On The Other Side: I Quit Being Human

I am a little bit surprised that the Cursed Creations community also has the “hybrid issue.” I didn’t expect that on top of being hated by the rest of the existing races in this world, we also hate some of our descendants.

Like us, after all, in my opinion, Vibiane, a half-Banshee half-Spirit, is also a “deviant.” I see no point in hating her or simply distancing myself away from her, since she is absolutely hated by the pro-God races—just like us.

It is rather underwhelming knowing that they are more acceptant toward a human that side with Demons than someone who was born between a Monster and a Spirit.

Spirits and humans are, after all, both pro-God races—I just don’t get why they find it harder to accept Vibiane.

“Unlike Demons, who act based on our desire, Monsters rely heavily on their instinct,” Eliseus explains, attracting my attention. “Spirits possess Divinity, and that makes Demons instinctively fear them. Vibiane, although not a complete Spirit, also gives that feeling.”

“Is it the same as Monsters’ reason to stay away from the Demons?”

Eliseus nods her head lightly. “Compared to us, Demons, Monsters are ten times better than us. They are sociable, and have a high sense of camaraderie.” She glances at Vibiane. “They don’t mean any ill-will, but they just can’t fight their instinct.”

“Kuhum!” Since I am sensing a rabbit hole ahead, I decided to change the topic. “Let’s talk about how you can better your parenting.”

“Oh, how could I even forget that?” Eliseus widens her eyes in realization. “Then, tell me—the best way to educate this little squirrel.”

Paulina immediately looks up upon being called a squirrel. She looks like she wants to protest, but since it is her mother who has called her that, she immediately stomps the urge down.

“I think carrot and stick method is the perfect way to educate your… Little squirrel.” I gesture at Paulina. “You can encourage her to behave by rewarding her each time she does, and punish her when she doesn’t.”

“She has never misbehaved though,” Eliseus mutters. “That might be just my opinion. Like you, there must be many grumpy people out there who think she is a rascal.”

“… Knowing that your child is not perfect is the first step to be a good parent,” I remark, ignoring the fact she has just called me grumpy.

“Many parents think they have educated their children well, while in truth, they have actually misunderstood their children after all.”

Eliseus nods her head vigorously. “You are so good at this. How many children do you have?”

“I have never kidnapped a child in my whole life.”

“… You directly ate them?”

“Is this your first time hearing a joke or is that your comeback?”

Eliseus looks at me weirdly, and I merely wave my hand. I have misjudged her—she looks as serious as Darth Valeria, but unfortunately she doesn’t have Darth Valeria’s sense of humour.

“Ah, I think I should have worded it better.” Eliseus shakes her head faintly. “You seem to know many things about parenting, so I wonder if you are already a parent.”

“Nah, I got your point—I was just messing with you.” I shake my hand lightly. “I have never been a parent, nor do I have any intention to become one soon, but I had a great parent. My mom… She had taught me about many things when I was a child.”

“It seems fun to be a human before becoming a Demon … We, pure Demons, can never have a good relationship with our parents as we have to kill them as soon as we reach adulthood.”

What Eliseus has said is true, and I am not surprised in the least bit for I have heard about it from Valeria. Demons, after all, upon Awakening their Origin, have to survive the onslaughts of their parents.

It happens because the parents get unreasonably provoked and develop a strong desire to kill their child the moment they see their Awakened child. They are not conscious when this happens, and there is no way to bring them back to their mind.

Unlike the parents however, the child is completely conscious the entire time. They are forced to consciously kill their parents, and that is always their first time of using their Origin.

A pretty shit custom in my opinion, but it is something that is practiced because we like it—we don’t have a choice in it. Just like Monsters, we, Demons, after all, can’t hold our desire back in many occasions.

“What happened in the 18 years you spent with your parents—the years before you reached adulthood?”

“I seriously trained myself to kill them, while they were weakening themselves as much as they could.”

Demon is the only race in this world who treats their kin harshly. Our life is not decorated with competitions; our entire life is based in a competition. In it, there are those who lose, and those who have to lose.

Cold as they might be as parents, Demons still care for their child. They, who have spent hundreds of years living without a child, upon having one, always sacrifice themselves for their child.

They know what will happen once they have a child—they know they are too strong for their child to beat, but they want their child to live. It is not apparent, but the 18 years they spend to weaken themselves is a proof of their love toward their child.

“Now that I think about it, Ilschevar also showed a brief desire to kill me back then,” I muse, earning a curious look from Eliseus. Waving my hand lightly, I say, “I was just mumbling to myself—don’t mind it.”

Eliseus turns to Paulina, and caresses her head. “When I first taking this girl under my wing, I was not really sure if I could really take care of her. I, after all, know nothing about being a mother … Despite so, as you can see, she sticks well with me.”

“It’s a good thing, isn’t it?” I quirk my eyebrow in wonder.

“It is, but it makes me wonder whether she really loves me or it is just something that normally happens because I have saved her life.”

“What do you want the answer to be?”

“… I don’t know, but I think I will not be that happy if it turns out to be the latter.”

I raise my hands in a gesture of surrender. “I have never been good with emotional stuffs, so I will abstain from saying anything about it.” Gesturing at Paulina, I continue, “I can assure you however, she likes you very much.”

“That is for sure.” Eliseus nods her head surely. “I am the one who gives her money after all—who doesn’t like money?”

I myself don’t understand feelings well, but I can say for sure, from that answer, Eliseus doesn’t know a thing about feelings. I doubt that she even gives a shit about them.

I can’t say anything much though. The ability to understand feelings is something that comes naturally, and some are just born without it.

“Layland, have you ever tried Red Devil?!”𝗈𝒱𝓵xt.𝗇𝓔t

Suddenly, I hear Vibiane’s enthusiastic call beside me. I have honestly thought she has forgotten about the people around her as she has been too occupied by her fruits, so I am a little bit surprised when she calls me.

“What the heck is Red Dev—oh shit, what’s wrong with that fruit?” Upon turning at Vibiane, I find her presenting me a circular, red, hairy fruit. “Are you sure it’s even a fruit? Looks like a mini pom-pom to me.”

“Huh? What’s pom-pom? Is it edible?” Vibiane looks at me curiously.

“Is THAT edible is the more proper question.” I point at the fruit, which is called Red Devil. “How can even something like this grows out of a tree?”

“Try it!”

“I get it, so stop pushing it into my face!”

I take the Red Devil that Vibiane gives me, meanwhile she gives the other two people sitting in the bench a Red Devil each. She then excitedly tells us how to force the meat out so we can eat it.

She tells us to squeeze a third of the fruit to force the meat out, and when it happens, it traumatizes me as much as it fascinates me. The meat comes out uniquely—the fruit just “blooms” like a horror movie monster’s mouth.

I soon forget my trauma as soon as I get the taste of the fruit though. The fruit tastes very sweet, but it is not to the point of making you scrunch up your face.

I will say it tastes just as heavenly as it smells to simplify the matter.

“It’s good, right?”

“Yeah… It’s good.” I smile lightly. Turning my gaze to Vibiane, I curiously ask, “Why do you love fruits so much? Are you perhaps a herbivore—I mean, vegetarian?”

“Ah, the reason is nothing complicated like that.” Flustered, Vibiane waves her hand in denial. “My mother used to feed me fruits when I was a child—when we were still on the run. She always gave me fruits to calm me down when the Spirits were chasing—”

“Vibiane,” I put my hand up, “it’s enough. You can just say that you love fruits because they remind you so much of your mother.”

“Ah, that’s a great idea! I’ll go with that from now on.”

“…”

Silence fills the space between us, and it is maintained for a few minutes. We got Velucan’s call to regroup not long after, so we immediately take Paulina to her caretaker before going to the city hall together.

Just like that, my visit to Scentillion City ended … With me figuring out how depressive Vibiane’s past is.