Old Flame

--

[While Yohan Was On His Way To Meet Joshua]

Devitto and Ramika strolled together, keeping a noticeable gap between them. Devitto acted as the guide for her, showcasing the "school" and elaborating on its 'educational' approach.

"Every kid raised here is like sowed seeds and the goal is to see them bore the fruit... Becoming a valuable asset to the organization, assassin clans and stuff. But in recent times, there has been monumental effort going on in making the children of the Underworld learn to live a peaceful life along with humans... By choice."

"Means?"

"Talentless kids won't be forced. They'll be let go of but also taken care of until they find themselves a life among humans. Most of the human kids end up living that way..."

"Yohan?" Ramika asked to which Devitto nonchalantly smiled.

"I don't know anything about him, either babe... I was in a different division and a different nation. And I was doing assassination gigs which were meant for kids. Since kids don't attract suspicions... But I heard Yohan ended a bloody fucking war and he was aged just 18 at that time."

"What else do you know? Do you know why he's keen on helping me? Anything like that? I mean, he literally threw away his retirement life for a girl like me—"

"Trust me, the entire Underworld is burning with that question... Nobody knows. Nobody gets it. And let me tell you one more tale... A very unbelievable one..."

Devitto paused while Ramika keenly listened. "His retirement was not a smooth decision. The 'Elders' and multiple factions wanted him to stay and serve... Or be seated in a powerful position, so the entire underworld can serve him... They wanted him as the next 'King'... Some opposed it because he's a human but there were more desperate factions in number who wanted to use him. One of them was the Vampire Princess' now disbanded clan, the 'V Kingdom'."

Ramika's eyes widened as soon as Devitto mentioned Diana Jones. For some reason, she loathed from the first time she met her, and she grew more intrigued by Devitto's tale by her inclusion.

"Edward Jones, the Vampire king, founder of the 'V kingdom' and one of the most influential clan leaders in the Underworld and the unofficial dictator of assassination guilds... His death hurt the V Kingdom's position badly and Diana being seen as a mere bratty princess, wanted to change the fate of her dad's clan desperately. But what she can do? Yohan adamantly left the Underworld despite the thousand warnings they gave him..."

"What was it Diana wanted him to do? Why she got desperate?"

"Well, you can ask Diana that. My mouth is hurting already..." Devitto bowed out, tired of narrating everything in a detailed manner for the Miss Curious. Ramika sighed and nodded, as she already thought of whom to ask.

--

[PRESENT]

Joshua was being taken away on a stretcher while other students, and staff were wondering what happened and surprisingly none of them suspected Yohan. And Yohan was really glad about it.

"Haa... wonderful people," he whispered to himself, elated, sipping his cup of tea. Just as he was thinking he can smoothly keep everything under wraps, the pink-haired lady staff approached him from behind.

"Mister, Yohan Karvakarn... I saw it." Charlotte Xavier, the retired A-grade assassin and the teacher who specializes in stealthy tactics in assassination and quick murder techniques, sneaked up behind Yohan.

Yohan aware of her presence very well, turned back to see her sharp smirk and an inviting glare.

"Has anyone said this to you before? That you are insanely beautiful??"

"Why? You find me as one?"

"No, just curious... Anyway, what is it that you saw?" Yohan asked, sipping his tea while his eyes also noticed the 'Master' getting rushed to the operation room quickly. A sigh of relief exhaled from Yohan as he drifted his attention back to Charlotte.

"Shall we talk as we take a walk?" Charlotte invited him, reaching for his hands to hold, to which Yohan calmly smiled and nodded, but refused to grab the inviting hand.

"I'll walk... we'll walk. No need to hold hands..."

Charlotte chuckled and together they exited the gymnasium and took a walk along the playground where some kids were practising knife throws and running.

"Let's start with what the doctors said... Especially the medical practitioners of the wolf tribe..." Charlotte began.

Yohan frowned to himself and calmly listened.

"They say that Joshua's wolf has gone into a shock... Like the wolf probably got overwhelmed by something so bad that it kicked it into a coma... Sounds familiar?"

Yohan looked impressed and smiled, shaking his head. He was immediately reminded of the one person who faced the same fate as Joshua and silently laughed at the coincidence.

"So, you know Lance... How is he?"

"I am aware of the stories, Mister Yohan. But sorry, I actually don't work under Mister Lance but his partner. Heard a lot about you from her."

"Partner? Like a wife?"

"No, just a partner. They're doing some joint ventures together... Actually, Miss Diana was on her way to attend their inauguration party..."

"Woah... Big deal it seems. And you mentioned her as 'HER'?" Yohan chuckled and casually thought about it, taking nothing seriously.

But it was until Charlotte uttered the name of the 'HER'.

"Catherine... Catherine Thomas... You must have known her. She said you know her very well. Personally..."

Yohan felt something being ripped out of his skull alive while he stood like a motionless rock, stunned. The casualness, the smile, everything was washed away from his face, leaving behind his broody self to glare at Charlotte.

"What else did she say?"

--

[Diana After Reaching The Party]

Diana quickly donned a sleeveless, low-neck black gown and stepped out of the car. She walked past the reception and entered the lavish party in that golden palace where the men and women treated themselves with good food, good wine and gorgeous ladies in skimpy costumes dancing around.

While she noted down a few beauties for her fun night, she also looked around for the 'idiots' who invited her.

"Ma'am?" a timid-looking lady approached Diana from behind and Diana immediately nodded and gestured her to show the way; instinctively understanding who she was and who sent her.

Following the woman, Diana neared a tightly shut door from where she heard mild moans of ladies and men screaming for 'more'.

"This guy never learns..." She sighed, saying and eye-gesturing the lady to open the door for her.

"OH FUCK!" were the words that escaped from her mouth when she witnessed the god-awful sight. It was a big hall in the size of a football ground and it had nothing but floor beds where dozens of men and women, women and women and men and men were making out and pleasuring themselves in the wildest way possible.

"How stoop will these both go to for milking favours and grabbing power? Politicians, actors, heck even noob businessmen who started their own startups are here getting their dicks sucked... Eww!"

As Diana was ranting on her own, she felt a familiar presence approaching her from behind, evoking a smirk and some anger in her.

"Diana freaking Jones!" welcomed Catherine who was covered in bodily fluids and had nothing on her, stretching her arms for a hug towards the disgusted Diana.

'I swear to lord, Yohan will die if he sees you like this.'