Having nothing else to do, Reiko Kawaguchi sat on the edge of her bed and shot shadows at the wall.
She held her hand out in front of her, watching the shadows file from their hidden places in the corners of her room and wrap around her hand and wrist in a dark, impenetrable vortex. Then a silent push of will sent them whirling into the wall. They made a low humming noise as they met the demonic iron and slunk away, back to their places. She had worn away the paint from doing this for so long. Three of her walls were white, but this one was grey, and reflected the light from the simple fixture above her head.
She held out her hand again, but the shadows were tired and would not come.
"Come on," she said. She was already feeling bored again. "All you do is sit around all day. You can't be that tired."
We are exhausted, they whispered in her mind. Please let us rest.
"Eh. Whatever." Sighing, she flopped back on the bed, her black hair strewn out around her head, and stared at the shiny grey ceiling, the paint also worn away from months, no, years of assault by her shadows. Angel was always scolding her for using her powers.
"If it bothers you that much," she had said one day in annoyance, "Bring me some white paint and I'll repaint it."
He had scowled at her and said, "It's not the paint I'm angry about. You're infusing your demonic energies into the walls. We'll have to seal off this cell when you are dead."
She had told him that was his problem, that she would be gone and wouldn't care. He had slapped her and denied her food for a day.
"If you'd let me out," she mumbled to herself, "You wouldn't have to worry about the walls." She absentmindedly stroked a shadow which had curled itself on the bed beside her. It purred.
Someone's coming, it whispered.
"Who?"
The Paladin.
"Angel?" She frowned. "It's not dinnertime yet. And it's not a Saturday."
He is here. The shadow slithered away as the door clicked and unlocked. It opened to reveal Angel, looking especially grumpy.
"Demon," he said shortly, "Hide your tail and come with me."
Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own Blue Exorcist or any of its characters.