June 6, 2007.
-Leviathan Main Hideout (Antartica).
Rafa opened his eyes, it was morning, sunlight piercing through the tall windows on the walls. The blizzard had already passed.
The room was bright, filled with sunlights. He was laying on the king‑size bed, the warmth of daylight cutting through the cold stone walls.
Water drizzled against his body. He was in the bathroom, taking a shower. Somehow, the shower head worked, even though it should be impossible in this castle‑like church, but it did, pouring streams of water.
It was warm. Steam rose into the air, drifting across the room. Droplets hit his shoulders again and again, sliding down his body as the mist thickening around him.
Rafa stepped out of the bathroom, water still dripping from his hair. He walked closer to the wardrobe, the floor felt cold.
He pulled the doors open. Inside, his clothes were neatly arranged. He reached in and took what he needed.
He slipped on a simple black shirt, the fabric was plain but comfortable.
Then he pulled out and wore a pair of Woodland camo cargo pants, tightening them before standing straight again.
Suddenly, a rhythm of knocking could be heard at the front door.
Rafa walked over to it, his steps were firm against the floor. He then reached for the handle, pulling it open.
It was Laura. She was dressed in a sleeveless gray crop top with a white‑chocolate colored open jacket hanging loose on her shoulders, and white leggings.
Both of her hands rested on her hips. She looked Rafa straight in the eyes, smiling with a calm confidence.
"What?" Rafa asked her, his tone were surprised.
"Breakfast's ready!" Laura answered, her smile not fading.
The dining room was lit by candles, the windows covered by curtains. The glow gave the room a warm atmosphere.
On the table, Syrniki with blackcurrant jam, Blini with raspberry on top, Kasha, and Butterbrots with cooked sausages were served.
Laura was already eating, a steel knife in her left hand and a fork in her right. She sat beside Rafa, her expression were soft, she was enjoying the food, ruby spread across her face.
Rafa watched her for a moment, a faint smile appear on his face. Then, he picked up his fork and joined her, tasting the food laid out before them.
"The food is good, ain't it?" Laura asked Rafa, tilting her head slightly as she looked at him. Her fork paused mid‑air, waiting for his answer.
"Like you're the one who cooked it," Rafa said, joking it off with a faint cocky voice.
Laura let out a soft laugh, shaking her head. "But at least it was me that suggested it," she replied, her tone was light.
"Why Russian though?" Rafa asked, curious. He knew that the dishes on the table were Russian.
"Because I'm Russian," Laura answered simply, her eyes dropping back to the plate.
"Really? What's your full name then?" Rafa asked her, leaning a little closer.
"Khalaznikov. Laura Khalaznikov," she said. Her eyes stayed on the food as she cut into it, the fork holding the piece steady while the knife slid through.
"Khalaznikov!?" Rafa gasped, his voice louder than before.
Laura tilted her head again, her expression calm. "Yeah? What's wrong?" she asked, watching him carefully.
"You're a Khalaznikov!?" Rafa asked her again, his voice sharp.
"What's wrong with being a Khalaznikov?" Laura replied, one eyebrow lifting. Her eyes stayed on him. "Are you racist or something?"
"What? No, I mean like—" Rafa started, but his words stumbled.
"You think just because Khalaznikov is called a traitor, that makes me a bad person? Even though they never betrayed anyone." Laura cut him off, her tone were serious.
"It's not like that!" Rafa tried to defend himself, leaning back slightly.
"Where you from then, pretty boy?" Laura asked him instead, shifting the focus back to him.
"Well... I'm from Byson Indonesia," Rafa answered, his tone was pure genuine, as if nothing had happened.
"Ah, that British used‑to colonized country," Laura replied, her fork tapping lightly against the plate.
"Yeah, that one," Rafa said back, his voice calm.
"You know that Sera Khalaznikov is the president, right?" Rafa's eyes stayed on her.
Laura smirked, leaning back slightly. "Yeah. Is that why you reacted like that?"
"Kinda... Who's Sera to you? Your little brother?" Rafa's tone carried curiosity.
"He was my little brother. God, I miss him so much." Laura's smile softened, her knife cutting through the food with care.
Rafa glanced down at his plate, his knife cutting. "Sera was my precious best friend, by the way. That's why I was surprised hearing your name." he then glanced back at Sera.
"I feel honoured." Laura smirked again, leaning closer. Her warm breath varnished against Rafa's left ear.
Rafa pulled back quickly, his face turning red. "Let me eat my breakfast in peace."
Laura chuckled. "Alright, alright." She leaned back into her seat.
They both continued to eat in silence, nobody said a thing. The candles flickered, making the room held a heavy calm.
Rafa took another bite, then he lifted his eyes up, looking around. In the far hall, a black humanoid figure stood watching him. Its shape was still, then it turned and walked away, as if aware of his gaze.
A shiver ran through him. He swallowed hard and turned to Laura. "Did you see that?" His voice carried a nervous edge.
Laura's eyes shifted toward him. "Who? A shadowy human?"
"Yeah…" Rafa's tone was uneasy, his fork pausing mid‑air.
"Well, that's The Humanoid." Laura brushed it off like it was nothing, her expression unchanged.
"The Humanoid? He's really just… an it in black?" Rafa's words stumbled, confusion slipping through.
"Pretty much, yeah." Laura's tone stayed casual. She set her fork down and added, "I'll show you something. Just finish your food."
They continued to eat, savoring the warmth of the moment. The silence lingered soft, broken only by the sound of cutlery against plates.
Footsteps echoed on the hall when the plates were empty, they left the dining room. Laura walked ahead, leading the way.
Rafa glanced at her. "Where are we going?" His voice carried curiosity.
Laura turned her head slightly, a grin flashed on her face. "Somewhere…"
Rafa sighed, his shoulders dropping, but he kept following her without another word.
They walked in silence, the tall windows lined om the Walls of the hall, pouring sunlight across the floor. Outside by the windows, garden stretched across the yard inside the church, covered in gray snow, cold air pressed against the glass.
The hall itself was incandescented. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, their crystals scattering the sunlight. Pillars rose high, surfaces polished, catching the light as if alive. The air carried a quiet, calm stillness.
Every so often, Rafa and Laura glanced at each other. They exchanged smiles, passing between them with enough meanings for no words.
Furthermore, Laura stopped. She placed her hand on a heavy door and pushed it open. The hinges groaned, revealing a vast library inside with two floors wide, sunlight filling the space through tall windows with candles that were left unlit.
Laura stepped toward one of the tall ladders leaning against the shelves. She climbed while her hand trailing along the wood.
She reached for a book wrapped in a dark green cover. Dust lifted when she pulled it free, the weight of it heavy in her arms as she descended.
Rafa leaned closer, eyeing the book. "What's that?"
Laura reached a chair, pulling it and set it on the table, she opened the pages. "It's about Cosmic Beings."
Rafa frowned. "Cosmic Beings?"
"They're Primordial Beings that lived after the Big Bang." Laura's finger traced the text as she spoke.
"Nah, I already know about them, but what about Primordial Beings?" Rafa slowly sat beside her.
Laura giggled, "Alright, Mr. Know-it-All. They're creatures born in space with a reason," Laura explained, turning another page.
"Like The Chrono Master for example. He was born to control time. And that's why each one exists because fate demanded it." she rest her right arm on her chair.
Rafa's eyes widened, his voice low. "That's... something else."
Laura smirked, her gaze lifting up from the book. "Fascinating, ain't it?"
Rafa's tone went flat. "No." He gave her a bored look, like it didn't matter to him either way.
Laura laughed, leaning back against the chair. "Why is that, young man?"
Rafa smirked, his hand resting on the edge of the table. "Well that's because... Nah, I'm not going to give you an answer. Screw you!" His words carried a joking edge.
Laura leaned forward, tapping the book with her finger, grinning. "Hey! You don't know that I'm a Cosmic Being nerd, do you?" Her voice teased, light and playful.
Rafa shook his head, a faint grin on his face. "No. I didn't know that you were a Cosmic Being nerd."
Laura just sighed and flipped the page, her finger landing on a bold title. "Here's another one, The Grand Master. He was born to oversee all creation, the one who sets balance when chaos rises."
Rafa leaned back, his tone flat. "Of course. Someone has to be a boss."
Laura smirked, then turning another page. "Here's The Fraud. He exists to deceive and twist the truth into lies. His whole purpose is trickery."
Rafa looked at Laura's eyes. "Sounds like the kind of guy I wouldn't trust."
"No shit, dumbass! His name is literally The Fraud." Laura laughed then she flipped the page again, revealing the next name. "And then there's The Demon Lord. He wasn't born to be the father of demons, but the icon of evil itself. That's why his name was Demon, it's because he is evil like demons, and the strongest Primordial Being of all time."
Rafa shifted in his seat, unease flickering across his face. His eyes lingered on the page about The Demon Lord, but he chose to stay quiet.
Laura closed the book slowly, her expression thoughtful. "You know, Rafa... you're not really a member of Leviathan."
Rafa tilted his head. "Oh, is it?"
Laura leaned back, her grin faint. "Yeah. You aren't official yet."
She stood, pushing the chair back, and motioned for him to follow. Without another word, Laura led Rafa out of the library.
Laura opened a door that led them outside, into the gray snowy garden.
Their steps pressed into the snow, leaving faint trails behind. The plants stood frozen, their color dulled to gray, branches stiff under the weight of frost. Fountains sat locked in ice, water trapped mid‑flow. Statues of ancient figures lined the path, the same solemn ones Rafa had seen earlier in the church, their stone faces unchanged by time.
Rafa turned his head toward Laura. "So... What do I do?"
Laura stopped, her breath visible in the cold air. "You wait. I'm not the one who decides, the Acceptance Council of Leviathan does."
She gave him a small grin, then stepped back. "Stay here. They'll come."
With that, Laura walked away, her figure fading into the snowy haze, leaving Rafa alone among the statues.
Slowly, Rafa heard someone or something tearing through the air, flying toward the church at high speed.
Then, BOOOMMM!!!!!—
The impact struck the snow, blasting it upward, flakes scattering into the sky. From the garden, Rafa glanced at the storm of white drifting above him.
He then turned his head. Suddenly, there's someone stood balanced on the statue's sword, right at the sharp tip.
It was a woman, long black hair whipped by the wind, red glowing eyes piercing straight through Rafa's heart. A dirty white‑gray scarf hung loose around her neck, her body wrapped in all black, cloak trailing behind her.
Her voice cut low, serious. "Who the fuck are you...?"
Rafa's tone lowered, matching hers. "No one."
The woman leapt down, then vanished in a blink. She was already behind him unforeseenly, short blade pressed close to his neck like shadows had swallowed her movement.
But from the distance, footsteps crunched against the snow. The King appeared, a sword in hand, the same as the statue's. Laura was walking at his side.
The woman's eyes widened, her voice sharp. "Are you serious, my king!?"
The King's voice cut through the garden, colder than the snow. "Ask Laura if you need explanation."
The woman's eyes narrowed. She turned toward Laura. "Laura of the Hellknights… what do you mean by this?"
Laura stepped forward, her tone steady. "Wakely of the Apostate Synods… this is Rafa Reinarcher. He will join Leviathan."
Wakely's lip curled, her gaze hard on Rafa. "Seriously? This… weakling?"
The King's steps pressed into the snow, sword gleaming. "Begin the ritual. I know what I am doing."
Wakely hesitated, her jaw tight, then gave a reluctant nod. She moved to the side, her voice harsh. "Kneel before The King, you fucking dickhead."
Rafa lowered himself onto the snow. The King stood before him, sword raised.
The blade touched Rafa's left shoulder, then the right, then in a sudden motion, The King swung fast to the side, the strike grazing like a death blow.
"Requiem…" His voice was cold as ice.
Pain tore through Rafa's neck, blood seeping slowly, burning.
Wakely's voice followed, low and unwilling. "Accepted…"
Rafa's vision blurred. The bleeding worsened, violent, until darkness pulled him under.
#9 End.