The bulky, black beast raised its weapon above its head. The warrior watched carefully; he was well acquainted with this motion by now. He thought he'd figured the monster out: humanoid build, thick limbs, and a long, unwieldy, murderous weapon. A true hellspawn, a twisted soul whose mere existence was a crime. The evil creature struck, the warrior stepped forward, and his weapon fell to the ground.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb7vnIgmY49
'Oh, for fuck's sake!'11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvQH8j5wM5Q
The warrior collapsed to his knees, and the screen went dark: 'You have died,' the message proclaimed unnecessarily.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡofugMke07n
Lukacs tossed the controller aside, where it buzzed in lonely frustration on the oak floor. He slammed his hand onto the armrest of the couch, then turned to look at the girl sitting beside him, who was still locked in the same battle on her lap-held Gamedeck.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvVa3FCE6o1
'How's it going?' he asked.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5At9o3Xq6m
The girl didn't answer. Her entire being was devoted to the vibrating screen and the black monster on it. Her golden hair fell into her face, but she didn't bother to brush it aside. Her yellowish eyes gleamed, locked onto the display, and her fingers darted up and down with a speed that was dizzying to the human eye, like insects scurrying across a wall.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5EKQhqgiVg
Lukacs nodded once, then got up and walked through the spacious living room.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzEO03J75XZ
'Fine, don't answer,' he muttered as he picked up the remote and turned off the enormous TV that dominated the upholstered wall. He powered down the console too, causing the controller's buzzing to cease, as if it had finally given up. Lukacs stood over it—as he had stood over so many dying, bewildered, or tormented minds—and gazed down at it coldly. He didn't bother picking it up or kicking it; both would have felt like too much effort.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡibCJOh2Pea
He walked back to the couch and watched the girl. A growl came from the screen, the monster perished, and Zoé looked up triumphantly.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4u96GSi7Zo
'I did it!'11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAzPVtcmg6P
'I can see that.'11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG1cWhEmfMZ
'So, are we going shopping?'11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH7W9Sx4a37
The girl had already dropped the Gamedeck and was rushing off to get dressed.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgXdinyQFHO
'Yeah, sure,' Lukacs replied wearily.
Lukacs went to the hallway and examined himself in the full-length mirror. His sandy-brown hair was a bit tousled, but otherwise, he looked 'presentable.' His shirt was slightly wrinkled, though not enough to warrant changing it. From the top of the shoe rack, he grabbed his silver comb—he'd paid a fortune for it when he bought it—but discarded it in favor of a cheap, flimsy one to fix his hair. He leaned closer to the mirror and studied his gradually aging but still youthful face, his thick mustache, his small beard, his greenish-blue eyes, and his sharp cheekbones. He stroked his mustache; it was what he was most proud of.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBNdmokIgFl
He closed his eyes and tapped the fingers of his right hand against his palm—twice in quick succession. Behind his closed lids, two red columns appeared, visible only to him. Both were filled with a glowing, reddish liquid that had once reached the top but now barely covered two fingers' width. Lukacs tapped his palm again, and the columns vanished. He opened his eyes.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvZbO1f4vAi
He crouched, rummaged through the shoe rack, and pulled out a pair of crocodile-skin sneakers, only to put them back and opt for one of his white Philip Carcosa shoes instead. Nearly all his belongings were Philip Carcosa—a brand known as the most expensive luxury clothing retailer on the continent. Lukacs grabbed the gold-plated shoehorn from the rack, slid into his shoes, and returned the shoehorn to its place. Then, he shrugged on his brown overcoat, adjusted the hefty cross hanging from his neck, and glanced at the mirror one last time, just to be sure.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Vo0k9D4NP
'Hurry up, Zoé!'11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZMlrQ0CN58
Footsteps thudded from upstairs, and the girl appeared on the gallery. She wore white tights, a silver mini-skirt, and a long-sleeved white pullover. I bought all of that, Lukacs thought wryly.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1fWBnYwo6G
'I just need to find my belt!' Zoé called out.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLFOlZmlWDW
Lukacs shook his head and walked to the landing by the front door, where a staircase led both upstairs and down to the basement. At the bottom stood an iron door, swallowing the ominous dim light. Lukacs tilted his head and listened when...11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEFhWE1jtfJ
'Found it!' The girl tapped her arm.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyfbB2BebJr
Lukacs looked down to see Zoé, now dressed to perfection. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail, her cheeks hastily dabbed with makeup, and her slender waist cinched with a finely crafted Leonard Watson belt. Only one thing was out of place: the dagger hanging from her belt—a relic from a century-old world, rusted and fragmented.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcLzzPB9NXr
'Do you really need to bring that?'11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS40TGVX7jI
The girl looked up, her yellow eyes shimmering with all the answers she could have spoken—an angelic promise of innocence that begged every adult to deny the truth of her childish world. Only two things were wrong: she wasn't a child but a demon in a child's body, and her name wasn't Zoé.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZLOmNfL37r
Lukacs grumbled, then hurried down the stairs.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf7Qm6AvLDy
'Fine, bring it, for fuck's sake!'11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFXBfKFBtof
He slammed the door open, and Zoé happily followed him. Neither of them paid any mind to the faint, moaning sounds from the basement or the melancholic clinking of chains in the depths.
11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8QnmGbVRDy
11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDvAgTDOzJu
