Carole tapped her cane as she made her way down the long corridor. Although outwardly her face and overall demeanor was the picture of calm and tranquility. Internally she felt not only the usual feeling of rot but now of that growing guilt.

It was a strange feeling to her, however, she did not regret what she said.

“What the hell, Carly! I didn’t think you were that dense in reading the fucking room.”

Hide seemed to be the one most upset with her, even though she said what was on both of their minds about Loukas’... "relationship" with his mother most likely was.

She could not stand how he spoke about such a person. Those kinds of people no matter who they deserved to be called exactly what they are. They pretend to give one value when they felt they had none.

She would never regret what she said.

But that reaction she saw from the normally nervous and nice boy... May have been the real Loukas...

Maybe she should have said it less... harshly.

Lying on her bed trying to understand where she went wrong, her phone ran revealing a text.

“Carly gonna talk with our boi :/?”

She texted back, “Your boy. Yeah… but he wouldn’t reply”

“Lam, maybe I get his @ss >:) on dis.”

“No... this is on me”

“K, don’t F up again Car-Car. Give him a big kiss for me ”

Carole rolled her eyes at his message as she forced herself out of her bed buttoning up her shirt and exited her room. She wondered how someone like her would be able to both find and talk to the boy about that night.

She was never really the "sensitive" type.

Maybe…

She then went to where he seemed to enjoy himself the most, the kitchen. He was a wonderful cook, and it seemed to be the one thing he enjoyed doing.

She peeked around the kitchen door and saw the tall, well-built man standing over his stovetop as it bubbled and he stirred.

The man was humming to himself a soft cheerful tune as he stirred the pot. Carole sniffed the air and recognised the contents as spicy chili. The pepper and other spices mingled together in such a way, even by the smell she could tell the taste was savory and tender.

With Loukas’ intense focus on the bubbling pot, Carole could carefully approach him from behind.

How is she going to get his attention without him burning himself?

Loukas then turned off the flame and let out a content sigh.

“Loukas?..,” was all she said and the young man flinched at his name as his entire body went rigid.

Carole did not understand the concept of apologies when you did not feel you did anything wrong. She said what needed to be said, and she felt she was in her right to do so. However, that gnawing feeling of what she can now call guilt overpowered even her persistent feeling of rot and miasma.

Still... What was she sorry for?

Loukas red eyes now aimed at her, so she parted her lips only for him to say, “S-sorry! I'm so-sorry!”

That caused the little angel to pause.

What?

“I shouldn’t have acted like that. I lost my temper for no reason. I’m sorry. It was awful. I’m so sorry, I'm so very sorry.”

Each “I’m sorry” tumbled out furiously and in rapid succession.

No… That was... Not right at all.

She held the trembling man by his wrists gently causing his apology waterfall to stop.

“Loui… If you did not feel you were in the wrong... You don’t have to apologise. If you were wronged you don’t say I’m sorry.”

She closed her eyes and said, “Loui... I’m very sorry for how I said what I said… It was none of my business.”

Was that right?

As uncomfortable as it made her she finally told him, “Sorry for putting that on you.”

Loukas stared down at the little angel girl. Carole never thought in a million years she would actually be attempting to comfort and calm someone down. But she has to try.

Blood on their hands and the will to keep their problems together. Not one of them treated her any differently and neither will she. It was comforting.

Loukas then without another word gave the girl a hug with his long arms almost picking her up from the floor, causing an uncharacteristic yelp to escape her throat in confusion.

Carole dropped her cane from the surprise, despite the pain and her aversion to physical contact, she did not shove him back.

She did not hug back of course. She was never an affectionate person, but she allowed him to continue his warm hug.

Loukas’ arms loosen as he let go of her from the hug and he then stood up looking down at her somberly as he picked back up her cane and handed it back to her.

"Here um.. sorry I was," He rubbed the back of his neck as Carole took the wood and metal and brushed it off.

"Loukas it's alright," she said, "Well... that’s that.”

Loukas folded his arms, shook his head and said, “N-no...I... I have to tell you something.”

Carole cocked her head to a side in confusion at this as the man looked around the kitchen before waving his hand gesturing to her to follow him.

Confused yet intrigued, with the tap of her cane she followed the younger man out of the kitchen.

Down the many halls, occasionally having people look at the two with confusion. Loukas usually had to explain he just wanted to know how his brothers are doing, which was usually more than enough for the busybodies to leave him alone. Inevitably this left them mostly by themselves as she followed him until she arrived, for the first time to his bedroom.

He unlocked the door, looked around to make sure no one saw them and swiftly closed the door with her inside.

Yeah, may not have been the greatest idea.

Loukas let out a sigh as Carole looked around his bedroom. A large bed with three pillows, with a thick fluffy blanket, a draw and closet most likely holding his clothes and in the corner, a study desk near mostly the door to the bathroom.

Every piece of furniture was of high quality and of excellent wood craftsmanship. However, what felt off was... how actually barren it was. Other than the bare basics to make that room gain the title of a bedroom, there was nothing else. No posters, no extra clutter, no hobby items, not a single personal object.

If the room had bars on the windows she might have mistaken it for a luxurious prison cell.

The room was tense as Loukas was clearly nervous, and really she could not help but say flatly, “You know how this looks right?”

A red heat rose to his face as expected as he tugged on his necklace, “B-but, I-I know, just.”

This guy was too easy sometimes. Carole waved him off dismissively and said, “Yes I’m aware.”

In a more serious tone, she continued, “So... what you have to tell me anyway?”

Loukas as he rolled his pendant between fingertips said, “Carole... Do you know anything about the smog?... The ventis.”

Carole looked at him with confusion but answered, “It’s produced by your family's company. It’s supposedly a non-toxic waste product... Despite tourists usually coughing and getting sick after they visit the city and-”

“That’s... not correct”

Loukas lifted that pendant to his eye level, “... Asbjorn corporation... does not produce Ventis... We never did. That's more... something they say to make it um.. easier... However as heir... I know um... I'm... supposed to have mild control of it... sorta.”

It was a revelation she never quite expected from the man but to hear it now was both surreal and unexpected.

Could that be because he's the host of that... thing?

But an even bigger one, if Asbjorn does not make smog directly... What has it been doing?

What is going on with the smog?

Loukas lifted that tooth-shaped pendant and continued, “around my neck is a sigh of my birthright. My..." His voice wavered, "My mother wore it before me...my grand auntie before her and even more distant ancestors before me.”

The tip of his finger began pressing so hard against the sharp tip Carole wondered if he was going to break the skin.

The necklace looked... Familiar…

She shook her head, of course, it looked familiar; she was here before she got her wings forcefully grown and torn from her back. Maybe Loukas’ mother was there.

“In exchange for our wealth, we have one person able to control the Ventis... If no one could do so…” Loukas bite down on his lip but strangely he spoke in a monotone, “Ildens’ would drown by the Ventis smog and that would be the end... of all of life here. People, animals… everything.”

He knows...

Not the whole thing.

But... He's aware.

His pendant caused a dribble of blood to well up from the small self-inflicted wound on his finger, Loukas did not even notice, his eyes stayed on her. They were sharp yet also increasingly unfocused, his own body did not matter to him. “All, I have to do... when my time comes... after everything I went through… is to give in. Just... take... everything....”

Carole wanted to tell him about his injury as he kept digging the pendant deeper into his flesh. She was still processing the words just said.

Ildens, its existence... was disgusting.

Everything was wrong…

“What do you plan to do then?…” She finally asked, somewhat hoping he would stop injuring himself.

Loukas stopped digging the pendant into his fingertip as she noticed the deep and sizable dribbling would that formed. The young man gave the sombrest of smiles, “Control of the Ventis just means nothing but successful trading for my family and Ildens gets to stay for another decade... That is it... And I promise to take it.... all”

That tone of his.

That tone that still held its genuine warmth and kindness did not match that smile on his face.

“Why not put a bit into everyone else?” He continued, "Wouldn't that be easier? I would eventually die from it. So why not just put it, EVERYONE. It doesn't hurt anymore. So Just a little bit would cause the least amount of pain on everyone."

He spoke of it like it was the most obvious answer. As if it just was something nice and kind but there was a sinister aura around it. An aura that caused Carole’s chest to tighten as the man towered over her… with that looks revealing all his sharp teeth…

“My mom learnt how to put a bit from her one to others. First animals she tried that… then me prematurely just.. before it was my turn…. I accepted it and it hurts… So much…” He smiled at that memory, Carole kept her lips tight.

Whatever that woman did...to her already traumatized son…

His gaze grew spacy with recollection, his grin was tense as if this recollection hurts him, “With me, it was... awful, but if every person in Ildens gets a just bit, then... it would stop..... It would be so light. We can handle it.... I can handle it....”

His hand rested on her shoulder as he kept going, probably not noticing his change in demeanour, increasing mania as his sharp talons gripped into her shoulders. Digging in the same way his pendant did to his fingers.

Carole tried not to flinch from the pain.... just in case, her moving would encourage him to tear even more.

“I... I promised to do so before she died… It's a win-win, my family gets to keep their name and wealth, I fulfil my duties. It's perfect.”

“Loui... other than your brothers… Do you want to help any of these people?”

It was a simple question and much to her relief his sharp talon grip loosen as his manic hazy gaze grew confused.

“Huh... Excuse me. Of course I-”

“Name one...name one person you honestly care if they died on you”

“...”

Carole removed one of his hands off her shoulder.

“You don’t owe these people in this house anything…”

A piece of advice she had to learn so many years ago.

She observed the boy’s face still trying to counter her question. She offered the solution that seemed so obvious...

This has to stop...

This all has to stop.

If as an angel she is supposed to protect Ildens... And allow it continue.

Then she does not want it..,

So, despite her reluctance to this answer. It seemed the only way to get this all to stop, “You can just kill them you know..”

Loukas' eyes widened at her suggestion.

Surprised? Disgusted? Hated her suggestion? They solved one issue with murder, and although it is drastic, it was something to consider.

“N-no of course not! I can never kill my…” Loukas bit down on his lip and said, “No... I wouldn’t”

Carole gave the young man a shrug, “It was just a suggestion if your ventis plan no longer sounds appealing to you anymore. But Loukas… what do you want?”

And like always when asked that question Loukas was silent and cast his gaze to the ground.

“I... It... It doesn’t matter..” Like that he answered what she thought.

She carefully walked up to him while he refused to look her in the eye.

Getting onto her tiptoes, bracing herself with her cane to meet his height she looked him in the eye. If she right about this.... and she said, "It does matter.. especially to Hide."

Loukas’ eyes shot open nearly letting her fall down. as he covered his face with his hand in the futile attempt to hide the red blush that graced his cheeks.

This guy blushes easily by the looks of it.

“Whatever happens, he would be there to see it. You are not alone in this anymore… Alright.”

Loukas still dazed sputtered out, “Th-thank-thank you C-Carole, I um, m-maybe he does but um... You know it um..”

He kept rambling for a minute as Carole left for the doorway, “It wasn’t much on my part... make sure to talk to Hide later.”

Loukas' eyes flashed with recognition, “Oh damn it. I almost forgot. He was... I've should tell him, I'm, alright..”

That guy is really obvious with his crush…

With that Carole exited the room and went back to her own.

She let out a sigh and held up her phone about to call Lucky and relay the information she had just got from Loukas.

She stopped herself.

Her end plan for Ildens......

Was something best kept to herself... just in case someone like that girl talks her out of it

As she sat on her bed in thought, she then noticed right by her side was…

A brace.

A newer model, her size. It had been something she has been saving up for years. It should have a better hold on her spine to lessen the chronic pain.

Upon the package was a note, it was beautiful cursive handwriting. Saying.

“Look what I stole Carly Wary. Happy birthday

Love Hide XOXO

PS. I’m just assuming cus like ain’t remembering dumb dates

Of course, it was. She never thought such a guy could have such nice handwriting.

Her birth month had already passed, but it did not matter.

Guilt... is strange thing...