Trevor saw Celien when his vision cleared up. They were in the forest, which meant that Celien probably expected protection.

“Erm, hi again. I don’t wanna walk through the woods alone. Please protect me,” he requested as Trevor expected.

“Yeah, don’t worry. I’ll keep you safe,” Trevor said with a smile.

Celien nodded, turning and starting to follow the path through the woods. It was unnaturally quiet, Trevor noticed, which was very unsettling. Birds and bugs would usually be making noise out here, right?

"You’re up, Mutae. I don’t like the sound of this, it’s weirdly quiet out here," Trevor explained. Right on cue, his consciousness sunk.

Mutae released a long breath when she took control. With her wings gone, she had no choice but to walk along behind Celien. Demons really didn’t mess around, huh? Quickly casting Scale of Chameleon, she changed the imp’s appearance to her preferred feminine one.

“Be on guard, the creatures of the forest know danger better than we do,” she warned.

Celien glanced over his shoulder. “Y-yeah. I noticed that it’s quiet, too.” Shivering, he pulled his cloak tightly around himself as he returned his gaze to the path before them. “And it’s starting to get cold.”

"Hey, Mutae. If that demon decides to go back on his word, please try to protect Celien. The kid doesn’t deserve to die," Trevor said.

"I will do my best, but do not expect much. The demon seemed to be quite strong. If only I had the power of my previous life," she lamented.

Trevor was silent after that, probably quite disturbed by the possibilities. Mutae couldn’t blame him. Even if she did fight Aralan, she was sure that he would just stun her with pain. The best chance for Celien surviving was just if Aralan didn’t show up at all.

“It’s above us, you know,” a voice from behind Mutae said. She spun, seeing the last person she wanted to see. It was Aralan, who had his arms crossed. “That’s the kid? He looks pretty wimpy.”

Mutae felt Celien behind her, obviously cowering from the sudden appearance. “I would prefer it if you did not kill him,” she stated.

“Aw, come on. It’d be easy. I could even make it look like that monster did it,” Aralan explained as he stepped closer. “The humans here wouldn’t know that a demon’s loose.”

“I stand by my decision.”

Aralan clicked his tongue in irritation. “Well, I wanted to do this the easy way, but you’re givin’ me a hard time.”

In an instant, Mutae sank to the ground in agony. Forced to her knees, all she could do was watch as Aralan walked around her to get to Celien. “That monster uses ice, huh? I can do that,” Aralan mused. Soon after, she could hear Celien’s choked cries.

"Don’t listen, Trevor," she urged.

After what was probably a few minutes, Celien went silent and the pain in Mutae’s back faded away. She pushed herself up onto her feet, turning. A sorry sight met her. Celien’s frozen body was on the ground, a thick layer of ice crusted over his skin. Terror was permanently stuck on his face.

“Well, that’s over with,” Aralan declared, brushing his hands off. “Time to explore. Oh, and call out Rayan, would you? He’s much more fun than you are.”

"Rayan, are you alright with taking control at this demon’s request?" Mutae asked.

"Yeah, sure," he replied.

Rayan returned to control, glancing down at the body. Did Mutae really have to give the body a feminine appearance when she took over? Sighing, he reverted the appearance to the one he’d chosen before.

“Okay, I’m here. What do you want?” he asked, crossing his arms.

“I just wanted you to be around, Rayan,” Aralan answered. “Take this.” He tossed the backpack from before at Rayan, waiting for him to put it on before picking him up.

"Let go, let go," Rayan muttered as he pushed away. His chest felt tight with panic, but he didn't have the strength to force Aralan to release him.

“Stop strugglin', you little shit. Can’t get a good view of the area with all these trees,” Aralan spat as he held firmly to counteract Rayan's struggling. In a hurry, he unfolded his wings from his back. Flapping them sent down powerful gusts of wind which carried him into the air swiftly.

Rayan, despite not wanting to be dropped to his certain death, still tried to pry off Aralan's arms. However, the demon easily kept his grip. Resigning himself to this after a minute or so of impotent squirming, he concentrated inward to listen in on Mutae comforting Trevor. Why was Trevor so torn up about Celien? He barely knew the kid.

“Oh, wow! This area seems to be rich with ruins and ancient structures. Ah, freedom is so great!” Aralan exclaimed. “We won’t waste any second of it!” With that, he flew in the direction of a crumbled stone tower.

Rayan turned his head away from the direction they were flying. The air was bitingly cold and the wind really didn’t help with that. He felt like a passenger in his own body simply along for a ride he never asked to board.

Aralan landed in front of the tower, setting Rayan down. “It’s been forever since I got to stretch my wings like that. The open skies here are so different.” He turned toward the entrance, grinning. “Now, let’s do some explorin’.” Marching forward, he passed through the stone archway.

Rayan followed him, gripping onto the straps of the backpack as his mind returned. The stagnant air inside was like a brick wall to the face compared to flight. “So, are we able to go from this world to the other?” he asked.

“Hm? Yeah, I think. You should be able to, at least. Losin’ your connection to that kid tied you to this world instead. And I’ll be able to come here through my connection to you,” Aralan explained.

“I see.” Rayan eyed the walls of the tower. There were some strange carvings on them in letters he didn’t recognize. Maybe they meant something about the purpose of the tower. If they did, learning what the letters meant would be good. Aralan probably didn’t want to stick around long enough for him to figure them out.

“There’s pro’lly treasure in here. Isn’t that excitin’? I might be able to sell it if I disguise myself,” the demon said, “and then we’ll buy a bunch of stuff from this world.”

Rayan nodded in agreement. “Clothes would be nice. It’s very cold when you fly.”

Aralan chuckled. “Oh, that’s cold? You should visit the frozen lakes, then. They have a cold unlike anythin’ else. An old Demon Queen there taught me most of the spells I know, I should visit her again soon,” he said thoughtfully.

“Demon Queen?” Rayan asked.

“Oh, a Demon Queen is just a very strong demon. The one who taught me, Aurolene, could rule an area of her own, but she chooses not to. She’s even more ancient than the current god,” Aralan explained.

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Rayan traced his hand over a brick that stuck out from the rest of the wall. “Huh. So there’s been more than one god?”

“There’s been countless gods. They usually get fed up and quit about ten thousand years in, which is pro’lly why there’s been so many.” Aralan shrugged. “Seems like a tough job.”

Not bothering to exercise any caution, Rayan pressed onto the protruding brick. With a protesting groan, an indented wall between two pillars began to slide to the left. Dust billowed out from the aging mechanism, making Rayan cough.

“Hey, don’tcha know not to push weird buttons in ruins like this?” Aralan chided. Despite this, the demon turned to peek at the now-open doorway. “Ooh. Could be treasure in there. Rayan, go check.”

A quick sting of pain reminded Rayan of the mark on his back. Though he finally had some reservations about going into a mysterious room in some equally mysterious ruins, he was in no position to resist Aralan’s will.

With a heavy sigh, he stepped through the doorway into the room that really needed some lighting. Though his vision in darkness was definitely improved from when he was human, it seemed supernaturally dark in there. He could, however, make out what looked like a craftsman’s table. Specifically, a doll maker. Hair, limbs, eyes, all were scattered around in this place. If there was a lot of dust when the door was initially opened, it was nothing compared to the likely years-old cloud of dust inside. There were a few cobwebs lining the corners of the room, long abandoned by their arachnid owners.

“So, what’s in there?” Aralan called from the main room.

“Looks like a place where someone was making dolls. It’s a bit freaky, actually,” Rayan noted as he stared at a doll’s eye that seemed to be gazing at him.

“Elabor-ohh. Yeah, a little bit.” Aralan agreed as he walked in. “At least you make for a good canary.”

“I don’t like that everything’s life-size,” Rayan commented, picking up a ball-jointed arm to inspect it.

Aralan chuckled, approaching a large cloth that was covering something. “Pretty much every sentient species makes dolls, y’know. Must be vanity.”

Rayan set the arm down and instead opened a few drawers on the table to see if there was anything good in them. He found several covered pots. Taking one of the lids off, he noticed that it was filled with red pigment.

“Probably. Apparently, lots of early red dyes used iron oxide for their color,” Rayan idly commented.

“Oh? You have any other fun facts?” Aralan teased as he pulled the cloth off of whatever it was covering. “I think I just found the magnum opus of the sad, lonely creep that used to live here.”

Rayan turned, seeing what Aralan was talking about. It was a life-sized doll, neatly set in a chair with its hands folded on its lap. The “skin” on the face was remarkably smooth, and its lips were delicately painted in a somewhat faded red color. Its false hair fell around it in smooth black curls, reaching its waist. Luckily, it was clothed in a refined, ornate dress that was likely tailored exclusively for it.

“Huh. How much do you think it’d se-”

Aralan promptly silenced himself when the doll’s eyes fluttered open. Its eyes turned, examining both Aralan and Rayan. They settled on Rayan after some inspection.

“Welcome home, Jean. I see that you removed your paint, and the signs of your age have faded away. Did you find a youth elixir during your trip to the village?” It- no, she asked.

“I’m not this ‘Jean’ person. Whoever they are, they’re-” Rayan’s voice faded away, as did his control over the body.

“-probably somewhere else,” Trevor corrected. He could tell that Rayan wasn’t very happy about the sudden intrusion, but he could smooth it over.

“What was that for?” Rayan questioned.

“You don’t have to shatter the poor girl’s heart, you know,” Trevor answered.

“Tsk. It’s just a doll. Probably doesn’t even have one,” Rayan snapped back.

After that brief exchange, Trevor turned his attention back outward. “So, you got a name? It’d be weird to just call you ‘doll’.”

“Jean named me ‘Annette’. However, he often called me ‘darling’ or ‘dearest’ instead.” As she spoke, her mouth moved, though it didn’t entirely match her words.

“Seems like it’s usin’ some sorta sound projection spell. Clever,” Aralan commented. Having lost interest in the doll, he had instead started searching the workshop for anything of value.

Trevor glared over at Aralan for a moment, then turned his head back to the doll. “You can call me Trevor. It’s nice to meet a pretty girl like you.”

A giggle came from Annette. “And it’s wonderful to meet a charming young man like you.” She stood up, brushing the dust off of her dress. “Now, it’s been a while since I last saw Jean. I’d like to venture outside of the tower, but I’ve never done that.”

“And I’m guessin’ you wanna tag along with us?” Aralan turned, looking at the doll with his arms crossed.

“Precisely! You two would be able to keep me safe from any creatures that might attack me, as well as guide me to the village. Oh, but do be careful. Jean spoke of a horrible plague there on some occasions,” Annette warned.

Trevor furrowed his brows. “A plague?”

A frown appeared on her perfect face as Annette nodded. “Indeed. Jean said that a sickly-sweet purple fog descended upon the village one night. Everyone who was outside at the time contracted the plague.”

Aralan’s gaze sharpened. “A purple fog? Do you know if the village got infested by bugs before that? Centipedes, maybe?”

“Oh, yes. Jean even captured one of the disgusting things and brought it back here.” She walked over to a shelf, delicately taking a large glass jar from it before walking back to the pair. Inside the jar were the remains of something that resembled a centipede.

Aralan examined the bug with a scowl. “Well, that sucks. Just means we’ll have to be very careful ‘round here. Even if it’s a shard of that demon, it’s still a very bad idea to catch its attention.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Trevor asked. As much as he hated Aralan, it’d be a good idea to know more.

“It means that there may or may not be another ancient demon here. I doubt that it’s the real thing, though. It has this ability to chip off bits of its form and give them sentience. Might be even stronger than Aurolene.”

Trevor frowned. “Well, that’s not encouraging.”

Annette walked over to the shelf to put the jar back, returning to the pair afterward. “Well? Will you allow me to accompany you?”

“Do what you want. Travelin’ by foot would get annoyin’, though,” Aralan muttered, scratching his head. “Say, you got anythin’ to sweeten the deal a little bit? Know where Jean kept his valuables? Stuff like jewelry and gold?”

“Of course. I don’t think he would like it if they were taken, however,” she said, obviously hesitant to part with this information.

“Think of it this way. I want money, and I’ll only travel by land if I get some from you. Otherwise, I’m usin’ my wings,” Aralan explained.

Annette let out a short sigh. “Very well. I’ll show you.” Walking over to a corner of the room, she slipped her fingers between the gaps around a certain stone tile. Then, with surprising strength, she lifted the heavy slab of stone. Upon shifting it to the side, a hidden compartment under the floor became visible. Once it was revealed, she set the stone tile down and stepped aside.

Aralan walked on over, kneeling to collect whatever items were inside and stow them in his bag. “Ooh, these should fetch a nice price,” he muttered to himself. “And there’s a lot of gold here. Hope people still use it.”

Trevor looked away from Aralan, instead deciding to chat with Annette. “So, what does Jean look like? It’d help to know if we’re gonna be looking for him.”

“You want to know about Jean? Alright!” The doll smiled, taking a seat in the chair. “I often watched him as he worked here, so I know what he looks like very well. He’s a little old man, around your height. His hair is all grey, but there are still some streaks of light brown. He has lots of wrinkles between his eyebrows and on his forehead, plus some around his mouth. His eyes are a really dark brown. Oh, and he has a little mole under his left eye. And when he works, he always wears these adorable little spectacles.”

Trevor nodded along as he listened to her description of Jean. It really did seem like she was enamored with him. Even if it was unlikely, he hoped that the man was still alive somehow. “And what’s he like? What kind of person is he?”

“He is a wonderful person! He spends a lot of time with me, but even when he’s away, he gives me books to read and supplies to paint with. Oh, but he’s also a very sad man. Apparently, he lost someone very special to him before he created me. I’m just glad I’ve been able to keep him company,” she stated happily.

“Well, you’ll be able to keep him company when we find him again. I’m sure that he’ll be thrilled to hear your tales of adventure,” Trevor optimistically said.

Annette nodded. “Of course! I want to tell him lots about what I see when I’m out there.”

Aralan stood up straight, turning to the two. “Alright, Dolly, you can come along with us. You know where this village is?”

“Jean told me that I could follow the eastern path to get there. Oh, I hope the plague hasn’t gotten too bad,” she said in a worried tone.

“We’re all immune to it, we’ll be fine,” Aralan reassured half-heartedly with a wave of his hand. “Alright, we’re wastin’ daylight. It’d be a drag to be travelin’ at night with magical beasts roamin’ around.” With that, he walked out of the workshop to leave the tower. Both Trevor and Annette followed him.