The forest is grand with large trees soaring above, with the forest floor carpeted in soft moss, though not slick.

  I let Sute down as I look around.

  “Where are we?” I repeat.

  “How the hell would I know? You’re the one who just like, flashstepped and everything warped and we popped up here, and then you freakin’ rocked my shit, blow for blow.” She grumbles.

  I roll my eyes and turn right in time to see the person I expected.

  Eva jogs through a bush right towards me.

  “Kari!” She squeals before punching me in the arm. “That's for disappearing on me!” She shouts.

  “But this is for protecting me.” She mumbles as she leans in and kisses me.

  “First, you need water, I can taste the dehydration. Second, one of your teeth got chipped…” I mumble sadly as I pull away and poke in her mouth.

  “Maybe someone should pay with one of their teeth…” I trail off as I turn around, hands making a grabbing motion as my eyes flare with fire.

  “Love! It’s chipped cause I fell while running!” She whines, tugging on my shredded shirt. “You’ve already killed someone at school in the rubble, though everyone just ignored it. We don’t need any attention from the cops!” She groans as she grits her teeth and pulls harder on my shirt to stop me.

  With a rrriiippp the shirt tears and falls off me. I look at the ground where Eva fell down, still clutching my shirt. I laugh, and pick her up in a bridal carry, before turning to Sute, and gesturing for her to follow.

  “We’re going back to the school, and you are telling us about this academy you’ve been accepted into.” I pause and look down at Eva. “Uh…any clue as to which direction the school is?” I ask.

  “Nine miles, that way.” She responds dreamily while clutching my chest.

  We start walking, and I realize just how long nine miles are. This is gonna take an hour or more.

  A shiver makes its way down my spine as the awkwardness of the situation sinks in.

  Sute glares daggers at Eva as she growls back in response and nibbles on my biceps to drive a point home.

  My face contorts between shock, ticklish, and bored quickly as they continue this tirade of possessiveness.

  I smack Eva on the head lightly before turning my gaze to Sute.

  “Now is a great time to start spilling that info.” I say dead tone as Eva pulls her knees up to her chest and nuzzles closer to the shreds of what my shirt remains.

  Sute sighs, and turns her gaze to the dark, dreary corner of the forest that one would assume contains nothing but nightmares.

  “It is an academy, but probably not what you think of. It's an academy made for the Sinful, both to hide from the evil of some governments, and to be sheltered from those who use them as weapons. It keeps us safe, trains us as weapons and people. It gives us status beyond our sins.” She pauses and casts her sight down.

  “I accepted because I know you don't want me, and I said my share I wanted to say. My desire to find you gave birth to me being a Sinful of lust, but where we go. The location of this academy is in America, good for you. I remember your western obsession.” She stops and I can't see her face.

  “So…I'm sorry for how I attacked you Eva. Lust took over.” Sute says, with quite a bit of maturity.

  “Sorry, did you say something? I was tracing his muscles.” Eva replies as she pops her head over my shoulder.

  “Bruh.” She grunts.

  “Welcome to my world. But instead of her just being distracted, she's distracted by everything about you, and always in your face.” I say deadpan.

  “If you want someone who will listen, you can have two girlfriends…” Sute suggests.

  “It wouldn't bother me, as long as you spend every waking hour with me.” Eva butts in, looking in my eyes.” She says as I reply to Sute at the same time.

  “No way in hell. You would need God, Jesus, and Satan tempting me for me to agree.” I respond, with a fiery determination in my eyes.

  “You're Christian? That's rare in Japan.” Sute observes.

  “Can it. Yes, I'm Christian. But my morals are flexible. As long as I don't forsake God and have a testimony, then any sin can be forgiven. It makes me feel better, and eases my conscience after my first time killing a person.” I reply, stretching my neck.

  “You…what?” She mutters while she stops walking.

  I turn back and look at her.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  “Yeah, I've killed lots of people at this point, but they practically ask for it.” I respond, as if the act of killing holds no power over my mind. Because it doesn't.

  “So…you could've killed me?” Sute mumbles as she shakes in fear.

  “Yep. Keep moving.” I command, and she forces her feet to move in fear of me striking her down.

  “Hot isn’t it Sute? A boyfriend who's a killer?” Eva giggles as she peeks out at her, her eyes filled with dark glee.

  I smack Eva on the head for scaring Sute and she whines as she holds the top of her head.

  “So, back to the topic at hand, the academy?” I remind Sute.

  “Right, uhh… Its name is Aetherion Academy. Something about being as good as divine essence or upper air? I don’t know. There isn't really an invitation, just an application. They take the gifted of the Sinful. If they get the application, they tell you the forest, and if you can find them, they put you in the entrance exam. But you don't need to apply, just the info to find them. They let anyone who finds them into the exam, but they warn you can lose your life in doing so, or the exam. That's all I know.” She finishes.

  “Interesting school I suppose. Wrath says I need to go there…” I mumble.

  “Well, if you’re looking to attend, I wouldn't mind you being there, even if it’s as friends…” She mumbles sadly, casting her eyes to the ground, kicking at the moss, leaving a small dent in the ground. “The location of it is in Tongass National Forest, in Alaska. I’d pack warm. Also, be in a bit of a rush. The entrance exam duration closes in a week.” She informs me.

  “Ok…Wait, a week?! Shit, we're gonna have to pack quickly, and jet off. I just googled the size of the forest and its sixteen point seven million acres man… That's a lot. How are we gonna find it?” I mutter aloud in despair.

  Sute rolls her eyes and looks at me. “Half of the challenge is getting there, and the rest is surviving the forest to get to the school. They gave me a hint, something about a prince of whales.”

  “Prince of Wales! Oh I’ve always wanted to go to that cave on that island, I saw it on youtube, something about El Capitan cave, very cool. Did they say anything else?” Eva asks, her curiosity piqued.

  “I didn’t know you liked caves.” I respond, looking down at her.

  “Well, after living in the sewers for so long, caves kinda grew on me. It became sort of a habit to sleep in them after watching those anime recaps.” She replies, looking up at me.

  “You still watch those? Well, I always did enjoy those, mostly because you would cuddle up to me, and I enjoyed that more.” I smirk at her.

  “Wha–! You didn’t actually watch them? Rude!” She smacks me playfully.

  Sute watches, a somber look on her face, though I already know why. She’s jealous it wasn’t her I fell for. Besides, after that treatment, she can’t blame me.

  “That was the rest of the hint. It says, ‘on the prince of wales, you find the spanish captain, enter and board, and the ship will set sail.’ They said it wasn’t a literal ship, they just wanted it to rhyme.” Sute answers. “You figured it out fast. It had me puzzled for at least all night and some of this morning.”

  Eva beams at her, happy for the compliment before biting my shoulder while growling.

  “God, your psycho.” I say.

  “Only for you.” she replies.

  “Yay for me!” I say sarcastically.

  “Boo for poor single me.” Sute says deadpan.

  “Hope you find a nice guy in the school.” I say halfminded.

  “Hope you break up.” Sute responds.

  “I’m gonna kill you.”

  “Sorry.” She replies instantly.

  “Good. God, how much longer till we reach the school?” I ask Eva.

  “Eight miles.”

  I lean back and make odd sounds, a mix of both whining and death.

  ^

  “How much longer?” I ask Eva, for what feels like the gazillionth time.

  “If you ask me one more time, I’m genuinely gonna tackle you and kill you with kisses.” She responds in total seriousness. “But it’s less than a mile.”

  “Thank god!” I complain. “Sute is so heavy.”

  “Hey! It’s not my fault that once the adrenaline wore off, I found out you broke my leg!” She yells into my ear.

  “I am right here. Yelling only hurts my ears.”

  I squint as the setting sun blinds us, but a shape blocks the sun and I celebrate, but as we get closer I frown.

  “Sute. Is the sun the flashlight on your phone?” I ask as I crane my neck behind me, and to my suspicion, she holds a stick with her phone tied to the end.

  “Yes.”

  “So then what's the freakin’ time!” I yell.

  “Around one o’clock.” Eva responds.

  “Did you plan this?” I ask Eva.

  “No, but it has been entertaining.” Eva replies.

  “No kisses for you.” I say.

  Eva pouts and turns around in my arms.

  So one o’clock huh? That's around PE time, if I’m almost there, then we might be able to slip by without teachers seeing us.

  As I wonder, the school actually comes into view, and the forest changes to the sort around the bunker. We near the track and pool and I see a figure, standing facing the woods as we emerge. The blonde hair reflects the sun, and I recognize her after a second.

  “Oh hey it’s Natalya. I think you would get along well with her.” I say halfminded.

  “Don’t be so insensitive. Remember I had a sister named tha–” She freezes, midroll, staring at Natalya.

  She stands slowly as her gaze stays on her, and I hear a word mumble out of her mouth, though it's so incredibly faint.

  “Sister?”

  I see Natalya harden her face, and calls out to me.

  “So you take my sister to be yours, and even as I was a precursor, you chose her over me.” She calls to me, and it clicks.

  It’s the little sister from Eva’s memory.

  “They told me you died, you know. I was so happy the day you left too, I just couldn’t help but run around serving tea. I would be the heir. The wealthy sister. Imagine my disappointment when I saw you when I opened the door. The rubble from the fight was a surprise, but the biggest one was seeing you run into the woods. I thought that I might have been mistake– Why are you getting closer to me Ikari?” She asks

  “Call me Kurogane-sama, you don’t get to call me by my first name.” I growl menacingly, though with a hint of play as I’m enjoying threatening her.

  I grab her by the collar and start dragging her off.

  “Cmon everyone, let's go to a manga cafe, or karaoke. They have private rooms where we can talk. Privately.” I groan irritably.

  As Eva and Sute start walking behind me to head into the city, Natalya wails as her heels drag in the dirt.

  “I’m getting kidnappppppeddd!”