Aria's POV:
My mind is saying no but my heart didn't think twice when he asked me to take his hand to go with him to an unknown place. I know it's wrong to go with a stranger but why do I have a feeling that I've known him for so long? He may be dangerous but why do I feel safe when I'm with him? He's not even that charming, I mean he is not that good-looking compared to other men, but why can't I say no to him?
Is he using some kind of spell on me to lure me into his lair? It's a bit scary and yet exciting at the same time and almost electric, impossible to ignore. Like that inexplicable feeling of compelling pull between two magnets, we are drawn together in a way neither of us may understand. I am somehow bound to him.
I held onto his hands and the next thing I knew is that we were somewhere out far from the medical center where I am admitted.
"D-Dylan, where are we?" I curiously said to him while looking around and searching for a familiar face. "Are we still in Crescent Hill Valley?"
"Look around Missy, we are at the festival!" he cheerfully said to me. For the first time, I saw his genuine smile. "Today is the festival of the dead!" he added.
"Festival of the dead?"
"Yes, let me show you around and explain to you what it's all about." He grabbed my hand and dragged me around the flea market. "First things first, we need to change and dress up for the occasion. We need to blend in so that we will not look like a bunch of weirdos lurking around the place and to avoid getting too much attention from the crowd," he excitedly said to me and gives me a wink.
We go around looking for festival clothes similar to a kimono style. He took some floral hairpins for me to wear and some cute zori sandals. After we finished selecting all of the clothes that we are going to wear for the festival, we went to the counter to purchase them.
"It's five ninety-nine only, Sir," the teller said to Dylan.
Dylan looked at me and look back seriously at the teller then said, "Would you like me to grant you a wish in exchange for these clothes?" he whispers to the teller.
My eyes widened and were shocked by how stingy he is. I almost give him a knuckle blow on the head. My face turns red with so much embarrassment. "Dylan, we use the money to pay not wishes," I reminded him and took out my wallet to pay for the clothes. "Here, I will pay for all of these clothes," I said to the teller and hand him over the money.
"Where did you get the money?" he curiously asks me.
"I inherited it from my grandma. The hospital head administrator is giving me a weekly allowance as part of the last will of my grandma," I said to him.
"Why are they the ones who are handling your money?"
"It's because they are my legal guardian. My grandma had left me under their care before she passed away along with the money to pay for my hospital bills and my weekly allowance. I can have all of my money once I turn eighteen according to the last will," I carefully explain to him.
"Where are your parents?" he continues to ask questions. I know that he did not invite me for a real date. He wanted to know more about me and what happened between us after we made that kiss. To be honest, I wanted the same too, to get to know him more and find out the reason why I feel connected to him.
"They are gone. I never had the chance to meet them," I sadly said to him.
He noticed that my voice sounded low and lack of energy while answering and he decided to change the topic and stop asking questions.
"I see, well I will pay you soon. But for now, can you pay for the rest of the expenses on our date?" he shamelessly said to me. I can't believe that he dares to ask me out on a date with no spending money.
"Can you just use your power to produce money?" I irritably ask him.
"My power doesn't work like that missy. As much as I wanted to, I can't grant my wish," he murmured. I feel empathetic when I saw the sad look in his eyes and felt the desperation in his voice.
"If you are given a chance to make a wish, what will it be?" I ask inquisitively.
"My freedom," he whispered softly but enough for me to hear him say those words.
He may be a Supreme Being who's acting all mighty and happy but he is empty deep within. He may look so cool from the outside but he is lonely and alone from the inside and trapped in a job that he didn't like. I know how it feels because I am trapped too in a body that is weak and unable to do anything I desire. But all these changes when I met Dylan. He made all these things possible because of the kiss.
We both have a moment of silence and a few minutes of awkward moments staring at each other until I decided to make the first move and break the ice.
"I'm starving. Can we go and grab something to eat?" I suggested to him.
"Sure, but we need to wear these clothes first," he said to me and gave me a sweet smile.
We put on our matching festive outfits. I take my time to doll up and fix my hair with the floral hairpin that he chose for me. I even bought a lip tint and powder without his knowledge to make myself pretty at least for tonight. When we got out of the fitting rooms we are both static while looking at each other.
"Aren't you going to say something nice to me?" I tease him.
"Is that a requirement on a date?" he sheepishly said while scratching the back of his neck.
"Nevermind!" I pouted my lips and roll my eyes.
"No, wait!" He stops me from leaving. "You look like a human in your dress," he shyly speaks. I can't even tell if he is admiring me, complimenting me, or insulting me. He is just making things worse.
"Well, you look undead with your festive clothes," I sarcastically said to him expecting that he will be insulted, but his reaction is the exact opposite. His eyes sparkled with joy and his face almost ripped with a wide smile showing all those pearly white teeth.
"Really? Thanks!" he cheerfully said to me. I have forgotten that he is a spirit and already dead. He will think that my comment is a compliment.
To be honest, he does look cute in his clothes. His aura is warmer and lighter compared to the black suit that he normally wears as if he is going to a funeral or collecting a debt. He looked very intimidating before but now he looks friendlier and approachable like a normal human being.
"That was supposed to be a joke, you idiot," I said to him.
"I like your sense of humor," he quickly replied giving me a flirtatious smile. "Shall we go?"
He grabs my hand, and we go to where the food trucks are parked. He was holding my hands the whole time acting as if he was my boyfriend. I find it sweet that he is guiding me throughout our date but at the same time, this brazen Djinn has been ordering different food from different food trucks as if he has money to spend. He has no shame at all.
We try out the breaded octopus topped with pancake sauce and dried seaweed or popularly known as takoyaki, the traditional sushi rolls where all the ingredients are wrapped together in seaweed, fried noodles, chicken skewers, savory pancakes, and apple candies. He just watches me eat all those food alone. He is a spirit after all.
"I thought that the festival for the dead is a little bit somber judging from its name but it's quite the opposite," I said to him while we were walking along the busy street.
I saw people lighting paper lanterns and hanging them in front of their homes and on doorways to help and guide the spirits home. They also create an altar for ancestors where they place food offerings and small memorial tablets.
"It's a happy and joyous festival filled with dancing, street foods, flea markets, and celebrations," he explains it like a professional tour guide then pointed his fingers to where a group of people who are performing a traditional folk dance around the large bonfire and the streets are decorated with beautiful lanterns.
Everything is so perfect that we felt a strong wind that almost blew the lanterns out. I heard sad, weeping sounds not far from where we are. An eerie landscape and unsettling fog are forming into human-like figures. They have these piercing eyes that are red as blood, watching over me, like they are waiting for the perfect moment to attack.
I sensed that something was wrong…
Aria’s POV:I tried my best to act normal and ignore the weird things that is happening around us. I don’t want to ruin everything that Dylan worked hard for. He put his best effort to make this date work even if I am just a human and he is a powerful demon. This is my only chance to go out away from the hospital and I want to make the best out of it.We go to the Crescent River where everybody gathers to release hundreds of floating lanterns onto the river. "These floating lanterns are meant to guide the spirits back to their world," Dylan carefully explains.As much as I wanted to continue our date, some things can be ignored, so I decided to be honest with him."D-Dylan, can we skip this part of the tour?" My voice was thick with fear.Dylan noticed that I was starting to feel uncomfortable when he saw that I was freezing in terror. My hands were sweaty and clammy. My eyes were gazing at the floor and were too frightened to lift my head. He cupped my face and lifted a little and sa
Aria's POV:"Dylan, no!"That was the last thing I said before I realized that I was back in the hospital room. I was down on my knees on the floor, and my eyes were filled with tears. My heart was uneasy pounding too fast and about to jump out of my chest. I'm certain that Dylan is unconscious almost gone before I returned to my room. Is it because his energy becomes weak and used his last strain of power to transport me back here? Even my clothes were back to normal as if everything was just a dream.I don't understand what's going on and how his power works but I know that he is in pain and badly hurt. I wiped my tears dry, get on my knees and look outside the window hoping to see him, but he is nowhere in sight."Dylan, where are you? Please be safe," I whispered. The tears once again fall from my eyes.I was startled when the door opened then Clarren shows up in a hurry and panting."Aria, I heard you screaming. Are you hurt?" he panicky said to me while scanning every inch of my
Aria's POV: "Clarren..." My lower lip trembled and keeps swallowing excessively as I have no excuse to say about the massive hole in the wall. "Shall I tell him the truth, but what if he can't handle the truth?" I said to myself. I hold my silence while thinking about what to say to him. We both froze staring at each other until he finally breaks the ice. "Tell me Aria, when did you become stronger? I want to know everything," he seriously said to me. Judging from his reaction and the way he glanced at me. He doesn't look surprised at all as if he knew what I was capable of doing. "Does he know who I am?" Questions keep popping into my head. "Clarren, did you know something about the barrier surrounding the center?" I curiously ask him. I wanted to find out whether he has something to do with the barriers and he has information about me that I don't know. He walks closer to the wall and looks in the direction where my finger is pointing to. "You can see the cleansing fire barrier
Dylan's POV: I was crawling my way back to my fortress and used my remaining energy to send Aria back to the medical center. The pain all over my body is excruciating as if my flesh was being ripped off, my limbs are being torn apart and the burning sensation is too agonizing as if my body is being burnt from the inside out. Aside from that, I'm having shortness and difficulty of breathing that never happened before because not only that I am a Supreme Being, but I am also a spirit and should no longer experience this kind of pain. I was lucky that I made it in the nick of time hoping that my spirit vessel would be rejuvenated since I was in my fortress."What is going on with me? First, I experience having sensations and feelings that I never felt before, now my senses are more sensitive and my body is experiencing pain as if I'm turning into a mortal. What is she and how did she do it?"I lay down on my bed and rested. Days had passed and my vessel is not healing. I haven't regaine
Dylan’s POV:I saw people closing their windows and doors as they don't want to get involved. I can tell that they will be happy if those men catch up to me for everybody hates me. I tried my best to run faster, but one of the men was able to catch up and quickly jumped on me. We both fell to the ground with my face down. My head hit hard on the solid rock and I instantly felt light-headed. The blood from my head runs down my face. The rest of the men catch up on us and surround me while I am trying to scan them one by one hoping to recognize their faces. Unfortunately, I was not able to see them clearly with my eyes all covered with blood. They start to beat the hell out of me while I am still down on the ground. They continue beating me up until all of their hands were covered with blood, theirs and mine. I got so weak. My face and body were in total pain that I can barely move.They don't stop even for a minute to take a quick rest. They just keep on beating me without any remorse
Dylan's POV: "Don't send Shithead to the valley he will only bring disaster to the innocent civilians and it's going to be chaotic!" I panicky said to the Demon King."That's the main objective, moron!" I felt a jolt of anger in his tone. He glared at me, and I see the hell of fire burning from his blazing red eyes. "When did you start caring about innocent lives? Don't tell me you're getting soft on them. It's unlikely of you to show compassion to others." His brows drew together and started to doubt me."I'm not, but what you're doing is a declaration of war on heaven," I carefully explain to him."We are at war the moment that the thing inside her awakened, we cannot just sit here and wait," he seriously said to me.He leans over to me and touches my head. I can feel a strong volt of electricity running through my spiritual vessel, giving me unimaginable power. My body is fully charged with a massive thunderbolt of lightning energy roaring in every inch of my being. This power is
Dylan’s POV:I was about to hit him back when I heard Aria's voice."Dylan, stop!"We both stop when we heard her call out my name. Both of us look at Aria's location."He is Dylan?" The guy confusedly asks her."You guys were talking about me?" I'm a bit excited and thrilled to know that she talked about me to somebody. "Is she really into me? I mean who can't resist this devilish charm?" I said to myself."It's not what you think," Aria immediately replied giving me a deadpan stare."Why are you all tied up?"I rush over to her bedside and unchained her hands and feet. The unknown man was about to stop me, but I pushed him away by waving my hand toward him using my dark force energy. He slammed and hit his back on the concrete wall leaving a massive crack in the wall.He stood up unharmed as if nothing happened and when he was about to fight back, Aria went in front of me making herself my human shield."Please, stop fighting," she begged us."You don't have to protect me, Missy, I
Dylan's POV:"I'm a demon?!" she hysterically said.She's been pacing back and forth for the past thirty minutes as she keeps on whining about her becoming a demon."We can't say that for sure," I calmly said. "Try to stay calm and we'll figure this out." I comfort her."How can I stay calm? It's not some simple illness that I can't just take medicine to cure or cancer that requires an operation to remove it. There is a demon inside me and we don't even have the slightest idea how did it get in here in the first place."She's right. Her case is not something we can take lightly. Who knows what kind of effect the demon inside will cause her? Not only does it give her super-strength and powers but also changes her physical appearance maybe soon her attitude as well. For now, she can control that thing inside her, but for how long?"Let's worry about that later, for now, we need to get out of here," I worriedly said to her. "When I used my powers to teleport us here, demons may already t