Hyun eats as if he is, well, famished. Sa-do informs me that male athletes, especially at his age, are known for alarmingly large appetites. Hyun chats, albeit cautiously, with Famine, but Sa-do keeps his attention upon me. I fix him with a stare, arching one brow in challenge. He does not balk.

This human interests me -- not in the way that Hyun does, for God has not marked Sa-do for early termination. But here is yet another son of another fallen angel...perhaps this is part of Michael’s firm belief in Hyun being the antichrist. But Sa-do does not follow Hyun’s blind lead; quite to the contrary. He is clearly bright and level-headed, and a warrior through and through. He may have...scuffled with War in a moment of very poor judgement, but it is hard for a human to resist the pull of a Horseman -- War, especially. And with the seals thinning, with our influence spilling over more easily in ways it should not…

“So how do you become a Horseman?” I hear Hyun ask Famine in between large bites of what I was told is spam kimbap.

“Good question!” Famine replies with a grin, sliding over a plate of thick, toasted egg sandwiches.

A beat.

“Um…” Hyun prompts for an answer.

“Oh, no idea!” Famine laughs. “None of us have a clue about who becomes a Horseman, which Horseman, or even what happens when you get stripped.”

Hyun coughs on a bite of sandwich, “When you get what?”

“She means stripped of our title,” I sigh, my eyes still fixed on Sa-do. “Think of it as forced retirement.”

I would know; I have had to witness it too many times. And now I stare at my own inevitable future -- how much longer until I, too, must feel the cold weight of Gabriel’s sceptre upon my neck? A shudder runs down my spine at the thought.

“Are you not able to choose any aspect of your own lives?” Sa-do asks, folding his arms across his chest. The muscles in his shoulders are set so tight, it filters down to his exposed forearms. They are covered in pale, thin scars -- old scars from scuffles past. His is a story that was told with the edge of a knife, the evidence written there across his skin. I remember Conquest eyeing him in the Atrium with an almost hungry look: they want to see who would win if the two of them fought. I will not deny my own interest in witnessing such a conquest.

I miss my War, the First War. I miss our own bouts in the Atrium. I miss when we sat, side-by-side and recorded our events together. I miss having someone to whom I could turn in times of questioning.

Something about Sa-do reminds me of him. Perhaps it is the way he sits ever so slightly apart from the rest of the group, watching Famine’s shameless delight. Perhaps it is that I now know the truth: that he shall be a new Horseman. That aura of...battle, of violence, and the look in his eyes of one always ready to enter a fray…

War.

I need to speak with Gabriel. I need the news of what is occurring. Hyun is no longer upon the Earth, which should theoretically end this looming conflict. Yet I have the suspicion that my actions have only added fuel upon the fire--

“You’ve been following Hyun for a few days,” Sa-do says to me, breaking my train of thought. “I saw you.”

“Yes,” I say, not bothering to address his first statement. Why speak the obvious. “You mentioned Ramiel; it has something to do with that.”

“Rami’el has only ever claimed to be watching out for me.”

“Given Ramiel’s...reputation,” I say as delicately as I can, rubbing the back of my neck; the skin feels raw. “We can take those words as a rather obtuse way of stating things.”

“He’s never called himself my father,” Sa-do says with an arch of his brow.

“Given your parentage is not demonic, and the list of angelic -- or, rather, formerly angelic sires is not a particularly long one in comparison...” I leave the sentence hanging for the rest of them to complete in their own minds.

"Coach's dad is an angel?" Hyun is looking over at us from across the high countertop, his second plate now empty and being taken up by a very pleased-looking Famine. She will be insufferable so long as Hyun continues to eat what she makes with as much gusto as he previously demonstrated. Irony, indeed.

I nod at Hyun, "It is the best explanation that suits the evidence presented."

"What evidence?" Sa-do asks.

"The main seal out in the atrium," Conquest enters, face unreadable. They give me the tiniest shake of their head: no progress with War.

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I can feel his wrath simmering away; potential energy building, waiting for the opportunity to explode into existence, to blossom and bloom a bloody flower. But, for now, he remains contained, if volatile. However, should the world continue upon its shift to ruin, there will be such suffering as the world so rarely sees, and always hopes never to see again.

"Had any presence of the demonic come with us through the Seal uninvited, well..." Conquest grins; a dark grin that promises violence, "let's just say you would've had a bad time."

"So your house is basically magically-guarded against demons," Hyun says, slowly, to Conquest, though darting his eyes periodically to me -- I assume for confirmation. I give it to him with a nod; he has the gist of it.

"This place is free from influence -- divine or demonic," I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. "We do not take sides in a human conflict, nor even the divine one. We are results who serve our purpose free from the constraints of allies and enemies."

Or so we have been told...so I had believed.

"Not to sound rude,” Hyun says, “but what exactly are you guys? I mean, you said Horsemen, but what does that mean…?"

The room falls silent; Hyun's face reddens.

"You're kidding," Conquest breaks the silence.

Hyun mumbles something into his chest, head drooping down in clear embarrassment. Sa-do opens his mouth, clearly ready to save his pupil and answer, but I hold up a hand and look to Conquest. "Go ahead," I say.

Conquest betrays nothing, only folding their arms across their chest to sneer, "And I saw when the Lamb opened up one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, 'Come and see.'" Their crown appears atop their white-blonde hair, flashing in the light of the kitchen, and Conquest holds out their hands as the air shimmers and from that they pluck their bow and its one arrow, gleaming white as cleaned human bone. "And I saw, and behold a white horse: and they that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto them: and they went forth conquering, and to conquer." Conquest shrugs, "Like the rest of us, however, I like to think of myself as a neutral party."

"And when he opened the second seal," a voice says behind us. War steps forward to join us, eyes bright, "I heard the second beast say, 'Come and see.' And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the Earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword," War smiles nastily, the very same weapon glinting upon his back. He catches my eye, his expression not changing, "I do so love to make an entrance."

Famine sighs, rolling her eyes to brush her hands together and hop atop the counter beside Hyun, her feet dangling, "And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, 'Come and see.' And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and she that sat on her had a pair of balances in her hand -- well,” she nods, "in that drawer over there, at least. They don't get much use these days," Famine pouts dramatically.

"I'm...sorry?" Hyun apologizes, unsure of what he should be saying at this moment. “I’m still kind of--”

"And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth say, 'Come and see'--"

"And I looked," Sa-do picks up the verse, "and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him."

"Uh..."

"It's Revelations -- I thought your parents were church-going Catholics?" Sa-do appears almost appalled at Hyun's obvious ignorance.

"We didn’t really do all the hellfire and brimstone stuff, to be honest. Wait--...but that's, like...the apocalypse and stuff, right?" Hyun starts out of his chair, pointing between us all wildly, "So you guys are the Four Horsemen -- like, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.”

"Correct," I nod. "You know your scripture well," I say to Sa-do.

"Yeah, but you left out the best part," War says from where he now stands at Conquest's side. "And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. That means you, kid," he adds with a nod at Hyun, as if his meaning were not abundantly clear enough already.

"Did you come here only to threaten the poor boy?" Famine tuts.

"He should know what's coming," War shrugs, furious energy still radiating from him.

I click my tongue and chide our youngest, "That is not your decision, War."

"Yeah, well, his life isn't really yours, now, is it?" he glares.

Hyun leans in to ask, "Can I get a say in--"

"No," both War and I snap in unison. I take a deep breath, counting the exhale. Humans...how they try my patience. War and Gabriel, as well, while I am compiling a mental list.

"Step outside, War," I say, barely more than a whisper. I will not shout anymore in front of these humans. And what I must need say, should I choose to say it, is not something I am yet ready to share with a group.

"Nah, nah," he raises his hands in a defensive gesture, pushing himself from the wall so that he may step backwards, out of Famine's kitchen. The rage continues to simmer, and his ruby eyes glitter dangerously. "You all have fun with the antichrist without me."