Chương 9: I'm Your Ride or Die, Bitch!

Sid slept like a baby while the love of his life was stuck in Davine's roof. Being physically capable wasn't all fun and games. Sometimes it meant clinging to a rafter and stalking a holy man. Being the face of the operation was a much better deal. But at least she didn't have to be a mystic. The sound of a digital bell filled the shared dormitory and startled him awake. Another early morning. God forbid the fine residents of Embrace wait an extra thirty minutes for their oatmeal and eggs.

Three days left until one of them was supposed to die, and they couldn't even spend it doing what they wanted. Sid hoped to change that. He looked at one of the mystics he still needed to convert — A pale, blonde boy who was busy straightening his bedsheet and tucking it back into the frame. Sid walked over and put his hand over the boy's wrist.

"Hey, why don't you let me handle tidying up here?" He turned towards everyone else.

"That goes for all of you, too. You all deserve a bit of free time."

"Are you sure?" the boy asked.

"Of course! My arrival brought so much stress here; it's the least I could do for you…sorry, what's your name?" He put his hand to his mouth.

"Did I really forget to introduce myself? It's been two days…holy sh-" He cleared his throat.

"My name is Peter. I know your name already. Davine spent enough time yelling it." Sid pointed at the last nameless stooge.

"You! You're the last one that hasn't introduced himself." He looked like someone Sid would've found back in Haivostock. Long black hair, green eyes, and light-tan skin. He could've been Sid's brother if Rina's eyes were green instead of an overwhelming blue that infected all of her progeny.

"Haruya." He threw his blanket onto the bed and walked out of the room. Touchy guy. Had Sid said something to offend him before? Well, at least he accepted Sid's offer to clean. It's a foot in the door, a good place to start.

"Don't mind him." Ife smiled.

"That's just how he is. I don't think he really wants to be a mystic, but the system assigned him to us, so here he is."

"Ife, you shouldn't gossip like that," Ramil whispered.

"What? It's true…" Ramil started shooing him out of the room. Peter shrugged his shoulders and followed them, leaving Sid to his self-imposed torture. He started cleaning like his life depended on it. The mystics weren't sloppy, so all he really needed to do was make their beds. Just as he finished placing the comforter over the last one, he heard the sound of a door opening down the hall. He froze as Davine's footsteps passed the room.

Once he couldn't hear them anymore, he poked his head into the hall, looking back and forth to confirm it was empty. He scurried to Davine's door and lightly knocked on it.

"Allani?" He heard a muffled thump.

"Ugh…" Allani opened the door rubbing her back.

"That fucking sucked."

"You've been in worse situations."

"Not helping." She shoved a heavy book into his chest.

"Here's your precious info. He didn't say much last night, but he was frantically scribbling something down in this. I think he was mumbling a prayer." Sid started flipping through the pages. Each one had a picture from an instant camera of a mystic taped inside with scribbles surrounding it. They became more illegible as he read further into the book. He squinted, and thought he could make out some references to the Holy Rose and salvation.

"Yeesh. This guy is worse off than I thought. I don't recognize any of these people though, they must be mystics that died here." He reached the last filled page and found a picture of himself with no writing.

"Oh…"

"That's you in the kitchen. Did he take that yesterday?"

"I think he took it after I interrupted him. That must be when he decided I was his next victim."

"What?"

"Come on Allani, we agreed that he couldn't possibly be surviving all these mystic cullings by chance. This is his kill book! It's a literal written demonstration of a man going insane." Allani put her face in her hands.

"Fuck Sid, how did we end up here? Does your mom hate us that much?"

"Me, yes, but I don't think she hates you." He handed the book back.

"Anyway, you should keep this in your room. When he notices it's gone he'll probably tear mine up looking for it." She tucked the book away in one of her jacket's inner pockets and closed Davine's door. Sid went ahead and made sure the foyer was empty. He signaled for Allani to leave the mystics' hall quickly. She started running forward just as Sid felt someone run into his side and fell face-first onto the floor. Allani froze like a deer in headlights. Dalisay was standing above him.

"Fuck! I'm sorry." She extended a hand to him and helped him up. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

"Don't worry about it…So many people have apologized to me here that I'm kind of sick of it." Dalisay sighed and turned her head just enough to see Allani. Her relaxed posture suddenly stiffened.

"Hey! You're not supposed to be in this wing!"

"I-""Oh, she got lost," Sid interjected.

"I was just showing her the right way to the cafeteria." Dalisay squinted at him.

"Do you know how much trouble she'd be in if Davine saw her?"

"I can guess. And that's why we should get going right now!" He grabbed Allani's hand and dragged her into the foyer.

"There, no more rule-breaking." Dalisay pointed to their joined hands. Sid immediately let go.

"Before we head to breakfast, is there anything we can help you with?" he asked.

"It seemed like you were in a hurry when you barreled into me."

"I'm just helping the scouts prepare for the next expedition. They usually drop me off at my booth when they leave, anyway." Allani perked up.

"An expedition? Do they need any more people?" Sid looked at her like she was crazy. He had mentioned the possibility of Embrace asking her to go outside, but he didn't realize she actually wanted to go exploring. It was a stupid assumption. Allani was on a world tour when they ran into each other. Of course she wanted to see the creepy unmapped island they landed on.

"We could, but you're so new here. We'd never ask you to risk your life so early on."

"I just reached level three, if that makes any difference." Sid nudged her.

"You did?"

"Yeah, thanks to the stealth-" She stopped and cleared her throat.

"Thanks to my rigorous training."

"The other scouts are in the teens, but that's impressive progression for two days on Ring. If you want to be a scout, it's not a bad idea to start early." Sid coughed.

"I just reached level three too! These expeditions need mystics, don't they? If Allani's going, I want to go."

"Sid!"

"Aww, you two sure are close. But…you have to ask Davine about letting you go. He chooses which mystics to send out." Dalisay gave Sid a worried glance.

"That won't be an issue. I'm sure he's dying to get rid of me."

"Alright. If you both seriously want to join us, meet me back here after breakfast. We can discuss more then." Dalisay hurried off, and Sid returned to his duties in the kitchen. Allani sat at a nearby table tapping her foot the entire time. He hoped she wasn't actually upset with him for volunteering. He knew it was a bad idea since he couldn't actually heal people, but love made you stupid. He just couldn't stand the thought of not knowing if she was alive.

Then there was Davine, who turned out to be a bigger problem than Sid assumed.

"You cannot send my men out during a culling period!" Dalisay put her hands up.

"I know it's awful timing, but we're really low on ammo. The island's due for another Ring of Hell activation soon. We can't afford to stay on the safer routes." An older woman dressed in a muted-brown military uniform. She had an assault rifle draped over her back and wrinkles on her face that gave her an air of authority.

"Look Davine, I understand if none of your boys want to spend the last few days on a mission away from home, but shouldn't that be their decision to make?" Sid raised his hand.

"I actually wanted to volunteer. I've known Allani since we were kids, and we work very well together."

"You?" Davine turned to him.

"You were just crying yesterday about how you've never been on a real mission before, and I still haven't decided if you're still welcome in my flock." Sid shrugged.

"That's why I volunteered. I want to prove myself to you. I can't call myself a mystic if I just sit on my thumbs here. But I would like someone more experienced to come too. Just in case."

"Good God Sidor, does it ever end with you?" Davine asked. The soldier crossed her arms.

"Sounds like a reasonable request to me. We should only be gone for a day anyway. They'll still have two days to make their peace with the Rose, or whatever."

"I'll go with him." They turned to see Haruya standing with his arms crossed. He had the same blank expression he gave Sid in the morning. He would be fine company compared to most mystics, and now Sid had the chance to talk to him without Davine hovering around them. The soldier slapped both boys on the shoulder, earning her a glare from Davine and several gasps from every onlooker.

"That's the spirit! Two willing mystics. Now we have ourselves a war party," she exclaimed. The next few minutes were a blur. The soldier, who introduced herself as Violet, led Sid and Haruya outside without waiting for Davine's approval. Sid was definitely starting to like her, though her free spirit may spell trouble in the future. As annoying as they were, meek mystics were easy to manipulate. Haruya would be a greater challenge than Ramil or the overly trusting Ife.

Aside from Violet and Allani, there were three other scouts. Sid and Haruya were placed in a truck with Violet while the other three shared a light utility vehicle with Dalisay. Sid whistled at the impressive setup.

"Bullet-resistant glass, a fully furnished kitchen, and now motor vehicles. Ring isn't the deserted island experience I expected it to be."

"The oh-so lovely deity of this place provides for her pawns," Violet said.

"We could've built an entire city by now if she didn't have us running around killing each other. She even manufactures her own monsters to populate this land, and the Rings of Hell already do plenty of damage on their own."

"What are the Rings of Hell?" he asked. [RINA RING!] I'M SO GLAD YOU ASKED! Violet slammed her head into the steering wheel.

"Sweet rose, not the system-wide message." Don't be a sour Suzy, Violet. You're ruining the fun of the game!

"It's not fucking fun!" The Rings of Hell are my special challenges for you brilliant pawns. Sometimes I send a demon to wreak havoc until someone manages to slay it. Sometimes I trap a bunch of people in a deadly labyrinth. Sometimes I turn the floor into lava. It's anything goes, but the rewards for conquering them are well worth the risks!

"So we choose if we want to participate?" Violet shook her head.

"It's not that simple. Sometimes you're able to stay away, but if one of Rina's demons knocks on your door, you can't exactly opt out." My dear adventurer is right. I want to encourage everyone to participate. You'll never break the gate to hell if you don't do a little leg work first.

"She wants us to keep clearing these Rings until someone becomes strong enough to break the seal in her throne chamber," Violet explained. Under that seal lies my master. A woman even more attractive and powerful than I am. She's the unholy light that guides your dark hearts. The ruler of Hell herself! The Thorned Devil.