The Demon’s Bride

Ian had heard of illusions. One illusion that work almost too real for anyone to hardly tell it was an fake and was created by magic. The illusion magic was more enhance when one does it with sacrifices, activating it using black magic, which often the dark sorcerers. It was similar to what Maroon had to go through, except that one was made specially for Demons.

But he doubted it was an illusion, "Seems like the village got more secret than the world ever do. But we'll visit there the day after. I'm planning to visit a funeral tomorrow. Two of them."

Elise turned her head when Ian put a smile and sat, "Lipton's family died in a recent fire building. I came there but everything had turned to black crisp."

Elise frowned, her expression turned worse as death served her more than she could take. "Was there any survivor?" At this point, Elise knew that asking for no one to die would be a miracle. She still hope for it but she didn't hang her hope high.

"Only a single maid and a male servant who snuck out from the manor to have some night arts behind the trees in the garden. Most of them died including the owner of the Manor and his family," Elise looked unexcited at the news and Ian knowing it put a hand on her upper palm, not coming in contact with her under palm not because he was afraid to turn to dust but knowing that Elise was feeling insecure with how fast death revolve around her. "Rain doesn't come at will and when the people tried to save the house by throwing water, it was all too late. This is nature, don't beat yourself into it."

"But was there truly no way to help people?" Elise knew from today's experience there was nothing good to hope for the vision never to turn to reality, but she can't help herself getting hurt to see people dying in front of her while she was unable to do anything.

Ian looked at her eyes. The gaze she had beckoned him to give everything the world store for her, and he knew he would do anything to grant his wish, but this he can't. He shook his head, "If it is painful for you, you can close your eyes. Don't look at the shadow, don't touch them. No one will blame you, I will not let anyone do anything like that to you, sweetheart."

Elise pulled a smile and she nodded. When they left the dining room, Beelzebub took the opportunity to speak, "That was the lass's power? To turn everything to ash?"

"Her power hasn't grown yet. This is maybe just a quarter of her true power. I can tell," Ian's eyes gazed at Elise whose head turned to look at the window as she walked. She appeared to be fine but Elise wasn't good to mask what feeling she had inside her mind. From her lips a faint sigh escape, the same lips that was bright pink that made him want to nibble at it and pull her mind away from whatever thoughts that kept her suffering.

"It's destructive you are not scared to play with fire? You never know when you would be burnt by the flame," Beelzebub spoke as if he was concerned but his smile was stretching wide. He can't help to look forward to see other's plight and he wasn't considerate enough to hide his eagerness.

Ian pushed one of his arm to his slack pocket, "Playing with fire is my beloved game. You should ready to get hurt when you dive in a hole called love. But you would never understand this Beel— a person who was cursed to lose his love and attachment."

The words struck the sore spot to Beelzebub where his brows knit tight, "Isn't my curse is less compared to you?"

"But I've found my salvation, sadly for you," Ian let his words hänge with a smirk, he then raised his shoulder before leaving to follow Elise.

Beelzebub stood there seeing that from behind, the butler Maroon moved like shadow to follow Ian. His lips then pursed when a round yellow head popped from the side of the vase, "His words hit hard?"

Beelzebub pulled a displeased look to see Hallow before he smirked, "Have you become his victim?"

"Does my appearance tell you too little?" Hallow shrugged his shoulders as he stepped outside. "You are a good liar than I thought you would be," seeing Beelzebub raised an eyebrow, he continued, "In the dining room, your reason for being here in the castle isn't all that you said."

"I didn't lie, I just didn't complete my words. Sweet child, Demon's Bride, just how terrible the lass's misfortune is to shoulder the weight. What did her parents do to acquire her such burden?"

"You don't sound like you are pitying Elly," frowned Hallow.

"Because I am not," smiled Beelzebub who turned and left to the side of his own room.

"You're such a bad guy," Hallow scoffed before Beel left. But then he wasn't good either to accept Beelzebub's offer for his benefit. It ticked Hallow the way he felt guilty when he shouldn't as this concern of his safety. Was it because his body had turned to a chick that his emotions turn similar to living being? He had died, he shouldn't care about the living, thought Hallow who tried to convince himself as he decided where to spend the night.

Before entering to her room, Elise lingered longer in front of the door, her eyes looking at Ian, "How is Vella?"

"Fired from the castle. I wish to kill her," Elise's eyes gave a burning emotion but Ian said, "Yet I change my mind. It wasn't easy than it seem for me. You don't know how much I wanted to kill her."

Elise didn't comment further in it, "When will she leave?"

"Tomorrow."

Elise decide to meet Vella early in the morning for the last time. It felt foreign to her how Carmen had died and now Vella had to leave. Elise thought of asking Ian not to fire Vella bit somewhere she knew this was for her safety. She was thankful Ian didn't kill Vella as she knew how much this action of his meant greatly on her.

Elise's eyes moved to Maroon, who was standing near the wall where the shadow reside to cover half of his upper body, "Is Maroon alright? His wounds, was it an internal wound?" Because from what Elise saw Maroon wasn't injured as much as she thought he would. Not that she wished for the butler to be harmed, but it was because she heard Ian telling her of how Maroon wasn't able to notify him early of her disappearance as he suffered from pain,

"The illusion magic works to one's mind, if they die, no wounds would appear on their body. Your friend's room was filled with magic circles written in a parchment which was created through black magic by using living sacrifices. Maroon stepped inside the room and was shown pain," Explained Ian. Elise recalled now that she indeed saw Maroon stepping inside the room after her. It must have been that time.

Ian put his finger like a hook bellow her chin to pull her face at his direction, "He said he saw himself stabbed to death. He may look like a shriveled tomato because of his passive expressive but he is stronger than he look."

Elise saw the trust Ian had on Maroon. Was it because they have known each other longer than anyone in the castle ever been? She recalled Maroon's eyes turning red which somewhere confirmed her vague opinion of Maroon being a Demon. Although she could tell compared to Ian, he was in the lower rank, he seemed to be formidable which mean that the illusion was far stronger than the magic circle Carmen used on her in the storage room.

Elise knew that despite Maroon's constant strict look and poise, the man didn't held a bad intention and all it seem to her eyes, Maroon thought more of Ian than anyone would. 

"Carmen used a magic circle on me too, it made my voice to disappear." This also reminded Elise, "How does the illusion work? Does it send image to one's mind?"

Ian nodded, his eyes noting that Elise questioned not because she was curious, "It would give you an experience as if it was happening to you but all is fake."

"I don't know if it was the illusion that I felt but before I left the room, I felt my head bleeding just for a split of moment before the blood disappear," she thought that was a part of her vision but Carmen didn't hit her head and she wasn't bleeding after the incident. Therefore, the illusion magic made a click in her mind.

Ian, on the other hand, let out a narrowing gaze from his eyes. The illusion magic only affect Demons. Vella stayed at the room without getting affected for the very reason, but Elise was affected, proving something from her blood.

As he thought, Elise's father was hiding something of Elise's genetic, and she had inherited something from his side.

"Tomorrow for the funeral," Elise spoke and she saw that Ian began to put attention on the word, she could tell for a moment his eyes narrowed. "Should I wear a black dress?" Elise didn't have a funeral clothing but she do have a black dress.

"I will take care of that, come here," Ian reached out his hand. Elise stared at it before taking it and suddenly he pulled her close against the door. Elise opened her lips to speak but she felt her lips pressed with his. Once again, the electrical feeling flickered from her tongue to her fingertips. His kisses that was gentle gradually grew demanding as if wanting to eat her which turned her mushy, "You gave me a shock today. Your wounds may have healed with my temporary fix but remember that this is magic, you still lose blood."

"I got it," she answered, still feeling her mind detached to the kiss. She then felt his lips softly on the side of her cheeks.

"I want to bring you to my room, to take rest with you so you'll not get too far from my sight, but a kiss wouldn't be enough if you stay in my room," Ian whispered and she saw him looking at her with a hint of mischief. "Good night."

When Ian left, Elise felt her ear which was whispered by his voice, felt hot. She then tried to think about the magic circle, it was clear that the creator of the magic circle was the dark sorcerer which mean they were hunting for Demons, she and Ian. 

Elise could feel her own power radiating to her palms when she thought of how the dark sorcerers had once again took someone from her side, this time her friend. She didn't want to cry, but the sadness and sorrow inside her heart was unbearable.

Elise went toward the window where she saw the moon brightly shining over her. Carmen was her friend, it was brief and the shorter the time they spent together, she felt some part in her heart missing.

It reminded her of William's ghost. Did that mean she could meet Carmen's ghost again? But then she doubt anything good would happen. Carmen died while hating her, if they met it would only be another episode of hatred coming from her.

Walking toward the bed, Elise tried to sleep when she remember that somewhere before she wake up at the end of her dream, her little self met someone. Who was it?