Harry woke up feeling cold despite being wrapped in his thick, heavy blanket. But it wasn't the weather that was cold.
It was him.
Every time he came, the room would turn cold. Or maybe it wasn't the room but Harry's body that froze.
Sitting up, Harry's eyes searched for him in the darkness, but Harry couldn't find him. Yet Harry knew he was there. Gripping his blanket, Harry held it tightly against his body, as if it would protect him.
"Hello?" Harry's voice trembled. "Are you there?"
Slowly the stranger emerged from the darkness. The sight of him made Harry draw in a sharp breath and want to hide under the bedcovers. He was beautifully terrifying if that made sense.
The stranger took a step toward Harry.
"Don't! Please." Harry shrieked, crawling back in his bed.
"I won't hurt you." The stranger assured.
"What do you want?" It came out as a whisper.
He came closer. "I want you. Come with me."
"Why?" He asked.
"Because we belong together."
"I don't even know you." Harry's heart accelerated with every step he took toward him.
"But you have been looking for me. And if you want to know me, then come to Black rosewood." He said.
"What if I don't want to?" Harry asked, afraid.
In the blink of an eye, he stood right in front of Harry, causing him to squeal in terror. Leaning down, the stranger brought his face close to Harry. Harry held his breath.
"Then I'll come back to convince you." He smirked, leaning even closer.
Harry shut his eyes tightly, praying he would disappear. When Harry opened them again, he was sleeping in his bed. The morning sun shines through the window, lighting up the room.
Harry let out a breath of relief. It was all a bad dream.
But wait! How did he get into his bed? He had been sleeping on the sofa.
Turning to his left, Harry found Zarin sleeping next to him.
What happened last night? Who put him into bed?
"Zarin!" Harry rocked him. "Wake up!"
Slowly, Zarin's eyes fluttered open.
"How did I get here?" Harry asked accusingly.
Zarin rubbed his eyes before looking at Harry."You don't know?"
Harry shook his head.
"Well, I don't either." Zarin smiled tauntingly.
Harry took his pillow and started hitting Zarin with it.
"All right, all right, stop." Zarin held his arms up in defense, but Harry kept hitting him.
"Stop!" He grabbed Harry's wrists turning him over he pinned him down on the bed.
"I am still stronger than you," Zarin reminded. "And faster too."
But that was not what made Harry stop.
It was him, in Harry's bed, on top of him. When Zarin understood his reaction he released him.
"You will get me in trouble one day," Zarin muttered before vanishing.
Harry was confused for a brief moment before his handmaidens knocked on the door. While they assisted him to get ready for the day, Harry kept thinking of the Hazel-eyed stranger. The stranger wanted to meet Harry after so many visits.
Why now? What changed? And what did he mean by them belonging together? Harry shook his head. It didn't matter. Harry wouldn't go to meet him.
When his handmaidens were done with Harry, he looked at himself in the mirror one last time before making his way to the great garden, where he would have breakfast with his parents.
When Harry neared the garden, he heard his grandmother's voice. He became thrilled and hurried to meet her.
"Grandma!"
"Harry!" His grandmother Irene stood up from her seat, meeting him halfway for a hug.
"I miss you," Harry said.
"I miss you more, my Angel."
Harry was so happy to see his grandmother. They chatted happily while they ate their breakfast. But Harry knew his grandmother was not as happy as she looked. Since his grandfather left, he could see the sadness behind his grandmother's smile. Until this day, Harry could not understand why his grandfather left.
He had never been the warm type, to begin with, but Harry never thought he would abandon them.
Harry could still remember the day his grandfather decided to leave. He had explained that he was on the earth for a purpose and that he for a moment got distracted and forgot why he was here.
"What is the purpose that is more important than your family?" His father had asked.
"I am here to mislead God's creation. That's the purpose of my existence. I am not here to live a normal life."
"You say that now?" His father had been outraged and Harry could understand why. But his grandfather had remained calm.
"I did not plan to have a family. It just happened, and I got caught up in it. Now I am back to who and what I should be."
"The devil?"
"Yes." His grandfather replied calmly.
"So you want to leave us?"
"You can come with me. We can mislead everyone. We can make the world ours."
Harry's father shook his head. "I don't want to be part of your evil schemes."
It was the first time Harry heard his grandfather laugh. Until this day, he never heard a more malicious sound. "You are part of me, Lucian Evil is part of you, whether you admit it or not."
"No one is born evil. It's a choice you make, and I choose not to be what you have become."
Harry had felt proud of his father, but he had been very disappointed in his grandfather. He couldn't understand why misleading people was so important to him, but when he grew up, he learned the reason why the devil was on earth. He had rebelled against God.
"Father, do you believe in God?" One day Harry had asked his father when he was a little boy.
"Yes." His father answered simply.
"I don't mean if you believe there is a God. I mean, do you believe God is good?"
His father who was busy reading some papers put them away and looked at him. "Yes. I believe God is good."
"But those who believe that God is good are also those who believe demons are evil," Harry argued.
His father studied him for a moment. "If those people believe God is good, they should know that God does not create evil. It's something his creation chooses to be, and like demons, we have the choice to be what we want."
And so Harry chose to be good, despite not knowing what it truly meant. At that time, when he was a little boy, to be good meant listening to his parents, not fighting with others, and being kind. But today Harry wondered what it truly meant to be good.
Could he still be good despite being the devil's grandson?
"Is something wrong?" His grandmother asked, breaking his train of thoughts.
Harry realized everyone had emptied their plate while he was lost in old memories.
"No, no." Harry shook his head.
Now, both his parents looked at him worriedly.
"I am fine. I am just trying to eat less. I have gained some weight." He lied.
Harry was thankful that demons couldn't hear demons' thoughts. Otherwise, his parents and grandmother would have known he was lying.
After breakfast, Harry took his grandmother aside. "I need to talk to you." He whispered. Then they went to his room to speak privately.
"So, what troubles you, my dear?" His grandmother asked once they arrived.
"Grandma, I don't want to worry anyone, but something had been troubling me for a long time."
"What is it?" His grandmother looked very concerned.
"Dreams or nightmares. I don't know. But they feel so real, and it's the same person as every time I think it might be more than just a dream." Harry explained.
His grandmother listened carefully.
"I think it's a demon. He has Hazel-eyes, and he comes almost every night." Harry continued.
"What does he do when he comes?"
Harry's cheeks flushed.
"Oh, dear. It's that kind of dream." His grandmother said.
"No!" Harry's blush deepened.
"It's normal." His grandmother cut off. "You have grown. You are a man now and you yearn for someone."
Harry sighed. He didn't expect his grandmother to react the way Gina did.
"Who is he?" She asked curiously.
Harry shook his head. "I don't know him. But he seems to know me. That's why I am afraid."
The concerned look returned to his grandmother's face. "You don't know him?"
"No."
She was quiet for a long moment before she stood up. "Come. I'll perform a spell on you. It will make demons unable to enter your mind."