Book 2: Seven Demon's Hearts

Episode 67: Mastermind

Episode 67: M a s t e r m i n d

Her footing slipped off and before she knew it, Sera was in a free-fall. Just as she was no longer able to suppress the scream she trapped inside, two sturdy arms scooped her up seconds away from crashing down from the sixtieth floor of the hotel.

Quickly, she grabbed onto the unknown arms with shaking hands, waiting for her heart to stop beating itself into a cardiac arrest before glancing up at her savior.

Immediately, she found herself barely unable to breathe--and it wasn't just from the dramatic oxygen shift. Those mad, diamond-shaped irises looked down at her and a small mocking smirk reflected back into her eyes.

She let out a strangled scream of terror, quickly pushing away.

"Are you sure you really want me to let go? We're quite high above the land. But if that's your wish, then so be it."

"NO!" She screamed again, holding onto him tightly as she glanced down at the minuscule city of Seoul below. Slowly, her head cranked back up to the lower half of a face that resembled V's so much, yet was different in the way pure sin and insanity marked it.

"You're getting better at handling your breath around me. Good job." Satan finally descended down. Tightly, she held on as he quickly dropped down and surprisingly landed with a soft impact in a quiet alleyway. As soon as she was safe, she pushed him away and stumbled down to the floor, scrambling back into the darkness.

"S-S-Satan..." she placed on a hostile tone, glaring at him and careful to not meet his eyes.

"This truly breaks my heart. I don't even get a thank you for saving your life? Seems like human teenagers these days don't have any basic manners. They even used to worship me behind their 'rock' music disguise just a few years before your generation!"

"What are you doing..." Sera tried to summon her powers but mentally cursed, realizing that the cuffs sealed them. He grew closer and she held her breath, watching his every move. Crouching down, he placed both hands on each cuff, and immediately they broke off.

"There you go." He stood back up. "You can try to use your cute little Magik tricks if you'd like to console yourself with them now."

"Stop mocking me! What the hell is someone like you doing here? Why...why did you save me? How did you even know?"

Satan rolled his eyes and yawned. "You know, I actually didn't miss civilization back when I was in the cage. Listen, little girl, weren't you the one pleading for help back there? Right before you jumped? So you got it. End of story."

"Yeah...I was...but not for you!"

He smirked, narrowing his eyes mischievously, "was it perhaps my dear little grandson then?"

Sera furrowed her brows. He was correct. Right as she thought of a way to escape, she desperately tried to reach out for Aiko. It felt stupid, but he had promised her that he'd be there when she simply just called out for him. And to her disappointment, again, he wasn't here.

"Well, don't get so disappointed. The person who actually called me to help you was indeed Aiko."

"What?" Her eyes widened with shock. "So where is he? Why isn't he here? Is he okay?!"

"Ugh, lovesick fools." Satan stuck his tongue out and pretend to gag. "He's fine. He wouldn't have been able to reach out to me if he wasn't. Just as I expected from my smart grandson, he summoned me using the card I had given him. So in conclusion, he heard your pathetic cries and he's probably thinking up a sly plan since it involves me being here. I'm just so happy my lovely boy would think of his own grandpa!" He gushed, wiping off an actual tear from the corner of his eye.