Chapter 1: Introduction
Dylan tugged at the frayed edge of his well-loved sweater, eyes darting nervously from one end of the crowded college cafeteria to the other. The harsh fluorescent lights overhead seemed to hum with a life of their own, creating an almost strobe-like effect that made his eyes ache. He hated this place. The noise, the crowds, the constant pressure to be someone he wasn’t—it was all too much.
With a shaky hand, he reached for his cup of tea, the scent of chamomile wafting up to meet him.
It was his comfort, his shield against the world. He took a sip, the warmth spreading through him like a gentle embrace. The cafeteria was a whirlwind of chatter, laughter, and clattering cutlery, but Dylan managed to find a pocket of silence in the corner, surrounded by the familiar comfort of his favorite books and sketchpad.
Suddenly, the buzz of the crowd shifted, turning into a palpable undercurrent of tension. Dylan looked up, his tea forgotten, and saw them. Two men in black suits, their faces obscured by dark sunglasses, striding purposefully towards him.
They moved with an eerie synchronicity, like predators on the hunt. Dylan's heart pounded in his chest, his breath catching in his throat. He knew that look, that walk. They were Esper Enforcement Agents, and they were here for him.
Dylan's mind raced, his thoughts tumbling over each other in a desperate attempt to make sense of the situation. He had been so careful, so meticulous in hiding his abilities. He had even gone so far as to drop out of the Esper Training Program, much to his parents' dismay. But here they were, closing in on him like a noose tightening around his neck.
Dylan's instincts screamed at him to run, to hide, but his body refused to cooperate. He was frozen, a rabbit caught in the headlights of an oncoming car.
The agents reached him, their hands gripping his shoulders with an iron grip. Dylan flinched, his eyes wide with fear. One of the agents leaned in, his voice low and menacing.
"You're coming with us, kid," he growled, his breath hot on Dylan's face. "You're not safe here."
Dylan's mind was a whirlwind of panic. He tried to speak, to ask questions, but his tongue felt thick and heavy in his mouth. The words caught in his throat, a stuttering mess that he couldn't force out.
"Please," he managed to choke out, his voice barely above a whisper. "I-I don't know what you want.
I'm just a student," Dylan stammered, his eyes darting from one agent to the other, searching for any sign of mercy. But their faces remained stoic, their grips unyielding.
The taller of the two agents, a man with a sharp jawline and a scar running down his cheek, rolled his eyes. "Cut the act, kid. We know exactly who you are. Now, let's go. Quietly."
Dylan's heart sank. They knew. They knew about his abilities, about the secret he had worked so hard to keep hidden. He felt a pang of anger mixed with fear, a dangerous cocktail that threatened to overwhelm him.
Then the next thing that he knows he's unconscious. Darkness claims him, and when he comes to, he's no longer in the cafeteria.
He's being dragged down a hallway with no windows, and only one room at the end, a heavy door with a small, reinforced glass window. the sound on growling is coming from the door and Dylan starts crying, "p-please don't make me go in there!?"
Dylan's voice cracked, his eyes wide with terror. The agent didn't care and threw the boy onto the floor of the now open cell door. Dylan landed hard, his knees scraping against the cold, unforgiving concrete. He looked up, tears streaming down his face, and saw the source of the growling. A man, or at least what was left of one, was chained to the far wall. His eyes were wild, his body covered in sweat and grime. He snarled at Dylan, his teeth bared, a muzzle around his mouth.
Dylan's heart pounded in his chest, his breath coming in short, sharp gasps. He had never seen an Esper in such a state before. The man was a shadow of his former self, his body emaciated, his mind clearly lost to the psychic storm raging inside him.
Dylan cried harder in fear, like a frightened child.
But the man chained to the wall didn't seem to notice. He was too consumed by his own torment to care about the new arrival. Dylan's tears turned to sobs, his body shaking with each one. He felt so small, so helpless. He wanted to run, to escape this nightmare, but he knew there was nowhere to go. He was trapped.
"p-please let me out! I-i wanna go home!!" Dylan's voice echoed off the bare walls, his pleas falling on deaf ears. The boy cried for days with no food or water just a cold, scary cell and an even scarier cell mate.
Eventually the joy gave up banging on the walls and crying and was no in a ball hugging his knees crying, scared and hungry.
The man chained to the wall watched him, his eyes no longer wild but filled with a strange curiosity. He seemed to have calmed down, his breathing now steady and his body no longer trembling.
Before the little guide could react the espers chin was now on the little boys head as he growled in an attempt to soothe the boy even though he couldn't speak due to the muzzle.
Dylan looked up at the esper with tears in his eyes, his body still shaking with fear. The esper's eyes were no longer wild, but filled with a strange, almost tender, curiosity. He was still chained to the wall, but the feral madness that had once consumed him seemed to have receded, at least for now.
Dylan sniffled, his tears slowly subsiding. He looked at the esper, his eyes wide with a mix of fear and curiosity. "W-what's your name?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
The esper's eyes flickered, and he seemed to consider the question for a moment before letting out a low, guttural growl. It was a sound that would have sent shivers down Dylan's spine if it hadn't been for the tenderness in the esper's eyes.
Dylan's eyes widened, and he swallowed hard, trying to push down the lump in his throat. "A-Azrael," he managed to stutter out, his voice barely audible. "My name is Dylan."
Azrael's eyes softened, and he let out a low, rumbling sound that seemed almost like a purr. Dylan's eyes widened in surprise, and he looked at Azrael with a mix of fear and awe.
"You-you can understand me?" he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper.
Azrael's eyes flickered, and he seemed to consider the question for a moment before letting out a low, guttural growl.
Dylan hesitated for a moment before reaching up and began trying to take off the muzzle in the man. The esper seemed to understand and let out a low, rumbling sound that seemed almost like a purr. Dylan's fingers fumbled with the straps, his heart pounding in his chest. He had never been this close to an Esper before, let alone one that was chained and on the brink of collapse. The muzzle finally came off, and Azrael's face was revealed, his jaw clenching and unclenching as he popped his jaw.
Dylan's heart pounded in his chest as he watched the esper, his eyes wide with a mix of fear and awe. The room was silent except for the sound of their breathing, the tension palpable.
Azrael's eyes, once wild and feral, now held a strange calm. He looked at Dylan, his gaze intense but not threatening. "Thank you," he rumbled, his voice hoarse from disuse. Dylan's eyes widened in surprise, and bowed his head.
Espers were gods among men, the superheroes you read about in comics. Dylan loved superheroes. However being an esper means you can never truly have a monogamous relationship as most Espers crave physical touch from guides, and usually isn't ever enough.
Dylan was on his knees staring at the esper trying to figure out who he's was, what superhero esper name did he have and then Dylan realized who he was.
'Azrael: Guardian Angel of Death" was the mans epithet. Rae Blackstone was Azrael civilian name.
Dylan realized who he was immediately as Dylan was/is a a huge fan. Dylan felt his throat close for a second, "a-a-am I dreaming!?" Dylan manages as he stares at Rae adorably , his eyes wide with disbelief. "W-what happened to you...?" Dylan whispered as his little body moved on instincts, his hands touching Raes face and near instantly his guiding began affecting Rae