A Story of Evil

"Hurry up Sol!" Alice said, running merrily through the streets of the Inner Wall.

"Easy for you to say." The boy said in reply, following the nimble girl.

The last day was used in order for the two to continue their rest and relaxation. Instead of using it to practice, they were given money to buy whatever they wanted and, have been given two assassins which kept close watch over them.

"Remember, Bishop Baron is still pissed off by the humiliation you brought him. I can't execute him right now because he's the figure keeping the church and its worshipers stable. Just remember that he'd attack whenever an opportunity presents itself."

This was the only reminder given by the king. Yet the two didn't think much about it. They were wearing disguises after all. Both of them had a wig placed on, glasses that made their eyes look a bit different. Fake freckles and, even wore clothes used by the nobility.

"Sol they have cake here!" Alice said, all excited.

"You know I'd actually be smiling if you aren't making me carry all your stuff." Sol said, holding up ten bags and, not the ordinary kind. The two actually went to the black market and used the I.D. of Lilia.

The researcher was more than happy to cooperate saying: "If your budget isn't enough, just show them my card okay?"

With that, Alice continued buying a lot of items. Runebooks. Enchanted daggers. Curse dolls. Ancient Eastern Medicine. Sol knew from the very start that Alice was a bit weird but, her choices were a bit too much for a young lady.

"Don't complain on me Sol. Remember…"

"Yeah. Yeah. I owe you. Got it boss."

It was probably the most normal day they ever had in their entire lives. They didn't need to worry about earning enough to put food on the table. They didn't need to think where they could sleep safely for the night or, if they could even sleep at all. They didn't need to think of the jobs that are supposed to be for adults.

No. All they needed to think about at that moment was themselves and their own pleasures. For the first time, they were allowed to think about themselves and what they wanted. Not what they needed, not the essentials, but things that they've always wanted.

The two sat in the shop and, ordered two slices of cake. Sol took coffee while Alice ordered a lemon juice which actually used real lemon. The rest was much needed for Sol who began to feel his own legs numbing just a bit.

"Hey how about you Sol? Isn't there any place you want to go to?" Alice asked, taking a bite out of the cake and immediately shaking in delight.

"Not really." Sol also took a bite and, had his eyes widen from the sweetness of the pastry.

Sol actually though of visiting the Bloodbournes. They were just within the inner walls after all. But when he thought of Bishop Baron and the fake events within Pandora's Box, he couldn't help but feel that he'd only bring them misfortune and death.

"Awee come on weren't' they kind to you and all?"

"Yeah. But now's not the time to go to them." Sol took a sip of his coffee. It was the first time he tried it and almost spat at how bitter it was.

"Hmm…well I won't meddle in your business. But, don't you think it's a bit unfair on their part? After all, you dragged them into all of this. You should at least apologize right?" Sol looked at Alice with squinted eyebrows.

"Why do I need to apologize exactly?"

"Come on, we both know that Bishop guy will target them soon enough because of their relations to you. I mean they have good lives now sure but, until we win, I doubt King Jubilee will raise any sort of security for them."

"Exactly. That's why we need to make a commotion from the starting day itself. We need to show results both to the King and to that Bishop. We need to show them that we are indispensable."

"You're really starting to sound like King Jubilee you know that? Not that it's a bad thing." Alice took the last bite of her cake, ordering a whole cake which surprised the waiter.

"Let's just focus on the task Alice. It's not like I'd be gone forever and, neither will you. We'll return here as the first ever champions of the Culling, make no mistake about it."

It was that part of Sol that made Alice trust him even more. His confidence was backed up with logic and reasoning. He didn't just speak out of pride nor out of his own strength. He spoke based on variables all adding up to create most desirable outcome.

Every time she was ordered by Sol to do something, it was within a tolerable range. Sol would also be always there to back her up. He didn't allow her to face any danger alone and, even risked his life during the fifth level of the maze. He did lie once but, even when he acted like he'd actually kill her, Sol was truly stretching his brain – trying to find a solution to remove her execution.

That same boy promised her victory. And her heart was at ease because, she knew that it was true.

"I'm counting on you boy genius." Alice said with a warm smile on her lips.

The day would pass quickly for the two. They would talk of their plans while enjoying themselves and, would soon return to Pentagon in order to rest. Yet unknowingly, there was actually a catastrophic threat looming in. One which Pandora felt right away.

…

…

…

"You know the last time you forced me to go here, things didn't end quite well."

"Oh hush Jubilee, this is important."

King Jubilee got consumed by his own shadow. Unlike Sol that needed to sleep in order to access Pan's realm, Jubilee could enter it anytime since, Pandora was literally a part of him.

"So what happened this time around?"

"We've been too careless. The others…they've begun to move."

"You mean the other nine?" King Jubilee said, referring to the primordial Seraphims. He would've been shocked by the news but, because of [Cold Blooded], he was still calm and composed at that moment.

"The boy, you need to take him out of the Culling. You know they'd be targeting him."

"No. He'll remain and so will Alice."

"Are you serious right now? Do you think all of this is just a game Jubilee? Those kids stand no chance if they send a mutated Seraphim on the Culling!"

"Pan, how many chances do you think we have?" The king gazed at the Seraphim.

"Do you think I'm not aware of the dangers that lurk around us? As soon as I made that contract with you, one of my foot was already in the grave."

"Jubilee, we still have a few years at best. We just need to lie low for now."

"You told me that I'm running on borrowed time right? There would be no next times Pan, don't fool yourself." King Jubilee was making a stand.

"This is the only chance we've got. Whether the Seraphims awake now or, whether they awake at a near future, our only option is to move forward. Fear will not bring us any results; it will only paralyze us."

Pandora was still afraid. She thought of her torture and the extinction of her clan that believed in her and all she stood up for. She didn't want the same thing to happen again. Not when things were finally starting to fall into place.

Yet, she also knew that Jubilee's words had a ring of truth to them. She knew that it was probably her traumatic fears that were holding her down. Hence, once again, she took a leap of faith. Believing in the man who crawled from the pits of hell just to break the chains of fate.

"I can't bring you back to life twice. You'd really die this time around." Pan gave one last warning.

"As if my life even mattered in this whole scheme." Jubilee said, with his eyes still full of determination.

"Tomorrow. As soon as the Culling begins. The destiny of the Void will finally change."