Victor covered his mouth, successfully holding in a burp. He gave a prideful look to the mountain of chicken bones on his tray. His diet of the last two days was composed of yogurt cups, applesauce, and donuts. So the more substantive meal of fried chicken and mashed potatoes smothered in brown gravy was much appreciated.

The thawed out ice pack was next to his bed, leaving a small puddle on the cream colored plastic dresser top. Connor was staring at his phone, picking at his teeth with a toothpick. Steam came off the green beans at the end of Summer's fork. She gave them a quick blow before going in for a bite. Mr. Au was seated, gazing upon a framed painting of a boat on the wall opposite to him, lost in thought.

A knock at the door captured everyone's attention. The doctor walked in and greeted Victor with a smile. "How are you feeling?" he asked while twirling a pen in his hand.

"Better," Victor said. The swelling had completely gone down, and the area no longer had a purplish hue. "I think I'm ready to head home now."

"I agree." He turned to Mr. Au. "If you would come with me, please."

Victor stretched while releasing a booming yawn, causing the birds perched near the window to flutter away. By the time he finished rubbing his eyes, the room was completely empty.

Victor peered warmly at the single red rose amongst the bouquet sitting atop his father's chair. The red-eyed janitor's menacing snarl assaulted his mind's eye, causing a knot to form in the pit of his stomach. Then, as if his subconscious willed it, he recalled scurrying down the stairs to the sight of his parents wishing him a merry Christmas—a gift wrapped in red paper sitting under the tree.

An immediate wave of joy washed over him, soothing his anxiety.

His father cracked the door open and peeked inside. "V, get dressed. We're going home."

Victor checked himself out in the bathroom mirror. Stubble coated his chin, and he had the shadow of a mustache. He got dressed, then started toward the elevator.

Summer and Connor were sitting in the front lobby. Victor tried to read their lips, but he couldn't make out their conversation.

Summer grinned when she noticed Victor walking toward them.

Connor gave him a head nod.

"The minute I get home, I'm gonna prep my room for our meditation session!" Summer exclaimed. She sprang out of her chair and embraced Victor. Connor got up and awkwardly waited for them to finish hugging before giving Victor a fist bump.

"Since I'm a superhero now, shouldn't I have a badass superhero name? Something like: Victor the demon slayer."

Connor exhaled sharply. "That's more of a descriptor than a badass superhero name. You were bedridden for several days and that's the best you could come up with?"

"I'm sure I'll think of something better when I get home, asshole."

Mr. Au appeared behind them and wrapped one of his arms around Victor. "You ready to go, V?"

"I'm more than ready." They bustled toward the exit. "I'll hit you guys up later," Victor said.

As he made his way toward his dad's car, he turned and looked at the hospital, feeling an overwhelming sense of jubilation as the building's size shrunk with each step. Once he reached the car, he took a deep inhale of fresh air before leaping inside.

Their ride home was dead silent, and Victor's father refused to even look in his direction. His only company was the wind from the open windows howling in his ears.

His house was finally in sight, but to Victor's surprise, everything looked so... small. His once elongated driveway looked minuscule, and his recently rebuilt porch that housed a giant table and chair set fit for a patio seemed pedestrian.

A waft of familiarity hit Victor the moment he stepped foot inside. He glanced at the military paraphernalia and family photos on the walls and felt at peace. Victor bolted toward the stairs, but his dad called him into the living room, stopping him in his tracks.

"Sit. down," his father asserted. Victor's legs moved by themselves. He couldn't remember the last time his father spoke to him that way. "You are going to tell me what really happened."

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"What do you mean?" Victor asked. He knew he messed up the moment those words left his lips.

Mr. Au gave him a stern glare. Victor averted his gaze. He felt so foolish. As if he were a little boy again, awaiting his punishment for getting into one of his many school fights. He despised the fact that his dad's anger still had this affect on him, but he had to accept it. "Dad... I know Connor lied to you, but please don't be mad at him."

"I'm not mad at him. I'm mad at you for going along with his lie. I thought I told you time and time again to tell me the truth, no matter what." His face softened as he grabbed Victor's shoulder. "Now, tell me what really happened. Are you getting into fights again?"

"No Dad I promise, it's just... you wouldn't believe me."

"Try me."

Victor fidgeted in his seat. He desperately wanted to tell his dad the truth, but he didn't know where to start. His father's grip on his shoulder tightened. Victor looked up. There wasn't an ounce of anger in his eyes.

"Mom... was an angel." Hearing the words out loud made him flush with embarrassment.

After a century-long pause, his dad said, "She was indeed an amazing woman, but, what does that have to do with anything?"

"No, she was literally an angel. And I'm half an angel, and I have superpowers when I focus on my breath. Connor... is an angel, uh I mean, was an angel, and..." He covered his face with his hands. The ridiculousness of everything was finally setting in.

"Just calm down and tell me the truth."

Victor explained the events that had happened up to that point. His dad didn't say a word, but he listened attentively, never once breaking eye contact.

"So you beat that guy with one punch, huh?" A devilish grin stretched across his face. "Listen, I honestly don't know what to say to all of that, but I do know one thing: I believe you." His words moved Victor, almost to the point of tears. He had always loved his father, but in that moment, he knew he was truly blessed. "This is a lot to take in all at once. I need to sleep on it, but before that..." Mr. Au scurried toward the dining room table and picked up an envelope with Covington high school written on the front.

Victor grabbed the envelope and tore it open. He scanned the paper inside, searching for his composite score. As soon as he saw it, he howled in laughter.

"I hope that's a good laugh. Hurry up and tell me how you did."

"I got a thirty!" he yelled, still laughing. "I ended up getting a score four points higher than my goal!"

"That's great. But... why is that funny exactly?"

Victor's laugh ebbed into a smile. "The last couple of days have been insane. So the fact that I stressed out so much over a test that I ended up acing is making me lose it."

His dad glared at him puzzlingly for a moment, and then smiled. "Yeah, I guess that is kind of funny."

Moonlight illuminated part of Victor's slightly opened closet door. He peered at the laundry hamper suspiciously. The dirt covered clothes he wore when he fought the demon were in plain sight.

Victor preferred sleeping in complete darkness, but that night he felt compelled to experiment with open curtains. He laid his head on his soft cotton pillow and stared up at his dust covered ceiling fan. Finally, a pillow not made of concrete. He turned his body to the side, focusing on the pale-blue walls peaking through his various posters. He turned his body again, and again, and again before finally settling on a position. Victor closed his eyes and accepted sleep's comforting embrace.

He saw Connor's look of anguish, the cigarette on the ground, the janitor's odd movements, and his crimson-red eyes. Every seemingly innocuous detail played back in his head on a loop.

An image of his mother's smile appeared.

He shot up, finding it hard to breathe. Every inhale was arduous, and every exhale was shallow. He put a hand to his chest and he could feel the palpitations.

In a panic, he rolled over and fell off his bed, causing a loud thud. He began sweating profusely. Am I having a heart attack? he thought while squirming around on the floor. His vision became blurry as tears formed.

A loud bang came from the direction of his door. His father appeared. He turned the lights on and ran to his son. "Dad... I... can't... breathe," Victor said. Mr. Au gave him a glance over before springing into action, picking Victor up and placing him on the bed.

"Son, look at me. Everything is going to be alright. You're having a panic attack. Just focus on me and we'll get through this." Victor grabbed his dad's arm. The tears he desperately tried to hold in flowed. His dad used his shirt to wipe Victor's face before continuing. "Listen, I need you to slowly and gently take a deep breath through your nose, and then exhale through your mouth. Can you do that for me?"

His dad demonstrated the breathing technique to Victor before having them do it together. Victor closed his eyes. Serenity gradually replaced his sense of panic and terror. He opened his eyes and his father leapt backward. "They're gold... just as you said. Incredible."

Victor's tranquility vanished—as if snatching away a gift he was just handed.

"I knew you would pull through."

"Dad, I was so scared, I—"

"It's okay, you've had a crazy week." He sat on the bed. "I used to have panic attacks all the time during basic training."

"No way."

His father nodded. "The first time I found out where I was going to be deployed, I threw up in one of my combat boots." He lowered his head and smiled. "But the thing that always kept me going through all the fear and panic was knowing that I was protecting the ones I loved. V, I can't imagine a world full of demons. And you telling me that Connor and your mother were angels is something I can't wrap my head around, but I think you were given these powers for a reason. How you use them is up to you, but know this: I'll support you no matter what."

He sat with Victor in silence for a while before heading to the door. Victor called out to him while rubbing the bald spot where a bundle of dreadlocks used to be. "I think I'll be getting that haircut soon."