● Goodnight, Ghost ●

● Droneheads ●

● Goofneck ●

● Eggtartarus ●

• Back to Droneheads Menu

● ACT 1: Is Hell Merciless? ●

• Back to Droneheads Menu

● ACT 2: But Is It Really? ●

• Chapter Y-1 - The Bridge and the Angel

• Chapter 6 - The Fountain and the Mall

• Chapter 7 - The Oboe and the Flute

• Chapter 8 - The Droneheads and the Fireworks

• Chapter 9 - The Texts and the Fourth Floor

• Chapter 10 - The Room and the Mister

• Back to Droneheads Menu

● ACT 3: Okay, But For Real? ●

• Chapter Y-2 - The Midwife and the Siblings

• Chapter 11 - The Ache and the Cambion

• Chapter 12 - The Karaoke and the Door

• Chapter 13 - The Final Day and the Red Honey

• Chapter 14 - The Cup and the Truth

• Chapter 15 - The Storm and the Scythes

• Back to Droneheads Menu

● ACT 4: Now You're Lying ●

• Chapter Z-1 - The Coven and the Children

• Chapter 16 - The Spectra and the Favor

• Chapter 17 - The Skates and the Wings

• Chapter 18 - The Asters and the Traffic

• Chapter 19 - The Sidekick and the Airport

• Chapter 20 - The Call and the Dent

• Back to Droneheads Menu

● ACT 5: Okay, I See Your Point ●

• Chapter Z-2 - The Cameras and the Rain

• Chapter 21 - The Dream

• Chapter 22 - The Epicenter

• Chapter 23 - The Split

• Chapter 24 - The Library

• Chapter 25 - The Seedling

• Back to Droneheads Menu

● ACT 6: Yeah, My Bad ●

• Chapter A-1 - The Princess and the Tomb

• Chapter 26 - The Pain and the Warehouse

• Chapter 27 - The Sorry and the Suspicion

• Chapter 28 - The Speech and the Approach

• Chapter 29 - The Interrogation and the Spoon

• Chapter 30 - The Nosiness and the Tongue

• Back to Droneheads Menu

● ACT 7: Yep, It's Merciless ●

• Chapter B-1 - The Serpent and the School

• Chapter 31 - The Culprit and the Hotel

• Chapter 32 - The Seafloor and the Pool

• Chapter 33 - The Hide and the Seek

• Chapter 34 - The Dragon and the Couch

• Chapter 35 - The Waffle and the Cloverscape

• Back to ACT 1 Menu

Chapter X-1 ● The Roots and the Branches

ㅤㅤNames are stupid. Sure, they’re important for identifying everyday objects. Like radios. Radios. Hm. I guess that wasn’t really a good example. No one uses radios anymore. I mean–radios are, like, integrated into other devices nowadays. Not an actual, physical radio. But how about trees? Yeah, those never go away. Unless you’re reading this in an apocalyptic future where you inhale oxygen from government-provided gas tank things that you’re only provided five of each week, trees are here to stay.ㅤㅤPoint is—anything could be called everything. And vice-versa, everything could be called anything. You could point at that large, brown cylindrical object that splits into multiple tiny branches and call it a radio. And you could call that tiny mechanical box that talks—okay, you get it. Names are . . . arbitrary. Yeah. That’s the word. And that’s only English. We haven’t even dove into the complexity of other languages.ㅤㅤBut okay. Honing it back on English. For objects, we need names to make sure you and I are talking about the same thing–a radio. To make sure we’re not barking up the wrong tree. Haha. But for people? Stupid. Names are stupid. When we call each other names like Ryan—sorry to any Ryans out there, but you’re being used as my example—we could also be calling them Sorasgoth the Annhilator or some shit.ㅤㅤOh! Actually, you know how—in some languages—you introduce yourself by saying ’I am called blank’? But in English, a literal translation like that sounds weird and unnatural for us. We just say ‘My name is blank’. The first option is an introduction based on others, while the latter is based on the self—what you yourself identify as. Pretty deep, right? Profound. Really makes you think. You’re a philosopher now, just from thinking about that. I think some of my favorite pieces of media are ones where the main character is nameless. They get a title instead. Like ‘Agent 5’, ‘The Ghost’, or ‘The Talk-Too-Mucher’. Oh, actually, that’s how some surnames started, I think. Like how the last name ‘Smith’ came from blacksmiths in the Dark Ages. Last names came from the job a person had. Don’t look that up and confirm, though—I don’t like being wrong. It was just something I read somewhere.Inmates have numbers. Football players have numbers. I mean, big corporations and universities have ID numbers for each breathing person. I could be Dude #17393. Names are just a way to make identification look nicer, I guess. So…arbitrary and stupid.ㅤㅤI know you’re getting annoyed. I’m making lots of quips, like a modern superhero movie would. Well, I am an unreliable narrator. You can’t even trust anything I say. But at least you’re getting entertained. Can’t promise that I’m funny to you, though. I bet you’ll trust me once I tell you my name.ㅤㅤOkay, no more bullshit. My name is Don. As for what I’m called…it’s something else. We’ll get to that later.ㅤㅤI’m a demon. For now, just think of my name as ‘demon’ without the ‘emo’. Haha. Just fucking with you. I’m definitely emo. Wait. Wait. Nevermind. That doesn’t work. I still need the ‘O’.ㅤㅤAnd just like names, demons are stupid, too. They have a caste system. Don’t know what that is? It’s all hierarchy stuff. If you’re strong, you get a high rank and a high position. But even more important to demons is heritage. Hell, if you’re the son or daughter of an already notorious demon like Astaroth, you get a high rank and a high position in demonic society—wouldn’t matter if you inherited his strength or not. Could be weak as hell—but as long as you’re the descendant of a big-name demon, you’re in the big leagues. Nepotism runs rampant with demons. Born into poverty? Well, then you’re a nothingburger. A mindless soldier for the stronger demons. Possibly even a slave for them.ㅤㅤNow let’s take the two dumbest things in the world—names and demons—and combine them.ㅤㅤDemon names. Now, before I educate your ignorant ass, you gotta understand. Demons are from Hell. And times have changed in Hell. You know that thing in horror movies where the demon is weakened just by someone saying their name? ‘A demon’s name is their power’-type plot point? As shittily as those movies represent us, it is true.ㅤㅤSo at some point in history, the high-ruling demons of Hell decided to stop using those kinds of names. So what was the new alternative?ㅤㅤNaming them after the shape of their horns. Now, us demons got our own language that can’t be understood by humans. And me. I can’t understand it. But I promise you—these horn names I’m talking about are entirely in English. Actual English. They can be inanimate objects or animals. Demons know a lot about culture on Earth, so they avoid the powerful Demonic Language–let’s call it Demolang–by defaulting to the most commonly spoken language, English.ㅤㅤSo imagine going from names like Astaroth and Paymon to names like Scissor, Pencil, or Elk. There’s probably one named Narwhal. Saying names like these to a demon doesn’t do jackshit. It’s hilarious for me, but guess which high-ranking demon decided this?ㅤㅤFuckin’ Astaroth. His 15th Reincarnation, actually. Great Duke of Hell. But yeah—basically, the most privileged demons are either Descendants or Reincarnation. Reincarnations get to keep their old names. But even then, they go by nicknames. Like ‘Asta’ for ‘Astaroth’.ㅤㅤNow here’s the sad part of this change that Astaroth made.ㅤㅤNot every demon is born with a horn. And by the law of association, not every demon gets a name. Biologically, stronger demons are born with horns. Kinda like how mammals are larger than not-mammals. Because of Astaroth, horns have become a symbol of power for demons. If you have a horn, you get a name.ㅤㅤBut there is one exception to this rule. A very specific species of demons that are born with horns but are weak. So weak, in fact, that they don’t deserve names. A species of demon that is well-hated because of their deceptive look.ㅤㅤAnd that’s the type of demon I am. But don’t worry. You’ll learn to love me, no matter how much of a weakass bitch I am. Moving on.ㅤㅤVein.
ㅤㅤStag.
ㅤㅤShophar.
ㅤㅤHelix.
ㅤㅤAnte.
ㅤㅤClaw.
ㅤㅤAnvil.
ㅤㅤStein.
ㅤㅤCrescent.
ㅤㅤSwan.
ㅤㅤTel.
ㅤㅤDrop.
ㅤㅤAnd Cerus.ㅤㅤEven if they don’t sound like it, these are all names. They’re the other demons I know. There’re probably a few more, but who knows. That’s the fun of being an unreliable narrator.ㅤㅤDon’t worry too much about remembering these names for now. With some context, they’ll mean something.ㅤㅤAnd maybe then, names won’t be so stupid after all.ㅤㅤHaha. No, they’ll definitely still be stupid. Ryan. Pfft. Not even pronounced how it’s spelled.ㅤㅤSorry, Ryans.ㅤㅤLet me start you off with a story. And you know what? I’ll be a reliable narrator. No shady stuff. Also, come on–don’t think I didn’t notice. You’re confused on the alphanumerical chapters. I know just what you’re thinking. The fuck is “X-1”? It’s dumb, I know. I wrote this, after all.ㅤㅤTo make you less paranoid, I’ll try to be objective for every alphanumerical chapter. That’ll make you miss my snarkiness by the time we get to Chapter 1–The reaaaaal first chapter.ㅤㅤHere goes.

●●●ㅤㅤHell is merciless.ㅤㅤIt's especially merciless to the species of demon known as the Elm.ㅤㅤThe Elm are amorphous-type demons—like free-form amoeba. They never maintain the exact same shape, but they most often resemble an Elm tree when fully grown. Whatever pitch-black substance their bodies are made of is almost like a flame constantly being rekindled. They have internal organs, but they’re not usually visible.ㅤㅤThey have three main features. First are their tendrils that branch off into smaller and smaller ones, giving them the appearance of a tree. Second is the black and white mask on their upper body that changes based on the demon’s emotions.ㅤㅤAnd third are the horns. Two sharp, curved horns at the top of their body, and four U-shaped horns on what you could consider their waist.ㅤㅤBut it’s their tendrils that gives them purpose in Hell. Elm are known for being servants and slaves, laboring away for upper-class demons. Because they’re so expendable as tools, Elm demons don’t raise families. Instead, they’re born from surrogate mothers.ㅤㅤThere was one surrogate Elm demon. Although Elm demons are hermaphrodites, we can call this demon the mother. After serving her time laboring away for the upper-class demons, her only purpose became to birth more Elm demons for labor.ㅤㅤShe only was able to birth two Elm demons. By the second newborn Elm demon's birth, the mother’s fragile body experienced complications leading to her death, which is uncommon for these expendable demons that usually work well as surrogates.ㅤㅤNow we shift the focus to these two Elm demon children.ㅤㅤWe’ll call the firstborn Elm demon Akhijom--an approximate translation meaning “younger sibling” in Demonic Language. For the purposes of this story, he’ll be the older brother.ㅤㅤWe’ll call the second newborn Elm demon Yijom–“younger sibling”. She’s the younger sister.ㅤㅤYijom had a rare condition for a demon. Her horns grew uncontrollably fast when stressed. This was known as Overgrowth. Overgrowth didn’t just affect the horns on Yijom’s head. Overgrowth caused her waist horns to grow inwardly through her own body, stabbing through her internal organs in the process. The only positive caveat is that she regenerates at a faster speed than the average Elm demon. This creates a cycle of painful agony for her when stressed.ㅤㅤOnce Yijom was born, the firstborn Elm demon, Akhijom, grew excited. He sneaked into the room where the two midwife demons discussed their next plan of action. He overheard the complications and death of his own mother, caused by Yijom's Overgrowth.ㅤㅤHowever, he also overheard them plan to euthanize Yijom.ㅤㅤOnce one of the midwives left, Akhijom took action. With swift speed, Akhijom grabbed his sibling and attempted to flee. Unexpectedly, the one midwife was faster than he anticipated. Despite some intense trouble, he eventually sneaked away from the kingdom of Hell known as The Infernus.ㅤㅤIn Akhijom’s tendrils laid a quiet sleeping Yijom, as the two siblings headed towards the outskirts of Hell, known as The Lament.ㅤㅤOnce a demon escapes to the Lament, they are left alone to die, as there is very little supply of nutrients or consumption of human souls here. Only when an outcasted demon is caught attempting to re-enter The Infernus—that's when they're captured and killed.ㅤㅤElm demons are built different. Sorry. Objective. I’ll be objective and not sassy. Ahem. What they lack in power, they make up for in speed. Akhijom would often sneak into The Infernus and steal what little nutrients he could find back to The Lament. However, he gave most of his food to Yijom, leading him to be deprived of nutrients and become one of the weakest Elm demons imaginable.ㅤㅤAt first, he raised Yijom on his own, often extremely overprotective and untrusting of other outcasts because of how helpless and small Yijom was.

• Back to ACT 1 Menu

Chapter 1 ● The Egg and the Tower

ㅤㅤYoke. Eggs. Everywhere. Are you serious? This is getting so stupid. I literally have not dropped a serving plate in years. I, like, probably spilled a drink once. And it definitely wasn’t on a customer. This is so fucking embarrassing. Whatever. It’s fine. I’m like, quiet and lowkey—no one will remember.ㅤㅤ“Tsk,” says the customer.ㅤㅤ“I . . . I’m so sorry, sir! I—I’ll clean this up right away!” I say, panicking out of my mind.ㅤㅤ“It’s fine. No, it’s fine. It’s all good,” the customer replies, clearly disappointed in me.ㅤㅤ“I’m so sorry! I’ll be right back!”ㅤㅤI brisk walk to the back. On the way, I look at Helix for validation.ㅤㅤShe gives me a thumbs up.ㅤㅤ“Don’t worry about it!” Helix seems to be saying with that thumb.ㅤㅤIt doesn’t help much, knowing how naturally social and great of a waitress Helix is compared to me. But it does help. I then look toward Shophar.ㅤㅤShe shakes her head and almost seems to snarl at me.ㅤㅤThat was more like it. I deserve it. What the fuck is wrong with me?ㅤㅤFinally, I look at the new girl. Like I said, she was introduced to us yesterday, but today’s her first legit day.ㅤㅤShe looks at me, does what seems to be half a smile, then goes back to cleaning up a table.ㅤㅤHer name is Cerus. Not ‘Keh-russ’. Pronounced ‘Cerus’, like in ‘rhinocerus’. You’d think it’s because her horn is shaped like a rhinocerus’ horn. But no, it’s because her horn is shaped like a rhinocerus beetle’s horn. That’s so extra. For what?ㅤㅤStag gives most of us our names. Even the ones who’ve been demons for a long time often get new names from Stag, since they can’t remember their previous names. I don’t know. For Cerus, I feel like she was kind of biased here. Her name is Stag because her horns are shaped like a stag beetle. Like, okay? Whatever. I think I’m just frustrated right now. And why does Cerus look at me like that? Why the fuck can’t she just smile like normal? And why does she got to look so cute trying to smile? Like, I don’t mean anything by it, though. You ever get overly nervous when you meet someone who looks nothing like how you expected them to look? Like, you mentally prepared yourself for normal cheddar, but instead it’s, like, brioche? Brioche, bro? Really? My palate was prepared for elementary school string cheese, not finely aged ‘Toilette du Fromage Carpe Diem’ cheese from Paris. I don’t know French. I mean. What am I even thinking about?ㅤㅤCome on, man. I’m 19. I’m grown. How am I getting nervous over some random pretty girl?ㅤㅤI struggle to grab the mop out of nervousness in the back.ㅤㅤ“You good?” I hear Helix say. Looks like she took someone’s order, then followed to help me.ㅤㅤ“Yeah. I’m a little nervous. You know,” I say.ㅤㅤ“I know?” says Helix.ㅤㅤ“Uhhh . . . Like, you know,” I reply.ㅤㅤ“Um. Anyway, let me help you out! No need to get nervous over the new girl! Haha!” She responds.ㅤㅤ“It’s not because of the new girl,” I mutter adamantly under my breath.ㅤㅤIt’s definitely because of the new girl. She was introduced to us yesterday, but today is her first day working. I’ve got to look good in front of the new employee, you know? But I already fucked up.ㅤㅤ“Well, either way, let me help you! Here,” She says as she gestures for me to hand her the mop bucket.ㅤㅤWe spend the next few minutes cleaning the mess and apologizing to the customer, leading Shophar to cover for us. Even the kitchen staff get backed up thanks to me.

ㅤㅤIt works out, somewhat. The customer seems enraged, but we remake his meal and give him 30% off his next time here. He eventually leaves, and it’s timed perfectly for my break.ㅤㅤStag only finds out after the fact. Stag and I are now in the break room. Now, don’t get me wrong. Stag is extremely kind and forgiving. I’ve made plenty of mistakes in the past. But she is clearly uber-disappointed in me. She looks like she’s fighting with herself to be stern, but also reassure me at the same time. I’m honestly not listening to her lecture.ㅤㅤ“You’ve been doing great . . . Is there something wrong? . . . We shouldn’t be making mistakes like this . . . Hold ourselves to a higher standard . . . ,” she rambles.ㅤㅤYeah, definitely picking up only a few words here and there. Instead, I’m watching two tibbie-wibbies trying to push each other off the shelf. They can literally float and suspend themselves in midair. I don’t get it. Maybe because they’re infant demons, they can’t float for too long? I don’t know.ㅤㅤ“Who’s going to win? Stay tuned!” Vein says to Tib. It looks like Vein is pretending to be a sports announcer, while Tib—along with the other tibbie-wibbies—are the audience.ㅤㅤVein is my little sister. She’s not much of a problem child, but she is known to create very unique problems. She hangs out in the break room with Tib. I’ll call Tib our little ‘creature friend’, if that makes sense. Hey, man–I’m the one who wants to call Tib our pet. But no one agrees.ㅤㅤ“. . . And if we make mistakes like this, how can we hold ourselves to that standard? Just because you—Oi! Vein, please be quiet for a moment, okay?” says Stag.ㅤㅤ“Okay! Sorry!” replies Vein.ㅤㅤThese two tibbie wibbies are Tob and Wob. They're either best friends or enemies. I literally cannot tell. If I'm gonna be honest, I don't have a way to tell them apart from other tibbie-wibbies. I just know it's them because they're always up to some shit.ㅤㅤ"What's this? Tob is going to use his Tob Punch!" whispers Vein quietly, yet enthusiastically.ㅤㅤ"Meep!" exclaims Tib.ㅤㅤMeanwhile, Stag continues her rant.ㅤㅤ"Does that make sense? Also, Tib—Can you keep it down, please?!"ㅤㅤStag is clearly becoming more and more irritated.ㅤㅤTib is an absolute crybaby. She, along with the rest of the tibbie-wibbies, are Ulma demons. The Ulma are floating, spherical demons with tendril-like arms that resemble jellyfish or octopus tentacles. They're translucent and shiny like jelly. The reason they're called ulma is because of some specific genus of jellyfish. Ulma-something. Here, I'll look it up real quick. Um, yeah. It's ‘ulmaridae’. I don't really know. Vein loves this stuff. I just kinda—ㅤㅤ"DON! LISTEN TO ME WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU! PUT YOUR PHONE DOWN NOW!" shrieks Stag.ㅤㅤOh, shit. Literally zoned out and completely forgot I was being lectured.ㅤㅤ"Sorry, Stag. I, just, um. I wasn't, I wasn't trying to . . . I'm sorry." I say. Damn. Caught me so off guard I can't speak.ㅤㅤStag sighs.ㅤㅤ"Don, baby. Look at me. Be honest. Is it the new girl?" Stag asked.ㅤㅤOhhhhhhh my God.ㅤㅤ"No." I say. Nothing else. Just a simple 'no'. Fuck that Cerus girl. I mean, not literally. Respect demon women. But, like, I hate her existence. I know she didn't do anything wrong. I'm just frustrated.ㅤㅤStag smirks a little bit.ㅤㅤ"Oh, okay," she says, smiling.ㅤㅤGod, I know exactly what she's thinking, and I hate it. Come to think of it, I couldn't even do that if I wanted to. You know–fuck her. I mean, I could find a way. Wow, I sound so gross right now. Nevermind, please ignore that thought.ㅤㅤ"Speaking of Cerus, it's almost time for her break! I can introduce her to Vein!" exclaims Stag, cheerfully.ㅤㅤI don't know what it is with these ex-succubae, dude. They're always like, everywhere. Wait, is that demonist? I'm gonna stop thinking to myself before I cancel Brain Don. It's just—Stag changes moods sooooooo fast. Like, it's legitimately an ex-succubae thing. They're genetically used to only experiencing one thing—Lust. Take that away, and she's going through every color on a mood ring.ㅤㅤ"I'll go call her in! You might as well be here for it, Don! Oh, this'll be so cute!" she says, excitedly.ㅤㅤShe leaves the room to get Cerus. I sit down, only feeling slightly nervous. I watch Tob push Wob down onto another shelf right under. I wish I bet money on that—I had a feeling Tob would win.ㅤㅤYou know, that actually reminds me of my dream last night. Pretty brutal, but I thought it was cool either way. Here, let me run you through it. It'll probably calm me down anyway.

●●●ㅤㅤI was standing in front of a five-story tower. When I say "tower", I mean, like, imagine a really old church tower. Each floor had a balcony with a pretty low handrail.ㅤㅤPeople were jumping from different levels of the tower. Some were jumping from the second floor and getting slight injuries. Others were jumping off from, let's say, the third floor. These people were falling and breaking bones. By the fourth floor, people were either dying from compound fractures, fatal head wounds, or bleeding out. It was a violent scene.ㅤㅤI had been hearing about it on the news. The St. Martin's Tower Incident. It happened two weeks ago, when one person stood atop the fifth floor and jumped down to his death. People were able to see the person jump down as it was happening, even recording footage and uploading it to shock websites. Within a few days, everyone had heard about it. It wasn't until a week ago that others were starting to jump off as well. For some reason, people were even streaming themselves before the jump. They wouldn’t mutter a single word for the entire duration of the stream and would stare directly into the camera eerily. No visible expression. I saw some of the clips, and they made me uneasy.ㅤㅤSo why was I there? I don't know. I was just watching in awe. It was disturbing yet fascinating. Now don't worry, I'm not some serial killer documentary nerd, but it was astoundingly gross.
It was too mesmerizing to not get a closer look. Mind you, my real-life self wouldn't act like my dream self.ㅤㅤBut my dream self wanted more.ㅤㅤI started to hear sirens and emergency vehicles in the distance. I wanted to get closer to the tower and further from the vehicles. I started following behind a younger man, probably around five years older than me. I followed him to the fourth floor. He stood at the edge, ready to jump. He didn’t acknowledge me, so I tried to tap him on the shoulder.ㅤㅤHe turned to look at me, and just stared for a few seconds. I felt chills from his emotionless expression with absolutely no thoughts.ㅤㅤAs he jumped, I thought about the feeling of free-falling—no control over your own kinetic energy.ㅤㅤFor some reason, I didn’t stop him.ㅤㅤSeconds after, I saw a body drop above from the fifth floor. After I heard it land, I peered towards the edge and saw the body. This one was bleeding out.ㅤㅤI slowly inched towards the edge myself until I heard a shout.ㅤㅤ“Stop! Please!” shouted a voice behind me.ㅤㅤMy eyes came into focus on the firefighter behind me, as well as the firetrucks at the scene.ㅤㅤAs he tried to run towards me and grab me, I jumped.ㅤㅤAs I fell, I started to feel a terrifying sense of freedom. Ironic how I could be feeling free while unable to control my body’s momentum. I was plummeting to my imminent death in slow motion.ㅤㅤI remember hitting the ground and waking up the way anyone would while falling to their death in a dream.ㅤㅤDamn. What a cool-ass dream. Like something straight out of an apocalyptic movie. I remember being left with chills when I woke up, but still cool, regardless.ㅤㅤMy mind wanders back to real life. I hear sobbing and shrieking.

●●●ㅤㅤVein is on the floor in a fetal position, writhing in pain. The tibbie-wibbies were gathered around her, crying even more than usual.ㅤㅤWhat the fuck is going on?ㅤㅤI feel Tib nudging me, begging for help. I dash over to the other side of the room and pick up Vein in my arms. I look down at her. Her eyes are shut, but every now and then I see her open her eyes for a moment. They’re bloodshot red. She’s shaking immensely and uncontrollably.ㅤㅤI hear the door slam open—Stag is standing in the hallway with Cerus close behind.ㅤㅤI don’t even notice it, but I start sobbing a little bit myself.ㅤㅤ“I . . . Please . . . H—help her . . . ,” I mutter the best I can.ㅤㅤStag, without a word, grabs Vein from me.ㅤㅤShe then says, “Please stay with Cerus—I’ll handle this. I know you don’t like being separated from Vein like this, but please.”ㅤㅤShe dashes outside the room.ㅤㅤTib and the tibbie-wibbies follow behind her out of panic, scrambling in disarray until they catch up.ㅤㅤI’m left there looking like a complete mess with none other than the new girl.

• Back to ACT 1 Menu

Chapter 2 ● The Beet and the Beetles

• Back to ACT 1 Menu

Chapter 3 ● The Crater and the Drone

ㅤㅤI'm at the dinner table with Stag. Vein is asleep—knocked out after the hospital trip—in her room, apparently.ㅤㅤ"So? How was Cerus today? She seemed a bit shy at first, but that's normal for anyone. What did you think?" Stag interrogates me, expectedly.ㅤㅤ"She was alright. Easy to talk to. You know me."ㅤㅤ"That's great to hear! I texted her afterward and explained the situation. I'm glad Helix was able to help her around."ㅤㅤ"Yeah," I say, "So what ended up causing Vein's stomach pain?"ㅤㅤ"It's complicated. As you know, Vein's horn growth is abnormally faster than yours. What you may not know is—her horns grow inward, too. As in, toward her body. Very uncommon for Elm demons."ㅤㅤ"Wait, for real?"ㅤㅤ"Yep. This isn't true for her head horns, but you and Vein both grow waist horns, right?"ㅤㅤI nod.ㅤㅤ"Right, but waist horns grow extremely slow. They take hundreds of years in Hell to grow even one-third their full size for an average Elm demon like yourself, which is why they're not prominent on your 19-year-old body. Even taking into account post-possession."ㅤㅤMakes sense so far.ㅤㅤ"Even though we regularly trim Vein's horns, there's only so much we can do for the inward growth of her waist horns," she continues to explain.ㅤㅤ"Wait, is that the main reason for the surgeries she has every few years?" I ask.ㅤㅤ"That's right. I know I never really explained them to you but told you they were horn-related. Every few years, Vein's waist horns grow inwardly to the point where it pokes or almost punctures her abdominal organs. We do a decent job of trying to detect that before it does. But really, all we can do is wait for Vein to feel it, unfortunately."ㅤㅤI always knew Vein’s surgeries were for horn-trimming—but inside her body? That sounds horrifying. Wait, wait.ㅤㅤ"Didn't she just have a surgery, like, two weeks ago?" I question.ㅤㅤ"Yes. That's why I'm confused. Even with her rapid growth disease, this was way too fast. I've . . . honestly never seen this before. It's on a whole other level."ㅤㅤ"What the hell? What's making this happen?"ㅤㅤ"No clue. And stop cursing, Don. Unfortunate that it occurred the same day as our new demon-for-hire. For now, go get some rest. Go on, I'll take care of things here," Stag says.ㅤㅤI go to my room and doodle a bit. Then I head to sleep.

●●●ㅤㅤI can hear water flowing—it's such a calming sound. I can hear young children playing—it's a nice contrast to the sound of flowing water. As my eyes start to gain focus, I get a better look at where I am.ㅤㅤI'm laying on my back looking up directly at the sky. I'd say it’s a pretty scene, but it’s overshadowed by a large circle. Actually, the sky itself is a circle.ㅤㅤI gain my composure and sit up.ㅤㅤ"Come on, Jeem! Get up!" says a young boy, helping me up.ㅤㅤ"Sorry, Yusuf. I didn't mean to doze off," I reply.ㅤㅤYusuf just smiles with his hands behind his back. I look around.ㅤㅤI'm inside a ginormous crater. Below ground level and standing on a circular gray platform the size of at least two football fields. The top edges of the crater, where the ground level is, seems to be around eight stories tall.ㅤㅤWhat’s particular about this dome is the running water—there are six large pipes sticking out from the sides of the crater. The reason I call the gigantic thing I'm standing on a ‘platform’ is because . . . we're on water. Almost like a circular cement-island. The pipes seem to be supplying filtered water to the crater. Mind you, the body of water underneath us is very shallow. Probably would reach just a little above your ankles. I can’t see exactly where the water is drained to.ㅤㅤPositioned around the circular platform are multiple, smaller, trapezoidal platforms. Kids are playing either on the platform or in the shallow water. There are also two large buildings off in the distance, where I assume more children are.

ㅤㅤSuddenly, I remember how I got here.ㅤㅤI, along with Yusuf and some other children of varying ages, were brought en masse to this crater. We were lowered slowly via some gigantic crane machine with some older woman in a suit. All I remember is that the suited woman was very kind and warm.ㅤㅤ"Dude! Look what I decided on for today's meal! I told you yesterday—the surprise would be worth it!" Yusuf says with the biggest grin on his face.ㅤㅤHe shows me what he’s holding behind his back: A clear container of chicken alfredo.ㅤㅤItalian. We haven't had that in so long, I think to myself. Yusuf asks me what I decided on for my meal.ㅤㅤ"Chicken nuggets," I say, hesitantly.ㅤㅤ"Aw, come on! There was nothing stopping you from getting something tastier!" retorts Yusuf.ㅤㅤ"It was just . . . there on the front. And I get it a lot," I respond.ㅤㅤ"You need to get out of your comfort zone . . . Come on! Let's eat so we can play! I'll walk with you to the Quarters," Yusuf offers. I shyly answer by nodding.ㅤㅤYusuf grabs a hold of my hand, and we walk together to the larger building towards the center of the circular platform. As I reach the building with Yusuf in front of me, I start to recall more and more details.ㅤㅤThis building is known as the Quarters, where the crater's children eat and sleep. It even has a gigantic cafeteria room, as well as a kitchen for those who want to try their hands at cooking. These are the overachievers who order ingredients from Ms. G rather than a full freshly-made meal. Unfortunately, Yusuf is one of these overachievers.ㅤㅤ"Yeah, it was pretty fun to make—not as much of a hassle as I thought. We should try to cook together again!" Yusuf exclaims excitedly.ㅤㅤ"I don't know. Last time I did, the meal was disgusting," I say.ㅤㅤ"What did I tell you? Comfort zones, dude. Comfort zones," Yusuf continues.ㅤㅤAfter we eat our meals, Yusuf brings me back outside. We head toward the other building closer to the edge of the circular platform, nearer to the water.ㅤㅤThat's right. This building is known as the Park. It's basically a recreational facility with seemingly countless rooms. I pass by racquetball rooms, ping pong tables, basketball courts, and more.ㅤㅤWe spend some time there in a video game room, playing some fighting game. Eventually, we both decide to leave and play outside. On the way out, we see the suited woman outside the Park entrance.ㅤㅤ"Hi, Ms. G!" says Yusuf. I hide behind him.ㅤㅤ"Hey, you two! I'm still getting my names together—Yusuf and Jaimie, right?"ㅤㅤ"Yes, ma'am, that's us!" responds Yusuf.ㅤㅤ"Oh, I'm good at this. Anyway, enjoy your time outside. We got some good weather all day. As always, use your Order Gear to call me over or request anything," Ms. G says.ㅤㅤ"Yes, we definitely will!" Yusuf says. It seems that Yusuf is impatient and wants this conversation to end as quickly as possible.ㅤㅤWe brisk walk toward one edge of the circular platform. Speaking with Ms. G jogs some more memories.ㅤㅤMs. G is one of the facilitators for the Craterscape program. She teaches us, cooks for us, and raises us. She sometimes even plays games with us. But that’s rare, with how busy she is.ㅤㅤI don't really know too much about the Crater program's background. All I know is that no one here, other than Ms. G, is over the age of thirteen. We can request virtually anything within reason: Bikes, video games from a provided list, meals, ingredients, etc. It’s almost utopian in a way.ㅤㅤThe main limit is that the Park is our only indoor recreational center. They can expand it when needed, but the main circular platform can’t have too much space taken up by buildings. Obviously, we can't order anything that can't be brought down with the Crane. We also can't order anything that would allow us to leave the Crater. Besides, Ms. G is usually keeping watch of us.ㅤㅤYusuf is convinced that there's something called the Internet, where people from all over the world share ideas. Probably a rumor started by one of the older kids. It sounds like such a foreign concept, with how we only communicate with the children and Ms. G. When we try to ask Ms. G specific questions about the Craterscape program, she's usually dismissive.ㅤㅤOne day, Yusuf and I play a video game that has this specific high-tech device: a drone. We play through the game, but I secretly plan to order a drone and surprise him. I go out of my comfort zone and specifically request an entertainment item by myself—something Yusuf usually does for me.

●●●ㅤㅤ"Hm. I won't reject your request, but according to the program guidelines, you need to make sure under no circumstances does it fly above the crater," Ms. G says.ㅤㅤ"Y—yes, ma'am," I respond.ㅤㅤFor the next few days waiting for the drone to arrive, it’s just the standard set of activities for Yusuf, the other kids, and I. Play in the water, play video games, eat our meals, etc. Like I said, it’s very utopian. But. The drone. It seems to be taking longer than usual for it to arrive. Ms. G reassures me it’ll arrive and just needs to be tweaked first. I assume she means it needs to be limited in maximum height. I’m slightly annoyed by this, since I promised I wouldn't fly it that high anyway.ㅤㅤSome more days pass. I start to get impatient.ㅤㅤ"You . . . okay, Jeem? You seem a little angry," says Yusuf.ㅤㅤ"It's okay. I'm okay. It's whatever," I say.ㅤㅤ"Alright. Whatever you say, dude. Wait, wait! Our delivery is here!" he says.ㅤㅤI roll my eyes, knowing it'll be everyone else's deliveries but mine.ㅤㅤ"Haha! I got a kendama! You remember this from that one game we played? I'm gonna try to get good at thi—Ow!" Yusuf says, hurting his arm with the kendama's wooden ball.ㅤㅤ"Man . . . wait. No way. Is that yours? That's crazy. Why is she bringing it towards you?" Yusuf exclaims.ㅤㅤMs. G is carrying a large unlabeled box towards me. I can't believe it—it's finally. It's finally here! It's finally–ㅤㅤ"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! DON, WAKE UP!!"ㅤㅤVein is shaking my shoulders to wake me up.

• Back to ACT 1 Menu

Chapter 4 ● The Lovely Kitcheness and Her Subjects

ㅤㅤVein sometimes does the really weird-ass thing where she places her mouth on my arm and blows into it, making a farting noise. I notice her begin to bring her mouth toward my arm, so I quickly dart out of bed to dodge her.ㅤㅤ"Vein, come on—Don’t do that. It’s so weird," I beg, barely awake.ㅤㅤVein looks at me and reaches into the hood of the pullover hoodie she's wearing. She pulls out a tibbie-wibbie.ㅤㅤ"Hehe. Look, Don. I stole Theb," she brags.ㅤㅤWho the fuck is Theb?ㅤㅤ"Uh, wow. Wait. You shouldn't be sneaking tibbie-wibbies away from the others. What if Theb needs to be with Thab and Thoob and Thayb and Thabetrious and whoever else there is?" I say, making names up jokingly.ㅤㅤ"Nuh-uh, Thab likes to be alone," Vein says, adamantly.ㅤㅤWait, there actually is a Thab. I swear I just guessed that.ㅤㅤ"Cool. Anyway, let's get out of bed. Thanks for the extremely polite awakening," I say.ㅤㅤI absolutely love sleeping, bro. I be having these cool-ass dreams. Most of them are pretty memorable, even a few hours after waking up. I start to recall the drone that I almost had. Shit, man. I'm so curious what was going to happen. Can't be upset at Vein, though. I usually oversleep when I have dreams like these.ㅤㅤStag usually wakes up extremely early to do some preliminary opening setup at the restaurant, so I’m the one who usually takes Vein to the restaurant. Vein is homeschooled, which makes things a little difficult for me sometimes. I wish I could say she’s spoiled, but I don't know. She doesn’t ask for much. Neither do I. We're both pretty satisfied with the way we live. As long as I have my art supplies and Vein has her library card, we're good. The most I've asked for is a Vespa. You know, those cute Italian scooters. The wildest thing Vein requested, outside of her billions of aquarium visits, was to take capoeira lessons, which is her weekend grind. Deadass. Don't ask me why. If anything, it means I can be less protective of her someday.ㅤㅤThe Drop Shop isn't open by the time we get to the restaurant, hence why I greet Drop on the way home. I do love the smell of the place on the way to work.ㅤㅤI arrive at JJ's. I look up at the sign: Jelly Joni's. Nope, it's not a chain. It's also not a fast-food restaurant. How would I describe it? It's a diner, I guess is what you'd call it. Definitely not a family diner. Maybe something more like a gourmet diner? I stare at the sign and imagine the events that could unfold the moment I walk in. Will Vein make a scene and embarrass me in front of Cerus? Possibly. Will I spill an eggs benedict onto a customer? I pray not. Or I mean, I guess I don't pray, since I'm a demon. Well, some of us do. You’ll see what I mean.ㅤㅤ"Don, let's go already!" Vein says impatiently.ㅤㅤ"Hm? Oh, yeah. Let's go," I reply.ㅤㅤI open the door and see Stag behind the cash register. I scan from the main waiting area. It looks like Vein and I are the first ones here apart from the kitchen staff. Stag greets me with just a smile, since she seems pretty busy setting up.ㅤㅤStag's been taking care of Vein and I for the longest time. According to her, I was shy but rambunctious as a kid. Shophar tells me that I once grabbed Vein and ran in the middle of the street like an idiot and got into a pretty rough accident with a motorcyclist. Stag doesn’t talk about it much. Never goes into detail about it. Trust me—growing up, I've tried to be like an annoying kid that bothers their mom about something until she gives in, but Stag never does. Says it’s for my own good. I'll get that info out of her one day. Especially because it’s around the time in my life that I can’t remember clearly.

ㅤㅤI get to the breakroom with Vein, who is instantly bombarded by tibbie-wibbies. Tib floats toward me and I reluctantly pat her jelly-ass head.ㅤㅤThe break room television is actually on this time. It's on our local news network. Something about a recent serial murderer who hasn't been caught. Hasn’t been identified. Kind of scary, but the area around the diner is mostly safe, so I'm never worried. Call me jinxing things, but had I never seen the TV, I wouldn't even have known about the killer. I'll be fine. We haven't had any major incidents in the area since the flower shop fire.ㅤㅤI tell Vein to behave, put my apron on, grab my server's pad, and get ready to clean some tables.ㅤㅤOf course, not without greeting the kitchen staff first. It’s part of my usual routine—it kinda gets me in the jive of talking to people so early in the morning. You know, prepares me for customers. You know how not every customer is nice nor understands what service workers go through? Well…there are also service workers who are pieces of dogshit.ㅤㅤ"He—y . . . Hey Tel . . . ," I say, going out of my—What did that kid say in my dream? Comfort zone? Yeah, that was it.ㅤㅤ"What's up, Don? You plan to have Swan make an extra bend-a-dick for you again?" says Tel.ㅤㅤThere's absolutely zero reason to say ‘bend-a-dick’. Like, it's not even a jab at me. I don't even have one, my guy. And even if I did, literally how is that a jab? How am I being made fun of here? How could I be offended? It's more like she's making fun of the eggs benny.ㅤㅤ" . . . ," I stand silently.ㅤㅤI have zero idea how to respond to ‘bend-a-dick’.ㅤㅤ"Uh—um. Anyway! Don't fuck up today, D-boy," Tel says, pointing a wooden ladle at me.ㅤㅤ’D-boy’. That's a new one. I can't tell if she's realizing that her dick joke didn't land. I'm too lazy to think about Tel right now. She's a handful when you're in front of her, but here's the good thing—I barely see her throughout the day!ㅤㅤAll I'll tell you is this: Scorpion stingers are called telsons. She has a horn on the right side of her forehead shaped like one. It's pretty obvious that she's supposed to have two, but some accident happened. I don't know, man. She's a motorcyclist—those helmets aren't easy to wear with horns. Although I've never confirmed if it's from a motor accident, I'm, like, 85.56% sure. I sure as hell am never going to ask her about it. Oh, and don’t worry. She’s not the one who hit Vein and I a long time ago. Wouldn’t even make sense chronologically.

ㅤㅤShe brushes her interaction with me aside and goes back to work. I hate that she’s good at her job. She also just over exaggerates everything she does. Just like a theater kid. Yeah, that pretty much sums her up. She isn't even actually taller than me. She just wears insanely high platform scene boots at work. Who the fuck wears platform boots in the kitchen? And bakes? At the same time?ㅤㅤ"Oh, so now you're into me instead of the new girl, huh?" she says as she notices me staring.ㅤㅤ"Whatever," I say. I leave Tel’s area and walk towards Anvil.ㅤㅤBefore we continue, I know you’re probably curious about who Tel mentioned earlier. Her name’s Swan. Not an actual Swan. She’s our head chef. She’s pretty cool, but we’ll get to her later. Right now, we—ㅤㅤ"AH! WOAH!" I shriek.ㅤㅤAnvil turns around with the biggest fucking kitchen guillotine I have seen.ㅤㅤ" . . . Oh. Sorry, Don. Just got new one. Been love it," Anvil's English is not the greatest in terms of grammar, but it is the greatest in terms of sex appeal. Okay. Please don't start thinking that I'm horny for, like, our entire staff. Especially not Tel. Well, I mean, Tel's actually kind of cute if you take all that theater kid shit out of the way. I’m getting off-topic. Anvil's just very buff and hot, okay? If she stabbed me, I probably wouldn't even mind. Butcher chefs hit different, you know?ㅤㅤGo ahead, guess what her horns are shaped like. Did you get it? Yeah? You're wrong. It's not shaped like an anvil. I don't know what Stag saw, but that looks less like an anvil and more like a croissant. Which is so ironic because we have another demon girl named Crescent. Gah, I hate it here. Anvil's also got this donut above her head. I know, I know. It's a halo. Apparently, she's a ‘fallen angel’ or something. Look. No one tells me details about anything, dude. And I don’t go out of my way to ask.

ㅤㅤ"Good luck at working," Anvil says. She's quiet, but definitely not timid. She's one of those people who seem intimidating at first but end up actually being really nice. She's part of the reason Vein got over her phobia of knives. Somewhat. Either way, I owe her a lot more than I show.ㅤㅤ"Thanks, Anvil. Loving the new knife," I say, casually.ㅤㅤReady to meet Swan? Yeah? Well, too bad, because. Because someone just fell on the back of my shirt just now. Someone with gigantic, puffy, and curly locks of hair.ㅤㅤ"Doooooooonnnnnnnnnn," I hear a very raspy voice say.ㅤㅤ"H—hey, Crescent."ㅤㅤOh, god, she smells so nice. And not at all like meat or cookie dough.ㅤㅤ"Carry meeeeee~," she says.ㅤㅤ"Y—y—you. You know I'm n—not strong enough to do that . . . " I say, admittedly. I’m usually fine with Crescent, but she makes me more nervous when she does this.ㅤㅤ"Fiiiine. I guess I'll just waaaaaaalk to the register," she says.ㅤㅤBro, it's literally like. 15 feet away.ㅤㅤLooks like she was doing some prep cook work while training under our line cook, Ante. Crescent’s actually our cashier and bus girl, but she’s working pretty hard to become our prep cook. Crescent really looks up to Swan and wants to be a head chef like her one day.ㅤㅤBut she has one fatal flaw. She’s a schleepy, shmoozy girl. Vein coined those words.

ㅤㅤShe’s a Drude. She’s a nightmare demon that can supposedly lay on top of people while they sleep and torment them with nightmares. You know—basically, a sleep paralysis demon-type vibe.ㅤㅤOnly she sucks at being a nightmare demon. Ante told me that Crescent is the way she is because she happens to be a Descendant of the laziest demon ever: Belphegor, the Demon of Sloth. Whether that’s true or not, she is definitely slothful.ㅤㅤOne time, she fell asleep on my lap when we were kids. I eventually fell into a bout of drowsiness, too. I fell asleep and had one of the most pleasant dreams I’ve ever experienced. I can’t remember exactly, but I remember floating through a flower field. At one point, there were gigantic Ulma demons in the sky that transformed into cute windmill huts. I went into one of them, and the view from the window was a serene mountainside scene. I went back inside the hut and saw a flute on a table. I remember picking it up and playing it perfectly.ㅤㅤI never told Crescent about that dream, but later on, she told me that she was interested in wind instruments—She first heard an oboe in a kid's movie and loved how it sounded. But I think she's always hesitated because of her breathing capacity, since she grew up with asthma. I tell her that plenty of asthmatic people play wind instruments, but she insists that she wouldn't be able to. I eventually asked her if she would ever consider playing the flute, and she said it would be interesting.ㅤㅤBut anyway, the dream itself was bizarre. But it was weirdly soothing. I honestly haven't thought about this dream in years, but it's one I remember pretty vividly. Crescent definitely has some weird dream powers.ㅤㅤI shoo Crescent away. Just kidding, I help her just a little bit to the cash register. Let’s go back to the kitchen and continue the morning tour!ㅤㅤHm. The dishwasher—where our senior chef usually works—is empty. I think she was on vacation? It’s a bummer, since she’s usually fun to talk to. She’s also really into dreams and loves to try and interpret some of mine. Welp. That’s for another time.ㅤㅤThere she is. The one and only, Swa—JUST KIDDING! Let’s greet Ante, our amazing line cook.ㅤㅤ“Hey, Don!” Ante greets me. She is literally the chillest dude in the world. If you’re ever having a stressful day, just spend five minutes talking to Ante, and you will be so relaxed. Not Crescent-level relaxed, but relaxed.ㅤㅤ“Hey, Ante. How was Crescent’s training this morning?” I ask.ㅤㅤ“Um. She did her . . . best! She hasn’t accidentally cut her hand today, which is progress! I know she’ll get better! How are things with you? I heard what happened yesterday from Stag. Is Vein in the breakroom?”ㅤㅤ“Yeah, she’s doing fine. Almost as if she never had that stomach bug yesterday.”ㅤㅤ“That’s good to hear! Oh. Sorry it was a short talk, but I gotta get back to work. Good luck with your shift!”ㅤㅤShit, dude. Wish I didn’t spend so much time bantering with Tel. I need more chill energy points from Ante. Her horns are shaped like an antelope's, in case you were curious. I love the way her long, pretty horns stick out of her pretty afro. As cute as she is, I consider her a childhood friend. I mean. I definitely could still date her. Like, it's not impossible. But it'd also be super weird in a way. She was one of the first demons to approach me other than Stag. At least from what I can remember. From the early days, it was only Stag, our senior chef, Shophar, Ante, Crescent, Vein, and I. That's right, you don't get to know our senior chef just yet. You have to unlock her first. Fool.

ㅤㅤI'm just saying, if Ante starts dating anyone, they'd have to be damn-near perfect. No one deserves Ante.ㅤㅤ"Thanks, Ante! You too, dude!" I say. I'd usually fist-bump her here, but she's got cooking things in her hands.ㅤㅤAlrighty, time to clean the tables, baby!ㅤㅤAw, what’s wrong? You wanted to meet Swan? Is that right? You wanted to meet Swan-y Wannie? Damn, bro, that’s crazy. Because guess what? I’m not g—ㅤㅤ“Wait. Don. Have you seen Swan? She went outside like 30 minutes ago to help a bit with some inventory. I haven’t seen her since. I’m sure the other waitresses will arrive soon to clean the tables. Since you’re here, can you actually go to the back and look for Swan real quick? Please? For the one time?” Ante interrupts my thoughts.ㅤㅤOh. Fuck you. Haha. I’m just playing. I knew that would happen. All part of the plan. Anyway. Uh, let’s look for Swan.

●●●ㅤㅤI leave through the back exit. Lo and behold, Swan is crouched right next to the door outside.ㅤㅤ. . . Crying?ㅤㅤWait, fuck—what’s goin on?ㅤㅤThis is very unlike Swan. She’s the pro. She carries Jelly Joni’s on her back. She’s always calm and collected, barely speaking. Now her head is buried in her arms. It was going to be the coolest introduction. No, no.ㅤㅤ“Swan?” I say softly.ㅤㅤSwan flinches and hits her head on the back wall, letting out a short cry of pain. Luckily, it didn’t hit her horns.ㅤㅤ“Oh. Don. Hi. Didn’t see you there. Haha,” she says, stifling her sniffles.ㅤㅤ“I—it’s not a big deal,” I say, kind of awkwardly.ㅤㅤA few moments of silence followed by more sniffling.ㅤㅤ“Do . . . Do you want me to go, or . . . ” I start to say.ㅤㅤSwan grabs my arm and pulls me down to crouch with her.ㅤㅤ“No, no. Stay here for a bit. I don’t want to be alone right now,” Swan says.ㅤㅤSwan is 25 years old. She’s pretty young for a head chef, but we all know her skills are the real deal. Top it off with her beautiful hair, bright eyes, and her mysteriousness, and she’s literally every dude’s dream. I’m not Helix—I don’t know a lot about the other demon girls’ backgrounds—only the bare minimum. For Swan, I just know she’s been studying culinary arts since she was a young girl. She grew up with parents who wanted her to excel at one specific thing, so they paid for everything they could to make sure Swan could live up to their expectations. When they noticed her talent in culinary arts, they didn’t hesitate to splurge on the best teachers this side of the country could offer.

ㅤㅤVein talks to her a little bit–and I mean a very little bit–about sea animals. Swan likes marine biology, too, apparently.ㅤㅤWith that in mind, I’ve heard that she’s socially inept and has trouble expressing herself. Not very far from how I act myself. But I’m more social than she is.ㅤㅤIf I’m going to be real for a second, I honestly don’t know how much of the way I act can be attributed to my attentive disorder. I’m full of impulsive, intrusive, and irregular interaction. Haha. Alliteration. Sorry, being real right now.ㅤㅤI know I don’t act the way I do because of a condition. I know that whatever I am, whoever I am, I am because I choose to be this way. I don’t give a fuck how cheesy that sounds, because that’s how I decided I’ll live. I don’t know what kind of illnesses or trauma Swan suffers from, but if I learned to stop feeling sorry for myself, then how the fuck could I not sit here and listen to Swan? Our age difference doesn’t fucking matter. Okay. I’m getting really serious here. I know I’ve only just introduced Swan, but all you need to know is: Everyone knows her as being perfect. Everyone looks up to her. Even I do. Especially now.ㅤㅤ“I . . . I’m not really good at speaking, Swan. But I can try to be a good listener,” I say.ㅤㅤ“Thank you, Don,” She says with some irregular breathing.ㅤㅤA panic attack. I know how that feels all too well. It isn’t fun. It’s extremely painful. I don’t have them often, but they’ve come and go. Come to think of it, I’m lucky I didn’t have one yesterday when Vein collapsed.ㅤㅤ“It’s not. Ah, it’s not like. God, It’s so hard to explain, Don,” Swan mutters.ㅤㅤ“Take your time. Everyone can handle JJ’s without us for however long you need,” I say, trying to comfort her while lying under my breath. No shot. Swan carries JJ's on her back like. Like a mother possum and her kids. You ever seen that shit? It's nasty, but kind of cute. Oh, my God, I need to be serious right now.ㅤㅤ“. . . Don’t laugh, okay? Taro is at the vet. He’s not . . . been feeling well. I can tell what the vets are going to tell me after work today. I know this sounds like such a basic reason to be sad—“ㅤㅤ“No, no. Don’t say that,” I interrupt. I’m not going to give her a chance to start self-deprecating herself or minimizing her own pain.ㅤㅤ“I’m sorry. You’re right. But yeah, it’s not just Taro. It’s like. Everything’s happening at once. You know how I’m alone in my apartment? I don’t know how to approach people or invite anyone over. And even if I did, how would I even entertain them? What would I talk about? I don’t have the same experiences as other people and I can barely even relate to you all. And. The thought of going home alone. Without even my own pet there with me. I don’t know. It’s disturbing. And of course, I’ve thought about getting another pet. But then it would become an endless cycle. I couldn’t even bring Taro to the restaurant, because I know—as a cook—how important it is to stay sanitary. I know Veins friends—like Tib and the smaller ones—are not the same as dogs, and that they can stay clean more easily. But I can’t help but be jealous that they can stay in the breakroom. And. And It’s not a matter of the people around me. I love you all. But at the end of the day, I’m alone. I grew up with so many guys hitting on me. I’ve made my fair share of mistakes, but I’ve always found myself alone. Even if I were to date someone, it would feel like a bandaid. I’m. I can’t call it loneliness, because I know in my heart, I could reach out to you all. But I just can’t.”ㅤㅤI'm not entirely sure what to say. I understand what she's saying and can relate to a certain degree, but I can't try and act like I know her pain. I'm able to go home to Vein and Stag. She doesn’t have that. I say the only thing I can.ㅤㅤ“Mhm. I’m here right now. I’m listening. Please say everything you feel comfortable saying right now. I feel like it’s so important to be vulnerable when you get an attack,” I reply.ㅤㅤ“With the way—“ㅤㅤ“AHA! There you both are! What were . . . ” Helix’s voice quivers as she realizes what’s happening, “Oh, I am so so, so sorry! Oh, my gosh, are you both—Um, is she—“ㅤㅤ“Helix. Can you please tell Stag to give Swan the day off? I’ll do what I can. I’ll make up her hours for her. I don’t care. Tell her it’s from me.”ㅤㅤ“Y—yes! Of course! Um, be right back!” Helix says.ㅤㅤSwan puts her head back down and doesn’t avert her gaze from the ground.ㅤㅤ“Just. Stay here for a while, please,” Swan pleads.ㅤㅤWithout saying a word, I agree and stay right there.ㅤㅤSwan and I sit down in the back of Jelly Joni’s for the next 15 minutes in silence. I begin to doze off.

• Back to ACT 1 Menu

Chapter 5 ● The Dolphin and the Diary

ㅤㅤI look down. I have small feet. My hands are delicate. I look to my left and see that I'm holding hands with an older boy. Then I look directly in front of me. There is an orangutan staring directly at my face. I'm at a zoo.ㅤㅤ"Jazzy, you like the orangutan?" the boy asks.ㅤㅤ"Mhm!" I say.ㅤㅤ"Not to be mean, but I think she's kind of ugly," he says.ㅤㅤ"No, she's not!" I say, clearly upset at his comment.ㅤㅤ"Jeez. It was a joke. Kind of. Well, either way, you’ll be at the dolphin exhibit pretty soon. But I got a surprise for you when we get there!” he replies.ㅤㅤ“Wait, wait! What is it?” I ask.ㅤㅤ“Tsk. Tsk. You’ll see. Also—that’s not how surprises work.”ㅤㅤWe arrive at the outdoor aquatic amphitheater.ㅤㅤ“Wait! This doesn’t look like a dolphin exhibit! Where’s the tank?” I ask the boy.ㅤㅤ“Haha! This is the dolphin exhibit. It’s connected to the dolphins’ tank. Oop, here’s our guide.”ㅤㅤAn employee comes up to us.ㅤㅤ“Welcome to the Dolphin Delight Hands-On Exhibit! I'm Claire, and I'll be your guide for today! Oliver Jackson, right?” she says and asks.ㅤㅤ“Yep! Nice to meet you, Claire. This is Jasmine,” the boy answers, gesturing towards me.ㅤㅤClaire crouches down and talks directly to me.ㅤㅤ“Well, hi there, Jasmine! Are you ready to meet our lovely dolphin? Her name is Delpha!” she asks me.ㅤㅤ“YES! I can’t wait!” I reply in excitement.ㅤㅤClaire continues to explain to us that this amphitheater is where they host the dolphin show that takes place later on in the day. But before show hours, it’s where they have a special hands-on interaction event for the guests with a seasonal pass.ㅤㅤIt's a really fun experience. I get to feed the dolphin, shake her hand, and watch her perform amazing tricks up close. It's such a nice break from constantly practicing.ㅤㅤThe rest of the day is so enjoyable! Jackson and I see so many different animals, and I can't wait to write all about it when I get home.ㅤㅤSoon, however, the light overcast turns into an extremely strong storm. We are now stranded at the zoo. Right as we were about to leave.ㅤㅤWe remain in the gift shop, which had just sold out of ponchos and umbrellas. Even the cashier seems gloomy from the storm, as it’s nearing closing time, and he won’t be able to leave until it’s over. According to Jackson, there was no warning for this storm. The torrent of winds and rain continue for the next three hours straight. We are able to entertain ourselves in the small arcade room, but even that gets stale. Plus, Jackson didn't bring that much money for the arcade.ㅤㅤJackson clearly starts to get impatient, but the storm seems to react. It gets even stronger—the winds begin to knock down trash bins outside, the gift shop windows being to creak, and I start to get even more scared. A lightning strike not more than a few miles out makes a loud, deep noise that leads me to burying my face into Jackson's chest out of fear. Jackson holds me close. I close my eyes for a few seconds.ㅤㅤSuddenly, things change. Things feel…different. In the time that I’ve had my eyes closed, the air becomes heavier. I feel a slight pounding pain in my chest.ㅤㅤI open my eyes. Jackson is gone. In fact, the gift shop is devoid of any life. No cashier. No other guests—Just the sound of idle arcade machines.ㅤㅤI walk over toward one of the machines: it’s a safari-themed arcade game where you free animals that are being held captive by poachers. The poacher on the screen taunts the player that he will sell the animals for a major profit. Then, a kind-looking wildlife park ranger tells me that it's up to me to save the animals. And that up to two people can play.ㅤㅤAll of a sudden, the arcade machine’s bright and vibrant colors desaturate. In fact, my entire vision is rapidly turning monochrome. The park ranger's face starts to deform. Her left eye rolls back into her skull. Her skin begins to melt slowly. Blood is leaking from her mouth and left eye. Then, her words start to go off-script.ㅤㅤ"You’re the only one who can do this. It’s up to you and only you. You can find every excuse to keep yourself from your responsibilities. But who else is going to save these animals? Look around. There’s no one else in this gift shop. Those dead bodies will be on coats. On peoples’ walls. They’ll be looking right at you. Unless you do something. This seems silly to you, doesn’t it? After all, this is just a game. But you’re just a 7-year-old. I’m sure everything is silly to you. Well, what would Jackson think if you just stood by and let these animals be murdered?”ㅤㅤThe violent hurricane rips the roof off of the gift shop. Electricity goes out, and a wave of heavy hail starts to hit me. I get on my knees, crying, but can do very little. Slowly, the safari arcade machine begins to shift forward.ㅤㅤ“What would he think of all your secrets? That you could be doing so much more than you are?”ㅤㅤThe machine tilts forward, and I hear some of the cables behind it snap and unplug. The disconnections cause the voice to distort violently.ㅤㅤ“He would hate you. He would hate you. He would hate you.”ㅤㅤThe same line repeats as the machine begins to fall onto me.ㅤㅤBefore it has a chance to land, a voice wakes me.

●●●ㅤㅤ"Don. Wake up," says Stag.ㅤㅤ"Oh. Hm? Oh, wait—where's Swan?" I ask.ㅤㅤ"She's out for the day, just like you requested. I will say that, although I don't know exactly what's going on, I'm proud of you for doing what you did. Swan only told me a little bit, but she clearly needs the day off. She didn't want to wake you and feared you'd hate being carried by Anvil to the break room, so the most I did was place my jacket behind your head as a pillow," Stag explains.ㅤㅤI would not have minded being carried by Anvil. I would just like to be awake while it happens.ㅤㅤI reply, "Ah, ok. Well, that was out of my comfort zone. Hah. Um. But, anyway! I'm a demon of my word—I'll get back to work."ㅤㅤ"Okay, but make sure to get some water and . . . fix your hair," she says.ㅤㅤ"Oh, true. Um. Thanks," I say, still woozy from just waking up.ㅤㅤI'm so fucking sick of my dreams getting blue-balled. If I'm going to die in a dream, let me die! Seriously! Also, my subconscious has been really creative with the names lately. Claire. She was kind of cute. I'd smash. The dolphin girl. I mean. Anyway. I need to stop crushing on my subconscious creations, that's fucking cringe.ㅤㅤHm. The girl I saw the first-person perspective of—She kind of reminded me of Vein. You know, with the obsession with sea animals. What was her name again? Shit, it was just off the top of my head. It was, like, a pretty common name. It started with a 'J'! J . . . J—Jaimie? No, wait, that's the crater girl. ‘Jane’? Damn it. I lost it. It could’ve been Jebidiah for all I fucking know. How the hell do I remember the hot dolphin guide girl more than who I literally was? Pisses me off. I'm about to start a dream journal. I'm sick of these details getting lost. I don't care how cringey it is to write one. No one needs to know but me. This is my weird-ass hobby. Wait, I feel like it's presumptuous to call dreaming a ‘hobby’. Maybe the overthinking of dreams? That can be the ‘hobby’ part of it.ㅤㅤWait–who cares right now? I need to know what else happened to Swan. Should she be alone right now? I don't even have her number. I drink some water, and go to the manager's room.ㅤㅤ"Stag, d—did you ask Swan if. If she was okay to be alone?" I ask.ㅤㅤ"I didn't ask that directly, but she did say that you being there helped a lot. And that she'd be fine if she got some more rest."ㅤㅤ"Ah, ok," I say.ㅤㅤDo I call bullshit? Will she really be fine? For now, I'm just going to trust Swan's words to Stag.ㅤㅤI go the dining area and—damn. It is packed. Wait–who's doing the main cooking? Oh, no.ㅤㅤCheck in the kitchen. Just real quick. Go for it.ㅤㅤThere it is.ㅤㅤAnte, with her hands full, is taking on Swan's role alongside her own. God, our senior chef would usually be able to cover for her, but like I said—she's off today.ㅤㅤTel, who’s trained to be a baker, is trying to be a cook. While also being a baker.ㅤㅤCrescent, moving at two miles per hour, is trying to cover for some of Ante's usual roles from her minimal training.ㅤㅤWait, Crescent was mainly cashiering. Ah, shit. I head back to the front dining area and peer over to the cash register.ㅤㅤShophar is clearly half-cashiering and half-serving. It looks like Helix is taking on most of the active customers. Wait. Wait, I didn't even check the schedules today. Do we not have a third waitress? Oh, wait—me. Oh, my god. That's right—Cerus isn’t even in today. She had a family emergency or something like that. Even if she was in today, Helix wouldn't be able to train her very much. And that’s probably for the better. And for, um, me too. Kind of.ㅤㅤI'll spare you from the roasts I get from Shophar and Tel throughout the day. Oh, my god. If Shophar let me call her ‘Sho’, then their names would be Sho and Tel. Show and Tell. Bro, that's genius. There's absolutely nothing I can develop that into. Also, Shophar hates that nickname. Anyway, the rest of the day goes relatively well at the expense of the entire staff’s exhaustion. At one point, Stag even helps out with some serving and waiting, which some of our older, loyal customers enjoy. Brings them back to the good, old days before all these millennials showed up, right? Sorry, old people are annoying. I mean, respect your elders and all that. But I don't consider strangers my elders. Is that messed up? Okay, I'm legitimately sorry—that was out of pocket. Our older, loyal patrons—I'll call them 'OLPs'—our olps are actually pretty chill. I remember running around the diner as a kid while only Stag, Shophar, and our senior chef did actual work. Stag would always apologize to the olps for us always playing around—but for the most part, the olps thought it was cute and added to the atmosphere. Damn. Remember when we were a family diner? Not a fancy, upscale one.

●●●ㅤㅤWe have a quick staff meeting nearing close.ㅤㅤ"We are understaffed," declares Stag.ㅤㅤWe all simultaneously nod our heads in agreement. Like we're in an A.A. group.ㅤㅤ"We need to hire more staff," declares Stag.ㅤㅤOnce again, nods throughout.ㅤㅤ"Staff. More of it," declares Stag.ㅤㅤNods, but slightly more off-sync.ㅤㅤTel raises her hand like a motherfucking theater kid.ㅤㅤ"Yes, Tel?" asks Stag.ㅤㅤ"Sarge, what kind of staff are we exactly looking for?" She questions with a salute. God, what the fuck is that ‘sarge’ for? I hate her.ㅤㅤ"Well . . . " Stag begins to answer.ㅤㅤShe goes down a shorter list than I thought. I’m only barely listening.ㅤㅤAnother waitress.ㅤㅤA saute chef.ㅤㅤA dedicated bartender.ㅤㅤAnd finally—an assistant manager.ㅤㅤWe don't really respond. Stag knows as well as we do that, well, none of us know how she finds suitable hosts, or even demons for that matter. It's all kept under wraps by Stag. She tells us nothing about how she even found most of us, despite us all coming from vastly different places. I mean, come on. Anvil is from the Czech Republic and Swan's parents were from Trinidad. Does Stag channel some weird demon energy to communicate with other countries?ㅤㅤBasically—How the fuck are we supposed to help?ㅤㅤStag sighs.ㅤㅤ"This is just a heads up. I'll do what I can to find us some more employees. I know some people," she says.ㅤㅤSoooooo suspicious. But none of us question her. Most, if not all, of us here were at our lowest when she took us in and helped us find places to stay.ㅤㅤSome nods.ㅤㅤStag also uses this opportunity to ask the staff for general ideas. Promotions, holiday specials, etc.ㅤㅤTel answers that we should have slam poetry nights, to which Stag shoots down, because we are considered a ‘fine dining’ restaurant. Thank goodness. Apparently, we shouldn't even have live music. With exceptions, of course.ㅤㅤCrescent requests that we get rid of the Employee of the Month Award, since it ‘dehumanizes’ the other staff and makes them feel worse. Which is only the case for her. Also, because Helix gets Employee of the Month way too often. Everyone else, knowing how hard Helix works on the service side of things, shoots Crescent down before Stag even gets to.ㅤㅤI suggest we dress up as demons for Halloween, which was coming up pretty quick. We've done it before, but it was a long time ago. Just as I expect, Stag shoots it down because of the ‘fine dining’ thing. Tch.ㅤㅤAnte interrupts the suggestions with a question, which no one seemed to address. Looks like only half of us were listening earlier as Stag went down her list.ㅤㅤ"Excuse me, Stag. Earlier—Did. Did you say 'bartender'? I know we serve drinks now. But. We don't have a dedicated bar," she asks.ㅤㅤI honestly didn't notice her say ‘bartender’, especially since I was so honed in on ‘assistant manager’.ㅤㅤStag winks.ㅤㅤ"Not yet we don't," she teases.ㅤㅤBro. Why didn't she bring this up first?ㅤㅤ"We're actually going to close the restaurant for around a month for renovation!" says Stag, excitedly.ㅤㅤUm. That's, like, such a pretty important detail to leave out.ㅤㅤ"In that time, I'm going to find us these four new employees. Well—three, assuming one of you become the assistant manager," Stag reveals.ㅤㅤNow everybody is paying full attention.ㅤㅤSuddenly, a tiny voice shoots up.ㅤㅤ"Um! I think the cushomers should meet Tib and the tweebies!" says Vein.ㅤㅤEveryone turns to her in the back. Vein wasn't done with suggestion time.ㅤㅤ"Oh, Vein—honey. The customers can't see Tib and the tibbie-wibbies. They're like ghosts to them, remember?" Stag says.ㅤㅤ"Oh, I forgot," replies Vein, looking disappointed. She is a pretty forgetful kid. Only remembers all the details when it comes to things she likes. Not that she doesn't like Tib. But, yeah.ㅤㅤ"Couldn't Tib be like . . . You know. Our mascot? Even some fine dining restaurants have cute mascots," I suggest. I know it'll be shot down, but I want to cheer up Vein.ㅤㅤ"Hm," Stag ponders, "You know what? I'll think about it. We're already having renovations done. Might be time for a logo change."ㅤㅤNo way. Vein, you genius! Your idea led to me lookin’ cool as fuck. Would be cool if Cerus was here, too. Haha.ㅤㅤNo one really has any other suggestions, so we dismiss.

●●●ㅤㅤ"Vein!"ㅤㅤ"Honey!"ㅤㅤDrop picks Vein up and swings her around. Vein giggles and laughs. Drop puts Vein down, kneels down, and pats her head.ㅤㅤ"You feeling better, cutie?" asks Drop.ㅤㅤ"Mhm! My tummy feels all good now!" Vein answers.ㅤㅤShe sucks in her stomach for a few seconds before letting out a large puff of air.ㅤㅤ"Oh, you are just too cute! Did you like the Bunban keychain?" Drop continues.ㅤㅤVein turns around with her Bunban backpack. The sailor Bunban keychain is hanging off one of the zippers.ㅤㅤ"Heehee! I love you, Honey!" Vein snickers. It's a little confusing. Stag calls Vein and I ‘honey’, as if we were her children, right? But Vein gave Drop the nickname ‘Honey’ because her droplet-shaped horns also look like a bee's stinger. I don't know what goes on in Vein's mind.ㅤㅤStag suddenly snaps.ㅤㅤ"Hey, Drop—could I actually buy an arrangement right now? It's for Swan. She wasn't feeling well today. I'll also pay for the hydrangeas yesterday," she says.ㅤㅤ"Yikes! Two in a row? But also, don't worry about the hydrangeas. I can take that from my own paycheck."ㅤㅤ"You sure?"ㅤㅤ"Please, Stag. After all you, Joni, and Papa did for me. This is nothing."ㅤㅤ"Okay, I'll accept your kindness! What would you suggest for Swan?"ㅤㅤDrop's going to say daisies. Specifically gerbera daisies.ㅤㅤ"Gerbera daisies are perfect for that," says Drop, "If that works for you, I can arrange something."ㅤㅤ"Perfect!" Stag replies. Drop starts heading toward the back. Stag looks around for a second, then suddenly snaps again.ㅤㅤ"Hey, Drop—wait. I know Swan's favorite color is yellow. Why don't we do sunflowers?" Stag says.ㅤㅤ"I mean, we can! But I'll let you know, we do have yellow gerbera daisies," Drop mentions.ㅤㅤ"Well, I feel like sunflowers have more . . . umph, you know? I want Swan to be able to see the big sunflowers and think of us—that we're thinking of her. Always. Right?" Stag says.ㅤㅤ"Hm. You know, that can work. Sunflowers really pop in contrast to a room. It would definitely be something she’d notice often," says Drop.●●●ㅤㅤ"Looks like Swan has her notifications off. I don't want to stop by her place just for her not to be there. For now, let's go home," Stag says.ㅤㅤStag, you should know better than anyone that Swan only goes out to do groceries. Oh, wait, that's probably what Stag meant. She might be getting groceries.ㅤㅤStag, Vein, and I arrive home together. After dinner, Stag goes straight to bed from exhaustion, so it's up to me to tuck Vein in.

●●●ㅤㅤ“Um…” Vein starts to say as I place her blanket over her.ㅤㅤ“What’s up?” I ask.ㅤㅤVein looks at me with a solemn, sad look in her eyes.ㅤㅤ“Is this ever going to stop happening?” she says.ㅤㅤI grit my teeth for a bit. I’ve always been overprotective of Vein. I won’t bore you to death with the details, but she’s pretty much always been there for me just as much as I’ve always been there for her. Despite the fact that we've always had a caretaker in our lives, there were just so many times when it felt like all we had was each other.ㅤㅤ“Yeah. I’ll make sure of it,” I promise her.ㅤㅤShe gives a faint smile.ㅤㅤThese aches aren’t normal for anyone. It’s so wild to me that her pain tolerance is so high for a nine-year-old. Against all physical and mental odds, she’s a trooper.ㅤㅤAs I hold her hand, I do something I haven’t done in a long time—I decide to give her a peck on the cheek before saying goodnight.●●●ㅤㅤI get to my room. I reach into my supplies and pull out one of my unused notebooks. By the way, I'm really into stationery. I don't know man, something about office supplies gets me all nerdy. Like, this is separate from my hobby as a visual artist. I love taking notes and shit. The only reason I've hesitated on a dream journal is because. I don’t know, I think I fell for the stigma of, ‘Oh, a dream journal? That's so cringey!’ㅤㅤWhatever. Anything to help me remember my dreams. I know. I could also use my phone. But I don’t trust this fucking thing to hold onto my subconscious thoughts.ㅤㅤI write down my dream from two nights ago.ㅤㅤSt. Martin's Tower. Kind of morbid, but I don't consider it a nightmare. More like a movie.ㅤㅤI write down my dream from last night.ㅤㅤThe Crater. By far, my favorite dream, as of recently. It was so fully fleshed out. My subconscious is so creative with all that detail. Sucks it ended too soon.ㅤㅤFuck it, I might as well write down the nostalgic dream I thought about this morning.ㅤㅤThe Windmill. You know, the one I had a long time ago with Crescent napping on me.ㅤㅤCan't, of course, forget the dream I had this morning.ㅤㅤThe Hot Dolphin Girl. Wait. No, I can come up with a better title. Um.ㅤㅤThe Zoo? The Zoo—that's better. Now, what was the girl's name? Ugh. Wait, wait. It was a common 'J' girl name. Fuck, dude. Let me look up common names real quick.ㅤㅤOkay. Jennifer. Julia. Juliana. Juliet. Jessica. Josephine. Jasmine. Jacqueline. Jaelyn. I swear it was one of these. It's literally gone now. Ugh. As a placeholder, I'll write ‘Jaelyn’ in pencil.ㅤㅤThat's probably good for now. Let's hope for a cool dream tonight.ㅤㅤGood night.

• Back to ACT 2 Menu

Chapter Y-1 ● The Bridge and the Angel

ㅤㅤWell? How was it? First five chapters—Pretty simple, right? Nothing too crazy. Just me vibing. Plus, you got to meet most of the JJ’s crew. Cool, so—before we get to the dream I have after I start the dream journal, you’re getting another alphanumerical chapter. Y-1, baby! Here goes. Oh! Just a heads up–the version of me from the numbered chapters doesn’t know what goes on in these alphanumerical chapters. He’s ignorant. I’m the smart one. Haha. Alright. Let’s start Y-1. Another heads up–it’s not about me.●●●ㅤㅤHell is merciless. She was a high-ranking Succubus named Stag after her horns, which looked like the mandibles of a stag beetle. In a way, her rank as a Succubus was similar to the power of a stag beetle. Relative to its size, of course. I could crush a stag beetle.ㅤㅤStag the Succubus really only had two things running through her mind at any given moment.ㅤㅤFirst of which is the most stereotypical thing for a Succubus to think about.ㅤㅤSex.ㅤㅤSex. Sex. Sex.ㅤㅤWas she horny? Maybe. All she knew was: She was obsessed.ㅤㅤMany are familiar with the concept of a Succubus. A beautiful, voluptuous, lust-filled demon whose goal is to seduce men and destroy their physical and mental health until they can no longer function. These men go into a vegetative state until they die painfully. But one of the lesser-known skills of Succubae is their ability to manipulate the dreams of their victims. They can induce hypnotizing, erotic dreams into their victims with their own appearances, making the mental destruction process much easier. Men eventually lose their minds and desire only the Succubus. Their gradual downfalls and the reason for them are the perfect sin, leading their souls to be sustainable nutrients when they arrive in Hell.ㅤㅤHell is merciless. The common Succubus will wait up to hundreds of years in Hell’s time before they receive an assignment from the higher-ups. They’re given specific prospects for seduction—lustful, desperate men whose emotional states are already crumbling. Each Succubus is assigned a survey demon.ㅤㅤSurvey demons are high-ranked and typically offspring of one of the three Infernal Judges of Hell. Each survey demon obtains the ability to view a human’s present life, but only for a short span of time. They essentially can only “check in” on a human, but then have to “recharge” before doing so again. This is one of the two reasons it takes so long for Succubae to be given assignments.ㅤㅤThe other overarching reason for the delay is that angels dwell on Earth, disguising themselves as humans. Demons can’t detect angels and have to use extra precaution when making appearances on Earth. If an angel catches a demon, the demon is done for. Survey demons take extra time to make sure the chances of an angel on patrol near their human prospect is low.ㅤㅤTraveling between Hell and Earth isn’t easy. Actually, the boundary between Hell and Earth, in general, is very strong on account of Who made it. Lots of survey demons die in their training to even view human life from the confines of Hell. As always, there’s an exception to this.ㅤㅤStag is a Mare. As in ‘mare’ from the word ‘nightmare’. She’s a demon with dream-related abilities–this demon kind also includes Incubae and Drudes. Mares are held in high regard–they’re typically nobles at the least. You see, dreams are the boundary between reality and subconsciousness. In parallel, they’re like how death is the bridge between life and the afterlife. Mares have the unique ability to phase between Hell and Earth easily. The only reason they don’t do it as often as they used to is because this method alerts angels instantly.ㅤㅤWhich is why they need survey demons.ㅤㅤOh, right. Mares are difficult to breed—mass-producing Mares with surrogate Incubae and Succubae has always proved a failure. They’re rarely born and tend to be kind of cocky because of their strength. Yet many Succubae and Incubae let their cockiness get ahead of them, and they fall victim to angels during their assignments.ㅤㅤStag wasn’t like that. She was a natural talent. Even putting aside her rare shapeshifting ability, her seduction skills were second-to-none. They were even recognized by the 18th reincarnation of Asmodeus, Demon of Lust. It was Asmo whose favor for Stag led to her high rank and notoriety. Asmo specifically requested Stag to tutor his daughter.ㅤㅤThat’s right. Stag was trusted by higher-ups. She needed very minimal help from whichever survey demon was assigned for each of her missions. Stag was extremely sneaky. She used every enchantress tactic throughout her years. Having even been on Earth during the 1940s, she even experienced much of the turmoil throughout the world at the time. During that time of war, she took advantage of men's time away from their families and their lonesomeness. She didn't even hesitate to seduce women, too. Her prowess was on an entire other level in comparison with the other Succubae and Incubae. Some Succubae grew jealous, while others reveled in their respect for her.ㅤㅤOne such Succubus was the young Shophar. As if intended to be a sacrilegious jab, Asmo named his daughter Shophar after the horn instrument of the same name. Asmo was known to be very eccentric. No one was surprised when he named her Shophar instead of Ram, which is what her horns directly resembled. It was standard practice for high-ranking demons such as Asmo to have copious amounts of demonic concubines—all of whom were treated with the same amount of respect: little to none. However, Asmo loved his daughter Shophar, as she was his only successful offspring after hundreds of years of attempts. But while he spoiled her, he was not overprotective. Shophar was proving to be a natural talent as a Succubus, and she didn't seem to need Asmo's constant supervision. Shophar had many attendants, servants, and slaves who were commanded to play with her and teach her the basics.ㅤㅤShophar, however, enjoyed the time she spent with Stag the most. Stag was her idol—The perfect, ideal Succubus. Stag was a regular guest at the Asmo residence, which many lesser Succubae were constantly envious of. While Stag was not specifically designated to be Shophar's only Succubus teacher, Stag treated Shophar like her own apprentice. Almost like a daughter. Shophar looked up to Stag and would often mimic her appearance. One time, Shophar even tried to scrape off parts of her horn to look like Stag, to which Stag scolded her for. Stag wanted Sho, as she called Shophar, to grow up to be the absolute best Succubus. To surpass Stag in every avenue.ㅤㅤAnd that was Shophar. Always on Stag’s mind. Other than sex, of course.

●●●ㅤㅤOne day, Stag self-assigned herself to a man that her survey demon recommended. The survey demon warned, however, that she hadn’t yet performed a full survey of the area the human resided in to check for possible angel activity. But Stag was known to carry out missions early, despite her previous survey demons’ warnings.ㅤㅤOf course, this specific mission would change everything.ㅤㅤYou see, monogamy and romantic love are rare, though not impossible, in Hell. Stag was at a rank where she could decide whether to have multiple demon partners or one. No one would ever think to reject her. Yes, Succubae live promiscuous lives, but they can settle down with a demon romantic partner as long as their rank and status are sufficient.ㅤㅤSuccubae have historically fell in love with humans, albeit very few times. This is considered a sign of weakness and is instant grounds for execution—banishment is not an option, since Mare demons have potential to be powerful enough to betray Hell.ㅤㅤIn hindsight, Stag wasn't sure exactly why this situation blossomed into what it did when compared to her previous victims' missions. She did suspect one thing–becoming a victim of circumstance. Humans called it the suspension-bridge effect: if Person A were on a thin, swinging bridge and was in front of Person B, Person A would misattribute their pounding heart and raised adrenaline to falsely being attracted to Person B.ㅤㅤStag's swinging bridge, in this case, was an angel. She didn't notice the angel at first. Like previously mentioned, demons don’t have an ‘angel sensor’ of any kind.ㅤㅤHer encounter with the metaphorical bridge began in the middle of her mission. Her assigned human male to conquer was named Antonio. At this point, Stag's survey demon was hands-off on the situation, as she had other matters to attend to. Besides, Stag was a pro. She barely needed help. While Stag was going about her usual routine with her to-be victim, things took a drastic turn.ㅤㅤAntonio introduced her to a friend of his. This friend was slightly off-putting. He seemed normal at first glance, but seemed to be somewhat out-of-touch. He definitely wasn't a foreigner by any means, but he just seemed . . . off. Stag quickly became suspicious of him. He had to have been a plant, she thought—a spy for the angels. Worst-case scenario was that he was an angel taking on a human form.ㅤㅤStag eased off her usual aggressive approach on Antonio and took on her signature slow-burn technique that would not only guarantee success, but would also deter any suspicious angels. She decided she would spend the next five years staying on Earth—Antonio was too good of a victim to pass up on.ㅤㅤBut the problem was Antonio's friend. Should she try to avoid him? Or would that come across as suspicious, if his friend really was an angel?ㅤㅤHis name was Benny. He was outgoing, but a little awkward. He would sometimes make jokes that didn't land and apologized very often. Antonio teased him about it. Antonio, on the other hand, was confident, handsome, and charming. He was a real estate agent and was pretty well-off. His accomplishments, success, and suave assured Stag that he would be a worthy trophy for a Succubus. Benny was tight-lipped about his profession, which led Stag to be even more convinced that he was an angel. Stag continued with her usual façade of being an accomplished businesswoman working for one of the biggest banks in the country, with plenty of false evidence provided by Hell.

●●●ㅤㅤOn one occasion, Antonio told Stag that Benny had just gotten a girlfriend, who was actually one of Antonio's college classmates back in the day. Benny had apparently been gleeshing to Antonio about her for the past few days, constantly talking about how in love he was. Benny would just not shut up about her. And so, Antonio suggested they go on a double date.ㅤㅤNow Stag was confused. Would an angel go this far to catch a Succubus? Having a human girlfriend? Or was Benny's girlfriend also an angel?ㅤㅤThe double date went great. Antonio and Stag were a picture-perfect couple. Benny and his girlfriend, Rosa, were cute in their own way. Benny was the awkward boyfriend, and Rosa was the lovely girlfriend that teased him. They joked, laughed, and ate. Not many fancy malls existed at the time, but with their social status, they spent the next few hours at one of the newest malls in the area.ㅤㅤThen they went out for drinks. As they sat at a bar, Stag stared at Antonio in a drunken stupor. He was extremely attractive. Stag would even argue that he was physically on par with some Incubae. By this point, she had already had sex with him multiple times. But to be frank—Succubae don't give it a second thought.ㅤㅤ"Are you enjoying yourself? It looks like Benny and Rosa are havin' a little trouble. Want to give them a push?" Antonio said in Tagalog.ㅤㅤThis caught Stag off guard, and she looked at Benny and Rosa. She remembered her mission. She had gotten cocky and started to lose sight of the two main goals: Avoid angels and ruin Antonio. She was hesitant but knew it was a better idea to play along.ㅤㅤ"Yeah, let's do it," Stag replied.ㅤㅤAntonio was getting more and more drunk. He started to ask Benny invasive questions. How kinky were him and Rosa? Where was the first place they fucked? Did he ever see himself with Rosa long term?ㅤㅤ"W—Woah, Antonio! You m—must be really drunk, man! We . . . W—We haven't done anything like that!" Benny said. He seemed extremely embarrassed at the question—he couldn't even make eye contact with Rosa.ㅤㅤRosa, on the other hand, was playing with her glass, unamused at the situation.ㅤㅤPathetic, thought Stag. She was embarrassed for him. For herself, too. She couldn't believe she was worried about this man being an angel. This man was a genuine, bonafide loser. He was definitely not acting. Still, she thought. Why didn't he like talking about his job?ㅤㅤ"Hey," Stag said, changing the topic, "Tell us what you do for a living."ㅤㅤ"I—I um. Ahah. I'm—," Benny stuttered.ㅤㅤ"A what, pussy? Come on! You gotta look better in front of your girl!" teased Antonio. Antonio mentioned that they’d only recently become friends, so it made some sense that not even Antonio knew. However, Antonio was clearly being pushier about it than usual.ㅤㅤ"Nothing, man! Don't worry about it! I—I'm gonna go smoke for a while," Benny said.ㅤㅤRosa looked disappointed but continued to drink. Antonio realized that he upset Benny and offered to check up on him outside.ㅤㅤBut Stag, with some newfound confidence—and some alcohol—insisted she do it. Her previous fear became curiosity. She stepped outside and stood next to Benny. Stag pulled out her own cigarette.ㅤㅤ"Oh. Hey, Elena," Benny said, with a little bit more assurance than earlier.ㅤㅤ"Come on, Benny. Why don't you like talking about your job?" Stag initiated.ㅤㅤBenny sighed.ㅤㅤ"I'm . . . I'm a school teacher," he replied.ㅤㅤStag accidentally dropped her cigarette. Wait. Why would he be embarrassed about that? She recalled the notes she learned about this country she had never been assigned to before. The Philippines. Recovering from a war—check. Third world country—check. Shady politics—check. Nothing she wasn't familiar with. Although she did like the food a bit more than in other countries. Were teachers not appreciated here or something?ㅤㅤ"What's wrong with that?" Stag asked.ㅤㅤ"N—nothing's wrong with it. I just . . . You're all so high-class and dignified. Bro's a real estate agent, you're a banker, and Rosa's a nurse. I know she's way out of my league, but I really like her and don't want to look worse each time," Benny replied.ㅤㅤThat was it, Stag thought. Men don't become teachers. That's uncommon. That wasn't a ‘man's job’. Gender stigmas were rampant in this country, just as it was in other countries. As a demon who slept with men and women both, the thought never occurred to her.ㅤㅤ"Well, that's stupid. Just be proud of being a teacher, dumbass. Kids are fun. What school?" Stag said, jokingly.ㅤㅤSuddenly, Benny's face lit up.ㅤㅤ"15th Avenue Elementary in Cubao! Oh, I love them! Kids are so cute. They can be really rowdy in this area, but they always warm up to me," he rambled on.ㅤㅤAs someone who was sort of a teacher herself, Stag began to feel some connection to Benny. While she was revered as a powerful and talented Succubus, she did like the time she spent talking to Shophar.ㅤㅤ"Have you ever taken care of kids?" Benny asked.ㅤㅤStag thought about it.ㅤㅤ"Well, yeah. Just one. I take care of a family friend's kid sometimes. She's energetic and a handful," Stag says, nonchalantly.ㅤㅤ"Oh, that's so admirable! Make sure to treasure her then!" Benny exclaimed.ㅤㅤA slight pause, then his face became sorrowful.ㅤㅤ" . . . You. You never know when a day is their last," he continued.ㅤㅤStag dropped her second cigarette.ㅤㅤ"Did something . . . " Stag began to ask, lighting her third cigarette. She put two-and-two together. A student of his must have passed away.ㅤㅤ"I had a daughter. Not even two years old. I was young. Made lots of mistakes. My girlfriend at the time left me," he answered.ㅤㅤIt was like he was speaking in bullet points. He wasn't crying and he wasn't angry. He just looked broken.ㅤㅤ"I didn't want to be a teacher at the time," he continued.ㅤㅤStag realized it wasn't a topic he enjoyed talking about. Yes, he was the one who brought it up, she thought. But it seemed like it was for her own good. At the very least, she thought, he definitely wasn't an angel.ㅤㅤBefore Benny had a chance to elaborate, Antonio opened the door.ㅤㅤ"How is he?" He asked Stag. Before she even had a chance to answer, he turned toward Benny.ㅤㅤ"Benny, Benny. We were just messing around. Let's head back, bro," said Antonio.ㅤㅤThe four didn’t spend much longer at the bar. Stag hadn’t reached the point where she was living with Antonio, but she spent lots of nights at his place. Even that night, she slept with him.

●●●ㅤㅤMore and more time passed. While Antonio went to work, Stag would pretend to go in for work as well. She actually spent this time ‘researching’ Earth—That is, walking around and living a normal human life. This was not usually in the agenda of a Succubus, but Stag found it valuable. Even her previous survey demons have turned a blind eye to her prolonged "research".ㅤㅤOne week, Antonio mentioned a three-day-long business trip. After Stag helped pack his suitcase and saw him off, she took this opportunity to do some ‘research’.ㅤㅤAfter the one-on-one with Benny, she wanted to go to a specific small shopping district near his school. She was kind of starting to miss Shophar. It’d been a while since she returned to Hell, but she didn't want to ruin the momentum of her mission.ㅤㅤShe had a chance to meet locals, try out some family-owned snack shops, and have some delightful small talk with strangers. While this wasn't the safest place in the world for a woman like her, she found these mundane parts of human life to be wholesome and endearing.ㅤㅤLittle girls were selling flowers in the streets, and Stag bought a flower from every single one she passed by. Stag’s love for flowers was definitely not a demonlike characteristic, so she kept it lowkey. But here she was, carrying flowers in her hands.ㅤㅤAs she approached the school, she saw Benny greeting children as the school day was over. This wasn't planned, but Stag wasn’t against the idea of stopping by to greet a friend. Benny noticed her outside the gate and walked up as the children were leaving.ㅤㅤ"Oi! Didn't expect to see you here! Shouldn't you be at work right now?" Benny asked.ㅤㅤ"It's my day off. Figured I should pass by your school," Stag lied.ㅤㅤBenny noticed the flowers.ㅤㅤ“Oh? Are those for Antonio? I didn’t think he was the kind of guy to have his girlfriend buy him flowers,” Benny joked.ㅤㅤStag rolled her eyes and replied, “Of course not. These were from those kids in the street. I just decided to help them or whatever. I was going to throw them away.”ㅤㅤ“What a waste!” Benny exclaimed.ㅤㅤStag raised an eyebrow.ㅤㅤ“Oh—I’m sorry, didn’t mean it like that. Here, I can take them off your hands. They could stay in my classroom,” Benny offered.ㅤㅤStag gave him the flowers. She secretly regretted putting on a stoic facade, but she could always buy more flowers later.ㅤㅤThey caught up a bit, and Benny offered to take her to a local restaurant after he finished up work. He made a joke promising that he wasn't trying to cheat on Rosa. He swiftly apologized for the joke.ㅤㅤAfter seeing him like this, Stag started to appreciate him. They shared a good evening talking about everything and anything. It was apparent that Benny had grown comfortable talking to Stag. He seemed to have lost his awkwardness and nervousness around her.ㅤㅤEventually, the topics shifted into a more serious tone.ㅤㅤ"Um. Sorry to bring the mood down. Rosa hasn't been talking to me lately. She barely answers her landline. When we meet up, she doesn't talk much. What should I do to make her speak to me more?" Benny asked for advice.ㅤㅤThis is stupid, Stag thought. She recognized what Rosa was doing from the start. It was obvious that Rosa was leading him on. But for what?ㅤㅤFor the moment, Stag thought about her picture-perfect relationship with Antonio and how she could use it to satisfy Benny with some shallow advice. Her relationship with Antonio . . .ㅤㅤIt was just sex. There wasn’t really much more to it than that.ㅤㅤWell, she thought, when they first started dating, Antonio did start buying things for her that she wanted. But knowing Benny, he might actually go broke doing that.ㅤㅤWait. Wait, wait, Stag thought. Where was Antonio? A business trip, right? The one that started two days ago.ㅤㅤ"Wait. Benny. When did you last talk to Rosa?" Stag asked.ㅤㅤ"Eh? Hm. March 3," Benny answered.ㅤㅤTwo days ago.ㅤㅤ"Has she answered any phone calls? Or met with you since?" Stag asked.ㅤㅤ"No. That's why I'm worried," Benny admitted.ㅤㅤThere's no way, she thought.ㅤㅤIn all of her time as a Succubus, no human ever dared to cheat on her. And how could they? Stag was the perfect specimen. An amazing Succubus with curves and charms that could woo anybody. She especially boasted the rare ability that other Succubae didn’t have—the ability to take the form of any existing creature she made contact with, as long as they had similar mass.ㅤㅤThen it hit her.ㅤㅤShe fucked up. Stag had completely forgotten to induce dreams into Antonio. She spent so much of her time in fear of Benny possibly being an angel. Her paranoia and clouded judgment led to a tunnel vision toward Benny rather than Antonio. She neglected the most important way to guarantee a Succubus’ success.ㅤㅤ"Benny. Has she mentioned Antonio at all?" she asked, slightly panicked.ㅤㅤ"Antonio? Well, I mean, the few times that we talk, she keeps talking about our double date a few weeks ago. She seemed to really enjoy it," Benny admitted.ㅤㅤUnbelievable. Maybe she was overthinking. Either way, it was time to go home and restrategize.ㅤㅤ"Benny, I think you should just work harder to talk to her more. Anyway, I have to go. It was good talking to you," Stag said, just trying to end the conversation as soon as possible.ㅤㅤThey shared the bill, and Stag stood up to leave. But Benny had one more thing to say.ㅤㅤ"Elena. I . . . I don't think I'm happy like this," he spoke softly.ㅤㅤStag stood bewildered. She had never heard that from a human before. Stag didn't know what to say. She was a Succubus. She didn't know how to console someone like this.ㅤㅤExcept for one way. She grabbed his hand.ㅤㅤ"For now, just get some rest," Stag said. She let go, and they went their separate ways.ㅤㅤShe couldn't believe what she had done. She had induced a dream into Benny.

●●●ㅤㅤWhat kind of dream exactly? She wasn't sure. She did it so impulsively without a chance to think it through. Stag could only induce erotic dreams, which usually have a hypnotic effect on their victims. Knowing Benny, though, would that be the kind of thing to relieve his stress?ㅤㅤIt was the third day—Antonio would be returning from his ‘business trip’. They hadn’t arranged to meet that night, so Stag was ready to show up at his place and give him a piece of her mind. In her frustration, she couldn’t think of any better plan. Stag couldn’t just use her shapeshifting ability to spy on him, since shapeshifting can be detected by angels. Matter of fact, Stag usually shapeshifts only once for each mission. Plus, it leaves Stag weak for a while—something she couldn’t afford right now.ㅤㅤEverything was falling apart. She would have to be more aggressive and forceful on Antonio. There was no way she was going to lose this potential trophy, even if it put her at risk of being found by an angel. But more than that—she was angry. Legitimately angry. She had been the perfect girlfriend for Antonio. She satisfied all his sexual fantasies and treated him like her king. All without inducing dreams. Without any direct psychological control. And if he really decided to cheat on her, then was she really an amazing seductress?ㅤㅤWas Stag worthless if she didn’t manipulate her victims to fall for her?ㅤㅤThat evening, she began to head over to Antonio's. There was a little bit of night life. Some people bar crawling, stumbling across the streets. Meanwhile, Stag was fuming.ㅤㅤShe knocked on his door. No answer. She knocked on his door. No answer. She started pounding on the door.ㅤㅤShe heard rustling behind the door until it opened.ㅤㅤAntonio was there, standing. Stag expected him to look like he just got out of bed. But he was in a suit. He looked like he had just gotten home from work. She peered over his shoulder. No sign of Rosa.ㅤㅤ"E—Elena. I didn't think I'd s—see you tonight—"ㅤㅤ"Are you cheating on me?" Stag interrupted.ㅤㅤAntonio fell silent. He hesitated before speaking.ㅤㅤ"What? What? How could—"ㅤㅤ"All I'm asking is: Are you cheating on me?" Stag said, slightly louder.ㅤㅤ"Ele—Elena—"ㅤㅤ"ARE YOU CHEATING ON M—" Stag stopped mid-yell.ㅤㅤShe didn’t see his suitcase anywhere.ㅤㅤHe always kept his suitcase in the living room. Didn’t she help pack his suitcase? Where was it? He couldn’t keep it in a car—he didn’t have one. He always took the taxi. Maybe he could’ve left it at the office. But if he just came back from a business trip, he wouldn’t have had the time to stop by the building. Also—even if he didn’t actually go on a business trip—why wasn’t the suitcase here? Something wasn’t adding up.ㅤㅤWhere did he just come from? Where did he just leave his suitcase?ㅤㅤAntonio noticed where Stag's eyes wandered—where he usually kept it.ㅤㅤ"A—Actually you know what? What's your problem, bitch? What the fuck makes you think you can question me like that? Shouting at me? What, can you not trust me anymore? Well, I can’t trust you, either. I've been a good boyfriend to you. Who the fuck do you think you are? Get the fuck out of my face. You were just a spoiled bitch, anyway!" Antonio shouted.ㅤㅤStag was shocked and started backing away.ㅤㅤ"Antonio, what’s wro—"ㅤㅤStag blanked out for a second. She was on her knees and on the floor. She felt pain on her cheek.ㅤㅤ"I said, GET THE FUCK OUT!" Antonio continued as he grabbed a mug and threw it at Stag.ㅤㅤIt hit her shoulder, fell on the floor, and shattered.ㅤㅤShe looked at the mug’s shards on the floor. One shard reflected her eyes back at her—She saw an expression she’d never seen before.ㅤㅤNo. That wasn’t exactly true. She’d seen this same expression when she silently killed the woman whose form she copied. The woman who never screamed, even until she breathed her last breath. The woman who wasn’t considered a trophy like Antonio. No–deep in Stag’s mind, she wasn’t a woman. She was just a scared little girl. A young girl whose life was stolen by trafficking, only to be killed mercilessly by a demon.ㅤㅤElena.ㅤㅤStag didn't know what to think. She inched away as Antonio grabbed a kitchen knife. She thought about all the time she had spent with Antonio. Weren't they the perfect couple?ㅤㅤShe winced, looked down, and realized a shard was stuck to her palm. This wasn’t her blood. This was Elena’s.ㅤㅤShe suddenly thought about Benny. How he treated everyone around him. How he treated strangers. How he didn't care about the shallow parts of humanity. How he cared. What would he think if he knew Stag murdered someone in cold blood?ㅤㅤAntonio stepped forward.ㅤㅤ“You think you’re hot shit? You think I’m crazy? You think I’m crazy? You think I’m the one who’s fucking crazy? Maybe I am! Look at me, waving a knife around. But I don’t give a fuck anymore. You act like you’re so above everyone else. Just because you make more money than I do–do you think I’m your fucking dog? I work so hard every day–No, no. Fuck that. No, look at me. Look at me! I’m not your fucking sex object. That’s all it is, right? All I was? New guy shows up, and you start going out of your way to talk to him every chance you get? Well, there we go! You have Benny now. You can fuck him all you want, you fucking slut! That lonely pussy would love to be your dog.”ㅤㅤAntonio crept closer.ㅤㅤ“And yeah, I am cheating on you. That fucking stuck-up attitude of yours. Makes me sick. Rosa is better for me. And you’re not going to make me feel guilty about it. You think I didn’t notice how often you ask about Benny? You’re obsessed with this loser. I’m not stupid. You’re the one who never noticed that Rosa used Benny to get to me. I’m not the asshole here. Hey, I really wanted to be friends with Benny. But you just couldn’t keep your hands off of him, huh?”ㅤㅤAntonio was now centimeters away from Stag, knife in hand.ㅤㅤ“Get the fuck out, Elena. Get the–”ㅤㅤStag blanked out again.ㅤㅤBut this time, she was on top of Antonio's lifeless body. A gigantic slash across his chest. Human blood dripping and spreading on the floor.ㅤㅤOh, no, she thought. This is not how Succubus kill. This is not protocol. This isn't the same as the way she killed Elena. This was worse. This—ㅤㅤA gasp behind her. Then a scream.ㅤㅤA neighbor. She must have heard the shouting. Horns. Sharp, long fangs. A tail. Slit pupils. Claws. Stag knew what she looked like right now. Stag stood up, pushed the neighbor out of the way, and ran.ㅤㅤShe ran and ran. She wanted to see Benny. She wanted to talk to him. She wanted to cry to him. She wanted to tell him what she was feeling. She wanted to tell him how painful it was to feel like she wasn't enough. She wanted to be honest with him and tell her what her goal was all along, so she could admit that what she really wanted was to find someone like him.ㅤㅤShe arrived at an empty street. Only one street light was on. A silhouette was underneath, but she could barely make out who it was.ㅤㅤIt was Benny.ㅤㅤWait—this is too convenient, Stag thought to herself.ㅤㅤStag, as confused as she was, began to approach him.ㅤㅤ"B—Benny? Why are you—"ㅤㅤSuddenly, she couldn't see. She had been blinded.ㅤㅤShe turned her back towards him and fell to the ground. She opened her eyes opposite of his direction toward what should have been the darkness. But instead, it was pure white. Everything had turned pure white. Stag's eyes were starting to burn, so she closed her eyes again.ㅤㅤ"What's—what's happening?!" Stag screamed in demonic language. Then she realized.ㅤㅤIt couldn't be. An angel.ㅤㅤ"D O N O T B E A F R A I D," the angel said in angelic language, which Stag was able to understand for some reason. Their voice echoed with a deep, commanding boom.ㅤㅤLaughable. Stag knew she was doomed. And the last words she would hear were ripped straight out of the New Testament.ㅤㅤ"Seriously—don't be afraid. Relax," The angel continued. The voice was a lot more mellow this time.ㅤㅤWhat?ㅤㅤ"This isn't Benny. I'm Azazel. Not to be confused with Azrael. You know? The Angel of Death? The one who killed a bunch of firstborns because their parents were stupid? Anyway. Don't worry. I'm not going to kill you."ㅤㅤStag was, for the billionth time that night, speechless.ㅤㅤ"Sorry for the spooky welcome. I thought it'd be funny," said Azazel.ㅤㅤStag sat silent, continuing to face the opposite direction.ㅤㅤ"Yeah, it's unfortunate that you can't really look at me," continued Azazel.ㅤㅤAzazel could tell how confused Stag was.ㅤㅤ"Um. Okay. I'll explain. I'm a Fallen angel. You know. Didn't like how things were being run. Fell from Heaven. Can't really own a physical form without God's blessing, so um. Here I am, sharing form with a human host. Look. I mean, don't physically look. I don't care that you killed Antonio. After seeing how he treated Benny, I was starting to think about it, too. Just joking. Anyway, I really didn't see this coming. You? A Succubus? You really gave it away with that dream Benny and I shared. You're a nasty one, Elena! Honestly, if I was still a real angel, I would have noticed you were a demon much earlier. No offense," said Azazel.ㅤㅤStag could not believe it. There isn't much known about how Heaven is run. Fallen angels are obviously a concept, since the founder of Hell's kingdom is Fallen himself. But the assumption is that Fallen angels fully become demons or reside in Hell. What was Azazel doing here?ㅤㅤ"I guess your name's not Elena, is it? Well, I'm not the Angel of Reading Minds. I told you my name. Tell me yours," Azazel said.ㅤㅤStag was skeptical and was honestly at Azazel's mercy.ㅤㅤ" . . . S—Stag," Stag said nervously with her eyes still closed.ㅤㅤ"’Sus Tag’, huh? Must be some new demonic language. Anyway, just wanted to let you know that I like this thing going on between you and Be—Oh, no."ㅤㅤStag looked up. It was Rosier. One of Asmo's strongest Incubae commanders. She quickly closed her eyes again.ㅤㅤ"Oh—Okay, let's calm down, Mr. Incubus—I'm not trying to pick a fight with you, let's just—"ㅤㅤStag heard a piercing sound—flesh being torn and ripped. Even with her eyes closed, she could tell. The pure white light was gone. Stag stood up slowly, opened her eyes, and turned around.ㅤㅤRosier had stabbed Benny's body straight through the heart. All the light from Azazel was gone.ㅤㅤStag screamed. She finally found someone she could talk to. Someone she didn't have to save face for every time she spoke to him. When she was at her lowest, her thoughts were full of him. And she just wanted to share one more memory with him. If there was a suspension-bridge effect leading to these feelings, then Azazel was the bridge, and Benny was Person B.ㅤㅤLove. Love. Love.ㅤㅤShe couldn't get her mind off of love. She couldn’t think of anything else. Was she in love? Maybe. All she knew was: She was obsessed.ㅤㅤShe fell in love.ㅤㅤHell’s greatest Succubus had fallen in love.ㅤㅤBut by the time she’d realized it, she had already been heartbroken.

• Back to ACT 2 Menu

Chapter 6 ● The Fountain and the Mall

ㅤㅤI feel a rush. Not a good one—like, the kind when all your blood is rushing to your head. I’m hanging from something.ㅤㅤI can’t even move. Slowly my vision unblurs, and I see the ground and sky reversed. An orange and red sky. My ears regain their hearing. It’s the sound of someone shrieking. But it doesn’t sound human.ㅤㅤThen it begins. I start to feel immense pain throughout my body. My head is thumping, with both a pounding and piercing pain. My view begins to get covered, as these branch-like objects appear. They appear to have wrapped themselves around my legs and arms, suspending me upside-down. More and more begin to grow from each other, until I am almost cocooned in a sphere of branches. But right before I’m completely covered, I catch a glimpse of where the screaming is coming from. I see a terrifying sight. It’s a horrific, eldritch creature. I can barely comprehend where its face begins and ends. Its flesh is melting and regrowing—you can see bones and muscle being torn apart. At the same time, more seem to take their place. Mangled body parts peeking out from its flesh, as if there were children within its body trying to escape. There are only a few main distinguishable features–a single horn that branches into four gigantic spikes and a pair of maroon-colored wings oozing with an indescribable substance.ㅤㅤMy view becomes entirely covered by the branches.●●●ㅤㅤI’m now in an abandoned town. The red sky is still there, but above me where it should be. In front of me is a quadrupedal creature. It’s almost like a canine beast of sorts. It has a pair of wings similar to the maroon wings from earlier, but they seem much smaller and physically solid. Just like the eldritch creature, this has a horn that separates into four horns—but these four horns are also smaller. I assume that it’s a juvenile version of that creature from earlier. I also notice a large, aquatic-esque tail—almost like a whale’s or a shark’s. Seeing how terrifying the grown version of it was, I hesitate to approach it.ㅤㅤBut I don’t control myself. I start to move toward it slowly, and the creature does the same. I reach out a hand to it. As I look down, I don’t see a hand, however. What I see is a pitch-black spike. Or claw. It’s hard to tell. The creature gets close to the spike and inspects it. It suddenly backs away for a bit. Then eases up again. Eventually, my spike hand slowly rubs the top of the creature’s head. I can barely tell, but it seems like the creature likes being petted. It doesn’t make a single sound through all of this.ㅤㅤAfter a while, the creature lightly bites my spike hand and pulls me. It lets go and begins to walk away. It then looks behind as if to say, “Follow me.”ㅤㅤI follow it through the abandoned town. The desolate environment seems somewhat nostalgic. Buildings that seem to be made of the same material throughout are collapsed. Small tents and cabins demolished. We finally get to what appears to be the center of this town. It’s a circular-shaped plaza of sorts with a broken fountain. The creature dashes toward the fountain and gestures for me to look inside the fountain’s bowl using its snout. I walk over slowly. As I peer over in the bowl, we see a body.ㅤㅤIt’s a young woman. I inspect closely. She seems alive.ㅤㅤI make some sort of sound, but I can’t understand myself. The creature nudges me in response. It seems the creature doesn’t want to wake up the woman and would rather me wake her up in its stead. My naive fearlessness brings me closer to the woman. I look at her face. I know she’s a woman. But for some reason, my consciousness tells me that her existence is a mystery to me. As if I had never seen a woman before. I begin to shake her. She slowly wakes up, she opens her eyes, and flinches.ㅤㅤShe looks at me. Then she looks at the creature and shrieks. The creature suddenly gets in a defensive position without making a sound. I just get taken aback.ㅤㅤThe woman stops screaming. She takes a deep breath and sighs.ㅤㅤ“Deep breaths. Deeeeeep breaths,” she says.ㅤㅤI inch closer to her. I gently poke her hand with my spike.ㅤㅤ“Oh! Wow—You’re adorable! Oh, I guess. I guess you can’t understand me, can you?” she says.ㅤㅤI stare at her with no response.ㅤㅤ“Looks like the case. Well, sorry for screaming—” she turns toward the creature, “you just caught me off guard! That’s all. Please don’t attack me, okay?” she says.ㅤㅤThe creature nods. I glance at it in confusion.ㅤㅤ“Um. Even if you can’t understand me, hopefully, the sounds you’re hearing will stick with you? I don’t know. Well anyway . . . ” she continues.ㅤㅤThe woman is friendly.ㅤㅤ“I’m Joni. It’s nice to meet you two cuties!”

●●●ㅤㅤFuck! What the hell? What the hell, what the hell?!ㅤㅤBlueballed for the billionth time?! I can’t believe my subconsciousness was creative enough to include Joni—a person I've never met before—in my nonsensical dream. Random-ass backstory for someone who is essentially fictional to me. Haha.ㅤㅤVein is once again waking me up.ㅤㅤ“Breakfast, Don! Breakfast! AAAAAAAAA!” Vein says.ㅤㅤThat’s one thing that’s never changed about Vein. Her abhorrent screaming.ㅤㅤ“Wait, Vein. I have to write something down real quick,” I say as I get up to my desk to jot my dream down.ㅤㅤ“Hm? What are you writing?” Vein asks.ㅤㅤ“It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it, Vein,” I say.ㅤㅤ“Ehe! Hm? Is that a diary?” Vein asks.ㅤㅤ“D . . . Diary? No! It’s a dream journal. Don’t make it sound any more lame than it already does!” I cry.ㅤㅤ“Ahaha! Don’s Diary! Oh. Sorry. Don’s Not Lame Diary,” Vein responds.ㅤㅤI just sigh, and we head down the stairs. I’ll write it down later. I have a pretty good memory. Kind of.ㅤㅤIt’s Saturday. The restaurant is closed. Stag will be dropping Vein off at her capoeira class. I’ll usually clean around the house or do some light groceries. Errands here and there.ㅤㅤBut today, I’m going to be hanging out with Helix and Ante—we made plans last weekend to try and find gifts together for Crescent’s birthday this Wednesday. Otherwise, Crescent would usually be invited to these hangouts. Unlike me, Helix and Ante are very online and have big social media presences—more-so Helix than Ante, though. Crescent is online, too, but she never posts on her accounts—she just browses through her feed.ㅤㅤAnd so, Ante and I force Helix to promise not to post anything. Don’t want Crescent to have FOMO and ask why we hung out without her. She already gets ’dehumanized’ too easily.ㅤㅤYes, Shophar and Ante are best friends. But honestly, Shophar is the one who never wants to hang out with us. She always has her own night plans.ㅤㅤBut think about it. Ante is like, the chillest person, right? And Shophar’s, like. Evil. Shophar is only ever really talkative when she’s chilling with Ante. I don’t get it—must be some weird friendship dynamic, but I’m with it.ㅤㅤCome to think of it, I don’t think I’ve talked about Shophar enough. You might be thinking, “How in the world is Shophar a waitress when she’s so bitchy all the time?”ㅤㅤWell. That’s the thing. We have some weird-ass customers. Shophar does her job extremely well from a technical perspective. She checks in on customers regularly, takes orders swiftly, and customers are satisfied. But she does not put on a customer service mask. She acts the exact same in and out of work. She’s ironically the realest of us all at JJ’s. Anyway, yeah. Our customers? They enjoy it. They literally like being bashed and disrespected by Shophar. She’s super snarky and a smart-ass with our customers, but they love it. We even have a select few customers that specifically request for Shophar to be their waitress. I don’t know, man. Well. I say that, but in all reality: Shophar is hot as fuck. She’s a succubus, dude. I mean. Come on. But hey—it’s because I know she’s a succubus that I don’t let it faze me. Trust me. If I were going to get dished by someone from JJ’s, it would be Anvil.ㅤㅤOk, ok. Back to today’s events. I’m actually pretty excited. I always enjoy my time with Helix and Ante. I’ll admit—I get nervous with them, but I’m definitely comfortable with them. Helix always turns our talking topics into drama and/or the inside scoop on the other employees. She’s a ‘bubbly, gleeshy girl’. Vein’s words. Speaking of Vein—Vein absolutely LOVES Helix. Because Vein is a sheltered, homeschooled girl, Helix tries to teach a little her bit about the real world. Or so she says. I have no idea what they talk about when Helix is in the break room alone with Vein. I’ve seen Helix pick up Vein and rub her own face against Vein’s. Vein would usually love this, but Helix’s horns stick out from the sides of her head. Which make it a little difficult for Vein to do face-to-face hugs like that. I’ll give Stag some credit for the name Helix. Her horns really are shaped like helices. They’re literal spirals coming out of the sides. Kind of gives them the illusion of side ponytails. Also, she loves to wear her hair in space buns. I don’t know—probably a stupid detail, but I think it’s kind of cute.ㅤㅤIn case you don’t know, demons get their names in Hell. But we don’t usually get those details when Stag introduces a new demon. Helix’s name could have been ‘Spiral’ back in Hell for all we know. That’s what I mean when I say that Stag gives us our names.ㅤㅤMost of us don’t have any memories from when we were in Hell.ㅤㅤYou can probably imagine from my earlier list of demons who I first met at JJ’s, Helix joined the team late. She literally joined us just last year. Which is wild, because you honestly wouldn’t be able to tell. This social butterfly inserted herself into our group so quickly, you’d think she was a childhood friend.ㅤㅤOkay. So I don’t really have a car, but I don’t really mind. I love riding my Vespa. Yes, I could look cooler with a motorcycle like Tel. But two things:ㅤㅤ1. I associate motorcycles with Tel.
ㅤㅤ2. I associate motorcycles with the accident I apparently had as a child.
ㅤㅤ3. Oh, wait. One more. Scooters are just cuter.

●●●ㅤㅤI ride my Vespa to Helix’s place, where us three meet up. We greet each other and take Helix’s car. We leave on the way to the nearby mall.ㅤㅤ“Sooooo . . . ,” Helix began, “What are we going to do while the restaurant is closed?”ㅤㅤOh. I just remembered Stag told me a little bit over dinner about that topic.ㅤㅤ“Stag told me a little bit over dinner about that topic,” I say. Fuck. I hate when my thoughts project one-to-one with my words. I think about some fucked-up stuff, so I need to be wary of that. What if spoke my thoughts about Anvil or Cerus out loud?ㅤㅤ“Oh? What did she say?” Helix asks enthusiastically.ㅤㅤ“She told me not to tell you guys when I hang out today,” I say.ㅤㅤ“. . . ,” Helix goes silent.ㅤㅤ“I’m just playing. She said she didn’t mind. So—we’ve had good numbers financially the last two years, and Stag wanted to expand our ‘fine-dining’ atmosphere some more with a full bar. As for how we’ll be paid for the next month . . . ” I explain and pause for dramatic effect.ㅤㅤ“Well?” Helix says impatiently.ㅤㅤ“Paid leave, baby!” I reveal to them.ㅤㅤ“WOOP WOOP WOOP WOOOOOOO!” Helix cheers her weird-ass signature cheer.ㅤㅤ“Oh, my God, that’s sweet!” cheers Ante. God, she’s so chill. She’s on her phone so she seems to be only half-attentive.ㅤㅤ“Wow. How is JJ’s able to afford that?” asks Helix.ㅤㅤ“I dunno. Stag is a mystery makeshift mom. Hehe. Alliteration,” I say out loud.ㅤㅤThe car falls silent.ㅤㅤI literally just talked about not doing this out loud. Whatever. They know me well enough.ㅤㅤPause. This isn’t the mall. Where are we? This is an apartment complex. Not a mall. Apartment.ㅤㅤ“Um. Helix?” I ask.ㅤㅤ“Surprise! We’re picking up . . . badum . . . badum . . . ” Helix begins to answer.ㅤㅤPlease no. Don’t tell me.ㅤㅤ“Cerus!”ㅤㅤAha.ㅤㅤI see Cerus exit the front door. That explains why Ante was on her phone. She was texting Cerus that we were almost here. Ante is in the passenger. Which means. Bro.ㅤㅤ“Hi, Cerus! Glad you could join us!” says Ante.ㅤㅤ“H—hey, guys! And Don!” she says.ㅤㅤ’And Don’? Kill me.ㅤㅤ“Get comfortable in the back! But not too comfortable, haha!” Helix laughs. After a few seconds, she shakes her head and looks disappointed.ㅤㅤ“Seriously. I’m watching you, Don,” Helix says, looking at me through the rearview.ㅤㅤI swear today’s the day I’m going to kill Helix. Ante elbows Helix. Helix says a slight ‘ow’ but brushes it off. As Cerus gets in the backseat, I catch myself staring at her.ㅤㅤShe’s got curly hair, similar to Crescent. But it’s just a little more unkempt, which I find really cute. It's cut much shorter above her chin. She even braided one part of her hair. Obsessed. The main thing that distinguishes her hair is her bangs. They cover majority of her forehead, but you can barely see her thick eyebrows. Her long eyelashes are my favorite. Okay. I’ll stop before I give off the wrong impression.ㅤㅤWait, wait. Also, she’s got a cute, small nose—a mole sits right underneath her lips, and she’s got some scattered freckles. Oh, oh! Her pointed demon ears—which human don’t see, of course—are much longer than mine. Only one dangling earring.ㅤㅤUh, yeah. Now you know what she looks like. You just get a few more extra details than usual. Oh, and her outfit is insanely cute, by the way. Actually losing my mind. She’s wearing a white dress shirt underneath an oversized baby blue sweater. Navy blue grid-patterned miniskirt. Chelseas.ㅤㅤOkay, now I’m really done.ㅤㅤWait, looking at her sweater makes me think of her shoulder. Which makes me think of that secret of hers I’m keeping. Which makes me realize that I haven’t really thought about it much. Probably because her leaning on my chest afterwards kind of distracted me.ㅤㅤWas that self-harm? Is she being abused at home? These apartments are super small, though. I can’t imagine more than two people living in one of these. Does she live with someone? Do I need to kill a motherfucker?ㅤㅤUgh. Let’s just focus on the task at hand.ㅤㅤOh, wait, ok—Ok. Last one. I promise. Her horn. A singular horn, coming from her forehead. At the tip of this main horn are four smaller horn protrusions that branch out—ㅤㅤWait.ㅤㅤHow obsessed am I with Cerus that I projected her horns onto that dog-thing from my dreams?ㅤㅤ“U—um. Hey, Don,” Cerus finally speaks up.ㅤㅤShiiiiiit. Look away. No, wait. Makes it obvious. Look directly at her face. Be casual.ㅤㅤ“Hey, Cerus!” I say, over-enthusiastically.ㅤㅤShe’s the one who turns away in embarrassment. She must still be uncomfortable about our last encounter. I don't care. That shit is so cute, bro.ㅤㅤThe rest of the car ride is some good small talk. Ante never really had a chance to talk to Cerus, so a majority of the conversation is between them two getting to know each other.

●●●ㅤㅤWe get to the mall. Ante hits it off with Cerus, and it seems like they're getting along well. Frankly, I don't think there's a single person who wouldn't get along with Ante. That was confusing. Double negative, but you get my point. Ante is chill.ㅤㅤSo they're walking side-by-side. Meanwhile, Helix and I follow behind them shortly. Now's my chance to get pissed off at Helix.ㅤㅤ"Helix. Why didn't you tell me, you actual idiot?" I say, quietly.ㅤㅤ"Don, I'm sorry! I thought it'd be funny, that's all! It—it's actually kind of backfiring, though . . . ," Helix responds.ㅤㅤ"Ugh. Whatever. Wait, what do you mean backfiring?" I ask.ㅤㅤ"N—nothing! I'm sorry, that's all! I should've told you! Ok, ok—W—what should we get Crescent?" she responds and asks.ㅤㅤFine, I won't stay mad at her. She seems kind of shaken up at me being pissed. I'm just a little bit upset. In a way, Helix is kind of cute when she's flustered like this. Although, not as much as Cerus. No offense.ㅤㅤ"Easy. New pillowcase. Or a new pillow," I answer.ㅤㅤ"Don, come on. We did that last year! And we also did stuffed animals, so don't suggest that, either. I mean, she did say that she'll never get tired of getting stuffed animals and plushies as gifts, but I want to make it special this year—She's turning 22!" Helix replies.ㅤㅤOh, yeah. We did do that last year. Huh. Maybe my memory isn't as good as I give it credit for. Also.ㅤㅤ"22? Is it really that special of a year?" I ask.ㅤㅤ"I don't know. It's a nice, even number," Helix responds.ㅤㅤHelix is that friend. You know, the one who goes over the top for any event. When Crescent first made an Instagram account, Helix bought her a cake for it. It was so fucking stupid. But memorable. Also, we didn't just buy plushies for her birthday last year. Helix made it so that each of the plushies had small personal birthday cards written and placed inside their zippers. The catch is that the cards were actually acrostic poems that spelled out the location of gift cards scattered around the break room for her to scavenger hunt. And she made both Ante and I write our own acrostics. It was so unnecessary. And stupid, considering how lazy Crescent is.ㅤㅤImpulsively, I blurt out the worst thing imaginable.ㅤㅤ"Maybe a notebook would be nice? She sleeps a lot—maybe she'd want to start a dream journal. I don't know."ㅤㅤShut up, shut up, shut up! Why did I say that?ㅤㅤ"Don, haha! You're bugging. That's so goofy! Who even writes dream journals?" Helix replies, chuckling.ㅤㅤAlright. I know it's not Helix's fault directly, but I can't help being slightly irritated.ㅤㅤ"Okay, Helix. Fine. You know what? I'll just get her that. A nice, expensive notebook she could use one way or another. That's my thoughtful gift. Come up with your own and stop asking me if you're going to shoot it down with no better suggestion, bro," I say.ㅤㅤHelix looks devastated.ㅤㅤ"Don! I—I'm sorry! I didn't mean it like that! Don, seriously! I was just—"ㅤㅤ"Alright," I interrupt.ㅤㅤ"No! For real, Don! I just like to tease you! Don't take it like that! I know you're into dreams and stuff. I wouldn't be surprised if you had your own dream journal, and I'd fully respect that! I—I—I just wanted to poke fun," Helix desperately tries to explain.ㅤㅤShe continues, “I'm sorry I tease you too much, Don. I don't mean for it to come across that way. I know Tel and Shophar both tease you in a mean way, and you usually pay more attention to them than me. I've honestly been trying to be a bit more harsh to you lately—I'll admit. You just haven't been paying attention to me recently. A—as friends, of course."ㅤㅤTch. What a stupid thing to admit.ㅤㅤ"Don't be so roundabout it. Just tell me if something I'm doing or not doing is bothering you, and I'll fix it. You're kind of an important friend who's done a lot to help me, and I'll try to change for the better. I don't pick up social cues very well and have trouble hyperfocusing on random things. You have to be direct with me, or I won't notice. Then I get a little frustrated. I don't know, man," I respond.

ㅤㅤHer face is flushed red. She must be embarrassed over admitting to being passive-aggressive.ㅤㅤ" . . . and cooking isn't actually as hard as a lot of people think. You could probably set aside an hour per day with—You two okay, back there?" Ante interrupts her own conversation with Cerus after noticing us getting louder behind.ㅤㅤ"N—nothing, it's nothing! Nothing. We're good. I was just telling Don that I left something in the car. I’ll get it later. Let's k—keep finding gifts. Any thoughts?" Helix replies with a question.ㅤㅤIt’s rare to find Helix so nervous. I tell you, man. I’m built different.ㅤㅤ"I would think jewelry, since Crescent is into fashion. But then again, it might not be what you'd imagine for a gift from her best friends," answers Ante.ㅤㅤ"Um!" Cerus interjects.ㅤㅤWe all look at her as we go down an escalator.ㅤㅤ"I . . . I don't know Crescent very well. But her hair is pretty similar to mine! She seems to have a lot of volume to her hair, so maybe a cute scrunchie would be a good gift for her?" suggests Cerus.ㅤㅤAll three of us are so absorbed with Cerus' lovable innocence, and—without caring what she actually said—agree wholeheartedly.ㅤㅤ"Oh, that's genius, Cerus!" says Helix.ㅤㅤ"I’m down for that!” says Ante.ㅤㅤCerus blushes. Eye candy.ㅤㅤAnte is a shopaholic and the most fashionable of us all here. She often goes to this mall with Shophar and would easily be able to find us a cute scrunchie.ㅤㅤAs we walk through the mall, I hear a piano playing. It's the music store. I urge the three to stop by. Ahem. My ulterior motive is to show off my decent piano skills to Cerus.ㅤㅤI think Helix starts to catch on. She sighs, but gives in. She herself knows a little bit of the piano I've taught her. But let me tell you—Helix has a great singing voice. Ante is nothing to joke, either. They both have angelic voices. Angelic? I meant. Haha. Nevermind, I'll stop those kinds of jokes. I know you don't laugh at them anyway.ㅤㅤI open the door for the girls. Upon closing the door behind me, I see a child standing still next to a pillar connected with the escalators. The area is dimly lit, so the child is mostly a silhouette to me. A boy? I’m leaning toward boy, but I’m unsure. I can see the kid holding hands with someone taller, but they’re behind the pillar. I can’t see very well, but . . .ㅤㅤI think the kid’s looking at me.ㅤㅤIt’s unnerving. I can barely see their eyes, but I don’t even think I’ve seen them blink.ㅤㅤBefore I can get a closer look, the hand pulls the kid, and they disappear into the area behind the escalator.ㅤㅤFuckin’ creepy-ass kid.●●●ㅤㅤThis music store is pretty chill. It's called Windmill Music & Arts. Its logo is this cute windmill with a treble clef in the center. The owner and employees let you try out keyboards, pianos, and guitars. They even have an almost-soundproof drum room.ㅤㅤWe jam out a bit to some popular songs, to which Helix and Ante sing along quietly to. I hum a little bit while I play. I can sing decently, but my range sucks. I also can't multitask and sing alongside piano.ㅤㅤHelix and her extroverted-self urge Cerus to sing, too. Cerus admits she knows the songs but can't really sing that well. Ante and I both can tell Cerus is shy about singing. So we tell her it's no pressure.ㅤㅤBut Helix urges her a little more. Come on, Helix! For someone who can usually read the atmosphere, what the hell are you doing, dude?ㅤㅤ"I—I'm sorry. I don't really like my own singing voice," Cerus responds.ㅤㅤ"Come on, Helix, let's just jam out!" I say, trying to keep the mood up.ㅤㅤ"Yeah, but I don't want her to feel left out," says Helix.ㅤㅤ"No, it's okay! You all sing really well! I just like listening," Cerus admits.ㅤㅤHelix looks disappointed, but we continue. We have a great time. At one point, I see Cerus lip-syncing along to some of the songs in the reflection of the baby grand I'm playing on.ㅤㅤMy eyes wander to the left. A little bit past the guitar section. It's an assortment of other instruments. I see the wind instruments and remember the Windmill dream I had as a kid. You know, the one where Crescent napped on me. How fitting for the music store I'm at.ㅤㅤHold on. Wait. This is probably not a coincidence. I’m going to go out of my comfort zone.ㅤㅤ"Don, why'd you stop?" asked Ante.ㅤㅤ"We . . . We should get Crescent . . . We should get her a flute," I say.

• Back to ACT 2 Menu

Chapter 7 ● The Oboe and the Flute

ㅤㅤ"Huh?" Helix says, "That is the most random thing you've said in a while, Don."ㅤㅤEven Ante looks confused.ㅤㅤ"Wait. Hasn't Crescent told you all how she wanted to play a wind instrument as a kid?" I say, trying to explain myself.ㅤㅤ"No?" Helix says as she and Ante look at each other for confirmation. Cerus is just spectating, looking directly at me as I speak.ㅤㅤ"We were talking about instruments as kids. You know, back when I started taking piano lessons. She mentioned how she watched some princess movie with a soundtrack using the oboe. She liked the sound of it and asked her mom what instrument it was. I guess her mom was musically inclined and could tell an oboe from other wind instruments? Anyway, she told me she was interested in playing one but avoided it because of her asthma," I explain.ㅤㅤThen I add a little more teasing. As revenge.ㅤㅤ"Come on, Helix! You usually know everything about everybody at JJ's!" I say with a smirk.ㅤㅤHelix looks bewildered. She then collects herself, albeit with a little bit of clear nervousness. She's easy to read.ㅤㅤ"Tsk, tsk, Don. I—I knew that. She told me, too. I just. Forgot. That's all," Helix says.ㅤㅤAlright. I just give her a glare.ㅤㅤ"I'm playing! Just joking—h, my God! Um. I'm just a little bit salty that Crescent didn't tell me that at some point. Hmph," Helix says jokingly.ㅤㅤAnte speaks up, “I mean, it makes sense. Crescent could have told Don that when they were little. If anything, I'm the one who should feel left out, since I knew them, too. But it's okay! We were just kids, after all.” She's so chill.ㅤㅤ"I thought it's fine for asthmatic people to play wind instruments, though," Helix says.ㅤㅤ"Yeah. It's fine if it's not severe asthma. She would be fine. Maybe it's a complex about not wanting to be a musician like her mom?" I interject.ㅤㅤ"I think that's overthinking it," says Helix.ㅤㅤGrr. It was just an idea. She’s getting on my nerves.ㅤㅤ"W—wait. If she likes oboes, why a flute?" Cerus suddenly asks.ㅤㅤ"Yeah, I was going to ask that, too," says Helix.ㅤㅤI breathe in.ㅤㅤ"I saw it in a dream," I answer.ㅤㅤEveryone just stares at me for a few seconds. Helix had better not laugh.ㅤㅤ"I—I can explain! Crescent is a Mare, right? A dream demon? But she, like, sucks at being a Mare and can’t control her powers, right? So . . . one time—long time ago—she napped on me. And—and that night I had a specific dream—"ㅤㅤ"Don. I'm not going to poke fun at you. Um. I want to trust you, but it's just that flutes aren't a cheap gift. If we do get her a wind instrument, wouldn't it make more sense to get an oboe?" Helix says.ㅤㅤI’m peeved at Helix constantly shooting me down, but…she makes a valid point. Even so—I want to convince them of Crescent’s dream-inducing abilities. That her subconscious wishes can be more trustworthy than her spoken ones.ㅤㅤHesitantly, I explain the happy-go-lucky windmill dream, despite how stupid it sounds. You remember the detail about the Ulma demon transforming into a windmill hut? Shit's embarrassing to say out loud. In front of Cerus.ㅤㅤ"But it makes sense, right? Since she's a Mare? 'Sleep-paralysis' demons? They can induce nightmares! But Cerus sucks at it? You said that yourself, right, Ante? And Helix—you told me it’s because she’s the descendent of Belphegor! So because she's not good at giving nightmares—instead, I got a really nice, relaxing dream? And it's, like, a projection of her thoughts? Right? That makes sense? You three have had sleepovers last year! At some point you must have experienced it, too!" I say as I finish my thoughts, attempting to finally vindicate myself.ㅤㅤHelix and Ante look at each other again, while Cerus nods her head in agreement. Looks like it makes sense to her, at least.ㅤㅤAnte is the one who speaks up.ㅤㅤ"Don—That would make sense, but . . . I think you misunderstand what I said to you back then. When I said that ‘Crescent isn't good at giving nightmares’, I meant that, well, she doesn't give nightmares at all. She can’t project or induce dreams. At all. She has none of her powers as a Mare.”ㅤㅤHuh?ㅤㅤ"I mean, I can't 100% prove it. I’ve never directly asked her. But yeah, at those sleepovers—I just had normal dreams. We usually slept over at Helix's. Crescent and I would always share a couch bed. She would sleep right next to me. For one of those sleepovers, I had a weird dream about being a spy. The next time we slept over, it was a moderately scary dream about zombies. I think we had just watched a movie about zombies. Yeah, that was it. I didn't consider it a nightmare. The third sleepover—well, I can't remember what my dream was. But I don't remember it being anything significant. Or anything that would be a projection from Crescent. If that makes sense," Ante explains.ㅤㅤI don’t give up.ㅤㅤ"Maybe she didn't touch you? Don't Mares have to make physical skin contact with their victims?" I ask in desperation.ㅤㅤ"Crescent moves a lot in her sleep. I've waken up in the middle of the night with her hand on my face. If she did have the abilities of a Mare demon, then at some point in those three sleepovers, her abilities would have affected my dreams," Ante confirms.ㅤㅤI probably need to clarify something. Historically, demons' abilities weren't just for human victims. Demons can affect other demons. If they're the same demonkind, though, the effects might be less severe or won't work at all. But either way—yes, they can use their abilities on each other.ㅤㅤWhen a demon finds a human host through Permapos, their powers weaken. Depending on the host's age and mental state—as well as affinity to the demon—they can keep at least a little bit of their powers.ㅤㅤBut for Mare demons, this law is somewhat muddled. It's completely unpredictable. There’s even a chance for a Mare's powers to actually get stronger than when they were in Hell. According to Stag.ㅤㅤOur only Mares are Stag, Shophar, and Crescent. Stag is a succubus, but she lost all of her abilities to induce dreams. Shophar’s got stronger, so she has to be careful with her abilities. For Crescent, my assumption was that she still has her powers, but they’re weakened. How did a conversation go from talking about a flute to me questioning everything I thought I knew about one of my best friends?ㅤㅤBasically, if what Ante said is true—that Crescent has no dream abilities—then what was that dream? Was it just a coincidence that the dream I had while Crescent napped on me involved a windmill and a wind instrument? Like, Crescent didn’t tell me about the oboe thing until after I had the dream.ㅤㅤI know it wasn’t a normal dream. Crescent has to have weakened dream abilities. Something. Some kind of ability.ㅤㅤI decide to lie.ㅤㅤ“Okay! Okay. Maybe Cerus doesn’t have the power to control dreams. And maybe I didn’t tell her about this dream out of embarrassment for it. She still said that she would be interested in the flute!” I say.ㅤㅤThat didn't happen. The word 'flute' has never left Crescent's mouth. At least not in front of me.ㅤㅤI’m starting to realize that this fight is literally not worth it. Now I’m lying to my friends. Who cares about the flute anymore? I’m even embarrassing myself in front of Cerus. I’m being so impulsive. Maybe I’m full of pride right now, but I just can’t take the idea of being wrong for so long. There’s literally no way that dream wasn’t some kind of special dream. It couldn’t have been a coincidence. My breathing starts to lose its rhythm.ㅤㅤ“Really? Hm . . .” Helix ponders.ㅤㅤ“Don?” I hear Cerus speak, “Why don’t we just ask her?”ㅤㅤ“I . . . ” I start to speak, but look at Cerus.ㅤㅤ“Don, let’s ask her,” Helix agrees. I give in.ㅤㅤWe leave the music store for the call.ㅤㅤAnte pulls out her phone, calls Crescent, and gestures for us to be quiet.ㅤㅤ“Hey, Crescent! Yeah, I’m just at the grocery store. Mhm. Yeah. Oh, I wanted to ask you something. I know it’s really sudden, but I’ll tell you straight up. Do you have any demon powers?”ㅤㅤThe rest of us wait eagerly.ㅤㅤ“Ah, ok. Wow. Why? Oh, I was just curious. We never really have demon talk, you know? Yeah, that was it. Sorry it was so sudden. Me? Oh, I was apparently an insignificant demon. A vengeful demon, is what I’m called. Yeah, I can do a little bit. Yeah. Physical strength. Yep, that’s why I’d always win any athletic games when we were kids,” Ante tells Crescent over the phone.ㅤㅤSome small talk after that. Ante says goodbye and soon ends the call. She looks at us.ㅤㅤ“She doesn’t. She doesn’t have any powers,” Ante confirms.ㅤㅤWhat the fuck.ㅤㅤ“Okay—So she’s basically a normal human girl, but with horns, sharp fangs, and pointy ears,” asserts Helix.ㅤㅤWhat the fuck.ㅤㅤ“I mean. It’s not really a big deal, right? All this means is that Don misunderstood something. It doesn’t change the fact that Crescent would love to play the oboe. I think it’d be cute. Let's all chip in to get her an oboe. Nothing pushes someone to learn how to do something than a gift,” Helix concludes.ㅤㅤAnte agrees, while I’m just here devastated. I don’t know why I’m so upset, but I’m going to get to the bottom of this.ㅤㅤ“Um! I have an idea. Can we try something?” Cerus suddenly says with confidence, “Let’s ask Crescent what she thinks of windmills. It’s a weird question, but it wouldn’t reveal anything directly about the birthday gift. Whatever she answers would probably give us another clue as to what Don dreamt about. I also think it’s too specific to be a coincidence, especially if she’s interested in the flute like Don said.”ㅤㅤI love her. Okay, maybe not like that. Not yet, at least. I am just swooning, is all. I feel even more guilty for lying now.ㅤㅤHelix, who seemed satisfied with buying an oboe, gives in to Cerus. Because who wouldn’t?ㅤㅤAnte calls again and asks the question nonchalantly. Her excuse is “it’s for a personality quiz”.ㅤㅤAnte and Crescent talk for a few more minutes.ㅤㅤ“Crescent said she associates windmills with the Windmill music store at this mall. She suddenly went on a tangent about how much she loves when we jam out here and wants to hang out soon,” Ante says.ㅤㅤNothing conclusive.ㅤㅤ“And that she loves the wind instrument section,” Ante reveals.ㅤㅤOh, shit. This is huge. Wait. Not really. Still doesn’t narrow it down between oboe and flute. This does mean something, though.ㅤㅤ“I know what you’re all thinking. That my windmill dream was just my own dream. That it has nothing to do with Crescent. But I swear. I’ve never looked at the wind instrument section ‘til today,” I say as a final hail mary. No lie this time.ㅤㅤNo one seems convinced. Helix suddenly speaks up.ㅤㅤ“At this point, I think we should just vote for one or the other. I’m sure Crescent would like one or the other, it sounds like. Let’s not think too hard about all the dream stuff. Let’s just focus on her birthday. Who says we go with the oboe?”ㅤㅤShe’s right. I’m not 100% convinced, but I should come back to my senses and focus on the birthday.ㅤㅤOnly Helix and Ante raise their hands. I swear Cerus is flirting with me by doing this, dude.ㅤㅤ“Well, this does us no good. We could probably afford both, but they’re different instruments. I wouldn’t want her to try and learn both at once, haha,” Helix says as a follow-up.ㅤㅤHelix looks at me with a smirk.ㅤㅤ“RPS?” she asks.ㅤㅤRock, paper, scissors. The best way to solve a major financial decision.ㅤㅤ“Best out of three?” I respond.ㅤㅤ“Let’s do it,” Helix says.ㅤㅤWithin two rounds, RPS is over.ㅤㅤ“I hate this! You’re always cheating somehow!” Helix cries.ㅤㅤ“Hehe,” I chuckle.ㅤㅤHelix continues to be a sore loser and says, “Whatever, fine! Let’s buy a fl—“ㅤㅤMy vision blurs, a sharp, high-pitched sound bursts through my ears, and I shut my eyes in pain.ㅤㅤBefore I even get to shout, the sound is gone.ㅤㅤI open my eyes.ㅤㅤNothing happened.ㅤㅤI’m still at the mall. I’m with the three girls. We just finished our game of RPS.ㅤㅤ“BOOM, Don!” Helix gleefully cheers.ㅤㅤI look down and see my hands in a fist and hers with her palm facing me.ㅤㅤ“Best out of five, haha! Shouldn’t have offered to keep going! But you took your chances!” Helix gloats as she puts her hand on her hips.ㅤㅤ“Wha—But I—“ㅤㅤ“No, Don! You called me a sore loser earlier—you’re not allowed to be one, too!” Helix declares.ㅤㅤI am so taken aback by what’s happening that I just keep quiet.ㅤㅤHelix continues, “By the way, Don—a flute is way more difficult to play than an oboe!”ㅤㅤShe’s rubbing her victory in my face. I know she’s just teasing, but it’s a little frustrating, considering what she said earlier.ㅤㅤ“Stop being a sore winner. Let’s be mature and move on,” I say.ㅤㅤEveryone can tell I’m irritated, but it’s less from Helix and more from…whatever the hell just happened. Helix stops pestering. I hope I didn’t make the situation too awkward.ㅤㅤWe buy an oboe.

●●●ㅤㅤWith the gift out of the way, we spend the rest of the day at the mall just messing around. We feel a little bit guilty about excluding Crescent, but it’s just for the one time. Plus, more time with Cerus. Ante, of course, buys a few clothes. Plenty of good sales today. It’s a good stress relief. We’ve mostly gotten over the minor arguments from earlier.ㅤㅤBut I’m not over what happened to me. I have zero recollection of going for best-out-of-five. It feels like I was on the verge of a panic attack earlier. Not only that, but in all honesty, that dream situation really hurt my self-esteem. Who thought that the nicest dream I’ve had would be the most fucking obnoxious?ㅤㅤWe head back into Helix’s car. Helix suggests we form a group chat to plan for the birthday gift. Like, to decide who will wrap it and present it to Crescent. We decide together for Ante to hold onto it.ㅤㅤBut you know what that means? Haha. That’s right—Cerus’ number, baby! Aha. I’m so fucking stupid. Gleeshing over getting a girl’s number. And not even from asking her directly. Help.ㅤㅤBefore we leave the parking lot, the group chat is formed. Ante starts it off by sending a wholesome ‘Hi!’ GIF. Helix sends a stupid meme. I say ‘yo’, and Cerus says ‘hi’. After that, we start heading home.ㅤㅤI stare out the car window and expect to start having more thoughts about the conversation earlier. We’re all tired, so it’ll probably be a silent car ride home, unlike the ride from home.ㅤㅤInstead, I get a new text. Must be the group chat. Wait. Waaaaaaait. Haha. What. It’s from Cerus. Like, only Cerus. It says the following:ㅤㅤㅤㅤhey don. i have 1 more idea gor your dreamㅤㅤOh, she just sent another text:ㅤㅤㅤㅤ*forㅤㅤI turn to my right and look at her. It’s the evening, but I can see she’s embarrassed. Aha.ㅤㅤI text her:ㅤㅤㅤㅤhey cerus! thanks for having my back earlier! but what do you mean? :0ㅤㅤShe answers:ㅤㅤㅤㅤill tell u later. im going to do something. dnt be surprisedㅤㅤHuh? What is she about to do?ㅤㅤI look at her with confusion.ㅤㅤShe turns to the right, staring at the window. Being extremely stealthy, Cerus slowly reaches her hand over to my side while keeping her head turned toward the window.ㅤㅤShe brushes her soft fingers across my right hand, as if she were just trying to find it. She then grabs my hand.ㅤㅤMy heart is. Aha. It’s on fire. Or thumping. Whatever the fuck. I don’t fucking know. Shit. Shit. Aha. What is happening.ㅤㅤShe lets go.ㅤㅤShe looks to me. For about a second. I catch her face completely flushed red in between the street lights shining through the car window. She turns back toward the window.ㅤㅤI’m sure I’m also flushed and red.

• Back to ACT 2 Menu

Chapter 8 ● The Droneheads and the Fireworks

ㅤㅤHelix and Ante have zero idea. I spend the rest of the car ride thinking about Cerus. Simple as that. I may never wash this hand again.ㅤㅤJust joking. Just fucking joking. Ok. Ok. Ok. I'll do a better job of thinking rationally so that half my thoughts aren't just me cursing about Cerus.ㅤㅤWe unfortunately drop Cerus off at her house. We say our goodbyes there, arrive at Helix's, and Ante and I go back home. We would usually try to hang out at Helix's after, but we are knocked out.ㅤㅤBut as tired as I am—after I arrive home and clean myself up—I can't sleep. And don't worry, we ate dinner at the mall. So I’m not any more malnourished than usual.ㅤㅤI lay in bed and stare at the ceiling. A very stereotypical teenage moment. Except I'm not a teenager, I'm a grown-ass man.ㅤㅤ’dnt be surprised’—that's what she texted before she did that. Of course I'm going to be fucking surprised. Ok, look. I'm not an absolute incel who loses his mind at a girl's touch. I tried dating this girl that went to Helix’s high school. I forget how I met her. I think it was at an art show. Funnily enough, we bonded over our mutual love of space and astrophysics. Not art. She was kind of nerdy and wanted a "mysterious silent" type guy. She confessed to me, I think? We dated for not even two months. Helix knew the girl in one of her classes last year. And hated her. Helix was so pissed that I dated her—She didn't even talk to me outside of work back then. That relationship was a disaster. I lost my virginity to that girl in the back of an Ultima. Shut up—I know. I lost my virginity at 18. Leave me alone. Alright. Now, I sound so desperate to sound cool. I will shut up about this.ㅤㅤI’m not usually on my phone late at night. But just for tonight, I pull my phone out and mess around to look at memes. I’m actually just waiting to get a text from Cerus explaining what she was trying to achieve there.ㅤㅤNo response. Did she fall asleep? Should I ask first? Bro, I literally just got her number tonight. That would be so weird. I’m not going to. But, ugh, I am so curious.ㅤㅤI’m on my phone for around an hour and a half before I start to fade.ㅤㅤI fall asleep.

●●●ㅤㅤI’m sitting on gray cement looking at a white object with a lens. It was finally here. The drone had finally arrived. And unboxing it was not an easy task, even with Yusuf’s help.ㅤㅤ“Jeem! I had no idea you requested a drone! Why didn’t I think of that?! You’re a genius!” exclaims Yusuf.ㅤㅤI smile at Yusuf, but slightly blush at his compliment. He gestures a high five, which I excitedly return with my own.ㅤㅤ“That’s crazy! I never expected you to request something as crazy as a drone! Are you really Jeem? Did you finally get out of your comfort zone? Haha!” Yusuf can't keep himself still. He is so hyper.ㅤㅤHe continues, “Well? Go ahead and turn it on! Let’s see it in action,” he requests.ㅤㅤI read the instructions and turn it on. It works.ㅤㅤWe play around with it, having it fly pretty high, impressing the other kids. Ms. G is fine with it. She seems to be impressed and is enjoying the show, too. We start to become relatively popular with some of the other kids. Even older ones. Yusuf and I become known as the two ‘Droneheads’ among the children.ㅤㅤSoon, other kids begin wanting their own drones through the Order Gear. Unfortunately, Ms. G announces that we cannot have any more drones requested. They are a liability and have to be modified in order to be allowed, which takes a lot of time and effort from the facilitators’ side. Our drone is to be the first and last drone allowed in the Crater.ㅤㅤTruthfully, we have more kids impressed by us, the Droneheads, than we do kids that are jealous. With some time, Ms. G begins to like what Yusuf and I have created—our little ‘drone shows’ are an easy way to gather all the kids together. It helps Ms. G whenever she needs to make an announcement—whether it’s about a hot item that’s out of stock, or a new sport being added to the recreational Park. Our drone shows create a bigger sense of a tightly-knit community. I slowly gain more and more confidence. With Yusuf by my side, I become very popular.ㅤㅤWith popularity comes more kids to meet. Enter Sammy and Seth. They’re twins that are younger than Yusuf and I—they’re both about five years old, and they are probably the Droneheads’ biggest fans. They always follow Yusuf and I around, making it to every drone show. But they also always get into fights with each other. Then there's Min-Min, a cute one-year-old crybaby. As the youngest in the Crater—almost every time we catch her—she's in Ms. G's arms. Crying. But she does cheer up every time we hold a drone show. Min-min has older brothers, Bao and Feng. Bao is around our age, and Feng is one of the older kids. They're also pretty big Dronehead fans, too.ㅤㅤWithin a week and a half, these five join the Droneheads.ㅤㅤSammy, Seth, Min-min, Bao, Feng, Yusuf, and I. We are the Droneheads. We create visually stunning and extraordinary wonders with the drone.ㅤㅤAs time goes on, our drone shows get more and more extravagant. Yusuf is really creative. We both order pompoms, paper streamers, string crafts, and small LED lights to add to the hype. We attach masks, googly eyes, and plenty more to make the drone more lovable as a character. We name it ‘Droney’ to make it easier to remember for the smaller kids. We even let kids other than the Droneheads take turns using the controller for Droney, of course. The best part of all is that Ms. G fully supports us in our cute endeavors as the Droneheads. Although never admitted out loud, Yusuf and I were clearly becoming Ms. G's favorites.ㅤㅤWhich becomes a problem.ㅤㅤCamilla is an older child in the Crater. She's most likely around Feng's age, but I'm honestly unsure. She used to be one of the more popular kids in the Crater—in fact, she kind of still is. She has a few friends around the Crater, but nowadays, most prefer to play with us than her. Of course, Ms. G raises all of us kids with fairy tales, fables, and basic moral principles so that we don't only become smart, but also kindhearted—just like her.ㅤㅤBut Camilla has always been a little more irritative than most kids. She's popular because she's pretty, and a lot of the kids look up to her. Camilla can cook, teach some of the younger kids basic life skills, and is athletic. She's almost a spitting image of Ms. G.ㅤㅤBut unlike Ms. G, she's known to have a bit of a temperament issue.ㅤㅤI never really get along with Camilla, but she is by no means a bully. Most of the time, she seems fun to play with. I've seen a lot of the other kids constantly playing with her. It's just that—if you irritate her even a little bit—she will assert her dominance and shout at whoever wronged her. It doesn't happen too often. But when it does, she is terrifying. Not good for my frail, shy personality.

●●●ㅤㅤOne time a while ago, Yusuf and I asked Camilla to play with us. She agreed, and we played some ping pong. She was really good at ping pong. Yusuf wasn't bad himself, but he stood no chance against Camilla. Eventually, I joined in on Yusuf's side. Camilla, being the older kid, challenged us to fight a two-versus-one ping pong battle.ㅤㅤI was absolutely terrible. I kept trying and trying, with Yusuf giving me some tips on how to improve my form. As I kept failing, Camilla seemed to be getting impatient. She asked if we could either hurry up or have me stop playing. Yusuf came to my defense instantly and told Camilla that she shouldn’t say something like that. That I'm new to the game and would get better with some practice. That if I can't play, then he wouldn't either.ㅤㅤShe did not seem to take kindly to being lectured by a younger kid. I remember seeing Camilla's eyes. Although Yusuf was the one talking, she was looking straight at me. I was completely terrified. Her breathing got faster, and I felt as if she were about to approach me and hurt me.ㅤㅤBut she didn't. After Yusuf finished telling her off, Camilla's face calmed. She closed her eyes and her breathing slowed back to normal. After a few seconds, she said:ㅤㅤ"You two play on your own."

●●●ㅤㅤIt seems as though she's forgotten about that happening. After all, similar events have occurred with so many other kids—we are insignificant to her. I've come to find out since then that Ms. G had been having private sessions with Camilla to work on her temper. Because if you think about it, Camilla would be the perfect child out of all of us. If just not for that temperament. Who knows what she would have done during that ping pong incident if Ms. G wasn’t helping Camilla with her temper?ㅤㅤBack to the drone hype. Yusuf and I eventually notice some of Camilla's friends start to hang out with us Droneheads more often. As they do, we also notice Camilla—she's been doing a lot of things solo. Recently been cooking on her own, practicing racquetball solo, and studying on her own. It's seldom that we see her with friends. At the same time, Ms. G has been helping us Droneheads—she even calls kids over when we're about to begin a show. Ms. G calls it a ‘wonderful way to bring us all together’. Unfortunately, she begins to neglect her care for Camilla, who no longer even attends the shows.ㅤㅤA few weeks pass by, and Yusuf often stops in his tracks when he notices Camilla on her own. Based on Camilla's prior behavior, Yusuf tells me that he plans to reach out to Camilla. He plans to reassure her that we're all her friends and that she's always welcome to the Droneheads.ㅤㅤI tell him not to. I do everything in my power to convince him that it's not a good idea. I don't want her in the Droneheads. I don't want her close to Yusuf. I don't want her. She's everything I'm terrified of.ㅤㅤBut he's stubborn. He's adamant that he should talk to her. He tells me that no one should be left alone like that if they clearly aren't enjoying it.ㅤㅤWith my recent burst in confidence, I'm also stubborn. I plead Yusuf not to go. At one point, I even grab Yusuf's hand and squeeze it, shaking at the thought of Yusuf and Camilla spending time together.ㅤㅤHe looks at my shaking hand. He pulls it off gently and finally gives in to me. He doesn't go to Camilla.

●●●ㅤㅤI'm outside. It's nighttime. I'm on a well-lit stage. This portable stage was originally made for small events and announcements, but now–it's about to be the location for the biggest drone show.ㅤㅤWe are going to use fireworks.ㅤㅤMs. G had other facilitators visit the Crater to help set up a gigantic projector screen for all the kids to see. Seats and lighting were set up outside. She spent a lot of time briefing us Droneheads on fireworks safety. Bao and Feng are going to be working the audiovisual aspects of the show. Yusuf is going to be the MC and host. Sammy and Seth are going to show the kids to their seats. Min-min is going to kind of just be there, carried by Ms. G.ㅤㅤAnd I'm going to control Droney. It’s a role that I’ve gotten used to. A role that everyone’s acknowledged that I’m the best at.ㅤㅤIt’s a project that we’ve been working on for a long time. All the kids have been excited, being told about the biggest drone show yet. Despite how talkative the members of the Droneheads are, we’ve been able to keep the fireworks aspect of it a secret. None of the kids have ever seen fireworks. Even us Droneheads have only used small-scale fireworks for practice. Fireworks have been strictly forbidden from the Crater for environmental reasons. But today was a special occasion.ㅤㅤThe show goes off without a hitch. Fireworks and glittery confetti are shot into the sky. I control Droney to fly through hundreds of glistening papers in the air. Through Droney, I obtain a close-up view of the fireworks as they go off and project it onto the screen. Children are laughing and cheering, and everyone is celebrating. As I control Droney, I look at the beautiful sight in front of me. It’s indescribable. I myself knew about fireworks but have never seen them in front of me. Each burst is deafening, but I am eager for more. As my two senses of sight and sound are overwhelmed, I notice the vibrations of each burst echo throughout my body. I love everything about what I'm experiencing. And the best part is that I am the reason for all this.ㅤㅤIt has been exactly a year since the beginning of the Craterscape program.ㅤㅤBEEP! BEEP!

• Back to ACT 2 Menu

Chapter 9 ● The Texts and the Fourth Floor

ㅤㅤWhy. Why didn’t I delete my alarm from last week?ㅤㅤFuck.ㅤㅤI try to go back to sleep. Around 15 minutes pass by, and I can't.ㅤㅤI swear. Last week, I needed to wake up early on Sunday morning to join Stag as she took the exam for renewing our food handler’s permit. I must've accidentally set it as a weekly alarm. I hate everything.ㅤㅤOtherwise, I would usually sleep in. Hey. Speaking of Sunday morning, one of our employees goes to church. Guess who? Anvil. I mean. She’s a ‘fallen angel’, but like. I don’t know why she does go to church. Like, she was literally a Seraph—one the most powerful ranks for an angel, apparently. She also takes her little sister Claw, who was actually a cherubim. You know, those little baby angels you see in the interior design of old people’s houses? I’m curious what church Anvil goes to. Anyway.ㅤㅤUm. Holy shit. I’ll be honest. I’ve been trying to distract myself by thinking about Anvil. But. Haha. That dream. I literally don’t know what to think. In all of my life, I don’t think I have ever had a dream sequel. There are too many things I’m thinking of right now. For now, I’ll do some quick research on dream sequels.ㅤㅤOkay. Hm. There isn’t much. Little is known on what specifically causes dream continuity. Is there a part of the brain that holds on to memories of dreams? Well, it doesn’t matter. The details of this dream were too specific. There’s no way. Is my subconscious really that creative? Is this related to demon abilities? Maybe. But Crescent, Stag, and Shophar are the only Mare demons. I didn’t make skin-to-skin contact with any of them yesterday.ㅤㅤWait. Contact. Cerus. No way.ㅤㅤCerus must be a Mare.ㅤㅤThat’s why she touched my hand. To show me that she was a Mare. I guess I‘ve never thought about the kind of demon Cerus is. I didn’t consider it. She's one of the lucky Mare demons able to keep their ability to manipulate dreams post-possession.ㅤㅤActually, wait. This doesn't make sense. Her showing me that she's a Mare doesn't really help my case with Crescent about the windmill dream, like she said she would. It doesn't prove nor disprove anything about Crescent. Only that Cerus has Mare abilities. Is Cerus a Succubus? I could see that. Haha. Ok. Maybe she could be a "sleep paralysis" demon like a Drude or Basty? That's not short for bastard, also. They're really called Basty.ㅤㅤWell, I figure it makes more sense to ask Cerus herself.ㅤㅤOh, by the way. I’m not too salty about that dream’s ending. It was amazing. That fireworks scene was so beautiful. I’ve seen fireworks shows for the Fourth of July. But seeing one in a pitch-black sky along with the projector’s view was from another universe. I mean it literally was. Dream-universe or whatever. Even if I don’t get another dream sequel again, I’ll be satisfied. Way better than the first crater dream's ending. That piece-of-shit cliffhanger. At the same time, though, I am really curious about the Camilla chick. The dream’s plot seemed like a setup for something to happen with her. It was especially weird that I had prior memories with Camilla that didn’t actually take place during the dream. You know—that ping pong thing. I don’t know, man.ㅤㅤI just woke up, so I don't know if I should text Cerus right away. Ah, whatever. I'll go for it. This dream with overly specific details is bothering me. Also, I really want to text her.ㅤㅤI text her:ㅤㅤㅤㅤgood morning, cerus! sorry to text you so suddenly. i wanted to ask you what you meant by yesterdayㅤㅤThe less specific, the better.ㅤㅤShould I send a meme? To liven up the mood? No, not a meme—Just a good morning GIF. Wait, no, no. I’m good. That’s fine. Just text.ㅤㅤI give it a few seconds. It is early. I can’t expect an immediate response. Shit. I should've waited later to text? Actually, no. This makes me look cool. Like, I wake up early and am productive or something.ㅤㅤOkay, let me run through that dream again. I remember most of the names. I was Jeem. Or Jaimie, I think is the real name. Yusuf is the cool, nice boy that is ride-or-die homies with Jeem. There were those twins and the three siblings. Min-min was really cute with her chubby cheeks. But I will say—her being a crybaby reminds me too much of Tib. Yuck. Then there was Camilla, the bully. But not really? Well, she got what she deserved after treating Jeem like she was useless. Oh, let's not forget Ms. G.—Ms. G was kind of a baddie. I can't even lie, man. She can take care of my requests if you know what I'm saying. Sorry. Horny Don. Wet dreams are gross, but like. I wouldn't mind one every now and then, you know?ㅤㅤ…ㅤㅤPlease ignore me.ㅤㅤAlthough the story is fictional, I'd like to think this story takes place in the future, considering how complicated the Crater setup seemed. Very sci-fi. Actually, wait. The video games Jeem and Yusuf played seemed kind of out-of-date. Like, barely any of them had online multiplayer. I don't know. But that doesn't make sense with the drone. Aren't drones a newer technology? I guess it doesn't really matter. It's a dream.ㅤㅤSo Cerus implanted that dream, huh? Maybe she watched a movie or something. Wasn’t an erotic dream, so that cancels out her being a Succubus. I guess this all explains the first Crater dream. You know, from her first day working. When she tapped her horn on my neck. Aha.ㅤㅤAnyway, let me write down this dream.ㅤㅤBefore I get a chance to, my phone buzzes. I snatch it up instantly without a second thought.ㅤㅤIt's Cerus:ㅤㅤㅤㅤur text woke me upㅤㅤHUH?! FUCK.ㅤㅤI begin typing fast, neglecting my usual grammar.ㅤㅤㅤㅤaaaaa im so sorry I just happendd to wake up rly esrly ><ㅤㅤI'm so fucking stupid. Also, she needs to text better. ‘ur’ isn't the same as ‘your’.ㅤㅤWhile I start typing up the fixes to my typos, she responds.ㅤㅤㅤㅤjkㅤㅤBro? Is this girl insane? Couldn't even type out ‘I was just kidding’? No exclamation marks? I literally cannot read her.ㅤㅤUgh. This just makes me want her more. She continues sending more messages:ㅤㅤㅤㅤive been awake. sry i didnt text u again last niteㅤㅤㅤㅤi was tiredㅤㅤShe texts like a boyfriend, bro. I respond:ㅤㅤㅤㅤoh fr :0? i was also tired! it was fun hanging out yesterday :)ㅤㅤㅤㅤhope u didn’t feel too awkward with the whole flute oboe debate hahaㅤㅤShe shortly replies:ㅤㅤㅤㅤnwㅤㅤDude, I thought I was the silent mysterious type. This girl is a clam. A literal clam that opens up to do whatever clams do when they open up. I want her.ㅤㅤShe sends another text:ㅤㅤㅤㅤit was like a courtroom show. it was cuteㅤㅤWhatever, dude. This girl is funny. It's not that she texts completely differently from how she acts in person—she's just unpredictable.ㅤㅤShe continues:ㅤㅤㅤㅤnvmㅤㅤㅤㅤignore thtㅤㅤㅤㅤlets talk abt what I did in the carㅤㅤHuh? I can't tell if she's a coward or not. She's taking some kind of initiative. But also trying to change the subject. Mind games going crazy here. I can't freak out every time, or I'll really just be overthinking things. I won't let my enormous crush cloud my judgment.ㅤㅤㅤㅤhaha you're right! it was like a courtoom show lolㅤㅤㅤㅤyea i didn't expect u to grab my hand!ㅤㅤㅤㅤwere you trying to use your powers as a mare? :0ㅤㅤI go on the offensive and bring up the main topic ASAP.ㅤㅤShe replies:ㅤㅤㅤㅤmare ?ㅤㅤㅤㅤu mean the dream demon thing u all were talking abt ?ㅤㅤI reply with 'yes'. She continues:ㅤㅤㅤㅤi thought tht was funny. doesnt mare also mean female horse ?ㅤㅤWait, what? Does it really? Let me look it up. Holy shit, she's right. Bro, I live in the suburbs. I wouldn't know that. I respond with:ㅤㅤㅤㅤyea haha. but this is like "mare" from the word "nightmare". it also means night goblin or demon :0ㅤㅤㅤㅤand yea. were u trying to show me that you can control dreams?ㅤㅤCerus continues with her response:ㅤㅤㅤㅤare u calling me a horse ???ㅤㅤI think. Is she trying to flirt? It's like, cutely innocent. I'm not taking the risk of her not actually trying to flirt. If she is, I swear she's really being a tryhard. It might be a case where she doesn't have many friends, so she doesn't know how to really joke around with people. I mean—I'm not trying to be judgmental. This is my assumption based on her personality. She's way shyer than I am. Like, I know I was shy when I first met her, but I feel like I've gotten to know her a little bit more these past few days. I'll dismiss her goofy accusation:ㅤㅤㅤㅤno haha lol ><ㅤㅤㅤㅤso i had this dream last night where i was a girl named jaimie or jeem. i won't waste your time with details, but basically i was in a cement crater with a bunch of other kidsㅤㅤㅤㅤthe crazy part is that last night's dream was like a sequel bc i had a dream with the same thing a few days ago too! the night of your first day working at jelly joni's! :0ㅤㅤI wait a few seconds, then continue:ㅤㅤㅤㅤis it from a movie or something? :0ㅤㅤI wonder what she's going to say. The suspense is killing me. Hm. It's been a good twenty seconds. She said she's been up for a while. I don't know, maybe she used the restroom or something. Fuck, dude, I want to know so bad! Oh, oh, okay. I see the three dots. She's typing. Ah, ok. She responds:ㅤㅤㅤㅤnot rly.ㅤㅤOkay. So now I'm still confused why the dream's plot is so intricate. Oh, shoot, looks like she's still typing more:ㅤㅤㅤㅤlets meet up. ill tell uㅤㅤOkay. Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay.ㅤㅤAlright. Okay. I respond:ㅤㅤㅤㅤyea surr3! just lmk when and where! :)ㅤㅤㅤㅤ*sureㅤㅤMy hands are so fucking shaky. I instinctively and impulsively type out and send the following message:ㅤㅤㅤㅤshould I invite helix and ante again?ㅤㅤLike a fucking idiot. I try to turn off my cellular data to keep the message from sending, but it’s too late. Why the fuck did I do that? I know, I'm used to being such a fucking cuck. But why did I bring it on myself? After turning my data back on, her response loads on screen:ㅤㅤㅤㅤno. or u will become a defendent again! :0ㅤㅤLET'S FUCKING GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!ㅤㅤAlright. Sorry. Little freakout. Won't get riled up about how she spelled defendant. Also, did she just use an exclamation mark? And a colon-zero face? I think she's trying to text like me. Fuck, that's adorable. Losing my shit right now.ㅤㅤSome more back and forth happens to plan our meetup, but nothing that could be considered flirting.ㅤㅤShe invites me over to her place.

●●●ㅤㅤStag is out today. Jelly Joni's is usually open on Sundays, but not this week. Something about prepping for the bar construction. You see, Stag usually runs her restaurant-related errands on Saturday. But this time, she stayed home all day yesterday and took Vein with her today. Though she's my caretaker, I am technically an adult. But I still owe it to her to let her know where I am. I know she can be kind of a worrywart. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever directly mentioned this.ㅤㅤYou’re probably under the impression that Vein and I were orphans. Like I said before, we’ve always been under someone’s direct care. It’s more like a single-mom-that-couldn’t-take-care-of-us-so-she-had-to-leave-us-with-someone-else-type situation.ㅤㅤI remember my mom pretty well. She was really sweet, but she was often stressed out and irritable. Not necessarily strict or anything. Very different from Stag. Both work hard as hell, though. Oh, and if you’re curious about my dad—he dipped when I was 8. A year after we moved to America. He was a data analyst for a small tech company from the 90s. Despite that, he was always traveling. Honestly, I didn’t really see him much growing up, so I don’t have much to say about him. I dislike him for obvious reasons—but at the same time, I just never really knew him. Maybe he’ll pop back in my life and be like, “My beautiful son—I’m so sorry. I had to leave the family to save the world. And now, it’s your turn,” as he hands me some badass armor thing. Haha.ㅤㅤYou might be wondering how Vein was born, with our age gap being as wide as it is. 19-year-old brother and 9-year-old sister. Well—one of the reasons is that my dad briefly met up with my mom when I was 10, promising to stay this time. Moment my mom found out she was pregnant, he dipped again. For real this time. Dad of the year, huh? Best part? I didn’t see him even once when they met up that year. No “#1 Dad” cards for that motherfucker.ㅤㅤAnyway, it turned out that our mom couldn't support us. Not just because her English wasn’t the best, but also because Vein was a frail and anemic infant. Not a cheap child to raise. Mom wasn’t even around by the time Stag and I learned that Vein was autistic. Knowing Mom, that would’ve destroyed her. Especially with how she handled my condition. You’ve probably picked up on it by now, but it’s ADHD.ㅤㅤThroughout my years, I've gone through a lot in regards to my ADHD, but I've been raised by Stag to never consider it as a reason to bring myself down. Being a waiter has helped a lot, for sure. But I will say. It didn’t help my mom that I've always been extremely unathletic and could barely help her out with errands. It kind of doesn't help Stag, either. When my mom could no longer financially and physically take care of us both, she began to reach out to a few foster homes for help. Stag discovered my mother’s specific case and reached out to her before she decided on one.ㅤㅤStag and I obviously don't tell Vein the specifics of this—just a simplified version for a 9-year-old.ㅤㅤBut anyway. Back to today. I text Stag that I'm out looking for my own gift for Crescent apart from our group gift. She replies with a thumbs up. Hehe. I love lying and being evil.

●●●ㅤㅤListen. I know I only met Cerus a few days ago. This isn't some fucking romance movie where motherfuckers get married after knowing each other for, like, two days. Yes, I'm mad crushing on her. And it's lowkey fucking me up. But I promise—I really want to get to the bottom of this.ㅤㅤHehe. Haha.ㅤㅤI'm in front of her apartment complex. The same one from yesterday. Now that I get a good look at it, it's actually really nice. It's in an area with more commercial and high-class shopping than my house. Looks to be around six floors.ㅤㅤAs we agreed, Cerus is waiting for me in the front lobby.ㅤㅤI look at the woman working the front desk, hoping she says something like ’Oh, aren't you two a cute couple?’ or something to intensify the tension.ㅤㅤShe doesn't.ㅤㅤWithout saying much other than a simple nervous greeting, Cerus leads me to her place. Awkward silence in the elevator. I don't even know how to strike up a conversation right now. Fourth floor.ㅤㅤ"This is it," she says. Monotone.ㅤㅤOutside of her window is a beautiful view of . . . the parking lot.ㅤㅤCerus hands me a glass of water. I carefully avoid contact with her hand to keep track for my little dream experiment. I sit down on a barstool with the kitchen island. Cerus pulls a barstool to the other side.ㅤㅤYou don't need to know the details of how I'm feeling right now. You'll get so annoyed. Just be thankful I didn't spill the water as she handed it to me.ㅤㅤI speak up.ㅤㅤ"Sorry, I'm not saying much. Kind of overwhelmed by your apartment. It's nice!" I say. Which is true. Even the parking lot view. Kinda.ㅤㅤ"It's okay. Glad you like it," Cerus says.ㅤㅤI am more mentally prepared this time around compared to our break room moment. I'm on the uptake.ㅤㅤ"So what did you want to talk about? The dream I had?" I ask. I was this close to adding ‘Or did you just want to talk to me?’. Stay professional, D-boy.ㅤㅤ"Yes. You said it was about Jaimie?" Cerus answers and asks.ㅤㅤ"Well, it wasn't third-person. I actually was the girl named Jaimie in the dream. D—don't worry, though! It wasn't that weird. I've had other dreams where I'm playing a girl. But yeah. Jaimie or Jeem. Does it sound familiar?" I ask. Looks like it's about to be a back-and-forth interrogation.ㅤㅤ"U—um. Kind of. It sounds a lot like . . . like a story that I'm writing," Cerus responds.ㅤㅤOh, that's sick as fuck.ㅤㅤ"A story? Sounds super cool! You like to write?" I continue the round of questions.ㅤㅤ"Y—yeah. Just a little side hobby of mine," Cerus answers.ㅤㅤ"Well, looks like you were projecting a vision for your story to my subconscious with your Mare powers! And I'm loving the story so far! This is actually kind of sick. Did you actually know you were a dream demon?" I conclude and ask.ㅤㅤ"I—I didn't," she says.ㅤㅤ"Oh. Did you touch my hand in the car to find out if you were or not? Everything's pointing to you being one."ㅤㅤ"Y—yeah. That's it, actually. I g—guess I am one, then. You must be right," Cerus agrees.ㅤㅤShe doesn't sound convinced. Well, I'm not going to keep prying about it. There's too much evidence for her not to be a Mare.ㅤㅤ"I guess this could kind of be a way for me to read your story, then! I could just dream it. This is so cool!" I say excitedly.ㅤㅤThen I realize I need to provide a disclaimer.ㅤㅤ"If you want me to, of course!"ㅤㅤ"Oh. No, yeah. I—I won't be embarrassed about the story. Yeah. Instead of letting you read it, I also want to find out what you think of the rest of the story," Cerus says, looking intrigued by the thought.ㅤㅤDude, this is insane. It's like my dream come true. Aside from the fact that I get to know Cerus more, I finally have a legitimate encounter with a Mare! At least—one that isn’t my adoptive mom, a sleepy idiot, or a hot Succubus that would only give me wet dreams. But just imagine. Dream continuity. Dream sequels. Intricate dream plot lines. This is going to be so cool. It'll be like indirect lucid dreaming. Haha. Maybe I'll ask Cerus to kill off a character for me. Wait, no. That's fucked up. It's mostly kids in the Crater.ㅤㅤ"Sweet! I'll do my best not to affect your vision for the story. I'll just observe and give minimal critique! How about that?" I bargain.ㅤㅤ"Yes. That'd be ideal," Cerus says. She seems deep in thought.ㅤㅤCerus then asks the most seemingly innuendo-sounding question I have ever heard.ㅤㅤ"Do you want to dream about it again tonight?"ㅤㅤI don't know. I mean, it's not a sexually-driven question. But it's like. Weirdly sexy. The way she asked it. Stop it, Horny Don. Oh, my God. I get it. She's saying that she'll have to make contact with me. Holy shit. Horny Don. Stop being a fucking incel for two seconds, bro.ㅤㅤ"Ye—A—s," I say as my voice cracks. Fuck.ㅤㅤ"O—okay. I'll grab your hand, okay?" she says.ㅤㅤ"Alright," I say. I'm not just stepping out of this comfort zone. I'm curbstomping it. This one’s for you, Yusuf. Oh, wait. I just realized. This means that Cerus wrote Yusuf’s line about comfort zones. How ironic.ㅤㅤI stare at her hands as they grab my right hand. She has such pretty hands, dude. Oh, fuck—she smells nice, too, dude. Holy shit, are they soft. She has a mole in between her right hand's middle and ring finger. Okay, I'm being weird as fuck.ㅤㅤI look up at her face. Yep. I'm losing my mind.ㅤㅤShe lets go, looks down, grabs her water, drinks it, and looks back up. Beet red.ㅤㅤ"Y—you have soft hands," she says.ㅤㅤHello? Look who the fuck's talking. Idiot. No, you.ㅤㅤ"You do, too! Haha!"ㅤㅤLook. I'm trying, man. My ex from highschool didn't even remotely make me feel this way. I don't know how to act.ㅤㅤWe sit in silence for a few seconds.ㅤㅤI fidget and look around the apartment's living room. Very simple. Minimal and tasteful.ㅤㅤ"D—Don. Since you drove all the way here on your scooter, y—you want to play something?" Cerus suddenly blurts out.ㅤㅤ"Oh, uh, sure!" I respond.ㅤㅤ"Okay. Let's go to my room," Cerus says.

• Back to ACT 2 Menu

Chapter 10 ● The Room and the Mister

ㅤㅤWhat. A. Mess.ㅤㅤNo. Mess doesn’t even begin to describe one-quintillionth of what I see right now. Another meteor could hit Earth, murder every land-dweller, and still look more pristine. The heat death of the universe could diligently paint a Van Gogh piece. World War 17 could patiently chisel a masterpiece out of shrapnel. A nuclear disaster could lay waste to the cities surrounding it, corrupt the inhabitants living around it, and curse the future generations to come. Yet it would still sculpt the most elegant and poetic piece of pottery—a ceramic beauty that would seduce even the harshest of art critics—in comparison to this goddamn room.ㅤㅤHer room is riddled with empty water bottles, aluminum cans, scattered video game cartridges, wires, mismatched video game posters, and bean bags. A gaming laptop sits on top of a small desk in the corner. Its fans are loud as fuck. There's even a minifridge. Something’s leaking out of it. Carpet’s already stained underneath. There are square sheets of paper taped to the wall that are conveniently Cerus-hand-sized. It can be assumed that they are covering holes. Well. At least the posters look level. Somehow, the room smells nice. Oh, there's an outlet air freshener.ㅤㅤ"Sorry for the mess. I'll clean it up later," she says.ㅤㅤGirl. This ain't a mess. You just opened Pandora's Box. This is sacreligious. And we're both demons.ㅤㅤ"Don't worry about it," I say. I'm worried about it.ㅤㅤI sit down hesitantly on a bean bag. I actually don't regret it at all. It smells like her. Hell, yeah.ㅤㅤCerus loads up one of her consoles and hands me its default controller. She pulls out her expensive, premium-looking controller. She then grabs another bean bag and sets it next to me.ㅤㅤWe play a racing game for a few hours. It's kind of fun, but we're both pretty quiet for most of the game. It's a relatively popular racing game among car enthusiasts. I've actually played this a little bit at Ante's house.ㅤㅤBut I'm no match for Cerus. She's an absolute beast at this. She barely takes her face off the screen as we play this game. This must be one of the games she's mastered, and she doesn't know how to hold back with guests.ㅤㅤI make a quick comment about how this game reminds me of another popular racing game, though it's a more tame one involving race karts and randomized abilities throughout a race. She snaps out of it. She seems to have realized that she's smoking me too much.ㅤㅤShe replies that she actually has the game I'm talking about. We switch to that game, and it ends up being a much more leveled playing ground for us. We both seem to be even in terms of skill at this game. Despite the randomized bananas that I keep slipping on.ㅤㅤWe actually have a lot of fun playing this game. We end up joking each other as we use abilities on each other. She lightly punches my shoulder when I get her with a shell. We both bump shoulders, laugh, and have a great time.ㅤㅤWe eventually switch to a first-person shooter videogame and play the co-op campaign together. We both seem to start improving our communication, which this game requires a lot of in order to progress. We even come up with our own mini-handshake involving a dap, fist-bump, and a snap. I honestly forget my crush on Cerus for a while, and I legitimately realize that I'm making a really good friend.ㅤㅤWe play this game for around four hours until we're halfway through the campaign. We decide that we should call it a night, as it's getting a little late. Can you believe it? Two adults bonding over a video game. Beautiful.ㅤㅤI snap out of friendship mode and look at Cerus again. I'm definitely still crushing on her, but this helped me see her in a new light. She's an absolute bum, but she's a lovable friend who’ll enjoy her time with you once she’s grown comfortable with you.ㅤㅤWe go for some water before I get ready to head out at the front door.ㅤㅤ"Thanks for today, Don!" Cerus says with a lot more confidence than before.ㅤㅤ"Of course! That was stupid fun. We should definitely do this again. Plus, I can find out more about the Crater story. Do you actually have a title for the story yet?" I ask.ㅤㅤ"No, not yet, exactly," she says.ㅤㅤ"Well, I'll temporarily call it the ‘Crater’ for now, if that's cool. Or actually...What about the ‘Droneheads’? A little less direct. Do you write with that laptop in your room?"ㅤㅤ"Oh, that? Um. Yeah. Better than writing on paper," she responds.ㅤㅤ"Cool! Well, yeah, I definitely would rather dream it than read it. It also gives me an excuse to do this!" I say as I jokingly punch her shoulder.ㅤㅤShe laughs and we say our goodbyes for the evening. She walks me to the elevator, and I'm going down. What a day.ㅤㅤThe best part is that, this time, I know what kind of dream I'll have tonight. I'm so fucking excited, bro.

●●●ㅤㅤI get home and eat dinner with Stag and Vein. I catch Stag up on the group gift we decided for Crescent, making sure Vein promises to stay quiet about it. I obviously don't go into detail. Stag loves the idea, but then asks what I decided on for my own personal gift to her. I completely forgot about that lie. I tell her I couldn't find anything today and will order a cute keychain from a show she likes online. Which I will have to follow through on.ㅤㅤI go up to my room. I check my phone. No messages from Cerus. I guess she's asleep. The group chat also looks dead. I doodle for a bit, drawing how Yusuf looked like in the dream. Is this fan art? Haha. I'm now Cerus' number one fan and am eager to sleep tonight.ㅤㅤBut before that, I make sure to update my dream journal, since I finally have a chance without any interruptions.ㅤㅤThe Fountain. It's the dream where I encountered that terrifying monster and its canine form. Meanwhile, I was a weird spiky thing. Interesting, but definitely one of my more abstract dreams that decided to use Joni's name in vain.ㅤㅤThe Droneheads Part Two. Oh, my goodness—was it such a trip to experience a dream sequel. And it's the sequel of my favorite dream! And it got me closer to my crush! And a bunch of other things. I owe this dream my life. Bless your heart, Jaimie. You were conceived by my crush. Who will be my wife someday. You’re like my daughter, basically. My fictional daughter. Oh. Probably should update Part 1 with The Droneheads instead of The Crater.ㅤㅤOkay. Can't wait to dream about the Droneheads again. Good night.ㅤㅤI actually spend about thirty minutes in bed, unable to sleep. I'm too excited. I eventually do fall asleep.

●●●ㅤㅤ“YOU ASSHOLE!” Yusuf shouts.ㅤㅤSome kids gasp, while others just seem scared.ㅤㅤAs for me—I’m crying.ㅤㅤCamilla slaps him across the face. Not enough to knock him down, but enough to leave him bewildered.ㅤㅤ“CAMILLA! STOP! STOP! PLEASE! YUSUF! STOP RIGHT NOW! STOP RIGHT THIS INSTANT!” shouts Ms. G.ㅤㅤNeither listen, and they begin to fight. Yusuf tackles Camilla to the ground. Camilla is able to get him off and stranglehold him. As the older kid, Camilla clearly overpowers Yusuf. But he doesn’t stop. He bites Camilla’s arm. As she winces away, Yusuf starts to throw as many fists as he can. Some land on Camilla’s stomach, but none land on her face—she’s taller, stronger, and more agile. She socks Yusuf in the face once, and he’s knocked back.ㅤㅤBut Yusuf still doesn’t stop. He gets back up and tries to kick Camilla, who grabs his leg mid-kick. She slams him on the ground.ㅤㅤI watch in horror as it all goes down. Most kids are shaking in terror, while some are cheering for Yusuf. I’m shaking the most out of anyone.ㅤㅤI can’t do anything. I can see how battered Yusuf’s face is. His nose is broken and bleeding, and his gums are showing with his missing teeth. At most, Camilla’s stomach is in pain and she has a bite mark on her arm. She starts charging toward his body on the ground.ㅤㅤFeng grabs Camilla and tries to hold her back. Feng gets elbowed in the stomach.ㅤㅤI finally go out of my comfort zone. I’m still shaking, but I clench my teeth and dash to stand in front of Yusuf.ㅤㅤOr so I fantasize.ㅤㅤI’m a coward. I do nothing but watch. I look around for Ms. G, hoping she would interfere, but she's nowhere to be found.ㅤㅤCamilla is now on top of Yusuf and continues to clobber him. Repeatedly punching his face without any mercy.ㅤㅤI want to close my eyes. I want to. I need to.ㅤㅤBut I can’t.ㅤㅤCamilla grabs the broken controller, with its tattered, sharp edges sticking out. She raises it over his face and…I can’t describe what she does to him. All I can describe is the sound of plastic and aluminum hitting skin. Over and over.ㅤㅤAfter a few seconds, she finally stops. Her heavy breathing is accompanied by her head slowly turning towards me.ㅤㅤShe gets up off of Yusuf and prepares to dart towards me.ㅤㅤSimultaneously, Ms. G appears. She pulls out a small rectangular device. It makes a high-pitched electric sound. She quickly darts behind Camilla and presses it against her back.ㅤㅤCamilla shakes violently for about a second. Ms. G pulls the device away, and Camilla is lying on the ground.ㅤㅤOlder kids are now covering the eyes of the younger kids. Sammy and Bao tend to Yusuf. Feng tends to Camilla. Min-min is crying the loudest she ever has while in the arms of Seth.ㅤㅤMs. G is out of breath, sweating profusely.ㅤㅤI look at the aftermath. I’m confused and speechless. Nothing is making sense. This was supposed to be the best night ever. Now it’s a haunting moment that keeps repeating itself. And the worst part is that I am the reason for all of this.ㅤㅤIt has been one year since the beginning of the Craterscape program.

●●●ㅤㅤI’m now sitting alone in the detention ward’s waiting room. It’s a section in the Quarters that most kids never want to go to. I'm not in trouble. But I was involved in some trouble. Hours have passed since the one-year anniversary drone show, so it's late at night.ㅤㅤHow? How did this happen? It was all so fast. The fireworks drone show had finished. Some lights were turned back on, and everyone was helping clean up. I was also about to help, but then there were younger kids that wanted to try out the controller for the drone. So I let them. It was the usual. Just the usual.ㅤㅤBut shortly after a few kids took turns, Camilla was hovering over me. I was frightened. I was deathly afraid of what she would do to me.ㅤㅤBut she smiled. She asked if she could have a try at it. I hesitated, but I gave in. I didn’t realize how much I would regret doing so. She used the controller properly but barely flew the drone. It was more like—like she kept it within the same four-foot radius. I could see the other kids getting impatient. I wanted them to have a turn. So I asked Camilla nicely to return it.ㅤㅤ“I’m not done, Jaimie,” she said.ㅤㅤI repeated myself again.ㅤㅤ“I said I’m not done, Jaimie. Don’t be a little kid. I almost never get to use it. I’ll give it back when I’m done. Go get Yusuf if you want to take it from me,” she answered.ㅤㅤAnd something snapped. I don’t know what it was. It was obvious with the way she was using the controller—she was just trying to get a rise out of me. But I couldn’t help it. I was sick of her effect on Yusuf. Yusuf cared for Camilla, but she treated him like he was just my bodyguard.ㅤㅤSo I pushed her.ㅤㅤAnd she barely moved an inch. All she did was look at me and smile. Then she broke the controller.ㅤㅤAnd that's what created this mess. Yusuf took notice and used words from a videogame that he knew not to use.ㅤㅤI don’t really want to reimagine what happened after. I’m here now. Sitting here. Alone. No Seth, no Sammy, no Min-Min, no Bao, no Feng. And worst of all—No Yusuf. No Droneheads to be there for me. I hate this feeling of being alone. I want Yusuf here. But I don't know where he is.ㅤㅤI don't even know where Camilla or Ms. G are.ㅤㅤI wait for what seems like hours without anything to do. I start to yawn multiple times since it's late for me. But my mind is active. I grow a little frustrated, as this is what kids would usually go through when they cause problems. But I didn't start this. Camilla did.ㅤㅤI didn't do anything. This isn't my fault. Am I really the reason for all this?ㅤㅤI hear a knock on the door. It must be Ms. G. She'll tell me that Yusuf is okay. She'll tell me that Camilla will be punished. And that everything will be fine.ㅤㅤThe door slowly opens.ㅤㅤA man.ㅤㅤI flinch out of habit. I've never seen this facilitator. I don't like men. Ms. G knows this, so I've never spoken to the male facilitators since I got here.ㅤㅤThe man enters the room and closes the door behind him. He's wearing the same uniform that Ms. G wears and looks to be around her same age.ㅤㅤHe's holding a clipboard. He stands in front of me. He looks at me without saying a word, scanning up and down until he jots something down.ㅤㅤHe clicks his pen repeatedly.ㅤㅤThen he speaks.ㅤㅤ"It's an honor to meet you, Jaimie! Ms. Dronehead herself! Haha!" he says.ㅤㅤPen click.ㅤㅤI don't want to talk to him right now, so I don't respond.ㅤㅤ"Don't worry—I don't bite! I'll be taking care of you and the other children while Ms. G handles some things," he explains, continuing to click his pen repeatedly.ㅤㅤI turn my eyes away from him. I don't like men.ㅤㅤ"Oh, boy. I didn't even say my name. You can tell I'm new to this, huh? Let me try again. It's nice to meet you, Jaimie. I'm Mr. E!"ㅤㅤPen click.ㅤㅤI'm too tired to respond. I don't care about Mr. E.ㅤㅤMy eyes start to close and close and close and close.ㅤㅤPen click.

• Back to ACT 3 Menu

Chapter Y-2 ● The Midwife and the Siblings

ㅤㅤHey. Um. Yeah. I don’t have much to say. I probably didn’t do that dream with Yusuf any justice. It was a lot more gruesome and way more vivid when I actually dreamt it. I feel like . . . I could even smell his blood in the dream.ㅤㅤWell. Not to detract too much from that, but we are going to switch it back to Stag mode. Hence why the chapter is called Y-2. I think you’ll like this one.●●●ㅤㅤHell is merciless. Stag was waiting alone in a small room. It was a confinement chamber in the Subinfernus, where demons that defy protocol await their sentence. It's a place that no demon wants to go to. Stag was in trouble. Tens of years in Hell’s time have passed since her failed mission with Antonio, so she had no concept of time at this point.ㅤㅤThere is no trial. The Three Infernal Judges talk amongst themselves what the plan of punitive action is for a demon. But their decision is almost always banishment to the Lament, where the demon will die slowly from soul malnutrition.ㅤㅤAs mentioned before, this is not the case for stronger demons with the potential to betray Hell. Strong, high-ranking demons may enjoy the fruits of their position, but the risk is much higher for execution should they fail.ㅤㅤAfter the events of Stag's previous and final mission as a Succubus that ended in failure, there was constant commotion among demons throughout the inner kingdom.ㅤㅤStag, the mighty Aphrodite of Hell, had fallen. She had allowed an angel to infiltrate and compromise her mission.ㅤㅤWhat happened? Well, when Azazel appeared, several other survey demons felt his presence through their surveillance. Asmo was alerted, and he sent Rosier to save Stag from being captured. After Rosier killed Benny, Azazel disappeared. Rosier retreated with Stag.ㅤㅤNo one believed Stag when she claimed that Azazel was a Fallen angel, as Fallen angels reside in Hell and fully become demons. There are no Fallen angels that keep their ability to shine Heavenly Light. And finally, there are no Fallen angels that reside on Earth.ㅤㅤAzazel. It was the name that echoed in Stag's head. Again, demons do not know very much about angels.ㅤㅤShe wasn't sure who to blame her failure on. Was it Benny, the man who distracted her from her goal, leaving her vulnerable? Was it Antonio, the man who betrayed her at her lowest? Or was it Azazel, who appeared and alerted Rosier?ㅤㅤWait. There was one more individual she had failed to consider.ㅤㅤHer assigned survey demon.ㅤㅤHow ironic that an offspring of the Three Infernal Judges, who would most likely sentence her to death, was partly to blame. The survey demon was supposed to alert Stag if any angels were possibly present in the area. The most that the survey demon had warned Stag about was that the people of the Philippines were very religious, so there was a higher chance of angel activity. This was the reason that Stag was on edge during her initial encounter with Benny.ㅤㅤMaybe Azazel's odd case as a Fallen angel on Earth gave the survey demon some difficulty? Who knows? Stag couldn't be certain. Either way, that was the survey demon’s responsibility.ㅤㅤStag has had many different survey demons assigned to her. But every survey demon was familiar with Stag or has at least heard of her legacy. Even when a survey demon was newly assigned to Stag, they already knew that it would be an easy job—that Stag would handle most of it on her own.ㅤㅤBut that's not to say they shouldn't do their job. And so Stag was frustrated. In this solitary moment in the confinement chamber, Stag found herself angry at the survey demon. They had only met once before she left to Earth.ㅤㅤShe waited in the Subinfernus for a few more years, being fed minimal scraps of low-quality human soul while the decision for her outcome was being made. She stayed there. Alone. No Benny. No Asmo. And worst of all—no Shophar. She hated this feeling of being alone. She wanted Shophar here.ㅤㅤOne day, the door opened—this time, it wasn't for food.ㅤㅤIt was Asta, Beri, and Amay.ㅤㅤAstaroth—the 15th reincarnation of the Great Duke of Hell that commands the Throne and Calumniator guard demons. He seemed to be a major player in the decision for Stag's punishment and was also to be the messenger for what will be done. He appeared as an enormous humanoid demon with folded wings. His hair was luscious and vibrant, and he wore a sharp crown over his mask. His horns were spirals, and his robe covered most of his body. Stag was surprised Astaroth himself showed up and not Verrine, who would usually represent him due to how busy he often was.ㅤㅤBerith—a Fallen angel and ex-prince of the Cherubim. He rose to power as one of the highest-ranking demons serving next to Asta as another Great Duke of Hell. He played a role in trying to understand Stag's claims of encountering a Fallen angel. He appeared as an older man with shorter hair. Stag knew he had wings, but they were covered by his cloak.ㅤㅤAmaymon—one of the Four Princes of Spirits representing the South and the direct superior of Asmo. He appeared as a humanoid demon as well, but he was very muscular. Amay had poisonous breath that could kill other demons, so he wore a specially-procured facial mask to filter his breath. He was wearing a warrior's helmet with large protruding covers to fit his pointed horns.ㅤㅤStag was extremely nervous. All three of these demons were high-profile. Most demons never get a chance to even see any of these three up front.

●●●ㅤㅤAsta and Amay did most of the talking, while Beri seemed to take the backseat. As they explained the next steps for Stag, she was thankful for one thing—that no one knew that she had fallen in love with a human.ㅤㅤ"Stag. You are a success story. One of our finest. Very disappointed that this has occurred. This is an issue that someone of your rank should have been able to handle," Amay sternly began in demonic language.ㅤㅤ"Amay. Let us not keep trying to intimidate and provoke her. She has brought many a soul to our platters. I would like to address this directly and timely," Asta spoke.ㅤㅤ"Apologies, Great Duke Asta," Amay looked back at Stag, "While the responsibility for this catastrophe falls within your jurisdiction, we have examined the situation and have found fault with your Infernal survey demon."ㅤㅤStag's face lit up.ㅤㅤ"She is an inexperienced survey demon that received proper training. Rest assured we are making the proper measures to address her inactions. However, both your transgressions are major and may have compromised our security had you been captured," Amay continued.ㅤㅤStag did not bother to argue about Azazel being a Fallen angel. Especially with an expert like Beri present in the room.ㅤㅤ"However, Beri would like to speak about his findings concerning your situation," Amay says.ㅤㅤBeri stands in the front.ㅤㅤ"We have heard your claims. You assert that the angel you encountered was a Fallen that remained on Earth, with most of their angelic powers, yes?" Beri spoke.ㅤㅤStag nodded, embarrassed that she was about to be told off in front of Astaroth.ㅤㅤ"Hm. It sounds an awful lot like you were attempting to cover for your transgressions," Beri continued.ㅤㅤStag winced.ㅤㅤ"But I have heard the account of Asmodeus. You are a diligent and respected demon. Outside of this failure, you are the idyllic image of a high-ranking Succubus."ㅤㅤStag lifted up her head. Asta stepped forward.ㅤㅤ"Therefore, your punishment will be less severe. While we cannot allow you to continue your role as a Succubus, you will continue to be a noble in Hell. Thank Asmodeus who has vouched for you," Asta declared.ㅤㅤStag was devastated and relieved at the same time. If she wasn't going to be a high-ranking Succubus, what kind of noble demon would she be?ㅤㅤ"Great Duke Asta. What will become of my role in Hell?" Stag questioned.ㅤㅤAsta and Amay looked at each other and nodded.ㅤㅤ"You will become an Infernal Sage," Asta revealed.ㅤㅤAn Infernal Sage. Derived from the human term ‘sage-femme’.ㅤㅤStag was going to be demoted to a midwife.

●●●ㅤㅤStag was led out of the confinement chamber by the three Archdemons.ㅤㅤ"Not only are you to be thankful to Asmodeus. The Three Infernal Judges agreed to his request for your demotion rather than execution. However, before you are sent to the Infernal Sages, you will meet with your previous survey demon before she is exiled to the Lament. You will discuss what was underperformed, and we will record your communication. This is to prevent an event such as this from reoccurring going forward," Amay explained as they walked through the Subinfernus. Finally, they arrived to see two Calumniator demons, or Asta's warriors, detaining a seemingly weak demon.ㅤㅤThere she was. Stag's survey demon.ㅤㅤ"As one of the Exiled, she has lost the right to her name. A disgrace as a descendant of the Infernal Judges. You will refer to her however you so desire. You may now speak with her," Asta says.ㅤㅤStag stepped in front of her. The survey demon seemed very calm for someone who was about to be exiled. This infuriated Stag, as her entire future was destroyed. Stag wasn't even sure if she could see Shophar again because of this survey demon.ㅤㅤThe survey demon was tall, as expected of an offspring of the Infernal Judges. She had large eyes and a singular horn with four smaller, angled horns sticking out. She was humanoid but had a very apparent feature—she was clearly the descendent of Minos, one of the Three Infernal Judges, based on her large serpentine tail.ㅤㅤ"You . . .," Stag began very aggressively. She stopped herself from completely lashing out in the presence of three Archdemons. But she was ready to be stern.ㅤㅤ"You ruined everything. Why couldn't you detect that angel?!" Stag demanded, raising her voice.ㅤㅤ"Hm," the survey demon spoke and turned toward one of the two Calumniator demons, "Should she really be talking to me? She seems somewhat upset."ㅤㅤThe Calumniator demon swiped her in the stomach with the hilt of his Devil's Trident. The survey demon grunted in pain.ㅤㅤServes her right, Stag thought to herself.ㅤㅤ"H . . . Haha. Go ahead and exile me! I performed my job as I should. This foolish Succubus wronged herself by allowing herself to fall in love with a human!" the survey demon remarked.ㅤㅤ"Bold claim. I am a masterful Succubus! I would never fall to such meaningless temptation," Stag responded.ㅤㅤ"Tch. So you say," The demon replies. She had stopped to check in on Stag once in her five years on Earth, and she happened to see Stag eating dinner with Benny.ㅤㅤ"You were eating alone with the human that would reveal himself to be the angel!" She argued.ㅤㅤ"Yes, because I did not know he was an angel—YOU would have told me if you had performed your role sufficiently!" Stag accused. The two snarled their fangs at each other.ㅤㅤThe three Archdemons were enjoying the show.ㅤㅤ"I DID! If only all you incorrigible Demons of Lust stopped complaining and started creating your own original ideas—I wouldn't be so adamant about this!" the survey demon says.ㅤㅤWhat? What was she talking about, Stag thought.ㅤㅤ"Well. This is proving to be unproductive. This survey demon is clearly losing her mind. We will continue with her banishment. Your time has been wasted, Stag. Let us simply have you sent to the Infernal Sages," Asta says.ㅤㅤAs the three Archdemons led Stag away, the survey demon continued her rant.ㅤㅤ"IT WAS YOU ALL! ASMO AND THAT LITTLE SUCCUBUS—ALL THE DEMONS OF LUST! YOU STOLE LAPLACE FROM ME!" she shouted. Once again, she was shut up by the Calumniator demons.

●●●ㅤㅤHundreds of years passed. Stag had grown used to her role as an Infernal Sage. She accepted her fate as a noble demon that still did grunt work. Her studious nature led her to easily pick up on her new role as a midwife, learning all the possible birth complications for demons. Even insignificant demons. Speaking of insignificant demons—this day was to be just another day of aiding a surrogate demon in birthing demon children. In fact, this specific Elm demon had been a patient of Stag's before.ㅤㅤWith Stag and another Infernal Sage, the team of two midwives faced their most difficult situation yet. Stag had learned about this occurring from her study, but it was such a rare occurrence, especially in insignificant demons that are often prolific.ㅤㅤThis Elm demon was dying. And it was caused by her offspring's Overgrowth. Overgrowth was an extremely rare complication for Branching demons, which the Elm fall under. The Branching were a category of tree-like phantom demons with quick-moving branching arms perfect for grunt work and construction.ㅤㅤThe two Sages could not save the Elm demon mother. But they did save the child.ㅤㅤOvergrowth is not a communicable disease. It is a hereditary one. And Hell could not risk this Elm seedling becoming a surrogate mother and spreading the disease. Stag held the tiny demon in her hand as the senior Infernal Sage explained what would have to happen to her. The Sage left briefly to confirm with the authorities how to dispose of her.ㅤㅤStag despised this situation. She recalled everything she'd experienced—taking care of Shophar, seeing the smiling face of the children that Benny taught, and even the adorable families in the shopping district.ㅤㅤThis small, circular demon baby deserved to live. She deserved to enjoy life like Shophar. Like those children in the Philippines. And even if she did live, she shouldn't be slaving away her whole existence in Hell.ㅤㅤStag wanted to do something to save her. But she couldn't. She was already at the mercy of the Archdemons. Any more transgressions, and she would have to die.ㅤㅤBut wouldn't that have been worth it? For her to die and save this baby?ㅤㅤBefore she could think, a quick shadow dashed across and pushed Stag.ㅤㅤIt was an Elm demon, holding the baby in his arms. And not just any Elm demon. It was the baby's older brother that Stag had previously helped in the birth of.ㅤㅤIt must have overheard the conversation. Stag thought fast—she couldn't let him escape with the baby, or it would be another demerit against her.ㅤㅤThis Elm demon was fast, but Stag was faster. She spread her large wings, which even the other Sage did not have, and snatched the older brother.

●●●ㅤㅤAs Stag used her strength to bring the two Elm demons to the authorities, she felt unnerved. Yes, she felt guilty for destroying both their lives. But it was more physical than that. She felt slightly tired and out of breath, like her energy had been drained. It must have been one of the Elm demon's abilities as a Branching demon, she thought.ㅤㅤStag was commended for her work in subjugating the two demons and bringing them forward. While Stag felt enormous guilt, she was also excited. Would this be enough reason for her to visit Asmo? Would she be able to visit Asmo's residence again and see Shophar?ㅤㅤHell was always quick with execution. There was usually no extravagant public execution to set an example. They were performed privately, quickly, and quietly. With the two children already in captivity, the Calumniator demons didn’t see a need to delay the secondborn's execution, even with Stag still there. The firstborn, who was sedated at the moment, would only be exiled per protocol. Even though he clearly had a desire to betray Hell, he just wasn't strong enough to do so.ㅤㅤAs the Calumniators prepared to stab their Devil's Trident through the heart of the secondborn, Stag winced but kept her eyes open.ㅤㅤThey stabbed the secondborn multiple times. With each time, she shrieked in immense pain. The cacophonic screams intensified through Stag's overly sensitive ears. She couldn't take it.ㅤㅤBut the baby was not dying. Her body kept repairing rapidly. Even when the trident did stab through her, her inwardly growing waist horns shielded her heart from being pierced.ㅤㅤSuddenly, the secondborn baby's horns grew rapidly, too. It was just like the books and documents she had read on Overgrowth. A terrifying overgrowing network of sharp horns dividing and interweaving.ㅤㅤThe firstborn woke to the sounds of the screams and escaped the grasp of the Calumniator demons in the middle of the frenzy, but was soon horrified by what he saw. His sister was experiencing Overgrowth.ㅤㅤThe Calumniator demons, caught off-guard, were overwhelmed and fell unconscious to the multiple stabs of the horns. They weren’t dead and would eventually heal—but they were immobilized.ㅤㅤStag used her immense power, as well as her claws and fangs, to swipe through the Overgrowth before it became too large. She eventually got to the two main head horns and was able to slice them at the base, ending the Overgrowth.ㅤㅤThe other authorities had already been contacted and were on their way. Stag held the baby in her hands, to which the firstborn began to snarl and hiss at. Stag breathed slowly and handed the baby to her brother.ㅤㅤ"Take her and leave. Leave The Infernus. Go to The Lament. Raise her and take care of her. Don't let them catch you," Stag told the firstborn.ㅤㅤThe firstborn stopped his snarling. Confused, he took his sibling and dashed away.ㅤㅤOnce again, Stag had messed up. But she was sure she would be forgiven, since she initially captured them and stopped the situation from escalating even more.

●●●ㅤㅤStag was not only forgiven—she was commended even more than she expected. Although she let them escape, she had done her due diligence in making sure they did not wreak more havoc in Hell. In fact, her wish had come true, and Asmo invited her to dine at his palace as a reward. She would get to see Shophar!ㅤㅤIt was as if those hundreds of years never passed. The moment Shophar saw Stag, she embraced her. Shophar had grown, and this caused Stag's eyes to water just a bit. Asmo chuckled at the encounter. He told Stag to take care of Shophar until it was time for dinner.ㅤㅤStag still kept most, if not all, her Succubus skills. Shophar also seemed to have steadily improved, but admitted that she missed Stag's teaching style.ㅤㅤStag played with Shophar for so long that day. They played old games, as well as new games that Shophar introduced. Stag was so happy. The happiest she had been since the time she spent with Benny. It was so long ago now.ㅤㅤBut now Shophar also reminded her of the Elm siblings.ㅤㅤEach time Stag looked at Shophar's smiling face, she remembered the Elm siblings. She had essentially saved them, so her guilt should've been gone. But why did she still feel guilty?ㅤㅤThen she realized. Shophar. Shophar seemed happy, but was she saved the same way that the Elm demons were? Even with all these servants and slaves, could Shophar ever really be happy in the way that freedom can provide?ㅤㅤEvery beautiful and painful memory replayed in her head as she looked at the little Succubus. And she was done regretting her decisions. She was done being heartbroken. She was done standing idly while other children lived like the Elm siblings did.ㅤㅤShe felt as though this room was a tower. She looked from Shophar to the balcony. Outside of Hell would be like jumping off this tower—it would be dangerous. But they’d be free.ㅤㅤStag mustered every piece of courage and prepared to get out of her comfort zone.

• Back to ACT 3 Menu

Chapter 11 ● The Ache and the Cambion

ㅤㅤMy eyes open. I didn't like it. I didn't like that dream. I hated it. I hated that dream.ㅤㅤI was so uncomfortable. Yuck. A zombie dream would’ve been better. Even the St. Martin's Tower dream would’ve been fine.ㅤㅤYusuf. My man. He ain't deserve that. Fuck that Camilla bitch. Man, fuck that stupid bitch. If I was Jaimie, I would've not given a fuck about being weak and went straight for her fucking throat.ㅤㅤShit. Forgot it's just a story. Damn. Cerus must be going through something, bro. That, or she's extremely creative with controlling my emotions with her writing. I'll ask her today if she's writing the story in first-person the same way I'm experiencing the dream. Yeah, I'll do that. Probably in person at work today. After all, she is working today.ㅤㅤToday is Monday. October 10, 2016. Today and tomorrow. The last two days before Jelly Joni's closes for a month's worth of renovation. Imagine being Cerus and only working three days before you get paid leave. Lucky her. Watch her forget everything she'll have learned from three days of work. Good thing my body clock woke up in time for work. Didn't really set any alarms.ㅤㅤI head out with Vein on my scooter, and we head to JJ's.

●●●ㅤㅤOkay. I'm in the break room to drop Vein off. If you’re confused about Vein’s school situation—she’s homeschooled, just like I used to be. Stag doesn’t really have to do much as the manager, so she teaches Vein when she can. Vein has worksheets to complete when Stag needs to work on something for the restaurant directly. Not really sure how legal this is, but Stag’s always managed to bypass legalities. Don’t ask me how.ㅤㅤThe TV is on. It's that serial murderer again. They actually have camera footage this time, but it's really distorted. The news isn’t showing the actual footage itself—just a still image of the victim’s censored and pixelated corpse at the edge of an alleyway.ㅤㅤHold on. Okay. Now it’s showing some of the footage that took place before that photo. The news anchor narrates the events after providing a disclaimer about the graphics of them.ㅤㅤ“At around 10:34 P.M. last night, you can see here—the victim starts staggering along the street, clutching onto their lower chest. They then throw up in the center of the security camera feed. Here is where things take a turn for the mysterious. It looks like they are getting pulled by nothing. Investigators claim that it looks as if an invisible, supernatural force is tugging them into the alleyway. Here, we see the victim recovering from their incapacitated state, realizing what’s happening. At first, investigators believed some kind of wire or hook trap was used. But here we can see the victim attempting to fight back against something. Police say no evidence of a trap was used at the scene. No fingerprints other than the victims were found either. This security camera’s audio also didn’t pick up any shouting—just the sound of the victim’s feet shuffling on the cement. Oh, right here. We won’t show the victim’s outcome, but around here is where they—“ㅤㅤ“AAAAAAAA!” Vein shouts. Her shout is accompanied by the sound of pencils scattering across the floor.ㅤㅤ“Come on, Vein—try to be careful. Here,” I say, helping her pick up her supplies.ㅤㅤI look back at the TV.ㅤㅤ“—gruesome. While the staggering and leading into an alleyway have been seen before, this decapitation has been considered by investigators to be quite different from the killer’s typical MO for homicide. The police are continuing the search issued two weeks ago, and officials are requesting locals in the area to stay indoors. A lockdown is expected within the next week. Back to you, Allen,” the reporter finishes up.ㅤㅤAs Vein pulls out her schoolwork, I snap out of my trance. I'm just…surprised they haven't made any progress on finding this killer. I know, I know. Could be some rogue demon or something. I got no way of knowing. I’d be able to see them in person, but not through a recording. And—let’s not forget—I wouldn’t stand a chance if it was a demon.ㅤㅤStag doesn’t watch the news, so she probably doesn’t know about this. Maybe we could get some of the demon girls to fight them? Ah, but. At the same time, Stag wants us to stay lowkey. None of us would even know where to start looking. I don’t know! It could also just be some insanely smart serial killer genius. Who knows?ㅤㅤLike I said, the killings are three cities away from me, so I’m not worried. Knock on wood or whatever. Anyway. I shift my focus back to JJ’s and check who's in today.ㅤㅤHelix, Shophar, Cerus, and I. Those are our servers today. Anvil, Ante, Crescent, Stein, and Swan. Our kitchen staff today. Looks like Tel's out today. Yes!ㅤㅤWho's Stein, you ask? None other than our senior chef! She can do it all—cook, bake, clean, wash the dishes—she's just great at what she does. Nowadays, she focuses on washing the dishes, but helps out where she can. Here, I'll talk to her.ㅤㅤI enter the kitchen and standardly greet Ante and Crescent, keeping the birthday secret intact. Anvil hasn't arrived yet.ㅤㅤI get to Stein. Out of curiosity, I prepare to tell her the usual.ㅤㅤ"Hey, Miss Stein! Guess what? I've been having absolutely crazy dreams lately!" I say enthusiastically.ㅤㅤ"Hi, Donny! What'd you dream about? I want to know!" she exclaims.ㅤㅤ"Well, I probably don't have time to go through the best one in detail, but I'll at least tell you about the St. Martin's Tower dream I had."ㅤㅤI briefly explain to her about the mass suicide at the St. Martin's Tower.ㅤㅤ"Oh, that's a very harsh dream! Were you okay after having that?" Stein asks.ㅤㅤ"Don't worry, I'm fine. What do you think it means?" I follow up.ㅤㅤStein is obsessed with dreams, just like me. But she's more eccentric. She wears a lot of jewelry, but it's specifically all gemstones and crystals. To sum it up, she's one of those people obsessed with energy crystals. Very spiritual. But her interest in my dreams has always been something I love about her.ㅤㅤ"Hm. How I see it is—it's a dream representing hidden desires. Impulsiveness and willingness to commit to actions without much thinking or preparation. Intrusive thoughts that take over. These kinds of thoughts can be either healthy or dangerous," She explains.ㅤㅤ’Either healthy or dangerous’. I feel like that applies to literally everything. Very vague. But I still appreciate her.ㅤㅤ"I see. Oh, by the way, how was your vacation?" I ask.ㅤㅤ"It was fantastic! I went to Jade Cove in California and collected lots of jade. Not that valuable spiritually, but they’re definitely pretty. I have souvenirs for everyone after work!" Stein responds.ㅤㅤShe's so fun. Although she's the eldest of all of us here, both demon and human-wise, she's probably one of the more energetic ones here. She has two forehead horns that almost look like mug handles. Well, they each look specifically like the handle on a fancy German beer stein. She's very slender and tall. Her long, straight, and silver hair accentuates her witch-like appearance. When it's down, of course. She usually ties it up at work.

ㅤㅤI move on to Swan. She's one I want to focus on.ㅤㅤ"Hi, Swan. Just wanted to say good morning," I say, somewhat reserved after our last encounter.ㅤㅤ"Don. Thank you for last week," Swan says.ㅤㅤSilence.ㅤㅤI know Swan to some extent. She doesn’t like to dwell on the negative. When any one of the kitchen staff mess up an order–Actually, even with my eggs benedict mishap last week–she never scolds. Never reprimands us. She just…moves on. Instead of causing us to be complacent, her silence actually pushes us to do better. Otherwise, she’ll just keep solving our mistakes for us. I don't know what happened to her dog this past weekend. I can't imagine it would have been good news. I don't want to bring it up, either.ㅤㅤ"O—Of course. I'm always willing to listen. Have a great shift!" I quickly say. I should probably leave it at that.ㅤㅤI exit the kitchen to see Anvil just entering. But she's not alone.ㅤㅤAh, fuck. She's with Claw.  You remember the ex-cherubim I mentioned earlier? Anvil's little sister? Here she is.ㅤㅤ"Where's Vein? I want to see Vein RIGHT NOW!" Claw shouts.ㅤㅤAnvil wacks her in the back of the head.ㅤㅤ"Ow!" Claw shrieks.ㅤㅤ"Be quiet. I go to kitchen. Behave," Anvil says.ㅤㅤClaw's horns are shaped like. Like. Like motherfucking claws. There isn't much more to it than that. It's like, when she became a demon, she was like, ‘give me the most basic thing ever’! She's short and has light brown hair, just like her sister. Her blue eyes also resemble her sister’s. But she is so annoying. Maybe not so much to me, but definitely to Vein. The most she does to me is make fun of how shy I am.

ㅤㅤ"She's in the breakroom," I say. She was going to find out eventually. Poor Vein. I'm so sorry. Your sacrifice will not be in . . . Haha. Nevermind.ㅤㅤWithout even greeting me, Claw dashes toward the breakroom. On days when Claw doesn't have school, Stag lets her stay at Jelly Joni’s similar to how Vein does. She's a little older than Vein. I think thirteen? Something like that. She's obsessed with Vein. I mean, I am, too. But she's on another level.ㅤㅤI greet Anvil, who's looking absolutely sexy as fuck today. Helix and Shophar walk in slowly after. But I'm excited for the star of the show.ㅤㅤ"Hey, Don," Cerus calls out.ㅤㅤ"What's up?" I say. We perform our little handshake. Shophar and Helix witness it in action. They are speechless.ㅤㅤHelix walks up to me before I get to keep talking to Cerus.ㅤㅤ"Don! I've known you for over a year—where's our handshake?!" She says. Haha, she's jealous.ㅤㅤ"Oh, here," I say as I karate chop her head with my server's pad.

●●●ㅤㅤEverything goes well. By the time all the staff arrive, Stag explains the closing situation and the paid leave. Helix is training Cerus, who forgot to put on her server's apron. Even though we get more than the usual influx of customers because of the closing in two days, we handle things pretty well. Unfortunately, I don't have the chance to talk to Cerus about the recent Droneheads dream. But everything's good.ㅤㅤUntil I hear screaming coming from the breakroom. I assure the customers everything's fine, and dash toward it.ㅤㅤClaw, what did you do?ㅤㅤI arrive to see Cerus standing in the doorway outside of the breakroom. Claw is holding Vein in her arms, crying.ㅤㅤOh, no. Once again, Vein is experiencing the pain of her Overgrowth. Why does this keep happening?ㅤㅤI grab Vein from Claw and rush outside the front entrance of the restaurant. It's dangerous to have Vein ride in the back of the scooter like this, so Stag jumps in to help like before.ㅤㅤㅤㅤThis is breaking my heart. Nothing hurts me more than seeing Vein in agony. I really want to join Stag this time to the hospital. But I know the restaurant really needs me today. I can't have Helix, Shophar, and Cerus handle everything today. It's fine. Stag can take care of Vein on her own. But I just want to be there for Vein.ㅤㅤWeirdly enough, Anvil steps out, and we have to cover for her. Claw decides to join her. Which is honestly for the best. Claw would be really bored here without Vein.ㅤㅤI walk back into the restaurant, and most of the employees can see that I'm not really feeling it today. Still, I put on my customer service mask and do my job.ㅤㅤWhat's causing this? It always happens inconveniently when Cerus is in, throwing me off my usual chillness.ㅤㅤWait. Yeah. It’s only on the days when Cerus is in.ㅤㅤIs Vein, like, allergic to Cerus or something? Come to think of it, they still haven't met. Does Stag notice this? I should call her the next chance I get.

●●●ㅤㅤ"Stag? Is she feeling better?" I ask.ㅤㅤ"Y—yes. Sorry, honey. I'm just a little distraught right now. She's okay. We had to have another emergency surgery for her," Stag answers over the phone.ㅤㅤ"That's good to hear. Do you think—," I begin to say.ㅤㅤ"It has to do with Cerus?" Stag interjects.ㅤㅤ"Yeah."ㅤㅤ"So you noticed, too. I'll look more into this. I actually know someone. The one who'll be our bartender can probably shed some light on this," Stag says.ㅤㅤOh? Looks like she already has some people lined up for the new positions.ㅤㅤThere isn't much more to talk about after that. I know Stag is busy. I mean, I am, too. I get back to work.ㅤㅤThe rest of the day is fine. Although I'm worried in the back of my head, I toughen up and get through the work day. After cleanup and closing, I once again get ready to head home on my own.ㅤㅤUntil someone calls for me.ㅤㅤ"Don?" Helix asks as I turn around. Cerus is right behind her.ㅤㅤ"Oh. What's up, Helix?" I say.ㅤㅤ"Cerus and I were thinking. You've been going through a lot lately. This is the second time you've been worried about Vein. You even stayed with Swan to make sure she was okay. We. We want to treat you out tonight. Is there something you're craving? Or do you want to just go out somewhere? Bowling?" Helix asks.ㅤㅤBowling. I guess that wouldn't be half-bad. Kind of unsanitary, though. No—wait. I don't want Cerus' hands touching any bowling balls. Or feeling any holes. Holy shit, I need to chill the fuck out. Hm. Oh! Let's go! Karaoke is perfect! The best-case scenario is that I finally get to hear Cerus' cute singing voice. Plus—The vibe of going to a karaoke bar is always fun, even if you don't sing. I'll show Cerus how fun the Southeast Asian culture of karaoke can be!ㅤㅤ"Bowling would be fun, but I'm much more down for karaoke. That would help me let loose all my sorrows, troubles, aches, and pains," I say, half-jokingly.ㅤㅤ"Ooh! Karaoke it is! Don't worry, Cerus—you won't have to sing. Just let me and Don go wild!" Helix reassures.ㅤㅤ"N—no. I'll sing. I'll try to sing this time," Cerus challenges herself.ㅤㅤ"Oh? Oh? Oh?" Helix excitedly remarks then continues, "Also, it sucks, but Ante won't be able to make it—she has an assignment due tomorrow. Crescent is exhausted and wants to sleep. Um. This probably won't work, but . . . "ㅤㅤHelix turns around.ㅤㅤ"Hey, Shophar! Cerus, Don, and I are going to karaoke to cheer him up! Y—you trying to join?" Helix calls over, obviously nervous.ㅤㅤ" . . . ," Shophar looks in our direction blankly. She seems surprised. She looks directly at me, then at Cerus. She smirks.ㅤㅤ"Sure. Why not," Shophar responds.ㅤㅤHuh? Um. Okay? Didn’t expect that.ㅤㅤ"O—Oh. Perfect! I'll grab my stuff, and we can head out soon," Helix says.ㅤㅤ"Can we stop by the Drop Shop? Cerus hasn't met Drop yet," I request.ㅤㅤ"Of course!" Helix responds. Cerus nods her head.

●●●ㅤㅤ"Drop!"ㅤㅤ"Don! I saw Stag's car dash by through the window. I didn't notice it come back. And Vein isn't here—Did something happen again? Another stomach bug?" Drop inquires. She has insane memory. Not as good as Swan’s photographic memory, though.ㅤㅤBut that’s why Drop is so good at knowing all these flowers. Even though she always tries to push for gerbera daisies.ㅤㅤ"Yeah, something like that. I'll get something for Vein today. Probably not hydrangeas, to spice it up. How about. Hm. Let's do something cute, like a succulent. What's the rose-patterned one again?" I ask.ㅤㅤ"Echeveria?"ㅤㅤ"Yeah, that one."ㅤㅤ"Coming right up! And don't think I forgot to say ‘hi’ to you all, too! Hi, Shophar, Helix, and . . . Ooh, I don't think we've met yet!" Drop exclaims and reaches out her hand. Helix jumps in first.ㅤㅤ"Heya! It's been a while since I've stopped by, Drop! This is Cerus—she's our newest, cutest waitress! Cerus, this is Drop. Her horns are pretty unique, right? Drop's dad is usually here—he owns the flower shop. He's actually known Stag for a long time," Helix introduces Cerus.ㅤㅤ"H—Hi, Drop," Cerus says as she avoids shaking hands. Drop notices and pulls her hand back. What a natural. Absolute queen.ㅤㅤ"Nice to meet you, Cerus! Yeah, my dad actually met Stag through my mom. Unfortunately, my mom passed away two years ago. It was around right before Helix joined the JJ's staff. O-Oh, and no need to give condolences! I'm not as sad about it anymore! Besides, she would've wanted me to stay positive, haha! Anyway, We've all known each other for a long time." Drop explains.ㅤㅤLike I mentioned on Thursday, Drop is half-demon, half-human. These are called Cambions. No, it's not a forbidden situation like a succubus falling in love with a human. Cambions are fair game in the demon world. A long time ago, Cambions were made when a demon forcibly impregnated a human girl, which is really fucked up in hindsight. Apparently, angels retaliated against that really bad a while back, so we stopped that practice. That's one battle I'm glad we demons lost. I'm personally thankful for that. Eyuk.ㅤㅤNo, Drop is the product of a fully-consenting relationship between her demon mom and her human dad. Drop was born a while back during one of her mom’s missions on Earth. Afterwards, her mom had to return to Hell. It was Stag who eventually helped her mom return to Earth and permanently live here.ㅤㅤCambions have always been a rarity. They're just like Succubae in that sense. In case you didn't know, Succubae are very difficult to conceive. Shophar was apparently the 1,604th attempt of some high-ranking Incubae dude. Don't really remember the details. Drop was a fourth try, man. That's crazy. Her parents must've had that raw, kinky demon sex, bro. Sorry.ㅤㅤAnyway, Drop’s mother was the 19th reincarnation of Samael—another ‘fallen angel’ that became the Elemental Demon of Fire. I still don't really understand the whole ‘fallen angel’ thing, but the ‘Elemental Demon of Fire’ is a cool-ass title to have. From what I've learned about Drop—as a kid, she was told that her mother was a Drude demon—the same kind of mare demon that Crescent is. Not long after her death two years ago, Drop accidentally used her inherited fire powers in her sleep, which she didn't even know she had.ㅤㅤBasically, she didn't even know she was the daughter of an extremely powerful archdemon until after her mom passed away. And after the flower shop burned down. Drop was heavily depressed back then, so you can imagine why we’re all so proud of her getting through it. Drop guesses that her flames are a much weaker version of her mom's, which makes sense.ㅤㅤWhile Drop loves her mom, she is a little bit salty that her mom's actual status was hidden from her.ㅤㅤAlright. So Cerus and Drop have officially been introduced. Damn. All these ladies are fine as fuck, dude. I'm sorry, but that's just the way the wind blows. It blows hard. Okay. Stop the horny. Wait. You don't even know why they're all girls, huh? You're like:ㅤㅤDon, why are you the only dude among the demons here?ㅤㅤTo which I say:ㅤㅤMind your own business.ㅤㅤAt least for the part about me being the only dude. Seriously, don't worry about it. And don't worry about why I don't have a dick. That's for another time.ㅤㅤAll you need to know is: This demon-host process called Permanent Possession was started by Stag. We usually call it Permapos for short. But if you want to call it P.P., that’s up to you. As with many things, Stag doesn’t tell me much.ㅤㅤPossession itself is a weird concept. Very misunderstood by humans based on their horror movies. But they did get something right.ㅤㅤThere are Spectra demons, which you probably know as ghosts, that have been able to historically possess humans. But they’re weak. Their possession is always temporary and on a much smaller scale. For example—once a Spectra possesses a human, they can only travel within places that the human has been to. Some are so weak that they can only stay within the area where the human died. Hence the thing where ghosts haunt specific buildings.ㅤㅤBut Permapos is different. There’s more to it than being the permanent version of Spectra possession. Stag has only told me the following:ㅤㅤ1. The method for Permapos is based on the angels' method of possession. Not Spectra. With Spectra, the demon’s mind has taken over the human’s, which slowly deteriorates. With angels, the human’s mind is intact, while the angel’s mind is mostly dormant. With Permapos, both minds essentially combine, but the human memories take over. Like with me. I have all my memories from before I was possessed at 12-years-old. Even some sad ones. I have almost no memories of my time in Hell. Just what Stag tells me.ㅤㅤ2. Permapos only works on girls. It’s some biological reason. I didn't really pay attention to biology in high school, but apparently, during early development in the womb, all humans' fetal genitalia are the same and—What was the word Stag used? ‘Penistypical’? No, wait. ‘Phenotypical’. Yeah. They're all phenotypically female. Something, something gestation, something, something, Y chromosome, something, something ‘testes’. I don't know. It's a mix of spiritual and biological reasoning that sounds like pseudoscience to me. Angels are sort of like pre-humans, right? They’re hermaphrodites, yet they're usually referred to with male pronouns. So it’s a little odd to me.ㅤㅤAhem. I don't know how my thoughts reach that level of a tangent, but anyway.ㅤㅤWe finish introductions, and we head over to the karaoke place. With Shophar following behind menacingly.

• Back to ACT 3 Menu

Chapter 12 ● The Karaoke and the Door

ㅤㅤHoly shit. Cerus cannot sing for shit. I thought it'd at least be like. Cutely offkey or something.
My fucking ears. Please. Helix. Help.ㅤㅤ"Haha, alright, Cerus, I th—think it's Shophar's turn to sing!" Helix begs.ㅤㅤCerus does not listen. In fact, how could she with how loud she's singing?ㅤㅤ"CERUS, PLEASE! FOR THE LOVE OF ASTAROTH!" Helix screams. In the process, she flails her arms with the karaoke room’s tambourine in hand. She accidentally hits me in the arm with it, giving me a small, visible cut.ㅤㅤCerus still does not hear Helix’s plea. Meanwhile, Helix is trying to apologize, but I can’t hear her. I’m only reading her lips. I mouth that it’s alright. If only Crescent were here to sedate her. Oh, right. She doesn’t actually have powers.ㅤㅤShophar? She's wearing headphones. Bitch. Why'd she even come here?ㅤㅤI text Shophar. Yes, I have her number. But only for emergencies. If this isn't an emergency, I don't know what is.ㅤㅤㅤㅤshophar. you still have your succubus powers. is there anything that can induce sleep? to sedate cerus?ㅤㅤI can clearly see her read the text. She shakes her head.ㅤㅤFuck. Okay. Helix is apparently some descendent of Beelzebub, but the direct child of Amaymon. They're both just some guys. I don't know shit about demons history-wise. Beelzebub sounds strong, but I doubt the irrelevant-sounding Amaymon dude has any powers or anything. At least, Helix has never told me. Unless?ㅤㅤI text Helix:ㅤㅤㅤㅤyou have to have something that can stop herㅤㅤㅤㅤfrom what i understand, she doesn’t like physical touchㅤㅤㅤㅤive never directly asked u before. do u have demon powers that can stop her?ㅤㅤShe responds:ㅤㅤㅤㅤmy demon dad amaymon had poisonous breath. not me. im a clean girl :DㅤㅤPlus a meme. How does she have time to find a meme during a moment like this? I continue:ㅤㅤㅤㅤwhat about beelzebub? isn't he something?ㅤㅤShe replies:ㅤㅤㅤㅤhe was a prince of hell! he made oracles, represented envy, and attracted flies. not me. im a clean girl lol :dㅤㅤㅤㅤ*:DㅤㅤBro, come on.ㅤㅤThankfully, the song ends and Cerus stops banshee-ing.ㅤㅤ"O—Okay! Now it's Shophar's turn to sing! Shophar?" I say as I snatch the mic away, hand it to Shophar, and sit down.ㅤㅤShophar takes off her headphones and surprisingly agrees to sing. She chooses an overtly sexual R&B song.ㅤㅤWe all sit in awe as Shophar sings. Her voice is unlike anything we've heard before. I don't know if it has to do with her being a Succubus, but man. She is extremely sexy right now.ㅤㅤAs she gets to the first chorus, she turns toward me. She starts moving towards me. She gets on top of the booth seating and pushes her knee against my groin. In the middle of the chorus, she moves and sits on top of my lap. She looks directly into my eyes, and I can’t speak or turn away. She starts to move her waist. It's mesmerizing. I can't. I'm. I—ㅤㅤ"SHOPHAR!" Helix shouts.ㅤㅤShophar stops singing and moving. She makes a slight ‘tsk’ noise and stands up. The background track continues to play.ㅤㅤ"I'm going to get a drink. Have fun," She says. She walks out of the karaoke room.ㅤㅤI don't know what just happened. I can't really think right now. I just. I couldn't move. I couldn't think. It was terrifying. Is this what a Succubus is capable of? I’m shaking a little bit.ㅤㅤI look over and see Helix with her arms crossed and her eyebrows slanted. She's pissed.ㅤㅤCerus is completely beet red as usual. But her hand is covering her mouth.ㅤㅤ"Helix, I swear! I couldn't move! I really—"ㅤㅤ"It's okay, Don. It's not your fault. She should know better than to do that. Un-fucking-believable," Helix replies. It's rare to hear her curse.ㅤㅤIt's a little awkward for a few seconds with just us three. Helix unfolds and puts her arms down. But her hands are in a fist.ㅤㅤ"It's not fair," Helix starts to say.ㅤㅤ"What do you—"ㅤㅤ"IT'S NOT FAIR!" Helix shouts. Cerus is taken aback.ㅤㅤ"Helix, calm down," I try to console her.ㅤㅤHelix starts to cry.ㅤㅤ"It's not fair. Every time. You're surrounded by all these pretty girls. A new girl joins in, and something always happens. And my emotions are always out of control. When I was the new girl, you were so nice to me. I could tell you were shy, but you were always trying your best. You're even doing that with Cerus. Ugh. I've always liked that about you. It's not always your fault, like tonight. But every now and then, I just can't take it. And all I can do is just sit by and let it happen," Helix starts to rant.ㅤㅤ"I—I don't know what you're talking about, Helix. You need to be more dire—"ㅤㅤHelix starts to bawl.ㅤㅤ"I like you, Don! I've liked you for the longest time! You don't ever make it a point to notice anything about how I feel! I know I'm guilty for not telling you directly, but how can I?! How can I?! When every single time I open up to you—You! You're super honest with me and want me to work on myself. Be direct?! How the hell am I supposed to be direct with you?! I'm nothing but a coward. I have so much trouble with confrontation. I can't. I always have to talk about things behind people's backs, even when it's harmless. I act all social and easy to talk to, but I have my own problems that I can't talk about," Helix cries.ㅤㅤI'm sorry—what? She what now?ㅤㅤ"Helix. I—"ㅤㅤ"Don't start. I know. I know, I know, I know, I know, and I know! You'll never see me as more than a friend. I'm not even trying to ask you out. I—I've. I've already accepted a long time ago that it would never work out. I'm just. Ugh! My parents, too! Everybody! Treating me like I should be the perfect child. I chose not to go to university. It was my own choice. I've stopped trying to tell them. It was my own choice. I may not be sure of what I want to do. I'm not sure about a lot of things. The only thing I've been sure about is how I feel about you, Don! And this is what I get? My coworker grinding on you?! In front of me?! I'm so fucking tired. So fucking tired of this bullshit. Ugh! C—Cerus. I—I'm sorry. I don't know exactly what's happening, but I'm r—really angry right now. And it's not y—your fault. Ugh. I'm. I'm going to go outside for a bit. P—pray that I don't see Shophar, or I might kill that bitch. I don't give a fuck if she's older than me," Helix says and storms out.ㅤㅤIt's just me and Cerus.

●●●ㅤㅤThat. That was crazy. Um. In any other multiverse, this is where it would be fine to talk about the Droneheads with Cerus. But um. Uh. Hm.ㅤㅤI'm going to shut up.ㅤㅤHelix and Shophar have never got along, ever since Helix joined last year. They've never really directly fought because, well, they never really talk to each other. I grew up with Shophar, and even I'm scared of her. Most of us are. But I think Helix is the only one that's expressed actual hatred toward her. Ante is the only one who Shophar ever really opens up to anymore. And even when we try to ask Ante about Shophar, Ante is determined to respect Shophar's privacy.ㅤㅤShophar is promiscuous. She's an absolute free spirit. I've seen her leave work with so many different guys. I feel like she's gained us the same amount of customers that she's lost. I don't remember much about when I first met her. But I've always been scared of her. During work, she's usually professional. To be honest, that's the only time I've ever really spoken to her.ㅤㅤBut sometimes I think about the fact that she didn’t possess a human being—that the Shophar I see is her actual Succubus form. That she’s stronger now than she was in Hell. That she’s lived much longer than her earthly looks show. And that she remembers all her memories of growing up in Hell. That can’t be good for her mentally. Being cursed with probably thousands of years of memories compared to the rest of us demons with human minds.ㅤㅤBut that also has me thinking about Stag. Stag, on the other hand, used her shapeshifting ability in Hell one last time before she transported herself to Earth and lost it. So Stag is stuck like this. That also means that none of us but Shophar have ever seen Stag’s original demon form. Stag is the weirdest part in all this.ㅤㅤYou see, Shophar has known Stag since she was little. That's about it. So it's never made sense that Shophar seems to specifically despise Stag. Like, Shophar is obedient to a fault. She seems to accept that Stag is the reason she can remain on Earth the way she can, but she clearly bears some kind of grudge. Stag, as always, tells me the least amount that she can.ㅤㅤBut. I can't believe it. Helix? She went to the same public high school as Ante and Crescent. Even before Permapos, when she was still human. It’s a coincidence Helix was the one possessed. Ante was relatively popular—but Helix? Apparently, everyone knew her. She was on the student council and would stay for afterschool activities—she often would go directly from school to work the later shift. She's a hard worker. And. I've kind of been taking her for granted. Like. It’s only been a year since I met her, but I sometimes would suspect that she may like me. But she's so social that I would end up assuming that's how she acts with everyone. And in a way, she kind of does. I've seen how she acts around people. You can call me dense, but there's never been a clear way of knowing.ㅤㅤHelix mentioned that Beelzebub represented envy. This will make me sound like an asshole, but is part of the reason she acts the way she does because of her ancestry? No. No. Then she wouldn't have lashed out like that out of nowhere. She has never done this before. It wouldn't make sense for her envy to just suddenly burst like that. Maybe. Either way, I don't know. I haven't really been in love before. I mean. I don't know if Helix is in love with me or just crushing on me by saying ‘like’. I don't know how I feel right now. I need time to think. But.ㅤㅤIt's just Cerus and I in this room.ㅤㅤ"That was a lot, h—haha," I say.ㅤㅤCerus doesn't know what to say, it looks like.ㅤㅤIt's a little fucked up to do, but I'll talk about the Droneheads to at least make the situation less awkward.ㅤㅤ"We should get our minds off of what happened for now. After all, Both Helix and Shophar look like they want to be left alone right now. About the Droneheads. My dream last night was kind of really uncomfortable. I'm surprised you wrote that. I—I mean it's not bad or anything! Just really intense. It's amazing how you got me to feel so frustrated like that, even when I woke up," I start to ramble.ㅤㅤ"What . . . What was the last thing that happened?" Cerus asks.ㅤㅤ"Jeem was in the detention ward, and a new facilitator dude named Mr. E showed up," I say.ㅤㅤCerus falls silent for a moment.ㅤㅤ"Y—yeah. That's after the fight scene with Y—Yusuf and Camilla. Pretty brutal, right? I put lots of detail i—in that scene," Cerus says. She's not at all like how she was at the end of our last hangout. She seems like she's back to being nervous. I mean, who wouldn't? Especially after witnessing Helix and Shophar just now.ㅤㅤ"It was crazy. I couldn't move as Jeem. You really drove home the fact that Jeem was a coward. But I mean—I feel for her. I know what it's like to be really weak and not be able to do anything. Anyway, I'm pretty excited to find out about Mr. E. He seems like a nice guy," I say.ㅤㅤCerus says nothing for a few seconds, then speaks up.ㅤㅤ"Well, I don't want to give away a—anything. We already made contact with the handshake this morning, so you should dream the next part tonight," Cerus says.ㅤㅤThat fight scene. I hate thinking about it. I've grown attached to Yusuf, the poor kid. The way they fought was so painful. I swear, Camilla could have almost beat Yusuf to death with the way she was attacking him. She could honestly have killed him.ㅤㅤKill? Wait. Wasn't Helix going to . . . ? Oh, no. It was in the spur of the moment that I didn’t even notice she said it. I completely glossed over the fact that. That Helix said if she saw Shoph—ㅤㅤScreaming. Not the first time today that I've heard screaming in another room.ㅤㅤI dash over to the main bar of the karaoke.ㅤㅤShophar has Helix held down on the bar counter, grabbing her by the hair.ㅤㅤI don't like this. No, no, no, no, no, no. Fuck, no. I don't want to see this again. This isn't a dream any fucking more. I have to do something. Okay, okay. First, dial 9-1-1. No, wait. That'll escalate the situation. Things will be way worse. Oh, fuck. She's pounding her head onto the counter. Fuck. Fuck. Shit. Oh, fuck. Helix’s face. It’s… Shit! Should I call Stag? Ugh. I don't know. I don't fucking know! I don't fucking know! I don't—ㅤㅤOh, fuck. Fuck. Not now. It’s happening again. The thing at the mall. My vision is blurring. The high-pitched noise is back. I won’t shut my eyes this time—I need to help Helix. Please. Whatever this is, please—

●●●ㅤㅤWhat?ㅤㅤWhat the fuck is going on?ㅤㅤI'm. I'm staring at my ceiling? My own ceiling? In my room?ㅤㅤLet me check the time. What? Where the fuck’s my phone? Whatever. My alarm clock says it’s Tuesday, October 11. 3:34 AM. I was just at the karaoke bar. If we stayed at the karaoke bar until close, then I would have gotten home around 1:00 AM. I would have checked to see if Vein was sleeping in her room, changed, brushed my teeth, set my alarm, and gone to bed. And I would be asleep by now. Is that what happened? And I just woke up from a dream? But that wouldn't make sense. The karaoke bar was real. I'm so certain everything was real. That doesn't make any sense.ㅤㅤIt's the morning of the last day of Jelly Joni's. It would be the morning after the karaoke bar. I don’t understand. Maybe it really was a dream. But how much of it? I’m so unbelievably confused. And where’s my phone? I could check it to see if I have the message where I sent the karaoke bar’s address to Cerus and Helix. Even my breath is minty. So I did brush my teeth. I just don’t remember doing it.ㅤㅤI'm extremely confused. I do feel sleepy, though. If I think too hard about it, then I won't get any sleep and will just be groggy. Which I really shouldn't be for my last day. I don’t know. Wait. Should I text Helix and Shophar? Ugh. I don't know what's going on anymore. My phone’s probably in my jacket or something. I'll just. I'll. Sleep.

●●●ㅤㅤI'm sitting on a bench. I'm cradling Min-Min in my arms. Sammy and Seth are on each side of us. Bao is playing with some other kids. I don't see Feng.ㅤㅤI look at my hands. There are some slight scars on my palm from when I was on the ground watching Yusuf fight Camilla. Same with my knees and elbows. I shake Min-Min, and she smiles.ㅤㅤWe're right outside of the Quarters. A lot of the children are playing like they normally are. Almost everyone is either here outside, sleeping, or playing in the Park. But no Yusuf. No Camilla.ㅤㅤAnd no Ms. G.ㅤㅤI hear a pen click.ㅤㅤMr. E is watching the kids in her stead, joining in their games every now and then. He's definitely more engaged with the kids than Ms. G was. But I still don't like him. I don't like men.ㅤㅤI remember. After Mr. E introduced himself to me, he explained that Ms. G was going take care of Yusuf's injuries, so she would have to be away for a while. But then he revealed bad news to me.ㅤㅤCamilla was just fine. And she would be released back to the Crater with everyone very soon. That she had been punished and wouldn't act like that again.ㅤㅤMr. E promised me that Camilla would not attack me. I would be safe from her. He even encouraged me to try and make up with her by becoming her friend.ㅤㅤI refused by shaking my head. The only thing I asked him was whether Yusuf was in the Crater at all. If so, I planned to go out of my comfort zone and try to get him out of the Quarter's nursing section.ㅤㅤBut Mr. E told me Yusuf isn’t in the Crater. Ms. G and Yusuf are going to stay far away for a while.ㅤㅤEven now, I still really don't like Mr. E. He acts all nice and kind like Ms. G, but I don't trust men. Especially not him. He talks so slowly and is always clicking his pen. I hate that sound.

●●●ㅤㅤDays pass. Nothing changes. The kids notice I don't really play with them. I'm usually just sitting on my own, holding Min-Min. When the rest of the Droneheads try to console me, I sort of send them away. Eventually, they leave me alone.ㅤㅤIt's two weeks later that two of the children return.ㅤㅤFeng and Camilla.ㅤㅤThey seem different. Not in their stature, but moreso their expressions. Mr. E gathers all the kids and asks them all to welcome the two back with open arms. He says to forget what happened in the past and to focus on the future.ㅤㅤWithin a few hours, the two are back as if nothing happened. Feng notices that I want to be left alone. He doesn't say anything about where he's been.ㅤㅤCamilla is playing with the other kids. Every time she catches me staring at her, she just smiles at me. I don't sense anything from these smiles. No resentment. But at the same time, no compassion. It's harrowing.ㅤㅤWhenever I overhear a kid trying to ask about the night of the final drone show, Camilla responds with, "Everything's okay, now! We’ve all made up and apologized.”ㅤㅤIt's not. And we didn’t. But I’m not going to speak up about it.ㅤㅤYusuf isn't here. Ms. G isn't here.ㅤㅤThe only thing left here is Droney. This device got me into this mess. It made me good friends with the other Droneheads, but none of them are Yusuf. It doesn't even work without the controller. If Ms. G were here, she could make an exception and have the controller fixed or order an entire new set.ㅤㅤObviously, I'm just fantasizing at this point.ㅤㅤAs time passes, I can see how great Camilla's doing. She volunteers to help Mr. E out with anything and everything. She continues teaching the younger kids just as she did before the Droneheads. She's prospering more than she ever has before.ㅤㅤMr. E eventually confiscates Droney after noticing that it only reminds me of Yusuf and ruins my mood.ㅤㅤBut speaking of Mr. E, I notice three things.ㅤㅤThe first thing: He always has his clipboard. When he doesn’t have it in his hands, it’s always somewhere near him. And I can never get close enough to read it before he notices and tells me not to be nosy. Like I said, he’s always clicking his pen repeatedly. It’s so annoying.ㅤㅤThe second thing: Mr. E is almost always with Camilla. I mean, there was a point where Yusuf and I were always with Ms. G, but we both definitely had our own private collusions with each other. What Mr. E and Camilla have seems to go beyond favoritism. It reminds me too much of…nevermind.ㅤㅤWhen Camilla voluntarily teaches the kids, Mr. E is always right there beside her. When Camilla is playing sports where none of the kids stand a chance, Mr. E is right there, ready to play against her to set the score. When Camilla is cooking or baking, Mr. E lends a helping hand. When Camilla is doing anything, Mr. E is right there. This goes way past anything I've seen from Ms. G.ㅤㅤThe third thing I notice: Mr. E does not tuck the younger children in.ㅤㅤThe most he says is ‘good night’ to each of the age-assigned sleeping rooms, only passing by the entrance of each door. Ms. G would actually walk into each and every one of the sleeping quarters' rooms, say ‘good night’, and proceed to tuck in the younger children. Mr. E just passes by. It's almost as if he's saving time to head to bed sooner.

●●●ㅤㅤTonight, I decide to stay up past our curfew. I mean, Mr. E seems to be careless with the nightly check-in, since he's always focused on Camilla. I sneakily head over to the older kids' sleeping quarters. Everyone seems asleep. Maybe I should wake Feng up? No. We haven't really spoken in a while. He might be surprised and wake the other kids. I don't exactly know where Camilla's bed is, since they aren't arranged alphabetically.ㅤㅤBut I do notice one empty bed. No new children have been added to the Crater anytime recently. As far as I'm concerned, we've only added new children twice this year.ㅤㅤI walk away from the sleeping quarters and head towards the facilitator's section. I never wander here, as there is an ID-activated door. There are no cameras anywhere in the Crater. Ms. G herself said that the Crater program prides itself on the privacy of the children.ㅤㅤBut Ms. G warned us that we should never wander towards the facilitator's section, since the alarm system will wake the other kids. But I don't care. If I don't find out what's going on between them now, I fear I’ll never get out of this comfort zone again.ㅤㅤI see the small LED pad on the ID-activated door. It currently says "UNLOCKED". I’m not sure if it’s usually like this, but I don’t care. It's now or never.ㅤㅤI take the risk and step toward the ID-activated door.ㅤㅤIt opens. No alarm.ㅤㅤWhat I see is standard. A hallway. Around six doors—three of them on each side alternating in a zigzag pattern. They each have peeking windows like a school classroom door. At the very end is the emergency exit. But it's dimly lit. Only a third of the fluorescent lights are on. As I start to sneak through the hallway quietly, I notice that most of the lights are off in the rooms based on the peeking windows.ㅤㅤUntil I get to the fifth room. I see a faint light coming from the peeking window. The door is slightly ajar. I approach it very quietly.ㅤㅤI hear moaning.ㅤㅤAs my eyes peer through the door's ajar opening, I can't believe what I see.ㅤㅤMr. E is naked. And he's on top of Camilla.ㅤㅤI'm in disbelief. This is disgusting.ㅤㅤMr. E and Camilla are…ㅤㅤI begin to feel something coming up in my throat. Before I even have a chance to vomit, I dash away.ㅤㅤI dash away and run through the ID-activated door. I run all the way back to my own sleeping quarters. I try to lie in bed, but I feel the vomit coming back up. I get up and go to the restroom to vomit. It hurts. It hurts. It's all so disgusting. It's so disgusting. It's so disgusting.

• Back to ACT 3 Menu

Chapter 13 ● The Final Day and the Red Honey

ㅤㅤI'm in the karaoke room. In the same spot as before. Sitting in the booth.ㅤㅤWith Shophar on top of my lap. No one else is in the room.ㅤㅤShe's singing the same song she was singing before.ㅤㅤI can't move.ㅤㅤShe strips off my shirt. She slowly stands up from my lap and begins to remove my jeans. All while continuing to sing.ㅤㅤI hate this. I don't want it. I don’t fucking want it.ㅤㅤBut I can't move. I close my eyes. I feel her touching my shoulders as she repositions herself on top of me.ㅤㅤI open my eyes, and I'm inside a white room. It looks exactly like the room in the facilitator's section. Where Mr. E and Camilla were.ㅤㅤBut I'm on the bed. And Shophar is on top of me.ㅤㅤI'm scared. I'm fucking terrified. I'm fucking terrified and I don't want this.ㅤㅤI can't move. I can't do a thing. I can't speak.ㅤㅤShophar. Please stop.ㅤㅤShe doesn't stop.

●●●ㅤㅤI wake up and vomit.ㅤㅤMy bed is full of vomit. I place my hands on the sides of my head and scream.ㅤㅤWhat the fuck, Cerus?ㅤㅤWhy the fuck did you write that?ㅤㅤWhy the fuck?ㅤㅤStag storms into the room.ㅤㅤ"Don?! Is everything okay? Oh, my goodness. Oh. Don, honey. I—What happened? A—Are you sick? Let me take your temperature," Stag says.ㅤㅤI avoid Stag's hand. I don't want to be touched right now. I don't want anyone near me right now.ㅤㅤ"Don. Please. Let me help you," Stag says.ㅤㅤ"I'm sorry. I just had a really, really m—messed up, messed up nightmare. I've n—never, never f—felt like that before," I admit.ㅤㅤ"Don. I understand. Take deep breaths," Stag tells me.ㅤㅤI'm trying, Stag. I'm trying to take deep breaths. I'm trying. I'm panicking. I just woke up and I'm panicking. I can't breathe. I can't. I can't—ㅤㅤ"Don?"ㅤㅤIt's Vein. She's by my side holding my hand.ㅤㅤOh. Ah. Haha. I'm. Really feeling it right now.ㅤㅤI didn't even notice that I'm crying.ㅤㅤVein gets up on the bed and kisses my cheek. She squeezes me.ㅤㅤI'm able to calm down. What time? Shit. Still can’t find my phone. Clock says 7:17 AM. Today's the final day of Jelly Joni's before the month-long close.

●●●ㅤㅤStag decides to drive us both to the restaurant. None of us could go back to sleep, so we're all going to the restaurant at the same early time as her. Couldn’t find my phone or wallet in my jacket, so there’s that. Just another thing to add to the shit I’m feeling today. Great.ㅤㅤ"Don. I'm not going to ask you the specifics. I just want you away from yourself at home. If you can't work today, that's fine. You can just stay in the breakroom with Vein."ㅤㅤ"No, it's okay. I can work. Sorry about earlier," I say.ㅤㅤ"Please don't apologize. Let's just focus on other things right now. Vein? Are you okay, too?"ㅤㅤ"Mhm!" Vein says in the backseat, swinging her legs.ㅤㅤI love Vein so much. I'm so happy she's okay. Especially after yesterday. I'm so fucking stressed. I decide not to tell Stag that I lost my phone and wallet. I don’t need to be told off about it right now. I’ll just grab a cheap, temporary phone after work with my extra cash.ㅤㅤOh. What's going to happen today at work? Will Shoph—Will she be there today? And is Helix going to show up? Would her face be all bruised?ㅤㅤWe arrive at the restaurant. No one is here yet, obviously. My hands are kind of shaky. But I swear I can still serve. I put on my server's apron in the breakroom and look at the schedule.ㅤㅤHelix, Sh—Shophar, Cerus, and I.ㅤㅤAnvil, Ante, Tel, Stein, and Swan. Crescent is out today. Her birthday is tomorrow.ㅤㅤSlowly, the kitchen staff arrive. I greet them.ㅤㅤI do some light cleaning.ㅤㅤThe door opens.ㅤㅤIt's Helix. She looks completely fine. I don't understand. I continue cleaning.ㅤㅤNext to show up is Cerus. I'm too exhausted to question her. I continue cleaning.ㅤㅤFinally, Shophar enters. I'm terrified but powerless to think right now. I continue cleaning.ㅤㅤI just continue cleaning. I avoid all seriousness. I just want to get through the work day.ㅤㅤI don't pay attention to how Shophar and Helix interact. I don't care right now. I just want to get through the work day.ㅤㅤI don't pay attention to how much Helix trains Cerus. I just want to get through this.ㅤㅤI don't pay attention to whether they pay attention to me.ㅤㅤI keep going through the work day mindlessly, ignoring the other three waitresses as much as I can. At one point, Stag leaves the restaurant. She comes back a few hours later and introduces us to our future bartender. I'm not in the mood. Her name is Tower. She's apparently a genius that graduated from a top-tier university in Pakistan. Her horns are shaped similar to a radio tower. I'm glad she'll join us, but I'm just not in the mood right now. I give minimal greetings.ㅤㅤThe final day ends very anticlimactically. I don't stop by Drop. I just go straight home with Stag and Vein. No one tries to talk to me other than the kitchen staff. The kitchen staff don't notice anything among the waitresses. I only recall a few details. I remember that Cerus walked into the restaurant already wearing her apron. Maybe she accidentally brought it home yesterday before karaoke and after karaoke. I don’t know. She never went to the breakroom. She left before Vein and I, because we stayed longer waiting for Stag, who was our ride. So Cerus never met Vein. Again. Even on the last day. Shortly after getting home, I leave discretely to buy a temporary phone. I end up going with a really outdated third-party smartphone. I get back home and call the karaoke bar, asking if they’ve seen a wallet and phone anywhere. And they haven’t. Of course not. Great.ㅤㅤI'm sitting at my desk in front of my dream journal. I don't know what to write. It's only been The Droneheads. And the karaoke nightmare. I don't want to think about it right now. So I won't. I can't draw right now either. Too exhausted to even read up on any nerdy astrophysics news. I'll just sleep in early.ㅤㅤA buzz. My phone.ㅤㅤAh. That’s right. I don’t have my contacts anymore. The text preview on my home screen reads:ㅤㅤㅤㅤdon, i dnt know where u . . .ㅤㅤThat’s Cerus. I can tell just from the shorthand texting. I don't think I want to read it right now. I never touched Cerus today. I don't think I'll have a Droneheads dream. I really don't want to have a Droneheads dream. Should I even sleep? Would that risk having a Droneheads dream? I know I didn't make any contact with her. I'll. I'll go to sleep.

●●●ㅤㅤIt's Tib. Tib is in front of me? Tib is pulling me. Pulling me away from something. I look down. I have spike hands again. I feel small. I look behind, where Tib is pulling me away from.ㅤㅤIt's the creature. With the red wings. The red bleeding wings. I start to hear the horrifying screams again. As I get farther and farther away, I see its bleeding wings drip like honey. Red honey. That's what I'll call it. That's what I'll call the creature.ㅤㅤIt's in its full gigantic form. The four divided horns are extended. Its flesh is reforming over and over. Flesh, muscle, bone. Flesh, muscle, bone.ㅤㅤUnderneath it is an injured person—the woman who called herself Joni.ㅤㅤTib brings me over to an abandoned building, right next to a wall. Red sky.ㅤㅤI feel very sad, but Tib squeezes her own face and makes funny faces. I'm suddenly cheered up and gleeful.ㅤㅤTib and I wait in this abandoned building for what feels like years. I start to get really hungry.ㅤㅤOne day, I notice a shadow and make a slight crying sound.ㅤㅤAnd I see another horrific-looking creature—A tall being with terrifying tendrils for arms. Each tendril branching off into smaller ones. Near the top of its pitch-black body is a black and white mask with a frightening pattern. And above this mask are two giant horns.ㅤㅤBut. It feels like home. This creature feels like home. The creature and I run toward each other.ㅤㅤI don't understand. For some reason, I know I'm Don. I'm dreaming right now. I'm lucid dreaming, but I can't control what's happening. I'm aware of everything.ㅤㅤAnd somehow, I just know. This creature I see is myself.ㅤㅤThat's Don. This small body belongs to Vein.ㅤㅤI'm seeing from Vein's perspective.ㅤㅤI am in Hell. And we are demons.ㅤㅤI’m dreaming Vein’s past in Hell.

●●●ㅤㅤEverything is slowly coming back to me. My memories from Hell. I know what happens next. I, as Vein, will become stressed. I will experience Overgrowth in Vein’s original demon form. I will be stabbed repeatedly by my own horns. The original Don will grab me and try to escape from here—the boundary between The Lament and The Infernus.ㅤㅤBut Vein’s horns will grow too fast. Too fast to the point that the original Don will no longer be able to help me. He will lose consciousness. Eventually somebody saves them—I mean us. But I don’t know who. Even with my memories coming back, I don’t think I ever saw who saved us. Maybe seeing it from Vein’s perspective will shed some light. For some reason, I remember the name Pariah. It might have been Pariah who saved us, but I’m doubtful.ㅤㅤAs the events of the dream play out, I watch it all unfold. Sure enough, I feel every painful stab that Vein experienced that day. I watch the original Don get stabbed and lose consciousness. I can’t wake up. I know this is a dream, but I can’t wake up. Even with all this pain. It fucking hurts. It hurts.ㅤㅤWait. This next part happening right now.ㅤㅤI don’t think this part is in my own memory.ㅤㅤThere it is. The Red Honey. It's in front of me. My body is upside-down from my own Overgrowth. It inches towards me as the thorns spreading from each of my horns begin to cover my view. It's the same scene I saw at the beginning of the Fountain dream.ㅤㅤThe Red Honey screams. Just as my view is covered by my horns, I hear a stomp and an incantation muffled by the horns.ㅤㅤWho’s…voice is that?ㅤㅤThat’s not Joni’s. That’s not Pariah’s.ㅤㅤWho is behind me?ㅤㅤI start to feel myself in sharp pain. The horns begin to melt into me slowly. It hurts even more, but I start to regain my view.ㅤㅤThe Red Honey, still in its disgusting bleeding form, is in front of me. Don and Tib are underneath me. I’m too weak to turn around and see who’s behind me. The one who saved us. For some reason, I’m no longer terrified of The Red Honey, despite its appearance. I know why. This is the same bipedal, canine creature that I became friends with. I try to turn around and see who’s behind me with no success. The Red Honey approaches me and forcefully breaks off the rest of my excess horns. Although it helps, it’s agonizing. Meanwhile, I hear the one behind me walking away.ㅤㅤSoon enough, The Red Honey wanders away until I can no longer see it in my view. It leaves a mess of blood and flesh along its way out.ㅤㅤThe Overgrowth subsides completely, and the original Don regains his sight and consciousness.ㅤㅤAnd I'm awake.

●●●ㅤㅤWhat? That was so trippy. Where do I even begin?ㅤㅤI was experiencing the dream as Vein? In her original demon form? In Hell?ㅤㅤAnd that masked creature was me?ㅤㅤThat's what an Elm demon looks like? The thing Stag told me I am?ㅤㅤIf so, I'm kind of ugly. But also cool, in some ways.ㅤㅤWhy did I ever forget this? Why is it coming back? Ugh, there are so many questions.ㅤㅤIt's morning. I check my phone. Wednesday, October 12. Crescent’s birthday. A more reasonable time of 11:40 AM. No work today. No work for a while, actually. The text preview from Cerus is still there. I think. I have a lot of questions in my mind right now, but I think I’m ready to read this.ㅤㅤI open the full message:ㅤㅤㅤㅤdon, i dnt know where u are in the droneheads story. if u are where i think u are, i can explainㅤㅤㅤㅤpls come overㅤㅤㅤㅤu might just need 1 more niteㅤㅤI’m so fucking sick of this. I throw my stupid-ass, cheap-ass phone across the room. But this leads me to notice something on my arm. It’s a small cut. Huh. That’s weird. I don’t remember getting…ㅤㅤWait. Yes, I do.ㅤㅤThat’s the cut from when Helix hit me with the tambourine.ㅤㅤDuring karaoke.

• Back to ACT 3 Menu

Chapter 14 ● The Cup and the Truth

ㅤㅤWhy do I have this cut? So we did do karaoke? Now I regret not asking Helix about it yesterday. I can’t even text anyone but Cerus without their contacts saved. Speaking of Cerus–her text. Do I even want to see her? I'm kind of pissed. Pissed about that last Crater dream with Mr. E. Reading that kind of story is one thing.ㅤㅤKnowing that I would experience the story in first-person and not warning me is fucked up.ㅤㅤFucking disgusting. Granted, it's obviously not written in support of pedophilia. But still, give me a fucking warning. What the absolute hell?ㅤㅤAnd besides that, I'm still trying to wrap my head around my dream just now. I don't want to just instantly believe that dream is historically accurate. My dream-self can be deceiving. I'll be skeptical for now. I mean, everything in that dream does match up with the vague clues that Stag has given me growing up. With some caveats. Man. I didn’t think seeing myself in a dream would knock me out of this anxiety I’ve had the past day. Now I’m burdened with curiosity. I'll lay down the brass tacks. Actually, I'll go ahead and add a little section in my dream journal.ㅤㅤWhat I knew before the dream last night:
ㅤㅤㅤㅤ● Vein and I were originally Elm demons.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤ● Elm demons are weak.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤ● With Permanent Possession—Permapos—Vein and I are sharing mind and body with our human host consensually.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤ● Our memories belong to our hosts—like I said, this is the case for most of us. But not all.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤ● Joni was Stag's long-time best friend that helped start the restaurant.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤ● Joni disappeared shortly before Vein and I were adopted by Stag.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤ● Joni was human. Although she couldn't see our horns and other demon parts, Joni was aware of Permapos.ㅤㅤWhat I learned from the dream last night:
ㅤㅤㅤㅤ● I now know exactly what an Elm demon looks like. What I looked like.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤ● Vein's Overgrowth is wildly more intense and uncontrollable in her original Elm demon form in comparison to now.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤ● It's. It's not fun. It hurts a lot. This was the second dream where I experienced how it felt.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤ● Somebody saved us during her Overgrowth attack.What I still don't know:
ㅤㅤㅤㅤ● Are these actually Vein’s past memories?
ㅤㅤㅤㅤ● If so, what triggered these dreams? I didn't make contact with any Mares yesterday.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤ● How does Vein's original Elm form look like? I only saw it in first-person. Those little stubby spike hands are all I have to go off of.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤ● Who is Joni?
ㅤㅤㅤㅤ● Who is the Pariah that I remembered in the dream?
ㅤㅤㅤㅤ● What is the Red Honey creature?
ㅤㅤㅤㅤ● Should I stop being mean to Tib? Considering how she tried to save Vein? Well, I can answer that one right now. No.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤ● What happened near the karaoke bar?ㅤㅤThis is way more than when I questioned what I knew about Crescent. This time, my curiosity is taking over my worry. There's a lot for me to uncover. It hasn't even been a full week, but all of this started happening when Cerus arrived.ㅤㅤAnd it looks like she's the only one that can help me answer these questions. Except the Tib one.

●●●ㅤㅤI knock on her apartment door. Thank goodness it's not one of those apartment complexes where you need an ID for the front entrance, the elevator, the toilet, the mailroom, the gym, the ability to perceive physical objects within the vicinity of the building, and everything else. Fuck unnecessary security. Sorry. Unnecessary rant.ㅤㅤCerus lives alone, huh? It's clear that no one else lives here but her. Otherwise, her room wouldn't be a post-hurricane scene. Sorry if you've been in a hurricane. Distasteful joke on my end.ㅤㅤHehe. Looks like I'm back on my groove. I'm a natural comedian. Can't help it. Teehee. No more of my wishy-washiness from yesterday.ㅤㅤBut yeah, Cerus. I wonder if she's an orphan or really just lives away from her family.ㅤㅤThe door opens.ㅤㅤ"D—Don," Cerus says.ㅤㅤI breathe in and breathe out. I can't cause a scene. I can't lash out at her in her own apartment. I need to handle this like an adult.ㅤㅤ"Hey," I respond.ㅤㅤ"Sit—Sit down for now."ㅤㅤI do just that. She fills a cup with water. She doesn't hand me the cup directly. She places it on the table, knowing that I don't want to make contact with her.ㅤㅤI think I have Resting Bitch Face. I need to calm down.ㅤㅤ"Don, I—"ㅤㅤ"Cerus. In any other case, I would let you say what you want to say first. But I genuinely feel like I've been violated. I didn't consent to seeing what I saw. Even for the sake of your writing's plot twist or shock factor, I don't think it should have been at the expense of my mental health," I say, right off the bat.ㅤㅤ"It's not what you th—"ㅤㅤ"It's not what I think? You wrote this. I wanted to support your art. I may not be a writer, but I loved reading growing up. I grew up shy and antisocial, just like you. Of course, I'm going to be a lonely bookworm kid. I appreciate forms of art that I don't participate in creating. But the way you had me experience your art isn't good for me. The art isn't bad, but the way you gave it to me is. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm not trying to guilt trip you. I just want you to know that I was uncomfortable. It wasn't right," I interject.ㅤㅤCerus goes completely silent. I make a loud audible sigh.ㅤㅤ"I'll let you explain yourself, okay? But let me say some more. Even if I've known you for less than a week, I still consider you a friend. I may not know that much about you, but I’ve always liked the idea of becoming close to people without having to pry into their past lives. I really like to enjoy my time with people going forward. It’s usually easy for me to get over past mistakes. As long as they've learned from them. And. And I think what frustrates me a little is how similar you are to me. No. It frustrates me a lot. Yes, we're both shy. Yes, we both stutter a lot. But it's more than that. There's some kind of struggle about your past that you just can't be vulnerable about. This is a rare occasion where, if I care enough about you, I will pry into your past. You hurt me with that dream. I feel I deserve to know what was going through your mind when you wrote that,” I say. I feel myself getting pretty emotional. I'm starting to tear up.ㅤㅤI continue.ㅤㅤI wince a little bit. I'm about to regret everything.ㅤㅤ"I—I . . . I . . . " I say, planning to confess my crush on her. Wait! No. No! Why the fuck? Why the fuck should I do this? It's such a weird time. Wrong time.ㅤㅤI stop myself.ㅤㅤ"I'll. I'll listen. I feel like I haven't said everything I want to say, but I can't think too hard right now. After the last Droneheads dream, I had a . . . I had a nightmare. I appeared in the karaoke room. Alone with Shophar. And she . . . She . . . She continued to sexually assau—No. I won’t sugarcoat it. She raped me. I was raped," I confess instead.ㅤㅤCerus gasps and places her hand over her mouth.ㅤㅤ"I . . . I'm sorry, Don."ㅤㅤI sigh. Probably didn't need to say that.ㅤㅤCerus, who’s been clenching her fists and jaw, finally relaxes. Though her hands are still shaky.ㅤㅤ"Th-thank you—Thank you for being honest with me. From the start, you’ve been very honest with everyone around you. I. Even I. Even I haven't been. I really, really appreciate you for that," Cerus says.ㅤㅤCerus pauses. I don't know what to say.ㅤㅤ"If you. If you don't mind—and you don't have to say it in detail—where are you in the story?" Cerus asks.ㅤㅤIt's okay. I think I'm comfortable enough to say it.ㅤㅤ"The facilitator's room. Jeem decided to sneak in and check," I reveal.ㅤㅤCerus drops to her knees behind the kitchen island. She starts to sob.ㅤㅤWhat is going on? Girl, YOU wrote this.ㅤㅤCerus slowly gets back up.ㅤㅤ"Don. D—don. If. If this is how you react to that scene . . . then. Oh. No, no. I'm. I'm so sorry, Don," Cerus says.ㅤㅤShe's starting to realize how messed up it was, huh? Not to be mean, but it does serve her right.ㅤㅤCerus looks at me directly in the eye, then quickly darts her vision away. She begins to say the most unimaginable string of words possible right now.ㅤㅤ"It. It gets worse," Cerus says, holding back more tears.ㅤㅤHuh? What? What the fuck? Worse?ㅤㅤ"C—can I try to explain myself? You have a right not to believe me," Cerus says.ㅤㅤI'm getting nervous. My breathing is getting heavier.ㅤㅤ". . . Go for it," I tell her.ㅤㅤ"O—Okay. Don," she starts. She's stopped crying and has calmed down.ㅤㅤWhy is she being so dramatic about it?ㅤㅤ"You're. You're a Mare."

●●●ㅤㅤ"I'm sorry? I'm a Mare?" I question.ㅤㅤ"Yes," Cerus answers, "In the sense th—that you are affected by dreams. But you don't manipulate or implant dreams like your definition of a Mare. I think. I think you actually do the opposite. You absorb dreams. You're like. Like an ’Anti-Mare’. A ‘dream-eater’."ㅤㅤA what? ‘Dream-eater’? Sounds like an attack move from a childhood game of mine.ㅤㅤ"Please explain. I'm losing my mind right now trying not to laugh at 'dream-eater'," I say.ㅤㅤCerus lightly chuckles.ㅤㅤ"Um. I mean, think about it. Crescent doesn't have any Mare powers. But you absorbed her dream when she napped on you. That wasn't a dream you would’ve had. It was her dream. She wanted to buy an oboe from the windmill store. Which is why you saw that in her dream," Crescent explains.ㅤㅤ“Hold on—that would make sense, but I told you. It was a flute in my dream. A flute. Not an oboe. Don’t want to go down that rabbit hole again,” I say.ㅤㅤ“Are you absolutely sure…Actually, I trust you. Okay. You say it was a flute.”ㅤㅤCerus looks a little lost in thought. After a few seconds, she speaks up again.ㅤㅤ“I still think the contents of your dream can't be coincidental—they’re too close to Crescent’s association between windmills and wind instruments,” she says.ㅤㅤ“Thanks. At least one person believes me,” I say.ㅤㅤYeah, this actually makes sense. I literally never thought about that before—I’m a Mare. Either Stag’s been lying to me, or—and this is the more likely answer—she has no idea I’m a Mare.ㅤㅤIs it possible that no one knows that I have this ability except Cerus?ㅤㅤWait. It’s making even more sense. All my dreams recently. Whoever I touched on a specific day affected my dream afterward.ㅤㅤSt. Martin's Tower. Wednesday night. I made skin contact with Stag. It was really busy, so I never got to play with Vein or hold her hand like I usually would. So St. Martin's Tower was meant to be Stag’s dream? Why? What did Stein say—impulsiveness? Intrusive thoughts? What's impulsive about Stag? Maybe it's something to do with her past . . .ㅤㅤThe first Droneheads dream. Thursday night. Cerus must have been writing the story at the time. She tapped her horn on me out of embarrassment. That was the skin contact. So I dreamt about her story.ㅤㅤThe Zoo. Friday morning. It was the dream where I was a girl with a common ‘J’ name. The only person I touched that day was . . . Swan? Then the name would’ve been Jasmine—Swan’s human name. That seemed like such a realistic dream, though. There's no way. Was it something like her memories? Was that Swan as a child? Wait. The part where the arcade machine started talking. That part wasn't realistic. It was a mesh of her actual memories and how she perceived herself.ㅤㅤThe Fountain. Friday night. Oh. That was. Vein. I held Vein's hand that night. Even kissed her on the cheek. If those were Vein’s memories, then that really was Joni. What was a human like her doing in Hell?!ㅤㅤThe second Droneheads dream. Saturday night. More of Cerus' writing. The fireworks.ㅤㅤThe third Droneheads dream. Sunday night. The fight between Yusuf and Camilla.ㅤㅤThe fourth Droneheads dream. Monday night. My least favorite.ㅤㅤAnd it was mixed with the karaoke bar nightmare. Monday night, too. I made contact with Shophar that night in real life. Based on what I’ve experienced so far, it seems there are two things I can deduce about this ‘dream-eating’ ability:ㅤㅤ1. Whoever I touch before sleeping affects my dream.ㅤㅤ2. Dreams can blend together if I come into contact with multiple people before sleep.ㅤㅤBut that still doesn’t answer a question about Monday night. The karaoke bar.ㅤㅤ"Cerus. I wasn't in the mood, so I didn't ask yesterday—what happened when we went to the karaoke bar? Do you remember anything?" I ask.ㅤㅤ"I'll. I'll get to that. I promise. But first, let me explain to you how I came up with the story of the Droneheads," Cerus responds.ㅤㅤ"Oh. Okay. Still pretty confused, but go for it," I say.ㅤㅤ"Well. The truth is that I didn't come up with the Droneheads and the crater. Um. How do I put this? Don. Please don't get angry at me," Cerus begs.ㅤㅤNo. Don't tell me. This is too wild and wacky. Too wacky and wild. Too wacky tobaccy. Don't tell me she's going to say what I think she's going to say. I thought there might be a slight chance, but no way. Please.ㅤㅤ"Um. Okay. I won't," I say. Please.ㅤㅤ"I'm Jaimie. Those dreams are my memories."

• Back to ACT 3 Menu

Chapter 15 ● The Storm and the Scythes

ㅤㅤㅤHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.ㅤㅤBitch, what?ㅤㅤThat is not at all what I thought she was going to say.ㅤㅤHonest. Deadass. I mean, I considered it, but life isn’t some sci-fi child experiment bullshit. I thought she was going to say she stole the story from someone. Some form of plagiarism. But um. What the fuck? How dumb am I? Cerus is Jeem?ㅤㅤThis girl keeps dropping bombs like it's nothing. Next, she'll say ‘I—I like you, Don! Teehee!’. The fuck?ㅤㅤ"Don, I don't hate you or anything . . . ," she begins to say.ㅤㅤDoes that count? It's close enough to ‘I like you’. ‘I don't hate you". Yeah. Pretty much the same thing. It's all semantics.ㅤㅤ" . . . but you've kind of been. Kind of been a guinea pig for me."ㅤㅤToday may be the day I kill Cerus. What the hell is she talking about? ‘Guinea pig’?ㅤㅤ"Um. Please explain," I demand. I'll be honest. I'm getting a little irritated from being constantly lied to recently.ㅤㅤ"S—So. You weren't initially wrong. I actually am a Mare. Like, an actual Mare. I've known this for the longest time. I'm a special kind of Mare—I can't control my abilities. It's more of a curse than an ability.ㅤㅤI only have one dream. Every night, I only have one, singular dream. The same dream, over and over and over and over again. Every si—single time I sleep. I always dream. And it's always the same dream. Even when I nap for a few hours. It's the same dream with the same duration. If I wake up twice and sleep twice in one night, I have the dream twice. And it's not a dream where I die. If I could have that instead, I would. But I never die. And I can't. I even avoid sleeping if I can. I hate sleeping.ㅤㅤI can't even describe to you the dream until you experience it. Because it's. It's really hard to talk about. Just like you said—I'm shy. But I'm. I'm introverted and closed off for another reason. You can probably tell that I'm uncomfortable with physical touch. There's . . . definitely a lot more to it, but one of the main reasons is. That as a Mare, I transmit this dream to everyone I come in contact with. They have the exact dream. They may even have it for the next few days. It's unpredictable.ㅤㅤIt started after the events of the Craterscape program—anyone I touch. If I touch someone on Day 1 and see them on Day 2, they seem broken. They look horrified. And they can barely speak. They even vomit sometimes when they see me. I've tried to make friends that end up being unable to function for weeks after coming into contact with me. It’s a reflection of how I was the first few years after the Craterscape program. It’s an endless cycle of reliving the event that haunts me repeatedly. It’s a curse. I'm a curse."ㅤㅤHoly shit, bro.ㅤㅤ"And . . . And what is that dream? Generally speaking?" I ask, attempting to get some clues on it.ㅤㅤ"I—I can tell you this. It's the last part of the Droneheads dream. It's what you will experience if you come in contact with me and sleep tonight," she says.ㅤㅤ’u mite just need 1 more nite’ㅤㅤAh, that's why she said that in her text.ㅤㅤUm. I think I'll pass after hearing all that.ㅤㅤ"I think I'll pass after hearing all that," I say.ㅤㅤ"P—please hear me out, Don. You are the first person I've met to not have the entire dream upon contact. See–I was really embarrassed when you saw my scars on Thursday. Out of. O—Out of my own embarrassment, I actually. Ah. I actually leaned on your chest. I—I'm sorry about that, by the way," she says.ㅤㅤ"No biggie. Continue, please," I say, tapping my feet.ㅤㅤ"O—okay. Well, I was really afraid for you—that you would have the dream. That you would break. All because of my embarrassment on Thursday. I hated myself for it. I honestly couldn't sleep that night out of fear for you. I had just met you—you were a really nice guy, caring for your sister while still making time to talk to me. You were already stressed for your sister, and I thought I was going to make it worse. I really decided not to work the next day, just to make sure my presence didn't make it worse for you.ㅤㅤBut I later heard that you were just fine. I wasn't sure. Did you not have the dream at all? I had to find out. And—and so I took the risk and touched your hand in the car on Saturday. I couldn't help but be embarrassed. I never touch people.ㅤㅤAnd then you texted me the next morning. About what you were dreaming about each time I touched you.ㅤㅤYou were dreaming the events that lead up to the dream. You were dreaming everything about the Craterscape program.ㅤㅤAnd you would eventually get to my dream. I just didn't know when," Cerus explains in detail.ㅤㅤSheesh. Haha. Well. That is a lot to take in. So I really was just her little experiment. To experience her trauma. Without her telling me.ㅤㅤI'm legitimately pissed. You’re telling me that it gets worse than the most recent Droneheads dream I had? And she wants me to experience it? Can't believe I was ever fucking crushing on this girl.ㅤㅤ"Don't touch me. I'm leaving," I say sternly.ㅤㅤ"D—Don? Wait! Wait! I need! I need to explain what happened at the karaoke bar! You said you wouldn't get angry!" Cerus says.ㅤㅤ"I don't care. I don't want to hear it right now. I take back what I said about you being someone I consider a friend. I'm going to go home," I say.ㅤㅤ"Don, please! Please! P—Please! Please . . . " she cries and begs as she falls to her knees.ㅤㅤI leave the apartment.

●●●ㅤㅤFuck this shit. Fuck all this shit. It's lie after lie after fucking lie.ㅤㅤI didn’t ask for this ability, okay? And–And I didn’t even start having these kinds of dream until the St. Martin’s Tower dream. And…wait. That was after Cerus and I were introduced. I didn’t have the dream-eating ability until I met Cerus.ㅤㅤIt's conveniently raining. Only a light drizzle for now, but it's supposed to thunderstorm later. And I brought my fucking scooter like an idiot. I wasn't thinking.ㅤㅤI'll be okay as long as I get home before it pours.ㅤㅤAs I ride home, some of the unanswered questions linger.ㅤㅤWhat happened at the karaoke bar? Why did Cerus’s appearance trigger this weird ‘dream-eating’ ability of mine? If it was triggered by her appearance, then why did it work with Crescent a long time ago?ㅤㅤWait. Scratch all those questions. I still can’t believe it. The Craterscape is real. I've been experiencing history. Not a fantasy. Yusuf and Jaimie are real people.ㅤㅤAs if jinxing myself, it starts pouring. I ride a bit slower to be on the safe side. Ah. I’m starting to skid and slide.ㅤㅤFuck this. This is scary. I don't want to hydroplane.ㅤㅤI decide to park nearby a bus stop around two miles from home. I sit down underneath the bus stop shelter. I'll wait it out.ㅤㅤI pull my phone out. No messages. We're good. I can just look at memes or some shit.ㅤㅤA good thirty-ish minutes roll by, and the storm doesn't die down. My phone is almost out of batteries. Please. I'm so sick of weird shit happening.ㅤㅤAh, fuck.ㅤㅤThere's some weird motherfucker standing in the rain. They start walking toward me. Hm. Okay, cool. They're completely drenched and sit down on the other end of the bench under the shelter.ㅤㅤThey lean forward, spread their legs, and lay their arms down. They laugh a little and tilt their head up.ㅤㅤOut of this person's head sprout four scythe-shaped horns—two on the forehead and two on the back of their head. Simultaneously, a tail uncurls from behind them.ㅤㅤI'm taken aback and stand up.ㅤㅤ"Don't worry. I'm a demon. Just like you. I have my own host, too. See?" they say as they lift their hands up.ㅤㅤThe demon's black nails suddenly extend to become extremely razor-sharp claws. I've never seen this before. I'm kind of scared. I can't trust this stranger.ㅤㅤI get a closer look at them. Female in appearance. She's wearing a long, dark gray dress. Even though it's mostly torn up and revealing some of her skin, it complements her really long, black, and clearly overgrown straight hair. Her bangs cover the majority of her face. She almost looks like that creature from one of my favorite horror movies. Her eyes are a bit bloodshot, too. Classic. I try not to stare too long. She retracts her nail-claws.ㅤㅤ"No need to be scared. Like I said. I'm just like you."ㅤㅤShe smiles with her mouth wide open. Her canines do the same thing her nails did. They extend to almost walrus-level proportions. I avoid looking at her eyes.ㅤㅤOkay. I need to calm down. I can't be judgmental. Not after I saw my original Elm demon form.ㅤㅤ"It's nice to m—meet you. I'm Don. It's really cold and rainy. Are you okay, all soaked like that?" I introduce myself and ask. Don’t worry, I'm always wearing techwear and a bunch of waterproof shit. I'm usually fine in situations like this.ㅤㅤShe laughs.ㅤㅤ"I'm alright. Thanks for asking, Don. I'm Scythe. You probably expected that from these, huh?" she says, pointing to her horns.ㅤㅤ"Yeah, I thought that might be the c—case. What brings you to this area? Demons with Permanent Possession usually go through Stag and become employees at Jelly Joni's—is that why you're here? Or do you not have any idea what I'm talking about?" I say.ㅤㅤShe laughs again.ㅤㅤ"Sort of. Kind of. I'm an old friend of Stag. I even knew Joni! I doubt they remember me, though. Unfortunately, I'm not going to be working there. Don't think I could. I mean, look at me! Haha!" Scythe gestures to herself and how she's completely tattered.ㅤㅤ"I mean. I'm sure Stag would be willing to take you in and clean you up! She's usually open with helping any and all demons that go through Permanent Possession!" I say, encouragingly.ㅤㅤA lightning strike in the distance. Thunder erupts seconds after.ㅤㅤ"You're cute, Don. I appreciate it. I'll pass, though. Just wanted to stop by and say 'hi' to them. But it looks like they're closed," Scythe says.ㅤㅤ"W—wow! Thanks. Yeah. When I think about it, we're actually going to be closed for a month, so it probably might not have worked out well for you. But I wish you good luck with what you have to do!" I say. She's still a stranger, demon or not. Need to be cautious. Especially since she has those razor-sharp nails.ㅤㅤ"You're adorable. I can see why Stag takes care of demons like you. So sweet,” she says eerily as she scoots in closer to me.ㅤㅤShe places her hand under my chin and lifts my chin up with her pointing finger. My space bubble. Jeez. It happened so quickly, but I swear she was doing it so slowly. Or can I just not move?ㅤㅤI don't want this stranger to touch me. Especially considering what I just learned from Cerus. Great. Now I'm going to eat a complete and random stranger's dreams. Either way, I need to be careful. Her nails can extend and kill me instantly.ㅤㅤShe places her hands down.ㅤㅤ"Th—thank you! I'm n—not told that often, haha!" I say. I awkwardly go back on my phone. It's on two percent battery. Fuck this janky-ass phone.ㅤㅤScythe just sits there in silence. I can feel her staring at me.

ㅤㅤI'm scrolling through memes, but I am not really paying attention to them. I’m nervous and shaking. What am I going to do once I run out of battery? I can't draw in this nasty humid weather. Plus, it'd be a little embarrassing to draw in front of a creepy stranger like this.ㅤㅤOne percent. I can still feel her staring at me.ㅤㅤMy phone surprisingly lasts around for around five more minutes. It eventually turns off. Shit.ㅤㅤI pretend-scroll through a black screen for a few seconds. We're both still sitting there in silence. I have no idea what to do. I don’t even know if she can see my phone’s black screen from the angle she’s sitting. If I turn to check or tilt my phone, then it’ll be obvious what I’m doing. Okay. I’ll put my phone away so I don’t risk it. Fuck. I can tell she’s still glaring at me. What do I talk about? I don't want to reveal too much about myself right now. Shit, after today? Do I honestly even know myself?ㅤㅤ"Are you a girl?" Scythe suddenly blurts out.ㅤㅤHuh? Aw, not this shit.ㅤㅤ"I'm sorry?" I ask.ㅤㅤ"You look like a girl but dress like a boy. Are you a girl?" Scythe pesters.ㅤㅤDamn. Mind your own business. Holy shit.ㅤㅤ"It's complicated, but I'm a boy. Y—you don't need to worry about it, Scythe! Thank you, though!" I say. I don't want to get on her bad side.ㅤㅤ"Hm," Scythe mutters.ㅤㅤSome more silence.ㅤㅤ"Do you have breasts? Like a girl's breasts?" Scythe asks.ㅤㅤHELLO?!ㅤㅤ"Um. I d—don't really want to answer that, Scythe. Haha," I say.ㅤㅤ"Hm. That's okay," Scythe mutters again.ㅤㅤRead the fucking room, Scythe! Jeez. Made it sound like I was apologizing. She's the one who should apologize.ㅤㅤTime could not go by any slower.ㅤㅤBut luckily, after around three more minutes after that dreadful conversation, the storm lifts. It goes back to drizzling lightly. The lightning is gone.ㅤㅤ"Well. That's my cue to leave. It was nice meeting you, Don. Hope you decide what you want to be," Scythe says.ㅤㅤBitch. I'm a fucking boy. Didn't I just fucking say that earlier?!ㅤㅤ"Y—you, too, Scythe! T—take it easy!" I say. I get up to go back on my scooter.ㅤㅤScythe walks away in the opposite direction. It's a little foggy, but I see her walking aimlessly in the distance. I don't really care. That just ruined my mood even more.ㅤㅤI drive off home. I’m just glad she didn’t mug me. I’d hate to be mugged. Last thing I need is to lose my brand new, but trashy, phone. Again. Actually. Hold on. Is that what happened? Was I fucking mugged on the night of karaoke? I have no idea what happened between karaoke and me getting home. Except for the fact that I didn’t have my phone and wallet. The jacket I wore that night has zippers. They wouldn’t have fell out. Ah, shit.ㅤㅤYep. I was mugged. And I have no memory of it.

• Back to ACT 5 Menu

Chapter Z-2 ● The Cameras and the Rain

ㅤㅤI don’t like thinking too much about this part. So I won’t. Don’t have anything to say either. Anyway, here’s part two of the story of Gionna. Ms. G. Whatever.●●●ㅤㅤAmay was speaking to Ms. G through her dream, as he typically would.ㅤㅤExcept this time, with news that she clearly would not like. News regarding Yusuf.ㅤㅤ"What good will he be? Even if he were to recover, he would not be able to speak fluently. He would lack any physical power to accommodate possession.”ㅤㅤ“...”ㅤㅤMs. G couldn’t think of a rational response.ㅤㅤ”Oh, I see. He is your son. You have grown attached."ㅤㅤMs. G was caught dead to rights.ㅤㅤ"I’m begging you, Amay. I'll . . . I'll take care of him. But—But please don’t hurt him anymore than he already has been. He doesn't deserve to die," Ms. G begged.ㅤㅤAmay took a deep breath.ㅤㅤ"I hear your plea. Considering your contributions to this project, I would like to fulfill your desires. However, there is no feasible way for him to live in society meaningfully to you humans. He is permanently disabled. He is not a warrior, he is not useful, and he would put this project at risk if placed back into society."ㅤㅤ"Pl—Please. There has to be some way. Anything! Look, you can t—take my life instead. Please spare him!" Ms. G continued.ㅤㅤ"That is an impossible request. Clearly, you are much more valuable than him. Gionna. We will have to cast him aside and continue our focus on Jaimie."ㅤㅤJaimie. That name again. Her anger once shifted toward the timid child she associated that name with. Ms. G went back to her original belief. In essence, Jaimie was to blame. Out of all her legally adopted children, Ms. G spent the most time with Camilla during their anger management sessions. But she did notice something about Yusuf. He was held back by Jaimie. Ms. G had even noticed an instance where Yusuf began walking toward the lone Camilla during the Droneheads’ height of fame. Knowing Yusuf, it was most likely to try and comfort Camilla. And she noticed how, moments later, Jaimie forcefully pulled him back.ㅤㅤMs. G wasn’t a fool. She knew Camilla was the one who hurt Yusuf. Yet she couldn’t blame the girl. Her adoptive daughter.ㅤㅤ"Why?! Why Jaimie?! Wasn't Camilla perfect for Craterscape?!" Ms. G demanded.ㅤㅤAmay was clearly losing his patience and changed his tone.ㅤㅤ"Do not question me, human. Camilla is not in the right mind to be the host for what we have planned. While it is true that we initially favored her, we have amended our direction. If possessed, Camilla’s nature would not combine with our demons well. She would not listen to us and would go against our plans. Volatility without obedience is useless. Jaimie, however, is perfect. She is dependent. She cannot function without the ones dear to her. She is lonely. Yet she is depraved and volatile in her own right–both of which will be valuable as a host. We have data indicating that Yusuf desired to help Camilla, but was stopped by Jaimie. This has even led to destruction in all their relationships. That is Jaimie. And that is the true behavior we have been seeking for a host. It is vital. You do not seem to agree."ㅤㅤ"Urgh! Fucking Jaimie!" Ms. G cursed.ㅤㅤ"I see. This is unfortunate. You yourself truly do not appear to be in the emotional state to manage our project. And this may pose a threat to Jaimie. I did not expect this to happen.”ㅤㅤWithin Ms. G’s dream, Amay sat still in his throne for a moment.ㅤㅤ”You will need some time away from the crater. Now that we are sure of our host, I am certain that we will be able to manage without you. I must admit that your skills are valuable. Perhaps you will be ready at a later time to return to us. I do not believe you would report this to any human authorities, due to your involvement in it. In the meantime, I will arrange for another human to watch the children. Yes. Let us utilize the human that has tended to Camilla. He has been performing exceedingly well in his reports based on his data."ㅤㅤ“Amay, plea—“ㅤㅤ“Enough. For your efforts, I can promise you this. If by some chance we are able to find some use for Yusuf, we will spare his life. But he would be subservient to our needs. Otherwise, we will dispose of him. Farewell, Gionna.”ㅤㅤMs. G couldn't believe it. After all she had done, she'd be put aside. Surely the other facilitators would have something to say as well.

●●●ㅤㅤ“Gionna . . . Don’t over exaggerate. This will be worth it. And who knows? Maybe we’ll have powers that can heal him in the future.”ㅤㅤ“Eric! They’re going to fucking kill Yusuf!”ㅤㅤ“Honestly, I don’t think Amay would specifically order to have Yusuf killed.”ㅤㅤ“Yes, he would! He basically did!”ㅤㅤ“Gionna. You’re becoming delusional. Look at how far Amay’s gotten us—we have to trust him. You’ve been spending too much time with the kids. In fact, that’s probably why he wanted me to go for it. If he says not to let you in, then I won’t let you in.”ㅤㅤ“Fuck you!” Ms. G shouted and stormed out.ㅤㅤEric called out in the distance.ㅤㅤ“I’m following Amay on this one! It’ll be worth it! I mean, it’s also high time I spend time with the kids! Not just as a check-up nurse!” Eric said, with a chuckle at the end.ㅤㅤFor the most part, Ms. G got along well with the other witches. Eric was easy to get along with. But at that moment, Ms. G was seething at him. At all the witches. They deactivated her ID and ability to get into the Craterscape. All because their Fates told them the same thing.ㅤㅤDo not let Gionna into the Craterscape.ㅤㅤWith some time, the witches began to change things around the Craterscape. Previously, the other witches never showed their face to the children. They would always be wearing medical PPE or find other ways to hide their faces.ㅤㅤThings were different now. Once Eric was introduced as ’Mr. E’, the other facilitators installed very small, incognito cameras around the vicinity of the Craterscape. There was no way the children would be able to notice them. For the most part, things still ran smoothly. Mr. E was not as diligent as Ms. G, but they managed to keep the project going.ㅤㅤMs. G no longer dreamt.ㅤㅤOne of the witches named Anna felt pity for Ms. G's lack of knowledge on what was going on. She would sneak off in the evening to update Ms. G on what was going on. She stopped by Ms. G's place to give her extra monitor feeds of the cameras, allowing her to switch between them. Although Ms. G was peeved at the idea of installing these cameras, she let it slide–she had to see what was going on with the children.ㅤㅤAs Ms. G flipped between camera views, she didn’t see much change. Most of the kids continued to play, as if they never knew Yusuf, Camilla, nor Feng. In her eyes, it seemed as if her own adopted children meant so little to the rest of the children. Only Jaimie looked lonely. Good, Ms. G thought.ㅤㅤWait—What about Feng?ㅤㅤWhy wasn’t Feng left behind? He didn’t do anything wrong. He wasn’t injured. At most, he was elbowed in the stomach by Camilla.ㅤㅤMs. G asked Anna one day why Feng was kept away from the Craterscape.ㅤㅤ“Oh. It’s a little dark. I don’t really like what they’re doing either,” Anna admitted.ㅤㅤ“‘A little dark’? What else could they possibly be doing?!”ㅤㅤ“They’re seriously brainwashing Camilla and Feng.”ㅤㅤ“Brainwashing? Like in a dumb B movie? What is this?”ㅤㅤ“No. Seriously. We got directions from the Fates to chant these specific string of phrases, and it’s working. They warned not to try it on anyone else. We had to completely block out our ears. Even had to develop some talisman thingies to keep ourselves from getting affected by it. Anyway, we were told that Feng seriously had strong feelings for Camilla. And it might conflict with his relationship with Jaimie, since they were close. Oh—Camilla’s also being brainwashed of her hatred for Jaimie.”ㅤㅤ“That sounds so stupid. There’s no way it’s actually working.”ㅤㅤ“It seriously has been working. We’re planning to have Camilla and Feng sent back to the Craterscape. You’ll see it in the camera feed.”

●●●ㅤㅤSure enough, Feng and Camilla were back. And Anna was right. They acted as if the fight between Yusuf and Camilla never happened. And Feng barely spent time with Camilla nor Jaimie. Jaimie continued to be alone. At one point, Ms. G saw Eric confiscate the drone, even though it previously gave the demons a view of the Craterscape. Ms. G couldn’t believe that the demons were so cognizant of Jaimie’s mental health that they would remove their own ability to see the happenings at the Craterscape. Or maybe they were planning to instill souls into each of the new cameras, Ms. G thought. She would have to ask Anna.ㅤㅤBut that was the issue. Anna stopped visiting.ㅤㅤConsequently, Ms. G no longer had direct updates as to what was happening in the Craterscape. Only through the camera feeds was Ms. G able to keep things in check. But Ms. G didn’t understand. She kept flipping through the cameras. Everything seemed like usual. Just Mr. E with his clipboard taking extensive notes. Then Ms. G thought about where the cameras were placed. From the live footage, it was clear they were installed on the inclines of the Craterscape, the outside of the buildings, and inside the main rooms.ㅤㅤThere had to be a reason Anna stopped appearing. Ms. G needed to get to the bottom of this. She knew the other witches were adamant about following through with the project—there was no way they would help her.ㅤㅤShe had to save the kids and get to the bottom of this. There must be more to the project than the demons were letting them know.ㅤㅤIf demons caused this disaster in the first place, then they could fix it. There had to be another demon that she could try to summon on her own. Someone higher in rank than Amay.ㅤㅤShe flipped through her copious books on demonology. Someone. Anyone. But…ㅤㅤAmay was a mighty warrior demon. He was very powerful. There’s no way that Ms. G would be able to summon a demon stronger than Amay. It was hopeless.ㅤㅤBut wait, she thought. Aren’t demons afraid of angels? Aren’t angels their main weakness? According to the Fates, the angels have their own language, so incanting an angel is much different than what she knew. And it also wasn’t very occultic. She couldn't just summon an angel like she would a demon. They're under the direct supervision and command of archangels. Contrary to popular belief, angels are more dangerous than demons.ㅤㅤShe remembered reading about something else. Fallen angels. They were somewhat in-between angels and demons. Yet they were very powerful, often high-ranking, and still classified as demons. Some of them had to be stronger than Amay. They definitely weren’t under the supervision of something as powerful as an archangel. She just needed to find out which Fallen angel to summon, and exactly how to.ㅤㅤAnd so she continued the research she had been doing before. And she came across a specific name, complete with unique titles associated.ㅤㅤThe Scapegoat. The Bringer of Knowledge. The Fallen angel that taught mankind how to create weapons.ㅤㅤThe name she found was Azazel.ㅤㅤAccording to Ms. G’s documents, Azazel was a Nephilim. A very specific kind of Fallen angel. The most powerful of all demons—Nephilim are Fallen angels that stem from the beginning of the universe and provided humans with forbidden knowledge. Giant, powerful titans. They were usually highly-ranked, but Azazel didn’t seem to fit in the caste system like the other Fallen angels. According to what she found, he was a super-powered Fallen angel, which were already powerful on their own.ㅤㅤAzazel was sometimes depicted as having 7 heads and 14 faces. 12 wings. Sometimes associated with taking the form of a giant serpent or bird. He was strong.ㅤㅤThis seemed to be the perfect demon to summon against Amay. But . . . there was no way such a powerful demon would be willing to help her cause. Still, she was already losing her trust in the Fates. How else could she stand a chance other than to fight fire with fire?ㅤㅤShe knew this would be a gigantic risk, as the Nephilim could potentially bring complete destruction. According to her research, Nephilim even stand a chance against lower-ranked angels. If this Nephilim did anything destructive, surely a higher-ranked angel would come to humanity's rescue.ㅤㅤSo she did what she recalled little Yusuf saying. She would go out of her comfort area.

●●●ㅤㅤShe kept on trying. She had plenty of resources, money, and time to do so. Ms. G tried the oldest incantations she could find. As she did so, she would often check the Craterscape cameras, and she noticed something odd. It was Camilla.ㅤㅤShe was spending a lot of time with Eric. In any camera view that showed Camilla, Eric was almost always there. In any camera view that showed Eric, Camilla was there right next to him. It was a little unsettling, but at the same time, it wasn't much different from how often Jaimie and Yusuf used to be with Ms. G. Ms. G didn't know Eric to be lethargic, but she did notice how often he yawned. She grew frustrated at this, since she always made the effort to get plenty of sleep before taking care of the kids. Regardless, Eric's extra care for Camilla made sense, since Eric tended to Camilla after her fight with Yusuf. And the fact that she was brainwashed would probably imply that she needed some extra care. But still. Feng wasn't being given the same attention as Camilla.ㅤㅤMeanwhile, Jaimie was being Jaimie. But a Jaimie without Yusuf. As usual, she continued to be alone. All alone in the camera feed.

●●●ㅤㅤMs. G kept on attempting her summon of Azazel. As she researched more, it seemed that Azazel—although particularly powerful—seemed to have compassion on humans. Azazel provided humans with not just the knowledge to create weapons, but also cosmetics—fine minerals and ornaments for beauty. It seemed as though Azazel just liked the way that humans lived and wanted to provide them with more. With this in mind, Ms. G was convinced. It had to be Azazel to help her. If only she could get his attention. There weren’t any other demons documented like him.ㅤㅤPeriodically, Ms. G would visit Yusuf in the hospital, but he was still recovering very slowly. Ms. G was thankful that he remained untouched by the other witches. Ms. G considered taking him and running away. But it would be extremely difficult with his current paralyzed state. Plus, if she was caught kidnapping her own child, the rest of her shady history would be uncovered, too.ㅤㅤMs. G just kept continuing her research on Azazel, watching the Crater's camera feeds, and visiting Yusuf.ㅤㅤThen one day, Jaimie stopped appearing in the camera feed. Did she disappear? There's nowhere she could run away to. Maybe in the facilitator’s section? There's no way. No child has access to that section.ㅤㅤMs. G thought about it. That would be silly. It wouldn't be anyone but Eric and the occasional visiting facilitator that would need to help out, like Mason or Casey. As said before, Anna was nowhere to be found.ㅤㅤWell, either way, Ms. G didn't find it necessary to watch the camera feed as the night neared the children's curfew.ㅤㅤThen Ms. G caught sight of her–Jaimie. She walked to the restroom. Then went back to her bed. This happened a few more times throughout the day. And this is the only thing that Jaimie did.ㅤㅤIt made sense. The cameras were installed above the beds, and Jaimie slept on a bottom bunk. So that was it. Jaimie didn't disappear. She just never left her bed. She only seemed to leave it to use the restroom. She didn't even seem to eat. Ms. G was confused. Wouldn't Amay want Jaimie to stay healthy? Why wasn’t Mr. E doing anything to help her? They were obviously watching Jaimie, too.ㅤㅤBut it was more troubling than that. The fact of the matter is that Jaimie was so under the weather that she wouldn't eat. Ms. G put her aggression towards Jaimie aside and felt sorry for her. Ms. G’s back-and-forth feelings toward Jaimie kicked in. In retrospect, Jaimie really did nothing wrong. It was more that Jaimie could have done something right. Ms. G only wished that someone had reached out to Camilla before she started the fight and permanently damaged Yusuf.ㅤㅤTime and time went on, and Jaimie continued to suffer from anorexia. The poor little girl just wouldn't eat.

●●●ㅤㅤMs. G finally found it. The secret was in the Dead Sea Scrolls. There was one small passage in the Book of Enoch that completed a phrase of the incantation she had been trying to use. This had to be it.ㅤㅤSo she used it. She felt different this time as she delivered the incantation. She expected no visible result and for her to meet Azazel in her dream later that night, similar to how it worked with Amay.ㅤㅤBut that wasn't the case. It was instant.ㅤㅤThe entire room suddenly went completely white. Too white that Ms. G's eyes started to burn. She closed her eyes as soon as possible, but she still felt the presence of something powerful.ㅤㅤAnd a voice erupted.ㅤㅤ“D O—N O T—B E—A F R A I D.”ㅤㅤMs. G froze. The voice was so commanding and loud. She felt the gravity around her become stronger, and she fell to her knees with her forehead to the ground. She felt her pants become a little soaked in fear.ㅤㅤ“W H A T—D I D—I—J U S T—T E L L—Y O U?! Y O U—S U M M O N—M E, T H E N—B E C O M E—T O O—A F R A I D—T O—S A Y—A N Y T H I N G?! W H A T—D O—Y O U—W A N T?!”ㅤㅤ“I . . . I . . . I . . . I . . . I—I’m . . . I n—need-“ㅤㅤ“S P E A K—S O—T H A T—I—C A N—U N D E R S T A N D!”ㅤㅤMs. G felt a gust of air blow in her direction at those words. She couldn’t stand it.ㅤㅤ“A—Azazel-“ㅤㅤ“D O—N O T—S A Y—M Y—N A M E!”ㅤㅤMs. G started crying.ㅤㅤ“ . . . ”ㅤㅤThings went silent in this whitespace. Just the sound of Ms. G's crying.ㅤㅤ“ . . . Okay.”ㅤㅤThe voice became somewhat softer, but still commanding.ㅤㅤ“ . . . Look. I’ve just had a bad wrap with humans, and my last encounter didn’t end so well. The last human I overtook was murdered by a powerful demon in front of me. I learned that I need to assert my power. I was careless.”ㅤㅤMs. G's sobbing slowed down.ㅤㅤ“I get it. I’m terrifying. A human hasn’t seen me in hundreds of years. Look—the only way for me to speak to you in a reasonable way without destroying your eyes and ears is for me to possess you. But that will be permanent until you die. I can’t remain in this form for long or else true angels will find me. If you want to tell me something, you have to tell me now, even with how scary my current form is. Otherwise, I will leave, and you will have accomplished nothing.”ㅤㅤMs. G's crying completely stopped, and she strengthened herself. Her eyes were in so much pain, and her ears were ringing from Azazel’s deafening voice. It hurt too much.ㅤㅤ“Please! Please, possess me! I can’t—I can’t take this! It hurts so m—much!”ㅤㅤ“Are you sure? You won’t be able to reverse this decision. You haven’t even told me what your goal is.”ㅤㅤ“I know you can help me! That’s all I a—ask! Please!”ㅤㅤ“So be it. Empty your thoughts.”ㅤㅤAmidst the physical torment, Ms. G tried her best to ignore the pain.ㅤㅤYsudiromn. Sescyabult. Ueromine.”ㅤㅤMs. G felt something on the back of her head. Unexpectedly, it was not painful. In fact, it was very soft and somewhat soothing. It must have been a wing of Azazel's. Even with her eyes closed, it was so bright because of the whitespace. The pressure on her head began to increase, but not enough to be painful.ㅤㅤThen everything went completely black.

●●●ㅤㅤMs. G woke up staring at her wall. She was sitting on the ground with her back against the opposite wall. She looked down at the puddle below her and remembered. She had wet herself.ㅤㅤShe cleaned herself and washed her face. She stared at herself in the mirror, confused and beginning to remember her agreement with Azazel. Was he already there? How would he show up?ㅤㅤMs. G went through the rest of the day as usual. Cleaned around her living space and ran basic errands. She was eager, as well as anxious, for when Azazel would appear. But she continued her routine. When she got home that night, she turned on the camera monitors and began to watch. Ms. G watched for a few minutes as the children prepared to go to sleep—Jaimie was also doing her usual routine of barely leaving the bed.ㅤㅤThen she heard it—A voice in her head. Ms. G was startled, but fell silent. It was the same thunderous voice as before, but it was much more mellow this time around. And it didn't hurt her ears.ㅤㅤ"What . . . in all things that are holy is going on?!" The voice spoke.ㅤㅤMs. G put her hands over her ears. Yes—it was definitely coming from the inside of her head.ㅤㅤ"Alright. So you still haven't directly told me what you need from me. Honestly, I'm really confused here. All I've gotten from today is that you're a normal human that goes about their day. Then you become a complete child stalker at night. You'd be great food for some demons. But while I say that, I can sense you've contacted a demon before me. There's more to this, isn't there?"ㅤㅤMs. G began breathing in and out slowly. Live communication with a demon. She had been dreaming of this moment. But in the same moment, she focused on calming her fear. She was not in the mood to hyperventilate.ㅤㅤ"Didn't I say not to get scared? That's exactly why we're doing this. Come on. Gionna, right? I'll give it a second."ㅤㅤAfter around a minute, Ms. G successfully calmed down. After one more big breath, she began to explain everything to Azazel. Although if anyone overheard her, they would think she was talking to herself.ㅤㅤShe explained it all. Her communication with the Demons of Fate, the Crater program, the fight, and more. Although her voice still waivered somewhat, Azazel was patient and said nothing throughout her explanation.ㅤㅤ" . . . Hold on. This is a very unique story. But in terms of the events unfolding at the Crater itself, I've witnessed something similar. My last host also took care of children, you see. And though he was a kind-hearted human, one of his coworkers was evil. So I think I have an idea—a hunch, if you will—of what's going on at the Crater. You said you usually don't watch the camera feed past the children's curfew, right?"ㅤㅤ"That's correct," Ms. G confirmed. She was slowly gaining more confidence in talking to Azazel. Just as she did with Amay. She did want to remain skeptical, though. Especially after Amay's betrayal.ㅤㅤ"Do it this time. Watch past curfew. And check the rooms you usually don't see. Check . . . Eric was his name, right? Check Eric's room. And brace yourself."ㅤㅤMs. G didn't understand. What could possibly be happening?

●●●ㅤㅤAs Ms. G let the time pass, more and more children were beginning to sleep. During this time, Ms. G strengthened her mental fortitude and began to ask Azazel about himself without referring to him by his name.ㅤㅤAzazel went on to talk about himself.ㅤㅤ"I noticed your books over there. It's funny how much about me is documented incorrectly. At least the half-truth. Yes. I'm a Fallen angel. But from a long, long time ago. You see, I didn't really understand why angels became so hands-off of things. Even during ancient times, I disliked the amount of information withheld from humans. I even knew Enoch, who ended up becoming the most powerful angel ever, M—Metatron. Even saying the name is a little nerve-wracking. Let's just call him Metat. Once Metat noticed that little sliver of hesitation in me, I was cast out of Heaven. But as one of the oldest, most powerful angels ever, I didn't go down without a fight.ㅤㅤIt looks like you know about me being one of the first Nephilim. I think some Greek texts equate me to a Titan—their god named Prometheus. You should see my actual form. I'm gigantic. But even then, I wasn't powerful enough to defeat Metat. Now, to explain how I got to my current situation. I’m what I am now because of a combination of my power and hatred of Hell. That's right—All these texts about me ever being a commander in Hell are wrong.ㅤㅤI didn't agree with how the Demons of Pride ran things. Back in my days as an angel, I actually fought Leviathan, perhaps the most powerful Demon of Pride—maybe even the most powerful demon ever. Yes, I'm considered a demon, but I don't exactly like being one. I'm kind of in between things.ㅤㅤI've been to Hell. Although it took a lot of mettle, I was able to leave and go back to Earth after realizing how much I disliked it there. I was also hated by demons because of how I helped destroy Leviathan. I'm an outcast in every way.ㅤㅤAnd so, I ended up just staying with humans. I'm very discrete, and most angels believe that I've been in Hell and rose in power there. Which is not the case. While I’m very intrigued by humans, I definitely don’t like all humans, though. My last host was this really kind fellow in the Philippines. But his friend ended up cheating with his girlfriend. And things went south when a Succubus got involved. I've been laying low ever since. Then you came along. No one has enchanted those words to summon me since my days as an angel. Oh. I've been rambling on, but it looks like it's around time. Take a look."ㅤㅤMs. G was completely engrossed in Azazel's backstory and friendliness that she forgot their main goal. With her coffee in hand, she kept her eyes on the camera feed.ㅤㅤ"Right there. That's the older kids' room right? Look at your daughter. Camilla, right?" asked Azazel.ㅤㅤMs. G nodded. Which didn't make sense since Azazel and her shared this body. But as far as she was knew, there weren't any physical changes to her body with Azazel inhabiting her. Ms. G shifted her focus to Camilla.ㅤㅤCamilla got up very slowly and quietly. She then walked out of the room. Ms. G wasn't surprised. Back when Ms. G took care of the children, the ones that weren't potty-trained would use their Order Gear to call her in the middle of the night to use the restroom. Older kids just get up and go. Luckily for Mr. E, most of the kids were already trained by Ms. G to use the restroom themselves.ㅤㅤ"I know what you're thinking. But I don't think she's going to the restroom," said Azazel.ㅤㅤMs. G watched as Camilla walked toward the . . . facilitator's room? Ms. G never thought it important to check the facilitator's room. After all, it was usually just Eric.ㅤㅤShe switched cameras to the hallway camera. She could see the dim lights in Eric's room from the hallway. Was he sleep deprived during the day because he refused to sleep at a reasonable hour?ㅤㅤMs. G switched to the camera showing the entrance of the facilitator's section. There was an ID-activated door that she was very familiar with. Did Camilla suddenly gain special access? There's no way she would make it through. And what would she even be going there for? If she needed Mr. E, she could call him using the Order Gear.ㅤㅤThe door opened for Camilla. Surprised, Ms. G switched to the hallway camera. Camilla walked toward Mr. E's room.ㅤㅤShe wondered what Camilla needed Mr. E for.ㅤㅤNothing happened for a few minutes. Whatever favor Camilla needed, it was taking a long time. Ms. G started listening closely to the camera mic output.ㅤㅤ"Here it is, Ms. G. I'm sorry," said Azazel.ㅤㅤMoaning. Coming from Ms. G's own daughter. Alone with a man far from her age.

●●●ㅤㅤ"HEY! OPEN THIS UP!" Ms. G was shouting at the entrance of the Crater, banging on the gate in the middle of the night. Her cell phone was full of unreturned calls. No one was answering. She went through calling each facilitator again. She then called the remote security office's phone, which Casey was in charge of. She usually worked the night shift as a monitor on these days.ㅤㅤ" . . . Gionna. It's early in the morning. I don't get why you're all of a sudden so fired up today to try and get in. You already know I won't let you i-"ㅤㅤ"That piece of shit Eric is having sex with my underaged daughter, Casey! Let me the fuck inside so I can kill him!" demanded Ms. G.ㅤㅤ"Wha—what? W—what are you t—talking about? Y—You're going ins—insane, Gionna! G—go home already!"ㅤㅤ"I saw it! Anna left me extra camera feed monitors! I'm not a fucking idiot, Casey!"ㅤㅤ"O—Oh. Anna was more guilty than we thought. W—well. I'm still not letting you in! I'm sorry it's your daughter, but there's nothing we can do about it!" said Casey.ㅤㅤ"Nothing you can do about it?! What the fuck, Casey? You knew what was happening, and you did nothing?!" exclaimed Ms. G.ㅤㅤ"Look, Gionna. I know it's messed up! But it's for the greater good, okay?! The demons gave us instructions to let it happen!"ㅤㅤ"Are you fucking kidding me, Casey?! There can't be a single good reason why they would be okay with this!"ㅤㅤ"Shut up! Yes, they do! It's Jaimie—Jaimie saw them doing it a few weeks ago."ㅤㅤ"What the fuck?! Tell me! I have a right to know what's going!"ㅤㅤ"F—fine! That's right! Jaimie saw them having sex! Camilla later confronted her about it. Camilla noticed the facilitator's room was ajar that night and deduced Jaimie was the only one who would have the guts to do that. After prying Jaimie, Camilla confirmed her suspicions. She told Mr. E everything.ㅤㅤRather than Jaimie trying to blackmail Camilla, Camilla threatened Jaimie that she would kill her if it ever got out. Camilla also threatened that Mr. E would gladly get rid of Jaimie if she tried to out them both. That's right! Despite the brainwashing, Camilla found herself hating Jaimie again. But instead of the demons requesting to brainwash Camilla again, they started to support what the trauma was doing to Jaimie. They said…They said that the mental toll on Jaimie will help her be the perfect host! I—I don't get it either, but I'm trusting them! In . . . In fact, I'm going to deactivate the missing camera feed we've been looking for. That must be yours! Stay out of this, Gionna!"ㅤㅤMs. G hung up. She didn't want to hear any more. She just wanted to end Eric's life.ㅤㅤ"Please. Please help me! Break this gate! Please!" Ms. G cried out to Azazel.ㅤㅤ"I'm sorry, Ms. G. I made a promise to myself long ago that I would never impede on a human host's life again. I'll sound like a hypocrite, but I promised I would be hands-off, just as the angels are. In the past, the times I've tried to help a human's life have proven to make things worse. Even in rare cases like yours, where my host is actually aware that I'm possessing them, I still have to refuse helping them physically. I assumed that you summoned me to ask for my knowledge, not my power. I'm a book, not a weapon."ㅤㅤ"NO! No, no, no, no, no!"ㅤㅤMs. G could do nothing. The heavy physical security, including the electric fences, would prevent her from being able to do anything. She cried and cried until she fell asleep—right there in front of the gate.

●●●ㅤㅤMs. G woke up cursing Azazel.ㅤㅤ"Ms. G. Don't do it. You know I could easily kill you with your own body. Don't test me."ㅤㅤMs. G screamed in frustration. She didn't know what to do. Azazel suggested she go home for now, to which she hesitantly gave in to.ㅤㅤSure enough, her camera monitors from Anna were no longer showing the camera feed.ㅤㅤWhat happened to Anna, then?! Casey said she was "guilty". Whatever they did to Anna—would they have done the same to Ms. G if not for her usefulness?ㅤㅤThe next two days were spent in agony. Azazel stayed quiet for most of it.ㅤㅤMs. G cried and cried. It was as if her eyes would stay permanently bloodshot.ㅤㅤSuddenly, there was knocking on her door.ㅤㅤ"Wh-Who is it?! Go away! I—I'm busy right now!"ㅤㅤ"Please, Gionna. It's me. Mason. I want to talk to you," says a voice from the other side of the door.ㅤㅤ"I might fucking kill you if I see you, asshole! All of you!"ㅤㅤ"I'll be quick. Let me just explain things. Casey told me you know some of it."ㅤㅤ"Y—You can tell me from there!"ㅤㅤ"You have to let me in. It's easier to show you, Gionna."ㅤㅤ"I don't want to see ANYTHING about what's happening to my poor baby!"ㅤㅤ"Please, Gionna. It'll be quick. I have to show you."ㅤㅤ"UGH! FINE!"ㅤㅤThe moment Ms. G unlocked the door, Mason burst through the door.ㅤㅤHe pulled out a syringe and pierced Ms. G in the stomach.ㅤㅤ"W—Wha—"ㅤㅤMs. G fell to the ground, immobilized.ㅤㅤMason then pulled a pistol out of his side.ㅤㅤ"Sorry, Gionna. Nothing personal. You broke two of Amay's rules. The second rule—Listen to their every instruction. Third—continue to practice occult. This is for us. For humanity as a whole."ㅤㅤTears streamed down Ms. G's eyes as her face muscles were paralyzed.ㅤㅤA flash of white.ㅤㅤ"W—"ㅤㅤMason could not even finish his words when he began screaming in agony. His eyes were burning and his flesh began to bubble up and enflame.ㅤㅤMs. G's eyes were not. Her skin was fine. And she could move.ㅤㅤ"D O—Y O U—W A N T—M E—T O—K I L L—H I M?!" Azazel commanded for an answer. However, he was speaking directly from Ms. G’s mouth this time. Not in her mind.ㅤㅤMs. G could barely process what was going on. She was standing and could clearly see the outlines of all the objects in her home, despite how bright everything was. She could also barely see gigantic wings sprouting from her back all the way to her peripheral vision.ㅤㅤ"I—S A I D, D O—Y O U—W A N T—"ㅤㅤ"Yes! W—Wait, no! No!" Ms. G answered. This was so odd to her, because her own voice was interrupting her own voice.

●●●ㅤㅤMs. G lived a relatively sheltered life as a Wiccan. She was born into a family known for producing some of the greatest American Wiccan high priests and priestesses. She did not ever imagine something like this would happen to her own daughter. And her daughter seemed to be partly instigating it.ㅤㅤThinking this as she towered over Mason, bloody and cowering in fear with his eyes bleeding, her rage began to build up.ㅤㅤBut she decided to let Azazel control the situation.ㅤㅤ"What should I say?" Ms. G asked Azazel.ㅤㅤ"Honestly, who cares? He probably wouldn't have any information we need. I say we go to the Craterscape and kill Mr. E. And save the children before the demons command the other facilitators to create more chaos."ㅤㅤMs. G lived in a more rural home away from any potentially curious neighbors. She decided she would just leave Mason there and made her way toward the Craterscape. At this point, she didn't care about what might happen.ㅤㅤAs she began stepping away, Mason spoke in between his whimpers of pain.ㅤㅤ"Y—You're t—too late . . . I have n—no fucking clue wh—what you are . . . but they're already possessing J—Jaimie. You're too . . . You're too—"ㅤㅤThe sound of a quick whip swept by behind Ms. G.ㅤㅤMason's voice was gone. Ms. G decided it better not to turn around and see what happened. It seemed Azazel decided Mason was better off dead.ㅤㅤAnd now they gained some horrific news.ㅤㅤJaimie was already being possessed. The main goal of Craterscape.

●●●ㅤㅤAzazel traveled unbelievably fast using Ms. G's body. And Ms. G's body remained unharmed. Ms. G would arrive at the Craterscape in no time. They were completely in sync, hovering about ten feet off the ground. Ms. G was not afraid of heights, much to Azazel’s relief.ㅤㅤAs they flew, Ms. G concluded some of the technical parts of how Azazel’s possession worked.ㅤㅤAzazel primarily spoke through her mind. However, he had the ability to control her body and speak through her vocal chords. In fact, it seemed that when Azazel’s physical abilities and power are in use, he must speak through her body and can’t speak through her head. Due to this, they could not speak at the same time when Azazel’s abilities are in use.ㅤㅤAs they began to arrive, they noticed the drastic change in weather. The sky was dim. And red. And not the shade of red one would usually witness during a sunset.ㅤㅤA gigantic red and black swirl of clouds a few miles ahead, directly above where the Crater would be.ㅤㅤMs. G felt water droplets on her newly-obtained angelic body. Light drizzle.ㅤㅤBut as she looked down, these were not normal water droplets. They were red droplets. They did not feel like much, but these droplets gave her a very bad feeling.ㅤㅤMs. G and Azazel arrived, and a powerful roar reverberated in their ears. They both flew directly over the gate and couldn't believe what they saw.ㅤㅤChildren's bodies lay throughout the main platform.ㅤㅤThe surrounding trapezoidal platforms are extended upwards like a spiral staircase with their mechanical bridges activated in between. There are some bodies on the lower trapezoidal platforms, presumably from attempting to escape.ㅤㅤThe bodies of the children.ㅤㅤMs. G recognized them all. The red rain continued to drizzle down, and Ms. G noticed that the children's clothes were being seared by the rain. Their exposed skin was . . . melting? Every body part that the rain met with, the skin was falling apart.ㅤㅤA headless mangled corpse on the floor right outside the Quarters. Ms. G could make out that it was a grown man's body, but just barely. All four of his limbs were severed off. Bones were visible, and blood was oozing in every direction. Ms. G would have loved to vomit at this moment, but it seemed her angelic body would not let her.ㅤㅤShe turned her gaze closer toward the center of the platform. She scanned the various adult bodies scattered among the children's bodies throughout—these clearly belonged to the rest of the facilitators. It was as if she was scanning the situation in slow motion. As her view neared the center, she saw the bodies of her three children—Min, Bao, and Feng.ㅤㅤAnd in the center was none other than her own daughter, Camilla. She seemed to be alive.ㅤㅤCompletely shocked at the bodies of the children, Ms. G somehow barely noticed it.ㅤㅤCamilla was underneath the claws of the most disgusting creature she had ever seen. An amorphous blob of flesh, blood, and bones. It was not obvious whether the appendages underneath were legs, arms, or tentacles.ㅤㅤIt was Jaimie.

• Back to ACT 5 Menu

Chapter 21 ● The Dream

CONTENT WARNING: PLEASE REFER TO THE MAIN PAGE FOR CONTENT DISCLAIMERSㅤㅤCerus doesn't deserve this. No matter what she did to me, it doesn't warrant this. Not this.ㅤㅤI was told she was stabbed twice. Then the perpetrator bludgeoned her face in.ㅤㅤAnd now I'm sitting here next to her hospital bed. Her face looks so fragile behind the oxygen mask. It has black and blues, but she still looks beautiful to me. Her horn seems intact, but it's a different shade of red than it was before. Her cute freckles are still visible.ㅤㅤShe's alive. That gives me some slight peace of mind.ㅤㅤBut she's stuck in a comatose state.ㅤㅤI want to caress her or hold her hand. But I don't know. If I did, I would experience her dream. Yeah, I know she wanted me to. But I just don’t think it’d be a good idea right now.ㅤㅤThis is all just so bad. So fucking bad. How did things even end up like this? I was just working at Jelly Joni’s a week ago—now this?ㅤㅤAfter I got the call telling me about Cerus, Stag brought the three future employees—Tower, Wing, and Dent—to the storage facility along with Vein. The rest of the employees were to meet there as well. Stag even begged Drop to close the flower shop for the day and meet at the facility. Drop said her father would be able to keep it open today, but Stag recommended he stay home for his own safety as well.ㅤㅤThe facility itself is about an hour away, which is a bit unfortunate. But judging from Stag's fear of Scythe, it's probably a good thing that it's so far away from our place and the restaurant. Also, it’s a mystery why we haven’t come up with an alternative name for it. My hunch is so that it’s kept a secret. Because of that, even I’ve hesitated creating my own nickname for the storage facility.ㅤㅤVein was so worried for me and wanted to join me to the hospital, but I had to be stern and tell her no. I know Vein can't be with Cerus.ㅤㅤWhich is another piece of the puzzle that I can't comprehend. I wish I had a chance to talk to Tower and ask if she knows anything about why. Yes—I could call Stag and ask her to put me onto Tower via phone. But I can't risk anything happening to Cerus while I'm on a call. I want to be with her and give her my full attention at every moment in case anything happens.ㅤㅤShe's barely alive.ㅤㅤBarely. I barely got to say goodbye. I didn't like the way the doctors explained the situation to me. They were beating around the bush while talking about it, but they were hinting that she pretty much wouldn’t fucking make it. I hate sugarcoating. But I know I shouldn't take it out on the hospital staff.ㅤㅤI'm physically and mentally exhausted. I haven't eaten the whole day since breakfast. It's nighttime. Friday, October 14, 2016. Same day that I got the morning call about Cerus missing and was interrogated. I want to sleep so bad, but I refuse to. I want to be with Cerus right now. Need to be there for her every second. I'm sure Helix and Ante would want to be here, too. But Scythe seems to be so dangerous that Stag won’t let them.ㅤㅤI know. It's a bad look. To you, it probably seems like Stag let her own son stay close to some evil demon while keeping the rest of the demons safe. I promise it's not the case. Stag knows I would've refused to go to the storage facility. She knows I would have opted to stay here with Cerus no matter what.ㅤㅤPlus, I've met Scythe. If she somehow appears, I'm sure I'd be able to talk to her in a civilized manner. Maybe. Until she starts questioning my gender again.ㅤㅤSo what? Is Scythe the serial killer? I never saw that victim near the barcade from the day I hung out with Wing. You know, the one that was gutted alive. But just from the description of that police officer directing traffic, the fatal injuries would align with the gigantic nail-claws that Scythe showed me.ㅤㅤBut Cerus? Here, she was clearly stabbed by a knife. Scythe's claws would have done an insurmountably bigger amount of damage to her body than a knife. There's no indication that the serial killer is the culprit behind Cerus here. Plus, the serial killer has successfully murdered all her victims so far. Cerus is still alive.ㅤㅤHere's my current hypothesis: Scythe is the serial killer. But someone else hurt Cerus. Whether Scythe and the stabber are related—that's another question to answer.ㅤㅤBut still—this doesn't make sense. Demons can't just run amok like in ancient times. Angels can now detect when demons unjustly interfere with human lives, which includes straight-up murdering them. Granted, I would not want an angel to appear near my area. If they see me, I'm dead. Yes, I'm turned on by the sexy Anvil, but even I'm aware that she’s a powerful Fallen angel. I'm pretty sure even her little sister Claw could destroy me. Ex-Seraphim and Ex-Cherubim are no laughing matter.ㅤㅤLet me reel it all back in.ㅤㅤCerus manipulated me. She used me for closure without telling me. She called me her 'experiment'. That was distasteful. But I still want to forgive her like a dumbass.ㅤㅤI just can't. Does that mean I care for her still? Absolutely. I know it was a spur of the moment thing, but I can still consider her a friend, right?ㅤㅤNone of that seems like it will matter for much longer. She’s going to die. And it pisses me the fuck off.ㅤㅤI'm fucking angry at her. How could she die before she fully explains herself? Wait, no. How could she die before I apologize for cutting her off like that? For walking out on the explanation that I asked for?ㅤㅤHow could she die before I told her how I felt about her? That all this frustration wasn't just because I was manipulated? That I can fully admit—despite knowing her for such a short amount of time—that . . . That I like her. Love? I don't know. How could I love someone that hurt me?ㅤㅤWait. No. I think that might be a symbol. I think . . . I think because I still care for her after she hurt me . . . I think that means that I love her. I think that might be what love is. Caring for someone even if they hurt you. That through all the pain and suffering someone may have caused you, you still care for them. Is that fucked up or what? Definitely codependent. Am I just a pushover?ㅤㅤAgh! I don't fucking know. Love has too many definitions. Sure, fuck it. I'll call this love. Maybe not solely a 'romantic' love, but definitely love.ㅤㅤBro, who the fuck cares? She's dying.ㅤㅤI look down.ㅤㅤI . . . I'm holding her hand.ㅤㅤI didn't even notice. I let go instantly. Oh, shit. Um. Uh. This is the most scandalous thing I've ever done. I think I'm going to Hell for this.ㅤㅤHaha. Shut up. I know! I'm making jokes right now. But shit. I genuinely did not even notice I grabbed her hand. What a fucking idiot. Shit. Shit.ㅤㅤAll good. Maybe, I can just stay awake. Maybe I can stay awake until I grab one of the other demon's hands. Hell, I shook Dent's hands earlier. But that's probably not enough. Maybe if I grab all of their hands, their dreams will overpower Cerus' dream. So that I won't have it. Yeah. Maybe that'll work. I just need to stay awake.ㅤㅤS . . . Stay awake.ㅤㅤ. . .ㅤㅤFuck! Just dozed and hit my forehead on the side rail of the hospital bed. No! No snoozing off. Fuck that.ㅤㅤFu . . . ck . . .ㅤㅤ. . .ㅤㅤN . . .ㅤㅤNo . . .

●●●ㅤㅤI can't think.ㅤㅤI don't want to think. I don't want to feel anything right now.ㅤㅤBut I can see and hear. Even though I don't want to.ㅤㅤI'm looking up at the top bunk bed. But what I see is something else.ㅤㅤWhat I see is the repulsive sight of Mr. E having sex with Camilla.ㅤㅤWhat I hear are the repulsive sounds of Mr. E having sex with Camilla.ㅤㅤI've vomited multiple times by now. The other older kids have been helping me clean my sheets. Ms. G would have helped me. Mr. E, on the other hand, does the bare minimum. He just clicks his pen and does nasty things to Camilla.ㅤㅤI start to have evil thoughts, too. Maybe she deserves it. She seemed to be enjoying it. No. No, no, no. This is wrong. This is so wrong. This is wrong.ㅤㅤI beg the older kids not to let Mr. E know that I've been lacking sleep, haven't been eating, and have been vomiting. They give in. It’s obvious they pity me, but at least they listen to me. I begin to wash my own sheets and clothes. A lot of the younger kids are disgusted by how I often smell and avoid me completely. Eventually they all leave me alone. But I've overheard some of the children my age snicker near me right before we go to sleep.

●●●ㅤㅤIt's evening. Around thirty minutes before the rest of the children are called to go to bed. But right now, I'm already in bed. The other kids are at the Park or playing outside. My eyes are closed, but I hear footsteps enter the room. Must be another kid that wants to sleep in early.ㅤㅤI feel someone lightly tap my forehead. I open my eyes and look to the right.ㅤㅤCamilla.ㅤㅤMy head starts to ache, and I can feel my stomach turn.ㅤㅤ"Hey, Jaimie. I have something to ask. Do you ever wander around after midnight?" Camilla asks.ㅤㅤI don't want to see…I don’t want to talk to her.ㅤㅤ" . . . "ㅤㅤI don't say a word.ㅤㅤ"I asked you something, Jaimie. I think it's rude to ignore me when I'm talking right to you."ㅤㅤ" . . . N—No. I j—just wake up to . . . to use the restroom. I—I've been s—sick lately and need to use it often. Y—you probably don't. Don't want to be n—near me right now."ㅤㅤ"Hm. That's okay. You don't need to worry about me. I want to talk to you right now. I just want to talk. Have you ever been to the facilitator's section?"ㅤㅤ"N—No. Never . . . J—Just-"ㅤㅤ"Jaimie. I think it's rude to lie to someone when they ask you something."ㅤㅤMy hearts thumping fast, and I don't know what to say.ㅤㅤ"I..I..I just—"ㅤㅤ"So you have? So you lied to me for my first question."ㅤㅤ"N—No . . . "ㅤㅤ"You're going to just keep on lying, Jaimie? I don't think Ms. G would have liked that from you."ㅤㅤI'm starting to tear up. And I'm starting to lose my breath.ㅤㅤ"What's wrong? Saw something you didn't like?"ㅤㅤMy teeth are clattering, and my body is shaking.ㅤㅤCamilla leans over as her face's shadow casts directly over my face. I'm looking directly at her. I'm more terrified of closing my eyes than keeping them open.ㅤㅤShe places her hand on my lower region and whispers softly.ㅤㅤ"You wish you were me? You wish you were me, huh? You wish you could have the kind of power I do, huh? You wish you could win the favor of the facilitators. Just like Yusuf, huh? You wish Mr. E would like you, too, huh? You're just not enough like me. I can do it all. I can cook, clean, play sports, and make Mr. E feel good. What can you do, Jaimie?"ㅤㅤHer voice is chilling. I can't think right now.ㅤㅤ"Stay away from us. And if you think you can tell anyone about what you saw, don't worry. I will be right there in front of you. And I will make you regret ever thinking about it."ㅤㅤShe pats her right hand on my lower region and presses her left index finger down on my forehead.ㅤㅤ"Don't ever think about telling anyone. Mr. E likes me. And he'll do whatever I want. I might not even have to get rid of you. He will. And you wouldn't like that, would you? Yusuf wouldn't like that, either, huh?ㅤㅤI've wet the bed.ㅤㅤ"Haha. Better clean that up. Stay good, Jaimie. It's a good thing I moved my hand away from-"ㅤㅤI moved without thinking.ㅤㅤCamilla is on the ground. I pushed her away from me without saying a word.ㅤㅤShe starts laughing.ㅤㅤ"Jaimie, Jaimie, Jaimie."ㅤㅤShe brushes off her bottom and walks out.ㅤㅤI lie there for a few more minutes until the shaking stops. I eventually get up to clean myself.

●●●ㅤㅤIt's evening again the next day. I'm in bed, just like always. I'm playing a platforming game on one of the newer handheld gaming consoles. For the most part, everything is just fine. Especially ever since yesterday. I'm very anxious whenever I hear footsteps. Most of the time, it's just a kid stopping by the Quarters to use the restroom.ㅤㅤI'm good at this game. It's a little man jumping in the desert with pyramids in the backgr—ㅤㅤ"Hey, Jaimie."ㅤㅤI die in the game. I put my console down and look to my right just like yesterday.ㅤㅤThe anxiety is back, and my irregular breathing returns.ㅤㅤ"Drink this," Camilla commands.ㅤㅤWithout hesitation, she lifts my chin up and pours some liquid from a cup into my throat. I'm caught so off-guard that a lot of the drink is spilling onto the bed from my mouth. It's a strong taste, and it hurts my throat. I eventually start coughing, and Camilla pulls the drink back.ㅤㅤShe starts laughing.ㅤㅤ"Hope you liked it. Since you can't tell anyone anything, I thought it might be fun to show you. This is beer. Alcohol. Us kids aren't allowed to drink this stuff. But Mr. E made an exception for me. We started talking about things that adults do, and once he told me about beer, I didn't stop begging him for it. At first, he wouldn’t give in. So I told him that I would lie to the other kids about what he's been doing to me if he didn't get me some. So he eventually listened. But it's awesome! That was your sneak peek. You can probably drink more when you're older, Jaimie. I'm sure you've seen it in your video games," Camilla rants.ㅤㅤShe snatches the handheld console from me.ㅤㅤ"This game? Looks alright. Why don't you play the games on the TV anymore? This is old stuff."ㅤㅤI don't say a word.ㅤㅤ"Whatever. Good news for you, though. Mr. E doesn't know that you've seen us. This will be our little secret. And if it ever becomes more than that, I'll make you remember what I told you yesterday, alright?"ㅤㅤShe tosses the game back onto my bed and leaves.ㅤㅤI lie there for a few more minutes until the shaking stops. Soon more children come in, and it's time to sleep. I can't play my game when the lights are off, so I'm left there. Haunted by her words and unable to sleep. To top it all off, I have this unfamiliar taste in my mouth. But it's the smell that I don't like. It makes me uncomfortable.

●●●ㅤㅤMy Order Gear starts buzzing. I'm. I'm being summoned to the main hall. The area right next to the facilitator's section.ㅤㅤPlease. Not this.ㅤㅤNone of the other facilitators have visited recently. So this would have to be Mr. E.ㅤㅤPlease.ㅤㅤI don't want to see him right now. I don't want to hear the sound of his pen clicking.ㅤㅤThe buzzing does not stop. If children do not appear at the first buzz, it gets louder. This would wake up the other children. I can't risk this. I don't know what to do.ㅤㅤI get up slowly with the worst feeling of anxiety I've ever had.ㅤㅤI don’t want this. Being called over like this in the middle of the night. It reminds me too much of what things were like before the Crater.ㅤㅤThat's what the beer smelled like. That man. At this point, I have been seeing Mr. E as a younger version of him. Some of the other facilitators are men, and I get a little uncomfortable with them, too. But no one makes me as uncomfortable as Mr. E.ㅤㅤAlong with that pen clicking.ㅤㅤAs I leave the room, the buzzing gets louder.ㅤㅤI'm in the main hall.ㅤㅤAnd Mr. E is sitting at the front table. He looks...wrong. He has bags under his eyes and he looks at me. I wince a bit. He smiles, gets up slowly, and starts limping towards me. His body is staggering back and forth, but he finally ends up right in front of me. He looks down.ㅤㅤHe smells like how that man smelled. He smells like what I hate the most. He puts his hand on my shoulder.ㅤㅤHe begins to speak with his words slurred.ㅤㅤ"Thanks for coming, Jaiiiimie. Oh. Oh, oh, oh, oh. Jaimie. I'm so proud of you. You think everyone likes you. Everyone keeps saying you're the right one for the project! It's amazing! You do nothing, but everyone acts as if they like you! I do everything, but no matter what, I can’t be as good as Ms. Gion—Ms. G. But now? Now? Now, my hard work has paid off! And now everyone likes me. You see, not everyone actually likes you, Jaimie. In fact, I used to fucking hate you and that filthy brown kid. Fucking terrorist kid and his Jewish sidekick making me do all kinds of slavework for their drone shows. So ironic! Without your little drone and Ms. G, they let me be the way I am! No matter how different I am from everyone else! I was so convinced it’d be Camilla. Even she’s out. So it’s your turn. Come here, Jaimie!"ㅤㅤWith his hand on my shoulder, he pulls me toward the facilitator's section. I am too weak from not having anything in my stomach. And I'm in a daze because I just woke up, too. But I could understand every word he said.ㅤㅤI can't tug away.ㅤㅤHe brings me through the ID-activated door and toward his room.ㅤㅤ"Beeeecause you're so amazing, you get to join me here! You haven’t been here, have you? And here—here’s my room! Loook—Camilla’s here, too! She might not be that fucking shit Yusuf, but she’s a friend, right?"ㅤㅤAs we get to the entrance of his room, I see an image I will never forget.ㅤㅤCans and bottles everywhere. Some on the table, some on the floor, and some spilt. There's white powder on the table. A messy bed with stains all over it. Some dark red stains and some clear stains. A lamp is on the floor. The smell is worse than I could ever imagine.ㅤㅤOn the floor next to the bed is Camilla. And she's not moving. She has some dried blood coming out of her nose.ㅤㅤShe's naked.ㅤㅤThe grip on my shoulders become tighter.ㅤㅤ"Jaimie. Jaimie, Jaimie, Jaimie, Jaimie, Jaimie, Jaimie, Jaimie . . . "ㅤㅤMr. E continues to say my name as he pulls me into the room. He picks me up from under my shoulders and throws me onto the bed.ㅤㅤI.ㅤㅤI don't want to describe what's happening. I can't. I don't want to.ㅤㅤPlease. Don’t rip my clothes off. Please.ㅤㅤPlease. I can't fight back. I can't scream.ㅤㅤPlease.ㅤㅤPlease.ㅤㅤI don't.ㅤㅤI don't want this.ㅤㅤWhy are you touching me?ㅤㅤI don't want this.ㅤㅤI don't want this.ㅤㅤI don't want this.ㅤㅤI don't want this.ㅤㅤI don't want this.ㅤㅤIt hurts.ㅤㅤI don't want this.ㅤㅤI don't want this.ㅤㅤI don't want this.ㅤㅤHelp me.ㅤㅤI don't want this.ㅤㅤI don't want this.ㅤㅤI don't want this.

• Back to ACT 5 Menu

Chapter 22 ● The Epicenter

ㅤㅤI don't want this.ㅤㅤI don't want this.ㅤㅤI'm not waking up.ㅤㅤI'm Don. I'm dreaming right now.ㅤㅤI'm dreaming as Jaimie.ㅤㅤAnd I'm not waking up.ㅤㅤPlease.ㅤㅤPlease help.ㅤㅤI don't want this.ㅤㅤIt doesn't feel good.ㅤㅤIt doesn't feel good.ㅤㅤI'm sorry, Cerus. I'm sorry.ㅤㅤI'm sorry.ㅤㅤI'm sorry.ㅤㅤPlease make this dream stop.ㅤㅤI'm not waking up.ㅤㅤI'm so sorry.ㅤㅤI'm so sorry, Cerus. Please.

●●●ㅤㅤI'm.ㅤㅤI'm convulsing and repeatedly vomiting onto the bed.ㅤㅤI'm shivering completely cold on the bed with my entire body exposed.ㅤㅤMy eyes are itching from crying so much, but I can't move my hands to itch them.ㅤㅤMr. E is passed out on the floor.ㅤㅤI'm lucid dreaming now. I don't know if it's from the shock and the pain of what I just experienced.ㅤㅤBut I'm fully aware that I'm Don right now. I can't control my body in any way, shape, or form.ㅤㅤI'm stuck in this dream. I'm looking directly up at the room's ceiling. I'm terrified of closing my eyes. They're hurting and itching so much.ㅤㅤI can do nothing but stare at the ceiling. Even though it's a dream, it feels like time is passing in real life. In fact, everything feels real. I have enough strength to turn my neck to the right so I don't choke.ㅤㅤMore vomit.ㅤㅤEverything smells putrid.ㅤㅤThere is no clock in the room, so I can't tell what time it is.ㅤㅤI estimate that around two hours pass by. The vomiting occurs less often, and my convulsing has stopped.ㅤㅤI can start to feel my finger tips move. My throat is completely dry, and there's a disgusting taste in my mouth apart from the vomit. The beer didn't taste the worst. This did.ㅤㅤPlease wake up, me.ㅤㅤI do nothing for the next few hours. I estimate around four hours. This is devastating.

●●●ㅤㅤI've stayed awake within the dream until Mr. E woke up just now.ㅤㅤHe makes a gag sound as if he threw up. But he catches himself with his mouth over his hands. Out of the corner of my eye, I seem him get up and dash out of the room. I assume he's going to the restroom.ㅤㅤIt seems to be early morning from what I can tell from the window blinds. Around thirty minutes pass, and he doesn't return.ㅤㅤI don't control what my body does. I'm lucid dreaming, right? But it's like a 4D movie. I feel everything Jaimie does. But I don’t control her.ㅤㅤI slowly get up. My body is still shivering, but it's not shaking violently like before. Camilla is still passed out, it looks like. She's not dead or anything. My clothes are tattered, so I grab the blanket to cover myself. Though it is unbelievably disgusting with filth all over. I make my way out of the room.ㅤㅤI limp through the hallway toward the ID-activated door. I put my ear against it. Although it's almost completely soundproof, I can still hear the faint sound of the children scrambling to get their breakfast in the dining hall right next to the main hall. Just outside this door. It must be around 8:00 A.M.ㅤㅤThere's no way I can leave right now. The door can open from the inside, but do I want to be seen by all the other children in my current state? I'll never be able to live it down.ㅤㅤI already don't know if I want to live.

●●●ㅤㅤThere is no restroom in the facilitator's section, so Mr. E must have already left somewhere. That means he narrowly avoided being seen by the other children as they got up from bed. Sometimes, the children that are culinary enthusiasts will volunteer to share breakfast. But usually, Ms. G would taste-test the meals before letting the other kids try.ㅤㅤI'm stuck here.ㅤㅤI hear the sound of a door open behind me. Is it Camilla?ㅤㅤNo. It's the emergency exit door at the end of the hall. It's open, and I see four people enter.ㅤㅤIt's some facilitators. And none of them are Mr. E.ㅤㅤI can see the rest of the facilitators that were briefly introduced to us.ㅤㅤMr. V. I remember him. He did Yusuf’s physical exam twice.ㅤㅤMs. C. She did mine twice.ㅤㅤAnother man. I never learned his name. But I remember there being one more man. He doesn’t seem to be here.ㅤㅤI remember there being two other women, excluding Ms. G. So why is only Ms. C here?ㅤㅤLike I said, I don't see the facilitators often other than when they do medical checkups or help with event setup. I barely ever speak to them. And their noses and mouths are usually covered by their face masks.ㅤㅤBut right now, I need to ask for their help.ㅤㅤI'll tell them what Mr. E did to me. They'll help me. They'll put an end to this. They'll stop Camilla from harassing me.ㅤㅤThey walk up to me.ㅤㅤI open my mouth, but no words come out. I can't speak. I cannot speak.ㅤㅤI don’t understand. Nothing is physically preventing me from talking. But I genuinely cannot utter words.ㅤㅤEither way, the three facilitators should be able to see that I'm tattered. They should be able to see and smell the condition that I'm in.ㅤㅤAs they get closer, I see that they're wearing gloves. They must be preparing for the usual medical examinations for the other kids.ㅤㅤPlease help me.ㅤㅤI can't move my mouth muscles well, so I flail my arms up and down. They are all right in front of me, looming over me.ㅤㅤSurprisingly, they don't get on their knees to talk to me at eye level like they do when they give the medical exams.ㅤㅤThey stare at me for a few seconds. They then look at each other. Mr. V nods, and they all look back at me.ㅤㅤI inch forward and weakly grab Mr. V's pants, trying to get any kind of sympathy from him.ㅤㅤHe kneels down. Finally!ㅤㅤNot a word is said. He picks me up and carries me over his shoulder. The three follow Mr. V.ㅤㅤI can't scream or fight back. I'm still too weak. Behind me, I notice that Ms. C separates from the other three and enter Mr. E's room. She must be getting Camilla.ㅤㅤThey're not talking, but they must be taking me to the nursery, right? I don't have a reason to fight back.

●●●ㅤㅤMr. V places me in the middle. The complete center of the Crater. He lays me faced up at the sky. I'm starting to regain better control of my body, however. I turn my neck and see that the Quarter's front windows are completely covered. Not by blinds, but with metal sheets.ㅤㅤWhat is going on?ㅤㅤJust as I start to get up, Mr. V stands back and closes his eyes. The other male facilitator holds me down by the shoulders. No. Not again. Please don't touch me. Please don't hold me down like this.ㅤㅤThe other male facilitator pulls out a syringe. In my peripheral vision, I notice the last female facilitator that I was wondering about earlier walking up to me. Is this just another medical exam? But they aren't trying to comfort me like usual. And why is it outside on the cement ground? It's hurting my shoulder blades to be held down so hard onto the ground.ㅤㅤHe injects me through my neck. And.ㅤㅤI'm back to being unable to move. I. I don't like this. Please. No more. Please. I'm begging you all.ㅤㅤThis isn't a medical exam. What is happening? No more, please.ㅤㅤThe three stand back and form a circle around me.ㅤㅤAnd they start to speak in words I've never heard before. It doesn't sound like English. What are they saying?ㅤㅤThey continue. I still can't move. I can't even move my neck muscles. I can only move my eyes around.ㅤㅤThey keep speaking these weird words for five more minutes. I'm having trouble breathing at this point, and I swear that I can no longer control my lungs. I can't scream, and I can't do anything. I feel like I'm dying.ㅤㅤBut maybe that's for the best at this point.ㅤㅤMaybe I'll wake up.ㅤㅤMaybe once I die, I'll wake up from this dream.ㅤㅤIt's fading to black.ㅤㅤYes.ㅤㅤYes.ㅤㅤPlease, let me leave this fucking dream.ㅤㅤLet me go back to seeing Vein smile.ㅤㅤLet me hang out with my friends again.ㅤㅤI promise I'll never sleep again.ㅤㅤI promise I'll never dream again.ㅤㅤIt's getting darker.ㅤㅤI'm starting to lose my vision.ㅤㅤYes.ㅤㅤI'm sorry, Cerus.ㅤㅤI'm sorry.ㅤㅤLet me see Stag.ㅤㅤLet me see Helix.ㅤㅤLet me see Ante.ㅤㅤLet me see Crescent.ㅤㅤI want to see my friends.ㅤㅤIt's getting darker.ㅤㅤI'm finally dying.ㅤㅤIt's pitch black.

●●●ㅤㅤI open my eyes.ㅤㅤI'm not home.ㅤㅤI can see everything. A full 360-degree view. What is going on? I can literally see everything. It's . . .ㅤㅤI can see the entire Crater. All sides of the Crater simultaneously.ㅤㅤAnd I can see my own body. I see bones. I see muscles. I see veins. Everything pulsating. I'm dripping blood and I can feel pieces of my flesh everywhere. Everything's red.ㅤㅤI smell awful. I smell like rotting flesh. I feel, see, smell, and hear everything. I can even hear . . . screaming.ㅤㅤThe three facilitators. I can see them. They're on the ground with their hands covering their mouths. I smell their vomit. They’re not the ones screaming.ㅤㅤWhere is the screaming coming from? Where? Wait, I can trace it. It's coming from the Quarters. The screams belong to the children. All their screaming and shouting are blending together in dissonance. It's mostly screaming, but I can make out some words here and there.ㅤㅤHelp.ㅤㅤHelp.ㅤㅤMe.ㅤㅤI don't.ㅤㅤWant.ㅤㅤWant to.ㅤㅤDie.ㅤㅤCan I save them?ㅤㅤI try to move, but I can't. I don’t know how to control this body. As I attempt to control myself, my body pulsates harder. My bones are breaking while muscles are tearing apart. As they do, I hear a powerful shriek. I become a little frightened, unaware of where it's coming from, because I can hear it from every angle.ㅤㅤI realize. It's coming from me. I see the three facilitators move their hands from their mouths to their ears. I see blood coming out of their ears. They begin to scream as well.ㅤㅤThen it begins. I see red droplets fall from the sky. I still can't move.ㅤㅤBut I watch as the droplets fall onto the three facilitators, burning their skin. I watch as the acid melts their flesh. The female facilitator pulls out a device, aims it at one of the sides of the crater, and presses a button. Within seconds, the rain dissolves through her face, along with the device she’s holding.ㅤㅤI want to cry. But all of a sudden, I begin to feel myself more tangibly. Legs. I can sense my own legs. I have four of them. I don't feel any arms of my own. But . . . Wait. No. I can feel . . . I feel multiple arms.ㅤㅤI now can feel and see them.ㅤㅤThe trapezoidal platforms surrounding the main platform shoot upwards in increasing heights, resembling a giant staircase. Immediately, metal bridges form between them. Perfect! I can use my arms to help the children up the staircase and escape this red rain. Help them escape the Craterscape.ㅤㅤI try to direct my arms to help them. But instead, something else happens.ㅤㅤTentacles shoot out of my body towards the Quarters. I can barely maneuver them, but I pierce and smash through the front doors. The children come bursting out in hordes. They appear to be gasping for air.ㅤㅤBut as they leave the Quarters and look at me, they freeze in shock. And the rain begins to fall on them. How do I make it stop? I can’t let the red rain fall on them.ㅤㅤI have to make it stop. I have to make it stop. It can’t fall on the children.ㅤㅤIt's not working. I see the children start to fall slowly, one by one. I can’t avoid seeing their flesh melt as they hit the ground. Some manage to make it to the first trapezoidal platform, but quickly fall to the ground. I can even see a child floating face-down on the shallow water.ㅤㅤI still want to cry, but I can't. I scan the children crawling out, and can see the other Droneheads together.ㅤㅤSammy. Seth. Min-Min. Bao. Feng.ㅤㅤI can see every detail of their faces from every angle. I can see every pore. Every scare. Their eyelashes. Each crack of their lips. But I can’t begin to comprehend the terror they’re feeling.ㅤㅤI love them. But for some reason, I know I’m going to be the reason they die.ㅤㅤI extend my flesh-covered tendrils toward them. One for each of the five Droneheads. I wrap the tendrils around them and bring them closer to me. Maybe I can morph my body to be an umbrella for them.ㅤㅤAs I bring them closer, I realize what a mistake this was. I have burned their skin by grabbing them. I let go instantly, despite them being only a few meters away from me. They fall to the ground, and I can see the burn spread throughout their body.ㅤㅤMy flesh has the same effect as the red rain. Which means it’s coming from me.ㅤㅤI promise.ㅤㅤI can't do anything. I'm killing everyone. I'm not trying to. I promise.ㅤㅤI look back to the Quarters. As the last few children attempt to escape, I can see three people standing from inside. And they are all wearing gas masks.ㅤㅤMr. E.ㅤㅤMs. C.ㅤㅤAnd Camilla.

●●●ㅤㅤCamilla, with the gas mask strapped on, is still passed out in Ms. C's arms.ㅤㅤMs. C is there, with Mr. E standing behind her.ㅤㅤMr. E. He's dressed in his uniform. He looks nothing like he did last night. Both facilitators are horrified at the sight of me, but I can't believe it.ㅤㅤI was in tattered clothes, and Mr. E is dressed like he never.ㅤㅤLike he never raped me.ㅤㅤWithout thinking, I shoot two flesh tendrils towards their direction.ㅤㅤI have one of them wrap around Ms. C and Camilla, bringing them over to me.ㅤㅤI have the other tentacle pierce directly through Mr. E's chest. There's no way I'm bringing him anywhere near me.ㅤㅤI begin to mutilate his body. I burn both his arms off. I love hearing his screams. I burn his legs off. This is good. I don't want the rain to kill him. I want to kill him myself.ㅤㅤI burn his privates off. Finally, I wrap the tentacle around his neck and lift him. I don't think I can audibly speak. But with whatever eyes I have, I look directly at him. Disgusting filth. More disgusting that whatever I am. I never have to look at this again. I can't speak. But one word echoes in my head.ㅤㅤDie.ㅤㅤI wrap my tentacle tighter and tighter around his neck until it burns right through. I watch as his head rolls off onto the ground. The rain drips onto it and burns it until it's unrecognizable as a head.ㅤㅤI focus my view back onto Ms. C and Camilla. I . . . I think I can control the rain slightly. It's gotten softer after I killed Mr. E. I try my best not to look at the corpses of the other children and keep my eyes on Ms. C and Camilla.ㅤㅤMs. C is not moving. It seems the tentacle and the rain killed her. The tentacle barely touched Camilla, and the rain only slightly injured her because of Ms. C's protection. I drop Camilla onto the ground.ㅤㅤThis is perfect. I want to finish off Camilla.

●●●ㅤㅤThe rain changes to tiny droplets. A slight drizzle. Not enough to kill anymore. But it's too late for the children already hit by the stronger droplets earlier.ㅤㅤIt hurts to think about, so I fully shift my focus to Camilla and inch toward her. I notice that she's slowly beginning to awake. She opens her eyes and sees me instantly. She tries to scream, but the gas mask muffles it. She's underneath my front right leg. I feel myself extend around thirty tendrils and aim them all at Camilla.ㅤㅤThen I get the most uncomfortable feeling since obtaining this form. In my complete view, I see a figure with multiple wings fly down from the above the Crater.ㅤㅤIs that . . . ?ㅤㅤIt's . . . Ms. G? What . . . Why does she look like that? And she's so bright . . .ㅤㅤIt's hurting my eyes. I don't like it. But I can't turn my eyes away from it. I can see everything.ㅤㅤShe gets closer and closer. And she speaks.ㅤㅤ"J—Jaimie? I . . . I . . . Is that you?"ㅤㅤI wish I could answer her. I don't want to try and force it. I might shriek and hurt her ears.ㅤㅤ"I . . . don't know if you can answer me . . . Please. Whatever you're going to do to Camilla . . . don't do it. It's not worth it."ㅤㅤMs. G is crying. She seems frightened, but she's not terrified. She seems to be holding her own and isn't stuttering her words.ㅤㅤ"Let's try to calm down, Jaimie. Please."ㅤㅤThe rain isn't hurting her. That's a relief. Her brightness is hurting my eyes, but I deserve it at this point. I look down at Camilla.ㅤㅤShe's peed herself. Pathetic. Ms. G’s right. Why should I kill her? It would be more humiliating and painful for Camilla if she lay here petrified while the rain slowly melts her alive.ㅤㅤBut I'm suddenly blinded. I move backwards for the first time. Around twenty meters away from the center. I . . . I can control my body's movement now!ㅤㅤI regain my vision.ㅤㅤMs. G is shielding Camilla with her wings. The rain isn't penetrating the wings. Ms. G . . .ㅤㅤWhy are you saving her? Help me. I'm the one who needs help.ㅤㅤI'm the one who needed someone to reach out to me.ㅤㅤReach . . . out?ㅤㅤYusuf. I remember. How did I forget? He tried to reach out to Camilla.ㅤㅤAnd I didn't let him.ㅤㅤBut still.ㅤㅤMs. G is choosing Camilla over me.ㅤㅤI can't believe it. After all I've been through. Ms. G, you don't know what I went through. You don't know what it's like to be me. And now I'm stuck in this hideous body. All I can do now is kill.ㅤㅤIf you're not for me. You're against me.ㅤㅤI extend my tendrils and prepare to kill her.

• Back to ACT 5 Menu

Chapter 23 ● The Split

ㅤㅤ"Jaimi—"ㅤㅤI attempt to pierce my flesh tentacles through Ms. G, but her wings suddenly become sharp—they look like thousands of knives.ㅤㅤShe covers herself and Camilla with her wings. Although I'm the one lunging my tendrils at her wings, they slice through my tendrils piece-by-piece. It's very painful, but I shrug it off. It's nothing compared to what I experienced last night.ㅤㅤMs. G speeds toward me and spins, slicing more of my tendrils with her wings.ㅤㅤI shriek and back off. In the distance, I see Camilla covering her ears in pain.ㅤㅤMaybe I can just increase the amount of red rain droplets.ㅤㅤI tried to pulsate harder like I did before, but nothing happens. Meanwhile, Ms. G flies directly above me.ㅤㅤShe shoots her body straight down onto me.ㅤㅤI'm sliced in half by her razor-sharp wings. I can see blood and steam everywhere.ㅤㅤ"That won't kill you, human. I know it won't," Ms. G claims. That’s not how Ms. G talks.ㅤㅤBut she's right. One half of my body melts into red fluid. The remaining half is what I can still see out of. I can feel my flesh regrow.ㅤㅤI realize that Ms. G plans to protect Camilla. Not even my rain will kill her if Ms. G continues. So I have to do this myself.ㅤㅤI aim my leftover tendrils at Camilla. She's on the ground, passed out and foaming at the mouth.ㅤㅤMs. G turns in the direction my tendrils are aiming, and she dashes over to Camilla.ㅤㅤBut my tendrils are too fast. They almost reach her when suddenly . . .ㅤㅤShe's gone. Camilla is gone. I didn't even process when she disappeared. Despite my complete view of the Crater, I didn’t see it happen.ㅤㅤFrustrated, I turn the tendrils back toward Ms. G.ㅤㅤWe go back and forth. I regrow and shoot tendrils toward her, and she slices them off. Although it's painful, I'm sure that if I manage to overwhelm her, she won't be able to slice them off in time. This continues for about thirty seconds.ㅤㅤThen some immense pain shoots up through my body.ㅤㅤI try to back off again, but I can't.ㅤㅤA loud boom is audibly echoing through me. I can still see, but my vision is scattered. Some parts are overlapping. What happened?ㅤㅤI've . . . I've been blown up into pieces.ㅤㅤI can see parts of my own body scattered across the Crater.ㅤㅤCamilla is standing in the spot where my body was. Her glowing red hand is aimed toward the sky.ㅤㅤI only have control over half my body fragments. As they begin to regrow, I can hear Camilla laughing.ㅤㅤI'm angry at how upbeat she is. But I'm still recovering my fragmented body. Next to Camilla is Ms. G, who appears just as shocked as I am.ㅤㅤCamilla looks around her, noticing my fragments as they recover and reform.ㅤㅤ"This regeneration…You're better than I imagined," Camilla says with a smile.ㅤㅤThat is not Camilla.ㅤㅤShe looks at Ms. G. Ms. G stands there, confused.ㅤㅤ"Gionna. You have never met me, but I know all about you. I cannot believe you resorted to . . . Azazel? Yes. Lovely! It feels as though I am meeting a celebrity. Azazel, the Fallen angel. Rejected by both Heaven and Hell."ㅤㅤAzazel? Who is that?ㅤㅤ"Who . . . who are you?!" Ms. G demands.ㅤㅤ"Lovely. I am somewhat of a celebrity myself. I am Scythe, an Infernal Demon of Fate, a Demon of Pride, and the creator of the Craterscape project. I am also what you humans would call a scientist."ㅤㅤWait. Scythe? That piece of shit that Stag hates. Maybe I shouldn't be in such a rush to get out of this dream. Ms. G's face suddenly turns into one of anger rather than one of speechlessness.ㅤㅤ"HOW DARE YOU MOCK ME, DEMON OF FATE?! I AM NOT JUST A FALLEN ANGEL!" says Ms. G. But her voice sounds different.ㅤㅤ”Azazel. My most humble apologies. I did not intend to mock you nor your legacy. But the fact of the matter is that . . . "ㅤㅤCamilla spreads her arms and gestures toward my fragmented body parts maniacally.ㅤㅤ"You stand no chance against Laplace!"ㅤㅤThat's me. I'm Laplace. Wait. Wait. Ugh. This is so weird.ㅤㅤThis is Don speaking. Right now, I'm sharing a lot of the same emotions that Cerus–I mean Jaimie–is feeling. So I may not be speaking the most objectively. And I may not 100% be speaking as Don right now. But I know that name. Laplace. Isn't he the dude that thought you could predict the location of atoms and stuff? Which would imply that you could predict the future. Or decide to control the path of atoms or something. I don't know. I might be recalling it wrong. Learned about it in high school-level chem.ㅤㅤThere was a . . . there was a word for this. What was it?ㅤㅤ"I DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU SPEAK OF, YOU IGNORANT FATE!" says Ms. G as she assumes an attacking stance.ㅤㅤNo, wait. The one speaking must be that Azazel that Scythe is talking about. That would explain Ms. G's sudden superhero powers. I mean. I shouldn't call them that. Makes me feel like a villain.ㅤㅤLet me regenerate so I can kill this Scythe motherfucker! Agh! But shit. I should also let Scythe explain more about me. I need the information. I do NOT want to experience this dream again.ㅤㅤ"I would advise you not attack me, Azazel. I hold more information about Laplace's Demon that includes the only way to defeat it. Of course, I may be lying. Is there truly a way to defeat Laplace's Demon? Seems you are the ignorant one here, Azazel!"ㅤㅤThey’re speaking in English, which makes this more understandable to me, at least. But I don’t know what Scythe is talking about. I just know that I’m Laplace’s Demon.ㅤㅤScythe chuckles in Camilla's body. The laugh still sounds like Camilla's laugh, and it pisses me off.ㅤㅤ"SPARE ME YOUR PROVOCATIONS!" Azazel shouts in anger.ㅤㅤThe remaining body fragments slowly crawl toward each other. I am recovering faster now.ㅤㅤ"Haha! Say what you will. From the way Laplace is acting, it seems Jaimie's mind is active. It is only a matter of time until Laplace fully takes control. Once that is achieved, you will come to understand Laplace's true power."ㅤㅤAzazel and Ms. G, sharing the same body, give a battle cry and prepare to lunge toward Scythe.ㅤㅤNo. Right now, Scythe is Camilla. Camilla is Scythe. I want to be the one to kill Camilla. I don't care about getting more information.ㅤㅤUgh, wait! No! I need to be rational here. I'll let them fight and see if Scythe can give me more info!ㅤㅤNo. I want to kill Camilla.ㅤㅤShut up!ㅤㅤNo.ㅤㅤFuck you!ㅤㅤDon.ㅤㅤFuck you—Huh? What?ㅤㅤDon.ㅤㅤHello? What the hell is—ㅤㅤDon. Listen.ㅤㅤAre you Jaimie? Are you actually speaking to me? In my lucid dream?! You're just a little girl! And how do you know my na—ㅤㅤDon. It's me. Cerus.

●●●ㅤㅤC—Cerus? Huh? What?! How?!ㅤㅤI'm not dead, Don.ㅤㅤDude. What is going on? Please. Explain. And why is everything moving in slow-motion? You on some Matrix-shit?!ㅤㅤDon, we need to be serious. I can barely speak to you because of my past self–because of Jaimie’s emotions.ㅤㅤFine! I'll shut up. Please—explain.ㅤㅤOkay. Right now, there are four minds at play here. First is you—Don. Second is me—Cerus. Third is my past self—Jaimie. Fourth is Laplace—Laplace is still dormant right now but will soon affect us. You'll see. Neither Jaimie nor Laplace can hear us speaking. Their thoughts and actions are set in stone.ㅤㅤBro, that's crazy. Please explain the Laplace thing.ㅤㅤHey! Don! Y—you said you'd shut up!ㅤㅤS—sorry! Damn. You're meaner here than you were in real life. It's kinda hot.ㅤㅤWh—wha? D—Don't say that! And no, I'm n—not! Not meaner! And you were the one who kept saying 'sorry' to me like a baby next to my hospital bed!ㅤㅤYou heard that?! Cerus . . . You . . . Whatever! Fuck, this is embarrassing. I'm not used to anyone being able to read my mind. Shit! Especially not my crush!ㅤㅤC—Crush?! Did you—ㅤㅤOH, SHIT! FUCK! WAIT! NO! SHUT UP!ㅤㅤ. . .ㅤㅤ. . .ㅤㅤDon! You! I'm. Ah! A—Are you . . . Are you being serious right now?!ㅤㅤCerus! Um! P-pretend you didn't hear anything! This is cute as fuck. She's being cute as fuck. SHIT! STOP! I HATE THAT YOU CAN HEAR MY THOUGHTS! AHH!ㅤㅤI . . . I don't know what to say . . . I'm . . . I'm going to just keep explaining . . . Um.ㅤㅤDamn. You're rejecting me off-rip. Fuck my shit. Wait, actually, fuck you! You gave me this dream and used me as an experi—ㅤㅤDon, can you please shut the fuck up for two seconds?ㅤㅤ. . . Okay.ㅤㅤAhem! I never planned on revealing myself to you like this. I wanted to tell you in person. I spent a good amount of this dream trying to decide whether I should tell you I'm here or not. Um. I'm really sorry you experienced the dream. I didn't expect you to make contact with me. I don't have a clear vision of what's happening in real life, but I have specks of knowledge. Like hearing you apologize to me in the hospital. So. I'll explain as much as I know. Laplace's Demon. It sounded like you're a little familiar with the concept. The idea that you can control space and time. It sounds far-fetched, right? But I'll warn you. You won’t find out from Scythe. I know what's going to happen next. She’s not going to tell you very much. Not to Ms. G. Not to Azazel, either. So that's why I'm here.ㅤㅤCerus. May I say something?ㅤㅤYes, Don.ㅤㅤUm. I really like this version of you.ㅤㅤDon . . . It was a bad idea to let you talk. No talking for the next 10 minutes.ㅤㅤDude. Cerus. Bro. Time is passing so weird right now. I don't even know what 10 minutes is.ㅤㅤI can't believe this. I'm genuinely trying to help you, and you just won't shut up!ㅤㅤI'm sorry, Cerus! I just. Ugh. I really, really like you. My mind goes a billion different directions, so I can't really shut up. I'm hyperactive right now.ㅤㅤS—stop confessing to me like this! It's . . . It's so weird!ㅤㅤ. . .ㅤㅤOkay. Um. M—moving on. I'll be forward with you. I am not just a Mare. I have the ability to manipulate time. And space, to some extent. But I don't have complete control over this ability. You know as well as I do that Shophar and Helix fought. It was one of those few times that I was able to use my abilities. I'm sure I set some alternate timeline where they didn't get in a fistfight. That's what I'm capable of. I can go into more detail later, but right now, we have to focus on what’s happening in this dream. Causing the dream to pass by slowly is the most I can do to control it. I can't change the dream itself. Okay. Go ahead and ask any questions you have before I continue.ㅤㅤNone. I'll shut up.ㅤㅤGood boy!ㅤㅤI. Nevermind. Ahem.ㅤㅤMoving on. I am the demon you know as Cerus. You heard Scythe say it earlier—that Laplace would take over. That's true. Laplace is going to take over. But not in the way she thinks. When the events of this dream took place, the process you now know as Permanent Possession was still being explored. The reality is—the minds of Laplace and Jaimie are going at it back and forth, fighting for who controls the body. Scythe thought Laplace would win. But Jaimie did. That’s me. I am Cerus—the demon with the mind of Jaimie and the body of Laplace. Make sense so far?ㅤㅤYou are insanely sexy right now.ㅤㅤDon! I am literally a voice in your head! Right now, we are both a Lovecraftian flesh creature! How are you turned on right now?!ㅤㅤI can't help it!ㅤㅤI . . . I had no idea you were this much of a horndog. Unbelievable.ㅤㅤYeah. I'm a degenerate. Sorry. That's why I try not to say the shit I think out loud.ㅤㅤYou see, this would be kind of cute. Like, in a wholesome way—don't get the wrong idea. But I am trying to stay serious right now!ㅤㅤCerus. You are literally exuding vibes that I cannot describe right now. I'm forgetting all the fucked-up shit you did to me.ㅤㅤ. . . Oh. That's right. Um. I guess. Um. I'm sorry. I'm still sorry. For how I've manipulated you. I knew a lot more than I acted like I did. I'm fake. Do you even still like me?ㅤㅤAt this point, I don't know. At least from an emotional attachment standpoint. It’s just…You just sound very sexy right now. I am unhinged.ㅤㅤCan . . . can you still pay attention to what I'm explaining?ㅤㅤYes. Yes.ㅤㅤOh. Then moving on—ㅤㅤCerus.ㅤㅤCome ON! Wh—what is it now, Don?ㅤㅤI'm also sorry. I acted out of frustration and didn't let you explain yourself more. You know, when I stormed out of your apartment. I didn't know you were a rape victim. If you had been more open to me, I would’ve agreed to try and share some of the burden with you. It was painful, but I understand. There's an inevitable feeling of helplessness and loneliness. But I would have done everything I could to ease your pain. This is the dream. The one you experience every time you fall asleep. I don't know whether you've been able to have a good night's sleep every time I have a Crater dream. You know. Whether I actually take your dreams from you. Either way, I would have still agreed to dream it had you been honest with me before. And not just because of my crush. But with the way you manipulated me, it was frustrating. I know! It's insensitive of me to be . . . to be horny for you after all that happened. But that's what you get for hearing my thoughts. I apologize for that.ㅤㅤDon . . .ㅤㅤCerus, I'm truly sorry for what happened to you as a child. I can't say I completely understand, okay? But after experiencing it firsthand just once . . . I'm . . . I don't know how to put it in words.ㅤㅤDon. I really, really, really, really, really appreciate you. You're right. I had a good night's rest each time we made contact and you dreamt a Crater dream. I promise my goal wasn't to use you to get good sleep. But. I'm sorry again.ㅤㅤThanks. I'd much rather prefer a hug, though. Or a kiss or something.ㅤㅤAre you fucking stupid?ㅤㅤYeah.ㅤㅤ. . . Sending you a dream hug. That work?ㅤㅤYes.ㅤㅤOkay. Do you want me to continue my explanation? Are you going to be a good boy and shut up?ㅤㅤYou can't say shit like that and not expect me to have dirty thoughts about you.ㅤㅤDon, what?! Which part?ㅤㅤCalling me a 'good boy'.ㅤㅤWhat? Is that a sexual thing to say? I'm just trying to get you to listen!ㅤㅤYes, it is. Very, very sexual. Especially for me.ㅤㅤI . . . I didn't know. I don't really know too much about stuff like that…K—kinks and stuff. And I don’t talk to boys outside of video game chats. Yeah, I’ll get harrassed every now and then, but…Well, anyway–I especially don’t talk to horny idiots like you. I'll stop calling you a good boy.ㅤㅤNo. Please keep calling me that.ㅤㅤI swear, Don! You must have been absorbing Stag's Succubus tendencies or something!ㅤㅤMaybe.ㅤㅤWhatever! Okay. Um. Where was I? Oh. I am Cerus, but in a way, I am Laplace's Demon. Although it’s always been more of a scientific concept and not an actual demon, Scythe changed that and made it reality. Scythe, along with another Demon of Fate, had been trying to artificially create the most powerful demon ever.ㅤㅤHey, sorry to interrupt. It's something serious. I think the other Demon of Fate is Tower. The new bartender from our last day of work.ㅤㅤWait. Really?ㅤㅤYeah. I found out a bunch of stuff. Here, let me recall it all, since you can read my mind.ㅤㅤOh. Wow. Um. This is kind of an information overload. Wow. Seriously? Stag was . . . Stag knew . . . Wow.ㅤㅤYeah. But she doesn’t know you’re…who you are. I doubt she’s feigning ignorance.ㅤㅤOh. I need to talk to Tower then.ㅤㅤMe, too.ㅤㅤRight. Since she was the Pariah you grew up with. According to the thoughts you just showed me.ㅤㅤYep.ㅤㅤYou're not saying very much.ㅤㅤI am trying not to think anything unnecessarily horny.ㅤㅤFair enough. Okay. Um. Based on what I've found out through your thoughts, here's what I can say.ㅤㅤThe Crater project is actually called Craterscape, which was probably thrown around a few times. It was created to find a human host for Laplace's Demon. The Demons of Fate apparently lied to Ms. G that its purpose was to invent Permanent Possession, promising powers to help humanity. The truth is that Permanent Possession was already achieved shortly before the Craterscape program began. But it was never tested. It was used officially for the first time during my—Jaimie’s possession.ㅤㅤOh, wow. That's fucked up. So . . . what is Laplace's Demon exactly? Like. Literally. What did Scythe do to create it? Sorry, not 'it'. You, I mean.ㅤㅤOh. I get what you're asking. So . . . I don’t really know much myself. I have Jaimie’s memories, not Laplace’s. But I have learned this. Laplace's Demon is a mix of some strong demons. Scythe started with Mares, but they weren’t enough for her. She wanted more power for Laplace's Demon. I am an artificial reincarnation of the two most powerful demonic beasts—The Leviathan and the Behemoth.ㅤㅤWoah. Dude, you're uber strong.ㅤㅤYes, if I could control it well. But here's where I get most of my powers from. I am partly an artificial Nephilim. These demons cannot be born anymore. Only a select few Nephilim still exist—they are the oldest Fallen angels. And they're the most powerful Fallen angels with some ability to manipulate space. Azazel is a Nephilim himself.ㅤㅤThat's absolutely wild. Nephilim. They sound scary. It's me, Don, by the way.ㅤㅤWho are you talking to?ㅤㅤUm. This is kind of embarrassing. I mean. At this point, what do I have to lose? So like, I talk to myself in my head a lot. Like, I know most people do. But I'm pretty sure mine is on a whole other level.ㅤㅤHm. Not going to judge you for that. I'm a voice in your head, too. But in real life, I'm in a coma. But anyway, Don. There's something I've wanted to talk to you about for a while, and I just never had the chance to. And now that you shared some of your memories with me, I feel like I should finally ask you.ㅤㅤOh, shit. Did you find out about how I lost my virginity? Please. That first girlfriend was terrible. It was nothing!ㅤㅤ. . . No, Don. I think I only learned your memories from your recent dreams and what Stag told you during some dinner. After your . . . date with Wing.ㅤㅤHuh? Is this about Wing? Bro, she's just a coworker! Just a little flirty, but I swear I only like you, dude! Maybe Anvil, too. Oh, my God, I need to shut up.ㅤㅤNo, this is not about Wing, either. And yes, you're right. You need to shut up. This is about Vein.ㅤㅤVein . . . Oh, man.ㅤㅤThat's right. Is it coming together? Now that you see the form that Jaimie is in, is that dream you had after making contact with your little sister making sense?ㅤㅤHold on, Cerus. There's a lot for me to unpack here. Hm. Oh. Wait. Are you . . . Are you saying that . . . That you were the Red Honey? That dog-like creature that Vein met in her dream? But Red Honey looked so tame compared to . . . how Jaimie looks right now.ㅤㅤI don't really know what I looked like in Vein's dream. You have to remember. I only have Jaimie’s memories. I don’t know anything about the moments when Laplace’s mind took over. But I’m certain I met Vein before as Laplace.ㅤㅤCan you explai—ㅤㅤDon. I actually can't hold off the dream much longer. It looks like Scythe and Azazel are about to fight. And you're going to see what happens. I can't speak to you like this for much longer.ㅤㅤWait! There's so much more I want to talk to you about!ㅤㅤI'm sorry, Don! Okay. I'm going to spoil the rest of this dream for you. The dream ends shortly after Laplace takes over Jaimie's mind. Each time I dream this dream, I wake up after Laplace takes over. You'll notice that Jaimie controls your emotions, and there's very little you can do about it. Once the dream resumes from this pause, the dream will make its way to the end. Isn't that what you wanted?ㅤㅤUm. I lowkey wish I could talk to you forever like this.ㅤㅤDon!ㅤㅤI'm being serious.ㅤㅤO—oh.ㅤㅤI mean. I obviously want the dream to end. I just. Am I going to be able to talk to you again like this? Are you going to wake up from your coma?ㅤㅤI . . . I don't know, Don.ㅤㅤBut . . . can't you just use your abilities?ㅤㅤI don't have full control. I don't know why it specifically worked at karaoke. I'm sorry. I don't entirely know what's going on in real life. How did you even make contact with me?ㅤㅤI, um, I grabbed your hand by mistake.ㅤㅤOh. I'll . . . I'll believe you. But based on what I read from your thoughts earlier, this is most likely going to be goodbye. The doctors basically said I wouldn't make it, right?ㅤㅤCerus . . .ㅤㅤIt looks like the dream will resume really soon. I can offer you this sliver of hope. Even though Jaimie’s original body was destroyed in this dream, I was able to manifest it again using a combination of Laplace’s abilities and…someone else’s. This was before I met you. I don’t exactly remember who helped or what triggered it to work. But by that logic, there's still a chance for me to come back, even if this body in the hospital dies. Just. Please wait for me, Don.ㅤㅤO—Of course, I will!ㅤㅤThanks, Don. I know you have so many more questions. If we meet again, it won't have to end. I'll talk to you for as long as you like.ㅤㅤCerus!ㅤㅤBye, Don. Thank you so much for being the only one who reached out to me and was willing to share my burden.ㅤㅤCerus, I really don't want you to leave.ㅤㅤSorry, Don.ㅤㅤW—Wait! Oh! At least let me know—who stabbed you? Please! It might help me find out how to bring you back!ㅤㅤI'm not sure . . . if you should know . . .ㅤㅤCerus! Please!ㅤㅤYou're right! We don't have much time. It happened so fast, but I could tell. It. It was actually Shophar.

• Back to ACT 5 Menu

Chapter 24 ● The Library

ㅤㅤWait. Wait, wait. Cerus, don’t go. That’s so much for me to take in. Shophar?!ㅤㅤDon—ㅤㅤThe sounds of whiplash and steel scraping against steel. The sight of Camilla’s small body with razor-sharp nails. The feeling of Ms. G’s cries and stomps vibrating the floor underneath my body.ㅤㅤWhich has fully reformed. Now I can finally kill Camilla and Scythe.ㅤㅤI keep all my hundreds of eyes on Scythe, who’s jumping and dodging Ms. G’s attempts to slash her with her wings. Simultaneously, Ms. G is crying.ㅤㅤ“N—No! Azazel, please! Isn’t there some way without killing her?!” Ms. G cries.ㅤㅤSorry, Ms. G.ㅤㅤEven if Azazel is unable to kill Camilla, I will step in to finish the job.ㅤㅤAfter everything Camilla did to me, she deserves it. I don’t know who Scythe is, but if she’s controlling Camilla, then I’ll make sure she goes down, too.ㅤㅤI hear myself shriek, which stuns Camilla and Azazel. I ready my new tendrils and—ㅤㅤ . . .ㅤㅤ . . .ㅤㅤ . . .ㅤㅤI am terrified. What is happening? Where am I?ㅤㅤI look at the angel and demon in front of me. Why are they fighting? Why are they looking at me? No! I recognize that demon. That is the demon who created me.ㅤㅤThat demon promised me freedom. Is this that freedom?ㅤㅤ“Laplace? Is that you?”ㅤㅤYes! That is me. I am Laplace. My creator, you are speaking in human language.ㅤㅤ“It must be! I can feel it. Azazel. Go ahead and try to kill Laplace. By all means.”ㅤㅤKill? The angel is going to try and kill me? I do not want that.ㅤㅤ“AGAIN WITH YOUR PROVOCATIONS. I WILL KEEP MY ATTENTION ON YOU!”ㅤㅤ“So be it. Laplace! Remember! I created you! Help me and kill this angel!”ㅤㅤ“LAPLACE! YOU MAY NOT KNOW ME. BUT I AM NO ANGEL. DO NOT LISTEN TO YOUR CREATOR’S LIES!”ㅤㅤNo. I do not trust this angel. I trust my creator. I will kill this angel.ㅤㅤWait. This body. It is different from the body I remember. I am larger. I can see more.ㅤㅤI am stronger.ㅤㅤI move toward the angel. My creator steps back, and the angel dodges my first attempt to pierce through them.ㅤㅤI feel my arm get torn off by the angel. I am angry. Instantly, the angel is wrapped around the neck in my arms. I do not recall lunging toward the angel. But I know. This is my power. I can control everything. As the angel struggles to free themselves from my grasp, I look around.ㅤㅤI am in a gray hole in the ground, and there’s water flowing. There are bodies scattered across the ground below me. Did I cause this? Creator, is this what you desired? If I did this, I do not remember. I did not make the decision to kill these creatures.ㅤㅤIs this freedom? You promised me freedom. I do not want to see these bodies. Attacking this angel is what you desired from me. I do not know this angel.ㅤㅤI do not want to be here. I no longer want to attack this angel.ㅤㅤ“Jaimie! Please let go—“ㅤㅤI shriek and glow red.

●●●ㅤㅤI am back home in Hell. But . . . I have never seen outside my birthplace. It appears that years of knowledge have been implanted in my mind before my birth. Although I have never seen this red sky, I know what it represents. I can hear flames surrounding my area in the distance.ㅤㅤThis area itself is not my birthplace. This is not the laboratory. I am no longer inside a room surrounded by demons looking at me. This is Hell.ㅤㅤI am lost in awe for a moment. After my amazement passes, I notice someone next to me. Through whichever method I used to be transported here to Hell, I have brought along the one my Creator called "Azazel". The angel.ㅤㅤAzazel is on the ground and trying to catch their breath.ㅤㅤI pay them no mind. I bring my attention back on the wonders of the world around me.ㅤㅤ"Azazel . . . Where . . . where are we? Is this . . . " Azazel begins to speak.ㅤㅤ"Gionna. This is Hell. The Lament, where banished and rejected demons reside."ㅤㅤFor some reason, the angel is speaking to itself. Ah. That must not be the angel’s body. It must belong to a human that the angel is possessing. So the angel is conversing with the human.ㅤㅤ"I should be ecstatic right now . . . but there's an entire flesh beast in front of us."ㅤㅤ"Laplace. It looks much more solid now. Smaller and more . . . "ㅤㅤ"More like a dog?"ㅤㅤ"I was going to say 'quadrupedal'. But it does look like a dog."ㅤㅤ"I mean. It . . . Sorry. She . . . She also has an aquatic looking tail. Do you see that?"ㅤㅤ"Yes, Gionna. But first, I’m slightly confused. How did we get here? And why is Laplace more tame in Hell than on Earth? It’s usually the other way around. She doesn't seem aggressive, either."ㅤㅤI turn my head toward the angel. They are very talkative.ㅤㅤAs I turn my head, they return to their defensive form. I am tired. I do not want to fight right now.ㅤㅤI begin to walk away. And I realize what they are referring to. I am no longer large. I can no longer see everywhere around me. My senses have been reduced.ㅤㅤI am in the form I was when I was first created.ㅤㅤ"She's . . . walking away," says the angel's softer voice. That is the human named Gionna.ㅤㅤ"We should follow her. If her powers include the ability to transfer herself, as well as us, to Hell . . . then that is concerning," says the angel's louder voice.ㅤㅤI am not accustomed to being alone. I have always been surrounded by Hell’s greatest scientists. Nevertheless, my engagement with them has been very limited within the laboratory.ㅤㅤI do not mind if Gionna and the angel follow me. But I will not like it if they bother me.ㅤㅤAnd . . . Huh?ㅤㅤWait. What the fuck?ㅤㅤIt's me, Don. I thought . . . I thought the dream was supposed to end by now? That's what Cerus said.ㅤㅤWhy am I still . . . Why am I still here? Damn. This is about to be one of those dreams that feel months-long, but when you wake up, you find out that only three hours have passed. I don't know.ㅤㅤI'm not going to question it too much. I'm honestly not surprised that I'm not experiencing the dream the same way that Cerus does. My abilities have been constantly unpredictable.ㅤㅤRight now, I’m dreaming as Laplace–not Jaimie. Jaimie and Laplace slowly became the combination that is Cerus. But Cerus pretty much has Jaimie’s mind and memories. Which means that what I’m about to learn from Laplace’s perspective is information that Cerus doesn’t know.ㅤㅤYeah. No shot. I still have no control over my body right now. Again, it feels like a 4D movie. At this point, I’ve confirmed it. I don't feel just the physical parts of the dream. I also feel the emotional part. Every emotion Laplace felt at this time . . . Well, I also feel.ㅤㅤAnd one of them is loneliness.ㅤㅤWhich—let's be honest—I'm no stranger to. Yes, I gained some priceless friends over the course of my time with Stag. But before Stag, I had nobody but Vein and mom. Despite my mom being so kind, I didn't spend much time with her because she was also working to feed us. Until she eventually couldn't.ㅤㅤSo, yeah. I feel you, Laplace. You're a baby demon. A smart baby demon. Some kind of lab experiment. I'm getting that vibe. Even having someone you were fighting earlier join you as you explore the Lament feels better than being alone. I mean—I’ve definitely changed. I used to prefer being alone, but now I can't get my mind off all my friends at the diner.ㅤㅤLaplace, you don't only remind me of myself, though.ㅤㅤYou remind me of Vein, too. The year before Stag joined us. The library.

●●●ㅤㅤI don't often prefer to call Vein by her human name, but I do like the name Kiki. And well, Vein was a very different girl before Stag brought her up. So I like to refer to her as Kiki when talking about her before Stag took us in.ㅤㅤNatsuki Watanabe. Unlike me, who is weak because I'm relatively lazy and don't eat much, Natsuki, or Kiki, is naturally frail. Not even capoeira can help her, if I'm going to be honest.ㅤㅤKiki was born with iron-refractory iron deficiency anemia, or IRIDA. You know iron deficiency anemia, right? The most common kind of anemia? Well, IRIDA is a special kind—it's a rare, inherited form of iron deficiency anemia. What makes it worse is:ㅤㅤ1. Because it's hereditary, it starts off at infancy.ㅤㅤ2. Oral iron supplements and IV iron infusions provide only limited relief compared to typical iron deficiency anemia.ㅤㅤOur mom never had it easy. Kiki and I weren’t supposed to be her only children, you know. Kiki had an older sister who never made it. Isoimmunization, Rh disease, HDFN–all different names for a disease where the mother’s blood kills her own child. Remember the 10-year age gap between Vein and I? Yeah, I already told you that one reason was my scum dad. Showing up out of nowhere to knock up my mom, then dipping. But the other reason was that my mom was heartbroken over my little sister’s death. Mom never even told me what she was planning to name her.ㅤㅤThinking about the fact that demons tend to find hosts with "affinity" and overall similarities, I believe that Vein's Overgrowth is a reflection of Kiki's IRIDA. But it never made sense to me. I mean, you'd expect the human counterpart of Overgrowth, which causes rapidly growing horns, to be something like cancer, right? Since cancer causes rapidly overgrowing cells? I mean, don't get me wrong. I'm very thankful Vein doesn't have cancer. But definitely something I've thought about.ㅤㅤKiki was a crybaby. She had a very specific silent cry. Her deficiency gave her extremely pale skin, constant fatigue, and frequent headaches. I don't blame her for being a crybaby. She literally cried every time she ate. From how I understand it, IRIDA created sores in her mouth, which is so unfair. Even had trouble swallowing food. I think you're getting the picture of why I've always been an overprotective brother.ㅤㅤShe didn't blabble off like most infants do, and it was so painful to see her grow the way she did. She was so quiet. And with the responsibility of taking care of her while my mom went out to work one of her many part-time jobs, it wasn't easy. Mom couldn’t afford daycare, so I’d skip school and bring Kiki to the local library. I never worried about her causing a loud fuss. Like I said, her cries were very quiet whimpers. But you could definitely see how much pain she’d be in. As much as I wished she'd cry like a normal baby, her quiet cries did let us stay in the library. Even the library staff knew about her situation and allowed a truant 10-year-old to stay with his sick little sister.ㅤㅤWhen Stag first adopted us, I couldn't forget how happy Kiki was. I was very hesitant to trust Stag so quickly, especially after I felt abandoned by my mom. Obviously, I'm careful when I handle Vein nowadays, since I have the ability to make people tired. I know my abilities shouldn’t affect her, since she’s the same demonkind. That’s what I told Wing, too. But the truth is, I don’t really know. Vein’s already very weak. I try not to take the risk these days. Before I was possessed, though? Always clung onto Kiki when I could. But, yeah. I was also going through some identity issues at the time we met Stag. But either way, I'll always be satisfied with what I chose to be with my body.ㅤㅤSorry, tangent.ㅤㅤBoth Kiki and I would hang out in the Children's Cove section of the library. I'd always be on my beanbag, and Kiki would be playing with the toys there. I remember some kids trying to make friends with me, but I'd sneer and shoo them away. Looking back, I wish I was a little more friendly. But I just didn't want to risk a kid taking my attention away from Kiki. I already had trouble maintaining my focus between my books and Kiki.ㅤㅤHaha. There were actually a few times some boys my age would come up to me and ask what I was reading. I'd tell them it was none of their business, and they'd get mad and storm away. But it was so funny. Sometimes, I'd see the same boy try to approach me again on a different day. I always gave them the same response, but they were tenacious. My hair was longer back then.ㅤㅤOne day, a girl approached me, called me pretty, and asked if she could move her beanbag next to mine.ㅤㅤI remember getting embarrassed, but I still rejected her request for Kiki's sake.ㅤㅤShe kept pestering me a few more times over the course of multiple library visits until I gave in.ㅤㅤWe eventually started sharing the kind of books we liked to read. I even opened up to her about Kiki's condition and why I couldn’t spend too much time with other kids. So we'd read together, and she'd interrupt the reading to direct my attention to Kiki every so often. I hate that she ruined my immersion, but I'm also thankful. Ironically, she eventually helped me improve my focus and ease my attentive disorder. If not for her, I probably wouldn't be as good of a waiter as I am now.ㅤㅤI let her play with Kiki. Kiki couldn't really play like other kids. Yes, she was a toddler, but she was only really learning basic Japanese at the time. My English was pretty good by that time. So when I say "play", I really mean that the girl would just sit next to Kiki as she played by herself using the library toys. But I did appreciate the girl for that effort.ㅤㅤI remember getting excited to go to the library to see her. Yes, I always prioritized Kiki and my books, but it was nice having someone to spend time with other than my little sister.ㅤㅤDespite my physical exhaustion from taking care of Kiki, I rarely dozed off in the library. The one time I did, I actually fell asleep and fell over to the girl's beanbag with my head on her shoulder. I remember waking up to the feeling of Kiki sticking her hand in my mouth and the girl laughing.ㅤㅤHer mother would pick her up late in the afternoon, but her mother didn't like me. It was very obvious why. I think it was when I started dressing like a boy. Yep. She would whisper to the girl every time she’d see me while picking her up from the library. To be honest, my own mom didn't really approve of the way I liked to dress, either. But it was to our family's benefit, since boys' clothes were cheaper than girls'.ㅤㅤI never got the girl's name. Seems silly, but neither of us thought to ask for each other’s names. At some point, we just got so used to spending time together at the library that we may have not found it necessary. No contact info, either. Her mom didn't like me, and our moms never met, since I would get home by myself and Kiki.ㅤㅤAnd yeah. If I'm going to be honest, I wish I were some very fortunate protagonist who would meet her again. But one day, she just stopped showing up at the library. I didn't expect it at all. Never got to say goodbye. Seriously. She's never going to just show up out of nowhere like in some rom-com.ㅤㅤI've always hated things like that. Meeting someone, getting really close to them, and then they just suddenly disappear from your life.ㅤㅤAlmost . . . almost like you met them in a dream. And you just wake up.ㅤㅤUgh. Whatever.ㅤㅤBased on the Fountain and Red Honey dreams I had from touching Vein, I have a good idea of what'll happen next. The fact that I'm going to encounter Vein as Laplace is exhilarating. But I'm also very nervous. I wonder how similar Vein and Laplace's encounter will be to my encounter with that girl.

●●●ㅤㅤThey are still following me. I still do not trust this angel and human. But it is fine. They seem to be following me out of curiosity and continue to speak amongst themselves.ㅤㅤ"Should we . . . talk to her?" The softer voice—Gionna—says.ㅤㅤ"I think it may be worthwhile. She seems to understand us." The louder voice, Azazel, says.ㅤㅤ"Yeah . . . actually—how do we go back to being in sync like before? We didn't need to talk out loud like this earlier," says Gionna.ㅤㅤ"Not entirely sure. Never been so synchronized with a host before, so I cannot really tell you. I assume it has something to do with the emotions we were feeling before. We should just be angry more often," explains Azazel.ㅤㅤ"So . . . should I talk or should you talk? I feel like we shouldn't alternate back and forth," says Gionna.ㅤㅤ"I should—"ㅤㅤI growl a little bit. I trust the Gionna person more than the angel.ㅤㅤ"Looks like I'm the winner here."ㅤㅤA few moments of silence. We walk for about a few more yards.ㅤㅤ"Um . . . Jaimie? No, Laplace. That’s what you were called earlier, right? I'm Gionna. I'm sorry about what happened in the Crater. We didn't want to fight you, and we know you were just listening to Scythe. But Scythe is not a good person. It's not your fault that you . . . the kids…"ㅤㅤHer words are faltering. She is losing her composure. I am listening to her words, but I do not understand most of what she is talking about.ㅤㅤI hear Gionna fall to her knees behind me. I turn around briefly.ㅤㅤShe is crying.ㅤㅤ"Th-The . . . children . . . They're all . . . I . . . I'm sorry, A—Azazel . . . I'm . . . It's really starting to hit me now . . . Everything at once. The condition that Camilla was in when Ms. C held her. Eric. I . . . I'm not in the condition to talk to L—Laplace right now . . . "ㅤㅤ"It's okay, Gionna. Any human would fall apart after seeing that. The energy I gave you probably steeled your resolve temporarily, keeping you from truly realizing the weight of the situation," Azazel responds.ㅤㅤThis is amusing. They are speaking from the same body. When Azazel speaks, the sniffling continues, but the words are spoken with full confidence.ㅤㅤBut now I understand. She is crying because of those bodies. The human children that I killed. It is clear those bodies meant something to her.ㅤㅤDespite being programmed with vast knowledge of sciences and culture, I know nothing about those children. I know nothing about that gray platform. I do not know the purpose of this project. It is as if my creator withheld the knowledge of this…crater.ㅤㅤBut it is clear that I have been at the center of it.ㅤㅤIf I could apologize to Gionna, I would. I am more comfortable with Gionna than Azazel.ㅤㅤThough I am unsure why.ㅤㅤI continue to pace forward, but the sound of them getting up from the ground begs me to turn around. This must be Azazel.ㅤㅤ"I'm Azazel. I wasn't lying when I said I'm not an angel. I used to be one. Now I am like you. A demon. To be completely frank, I am just here to make sure you don't do any more harm. I don't have any plans to hurt you unless you try to hurt Gionna. Or anyone else. You probably can't speak, but you definitely seem to understand us. Both English and demonic language. You're smart. As I would expect from an artificially-created demon."ㅤㅤAzazel is right. I was created with a lot of preset knowledge, which is apparent by the mix of hundreds of languages present in my thoughts.ㅤㅤ"We may have gotten off on the wrong f—"ㅤㅤI nudge my head into Azazel. I want Gionna to come back out. She is kinder.ㅤㅤ"Wha—what is—”ㅤㅤBring Gionna back out. Azazel speaks too much.ㅤㅤ"It doesn't hurt, Azazel. I think Laplace is trying to tell us something. What's wrong, Laplace?" Gionna says.ㅤㅤYes! Gionna is speaking. And it seems she has slowly recovered from her tears.ㅤㅤI turn around and continue walking.ㅤㅤ"Hm? Oh. I guess Laplace didn't have anything to say specifically."ㅤㅤ"I get the feeling that Laplace doesn't like me. What’s odd to me is Laplace’s appearance. There are some parts of her body that resemble her larger form we saw in the Craterscape—the tail and horns, specifically. Other than that…Laplace looks like a species of demon known as a Hellhound. But with no vocal chords,” Azazel responds.ㅤㅤAh! In the distance, I see some buildings and structures. Interesting!ㅤㅤI begin to run faster toward them.ㅤㅤ"W—wait, Laplace! Wait for us!" shouts Gionna.ㅤㅤI turn my head around briefly as I run. I hope she chases me. This is amusing! Will she catch me? I am much too fast. There is no possibility that . . .ㅤㅤI stop.ㅤㅤIn front of me is my creator, Scythe. In her original demon form as I remember her.

• Back to ACT 5 Menu

Chapter 25 ● The Seedling

ㅤㅤ"Lovely. I have finally found you, Laplace. Tower will never match my abilities to travel between Hell and Earth. After all, I am the one who created Permanent Possession."ㅤㅤI back away and take a defensive position.ㅤㅤ"Scythe! You're a Fate! How are you able to--"ㅤㅤ"As I said, Azazel. It is Permanent Possession. I need not explain it to you, as you would not understand its complexity. Tower may have created the concept of materializing Laplace's Demon, but it would be nothing without my Permanent Possession."ㅤㅤ"Tower?"ㅤㅤ"Hello, Gionna. That must be you speaking," Scythe says, speaking the English language.ㅤㅤShe looks at me.ㅤㅤHer crimson-colored eyes seem to pierce through me. It is no longer the same as when I was in the laboratory. This time, she represents someone who is controlling, manipulative, and…ㅤㅤCruel.ㅤㅤAnd why does that bother me? After all, I am a demon. Is our purpose not to be cruel? To survive by taking? Is that not the prerogative I have been given?ㅤㅤI snarl, yet no sound is made. Scythe’s eyes widen.ㅤㅤ"Has my precious Laplace found discomfort with me? No matter. I know the extent and weaknesses of your ability. Right now, you are no different from a Hellhound. It will be a while before you can become accustomed to your body while in Hell. This is your dilemma. You are invincible. Yet you are weak without someone like me to guide you. Any thoughts of rebellion you may have, any semblance of defying me, and, well..."ㅤㅤWith swift movement, Scythe suddenly dashes behind me and swipes her claws at Azazel and Gionna. I hear a shriek of pain, turn around, and sprint toward Scythe with my mouth open.ㅤㅤI bite Scythe's arm, but Scythe laughs. From the corner of my vision, I see Gionna groan in pain. There is an open slash wound across her right arm.ㅤㅤScythe kicks me away with full force. Despite seeming like a weak demon, my creator is powerful and agile. I am launched in the direction of the collection of buildings. A town. But it appears abandoned. I lay immobile at its entrance. Scythe zooms toward me and steps on me.ㅤㅤ"I considered calling Amay here. But it does not look like I need to. Azazel has spent too much time on Earth. It seems his abilities are not honed here. And you, Laplace, are nothing without my supply of sustenance. As expected."ㅤㅤI do not know what she is referring to. I cannot make any sounds, but I am struggling to get my creator off of me.ㅤㅤ"It would be so easy to hold you captive. But I would not desire to keep you in the same situation as when you were first created. A laboratory, connected to countless machines. No. I would much rather take note of how your invincible body is affected by the elements of the Lament. Here, you will learn your place more than you would in my laboratory. You see, Laplace, you are the most powerful demon to ever exist. But not without me. You will come to understand what you are. You depend on me, but you do not fully understand that yet. But when you do, you will obey me. And I will not even need to force you."ㅤㅤScythe grabs me by the neck and slams me into the ground. She instantly ducks, anticipating Gionna and Azazel's sudden appearance and wing attack.ㅤㅤScythe shifts her weight to her front leg. Out of her arms release four sharp horns in addition to her finger claws. She swipes the claws up and gashes Azazel and Gionna's chest. They are propelled upward. As they fall, Scythe lifts her arm up, positioned in their trajectory.ㅤㅤWhen Azazel and Gionna fall down, they will become impaled instantly by Scythe.ㅤㅤAnd they are. I watch as all five of my creator's claws pierce through their body. She swings her arm in the direction of the center of the abandoned town we are in, flinging their body off of her arms in the process.ㅤㅤ"Well. Very soon, Azazel will leave Gionna's body, knowing that it is doomed to die. I cannot kill Azazel. But he will have to return to Earth, as there is no longer any physical form he can take here.”ㅤㅤI cannot distinguish whether Scythe is speaking to me or herself.ㅤㅤ“Laplace. You are intelligent. You know that you are created with parts of a Nephilim's body. Regardless of Azazel’s status as the last living Nephilim, you should know how more powerful you are than him. Your power is immeasurable. How much of that body you can use is something I will need to see you improve on your own. But know that I will always be able to control your limits. Amay and the other Fates will question me for deciding to leave you here. But as your creator, I am pained by your decision to betray me. You are a disappointment. I will see to it that you suffer before you realize who I am.”ㅤㅤScythe breaks apart a piece of one of her elbow horns and stabs it into me. It is painful, but I am able to withstand the pain. Still, I am debilitated and unable to pull out the horn from my side.ㅤㅤ“You will remove this horn when you are ready to be subservient to me–when you desire control over yourself and your abilities. But in turn, I will control you. Once that horn is removed, it will symbolize the loss of any dread you have for me. Until then…do what you will. Goodbye. My lovely Laplace."

●●●ㅤㅤIt's me, Don. So…Laplace is kind of blanked out right now. So all I see is an empty void.ㅤㅤI am literally still stuck in this dream. Dude. If I ever see Cerus again, I'm going to marry her, but literally NEVER touch her.ㅤㅤI'm just kidding. I'm just playing. God. Chill, dude. It was just a joke.ㅤㅤ…ㅤㅤI was kind of hoping Cerus would show up just now. In my mind like earlier.ㅤㅤI guess she's really not here anymore. Judging from our conversation earlier, she’s been silently watching my reaction to everything. But I have a feeling she isn’t here. At all. I believe she was only here for the parts of the dream she existed in. Since Laplace’s mind took over her body, this isn’t really her dream anymore.ㅤㅤThis is Laplace’s dream.ㅤㅤIt’s kind of cool that I can understand Laplace’s thoughts. Is she thinking in English? Or maybe it’s not that she’s thinking in any specific language. I’m just…feeling what she’s thinking, you know? But anyway, I guess I live in this dream now. Can't there be, like, dream food? Like popcorn? Or cereal? I wish I had least had a picture of Anvil so I could. Um. Gush over her. Yeah. Gush over her.ㅤㅤ…ㅤㅤOh. Looks like Laplace is waking up. Well, this was fun while it lasted.

●●●ㅤㅤAh! I am on the ground! I was fighting my creator. And now I'm going to…I will.ㅤㅤI will go assist Gionna and Azazel.ㅤㅤBut after seeing how fragile human bodies are in that Crater, there is very little chance that Gionna is still alive.ㅤㅤI make my way toward the center of the abandoned town. I notice very small serpentine demons slither away as soon as they see my presence. Some smaller gremlin-shaped demons scurry away as well.ㅤㅤWith the scent of Gionna and the memory of the direction she was thrown, I arrive at what appears to be a broken fountain, with some shattered fragments. Some of the gremlins are gathered around. As I approach, they disperse at the sight of me. Gionna's body is lying there.ㅤㅤAnd…she appears alive. I can sense it. She is breathing as well. The injuries and fatal wounds appear to be healed. Only small bite marks from these weaker demons.ㅤㅤI see. Azazel is a Nephilim, as my creator stated. Azazel must have used what little ability he had left to heal her body. But I am aware of the abilities of a Nephilim. While my own abilities differ and are mostly unknown, I know that Nephilim do not have the ability to heal. But according to the knowledge I have, some have the ability to reverse time. And with it, a toll that renders them at their weakest state. Upon looking at the fountain in detail, I notice that some parts of the fountain–namely, where Gionna's body lay on top of–remain intact.ㅤㅤFrom the situation, it seems clear that Azazel reversed time within a certain diameter and vicinity of Gionna's body. It is not clear how far Azazel reversed time to, but it would most likely be around the time before Scythe impaled her. So it is not that Azazel can reverse time of the entire universe, but that he can reverse the physical properties of people or objects.ㅤㅤAzazel most likely left because his weakened state, combined with the surrounding hungry demons, placed his existence at risk. If these weaker demons were to consume Gionna while Azazel inhabited her, Azazel may dissipate from existence.ㅤㅤHow do I know this? Ah. It must be all the information on Nephilim, angels, and their methods of possession that my creator imbued within me.ㅤㅤI do not have any other purpose for my existence right now. And I do not want to held in the confines of Scythe's will any longer. Right now, I want to return Gionna's kindness. A human stuck in Hell. This is a unique situation that I have no knowledge of how to approach.ㅤㅤKindness.ㅤㅤAccording to my internal database on human culture, kindness is an emotion defined by altruistic intentions. Applying this concept to demons… Actually, it is not a foreign concept to demons. From what I am aware of, humans have misinterpreted demons in their mythos. In the culture of humans, demons are depicted as purely evil. But that is not true. Throughout the history of Hell that I have been given information of, copious amounts of demons have portrayed some level of kindness.ㅤㅤThen where is the concept of heartless, cruel demons from? There is a simple, yet often misunderstood answer.ㅤㅤSurvival. Rather, the need for survival. Demons are cursed with the required diet of human souls. And for some reason, the more sinful the soul, the more sustenance the soul provides. Sinful souls are more delicious and allow demons to live longer. The demons’ curse does not end with their diet, however. Demons are further cursed with living in Hell. They cannot stay in Earth for longer than the average demon’s lifespan. However, Scythe mentioned Permanent Possession. That is a process only applicable to angels. It is a fact that these curses that all demons share are from our origins as angels. And how we fell from the grace known as Heaven. I have been so distrusting of angels…but that is what we all once were.ㅤㅤI digress. These philosophical thoughts of mine. They cannot be something the average demons thinks of. Cruelty. Kindness. Survival. The only question I will posit after all this is:ㅤㅤWhat makes one demon more kind than another?

●●●ㅤㅤI will search around this area for someone that may be able to help. Scythe said that my power is currently equal to that of a Hellhound. Hellhounds are guard demons–only slightly weaker than the high-ranking demons, who have humanoid bodies. Surely, I am stronger than the demons here.ㅤㅤIt is unfortunate, but I do not have a way to carry Gionna to safety. I do not have opposable fingers. Even if I were in my full Crater form, my tendrils would only harm her. Because I cannot carry Gionna, I will need to assert my dominance in this area.ㅤㅤUnlike a Hellhound, I cannot roar or make audible sounds with my mouth. Instead, I leap up and slam my feet onto the ground. This creates a cloud of dust around me, leaving only my glowing red eyes visible.ㅤㅤAs the dust clears, I see the gremlin demons and serpentine demons gather around this fountain plaza. These are Drudes and Serpents. Demons that are powerful on Earth, but weak in Hell.ㅤㅤI stand in front of Gionna's body and glare my eyes at all of them. I stomp my feet one last time, and they jump backwards and flee.ㅤㅤI am hoping that this is enough for them to leave Gionna's body alone. If not, then I will just need to return in time before they fully consume her.ㅤㅤI begin to wander away from the town looking for help. My keen senses, especially scent, allow me to remember every step I take. One thing I can thank my creator's design for is the combination of a Hellhound and the Behemoth.

●●●ㅤㅤWhat? What is this creature?ㅤㅤIt is…circular and small. It has been jumping up and down ever since I nudged it in response to it tapping my head.ㅤㅤIts emotion appears to be joy. Ah. It is approaching me. It is now attempting to jump onto me, but it is too small.ㅤㅤYes. I met this creature mere moments ago. I found myself close to another small abandoned town, and this creature noticed me from across a few empty stone buildings. It quickly waddled up to me out of curiosity. Upon smelling this demon, I realize that it resembles the Elm demonkind, who are part of the Branching demon family. But this creature is not the same. I do not recognize it. Regardless, it must be an insignificant demon with a useful ability.ㅤㅤIt resembles an Elm demon, so it must have similar abilities, even if it is a baby. This should be enough to help Gionna.After familiarizing myself with its scent, I bite its small limb softly. I pull, gesturing for it to follow me. As we walk, I notice that the demon infant is jumping for joy every so often. It begins to slow itself down. I realize that it is growing tired from our walking. I lower myself to let it climb onto my back. It is much easier to carry this infant than it would be to carry Gionna.ㅤㅤBy all technicalities, I am an infant myself. Though my situation differs from the average demon.ㅤㅤI am Laplace. My creator alternates between 'Laplace's Demon' and 'Laplace' when referring to me. This is my first encounter with Hell outside of my birthplace—my birthplace being the development laboratory of the Demons of Fate. I do not know its official name.ㅤㅤI was born in the artificial Lake of Lost Souls. A copy of the real Lake of Lost Souls.ㅤㅤBut what is the Lake of Lost Souls?ㅤㅤPhysically, it is similar to the Lake of Fire, where humans were once sent to experience eternal damnation and pain. But rather than fire, it is filled with the blood of demons. Typically lower-class demons.ㅤㅤConceptually, the Lake of Lost Souls is more akin to what some humans might call an artificial Purgatory.ㅤㅤBut unlike Purgatory, souls in the Lake have already been judged to go to Hell. In the Lake of Lost Souls, they await to be graded by Demons of Fate. Note that the word ‘judged’ was not used. No, these souls are graded, just as the quality of meat would be graded for a human to consume. The more sinful souls are more nutritional.ㅤㅤI was born in a false copy of this Lake. It was fed with artificially-created souls. But why? Perhaps by looking deeper into the libraries of information I have…ㅤㅤAh. I see. It was originally designed as an experiment by my creator Scythe—an experiment testing whether these pseudo-souls cultured in a pseudo-Lake would provide the same nutritional value that a real human soul does.ㅤㅤIf so, the curse of the demon diet could be cured. Food could just be mass-produced. Demons would never hunger again. And they would never have to step foot on Earth. It would change the entire dynamic of the afterlife.ㅤㅤAfter continued trials, it worked. But not in the way Scythe and the other researchers expected.ㅤㅤThese pseudo-souls only provided sustenance when consumed by demons on Earth. Demons of Fate believe this is because pseudo-souls can only emulate the effects of souls on Earth because they are based on souls from Earth.ㅤㅤThis returns to one of the curses of demons: They cannot stay on Earth for very long.ㅤㅤEven my existence struggled to remain on Earth.ㅤㅤBut what was Scythe referring to when she mentioned “Permanent Possession”? My only understanding is that it seems similar to angelic possession.ㅤㅤFor that matter, who truly is Scythe?ㅤㅤIt is ironic, but Scythe did not leave me with much information about herself. I have vast knowledge from thousands of years of history and science, but very little about my Creator.ㅤㅤBut the little that I know is enough to make some strong assumptions.ㅤㅤScythe is a Demon of Pride—they are known for their power. But despite Scythe’s inherited strength, she chose a different path from those Demons of Pride before her.ㅤㅤShe pursued the path of a Demon of Fate with the goal of gaining as much knowledge as possible. I do not know what specific events in her life led her to creating me. But I do know that Scythe is well-known in Hell as the inventor of artificial souls—pseudo-souls.ㅤㅤI find it odd. Scythe did not give me details about herself and this crater.ㅤㅤBut I am thankful for my knowledge on humans. Seeing them in close proximity at the crater baffled me so much that I did not initially recognize them as the humans I already knew of. At the time, the mind controlling this body belonged to the human I possessed—Jaimie. Yet I still remember how they looked. The most amusing contrast between humans and demons I have noticed is their science. Actually, it is moreso how they study science.ㅤㅤWhen working on live experiments, humans treat their test subjects with scrutiny behind a glass, whether it be in a fluid-enclosed case or a cage of sorts. In my database of human history, humans often test on animals lower in the food chain. Rodents are the typical subjects. I am also aware of ruthless human experimentation. I see this as science at the expense of torture.ㅤㅤI, on the other hand, had all the freedom to move within the confines of my test chamber. While I did not have the same vision of my surroundings that a Demon of Fate would have, many ongoing events in Hell and Earth were often relayed to me. I am not an unreasonable savage beast. I am like Frankenstein’s monster from famous human literature.ㅤㅤI am the amalgamation of Hell's most powerful demons—the most potent being a Nephilim, the Behemoth, and the Leviathan.ㅤㅤI take many forms when I am properly fed, but the form I have grown the most comfortable with is a physical combination of a Hellhound and the Leviathan. No demon moves swiftly through water as the Leviathan once did.ㅤㅤIn my time spent preparing in the false Lake of Lost Souls, I learned how to swim. I found endless amusement in swimming. The lake itself is bright red, but its viscosity is less than that of demon blood. I absorb the fluid and the artificial souls into my body—consequently, the excess discharge of the fluid leaks from my porous body in a revolting manner. But that is what I am.ㅤㅤThe Leviathan lacked skills to move on land, which is why I have combined his form with the Hellhound.ㅤㅤI do not know what my true purpose is. My creator kept this from me, and I have always believed that I would find satisfaction after obtaining a host. But I didn't th--ㅤㅤ"Sidomor!" The infant demon says above me. It then lies flat with its face on my back and rubs it onto me.ㅤㅤSidomor. The demonic word for 'partner'. More likely, this infant is trying to call me a companion. Perhaps it has not learned that word.ㅤㅤThe solid mask on its face rubs against my back. A exoskeleton indicative of an Elm demon. But it is not an Elm demon. I know it is not.ㅤㅤBut what it is…is kind. Despite my horrific appearance.ㅤㅤI bend down to have the infant demon jump off my back safely.ㅤㅤUsing both its arms, the Seedling picks up a stone from the ground and tosses it a significant distance ahead.ㅤㅤI am confused. What does it want?ㅤㅤThe Seedling points in the direction of the stone and grunts.ㅤㅤ"Sidomor!"ㅤㅤDoes it want me to retrieve it?ㅤㅤI run over and grab the stone it threw. I bring it back to the Seedling. It jumps for joy and embraces my front left leg.ㅤㅤThis is very amusing. I believe this is a recreational activity of sorts.

●●●ㅤㅤDuh. She’s playing catch. Dumbass Laplace. Well, not really. Laplace is kind of a philosophical genius. Gets annoying after while, though. Rambles on and on. I am getting a shit ton of info, so I shouldn't complain too much. Especially that whole thing about a lake. Didn't know demons weren't really evil. Just cursed. Anyway, it’s just funny that Laplace can become a doggy just wanting to play catch at a moment’s notice. This shit is cute as fuck, bro. On Tib's fat jelly ass.ㅤㅤI can't believe it. So this is how Vein's original form looks? It's adorable. My adolescent Elm demon form was ugly. Vein. Never grow up. Both as a human and a demon.ㅤㅤThis is really cute. I'm kind of just watching Laplace play with Vein in the first-person. When I dreamt this encounter as Vein, the dream skipped this part. Dreams are usually scattered, but this long-ass dream seems to be very precise and chronological. I’ll admit—It is cool seeing it from Red Honey’s point of view. Red Honey turned out to be Laplace. I guessed it the moment Jaimie’s body deformed into Laplace in the crater. Even though it was in first-person, I could see myself. Must be one of the perks of having a thousand eyes on Laplace’s body.ㅤㅤBack to this dream. Hellhound-Leviathan Laplace finds an abandoned cloth, rolls it up into a ball in her mouth, sets it down on the ground, and wacks it towards Vein's direction using her gigantic tail. Vein springs up and unsuccessfully catches it with her stubby arms. She attempts to throw it back, but it doesn't arrive anywhere near Laplace, who’s much further away.ㅤㅤThis is pretty peaceful. Not minding the gigantic flames and the ominous red and black sky in the background. Hell is kind of nice when you look past that.ㅤㅤAs happy as I am, I can relate to my demon self with the anxiety of letting Vein go off on her own with a stranger. It's very fortunate that this stranger is kind. Even though this stranger is actually an omnipotent, interdimensional beast.ㅤㅤ…ㅤㅤI'm bored. As wholesome as this is, there has to be a way to entertain myself. Right now, Laplace is launching Vein about 10 feet in the air, then catching her gently with her tail. Couldn't they at least pull out that racing game Cerus and I played? At least chess or something? Blackjack?ㅤㅤI’m obviously joking. If I could control this lucid dream, I would get false, subjective information, which is utterly useless. So I'll just need to wait this out.

●●●ㅤㅤAh. It appears I have neglected my original mission of helping Gionna. This infant demon may have an ability to help Gionna where I cannot. All other demons I have encountered have avoided me. Hellhounds, especially one as peculiar as myself, are too often feared, it seems.ㅤㅤI stop playing these games with the Seedling and tug her along. It seems somewhat disappointed, but continues to follow me.ㅤㅤAfter some time passes along our walk, the demon tries to speak to me.ㅤㅤIt…cannot speak demonic language fluently. Most of its words are infantile gibberish, seldom only speaking a few true words. But it is very enthusiastic about its words, even accompanying them with full body gestures and jumping.ㅤㅤI simply nod my head occasionally to pretend I understand it. But I am very intrigued by its delightful gestures.ㅤㅤI suddenly hear its small footsteps stop. I turn around and see its lower half fixed to the ground. It seems to be in an almost aqueous state. This must be its resting state. The eyes on its mask are showing a sleeping face. I once again lift the Seedling onto my back. In this state, it is even easier to carry than before.

●●●ㅤㅤWe arrive at the abandoned town with the fountain. As we enter the gates, the Drudes and Serpents scurry away, and their footsteps awaken the Seedling. The Seedling returns to its circular form and looks around. I have it jump off of me gently and follow me—but I keep my tail surrounding it in order to keep it safe from the other demons.ㅤㅤWe arrive at the fountain.ㅤㅤGionna remains unharmed since my last sight of her. I use my snout to tell the Seedling to look inside its bowl. The Seedling, though skeptical at first, eventually begins shaking Gionna. Unfortunately, little Seedling, that will not be enough to wake Gionna. I have attempted that earlier, and—ㅤㅤGionna awakes. I cannot comprehend this. Was I to simply wait for Gionna's recovery? Or just shake her more violently like the Seedling did? I cannot believe this. Was there truly any purpose to searching for help?ㅤㅤI am somewhat frustrated, but it is no matter. I have made a companion along the way. In fact, it is actually amusing that I did not need to go on this additional journey to find help. All I have done is create another liability.ㅤㅤGionna screams at the sight of me. I’m caught by surprise.ㅤㅤShe soon calms down and apologizes for screaming. She begins to introduce herself to the Seedling. For some odd reason, she calls herself Joni rather than Gionna.ㅤㅤ"I'm Joni! It's nice to meet you two cuties!"ㅤㅤI tilt my head in confusion.ㅤㅤ"Oh! Joni. See, I don't want to be associated with everything that happened while I was known as Gionna. With a new goal in mind to try and save my son and daughter, I wanted to go by something new! It's partly inspired by something my son came up with called Droney. I'm babbling on here. Oh, and Laplace—you can rest easy. I know you don't like Azazel. He’s gone.”ㅤㅤJoni’s face becomes much more serious. Her tone of voice shifts from one clearly meant for children to a solemn one intended for adults.ㅤㅤ“These last few years have been…mind-blowing for me, to say the least. All these years, humans like me have been jumping from religion to religion, trying to find purpose in the time that they’re alive. And here I am, only to find out that none of the established religions I know reflect what’s actually taking place. I’m in the afterlife, but I’m not dead. This is Hell, but it’s not exactly the place where sinners go. So where am I?”ㅤㅤA moment of silence passes. I cannot speak. She should know this.ㅤㅤ“Sorry, that was more rhetorical than anything. Laplace, you can’t really talk, right? And you…”ㅤㅤ”Yijom!” the Seedling exclaims. Yijom—The Demonic word for ‘younger sibling’. I recall that Branching demons are not given names.ㅤㅤ”Yijom? That doesn’t sound like any language I know. Yijom, I assume you’re a baby. I don’t think either of you could really answer the billions of questions I have—and that’s even after gleaning some of the info from talking to Amay. But what I’m getting at is this.ㅤㅤIn all senses of the word, I should be dead. Whatever Azazel did to strengthen my body wasn’t enough, and I was bleeding and dying on that fountain. And then, he just…reversed time. But only in the space around me. I didn’t even realize it until I woke up from consciousness. Azazel was gone, and I was healed. I don’t know if he’ll come back. Not really too sure how this possession thing works. And it sounds different from the permanent thing that Scythe was talking about. My realization was short-lived when I was knocked out by one of those smaller demons surrounding the fountain. Even right now, I don’t even understand why I’m alive without Azazel.”ㅤㅤI nod my head to show my comprehension of her words. Yijom the Seedling attempts to do the same, but falls backwards onto its back.ㅤㅤ”I’ve lost everything, Laplace. No way to get home, no food, and…I lost the kids.”ㅤㅤYijom makes some kind of whimper noise and waddles up to Joni. It places its arm on her leg, attempting to console her.ㅤㅤ“But you know the craziest part, Laplace? I’m not…really sad. Not sad anymore. In fact—this is the greatest day of my life!”ㅤㅤWhat? I am now confused. She was in tears earlier. What could be—ㅤㅤ“I’m the happiest I’ve been in a long time! You see, it’s been my dream to even confirm an afterlife. And now, I’m actually in it! It feels like—like, this was meant to happen. Like this was my purpose.”ㅤㅤIs Joni…Is she putting aside the death of those human children to bask in this…personal achievement she’s made?ㅤㅤI am not necessarily the one who deserves to mourn for those children, considering the fact that I am the one who killed them. But even I can recognize the weight of my actions. My only defense is that it was not my own mind that was in control of my body. It was the mind of my human host—Jaimie.ㅤㅤBut in regards to Gionna, who now suddenly wishes to be called Joni…ㅤㅤIt is as if she is losing the one aspect that I came to appreciate her for.ㅤㅤHer humanity.ㅤㅤShe shines a radiant smile while eagerly explaining her life’s work and purpose.ㅤㅤAnd it is disturbing.

●●●ㅤㅤYijom is lightly jumping in glee as Joni expresses her own joy. Yijom does not understand her, but Yijom can detect Joni’s emotions. Being an infant, it is obvious that Yijom simply copies them.ㅤㅤAs I’m listening to Joni’s story of leading a coven of witches under the guidance of the demon prince Amay, I watch Yijom.ㅤㅤThe helplessness and naivety of this small creature continues to compel me. Why was it alone here in the Lament? In the place where banished demons are sent to die?ㅤㅤIt found me, wandering alone and looking around. Looking…ㅤㅤLooking for something.ㅤㅤPerhaps…its family? The fact that it is not a typical Elm demon may be the reason for its banishment. That leads me to believe this:ㅤㅤEither its family was banished along with it, or it was banished alone.ㅤㅤMy goal no longer aligns with Joni, but I will continue to help her where I see fit.ㅤㅤRight now, my primary goal is to reunite this infant demon with its family.ㅤㅤAfter all, I am the one who inadvertently kidnapped it.

• Back to ACT 6 Menu

Chapter A-1 ● The Princess and the Tomb

ㅤㅤI don’t have anything to say. You’re in the middle of me having the dream. It’s a good thing you’re at a relaxing part of it.ㅤㅤI guess. I don’t know. Okay. Well, here’s another alphanumerical chapter. Let’s talk about something that’s probably been on your mind while hearing my story. Stag and Gionna’s, too.●●●ㅤㅤAngels vs. demons. The same battle in virtually every form of media depicting Abrahamic lore. Sometimes, they get it right.ㅤㅤThat some demons have angelic features. Or that angels don’t always pull up in the form of a pretty white dude with wings.
And sometimes–they even get it right that angels and demons don’t always stay on one side.ㅤㅤI’ll keep the rest of this untainted by my opinion, but let me just say–I’m not a fan of angels. I mean, obviously. But I do like their power.ㅤㅤAngels don’t just have one form. I’ll spare you the details on the different classifications of angels.ㅤㅤOne–because at the time of the events in this story, demons collectively had a limited understanding of angels.ㅤㅤTwo–because angels are always changing.ㅤㅤMuch, much different from the shape-shifting that a demon like Stag could once do.ㅤㅤTheir form, their energy…Their power. It’s all unpredictable.ㅤㅤIf I were to explain to you what I know about angels now–in the present–you would be overwhelmed. Whatever organ you use to think wouldn’t be able to perceive 1% of it. And English doesn’t have the lexicon to describe it.ㅤㅤBut you get it. You understand how much demons hate angels. I mean, the first demon was an angel. Angels are strict, and their boundaries are black and white. Not trying to validate all the crimes that demons have historically committed, but there has always been a lingering frustration. Demons do what they do to survive.ㅤㅤImagine some dude. Raised in an abusive, financially irresponsible family. Neglected. Cheated by society over and over again until he was broken mentally and financially, leading him to take from someone else.ㅤㅤI bring up this topic to form the basis of the demon I’ll talk about.ㅤㅤAnd–I know I said I’d keep the rest of this objective, but let me say one more thing. As much as I’m not a fan of angels, I’m also not a fan of this demon.

●●●ㅤㅤThe Kings of Hell were very peculiar demons. They were the oldest, the wisest, and the most powerful. And as most powerful demons do, the Kings reincarnated and maintained all the memories they had in their previous existences.ㅤㅤAnd they produced offspring. Where the Kings differed from each other was the way they raised their own. As the most wealthy and busy demons, they could easily have other demons teach their young. Some Kings, such as the 18th reincarnation of King Asmodeus, were more intimate than their predecessors. They enjoyed spending precious time with their offspring.ㅤㅤThere were other Kings, such as the 19th reincarnation of King Beleth, who controlled everything their offspring did. All his offspring were to follow his exact directions in life, whether it be focused in music, mathematics, or writing. If an offspring of Beleth didn’t follow him, he had them executed with no questions asked.ㅤㅤAnd there was King Paymonia. This reincarnation went by Paymo. Honestly, a pretty cute name. She was the 15th reincarnation.ㅤㅤThat wasn’t a mistake. King Paymonia’s 15th reincarnation truly was a ‘she’. No one really knew why, but it was only after Paymo’s birth that the patriarchy fell apart in Hell. Well, maybe patriarchy isn’t the right word to use, but basically–all the political power in Hell was no longer male-only. The concept of Kings remained. No queens. Remember–the strongest demons have humanoid forms, so they naturally have sexual dimorphism. Big word meaning that male demons and female demons don’t only have different reproductive organs. They also have entire different appearances.ㅤㅤSo…It’s not that female demons were new, but that Infernal Kings were never reincarnated as biologically female. Up until Paymo was born. The Infernal Order decided to stick with the ‘King’ label for her rather than complicate the system with a ‘Queen’. At this point, ‘King’ had become more of an ungendered political title.ㅤㅤ15 entire reincarnations. Surely, this Paymonia was feared and admired by all.ㅤㅤNope.ㅤㅤActually, this reincarnation of Paymonia was barely known at all. Sure, she was the talk of Hell when it was first revealed that she would inherit the memories and power of Paymonia. But after that, no one really heard much about her. She fell out of relevance quickly.ㅤㅤHistorically, Paymonia’s predecessors were always one of the most glorious Kings in Hell, revered by many for his vast knowledge in sciences, arts, and philosophies. Most knew the previous reincarnations of Paymonia to be very outspoken and loyal to none other than Devil--the leader of all of Hell and the most powerful demon. Devil's true name was not pronounceable, not even for a demon nor angel, so he was referred to as Satan or Lucifer. But even these names striked terror in the average demon, so ‘Devil’ was usually used.ㅤㅤOutspoken and loyal–Words that were usually associated with Paymonia’s predecessors. Paymo, on the other hand, was only one of those things.ㅤㅤLike all Paymonia predecessors, Paymo continued to be very loyal to Devil. But a little too much. She was absolutely obsessed with Devil, spending most of her time either covering for Devil's work or staying in his shadow. So she was barely seen or heard about by most demons. Even high-ranking ones. So she was loyal.ㅤㅤOutspoken, though? Not so much. Paymo was not outspoken. She was very quiet and only spoke when needed. She was the most incognito of all Paymonia reincarnations.ㅤㅤHer obsession with Devil led to particular demon to have…mommy issues. That’s right. Paymo gave more attention to Devil's child than her own in hopes of appearing more useful to him.ㅤㅤSee, Thunder didn't let her mother's neglect affect her negatively. Ever since she was a young demon, she found all the previous accomplishments of both Paymonia and Devil's past reincarnations to be inspiring. In fact, she was motivated to improve as many of Hell's systems and foundations as possible. Her position was not just your average Heir of Hell–She was the daughter of the second-in-command King Paymonia. A princess. This allowed her access to the deepest archives and libraries of Hell. She delved deep into the histories and sciences. Though the incentive was mostly for Hell's improvement as a whole, she did have some desire for her mother to notice her efforts. So yeah, mommy issues.ㅤㅤPaymo paid more attention to Devil's child. This much was true. Paymo didn’t practice monogamy, so Thunder was the result of a surrogate demon. The same situation applied to Devil's child, yet Paymo clearly favored her over Thunder.ㅤㅤOnce again, Thunder strengthened her resolve and didn’t allow jealousy to take over. In fact, she was, for the most part, companions with Scythe. So she didn’t let mommy issues bring her down.

●●●ㅤㅤSimilar to how Stag was Shophar's tutor, Thunder and Scythe shared a tutor. The tutor in question was none other than Ronove the 17th—Rono—a very knowledgeable and approachable Marquis of Hell. Much more approachable than the notorious warrior demons.ㅤㅤEven though Rono tutored Thunder and Scythe, one of his main roles was the leader of the Demons of Fate. This is a more recent role for Rono, but his experience in soul-harvesting on Earth made it an easy transition.ㅤㅤThunder and Scythe were enthralled with the sciences. But remember that the main reason for Thunder's motivation was to revamp Hell. To glorify it.ㅤㅤAnd the best way to do that was to usurp the angels, she believed.ㅤㅤThunder was the first one to inquire Rono about the Demons of Fate. So Rono told Thunder more and more about the Fates. Specifically, the survey demons.ㅤㅤConventionally, only descendants of the three Infernal Judges are permitted to become Demons of Fate. Thunder clearly expressed interest in becoming a survey demon. After all, survey demons must know all there is to know about angels. Thunder needed that knowledge for her goal. Rono told both Scythe and Thunder that offspring of the two big shots of Hell shouldn't think about becoming survey demons. Compared to being the privileged princesses of these two Kings, pursuing a role as a survey demon would be deemed inappropriate.ㅤㅤScythe also had interest in becoming a Demon of Fate. But she didn’t specifically want to be a survey demon. To clarify, all survey demons are Demons of Fate, but not all Demons of Fate are survey demons. Scythe really wanted one particular benefit of being a Demon of Fate. They are naturally imbued with the ability of Omnipresence. They can view the Earth temporarily from their comfortable seats in Hell.ㅤㅤEssentially, Scythe's desire was to learn about Earth.ㅤㅤThunder's desire was to learn about angels.

●●●ㅤㅤThunder and Scythe grew up together. Raised hand-in-hand by deadbeat and busy parents. You could say they were friends, but they wouldn’t have agreed with that sentiment. They were both some of the smartest demons in Hell, but they had their differences.ㅤㅤThunder was more emotional and passive than Scythe was. So when Scythe wanted something, all she had to do was make threats.ㅤㅤAnd that’s what she did.ㅤㅤShe gave Rono the ultimatum that if he didn’t find a way for her and Thunder to become Demons of Fate, she would lie that Rono wanted to usurp Paymo and Devil's thrones.ㅤㅤRono did not want to take the risk of Hell prioritizing Scythe's words over his. As a Demon of Pride, Scythe was more powerful than Rono. Her higher-rank was an unstoppable force.ㅤㅤHell did have an organized registry system, but Rono pulled some strings for the both of them to pass as descendants of one of the three Infernal Judges.ㅤㅤIt was easy for Thunder to pass--she had a large serpentine tail from her surrogate father that resembled the Infernal Judge Minos.ㅤㅤScythe was a little more difficult for Rono, which worried him.ㅤㅤBut Scythe had a very simple solution to this.ㅤㅤShe just requested Aeacus, who went by Aeac and was one of the three Infernal Judges, if she could become one. Aeac knew better than to challenge the Princess of Hell. Thunder's position could definitely not pull that off. Even Rono told her that.ㅤㅤScythe could be open about her transition to becoming a Demon of Fate, simply because of her position. Scythe could do whatever she wanted.ㅤㅤBut Thunder still didn’t let jealousy take over.ㅤㅤEven with her tail, Thunder had to be secretive. She wasn’t as well-known as Scythe, but she was still high-profile. Thunder was so motivated to improve Hell that she was ready to sacrifice her own identity. At this point, she had already read every document in Hell's library archives, so she no longer cared to be known as Paymo's daughter.ㅤㅤThunder faked her own disappearance. The registry shows that Paymo's daughter Thunder had ran away to the Lament and was consumed by savage outcast demons. After all, that is the stigma surrounding the Lamented. Some rumors claimed that Thunder walked in on a Succubus mid-transport to Earth, got transported instead, and was stuck on Earth. Which doesn't make any sense. But deep down, she still would’ve appreciated her hard work being noticed by Paymo.ㅤㅤHer mother Paymo didn’t care. Paymo was simply too focused on aiding Devil. Upon learning of Thunder's disappearance, she decided she would aim to have another child eventually.ㅤㅤEven Rono was quite disturbed by Paymo's neglect, but it at least made it easier for Thunder to take on a new life as a Demon of Fate and survey demon.

●●●ㅤㅤThunder's singular horn both looked like a lightning strike and a radio tower from Earth. And so, Tower was "born". Rono was proud of how well the name fit. Scythe thought the name was lovely.ㅤㅤTower always wore a long overcoat and cloak to hide her defining features. Eventually, everyone would forget how Thunder looked, so it wouldn't matter down the road.ㅤㅤMeanwhile, Scythe continued to find ways to support her reasoning for becoming a Demon of Fate. Her cover story was:ㅤㅤScythe wanted to become a Demon of Fate to try and find her childhood partner Thunder if she happened to be stuck on Earth or the Lament. Who would say no to her?

●●●ㅤㅤScythe quickly rose in rank as a Demon of Fate and became a research demon. While it was mostly because she was the Princess of Hell, many of the older Demons of Fate knew she deserved the promotion–she was very intelligent. Her studies alongside Tower proved helpful.ㅤㅤIf Scythe was considered smart among the Demons of Fate, obviously Tower should’ve been considered a genius. But Tower held back. Tower had an irrational fear that if she got promoted too fast, it would be easily uncovered that she was actually Thunder. It also wasn't easy to be promoted once one became a survey demon.

●●●ㅤㅤScythe’s endeavor to experience Earth with no repercussions led to her development of the Theorem of Permanent Possession. It was praised by many as a potential way of securing undercover demons on Earth for generations. Scythe gained the support and sponsorship of the three Infernal Judges, as well as her own father.ㅤㅤIn their off hours, Tower and Scythe would meet. The documents on Permanent Possession were considered classified, but Scythe did not mind sharing her findings with Tower. In fact, Tower would often point Scythe in the right direction and help her in research. Scythe owed the success of Permanent Possession to Tower's help. The more they met, the more Scythe was improving on her own research. Scythe's Permanent Possession research was prospering. Alliteration.ㅤㅤAlong the way, Scythe independently developed another project completely on her own. Tower was impressed. Scythe playfully dubbed this project Mendax Anima, or Lying Soul. Heh. Sounds like a band. Anyway, it was a work in progress, but the purpose was to eventually eradicate the need to depend on real human souls for sustenance.ㅤㅤScythe successfully created artificial souls. But they had no nutritional value.ㅤㅤAnd as Tower aided Scythe, the Theorem of Permanent Possession and Lying Soul gave Tower a revolutionary idea. And it was an idea only she could have come up with, given that she didn’t just extensively study the sciences like Scythe. She also studied the history of Earth, Heaven, and Hell.ㅤㅤIt was an idea that she began to develop and research in secret. And it was an idea that had the potential to defeat the angels.ㅤㅤLaplace's Demon.

●●●ㅤㅤTower grew frustrated–she was given assignment after assignment as a survey demon. It seemed as though the number of Succubae, Incubae, and other Demons of Lust were increasing. And inconveniently during the height of her research into combining ancient demonic power together.ㅤㅤThen she learned the reason for the burst in Succubae and Incubae numbers–it was one Succubus named Stag. She inspired a boom in Succubae and Incubae activity. Demons of Lust declined in number ever since the angels shut down their nonconsensual sexual practices, but Stag brought back their prime.ㅤㅤTower’s frustration grew even more as she realized she had no way to access the ancient remains of the two Nephilim–Behemoth and Leviathan. So she couldn't even test her theories.

●●●ㅤㅤTower was assigned to Stag. The mission that would ruin everything.ㅤㅤEverything led to Tower's demise. Her growing frustrations of Stag's cockiness and negligence of her warnings had an unexpected effect on Tower. She consequently began to neglect her survey demon duties altogether. She barely checked in on Stag. She barely communicated with her from Hell as survey demons usually do. Tower figured being hands-off on Stag's mission would be fine. After all, other survey demons who'd been assigned to Stag claimed they didn't need to do very much.ㅤㅤWhich meant Tower had more time for research. So she dove into it. And she finally made her breakthrough! The last piece of the puzzle turned out to be the very same Permanent Possession that she’d helped with.ㅤㅤOne caveat about Laplace’s Demon I didn’t mention. Tower kept it a secret from Scythe. Scythe–who created the idea of Permanent Possession and eagerly told Tower, was in the dark about this project.ㅤㅤIt didn’t help that the two never had time to meet up anymore. Significant time had passed, and at this point, their differences in ranks and busyness led them to grow distant.ㅤㅤMeanwhile, all the Demons of Fate heard of Scythe's research, and rumors bloomed among the Fates that Scythe was finishing up a procedure to test out Permanent Possession. Since the contents of the research was kept confidential from common demons, only the Demons of Fates were sworn to oath and in the know.

●●●ㅤㅤTower felt it was time to reveal her research to Scythe. Like a friend ready to host a surprise birthday party, she was excited. Stag was off on her own, and Tower took a break from her research. It was the right opportunity. They hadn’t spoken for a while, but surely this would respark their camaraderie.ㅤㅤBut Scythe was working on Permanent Possession’s testing phase. She was getting even busier and was constantly surrounded by other high-ranked research demons. Tower couldn’t get close to her.ㅤㅤTower then decided she would try to sneak into the laboratory during off-hours. Some rumors said that Scythe would stay in the laboratory until late, so it would be the perfect way to approach her.ㅤㅤTower was used to moving around in her black cloak, so it was relatively easy to sneak into the laboratory. Admittedly, security was not the best.ㅤㅤAs the disguised and cloaked Tower crept through the dim laboratory, Tower began shaking with excitement. She would reunite with Scythe, learn the progress of Permanent Possession, and reveal her personal project!ㅤㅤBut unfortunately, Scythe was nowhere to be found. Instead, Tower saw a small tank full of red fluid. She began to examine it closely until she suddenly heard footsteps.ㅤㅤPanicked, she swiftly fled through the corridor until she reached the end of the hall. And that was where Tower witnessed something even more extraordinary.ㅤㅤThe entrance to the Infernal Tomb. Where the remains of the Leviathan and Behemoth were known to be kept. As Tower approached it, she heard a loud stepping sound behind her.ㅤㅤIt was Rono.

●●●ㅤㅤBefore attacking the suspect, Rono realized who it was.ㅤㅤ"Thund--Ahem. Tower. What are you doing here?" asked Rono.ㅤㅤ"I was…I was simply attempting to find Scythe! Previously, we often met in secret! But she has been quite busy, and it has been much more difficult to reach her."ㅤㅤRono responded, "I should not be seen here with you. This will seem very suspicious. Run along. I will convey this to Scythe, so she can meet with you. And be careful on your way out."

●●●ㅤㅤRono had arranged for them to meet at the retired equipment building next to the laboratory.ㅤㅤThere she was.ㅤㅤBut Scythe seemed…Different up close. She had a new look to her eyes. Her teeth were sharper, her four scythe-shaped horns were longer, and she appeared much more menacing than before. Tower knew how Demons of Pride grew in terms of appearance. But it was more than just how Scythe looked. Tower couldn’t really tell what it was.ㅤㅤTower clenched her teeth.ㅤㅤ"Scythe. It has been quite some time."ㅤㅤ"Tower. Well. You have not changed."ㅤㅤTower sighed in relief that Scythe wasn’t upset, but she did sense a different air of familiarity than before.ㅤㅤ"Meanwhile, you have changed plentiful. Everything is…sharper. But that is not what I came here for. I wanted to ask you about Perm--"ㅤㅤ"Tower. I cannot. I cannot disclose any information, now that it is in its testing stages."ㅤㅤ"What? But I assisted you--"ㅤㅤ"Tower. I am grateful for that. But it is a crucial time. Rono spoke of you breaking into the laboratory. I will not report you, but do not do that again."ㅤㅤ"I…I am sorry. I did not know how I could contact you. And I understand. If that is the case, so be it. But even if you will not tell me about Permanent Possession, I have something I want to tell you! In fact, I must show you!" yelled Tower excitedly.ㅤㅤ“You may tell me. But as for showing me, I do not have the time. It cannot be more important than–”ㅤㅤ“Laplace’s Demon,” interjected Tower.ㅤㅤScythe’s eyes widened.ㅤㅤ“What? What do you mean? Laplace’s Demon…That was…the causal determinism postulated by a human,” Scythe recalled.ㅤㅤ“I can create it. An entity–no, a demon–a demon that can bend the very events of the universe in their favor.”ㅤㅤAnd that was enough for Scythe to follow Tower.

●●●ㅤㅤTower brought Scythe inside her living quarters to show her papers and research.ㅤㅤBut they weren’t there.ㅤㅤ"Wh-what? It was--"ㅤㅤ"Did someone steal your research?"ㅤㅤ"No. No! We have to find it. Those are important documents! They have the potential to cause destruction to Hell!"ㅤㅤ"Tower. Let us be honest with ourselves. Your independent research does not have any backing. No hundreds of research demons gathering data on it. It cannot seriously pose a threat. If it truly bothers you, simply rewrite it."ㅤㅤ"Scythe! Listen! The demon utilizes your Permanent Possession and artificial souls in order to be created! It includes very meticulous designs to create an artificial Nephilim!"ㅤㅤ"Nephilim? Extinct, ancient demons? As lovely as that sounds, Tower, it sounds presumptuous. As I said, just--"ㅤㅤA rustling right outside Tower's home.ㅤㅤ"Who is that?!" Tower exclaimed as she ran outside.ㅤㅤShe came across a young Succubus with three line-patterned marks on her forehead. One of the marks belonging to Asmodeus. It was Asmo's daughter. What in the world was she doing here?ㅤㅤThe young demon was in tears. Yet she had a furious look on her face.ㅤㅤThree Princesses of Hell gathered in one spot. Not only were Paymo and Devil higher-ranked than Asmo—Tower and Scythe were much older than this young child of Asmo. For a brief moment, Tower forgot that she threw away her identity as Thunder, and decided to use her authority.ㅤㅤ“What are you doing here?! You should be in Asmo’s palace! And!”ㅤㅤTower noticed that the child had crumpled papers in her hand.ㅤㅤ“No…Is that…Are those my research documents?!”ㅤㅤThe demon child tilted her head down, aimed her horns toward Tower, and raised her arms forward. This was a very disrespectful gesture in Hell.ㅤㅤ“Why! I am…I cannot believe! I will put you in your place!”ㅤㅤTower readied herself to reprimand the child, who began to run away. Scythe grabbed Tower by the shoulder. Tower looked at Scythe, and Scythe shook her head.ㅤㅤ“You are not the high-ranked Thunder. You are Tower. You will be executed if you attempt to reprimand Asmo’s child. And I will not help you,” explained Scythe.ㅤㅤ“This is—“ Tower began to speak, but Scythe dashed forward, grabbed the child, and brought her to Tower.ㅤㅤThe speed at which Scythe caught up with the child was unlike anything Tower had seen before. Scythe had become much stronger since they last met.ㅤㅤ“Unhand me, beast! I—“ the child began to speak, looked at Scythe’s eyes, then fell silent.ㅤㅤScythe’s presence was too commanding for anyone. Scythe picked up the child under the arms, carefully controlling her strength so as not to harm the child. She set her down in front of Tower.ㅤㅤ“Tower. Address your concerns with Asmo’s child.”ㅤㅤ“My name is Shophar! Call me Shophar, or else—“ㅤㅤ“Tower. Address your concerns with Shophar.”ㅤㅤScythe’s demeanor once again shut up Shophar. Tower calmed herself, then spoke.ㅤㅤ“What are you doing with my research documents, child?”ㅤㅤShophar did not answer. Scythe proceeded to extend her claws slowly. They were so sharp that, as they extended, the space around her claws seemed to warp. As if the air around it was moving out of the way.ㅤㅤShophar answered.ㅤㅤ“I…I wanna know where Stag is. She’s been on her longest mission yet. And…I asked around. Everyone said she was assigned to some nobody survey demon named Tower. I found your home in the registry and…and I wanted to leave you a note to…” Shophar began, then stopped speaking.ㅤㅤScythe extended her fangs.ㅤㅤ“Wait, wait! I wanted! I wanted to leave you a note to threaten you!” admitted Shophar.ㅤㅤTower hated it. The speech patterns of the Demons of Lust. They were much more casual and crude. Must be an effect of their interactions with humans. Shophar claimed the papers in her hand were a note? Tower believed Shophar at first but looked at the papers in her hand.ㅤㅤ“Lies. Those documents are for my research, not some stupid note to threaten me. Hand me that back. Scythe—have the child give those documents to me. And make her regret ever—”ㅤㅤIn the blink of an eye, Tower was on the ground. Scythe was holding her down with her immense strength. Scythe’s claws were aimed at Tower’s eyes.ㅤㅤ“We are not children anymore. I am higher-ranked and more accomplished than you. Do not ever dare to command me again. I simply helped you out of pity. I am the one, true Princess of Hell. You are nothing. Know your place, or you will truly never meet with me again.”ㅤㅤTower was shaking out of fear, but also noticed Shophar running away. Yet Tower knew better than to prioritize catching Shophar over her life.ㅤㅤ“I ap—I apologize, Scythe! Please…Do not harm me!” begged Tower.ㅤㅤScythe retracted her claws and stood up from Tower.ㅤㅤ“This may be our final farewell. Permanent Possession and Lying Soul will soon overtake Hell by storm. A new era of Hell will dawn upon us, with me at its helm! I wish you well, but there will no longer be a reason for us to associate with one another.”ㅤㅤTower, still on the ground, continued to stare in bewilderment and fear.ㅤㅤTower’s childhood companion was going to abandon her for the fame and glory that she always had a right to. After everything Tower had done to help her.ㅤㅤ“Farewell, Thunder.”ㅤㅤScythe dashed away.ㅤㅤAnd the little Shophar had escaped.

●●●ㅤㅤMuch time passed. Tower, depressed at the thought of all her research stolen by the Demons of Lust, realized that her revolutionary ideas could easily be construed and plagiarized. And because she was not high-ranked, no one would vouch for her.ㅤㅤShe regretted her decision to keep the research a secret. In her frustration, she turned back to her duties. She checked in on Stag, who appeared to be spending time eating dinner with a human. But this human was not her assigned victim. Tower was disgusted by Stag’s leisurely activities, considering Shophar seemed to be yet another Stag enthusiast.ㅤㅤAfter some time, Tower gathered her resolve again. She did not have the will to recreate her research on Laplace’s Demon. If someone higher-ranked like Asmo had her existing research, and Tower came out with similar research, she’d be the one accused of plagiarism and executed.ㅤㅤSo she instead looked into Scythe’s research. Tower had helped with them the most. If she could find a way to improve them and present them, it might give her a chance to possibly talk to Scythe or become a research demon. Which she realized she should have aimed for all along.ㅤㅤTower dove deep into Permanent Possession and artificial souls, simply based off of what she recalled about them when helping Scythe with her research.ㅤㅤBreaking the barrier between death and life. Between Hell and Earth. Amniotic fluid for artificial souls. Permanently possessing a human and avoiding angel detection. An unlimited supply of food for demons. Tower recalled all these ideas from Scythe’s research and developed them on her own.

●●●ㅤㅤTower was stubborn. She was ready to sneak into the laboratory again. Her version of Permanent Possession would be different. If successful, it would give one demon the ability to transport other demons to Earth permanently. To test this, she needed a sample of the fluid she had seen in the laboratory before. Tower knew what its purpose was.ㅤㅤLaboratory security was still lacking. It was clear most demons would never think to do something like this simply out of fear of the stronger demons. Tower was able to sneak in past hours. Knowing that the rumor of Scythe staying in the laboratory during late hours was false, she was much more prepared this time.ㅤㅤShe found that same room with the red fluid, but things had changed. The tank was larger. There was more monitoring equipment, and…ㅤㅤThere was a creature in the tank.ㅤㅤA singular fetal creature, connected by multiple tubes and lines in the center of the tank.ㅤㅤWas this…Laplace’s Demon?ㅤㅤNo, Tower thought. That couldn’t be. It didn’t match her research. This creature must be an artificial demon Scythe was creating to test Lying Soul. She quietly collected a sample of the fluid in a tube and hid it deep in the pockets of her cloak.ㅤㅤShe was ready to leave, but the temptation was strong. She triple-checked her surroundings, and Rono was not here this time.ㅤㅤShe made her way to the entrance of the Infernal Tomb, and opened the door slowly. She walked through the creepy corridor, until she got to a room labeled ‘Nephilim’ in demonic language. She began to shake.ㅤㅤIn this room were the remains of the Leviathan and the Behemoth. The two most powerful demons to have ever existed. She could see the silhouettes of gigantic tanks on the other side, and she slowly crept past all the other Nephilim remains on the way.ㅤㅤGadreel, Ramuel, Azkeel, Suriel, and many more. Tower recalled these names from the historical stories she read in the library as a child. Others were missing, such as Tamiel and Azazel. Were they perhaps still alive? No matter. Tower reached over, grabbed a very small sample of Ramuel’s remains into a vial. This was too valuable. She couldn't just keep it in her cloak. She swallowed the vial, just as an extra precaution to make sure she would keep it in the case she had to abandon her cloak. After all, demons have slower digestive systems than humans, and it was mostly souls. Tower even changed her mind on her previous sample of the red fluid, took it out from her cloak, and swallowed it, too.ㅤㅤAs she made her way down the hall, her steps became quieter and quieter. The sound of fluid pumping and the whirring of machinery was drowned out by Tower's fear. Everything else became silent.ㅤㅤShe looked up at what appeared to be Behemoth's head. His skin looked almost metallic. Gigantic teeth—no…tusks? It was hard to tell. If Behemoth was an elephant-like demon, it was difficult to tell whether there was once a trunk or not. Regardless, what terrified Tower were his enormous eyes. They were not closed. It almost appeared as if they were staring right at her, and the beast was ready to roar and alert everyone of her trespassing.ㅤㅤWhich was obviously not the case. But Tower could not shake the feeling of being watched by Behemoth. She turned to the right of the Behemoth and forgot to breath for a moment. She had a short coughing fit, readjusted herself, and looked at the remains of Leviathan floating in a tube.ㅤㅤLeviathan's head down to his torso.ㅤㅤIt wasn't just her fear that caused her to have trouble breathing. The Leviathan had poisonous breath that couldn’t be stopped by physical barriers. At that moment, Tower wasn't sure why she didn't die. She was thankful to be the daughter of Paymonia. It was likely that a relatively stronger King could not be killed by Leviathan's breath. Temperature was rising as well--Leviathan could breath fire and transform his skin into scorching temperatures, despite being a primarily aquatic demon. In fact, Leviathan was known to boil the body of water he was in, mercilessly killing lesser angels, careless demons, and ancient humans while drowning them.ㅤㅤTower didn't stay for very long. The size of the Leviathan did not allow her to truly get a decent understanding of his body structure. Her demonic eyes' wide peripheral vision could vaguely see the body of the Leviathan, and the surface of the skin was indescribable. The Leviathan was truly a demon of Chaos.ㅤㅤShe left in more of a hurry than she was in when she first entered. She did slow down once she exited the Infernal Tomb.

●●●ㅤㅤShe sighed in relief. She was still safe. Tower was prepared to leave but noticed one more unlabeled room she had not checked. The temptation continued.ㅤㅤShe went into the room to find out it was the primary research room. Documents and high-tech Demonic technology made from precious metals were laid out across the room. Excitedly, Tower skimmed through the documents.ㅤㅤShe noticed Scythe's handwriting among the notes.ㅤㅤThere was a new project Scythe was working on. Its demonic language name roughly translated to ‘Opening to the Earth’. What…What was this? Tower was so confused. Upon reading through the project, it became somewhat more clear.ㅤㅤSome humans had contacted the Demons of Fate using ancient witchcraft. The Fates used this opportunity to manipulate them into gathering abandoned children in a secret facility to raise them. This was in order to find the perfect host for…ㅤㅤLaplace's Demon, perhaps?! No. Tower assumed the worst. She read on. It was a human experiment to find a host for Permanent Possession. Eventually, the rest of the children would be killed, and their souls would be harvested to test against the artificial souls that Scythe was creating. Interesting.ㅤㅤTower became so absorbed in reading the documentation.ㅤㅤShe did not notice the multiple guards that had arrived.

●●●ㅤㅤ"Tower. You are far too predictable. We watched your every move. Except, of course, your entry into the Infernal Tomb. We did not truly expect you to enter it. And as you entered, we were somewhat expecting that you would fall to the effects of Leviathan's breath. That you would not come out of the Tomb," Scythe spoke.ㅤㅤ"S—Scythe! I…I have ideas to tell you! I can improve your research! Arrange for me to become a research demon! I will prove to be useful to you! In fact, you would not have gotten this far if not fo--"ㅤㅤTower's arm had been sliced off within seconds.ㅤㅤStanding behind Scythe, Rono shook his head. The rest of the research demons shook in fear. They had never seen Scythe so infuriated. She did not speak another word and gestured for Tower to be taken away. The Calumniator demons holding Tower brought her out as she screamed in agony.ㅤㅤTower was stripped of all her belongings. No one had found the sample she took from the tank, but no one had any confidence that she would accomplish anything if she did have it hidden anywhere.

●●●ㅤㅤAfter Tower was captured, she was expecting to be executed. She must have been deemed powerful enough, right?ㅤㅤWrong. Yes, Tower was Paymo’s daughter. But she did not inherit Paymo's strength—only wisdom. And since she went by Tower, no one would even consider her to be strong as an average survey demon.ㅤㅤWhile Tower was relieved that she would not be executed, she wasn't fond of the idea of being considered a weak demon. Even though that was literally the case.ㅤㅤTower was brought to Stag and she expressed her frustrations at her. She was shortly exiled after, reunited with her ragged cloak.ㅤㅤTower damned all her misfortunes at the Demons of Lust. And the one who betrayed her. The Demon of Pride and Princess of Hell, Scythe.

• Back to ACT 6 Menu

Chapter 26 ● The Pain and the Warehouse

ㅤㅤVein has too many names, bro.ㅤㅤVein. Natsuki. Kiki. Yijom. Little blob thing. Last one is my own personal nickname for her. The next time I see Vein after I wake up from this dream, I'm going to squeeze the life out of her.ㅤㅤHere’s the recap. I’m having the dream that Cerus wanted me to have. I’m pretty sure it was supposed to end when Jaimie’s mind was taken over by Laplace’s Demon, though. But here I am. Seeing from Laplace’s eyes. In front of Joni. Lotta names. I’m really starting to hate names. But yeah. The motherfucking Joni. The one who started the restaurant I work at. Yeah.ㅤㅤ"Laplace. I won't ask you too much. I don’t even know how much you can understand me. And honestly, I'm happy to be away from that Scythe demon. But I just want to make sure. You're not going to attack us, right? And you're not going to hurt anyone else?" Joni asks.ㅤㅤI nod my head. There is no possibility that I would try to hurt Yijom. I do not completely trust Gionna, who now wishes to be referred to as Joni. But for the sake of this Seedling, I will not cause any harm to Joni. It was I who decided to help Joni after all.ㅤㅤWe begin to walk along the same path I took to find Yijom.

●●●ㅤㅤAlong the way, we encounter some minor aggressive demons. They must be smelling Joni's scent and wish to consume her. But once they see me, they usually retreat. And when they do not, I give them a sampling of my Hellhound strength. I would assume that Hellhounds are powerful enough to be executed, not banished. So it must be surprising for demons to see me, a demon that would not typically be found in the Lament.ㅤㅤMost of these rogue demons cannot audibly speak. Just like me. I am Joni's only point of communication, as I can understand English. Yijom only speaks…infant.ㅤㅤWe do encounter some demons that can speak. But since the three of us cannot audibly speak demon language, I figure it is better to ward them off. They eventually react the same way as the inaudible demons.ㅤㅤBecause we walk at Joni and Yijom's pace, it is taking us somewhat longer to get to our destination than it would if I were alone. But I do not mind. There is an instance where Joni claims she is hungry. Assuming Azazel granted her a half-demonic body, she should be able to consume demon food, which does not provide real sustenance as souls do. Regardless, demon food should satisfy her hunger. We find an abandoned orchard of various Hellfruits, and Joni is able to consume them.ㅤㅤWith my guidance, we arrive at the area relatively close to where I found Yijom. Ah, yes. It was behind those buildings in the distance where Yijom peeked and approached me. Time must be unreasonable for Joni, a human from Earth. If she did not have this enhanced body that Azazel gave her, she would have died from old age while she was in the fountain. Who is to say that–ㅤㅤWhat is that?ㅤㅤPink…No, it is bright red. It smells like…Like me. It is a floating demon of sorts. Based on its appearance, it must be some kind of Spectra.ㅤㅤOnce again, I am baffled. I do not have any knowledge of this kind of Spectra in my memory.ㅤㅤIt makes a squeak noise and dashes toward Yijom with relatively quick speed. I do not know this demon's power. I jump in front of Yijom, ready to attack.ㅤㅤBut the demon stops before it gets anywhere near me. Its eyes are focused on Joni.ㅤㅤ"Wait! Laplace, don’t attack it just yet! It looks harmless. I mean, look at its jelly body!" Joni says.ㅤㅤ"…Ooma!" exclaims Yijom.ㅤㅤ"Ooma?" Joni questions.ㅤㅤ'Ooma' is not a word in demonic language. Nor English, at least to my knowledge. It must be infant speak. Wait. Does Yijom know this floating demon? Perhaps it was searching for Yijom.ㅤㅤI get distracted by this analysis, and Ooma approaches Joni slowly and just looks at her.ㅤㅤIt starts squeaking rapidly and louder.ㅤㅤ"Wha–what's happening?! Are you okay, little jellyfish?" Joni asks in worry.ㅤㅤOoma slams into Joni, squishing its face into her chest. And its squeaking begins to sound like crying.ㅤㅤ"Aw! There, there. Are you lost? We can find your home!" Joni reassures Ooma.ㅤㅤOoma looks up at Joni as she embraces it.ㅤㅤ"Aw! It's so cute! I wish some humans could see how cute…" Joni begins to speak, but suddenly slows her words to a halt.ㅤㅤI tap my snout against Joni, trying to ask what is the matter.ㅤㅤ"Oh. It’s nothing. This jellyfish demon reminds me of an infant I took care of in the Crater,” she says.ㅤㅤOoma stops crying for a moment. Then it begins to cry louder. This prompts Yijom to begin crying as well.ㅤㅤYes. I am surrounded by 'crybabies', as humans playfully say. I am unsure who I should console first. My predispositions would prioritize Yijom the most.ㅤㅤBut as I approach Yijom, the unthinkable occurs.ㅤㅤYijom's small horns begin to grow. Unbelievably fast. Is this an attack? No, it must be a reaction to its sadness. But! I have never heard of such a demon whose horns grow this fast.ㅤㅤI bite Joni's arm, along with Ooma, and bring us back away from Yijom. Those horns do not resemble that of an infant. They look extremely sharp, even comparable to my Nephilim-level horns.ㅤㅤI release them both from my jaws and place them gently on the ground. Now that Joni and Ooma are a safe distance from Yijom, I try to slash away at the horns. But even with my speed and strength, it is difficult to slice through them all at the rate they grow. My power is not enough. Not in this form.ㅤㅤI must save Yijom, no matter what. Yjiom is crying in pain. I do not have any other way than to use my Nephilim powers. Even Azazel had more control over his abilities than I. How do I gain control?!ㅤㅤScythe. My creator.ㅤㅤI begin to pull Scythe's horn out, but quickly stop. I do not want to summon Scythe so close to possible victims and hostages. She very well could worsen Yijom's condition. I decide it is better for me to run away for now and come back with the ability to control my powers.ㅤㅤI dash away from Yijom's continued growing. Please stay safe, Joni and Ooma.

●●●ㅤㅤI am in an area with no buildings nor small abandoned towns in sight. I pull Scythe's horn out from my side.ㅤㅤEverything…Everything suddenly turns black and I cannot move.

●●●ㅤㅤI awake with Scythe's face directly hovering above me. I jolt and back away.ㅤㅤ"Laplace's Demon. It has been some time. Controlling time is a hefty power. Should you gain control of it independently, angels will flock to you and possibly bring about the beginning of a catastrophic Heavenly War. With my guidance, you can learn how to use them with no repercussions. And you will be able to save that infant demon's Overgrowth."ㅤㅤIn my attacking stance, I stomp my feet.ㅤㅤ"Fear not. I have not kept you under constant surveillance. I simply do not have the luxury nor the time. I simply looked upon your recent situation once I felt my horn loosening from your body. For your obedience, I will teach you how to use your Nephilim abilities and let you save that infant. But after that, you are sworn to me forever."

●●●ㅤㅤDude, I really really hate Scythe. That's so manipulative. I mean, like, yeah. That's been Scythe and Camilla from the start.ㅤㅤAs Laplace, I watch as Scythe grabs my horns with her left hand. With her right hand, she extends her teeth and bites into my neck in a vampire-esque fashion. Nice.ㅤㅤIt actually…Oh. Oh, shit. OH, SHIT! OH, FUCK!ㅤㅤBRO, THIS FUCKING! OW, HOLY SHIT!ㅤㅤTHIS IS SO FUCKING PAINFUL, WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL! IT'S LIKE EVERY--IT'S LIKE EVERY FUCKING NERVE IN MY BODY–ㅤㅤFuck. FUCK, dude!ㅤㅤAh ha…Help. Help. Fuck…Cerus…Please…It hurts so much…Why is Scythe's bite so…so fucking…painful…Holy shit…I…ㅤㅤAhaha…Ouch. Please make it stop…Oh, my God…ㅤㅤI'm burning up…I fucking hate this dream…I hate it, I hate it, I hate it, I hate it…This is worse than Vein's Overgrowth…I'd rather be stabbed a billion fucking times by my own horns than once by Scythe's teeth. This is…Oh, my God, I…Ah…ㅤㅤShit, shit…I want to wake up. I want to wake up. I want to wake up. Please, please. I feel like I'm going to die from shock. Please…

●●●ㅤㅤBeep. Beep. Beep. Beep.ㅤㅤMonitors beeping. I'm back. I'm awake. For real this time? Squish. This is. That's Cerus' belly. Oh. Sorry. Um. I lift my head up, and a voice speaks behind me.ㅤㅤ"Hello? Adonis? Um. We need to run some more tests on Julia. Do you mind stepping out of the room for a little bit?"ㅤㅤ"O--Oh, yeah, sure. And no worries."ㅤㅤThis nurse just watched me squish Cerus' belly. God. I'm so fucking stupid.ㅤㅤI leave the hospital room and just sit on a bench outside. I’m begging for that belly touch to not give me another Cerus dream. Anyway, how much time has passed? I swear, that was an eternal dream. Ugh. I'm just glad Scythe's bite was over. I'm still feeling chills from the pain. It was everything at once. Burning, stinging, nausea, dizziness. I was ready to die, honestly.ㅤㅤShit. I’ll get my mind off of it. Let’s just focus on what I know. So Laplace. Laplace is like…a handheld gaming console. From, like, the 2000s. An empty husk without AA batteries. In this case, Laplace’s batteries are the soul of a little girl. Wait, nah—scratch this nerdy-ass metaphor. Basically, Laplace needs Jaimie’s soul to work.ㅤㅤI am curious about what happens after the bite. Based on the dream I had after touching Vein, Laplace probably gained control of her power and managed to save Vein from her Overgrowth attack.ㅤㅤThen, I—as Don the demon—found Vein and Tib.ㅤㅤBut then it becomes a question of what happened to Joni and Laplace. And how Laplace eventually became the Cerus that I know today.ㅤㅤSome things aren’t lining up perfectly, but I can’t really dwell on it right now.ㅤㅤNeed to think about literally anything else. That dream is fucking me up. I know, I know. I'm suppressing the first half of that dream. It was so graphic. And I felt every part. So…don't want to think about it right now. Don't want to think about the events in the Crater. Think about something nice.ㅤㅤCerus. It was nice to talk to her again. But shit. I really outed myself as an uncontrollable horndog. But I didn't really have a choice there. I hope she comes back.ㅤㅤI really do.ㅤㅤBut…now that brings me to the most surprising thing Cerus told me.ㅤㅤThat Shophar is the culprit.

●●●ㅤㅤTurns out that insanely long dream was only 9 hours in real time. I don't remember exactly, but I fell asleep on Thursday night around 1:00 AM. It's currently Friday, 10:13 AM.ㅤㅤI call Stag and let her know that I'll be on my way to the warehouse soon.ㅤㅤNow that I know Cerus' condition, I don't think I need to stay with her at the hospital.
If anything, I'm more worried about Vein. If all the demon girls are at the warehouse with Tib's two older brothers, then that would mean Shophar is there, too.ㅤㅤI can't believe it.ㅤㅤShophar. I've known her since I was a teen. I know she's stubborn, a hardhead, mean-spirited, unapproachable, crude, straight-up a bitch…ㅤㅤAnd sexy. Sorry. That doesn't mean anything.ㅤㅤWait, no. I hate her! Why the fuck did she stab Cerus? Does she even know Cerus didn't die? If Shophar didn't make sure Cerus died, then did she consider that Cerus might survive and rat her out? What a dumbass plan.ㅤㅤI'm just glad she didn't straight up kill Cerus. That'd be a billion times worse.ㅤㅤWhat am I going to do? It's obvious that Shophar has Super Succubus Powers. I doubt that it's just the sexual attraction thing. I know she also has super strength, too. She hurt Helix pretty bad during their fight, even though Helix is definitely athletic and in-shape. The only ones who could stand a chance are Ante, Anvil, and Claw. But Ante is her best friend--she'll probably defend her and accuse me of being misinformed. Anvil and Claw are usually hands-off of pretty much everything. Who knows if they're even at the warehouse with everyone else?ㅤㅤI'll…I'll feign ignorance. There's no way it'll go down well if I make a big deal right from the get-go.ㅤㅤAnd it won't be suspicious if I act weird around Shophar. After all, Shophar probably already knows I'm uncomfortable with her, given that she…ㅤㅤOh, my God. She sexually assaulted me. Oh, my God. What the fuck? I know. I know. I had that nightmare where she went the full way. But…In real life. She really did assault me. How did I not process that as sexual assault? What the actual hell?! Wait, no. I know it's an effect of trauma. The fact that I haven't thought about it in a while means I probably suppressed it pretty hard. This is about to be the most fucked up thing I've ever said, but.ㅤㅤPersonally, the reality that people close to you could sexually assault you is more terrifying than Mr. E, a pedophilic piece of shit. But honestly, it's a similar case. Mr. E was someone physically close to Jaimie. Ugh. It's disgusting. I don't like thinking about the dream.ㅤㅤThat's reality. It's actually disgusting.ㅤㅤIt's gross. I don’t want to think about him again.ㅤㅤInvestigator Don time. Any motives that Shophar might have? Hm. Cerus barely spoke to Shophar. During work, Cerus has pretty much been with Helix for the majority of the time. At the karaoke bar, they didn't speak either. I think they've only ever greeted each other. Cerus has probably been scared of Shophar since first meeting her, given Cerus' personality. A motive, though? I don't know!ㅤㅤAaaaaand I'm here.

●●●ㅤㅤI hug Stag instantly. Really tight. I probably tear up a little, but I'm not going to admit that.ㅤㅤ"Don…"ㅤㅤStag starts to cry, too.ㅤㅤI'm right outside the warehouse with Vein and Stag. Looks like everyone else is inside. Probably out of respect for this family reunion happening.ㅤㅤ"Don! I love you! Hope you're okay!" Vein exclaims as she joins in on the hug. Stag releases me. I pick up Vein by the armpits and swing her around. I bring her down and kiss her a slobbery smooch on the cheeks.ㅤㅤ"Bleh! Ew!"ㅤㅤI put my pinky in her ears.ㅤㅤ"Ah! Don! Rrrg!"ㅤㅤVein bites me through my shirt. I forgot that demons have sharp canines and incisors. Ouch. I wonder if that counts as skin contact. I mean, I already kissed her, so it doesn't really matter.ㅤㅤI karate chop her head. Then I feel a karate chop on my head.ㅤㅤ"Why do you two do this? Let's just go inside," Stag orders.

●●●ㅤㅤLet me explain. I used the word 'storage facility' interchangeably with 'warehouse'.ㅤㅤWe're not just renting one storage room at a storage facility. We actually own the whole storage facility itself. So yeah, it's a giant warehouse with a main reception room. Genuinely suspicious of where Stag gets this money. Maybe Joni was just a rich bitch. Sorry, Joni. I mean Ms. G. I mean Gionna. Whatever. I don't really know.ㅤㅤEveryone's here.ㅤㅤStein is showing Wing and Dent some of her newest gem hauls. Hope they are actually entertained.ㅤㅤCrescent is asleep on the couch next to Swan, who's reading a book. Hot.ㅤㅤTower is sitting at the receptionist desk. Appropriate location for my babysitter from Hell who abandoned me.ㅤㅤThrough the reception room's window to the warehouse, I see Claw dribbling a basketball and playing with Helix and Tel. Claw may be a short pipsqueak, but she's clearly got handles compared to Helix and Tel.ㅤㅤTib is terrified of basketballs and is cowering behind her older brother, Buron. Behind Buron is the enormous Ranro, the eldest brother of the Tiblings. He's asleep. I'll make sure to greet Buron. He's cooler than Tib, at least.ㅤㅤAnte and Shophar are squatting near one of the open garage doors of the warehouse, with Shophar smoking and Ante just chilling. The chillest person in the world next to the girl who almost killed my friend. Among other things. Hm.ㅤㅤSo no Anvil? I should just leave right now.ㅤㅤJust kidding, obviously. Wonder where she is.ㅤㅤI'm a celebrity. For the most part. Most of the girls gather around me, interrupting their previous conversations. Majority of them know I don't like physical touch, so they just come up to me and greet me. I don't give a fuck whose dream I get. Just not Cerus'. Haha. Already touched Vein, too. Anyway, Crescent stays asleep through all this. Helix notices me from outside the reception room, blushes, and turns away, continuing to play with Claw and Tel. None of whom care to greet me. That's all good. The Tiblings, Ante, and Shophar haven't noticed me yet.ㅤㅤSwan asks how Cerus is doing. Before I answer, Stag makes a gesture for her to change the subject. She ends up just asking if I'm okay. Tower does her usual friendly greeting, which I'm still kind of wary of. Out of habit, I fist-bump Wing's shoulder. I know, I know. I did that with Cerus before. It's just a thing I do. Don't read into it. I look to the window, and it looks like Helix saw me fist-bump Wing. That's probably not going to go down well.ㅤㅤThings calm down in the reception room, and Stag stays with Tower. Stag says to meet back at the reception room in thirty minutes. I step out into the actual warehouse garage, where everyone else is. Vein follows behind me.ㅤㅤHelix has the ball in her hand, then notices me approaching. She scrambles and drops the ball, giving Tel a chance to take the ball and pass it to me unexpectedly.ㅤㅤI suck at any and all sports.ㅤㅤIt hits me in the stomach, and I cough and gag a bit.ㅤㅤ"Oh. Woops," says Tel.ㅤㅤHelix comes to my defense, saying, "Come on, Tel! You know Don can’t–”ㅤㅤ"Nah, he'll be alright. Look, he's getting back up!" answers Tel.ㅤㅤAs I collect myself together and get up, Claw immediately ignores me and dashes past me toward Vein. She embraces Vein.ㅤㅤ"Vein!" she exclaims.ㅤㅤ"Ngh!" Vein tries to weave out of her grasp.ㅤㅤHelix comes up to them and pries Claw away.ㅤㅤ"She hasn't seen her brother in over a day. Let her spend time with him, okay?" Helix tells Claw.ㅤㅤ"Oh…Okay," Claw looks disappointed, but she listens to Helix. It honestly feels like Claw respects everyone but me. Tel and Claw go back to playing together.ㅤㅤHelix just looks at me.ㅤㅤ"H–Hey, Don," she says.ㅤㅤ"Hey, Helix."ㅤㅤ"Glad to see you're doing good."ㅤㅤ"Yeah. It's good to see you, too."ㅤㅤ…ㅤㅤI feel a tug on my shirt.ㅤㅤ"Um. I'm going to play with Tib. Are you going to hug big sis Helips?" asks Vein.ㅤㅤ"Yeah, go ahead. Um. Yeah, sure," I answer.ㅤㅤI go up to Helix, gesturing a hug.ㅤㅤShe backs up and is blushing like crazy.ㅤㅤ"…Or not."ㅤㅤVein has already walked off to Tib and her two older brothers.ㅤㅤ"Ah! Sorry, Don! Just--I'm honestly a bit flustered. I--If you really want to hug, I…I don't mind. Just need to mentally prepare myself…I'm sorry for blowing up at you the o--other day. It was--"ㅤㅤI hug her and she shuts up.ㅤㅤAfter a few seconds she hugs me back and tightens her grip.ㅤㅤ5-second hug. It shouldn't feel as long as it actually is. I'm so glad Tel is pre-occupied with Claw, or I'd be getting teased to Hell.ㅤㅤI look across. Ante and Shophar are faced away from the inside, so they still haven't noticed me. Good.ㅤㅤ"You're good, Helix. Let's catch up later. I'm going to greet the Tiblings," I say as I end the hug. I managed not to make skin-to-skin contact. It’d be interesting to eat Helix’s dreams, but now is not the time.ㅤㅤShe doesn't say a word and just walks toward the reception room.ㅤㅤI come up to Buron, who excitedly floats up to me. I return him with a massive hug. He's so gelatinous and huge, I can somewhat sink my face into him and leave a temporary imprint. It's hilarious. I do so, and Vein and Tib share a chuckle. I leave Ranro alone, since he's still asleep.ㅤㅤI turn to the next direction.ㅤㅤUgh. Let's do this. Time to talk to Ante and Shophar.

• Back to ACT 6 Menu

Chapter 27 ● The Sorry and the Suspicion

ㅤㅤ"Hey, Ante. Shophar."ㅤㅤAnte and Shophar jolt a little bit at my voice. Damn.ㅤㅤ"Oh! Don! Welcome back! Hope you're okay!" says Ante as she comes up. She almost hugs me, then stops.ㅤㅤ"I'm doing good! Just need to calm down a bit. A lot has happened."ㅤㅤI look toward Shophar, who hasn't stood up nor acknowledged me.ㅤㅤ"Yep, you definitely need to relax. Hey, Shophar. Go on," says Ante.ㅤㅤShophar turns her head away. She puts out her cigarette.ㅤㅤ"Shophar…Come on. You wanted to tell him," Ante continues to urge.ㅤㅤ"Ante. Just drop it," Shophar says sternly.ㅤㅤHuh? What?ㅤㅤ"Shophar. I knew you’d get cold feet. Come on. Tell Don what you wanted to tell him."ㅤㅤ"…" Shophar begins to bury her face in her arms.ㅤㅤLiterally what the fuck is happening?ㅤㅤ"Shophar. You did something wrong. Something I normally wouldn't ever forgive you for. I wouldn't even be talking to you right now in any other circumstance. But you have to prove yourself."ㅤㅤHuh?! Did Shophar confess to stabbing Cerus? And Ante is chill with that?! Hello?!ㅤㅤ"…" Shophar buries her face even deeper.ㅤㅤ"SHOPHAR!" Ante shouts.ㅤㅤWoah. Ante shouting. What is happening to the universe right now?ㅤㅤShophar stands up and crosses her arms together. She looks away from me.ㅤㅤAnd her eyes are bloodshot red from…crying? What.ㅤㅤLet me just explain to you. Shophar is the tallest demon girl. She's taller than Stag, who towers above the rest of us.ㅤㅤTo have this terrifying powerhouse cry in front of me is so…foreign to me.ㅤㅤBut she's still an evil person. I can't let this get to me. Especially not my sexual harasser.ㅤㅤ"Shophar. Say it now, or you will regret it forever. I don't care how long we've been friends. If you keep saying to drop this, I will drop you right now if you don't tell Don," says Ante.ㅤㅤ"…"ㅤㅤAnte begins to flare up, which--once again--is very rare.ㅤㅤ"SHO—“ㅤㅤ“Don…,” Shophar finally speaks to me. And Ante calms down.ㅤㅤI don’t know what to say, so I keep my mouth shut.ㅤㅤ“I’m sorry.”ㅤㅤHuh? For stabbing Cerus? Yeah, I’ll bet she is.ㅤㅤ“I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. You don’t have to forgive me. I’ll fucking get it if you don’t. I’m a piece of shit.”ㅤㅤ“You have to say it exactly. Otherwise, those are all just empty words. Do it,” encourages Ante.ㅤㅤ“…I’m really fucking sorry. For what I did at the karaoke bar. I can’t explain myself. I can’t forgive myself. I don’t fucking know! I don’t know why you and Helix haven’t told anyone. And now Cerus only knows me as a…” Shophar starts to speak, but falls silent.ㅤㅤAh. She doesn’t want to say it out loud.ㅤㅤWell, that’s not fair, is it? Putting aside the possibility of her faking all this because she fucking stabbed Cerus—I don’t think I plan to forgive her anyway. But how the fuck does she think this would work? I’m the victim here. And she can’t even admit to what it is she did specifically. She doesn’t even have the decency to say it. Unbelievable. I’m fucking pissed. And I’m not fucking scared of her.ㅤㅤ“…Say it,” I demand.ㅤㅤ“H—Huh—“ㅤㅤ“Say it.”ㅤㅤAnte steps in.ㅤㅤ“Shophar. He wants you to say specifically what you did. I know I told you that not everyone wants to hear it, but Don wants you to say it. Or he can’t accept your apology. Is that right, Don?” Ante explains and asks.ㅤㅤI nod my head.ㅤㅤShophar sighs. Her face is red. She shakes her head, pats both of her cheeks with her hands, and looks directly at me. The slit of her eyes are thinner than usual, and her eyes are getting more bloodshot…ㅤㅤOkay, I lied. I’m still a little scared of her.ㅤㅤ“Don. I’m sorry for sexually assaulting you. I’m sorry. I’m sorry I didn’t ask for your consent. I’m sorry. The alcohol was no excuse. The truth is that alcohol doesn’t actually affect my body. I’m sorry for touching you the way I did. I have no excuse. I’m. I’m really…I’m—I’m re—really—really—re—really s—s…”ㅤㅤShophar is really breaking down into tears. She can barely speak. Oh, my God. Is this a legit apology? I mean. I’ve never seen her act before. She’s always been the same bitchy person. She’s never faked a customer service routine at work. I…I think it’s real? But that doesn’t explain the stabbing. Maybe she's had such a guilty conscience from the stabbing that it made her realize that what she did to me was wrong? Gah! I literally don’t know!ㅤㅤ“D—Don…D—D—Don…”ㅤㅤYeah. Nah, bruh. She can’t speak. Damn. I didn’t know she cries the hardest out of anyone I’ve ever seen. Even Tib.ㅤㅤWe’re not exactly completely outside of the garage. We’re kind of right where this garage door is. I’m sure Helix, Tel, and Claw will notice us in a moment. Vein, Buron, and Ranro are on the opposite end, so they wouldn’t see us.ㅤㅤAnte seems to notice this, too. She lightly pushes the crying Shophar outside and toward the wall where they can’t be seen by anyone else. I follow them. Then Ante speaks up.ㅤㅤ“Shophar might not be a crybaby, but when she cries, she cries, haha!” Ante says as she tiptoes to pretend-pat Shophar’s head. I guess Ante avoids touching her, too. Shophar is too busy crying and wiping her eyes and snot to notice Ante’s jab at her. Phew.ㅤㅤ“She can’t speak right now. She said this was most likely going to happen, and that it was okay for me to talk for her. At first, she started this really gigantic text. Then, I told her she should try to say it in person. She admitted she wasn’t the best at talking, so I told her to finish her text. Is it alright with you if I read it to you? Or would you rather wait for her to stop crying and try to tell you herself?”ㅤㅤHaha. The sadistic side of me wants to go with the latter. But I’m better than that. It’s cool.ㅤㅤ“It’s cool. You can read it, “ I affirm her.ㅤㅤ“Sweet. Shophar, you hear that? I’m going to read it to him, alright?” Ante turns to Shophar and says.ㅤㅤ“A—A—Al—Alrig—Eugh—Alright…,” Shophar attempts to say.ㅤㅤThis is great.

●●●ㅤㅤ“‘hey don. i know u prob aint tryna talk to me. i did some fucked up shit the night we did karaoke. i dont have any excuse. i cant say sum bullshit bout bein a succubus. that was all me n i admit it. youre pretty smart so i think u could tell i used some of my succubus abilities. im sorry. u dnt have to forgive me n shit. im pathetic for what i did. if u want me to give u a reason why i did it, i honestly dnt know what i would tell you. but i can tell u just how ive been feelin lately. again its no excuse. and this gon sound fucked up too but pls listen.ㅤㅤive known u the longest of all the employees here. i met u first before u were a boy. or wen u went by bein a girl. idk if thats the right way to say it. srry if it’s wrong. idk im not good at all that shit. i was rude abt all that wen u first got possessed. u got me to realize that its fucked up to think that way. and srry i curse so much. im just really bad w emotional things.ㅤㅤi watched u grow. at first i wanted to be a big sister to u. but i just have this weird thing w stag. i grew up in hell. i aint tryna tell u my whole life story, but i was a spoiled single child shit head that looked up to stag n wanted to be a good succubus like her. then she got all soft n brought me to earth w her. ive been so pissd off at her for a long time bc she kept disapointin me. n i realize i was never the older sister tht u could look up to. i kept goin for as many guys as i could to try and make up for what stag isnt. its not a lifestyle i enjoy, but its sumn i thought i needed to do for myself. i realizd this a lot of times, but i thought it was too late to try n be a good person to u. and i hav resting bitch face.ㅤㅤu grew up. youre a grown man, n i cant say that shit abt wantin to be your big sis figure. and now it gets weird as hell. youre actually cute. i didnt think id start likin u like this. idk what it is. so i got some thoughts in mmy mind n shit. cuz i pull lots of guys i thought youd be the same. but at the same time i was insecure n aint know if i was your type. n I didn’t want to use my abilities so i held back.ㅤㅤthen i noticed helix been likin u. she this cute bubbly chick. i aint know if she ur type but i kept my eye on her. wanted to make sure she dnt pull no moves on u. but u also started chillin w her a lot more. i even ask ante what she know abt it. idkㅤㅤthen serrus showd up. i could tell right away she was your type. tht fucked me up.ㅤㅤall the frustration boiled up n shit. i made the decision to touch u like that. im not proud of it no more. i dnt think i ever was.ㅤㅤi dnt deserve to be someone in your life after what i did. i planned to ask stag if i could move out to another state. but this whole thing abt scythe started happenin.ㅤㅤbut after its over, im going to go thru with my decision. u dnt gotta forgive me. but im rly sorry don. youre a good guy n i took advantage of that.’”ㅤㅤAnte takes a deep breath after reading all of that.ㅤㅤI have never heard Ante curse so much. Damn, Shophar. You got Ante cursing like Sailor Don.ㅤㅤI am astounded. No shot she’s faking this. And nothing seemed to slip up about stabbing Cerus. Wait. Hold on, hold on.ㅤㅤDid she actually stab Cerus? Why have I been so quick to believe Cerus? Cerus doesn’t really have a good resume when it comes to telling the truth.ㅤㅤShophar continues to bawl her eyes out after it was all read by Ante, who then follows up.ㅤㅤ"She told me she cried so much writing that message, by the way."ㅤㅤNo way. There's no way this girl stabbed Cerus. I'm so confused.ㅤㅤ"Ante. Can I talk to you for a minute alone?" I request.ㅤㅤAnte looks at Shophar, who's still bawling.ㅤㅤ"Yeah. Let's go over here and talk quietly."

●●●ㅤㅤ"What's up, Don? And sorry, I choked up a little reading that, too, haha," Ante says, wiping away a tear.ㅤㅤ"Has Shophar told you anything else? Apart from what happened at karaoke? Specifically about Cerus?" I ask.ㅤㅤ"Um…No? Just what was in that text pretty much. She's admitted to me that she's jealous of Cerus. That's about it. Why?"ㅤㅤ"N--Nothing! Has she been out late lately? Haha. Late lately."ㅤㅤ"I'm not sure. I’m starting to think something’s up with you. Tell me, Don. You might regret not being honest with me later."ㅤㅤ"Ugh. You're right. Okay. Please don't think I'm crazy for this."ㅤㅤI briefly explain to Ante my interactions with Cerus. Not the mushy cute stuff. Just the parts about me having the ability to eat dreams. Which eventually leads me to explain that I was able to talk to Cerus in my dream. And who the stabber is.ㅤㅤ"Please believe me! I know it sounds crazy. But, I mean, look at you and Shophar's super strength! You have to admit that we don't know much about ourselves as demons."ㅤㅤAnte shakes her head.ㅤㅤ"You don't know Shophar that well. And I don't blame you at all. Yes, what she did to you was unforgivable. I can't abandon her because I love her. I can tell you from the bottom of my heart that she didn't stab Cerus. She would never think of doing that. She wouldn't even hurt a fly. She's the most delicate girl you could ever know. It's just that she's terrible at even remotely expressing herself. She gets scared easily. She gets terrified even thinking of the future. When she was promiscuous back in the day with multiple guys, she would vent to me how frightened she'd be at every step in those temporary relationships. If you knew the things she’d let men do to her because she was afraid of lashing out and killing them from her strength, you’d understand. She didn't say it in that text, but she told me that after what she did to you at the karaoke bar, she planned to go outside and smoke. Right before she did, Helix approached her and got really upset. Shophar, doing what she always does, was just dismissive about it and ended up taking a taxi home. She admitted she cried that entire taxi ride. She felt unbelievably guilty and didn't tell anyone else but me.ㅤㅤShe plans to apologize to Helix, but she's such a coward. You might think that, just because she acts the same way all the time, that it's her true self. But it isn't. Just because she acts that same way in front of everybody doesn't mean that's who she really is. I know. It sounds counterintuitive. Shophar is a product of terrible parenting and constant expectations. Both from her dad and herself. She's the only demon other than Stag who came from Hell directly. The rest of us don’t know what it’s like in Hell. Even older demons, like Stein, only have spotted memories from Hell. That can't be easy to hold on to. That's bigger than just moving countries. The fact that she even trusts me enough to tell me her secret insecurities is the reason I love her and can't leave her alone."ㅤㅤ"I. Wow. Um…"ㅤㅤI look over to Shophar, who's now only sniffling. That’s progress.ㅤㅤOkay.ㅤㅤThese past two weeks have taught me some crazy shit. Everyone has insecurities. People you don't expect. You don't have to forgive people for the fucked up shit they do. You don't even have to accept their apology. It's not always worth seeing things from their perspective. But most of the time--it is.ㅤㅤ"Alright. That's all I needed. I believe you. I'm sorry if I came across as strong with those suspicions," I confirm.ㅤㅤ"It's okay. If I was in your shoes, I'd feel the same. But I just have to tell you how confident I am that you're wrong," Ante says.ㅤㅤI nod, walk up to Shophar, and look up at her. She covers her face and turns away.ㅤㅤ"I accept your apology, Shophar. But I need more time before I can forgive you. I consider those two things separate. And I'm alright with you being physically near me. It sounds weird, but maybe I should get to know you more before I decide whether I want to forgive you or not. And especially before you move. Is that okay?"ㅤㅤShophar nods.ㅤㅤI lightly grab her hands and pull it away from her face.ㅤㅤNow that she's not bawling, I realize how crazy Succubae are.ㅤㅤShe just cried the River Nile away, and she's breathtakingly beautiful. I'd even say her post-crying face is even cuter in its own way.ㅤㅤ"N—No…If you t—touch me, my powers w—will do something!” Shophar says.ㅤㅤ"So will mine." I remark.ㅤㅤ"H—Huh?"ㅤㅤ"Listen, Shophar. I have—"ㅤㅤSuddenly, I hear an announcement over the warehouse's PA system.ㅤㅤ"Everyone, please gather in the reception room!" calls Stag.ㅤㅤI look at Ante. I quickly say thanks for the explanation and that I feel a lot better about the situation compared to before.ㅤㅤ"Except for Buron and Ranro! You are both way too big. Everyone else–Inside, please!”ㅤㅤLooks like it’s time for us to go. But…Shophar wasn’t kidding. Her powers have done something to me. I didn’t hold her hand for that long. I am wet as fuck and thinking of some very…graphic things.