Demon Soul (1)

XII

I lurched forward, my hand reaching towards something as I was jolted out of a dream. My heart was slamming against my ribs, but finally I was able to see the sunlight filtering through the blinds, illuminating the pale coral walls and soft white blankets. I wasn't home, but...I felt at ease. My heart slowed down, almost as if it had realized I was safe. I smiled as I breathed, laying back down in the blankets. Someone knocked on my door, distracting me from my half awake daze.

"Come in." I smiled.

"Good morning," Gabriel opened the door, carrying a tray with him. On it was a fresh stack of pancakes and a cup of coffee, with some bacon on the side. My mouth was watering just at the smell of it. "How are you feeling?"

"Really good." I sat up, smiling shyly as he placed the tray on the bed. "Thank you so much for explaining everything."

"I wouldn't have just sent you back out there without enlightening you." He chuckled, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. "You're always welcome back here..." Gabriel paused for a moment. "What name do you prefer? I know you weren't raised with your birth name."

"I usually go by Delia, but, I-I don't want that to be me anymore." I leaned forward, wrapping my arms around my estranged fathers neck. He seemed surprised, but hugged me back all the same. "You guys are my family. I want to be Nyx Lumen."

"Okay." He chuckled as I pulled out of his arms. "How is your adoptive family?"

"I hate them." I said without missing a beat, watching his eyes widen while mine darkened. "They treat me like a failure...they favorited Ronin...I have no social life, no motivation, no happiness left because of them. I work my ass off day and night to make them happy, but they still view me as the second best. All because of Ronin."

"Ronin...is he their son?"

"He's a foster kid, just like me." I huffed angrily. "He has no sense of boundaries or morals, he thinks I like him...I thought I got rid of him but then he-he...he came back."

"What did you do?" His voice had an edge of fear to it.

"I killed him." I whispered, gripping the blankets. "I shoved my hand into his chest and ripped out his heart while I laughed and dumped his body out at a lake...but no. He was back at school the next day and acted like nothing happened. H-He told me it was a dream, that I was going nuts, but I know it's not true-!"

"Nyx, I think we may have a larger problem on our hands than the Order members." He stopped me, attempting to calm me down. "Didn't a boy die a few days ago from an animal attack?"

"Blake, yeah." My shoulders drooped. "That thing wasn't an animal though."

"What's it look like?"

"A black emaciated human being with glowing red eyes and fangs." I spat. "That thing took Blake away from me...I want to kill it."

"I believe you may already have."

I looked up, feeling my brows furrow. Gabriel let out a sigh, glancing towards the window as he continued to speak.

"There are things known in the world as Night Mares. They're demons that were born from human souls, making them...strong. They're terrifying creatures, but they're usually unable to leave the Nether due to a seal the Order members placed on a central hub of demonic activity. The monster that killed Blake was a Night Mare. And...I think it may be someone very close to you."

"Ronin." I whispered, feeling my words shake. "Ronin's a demon too?"

"Yes, it's the only way to explain how he might have come back after you...killed him. But even that isn't usually possible, something must have happened to enable him to pass through the rift without problem. The only thing I could think of to enable this would be necromancy."