MERCY, infinite darkness

CHAPTER FOUR

EVERYTHING IS BOUND to fall apart. In the end, nothing mattered when the world sat on chaotic, unstable ground. That's what Seraphina thought when she met those now unfamiliar icy eyes, which were now indecisive towards her. She also thought the same, not refuting his coldness—things had changed. Maybe it's good...but it could also be for the worse.

It wasn't a coldness that could be considered hostile, or purposefully malicious.

They've simply been through too much.

Is that why they had kissed? Because she realized he had changed. In the past, Leon's blue eyes were tinted with grey with a air of uncertainty. Almost puppy-like, as ridiculous as that sounded. He had recently graduated from the academy...so of course, he'd been excited to get into the real world.

Seraphina didn't dare think boldly towards him back then. It didn't help that she had been infected, crawling into death and expecting fully to die before meeting him. Feelings and hints of romance were barely there, even if she felt like it, Seraphina avoided those feelings like the plague.

Leon back then wouldn't have done anything.

When heading to save Ashley from the hands of the Las Plagas and it's cult, Leon's eyes had turned dull for the first time. His curious side still there, but now he had a hard edge. Trauma changed him, but she expected that. All those words he said...

That's when she couldn't fan the flames anymore.

It was hard to ignore it now.

Seraphina felt it was giving the opposite effect. Now that her supposed romance was "progressing" it suddenly shattered her world view. Things aren't
as easy when you're two adults who can't even get the will to make things clear.

She'd rather suffer heartbreak.

At least there's a clear answer then.

...

Tossing aside these distracting thoughts, the trio took an elevator and ran inside a tunnel-like area after the doors opened. The area resembled something of an underground bunker, dimly lit with lamps hanging from the low ceiling. Everything about the place felt cramped and awfully congested.

"This is leading toward the place where they make bio weapons." Shen May broke the sound of rugged breathing and their hurried steps. Leon sighed, squeezing his fist as he ran alongside both women.

"Of course they are. Typical."

Beep. Beep. Beep. Something in Seraphina's pocket buzzed, which couldn't be heard from other than the owner as that's how small the radio was to use to communicate between her and Dean. Dean...he had connected back to the signal! He was calling for her now, out of all times?!

You always put me in bad timing, Dean!

"Hello? Hello?!" He called in the ear piece as she placed it back to hear him clearly. His voice was rapt and loud, clearly concerned from the lack of communication the past few days she's been missing. And of course, she's probably in trouble.

"You couldn't have picked a more worse time to call me back," Seraphina whispered harshly into her ear piece, irritated. Why in the world had it connected now? "I'm a bit busy, but I'll catch up with you later."

"Wait-wait, don't cut me off! I thought you were dead, but now it told me we connected!"

"What?! Make it quick!" She nearly yelled.

"C-Chris told me he wants you back after this whole thing and to give a report...we need information and—"

"Okay, okay! I'll do it, tell him to shut up!"