The Demon Prince [BOOK ONE]

Chapter 6: The demon's warning

Harley's eyes fluttered open. He got up from the ground he was lying on and looked around.

What happened? He thought.

He was lying on the grass, just outside one of Nana's precious bushes. It took him a moment to recall what happened.

-Flashback-

After Harley caught Ruby and Dyrroth, he wants to find the others. And he did, he jumpscared them when he found them, and now the last one was Harith. He spotted a tail in one of Nana's bushes. He ran towards that particular bush and wrapped his hand around that tail.

"Gotcha!"

Harith screamed. He quickly got out of the bush and knocked Harley out, accidentally. 

"Oops." Harith pretended nothing happened and raced towards the other side of the garden.

😈

"Darn you, Harith," muttered Harley.

He got up and started to walk towards the treehouse.

How can they forget about me? He thought.

He walked up the steps of the treehouse slowly and then he wrapped his hands around the door handle and pulled it open.

"It's time for me to make my entrance!" announced Harley melodramatically.

He saw that everyone was eating their breakfast, or so it looked like. They looked at Harley when they heard him.

"Hey Harley, where did ya go yesterday night?" asked Nana.

"Ask Harith."

"I can't do that," replied Nana, chewing on some bread.

"Why not?" Harley raised an eyebrow.

"He's drunk." Nana pointed at Harith, sure enough, Harith looks like he just woke up and he was holding what appears to be one of the stuff that Harley drinks.

"Didn't know you drink vine Harley," Nana stared.

Harley's eyes widened. "That isn't vine." He pointed at Harith who was apparently, drunk. He stared dreamily out of space.

"Then why is he like that?" asked Nana.

"Might be... allergic," Harley replied. "I don't get drunk when I drink this."

"Anyways how did he get ahold of my drink-"

Suddenly Harith jumped off the couch and grabbed his arm, the impact made Harley fall to the ground with Harith.

"What the Harith-" Harley thought that Harith came to his senses and tried to strangle him, but he was wrong. He is still in his drunk state. 

Something's wrong, why is he drunk? he thought.

"Alright, get back Harith, or I am gonna give you a taste of my boomerang." Nana took out her boomerang with a pop.

Harith didn't seem to hear her, of course, he is, drunk. Harley is getting uncomfortable.

"Do something!" pleaded Harley.

"Why me, you are the genius after all," replied Nana. Harley gritted his teeth. His mouth and ability could get him into trouble these days.

"I-I don't wanna go, I wanna stay with Harley," replied Harith who is drunk.

Harley flushed after hearing these words. He was so used to Harith threatening him every time whenever he uses his magic to do stuff, and of course, cheating at games that they play. He was his best friend but of course, Harith wouldn't say that to Harley, let alone in front of everyone. But yes, he was drunk. If he wasn't then Harley could have just knocked this leonin off him on the head.

He tried to heave the leonin off him but his hands were tightly wrapped around Harley.

"Aha cute," muttered Nana when she noticed what was happening. "Harith never cared about you enough to hug you."

"Because he is DRUNK!" protested Harley.

He tried to look anywhere but Harith's expression, then he realized that no one was paying attention to him, even Nana lost interest in both of them. Then he saw it. Him. He was looking at him and Harith.

It's a hood figure, covered with a black cloak. He stared at Harley for a while, with an evil-looking smile on his face, (Not that Harley can tell) with his arms folded.

While Harley was staring into his shining blue eyes, he didn't notice that the world around him slowly faded to black. Until it completely did. He realized that Harith wasn't on him anymore, the others that ate breakfast were gone, only that demon sitting on the same chair. 

"I have been looking at you closely Harley." The hood figure said.

Harley looked closely at the hooded figure.

"Where is everyone?"

"Oh yes, they are here, but they won't be for long." the hooded figure chuckled. "A terrifying fight is coming for all of your friends, and it's getting nearer..."

Harley's eyes widened with fear. "What do you mean 'fight'?"

The hooded figure chuckled softly. "I thought you were the so-called genius, the know-it-all, and you can't figure this out?"

Harley thought for a moment.

What fight?

What is it?

What fight could be awaiting my friends? 

What scares them most?

Wait...

Harley suddenly understood what terrifying fate that hooded person meant. "No please no, don't do this!"

The hooded figure snorted with amusement.

"Fine, I won't do it," Harley's heart leaped with relief as the hooded guy said these words...But of course, his happiness faded when he realizes what is gonna happen next...

"...If you sacrifice yourself."

Harley's stomach dropped. He knew it! Everything comes with a trade, and this trade was gonna be far by the hardest trade he will ever do. 

"Trade your soul to save everyone from dying in the fight that will come soon enough?"

Harley gulped. He didn't want to leave his friends so soon. To leave his sister so soon. To leave the human world so soon...

"Okay, but one condition," The figure groaned as Harley said this. " I will come to you by the end of the week, I just want to spend as much time as I can with my friends."

The figure chuckled. he expected more. From a boy like him.

"Then you have it," The figure stood up from the chair which disappeared as he did. "Come to the abyss in one week or everyone is doomed."

The figure conjured up a black silver ball that looks like it contained air, and he shot it at Harley's chest. The impact knocked Harley out. Before he lost consciousness he heard the figure said: "Remember..."

😈

Harley gasped. He got up. He looked around and found out that he was in one of Nana's bedrooms. He sighed with relief.

That was only a dream.

Harley got out of bed and went out of the bedroom that was decorated with sparkly glitter which is now all over Harley's hair. He groaned. No one touches his hair except for Sister Lesley.

The mage started to prowl down the staircase, taking his little backpack off the floor and opened it, taking out a couple of books and setting them on the coffee table in the living room. He cracked his fingers.

Time to investigate.