I reached my hand out, away from her, in the direction of the puddle of blood on the floor, just below the heightened platform. Lowly muttering a spell I’ve known for my lifetime, I ordered every single stray drop of blood to gather to me, closer, closer, until they form a jagged blade of blood.

“I just want to… protect you, Ai. But now, it’s your time… to choose,” I hand her the blade, and she held it with both her small hands, holding onto the blade’s weight.

“Demons… send humans to hell. It’s just goes on that way…” I hesitantly stood up next to her, then show her the room once more, directing a pointing finger to each and every hostage in this room.

“Thirteen people. That’s all we need to kill in order to stay… alive, and gain… power.”

“Stay alive?” she looked up to me, her voice still of an angel: soft and sultry. I nodded to answer.

“My sister and brother… have had their share of killing thirteen sinners and send them to hell… they are… the ones who hurt me… If us, demons, don’t send thirteen sinners to hell by the time we reach a certain age… we’ll die…” I breathe heavily, suddenly feeling as if only the single mention of them could kill us. No. They can’t hurt Leo. Not now, not again, not ever.

I pushed the blade to her closer as she stood up, trying to even her eye level to mine a little bit. Still, my lady is so tiny; her face only goes to the level of my shoulder. I smiled slightly, and then bowed to even our eyes.

“Can you please choose, Aileen? I’m getting… weaker… and I’ll… die by dawn if I don’t send my share of thirteen sinners...” I looked away, not liking what I have to say next.

“That blade, made of the blood I shed, is the only thing that could kill me now… but also, they can kill everyone else in this room.”

“Choose, Ai… who would you like to condemn to hell?”