Book 2: Seven Demon's Hearts

Episode 80: Omnis exitus initium est

Episode 80: O m n i s e x i t u s i n i t i u m e s t

Aiko stood still, as stiff as a rock, while Jimin cried into his chest. These tears, he looked down at them, they weren't sad. They were desperate. Joyful. Disbelief. And more of all, relief.

"Who." The boy whispered out softly. Jimin squeezed Aiko's shoulders and smiled brightly, trying to calm his emotions down.

"V-V and Hanul!" He laughed out like he couldn't believe himself and went in for another tight hug.

"They're alive?!" Almost everyone gasped in unity.

"Jimin! How!" Damien and Natella desperately asked.

"Brother!" Tears spilled out of Jungkook's eyes. "How! What's happening!"

Sera stared at Aiko's stunned expression with a growing smile crawling on her shocked face. Gulping back the knot forming in her throat and blinking away the tears, she quickly went over to Jimin and grabbed his attention. "What happened?"

****

After a few moments of silence, Sera burst into tears and hugged Aiko tightly. "I'm so glad...oh, I'm so glad." She sobbed after listening to Jimin who was still wiping at his tears alongside Jungkook.

Practically everyone was emotional after hearing that V and Hanul were still alive. There were so many mixed expressions, and despite their differences, everyone had their reasons to cherish those two. Good news like this certainly offset the dark mood that had quickly managed to find its way just after the battle.

"So, Suga...Suga's not going to wake up from the spell?" Jungkook teared up. Jimin's eyes sadly looked down to the floor.

"He's going to be asleep for an indefinite period of time." He explained. "That's all I could read from the letter he was holding in his hand. But because of his vision where he perceived V and Hanul's death, they were able to protect themselves with a spell from his mother's grimoire. The spell cost too much energy from Sloth so as a side effect, he locked himself using occultare and performed it on them before the battle before going into slumber. Who'd have known that the old witch would be useful for once."

"When..." Aiko perked up with hope in his eyes. "When are they coming back?"

Jimin cleared his throat, "he didn't mention when." Slowly he looked up, watching the boy's face change from hopeful to a pained and breaking expression. "But...they'll probably be here soon. I know it." He whispered to him, trying to be more positive about the situation. "They always manage to pull through."

Aiko sucked in a deep breath before clamping his mouth shut and disappearing.

"Where did he go?!"

Jimin quickly looked around in panic. Sera sighed and wiped her tears with a heavy feeling.

"I think I might know." He snapped his head over at Sera. "But I might need some transportation help to get there."

****

His loud wails were already audible all the way from the top of the stairs. Against the wind, it sounded almost haunting.

"Where is he?" Jimin let go of Sera's arm but she quickly grabbed his hand.

"If you don't mind, I'll try to talk to him first." She looked ahead at the rooftop that they had first met Satan on. The area where they had their first heart-to-heart session, unleashing all their stress and worry. The memories of her guilt crawled back, but also the funny and good ones too. She remembered him choking on her vape and the feeling of being alone together, looking down from the top of the world at everything. This was the special place Aiko had chosen to hide away in.