Akuma ~ (Complete) Short Story

Part 1

Hisoki, a young man of twenty-five, sprinted as fast as he could. His shaggy black hair bounced with every step. It was closing in on him. He had to make it to CAD Labs. Luckily, it wasn't very far from his house.

He peered over his shoulder to see if it was close, his small almond eyes fixing on the darkness that had been caused by the broken street lamps. Hisoki could not see it.

The streets of Tokyo were not usually this quiet. He was sure that somebody, anybody would be out and see what was chasing him. Soon, someone should come to his aid. As unusual as it was, nobody saw.

He heard the flapping of leathery wings behind him, it was close. He began to slow. His back burning, he felt light-headed. His doctor warned him not to run, it was dangerous. His spine had been broken only months earlier.

Hisoki was usually bound to a wheelchair, he knew this was bad. He was usually only out of it for minutes at a time to stretch his tired legs. Only...he had abandoned his wheelchair to escape the akuma. Hisoki knew he wouldn't have been able to escape with it. At that moment he regretted injuring himself more than ever. He thought about how inopportune this was for it to be happening to him now. Why now? Why now when his back was injured and he could collapse at any second? However, he was thankful. Thankful that if he did survive the wheelchair was temporary and he could walk on two feet again.

The sound of the Akuma's wings ceased. Had it stopped chasing him? Hisoki stopped and looked behind him. The akuma had vanished. Hisoki was relieved, but he dared not stop. He ran to the lab only a few blocks further. He looked up to the window of the room where the akuma had first escaped the Karr Dimension.

Violet, Hisoki's American secretary, and secret love of his life stood and was straightening up things in the lobby. Her big blue eyes and upturned nose, her two most prominent features were puddled with tears. She turned to the sound of the automatic doors opening and wiped her tears as best she could.

"Hello, Mr. Sato." She said throatily contradicting her usually soft chirpy voice. "Oh! Where's your wheelchair?"

He didn't answer, "Leave,"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Go home right now!" He yelled and Violet trembled.

"Yes, sir. Let me just get my things from the back." She said mildly upset at being yelled at, but still full of the respect a worker should have toward their superior.

A few moments later she returned in a black trench coat and carrying a red book bag.

"Good, night." She waved.

"Wait... Stop!" He said and lurched forward grabbing her hand and pulled her towards him till they were eye to eye. 

"I want you to go home."

"I am going home." She replied, perplexed as if he had just hit her with an impossible riddle.

"I mean..." He paused for a moment deeply torn at the words he was going to say that would mean she would leave forever. "Back to America."

Violet looked shocked and appalled. "Why?"

"It's not safe here anymore."