Knoxx and E'ria were waiting for me at the end of the hall when I walked out of The Elemental's office. The grand, stained glass mosaic window high above them cast hues of purples, blues, greens, and golds in the calm afternoon upon them. Ironically, the depiction of the Goddess and her Seven Virtues gazed down on any who walked by. Which was everyone. Even here, the Prophecy loomed menacingly above me.
Knoxx's face looked especially worried as I neared them. "Are you alright?" He asked once I stood in front of them.
"I'm fine."
"What did the demon do to you?" E'ria asked in her usual tone with a frown, but I sensed a real concern for me in the way she stood.
The Elemental never said I couldn't tell them. "It messed with my magic," I said in summary.
"Goddess, and did The Elemental find anything strange?"
"No. That or he didn't deign to tell me."
"I wouldn't be surprised if it was the latter," E'ria grumbled. "I don't trust him."
Knoxx gave her a look. "You never have."
"Well as one of the most powerful warlocks in the world, you would think he had more pressing matters at hand rather than running a school."
"Yes, well, if it weren't for him, Anveya here wouldn't have met us."
I put a foot forward and crossed my arms. "I'm still debating whether that was a good thing or not. You tripped me into a bush the first day we met." This was said to E'ria.
She raised a black brow at that. Knoxx gave me a faux wounded look.
The tower bells decided to ring then, signalling the start of next class in five minutes. I sighed and gave my friends a small smile. "I'll see you both tonight I suppose?"
E'ria hummed. "Not me, I'm afraid. I need to write an exam after class hours since I missed it due to the incident in scouting training today."
"I'm sorry."
E'ria gave me a slightly surprised look, her eyes widening. "You have nothing to apologize for, Anveya. Nothing."
Knoxx cleared his throat. "Well, I'm available tonight."
"Then I'll see you in my rooms later."
Knoxx grinned at me as two passing witch students stared at me at that. It took a few moments for me to process what they were thinking and I hit Knoxx on the arm.
"Not like that."
He sniffed delicately. "So violent. You're lucky, The Elemental never gives anyone else the day off."
"That's because I'm his ward and I was attacked. There are certain perks to that, ones I am never ashamed to utilize."
E'ria smiled wickedly. "Utterly shameless. And as much as you claim to be alright, you should rest. You were attacked by a demon."
I waved her off, refusing to give away how much that demon had rattled me. "Yes yes, plenty of resting."
E'ria and Knoxx both gave me brief hugs before they turned left and headed down the hall side by side towards their next class. I smiled at their retreating backs until they entered one of the classrooms and headed right towards the stairway that led to the student rooms above.
I had just placed my foot on the first step when a jarring, high-pitched shriek abruptly ripped through the air. I covered my head with my hands instinctively and hunched over as glass from the nearby low-hanging windows shattered and rained down on me. The dark, midnight-blue cloak I always wore broke most of the debris upon impact since it was inlaid with protective wards set by Karinossa at The Elemental's orders when he gave it to me as a gift. Despite this, a lucky shard still managed to slice a rip in the sleeve of my blue and brown school uniform.
The debris raining down reduced itself to a soft tinkling as the smell of spring flowers and rain drifted in from the outside.
The halls were deadly silent as I straightened, slightly numb, blood pounding hard through my body as adrenaline made my breath rasp. I turned in a slow circle and surveyed the damage.
Of course the stained window was still intact. Although a spider-web of cracks adorned it now, to my satisfaction.
But besides that― "Goddess."
"Yes. Fitting isn't it? You don't much like her either do you...oh, you don't!"
"Who said that?!" I half shouted, panicking and whirling around as if expecting the speaker to be behind me.
No one.
I forced my breathing to even out. The voice sounded oddly female.
Assess your surroundings, analyze the threat, react accordingly.
I repeated The Elemental's saying over and over in my mind. The one he had practically instilled into me by now.
"Me, Blessed One. We fought this morning. You may think you won, but I consider it a draw."
I looked around. No one would be in the halls at this time of the day, and The Elemental's office was down the very long hallway behind me. I couldn't risk starting a fight with my fire magic in here either. Assessing the threat it was. "We fought...?" The demon from this morning. "But spirit demons can't possess people."
"Child," Just that one word held such ancient power. Oh Goddess, what was happening? "I let you live. You are correct, I am no spirit demon. Although for both of our sakes, I would appreciate it if you kept that between us."
"Who are you?"
"An ally. A friend. An enemy."
"Why are you here? What did you do to me?"
"I am here to help."
"Who," I snarled.
The demon invading my mind laughed with amusement. "Smart one. The warlock trained you well. I am here to help you, which will help me, which will help us all."
"Something tells me you're referring to the Prophecy."
"Yes," it breathed. "The time has come, Blessed One. Can you feel it? The Virtues' demises draw near."
"And yet you hide."
"Hide? I am doing the exact opposite by claiming you as my katopagus." A demonic word. Kato meant oath or sacred, pagus meant― "Bonded," it interrupted.
"So that's what you did to me when you infused our magic together. Oath bonded." I gave a slight curling of my lip at that. "That's ironic on your part, isn't it? Now you're stuck with me."
"By choice. I have wandered through the demonic realms for centuries, following the hierarchy without exceptions. And yet this mortal world has always been the most cruel. I pity your species."
"What exactly do you gain from helping me fulfill the Prophecy?"
"Freedom."
"From what?"
"What? Little One, it is from who. I heard your question to the warlock earlier, and you already know the answer. There has only ever been one ruling demon for over five millenniums. The reign demon, Alkor. He has sat upon the Obsidian Throne for too long...and I intend to take it."
All thoughts rushed out of my mind. Take it? From the very reign demon even The Elemental was wary of.
I forced my voice to be steady, although it wavered just so. "I see. Whatever form you had before was too noticeable and you now inhabit mine to carry out your plans unnoticed."
"Close enough. I tell you this because I intend to trust you." The demon's voice dropped to a threatening tenor as it hissed: "You will find that resisting me is futile. I am more merciful than Alkor, yes, but not by that much."
"I understand. But hear me when I say this. If you so much as hint at harming anyone besides a demon, I will not hesitate to rid you myself. If you're going to help, I expect you to know just whose body you currently inhabit. It is not a young girl you speak to. I am the Supernal, and I do not tolerate demons of any sort."
"We'll see, Blessed One. Let this be done quickly so we may part ways soon."