Ezekiel Tobit

Chapter IX Danielle Adler II

This is the orphanage, in the dungeons under the church, and it is the institution where we are thought how to read and write, where we learn about how the world works— the real world now where creatures such as angels, demons, vampires, witches, humans and other mythological creatures exist. The ancient world was never been like this, 200 years ago, since year 2021, the commencement of the Big One, everything has crumbled into this up until now.

It has been fifteen minutes since Ejy had called us for supper. I have finished taking a bath and is now changing into pajamas. Before I left the room, I made sure to secure my armory room by setting up a lock in it, aside from the key which I securely kept for myself. After everything is settled inside the room, I hurriedly made my way to the dining hall. Once inside, I was greeted with the luminous fluorescents that run the hall with incandescent lights. There are five long tables set vertically. The children, just like me are in their pajamas.

I squeezed myself between the spaces of tables 3 and 4 right after I got my plate and utensils and proceeded to my usual spot which is now already occupied by this bravado filled new comer. But I only ignore him, I am too tired for starting a fight, instead I continued to the empty seat right beside Ejy, the neat and formal looking Homo sapiens with a razor sharp gaze, well defined jaw, gangly build and a mixture of silver and dark hair. He simply ignored me and devoured the chunk of meat in his fork neatly. I started filling my plate with the food on the table and was about to start eating when a hand suddenly slap my hand.

"Mind your manners Tobit," Kay, Ejy's twin, a brazen woman with the same level of formality as of her twin brother chastised me.

"What's wrong with you?" I slightly raised my voice which causes some of the children to look at our direction. Almost everyone has already finished eating.

"Give gratitude before consuming the gifts bestowed upon us," she looks down at me with those admirable gazing eyes that are decorated with those golden round specs.

Giving gratitude is now not my forte, I'm simply a guy whose beliefs are messed up. However, it would be such a drag if I won't heed this girl who really give her effort to chastise me.

"Fine," I closed my eyes, clasped my hands and fake praying before I filled my stomach with the food. She seemed to look satisfied and continued eating from my opposite. She's stunningly beautiful with her long dark hair and gangly features. This is a rare occasion for me to have an interaction— an interaction that left me with a remarkable impression to someone in the institution aside from Friar Timothy and from those people whose names I forgot.

I stared at her while she eats, I doubt she notices me looking at her for she's so fixated to her meal.

"She might melt," Ejy whispers which almost lets me choke from the bone of chicken I'm finishing. I managed to fake a cough which made him chuckle softly in his seat.

"Who?" I ask, brushing off the fact that he's meaning his sister. "Sheila, she's beautiful isn't she?" he finished before walking away to return his plate.

What a relief, he didn't notice me staring at his sister, yet he'd mistaken me for looking at someone else whom I don't know, or forget to memorize the name. Who's Sheila by the way? The heck I care.

I finished eating without seeing Father, Mary and some of the Sisters in the dining area. They might probably are still talking about Michael's descent, or Rafael's. I headed to my room right away. I still have an interrogation to do with this new roommate of mine.

Right after I opened the door, Danielle was already seated at the lower bunk bed which is my place.

Why the heck is this guy always wanting to claim everything that is mine? He really is testing my temper.

"I've heard you've had an encounter with a demon?" he bombarded me with a question right after I closed the door.

"Yes, and I was with your sister when that happens," I reply, walking near him.

"I have no sister, nor do I have a family. I'm all alone, orphaned just like you and everyone else here since that incident." His voice is trembling, I can sense the pain looming inside each word he lets out. But who am I to care? Who am I to empathize with this demon?

"Mary Adler, she's your sister right?" He looked stunned by what I said.

"Mary, Mary, Mary. . .it's always just her, all about Mary, the immaculate and pure Mary, the gifted girl who'll carry the hope of all humanity," he speaks with deep resentment as he grimaces from being seated on the bed. "Hope of humanity? That's absurd, I'm glad I'm no human at all." Danielle's eyes glimmer indignantly with a hint of malevolence in them.

Should I ask him about what's  he's talking about? No, that would be a wrong move. This boy is an open book, I can easily get information from him, but he seems to be unreliable as well, I have to be careful. I've already known that part, I was made her protector by that archangel. But I didn't forge any promise, I haven't sworn myself to protect her.

"How did you become a demon?" The question was like a weapon hitting him in his blind spot. But he really is a tough one, after being momentarily speechless, he laughs, a high pitched laugh that is filled with cynicism, his deep emerald eyes are almost teary.

Is this guy for real? Is he really truly happy that he has become a demon? Or is he remorseful about the situation he is in? Even though he is a demon, there is still a hint of humanity left in him, the attitude of faking.

"That is a secret I must keep only to myself Ezekiel," he stands up from the bed and wanders to the corner of the room.

"I know what happened, I saw that incident with my own eyes. How did you manage to survive that? Did that demon turn you into one of them? Did it?"

Danielle stops moving, he twisted his body and gazes at me sharply, he's throwing me a questioning look.

"How do you know that?" He motioned towards me with curious eyes.

"So tell me Adler, who are you after? Why are you here?" I pause and look closely into his eyes so that he wouldn't be able to escape. "Why would you, a demon, willingly submit to a place that is anti-demon? Are you planning a suicide? Is there a person here in the institution you're sworn to protect? Are you a spy? Tell me Adler, tell me?!" There is strong animosity with my voice that made Danielle tense.

"And what would I tell you Ezekiel? What is it that I need to tell you?"

"Everything," I say, now gripping the collar of his shirt.

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AN: Oh, I badly need feedbacks right now. I want fuel to go on.