our missions. “I think you should get back to your girlfriend,” I say monotonically after a while, even though she is only his play-role girlfriend.

Banri then gives a quick cheerful wave before heading back to the girl.

Then, I turn around to see a green-skinned creature floating at the surface of the black water, hitting my nose with the strong smell of evidence. It is him! The kappa! But he drowns back to the bottom of the pool as fast as he appears.

“You gotta be kidding me!” I yell-whisper, then walking to the near side of the pool to jump into it immediately, not wanting to lose my target even to the slightest glimpse.

First, there is a splash to the surface. Then, I can feel my skin protesting to the sudden contact. Later, I can feel not only feel my skin, but my lungs are also burning.

Being on fire is fine, because I’ll die eventually, but this one lasts forever.

I swim without any certain paddle movement, mostly just struggling inside the black water for the first few seconds. But once I catch the tip of the kappa’s feet (I think it is, at least), I start to concentrate in regaining myself back. I just relax, and then I paddle.

My powers are actually helping me to stay unburned. And since it is dark against black, it is not hard to adjust.

I grab its feet first, the first thing I see, and then move to get the other one. The kappa has stop floating around and begin to become curious on what is stopping him. But when it sees my face, it begins to fight me off with pretty huge effort. Since we are in the water, I am actually in a very disadvantaging position. He shoves to the right and left, making my sense of direction lost in the spinning along the whirl.

The skin of a kappa is pretty slippery. So when my hands slip off both of his feet accidentally, I can feel my head gets hit on the back of my skull. No time to moan “Ouch!” because the kappa is already escaping from my sight.

As far as I am concerned, the human body can float in the water. And since my body is not that far from a human’s, I am really counting on it to start floating back to the surface.

When I can breathe again, the customers seem to be lessened. But the stares feel not somehow.

I get out of the pool and get my clothes to change inside the lavatory this time. With defeat hanging on my forehead.

“Missing something, Princess?” Banri asks in front of the door to exit the black market, with a small box of caged kappa in his right hand. He hands it to me.

“How did you catch him?” I ask him in disbelief and awe at the same time. Banri has a special ability that even way too unique than any of us ─ he can manipulate the size and volume of something, anything. Whether it is to change it into something way bigger or way smaller, he can do it.

“Well, let’s just say that kappas are.... a little persuadable sometimes,” he answers with a mysterious tone on the edge.

“And I’m grateful for that matter. I just have no idea how you can handle both your mission and mine at such a short time,” I say.

“Short time?”

“Yes.”

“It has passed an hour after my mission is complete, Arsene.”

“Wow. That long?”

“Yes.”

After a while of thinking through it, I finally raise the small cage into the surface of my left wrist. When it touches my skin, it turns to sand of black, like being suck into a tornado of my bare skin, and then into a tattoo with the picture of the now small kappa and his cage. Well, I have to keep my prisoner somewhere. And tangling it with my necklace will not just cut it. I’m too concerned that it might escape.

“Thanks,” I mutter to Banri before leaving.