The Voodoo Doll

Chapter XXII: Typhon

He pointed at Noah with his pinky. A gesture that meant nothing but humiliation. "How in the Core's name could you have possibly seen my shop at all?"

The boy clenched his fists in anger. His eyes were already taking the same exact color as the creature before him.

"I see, now, I see...interesting.." , Typhon muttered.

But Noah had already stopped listening. Not only was he reminded, for the second time this week, that he was a weakling unworthy of the title of a king, but he was also made to look ridiculous in front of the only person he thought was--

Noah stopped short. He thought was what? What did Noah think about Hitori as a person? What was Hitori to him?

For the first time since he left his parents' home, he did not know which emotions to deal with first. He always had almost nothing in mind, nothing but his Voodoo Magic and constantly thinking about new ways to improve his killing craft. However, at this very instant, a jumble of feelings and thoughts were competing to be the priority in his brain. How did humans even deal with this flow of variables? Was he supposed to feel pissed at the demon -For Typhon was clearly one. If he was an ally to Honoka, he would never play tricks on them like he is doing now- or was he supposed to feel intrigued by himself not wanting to seem weak in front of Hitori? Since when did he even care?

Thankfully, the girl beside him had her head all collected. Strange how whenever she was in ruins, he would support her, and vice versa.

"What do you mean, Sir? Please, if you know something, we would be even happier customers if you tell us." She was smiling. Still smiling despite being stuck with a demon, for the second time in under two days, still smiling after knowing they had absolutely no chance of winning against this one either, for Noah was rendered helpless before him.

They were just going shopping, for cry-out-loud.

A small voice inside Noah would tell him that it was the best time to bargain for information, for this demon, despite being awfully suspicious, was strangely honest with them.

Typhon looked like he heard the most perfect words uttered by none other than Hitori.

He clapped happily, turning his now-proud gaze to her.

"Very well, then! Very well! You children look like an interesting bunch! Poisonous lips coated with honey, and changeling eyes with a power that could kill an army, if used properly! I know exactly the phones you need!"

"We only need one, for me--" , Noah said.

The demon clicked his tongue, disappointment clear on his face.

"No do, Typhon's technopath technology works to make all your communications private. Of course it will need two smartphones, not just one." He turned his back to them, and walked towards the back of the shop. Noah blinked, and suddenly, the demon was gone, with the surreal impression that his absence lasted for a very long time, not just a single second.

"Do you ever feel that--" , Noah whispered to Hitori.

"Time here flows differently in this shop?" , Hitori completed.

The boy nodded gravely. He could not dwell much longer on the consequences of this realization, because Typhon appeared again, as if he had always been there, waiting for them to notice him, just to see the smug look on their innocent faces.

This time, he was holding two pitch-black-screened smartphones. One had a red phone case, the other was blue with streaks of honey on it, changing places like golden waves on the calm surface of an ocean. When Noah fixed the other phone case long enough, it changed color, now looking entirely transparent.

Just like his eyes.

The demon handed each teenager his phone.

"And now for my favorite time of a good purchase!" , he announced, spreading his arms wide in welcome. Small black wings emerged from his back, but it was not the creepy part.

What caught Noah's eye about them was the way they dripped a dark liquid on the floor, making the sound of a broken pipe inside empty sewers. The more he listened to the rhythmic drip-drip-drip of the wings, the more his head ached, dizziness taking over his already- clouded mind. The floor started moving under his feet, and the phone he was holding in his hands multiplied in numbers.

Noah wasn't sure, but at some point, the phones all lit, their screens showing one single picture.

A green space, with high grass as the ground and endless sky above. A single well, seemingly built with perfectly square shaped rocks, centered the picture, and beside it stood a black figure.

A shadow.

The shadow put one foot on the edge of the well, then another, and before the boy could utter a warning, a sound, anything to prevent it from doing what it was about to do, the figure jumped, disappearing inside the mysterious well.

That was the last thing Noah saw before darkness swallowed him whole.