Their New Future | BOOK 2 OF THE ANOMALY SAGA

CHAPTER 31

[Location: Outside Little Moon's Cafe. Time: 12:35am. Ryū's POV]

I stared outside the taxi cab, watching the rain fly across the closed windows, the dark streetlights illuminating the droplets as cars drove past.

"Oh, my stop is here."  I quickly sat up and pulled out my wallet that was chained onto my belt loop, removing two thousand won bills and extra change. "Keep the change."

The driver thanked me and took off for another customer, leaving me in my body length coat and umbrella. The smell of fresh rain was always so comforting, the cold biting at my nose. I blow onto my icy hands, poorly attempting to warm them as I circled around the cafe building, adjusting the guitar case on my back.

With a deep inhale, I focused in on cameras anywhere within 10 meters and start a blackout, effectively short circuiting any footage from the past two days. I removed the holy artefact karambit knife, holding tightly as I approached the door with my keys, only to find it was already picked.

The café was drowned in darkness, the only sounds you could hear was the mechanical whirring from the refrigerators and freezers. I bit my lip as the grip on my karambit tightened, keeping my body low whilst I pressed myself against the wall and scanned the floor.

Clear.

With light feet, my combat boots slowly crept up the stairs. The light from underneath the staff lounge shone, flashing off once the slightest creak from under my step echoed in the empty café, pulling out a handgun from the back of my leather jeans, resting it under the arm holding the knife, as if it were a flashlight.

"Shut up, someone's here!" A voice harshly scolded another, reluctantly obliging as all I could hear was restrained groans of pain. I pushed open the door and pointed the gun at the person standing with blood all over him, letting out a sigh as it was only Amadis.

Amadis La'Croix, a Frenchman, 27 years old and one of the founding members of the Guardian Daemon Association. A proud and skilled mercenary that holds his own heavy burdens, including the fact that he's a much higher tier Daemon than he says he is. Reckless and goes into everything headfirst.

He was Albino, one of the more common traits of Daemons. Long, straight white hair that ended at his waist, tied back into a low ponytail as some stray strands messily hung in his face. His arms and back were littered with thick, deep scars, but they were covered in bloody bandages. His black sleeveless turtleneck with the GDA logo, an upside down patriarchal cross that was stitched with osmium as an authenticator, was ripped, showing the bulletproof vest underneath as well as his black cargo pants and boots.

"Calamity, well..." Amadis looked toward him, grimacing.

Giovanni Romano, aka Codename Calamity, was the second founding member of GDA. An Italian man that was too eccentric for his own good. Frequently covered in intricate white, black and maroon clown makeup, opal green hair that was curled outwards and choppy bangs that ended above his short eyebrows, with one long side bang and the other cut to his Adam's apple. Though he wasn't wearing his usual flamboyant and revealing 'clown' attire, he wore a special issue white body suit made of osmium and thick platform boots.

He was a literal clown, in my sincerest opinion.

"You had strict orders to not find me or contact me. What don't you understand!?" I growl at Amadis who gave me an apologetic but firm look. Calamity's side was covered in crimson, hiding any injury that was under the suit as he sat against a wooden chair.

"I didn't have a choice, you never gave us a choice!"

"Can you two stop fighting for one second and stop me from bleeding out, testa di cazzo!" Calamity cried as he kept pressing a blood-soaked rag against his side which was all-but hopeless, as blood poured freely out of his side. Amadis glared at me and I sighed.