Devils Never Cry - Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

The Seal Weakens: A Devil's Distress, and a Snow Girl's Comfort

That night, Ryu had trouble sleeping. During the fight with Saizou, he had inadvertently weakened the seal of his Lock ever so slightly. But it was just enough to have allowed him a glimpse at his true face. And he did not like what he saw. Every time he closed his eyes, he kept seeing his own face, his skin blacker than a starless night, and his eyes as white as a ghost. And all across his face, the white marks of his race glowed as bright as his eyes. And when he opened his mouth to speak, his voice was distorted and cold.

Finally, after being unable to get any sleep, he sat on the edge of the bed, and turned to look out the window. My father warned me this would happen someday. I shouldn’t be surprised, because no matter how strong a seal is, it will eventually break. But… he thought, looking at the Lock and chains around his right forearm. But why now? It’s only been 5 years since my powers were sealed within the Lock… Was the seal weak to begin with, or did something happen today that caused it to loosen this way… he thought, going over the entire fight again in his mind.

Over and over again he replayed the little duel in his thoughts, but he could not figure out what had happened to loosen the seal. He let out a sigh of frustration, rubbing his face. This got Mizore’s attention, and she slowly opened her eyes, sitting up in bed.

“Ryu? What’s wrong? It’s two in the morning. You should be resting for classes tomorrow,” she said, rubbing her eyes. Ryu turned his head just enough to look at her out of the corner of his eye.

“You should be sleeping too, Mizore,” he said softly. Mizore simply put her hand on his shoulder, turned him enough to face her, and placed a soft kiss upon his lips. After spending a minute locked in this tender kiss, Mizore looked deep into Ryu's eyes.

"Whatever it is, my golden devil, it can't be that bad," she said, smiling sweetly. Ryu couldn't help by smile himself at her comforting words, and gave her a strong hug.

"You're right, my little snow bunny. I'm reading too much into it," he said, kissing Mizore's cheek. As he got back under the covers, Ryu decided to save his concern for later. Little did he know about the changes that had begun within him upon the weakening of the seal. Changes that would soon make their terrible presence felt...

The next morning, Mizore woke up bright and early. As she looked at Ryu while he slept, she gently brushed his cheek. He's trying to hide it from me, but he's worried about something. I can sense it... she thought. Mizore brushed Ryu's bangs aside, kissing his lips softly. Get your rest, my golden devil. We will both need all our strength to get through the Academy. Making sure she didn't disturb his rest, Mizore went away from the bed, and walked to the kitchen area to make breakfast.

She worked on breakfast for the of them, keeping silent no matter how many times her hands were burnt by the hot grease popping from the pans. By the time she was done cooking, her hands were very red. But, she was happy, and proud of what she had done. It hurt like hell, but for the man I love, I would endure the very fires of Hell itself, she thought as she put the food onto plates. Then, going to the bathroom, she opened the medicine cabinet to get some bandages. She put some band-aids on the worst of the burns, and walked back to the bed, and saw that Ryu was just waking up.

"Good morning, Ryu," she said cheerfully. Ryu looked at her and smiled.

"Good morning, Mizore. I smell breakfast. Did you...?" he asked, pulling on his shirt. Mizore smiled, and nodded.

"It hurt a bit, but it was worth it for you," she said, trying to hide her hands. Ryu noticed her attempt, and gently took her hands, examining them.

"Don't lie to me, Mizore. This hurt quite a lot from the looks of your hands," he said quietly.

"It was worth it. You didn't get much sleep last night, so you'll need a great breakfast to make up for it. It's what a good wife would do..." she replied, although she said the last part rather quietly. Ryu caught it, though, and smiled.

"No one's mentioned marriage, my little snow bunny," he chuckled. But, as he held her hand, Ryu looked into Mizore's eyes. "But all things in due time. What is meant to be... will be," he said with a smile. Mizore hugged him tightly, pushing him onto the bed. She ignored the pain in her hands for now, and focused only on the embrace of her beloved.