Hellbound Hearts

19. Two Worlds

I can't remember the last time I slept so peacefully. I wake up clear-headed, without any tangled emotions, and look forward to the simple, unhurried pleasure of morning coffee.

As I come downstairs, I immediately notice Cody seated at one of the tables. Our eyes meet briefly. He offers a slight smile, then turns away, deeply engaged in conversation with Kaja. For some reason, I find myself lingering, my hand unconsciously resting on my chest.

Memories of yesterday replay in my mind. My heart skips a beat, but I shake off the feeling and focus on preparing coffee.

"Almost done!" Kaja exclaims enthusiastically after a minute.

I have no idea what she's talking about, so I approach their table slowly.

"What's done?" I ask, puzzled.

On the table lie two sheets of white paper, pencils, an eraser, and a pile of shavings. As I look closer, I realize these are sketches of the demons that escaped us yesterday. The drawings are meticulous and detailed, almost photographic.

"Impressive work," I say, though my fists itch just looking at them. "When did you get so skilled?"

Kaja often drew sketches of escaped demons to help us with identification, but her drawings usually lacked precision. This sudden improvement genuinely surprises me.

"Cody drew these. Turns out he's really talented," Kaja says proudly. "I only gave him a brief description, and he captured them perfectly."

I study the sketches again, acknowledging Cody's impressive work. Smiling, I mess with Kaja's hair playfully.

"Learn from the best," I joke.

I glance at Cody. He's looking back at me, his expression a mix of confusion and hesitation. Unsure how to break the tension, I smile and step away from the table.

*

Not feeling hungry, I make myself a cup of coffee and head down to the basement, the quietest place in the house. I need some time to think and prepare for training.

I trace my fingers around the rim of the ceramic cup, taking a small sip. I've brought the sketches with me and taped them to the wall. I silently analyze them for a while.

While it's progress, the situation feels even more daunting. Besides the sketches, we have no other information—no names, no addresses. Just faces, and no one knows where to find them.

"Playing detective?" a voice breaks my concentration.

I turn to see Cody standing in the doorway. It's his first time in the basement, and his eyes scan the surroundings with curiosity.

"Someone has to," I reply with a smile.

"I'm not saying I'll start smashing demons' heads, but I can contribute ideas or offer an extra set of eyes or hands," Cody says unexpectedly. "There's no need to keep me out of this."

I stare at him, taken aback by his serious and confident tone. I already know this guy is hard to intimidate, but I didn't expect him to offer his help.

"You're full of surprises," I say with a smirk. "What else can you do?"

"Want to find out?" Cody asks, shrugging off his denim jacket.

He casually walks over to the mattresses on the floor. Realizing what he's suggesting, I chuckle.

"Ready to get your ass kicked by a non-demon?" I chuckle.

"You have no idea how hard it is to fight them without any special abilities," he says, wrapping his wrists with elastic bands. "Physical strength is all I've got."

"Is that a challenge?" I raise an eyebrow.

Cody nods. Intrigued, I nod back.

"Alright, let's give it a go."

We both focus, and I raise my fists defensively. Beneath his brown hair, Cody's eyes gleam with mischief. I can't help but smile a bit.

I brace for his first move, expecting a basic attack that'll be easy to block. Instead, he delivers a precise, powerful blow. I deflect his series of strikes and counter with my own punches. Mine are faster and stronger, but he holds his ground impressively, managing to dodge or block most of them. I only graze his side once.

Smiling, Cody steps back. I lunge forward, and we trade a few more blows. Perhaps, he's more of an enthusiast than a professional. But these thoughts cause a critical lapse in my focus. In that instant, Cody takes advantage, spinning around to deliver a sharp kick to my stomach. Doubling over, I gasp for breath.

"Timeout," I say, straightening up, pleasantly surprised. "I underestimated you."

Cody smiles, brushing aside strands of hair that have fallen over his forehead.

"Not bad," Arthur interjects with a grin. "I've been waiting to see you get knocked around."

Cody chuckles and nods modestly.

"Lucky you," I say nonchalantly, not hurt in the least. If anything, I'm relieved Cody has some useful skills.

"He could join our training sessions," Arthur suggests. "It wouldn't hurt to learn some self-defense techniques."

I turn to Cody.

"What do you think?" I ask with a smile.

"As long as I'm not in the way," he says, scratching the back of his neck.

"Great. You've got some interesting moves," Arthur remarks, giving him a thumbs-up.

I'm nearly speechless. For the first time, Arthur praises Cody with no reservations. They exchange glances and share a soft laugh. As they connect, I drift into my own thoughts.

A strange warmth spreads through me. Whether we fight it or not, Cody is slowly becoming a part of our lives. Our two worlds are intertwining, weaving something new. This encounter is shifting the course of events that once seemed predestined, and something tells me it will be incredibly hard to undo it all.