At least thirty minutes must have passed with Lucinda just doing nothing but sitting outside the church and letting the two healers patch her up. Fortunately, or maybe not, she didn't receive any open wounds from the fight. The only scars she had were the several lines on top of her arms and the crescent-shaped marks when she dug her nails so much just to gather more blood. They weren't bleeding as much compared to earlier, but it still did whenever she moved her arms, even a little bit. One of the healers passed her her coat, and she wasted no time putting it on and covering her arms from the cold air of the night.

Earlier, she insisted they stay inside, but being inside seemed to be better; the fresh cool air helped her relax her shoulders and remove the heavy weight in her chest. It was better than the blood-stenched, musty smell of the church's floors.

She took a deep breath and sighed. Whether it was injuries from blunt force or something sharp like a knife, her healing would still have made her feel better within a few minutes. Maybe ten if she really was that injured. But thirty minutes had passed, and it seemed like she only felt worse.

It was difficult, but she placed her hand in front of her. Still shivering, like what she thought. At least now, she could close it to a fist without feeling like it was stretching her fingers.

Smudges of blood still coated her fingers, however. Usually, she could feel if the blood was hers or not. Even if it was just a small drop, it was easy to tell if it was just within her hands. But now, she wasn't even sure which one was hers and which one was Nyx's.

She lowered it and hummed. Twenty years of being an assassin, and it was the first time she was this hurt. It was amazing that this job still managed to surprise her.

When she shut her eyes, she couldn't tell if she was sleeping or not—while she could still feel her surroundings and hear the people around her talk, what they were actually saying never reached her ears. She could hear Poseidon and Lucia talking to the healers, and it sounded like Poseidon dismissed them both. When the healers left, they started talking to each other, voices in low, hushed whispers.

The sound of footsteps heading towards her direction made her open her eyes. Poseidon stopped where she was, while Lucia took a few more steps closer. She knelt down to her height and placed a hand on her forehead, then her neck. "Well, it doesn't seem like you have a fever of your own," she said. "How are you feeling?"

"Horrible, but maybe better."

It was difficult to tell what Poseidon's expression was, but her pointy ears perked up when she hummed. "You're insane, you know that? Not everyone can manage to kill a Fury and live afterwards. I won't be surprised if this paints a target on your back."

"Guess that means Lu and I owe you a thousand gems each,"Lucia added with a laugh. "I told him you'll probably die, he said you'll get kidnapped. If neither happens, we agreed to give you the money instead."

"My life was on the line and you and Lu decided to make bets on it?" Somehow, Lucinda managed to chuckle. Unfortunately, her laughter was cut short when her lungs burned, and coughs immediately replaced it. She sat up and clutched her shirt, nails nearly tearing the fabric as she tried to scratch her skin. She placed her hand in front of her, sighing in relief when there was no sign of blood.

"I was never going to die," she said, facing her sister. "Nyx had one rule in her game, and it's that she's not allowed to kill me. She had multiple opportunities to do it, but she never did. And honestly, I doubt I'd still be here if she didn't have that rule."

Lucia furrowed her brows. "If he's not going to kill you, then what did she want you for?"

"I don't know. But frankly, I don't care anymore."

She rested her back on the wall and raised her head. Despite the light of the three moons being brighter than the neon lights of the city, the stars still decorated the sky. They winked, almost as if congratulating her for her victory.

"So," she said, looking down, "did the healers say anything about me?"

Silence. Lucia and Poseidon shared glances at each other. Lucia opened her mouth, though before she could talk, Poseidon placed her arm in front of her and shook her head.

"They did," Poseidon replied. "Lucinda, the poison in your body is at extreme levels, even more so than the last time they checked it. You're basically a walking vial of poison, and you're most likely more dangerous than the one you used earlier. If you keep doing this to yourself, it might be at a level where even you can't handle it."

Her ears twitched, and she averted her gaze. "Twenty years of doing this, and it decided to take effect now. I guess it was bound to happen someday. It's my fault for thinking it won't come back to bite me."

"I'll grant you a longer break this time. A year break, and I can extend it to six more months if you need it. You need to rest your body and wielding. You'll still be paid normally, so you don't need to worry about that."

Lucinda raised one leg up and rested her arm there. On one hand, a year break did sound nice. She could focus more on spending time with Greyson, prioritize her work in the Investigation Squad, and even get actual breaks on her days off. She wasn't sure if her body would completely heal, but a year sounded like enough time to heal her blood and lower the level of poison, even if it was just a little bit.

On the other...

Greyson sleeping on her bed while being sick flashed in her mind. In a year, he would be nine years old, and he would just continue growing older and older. Lucian wouldn't be watching over him everyday, and they might just become more distant as the years would pass.

She turned to her bloody hands again. It was difficult to tell which smudge belonged to Nyx and which one belonged to her. Even if her fingers were still weak, she still snapped them together.

Not a single drop flew to her hand.

She pressed her lips together. It never got this bad before.

"Sidon," she began, looking down once again. "I know it's sudden, but I'd like to quit the SCD."

Another round of silence. This time, Lucia's eyes were wide. She turned to Poseidon, but unlike before, she didn't even open her mouth. Her brows simply furrowed down before immediately looking away. Poseidon mirrored her expression. Her pointy ears perked up for a while, but they immediately flattened as she shook her head.

"I know it's ridiculous," she continued. "And like I said, it's very sudden. I've been training since I was a child, and I've been killing people since I was twelve. I know I'm one of the best people for this job. But with my state, I don't think I can wield my ability properly anymore, and I don't think that means I can continue working."

"Of course." Poseidon nodded. Her response was quick, almost as if she immediately wanted to let it out. "I'll... you can leave. You can write a resignation letter for formality's sake. Then, on your next day off, I'd like to see you so we can finalize some things together."

"Thank you, Sidon."

"I'll drive you back to the DUO's apartment, then." Lucia extended her hand out, to which Lucinda accepted. Her sister helped her stand up and held her before she could stumble down. "Do you need help getting back to your unit as well?"

Lucinda shook her head. "There's no need. If someone saw you with me like this, they'd be suspicious of us. I can enter the building on my own."

The moment she took a step forward, her legs shook, and she nearly collapsed. Fortunately, Lucia and Poseidon managed to grab her arms before she could completely fall.

"Did they change the meaning of 'I can do it on my own' lately or do you just have a reverse dictionary?" Lucia said with a scoff. "I think people seeing you collapse on your front door would make them more suspicious of you. We'll help you.

"I don't need to do that. I'm sure seeing the head of the Special Connections Division escort me to my own house would raise more red flags."

Poseidon brushed her dark hair back and huffed. "Lucinda's right. Us being there would make people ask questions. It would be more difficult, but it's better for all of us if she goes there on her own."

Lucinda showed her a smile. "Hey, I've been doing my own thing since this started. Me going back to my house while on the verge of collapsing isn't any differe—

If it weren't for the fact that her throat was still burning, Lucinda would have screamed when Lucia removed her hold on her and nearly let her drop on the ground. Thankfully, Poseidon managed to catch her before her face would hit the pavement. When her sister helped her up again, she elbowed her arms. Lucia rolled her eyes, but she didn't do or say anything else.

They both slowed their pace as they headed to the car, letting Lucinda catch up. At least, it felt like she was catching up. Her head still spun, and she wasn't sure if she was throwing up again or if that was just her mind playing tricks on her. The next thing she felt was Poseidon placing her in the car, followed by the sound of the door closing. There were two more loud thuds, followed by the weight shifting as they took their seats.

Once the car started and Lucia drove away from the church, Lucinda felt her lips curl into a smile. A part of her chest twisted. She wanted to take her word back, to say she changed her mind and that she was still going to work for the SCD.

But the thought of Greyson feeling more distant once he would get older, her not being there and making him think he never had a mother to be by his side—it made her chest twist more.

Twenty years of working in the SCD, and the way it ended for her was because she quit.

On the bright side, at least she didn't die and leave her kid parentless.

The ride back to her house was quiet, but Lucinda didn't mind. She just closed her eyes and slept on the backseat. While it took her two hours to go from her apartment to the church, less than thirty minutes must have passed when she felt the car stop again. When she opened her eyes and sat up, the building appeared in her view.

It was difficult to tell from where she was, especially with the balcony blocking it, but it looked like the lights in her living room were on while her bedroom lights were off. Hopefully, it meant that Greyson was asleep while Lucian was in the living room rather than Greyson somehow managed to get out of bed while Lucian searched for him in their small house.

"Thank you for driving me," she said as she stepped out of the car. "Usually, I'd say, 'See you soon.' But I guess I'll see you when I see you."

"Yeah." Lucia nodded "Bye. Make sure you don't kill anyone. You don't have the SCD's protection over you anymore. Oh, and tell Lu he has five minutes before I leave him."

"Thank you for working with us for the past two decades, Miss Saffirus," Poseidon added. "And congratulations for killing an Underworld Fury. Goodnight."

Lucinda nodded. Once she turned around, she held the ends of her coat and took slow steps towards the building.

She killed a Fury. She killed the fourth strongest and most powerful member of the Underworld. And the worst repercussion she had so far was that her ability just became weaker, which would eventually be back to normal after a year of resting.

She furrowed her brows as she stepped inside the building. Poseidon was right—this definitely painted a target on her back.

As soon as she entered the elevator, she kept her gaze on the floor. Would this mean that Zeus would target her, or would the Underworld target the SCD?

No. She shook her head. If Zeus was anything like what the stories, records, and what Poseidon told her about, then she wasn't going to retaliate. She was going to play the long waiting game.

For now, that wasn't Lucinda's problem.

When the elevator dinged again, she wasted no time heading to her unit. She inputted her passcode, and the door beeped open. She stepped inside, wasting no time tossing her shoes in the shoe rack and taking her coat off of her shoulders.

"Lu," she said as she entered the living room. "It's me, Lucinda. You don't need to shoot me."

"Wasn't planning to." Lucian stepped out of the couch, holding one of her butterfly knives in his hand. He spun it around, making the knife click. Once it was closed, he placed it on her coffee table. "It'd be too loud, and I don't think Sidon would save my ass if that kind of mess happens. Stabbing you would have been better."

"You don't even know how to properly use that." She sat on her couch and slumped her back. "How's Chuchu?"

Lucian took the seat in front of her. "He woke up earlier. Asked me where you were, so I told him you were on a mission. Then, he asked for coffee jelly and went back to sleep."

She sighed. Another weight off of her shoulders. "As long as he's feeling better, I'm happy. Did he eat anything apart from coffee jelly?"

"He ate some pancit and bread. He threw up during the times he ate rice, so I didn't let him have those for now."

"As long as he's feeling better," she repeated. "Thank you for watching over him. I guess you should leave before Lulu decides to ditch you."

"Of course she will." He scoffed and scratched his hair. "Still can't believe you lived. Guess I'll G-ECash you the money tomorrow. See you."

Lucinda watched as he picked up his things and left the house. Once she was sure the door was locked, she headed to the kitchen, taking another slice of strawberry shortcake from the fridge. Did she still have some cocoa powder for hot chocolate? Lucian didn't buy some earlier, and she wasn't sure if she finished them all yesterday or if she still had some to spare.

Her ears twitched at the sound of something creaking. Soft footsteps followed, but it only took two steps before stopping. Lucinda sighed, but the smile didn't fade from her face. "How are you feeling, Chuchu?"

She turned around and faced Greyson. Half of his face peeked through her door, letting her see the white parts of his hair. His flopped ears matched his furrowed brows and his frowned lips. For a brief second, his gold and silver eyes met hers, but he immediately flicked them away as his ears flopped even more.

"Do you want some cake?" she asked. "There's more in the fridge and—"

"Mima... did you kill someone again?"

Lucinda stopped in her tracks, and a cold chill traveled down her spine. She didn't notice it earlier, but now that she looked at him again, Greyson was shivering. His eyes were glossy and his lips quivered, almost as if he was about to cry.

She clenched her hands into fists as another knife stabbed her heart. If Nyx wasn't already dead, Lucinda would have torn her to shreds.

She grabbed her plate of cake and placed it on the coffee table. "Are you scared I'll hurt you?"

He placed a hand over his nose. "N- No..."

"I promise I won't." She knelt down, and one arm rested on her raised leg. "Come on, you can come here. I won't hurt you, I promise."

"P- Promise?"

"I promise. And promise breakers don't get ca—"

Before she got the chance to finish her sentence, he ran towards her and wrapped her in for a tight hug. He buried his face in her chest, and his tiny hands gripped her shirt. She bit her lower lip, stopping the hiss of pain that would have left her as his hug became even tighter. Still, the smile on her face didn't fade, and she picked him up as she stood up.

It didn't sound like he was sobbing, fortunately. She pressed a kiss on his forehead, on his cheek, then forehead again. Greyson sighed, resting the side of his head on her chest this time. He wasn't smiling, and there were still dark circles under his eyes. But compared to earlier, compared to how he had been like for the past five days, he looked more relaxed than ever.

She sat on the couch, placing him on his lap as she wrapped him in for a soft hug. "It's okay, sweetheart," she said as she kissed his forehead again. "I've quit the SCD. I'm not an assassin anymore, so you don't have to worry about me killing another person again."

He lifted his head and stared at her eyes. "Promise?"

She averted her gaze. No, she couldn't. One of these days, there was a chance that she would have to kill another person again. She wasn't sure what the circumstances would be, but she just knew that in the future, another person's blood would cover her hands.

But for now, she pressed a kiss on his temple and nodded. "I promise."

"Can we play Doctor Greyson one more time?"

She chuckled as she patted his hair. "Of course."

Greyson jumped down from the couch and rushed to her room. It was hard to believe that he was sick for five days. He was back to being his usual, energetic self when he came out holding the first aid kit and wearing the oversized white jacket. Even though he still had a fever, his nose was still red, and his eyes were still teary, there was a smile on his face as he patched her up one more time. His pointy ears flipped up and down as he wrapped the bandages around her arms, and he puffed his cheeks when she finished her slice of cake without leaving some for him.

As Lucinda headed to her room carrying Greyson, she hummed.

She was with Greyson again, that was all that mattered

Word count: 3134
Total: 32333

Lmao at this point Codename: DEMON was at like 35k but this one isn't even at 30k yet what universe are we living in that this is possible. 

Edit from future Ace: The answer is you being stupid at math. That's how it was possible. We were at 32k, bestie. I don't know how you thought it was 29k, but we're at 32k.