𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐍'𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍

PART TWO; THE NAME

(Y/N) studied the demon.

She wondered what he wanted her to say to that, or if he wanted her to speak at all.

The silence was stifling.

She had noticed it even before she stepped into the room, but this demon's aura was of the most menacing kind. The almost primal and instinctive part of her mind screamed at her to move, to run as far away as she could from this man, yet her limbs felt like lead and her mind felt numb. His presence, his words, his intense gaze—he was overwhelming to the point that (Y/N) had to physically force herself to keep standing lest she fall to her knees in front of him, her body useless to her will.

She wasn't afraid of him.

Of his power.

Of his indomitable strength.

No.

All she felt was a sense of clarity and relief from finally being rid of the burden of her parents.

Many points in the past had she thought of slicing her parents' throats, of strangling them, of poisoning them, of hanging them by their own bedsheets, but each time such an idea crossed her mind, she stifled it just as quickly. She would never be expected as the next family head, and she would no doubt be cast out upon her parents' deaths.

So, she had to stay.

Or, at least as long as she was forced to until her plans of escape were complete.

But now, those were all useless.

She was free.

"Whatever it is that you wish to do, I won't stand in your way, as useless as doing so would be," (Y/N) finally began stiffly, never once lowering her gaze or allowing her fingers to tremble in the demon's presence. "What of the servants' lives, what of my parents' lives, what of my life... do with them as you see fit. I don't fear death. I never did. Living my life under them was a far cry worse, and you've released me from that."

It was only then did she lower her head.

    She waited.

    Seconds passed, and then minutes.

    Nothing happened.

    Then, ever so slowly, the sword lowered from her throat to his side. (Y/N), puzzled, glanced back up to meet the demon's eyes, her brows furrowing as she searched his apathetic expression.

    "Do you not fear me?" The demon questioned.

    "Should I?"

    "If I wanted to, I could easily kill you where you stood," he murmured softly, his words contrasting with his actions considering how he then sheathed his sword, (Y/N) narrowing her eyes at that. "The fear of death, however... is something that you do not have. Likewise, my task never was to kill you. I've fulfilled the duty that I was ordered to do, and killing you would just be a waste of my time."

    (Y/N)'s brow twitched.

    While she wasn't too fond of being called a waste of time, something struck out at her.

    "You were ordered to kill my parents?" She approached the topic slowly, watching the demon's face with a rather dark gaze. "Why would their deaths be beneficial to a demon like you?"

    "You know what I am... yet still interrogate me like this?" The demon spoke lowly.

    "Shouldn't I have a right to know?"

    "I've granted you your life... the only thing you should know now is to keep your mouth shut," the demon's expression never changed, yet there was a heavy and oppressive weight to his words that made (Y/N) hesitate in trying to get any more information out of him, instead resorting to staring at him with darkness glimmering in her (E/C) eyes. "You hold a firm resolution, human... I admire that. So few humans can do that when facing me."

    "I'm not surprised," (Y/N) subtly licked her dry lips, breathing in deeply. "Not in the least."

    The demon didn't move.

    And neither did she.

    Then, "What is your name... human?"

    "(L/N)(Y/N)... and yours?"

    "I have no reason to give you my name."

    "I gave you mine."

    Silence trickled between them that settled thick and almost stifling, yet (Y/N) didn't so much as flinch, even as the demon turned away from her to stare out of the sliding doors to the garden that he had left open—where he had come in, she assumed. The moon shone down on the both of them, highlighting the room in a ghostly glow.

    "Kokushibo," his voice was soft.

    And then he was gone.

つづく | to be continued