I open the closet door and walk outside into the scene of carnage.

It's as if time stands still as the villagers leer at my appearance in shock.

I kneel down to my savior's desecrated body and give her a kiss.

There's a yearning deep inside me.

I wish she was awake.

Just for 1 second.

That she could just see my face.

That she could just realize that all her efforts were not in vain.

This wish will never come true.

To her, I'm nothing but a vegetable.

To her, life was one of endless giving, suffering, and being taken from.

That is an absolute truth.

And as such, it will never change.

A pitchfork comes rushing at me and I calmly block it by letting it pierce through the palm of my hand.

It still hurts like hell.

To the point that I can't think.

To the point that there's an irresistible compulsion to twist my face in agony, and shift my balance to avoid the pitchfork clearing away anymore of my flesh.

But even compulsions can be resisted with enough exposure to pain.

I stare into the man's eyes.

Every wrinkle in his face, every light in his eye, every slight shift in his expression tells me all I need to know.

This man… is simple. I understand him.

And so I speak through that lens of understanding.

"It is righteous... to smite evil. You are one of God's warriors. God must look kindly upon you for always doing what is just."

"Shut up Heretic! One of your demonic nature shall not say his name in vain!"

"I am... demonic? I was not aware of this. What is it that makes something demonic? And how can I repent before my death?"

"You can not repent! Vile creature! All that's left for you is to take a trip to hell!"

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The pitchfork digs deeper into my palm, and my expression caves in, so I carve the pain into a dejected look of suffering and remorse.

"That is saddening... I wish there was something I could do for the good men and women here today.

I, too, was a righteous human just like you all before what seems like just a moment ago to me.

I was caught in a demonic trap and tortured there for what felt like an eternity.

The trap must've corrupted me. Won't you listen to my story before my eternity in hell?

"Thou shall not listen to Satans whisper! Do not let the conniving hellspawn persuade you with his words! Do not be pulled by sympathy! Kill it now!"

The pitchfork pins me to the ground by my palm, knocking me flat on my back.

A blade comes at me while I'm on the ground and I block it with my other palm.

The pain cuts me off from reality, but I've already obtained the information I needed. And my body's already decided how to act. So the play continues without my direction.

"I have been transformed into a clever and conniving demon. I would beg you to end me before I utter another word, but I still have a burning desire for repentance. I beg of you, bind my hands, tighten rope around my ankles, gag my mouth, Command me to not speak unless spoken to. And if I ever violate this rule, cut me until I become obedient. You know better than I do how frail and weak this body is. It could not resist no matter how hard it tried. It is inside me. This demon is special... it holds all the knowledge and secrets of this world... You may force it to reveal the locations and identities of other demons and witches. This is a one-time chance to purge the demons that have power to do physical harm... I can feel it taking me over... Righteous men and women... I know you will do the right thing."

"Do not do as the demon says! Its words are vile and solicitous! Do not let it corrupt you! Finish it off!"

A demonic smile stretches across the demon's face, almost as if his previous identity has disappeared completely.

The demon then stretches out its neck, as if to beckon the righteous people to slit its throat.

"The man is gone! It is only the demon now! Feel no guilt and let your aim be true while I've pinned it down!"

"Wait James. The demon seems to want us to kill it. Maybe we should be cautious."

Upon hearing this, the demon starts panicking and acting like it wants to avoid being killed. But the righteous men are no fools.

They see through the demon's tricks.

Before the crippled man was taken over completely by the demon, he could see its thoughts, and the truths of the world were revealed to him as well.

The crippled victim gave them valuable advice with his last breath.

May he rest in peace.

By consensus, it was quickly decided that the demon was to be bound and tortured for its secrets.

Should it show any signs of corrupting those that hear its words, it was to be put down.

As long as it was useful, it would be kept alive.

However, it was to be kept malnourished, and eternally too weak to resist.

.

.

.

Now listen to the demon's thoughts:

It was a gamble.

I gambled on their perception of their identity being "righteous" or "just".

I gambled on them knowing the truth behind my past.

I gambled on their likelihood to be captivated by my words.

Creating the hesitance necessary to prevent their blades from immediately striking a hole through my throat.

I gambled on their proclivity to the human tendency to act contrarian to an adversary's desires.

I gambled on their stupidity.

I was lucky.

But from now on I won’t need luck.

I have time.

And with this time, I swear upon your death, Jade. I will kill every man, woman and child involved with your desecration.

I will come back for your roasted body, and I will give it all the love that you could never have.

Even if you are just a skeleton by the time I reach you.

I will snuggle with you every night.

I will hug you, kiss you, feed you.

I will do everything you've done for me and more.

I will love you until the end of time…

My sweet, sweet, Jade.