The world was at its end, sliding down a slippery slope of carnage and war. Jaycee, a washed-up assassin locked up in prison, escaped with the help of a mercenary group named Inanis. Alec, the group’s handsome yet mysterious leader, offered Jaycee his freedom in exchange for one thing: to kill the commander of the World Below.
What Jaycee didn’t know, was that he would get caught up between two conflicting sides in a plot to revive the Dark Prince of legend. It’s said that the intention of whoever revives him will decide the fate of the world.
It’s a battle to the finish line. Will Jaycee and Alec make it to the end, or will it be too late?
||A dark, fantasy adventure with slow burn romance.||
Jaesung didn’t expect his end to come at the hands of the one he trusted the most.
To help his grandparents’ make ends meet, Jeasung dropped out of high school and joined the mafia. Little did he know he would be signing his life away to their cold-hearted heir, Luca.
In reality, his troubles were just beginning. As a Korean Italian in an American mafia group, Jaesung was already considered the lowest of the low. Now with the young heir having put all his attention on him, his simple life was anything but. Add in a new drug on the scene that is slowly killing their members, and life for Jaesung just got a lot more complicated.
A story about the dark underbelly of the city, with betrayal, murder, romance, and deceit around every corner.
The disgust on the guard’s face was apparent and impossible to miss. His eyebrows scrunched together as he studied them up. Beside Jaycee, his partner looked unfazed.
“You’re free to leave,” the soldier said. He delivered the words smoothly, but the tone is his voice was enough to show his revulsion. Someone waved the guy over, and they were all but forgotten. Leon let go of his hand.
Jaycee wiped his palms on his pants. He didn’t have the luxury to be outwardly picky about how they made it to their destination, but on the inside, he could disagree with their methods. The result was all that mattered, but maintaining his sanity did, too. Well, with what little he had left. His past would endlessly haunt him. The nightmares would accompany him to his eventual demise.
He accompanied his companion to the lengthy line, and they awaited in silence as it grew shorter until their time arrived. The loudspeakers echoed around them, an authoritative woman announcing to all passengers that the airship would depart shortly. So far, no one had stopped them, but as time passed, it sounded as if the military had become more frantic. They had held a few individuals who stepped in, and they placed guards at the opening of the line.
“Keep your head down,” said Leon.
Jaycee glared up at him, about to tell him how he honestly felt when a guard strode past them and up to the worker checking tickets. He scanned the crowd before leaning into her. His mouth moved, but all Jaycee could piece together was the word fugitive. Immediately, his person became overheated. His former comrades would laugh at him if they saw it, sweating over something as elementary as this.
As usual, Leon didn’t look perturbed by the sudden change of events. A true professional of his trade. It made Jaycee seriously consider who he was. Had he met him somewhere before in his line of work?
“Pardon me, you two.”
Leon lifted his head, features agitated. “What now?”
In the distance, a voice was pushing through the crowd, calling out. “Hey, let me through! Excuse me, there’s a lady passing by—whoa, watch where you touch, Mr. Slippery Fingers.”
Jaycee noticed just in time to see Kyla making her approach to them, hands shaking frantically as soon as she caught them looking her way. To say she was embarrassing would be an understatement. Leon groaned loudly next to him.
“Sir, we can’t hold up departure any longer.” The worker caught the officer’s arm, pleading with her eyes to allow them to pass. All the commotion had people peering in their direction. There was unrest within the crowd.
“If I have to, I’ll get commander Jin and inform him of transpiring here.” The woman tipped her hat up and stared the soldier down. “A little birdie mentioned to me what you were doing last night—”
The officer clicked his tongue. “Fine. You win.” He faced them. “You may go.”
He shoved past Kyla, not even whispering an apology. “What’s his problem?”
Commander Jin. That name would strike fear in anyone. He was the head of the military in Fioma, and also well known down below. He was merciless, and better to stay off his radar.
The worker bowed her head. “I’m sorry about that. Do you have your tickets ready?”
After showing their proof of passage, they proceeded down a lengthy corridor, then through a door that brought them outside. The wind picked up, whipping Jaycee’s hair around. Before him held an object unlike he had never seen before. The airship towered above the building they had just exited. Its length involved the whole dock. It stopped at the edge of Fioma. The only thing separating it from the sky was a steel barrier. At that moment, he realized how mighty Fioma undoubtedly was.
Jaycee looked up. The cerulean blue sky stood out amongst the puffy white clouds. Underneath him was a mixture of brown and green grass with a dandelion peeking out as the sun hit it. He wanted to burn this picture into his retinas. The beauty of The City in the Sky was unlike anything one would find below.
An employee waved them forward, and Kyla bounced ahead.
They were about to start their journey down to The World Below. There, his real adventure would begin. Everything he was running from would come smashing down, nipping at his heels. And yet, he had to see it one more time. His home.
As Benito showed them to a guest room, Jaesung felt weighed down by his heavy stare. Despite looking tough, the thug’s gaze had a knowing quality that was hard to ignore. He was conscious of the fact that they were constantly being monitored. Luca had warned them with their lives and they weren’t ordinary guests.
He didn’t have time to think about that for too long, however, as something more important revealed itself.
“There’s only one bed.”
Benito laughed and slammed the door on his way out.
“I call dibs.” Before Giovanni could open his mouth to argue, he already jumped onto the bed, arms sprawled out and body sinking into the sheets. “This is heaven. Who knew such a dump would have a bed this comfy?”
Giovanni rolled his eyes. “Enough fooling around.”
“So, are you going to tell me what’s going on or what?”
Jaesung peeked at Giovanni and was surprised to find the bodyguard hunched over with an aggravated expression. Huh, guess even Luca’s bodyguard had stressful days. It was easy to overlook the fact that there was a human beneath that tough exterior.
“There’s two reasons we’re here: a traitor, and the drug known as Veleno. Antonio Maniaco himself asked Luca to look into what was going on here.”
“Then why isn’t he the one doing it?” Ah, shit. He spoke too soon.
The thought of a traitor among their ranks wasn’t news, but this so-called drug called Veleno was.
“It must be nice to live in that bubble of yours.”
Jaesung shot up, more words tempted to fire from his lips, yet hesitated as he glanced at Giovanni. Maybe it was time he became serious, too. That nauseous feeling bubbled up from his stomach again, threatening to explode.
“Enlighten me, then. How am I supposed to help if you guys always keep me in the dark?” Jaesung swallowed before continuing. “I killed for Luca. Don’t I get an ounce of respect or trust for that?”
A deep sigh escaped the bodyguard’s lips, but no words of argument followed. Instead, he watched as Giovanni sat on the edge of the bed—feeling it dip in under his weight—and lit up a cigarette.
“Maybe Luca’s right about you after all.” He took another large puff. “A few months ago, our men were disappearing and dying at an alarming rate. Long story short, the big boss sent Luca and me to investigate it, only to find out that a drug named Veleno had somehow infiltrated our ranks. It caused those who took it to either go crazy or commit suicide, and those that survived those two side effects later ended up either comatose or dead.”
“And what does that have to do with Benito and his guys?”
“There’s a lot of money being shuffled around behind closed doors.”
“You think they have something to do with drug?”
“I wouldn’t put it past them.” The last bit of smoke swirled up into the air. “But that’s not why we brought you along.”
Jaesung had a hunch that this would not end well. It almost scared him to ask. “And why did you bring me along?”
“A key member of Benito’s gang, Luis, is the one who monitors the funds coming in and out. He also has what you would call uniquepreferences in romantic partners, not to mention is very loose with his tongue after a bit of alcohol.”
The weight of disappointment settled in his chest. “You gotta be fucking kidding me.”
“Luca was the one who vouched for you, ya’ know.”
That motherfucker Luca knew about him all along, and now he was going to be used as their plaything to get what they wanted. Jaesung wanted to hate him for it, but despite his efforts, he couldn’t fully commit to that feeling.
How did he find out? Unless he was just like him. The notion that Luca was like him was almost comical. What the hell was he thinking?
They paused outside the airship docks, watching as others came in and out. Families held hands and pointed in every direction, smiles adorning their faces and children laughing in excitement. A tall steel barricade wrapped around the perimeter, with soldiers pacing back and forth.
They periodically stopped to talk, huddled together and voices low. The cerulean blue uniform they adorned stood out amongst the crowd. A gold pin of a fox on their chests reflected the sunlight, the symbol of Fioma for all to see.
“You guys have a plan, right?” asked Jaycee. With so many guards patrolling, one wrong move could be the end. The docks were huge compared to the houses they had passed in the city. The grey buildings towered above. It looked as if they could touch the clouds.
Leon swept his brown hair to the side, long locks falling back into place. “Kyla will distract most of them while I sneak you in. We have friends on the inside that can let us on board. The actual issue is keeping the rest of them from recognizing you. By now, they must have put out a warrant for your arrest.”
“If we’re lucky, word hasn’t reached here yet,” said Kyla. Her voice sounded chipper, as if she had no worries. It wasn’t as if one small step would be their heads or anything. “Ready, Leon?”
He nodded and then Kyla was off. They watched as she walked through the front gate and right up to a soldier. Her arms wrapped around the soldier’s shoulder, and she whispered something in his ear. He pushed her away almost immediately, face enraged.
“Will she be okay?” The situation didn’t look favorable. Fioma’s military, known for arresting those with or without proper cause, had gotten aggressive in the past couple of years. Around the jail, people passed around stories of those who had similar experiences.
Leon ignored the question. If he wasn’t worried about Kyla, then it would be pointless for him to be. He neglected the small voice in his head, telling him otherwise.
“Are you ready?” He asked.
“I guess.” Would it matter if he said no? The coward in him would have rather become a nomad, living out the rest of his life in nature. Getting caught by Fioma’s military was a death sentence. One he was lucky enough to escape.
“Let’s go.” Leon grabbed Jaycee’s hand and pulled him forward. He took them through the gates at a quick pace, past the guards, and straight into the building. From the corner of his eye, he saw Kyla surrounded by soldiers, hands waving back and forth. A crowd was forming around them. Was she really going to be okay?
A blast of cool air hit them upon entering. The doors slammed, the sound reverberating, and multiple fans whirred above their heads. Inside stood steep ceilings and a long line that wrapped itself by steel pillars, where it disappeared behind a wall. Soldiers patrolled the area, emblems shining under the light.
“You can let go of my hand now.” Jaycee was uncomfortable. The sweat from his own palm was embarrassing enough, and he didn’t need the indifferent man next to him to catch on to how nervous he was. If anyone knew the real him, there would be no doubt in his mind they would have changed his name from Sicarii to Ignavus.
“Not yet.” What did that even mean? Jaycee was sure his face turned a shade or two of red. Did he miss something? And why did his companion seem so unfazed by this? Nothing about this situation was normal.
“Hey, you two.” They paused in their tracks as a deep voice called out to them. “What are you doing?”
Jaycee froze as a soldier approached them. He couldn’t even find the courage to look at the man. He didn’t know what they were doing, so how could he explain it? Not to mention, he was a terrible liar.
“Isn’t it obvious?” said Leon. He intertwined their fingers and held their hands up. “We’re dating. If we don’t hurry, we’ll miss our flight for our vacation.”
Jaycee glanced over at Leon, dumbstruck. What did he just say? Wait, this was their grand plan? Fioma may have been the richest city, but it was far from the most accepting. They would be lucky enough to walk out with their lives.
Jaesung found himself standing before Luca’s mansion once more. No matter how many steps forward he walked, somehow, he always ended up right back where he started. What kind of shit was that?
This time, the guards let him through without objection. He guessed it was one perk of being Luca’s pet. It became harder to ignore their stares, however. Probably curious why someone like Luca paid a Korean like him any attention. The young heir’s reasons for wanting Jaesung around were beyond Jaesung’s comprehension. Hell, he even agreed with the gossiping thugs!
He had no idea what Luca wanted from him. As usual, he wasn’t given any details.
He steeled his nerves and walked in, head held up high. Despite being Korean, he was a part of their gang. He wasn’t a nobody, and now he was a made man.
Giovanni met him at the door. “You’re not carrying the gun Luca gave you.”
“The hell? How do you know that?”
Giovanni stared at him, unblinking. It was a stupid question with an obvious answer. What sort of bodyguard would he be if he didn’t have sharp eyes and damn good intuition?
“I don’t carry it with me everywhere I go. It’s heavy.” Not to mention it sticks out like a sore thumb. It’s like he’s asking the cops to come and arrest him. He might as well wave it around too! As if being Asian wasn’t enough, why did he need another target on his back?
“You need to start. You should make sure you are prepared since Luca will be calling on you more often. This is your final warning.”
“You mean my only warning?”
As fast as lightning, Giovanni had his gun ready and aimed at Jaesung’s head. The temperature in the room sunk instantly, his hair standing on end.
All of a sudden, Jaesung’s chest started hurting, and nausea surged from his stomach to his throat. His vision blurred, a sickness enveloping his being. Vivid memories flashed in front of him, most of it so fast he couldn’t comprehend them. He couldn’t discern anything except for blood and dead, expressionless eyes.
“Gio. What did I tell you?”
That unforgettable tone laced with a faint Italian accent. It brought Jaesung back from the brink of whatever hell flashed before him. He must have looked like a corpse, for Luca scanned his face and scrunched his eyebrows together. He’d say the look was a worried one, but disgust fit better.
“We’ll talk later. Get him a gun from the storeroom.” He threw something at Giovanni, who caught it with practiced ease. “He’s coming on our little errand that we’re running for the big man.”
Giovanni expressed his disapproval with a sigh, but said nothing before leaving.
Jaesung was hesitant about being alone with either of them in a car. Although, what choice did he have? He dreaded that awkward situation. He’d bet money on him getting stuck between the two on a long ass car ride.
Now that Giovanni left, Luca focused his attention on him.
“I’d watch your tone. It’s going to get you in trouble someday.” Luca approached Jaesung, staring him up and down. “We wouldn’t want your little secret to get out, would we?”
Secret? What the hell was Luca hinting to? Deep down, he already realized what the young heir was implying. There was only one thing that might ruin him. It would probably result in his death, too. A vision of his battered body, bleeding out in an alleyway, flickered through his mind.
“The mafia isn’t kind to those like you,” said Luca. He stopped just a hair’s breadth away from him.
“How would you know?” Even though he was scared shitless, unable to move, his mouth didn’t learn when to quit.
“Do you really want to know?” Jaesung watched as his hazel eyes narrowed, then a slight curve to his lips.
He was regretting his inability to stay quiet. For some reason, he felt warm, the room’s heat having increased tenfold.
“Experience.” Luca ran his finger down Jaesung’s lips, neck, chest and past his stomach. He was hyper-focused on the areas he touched, holding in his breath.
Luca’s touch descended while his eyes remained locked with Jaesung’s. He felt himself lean into the young heir’s touch, barely able to catch himself.
Jaesung gulped. This was bad. Really bad. It took everything he had to keep a straight face while his body broke out in a sweat. He didn’t dare look down, petrified that his body was reacting. It had been a few months since he got laid. That was the only reason he was acting like a horny teenager, at least that’s what he told himself.
“Jaesung.” A hard smack to his abdomen woke him from dreamland. “Playtime’s over.”
“Fuck, man—” He ached for more.
“Let’s roll. We have some business to take care of.” Luca glanced back over his shoulder. “Coming?”
Like he had a choice. All Jaesung could do was nod and follow him, like a puppy on a leash.
He woke up to someone’s forehead touching his own. A scream had almost escaped, as the figure before him was akin to a nightmare he had as a child.
His new companion smiled and pulled back. “Good morning, sleeping beauty. You slept like a rock. Lucky you, I’m not your enemy, ya’ know? I could have killed you in your sleep.” She threw the covers to the side and pushed her hair out of her face. A smile adorned her lips.
Jaycee wanted to argue, but she wasn’t wrong. In fact, if he had been back home, more than likely he would have been dead. Jail had made him rusty and careless. Still, he didn’t appreciate having someone like her point it out.
“Not much of a talker, are we? Anyway, we have to go. I found some clothes for you.” Her slender fingers pointed to black pants and a grey shirt over on the edge of the bed. Even though she seemed all over the place, it turned out that she was meticulous. She folded the attire evenly and without creases.
He needed a moment before jumping up, his thoughts hazy and eyes unfocused.
“Don’t worry, I won’t look.”
“That’s not the issue,” he responded. His words didn’t reach her, however, as she started humming with her head faced the other way.
The outfit fit better than he imagined. He’d be lying if he said the stealing part didn’t disturb him a bit, but who was he to complain about free clothes? With barely any coin to his name, fretting about the details was pointless.
After getting dressed, they made their way outside. The crisp, yellow rays illuminated the once bleak terrain. Jaycee had to squint his eyes to avoid permanent damage. The city, once devoid of life, was bustling with activity. People of all kinds littered the streets, adults and children alike.
“Here.” The girl threw a cloak at him. “Word of your escape must be out by now. We need to stay as inconspicuous as possible. Put it on and follow me. There’s someone I want you to meet.”
He considered asking her who, but her figure was already getting farther away. Soon enough, he would know the answer.
She led him between buildings and through throngs of bustling people. Merchants yelled for customers, announcing sales, while children ran around them playing tag. A powerful gust of wind kicked up a cloud of dirt. Jaycee pulled his hood down over his forehead.
He tried to keep his head down, but sometimes his eyes would wander. Flowers were in abundance, a range of colors, their beauty uncommon anywhere else in the world. As a city, Fioma, blessed with exquisite sights that other cities dreamed of, turned out to be a place only the rich could afford.
A few minutes later, they arrived at a rundown house. The rusted sign had faded, but the words ‘weapon shop’ were still legible.
The girl ran over to a man leaning against the side of the building.
“Hey! Leon!” He stared, gaze sweeping over them. The standard military outfit covered him, with badges of all kinds pinned to the front. A warning immediately went off in Jaycee’s head. It should have been obvious that they had people on the inside. How else would they have broken him out of jail so easily?
“You’re late, Kyla,” he said. Leon continued to stare over her shoulder at Jaycee. “There’s been a change of plans. I’m going with you.”
“What? Why? I can handle this by myself. You’ll only get in my way.”
Jaycee felt like an outsider, even though they were the ones helping him escape. What a disaster. The brat, now named Kyla, pouted.
“It was his decision. No arguing.” Leon acknowledged him. “Come on, Sicarii, let’s go.”
Hearing that nickname was like a punch in the gut. Of course, they knew who he really was. Why did he assume otherwise? Wishful thinking, maybe. It was impossible to run from one’s past.
“Finally. Time to sneak on to an airship. World below, here we come!” Kyla grinned.
All Jaycee could do was nod and follow, stomach churning from anxiety. He wasn’t sure what was worse, being stuck in prison for the foreseeable future, or facing his demons.
A week had passed since the incident, and every day was a struggle. As time marched on, he felt trapped inside himself, an endless cycle of nothingness and unable to break free. Nightmares haunted him during the few hours of sleep he managed to get.
Did that make him weak? The fact he couldn’t suck it up and move on tormented him more than the actual deed. What’s done is done, and you can’t change the past. So why did he still feel like he’s drowning?
At the moment, he was cuddled under a blanket on the couch at Vince’s place. He slumped into the cushions, sinking deeper and deeper as he stared mindlessly at the TV. Its flashing lights entranced him, calming his frenzied thoughts.
“You’re still here?”
Jaesung glanced up to see Trace staring down at him. “You look like you got ran over by a car.”
“I—what did you just say to me?”
Trace plopped down beside him. “It means you look like shit.”
Dumbstruck, Jaesung could only sputter out gibberish. “I know what it means, asshole!”
“Then why did you ask?” Oblivious to his fuming friend, Trace pulled some of the blanket out from under him and wrapped it around himself. “Can you pass me the remote? I hate watching reality TV.”
As much as Jaesung wanted to argue, having Trace there was probably the distraction he needed. Wallowing in self-pity wasn’t getting him anywhere, he knew that, but dragging himself out of the cage he locked himself in was hopeless. It was so easy to do nothing.
Hours passed as they sat together, neither uttering a word. Some old cartoon from when he was a child played in the background. Trace’s head was tilted back, and he snored so loud that it was impossible to understand anything from the TV.
The moment Jaesung closed his eyes, the front door opened, and he startled as it struck the wall. Rowdy voices soon followed. If those assholes put a hole in that wall again, and Jaesung had to fix it, he was going to lose his mind.
“Yo, Jdawg! You’re here!” said Feng. His overly excited tone grated on his ears.
“I was just about to leave.” Jaesung stood. “Wait, what did you just call me?”
Feng ignored him and lunged, only to be tackled back into the couch by Feng. His back slammed into Trace’s, and a loud cuss word left the shut-ins mouth. Bony arms dug into his side, and for a split second, Jaesung thought he snapped one.
“Fuck. Get off of me! You’re heavy, Feng. Holy shit!”
“We brought back pizza, if you’re hungry,” Jett intervened.
“It has everything on it. I don’t want to hear any of you bitch about it.” Vince came from behind and haphazardly dropped the boxes of food on the table. “This is for all your hard work lately.”
“Hard work, huh? Don’t you mean thanks for doing all the work and making you look good?” asked Jett.
“No one asked you,” replied Vince.
“I call dibs!” Feng jumped up, kneeing Jaesung in the stomach, before crashing into Jett on his way to the food.
“Fuck!” Unable to breathe properly, Jaesung rolled over on the couch and coughed. “You’re finished when I catch you!”
Trace, who had been oddly quiet until then, sat up. “Vince, did you get my cheese pizza with extra pepperoni?”
“Don’t worry, short stuff. I didn’t forget about your weird ass taste in pizza.”
Even though Trace had just been assaulted, literally and figuratively, that simple sentence brought him back to life. He nearly tripped over the blanket and face planted into the coffee table.
Everyone crowded around, stuffing their faces and laughing. For the first time all week, Jaesung finally felt normal again. It was a sentiment he missed, the nostalgia of it all calming in ways he didn’t expect. Because of their busy schedules, they couldn’t always have meals together, making the times they did even more enjoyable.
They were the family he never wanted, but got stuck with anyway.
Then, as if to cut out all hope, his cellphone vibrated in his pocket. His hunger disappeared in an instant, replaced by a sickening bitterness in his stomach. Seeing that name flash on his screen caused his heart to race. Is this how it was going to be from now on? Was he a dog to a master, a slave to a human?
He picked up the call, hands shaking, but voice steady. “Hello?”
“I got another job for you.”
Jaesung knew he’d have to become stronger if he wanted to survive.
Jaycee’s eyes burned upon exiting the bar. He put his hood up to combat the piercing wind that violently flew by. Even in the warm spring months, they had always known the world above to be cooler. The saying “the closer to hell, the warmer you are; the closer to heaven, the colder you become” was now a proven fact.
Before him, the girl who had yet to give her name walked ahead like someone had lit a fire underneath her. Sure, they had a deadline, but it was the devil’s hour, so what could they get done that couldn’t wait until morning?
He began to question his sanity when he thought of asking that group for help as being a good idea. Nothing was free in life, even he realized that. But, when one is desperate enough, they’ll do anything.
“Hey, hurry it up over there. I don’t have all day. You do want to get off this floating city, right?” The brat—her new name—turned her head to glare at him, movements reminiscent of an owl: all-seeing and very annoying.
Jaycee sighed, unable to find the words to snap back. His clothes stunk and his body ached. Prison did not give him an optimistic outlook on life, nor did it help the sharp pain in his rear from sleeping on the floor.
The girl led them through the city’s winding paths. He felt the cement on his feet through his worn-out boots, mentally noting that he would need to buy a new pair before long. Around him, houses of various sizes lined the walkways, bright lights shining onto the grass below. Green was such a rare color where he came from that he almost confused it with fake grass.
After what felt like an hour passed, Jaycee opened his mouth to complain when he ran right into the brat’s back. She scrunched her eyebrows, but oddly enough, nothing more. The next words she spoke did little to relieve him of the growing, throbbing ache behind his eyes.
“I picked the lock on this house earlier, and no one was here. They have food, a place to sleep, and weapons. I think it belongs to a blacksmith.” She kicked the door open, and Jaycee winced as it slammed into the wall, a loud thump following it. “Make yourself at home!”
Not only did she seem like a nut job, but now he could add a thief to his growing list of complaints. Whoever hired her had to count her as a liability, right?
“Uh, thanks,” said Jaycee. The sarcasm in his voice was impossible to miss, but the brat didn’t notice. Instead, she made herself comfy, hands already holding an apple from the table. A loud crunch followed.
He glanced around the house. The aroma of fresh flowers clung to his nose, though still a more pleasant scent compared to the bar from earlier.
“Now is the time to grab a weapon and get some rest,” she said. Her mouth was full, but that didn’t stop the girl from chatting away. “If you ask me, you need it. When did you last sleep, anyway? Those dark circles under your eyes are huge.”
Jaycee took a deep breath and counted to three before turning his body. There was a bed tucked off in the corner and a short sword leaning against the wall near it. The fluffy brown blanket looked heavenly, and he imagined himself passing out as soon as his head hit the pillow. After all, sleep was his favorite pastime.
As his companion muttered off about some nonsense, he slipped under the covers and turned over, eyes closing almost immediately. Briefly, he contemplated what the hell he got himself into. While he was desperate to go home, the risk of being on a wanted poster for the rest of his life didn’t sit well with him.
Thinking about it now was pointless. He had already decided. With that final thought, he lost himself in the world of dreams.
Upon entering, the bar had been empty, but as the day turned into night, people of all kinds made it their home. Jaycee sat in the corner, sipping on the cheapest beer the joint offered. The taste was bitter going down.
Above him, the dim lights flickered as the fan shook, blowing around the stale stench of sweat and perfume. It had been a long time since he had been in a bar, but he would have been lying if he said he missed it. Even the alcohol was worse than he remembered.
He downed the rest of it in one big gulp, eyes burning as he held in a cough. The man next to him eyed him warily. His rugged outfit and the sword across his lap told Jaycee he was most likely a mercenary. That wasn’t much of a surprise, but considering where they were, it did shock him.
Even the city in the sky had its issues, relying on hired help to weed out the thieves. The thought made him laugh. The government’s lapdogs carried more sway here than anywhere else, yet they were just as useless. Maybe the world below wasn’t as different as the one above.
As the seconds ticked by, Jaycee considered that they may have jilted him. He glanced at the clock on the wall above; the hands ticking past midnight. Well, Plan B it was. As it stood, it was only a matter of time before they noticed he broke out, and he had little money to his name, without a weapon to defend himself.
Just as he rose from his seat, a hand pushed him back down.
“You’re late,” said Jaycee.
A voice let out a sigh and sat down on the stool next to him, the other patron long gone. “There’s been a change of plans.”
A girl? Jaycee turned to see someone who looked no older than twenty, short black hair cropped her face, blue eyes staring ahead.
“Who the hell are you?” He went to grab for a weapon, swearing when he remembered he didn’t have one. They could break him out of jail, but god forbid if they gave him protection too.
The girl rolled her eyes. “Chill out. Your guy sent me instead. He got a little, should we say, preoccupied?”
Jaycee didn’t want to know. The organization that helped him escape was a less than honest company. Once he repaid his debt, he had no intention of ever associating with them again.
“Shall we go? The airship is leaving in the morning. We don’t have a lot of time to prepare.”
Her matter-of-fact tone surprised Jaycee. Although her appearance was that of a weak, tiny girl, he sensed something off about her. As she hopped up from her seat and started toward the exit, he spotted two knives at each hip. He made a mental note of it.
For now, he had other things to focus on. His actual mission was only just beginning.
His skin became drenched in his own blood. The cool cement floor held the weight of his listless body, unable to hold himself up of his own accord anymore. The ache in his ankles turned into an unbearable throbbing as the seconds passed. Time moved slowly, as if forever stuck in a loophole.
For a moment, he thought he was in hell, living out divine punishment for all the wrongs he had committed in life. The thought that he was at the end of the road seemed less daunting compared to the reality laid out before him.
It was too cold for hell.
Above him, a black shadow hovered and covered his body in its never-ending darkness. It swallowed him up, ready to eat him alive, flesh nothing but an appetizer. A vision of his insides being ripped out and devoured flashed before his eyes, a memory or the coming reality, he wasn’t sure. But no pain occurred. Instead, his dark, soulless eyes focused on the crimson liquid dripping onto the ground below and pooling near his feet.
A throaty laugh sounded from behind him.
He didn’t dare to look back, not that he could.
The shadow wrapped its fingers around his throat and squeezed. Unable to fight, he struggled to breathe as it sucked the life out of him.
He knew he deserved what was coming. In his brief existence, he had been anything but a saint. He killed many, hands stained with the blood of the innocent as much as the guilty.
He was a shell of a person, awaiting his departure.
Too bad he would never get it.
The choking turned into an uncomfortable embrace, with words being whispered into his ear, sending a shiver down to the depths of his core. He stood at hell’s door, forced into a deal with the devil.
By the time the sounds processed in his mind, he had already forgotten them, forgotten everything.
He woke up chagrined, surrounded by corpses and covered in blood.