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Everyone has regrets, thats just a fact of life. But I now carry regrets in my heart that weigh me down on a day to day basis. What are these regrets you may ask? Oh not much except the kind you get for causing someone’s death.
It’s been more than a month since yet i remember that horrible day like it was only yesterday. It seemed like nothing could go wrong. The professor had instructed me to go to the basement to retrieve the equipment necessary to shut down the portal.
As I was making my way down the incubi containment hall towards the basement door a voice called out my name. Almost instantly I froze in my tracks at Devi’s lilting tone and couldn’t stop myself from turning to face his door and acknowledging his call. He whined for me to come in to see him, and though i tried to protest that I had work to do he s
persisted in his efforts to draw me in. I gave in to his demands to enter his room but once I was inside a bad feeling welled up in my stomach at his displeased expression.
“Good you came” Devi said coldly and before i had a chance to open my mouth to say anything I felt my mind dragged under his control.
“It’s a shame it had to come to this, Lover” Devi continued still in that cold tone. “If you had taken our bond seriously maybe I could have had some hope” he went on stepping closer to me to whisper in my ear. “But it’s clear— you’re my enemies” he hissed out against the shell of my ear making me shiver a little.
“I’m not wasting anymore time” Devi went on in a low threatening tone. “I’m not letting you hurt me or Vald--got it?” he borderline spat out those last two words. I couldn’t say a word only able to grunt and splutter unintelligibly. Devi’s face suddenly softened unexpectedly and he looked sad.
“Damn it” he said looking down at the floor. “I wanted this to work--so bad. You bastards left me no choice” he said sounding like he really believed what he was saying. His face changed again taking on a sickly-sweet expression like love-stricken teen.
“But don’t worry, Sweetheart. You won’t be enslaved with the rest of this dirtball” he said in a overly affectionate voice as he reached up to stroke my face in a mockingly gentle gesture. I could still only grunt in protest to this unwanted display of affection. “We’ve bonded, so you’ll get to stay my mate back in my world” he went on still stroking my face.
“Though…it’s still going to be rough” Devi’s face and voice became sad again as he dropped his hand from my face. “Doesn’t matter, though. I’m not losing my resolve. Get me out of this cell! Take me to Vald!” His tone and posture had regained their aggressive energy and i felt him putting his will on my mind.
In my deepest heart, I knew I had to resist Devi’s control. It was for his own good, but my effects to fight were swiftly crushed as another garble of sound left my lips. It was to difficult to control myself and it was clear Arata wasn’t in the observatory so he couldn’t help me either. As I led Devi out of his cell I knew I had to think fast and trick him. I forced myself to come to a stop in front of door 2: Harsi’s room.
“This is Vald’s cell?” Devi questioned when I came to a stop. I gave him a weak nod and opened the door. “Good boy, lead the way” he commented as we entered.
“Vald?” Devi called out into the cell. I thanked my lucky stars that we’d happened upon Harsi while he was asleep covered in a blanket, preventing Devi from catching onto my lie until it was to late. Harsi sat up looking both dazed and annoyed at being woken up. “This isn’t Vald!” Devi said in alarm beginning to back away towards the door to the hallway.
“What the fuck? Devi?” Harsi said sounding less tired and annoyed and more like tired and angry as he got out of bed.
“I’m outta here!” Devi shrieked turning and making a full on break for it out of the cell and into the hallway.
“Shit...” Harsi growled as the doors shut behind Devi’s fleeing form. “That asshole was mind-controlling you?” He said moving around to inspect my eyes. “Lemme break his hold” he continued and i let out a cry as i regained control of my body.
“Harsi--stop him” I stammered and received a confused look from Harsi. “He’s going to get Vald and proceed with the invasion” I quickly elaborated.
“What?!” Harsi said still looking confused before his face morphed into a look of annoyance. “I don’t fucking think so!” he snarled racing after Devi. I could only watch as Harsi ran and hope he caught Devi in time before things went too far.
“AAAAEEEEEIIIIII!” was the last sound I heard leave Devi’s mouth and it was swiftly followed by a loud cracking noise. I scurried out of the cell towards where Devi’s scream had come from. I found Harsi standing there with blood on his hands and Devi on the floor with his neck twisted.
“Devi…is he…?” I began unable to look away from Devi’s glassy-eyed stare towards the ceiling.
“Dead?” Harsi said in response to my unfinished question. “As a fucking stump. Yeah” he went on with the slightest of smirks.
“Oh…oh my God…D-Devi…” I stuttered out still staring at Devi’s lifeless eyes.
“What?” Harsi said with a shrug. “He was going to fuck everything up” he added sounding a little offended. “Enslave your whole planet” he went on defending his actions.
“I--I know but…” I said pushing down the sudden urge to puke. “We don’t kill here…We just… We just don’t do that” I managed to say as the urge to puke started welling up again. I was already regretting my decision to trick Devi, I felt so alone now.
“Yeah? Lucky for you, I do” Harsi commented interrupting my thoughts. From the other end of the hall I heard the Professor let out a cry of alarm and rush over to the scene.
“Why is Devi on the floor with his neck twisted?” he said in obvious perplexmxent. I took a step away and tried to look anywhere except at Harsi, the professor, or Devi’s corpse. I only vaguely heard the conversation between the professor and Harsi.
“Sorry babe. Had to do it” Harsi said in a resigned tone to the professor. “He was going to start the invasion” he went on causally.
“But…to kill him…” the Professor said looking quite sad as he looked at the dead body before him.
“Trust me… If he got Vald out there would have been no way to stop him” Harsi said with a frown. “I can’t fight that guy. No one on your world can” he added with that frown deepening. “They would have killed you and given the attack order” Harsi finished and allowed the information to be processed.
“Such a waste…My God…” the Professor mumbled shaking his head still in disbelief.
“You’re going to want to close that portal. Dump this body through it first” Harsi commented. “And if you want Vald to stick around you better tell him Devi went home” he went on in authoritative tone.
“I…yes…we must…we must deal with this” the Professor said sounding almost lost for words. “Come with me, Kenta. Let’s finish closing the portal” he said turning his attention on me.
“Y-yes, Professor” was all i managed before i finally puked up the contents of my stomach, narrowly missing the corpse or any feet. The rest of that day passed without much interest, Devi’s body was disposed of through the portal and then it was shut down.
I remained in employment at the lab for another month or so before the professor called me to his office and officially fired me and sent me on my way. Since then I’ve been wandering a drift in the world. I found a job in engineering that keeps me so busy that I hardly have time to think. I take comfort in being to busy to think because the moment that my mind is free my thoughts always turn to Devi, and that unbearable ache in my chest rises up.
It’s gotten slowly worse and worse. I’ll go to sleep in my bed and then wake up standing on the side of a bridge poised to jump. But I never do, something always stops me from taking that leap that would end my pain forever. Something like mind-control might say...