Demon Inside You

"Finally we're back,"

Even though it looked like over a week or so had just passed, the time seemed to have gone by in the blink of an eye for me.

Thankfully, we didn't encounter many hurdles on our ride home.

"Nice house,"

Aster praised as he looked at our house.

Mine was way, way, and way larger than this one though.

However, this small and cramped space, which kept me for eighteen years, provided me with more care than the previous houses I had half a millennium ago.

So I liked this more.

"I know,"

Once I replied to that praise, we entered inside where Freia greeted us on our doorsteps.

"How did it go?"

Aster and Yana both looked in my direction after being asked by Freia as if to signal that I was the one to give a heads-up of our journey.

Should I hide it or should I not?

I decided fast enough.

"It was a blast,"

There was no need for them to know it.

Aster and Yana seemed also to understand the assignment of keeping that situation under wraps for now.

If they'll have to know it eventually, then it will not be coming from our mouths.

…

"So you've bought a friend, Cillian. How surprising. Is he someone that can keep up with your condescending attitude?"

Yana started chuckling as she had a spoon stuck in her mouth while Aster almost choked after taking a bite of the sudden question that appeared out of nowhere from Freia's mouth.

"Mum… I don't have— anyway, let's just eat. You're just going to tease me again,"

Freia laughed as she watched both Yana and me with her delighted eyes as she shrugged.

"I don't know. I'm just so proud of you two. My son and daughter passed the Academy trials, but then I discovered that you guys finished higher than the rest, it made me even prouder you know?"

Man, when is she going to stop complimenting us?

Feeling embarrassed that I was being showered with compliments just because I showed something of a child's play, I proceeded to take a bite and kept hearing my mother telling stories to Aster.

"When Cillian was just a cute little boy, he always had this kind of unbothered expression that he showed from the outside, you know. We were expecting a troublesome kid at our first… but then that troublesome attitude came from the second,"

Sensing that she was being targeted, Yana raised her spoon as she pouted with food remains scattered everywhere as she spoke.

"I was not troublesome when I was a kid, mum! It was just other kids messing around with me and I had no choice but to fight,"

Freia seemed to be reminiscing as she let out a chortle.

"And I always watch you being rescued by Cillian. I remember that you were always crying as you approached him for help. Being the good older brother he is, Cillian always finds a way to stop those bullies of yours, right? What does he always say to you, Cillian? Ah right, it is—"

Before she could even reveal those words, both me and my mother uttered the words together.

"Brother… those punks bullied me,"

This time, it was Yana's turn to be embarrassed as he continued eating with her ears reddened.

It would've been different if it was just the three of us in the table but Aster was there to listen to us.

But I think Freia understood all of this and continued to go all the way in just to see her children's reactions.

Her gaze soon finally landed at Aster who was watching everything in amusement.

"Anyways, Aster Densworth, right?"

Aster gulped the mouthful of food down to his throat before answering respectfully.

"Yes ma'am,"

Freia looked at her with the same eyes as the way she looked at us before asking.

"Tell me about yourself."

Uh, that kinda seems inappropriate.

Turning my head to my Freia to respectfully ask her to leave him alone, Aster appears to not have minded it at all as everything was harmless.

"I'm an orphan, ma'am,"

As if this was an interview, Aster began to explain himself.

"I don't remember the names of my father or mother, even their faces are unknown to me. But it was a long time ago so it was natural, and it is longer than you could've thought of,"

Aster smiled innocently then proceeded to change the topic.

"I'm also good when it comes to handling weapons, like my sword. Which is why I decided to enroll in the Academy and try to learn more from them. But the main reason I wanted to go there in the first place is to procure free food that's all. You see, the last orphanage that took me was out of budget hence they had no choice but to exclude the adults and let them go,"

Even though Aster tried to explain his situation in a lively tone, there's no way we're going to be smiling at it.

That's why the table became quiet.

And deep into his explanation, the topic went adrift to a more dangerous matter.

"You see, on my way towards the Academy, I found this strange castle,"

I had to stop it.

"All right, that's enough storytelling for the day."

Looking at Yana and Freia who were almost teared up as they got to know more about Aster, I shook my head and cleaned the table.

Those teary faces will turn into despair when they realize that Aster isn't as ordinary as they had imagined.

"Hey, I want to learn more about this castle—"

I picked up Yana's plate and strongly disagreed.

"We can talk about it next time. Right mother. You said that you prepared Father's lunchbox. I'll deliver it to him,"

Gesturing for Aster to come with me, I saw my mother giving me the lunchbox and made our way out of our house to deliver the meal meant for my father.

…

"What are you even thinking of doing there? Almost describing the demon's lair in front of them?"

Walking down the streets as he walked towards my father's shop downtown, my tone was slightly raised while getting annoyed at the unnatural actions of Aster.

However, his face had a look of confusion.

"I… don't know,"

Aster touched his head.

"I was never like this. I'm not a guy who usually slips something from my mouth since I'm a careful person. I… believe me, I don't know what I was thinking when I was trying to mention the castle to them,"

Huh?

He doesn't know?

Looking at his face that speaks of confusion, I believed it right away since Aster wasn't the type of person who would reveal that secret willingly unless there was something to gain like my situation.

He confessed to me because he believed I could treat his condition.

The situation when he was explaining it to my family is a different matter.

He had nothing to gain from it, and he didn't want to reveal a sob story and then transfer it into the castle as if it were nothing.

Unless…

'Unless something is influencing him from the outside…'

Aster seemed to begin to realize it too.

"The Demon,"

I frowned.

"You said you killed it right?"

Aster firmly nodded.

"I did,"

My gaze fell into the chaotic mana inside his body, feeling subtle changes from inside that gave me a clue.

However, there was no way to confirm it.

"It's going to be crazy to tell you this but I believe the Demon is inside you,"

Aster took a nervous swallow of his saliva before nodding.

"I was thinking the same thing as well,"

I watched him declare that in a confident and uneven tone.

Is he not nervous?

Every kid my age would've already thrown a tantrum and fainted when an unknown existence was invading inside of them unless there was a similar person like me who got reincarnated.

Aster's composure was on just another level.

Nodding my head once, I stated.

"When I'm done with my business with my father, the first thing we'll need to do is exterminate that pest inside you. Don't worry, I'll help you,"

If he wasn't afraid to tackle this, then the job will be easier.

Besides he wasn't alone since I was here.

Understanding the message I was trying to relay, Aster nodded.

"All right,"