Chapter Nineteen
Returning Home
“The one who destroyed an entire village?” Yushin’s voice echoed in my ears. “The one that practically killed his fiance’s entire family?”
I could hear them - I could listen to two voices, one belonging clearly to Yushin and the other a bit hazy, but I’m pretty sure it was Enoxon. That last sentence, though, rang through my ears, that one sentence I woke up to.
I slowly open my eyes, and the world around me comes into focus. My head is pounding, and my mouth feels dry. I try to sit up, but my body feels heavy and uncooperative. I don’t remember anything, but I must have passed out. As I try to piece together what happened, I notice an unfamiliar room around me. I feel panic wash over me as I realize I don’t know where I am or how I got here. I take a deep breath and try to calm myself down, glancing up at Enoxon, who is right beside whatever I was lying on, Yushin a few feet away. I did feel dizzy, but laying on a stone for who knows how long will do that to you.
“I’m glad to see you’re okay, Snow,” Enoxon said, gazing up from the ground, amber eyes bright with happiness.
“Welcome Back, Reaper,” Yushin greeted me, crossing his arms and grinning.
Reaper. I couldn’t believe he knew - but I guess if Mati knew, then somehow, so did Yushin. I couldn’t help but wonder if he knew that I was the Reaper the entire time but didn’t want to share that information with me. My gaze scanned the room I was in - it was a large cave, and the tall tree I slept under was in the middle of this cave. Floating red gems lined the room, even a few sitting at the tree’s base. So many questions rang through my head, and I wanted to ask them all at once and get answers.
“Reaper,” I murmured in response. So much had happened in these couple of days, and I wanted to grasp a hold of everything. “Yushin, have you known?” I asked him straight out. I felt off; my body felt weak, as if I could barely walk. Thinking about walking sounded extremely painful.
“Eh,” The Spirit Walker shrugged. “You’ve got a lot of training to do, with me, of course,” The Spirit Walker shared with me, holding out his hand so I could grab it.
“You’ve known that I was a Reaper… And then you intentionally led me to the human world, didn’t you? So you could knock me out and drag my soul to the Celestial World?” I questioned him, refusing the hand that he held out. I wasn’t exactly the happiest camper right now - considering whatever he had done to me before joining the Celestial World, he was responsible. Knowing that he brought me back to… well, wherever in the underworld I was, I was a bit unhappy. And he kept the secret from me.
He didn’t seem intimated by my ‘big girl voice.’ He smirked and shrugged at me, lowering those golden-yellow eyes to me. “Absolutely,” He told me. “But not quite. When I discovered you could pull me from my spiritual form into my human form, you came across Yuna? You kind of made it obvious to yourself. However, you’re a bit dull.”
Dull. That’s precisely what Mati said. These two were apparently peas in a pod - they thought the same.
“How did the escort go?” He asked me, raising his eyebrow.
My gaze flickered to the sorcerer, who continued to sit on his knees and stare at the staff in his hands. Whatever that last sentence was about seemed to bother him, and I ought to question him later about it.
“Escort?” I echoed quietly, not tearing my gaze from the sorcerer.
“Sora, did she find her way home?”
“Did you… Put Sora’s spirit in harm’s way because you wanted to test if I was a Reaper or not?!” I asked, immediately jumping up. As soon as I jumped up, I lost my balance and nearly toppled over Enoxon, who caught me from the side, putting his arms underneath my armpits. “How dare you! She was a sweet and innocent soul that you pulled into the Spirit World to do a test?”
“No, she agreed to do it,” Yushin replied.
“SHE WAS ALMOST EATEN BY A DEMON,” I snapped at him, trying to kick in his direction. “HER SOUL COULD’VE BEEN LOST FOREVER, AND YOU LET THAT HAPPEN?”
Enoxon’s arms grew tighter around my shoulders and armpit, “Calm down, Snow, you need to not move. You’ve been out for nearly three weeks.”
My entire body froze, eyes growing wide. “Did you… Just… Say… Three weeks?” My voice barely above a whisper sounded. With full force, I directly threw my body, taking Enoxon with me at Yushin. “Three damn weeks I’ve been out?! What the hell did I eat? How did I even go to the bathroom?!” I yipped at him, trying to pull Enoxon and my body toward the Spirit Walker.
The spirit Walker casually took a few steps back, putting his hands up and grinning. “Magic,” He replied. “What else would it be?” He asked.
I was annoyed with him, but then again, I’ve woken up from a three-week slumber. My body, wounds, and even my mindset were aching. Speechless, I snorted at Yushin, who was just smiling like he owned the world and did nothing wrong. That smug look was what bothered me. An angry beast inside me was roaring in his direction, though. Oh, how I wished I could get my hands on him. “Hrmph, whatever,” I muttered, relaxing in Enoxon’s grip.
“You’ve gotten a lot feistier,” Murmured Enoxon, relaxing his grip on me.
The corner of my lip curled upward when I felt Enoxon’s grip release. I immediately flung myself at the Spirit Walker. “You’re a complete jerk!” I snapped at him, trying to pummel him into the ground.
However, he was much quicker than I was - considering my legs felt restless and achy. I stumbled over one of the roots in the ground, falling with a thud.
“Snow, I need you to understand,” Yushin’s voice sounded beside me. “I didn’t want to do what we did, but if Kurai saw you go through what you did and was physically there the entire time, I don’t think it would’ve done him any good.”
My face was full of dirt; I spat it out and rubbed my face clear of dirt. His words bothered me; honestly, his voice bothered me. A sigh escaped as I rolled onto my behind and sat there, hugging my knees. “Whatever, Yushin. Thanks for taking care of me, I guess,” I muttered.
He crouched down in front of me, smiling with his head slightly tilted. “You’ve got a lot to learn, and I wish to help you become as strong as your Mother,” He told me, putting his fingertip underneath my chin and gently lifting my chin to lock gazes with him.
My gaze was cold, though, and I just stared into his happy gaze. “I don’t like you right now,” I muttered to him.
“That’s okay; you don’t need to like me to be my prodigy.”
“Yushin, you’re testing waters right now,” Enoxon stated.
“I’m not, though,” Yushin replied, still holding my chin and staring into my eyes. His breath gently caressed my ear as he leaned in close, sending shivers down my spine. The whisper followed was like a gentle tickle, causing my body to tense up as he whispered, “She needs me, and I need her.”
He gently let go of my chin and pulled away from me, his devilish smile turning into a soft smile. I couldn’t help but feel embarrassed with warm cheeks and a gaze that flickered from him to Enoxon, who was standing beside me. “As the result of training a Reaper, I request that she stays here, Enoxon.”
“What?!” I gasped. “I don’t want to stay here! I want to go back with Enoxon and Kurai!” My voice turned whiny when I replied, as my cheeks grew warm.
“This is your mother’s creation here, Snow. This is the Reaper’s Cove, wouldn’t you like to see it, explore it? You do realize that as a Reaper, this is your home now. Right? You can just freely walk around - you have a job now. That’s guiding souls - meeting them at the Gates of Hell and taking them to their homes,” His voice was strict and stern as if he was a teacher.
I frowned as he explained himself, lowering my gaze and staring at my hands. I have a job now. A joh that was probably going to be nearly 24/7. This hurt. Knowing that I couldn’t just go and do what I wanted - I had a responsibility, and that was to ensure that souls got home. Meaning I couldn’t go around and put around like I wanted.
Enoxon’s gentle hand rested on my shoulder, and he crouched beside me, his voice soft like a river, “Snow, it’s okay. You’re not officially a Reaper yet, and the Council of the Sinless is still in charge of guiding souls until you are ready.” The voice was calm and soothing, like a warm blanket on a chilly day. It had a gentle lilt, with just the right inflection to convey sincerity and empathy. Listening to it was like being wrapped in a cocoon of comfort and safety, free from worry and stress, was a moment of kindness.
With no second thought, I gripped his hand, still staring at the ground with a sad look. I had a job. I was in charge of millions of souls a day. How did mother do it? If I were her daughter, how did she have time for me? Was that … Why she gave me up? Because she was busy and she had a job to do? Or was there another reason? I was confused, and I couldn’t help but grip Enoxon’s hand exceptionally tightly. I probably was crushing his bones, but he didn’t seem to mind.
Enoxon looked right up at Yushin. “Training will begin in two weeks,” He told him. “No more, no less. You need to understand that this is a major change for Snow and not something that can be processed within 24 hours.” His voice, deep and demanding, matched Yushin’s reply.
Yushin hesitated to reply, but his voice stated as he held his hand to the sorcerer, “Deal. No more, no less. I will continue to allow the Celestial Realm and myself to guide souls. Snow will be with me two weeks from today to further her training as the Reaper.”
Enoxon nodded and replied, “Fine.” Hesitantly, he held out his other hand and shook the Spirit Walkers.
With that, a puff from Yushin disappeared into thin air.
The sorcerer let out a huge sigh and offered to help me off the ground.
I took his gracious help, pulling myself up with his grip and dusting my body off. I was sad and heartbroken, but I knew I had to take this responsibility. It was just going to be a significant change. Granted, I’ve been working since I was 16 with the death of my parents, Ren and Sayuri. But I wasn’t doing it 24/7. Is that why the Spirit Walkers were created? Because the job was too much for one person? Turning my attention to Enoxon, I let my stare fall to the ground and held one of my arms with my hand, frowning. “Can we go home?” I asked him exceptionally quietly.
“Of course. But before we do, Snow,” Enoxon murmured gently.
“Hrm?” I raised my head just a little to catch his soft smile.
“I’m glad you’re back,” He shared with me, taking his hand in mine. “It’s been quiet since you left us.”
My face was still flushed with embarrassment from Yushin’s silly whisper, but this twisted it even more. My body was tense, and my face was hot. I couldn’t find a response, but I felt safe momentarily when I held my hand. I felt reassured and warm, like everything was going to be okay. With a sorcerer as powerful as Enoxon by my side, I’m sure things would be okay. However, Yushin’s words before I woke up still made me curious about this man’s power.
“Hold on tight. You’re still weak. Make sure you land gently. Also, if the house is a wreck, I apologize. Kurai nearly burned it down to the ground.” He smiled at me and held me close as he teleported us from the Reaper’s Cove back to a familiar space.
Well, mostly familiar.
Things were a bit different in the home. Things were in other places - not like it usually was when I first arrived. Knowing that Kurai’s magic was powerful enough to burn the house to the ground made me wonder what happened. I assume he got angry and nearly burned it when Yushin returned home without me. The living room still had the same aesthetic of that gothic feeling, but it was painted a darker blue. It’s as though the house had been built differently. Large and off to the right side, the fireplace lit up the dark blue room with a fire crackling. In front of the fireplace sat a round brown table, close to the ground and covered in books. Closest to the windows in the back of the room, the curved couch with blue and red pillows and bookshelves behind the sofa and on both sides of the windows. Even the large new stained glass window was new, it wasn’t colored, but it did have a beautiful look. The room felt a little bit more like home, honestly. It was messy from books scattered on the floor, but that was okay.
“It looks so much different!” I exclaimed, smiling.
“Thanks, it took some time to get it put back together - but with the help of Astaroth and Yushin, we finally got it together,” He replied, a smile playing his face.
I turned to face him, noticing his smile but seeing a hint of sadness flicker in his eyes. When I noticed that, he seemed to understand that I saw his sadness through that smile, and he turned away.
His voice fell quiet as he said, “Why don’t you go and see Kurai? I’m sure he’ll be happy to see you.” It was as if he was trying to hide his pain and put on a brave face, but the sorrow was unmistakable. I couldn’t help but wonder what was troubling him and wished I could ease his burden.
As he began to head away from me into the kitchen, I grabbed his wrists, stopping him from walking too far away. Out of the kindness in my heart, I gave him a tight hug. My head fell against his chest, and I could hear his heart beating rather quickly as I did so. The sudden touch probably shocked him; he was not expecting it. “Thanks, Enoxon, for bringing me back home,” I told him quietly.
The sorcerer hesitated, his arms reaching out and wanting to return my hug, but he seemed unsure. Slowly, he returned the hug, holding me tightly as well. The hug was warm, and he seemed to really need it. One hand reached around my head, holding me closely.
“I’m glad you are okay, Snow,” He murmured. We stayed in the embrace for a moment before he let go, resting his hands on my shoulders once more and smiling at me, those amber eyes a bit brighter than just a few moments before. “I’ll get started on dinner, and we can sit down together, sound good?”
I nodded to him, pulled away, and headed up the stairs. As I climbed the spiral stairway, I stopped momentarily to look at Enoxon. He was pleased, and I could tell because his face was just lighting up. I know he’s supposed to be old and mighty, but watching how he reacted reminded me of a little kid who got something they’ve wanted for a while. It made me happy knowing that he was okay now. I continued up the top of the stairs, noticing that everything was a bit different upstairs as well - the ceiling and walls were higher than before. The wall still had pictures planted on it. I tiptoed, wanting to surprise him. He’d smell me, though, right? He’s a fox, after all. Maybe he was asleep, though.
I looked at his door, smiling as I couldn’t wait to see him. I’m unsure why I missed him so much, but I did. Perhaps it was the demon-guardian-pact nonsense, but I was excited. Slowly, I knocked on the door, which creaked open a little. I poked my head through the door, seeing a lump under the blankets. I crept up to the blankets and stopped on the side. Once I stopped on the side, I grinned wickedly and pulled the sheets off quickly. “KURAI!” I squealed.
But… He wasn’t there.
“Kurai?” I called, gazing around the darkened room. His room had changed a little, the plants inside looking dead rather than watered and well cared for. That made me heartbroken that these plants were destroyed. There was no sign of him.
“Kurai?” I called, opening the door to the closet. Nothing.
I then felt the cold breeze from outside creep in - whisking against my skin and chilling it. My gaze immediately flew to the porch doors. The same doors he brought me through the first time he took me elsewhere. Seeing that the doors were open, I began to get worried. Walking towards the porch door, I noticed something out of the corner of my eye on the floor. It was a small, rectangular piece of paper that had been partially ripped. I picked it up, intending to throw it in the trash, but as I turned it over, I was shocked to see that it was a blood-stained piece of old parchment. The trail of blood led to the open doors outside. I quivered in fear. Something in me couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. Kurai was hurt.
“Kurai…” I whispered, staring outside the porch to the snow-covered, darkened forest ahead of me.
Kitchen and the Living room after Renovations
Chapter Nineteen
Returning Home
“The one who destroyed an entire village?” Yushin’s voice echoed in my ears. “The one that practically killed his fiance’s entire family?”
I could hear them - I could listen to two voices, one belonging clearly to Yushin and the other a bit hazy, but I’m pretty sure it was Enoxon. That last sentence, though, rang through my ears, that one sentence I woke up to.
I slowly open my eyes, and the world around me comes into focus. My head is pounding, and my mouth feels dry. I try to sit up, but my body feels heavy and uncooperative. I don’t remember anything, but I must have passed out. As I try to piece together what happened, I notice an unfamiliar room around me. I feel panic wash over me as I realize I don’t know where I am or how I got here. I take a deep breath and try to calm myself down, glancing up at Enoxon, who is right beside whatever I was lying on, Yushin a few feet away. I did feel dizzy, but laying on a stone for who knows how long will do that to you.
“I’m glad to see you’re okay, Snow,” Enoxon said, gazing up from the ground, amber eyes bright with happiness.
“Welcome Back, Reaper,” Yushin greeted me, crossing his arms and grinning.
Reaper. I couldn’t believe he knew - but I guess if Mati knew, then somehow, so did Yushin. I couldn’t help but wonder if he knew that I was the Reaper the entire time but didn’t want to share that information with me. My gaze scanned the room I was in - it was a large cave, and the tall tree I slept under was in the middle of this cave. Floating red gems lined the room, even a few sitting at the tree’s base. So many questions rang through my head, and I wanted to ask them all at once and get answers.
“Reaper,” I murmured in response. So much had happened in these couple of days, and I wanted to grasp a hold of everything. “Yushin, have you known?” I asked him straight out. I felt off; my body felt weak, as if I could barely walk. Thinking about walking sounded extremely painful.
“Eh,” The Spirit Walker shrugged. “You’ve got a lot of training to do, with me, of course,” The Spirit Walker shared with me, holding out his hand so I could grab it.
“You’ve known that I was a Reaper… And then you intentionally led me to the human world, didn’t you? So you could knock me out and drag my soul to the Celestial World?” I questioned him, refusing the hand that he held out. I wasn’t exactly the happiest camper right now - considering whatever he had done to me before joining the Celestial World, he was responsible. Knowing that he brought me back to… well, wherever in the underworld I was, I was a bit unhappy. And he kept the secret from me.
He didn’t seem intimated by my ‘big girl voice.’ He smirked and shrugged at me, lowering those golden-yellow eyes to me. “Absolutely,” He told me. “But not quite. When I discovered you could pull me from my spiritual form into my human form, you came across Yuna? You kind of made it obvious to yourself. However, you’re a bit dull.”
Dull. That’s precisely what Mati said. These two were apparently peas in a pod - they thought the same.
“How did the escort go?” He asked me, raising his eyebrow.
My gaze flickered to the sorcerer, who continued to sit on his knees and stare at the staff in his hands. Whatever that last sentence was about seemed to bother him, and I ought to question him later about it.
“Escort?” I echoed quietly, not tearing my gaze from the sorcerer.
“Sora, did she find her way home?”
“Did you… Put Sora’s spirit in harm’s way because you wanted to test if I was a Reaper or not?!” I asked, immediately jumping up. As soon as I jumped up, I lost my balance and nearly toppled over Enoxon, who caught me from the side, putting his arms underneath my armpits. “How dare you! She was a sweet and innocent soul that you pulled into the Spirit World to do a test?”
“No, she agreed to do it,” Yushin replied.
“SHE WAS ALMOST EATEN BY A DEMON,” I snapped at him, trying to kick in his direction. “HER SOUL COULD’VE BEEN LOST FOREVER, AND YOU LET THAT HAPPEN?”
Enoxon’s arms grew tighter around my shoulders and armpit, “Calm down, Snow, you need to not move. You’ve been out for nearly three weeks.”
My entire body froze, eyes growing wide. “Did you… Just… Say… Three weeks?” My voice barely above a whisper sounded. With full force, I directly threw my body, taking Enoxon with me at Yushin. “Three damn weeks I’ve been out?! What the hell did I eat? How did I even go to the bathroom?!” I yipped at him, trying to pull Enoxon and my body toward the Spirit Walker.
The spirit Walker casually took a few steps back, putting his hands up and grinning. “Magic,” He replied. “What else would it be?” He asked.
I was annoyed with him, but then again, I’ve woken up from a three-week slumber. My body, wounds, and even my mindset were aching. Speechless, I snorted at Yushin, who was just smiling like he owned the world and did nothing wrong. That smug look was what bothered me. An angry beast inside me was roaring in his direction, though. Oh, how I wished I could get my hands on him. “Hrmph, whatever,” I muttered, relaxing in Enoxon’s grip.
“You’ve gotten a lot feistier,” Murmured Enoxon, relaxing his grip on me.
The corner of my lip curled upward when I felt Enoxon’s grip release. I immediately flung myself at the Spirit Walker. “You’re a complete jerk!” I snapped at him, trying to pummel him into the ground.
However, he was much quicker than I was - considering my legs felt restless and achy. I stumbled over one of the roots in the ground, falling with a thud.
“Snow, I need you to understand,” Yushin’s voice sounded beside me. “I didn’t want to do what we did, but if Kurai saw you go through what you did and was physically there the entire time, I don’t think it would’ve done him any good.”
My face was full of dirt; I spat it out and rubbed my face clear of dirt. His words bothered me; honestly, his voice bothered me. A sigh escaped as I rolled onto my behind and sat there, hugging my knees. “Whatever, Yushin. Thanks for taking care of me, I guess,” I muttered.
He crouched down in front of me, smiling with his head slightly tilted. “You’ve got a lot to learn, and I wish to help you become as strong as your Mother,” He told me, putting his fingertip underneath my chin and gently lifting my chin to lock gazes with him.
My gaze was cold, though, and I just stared into his happy gaze. “I don’t like you right now,” I muttered to him.
“That’s okay; you don’t need to like me to be my prodigy.”
“Yushin, you’re testing waters right now,” Enoxon stated.
“I’m not, though,” Yushin replied, still holding my chin and staring into my eyes. His breath gently caressed my ear as he leaned in close, sending shivers down my spine. The whisper followed was like a gentle tickle, causing my body to tense up as he whispered, “She needs me, and I need her.”
He gently let go of my chin and pulled away from me, his devilish smile turning into a soft smile. I couldn’t help but feel embarrassed with warm cheeks and a gaze that flickered from him to Enoxon, who was standing beside me. “As the result of training a Reaper, I request that she stays here, Enoxon.”
“What?!” I gasped. “I don’t want to stay here! I want to go back with Enoxon and Kurai!” My voice turned whiny when I replied, as my cheeks grew warm.
“This is your mother’s creation here, Snow. This is the Reaper’s Cove, wouldn’t you like to see it, explore it? You do realize that as a Reaper, this is your home now. Right? You can just freely walk around - you have a job now. That’s guiding souls - meeting them at the Gates of Hell and taking them to their homes,” His voice was strict and stern as if he was a teacher.
I frowned as he explained himself, lowering my gaze and staring at my hands. I have a job now. A joh that was probably going to be nearly 24/7. This hurt. Knowing that I couldn’t just go and do what I wanted - I had a responsibility, and that was to ensure that souls got home. Meaning I couldn’t go around and put around like I wanted.
Enoxon’s gentle hand rested on my shoulder, and he crouched beside me, his voice soft like a river, “Snow, it’s okay. You’re not officially a Reaper yet, and the Council of the Sinless is still in charge of guiding souls until you are ready.” The voice was calm and soothing, like a warm blanket on a chilly day. It had a gentle lilt, with just the right inflection to convey sincerity and empathy. Listening to it was like being wrapped in a cocoon of comfort and safety, free from worry and stress, was a moment of kindness.
With no second thought, I gripped his hand, still staring at the ground with a sad look. I had a job. I was in charge of millions of souls a day. How did mother do it? If I were her daughter, how did she have time for me? Was that … Why she gave me up? Because she was busy and she had a job to do? Or was there another reason? I was confused, and I couldn’t help but grip Enoxon’s hand exceptionally tightly. I probably was crushing his bones, but he didn’t seem to mind.
Enoxon looked right up at Yushin. “Training will begin in two weeks,” He told him. “No more, no less. You need to understand that this is a major change for Snow and not something that can be processed within 24 hours.” His voice, deep and demanding, matched Yushin’s reply.
Yushin hesitated to reply, but his voice stated as he held his hand to the sorcerer, “Deal. No more, no less. I will continue to allow the Celestial Realm and myself to guide souls. Snow will be with me two weeks from today to further her training as the Reaper.”
Enoxon nodded and replied, “Fine.” Hesitantly, he held out his other hand and shook the Spirit Walkers.
With that, a puff from Yushin disappeared into thin air.
The sorcerer let out a huge sigh and offered to help me off the ground.
I took his gracious help, pulling myself up with his grip and dusting my body off. I was sad and heartbroken, but I knew I had to take this responsibility. It was just going to be a significant change. Granted, I’ve been working since I was 16 with the death of my parents, Ren and Sayuri. But I wasn’t doing it 24/7. Is that why the Spirit Walkers were created? Because the job was too much for one person? Turning my attention to Enoxon, I let my stare fall to the ground and held one of my arms with my hand, frowning. “Can we go home?” I asked him exceptionally quietly.
“Of course. But before we do, Snow,” Enoxon murmured gently.
“Hrm?” I raised my head just a little to catch his soft smile.
“I’m glad you’re back,” He shared with me, taking his hand in mine. “It’s been quiet since you left us.”
My face was still flushed with embarrassment from Yushin’s silly whisper, but this twisted it even more. My body was tense, and my face was hot. I couldn’t find a response, but I felt safe momentarily when I held my hand. I felt reassured and warm, like everything was going to be okay. With a sorcerer as powerful as Enoxon by my side, I’m sure things would be okay. However, Yushin’s words before I woke up still made me curious about this man’s power.
“Hold on tight. You’re still weak. Make sure you land gently. Also, if the house is a wreck, I apologize. Kurai nearly burned it down to the ground.” He smiled at me and held me close as he teleported us from the Reaper’s Cove back to a familiar space.
Well, mostly familiar.
Things were a bit different in the home. Things were in other places - not like it usually was when I first arrived. Knowing that Kurai’s magic was powerful enough to burn the house to the ground made me wonder what happened. I assume he got angry and nearly burned it when Yushin returned home without me. The living room still had the same aesthetic of that gothic feeling, but it was painted a darker blue. It’s as though the house had been built differently. Large and off to the right side, the fireplace lit up the dark blue room with a fire crackling. In front of the fireplace sat a round brown table, close to the ground and covered in books. Closest to the windows in the back of the room, the curved couch with blue and red pillows and bookshelves behind the sofa and on both sides of the windows. Even the large new stained glass window was new, it wasn’t colored, but it did have a beautiful look. The room felt a little bit more like home, honestly. It was messy from books scattered on the floor, but that was okay.
“It looks so much different!” I exclaimed, smiling.
“Thanks, it took some time to get it put back together - but with the help of Astaroth and Yushin, we finally got it together,” He replied, a smile playing his face.
I turned to face him, noticing his smile but seeing a hint of sadness flicker in his eyes. When I noticed that, he seemed to understand that I saw his sadness through that smile, and he turned away.
His voice fell quiet as he said, “Why don’t you go and see Kurai? I’m sure he’ll be happy to see you.” It was as if he was trying to hide his pain and put on a brave face, but the sorrow was unmistakable. I couldn’t help but wonder what was troubling him and wished I could ease his burden.
As he began to head away from me into the kitchen, I grabbed his wrists, stopping him from walking too far away. Out of the kindness in my heart, I gave him a tight hug. My head fell against his chest, and I could hear his heart beating rather quickly as I did so. The sudden touch probably shocked him; he was not expecting it. “Thanks, Enoxon, for bringing me back home,” I told him quietly.
The sorcerer hesitated, his arms reaching out and wanting to return my hug, but he seemed unsure. Slowly, he returned the hug, holding me tightly as well. The hug was warm, and he seemed to really need it. One hand reached around my head, holding me closely.
“I’m glad you are okay, Snow,” He murmured. We stayed in the embrace for a moment before he let go, resting his hands on my shoulders once more and smiling at me, those amber eyes a bit brighter than just a few moments before. “I’ll get started on dinner, and we can sit down together, sound good?”
I nodded to him, pulled away, and headed up the stairs. As I climbed the spiral stairway, I stopped momentarily to look at Enoxon. He was pleased, and I could tell because his face was just lighting up. I know he’s supposed to be old and mighty, but watching how he reacted reminded me of a little kid who got something they’ve wanted for a while. It made me happy knowing that he was okay now. I continued up the top of the stairs, noticing that everything was a bit different upstairs as well - the ceiling and walls were higher than before. The wall still had pictures planted on it. I tiptoed, wanting to surprise him. He’d smell me, though, right? He’s a fox, after all. Maybe he was asleep, though.
I looked at his door, smiling as I couldn’t wait to see him. I’m unsure why I missed him so much, but I did. Perhaps it was the demon-guardian-pact nonsense, but I was excited. Slowly, I knocked on the door, which creaked open a little. I poked my head through the door, seeing a lump under the blankets. I crept up to the blankets and stopped on the side. Once I stopped on the side, I grinned wickedly and pulled the sheets off quickly. “KURAI!” I squealed.
But… He wasn’t there.
“Kurai?” I called, gazing around the darkened room. His room had changed a little, the plants inside looking dead rather than watered and well cared for. That made me heartbroken that these plants were destroyed. There was no sign of him.
“Kurai?” I called, opening the door to the closet. Nothing.
I then felt the cold breeze from outside creep in - whisking against my skin and chilling it. My gaze immediately flew to the porch doors. The same doors he brought me through the first time he took me elsewhere. Seeing that the doors were open, I began to get worried. Walking towards the porch door, I noticed something out of the corner of my eye on the floor. It was a small, rectangular piece of paper that had been partially ripped. I picked it up, intending to throw it in the trash, but as I turned it over, I was shocked to see that it was a blood-stained piece of old parchment. The trail of blood led to the open doors outside. I quivered in fear. Something in me couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. Kurai was hurt.
“Kurai…” I whispered, staring outside the porch to the snow-covered, darkened forest ahead of me.
Kitchen and the Living room after Renovations
