Chapter 27

A week had passed since Caleb and Akane first became official that fateful night. In her mind, they were already a couple, of course. Even if her darling boyfriend didn't quite know it just yet, something, he personally found exceptionally endearing about her. Caleb loved that his girlfriend refused to accept the idea of him being with anyone else. Frankly, he couldn't stand the thought of her being with any other man either.

Dealing with the aftermath was a relatively simple matter, given Caleb's mother was far more established in Japanese society now than she was before. With deeper pockets and connections came more ways to make a problem disappear. One phone call to her allies in the Yakuza later and the pile of bodies they'd left behind were a non-issue.

Of course, it cost Angelika quite a bit of money. And Caleb got a massive lecture about personal responsibility afterwards. Not to mention the fallout that there would inevitably be with the cult over the death of one of their Elders. Yet despite all this, Caleb was surprisingly serene, something his mother was quick to pick up on as she soon forgot about the debacle almost entirely.

After all, her son was in love. And honestly, she couldn't have been more thrilled. The two lovebirds were spending the majority of their time together after school, which kept him out of the house for most of the day. During the times he was home, Caleb seemed to almost exclusively be talking to her via text or on the phone, his usual bloodlust and restlessness for vengeance nowhere to be seen.

As for Akane, she was finally living the fantasy that had been replaying over and over again in her head so many times. She especially loved getting to walk through the halls together at school holding hands. It really felt like she was blossoming into a true social butterfly. At least Tomoe seemed to think so. That said, most of Fuyuki High was either oblivious or indifferent to the fact that one of the most popular guys in school had a girlfriend now. However, that was likely due to them having other concerns on their mind.

Namely, how two of their fellow classmates had recently gone missing without any explanation.

There were certainly inquiries. Investigators even questioned Caleb at one point. Of course, his mind domination powers ensured the authorities were always pointed in the wrong direction. Someone would eventually get arrested for all these brutal murders; he was sure of it. It just wouldn't be him.

None of that was really a concern. Not for either one of them. The two lovebirds were on cloud nine, walking hand in hand through the halls of their school, learning every single detail they could about one another. Though Akane proved to be far more enthusiastic about asking Caleb questions than talking about herself.

"So, let me see if I've got this right," Akane spoke as they walked through the courtyard together. "You and your mother were once part of a secret society known as the Kin of C'thadra. A sort of...quasi-Illuminati cult with mystical powers that secretly runs the world?"

"Close," he admitted with a chuckle. "They don't run the whole world necessarily. At least not entirely. Though I imagine they like to think otherwise. While it's true their influence can be felt just about everywhere there is humanity, certain countries are more independent than others."

"Like Japan?" she guessed.

Caleb nodded. "They are extremely powerful, though. They have half the world's governments, politicians, and bureaucrats directly under their thumbs, making them virtually above the laws of man. They're also responsible for establishing nearly every organized religion on Earth, or at least that's what they claim, and currently, run the world economy."

"But where do they come from? And how is it no one knows about them?"

"Oh, there are definitely people who know about them," he admitted. "Though I imagine most who are made aware of their existence wish they hadn't been. Their origins trace back to ancient times, before the formation of any Earth governments. From what my father taught me growing up, their order is as old, or perhaps even older than Ancient Mesopotamia. They claim to have controlled the direction of human civilization since the very dawn of mankind. Though again, that's only what they claim."

"But how did they accomplish this?"

Caleb smirked at her. "The same way I regenerated from those wounds the Hunters gave me. The same way I was able to brainwash those investigators asking too many questions. They've established their influence over the Earth through the use of the ancient power."

"That's that magic you can do by manipulating people's blood, right?"

He nodded. "Blood Sorcery, and by extension the Kin of C'thadra, traces its roots back to the existence of the Antediluvians. A group of extremely powerful multidimensional beings that can exist across several planes of existence. They have often been described as godlike entities and, from what the cult has claimed, played a crucial role in humanity's evolution and development."

"And the cult worships these beings?"

Caleb shrugged. "It's a little more complicated than that. The Kin of C'thadra have pursued a singular goal for a long, long time, a goal that has been hidden from all the world, which is to harness the power of the Antediluvians. The Ancient Ones, as they are sometimes known, are not of this world but powerful enough to be seen as gods. They were worshiped by most early humans, either directly or indirectly. Moreover, Antediluvians are Eldritch beings that reside on a higher plane than humanity."

"But where do they come from?"

"Well, that depends on who you ask," he admitted. "Some claim they've been around as long as the Earth has. Others claim they were the ones who created the planet and first seeded it with life. Yet still, others believe they arrived here, either from space or some interdimensional gateway. There's a lot of theories, and no one within the cult seems to be able to come to a consensus."

She smiled at him. "So, what do you believe?"

Caleb chuckled. "Me? I have no idea what to believe when it comes to the Antediluvians. They make their lairs in the ocean or in subterranean pockets deep below the Earth, and that's literally as far as we've gotten."

She nodded in understanding, listening intently.

"Whether or not the Antediluvians are actually gods or just higher levels of beings is inconsequential, anyway. The question itself is entirely academic. The important thing is: they exist. They have a deep influence on the world. They appear to be ageless, but they can be killed. Their powers are strange things, often involving teleportation or energy or things that the human world cannot do. Even perceiving the Antediluvians properly requires great amounts of insight, and those who lack the intelligence to perceive them often go mad."

They quieted down long enough for a group of students to pass by.

"Several Antediluvians have manifested in the material universe. But the strongest and most well-known by far is the cult's chief deity C'thadra, also known as the Red Queen. It was her blood that guided humanity's evolution and growth into civilization. The first disciples of C'thadra, known as the Thirteen Acolytes, drank of her blood, gaining her power in the process."

"And where is C'thadra now?" she asked curiously.

"The cult claims she has since transcended to the point of no longer possessing a physical body but is instead just a voice and an influence found within the Earth. She is very powerful and has become a sort of "timeless being," thus potentially making her the most powerful, yet the most indirect, of the Ancient Ones. The vast majority of Blood Sorcerers on Earth trace their roots back to her, and the few who don't have for the most part been converted into members of the Kin."

"For the most part?"

He nodded. "There are a few holdouts. Most are small, obscure heresies barely worth mentioning. The only real exception to this would be the Eastern Heresy. An order of Blood Sorcerers based out of China. We know very little about them, admittedly."

She smiled at him again. "But the majority of Blood Sorcerers are members of the Kin of C'thadra?"

"We can all trace our roots back to the original Thirteen Acolytes who first drank of C'thadra's blood," he explained. "Though we are not the only ones to achieve power over vitae this way, the Thirteen were by far the strongest practitioners of their craft. They've used their gifts to manipulate the direction of humanity's development since its earliest years."

"So, what was it like growing up in the cult?"

"Life for a cultist varies from Chapter to Chapter, though they all tend to live amongst the upper crust of society in some form or fashion. As ritzy as our lives may be, being a member of the cult means living a vicious cycle of constant political manipulation and paranoia as the powers that be vie for greater wealth, control, and influence. Despite their positions of power, the Kin are beings ruled by fear, specifically fear of being exposed to the unblessed."

"Is that what you call normal humans like me?"

He nodded. "I would hardly consider you to be the same thing as most other unblessed, darling. But essentially, yes. Within the cult, there are only two groups that exist. The Kin and the unblessed. The Kin have lived in mortal fear of the unblessed ever discovering them for many years now. Since the early days of man, most members of the cult have lived under the Law of Silence. An enforced campaign to hide their existence from humanity. Even those not directly connected to the cult are expected to uphold this law or risk bringing the full wrath of the Kin upon themselves."

"So that's why no one's ever heard of them," she surmised. "They dedicate most of their time specifically to making sure no one ever discovers their presence."

"Exactly," he confirmed. "And the traditions by which they set themselves are reflected in this need for secrecy. There's a reason why my mother was able to brush what happened at that house under the rug so quickly. It's also the same reason we've yet to face severe retaliation for what we did. The Kin will stop at absolutely nothing to maintain the level of anonymity they've achieved. But as time goes on, that will get progressively more and more difficult."

He stopped walking altogether.

"Eventually, something will give. And the Earth as we know it will never be the same when that day arrives."

A long silence followed, whereupon Akane came up with another question.

"So what about these Thirteen Chapters? Tell me more about them."

Caleb quirked a brow at her. "You sure do seem fascinated by this."

Akane shrugged. "Well, it's a huge part of your past. Of course, I'm interested."

He chuckled in amusement. "Not that I'm not thrilled to hear that, because I absolutely am. It just feels like I'm hogging up all the conversation."

She shook her head vehemently. "Not at all. I enjoy learning about your life."

"But I want to know about your life as well," he insisted, placing a hand in hers while caressing her cheek. "We've been a couple for over a week, but it feels like you rarely want to talk about yourself."

She frowned somewhat self-consciously, retreating in on herself a little. "My life isn't nearly as interesting as yours is. I'd rather just talk about you if I'm honest."

Caleb chuckled at that. "Come on. That can't be true. I'm sure you've got plenty of stories to share."

Akane pulled away from him, retreating further. "That's the thing, and I really don't, though."

He frowned at her in concern.

"My memory...only goes back so far," she admitted, a hint of embarrassment in her voice. "There are bits and pieces I remember here and there. But nothing concrete. I have huge gaps missing from when I was a child...and I have no idea why."

Admittedly, that was actually very intriguing to him. Especially considering her seemingly self-taught combat training and other abilities. Though he somehow doubted pointing that out right now was a good idea.

"My only real memories growing up are of my parents and I fighting a lot before they got sick." She sighed, starting to look slightly depressed. "After that happened, we ran out of money, which became our biggest problem. I've had to work really hard just to keep us going. And aside from Tomoe, I've never really had any friends of my own."

Caleb frowned at that, a wary look forming in his eyes.

"She hasn't been talking to me much since we started dating," Akane admitted. "I think maybe she might be a little hurt I'm spending so much time with you and not her."

This was the other thing Caleb had decided not to bring up in Akane's presence. The night they escaped from the Hunter's ambush, she offered to let him use her phone to call his mother. But the device he handed her was a busted-up piece of junk that was completely non-functioning. He politely declined and used his own phone to call her.

During which time, Akane had a phone conversation of her own with a girl named Tomoe, who she claimed attended their school.

Curious, he did a bit of digging and was able to confirm that there was no one at this school who went by that name. In fact, the only reference he could find to a Tomoe Mitsuna was in relation to a missing person's report filed for a six-year-old who vanished from her kindergarten playground roughly eleven years ago, never to be seen again. From the old news report he read, the only lead authorities had was that Tomoe used to play quite frequently with a girl her age who had long dark brown hair.

Akane's natural hair color.

"I don't know..." His girlfriend hung her head sadly. "... you've just lived such an interesting life. One full of intrigue, conspiracies, and revenge. I don't have anything like that." She started to get a little emotional. "I'm worried... you'll think I'm boring."

At that, he sighed and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Akane, I could never think you were boring."

She perked back up almost immediately. "Really?"

He smiled at her assuringly. "Really. Even if you don't remember much about your past, you're still easily one of the most interesting girls I've ever met. You're not just pretty, and you're so giftedly intelligent it honestly makes me a little envious. An emotion I didn't think I was even capable of."

Her heart jumped into her throat as heat slowly rose up into her face like a thermometer.

"More than that, you're talented, you're cultured, you're a great conversationalist. There are so many things I've grown to love about you just in this past week. And I can't imagine..."

"Okay! Okay! I get it!" she insisted, backing away and shaking her completely scarlet face from side to side. "Darling, you know what that does to me."

He smirked at her. "I know. And I find it absolutely adorable. You can't stop me."

Akane crossed her arms and pouted at him. "You're mean..."

Caleb took her hands in his once more. "My point is, there is so much I find interesting about you."

She smiled up at him again, her eyes glassing over despite herself.

"Don't ever compare yourself to others," he insisted. "To me, you'll always be special. Always."

Akane sniffled and wiped her eyes. "You always seem to know exactly what to say to make me feel better, darling. Thank you."

She gripped him by the lapel and stood on the tips of her toes, kissing him deeply before pulling away.

"Don't worry too much about Tomoe. She'll come around," he assured her gently, his hands on her hips. "And if not, I say good riddance. Friends who can't understand another friend's happiness shouldn't be trusted."

Akane nodded brightly. "I couldn't agree more. Even if she never talks to me again, it doesn't matter. I have you, and that's all I'm ever going to need for the rest of my life."

"I'm glad you understand that," he responded just as brightly.

She suddenly narrowed her eyes at him. "Do you, though?"

He quirked his head at her in confusion.

"You're the only thing in the world I'm ever going to need now," she spoke in a calm, even tone. "You understand that, right? Now that I have you all to myself, I'm never going to let you go."

He smiled and nodded before letting go and turning around to resume their walk. At which point she jerked him with surprising strength right back around, a slightly unhinged look in her eyes.

"Never."

A tense silence formed in the air. Until, at last, he smiled again.

"God, I love you."

She giggled shyly, seemingly back to normal, her cheeks flushing. "I love you too, Darling."

Akane pecked him on the cheek before taking him by the hand once more as they continued their walk through the school.