It felt like a long dream before I woke up. I know that I wasn't from this world. I know I didn't have a good life there as I await my end.
But for some reason, I was born here and I didn't care about that miserable life anymore. A voice convinced me to move forward. To become someone I wasn't. To erase my humanity to become what I desire.
I opened my eyes as I accepted what I would become. Embrace who I am.
Then I took my first breath as I opened my eyes when I heard two voices.
A voice of my own. And a voice I fondly recall as a friend.
The darkness started to consume me. But I simply reach out my hand to the sliver of light above me...
----------------------------------------
I was still in awe as I stared at my reflection in the mirror. It has been a few days since I woke up and I'm still in disbelieved at everything I witnessed.
I am still determining who I really am in the past. But I know this was not my body before. And yet, it felt kind of natural. If this is who I am, then maybe it's not that bad.
Looking at myself in the mirror, I see that I looked like a 9-year-old boy with pale skin, black long claws on my hands, and purple eyes. My hair seemed to be very messy as it was a bit long enough to reach my neck and I have now two white horns poking through it above my forehand. Lastly, behind me is a long black tail with an end shaped like an arrow. It's kind of fun wiggling it around, but I'm not happy that I don't have wings like in my vague dream.
How can we? We're nothing more than Demi-Fiends. Casia said they don't have them even if they get older.
Seriously? It's a shame, though. I can imagine flying around the Demon Territory wherever we like.
If we do that, we'll be in trouble.
I groan. Does he have to be a party pooper about it? Speaking of which...
"Why can't you go out here and look in the mirror for yourself? You're the one who got to be reborn first," I said aloud.
Yeah... If it's that simple.
A strange wave suddenly overwhelms my head for a second. When I regain my composure, I turn to see Vander behind me. He has the same appearance as me. Yet he has a grin and narrowed eyes when he stares at me.
"I'm still getting used to having you around in my head. Being stuck in it is also the first for me," Vander said. "I know Casia said the only way we can balance ourselves is to get along, but I'm not happy being trapped here while you go around outside as me."
I sighed. "It's not like I want to be you literally, Vander. I'm still trying to process that I am a...fake identity of you. I accepted that I am, but part of me isn't."
"Either way, Casia also said we can't solve our dilemma in a day. We might as well get used to it and deal with what kind of chaos we might find ourselves here."
He has a point. We're trying to adjust our lives so we can live without any problems with each other. Yet we have no clue how we can do that without Casia's input. He said merging is a big no-no for some reason and even if we want to, I can't help but feel...scared of it. That losing Vander or myself would also lose the other. I know I'm not making sense, but that's what I think of it. Besides, Vander is also in the same situation as me. He doesn't know all of the complicated words and also has those strange familiar stuff we noticed, but never saw before.
"Yeah, we should. Besides, I'm not in the mood to talk about it right now," I said.
"I can say the same," Vander agreed. "How about we skip the subject for today and talk about something else before Casia's lessons?"
"Sure, I guess..." He's right. My head hurts just thinking about it. I look down and stare at my ring. Now that I see it, I realize I haven't figured out about the ring's origins or the connections to me.
"Thinking about our ring, huh?"
I quickly shook my thoughts as I turned to Vander again. "Yeah. I think the whole charade when I was in the dream broke down the moment I wore this ring," I explained. "I was thinking that it might have something to do with our rebirth before all of these revelations."
"Actually, I know why. Well, most of it since I'm still confused about the details," he replied. "He said it's one of the treasures Umbaria gifted to the territory after its creation. Though not all of them were found since she scattered them for some reason."
The Goddess of Darkness did that? I never thought of her as a type to make pranks. "And why this ring?"
"I recalled that she wanted to give me... No, sorry... Give us a gift before we are reborn. I think the ring might be that gift."
I think I understand a bit. "And what's so special about it? Other than a few things I discovered in my dream."
"Not much. All I know is the name of the ring. I think it's called "Anima"... Anima Cesil... Anima Cezeli..."
I watched him stumble over the wording of the name he was trying to pronounce. I wished I could try to move on, but another wave in my head made me utter a few words. "[Anima...Cecidit]."
"Huh? What did you say?"
I quickly shake my head, realizing what I said. "[Anima Cecidit]. I suddenly know the name and how to pronounce it all of the sudden. I think that's the name you're referring to, right?"
"Yeah, I think that's it," Vander confirmed. "Casia said it contains strange powers that he doesn't even know about, but I haven't figured out what it is other than turning us into a Demi-Fiend during our rebirth."
But I do. Well, vaguely. My dreams are starting to fade after I wake up, so I don't have a perfect memory of what has transpired. But I have a few ideas.
"Open [Stats]."
As soon as I uttered those words, a strange transparent blue sign appeared right in front of us. There, our names are written on it along with some stuff I don't know about.
> Name: Aster/Vander
>
> Species: Demi-Fiend
>
> ERROR! CAN'T VIEW DATA!
>
> ERROR! CAN'T VIEW DATA!
>
> ERROR! CAN'T VIEW DATA!
>
> ERROR! CAN'T VIEW DATA!
"Whoa! How did you do that?!" Vander exclaimed. "You somehow create a tablet with words and our names on it!"
"I-I don't know," I reluctantly answered. "I just recall what I said in my dreams and it just appeared from the ring! I recalled I saw something similar to something I played. But I never remember playing that game and I can't remember this thing."
"But it's still cool! Although I don't know what "error" and "data" are, this has to be a secret power Umbaria and Casia mentioned! It's too good to pass up! Can you summon other things from your ring?"
I slowly backed away and said, "I don't know."
I'm still confused about it as well. Yet if what Vander said is true, then maybe I can use it for something...more useful than those words. I tried to think of other things in the ring and I recall another word related to it.
"Open [Talents]!"
Another tablet appeared in front of the first one and we started to read what was written on it.
> [Talent]
>
> [Fire] Level 1
>
> [Darkness] Level 1
>
> [Extrasensory Perception] Level 1
>
> [Sword] Level 1
>
> [Martial Arts] Level 1
>
> [Demon Knowledge] Level 2
>
> [Familiar Taming] Level 1
>
> [Senses] Level 1
>
> [Magical Knowledge] Level 1
My jaw dropped again at what we saw. More complicated words! Some of them are ones we already know. I was almost speechless at what we discovered until I said, "What is all of this? It said [Talent] on the top of the tablet."
Vander approaches the tablet for a closer look at it. "I think it shows our [Talents] that we know so far. Look! It has our magic affinities, [Fire] and [Darkness]! And there's [Demon Knowledge]! And [Sword] and [Martial Arts]! Ugh... Reading them makes me worried about Casia's upcoming martial arts lessons."
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"Really?" I take another look at the tablet and notice some that are interesting. "What about these? Extra...sensory...per-kep-ton?"
"I don't know what that is. But I know that I never learned [Familiar Taming] and [Senses] before," Vander answered. "Are these the ones that we know, but don't know?"
I shrugged. "I don't know. Hearing you say that makes my head hurt."
I watched Vander start to poke at the tablet while he said, "Same here. Whatever they are, they have bad naming sense. I don't know if some of them are considered as [Talents]."
He's got a point. Why call all of them [Talents] if ones like [Senses] or [Demon Knowledge] are not considered as... You know, talents! Before I say anything, another smaller tablet appeared and I gasped to see what was on it.
> [Fire Affinity]
>
> [You have an affinity to cast [Fire] spells.]
"W-Whoa..." I muttered. "How did you do that, Vander?!"
"I-I don't know! I only poke on the word, [Fire]. And it just appeared out of nowhere!"
So the small tablet appeared when he tapped the word, huh? I decided to do the same with the word, [Senses]. Sure enough, the small tablet disappeared and another popped up.
> [Senses]
>
> [This represents your five senses of sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste.]
"Whoa... That's cool and helpful," I commented. "It might help us learn more about our new [Talents]!"
"Weird, but interesting. Ooh! Try tapping on that last one on the tablet!"
I looked down to where Vander is referring to. "[Twin...Minds]..." I read it out loud. "Huh? What's the harm of looking at it?"
I shrugged as I tapped the words. Like the other ones, another tablet replaced the last one and my eyes widened to see what was written on it.
> [Twin Minds]
>
> [A talent granted by the Goddess of Darkness. Having two personalities allows you to break the limits that a normal person would have. You are the only person who possesses this [Talent].]
"Two...personalities?" I read it out loud. "Hang on, is it talking about us?!"
"I think so," Vander answered. "Plus, it says here that we're the only ones who have this [Talent]. That means we're special!"
I hummed as I read the long text again. "I don't know. Having a special [Talent] made for us doesn't mean we're strong against other demons. Still, it might be interesting for us to use it. I mean, like you said, we're the only ones who have it and I don't see why we're going to seal it off."
Normally, I would have gone off avoiding things that might be too suspicious to use, mostly because they might be cursed or a trap set up by someone. But the description says that it was granted by the Goddess herself. My mind is still blurry about our meetings, yet I can trust her words even the ones seemingly gifted to us.
"All right! How about we'll check it out and..."
"Aster? Vander? Are you awake?"
Both of us gasped, realizing who called us on the other side of the door.
"Oh no... We almost forgot about Casia's magic lessons today!" Vander shouted. "You're supposed to review some basic lessons, right?"
He's right. I already know them for some reason, but with how I woke up in this new body and identity, I should probably take them for my sake. That and I heard from Vander he's a bit strict as a teacher.
"We should discuss more about this later. I don't want you to take the brunt of Casia's scolding since it's my fault for wasting your time asking my questions."
"No worries. The better we communicate, the better we have a good life ahead, right?" Vander said with a grin. "I'll take a rest then. Go ahead and do your lessons."
I nod with a smile before heading to the door so I can let Casia in our room. I already wore a simple white dress shirt, black shorts, and shoes with long gray socks. So I'm fully prepared for today as I open the door.
"Good morning, Casia," I happily greeted, despite it doesn't look like morning as I still saw a dark sky and the blood-red moon on my window. Then again, I don't know what morning is outside the Demon Territory.
"Good morning to you, too. I'm surprised you're already dressed up, Aster," Casia said. "No offense, but compared to Vander, he's mostly the type to sleep late and prepare at the last minute."
I chuckled. I never knew he was not a morning person. I turn around to see that Vander is gone, but I know he might have heard that otherwise. "I somehow have the urge to wake up early. I don't know why, but I feel like it's necessary."
"As much as I like your dedication, there are times that you might wake up a bit too early. You're still a kid and doing too much will only exhaust you. Just take it easy. You can't rush life. That includes my lessons."
Can't rush life, huh? "Are you sure? Because you sometimes scold Vander the same thing."
"There's slowing down and there's someone who used sleep as an excuse to be lazy in bed. When it comes to your studies, you two are like day and night and you'll be surprised how much he wanted to rush things. Namely how he almost used a [Fire] spell to prove himself while we're in the lavender gardens."
Wow, I never knew Vander was such a troublemaker. I don't know why, but I can't help but grin ear-to-ear from hearing about it. I may never remember who I was, but I feel like this world is where I really belong.
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As I adjusted to this new life, I began to find new things I wanted to do in my new home. I started to help Casia tend the gardens when I was active and learned more about the strange Anima ring with Vander. I already got used to the smell of Shadow Lavenders the longer I took care of them inside the mansion. Sniffing them makes me feel relaxed and makes me forget the rough days I have in my lessons. It's even better when they help me sleep at night.
Even when I give the body to Vander, I still learn a lot through his eyes. Despite his careless attitude, he is studying to try to take on the Master's research he left behind. He kept mentioning these [Memory Books] and said he would inherit them once we're older. Not only that, he seemed to be interested in the drawings he and Casia I drew before I woke up. I honestly have no idea what was drawn there, yet they were very familiar to me. I wish I could do the same, yet I'm still conflicted about what to do since I'm still trying to learn around me.
Two weeks have passed since I began my new identity. I'm exhausted from today's lesson as I lay down on my bed. That lesson was about [Null] magic and I'm still dizzy trying to memorize what I learned there. I can't say the same with Vander as the last time I saw him, he looked like he was dying. I rather not mention it to him again, for his sake.
Despite everything that happened, I can't help but unable to stop smiling. I never smiled like this since I woke up here and I never had this fun, like, at all. I still have no clue what was I like before my rebirth. But this mansion is nice. Living in the Demon Territory is much more enjoyable than I thought it was. Maybe this is what I want. A life living in darkness with a friend in my head and a black dragon as our mentor. What's better is that no one is going to hurt me or my friends. The only enemies I know are the demons who dared to eat us and we have our magic and strengths of the same nature to defend ourselves.
However, I'm not strong enough to fight them like Vander and Casia. If I tried, I might freeze and let Vander take the reins since he's the most experienced of both of us. But I don't want to rely on them too much. They are reliable, but I'm not going to stay on the sidelines forever. I want to fight by their side as allies, yet I don't know...
"Where to start on becoming strong, am I right?"
I screamed and stood up when I heard a voice suddenly echo behind me. But I realize it's only Casia carrying a tray of Mana Crystals. "Geez, Casia. Can't you tell I'm not as adept as Vander?!"
"I'm sorry about that, Aster," Casia said as he walked up to me and placed the tray right next to me. "But I can't help to hear your dilemma. I was expecting Vander to complain about my lessons in your mind as usual." He then sat down right between me and the tray. "Don't be shy. Why don't you share it with me? I doubt he's listening at the moment."
I'm a bit reluctant about that. But Casia's right. I feel like Vander is sleeping right now. So I might as well let it out. "Am I holding you guys back by being here?"
"That again. Do I need to repeat myself? Or is it a different matter from the usual?" Casia asked back.
"...Different," I answered. "I want to be more useful to you and Vander. You said I exist for a reason and I have the right to carve my own path from Vander's. But if I do, I need to help you in some form. It doesn't have to be chores around the mansion. I want to inherit something from Mr. Hyde. Just like Vander."
As I turn around, I see Casia humming to himself. Then he said to me, "Well, you don't need to inherit Hyde's research like Vander. Even if you do something simple like learning magic or doing chores around the mansion, you contribute something even with little gratitude for us. There's a concept of give and take. If you give something, they will take it and give you another thing in return. That cycle will continue as long as one of them doesn't abuse it and that's the same with kindness."
I tilted my head. "Kind...ness...?"
"It means you are friendly, generous, and considerate to others. Most of the demons saw it as a weakness. But some saw it isn't limited to humanity. Demi-Fiends aren't living the same way as you and Vander and they don't have the strength or means to defend themselves from [Wild Demons] and humans who used the excuse of discrimination and bias to raid villages in the Demon Territory. Having kindness is considered a blessing for all of us."
Kindness... I didn't know it existed here, too. "Do you think I have one?"
Casia smiled at me as he placed his hand on my shoulder. "Only if you keep being yourself. You don't have to be like me or Vander to become strong. Even a demon can learn humanity from others. That's what he taught me before we merged."
"He?"
"My body's host. He wasn't like the one I stole his knowledge from. He escaped from the corruption of his home kingdom and was barely alive when I found him. I was in the same state as him. I couldn't find enough Mana Hearts and Crystals to sustain my ever-growing hunger. It's a dog-eat-dog world out there and despite my pride in strength, I fear the worse that all of us will succumb to the hunger and primal instincts of the [Wild Demons] if we continue to hunt each other for power. If it wasn't for my host and the sacrifice of his individuality, I wouldn't meet you and the Master."
I see. I guess even Sentient Demons also have issues about themselves. That's no different for me.
"Humanity exists in all species. All it takes is a simple gesture and belief to stop the darkness in their hearts."
I sighed. "At least you're hopeful about it."
It's not like I'm countering Casia's hopefulness. I'm only trying to get my hopes up too much. It has probably to do with my past identity, but I feel like we're not safe either way.
"If you like, I want you to follow me," Casia said as he suddenly got up from my bed. "You can carry the Mana Crystals with you if you're hungry."
I tilted my head as I did the same. "Why?"
"I want to show you something. Vander already saw it, but I feel like it might be better if you do the same."
I have no clue where he is taking me, but I decide to accept it silently as I take the crystals and follow him out of my bedroom.
----------------------------------------
To my surprise, that place turns out to be the lab in the basement. I can still see a single crystal lamp shining in the room revealing several trinkets, do-dads, and potions on the desk and shelves. I saw the room whenever Vander did some experiments and saw my drawings. But I have never been here in person before until now.
"So why are we here anyway?" I asked. "I don't know what's the point of us hanging around here."
Casia silently takes something from the desk drawer. It turns out to be a journal that looks old from its raggedy cover and pages as he gives it to me. "This is the Master's journal. It doesn't contain his past, but it has records of how you and Vander came to be."
My eyes widened. This is the journal that Vander's Master wrote in it?! I can't believe I have it in my hands. And yet, I'm confused about why I did.
"Why are you giving me this? Am I supposed to read it?" I asked in confusion.
"You can say that. Though I have to warn you, the initial logs depicted his views on Vander as an experiment," Casia warned. "However, times change for people and the rest of it shows. Also, it's not because I want you to follow in his shoes like Vander. But I want you to see his viewpoint before you can make a judgment on him and this world alone."
I hummed as I started at the journal. "Again, why? Is there anything I can take something away from it?"
But Casia smiled at me and said, "You'll be surprised what you can learn from anyone's past. Feel free to sit down if it makes you comfortable."
I have no idea what I got myself into with this journal. Still, I'm curious about and I can't help but to sit down and open it. He said the Master originally saw us as an experiment. I wonder why he took us in and why he was willing to give us his inheritance.
Realizing I'm too curious to ignore it, I open the journal to the first page...