The sunlight filtering through the gaps in my apartment curtains that morning didn't feel warm. It felt like a spotlight in an interrogation room.
I stood before the mirror, trying to straighten the collar of the new white shirt Sumeragi had given me. The fabric was smooth, too smooth for my skin, which was used to the itch of second-hand rags. A black tie was knotted neatly around my neck, but every time I looked at it, I felt like I was staring at a leash.
"Aqua-kun, are you ready?"
The voice appeared from the doorway. Sumeragi was already standing there, looking flawless in her office suit. She walked closer, her cold fingers adjusting my slightly crooked tie.
"Today, you will meet your teammates," she said. "You remember what I told you last night, right? You don't need to seek protection from anyone. Just look at me."
I nodded stiffly. "Yes, Miss Sumeragi."
The Demon Hunter office felt much colder than I had imagined. The smell of disinfectant and old paper filled the air. In a spacious room filled with desks, a man in a denim jacket—looking like a delinquent—stood staring out the window.
"Kageyama-kun," Sumeragi called.
The man turned around. His eyes were sharp and he looked distinctly displeased to see me. "This is him? The brat you told me about, Miss Sumeragi?"
"Yes. His name is Aqua. He will be staying with you starting today," Sumeragi replied calmly.
I could tell this Kageyama guy disliked me from the first second. He stepped forward, scanning me from head to toe with a look of disdain. "He looks like street trash. Are you sure he can be useful, Miss?"
Before I could respond, I felt the air pressure in the room shift. Sumeragi stepped forward, standing right beside me. She didn't shout, but her quiet voice was far more terrifying.
"Kageyama-kun," Sumeragi uttered. She placed her hand on my shoulder, her fingers slightly squeezing the fabric of my shirt. "Aqua-kun isn't just 'trash.' He is my most precious pet. If you insult him, it is the same as insulting me. Do you understand?"
Kageyama flinched. I could see his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed hard. "M-my apologies, Miss Sumeragi. I didn't mean..."
"Good," Sumeragi smiled sweetly, but her eyes remained icy. "Take good care of him. If there is even a single scratch on his body that wasn't by my command, you know the consequences."
Just then, the door to the room slammed open.
"MOVE ASIDE, EVERYONE! LET THE HERO IN!"
A boy with brown hair and a strange eyepatch over one eye leaped inside. He laughed loudly, his fangs clearly visible. "I smell a very delicious scent of blood here! Where's the new toy?!"
He was Natsu. A Demon User just like me. Honestly, I expected this place to be full of weirdos, but seeing that they recruited a minor like this, wasn't that a breach of ethics?
Natsu immediately ran toward me, sniffing my neck as if I were a choice cut of steak in a display case.
"Ooh! The smell is so strong! Are you human or what? Can I have just one little bite?" Natsu laughed crazily, his hands starting to feel around my chest, right where Charon's heart lay.
I felt my blood run cold. Not because I was afraid of this kid, but because I felt the aura beside me explode.
SLAP!
Before anyone could see her move, Sumeragi had seized Natsu's wrist. The sound of bones creaking faintly echoed in the suddenly silent room.
"Natsu," Sumeragi whispered. Her face was only centimeters away from Natsu's, whose face was now turning deathly pale. "Never touch what belongs to me without permission."
"B-but... I just wanted to..." Natsu stammered, his sky-high bravado vanishing instantly under Sumeragi's purple gaze.
"You are merely a tool, boy. Do not forget your place," Sumeragi released Natsu's hand roughly, then turned to look at me. Instantly, her gaze softened, as if she hadn't just threatened a coworker's life. "Aqua-kun, are you feeling bothered? Should I punish them?"
I looked at Kageyama, who was breaking out in a cold sweat, and Natsu, who was clutching his trembling hand. The fear I felt last night was now mixed with a strange sense of pride. This woman... this goddess... she protected me in such an extreme way. She made people stronger than me kneel just because they touched me.
"It's okay, Miss Sumeragi," I answered softly.
Sumeragi stroked my head, ignoring the horrified stares from Kageyama and Natsu. "Smart boy. Kageyama-kun, take the two of them on patrol. I have matters to attend to."
Before leaving, Sumeragi leaned her lips close to my ear, disregarding the presence of the other two who remained frozen there.
"Remember, Aqua-kun. I'm allowing you to play with them so you won't get bored. But your heart, and your life... everything remains locked inside my pocket. Don't make me have to pull the leash any harder, okay?"
She gave me a light peck on the cheek, a mark clearly visible to both Kageyama and a thirteen-year-old boy, then sauntered away with her graceful stride.
I stood there between two people who were now staring at me as if I were a time bomb that could blow them all up at any moment.
"So..." I broke the silence, trying to thaw the atmosphere. "Where are we patrolling?"
Kageyama didn't answer. He only looked at me with a gaze full of pity. "You have no idea what you're up against, kid. You aren't being protected... you're being devoured alive."