The Short Demon King

Chapter 13

"There, all done," Maya said as she gathered her materials. "Hopefully this braid lasts a little longer. I made it as tight as I could."

"Thanks," I uttered, turning back to her. "Will Kevin be back soon?"

She checked her phone, "Yeah, he'll be here soon. He's not reckless enough to stay out too late."

I gave a slow nod, debating ways to avoid him. I didn't want to be in the house when he arrived. That would force me to confront him and I was not in the right headspace to deal with everything just yet. I stared at the roof above us.

The roof... That'd be perfect!

"I'm gonna clear my head outside," I told her.

"Go for it," she responded. "Just be careful please."

"Don't worry, I will."

I forced a slight smile before escaping through the front door. There were quite a few plants outside the house. Those could work. I crouched low to prepare myself, then leapt into a small tree. This lifted me closer to the roof, but I would still need to jump for it.

I flew off the tree and grasped the lowest ledge. I managed to pull myself up and let out a sigh of relief. I successfully made it up here. I could finally let myself relax a little.

Everything around me was darker now, only small lights shining in the sky. While these specks of light let me see enough to know what surrounded me, it all felt different. Still, the sky was very pretty, almost mesmerizing.

I carefully slid to the back of the roof so no one could see me from the front of the house, then laid back against the tile to let my feet rest. Cool air nipped at my toes and fingertips, causing me to shiver slightly. Maybe I should've brought one of those fluffy blankets out here...

All the heat during the day gave me the impression it was always relatively warm outside in this realm, unlike in mine. The sun probably provided that warmth, so the air got colder in its absence.

I'd acted recklessly these past few days. Back home, I was generally the calm and calculated one, so what happened? At least the night chill soothed my mind. I breathed slowly, attempting to clear my head.

I caused so many problems: for myself, for Maya, for Kevin. It was my fault we argued and my fault that Maya and I almost got swept out to sea. These humans both already did so much for me, I should've been helping them instead of causing all these problems. They weren't even aware of my fight in the alley, certainly the worst thing I'd done so far.

I sighed, warming the air around me. Tomorrow will be different, I decided. I'll go to the party with Maya, then apologize to Kevin. I shouldn't have lashed out at him to begin with.

I would clearly be unable to sleep tonight; my mind wouldn't stop racing. There was no point in just lying here, so I slid off the roof and landed outside the back fence. I returned to this house enough times now to know how to get back on my own. I wouldn't get too lost.

With that decided, I left. Exploring this realm at night was a completely different experience. The crowds were gone, and barely any humans stayed outside in the darkness. They were instead replaced by these tiny critters that ran away from me whenever I got close.

The wind kept me company, whistling in my ear. Together, we explored the quiet town center, finding all sorts of fun hiding spots for small animals. We searched around a bit before leaving to see different areas.

I eventually found a tall building made up of multiple blocks stacked atop each other. It had to be at least three stories high. Now that would be fun to climb. It'd also offer a great view of the entire town.