Kaiser stood his ground between Neil and Rin. His body shifted sideways, extending his left arm towards Rin and holding hers while his right arm moved slightly forward to counter any incoming strikes. Despite being a priest, Neil took notice of his stance and lowered his hand and bowed to apologize.
“I'm terribly sorry for the unnecessary worry with my sudden appearance. You must have a lot of questions as to why I'm here. Would you give me a chance to explain?”
The nearby grandfather clock ticks and tocks away as Kai starts weighing his options. There’s multiple exit routes in case anything goes south. The lobby door seems safe but there’s no indication if the priest came alone or if his helpers are ready outside at a moment's notice. There’s an exit door not far to the right. Kai and Rin were closer to it than the priest. They could make a run for it, but it seemed too obvious. The last option is going to the basement parking lot via the elevator. The next steps would be to find the easiest car to hotwire and drive away. The clock chimes, indicating the time as 9 o’clock at night, as he comes to a conclusion. He sat down next to Rin while still holding on to her hand, now even tighter.
“Let’s hear it then, your explanation.”
“Im glad we can have a conversation, I appreciate the opportunity.”
The clock ticks again, Kai still waiting for the priest to continue explaining.
“As I said, my name is Neil Barrein. I know I might be around your age, but that's only because I've been in the church for a few years now. We’ve been keeping an eye on your progress for a while now and we’re proud to openly invite you into our community.”
“And why would you think I would join your church?”
“Ah, I see why you were cautious earlier, is it because of the rumor that we’re against the seven families?”
“It’s true then?” Kai narrowed his eyes to gauge Neil’s answer.
“There is some truth to that. We openly oppose the manipulation of this city and its residents. Do you not feel the same? Is it not the reason you went away for years only to come back stronger? To fight back?”
Kai couldn’t answer those questions. Neil was absolutely right in his assumptions. It made sense that they knew if he was being truthful of Kai’s surveillance. There were a dozen more questions that popped into his mind.
“It isn't just me, isn't it? I'll assume you have surveillance on most people of interest connected to the seven families?”
“Yes, we do. We try our best to collect as much intel to avoid unnecessary conflict.”
“Does that include Oliver Brennwick and his family?”
“I see your concern is in regards to his wife and child? Fret not. We've deemed them as non-threats, we respect their privacy in their own residence and only follow Mr. Brennwick in public spaces. That is not illegal, no? Just treat us as paparazzi.”
“Do you plan recruiting him too? Or just us?”
“We did, but the circumstances of his familial duties would be a hindrance to both parties. Any more questions you would like me to answer?
The elevator started to move. Kai looked at the floor number on the indicator through his peripheral vision.
“Just one. What if we refuse?”
The smile from Neil's face suddenly went away, as if it was never there. What replaced it was an expression of anger and disgust.
“It's in your best interest to not refuse, Mr. Kaiser.”
“Then I guess I'll have to agree…..” the elevator bell rings, indicating it has reached the lobby.
“.....to disagree!” He flips the table and kicks it towards Neil, resulting in him falling back on his chair and trapped under the table while Kai and Rin takes the opportunity to run towards the elevator. When they reached the basement, Kai quickly took a glance at the cars available. He found the perfect getaway car, a 2999 Kiva Sunbird.
“Tell me if you see the elevator moving, Rin.” He quickly hotwired the car and took his sister inside. He tried to check for any ID for the car's owner.
“Here it is, Gina Devereux. Promise we'll pay you back.” vowed Kai, trying to be responsible despite knowing it's an emergency.
“Big bro, i don't think this is the time to-”
“I know, I know. I got the car going already, put your seatbelts on.”
They strapped themselves in, before the tires screeched and the engines revving up. Trails of tire smoke accumulated as they drove away past the elevator, there were still no signs of the priest chasing. Did Kai go overboard and injure the priest? No, Kai's instinct never failed him before. The only word that came to his mind when meeting the priest was “Run”.
They drove out from the basement but the streets were still busy with traffic.
“Rin, who's the Hayashi family head now? Is it Mika?”
“No, she's still a year away from succession. It's still her mother, Noriko.”
“Ughh, she's still a better choice than going to the Morrano's.
“Why not go back to our mansion, big bro?
“Trust me, if they're openly recruiting or approaching us like this, it's gonna lead to an all out battle, we need to go to a place where there's already enough firepower on standby first. When he mentioned Hayley and Wendell, he said they weren't a threat but that doesn't mean they wouldn't be in danger. Use my phone to call Ollie.”
“Why don't I just call through my phone?”
“He doesn't usually open his phone much when it comes to other people, not even when it comes to Old George. But I set the ringtone for my calls as an annoying song that he hates, he'll definitely pick it up.”
As Rin took his phone and called Oliver, Kai saw the priest walk out of the hotel unscathed through the rearview mirror. He slowly waved his hands towards their general direction. Kai's face went pale as white paint. He was right, there was something odd about the priest.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Kai shifted gears and drove past the traffic as best as he could. Sounds of cars honking grew increasingly frequent as they zig and zag between cars and reached an intersection. The lights just turned red but there was no choice. Kai chose to accelerate.
“Big bro, no!”
They barely went past the cars and narrowly escaped an accident. Rin's heart was racing faster than ever before. He saw her life flashing for a split second, but that was enough to scare her. At the same time, the call connects.
“You piece of shit! How dare you mess wkth my pho-”
“Big bro Ollie! Listen to me!”
“Rin? What's wrong? Did Kai get drunk?”
“No. Listen, We're all in danger! My big bro and I are driving away from a church priest. This is a serious, big brother's expression….he's scared…just like back then during the landslide…he told me to tell you to go keep Haley and Wendell safe.”
“.........Put me on speaker.” She complied with Oliver's request.
“Kai, head towards the Pier.”
“No, that's too long of a drive, we're already past Locran street, we're going to the Hayashi's.”
“Miss Noriko won't let you-”
“There's not much options, Ollie. Listen, the seven families need to work together on this. I think the church is worse than you think. The priest….i saw the eyes of a killer…”
“...damnit..i'll come to you.”
‘No, i said keep Haley and wendell sa-”
“KAI? RIN? YOU THERE?........DAMNIT!”. Beep beep beep
Kai opened his eyes slowly, his body was aching from the impact. The car had suddenly hit something hard in the middle of the road. When he fully opened his eyes, he saw the priest had stopped the car with his body. Yet again, he was unscathed. Kai looked towards Rin and saw that she was unconscious and blood was dripping from her head.
“Tsk tsk tsk, it's not polite to run away from a conversation, Mr. Kaiser, I was emotionally hurt, you know?”
Kai tried to talk back with a hoarse voice.
“I knew…it…you're a..monster..”
“I prefer modified humanoid entities, but that's all just semantics isn't it? I am still me and that's all that matters.”
“What's…. Your.. real goal?”
“Oh my, being a little bit greedy aren't we? Well, we usually give the answer for free for initiates, but since you rejected the offer, I'm sorry to say that's highly classified.” He tilted his head and grinned from ear to ear.
What happened next felt like it was taken from a fantasy book. The priest grew out a pair of shimmering golden wings and levitated himself off the ground while lifting the car with both Kai and Rin still inside and then he flew away. Kai fell unconscious once more.
When Rin finally woke up, they were both tied up in the middle of a forest. She felt the pain in her head and the blood dripping on her face. She saw the car was wrecked beyond recognition. She wondered who or what could have made that happen, and then she saw it. The priest with golden wings and a grinning face of a demon near a campfire.
“Lovely! You're awake! Time to wake up the older one then.” The priest walked towards the tied up Kai and kicked him in his abdomen, waking him up and causing him to vomit.
“Now then, you're wondering why we're in the middle of the forest right? It's simple really.” He walked towards the fire and turned around for dramatic effect and points at both of them.
“You. Will. Die. Gyahahahahahah!”
“Uurrgh.” Kai gains the strength to get up.
“Oh my, what vigor! You really are a mighty fighter, Mr. Kaiser, I am truly impressed.” He claps cheerfully.
“I understand why you're against the seven families…but this isn't the way..”
“There is no other way, Mr. Kaiser. If there was, I would be there right by your side, fighting the good fight, but there is no ‘good fight’, it's just a bunch of sewer rats trying to climb up just to survive, Just to breathe!”
“....you're a victim of this city too…aren't you?”
“Everyone is a victim in this city, Mr. Kaiser, even the seven families themself, they just don't know it yet.”
“Those wings…gene modification?”
“Yes and no… Don't worry, you'll find out soon enough, Mr. Kaiser.”
The priest held out his right arm towards the fire. The flames gathered and swirled, accumulating into a whirlpool of flames in mid air. The priest then walked towards Rin, picking her up and forcing her to stand, causing one of her shoe heels to break.
“Any last words?”
“I…i have a question…”, Rin steeled herself to ask despite shivering in fear.
“This better be good…”
“You said…you've been in the church for years…but it was officially recognized only a year ago…there were also no reports of the church in any archives. So what is the Church of Deigsir?”
“Gyahahahahaha! Now that is a good question. Unfortunately I can't answer that right now. All will be revealed in due time, but I will give you a quick death for being smart”.
Kai stood up and ran towards the priest, “I won't let you!”
The priest blew back the approaching Kaiser with a flick of his wing, “Calm down, Mr. Kaiser, you'll get your turn.”
Before Kai could stand up again, the priest had already stabbed Rin through her chest with his hand. Her sweater and skirt both drenched in red as her eyes lost their light.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!”
The adrenaline rushes throughout his body, giving him strength to rip apart the rope that tied him and run towards the priest again. His body was holding its ground when the priest tried to blow him away once more. As the priest pulls back his hand, an ethereal version of Rin is formed.
“YOU BASTARD! WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY SISTER?!”
“I'm only acquiring her soul. If you wish to bring her back, then I suggest you follow me.” the priest walked and disappeared into the swirling fiery whirlpool along with Rin's soul, leaving her lifeless body aside.
Kai didn't understand what just happened. He didn't understand why it happened to Rin of all people. He didn't understand how he still wasn't strong enough to protect her after all these years. He kept punching the ground over and over and over again and didn't even stop after his hands started to bleed.
After what seemed like hours, he stopped punching the ground and crawled towards Rin's body. He held his sister in her arms and cried hopelessly while kissing her forehead, continuously apologizing for failing to protect her.
Rain started pouring heavily. Masking his tears away. The fire was still swirling in mid-air, unhindered by the heavy rain. Kai accepted that he couldn't save his sister's body. Right now, he needs to steel himself to follow after the priest and save Rin's soul. He closed her eyes and let her body lay peacefully before he stood up in front of the fire and walked into it. His body went past the fire and fell forwards, lifeless like his sister's.
_________________
In the morning, the police tracked and found the bodies of Kaiser amd Marina kernarde and officially pronounced them “dead” on the 28th of Nolcress, 3207.