CHAPTER 172: IT WAS COLD

It was cold.

Temperature should not have mattered in the realm Averie was loitering in, yet he could swear something uncomfortable had his body feeling like chilled packaged water.

He looked around at the domain that was both pink and grey.

Other than him, none of the usual suspects were there.

Lilith’s Womb was quiet and empty.

’Where are they?’

This sight would have been concerning if it were any other full moon night.

’Well, they can’t possibly take over my body tonight.’

Because someone else had already done that.

’What’s he doing anyway? Nothing concerning, I hope.’

Averie recalled the evening.

He had fallen asleep beside Min-Ha after returning to his room. As if the day’s fatigue wasn’t punishment enough, he was subjected to Lilith’s Womb, thanks to the weakening of the third tattoo’s seal.

’It feels more like a feature than a bug. No doubt this is Lucifer’s way of playing a prank.’

But he couldn’t protest; he had agreed to something he probably shouldn’t have.

He recalled how Lucifer had greeted him with a grin wider and uglier than usual.

"Welcome, my friend."

He had his hands behind his back, and his legs were crossed.

"It’s time to fulfil our accord."

Just the thought had made Averie nervous.

"You remember, don’t you?"

The air around the ancient creature was visibly rippling.

"You remember the price for granting you the third sin, the seal?"

Averie hadn’t forgotten.

In fact, it had kept him awake on a few full moon nights.

"Allow me to step into the material world."

Recalling the devil’s blood red eyes, Averie once again wondered if he had made the right choice.

’He had to choose tonight? Whatever. What’s the worst that could happen?’

Certain scenarios flashed before his eyes.

’He wouldn’t act weirdly towards one of my acquaintances, would he?’

That was the greatest of Averie’s worries.

’I know a lot of ladies there.’

Hyerin’s and Min-Ha’s faces flashed before him.

’Seems unlikely. His pride wouldn’t allow anything less than gentlemanly.’

The creature was sadistic, but Averie thought of him as a gentlemanly sadist.

’As long as he doesn’t make it awkward for me, I don’t care.’

Yet there was one worry he couldn’t shake off.

’Please don’t partake in the buffet. I need my body thin.’

***

It was cold.

The chill kept Chelli awake in her bed.

She squirmed and twisted, but her knee kept bothering her.

It had been years since she lost that leg, but like a ritual, it always hurt on cold nights.

At home, she always kept her room and sheets irresistibly warm. And although the beds of the cruise were plenty comfortable, they couldn’t effectively lull her to sleep.

While massaging her knee, the girl sat up in her bed. Through the blinds of her window, she could see the moon high up in the sky.

After staring at it for what felt like thirty minutes, she got out of bed and strapped on her prosthetic.

There was no pain and no discomfort—only the reminder of a past where it hurt like hell.

Having covered herself in a coat, gloves, and a scarf, she left her room.

She had no idea where to go or what to do.

With thousands of people aboard the ship, there were bound to be places full of liveliness.

Most of the lights—that made the ship look like a glowing beehive in the evening—were off.

Yet she could hear lively cheer while passing by the casino.

And although the open gift shops attracted her gaze, she had to turn on her heels. A certain figure had caught her attention.

’Is that Quinn?’

She strode towards the corner where he had vanished.

But the man was already gone?

’Is he running from me?’

That didn’t seem to be the case, as he hadn’t noticed her.

’He doesn’t seem like the kind of person who’d have difficulty falling asleep.’

But something was different about him.

’His eyes...’

They were red.

Not my-son-couldn’t-sleep-because-he-was-preparing-for-the-exam red.

’Were his pupils bleeding?’

The thought sent shivers down Celli’s back.

She shook off the thought.

’Would he even be able to walk if that were the case?’

Thinking she was remembering wrong, Celli thought about drinking warm milk before going back to her room.

Yet a single thought—born of a haunting image—kept bothering her.

’Why was he smiling like that?’

***

It was cold.

That was the only sensation the man with auburn hair could feel.

His eyes were half closed; his fingers were numb; his consciousness flickered in and out.

A gust of sudden wind slapped him in the face, and a rejuvenating sensation—of breaking through the cold surface of lucidity—shook him awake.

It felt like he had woken up from a deep slumber. He was not as comfortable in his own body as he thought he should be.

His muscles hurt, and there was an awkwardness in his fingers.

He was not in his bed.

He was not in anyone’s bed.

After a moment of child-like contemplation, he realized he was standing precariously.

At the edge of the pool on the stern of the upper deck.

Beside him was a row of sunloungers that was occupied just that afternoon by sunbathing ladies.

Yet it was empty now.

Averie found it funny.

’Only a few feet away from the comfort, you are floating face down in bloody waters, naked man...’

That single, strange thought jolted his body into action. Eyes wide, his head turned sharply towards the body floating in the pool.

It was a man’s body, stripped to its socks, buttocks facing Averie.

It floated on the surface of the murky red water in acceptance of its fate, uncaring of the actor’s stunned expression.

It wasn’t a hallucination.

’It’s a real body.’

Averie stared at it with all the thoughts of a criminal.

’Run! Run! Run! It wasn’t you! It wasn’t you! This wasn’t you! Scram, bastard! Move your legs!’

Nears his feet, inches away from his toes, was a pair of black gloves.

They were bloody, yet Averie recognized them right away.

Those were his gloves.

The good actor’s rationality came to a halt. He bared his teeth at the sight, his eyes full of murder.

’Lucifer!’

He wanted to tear the ancient creature limb from limb, but the innate call for self-preservation demanded otherwise.

He looked around.

No one else was around.

He took a handkerchief from his inner pocket, picked up the gloves without staining his fingers, and wrapped them in it. After loosely tying the ends, he threw the package overboard.

’Let’s hope there are sharks in these waters.’

He popped his collar and, with the sound of his package hitting the water, briskly walked towards the stairs.

’Tear into it, fishies.’

He breathed through his mouth, securing his coat tightly around him.

’Did I do that?’

He shook his head.

’It could be a plushie. Must be suicide. Should I call someone? No! I wasn’t even here.’

He cursed the devil.

’Did you do this? You didn’t, right?’

The anxious actor climbed down the decks of the ship. The journey, which must have taken only a few minutes, suddenly felt too long and arduous.

He was sweating.

’It’s always me, isn’t it? They always suspect me.’

But he didn’t even know the man; he hadn’t seen his face.

’How did he die, though? Blood means stabbing, right?’

While climbing down, he heard a symphony of laughter.

It was the deck two floors above his.

Averie swiftly climbed back up and hid himself around the corner.

Someone was coming up from the lower floors.

"It was fun, wasn’t it?"

"I told you he was hilarious."

It was a gaggle of young ladies.

Hiding around the corner, Averie couldn’t see their faces.

But they sounded ecstatic.

"Where did his friend go, though? He was cute."

"Did you like him? He is a bit older..."

"I know, right?" The girl squealed. "That’s what I like."

"Oh, you’re so bad."

"I know; I am so bad."

’Yes, I know; you are bad, binbo. Now, get the hell out of here.’

Averie held his breath and watched as the women gathered around a door.

He watched with trepidation as they entered the room.

And just as he was about to come out of the corner, the song sinner rang in the corridor.

Averie’s eyes went wide as his hand reached for his ringing phone.

"What was that?"

The last woman through the door peeked her head out.

"What are you doing? Closed the door! We need to sleep!"

Averie, with one hand on the volume down button of his phone and the other on his mouth, breathed out a sigh of relief.

He tiptoed his way through the last stretch.

Finally, in front of his door, his heart beat with the ferocity of an escaping prey.

In his hands was his phone. The number lit up on it was Hyerin’s.

He knew she was awake, only a door separating them.