Spirit Hunting Union

Gasp!

…

"Are you up?"

River gently asked, arms crossed. Leaning against the rusted metal pipeline that travelled vertically into the high roof of the warehouse.

She kept her stare on the guy before her: Quinn. Tied to the chair, his eyes slowly opened as he regained consciousness.

She gave him an intent look when he raised his head.

Then, all of a sudden, Quinn gasped louder.

He glanced here and there, eyes wide with fear. And finally, he looked at her. He pant hard.

River clenched her jaw, her own eyes slightly blinking on their own. What's this feeling? Anyway, she turned her glance away. And told him,

"The team leader will be here soon…"

Quinn yelled back immediately,

"What the fuck is going on?! Why do you have me tied up?!"

River tilted her head a little.

"I said… the team leader will soon come." Her voice was deeper, carrying a greater weight.

But she herself knew that wasn't enough. The questions will soon come. Again. More desperate. More anxious.

Because all this is just too unsettling either.

When she saw Quinn staring down at the ground, obviously contemplating something, she took a guess:

"I sprayed ether on the nose mask you wore. If you can remember, it smelled nice, like a mint. But that's what made you unconscious. And I brought you to the warehouse, tying you up in this small room. Does that help?"

Quinn just couldn't pin his lips together.

He was agape. Clearly unable to process anything.

But it seemed she was wrong. He got the hang of everything in the end.

Quinn raised his gaze at her.

"In short, you lot plan to kill me, right?"

River quietly hiccuped. She wasn't expecting such a straightforward question.

But he was right anyway.

She nodded back.

"Sadly, yes."

Quinn clenched his jaw.

"Why? Because of my Divinity Path? It's not like I chose it by myself, you fucking nutheads! Untie me right away!"

River closed her eyes and sighed. Then she said back,

"That… I cannot answer. But I can do you a solid. The Divinity Path constructs your assumed future in a straight line. But you can still choose to bend that line… Make it a bridge or a zig-zag line. It's only if you have evil in your heart beforehand that you can't do that…"

Quinn roared back,

"What the fuck are you on about! It all started from the day I received the Divinity Path! I would have never even hurt a chick before."

River shook her head in disagreement.

"No."

Quinn squinted.

She gave a short explanation,

"Always failing in life. Being maltreated. Poor. Not getting enough from life. Being a victim of any form of assault. Always being depressed…"

… A wave of quietness spread through the lit room.

"... If you relate to any of these, then you're never completely clean. Along the line, you crave what it takes to shift to the other side. To start winning when you always fail. To be happy when always depressed. But that slight craving is what stems some evilness in you. Not your fault, but yeah… that's how the world has always been."

She didn't know which class this guy falls in. But he must at least be in one.

That moment, Quinn grinned widely.

River frowned.

He then shouted with a mix of excitement and gentle wildness,

"It's not my fault then! You said it yourself. That's how the damned world has always been! What do you mean now if you still won't accept I'm not to blame? That I am an innocent product of Earth who has to be wiped no matter what?! Just to keep the other fortunate, FUCKING ADORABLE humans safe! Where's the goddamned logic here? Explain it in a way I can understand!"

For a moment, River stood still. Her expression was neutral, eyes focused. Then she started walking towards Quinn. She saw him frown, probably thinking she was coming to hurt him or something.

But that's not why.

In a moment, she stepped much closer and hugged him.

She could hear Quinn's astonished gasp so loudly in her ears.

Quinn even stammered,

"Why are you…?"

But she understood. He had never seen this side of her before.

River nodded gently.

"I know. I have always been who I am. But that doesn't mean I don't feel pity. Look at you, being punished for what's not entirely your fault. Yes, you are right. The world is messed up; there's nothing like balance anymore. If an unfortunate encounter hadn't got you near that hall, then you wouldn't have died. Able to remain your innocent self. The Curse chose you. But had you known what the cost was, you wouldn't have chosen it yourself."

Quinn gasped even louder. River couldn't see his eyes, but she knew so well what he was battling with.

She heard him whisper,

"You're sympathising with me. Is this a sign I'm really gonna die?"

River couldn't answer that. The hearing of it even made her heart ache. Even if it's a little.

… At that moment, the door creaked open.

River breathed in, her hands slowly moving away from Quinn's neck. The man has arrived.

Before she stepped away, she whispered,

"I'm sorry. No one wanted this either. But it's compulsory."

***

Who Quinn saw enter the room was…

'Silas!'

That bastard.

The man said to River: "Can you wait outside for a minute?"

The girl hesitated a little. She looked Quinn in the eyes.

Meanwhile, Quinn still couldn't believe there was this side to her.

In the end, she left. Quinn was now left with the shady team leader.

God, the nice ones are always the true devils.

Quinn groaned,

"I always was wary of you. But the mistake I made was trusting you on that Ice Mountain mission. You spied on me inside the dimension, didn't you?"

Silas paced inside, the door shutting behind him. His face didn't carry any cheekiness today. Just… neutral.

He responded,

"That. And the horror you created in RongMart."

RongMart?

The club!

Quinn smirked,

"So, what? I perfectly cut out the bastard's eyes, didn't I? It must have creeped you out a lot, old man."