The dim light of the office flickered slightly as Rose stood near the window, gripping the newspaper with tense fingers. The bold words on the front page still burned in her mind—"The Devilsman Detective."
She heard footsteps behind her. Slow. Unrushed. Controlled.
Alex.
She turned, her breath catching slightly. He leaned casually against his desk, arms crossed, his cold cyan eyes fixed on her.
For a moment, she hesitated.
Then, finally, in a voice quieter than usual, she asked,
"What... are you, Alex?"
He raised an eyebrow, amused by her choice of words. "Not 'who'? But 'what'?"
She nodded. "I mean it. What is your purpose? Why do you do this?"
Silence stretched between them.
Alex's gaze darkened. His smirk faded.
Then, slowly, he walked toward her.
His steps were deliberate. His presence suffocating.
Rose's heartbeat quickened, but she didn't back away.
Stopping just inches away, he looked down at her, his voice dropping to a near whisper.
"I am neither a hero nor a villain."
His fingers lightly tapped the edge of the newspaper in her hand.
"Justice? Morality? Laws? All of them are illusions created by the weak. I am not bound by those rules. I am simply the answer to a world drowning in its own filth."
His words sent a shiver down her spine.
"You see, Rose…" His voice softened, almost gentle. "There is a difference between a man who kills for power… and a man who kills for order."
She swallowed. "And which one are you?"
He chuckled, stepping back.
"Neither."
Turning away, he walked toward his chair, sinking into it effortlessly. He leaned back, resting his chin on his hand.
"I remove what is unnecessary. I erase what should not exist." His cyan eyes flickered dangerously. "That's all there is to it."
Rose stared at him.
Her hands trembled slightly.
Was he insane? Or was he simply... something beyond human comprehension?
She exhaled slowly. "So you're saying… you're a necessary evil?"
He smirked. "If that helps you sleep at night."
She felt her chest tighten.
This man… he wasn't just terrifying.
He was something else entirely.
And the worst part?
She couldn't tell if that was a good thing or a nightmare waiting to happen.