I woke up with a strange sensation of pain. Not the sharp, biting agony of steel tearing through skin, but a numbing thrum that coursed through my every nerve.
The first thing I noticed was the scent. It wasn't the stench of garbage, nor the metallic tang of drying blood. It was a very soft aroma of jasmine, mingled with the soothing fragrance of expensive soap.
I opened my eyes. Morning sunlight filtered through a large window, illuminating a vast room. I was lying on a mattress so plush that my body seemed to sink into it. A white silk duvet covered my chest.
"Where...?" I whispered. My voice was hoarse; my throat felt as if I'd been swallowing sand.
I tried to sit up, but my head throbbed violently. Memories hit me like a speeding train: the Centipede Demon, Charon's death, the searing heat in my chest, and... that slaughter. I remembered how I had cleaved through that Yakuza Boss's body until he no longer resembled a human being.
And then, that woman. Sumeragi.
"Awake already, Aqua-kun?"
I flinched. In the corner of the room, seated in a dark red velvet chair, Sumeragi was watching me. She wore a pristine white dress, radiating an aura of elegance that defied logic. She had been reading a document, but her purple eyes (marked with circular patterns) were now fixed entirely on me.
"Miss... Sumeragi?" Hearing her say my name felt like a spell.
She stood and walked toward me. Each footfall on the polished wooden floor sounded like a steady heartbeat. She sat on the edge of my bed, so close I could feel the warmth radiating from her.
"How are you feeling? Does your chest still hurt?" Sumeragi asked. Her delicate hand reached out, slowly touching my chest, right where Charon's heart now beat.
I held my breath. "Charon... he's gone. He's... he's inside here, isn't he?"
Sumeragi smiled. It was the most beautiful smile I had ever seen, yet for some reason, my instincts screamed at me to run. "Your little friend gave his life so that you could keep living, Aqua-kun. He loved you very much. Just as I do."
She stroked my cheek with her thumb. "You've been asleep for two days. During that time, I never left this room. I wanted to ensure that when you opened your eyes, I was the first person you saw."
"Two days?" I was shocked. "Then... my mother? The hospital? The Boss's organization... they'll definitely be looking—"
"Shhh..." Sumeragi placed her index finger against my lips. "You don't need to worry about those filthy things anymore. That Yakuza organization is gone. I've 'settled' them, down to the very roots. No one will hurt you again. No one will threaten your mother ever again."
I froze. "You mean... Mother is safe?"
"She has been moved to Public Security's finest facility. She is under heavy guard," Sumeragi leaned her face close to my ear, her whisper feeling both cold and intoxicating. "But there is a price, Aqua-kun. In this world, nothing is free, is it?"
I swallowed hard. "What... what do you want from me? I have nothing."
"You have something very precious," she pulled back slightly, looking at me with a possessive gaze she no longer bothered to hide. "You have a power that could destroy the world, and you have an extraordinary loyalty. I don't want money. I don't want your labor."
She gripped my jaw—not hard, but enough to ensure I couldn't look away.
"I want you to be mine. Completely. You are not to speak to anyone else without my permission. You are not to leave this house without my accompaniment. And most importantly... you must love me more than you love your own life. If you agree, this world will become your playground. But if you break the rules..."
She paused, her eyes glinting with a touch of madness. "I will personally pull that devil heart from your chest and take Charon back from you."
A shiver ran down my spine. Pure fear crawled up my back. But as I looked into her eyes, I felt something else. The profound loneliness within me seemed to have found its home. I was a discarded child whom nobody had ever wanted, and now, the most beautiful and powerful woman in the world was asking me to be hers.
"Woof," I answered softly, almost unconsciously.
Sumeragi let out a small laugh, a sound like a gently ringing bell. She pulled me into an embrace, burying my face in the crook of her neck, which smelled of jasmine.
"Good dog," she whispered. "Now, let's eat. I've prepared a delicious breakfast for you. Toasted bread with all kinds of jam... you like that, don't you?"
I nodded against her shoulder. I felt safe, yet at the same time, I felt as though I had just signed a contract with a devil far more terrifying than the Centipede Demon on the streets.