Hellbound Heart

A slender black-haired woman, joined the scene. "Levy! What are you do –"

Her words suddenly faltered, her sentence left hanging as her gaze landed on Levy's unusually pensive demeanor. Following the trajectory of Levy's transfixed gaze, her eyes settled on Gav's towering form. And in that moment, the woman seemed to immediately felt the unmistakable aura about Gav, that blend of mystique and dominance that seemed to weave an invisible net of gravity around him, pulling attention and commanding respect.

Despite the woman's confident entry a while ago, she obviously cowered a little as she forced herself to look at Levy again. "You know him?" her voice lowered in a very cautious manner as she asked. Her blue eyes then flitted cautiously between Levy and Gav.

Levy blinked, shook his head as if to clear his mind, then scratched the back of his neck - a telltale sign of his uncertainty. He offered a sheepish grin towards the woman, his voice dropping to a hushed whisper as if sharing a secret, "I feel like… I indeed know him. Not just know him actually." He tilted his head in a way as though he was truly trying to force himself to remember something. "But it's strange… I cannot remember."

The woman creased her brows before shifting his gaze to Gav and accidentally made eye contact with him, causing her to seemingly freeze for a moment. 

While stepping into the thief's back with one foot, Levy broke the silence, pulling Gav's attention back to him. "Uh… do you happen to remember me?" He smiled shyly. "I feel like I know you but… it's strange but I couldn't remember."

Just as when Elle thought Gav would ignore the man, Gav, to Elle's surprise, responded. His voice, a silken blend of authority and intrigue, "What is your name? You're… familiar."

"Really?!" the policeman exclaimed, suddenly looking all happy. "My name is Levy. Levy Caster!"

Gav mused over the name. "Levy." He muttered. 

Levy's eyes, wide and expectant, mirrored the energy of a huge puppy awaiting acknowledgment from a long-lost master.

"Your name indeed… sounds familiar." Gav nodded, and he too was obviously trying his best to remember something. But in the end, just like Levy, Gav's attempt seemed fruitless as well. 

Levy didn't look disappointed though and instead continued asking while he was pressing his feet harder onto the thief who now started to struggle beneath him. "How about you? What is your name? I think I will definitely remember."

"Gavriel." Gav immediately replied and for a moment there, Levy seemed to become very still. 

The dark-haired woman that was somehow still standing right there looked confused and utterly amazed at the same time. It was as if she was trying to decipher why Levy was so carefree before Gav!

"Your name rings a bell for me too…" Levy forced a shy chuckle as he rubbed the back of his neck. Obviously, Levy couldn't remember a think even after hearing the man's name.

"Caster… We have to go, Caster." The black-haired woman finally said, looking at Levy with meaningful gaze. 

"Oh, right. I'm sorry but we have to go… we're going to deal with this little rat here and then me and my sweet partner will have to – ouch!" Levy trailed off when the woman pinched him hard at the back. "Detective Laiza Sloan, you can't flirt with me like that in front of – ouch!" 

The woman grabbed the thief and dragged him away leaving Levy. So Levy quickly brought out a card and politely gave it to Gav. "Apologies, but duty calls, or else my sweet Laiza will have my head," he quipped, his laughter a melodic contrast to Laiza's stern demeanor.

"Who the fuck is your sweet girl, you, airhead?!" the woman named Laiza yelled. 

The corners of Levy's lips quirked up in an infectious, wholehearted chuckle. His laughter a melodious chime that cut through the thrumming energy of the crowd, "That's my girl, Laiza by the way." he told Gav with a twinkle in his eyes. Then drawing himself to full height, he offered a more formal tone. "I must go. Do contact me when you have time, I believe I should be able to remember something, if not everything, the next time we meet." With a grin that balanced mirth and courtesy, Levy took a step back without breaking eye contact. And when Gav acknowledged with a solemn nod, without another word, Levy turned on his heels, chasing after the female detective.

Gav stared at the card in his hand before lifting his head towards the leaving Levy. Just as Levy was about to be swallowed by the bustling crowd, he cast a final, spirited wave over his shoulder, before his silhouette gradually obscured by the throngs of people.

Elle sighed, unable to keep a smile from crossing her face now. She couldn't help but imagine the Levy guy as a golden retriever. 

Elle then shifted her curious gaze to Gav. Gav wasn't from this world so there's no way he knew that Levy guy! The possibility of him having prior connections with Levy was just improbable. And yet, Elle didn't know why but even she felt like the two were truly not complete strangers to each other. There was such a familiarity between them, as if their souls recognized each other despite their minds drawing a blank. 

Intrigued, Elle voiced her thoughts, her brow furrowing in curiosity. "Do you think you've crossed paths with him before?"

Gav looked at the paper again and a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Something mysterious also glimmered in his eyes. "I don't know. I don't remember a thing about him but… I feel like I am really glad to see him here looking fine and happy." 

Carefully stowing the card away, Gav's gaze met Elle's. But soon, his attention was diverted upwards, to the skies that were gradually filling with brooding, dark clouds. His demeanor shifted, the lightness replaced with seriousness. "A storm is brewing. We should go. It's about time for us to reach our destination."

Elle cast a quick glance at the foreboding horizon and nodded in agreement. "You're right."