The Inconceivable Flame: A Fallen Angel's Disguise

Ru had never smoked so much before but since she came to China, she had the urge to always hold a cigarette in her mouth. And that’s what she did after leaving Lilith to decide her fate. She didn’t smoke for cravings but rather she did it to distract her mind.

After smoking for a while, Ru went back to the courtyard and noticed the conflicted look in Lilith’s eyes. Her eyes were stuck on the dagger and Ru was familiar with that look.

The reason she chose not to kill Lilith was simple; she didn’t want an innocent person to die. And yes! For Ru, Lilith was innocent since whatever she did in life was done under the influence of drugs that had been induced in her body from a young age.

Now that Lilith’s mind was a lot clearer, her mind had flashes of all the inhumane things she had done in her life and it made her feel disgusted by her own existence. She couldn’t even remember when was the last time, she made a decision for her own self rather than receiving orders to take out missions.

"So, what’s your choice?" Hearing Ru’s magnetic voice, Lilith stayed frozen and took a while before lifting her hand towards the dagger but before she could touch it, the same deep magnetic voice halted her hand in midair. "Let me help you with your decision." Ru sat down beside her on the ground and folded her slim long legs. "If you choose the dagger, it means you’re giving up on yourself and this life. But I won’t judge you for being a coward. Because I know what’s running in your mind."

Lilith lifted her eyes to stare at her as if to question her, "Do you really know what I’m feeling?"

Ru had a brittle smile playing on her thin lips as she answered the question her eyes asked, "Yes, I do know. The memories of the people who died from your hands are trying to pierce your heart. It’s inevitable but it’s painful as well. Because you have done it and there is no nice way to put it. But," she took a brief pause before adding, "This black rose can give you a chance of redemption. A second chance to live life."

Lilith felt a strange feeling in her heart and lifted her hands to make hand gesture asking, "How?"

The brittle smile didn’t leave Ru’s lips as she spoke, "That first kill of our life was difficult. It was done to protect ourselves but it made the rest of the kills too easy for us. Because bloodthirst is also a form of addiction. It’s an endless abyss where if one falls, there is hardly any way to escape on your own. Taking lives have always been way easier than saving them and at a point in my life, I stop doing both. But looking at you, I want to save you... From the demons of your mind and soul."

Ru pulled out a chocolate bar from her pocket and ate it languidly savoring its taste as she sighed, "I want you to choose this black rose. That way, the people whom you killed won’t come back but there will be a chance for you to save someone else from dying or ending up like yourself."

Ru genuinely wished that Lilith chooses the black rose, she didn’t know what she’ll do if Lilith chose the dagger. Apparently, the one who was infamous for being heartless didn’t have the heart to kill the innocent girl before her. The abyss of bloodthirst was not outlandish to her, the difference was she had to pull herself out all on her own while this time, she wanted to lend her hand to someone else.

This time, Lilith didn’t hesitate for a minute before she held the black rose and extended her hand towards Ru since she knew that she definitely didn’t want someone to be a victim like herself ever again. She had seen the way other girls died in that lab because of experiments. Those screams that turned to numbness were strongly embedded in her mind.

"You certainly made the right choice," Ru replied, taking the rose from her hand.

"Can you make me a human again?" Lilith asked with hand gestures again.

"I certainly will do my best!" Ru answered her question honestly and her sincere look touched Lilith’s heart. "Follow me!"

Lilith silently followed Ru and she brought her to a man-made hot-water spring. Passing some clothes to her, she said, "Clean yourself up, I’ll be waiting outside."

Under all circumstances, Ru would never let go of her gentlemanly bearing as she walked out.

After Lilith cleaned up and wore the pair of new clothes, Ru took her towards the secret lab in the seemingly ordinary bamboo house. Lilith unconsciously took a step back since her mind only had the images of being kept in a lab all these years. With sensibility came the trauma that was rooted deep inside her heart.

Sensing the fear of the girl, Ru stopped and took a deep breath. "The reason I brought you here is that I want to give you this." Ru gave the injections filled with the same liquid she had injected in her body. "You have to inject these in your body after every 24 hours. For now, this is the only solution I came up with. I’ll have to do more research on a permanent solution. But you need to make sure to take these shots on time."

Although Ru had brought her to the lab to do some experiment, her fear made Ru decide otherwise. It wasn’t the time to scare the girl off.

Bringing her to a quiet garden, Ru said, "I have only two rules for you." Lilith listened attentively with her stiff expressions. She really had no other expression and Ru knew she’ll have to work on that but that was the task for another time. "The first rule is, don’t even think about betraying me even in your wildest dreams. I might only have a couple of ways to save you but I have a million ways to kill you." After this frank reminder, a ghostly smile appeared on her lips as she went on, "The second rule is, no matter what happens don’t come between me and my food. Or I’ll make your life a living hell." It was obvious which of the rules was considered more important from her emphasis.

"These are the only two bottom lines I have. Don’t touch them and the world will be as pleasant as it is now."

After that, she took Lilith to Adia who was taken aback a bit but composed herself instantly. "Adia, this is Lilith and Lilith, this is Adia." She introduced both girls and continued, "Adia is the only female subordinate I have had until now. You’re the second and I’m leaving you under Adia’s care. Learn how the things work here and then we’ll move on to the next phase."

Lilith obviously had no comments to make but Adia had a lot of questions to ask. She ran after Ru and asked, "Master, what are you planning to do? She tried to kill you."

"Thanks for the reminder!" Adia could clearly perceive sarcasm in her voice. "But I don’t need your reminders. Once I saved you from dying at the hands of your own people, today, I’m trying to save her from her own self. If you can get a second chance then why not her?" Adia was left speechless since she had nothing to argue with.

And what could she possibly say? There was nothing to say at all! Her master saved her when she was betrayed by her own people. Since she was the weakest one back then, her own people had made her the scapegoat. And if not for her master, how could she still be standing here proudly as the leading member of Black Mist squad which was known as the deadliest group of mercenaries?

Therefore, Adia stayed quiet and obediently bowed her head in respect saying, "I’ll take good care of her, master. You don’t have to worry at all."

Ru didn’t have any visible change in her expression. She still had a neutral but refined look as she left the bamboo house to get a ride back to the inner city.

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