“WHO ARE YOU?” Acki shouted, heart pounding, as he found himself pinned to the ground.

Above him stood a small but strong girl, her red skin and glowing eyes marking her as something more than human. Two small horns curled back from her forehead, and her expression was fierce. “STOP! You can’t end it like this!” she yelled. “I’ve seen how strong you are! You’ve got too much potential to die here!”

Acki, still in shock, his face wet with tears, muttered, “Strong? Me? What are you talking about? I couldn’t even save my mother—the one person I cared about most. She died because I was weak and useless! Why did you stop me? I deserve to die, just like my parents.”

The girl’s expression darkened. “Your mother and father were weak,” she said bluntly. “But you? You’re still here. You’re a kid, and you’ve lived through more than most adults. I saw you cut down that tree earlier, and the power in you was obvious. You had so much joy, so much confidence. If you told me you ruled the world, I’d almost believe it.”

Acki’s face twisted in anger, his tears coming faster. “GET OFF ME! How dare you insult my mother and father, you—!”

Before he could finish, the girl moved in a blur, striking his neck. His vision faded, and he collapsed, mumbling as he lost consciousness.

“Such a moron,” she muttered under her breath.

Hours passed before Acki began to stir. He woke slowly, his body heavy with exhaustion. As his eyes fluttered open, the bright blue sky with stars confused him. Was this heaven? He suddenly sat up, shouting, “What happened? Where am I? Is this heaven? Why does it look like the place where I cut down that tree? Wait, is heaven just… where I was happiest before I died?”

A voice interrupted his rambling. “No, you idiot. You’re still alive.”

Acki whipped his head around to see the red-skinned girl sitting on the fallen tree, gazing at him with a mix of amusement and annoyance. His heart raced as he scrambled to his feet, putting up his guard. “Who are you? Why’d you bring me here? And where’s my mother?!”

“Relax, will you?” she said, waving her hand dismissively. “I’m not going to hurt you. Unless you act up again, then I’ll just knock you out like before.”

“Answer me!” Acki demanded, his fists clenched. “Who are you? And why did you bring me here?”

The girl sighed, clearly unimpressed by his attempt to act tough. “Name’s Ian. I’m a half-demon, summoned here because of your mother’s despair.”

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

Acki’s eyes widened in disbelief. “My mother’s… despair? What does that even mean? How can someone’s despair summon a demon?”

“Not just any demon,” Ian corrected. “Me. Your mom summoned me to take care of you, and the reason I brought you here is so we could talk without all that… trauma in the background.”

Acki frowned, still trying to process it all. “Take care of me? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means I’m your bodyguard until you’re strong enough to survive on your own,” Ian replied, crossing her arms.

Acki rubbed his face, exasperated. “This is way too complicated. I don’t understand any of this.”

At that moment, Acki’s stomach growled loudly, breaking the tension. His cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

Ian smirked. “Sounds like you’re hungry. How about I make us some dinner, and I’ll explain things while we eat?”

Acki hesitated, still wary. “Fine. But for the record, I don’t trust you.”

“That’s fair,” Ian said with a shrug. “You don’t have to trust me yet. But I’m making the food, so you’re stuck with me for now.”

She walked off into the woods and returned not long after with a freshly caught deer. She skillfully skinned it and began preparing it for the fire. Acki sat nearby, watching her work and still feeling unsure about everything.

As the meat roasted over the fire, Ian looked up. “Alright, it’ll be ready in about ten minutes. Got any more questions while we wait?”

Acki nodded slowly. “Yeah, a few. What happened to my mom’s… body?”

Ian’s expression softened slightly. “I buried her. Gave her a proper grave, cleaned up the house, and left a note with the village chief explaining that your parents… were gone.”

Acki looked down, his chest tight with emotion. “Thank you. I appreciate what you did for her… and for me. I guess I owe you my life.”

Ian shrugged again, looking a bit uncomfortable with the gratitude. “Yeah, whatever.”

They sat in silence as the fire crackled, and soon, the meat was ready. Ian handed Acki a portion, and they ate quietly.

After a few moments, Ian broke the silence. “So, how old are you, kid?”

“I’m nine,” Acki replied.

Ian raised an eyebrow. “Nine, huh? And you’ve already dealt with all this? You’re going to have some serious issues when you get older.”

Acki forced a weak laugh. “Yeah… I guess so.”

He hesitated for a moment before asking, “How old are you?”

Ian smirked. “Old enough. Now shut up and eat.”

They finished their meal, and Ian stretched, letting out a satisfied sigh. “Boy, I’m stuffed. Time to sleep.”

Acki nodded. “Alright.”

Ian glanced at him. “Come here, kid. We need to stay close in case something happens during the night.”

Acki blinked, a bit confused but too tired to argue. “Uh, okay… whatever you say.”

They settled down by the fire, and Acki felt a strange comfort as they slept close together, the warmth of the fire and the sound of the crackling flames lulling him to sleep.

The next morning, Acki woke to the smell of cooked meat. He blinked and rubbed his eyes, noticing Ian already awake, preparing breakfast.

“Morning,” Acki mumbled, stretching.

Ian glanced over. “Morning, kiddo. Ready for some leftovers from last night?”

Acki’s stomach growled in response, and he nodded eagerly. “Yeah!”

“Good,” Ian said with a grin. “Let’s eat.”