Crimson in Red: Tainted Ascendant

[3 years later]

The memories of that day still haunted Lloyd wherever he went. Although the Ise Order was kept in the dark about the crimson seer's act of wickedness, Lloyd's mind never achieved peace. Everytime he passed a mother with her child during some of his missions a wave of guilt rushed over his conscience until...he could not take it anymore. He had to see Louisette and his kid at all costs. Even if it meant apologizing a hundred times to her. He just hoped that an abortion didn't take place given the fact that the mother was in a strict line of occupation. Little did he know that what he was about to do would cost him so dearly...

Resting at a high place in the city at mid-day, Lloyd's eyes skimmed through the masses and after a few minutes he saw Louisette in a narrow passageway between two houses. He jumped all the way there and startled her. In an attempt to calm her down, he pulled down the scarlet scarf to uncover part of his face. She recognized him instantly and pushed the kid behind her in panic.

Lloyd had the first glance at his own son.. He then bowed and apologized sincerely to Louisette and introduced himself to her properly. "Lloyd Hammings? You're also a member of an organisation called Ise Order who fights demons?" "We call them reapers" As they talked some more, Lloyd realized that he was truly in love with Louisette and he wanted to marry her. He also learnt that the kid's name was Noir Adélard. (He took his mother's second name).

"You know Lloyd... Don't beat up yourself too much for what happened that night. The truth is I didn't hate your actions, I may have actually enjoyed it." She said looking away from him, pulling a strand of brown hair back her ear. This hit Lloyd like a ten ton truck and he was taken aback by her words. Dang she had a masochist fetish all along?! Louisette suddenly burst into laughter because Lloyd had said his thoughts out loud.

Unbeknownst to them, a dark figure lurked at the end of the passageway listening to their conversation secretly. "That scythe and scarf, I'm not mistaken." Hurriedly, the old man dressed in white robes slipped away from the place and Lloyd turned to look back and saw nothing. "What's wrong Lloyd?"

"Nothing..it's just the wind."

[At Ise Order]

An elderly stood before a legendary painting of the mythical seer Edna, admiring it. A voice broke the silence in the cathedral "Head priest Jean, I have some news you'll want to hear." The head priest turned around to face his fellow old man, "What's the matter Priest Hanse?" As soon as Priest Hanse opened his mouth, the crimson seer's devious actions were no longer a secret. Soon the head priest summoned the crimson seer and issued an obligatory mission that costed Lloyd's sanity.

"In order to remain a seer in Ise Order you must erase your sins, Crimson. Your the most powerful mid rank, just a step below the Elite seers. If you do not handle this correctly.. a world threat will develop especially if an ancient reaper like Reece reincarnates through your sins. Failure to do so will result in dire consequences which will cost your life. I suggest you act wisely for your own sake." "His words seem more like a threat aimed specifically at me. This is why I never liked the head priest." He cursed inwardly.The crimson seer had to undergo repentance to become pure again. He accepted the mission half-heartedly.

[At Louisette's place]

The door flew to the floor with a bang, startling the mother and her kid who were playing on the bed. A red figure stood menacingly at the entrance, it's face half covered by the scarf. As he approached the two slowly, a malicious reddish black aura emitted from his body. "Lloyd?" Came the shaky voice. It had no effect in the slightest. A soft hiss was produced as the seer pulled out his blessed scythe that was resting on his back. Sensing danger, Louisette took her baby in her arms and whispered "I love you, Noir." Slash!

Blood splattered all over the walls , bed and the kid's face. Her head fell beside her son and rolled on the bed sheet. The boy's eyes widened in terror as he watched Louisette die right before him. His eyes then travelled to stare at the murderer fearfully, now the blood-stained scythe aimed at the young one. The boy's whole body shook in horror, as a wet patch spread on the shorts he was wearing. Upon seeing this, Lloyd turned his back on the kid and faced the doorway. His once serious face gradually changed into a wrinkled crying one, as he tried his hardest to hold in the tears burning at the corner of his eyes. "I can't do it... I can't kill my own son. And Louisette.. I hope you'll find it in your heart to forgive me one day."

[Somewhere, in France]

Two long skyscrapers stand in the center of the city, The Light Towers. A middle aged man stands in his office, looking down at the highway from the 15th floor. Just then, his office door sprang open and a group of muscular tattooed thugs entered, capturing his attention. Their bald leader stepped forward, facing the middle aged man.

"I'm not in the mood for screw ups right now. I hope it's in your pocket, Höuston." The leader removed his rectangular shades from his face. "They had an ace up their sleeve, Mr.Truce."

Höuston nodded at his henchmen, and one of them threw a red ruby at Truce. He caught it and examined it carefully before yelling,"This is nothing like the real thing! I warned you about getting tricked didn't I? I swear you guys think with your *Bleep*-icks."

Höuston gestured at the kid playing with car toys at the office desk. "Relax, there's a kid in the room." Truce wiped his face in frustration. "Don't worry boss, I have a clue to where the sacred item is located...since Reece may have been behind all this." "I'll skin you alive if you're wrong Höuston. I mean it." The child dropped his car toy on the floor and looked up, horrified after hearing the statement. All the hench men laughed at his innocence.

[At a distant place, near the woods]

A long silver-haired young handsome man stood in his royal-like room, contemplating on his throne. His magenta eyes looked bewitchingly magnetising to the human eye. "How greedy humans are.. it seems someone wants to take hold of my precious sacred item. I wonder if he is from Ise Order."

[Ise Order]

Upon seeing that the crimson seer was taking too long to complete the mission assigned to him. Priest Hanse urged the head priest,"Jean, I advise you to send two seers to finish the mission." The head priest summoned the orange and black seers, and they kneeled before him obediently. "Go and erase the crimson seer's sin at all costs."

The orange seer raised his head and spoke,"Even if it means fighting the crimson seer?" The head priest nodded.

The two seers rushed to their destination at super speed, and in no time they were standing before Lloyd, who was now outside the house with his son behind him. He immediately knew what was going on and put a hand over the kid's head, while trying to reason with them, "You wouldn't be so heartless as to kill a child now, would you?"

The orange seer replied by brandishing his chained knife spear and the black seer unsheathed his katana. These guys are nothing but killing machines for Ise Order. It's no use talking to them. Lloyd cast a protection spell on the kid which coated him with reddish energy all over. Then, adjusting his scarlet scarf over his mouth, he dashed in between the two, grabbing them by their leather suits and diving into a shadow path he created. With no time for the two seers to react, they find themselves in a dark swamp sorrounded by grove of mangrove trees. Lloyd reappears from the shadow, his intimidating scythe ready to end lives.

The three seers face off in a brutal fight in a swamp... Will the crimson seer be able to take the two of them head on or will he join Louisette in less than 24 hours?