Danica closed her eyes, understanding that her fate was sealed. She reminisced her memories with the child, those ten wonderful years. Slowly, a smile formed on her lips. "Goodbye, child."

Azeur's shoes hit the wooden floor, the footsteps echoed inside the room, then it stopped. Just a few centimeters away, he could even hear her heartbeat. He lifted his right hand unhurriedly until it was pressed on her chest. "Danica Shell, I can spare you if you tell me where your Madam is."

She never replied.

Archer grinned, knowing that she would not spill the beans. "Well, then. Goodbye, Nana." He shoved his hand forward, penetrating her body.

Danica screamed in agony, blood kept flowing out of her wound. Even then, her consciousness never faltered and the pain intensified. She did not want to open her eyes because she was afraid to look at him. Those haunting eyes. Not that it mattered anyway because she could not move.

Azeur pulled back his hand, carrying a beating heart. It was throbbing. The red blood adorned his arms yet it did not disgust him. Rather, he just felt nothing. Indifferent. Soon, the heart stopped, together with the female before him, they died together.

He waved his hand and an invisible barrier surrounded the crime scene. His eyes glowed, and swiveling mists appeared beside the corpse. Like a hurricane, it gulped the body, the blood, and the heart. Then, like a bubble, everything vanished.

"Problem's taken cared of." Azeur noticed the wasted cupcake on the floor. He crouched down and grabbed it, moving it near his face. "Indeed, it is poisoned. But what can the poison do? I'm hungry anyway." He took a small bite and his face brightened up and had another one as he took a seat on his bed.

When he was done, he picked up the broken plate when he saw the carcass lying on the floor. "Thank you for attempting to save me, even though it was useless." He tapped it lightly and stood up, leaving the area as he went to throw the broken plate to the bin.

After a few minutes, the first to move was its hind legs, then its chest. Suddenly, the mouse stood up and sniffed around. As soon as he saw Azeur back on the bed, it climbed up and crawled onto his shoulder.

Azeur could hear its breathing. He glimpsed at his shoulder and frowned. "You smell disgusting. If you want to be with me, you better take a bath."

The mouse squeaked as it stood on its hind legs and rubbed its head. It began to lick its body and tail.

Azeur smiled. "Not that type of bath. A human bath."

The mouse shook its head and did its thing again.

Azeur remembered what Nana had done in the past, "Well, what about I show you how to take a bath?"

The mouse nodded and crawled toward his hand.

Azeur carried the mouse to the bathroom and dropped it in the tub. A shampoo on his right hand, he opened the shower until it was just enough to let the mouse swim and mixed the shampoo on the water. With a little swirl, a foamy solution was formed. "Go on. That's how you take a bath. Dive into the water and rub your body. You got to learn to do it, okay? I don't want to smell anything bad from you if you want to join me."

The mouse squeaked and swam around as if it was diving in the sea.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Azeur grinned when he saw how compliant the mouse was. Satisfied, he went back inside the room and sat on the bed. As they say, when you've got nothing to do, then your mind would become active. When he was doing nothing, memories of Danica, of his mortal family, and of his past came inside all at once.

"Was it really right for me to save this world?" Azeur sighed and checked his memories of his ten years stay inside this house. His family - they were the only ones he met in his entire life as a mortal.

After finding out that Azeur was not brilliant like the rest of his children, his father was scared that his reputation would be destroyed when outsiders knew who he was. He was the one who suggested not let his son leave the house but to Azeur's surprised, no one disagreed. Nor even bothered to care.

His mother treated him differently as if he was not her child at all. He even rarely met her because she was always on the Council's headquarter.

His sister had her personal house and this made the situation worse. They do not meet at all unless it's special times like his father's birthday.

His brother was always outside as well. Busily achieving his dream to become a great magician. Or whatever it was, not like he cared at all. 

Azeur's eyes narrowed into a slit. He had made a resolution inside his heart. At once, he moved out of his bed and was about to exit through the door when he heard scratching noises. Then he felt something crawling on his clothes, which finally stopped on his right shoulder. "Good, you smell nice. Remember, if you pee, you better make sure you ran as far away from me and do not let your piss get in contact with your body in any way."

The mouse nodded his head and slept.

"Don't sleep yet. Do you even have a name?"

It squeaked.

"Oh, Shae? Okay. You better behave."

It squeaked again, this time sleeping for real.

Azeur shook his head and went outside his room and walked through the wide hallway, big enough to let a truck passed by. The walls were adorned with old paintings and beautiful mosaics, with the thick carpet covering the floor. Even the grand stair at the end of the hallway was made of jade.

As he moved downstairs, he saw the lifeless living room filled with nonsensical things intended for leisure. As far as he was concerned, the only thing he enjoyed playing was Polygon, a board game that had moving tiles. But sad as it may be, they were confiscated without even giving their reasons why. 

He did not mind these things and went straight to the dining area. There he found the kitchen crew preparing something.

"I need to eat," Azeur said as he sat on one of the empty chairs. "Right now."

Elena, one of the maids, turned around and screamed. "Young Master! There's a mouse on your shoulder!"

"I know. Prepare something for him to eat as well. A slice of cheese would be good for his diet."

Tofee, one of the chefs, tread his steps and whispered, "Young Master, you better get rid of the mouse or your father will get angry when he sees it."

Azeur just ignored him and closed his eyes.

Tofee felt angry when he saw Azeur ignored him. Even then, he controlled his temper and signaled one of his subordinates, Echo, to get rid of the mouse. 

Echo nodded and slowly approached Azeur. When his hand was about to grab the mouse, Azeur said matter-of-factly, "If you dare touch the mouse, I will cut off your hands."

The blood was drained off Echo's face, his body slowly stepping backward as he replied, "Yes, young master."

Azeur stood up and started walking right back to the living room, "I expect my food to be ready after I come back." Then, he continued on his way and sat down on the couch nearest to the Holograph. Using the sensor device, he filled it up with his power and turned the Holograph on. He scanned through the channels until he reached the only one that fitted his taste - Mythical Creatures Channel. 

Even then, his mind was not totally into the show. Rather, he was thinking - is the world worth saving? He sacrificed a lot just to let the world survive, not that they requested it from him. Even then, he believed that since he was the one who had given them the chance to live, then it would be right for him to take it away if he saw them not fitting. 

"Shae, are you awake?"

Squeak!

"What do you think of humans?"

 The mouse made a lot of squeaking noises as it stood on its hind legs.

"Cruel? I myself am cruel if I had to, so I don't blame them if they act that way."

Shae made another long series of squeaking sounds as it hopped on his shoulder.

"Selfish? Cruel without reason? Ungrateful to the Gods? Is that how you see them?" Azeur sneered, his fingers tapping against the couch, and said, "Then let me see. I will travel the world for a year or two. Let me judge what they really are. If what you say is true, then I will destroy this very world I save with my hands."