The light outside started to fade as the sky was filled by a picturesque hue of purple with light tinges of red and yellow by the setting sun. The cloudless sky was filled with birds, migrating perhaps for the winter. There was a slight breeze, pleasant and calm, that ran throughout the area running its soothing hands through my hair. It was time I went back home.

Five minutes later, I was at the doorstep of the massive mansion I called house. Surrounded by exquisite gardens on the sides, the pool in the backyard and a plain parking space for my cars, the place was a layman's dream. The pay for a skilled professional assassin was high and the demand for one, higher.

I walked in past the living room, through the back door, over to the backyard by the pool where she stood, her elegance poised and her beauty unparalleled. Her long black hair poured down her shoulder to her waist, slightly bouncing back and forth in a light wave, courtesy of the breeze. Her back stood straight, she was thinking about something very deeply, for her hands were completely motionless and her body extremely still.

I walked towards her, careful to not make any sound as I walked towards her. I slowly wrapped my arms around her soft, squishy waist, hugging her tenderly from behind as I kissed her at the side of the neck which wasn't covered by her hair. She smelled like roses, perhaps her perfume. She slowly turned around towards me, her big brown eyes were looking into mine with a sort of twinkle in them.

Her smile on that cute round face was enough to pull me away from reality. Her lips wore a shade of purple. A little foundation with a touch of blush by the cheeks covered her naturally beautiful light brown tone. Her eyes were highlighted by her strong eye lashes, mascara perhaps and a little eyeliner around the lashes. She was a wearing a black crop top over a light blue bikini making her love handles and the slight bulge around her waist visible. Her thighs, large and soft, shone in the lack of hair. Her legs were toned enough to put an athlete to shame. She looked amazing as always.

She slowly leaned towards me as she kissed me. Our lips moved synchronously as I bit her lower lip and slithered my tongue into her throat, her soft moans indicated that I was on the right track. We slowly broke apart when I opened my eyes again. Her hair was flowing in the wind graciously. She was still grinning when she proceeded to throw her crop top away. She then turned around and made her way into the pool followed by a slight splash.

I walked to one of the chairs nearby and sat down as I watched her make laps around the pool. The pool was built according to her, the deepest point was twenty feet deep, the length ran for a hundred meters and the width at thirty five. She loved to swim, always says that it makes her forget about everything and takes her to another world. I saw her body float underwater, the ripples on the surface that created small splashes by the edges of the pool.

I saw myself transport into the past. In those dark, ugly waters of the river Styx, I saw myself trapped in the tube, I saw myself helpless, screaming in panic and flaying around recklessly like a mere mortal. I was disgusted by the weak and pathetic shadow I was. But more importantly, I learnt true fear, the fear of death, the pain of losing yourself from reality as everything that defined you was threatened by destruction.

I knew the struggle and fight for life but more importantly, I knew the pain that followed me by death. I knew the strength of water, its omnipotence a constant reminder to its superiority. I knew the dark sights of death, the utter desolation and confusion that followed. My death was brief, but I remember very accurately of the time I remained to be dead. And in that moment, I decided not to challenge death.

I could hear laughter and bickering. Mocking. The water was mocking me, daring me to face its might. I could feel its wet hands, slowly crawling up my spine, making its way to my neck as its cold grasp was around my neck. I shivered and shrugged away the feeling but I could still hear its laughter. My heart started to increase its pace and drops of sweat started to trickle down my face and neck. My breathing was becoming rapid as my vision started to become blurry.

I got up and turned away from the water. I set my eyes into the distant skies, skies which were almost black in the dark night, the crescent moon the only light in the sky. My breath slowly returned to normal and so did my sight.

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"Are you alright ?" asked Raven, her voice filled with a little concern. I saw her floating at the surface of the water, and I smiled at her as I replied "Yeah." She wasn't entirely at ease with my answer. She knew about my aqua phobia, especially my fear when I saw large bodies of water. That's why she initially argued not to have a pool but it was something which she thoroughly enjoyed so I got it built anyways.

"You can go inside if you want to, I'll be out soon anyways," she said.

"No, it's fine, I'll wait, it's not like I have anything better to do,"I replied.

She looked once more at me, smiled with a little concern on her face and then went underwater. I knew what she was doing. Whenever she went swimming, she ended her routine by touching the surface of the bottom of the pool, which was basically twenty feet underwater. It took her about a minute or a minute and a half at most to be out. I was waiting outside looking at the distorted image of her that was formed underwater. A minute had passed by.

I could see bubbles erupting to the surface from below, right around where she was. I couldn't make out what she was doing but she seemed to not move from her position, she was stagnant at the pit bottom. My heart started to race and I started to panic as she wouldn't come out. It was almost two minutes since she went in.

I started to unbuckle my belt swiftly and kicked away my pants. I was watching but I couldn't watch her die, I couldn't let her die. I knew I had to save her. So I closed my eyes and jumped in, and kept pushing myself deeper and deeper, thrashing and pulling at the water, ignoring its horrifying laughter. I kept going deeper until I saw the figure of her still body and all the threatening voices had ceased in my mind. I lunged at her body, a scream escaping out of my mouth as I rushed my way up above.

Soon, I broke out of the surface of the water taking a deep gasp as I was out. I pushed her out of the pool, went out and started to do CPR. I gave her chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation alternatively in sets of 10. When I was midway in my second round of compressions, she spit out the water and gasped for air, coughing and gagging in the process.

She looked around, trying to figure out where she was.

She faintly spoke out saying, " I blacked out, held my breath too long."

"I know, don't worry, I will always be there for you." Saying so, I tried to reassure her.

Her eyes widened as she realized something. "You dove into the water? For me? You are extremely scared of drowning though, aren't you? Why would you do that Divo? You could have died too, you don't even know how to swim. Why would you risk your life so recklessly?" she asked, more like screamed in panic and worry, her hands thrashing at me.

"Yeah I know, it wasn't a logical response. I was always afraid of drowning but I guess that fear doesn't matter when its you in question. I'll fight through anything for you Raven," I replied smiling. "Also, I do know how to swim. I was taught how to swim when I was a kid. I wasn't yet afraid of drowning or of water. I might even say that I had enjoyed once upon a time. But things changed as I grew up." Saying so I lifted her up to her feet and helped her inside the house.

I didn't know how I jumped in. I was petrified before jumping in though. My legs were shaking, my knees were heavy, my stomach was twisting and turning and I almost wouldn't have done it. But her face flashed in my mind, her love came through me. And I knew that I had to save her, no matter what. I had to make sure that she was alive and with me. Always.

...

It had been five years since then. These five years have played a significantly important role in our lives. I was still an assassin, the top most with my set of skills and tricks. The normal world didn't know about my origin, about my DNA or the various powers I had. Raven always knew but Raven was different. Raven was the only person who knew everything about me.

My task was successful, those two were dead and I, Divo di Angelo had created perhaps one of the most gnarly and gore crime scenes ever. My clothes were covered in blood and bits of bone and flesh of the dead. I discarded them in a nearby dump and put them on fire. In India, burning trash wasn't uncommon, it wasn't appreciated but it wasn't uncommon. And dumps of trash were aplenty.

After making sure that everything turned to ash, I went back home. Raven was waiting for me.

As I reached the entrance and was about to open the door, the door slowly was opened by the most amazing person in this world. But today wasn't time for pleasantries. All the pieces needed to be in motion. I stepped in and took a seat on the recliner as she joined me on the one beside.

"Is it done?" she asked.

"Yes. Those boys are dead. He saw the whole scene. I made sure I left plenty of evidence but not too plenty to make it seem unrealistic. He is trapped." Saying so I turned towards her.

"Your irises. The brown in your eyes," she exclaimed, "is reducing, the red color is starting to take over."

"Good," I replied with a smile on my face.