The smell of disinfectant was more than enough for Wander to be aware of his whereabouts. The institution's infirmary had been more familiar with him than his own house, how could he forget this smell. It had always signaled the beginning of his long breaks.

            To wake up without no one by his side saddened Wander a little. However, he was sure Hiatus and Aria must have been here earlier, and to him that was enough. For now.

            The wound on his stomach had closed, and the pain had gone. Before leaving the infirmary, he left a thank you note for Mrs. Matilda.  And he knew he had Jonathan to thank for too. The "bully" never manged to handle Wander's provocation. Whispering anything to him, and he ran his claw into Wander before he even knew it. Wander doubted that he would be expelled, but Jonathan's expulsion was never Wander's intention. The fun should not end that early. Aria's and Hiatus's increased contemp was what he sought. And the wound also.  It would give him valid excuses to take a leave from school. Even though it did not  bother him much, from the perspective of others, there must be some kind of trauma or mental damage associated with his physical injuries. He had long grown tired of correcting that misconception, so he let it benefit him.

            He knocked on Miss Hannah's office's door, just a few steps away from the infirmary. The teacher invited him in, and was relieved when she realized it was Wander. Wander looked at her, wondering this time whether it would be his shoulders or his hands.

            " How's your wound?" asked she with a concerned smile.

            " It's no trouble now," he sat down in front of her." I'm sorry. I'm such a disappointment."

            " No use saying these things, Wander. You can always get better in the future."

            " I don't think school is right for me. I'm considering dropping out." said Wander as he frowned.

            " No, you must not," Miss Hannah raised her voice." I'm sorry. I mean, you shouldn't drop out."

`           " But it's too hard. I can't..." Wander trembled, his eyes all teary." I can't bear the hostility. It can be so cruel. I know I'm weak, but..."

            Wander choked. He did not even have to look up to know which kind of expression was on the teacher's face and which type of look was directed at him. Just as he expected and wanted, Miss Hannah patted his shoulder, giving him a sympathetic smile.

            " Shoulder, eh?" Wander thought.

           " How about you getting some weeks off? Well that's still too much, but it's better than having you dropped out. "

            " I'm not sure about this, Miss. You are doing too much for me."

            "No, no, it's ok. Use those few weeks to regain your strength and resolution. You told me once that you would never give up, right?"

            Wander looked into his teacher's eyes as he counted to three in his head. Then he smiled and nodded.

            " Okay, that's that. I will  help you fill out the form."

            " And Miss, please tell Aria and Hiatus not to visit me. Tell them I request that.  I truly want to be alone."

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            Wander left school without looking back. He was filled with euphoria as he thought about all the free time he could spend in Mirilad, experimenting and training on his own. He thought of the rune formations he had devised, of the discoveries he had made with those ancient letters. Mirilad was his true school.

            It all begun when he turned twelve. A few days after his birthday, he gained an interest in the forest. He loved the fact that it was tranquil, that it was undisturbed, always ready for his exploration. He knew that beyond those trees lied a vibrant world, and he was right. Since then, he visited the forest at least once a day, getting to know all the trees, all the creatures  and all the paths. The creatures of Mirilad had grown so familiar with his presence, to the point that they became curious of other outsiders. He guessed they thought others would be like him. Every day was a new adventure with new things to discover.

            Wander let himself fall on the soft grasses and breathed in a lungful of sweet aromas coming from the nearby wisterias and hyacinths. He felt the grass tickle him. A satisfying smile bloomed on his face as he absorbed all the sounds, images and fragrances of the forest. This part of the forest was at the base of Hunter Hill- an ideal place for Wander to keep watch of his school. Xixin Institution- Wander wanted to run it. He knew that he lacked power, and  he had the plan to gain more. Aria and Hiatus would help him get what he wanted. He saw their potential the first time he met them. He knew they would make a name for themselves a few years from now. He had hundreds of ways to take advantage of that.

            His train of thought was disturbed by a burning smell.Forest fire would be impossible, he thought. He cautiously stood up and made sure he got the smell right. After ascertaining the unexpected existence, he could not resist the urge to trace its origin. Could it be a new type of flower? Or perhaps the breath of a new animal? Wander read about the discovery of Crimson Wings before, and the amount of fame and money went to Professor Madiv for that discovery also. Wander hoped luck would favor him.

            The smell did not lead him too far from his comfortable zone. He must walk through several new bushes and cross a new stream before being stopped by a huge slab of rock. It was leaning on what once was the wall of a forsaken ruin. Wander had been aware of this place for a long time, but was not interested. The smell came from behind the rock. Without hesitation, Wander shimmied himself through a small crack and into the ruin.

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            Inside, it was not as dark as Wander had expected. Light streamed in through cracks on the ceilings. But most of all, there was a fire burning fiercely, and next to it lied someone, or rather something covered in smoke.

            Wander stared at the thing, unable to make a move forward or backward. Even thought it was faint, Wander could still feel it, Demex. The thing in front of him was certainly a demon. His heartbeat began to accelerate. Wander knew one wrong move and he could end up filling the demon's stomach. He used all of his brain power to find a solution, but his anxiety prevented his mind from working properly. Unconsciously, he took a step back, but his shaking legs could not keep balance, and he fell.

            The creature immediately woke up and, in a blink of an eye, positioned itself right next to Wander, its hand on his neck, lifting him off the ground. As he struggled to break free of its grip in vain, its two illuminating emerald eyes examined him. A few second passed, and it let him off.

            Wander gasped for breath, his visions got all fuzzy, his heart beat like a drum. It took him a few minutes to return to normal and recovered from the shock. He looked up at the creature that was looking down at him. It looked at him with curiosity rather than hostility.

            " Sorry for nearly killing you," said the creature in a husky voice.

            " You speak?" Wander's eyes bugged out as he immediately forgot his panic.

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            " Yes, I do," the creature said, extending its hand to him.

            Wander hesitantly took its hand, letting it pull him up. Even when he stood upright, the creature was still much taller than him.

            " What are—"

            " The smoke." said Wander." I smelled it. From the fire. Or maybe from your body. I followed it here. Out of curiosity."

            The creature rubbed its chin." I see. You are a hunter?"

            " Uhm, yeah. "Wander tilted his head."I guess."

            " Why the vague answer?"

            " Well, let's just say I'm very under qualified as a hunter. "

            The creature stared at Wander with contemplative eyes. It then walked towards the fire, and with  simple hand gestures, the fire turned to blue before engulfing both Wander and the creature. Wander closed his eyes as it happened, expecting a scorching heat. However, he felt nothing, and when he opened his eyes, the surroundings have completely changed. The ruin was no more, and instead he was standing within a huge globe whose surface resembled that of a Halcyon.

            "A pocket dimension!" Wander shouted in excitement.

            " You know stuffs." The creature said."What's your name?"

            " Wander."

            " Wander, call me Nito."

            Wander took time to observe the stranger. Nito's body was enveloped by a layer of dense smoke. The only visible feature was his two glowing eyes and his horns.

            " You are...a demon?"

            " I'm certainly not a hunter."

            " You have Demex"

            " Yes, I do."

            " Then you must be a demon." Wander shook his head.

            " Good logic, boy" Nito approached Wander." Then you are a demon too."

            " No, I'm not." Wander stepped backwards.

            "You smelled the smoke, right? When I'm in this form, only my kind can trace me by smell."

            Wander stared at Nito and clenched his fists.

            " The smoke was from the fire. It must be."

            " Oh, then do you still smell it? The fire?"

            Wander realized that he could still smell the smoke, even though the fire had disappeared. The realization made him nauseous.

            " I think the answer is obvious. You have the potential to be one of us."

            " I am not a demon!" Wander yelled.

            "Me neither. "

            " But you have Demex!"

            " So? Demons have Demex, but does possessing Demex make you one?"

            Wander could not reply. Nito's remark actually made sense.

            " I've been searching for another one of our species. Took me long enough. I need you to join me."

            " I feel like Anakin right now." Wander palmed his head.

            " This is not like that, boy." Nito chuckled." This not the dark side. In fact, this is the opposite of the dark side. "

            Wander gave Nito a look of curiosity.

            " We are the ones that killed Samundo 19 times before."

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            Later that day, Wander found himself unable to sleep. He recalled the event of that morning, deeming it all too surreal. An unknown creature popped up in the forest, dragging him into its dimension, telling him that it and he shared the same species. And defeating the demon lord? Wander had never even thought of meeting Samundo, let alone defeating him. The intervals between Samundo varied greatly. It could be 84 years. Or more than a century, like his 2nd return. If Nito told the truth, then this time it only took 16 years for him to return.

            " Come back here tomorrow, and tell me your answer. One day is enough, right?"

            Wander curled up in his blanket, biting his thumb's nail. He considered telling everyone about Nito, but  he knew no one would trust him. Maybe some would, but he deemed Nito too dangerous for others to meet. They might think he was in league with the creature. Wander shuddered thinking of what would have happened if Nito did not think of him as his kin.

            " I can make you stronger. Much stronger. Hunters' education does not work for you, because your body is different. In their eyes, you fail. However, with my guide, you can make full use of your potential. And who knows, you can succeed where I fail."

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            Next day, when Wander returned, the fire was put out. Nito had cracked the ceiling to allow more light stream in. He was standing against the wall, arms folded, as if he knew Wander would come and was waiting for the boy. This time, Wander felt no Demex from his body.

            " So, you've got your answer?"

            " Just one thing I want to make sure: This power will enable me to defeat Samundo?"

            " Yes, it will. Practice is needed, but the newfound power guarantees your success."

            Wander stared at the stranger, feeling unexpectedly relaxed. He  did not care about defeating Samundo, power was his only objective. A power rivaling that of Samundo would speed up Wander's plan by at least 10 years. Only one demerit: The power would transform his body, rendering it more similar to a demon. Yet Wander felt nonchalant about that. And so with a smile, he told Nito his answer.

            "Please give me that power."