Before he could say another word, an invisible force had thrown Leon out of the room, the door slamming in his face. It was clear Hime wanted nothing more to do with him, at least for the moment. The sound of the train's chugging filled the air, its wheels smacking against the joints underneath their feet. The rhythmic clatter of the bogies running over the wells was accompanied by the piercing blasts of whistles from the head of the train, and the bells chimed against the windows, creating a symphony of chaotic sounds.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" Leon muttered through gritted teeth. Augh, of all the rotten luck....

What did you expect? Diablos said. Congratulations on breaking the heart of one of the strongest demon families in history. Perhaps the word hero will be scrubbed from her tongue after all.

Oh, don't you get started. Last thing I need is to be praised by the king of demons. His eyes scanned the compartment's golden brown walls. He half expected to see King's mischievous shadow from above, but the raptor remained elusive. As he walked through the train, he couldn't help but notice the glances and quick averted gazes of other passengers and nobles within their compartments. As if I didn't have enough relationship drama.

You clearly showed great resistance to her advances. No mortal could have greater resolve, Diablos said, his voice laced with mockery.

Leon felt a wave of heat flush to his face, but then closed his eyes. He let out a deep breath and chuckled. It was almost refreshing. When did you learn to be so good at sarcasm?

Oh, please. Don't speak of riddles to me, boy. It would not surprise me to discover it was I who created such things, Diablos retorted. Leon laughed in spite of himself.

After what felt like an eternity, Leon finally reached the back of the train. Two guards stood before a chained door, dressed in crimson armor with white armbands. Their helmets concealed their eyes, leaving nothing but darkness within. One guard carried a sword on his belt, while the other held a rifle adorned with shifting symbols that glowed in various colors. This must be it, he thought, his gaze shifting to the men.

One of the guards unsheathed his blade and held it to his chest in salute. "Lord Diablos! You honor us with your presence! Forgive me for asking my lord, but do you have permission to be here without the princess?"

"Yes, she said I could speak with them. Could you let me see the angel first, or are they all in the same compartment?" Leon asked, his eyes switching between the two.

"The angel is just through this door, sir," the other guard said, a deeper voice coming from him. "We shall call the princess-"

"No need for that, Leynard. Let him through," a voice behind Leon spoke, making him jump.

"My lady!" They both stood at attention and stepped away from the door.

"What? Did you come to give me more shit?" Leon blurted out, his gaze fixed on her.

She sighed, shaking her head. "Just go and speak with her. You are the host of Diablos, so to speak. I cannot allow you to go unsupervised, as any mishaps will be on my shoulders. I'm here to make sure you don't make any ill advised decisions. I may be allowing you to speak to the sky trash, but even my patience has limits. Make it quick!"

The way she was avoiding his gaze gave him enough of an answer. "Toouuchey. Alright, alright."

Leon stepped into the room, the guards standing firm and motionless as he passed by them. The atmosphere in the room was starkly different from the rest of the train. Hard, dark gray metal floors stretched beneath his feet, and there were no windows or lights, except for a dim candle flickering on the wall. The air was frigid, wrapping around him like an icy embrace, and a sense of isolation filled the space. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as a chill ran down his spine, but he rubbed his hands together and pressed forward.

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"Leon?" her voice rang from within, cutting through the cold silence.

His eyes gradually adjusted to the dim lighting. Katie shuffled to her feet, the chains on her arms and legs rattling with each movement. "What are you doing here?" she asked, a mixture of surprise and confusion in her eyes.

"Doing what I do best. Savin' the day, I guess," Leon said, brushing off the imaginary dust off his shoulders. He couldn't help but notice the state of her clothes were torn in several places. The scars from her previous wounds had disappeared. Most of her wounds are gone... I guess Jalaiya has intense healing too.

Her eyes winced at his words and she looked down. "That doesn't mean it doesn't hurt..."

When his eyes widened, Katie giggled. Her expression softened at the sight of him. "Seeing you makes it hurt a little less though."

Leon frowned and let out a dramatic sigh. "What's the matter?" Katie asked, meeting his gaze.

He took a deep breath, steeling himself for the difficult conversation ahead. Slowly, he began to tell her what had transpired, the events that had led to their reunion being tainted by heartbreak. "I suppose it shouldn't surprise me. Your memories of us only go so far," Katie muttered, her voice tinged with resignation. "Perhaps you'd even be better off with someone like her."

"No. Hell no. I just have shitty luck, and shitty reflexes it seems...." Leon insisted, his voice filled with determination.

Katie let out a bitter laugh, her expression hardening. "How do I know this isn't just another cruel ploy of hers? Kiss the person I love and send him here to torture me about it? Sounds like something that good-for-nothing princess would do..."

The silence that followed hung heavily in the air, the weight of their unspoken emotions suffocating them both. For the first time since they had met, they couldn't bring themselves to look directly into each other's eyes. The room seemed to close in on them, becoming a prison for their unspoken pain.

"Perhaps letting her kill me will finally be the only good thing she provides." Katie whispered, her voice laced with despair.

"Don't be ridiculous. You don't mean that," Leon pleaded, his eyes widening in alarm. Before he could say anything else, she slammed her head against the cold bars.

"You spent a year searching for Iris and the person you love and you don't know the answer to that?" she shouted, her voice filled with anguish. "It's Cynthia? Isn't it?"

Leon's heart felt as though it had been struck by a thousand arrows, each word from Katie's lips piercing deeper than the last. He stood frozen, unable to move or form coherent thoughts as the weight of her revelations crashed upon him with unbearable force. Her laughter echoed through the desolate room, devoid of any semblance of mirth, and it reverberated in his ears like a haunting dirge. It was the sound of shattered dreams and irreparable loss, the sound of a soul crumbling beneath the weight of unimaginable pain.

"My mother tried to hide that my oldest sister..." Katie's voice trembled, her words choked with grief. "The only person in my family that didn't hate me was sent to kill the only person that ever mattered to me. I believe you've had the pleasure of meeting, only you have no memory of that either, do you?"

Leon grit his teeth. He shook his head, watching her throw her hands up in frustration. Katie was the one behind bars, but they may as well have swapped places.

A mix of sadness and fury filled Katie's eyes as she crossed her arms. "Big surprise. She wanted us to believe she had conveniently died, but I knew that it had to be a lie. It had to be. Your sister wouldn't look me in the eye when I asked about it. Why did you hide it from me? Were you the one who killed her?"

Leon's voice trembled with an anguished denial.. "No.... I don't know what happened to her. She disappeared the same day Iris did. All she left was a note saying... She said to forget she existed and don't look for her. No explanation on where she went or why."

Katie turned her gaze to the bars, grasping her arms. "And you didn't trust me with the truth. After everything we've...we've..." Her voice broke out into an anguished cry, and she crumpled to her knees, tears streaming down her face as she clutched her own trembling visage.

He grasped the bars, heat rising to his face. "Katie, I... this isn't what I..." There was nothing he could say. The pain tore through him like teeth and claws ripping him apart, and all he could do was tremble.

"Leave me be! I never want to see you again!" Katie's voice, laced with anguish, pierced through the air like a final decree.

Leon's trembling hand fell back to his side, and he stepped back, his heart breaking anew with each retreating step. He wanted to reach out, to beg for forgiveness, but he knew that the wounds ran too deep. His breath hitched, and a single tear rolled down his cheek as he turned away, his own silent agony mirroring hers. With that pain, he made a silent vow. I will make this right.