One Sarcastic Survival

The Day Kalego Almost Exposed Me

Oh, this is bad.

I sat in Kalego's office, the silence thick enough to cut with a knife. He hadn't said anything for a solid five minutes—just stared at me with that sharp, calculating look of his, like he was dissecting my very existence. Honestly, it was getting real uncomfortable.

Kallego: Iruma.

Me: Present.

His eyes narrowed, and I knew, just knew, this wasn't going to be a normal lecture about my recklessness. There was something different about the way he was looking at me today. Like he had finally pieced together a puzzle that had been nagging at him for far too long.

Kallego: You're not who you say you are.

Ah, crap.

I forced a grin, leaning back in my chair like I wasn't a second away from a full-blown panic attack. If there's one thing I'm good at, it's pretending I'm not about to die. A skill I've sharpened since arriving in the Netherworld.

Me: Oh, you've figured me out? Took you long enough. What gave it away—the lack of horns or my dazzling personality?

His expression didn't change. Of course it didn't. This was Kalego. The guy's default face was "perpetual annoyance mixed with murderous intent."

Kallego: Don't play games with me, Iruma. You think I haven't noticed? The way you dodge every fight, the lack of any real magic during your 'performances,' and that... pathetic attempt at pretending to belong here.

Okay, this is worse than I thought.

I opened my mouth, some sarcastic retort ready to fly out, but Kalego stepped forward, his presence practically looming over me. His eyes were locked onto mine, and for the first time in a long while, I felt the weight of real danger.

Kallego: Tell me the truth. What are you?

Yep. 

Definitely worse than I thought.

I leaned forward slightly, crossing my arms and putting on my best 'I totally belong here' face. Was it working? No idea, but what else was I supposed to do? Confess?

Me: What, you're just now figuring it out? I'm a—

Kallego: Enough.

Okay, not my best plan.

His voice was low, colder than usual, and it sent a chill down my spine. He wasn't asking anymore. He was demanding. The funny thing was, despite all that, I couldn't stop myself.

Me: You know, for someone who's supposed to be smart, you're awfully slow on the uptake.

Kallego's eyes narrowed dangerously. I probably should've shut up there, but like I said, I can't help myself.

Me: I mean, really. What was your first clue? The fact that I don't randomly burst into flames, or the obvious lack of wings?

Kallego: So you admit it.

Whoops. Did I just...

I sat there, my heart doing flips in my chest. He'd never said the word. Human. But the implication was clear. He knew. Or, at the very least, he was very close to knowing.

I should've been panicking, right? Like, full-blown freak-out mode? But no. Instead, I could feel my sarcasm cranking up to maximum levels.

Me: Wow, this is such a relief. It's been so hard keeping up the whole 'demon' act, you know?