Repose: A Demon's Ascent

The fight had ended, leaving the courtyard in deafening silence. Dust visible in the air, disturbed only by the faint rustle of the wind. The once rowdy group of children stood still, their eyes darting between the bodies scattered on the ground.

In the center, five boys lay crumpled, their faces bruised, limbs lifeless. Among them was Haze, his clothes dirt-streaked, hair messy, a bit of brownish sweat streaming down his face, and chest faintly rising with breath. His fists, scarred and scraped, remained partially clenched, as though he'd been holding onto the fight even when rendered immobile.

The sun bore down harshly, casting sharp shadows over the scene. Whispers crept through the crowd.

"Haze… he took them all down," someone whispered, barely loud enough to be heard.

"But… he's down too. Did you see how he moved? Like he didn't care what happened to him."

Another person voiced out. "Was he even afraid of them? And what happened, I couldn't see. How did he fall?"

No one stepped closer, no one dared.

Yuri crouched near the oak tree, her face pale with a confused expression of shock and disbelief. The cruel laughter of the other kids still echoed faintly in her ears, but it was the sound of Haze hitting the ground that really hurt. He'd stood up for her, fists clenched, ready to take on the fight. And now, he was just lying there, motionless.

This was all my fault, she thought to herself. Regretting why he had stepped in for her.

The sound of boots crunching over gravel pulled her from her wave of thoughts. She looked up and froze.

"Still crying?"

Yuri recognized the boy, though she hadn't spoken to him much. His voice, lazy and unhurried, seemed to suggest he'd wandered over out of sheer boredom. He stood casually, one hand in each pocket, the kind of relaxed posture that made him look entirely unfazed. A smile played at the corners of his lips, but it was the kind that didn't quite reach his eyes, more a facade than a true expression. His gaze was steady, emotionless as though what was happening meant nothing to him.

"Kade," Yuri muttered, hurriedly wiping her face. "What do you want?"

Kade tilted his head, his hands still tucked into his pockets. "Defensive much? Your knight's out cold."

Her face flushed, half with anger, half with embarrassment. "Leave me alone."

He crouched beside her, his movements deliberate but unthreatening. "If you want to cry, cry. No one's judging. Not here, at least."

The words, strange as they were coming from him, almost made her feel safe. Almost.

"What's going to happen to him?" she asked after a moment.

Kade followed her gaze to the bodies, his expression unreadable. He paused before answering, as if choosing his words carefully. "The mindbuggers will take care of it."

The word sent a chill through her.

As if summoned by the mention, they appeared. A man and a woman, walking from the far end of the courtyard. Their smiles were unnerving, too wide to be real. The cast of their faces carried an air of mockery that made Yuri worry even more about Haze.

Their movements were unnervingly smooth, too synchronized to be natural. Almost as if they glided rather than walked. The man's angular features sliced through the air, while the woman's slender frame exuded an air of cruel authority. There was something about them—an unspoken authority that cast a heavy silence over the courtyard.

The air seemed heavier with each step they took, and though they spoke no words, their mere presence was enough to make everyone instinctively hold their breath. However, there were some among them who harbored a deep, rebellious hatred for them.

"They're here," Kade murmured under his breath, his tone filled with quiet contempt.

Yuri glanced at him, noticing for the first time the way his jaw tightened, his hands curling into fists. Whatever fear she felt, Kade didn't share it—his eyes burned with something else entirely. Hatred, maybe. Or defiance.

The man paused when he reached the unconscious boys, his gaze lingering on Haze. His smile widened, exposing teeth that seemed too sharp, too perfect. He turned to the woman, his voice calm and almost mocking. "What do you think?"

The woman's lips curved into a faint smirk. "They'll do."

Before Yuri could process what was happening, symbols began to form in the air—two colors, blue and green, twisting and flowing like liquid light. They moved too quickly to follow, their shapes intricate and ever-shifting. A low hum rose, vibrating in the air until it became almost unbearable.

Haze's body, along with the others, lifted off the ground, suspended as if by invisible strings. Yuri gasped, her hand shooting out instinctively, but Kade grabbed her wrist before she could move.

"Don't," he warned, his voice low but firm.

She turned around to face him, her eyes wide with desperation. "But—"

"You would only make this more difficult," he cut her off, his voice quieter but heavy with warning. Kade knew Haze wouldn't be happy if she somehow got involved after he had calculated her safety.

In a blink, the boys vanished. The air trembled, leaving only a sharp gust of wind that stirred up dust.

Staring at the now empty place where Haze had been, Yuri's breath hitched. "Haze…"

Kade's grip on her wrist didn't loosen. His eyes remained fixed on the mindbuggers, who had turned to face the crowd.

The man's gaze swept over the children as though he was in search of something. When they landed on Yuri and Kade, his smile returned, sharper than before. It was the kind of smile that promised nothing good. Yuri flinched, hiding her face against Kade's arms, her breath quick with fear. Kade didn't move, his eyes meeting the man's with a steady, challenging intensity.

The woman mirrored his expression without a word, they turned and walked away, their steps were as silent as that of an assassin's, leaving the courtyard as quietly as they had entered. The weight in the air lifted with their departure, but the unease remained.

"No one knows where they go," Kade muttered, more to himself than Yuri, his voice low and heavy. "But we all know it's nowhere good."

Yuri remained silent, her hands trembling at her sides. She didn't know what scared her more, The Mindbuggers, or the cold certainty in Kade's voice.

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