----------------------------------------
I found that this was my truth.
We were meant to cross paths.
________________________________
𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦'𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘪𝘳, thought Eloia. The clouds in the sky made angry faces and the birds violently flew away as the sky let out a roar. Eloia hurriedly turned to enter the pub as the rain struck down at her. She made her way through the crowd and managed to reach the front of the bar after a short while. The place was filled with drunken, mannerless men.
When looking at Eloia people often noticed the shadow that accompanied the empty stare of her eyes. Her eyes were a contrast of grief and apathy. There was an unruliness to her scarlet hair. The most notable item on her body was the red jacket she wore, it wasn't adjusted to her shape, it was heavy, weighing her down. Oversized, not hugging a single curve on her tall, slim demeanor. It's appearance, old and worn out to the point that she found herself having to constantly pull one sleeve up from tearing completely off. She had this careless look drawn upon her face and carried a manner of silence, still managing to draw attention wherever she went.
As Eloia sat down, she glanced up at Kila, the bar's owner, and tossed some change onto the counter.
"The usual," she requested, as Kila promptly poured her a drink before attending to the other customers.
Eloia was a few drinks in when a deep, husky voice approached her from behind.
"Hey there, young lady. How's it going?"
Eloia ignored the voice, but whispers began to circulate.
"Does that man know not to approach her? Doesn't he know to stay away?"
"Who is he anyway? I've never seen him before."
"Everyone knows to stay away from her. They call her Hellhound for a reason." The room filled with hushed conversations.
"I'm talking to you."
The husky voice persisted, and this time, his hand rested on Eloia's shoulder. She turned to face him.
The man stood towering over her, his faded gray hair slicked away from his face. He appeared to be in his mid-thirties, possessed a strong build, and had an arrogant look on his face, with a long scar stretching across his lips. Eloia glared at him with disdain. He tightened his grip on her shoulder and grinned at her. After a moment of silence, he opened his mouth to speak.
"So listen up, everyone. I just arrived in this town, and I've already taken out the trash you all consider the mayor here." He paused for effect.
Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
"So, I guess what I'm trying to say is that makes me the big guy around here now." He chuckled.
"Now that I'm in charge, I tell you what to do. Why don't you come with me? Don't worry, we'll enjoy each other's company-"
Eloia sighs, interrupting his speech.
"You're annoying me."
She reaches towards the hand on her shoulder and clutches it slightly. Distress quickly spreads across his face as he shrieks in agony. A loud gasp is heard in the room as the shattering sound of bones catches everyone off guard. Eloia stands up without letting go of his hand. With her look of disdain never having left, she opens her mouth to speak.
"Your first offense was not only being a man, but being a useless one at that." She tightened her grip, causing the man to stumble and collapse onto the floor, still shrieking in pain.
"It doesn't stop there, no, because you then had the nerve to lay even a single hand on my precious body.." She squeezed his hand even tighter, leaning over him.
"The audacity you had, to think you could approach me."
The disgust in her eyes ran deeply. With a single motion, she threw him across the bar, crashing into a wall that crumbled upon impact, sending him flying outside.
A group of men in suits, observing from outside, looked on in astonishment. They exchanged startled glances with one another.
"Wait, was that the boss?" They scrambled and hurried to his side.
"Boss! Boss!!"
He clutched his injured hand, crouched on the ground, and pointed in Eloia's direction.
"Get... that... witch," he muttered before losing consciousness.
The men focused their attention on Eloia. She met their gaze with an antagonizing smile.
"Hey! Do you know who you just messed with? We're the Yakuza. This is Zual Kudo, the son of the head Yakuza of the Eastern Sea! You've just signed away your life." They began advancing toward Eloia.
"Is this supposed to be a delicate situation..? Oh, well. I don't care." She shrugged, staring at them blankly.
They begin charging towards her.
"Zip."
A commanding voice echoed through the room. Footsteps gradually approached from behind them, as a figure emerged. Suddenly, Eloia felt a strange sensation coursing through her body. She looked down and saw large zippers running across her arms and legs.
𝘈 𝘋𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭 𝘍𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘵 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘳..
Annoyed, she surveyed her surroundings as the approaching figure became more visible. She noticed he was wearing a military uniform.
"Undone!"
He snapped his fingers, and the zippers across her arms and legs unfastened, causing her to collapse on the ground, disoriented and frustrated. Unable to lift a finger, she could only watch as the figure approached and leaned down to speak to her.
"I am Marine Captain Jack. You'll be coming with me." He signaled to the men in suits, as they bowed their heads in response. They pull out handcuffs as they are instructed to arrest Eloia.
"How embarrassing." She mutters.
Another 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘦'𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘠𝘢𝘬𝘶𝘻𝘢'𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘺, 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢 𝘫𝘰𝘬𝘦.. She thinks to herself.
She is taken away and soon finds herself facing her thoughts in a single jail cell.
Across her jail cell though, there is a strange man, a man that carries the will of a thousand suns.
She couldn't imagine what awaits her ahead.
----------------------------------------