Chapter Text
“Why?”
–Dosage increase.
“I don’t want to…”
–Dosage increase.
“You will become one of them, do you want that?”
“…No.”
“Then be a good girl and take it.”
–Dosage increase.
Beep Beep Beep…..
6:00 am blinks on the screen of your alarm clock, the beeping sound makes your pupils shut open and your hand aggressively turns off the alarm. You get out of bed but after a couple of steps you make a sudden stop and go back to your bed and fix everything until is immaculately done.
You run your thumb over your wrist, your fingertip traces over the small scar. After taking a shower you open your fridge and take out one of the pills and swallow it. Your pulse increases and you have to close your eyes because for a second everything becomes a blur.
Use your formal uniform, your father told you the night before, there was a meeting and you were picked to escort the Crown and Scepter. Why would they propose for you to do it? To make you feel better? They loved you, in their own way they did… and you loved them, but even though they were the people you had known your whole life sometimes they felt like complete strangers.
The white uniform clings to your body perfectly, the black belt cinches your waist, the pants snug all the way from your waist down to your ankles enhancing your curves… you wonder if this should be called formal? Your hair decides to be problematic so you put it up in a ponytail, strays hair brush your temples and ears, and when you finally make it out of the door you look like a decent officer, a decent Angel.
“Looking good,” he tells you as soon as you walk into the room.
“Shut up,” you say with a smile, “I don’t like wearing white,” you pull the blazer down as if trying to cover your behind.
He raises an eyebrow, “Looks good on you.”
You roll your eyes, “don’t even.”
“What? Hahaha! Telling the truth and refrain from such attitudes you don’t want your crystal to activate,” he arranges himself on the chair and starts tapping on the keyboard, the screens turn on and images of the halls, rooms and the exterior of the building pop on, “they are going out through the main entrance, you ride the same car as them, when you get there you need to escort them to the office on the top floor. They are meeting with friends but, oh well, you know formalities.”
“Got it,” you glance at your wrist to look at the time.
“Nice watch and nice way to cover that,” he gives you a last smile before turning to the screens again.
“Thanks, see you later, Seven.”
You stand next to the car when the doors of Heaven’s Gate open and a couple of Angels walk out, behind them the Scepter guides the Crown, her arm hooked around his. Her blonde hair shines beautifully and her green eyes gleam as she smiles at the passersby. He in the other hand wears no expression, even if people bow their heads and smile at him he pays no attention to them and you wonder… no, you shake your thoughts and open the door for the Crown to step in first.
“Good morning,” she greets with an angelic smile, you bow your head a bit.
For a moment, a second that seems like an eternity, his eyes meet yours. The color of his orbs remind you of the crystal inside your wrist and it’s as if you feel it reacting, twitching, your pulse accelerates, same side effect as the purifier. He blinks his gaze away and the world starts moving, time goes forward and sounds fill the air again. You close the door behind him and get in the front seat.
You are relieved your destination is close and neither of them talks making the ride to C&R’s Building pretty quiet, though you are not able to determine if the silence is good or bad.
You are sure this task is a way to prove yourself, at least that’s how you feel your parents are taking it. But, seriously, what else can you do? What else do they want? You have dedicated yourself to them, to their dream of you becoming an Angel… but you are not their greatest achievement…
He is. The boy sitting behind you, he is the strongest, his body takes the purifier as if he was born for it. An obedient soldier, a faithful believer who doesn’t ask questions but follows his master blindly. The perfect Angel, the Crown’s right hand, the powerful Scepter.
C&R’s Building stands tall and it welcomes all of you with the formalities Seven mentioned earlier. You follow your orders and escort them until they enter the office where Heaven’s Gate most powerful partner and friend awaits, Jumin Han. The Crown’s future husband Jihyun Kim is there as well. The door closes and you with the rest of the Angels wait outside.
The closed-door meeting ends after a couple of hours and as you are to make your leave you are informed that the Crown stays behind, the Scepter is the only one going back to Heaven’s Gate.
“We are taking the smaller car,” the driver tells you.
You are about to open the copilot’s door when Sull stops you, “ride on the back,” he opens the back door and you hesitate to go in since the Scepter is standing there. The white-haired boy doesn’t look at you but uses his hand to let you know you can go in first. You scoot down the sit so he is able to sit next to you.
You have never talked to him, never been this close to him before… it’s awkward as hell and once again the crystal in your wrist reacts to him, or is it you? You press your thumb over the band of your watch and somehow your eyes drop to his legs where he rests his hands, two white bands cover his wrists, he has two crystals in him. Why? Isn’t the burden of living with one enough? The questions dance in your head and you know it’s a tune it’s not supposed to be playing, not when you are not allowed to think or to wonder.
If only your body was like his, your parents could be proud, you wouldn’t have to deal with constant dosage changes and checkups.
“Their daughter,” a voice sounds and at first you don’t know who is talking, “you are the doctors’ daughter.”
You finally react and turn to him, “Yes,” he is looking out of the window.
“How come you are an Angel and not a scientist? Normally children follow their parent’s steps… normally anyways.”
“I…” you don’t know what to answer and you can feel Sull watching you on the corner of his eye.
“You?” he turns to you, “your parents are geniuses are you not?” a smile curls his lips up and a knot twists your stomach.
I am not. I am a burden. I am a weakling… a mistake.
The car stops and you open the door rapidly, the breeze hits your face and you feel like you can finally breathe. You don’t bother to look at him and he does the same, you just walk quietly behind him until you go inside and his personal Angels are waiting for him.
As you make your way back to the Angels’ offices you can’t stop thinking about him, his eyes, his smile and his questions. It bothers you, it makes you what you are not supposed to do, WONDER.
You open the door of Seven’s office and he is not there, approaching his desk you see he is working and must be in the restroom or something. Your eyes wander on the screens and you notice something weird.
Shots of the Scepter are on one screen, a log of his crystals in another, logs of other crystals appear on a third screen. Why is he handling this information? A fourth screen is running over codes you recognize since you grew up looking at them. The fifth screen is an access log where details can be input manually, but only doctors are allowed such action… is Seven?
“You are back early,” he says behind you but you don’t give him a chance to react, you greet him with your body pushing his to the ground.
“You, you are a traitor,” you point your gun to his forehead, your body straddles him.
The golden eyes of your partner stare back at you, he doesn’t even flinch because he knows you won’t do it, your finger trembles on the trigger.
“Go ahead shoot me, kill me here and end it all but I know you are the same as me… you are a Demon.”
You know it, the truth of his words hurt because it’s not supposed to be like this, you are the daughter of the scientists behind the newest purifier’s formula. The truth will taint not only your reputation but your parent’s too.
“Seven, whose crystals were you messing with?” You ask ignoring his comment.
He grabs your wrist and you flinch, “one of them was yours, that’s why the alarm hasn’t gone on, I know they are increasing your dose almost weekly because your body refuses the purifier, they are going to kill you.”
Your eyebrows furrowed and you realize he is telling the truth once more if your crystal were to be working correctly other Angels would be showing up at your current location.
“Come with me if you want to know the truth, I will tell you why I am messing with the crystals and I know you will understand,” he takes the gun away, “I am not going to hurt him, I want to save him.”
“Seven, you are kidding right?”
“I’m not, aren’t you tired of it? Of pretending you are okay with them controlling you? I know you, I know your head is filled with questions, questions they will never answer. I am giving you a chance to get those answers, please, come with me when our shift is over, you will understand, listen,” he holds your hand, “you can be free.”
You exit Heaven’s Gates past midnight when your shift is supposed to be over, Seven drives the car that takes you to his original destination. You are still hesitating but he is right, in so many things that it makes you mad. You know the dose increase will only have you met an early death, it is the destiny of the Demons anyways.