14 The unknown voice (1/2)

Arriving at Racheal's place he would knock upon the door. Yet he did not receive an answer, again he would knock and wait a bit but still silence. Turning from the door he would glance up at the skies. It was indeed already nightfall so he figured she would have been home by now, but nothing. ”Maybe she is out and about.” Riyku would mutter to himself as he proceeded towards the elevator. Tapping upon the button to go back to the lobby he would glance around and about as the digital number displayed where the carrier was at.

With a bing sound, the doors would open and to his surprise, he was greeted with the woman he was just looking for. ”Oh, Riyku.” Racheal would attempt to step past the doors; although it would seem Riyku stood in her path. Normally, it would have been the usual tomfoolery; however, this time he had a serious expression upon his face. Racheal's eyeliner had been messed up and her eyes puffy as if she had been crying for quite some time. ”What happened?” Riyku inquired though instead of attempting to conceal everything, she would throw herself at him which forced him to take a step back from the sudden motion. The doors would close as the two were now standing outside of the elevator. Racheal's face buried in his chest as she wrapped her arms around him. Her muffled cries were barely heard; however, he could tell just how much of a wreck she was. ”Let's go inside so you can tell me everything.” Riyku would escort her to the door while brushing her hair gently. Presenting her wristband to the door scanner would unlock the door once the scanner confirmed it was her. As she moved to reach for the handle Riyku seemed to come forth to open the door for her. ”Come on.” He gave her a light push to which she seemed to walk in. Removed her heels while Riyku shut the door and proceeded towards the couch where she would plop down with a sadden expression.

Riyku would follow suit after removing his own footwear; however, he moved into the kitchen and pulled a cup from a pantry. Reaching into another pantry he would take out a bottle of aged wine. Riyku would fill up the cup before heading to where Racheal was and offer her the glass while setting the bottle on the coffee table in front of them. He had been here so many times that he already knew where everything was. ”Here.” He stated softly. When she took the glass he would take a sit. ”Now tell me what happened.” Riyku almost demanded of her, but the care in his voice would insist he was not. Racheal would nod softly after downing the whole glass and setting the cup on the coffee table. ”It's Brad. He is harassing me again. He kept calling me his 'naughty' girl in front of everyone. Of course, I ignored these claims and continued my work, but that only seemed to anger him. He tried to challenge me, but I declined. Although, he insisted I accept and said if I denied him one more time that he would use any means necessary to get me fired. I tried talking to my co-workers but they were of no use. They just said to give him what he wants since I am his 'naughty' girl. I am just soo tired of all of this. I am afraid to talk to my boss because he might side with him because they are best buddies.” Racheal seemed to come out in full. Riyku would listen till the end and when she was done would rub the bridge of his nose. ”This guy never quits...” Riyku grumbled before exhaling a soft sigh. ”I'll take care of this.” He added to which Racheal looked over to him. ”What!? No!” She seemed to shout hastily which caused Riyku's brow to raise. The look on his face caused her to shy away.

”I mean If you did he might try to blackmail you or get someone to come after you. You already have to deal with the pressure of the Games as well as whoever is already targeting you. I do not believe you need any more stress.” Racheal stated firmly to which Riyku chuckled lightly and placed his hand on hers which caused her to perk up at him once again. ”You are precious to me. I will never turn a blind eye to your problems. Do you understand?” Riyku seemed to be quite firm with his statement. This caused Racheal to blush lightly as she nodded silently. ”Good. Now, you let me handle Brad while you relax. Have another glass or two of wine. I'll draw you a warm bath so you can relax and I'll wash your clothes for you.” Riyku would get up and reach for the bottle to pour her another glass. As he began to head off towards the bathroom, Racheal seemed awestruck by what was going on. It was the first time in her life that anyone other than her family seemed to genuinely care about her. Sure she had the occasional boyfriend or two, but never did they seem to actually care. It made her tear up again. It had only been three months since she met this man, but to her, it felt like three years. All the times they spent together, going out and joking around. He even helped her family out in their times of need so she wouldn't be so stressed. He had done so much for her in such a short time period. Reaching for the glass she would guzzle it down to keep the tears at bay, but in the end, they just steamrolled down her face. She was thinking about a lot and before she realized it she wanted to profess her love for him; however, how did he feel?

As she recalled her meeting with him, she remembered the sexual tension and how she wanted to ride him all night long. It was a lustful desire, not a heartfelt one back then, but now... It was different. Her heart throbbed for him, but what of him? Was he just being nice to be nice, or did he care to? So many questions circled inside of her that she did not realize Riyku was calling her name.

”It's ready.” He called as he came back from the bathroom to see her messy face in tears. A worried expression would partake of his facial features as he approached her. ”Something else on your mind?” Riyku inquired to which Racheal would nod lightly. ”What's up?” Riyku asked softly. ”I...” She paused for a moment, she wanted to say it but the words caught in her throat. It took all of her courage at his point to just blurt it out. ”I am in love with you!” She shouted aloud. Her face plastered red as she stared up at him awaiting an answer. Riyku would scratch the side of his cheek, a bit taken back by the sudden profession. ”I am flattered, Racheal,” Riyku stated before closing his eyes. When she noticed this expression, she took it as he did not love her back and was about to turn away when suddenly he had pulled her into his being. Her eyes with wide in shock of this. ”I appreciate your feelings. I truly do. However, at this time I do not see myself getting into a relationship.” Riyku stated honestly, as he held her tightly. Racheal was about to sob believing that she would never be able to be with him but realized that he wasn't in any form of relationship from his wording. ”My feelings for you will not change. I will love you.” Racheal would cling to him tightly. For a solid moment, they were in an intimate embrace until Racheal let go and stepped back. A warm smile on her face as she wiped her tears away. ”I am going to go bathe now,” Racheal stated before moving towards the bathroom and proceeding with her process to clean her face of makeup, strip and relax in the tub.

Riyku would plop down upon the couch and slouch slightly as he rested his head on the top of the headrest to stare at the ceiling. A heavy sigh would escape his lips, not of annoyance or irritation, but guilt. Racheal wasn't the only woman who had professed her feelings to him in the past three months. Kristen had professed her feelings as well and he got vibes that Lira and Mina also had the same feelings for him.

[Hehehehe... You are going to lose everything if you don't make a choice.]

There it was again, that voice from earlier. ”What do you want?” Riyku muttered as he closed his eyes.

[Oh nothing. Just to warn you. Your indecisive behavior will be your downfall.]

The voice added to which Riyku would shake his head. ”I have no idea what you mean.” He stated bluntly.

[You do though. You have witnessed the deaths of many. Allies, Friends, and Lovers. So many of your wives died because of your weak nature. You could not grasp anything, nay... You would not grasp it. You allowed it all to slip through your fingers out of fear of losing yourself.]

The voice would reply, the distortion sinister and evil as ever, yet seductive in a way. The words got to him though, his eyes narrowed as they opened and he sat up with a scowl on his face. ”How do you know about the Memory Fragments!?” Riyku growled under his breath.

[How? How else? I am here. Always have been since your rebirth.]

The voice peered forth and Riyku's reaction bore surprise. ”But... You aren't Coco. Wait... Where is she!? What did you do to her!?” Riyku demanded but would remain only audible to himself.

[Kekekeke... Wouldn't you like to know? Tell you what, I'll tell you where she is if you accept my offer.]

Offer? What offer? It could not be good, nothing good ever came from these things. Even he knew it from the fragments he was given. The more he thought in silence about why the fragments existed the more his questions went unanswered. ”What deal?” Riyku inquired.

[Simply really. Let me infect your body.]

Riyku's eyes would go wide and his fingers would dig into the clothing he held onto it.

[Relax. It is not a takeover. I just need to finish a job and your body is the only thing that will allow me to do so.]

”And how do I know I can trust your word? How do I know the moment I accept this deal you will not take over my body.” Riyku stated firmly to which the voice seemed to sigh.

[I am unable to. I already tried once before. When that happened most of my strength was zapped and stored into a separate dimension. What dimension is beyond me, but whenever you seem to level up I gain some of my power back. So the deal is simple; You let me infect your body and I'll give you strength beyond your wildest dreams. In return, I'll let you know what happened to your precious operator.]

Riyku seemed to have fallen silent. This thing was after something? An unfinished job? He already knew this thing asked if he sought out power. Right now though, he did not. Closing his eyes he would think in silence on the situation. It was true that he wanted to know what happened to Coco, but the risk of this offer was too great. It was like this thing needed his permission to infect him or whatever.

After several more moments, Riyku would give his answer, ”No.” He was firm in his statement. ”I do not need your power. I am strong enough as it is. I won't let anything terrible happen to anyone as long as I still stand and breath. I'll just search for Coco myself as well. So go back to wherever you were.” Riyku added to which the voice chuckled darkly.

[Very well. I am here... all you need do is call out my name.]

Name? Riyku's eyes would narrow, but before he could say anything else Racheal seemed to have come from the bath with a towel wrapped firmly around her body. It was rather erotic in the sense that her glistering cream color flesh appeared soft and irresistible in all the right places. ”No need for the stern look, Riyku.” She would approach him and straddle him with one leg on each side her arms wrapped behind his neck, resting on his shoulders. Her eyes staring deeply into his for a solid moment. ”I did some thinking. My heart does still move for you. You have done so much for me and my family that I doubt I could throw these feelings away so easily. So, I will chase you down.” She pressed her forehead to his own. His eyes slowly opening wider as he sat there in awe.

”One day, I will get you to fall in love with me.” She whispered softly before brushing her lips firmly against his own. He was unable to react, for the first time in a while he was stunned completely. When she removed her lips she would also remove herself from him with a bright smile. ”Now, I'll be taking you up on your offer to relax,” Racheal stated with a teasing smirk as she moved to lay down upon the couch. Her head resting in his lap as she stared up at him happily. She then noticed the smear of makeup on his uniform. ”Oh my. We should get this taken care of.” She pointed to his shirt to which he looked at. ”You mean you just want to leer at me.” Riyku teased her to which she winked at him playfully, ”Maybe.” She added. A soft sigh of thrill escaped Riyku's lips as he began to unknit the buttons around his collar only to pull lose the black tie in a rather sensual manner. He would remove the tie and continue to unknit each button till the blazer was open to which he shrugged off the blazer and was left with the buttons of the white shirt. Racheal seemed to continue to leer at with anticipation.

Steadily the male began to unknit each and every button of the white collar shirt which would expose a fair portion of his pale scared flesh. Racheal would move to slip a hand along the well built yet lean structure of his body as she released a soft pleasant noise. Riyku's lips curved into a smirk as he began to caress her cheek softly. Moving his hand down and around her neck smoothly with a sensual touch before slipping under the towel to fondle her breast. Again came the pleasant soft noise as she closed her eyes, wanting to indulge in his touch. His other hand seemed to have slipped over her legs, around to the calves and coming back around the thighs. This only added to the sensation she was feeling. Her toes curled from his touch alone as she seemed to move her other hand to cup her breast and fondle them as well.

”You are supposed to be relaxing.” Riyku teased her when he noticed this. ”B-but...” She would protest, but backed down and let her armrest off to the side. ”Good girl.” Riyku seemed to whisper sensually towards her which caused her to shiver. His hand on her thigh seemed to smoothly hike up the towel to expose more of her fleshy thighs. ”Just relax,” Riyku whispered sensually again, as he maneuvered both of his hands against her body as if massaging the flesh while providing a sensual feel at the same time. Racheal would hold back several moans but gasped every so often during the duration of this 'treatment', and before long her body began to jolt around as if a climax had hit her hard. An exotic moan escaped her lips just this once before she relaxed her body again. Racheal's eyes would peer open to look at Riyku who seemed to have quite the satisfied expression.

”Geez, I took a bath too. You are so mean. At least let me take care of you!” She hastily sat up and would turn to turn around and face him. Her hands quickly moving to unzip his pants before he even had a chance to say anything. Quickly she would remove an erect rod that would pulsate firmly in her hands which caused her lips to grow wide in a smile. ”My, someone was turned on.” Riyku would close his eyes with a tint of red on his cheeks thanks to Racheal's words. As soon as Racheal began to stroke his thick shaft, he knew it was going to another late night and prepared for it.

The chiming of a clock went off three times. Riyku's eyes shifted from Racheal's sleeping figure which was under the blanket of the bed to the clock which read three ante meridiem. Swinging his legs over to where he would plant the soles of his feet against the ground he would get up only to move to the backroom which held a washer and a dryer. Of course, there was also a hanging rack of which Racheal's work uniform was nicely fitted on. Riyku would remove the last load of clothing from the washer and place it into the dryer and then start it up. A soft sigh would escape his lips as he took a moment to lean back against the wall of the backroom.

”What am I doing?” The male muttered to himself in thought. ”Should I be having sex with someone who is in love with me, while I...” He paused in mid-sentence and closed his eyes before huffing heavily. ”I get that I can level up by doing just anything... but having sex does not feel like it should be one of the things that give me experience points.” The male muttered to himself yet again. ”I wonder what Coco would say about this,” Riyku stated before falling silently.

”It's just who you are.”

He would try to intimate her which caused him to chuckle lightly. ”or maybe she would say something like, 'Don't get ahead of yourself'.” A soft sigh would escape his lips as his expression changed to that of worry. 'Skills.' Riyku seemed to mentally state which brought up his skills tab upon his personal vision, or UI.

Passive Skills:

Way of the Fighter Lv Max- Having trained through many lifetimes, experienced many battles and overcame several life or death situations. You have burned into your soul the ability to fight. Your body will instinctively take up arms or shields in whatever situation that comes forth.

Swordsmanship Lv3- 'Your trust in your blade will run as deep as the experience you gain through such.' +6 Strength when using swords

Gunslinger Lv3- 'One of many tools one will use in their lifetime will be a ranged weapon. As you train you will come to realize your hard work will not go unnoticed.' +4 Agility +3 Strength when using any form of ranged weapon.

Arcane Seeker Lv1- 'Your thirst for knowledge is boundless. You seek that of which many fail to do. The more you learn of the Arcane Arts; the stronger your bonds with them will become.' +3 Wisdom +3 Intelligence when using an Arcane Weapon.

Spearman Lv1- 'Guns and Swords are not the only weapons at one's disposal. Staves have always been used by both the warriors and the mages. As such, what you put in will be what you get out.' +1 Strength +1 Agility +1 Toughness +1 Intelligence +1 Wisdom when using a Staff of any kind.

Dagger: Lv5- 'Daggers are often seen as dishonorable in battle, but in a fight to the death any weapon is still a weapon.' +6 Agility when using a dagger.

Claw: Lv5- 'Claws in truth are a bizarre weapon. They can be used for a multitude of purposes beside combat as well.' +5 to all stats when equipping a Claw.

Cultivator Lv5- 'Your rigorous body is the main reason you are able to stand strong.' Shield Points will recharge over time. Getting at least six hours of sleep will fully recharge your Shield Points. Getting eight hours of sleep will apply a bonus of 200 Shield Points.

Spiritual Bond Lv4- 'Your profound knowledge of the existing elements around allows you to deepen your pool of mana' Mana points will recharge over time. Getting six hours of rest will fully recharge your Mana. Getting eight hours of rest will expand your Mana Pool by 400 points for four hours.

Silver Tongued Lv7- 'You have quite the way with words. You can talk your way out of any mess or into one if you so desire'

- Intimidation Lv5- You are capable of striking fear into another, be it man or monster. **Does not work on Boss Level Monsters or Mini-Boss mobs!**

- Persuasion Lv5- You are capable of talking your way into makings things lean in your favor. **Does not work on Boss Level Monsters or Mini-Boss Mobs!**