Intoxicating

Drey sat down and stared closely at the paper report in his hand. He occasionally looked ahead, at a girl with shoulder length hair who was accompanied by five other agents.

"Any of you going to give a details regarding how and why she was injured?"

Brissia raised her hand briefly. "I'll explain it myself."

As Brissia's explanations flowed along with the ticking of the clock, not a single person seemed nonchalant. Their gazes repeatedly fell on Brissia's arms which were covered by her sleeves.

"All right," Drey said, "you may return to your respective rooms. I'll also investigate the workers from Mr. Stuart's residence."

"Yes, sir!"

Being the only person in the dim hallway didn't stop Brissia from thinking about the rain before sunset. His rain-soaked face still haunted her mind. The movement of his lips kept saying the same words in her ear.

'Fine' wasn't the word she wished to hear as she left his side. There was a tinge of discomfort in her heart when she saw him turn around with a gaze colder than raindrops, than a gust of wind at night.

Before she had made it halfway up the stairs, she found the subject of her thoughts before her eyes, staggering in the arms of two unknown agents.

"Brissia!"

The two agents stopped in front of her, but it made Brissia even more unable to take her eyes off the agent in the white t-shirt they were carrying.

Regardless they were out of breath, one of them said, "Harris kept calling you in a mumble. We had no idea why, especially when he suddenly almost fainted."

Her eyes widened as her saying to Harris echoed in her head. She touched his forehead briefly before asking them to help carry him to the infirmary, through the dim and quiet hallway.

In a room with gray walls with a dim white light outside the window, Brissia stood opposite Harris who was sitting with both eyes closed on the edge of a metal-legged bed. She put a paracetamol pill in Harris's mouth and helped him to drink a glass of water.

"Why... it's so dark?"

Without neglecting his question, Brissia walked toward the door. "Did you even see who carried you all the way here?"

Harris didn't answer. Brissia clenched her jaw as her grip on the doorknob tightened.

"They said..."

A clack sounded as Brissia's palm turned the door knob twice to the right.

"…There was an emergency call due to a sudden blackout. But since you weren't in prime condition, I chose to hide us until things got better."

"Things won't get better... if I continue to hear your melodious voice more than the song of a canary."

Whether it was intentional, Brissia clicked her tongue. "You should stop getting caught in the rain so you don't get delirious."

Harris lowered the compress that Brissia was holding on his forehead, looking at her wistfully.

"Apparently… you saw me dancing with the rain."

"Harris."

"But why did we remain silent? Was it because you doubted that my honesty could hurt?"

"Harris, stop."

She cupped Harris's face, trying to find something in his dim eyes. But what she found instead was a languid smile on his lips.

"So, can I be honest now, Brissie?"

Even though she had a strong urge to answer 'no', she couldn't bear to see the helplessness on his face. Slowly, she withdrew her hands and stood quite far from the man.

"Tell me, now."

Harris chuckled for a moment before looking at Brissia as consciously as he could.

"I'm jealous of that aristocratic guy, Brissie."

Then it was Brissia's turn to chuckle. "That's all?"

"No. What's worse is that I'm already intoxicated by it. Can you still heal me if later I turn into a poisonous plant that will tear you apart?"

Unexpectedly, those words caused pain in her chest. Even though the man had lay down and was no longer looking at her, she was still restless.

"Why do you always speak inhuman language in this place? Stop that, please."

She hugged herself with her back to him. But the sound of footsteps coming out of nowhere made her suddenly hold her breath.

Just as Brissia stared warily at the door, Harris sat up with a suspicious look. The two then glanced at each other as if they understood what they had to do.

"Use mine."

Brissia nodded, caught Harris's handgun which he had thrown, then pointed it at the door. Putting aside the feeling that Harris's weapon was lighter than her practice handgun, she focused his gaze on the door.

The shadow in front of the door transformed into a person as soon as the door opened wide. One shot managed to trick him, but that then made him run away.

"Harris, do you remember when you told me to wait for you in Algor District back then?"

Harris glanced at Brissia, who smiled bitterly at him.

"Now it's my turn. Wait for me," Brissia said, trying her best to maintain her smile.

"Don't, Brissie!"

Harris came out of the infirmary out of breath when he saw Brissia running after the mysterious figure. He squinted his eyes tightly for a moment before running toward the same direction Brissia had taken.

Meanwhile, in a spacious room with eight tall windows lining one wall facing the moonlight, Brissia was stunned to see the figure under the hood of his jacket.

"You…?!"

Her memory again referred to the same person. He, who looked at her indifferently when Gabriel didn't greet her warmly, and also he who had thrown two of Harris's friends from the window, Lena and Tom.

"What exactly is your association with Benjamin?!" she snapped.

"Honestly, I don't know him."

Brissa's eyebrows furrowed even more and her gaze sharpened. But one thing she failed to notice was the man's steps that were getting closer, not so clearly visible thanks to the dim moonlight.

A bullet streaked to the man's shoulder, startling Brissia. She turned to Harris who opened the hall door and aimed a shot at the man with a sharp gaze, not seeming to worry that he was breathing heavily.

"Brissie, we have to… get out of here. SOS is… unresponsive and… we lose backup electricity."

As Harris pulled Brissia toward the exit, she noticed the man's rise with a hiss. He disappeared in a flash, which widened Brissia's eyes.

"Harris, watch—"

In the blink of an eye, their bodies were thrown without a single touch. Their backs hit the floor after hitting the window behind them.

"Where did he get this… outrageous… p-power…?!"

That's what Harris hissed in annoyance before there was the sound of calm footsteps. They quickly looked up, only to find the door tightly closed and the man approaching them with two handguns.

"Here, I'll give you one to try against me."

Harris turned his gaze when his handgun was thrown in front of Brissia. "What happened to your arms?"

Brissia rolled down her sleeves to her wrists while taking Harris's handgun. "A maid… a bodyguard of Benjamin's father attacked me when I encountered her in another hallway."

The answer pondered Harris for a minute. When Brissia aimed the fire at the man in the black jacket, he quickly moved her hand in another direction.

The man looked to the side when he saw Brissia's bullet flying off target. He was about to turn around when a kick landed on his jaw, sending him tumbling to the floor.

"Nice, Brissie," said Harris, picking up the handgun that had fallen on the floor.

Harris then faced the man and said coldly, "Do not yet pray for your death. Tell me what you did to the others and the electricity."

The man chuckled before getting up with his two hands raised. Brissia took a martial stance while Harris didn't shift the aiming position of his handgun in the slightest except for the man in front of them.

"Sure. I'll tell you if you make it back from the afterlife."

Both of their eyes widened as their bodies flew through the window that shattered suddenly.

"Sc*ew you!" Harris swore, glaring at the man who just stood with a straight face on the edge of the floor as the two of them fell further.

Brissia turned her head when she noticed a bright light beneath her.

"Harris! Look down!"

An intricately patterned halo of purple giant light suddenly appeared below them. Before they could see what was written on it, they were swallowed up by it.

The girl's front body hit the wooden floor. Breathing heavily, she looked up and stared unblinkingly at the room around her. She froze when she recognized the room where she had swung her legs while sitting at the window.

"No… Harris—!"

Her breath caught in her throat as two people opened the door of the room hastily and then stopped in front of her with looks of anger, shock, and disbelief.

"You… imprudent kid!"