The next morning the sun has yet to rise as Reyn munches on warm, gooey chocolate chip cookies out of the oven accompanied by a glass of milk. Reyn stares at her couch with slightly narrowed eyes, where a fluffy black cat with dirty fur and dried blood is curled up sound asleep. Reyn annoyance can be seen in her eyes as she munches her cookies and milk. But sadly, in Reyn’s opinion, it is a da*n shame that the kid survived until morning.

With a groan, the black cat on the couch shakes his head and groggily comes too. The cat’s startling blue eyes that are large and quite adorable, while giving one the urge to squeeze the cat to death. The black cat blinks in surprise as his ears flatten back and his fur puffs out in wariness.

Reyn sternly orders, “Remember your human form.”

The black cat blinks but suddenly leaps in the air to obey the command given. Mid-air, a strange rapid transformation occurs to fast to see as a boy suddenly falls onto the couch. Landing face first into the couch, the kid lets out a groan of pain.

Reyn grabs the readied cup of water and of aspirins next to her and puts it on the table in front of the kid. “I suggest you take one,” Reyn said as she grabs another cookie to eat.

The kid has rather handsome delicate Asian features, raven unruly hair and bright indigo eyes. Which was a bit of surprise to Reyn, but hey, this was a modern world after all. The kid winces as he tries to get up to fast in pain but warily keeps one eye on as his mind tries to understand the current situation.

Impatient Reyn climbs to her feet grabs two pills and forcefully pops them into the kid’s mouth and forces him to swallow by clamping his nose shut. Unable to breathe, the kid swallows as Reyn let’s go and holds out the glass of water for him to drink. With eyes watering, the kid glares at Reyn but does as he is told.

Taking a seat back on the ground, Reyn munches on her cookies not even offering one to the kid. Finally, after a while, the kid warily asks, “Where am I?”

“In my apartment,” Reyn mumbled back.

The kid narrows his eyes and says, “And where is that?”

“In the city.”

“Which is?”

“In the nicer parts of the city.”

The kid’s brow furrows as he tries to remember, but all he remembers are red eyes and that he was dying. “I was dying, why did you save me?” The kid quietly asked.

“I wasn’t going to,” Reyn honestly replied. “But I couldn’t just let a minor die on the streets, now could I?”

The kid almost chokes at the honest reply and warily asks, “So are you my savior?”

“Oh, that,” Reyn mumbled and shrugs, “I guess so.”

The kid frowns in frustration, but quietly asks, “Why can’t I remember who I am?”

“Those were the terms and conditions to save you,” Reyn stoutly replied. “You were forewarned plenty of the conditions and in the end, you still choose to accept the bargain made. But the price, in the end, is different for everyone, in your case it would appear to be your memories of who you were.”

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The kid swallows and after a moment says, “Sorry, about that I don’t mean to sound ungrateful but it’s just a lot to process. So, thank you. I’m,” the kid pauses as a name appears in his mind, “-I’m Ye Ming, I think, and you are?” Ye Ming asked.

“You can just call me by my first name, Reyn,” Reyn grumbled back. Seeing the hungry expression on the kid’s face, she climbs to her feet and fills a platter to the brim with cookies and a cup of milk to drink. Putting the platter and cup in front of him, Reyn grumbles, “Here, your body needs the sugar to heal.”

Without further ado, Ye Ming bites into the sweet goodness and begins to eat. “So, um, do I turn into a cat now?” Ye Ming warily inquired.

“You can take a cat form, whenever you wish,” Reyn drily responded.

Ye Ming sighs in relief at the response he remembers the strange feeling of being an animal. Ye Ming shivers and gobbles more cookies down until Reyn asks, “So, who was it that beat the hell out of you yesterday and destroyed your core?”

Ye Ming almost spits out the food in his mouth, but somehow manages to swallow. “I don’t know, I can’t remember,” Ye Ming lamely answered.

Reyn snorts at the answer but does not reply as the unbidden information appears in her mind. Reyn frowns in annoyance at the revelation of the information. As a Demon King she would ever associate with any human organization, but still, it would appear she would have no choice to tangle with such beings in order to fulfill this child’s wish.

Ye Ming puts his cookie down and studies the woman before him. Tall and moderately curved with chin-length brown golden hair and blue green-eyes hidden behind a pair of glasses. She was an attractive woman in her own way and yet, there was something off-putting about her, an inhuman vibe to say the least.

“Are you an unorthodox cultivator?” Ye Ming quietly asked. Despite not having any real personal memories, the knowledge of the world was still there.

Reyn guffaws at the question and drily replies, “No, but I suppose it is just a matter of viewpoints, isn’t it? I wasn’t even aware eastern cultivators existed until I arrived.”

Ye Ming eyes widen, and he says, “Then you’re a western cultivator?”

Reyn frowns and flatly replies, “I would never associate myself with such human organizations.”

Ye Ming’s eyes suddenly widen as he recalls the events of last night as the words resound in his mind, “For the price to pay is your absolute loyalty to your Demon King for the rest of your miserable existence.” Ye Ming shivers and carefully asks, “Am I a demon now?”

“Technically no, but you are my subordinate for NOW,” Reyn coolly stated as she glances over the top of her glasses at the World Tree seed inside of the kid. The seed had successfully taken root inside and was beginning to grow. Not only did the kid have potential as his major injuries had already healed overnight, but he seemed to have a talent for absorbing mana as the energy channels were already slowly beginning to heal.

Reyn didn’t really have a choice at this point as she had been the one who had planted the World Tree seed into his chest cavity. It had been her decision alone and now she would have to take responsibility for her kind and rather impulsive actions of the moment. But who knew, maybe, this mistake could possibly prove her worthwhile.

Ye Ming slowly nods his head understanding he knew he wasn’t being told everything, “Err, Your Demon King, Your Majesty-? Um, can I just call you, Master?” Ye Ming quietly asked.

“For now, I suppose,” Reyn drily commented.

Ye Ming let outs a private sigh of relief just imagining how embarrassing it would be to say, “Your Highness.” Shivering Ye Ming almost misses the following words, “Go and take a shower, you stink,” Reyn firmly ordered.

Reyn points at the 2nd bedroom and adds, “I’ll lend you some of my gym clothes to wear once you get out. Now, go and wash up.”

Ye Ming winces as he climbs to his feet and heads to the 2nd bathroom. His eyes gleam with hopes of the future. But more importantly getting his revenge!

Reyn shakes her head at seeing the kid’s retreating back and murmurs, “To be so young and energetic again.” Faintly smiling to herself, Reyn begins to cook up a large breakfast, eggs, bacon, and pancakes. The kid needed the calories to heal and it would be nice to have company for breakfast for once.