Book 2: Seven Demon's Hearts

Episode 63: Secrets

Episode 63: S e c r e t s

The brightness of the day gradually sank through the room irritating Pride's comfortable sleeping state. He turned to the side of the king-sized bed, the silk bedcover slightly rolling down his bare hips. 

For a few seconds, he deeply desired to fall back to sleep, savoring that erotic dream with Solmi into his long-term memory. 

That's until his eyes flew open. 

"Solmi?" He sat up, looking at the emptiness beside him on the vast bed. Lifting the covers up, he glanced down at his black boxers with the usual large erection he had greeting him after dreaming about her. "Fuck." He whispered to himself, shaking his head with disbelief. He looked around with confusion, trying to spot the traces of a second person's presence but there was nothing. 

"Solmi!" He panicked, flinging the covers off his legs and dashing to the bathroom. Pride shuffled to a stop, catching his reflection in the mirror, and bitterly stared back at his demonic form filled with dread and pity. 

What had happened all felt so real but was it really just another fragment of his imagination? He often had these dreams about her, sometimes he'd even have them in the middle of the day when he blanked out. But this was different. He felt everything so vividly that he truly began to question if his sanity was completely shattered.

Just as he was about to turn away, his eyes dropped down to the elastic band of his Calvin Klein boxers in the reflection, spotting a white paper peeking out. He quickly grabbed the folded hotel notepaper and walked out of the bathroom, standing in front of the bed. 

His eyes scanned the letters: Pride. I love you.   

He looked all over the 12-inch paper, turned it over to the back, and double-checked for anything he missed. But that was truly it. Those four words and a lipstick stain of her kiss beneath it. Pride scoffed, blinking back at the paper before he burst out into laughter, squatting down and running his hand through his hair. 

"I wasn't going insane then." He sighed and stared back at the paper, his nose twitching at the faint scent of her on his body. Slowly he brought the paper to his lips and pressed his mouth against the lip stain, falling back onto the floor. 

With a disappointed sigh, he finally crumbled the paper in his fist and silently looked back at the upside-down city skyline deep in thought. 

_____

"Jin." 

The club owner set his glass down, looking up as the voice behind him called out his name. From the sparkling glass bottles stacked neatly on the rack ahead, he caught sight of a distorted reflection of his visitor. 

Taking a shaky breath, he turned around using the barstool chair and faced her. "Sera." 

The angel's eyes flared white before she blinked and looked at him with a clear gaze. "Bellum." 

"...War?" Jin translated, lifting his brows with a scoff. "That's the first thing you come to say after six years of ghosting me? They sure didn't lie when they said women are cold," he rolled his eyes.

"Jin, that's my real name. I'm Bellum, the angel of War. Conveniently, I went by Sera when I was still using the little girl as a host. So, I just thought I'd finally introduce myself by who I really am." She ran her fingers down that long brunette hair, looking to the side and scanning the club with an uncertain look on her face. 

"And, why'd you decide to come now?" Jin crossed his legs, casually leaning back into the bar table. Bellum narrowed her eyes at his calm manner, adjusting her gaze back at his unbothered expression. However, when she looked back at his tight fists she gave off a smirk and looked back at his wavering eyes.