Extra Demon: Sacred Academy of Light

"Then, what do you have to tell me?" Daniela's voice sounded serious and slightly annoyed. She was sitting in a chair in my room with one leg crossed over the other, arms folded, and a frown on her face as she stared down. If it seems like I was being judged, well, I sort of was. I didn't fully understand it, but… looking just beside her, Leslie and Evelyn were there too. Leslie had a small smile on her face, while Evelyn looked like she was about to fall asleep. It's worth mentioning that it was very late at night—so late, in fact, that I was surprised they were even awake… well, mostly awake in Evelyn's case.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

The situation was more or less what I expected, but I thought it would happen during the day. The thing is, Daniela was upset, and for good reason. Right now… I was sitting on the floor. To be honest, I'd prefer to have this kind of conversation with her tomorrow. I really wanted to go to bed. But Daniela's frown deepened as I stayed silent.

"I'm sorry for lying to you." I couldn't say much more than that. All I could do was apologize. My situation was complicated too. Was this a trust issue? I didn't think so. There are things that simply can't be said and must be kept to oneself—at least, that's the rational way of looking at it. But emotionally? I suppose I had hurt Daniela's feelings, and maybe even broken her trust. It's often said that women think with their emotions. A complicated way of doing things, but that's just how it is… my conflicted gaze reflected my thoughts.

"Ugh… just drop it. Whatever it is, I guess it doesn't matter…" Daniela sighed and stopped frowning. She took a deep breath. "Alright. I know it's complicated, but still… it hurt, you know…" She turned her head slightly.

"You're very honest with yourself," Leslie said with a smile.

"Can we go to sleep now?" Evelyn asked, her eyes lighting up at the realization that the ordeal seemed to be over.

"You two!" Daniela blushed slightly as she stood up. "Hmph!" She pouted, then walked over to me. As she looked me in the eyes, she said, "No more secrets… I hope. I know it might be irrational, but I just want to be in the same place as you. I don't want to be left out."

"I'll do my best," I replied, trying to stand up. Suddenly, a hand rested on my shoulder. I looked up to see Daniela's beautiful smile.

"Where did you go?" she asked softly.

"Alright…" I thought I could escape this, but I was wrong. In fact, I think I fell into a trap. Seeing Daniela's smile—and the clear curiosity in Leslie's and Evelyn's faces—it was obvious they wanted to know exactly what had happened. The problem was… Daniela was the daughter of the Seventh of Mercy, a seraph. Leslie and Evelyn were the same, though dormant. Everything I'd done was connected to the heavens, and I didn't think Daniela knew the true identity of her "mother."

"My soul was practically fractured," I said. I didn't think it was wise to keep lying, but I wasn't a fan of telling the whole truth either. I was stuck somewhere in the middle. Half-truths mixed with lies seemed like the best option. It wasn't really breaking my word—sometimes lies are merciful, while the truth can be disastrous.

So…

The story I told them was relatively simple. By overexerting myself, my soul had fractured. I wasn't left permanently disabled thanks to my blue flames, something that might otherwise have been impossible to believe. But I added that using these flames burned my soul and flesh as if I were being consumed alive, which made it more plausible. I also mentioned that the flames themselves were special in many ways, without going into too much detail—something Daniela agreed with. It's often said that unique abilities come with equally great burdens; the stronger the ability, the more dangerous the drawbacks. This gave the story more credibility, especially since it was mostly true. In this situation, the only one who was able to help me was Seraphine, Daniela's mother. Explore more at empire

When Daniela heard this, her eyes widened. She was understandably shocked. The highest figure in the church on earth helping a demon? Even she was left speechless. She stayed silent for a moment, processing what she had just heard. There wasn't much point in lying further; she could easily ask her "mother" if it was true. After a few moments, she nodded.

Although it's widely believed to be practically incurable and impossible, there are secrets the church and the imperial throne keep hidden. The thing is, Seraphine had a cure to help me. Why that is, I don't know—it's strange, honestly. Trying to explain it to others would sound like some ridiculous, far-fetched story.

Anyway, with Seraphine's help—and the incredible coincidence that she happened to have this fruit in her garden—I was able to heal. When I mentioned the fruit, Daniela's expression shifted slightly. It seemed she knew of this extraordinary place, which made the story even more plausible. In conclusion, that's what happened. The reason I took so long was because I had to go through the healing process.

The story made a lot of sense. At least, I think it did.

Seeing the expressions of the three girls as they thought about the story, I knew I had managed to convince them—at least partially. The best part was that Daniela could verify it, though I doubted she'd ask Seraphine about it.

Daniela tilted her head slightly. "Emotions don't lie, but… I'm satisfied. Most of what you said is true. Like I said, I know you might have your reasons for hiding a few things, but I'm happy," she said with a nod before standing up. "Alright, we'd better get some rest." She stretched and lowered one hand.

"I'm glad you're okay. I really liked the gift, but… don't do anything stupid again, idiot." She pointed at Leslie. "She almost went crazy when you didn't come back."

"You can't say that!" Leslie turned red and began to protest.

Evelyn woke up at the noise. She raised her head, looked at them in confusion, then glanced at me with a smile before closing her eyes again.

"…" It's good to be home.