I will return

22

As I watched the guard through the glass display case, all I saw was my own reflection. The man, however, seemed confused, his brow furrowed in annoyance."Who are you?" he asked with a firm voice.

I couldn't help but laugh, a laugh that echoed in the silence of the museum. "Who am I?" I repeated, my tone mocking as I turned to look at him, unable to contain my laughter. The guard seemed more uncomfortable, his eyes searching for answers. "How...how did you get in here?" He stammered, trying to process what he was seeing. "You're a... dog."

His doubt only fueled my amusement. My laughter grew louder, deeper, and each laugh ignited the burning sensation in my chest and right paw. "A dog? Do you really have no idea what's going on?" I reveled in his uncertainty.

The guard's concern grew as I continued to laugh, his face turning pale as he cursed in desperation. "You seriously dare to call me that, your future master?" I challenged him, watching as his questions turned into incoherent babbles of doubt and fear.

"Who are you really?" he finally asked, his voice cracking with confusion.I moved a little closer, enjoying every second of his bewilderment. "You really don't remember me? ...Luis." I slowly removed my mask, letting my face, marked by time and the power of the Daemon Ritus, reveal itself to him.

The guard took a step back, his breathing ragged as realization hit his memory. "Scrappy..." he muttered, his voice barely a whisper of disbelief. "But... you should be in prison! How come you are here?"

My laughter reverberated again, an echo that resonated between the walls of the museum. "That doesn't matter now," I replied, moving closer. "What matters is that you will return to where you belong."

With a calculated movement, I raised my right paw. I felt power flow from my chest, a current of energy that connected me directly to Luis. "This will be my new and improved body," I declared with a voice filled with power and satisfaction. And then, with a single gesture, Luis's soul detached itself from his body.

The Daemon Ritus began to glow from the display case, reacting to my energy. Its top opened slowly, as if it were waiting for me. With a simple direction of my paw, Luis's soul was absorbed into the artifact, his screams silenced in an instant. The Daemon Ritus closed again, sealing its power.

I took a moment to enjoy the feeling in my chest, a heat that burned with each soul it absorbed. "It's time to work, Luis," I said, with a wicked smile as I looked at the empty body I had left behind.