"Okay then. The jet will leave by 8:00. I'll come fetch you at 7:30. Until then, rest a bit!" he said, this time his voice leaving no room for negotiations.
Ryuk nodded with a smile, burrowing back into his mattress. MadWhite rose from the bed as he slowly moved to the door.
His gaze scanned Ryuk, buried within the mattress, his eyes slowly closing back to sleep.
A bit of relief flashed in his eyes before he shut down the light and stepped out the door.
"Is everything okay with your intern, Young Lord?" Ceraphine's voice rang out upon his entrance.
MadWhite waved her off with a comforting smile.
"Just kids and their occasional bad dreams. He'll be fine," he said, heading back up the stairs but then paused and ordered,
"Tell Monroe to prepare the Azure-09 jets and be ready to take off at 8:00."
Ceraphine gently bowed behind him.
"Consider it done, Young Lord," she said before disappearing into thin air, leaving the place in silence once more.
---
[WARNING! WARNING!]
[Abrupt levels of fear detected during host's unconsciousness!]
[Fatality Level analyzed: Debilitating!]
[Possible reasons for fear: Error! Error! Unknown!]
[Host is advised to be careful!]
The system notification flashed as Ryuk sat up on the bed, his gaze moving away from the notification. Then...
SPUUUURRRTTTT!
Ryuk's left eye burst out with red blood, staining his clothes as horrific pain slammed into his head.
His hands clutched tightly onto the mattress, tearing it up from the force of his power.
He had reigned it in to suppress MadWhite's worry, but now he could no longer hold it back.
His left eye had been blinded.
It was something that had happened when he had decided to turn back and look at the figure chasing him.
The mere sight had been enough to crack one of his eyeballs and shatter it into nothing.
"Activate full regeneration!" Ryuk ordered.
The blood coating his face and dripping onto his shirt slowly rose back up and began seeping into his eye socket. His eyeball started mending, a new one forming.
But the process was slower than he expected.
"Tch, it's even closer now!" Ryuk muttered, his hands clenching into a fist, his teeth grinding together.
Even though he had felt himself in control of his body during the dream, he had still been able to do nothing but run pathetically away.
Even after all the pain and sweat of growing to this level, he had still done nothing but flee.
And to top it all off, he had willingly chosen to jump into the abyss rather than face the figure chasing him.
And now, there was nothing but a robed figure in his head.
One with a pitch-black hand stretched out from the place where its face ought to be.
It was all he could see before he lost his sight.
"I... I need power! More power!"
"I need to get stronger! Now! Right now! This instant!"
Ryuk mused to himself, his hand clenching harder until blood began seeping down his fingers.
But then...
DRIIIIIIIIIIIIING!
DRIIIIIIIIIIIIING!
The sound of ringing echoed through the room.
Ryuk looked at his right hand, where his Apex watch was hung, and he raised it to his face.
"Morgaine?" he called aloud as he unclenched his fist and sat up, briefly warming up his throat before swerving the call up.
"Ryuk! You awake yet?" Morgaine's beaming voice rang out, managing to chase off some of the heavy pressure in the room as Ryuk rose to his feet, cracking his bones.
"Yes, I am."
"Waaaaah. Why is your voice so hard? Are you sure you've truly been getting enough sleep!?" Morgaine's concerned voice rang out as he rolled his eyes.
"Stop messing with me, Morgaine."
"I'm not!"
"I'm fine. And did anyone ever tell you that you worry too much?"
Morgaine let out a small huff from the other side.
"No! And is worrying too much bad? Don't tell me you hate it?"
"No, I don't. It's kinda cute, Unlike the brutish you though." Ryuk said cheekily, causing a bit of giggling from the other side.
"Now you're starting to see I'm a cutie patootie."
"I don't think that's a word."
"It is now! And you have to call me 'Cutie' from now on."
"And if I don't, princess?"
"Then I will make sure to starve you with my absence." Morgaine said cheekily.
That was when it dawned on Ryuk.
"On the note of absence, I have something to tell you, Morgaine."
The other side went silent for a while before a voice came through.
"Don't tell me you're planning on starving me with your absence."
Ryuk could only roll his eyes.
It seemed like a bad time to bring such a thing up, but what choice did he have?
"Not too long. Just a week or two!"
"A week or two is too long, Ryuk! Too long! You've been gone for two years, remember?"
And before he could reply.
"And why do you need to be gone for another two weeks again? Another solo mission?" she asked.
Ryuk shook his head.
"No, not that."
"Then why?"
"A seclusion. You know, some time to cultivate."
"And why go for such a long time? You've got a Grade A beast as a pet, remember!?" she said.
Ryuk's eyes flashed.
"It's exactly because of that. Remember when you asked, If Isha still listens to me now that she's so strong?" he asked.
Morgaine quieted down.
"I'm starting to think she's growing too fast for me. If I don't want her to eventually succeed in killing me, then I have to also increase my cultivation base. It's pathetically low now, you know?"
Morgaine hummed for a while before she reluctantly agreed.
"Okay then. A week it is!"
"No, it might take more than—"
"A week! Give or take?" Morgaine shot back before he could say any more, effectively shutting him up.
Ryuk could only nod his head.
"Fine, I'll call you in a week from now."
"Promise?"
"Yes, I promise!"
"Good then. Call you later, Ryuk. Bwabyee!"
PIIIIIING!
The sound of the line getting disconnected rang out right after, and Ryuk dropped his hand down to his laps.
"Huuuuu, time to prepare..."
-------
A/N:
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In and Out_SnowySmoos