Kane couldn’t help but smile. Not only had he gotten the attention of Ares, but Zoram as well? With this, he’d be one step closer to the Ares division. And with the Ares division came the Demi hunting. He could finally fulfill his dream. The dream to rid the world of the Demis, the god-possessed demons who made their world miserable.

Kane’s smile stayed visible the entire dinner period. Cale kept talking about the event, bragging for Kane himself as if a celebrity sat in their midst. Rasheara tried to act nonchalant, but she, too, looked around, blushing and taking in everyone’s gazes. Carena smiled in congratulations while Bracken kept saying, “I’ll be next! Just watch me!” But Abel’s eyes looked soft. He didn’t look at Kane for the rest of the evening. Was he jealous? Worried? Kane’s heart twisted at the idea. Even the guys at the front gate patted him on the back. So why didn’t Abel? Worry flooded his senses, but he shook it off and continued walking to Kathy’s.

Silence filled the air around the city. An empty but peaceful void. The sunset shone brightly once more against the backdrop of the quiet apartments and offices. Its rays warmed Kane’s already burning cheeks. “Finally,” he muttered under his breath. Tears welled in his eyes. “I’m almost there, dad.”

Kane nearly skipped to the café. How am I going to tell Salene? She’d probably make him promise not to get too obsessed with work, then she’d try to dance with him right there in the middle of the coffee shop. Mr. Mosiah would probably join in on the celebration too, even with his bad back. Kane chuckled at the idea. Before he prepared to round the last corner on the trek to Kathy’s, he looked down at his watch. Twenty minutes early, as promised.

Footsteps echoed from behind him. Kane turned. Only the empty street and the dawning of the sunset against the city lit the path. He eyed the air, waiting for someone to pop out. After a moment of staring into the night, Kane turned back around. But before he could begin walking once more, another noise came from the dark alley to his right. Kane turned again. His eyes had yet to adjust, but a figure stood back there. “Hel-“ Kane tried to speak, but the words caught in his throat. Whispering flooded his ears. Kane could barely make out the words from the conglomeration of random voices seeping into his mind.

He turned every which way to find the voices. The sunset had disappeared beyond the horizon. Dark clouds took its place. Frantically, he turned back toward the alley to ask the man if he had some part in this. Yet, no one stood there. The whispering shuttered to a stop. Kane adjusted himself and pulled his Doros from his bag, allowing it to unravel in his hand. His heart danced wildly as he turned to find the source in the darkness. “Hey fucker. Keep this up and you’ll be in an A.D.A. interrogation room,” he said, his stance shifting back and forth. After a moment of searching, Kane took a deep breath. He rested his sword on his left side and raised his right hand. It shook. He gritted his teeth. Would he be this shaky on his first Demi hunt? A nervous chuckle escaped from his lips. No. He was ready. He had to be. He let his shoulders relax as he tucked his Doros back into his bag and turned to resume his walk to Kathy’s.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

Before he could take a step, the chanting swarmed over him once more. Kane froze, fear overtaking his body. Louder and louder, the voices twisted and morphed their whispers until he could make out one word: his name. Move. Move! As he shifted his right arm, a shuffle came from behind. No, not a shuffling. What is that sound?

Before he could turn, a warm feeling pooled into his back as something climbed through the depths of his skin. Kane screamed. He fell forward, lurching on the ground. He twisted into himself. Tears pooled in his eyes. He looked down at his chest, expecting the tip of a blade. Yet, as his eyes met where the pain began, nothing pierced him. No hole. No blood. “No…” He forced out. “No… no. No. No. No! Gods no!” His body lurched back and forth, his mouth foaming. His arms and legs contorted in ways that should have shattered the bone. The pain spread throughout his entire body, his consciousness cracking along with it.

“This… this can’t be happening…” Kane said. The contortions slowed. And as the pain subsided, all the contents Kane had had for dinner pooled out onto the ground. His body shook under the weight of what had occurred. He attempted to stand, but had to brace himself against the wall. His knees buckled. As he gathered his thoughts, he looked below. No entry or exit wound. No blood. Vomiting. Contortions. No. No. No! Panic set into Kane’s mind, reality taking its toll. He tried to find reason. Any reason but the one he could come up with.

“Please… please don’t let it…” Kane said through sobs. Only one explanation crossed his mind: god-possession.

He was a Demi.

Kane fought against his body, attempting to move his legs forward. “They… they can. They can help me…” he told himself as he turned back toward the A.D.A. “They will help me…”

It didn’t take long for the rain to fall.