Year N.O-44.
Red Biscuit City.
A girl giggled and tenderly bit her lip. A powerful hand caressed her cheek while two fingers pushed her chocolate cherry hair behind her ear.
She blushed. The handsome figure reflected in her brown eyes had a talent with his fingers that made her twitch every time they were close to her skin.
"What have you got against my hair, Emil?" the girl said with a chuckle.
"Nothing," her man said. "It's just that… after going a whole week without seeing you, I'd prefer to not have your hair work against me. I want a full view of my prize after enduring without it for so long."
The girl, Rina, shook her head, but her smile grew wider.
It was almost surreal.
She could hardly believe that the daring devil before her was hers and hers alone.
Emil was a tall young man with a full head of curly brown hair and a set of sweet violet eyes whose shimmer was almost supernatural. Freckles pooled below those striking eyes, as did a set of thin lips that Rina thoroughly enjoyed in more ways than one.
Rina had met Emil a few years ago in high school. He had been the epitome of handsome and cool. At least every girl at school thought so. His stoic nature, mysteriously succinct responses, and surprisingly diverse – albeit lightly gothic – fashion sense, were all points that drew attention to him every day.
A handful of hormonal girls threw themselves at Emil every day, but he politely declined any and all attempts made to tame him.
Sorry, I'm not looking for a relationship right now, became the accursed sentence that cost many girls sleepless nights and flooded pillows after they approached him.
Not Rina though.
She had won him.
He was hers.
"Do we have an itinerary for the day?" Rina asked, her face oozing affection.
Emil pondered for a few seconds, his index finger tapping his chin.
"How about the Whacky Don Carnival? We're probably a bit too old for it, but it'll be fun. What do you say?"
Rina beamed.
She wished she could brag to her old high school friends how she had unraveled Emil after they had begun dating. He turned out to not be the bad boy everyone thought he was. He was sweet, thoughtful, and kind. The full year the two had been dating had made her appreciate him even more. He exceeded her childish expectations from earlier in her youth.
"I'm sold. Let's do it," she said.
Emil smiled before standing up and extending his arm to Rina. She linked hers with his and they left the outdoor cafeteria where they had been having a morning coffee.
The bright sun illuminated the city well. Maybe a bit too well.
Red Biscuit City was riddled with splendid structures that rose into the sky. Most of them were built with a heavy emphasis on glass to their faces; the mayor loved how this made every bit of the 990 square kilometer city look fancy in summer. There was a meaning to that, beyond aesthetics.
The city was heavily commercial, with a lot of luxurious hotels to accommodate the massive influx of tycoons who visited to discuss investment plans with local firms, and to partake in the wide assortment of the city's... pleasures.
One would find all sorts of business opportunities on either side of the law in Red Biscuit City. After all, at the end of the day, business was business.
The security within the city was top-notch, with multiple stations erected to guard against the ever-increasing crime rate, beckoned by the city's wealth.
Emil and Rina walked around the city sharing stories with smiles. The atmosphere around them was so bubbly that stares of jealousy aimed at them at every corner they turned.
But the lovebirds ignored.
Emil was especially intolerant of anything that would ruin this day.
Five years ago, he had fled from home. He was fed up with the monotonous life he lived there. It was always the same; painted in liquid red... or worse.
As soon as he escaped, he found that life was much more colorful than he had been led to believe. It was bigger than the six other people he had been tied to since birth.
New experiences, like going to school for the first time, had been blissful. He enjoyed the energy of youth, the smell of raging hormones, and the impulsiveness that came with having the prefix young attached.
It was marvelous.
He could almost feel something.
The two soon arrived at the Whacky Don Carnival. The setup was flooded with laughter, chatter, and the smell of sugar. It made Rina feel nostalgic.
Children pulled on their parents while pointing at different games, rides, and foods, while the adults either faked a smile or fully put their despair on display.
"Oh, this brings back a lot of memories. I didn't think I'd ever come here again," said Rina, her eyes swimming with tears.
"Told you it would be fun," said Emil, and he suddenly planted his lips onto hers.
Rina was taken aback by the sudden action, but she clung to her boyfriend's shoulders and paid back his passion twofold. Their tongues tangled and tangoed within the moist caverns of their mouths while their warm breaths brushed against each other's skin.
The two enjoyed the sweet bliss with their eyes closed. The booming sounds in their surroundings seemed to fade away.
Shortly after, Emil drew back and licked his lips.
Rina's eyes might have been aflame. There was hot desire and yearning within them. She wanted more, but it wouldn't do to act greedy.
"Sorry, I couldn't resist," said Emil.
"You're so cruel. You got me fired up, and you're just gonna leave it at that?" Rina could have jumped into his embrace and gone wild.
Emil merely smirked.
The two stood beside the road, facing the entrance, where quite a long queue extended into the distance.
"Shall we?" said Emil and he once again extended his arm to his lady.
"Of course." She took it gladly.
A black, open-roof jeep drove by, slowing down to a stop when it was adjacent to the couple by the curb.
A slender hand wielding a pistol peeked from the car and...
BANG!
Following the loud blast of gunfire, Rina's head exploded into bloody chunks.
Nothing remained of her once jovial mood except the happy juice that spilled from her splattered brains, and the pungent smell that wafted into the air.
"EEEEEEEEK!"
A little girl who had been passing by with her parents screamed, prompting similarly noisy reactions from the crowd.
Emil froze as the corpse holding his arm swayed and fell forward.
He turned sharply with nigh palpable murderous intent.
Who had done this?
In his vision, a beauty with waist-long reddish-blonde hair, purple eyes, and heart-shaped lips appeared. The mole that nested under her bottom lip complemented her pale complexion, and the apathy stretched over her face made her look like a mannequin.
Perhaps she was one. After all, she remained frozen in her latest position long after her horrific deed - holding the steering wheel with one hand, and a pistol with the other.
In the back seat of her jeep were a young man and woman slotted into tight straitjackets. Duct tape was plastered over their mouths and Emil could see the terror in their eyes. They pleaded desperately for his help.
"Wassup, little bro," said the lady in the driver's seat with a voice devoid of emotion.
Emil bellowed at the familiar face. Smoke nearly flew from his nostrils.
"Ugh..." he grunted before pointing at Rina's corpse. "Did you have to kill it?"
"She would have been a distraction," said the lady in the car. "Besides, we need you home, asap."
"Screw off, I'm not interested. Especially after this," said Emil. He sighed, mumbled a few expletives, and turned his back to the jeep.
The day was ruined just like that. He'd worked hard to keep everything smooth for a year, dammit!
He casually began walking away amid the chaos.
That was until...
"Father has reincarnated again," said the lady in the jeep. "We need you."
Emil's face sank at once, and he stopped in his tracks. He turned to look at the mannequin beauty.
'Seriously?!' he thought. 'He's back?'
Emil clenched his fists and searched the apathetic face of the woman by the steering wheel.
Unlike others, he could tell when she was being serious. It was a miraculous quirk - a reward, really - for being acquainted with someone for nearly two decades.
'Unbelievable!'
Emil cursed under his breath, walked up to the jeep, and swiftly dived into the passenger seat. He cursed again, loudly this time.
The eyes of the mannequin beauty beside him sparkled.
"I missed you, Ass."
"It's Ess. How many times do I have to tell you? That joke isn't funny. Some sister you are," grumbled 'Emil'.
Blaring sirens rang in the distance and multitudes of heavy vehicles were speeding into the street.
Before 'Emil' could ask, the girl at his side answered.
"I robbed all the banks in the city and killed a few nobodies as a Plan B to reel you in. Fortunately, I didn't need to use it," she said.
Emil face-palmed.
The lady beside him pressed her foot on the gas and the chase began.