From Satan with Love (bxb)

Chapter 37 Love and Hate, Are They So Different?

Daniel's death and Angel's true identity had hit Leon hard. For a month, he isolated himself from everyone and kneeled before the crucifix statue day and night, praying and seeking penance and guidance. Jesus's suffering face looked down at him as if sharing the torment boiling within him, yet remained silent, refusing to give the exorcist any answer.

Many people had come to talk to him—Chloe, other crew members, some exorcists sent by the Bureau, the agents from the Paladin, and even curious fans who had located him from various channels. They all talked to him about important matters, yet Leon had locked himself back into the dark mental prison he had constructed when he was a child and stopped speaking to anyone. Not even Young-jin could get him to speak.

Young-jin was worried. He should have been happy, and he thought his big brother would have been overjoyed after the doctors claimed, after repeating and thorough examination and in perplexed wonderment, that all the congenital abnormality of his heart was gone, as if his heart had been reconstructed anew. Young-jin believed that perhaps God had seen how much Leon helped people and took pity on them and sent an angel to cure him, yet when Leon suddenly stopped speaking, just like many years ago after the tragic incident that destroyed their happy family, he knew something disastrous had happened, and it likely had something to do with Angel.

Leon had refused even to hear Angel's name being mentioned since that night, and when Young-jin tried to push it, he just left their apartment. Careworned, the younger Solari called Angel.

Angel immediately picked up the phone, "Hey, Young-jin?"

"Yeah, it's me. Are you busy?" Young-jin said hesitantly.

"No, no. What's wrong? How are you feeling?" Angel's voice sounded a little anxious.

"I'm fine. I'm great, actually. Life without a problematic heart is so amazing!" Young-jin snickered, but his smile soon faltered, saying, "But I'm calling about my brother..."

"Is Leon okay?" The nervousness in Angel's tone increased drastically.

"I'm not sure...Did you and my brother get into a big fight or something?"

"...Something like that."

"I haven't seen him like this since we were children...Hey, I don't mean to pry, and I'm not blaming you. But I'm just worried that he will get into trouble. The Bureau and some strange government people came to ask me a lot of questions the other day, and they said Father West had disappeared. I knew nothing except that you told me Fathe West is dangerous, but then I didn't tell them that because I don't know if it will get you in trouble."

Azazil smiled a little at the other end of the call. Young-jin could possibly have been the best brother-in-law in history...yet he had condemned the innocent young man's soul by saving him...Satan didn't feel guilt often in his eons-long life, but this was one of those rare occasions.

"Don't worry about those people. I will deal with them. As for your brother...I will try to talk to him and sort things out."

"Thank you, Angel!" Young-jin sounded relieved, "Oh, by the way, I actually went jogging this morning for the first time in my life. It was AWESOME!"

Azazil chuckled at the younger Solari's adorable reactions, "We should watch that new horror movie sometime, too. I remember you told me your brother forbade you from watching any horror movie."

They chatted a little more before hanging up. Azazil put his phone away and returned to the archdemon before him. The archdemon, Izarath, had overtaken the body of Brooklyn Levine, the Deputy Director of the CIA. She was the one Astaroth had tasked with identifying individuals to whom Pope Sixtus VI had paid special attention. She was presenting him with a list of candidates when Young-jin's call came in.