Today was the opening of an unprecedented event, promised to be the perfect paradise that would leave no one out in a world where the devil and God collaborated together. It offered to be a conflict-free and peaceful environment where you could feel free…
"Nonsense," or so Vendetto thought, the eldest son of Ivlis.
A place without conflicts? That was absurd. No matter how much he pondered it, as long as different people existed, there would be clashes, especially if they had opposing natures. This had to be nothing more than a false facade. It wasn't something he could easily believe. Although he also had Ver's testimony, that his current girlfriend was an angel, he still found it hard to accept that this place truly worked.
Anyway, whether this place was as it seemed or not, it wasn't his concern. The only thing that mattered was that these guys weren't saints, and they could tell once they entered the Gray Garden.
The initial idea the trio had was to promote themselves in different worlds, taking advantage of the diverse guests the event would have. But upon seeing something in the brochure, their idea slightly changed. What caught their attention was a section of places that could easily be classified as a red-light district, no, it was much worse than that. The existence of something like the "Ras Raw Special Tasting" or "The Grand Target" said too much. While it had a clearly marked time restriction, the fact that God had accepted something like this meant his morals shouldn't be so pure. Ver saw an opportunity to catch a big fish.
So, instead of enjoying the free food, musical events, or doing something fun… They were here! Walking down a dull and boring corridor! Everything was so monotonously repetitive… He was already tired of trying to distract himself with the decorations, which were absurdly diamond-shaped. On top of that, he was following an angel who only looked at them with disdain, and he had to humiliate himself just to be able to be here. This was just great!
If only they weren't short on money and work, coming here wouldn't have been so urgent, let alone talking to a god and a devil. All of this was really stressful and had put Vendetto in a bad mood, especially that last surprise: "What was Emalf doing here?" Nothing made sense. According to the information they had gathered, this world had bad relations with his old world, so there was no reason for him to be here, unless he had betrayed them. "Nah, that's stupid." The idea of that guy doing something like that was completely out of the question.
Emalf might be a coward and lazy, but he wasn't a traitor. Those wounds must have been the cause, that was more than clear. But he couldn't even imagine how they were inflicted. Mulling over the matter only gave him a headache.
Just as Vendetto was lost in his thoughts, Froze spoke.
"Demon with blond hair, tell me something: Are you friends with Alfem?" she said with a calm voice, hiding her concern.
"Argh! If you don't remember, I have a name. Did you forget when Ver introduced us?" he responded agitatedly.
"Sorry, I was too upset and didn't pay attention to you guys," she said without hesitation. "So then, what was your name?"
"I can't believe this," he muttered angrily. "Damn it, just call me Vendetto."
"Alright, Vendetto. Could you answer my previous question?" she asked unfazed.
Vendetto clicked his tongue, glancing at both Ver and Laurentia. He understood that they would simply ignore everything that was happening, and that made him even angrier. With Laurentia, it was to be expected; she was always like that. But Ver was a completely different case. With her greediness, she wouldn't let go of this valuable opportunity, and if something were to happen, she would hold him responsible for it. So, he swallowed his pride and prepared to answer the angel before him.
"You're referring to Emalf, right? Yes, I used to be," Vendetto answered curtly, tired of this whole affair. "Is there a problem with that?"
She took a deep breath, pausing. She needed to calm her nerves; she couldn't let herself be swayed by such an irritating individual.
"I just wanted to ask you for one thing," Froze said, regaining her usual calmness.
"Eh? And what do you want?"
"Could you… Could you talk to him whenever you can?"
Her subdued voice created a stark contrast with the look of discomfort on the demon's face with whom she was conversing.
"Converse? Oh, man! Of course, I'll do that. I can give you a signed promise if you want. I want answers. You know?! I…" he said somewhat irritated by such a stupid question, but couldn't help softening his tone as he thought about it. "I can't just see it that way and stay calm…"
"That… eases my mind a bit," she said clearly relieved.
"And why do you care so much? Do you like him?" he said that without thinking, innocently and without ill intentions, unaware that it would be the last straw.
As soon as the sentence ended, the angel's feet came to a sudden halt. A deathly silence ensued, only their breaths were audible along with the almost audibly shattered hopes of Ver for securing a new contract. In that empty corridor, near a staircase, then suddenly, a vexed Froze turned around, positioning herself in front of the demon with the sternest expression he had ever seen her wear.
"I will say this as clearly as possible," she said with a firm voice. "My relationship with Alfem is strictly professional. He is my patient, and I am responsible for his health, both physical and mental."
Vendetto didn't know, but he had stepped on a landmine, although it wasn't really his fault. How could he know that of the few arguments she had with her partner, this topic was one? "You give him too much attention," "Why do you have to go so late?" "You abandon me for that scoundrel," "You're doing it because you like him," "Why does it have to be you?" These and many more thoughts flooded her mind, so her reaction was inevitable.
"I am his DOCTOR in charge! Do not ever repeat something like that again! Also, keep in mind that I'm only asking for your help because he needs it. Can you imagine the psychological damage your kind did to him? Do you have any idea what he went through?! The fact that you're old acquaintances makes it a sensitive issue, but since you weren't involved in the incident, sharing with you could be beneficial. Unfortunately, he has to live with that immense burden, and you could be the first step for him to have a normal life."
"I'm s-sorry…"
"And lastly, just to make it clear! It's inconceivable to me that you would say such things! Because I already have a beautiful, charismatic, cheerful… and… enchanting… girlfri—," she said as her words faded and a bright red dominated her face as she became aware of the words she was uttering.
The silence that followed was as vast as the confusion of the listeners. Once they could understand what had happened, they tried, as best they could, to regain their composure.
"Well, we're almost there," she said quickly turning around and resuming the distance. "Just past these stairs, we'll be in front of the room where they are."
What that angel had said started to circle in his mind… It wouldn't be so strange to occasionally have someone trustworthy to attend to ailments, kind of like a personal physician for mortals. But from what she had said, it was more than that. Did he need constant assistance? What was his friend's condition? Aside from the scars, he didn't look that bad, although she had also mentioned his mental health… Well, that also meant they were keeping an eye on him. None of this could be simple benevolence.
Once they ascended some stairs, they saw a large dark gray door. As soon as they arrived, Froze indicated that they should wait outside for a moment; she would let them know when they could enter. The wait wasn't long at all; it didn't take much time before they were allowed to enter.
Upon entering, they expected to see a solemn room with grand thrones, with majestic and imposing figures seated on them. They were the god and the devil of this world. There was no place where the rulers weren't revered and venerated; just like kings or lords with whom they had made contracts, they radiated an aura of majesty. They expected the same from this place, but what a disappointment they had.
Instead of two magnificent thrones in a grand chamber, they saw a table littered with the remnants of a hearty breakfast and two simple chairs. Yes, the tables and chairs were suspended in the air, but that was the only thing that indicated any power. The fact that they still had the remains of their hearty meal stripped all seriousness from the place. It was evident that they had arrived at an inopportune time. However, it seemed the hosts didn't want to keep them waiting outside for long. Still, they could have at least hidden all the mess. It wouldn't have been too much effort to maintain a decent public image. "Wait a moment… Was that a chocolate cake?" Vendetto thought.
The ones who received them were a man and a woman sitting on the chairs around that table. The woman had short black hair, and despite having a somewhat childlike appearance, an immense power emanated from her. At the other end, there was a man with white hair, dressed in a black suit and covered with a furry-collared overcoat. He shot a disapproving look when he saw Vendetto's red and scaly hands. In that moment, he realized that not hiding them after hearing about his father was a really bad idea. This room didn't do them justice; she was clearly a goddess, and he was the devil.
"Welcome visitors, allow me to introduce myself; I am Etihw, and this man by my side is Kcalb," the woman said calmly and solemnly, revealing the majesty that the table had obscured during their first impression. "Forgive us for receiving you in these conditions, we didn't expect visitors so early. Now, tell me, how can we assist you?"
They had to choose their words carefully. Although they seemed careless and unconcerned at first glance, their instincts screamed that these beings were dangerous—something to be expected when dealing with the most powerful entities in this world. A single thing that displeased them could easily lead to their extermination. With that in mind, Ver became the spokesperson for the trio.
"Pleased to meet you, Lady Etihw," Ver struggled to keep her voice steady against the fear. She felt she couldn't make any mistakes; their lives and the new possibilities of earning money depended on it. "Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Ver Million, and these two are my companions, Laurentia and Vendetto. We are mercenaries, and we've come here to offer our services."
Their expressions showed their surprise; the reason mercenaries would come here to offer their services wasn't immediately clear. Did this place give off an air of insecurity? If that was the case, Etihw would be in trouble with Kcalb, and it would give him an excuse to hassle her. She would have to bolster security if that were the situation. She needed to hear more to get a better idea of what was going on.
"I never expected a proposition of this kind," she said without losing her composure. "As you can see, our world is at peace, and we don't have any conflict problems, at least not in the near future. So, I fail to see how we could require your services."
"Well… we…" Ver hesitated a bit. She didn't want to say anything that might hurt anyone's feelings, but her companion interrupted her.
"Well, for us, it's no secret that you suffered an attack by a cretin some time ago," Vendetto said, somewhat irritated, before glaring directly at Kcalb. "And to make one thing clear, especially to that devil who hasn't stopped eyeing my hands since we walked in, we have no connection to that guy or any other demon from another world. As you can see, the three of us belong to different places, but we are professionals. Nothing will come between us and our contract, I can assure you of that. Besides, from what I see, we share the same displeasure with that empty-headed one. If you want, give me the order, and I'll happily serve you his head on a silver platter."
He was nervous; he didn't know if what he said would anger them. He had been rough and impulsive, but there was no turning back now.
Ver just wanted to strangle him on the spot.
"Just as you see, we don't want any misunderstandings," Laurentia spoke calmly, displaying all the serenity her companions had lost. "Furthermore, it never hurts to receive external help from time to time, to avoid risking your dear people in trivial matters."
While Laurentia maintained her composure, the tension was palpable. It was hard to tell if she was hiding her emotions or had nothing in her mind. A silence hung in the air as the deities pondered their response. All they hoped for was that their heads wouldn't roll.
"Etihw, they have a point," the devil finally spoke, never taking his gaze off them. "Don't you think?"
"You're right," she said, nodding her head. "They might be of help for that."
What they had said, though ambiguous, left Ver and Vendetto dumbfounded but oddly reassured. They hadn't expected an affirmative response. True, they had gone there with that purpose, but they never anticipated a positive answer, especially after that disrespectful retort from the fire demon.
"Well, we believe your offer fits us perfectly at this time. For a while now, something has been bothering us, but we can't speak of it yet. There are still a few things that need to happen before we can take action," the lady in gray continued. "So, could you provide a means for us to communicate with you in the near future? Let's just say I don't think phones work between different worlds if they leave from here."
"Yes, of course, Lady Etihw," Ver said, still unable to believe what was happening.
Each of them received a small white stone-shaped pendant, something Etihw had conjured right before their eyes.
"With this, I'll be able to contact you wherever you are. Please take care of them," she said after handing over the objects. "Forgive us if we haven't given you much information about the terms of our contract at this time."
"Don't worry, we'll handle it, no matter what kind of job it is," Ver assured.
"That's very reassuring to hear," she said with a smile. "Anything else we can assist you with?"
"No, that's all, Your Excellency," Ver said as her gaze shifted between the pendant and the rulers.
"Oh, just call me Etihw," she said with a embarrassed laugh. "Well, if you have no further business with us, you may take your leave."
"Thank you very much for everything, we're leaving."
As they said those words, they exited the room. Finally, they could breathe easy, and the visible sighs from two of them were a testament to that.
"I can't believe we made it out of there alive. Although it wasn't easy to notice, those guys were terrifying," Ver commented once they were alone.
"It seems that everyone has something they don't want to get their hands dirty with," Vendetto said confidently, with a smile and a few drops of sweat. "I suppose that's fine; thanks to that, we'll have a job after all this time."
"For me, they were rather pleasant individuals," Laurentia said calmly, while her friends stared at her in disbelief.
"Well, we should go and see what this place has to offer," Ver said, pointing toward the exit. "We can't come to this place and not get to know it a bit."
Her other companions agreed, and they followed her to the exit, leaving the BlancBlack Castle behind. Meanwhile, in the Gray Hall, an unsettled Etihw and Kcalb finished their conversation with Froze.
"Thank you very much, Froze, for your report. Now, you may leave," Etihw said, and Froze nodded before departing.
"That was uncomfortable," the devil complained.
"Well, well, at least now you can finish eating the leftover cake," the goddess said, pointing a spoon with a slice of cake at him.
"No…"
The seriousness on the white-haired man's face was noticeable.
"No what? You don't want the cake? Then I'll just eat it all myself."
"Don't even think about it!" he retorted, furious. How dared she suggest he wouldn't have any cake? "Of course, that's not it! It's just that I…"
"You what?" Etihw prodded playfully.
"I'm going fishing," Kcalb stated curtly, getting up from the table.
"Fishing? Now? At this moment? In these circumstances we're in?" she scolded Kcalb.
"That's precisely why I'm going fishing; I want to see if that fish takes the bait," the devil hinted as he walked towards the exit.
"So, you're worried about that boy, aren't you?" she hinted. "You don't have to act this way with me when it comes to him."
Kcalb averted his gaze, not wanting to show that she was somewhat right.
"Well, I'll be going; AND DON'T EAT ALL THE CAKE!"
"Take care, don't hurt your back," she said while waving her hand in farewell.
The devil didn't respond to that last comment, leaving with a disgruntled expression. As she watched him with a mischievous smile, her hand raised and waving goodbye, she enjoyed riling him up. And so, each of them went about their tasks.
Meanwhile, the festival continued its course, and various types of activities could be seen with a leisurely stroll. It seemed like all the residents were engaged in something, while those who were wandering around were mainly tourists. However, there were more than a few stalls or shops run by some peculiar beings.
According to the brochure, there were schedules not just for some scheduled activities, but also for different types of businesses, beyond the basic services that were open all the time. The ones classified as suitable for all audiences would be available from morning until night, and once it got dark, establishments aimed at a more adult audience would open. So, as the sun began to set, some illuminated signs turned on while others closed. But there was a third schedule, even more restricted, but it wasn't something Vendetto needed to worry about, because what he had found was only restricted to the normal nighttime hours.
"That damn guy really hasn't changed," he grumbled irritably. "I hope you're here, you bastard."
In front of the Karaoke BlancBlack, Vendetto stood. After enjoying a stroll around the area, once the sky started to turn red, he couldn't help but notice a eye-catching sign. Seeing it reminded him of what had happened in the morning, so bidding farewell to his colleagues, he decided to go.
The fact that the idiot had suggested a meeting place without explicitly stating it, and Vendetto had still found it, was a good sign. It reassured him a little. Even if he looked and behaved completely differently, it's hard to change someone completely, and this proved it. Seeing him working on something as trivial as cleaning up after others was something he never thought he'd witness in him. Sure, he was a dog wagging its tail for its master like a pet, but he didn't think he'd see him doing something like that in a million years.
The more he stared at that place, where the person who would answer his questions should be, the more nervous he became, creating a storm in his head. He wouldn't have done what Vendetto did, that's why he had to go and open that door. Even if the fear of encountering someone completely different scared him, and everything seemed crazy, he had to go. In a way, he felt he owed it to himself.
Upon entering, the first things he saw were two demons. One appeared to be the receptionist, stationed at the desk, while the other was a well-dressed individual in a white shirt, well-kept gray pants, black gloves, and shoes. They were engaged in conversation, and upon noticing Vendetto, he felt a bit paralyzed. "And this guy, why is he dressed like that?" he wondered inwardly.
As soon as the door closed behind him, the others noticed his presence. The one he was seeking raised his hand in a greeting, while the receptionist simply nodded his head slightly as a courtesy.
"You arrived sooner than I thought," Alfem said to Vendetto, making his way towards him. "I was starting to imagine having to wait for you here until midnight."
"You certainly have free time, huh? It's not even dark yet, and you're already dressed up," Vendetto retorted with a sly smile. "And here I was thinking you'd become a responsible guy."
"Well, can't I give an old friend some time?" Alfem replied, walking toward him and stopping face to face. "One who couldn't even be bothered to show any signs of life, can I, you damn scoundrel?"
"It seems a certain bitch's tongue has sharpened, hasn't it, bitch?"
Both of them had confident expressions. In case a fight were to break out, each would be sure of their success, which wasn't a good thing. During the hostile exchange of glances, the one behind the desk coughed rather obviously, to draw the attention of the two individuals.
"Esteemed customers," the receptionist interrupted. "You can use the last karaoke room. Occasionally, the waitress will bring you some food. Although Mr. Alfem is aware, I must reiterate that fights are prohibited in this establishment. If you wish to settle an old quarrel, I believe there is an event outside town for that."
"Oh! Sorry, friend," Alfem apologized casually. "We'll head to the room right away, won't cause any more trouble. By the way, did you bring the chips and drinks?"
"The room is fully prepared as requested," the receptionist said, to which Alfem nodded.
With a hand gesture, Alfem signaled to Vendetto where they should go. Without much haste, they walked to the room. It was a small space, but suitable for having fun singing with friends.
"So, tell me, Alfem, what kind of name is that?" the blonde started the conversation.
"Are you going to mock me about that? Well then, Vendetto, is that to commemorate your bad looks or something?" Alfem insinuated, returning the same mocking tone. "At least mine has something to do with the first part, unlike yours. Heh, heh."
—Definitivamente, you've become more argumentative than before. What happened to that guy who just nodded whenever I teased him?
—He's dead and buried," responded Alfem, cold and sharp, with no intention of continuing that conversation.
—Come on, mate, I still see you breathing.
Vendetto was right. No matter how much he didn't want to remember, he was Emalf, the weakling who was defeated by some girls when invading this world. Not once, but several times. The idiot who was deceived and subjected to immense pain, all to help restore the strength of his former lord due to the whims of a young girl. The coward, incapable of confronting what caused him such agony, and ending the torment of living every day with the memories of those he feared, yet couldn't hate. Or at least, that's what he believed. No matter where he ran, he couldn't escape it, and the fact that this person was talking to him right now was proof of that.
"What have you been up to all this time?" he said, not hiding his intention to change the subject.
"Fuck dammit, man, you've got no intention of talking, huh?" Alfem retorted, a bit annoyed. "Ahhhh…" he muttered quietly, grabbing his head and messing up his hair. "Like Ver said this morning, I work as a mercenary, so I've seen a lot of places since I left."
"Ver? Was one of the demons with you? She seemed quite polite and friendly, more so than you," he laughed, mocking his companion. "Despicable, ungrateful. A single call wouldn't have killed you."
"Hey! If I had called, you wouldn't have stopped insisting that I come back. That would have been annoying," he replied in response. "But yes, even though I hate to admit it, Ver has a better character than I do. She's even friends with a Witch."
"Friends with a witch, now that's odd."
"Yeah, a witch of the sea. I met her when we had to invade her realm for a job," he said with a smile.
"You attacked her friend's home?!" he exclaimed in exaggerated shock. "Come on, buddy, I know we're despicable demons, but don't you think that's going a bit too far?"
"We attacked! Ver is part of the team too. Work is work, after all. We have our principles as professionals. It doesn't matter if they're family or friends, a contract must be fulfilled," he averted his gaze a bit. "And, needless to say, she kicked our asses."
"Wow! She must be really powerful!" he said, impressed by the fact that a witch could take on three demons. That fact astonished him.
"She and her familiars," Alfem clarified. "We didn't stand a chance, but of course, we didn't show it. When we lost, we just said the mission was to buy time. One should never show weakness."
"Hahaha, I can't blame you. I did the same," he laughed, recalling when he invaded this world. "I acted all cool when I got obliterated, haha."
"Although in the end, we did end up helping her," Alfem continued the story. "When our contractor ordered a retreat, that entire sea turned red and a bunch of horrible creatures appeared. Hundreds, thousands of them. We had to eliminate them. In the end, we had a lot of fun."
"That sounds really entertaining!" Alfem said, excited. Just imagining it filled him with energy. "I'm also glad things worked out well for Ver and her friend."
"Yeah… everything turned out fine in the end," he said, pausing, taking a deep breath, and exhaling. "So, at least will you tell me why you wear those ridiculous glasses? I can't even see your eyes. What's up with them?"
"HEY! They're not ridiculous. Retract that!" he demanded, getting worked up. "It's a gift from my lady Etihw. She created them herself, so retract that."
"As if the fact that those ugly glasses were created by a god would convince me that they're not awful," Vendetto said, with no intention of changing his mind, waving his hand dismissively. "I know you don't like showing your eyes, but you looked better with sunglasses. Do you have vision problems?"
Alfem's face turned serious. He couldn't help but break eye contact. The topic of those glasses was something Vendetto couldn't imagine.
"No… I don't have vision problems… but they help me see things differently."
"That's really confusing," he looked at him, puzzled. "If you don't explain properly, I won't understand."
—You know, nobody knows how I ended up here," he said despondently, looking at his hands resting on his legs. "They told me they found me unconscious, dying in the garden on a hill not far from here."
"And how does that relate?" he responded, taking a bite of a potato without grasping the flow of the conversation.
"They say when I woke up, I couldn't stop screaming and moving erratically in the bed they put me in… They had to forcibly put me to sleep many times… I really have no memories of my first days here."
Vendetto finished swallowing that potato, and began to stay silent. He realized that all of this wasn't so simple, and that he needed to listen carefully to what Emalf was telling him.
"They said it was chaos trying to take care of me," he said, looking up and delving deeper into his memories. "I can't imagine all the work it must have been… Once I started to become conscious, I noticed a very tired Miss Froze, yet she was very kind to me. She really took care of me a lot, even during those attacks."
"Attacks?" he whispered, staring at him intently and adjusting his posture.
"When I could finally speak… they tried to find out why I was there. If I remember correctly, my lady Etihw, my lord Kcalb, the chief angel, and Miss Froze were there; they knew who I was, even knew my name, but as soon as they mentioned it…" he said, and his gaze darkened. "Everything went black, I couldn't hear it. I asked them several times what they had said, but every time they repeated it… I couldn't hear anything… Haha, now that I think about it, I really should have pissed them off. 'I asked you: What the hell do you plan to do by coming here, you bastard?' My lord ended up shouting at me, haha, and he had been the quietest one on that occasion, or maybe it was Wodahs… Well, that's not important. The thing is… it's just that… I don't know how frustrating it must be for someone to look like an idiot when they hear their own name… Don't you think? Imagine when they started describing things about me, it was crazy. I felt like my mind was going to explode! And now that I think about it… I think there was a time when I couldn't even see dark glasses…"
There was a pause, and only their breathing could be heard in the small karaoke room. The atmosphere was so tense that the slightest actions of taking a drink and placing the glass back on the table, which Alf did, echoed in the room.
"As you can imagine… they didn't believe me. At first, they thought I was playing dumb, which is why, and now yes, my lord Kcalb lost patience, grabbed me by the collar of the nightgown I was wearing, and started yelling at me; 'Why did you come here?' 'Did they plan to send you in this state to lower our guard?' and things like that, I don't remember exactly… What I do know is that while he repeated it and insisted on wanting to know the reason I was there, my mind apparently broke," he said, adjusting himself and making a grimace with his mouth, raising his eyebrows. "They say I started screaming like a madman… I guess I can start there…"
Alfem took another sip.
"Wait, are you telling me that…" Vendetto muttered as he brought his hand to his mouth. This was hard to digest.
"I rejected everything related to coming to this place, along with the fact of who I was, and even more so with where I came from. As they explained to me, my mind suppressed everything related to my identity, as it was the quickest way my head found to suppress the trauma, or something like that. I suppose that if I didn't know who I was, I wouldn't know what happened to me," he said, adjusting himself and pausing for a second, bringing his hand to his chin. "That's where the name Alfem comes from. Apparently, I couldn't stay as a nobody, so I ended up giving myself a name."
"Wait a moment…" he said, raising his hands and showing his palms in a confused gesture. "How does this relate to the glasses?"
Vendetto was puzzled. At this point, he needed a breather.
"Much, you see…" he took off one of his gloves, revealing his hand. "How do you see my hand?"
Looking at him with incredulous zigzagging eyes, between Emalf's face and his hand.
"Red? And… covered in scars?" Vendetto replied, doubting the question but absorbed by the wounds he displayed.
[Image]
—Exactly, the one covered with our scaly skin, but I don't see it that way. I see it as a different hand, like a normal hand," saying this, he put his glove back on.
"Do those miserable glasses change how you see your hands?" Vendetto said, thinking to himself that what he was being told was ridiculous.
"I've told you to stop insulting them!" he reproached. "Well, that and any sign that indicated I was a flame demon along with some scars," he said, pointing to his torn ears, where he used to wear earrings. "You see, once I… broke… every time I saw my hands… I would tear the scales off my arms. Miss Froze told me that maybe it was a way to erase any sign of belonging related to my origin. Can you imagine that my self, at that time, had come up with the idea that I was my lady's creation? So, I must have assumed that since I wasn't a flame demon, that wasn't my skin. Pretty crazy, right?"
Vendetto remained frozen, with a potato halfway to his mouth.
"Anyway, that's not all…" he sighed and took another drink. "Once, I almost gouged out my eyes when I saw myself in a mirror. That's why my lady Etihw made me these glasses, to prevent me from hurting myself, although I still wear them out of habit."
Vendetto ate his potato, took a sip of the untouched drink, and relaxed. On the other hand, Alf refilled his glass.
"You really were a mess. How long were you like that?"
"Let me think… two years… or was it three…?" he said, trying to count on his fingers. "If I think about it… my anniversary would be soon… mmm… whatever! The thing is, it wasn't long."
"How the hell could you live like that for so long?"
"I guess it was because everyone was very good to me. From what they tell me and also from what I remember, I was like an innocent child in an adult's body. I guess a lot of people took pity on me for that. Few times did someone treat me badly, but now that I think about it… I don't remember very well when I started to stabilize… I mean, I remember the shock of realizing who I was… I suppose the lie didn't hold up anymore, well, that doesn't matter. I still remember how paranoid I was when I remembered that I was Emalf. I thought they would kill me… But the worst was when… I ended up remembering what happened… That was… But the good thing is that they didn't kick me out. I didn't want to be kicked out because of what I did in the invasion, that had been something very bad, but… you know? Here… Here, even though I acted like an idiot… I felt wanted… I felt… comforted…"
Alf's voice had cracked for a moment, and he immediately wiped away a small tear that had welled up in one of his eyes. He needed to calm down; that was in the past. So, he took another sip of his liquor.
"With that attitude, you dare call yourself a demon?" he scolded him as if his behavior were shameful. "You're deplorable. It seems that living here has done you no good. I hope it's not contagious."
"Are you telling me something super sensitive, and that's the only thing you can come up with?"
"What? Were you expecting a comforting hug or something?"
"I can't believe it… Ah… And don't worry, there's no way in hell that a bastard like you will change just from being here for a while… You brainless jerk… I knew I shouldn't have come…"
"Oh, come on, broh, don't get like that."
"Did you take into consideration that I practically started over here? You piece of moron!" said a furious Alfem, bringing both hands to his face. He took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and continued, "Just think that, since I acted like a silly child for so long, I had some lasting effects or something like that… maybe that way you can understand it better… idiot."
With Alfem more composed and pouring himself more liquor, Vendetto attacked the potatoes with confidence. The pressure he felt was so intense that his mind simply short-circuited, so he started acting on instinct.
"But there's something I don't understand. What happened to you?" Vendetto asked. "Knowing you, you wouldn't get lost like this, not even if they tortured you," he said confidently.
"Well… it seems that there's nothing time can't break, as long as it's consistent enough. I've heard that even a few drops of water can eventually bore through a rock."
"Ahhhhh…" Vendetto yelled, grabbing his head and messing up his hair. "I don't understand! For the love of hell, what happened to you?"
Alfem looked at him and downed his drink in one gulp, putting the glass heavily on the table.
"That will be a long story… Should we order more food?"
Alfem pointed at the door and got up, approaching it.
"Do you want something specific or just the special combo? My treat," Alf continued.
"Sure, if you're treating… Order more drinks. A bottle won't be enough for me, and more fries and this thing from the menu," he said happily about the free food, but internally nervous about everything that was coming.
"Stay here; I'll let the waitress know. Prepare some songs to pass the time before the order arrives. I want to relax before this; it's going to be long."
With that, he left the room and closed the door, while Vendetto looked at a phone on one of the walls in the room.
¹ This was written before the release of Wadanohara and the Great Blue Sea -Reboot- (大海原と大海原 -Reboot-), so I'm referring to the gaming experience in its original version, where I personally perceived it as an easy game. At this moment, I'm glad this isn't a Wadanohara fanfic.