Chapter 9 : The Demon Who Loves Roses

In truth, Yamile was a beautiful 21-year-old girl. She had long hair and often tied it back. Her beauty wasn't very apparent when she behaved tomboyishly. But now things had changed—after gaining demonic powers, she completely transformed, now loving to wear feminine clothes.

Now, Yamile was more charming and playful. "The sun is rising higher—I didn't wear sunscreen again. I'm afraid my skin will get burnt," she murmured.

At that moment, Yamile was walking under the morning sun. She was passing through neighbors' houses to steal clothes. Hopefully, she could also find some food for breakfast—for herself, Zhao, and Biacca.

She continued her cautious walk to evade the Split Sun group's discovery.

"What's this?" Yamile mumbled in confusion when she saw her shadow. It was beyond logic—her shadow now had long, flowing hair, wore a crown, and donned a magnificent dress.

She quickly looked down at her body and felt her hair. "There's no crown, so why is my shadow wearing one?"

In the midst of her confusion, her left eye turned green. "This is me! Am I beautiful or what? The voice of the demon Niroki echoed in Yamile's mind, speaking to her.

"Are you some kind of royal princess?" asked Yamile.

"I am a queen of the sea," Niroki replied.

"From now on, I am your master. Obey all my commands without question. You lowly human!"

That command and insult instantly made Yamile angry. "This is my body, and I control it. Don't give me orders. You're nothing but a servant to me."

"Servant? How dare you speak to me like that!" Niroki was furious at being called a lowly servant.

"I'm the one in charge here because this is my body. So don't act like you own it."

"You'll pay for this!" Niroki snapped.

Slowly, Yamile's eye returned to white—signaling that Niroki had stopped interfering with her mind.

"Cursed demon," Yamile muttered as she resumed her hunt for clothes and food.

After wandering for a while, she finally found a pile of clean clothes at a local laundromat. The clothes were ready to be dried but had been left unattended by their owner.

Yamile quickly grabbed a few pieces that she thought suited her. But just as she was about to run, the owner came back, shouting in rage.

"Hey, those are my clothes!" he yelled.

Startled, Yamile bolted and ran so fast that the man couldn't catch her.

"Damn demon!" He cursed.

---

Inside a cave, Biacca looked calmer. The wound on her neck from the rope was beginning to heal, and her breathing had stabilized. Zhao kept a distance, letting her sit alone, staring at the small fire—warm, but not enough to heal her emotional wounds.

"I remember something…" Biacca whispered faintly, almost to herself.

Zhao turned toward her. "What is it?"

"There was a voice… just before I lost consciousness. A woman's scream, and then… a sound like light slicing through the air."

"That was Yamile. She saved you."

Biacca nodded slowly. "Thank you… for everything."

Zhao gave a small nod and a faint smile. But his mind was still churning. Ever since witnessing Biacca's suicide attempt, his long-suppressed anger had resurfaced. He knew the situation wasn't just coincidence. The intense emotions, the rampant despair, the drive to end one's life—all had one root cause: Kalanak.

"What's your name, and where are you from?" Zhao asked, trying to learn everything he could about the girl.

"My name is Biacca. I'm from an orphanage in the city center," she answered softly.

"So who bullied you so badly that you tried to kill yourself?"

Biacca took a while to respond. She kept her head down. "My schoolmates," she said quietly.

Zhao exhaled deeply. That answer didn't bring him relief—it only fueled the fire in his chest. "Schoolmates?" he muttered. "What are their names?"

Biacca slowly turned her head, her face troubled. "I… don't even know if they deserve to be called friends. They just… enjoyed seeing me suffer. In my heart, they have no names. They're monsters."

Zhao clenched his jaw. He was sure that Biacca's so-called friends were the main culprits behind the recent surge in suicides. They must be working under the demons of Kalanak.

"When your body's recovered, please take me to them," Zhao said firmly.

Biacca was shocked by the request. "No! Don't! Why should we go to them?"

"I just want to know who they are. I want to understand how people can be so cruel. I want to see their faces, one by one," Zhao said with conviction.

As they were talking, Yamile returned casually. She walked gracefully, like a royal queen.

Earlier, Yamile had only been wearing a bikini, but now she had changed her attire to a long-sleeved white shirt and a mini skirt. She didn't come back empty-handed either—she brought fruits and bread for their breakfast.

"Why are you acting weirder and weirder?" Zhao shouted as Yamile approached.

"Why are you yelling? I'm not weird!" Yamile retorted.

"Then why are you eating a rose?" Zhao shouted, holding his head in utter confusion.

Only then did Yamile realize what she had been eating. In her hand was a rose, and her mouth was still chewing its petals.

"Whaaaat! Why am I eating this?" Yamile screamed in panic. She quickly threw away the rose and spat it out.

Zhao and Biacca could only stare in disbelief at her behavior. "Why am I eating a flower? I swear I thought it was an apple," Yamile panicked even more.

Zhao got up and took Yamile aside to talk privately, away from Biacca.

"Is this because of Niroki's power?" Zhao asked.

Yamile immediately glared at him. "This is all your fault. I would rather not eat flowers!" she snapped.

"Shhh, quiet! Biacca doesn't know about your powers," Zhao protested.

"Then what should I do?"

"Just act normal. Don't let her see anything strange."

Zhao wore a guilty expression but also held back laughter. This only made Yamile angrier. "Why are you holding back your laugh?"

"By the way, what does a rose taste like? Is it sweet?" Zhao teased.

Yamile stepped closer and whispered, "If you weren't my brother, I would've killed you already."

Zhao immediately fell silent, hanging his head in regret.

After their talk, they returned to sit beside Biacca again. They sat close together, eating the fruits Yamile had brought.

"You're not eating flowers anymore?" Zhao teased her again.

"Silence," Yamile snapped, giving him a piercing glare.

For a moment, silence filled the air. Biacca also preferred to remain quiet. Zhao then initiated a fresh discussion about locating Biacca's bullies, emphasizing the urgency of resolving this issue.

"After this, we need to head to the city. I need your help."

Yamile raised an eyebrow. "What kind of help? Don't tell me you want me to steal clothes again…"

"No. I want to find the people who bullied Biacca. Zhao said, "I want to know who they are, where they live, and how they could drive someone to want to die."

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