Colin's posts

"Of course." Ilias responded.

"Back in a few." he said, walking off, still roaring with laughter for a few seconds, but it quickly died down to a persistent chuckle.

"..." Evan was silent for a moment, and then looked at Kiah.

"Oh, all right." he said.

"Then... uh, who IS?" he asked.

"Does it have to do with why my question was so gosh-darned hilarious?" he asked further.

"You heard him, go." the black-haired male said.

"R-right." the man responded, scrambling to his feet and running off, joining the others that were trying to put as much distance as they could between them and the villain.

The younger male then looked at the blinded villain, who had now picked up a large amount of debris, and threw it all up into the air, all of them forming into spiked balls.

"Ah crap." he muttered, seeing that some of them had gotten impressive height, and were going to rain down on a cluster of people that were still too close.

"Damn it!" he yelled, racing over and getting in the middle of them all, throwing his arm up, palm facing the air. As soon as he did so, several of the balls bounced off something invisible that surrounded them, as the villain started to get to his feet again, rubbing his eyes.

There were tears in his daughter's eyes, as Ryker stepped forward when Eke addressed him.

"...you saved me in so many ways." he said, kneeling down to Eke's level.

"If I hadn't met you, I'd be lost to the demon, a shell of my former self, as he would have just taken over while I wished for death." he told him.

"But... you already knew that." he said further.

"Eke. You breathed life into my life. You're the best thing that ever happened to me. I'm glad I have brother like you."

The snake withdrew into Ilias' hair, as Evan looked at Kiah as she said what she did. When she asked Ilias her question, the man thought about it for a moment, before snapping his fingers.

"Ah!" he exclaimed.

"I think we have 3 or 4 in the cabinet in room 3." he told her. "I can go get one if you like." he offered. "It's on the way to my office, so I can get it while I'm dropping off the file." he reasoned.

"Office?" Evan asked.

"Oh, so you're in charge here?" he asked Ilias.

"..." Ilias was stunned silent for a moment, before he almost doubled over in laughter.

"Cousins." Ilias said to the one snake.

"Extend your hand out, palm up." he then told Evan.

Evan slowly did so, and the one snake darted her tongue out slightly, getting closer and closer... before resting her head on Evan's fingers.

"There we go." Ilias said.

"She likes me?" Evan asked.

"Yep." Ilias chuckled.

"Oh, thank you." Ilias said, letting go of Evan's hand and accepting the file.

Once he did, one of the snakes extended itself a little further, darting its tongue out at Evan. He then seemed to look over towards Kiah, then to Evan, then back to Kiah, tilting its head slightly.

"Heh." Ilias chuckled.

"Guess your mana's similar, but juuuust different enough to confuse her." he commented.

"She's not sure what to make of it."

"Yeah, around that long." Ilias replied.

"She really rebounded." he said.

The two then waited for a few minutes, before Evan stood up a little straighter.

"...ow." he mumbled.

"Feel better?" Ilias asked.

"Considerably." Evan commented.

"Ilias Nicolo." Ilias then said, extending a hand.

"Evan Kiczys." Evan responded, accepting it... and becoming a little shocked when a few snakes popped out from beneath Ilias' hair.

Aly looked at him when he said what he did, and nodded.

"Of course." she replied.

She'd been with him all this time. For better, for worse, all of it. They all had been. Her, their daughter, Savra, Ryker, the demon, Arissa... all of them.

She quickly left his side, and called for everyone to come to Eke, which they did. Except for Savra. Savra was already there, in lupine form, at the side of the bed.

They were the only other person, aside from Aly, who stayed with Eke always.

Ryker and Arissa arrived into the room, Ryker looking... far stronger than he had in the past. His body had bulked up, and he exuded an aura of power and leadership. It wouldn't be very long before he and demon would wage their campaign to take back the underworld.

"...oh dear..." he said quietly, seeing Eke.

"This looks bad."

"Yes." Ilias told her.

"Seems that was just a weird temporary side effect." he said.

"She's much better now." he said further.

"Better than HE'S doing." he then said, looking at Evan.

Evan leaned against a nearby wall.

Ilias came walking towards Kiah when she called him.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Oh, is this Evan?" he then asked.

"...Hazel's mana, huh?"

"...well, then." Evan said.

"Good for her." he commented.

"Whatever happened, I'm glad that she's gotten a lot better." he went on, as they reached the lab.

"She deserves to have a good-" he then said further, before they entered the lab proper, and he suddenly stopped in his tracks, silent and still.

However, Kiah could see it. He was feeling it.

The burning pain from Hazel's mana attacking him.

Evan nodded along as Kiah said what she did.

"I see." he said.

"Well, it's good that she's making small progress." he commented.

"Even little steps are-" he continued, before pausing suddenly.

"Wait." he said. "Wait, hold on a moment." he muttered.

"PERSONALITY boost?" he asked incredulously.

"...I see." Evan responded quietly. "I... I never knew that." he said further. "That sounds... like no way to live..." he continued, as his mind pondered what he had been told... before he stopped and put some more pieces together.

"At least she manages to get out sometimes?" he then asked.

"I mean, she goes to see my Uncle and Dad." he reasoned.

"...that can't be her entire life, can it?" he inquired further.

"The lab, and the occasional visit to my Dad and Uncle, with the former being a professional appointment a lot of the time?"

"...." the demon was silent as Eke offered his hand.

He looked at it for a moment, before sighing.

"...pretty sure we're past this now." he said.

Then, before Eke could really say anything one way or another, the demon pulled him into a hug, wrapping his arms around him.

"And you're welcome."