Chapter 7: Ex Brings Trouble (Gunshot Flashback)

N A O M I

[FLASHBACK]

Ares was hugging me for half an hour now, and my body is starting to feel numb. I guess he noticed it, and finally let me go. "Sorry," He said.

I nodded as a reply and continued reading. "You're unfair," he said, making me look at him. He only smiled, making me confused. What's with him? He has been acting weird lately.

"What's up with you?" I said, unable to stop myself because of confusion. "Shouldn't I, be asking you that? What's up with you, why did you forget us?" He said, with sadness and loneliness in his eyes.

"What do you mean? My memory is perfectly fine, and I have no memory of us, meeting before."

He only smiled sadly, before turning to the other way. Why are you sad? How will I understand or help if you're only giving me, smiles, and stares? Hayst. Why are you messing up my system?

"Don't stare too much, I might melt," Because of overthinking, I didn't notice I was staring at him.

"Who would even stare at a rude person, like you?" I said, then opened my computer to check on the others.

"What are you doing?" He asked. "Checking on the others," I said while waiting for my computer to open.

I was shocked when the cameras in the music room, library, bar, and dance room are off. "They turned it off."

"Who is that?" Ares asked, catching my attention. He is pointing at the living room. Wait. A man with pale white skin and curly hair was found standing in the living room. He is wearing a Tokyo ghoul jacket and pants.

"David..." I whispered. What is he doing here? David Ikari...my ex. We broke up last summer, but we are still friends.

"You know him?" I just nodded. He doesn't need to know the details. I went out to welcome our uninvited guest.

"Yo. What are you doing in my hideout?" I greeted him. "Just worried about you. I heard what happened, and I really hope it would never happen again," He scolded me already. He is still treating me like a child, hayst.

"It doesn't matter. I'm still alive, am I right? Stop being a worrywart, you're acting like my boyfriend, you know," I answered nonchalantly. Sitting on the sofa, and watching his back, as he examines the scenery paintings on the wall.

"I know our relationship is not like that anymore, but I'm still worried about you. Also, when will you introduce this, a new friend of yours?" He asked, turning around to look at me. Oh right, Ares is here. He is just standing behind me, like a guard.

"Ares Inverno. Medicine is also his main major, and he also won in the bidding, so I brought him here," I introduced him, and he offered a handshake.

"David Ikari, I'm a year older than you. My main course is performing arts," He accepted Ares' hand, and they did a handshake, for quite a while. Oh, right. I met him during a performance, he is quite good and it's been a while since we last performed together.

"So now that we are done with the introduction, could you please tell us why you are here?" I asked, looking directly at David's eyes after they let go of each other's hands.

"I...well...I'm sorry, Naomi," He apologized, then looked away. Something feels off? What's up? Tsk. I have a bad feeling about this...

"Spill. What did you do?" I coldly asked. "They have my siblings. You know that I'm the oldest son, and I want to protect them from harm." What does he mean? His brothers are kidnapped? As hostage? What did he even do???

"What did you do? Answer me."

"Before that...answer this one question of mine."

"Go on. Do it fast." What does he even want to do? Why is he making it hard? It's really ticking me off.

"Is Ares...the new one in your heart? The one who replaced me?" He asked, making me stop. I already expected this, so I just heaved out a sigh.

"He is just an acquaintance."

"Really? Then, why did you let him in here so easily?"

"Uhh, 'cause the others also brought their dates here?"

"Isn't this supposed to be your hideout?"

"Yeah, so what?"

"Then, you shouldn't be letting strangers in here!"

"They are friends with my friends. I trust my friends."

"Alright. I give up," He said, raising his hands. He never once won an argument with me... so why did he even start one? Ahh, I guess that's it.

"So tell me. What's your real purpose?" He is obviously buying time, this was a senseless conversation from the start, I should have noticed it earlier.

"I guided some people in.." He almost whispered, that I almost didn't catch it.

"What the hell?! What are you thinking?!?" I almost shouted in frustration, throwing a pillow towards him.

"I'm sorry, okay? I have no choice. It's family we're talking about here," He said, looking down at his feet.

"Where are they?" He kept silent.

"Where in the hell are they?!" I shouted in anger. Ares patted my shoulder to calm me down. He said something, more like whispered, so I didn't catch a word. Why do people love to whisper?! If he is whispering in my ears, that would be better!

"Oh my, we can hear it so clearly," I said sarcastically.

"I don't know where they are.." I noticed something wrong behind him, why does it look like glitching? What the fuck?

"Where are they," I asked again, then I realized something. Wait.. don't tell me...

"F-fine..t-they are-" He was about to speak when a screen fell and five armed men, entered.

I was about to grab David when one of the armed men took hostage of him. "Call backup from above and this guy will die."

I then clicked the alarm button. "You only said from above, right?" I said, smirking. They panicked and runs towards the right corridor, where the guest rooms are.

Ares was about to follow when I stopped him. "Let's not waste our time on them. There are other intruders. They want us to split up, I think. And we can't risk it," He nodded, and we waited for the others to arrive.

"What happened?" They asked, in unison. "Let's wait for Julia," I answered, so we waited once again.

"Who is it?" Julia asked the moment they arrived.

"All of the CCTV is off for some reason," I said, and they kept their mouth shut. My guess was right.

"I know you idiots did it. Now we need to hunt those trespassers the hard way," They can't even look at my direction, I don't eat humans though.

"Let's go get some blades and guns. For safety purposes only," I said and clicked a hidden button on my watch.

Cabinets, sofas, and walls, swung open, revealing different kinds of weapons. Julia took a Sniper rifle and a dagger. Pistols for Thea, ax for Nike, and rapier for Alexa. I took a bunch of daggers, two pistols, and a scythe. Kyou took a katana, kunai, and daggers for Chase, and pistols for Elijah, Apollo, and Ares.

"Let's go hunting?" I asked. "By pair?" Julia asked. They all agreed. "You don't like it?" Ares asked. This guy forgot what I said earlier. "I just have a bad feeling...can we stick together?" I answered, looking away. They all agreed, and we went to the pool area. As we suspected, they are here.

"What are you doing here," I asked, using my cold voice.

"Is this place yours? So you're the so-called, demon queen? It's nice to finally meet you, Naomi Shiba," The man leading the intruders said.

"Who the hell are you, and what are you doing in my place."

"I'm...Adonis Caedem. The boy who killed someone for you. And here you are, asking me who I am. Why do you have to forget me, my lovely queen?" He asked, making all of us stop. What nonsense is he spouting? I have not met him once, in my whole life.

"I do not know you," I said, shooting the nearest man beside Adonis, in his right thigh. We started exchanging bullets. Some of them got hit, but they are still high in number.

"My lady, do you hate me that much? Why won't you love me?" Adonis asked, making me look towards his direction, and I saw Ares' back. I quickly pushed him to the floor, the same time I heard the gunshot.

"Tsk. You're in the way," I said, even if I'm feeling weak. I can feel the pain and the blood oozing from my stomach. Feeling weaker and weaker, my friends went running towards my direction. My sight starts to get blurry, and I felt my body falling.

I slowly closed my eyes, while I am in the arms of a person I can't see properly. I can hear them calling my name as if they are begging me. I can also feel the heat of whoever is carrying me, and I felt hot droplets of liquid on my face or neck.

[END OF FLASHBACK]