The Undying Servant

Not long after tearing the letter, I felt a sharp dagger-like pain shooting through my heart. It kept persisting even hours later, and only when the supply trucks arrived did it finally stop hurting.

Thankfully, the blood rain had stopped after I tore the letter, and the sea of guts and blood disappeared along with it. However, the lingering feeling of loss kept haunting me as if I'd forgotten something important. All I remembered now was this newfound power to cleave the soul from the body, but from where I acquired it? That knowledge had burned along with the letter after I tore it apart.

"Ken, the hotel manager, should I take it?" Jumping out of one of the trucks, a masked man dressed in an all-black leather suit walked over to me. "I'm here to take over, you and the monster girls are requested to head back to the city in one of the trucks until we've secured the premises."

Talking through the gas mask, he sounded like a zombie. Even the smell oozing out from underneath all that leather reminded me of the blood rain that had stopped just a few hours ago.

"Seems like the embassy had similar plans as I," holding my hand forward, I offered a friendly handshake. "I was about to suggest we do the same, but I'm glad the higher-ups have already thought of everything."

Holding his stare for a moment, he glanced me up and down as if judging me over my demeanor. Bringing his attention back up, however, he shook my hand before patting my shoulder from the sides.

"From next time don't question the enforcer's judgment kid, not everyone will be as forgiving as me when it comes to intellectual insults to our greatest minds," he warned–No, threatened. 

His monotone voice confused me, but the message he wanted to relay had gone across. Moving right past me, he marched in through the hotel's main doors. In the meantime, I moved closer to the girls who'd been huddled up around the supply trucks.

"Fresh water, finally…" Cinder heaved, holding a bottle of cold water by her cheeks.

"Fresh ingredients too, we should be able to make something decent now at least," Maiko added, rummaging through a supply crate at the back of the same truck.

Looking around, I also found Senya sitting at the top of the truck with her wings spread out. In her hand was a bar of chocolate that she appeared to have been munching quite a bit on. Moving behind the truck, the twins were also there sitting in the truck's back.

"The water from the lake was damn rancid today," Mercy complained.

"Yeah…" Grabbing a can of soda from the crate beside her, Claire handed it to her twin sister. "As good as wine can be, sometimes you just need water."

"Is that why you two are lazing around, drinking cans upon cans of orange soda?" Lifting her gaze from the supply crate she was checking, Maiko glared at the twins with her hand resting commandingly on her hips. "Help me get these crates inside before relaxing at least!"

"You don't need to, we're leaving," interjecting the conversation, I climbed into the back of the truck as well. Turning their attention to me, all three of them had their eyes furrowed with confusion. "Let the workers take care of this, they will be the ones staying at the hotel in our absence after all. We're leaving for the city until they secure this place from rogue monsters." 

"Fuck yes!" Claire exclaimed, excitedly.

"Really?" A bit perturbed by the news, Maiko didn't seem to share the twin's enthusiasm. "The city, as in the human city?"

Hearing the latter part, I could imagine why she would be reluctant over the matter. A city brimming with humans must be intimidating for a monster just as it would be to a human the other way around. 

"Don't worry, stick close to me while there and I'll make sure nothing happens to you guys," as soon as I was done answering one question, Mercy shot me with another.

"What about that damn vampire? Is she coming along with us too?" While her frowning suspicion was completely valid, I would've preferred if she didn't ask the question at all.

Moving deeper in amidst the pile of crates and boxes, I got closer to the twins before giving them a response. Locking my eyes with them for a spell, I couldn't help but heave a tired sigh.

"She's our problem for now," the moment I spoke out, their expressions dropped completely.

"Fuck me," Claire swore before looking away and chugging the soda.

"And…" Planting my hands on my hips, I shifted slightly to the side to face Maiko as well. "Since it's the girl's first time in a human city, you'll have to show them around whenever it's safe."

"Fine, we might have to visit a firearm store first though," getting up on her feet, Mercy began walking towards the truck's exit. "We never brought ours to the hotel, and in all honesty, I've missed those beauties."

Following her with my gaze, I watched her jump out of the back of the truck. Turning around to look at me again, she spoke once again.

"It's not much, but I'm gonna go pack our crap. Care to join me? I don't wanna be in the hotel with that vampire alone even if she's barely conscious," nodding back, I decided to join and help her.

But before heading back into the hotel, I had one last thing to say to the others.

"About the letter, I finally tore it apart. I don't know how and why I even had it but I knew I had to tear it," jumping off the truck as well, my feet stumbled a few steps back. Balancing myself, however, my eyes caught a glimpse of Senya now sitting right above the truck's back entrance.

'She's been listening? Save me the trouble I guess.' Shooting the thought out of my mind, I quickly finished the rest of my sentence.

"That letter, it gave me something–something that could help us, but until I figure out how to make use of it, let's keep everything that happened here a tight-lipped secret, alright?" Although none replied with words, their unblinking stares were enough proof of their understanding. "Good…Let's pack our bags then."

With that said, it was time to leave this damn place.