There one individual stands in the lone darkness.

As he looks up and sees the lone bright shining light.

He raises his hand and tries to reach for the light.

Certain words entered his mind as if he were being reminded.

[You want to regain your freedom?]

[Then how about this: let's make a contract...]

[There's just one simple thing I want you to do...]

"Wake up, sleepyhead." The voice that Ira heard was that of a girl.

Slowly raising his head, he looks at the individual who woke him up.

In a cheeky manner she exclaims, "You're such a heavy sleeper; one would've thought you were a doll."

Then her tone changed from being cheeky to worried.

"Are you getting enough sleep? Your eyebags are starting to show more."

Ira says in a calm manner while yawning, "I'm fine, Alice; I've just been given lots of work lately."

Alice Blizzri, a classmate of mine that keeps clinging to me despite on my first day in school I made a declaration that I don't like talking to people.

Despite that she constantly talks to me, I just gave up.

She looks at me with a puzzling look. "What type of job do you even have?"

Ira replied, "It's a secret."

Alice replies, "Fine, keep your secret; I won't pry."

Alice smiles. "Though seriously, I don't know how you can be nonchalant all the time. It's like you're a robot."

Calmly, Ira says, "Don't compare me to a robot."

Alice replies back, "Yeah, but they're more expressive than you," as she chuckles at her own joke.

Ira then tells her, "Go back to your seat; the teacher's almost here."

Alice replies, "Fine, let's talk later after class on our way home."

The bells of the school have rung, signifying that recess time is over.

As Ira and Alice were walking on the sidewalk talking about school.

Homework, quizzes, and lessons that usual stuff that most high schoolers talk about.

There they finally arrived at the bus station, waiting, and just right on time, the bus arrived as they arrived.

Alice says, "Well, see you tomorrow, Ira."

Ira replied, "Hmm."

As she steps inside the bus, the doors then close behind her.

The bus then starts moving along the road as Ira watches it move down the road.

....

As Alice leans on the window looking out at the passing streets. She noticed that the bus took a different route than usual.

She thought to herself, "(Why is the bus owner taking a different route? Did I take the wrong bus?)"

"(Guess I'll just have to wait till the next stop then.)"

She sees the next stop and sighs in relief, but...

The bus driver skipped the bus stop and kept going.

Now the bus was outside the city of Ordi.

The surroundings were nothing but now desert, and the bus was driving along the road.

Alice suddenly stands up and makes her way to the driver; luckily there's no one else in the bus but Alice and the driver.

Finally making her way to the driver's seat, she sees there's no one there.

Alice in panic thought, "(What the hell?! I know there was someone sitting here when I entered!)"

She then hears a voice: [You will have to do for my dinner. It's been a while since I last had a human.]

Looking around for where the voice is coming from, Alice doesn't see anyone, as everything within the bus is within her line of sight.

She shouts, "WHO ARE YOU?!"

The ominous voice says, [Now why would I-] suddenly stopping mid-sentence.

Alice was suddenly confused. Looking out on the straight road that the bus was driving, there one individual stands in the way.

The individual takes a stance with what seems to be a katana in his hand.

In a few moments the bus goes at full speed, going at 100 km/h.

A few centimeters just before the bus hits the person standing in the way.

SWING!

BOOM!

One second Alice is on the bus, the next she is now on the sandy road.

"Hnng." Alice is putting in the effort to open her eyes; at best, she can only make her eyes squint.

Out of their silhouettes, she can make out only one person...It's her friend Rein Ira.

She sees two individuals talking, their voices inaudible to her ears, and then passes out.

Meanwhile...

In an annoyed tone, Ira says, "Did you really have to come here, Laos?"

In a cheeky tone Laos replies, "Thought you needed backup."

Ira replies, "No, I didn't; I just told you to stay in the car."

"Hey, I broke multiple speed limits trying to drive here; you're lucky we can do that if it's an emergency," Laos said while his hand was on his waist with a cheeky smile.

Then says, "So is this your girlfriend you've been talking about~?"

Ira annoyedly replies, "Friend. Just friend, you dolt. She constantly talks to me, and each time she does it annoys me."

Laos smiling, "That's what it means to be friends~"

"Annoying each other like siblings~"

Ira stood up and removed the dust from his clothes, saying, "Whatever, let's get her to a hospital. You carry her and put her in your car, Laos."

In a sarcastic manner Laos says, "Why me~?"

Ira looked back at him, matching his tone. "Aren't you backup?"

Laos laughing, "Fine, fine, I'll carry her."

......... 

Beep.....beep.....beep

The sound of something beeping can be heard.

Feeling the soft bed as the light increased in her eyes as she slowly open them.

First thing she does is look around.

First she looked to her left, there someone sitting near the door reading a book can be seen.

Then she looked to her right, there was also someone there leaning near the window peeling an orange.

First one to notice her awake was the one peeling an orange.

"Oh she's awake Ira." The person leaning near the window said.

'Thump'

As Ira closes the book he stands up and puts the book down on the chair he was sitting in.

She looks at Ira and says "With what you're wearing it makes you look like stripper."

Ira calmly replies back "This is just my work uniform."

"Oh so you do work at strip club. No worries I'm not judging." 

"I'd definitely pay lots of money just to see that." As Laos Snickers and eats the orange he was peeling.

"Seeing as how you're already making fun of me I guess you're okay."

She looks at her arms and touches the bandage near her left cheek "Seeing as how I'm alive and you as always looking with that stoic face of yours I would say yes I am."

Looking down at the sheets where her feet are under she ponders and is deep in thought.

Ira then breaks her out of her thoughts "You probably have lots of questions regarding about what happened."

Replying back in a low voice "Yeah, I do. It was like something out of a horror movie."

The person leaning on the window joins in the conversation "Definitely 5 star authentic experience."

Ira says "Laos, this isn't the time for jokes."

Laos with a slight smile "Yeah but look at her she finds my jokes funny. Atleast someone is finally recognizing my talent."

As Ira looks at Alice she can be seen smiling and snickering.

Ira remarks "For being a clown."

"Thank you." As Laos bows with a cheeky smile.

Ira then replying with "That was an insult." 

"Insult or not, anything that you say to me I consider a compliment~" As Laos replies back in a cheeky tone.

Ira sighing and running the temple of his forehead " I seriously wondered why Graim partnered me up with you."

"It's cus we were meant to be~" While Laos was making a heart with his fingers.

While the two are engaged in conversing with each other.

Alice was both listening and looking at the two with a smile.

For some reason she was happy for Ira, though she does not know how the relationship between the two are. They seemed to have a pretty great friends since they're able to talk this casually.

She joins in the conversation making the two snap out of their constant cheek remarks and insults.

"And here I thought you didn't like to talk to people."

Ira rolling his eyes annoyed "Cus it's apart of my job."

Laos says "Sureeeeeee~."

Alice knew that Ira was someone she hasn't known for while but she knew that he, despite being cold with his words have a sense of caring about people under his cold stoic expression he puts on.

But at the same time she knew that Ira was someone who she felt was at a far distance no one could reach.

Not her words nor her actions.

But she knew Ira recognized and acknowledged the people around him.

Ira snaps her out of her trance "Anyways Laos tell her."

Laos eyes looks at Ira "Are you sure?"

Ira with his usual stoic look "Yes."

Sighing Laos comes close to the edge of the hospital bed.

Suddenly the cheeky tone changed to a serious tone "Alice Blizzri, we are apart of an organization called Legacy and we are going to give you one of two choices."

"One, you can join Legacy with us fighting to kill demons and keep the public safe or you can go on with your usual daily life......

"However you cannot speak about the organization of Legacy or else you'd be imprisonment for life."

"Since Legacy is not an organization known to the public. Same that can be said about that encounter you had yesterday. The government doesn't want the public to panic and at the same time let churches take advantage of this."

"......So what is your answer?"

Chapter 1 end...