He didn't want to go to the hero's gala, Kreo's house or anything involved with that damn hero. It was a mess, none of this was supposed to happen but Azazel had to go on with it to not be suspicious.

“What to do? What to do? WHAT TO DO??” he kept repeating. 

He slammed the study table next to his bed, causing a book to tumble from the shelf. I picked it up, I then realised it was his old diary.

"Oh," I muttered, flipping through its pages. "Haven't seen you in a while. Been a year since I wrote about my adventures.”

Did you think Azazel always hated his villain role? 

He does now but…

“WOAH!!” Azazel shouted, flying from roof to roof. 

On the second night that Azazel had been chosen, he was wild and reckless being only 17. 

The first thing he wanted to do was fly like Kreo James did. Almost every weekend the people would see the new hero practising his flights with praises from the people. 

Azazel jumped up before falling around again and again but he was determined to at least float. He still tried and tried again until he flew up as high as a skyscraper. 

The people quickly noticed Azazel flying, and word spread fast. Kreo arrived swiftly, faster than Azazel could react, marking a memorable day for Tenawyuves, dubbed "The Night Chase."

"Shit!" Azazel thought, feeling a surge of panic.

"Don't move," the hero shouted.

Terrified of revealing himself, Azazel remained frozen in the dark night sky as Kreo flew closer. Summoning all his courage, Azazel dared to fly again, despite the looming threat of capture.

The chase started off poorly, with Azazel being slow and nearly caught every second. However, as time passed, he seemed to adapt to flying, manoeuvring more confidently through the air. It was as if he had become accustomed to flying, evading Kreo's pursuit with skill and agility.

Azazel screamed at the top of his lungs, appearing confident to the citizens below, but in reality, he was terrified.

"Stop right there!" the hero shouted.

"Nah! I don't want to die!" Azazel shouted back defiantly.

"That's not a choice now!" Kreo answered firmly.

Ignoring Kreo's words, Azazel continued flying erratically before diving into an alley. Kreo followed, chasing Azazel on foot. Without any powers to enhance his speed, Azazel soon found himself caught by Kreo, who grabbed his hand tightly.

Azazel couldn't hold back his tears, feeling overwhelmed by the impending threat of death. As the tears streamed down his face and onto the ground, Kreo noticed the sniffles and the droplets of tears falling.

Despite his initial determination to end the situation, Kreo's heart softened. He realized that the boy hadn't caused any harm, and slowly, his grip on Azazel's hand began to loosen.

"You..." Kreo mumbled, struggling to find the right words. "I'm sorry..."

Azazel's crying grew quieter, accepting Kreo's apology as perhaps the last thing he would hear.

Finally, Kreo's hand let go of Azazel's, and the crying ceased. Confused by the sudden change, Azazel turned around to see Kreo, his eyes glowing red in the darkness. In that moment, Azazel appeared unrecognizable from his present self - with disheveled hair, swollen red eyes, and wet, crumpled clothes.

"You owe me a life," Kreo said to Azazel, his voice filled with determination. "Our paths will cross again, and I'll find you."

With those words, Kreo flew off into the night, granting Azazel a few more years to live. Azazel never took this second chance for granted, striving to make the most of every moment. His sole goal was to survive until the age of 20.

That day marked a turning point for Azazel, as he was granted a second chance at life. However, it also brought criticism for Kreo, as many viewed him as a disappointment for failing to catch the villain.

Little did Azazel know that two years later, he would encounter Kreo once again. At that time, Azazel dismissed the encounter, believing the man is just someone who looked like him. Meanwhile, Karla remained largely unknown to the public, with many even doubting her existence.

[Azazel's POV]

"You owe me a life…" I mumbled, recalling the hero's words. 

Pretending to be that hero's partner at the gala surely counts as fulfilling the debt, right? 

"I just hope my debt will be paid before I die," I joked to myself, trying to lighten the mood. 

As lunchtime approached, my stomach growled, reminding me to eat. While I enjoyed my meal, I searched online for red suits or tuxedos suitable for both me and the hero.

Time flew by, and I managed to find a suitable suit for the hero, but I hadn't found anything I liked for myself yet. Later that evening, the hero picked me up for dinner at his place.

Kreo had already bought dinner, and as we ate, we discussed about the suit the hero could wear and whether he liked it.

"A dark red suit with a black shirt and tie?" The hero asked, examining the outfit.

"It looks good on you, to be honest," I replied, offering my opinion. "With the collar and suit pins, I think it'll look great on you!"

"I trust you on this," Kreo said to me, giving his approval. "What will you wear?”

"Haven't thought about it, but I think I'll make it a surprise for you," I said with a playful smile. "Now, the mask."

"Alright. The gala has mostly three parts: the arrival, dinner with awards, and just small activities," Kreo explained. "They only film the arrival and awards, then the rest of the night would be a secret."

"That's not bad," I replied, intrigued. "Wait... the palace?"

"Yes, the Aurora Palace," Kreo confirmed calmly. "It's been the same venue every generation, ever since Queen Marylin made the system.”

"Since there's dinner, I could wear a masquerade mask," I suggested, and Kreo agreed.

As we continued their conversation, Kreo called a tailor to help him make a suit, while I decided to order mine online.

A month passed, and Kreo sent a picture to me of himself in the suit.

"I love it!" The guy texted excitedly.

"Good for you. Mine hasn't arrived yet," I replied.

"Why won't you tell me??" The hero asked, curious.

"Because it's a secret!" I teased, laughing as I sent the message to Kreo. 

Suddenly, I felt nauseous, my head spinning. Despite the discomfort, I decided to take a nap to see if it would pass.

When I woke up, it was already late. I hastily ordered delivery food for dinner and began to eat. However, as I took a few bites, I felt something rising in his throat. Panicked, I rushed to the bathroom and vomited into the toilet bowl.