Aiko's Room – Lost in Memory
Aiko sat alone in the dim glow of her chamber, the only sound in the room the soft hum of magic-infused lanterns flickering above her. The air was thick with the scent of old parchment and herbs from the countless bottles that lined the shelves. But none of it felt real to her.
Her mind was elsewhere.
Drifting.
Like a feather caught in the wind, she wandered through the shadows of her own memories—slipping through time, reliving moments she could never return to.
---
Flashback #1: The Demon King's Game
The garden of the Demon King's castle stretched endlessly beneath a crimson sky, the warm glow of dusk bathing the black trees and silver-leafed flowers in an ethereal light. The air was filled with the sounds of two-headed birds singing in eerie harmony, their calls echoing through the garden like a melody from another world.
Aiko's laughter rang out like a bell in the vast open space.
She was young, no older than eight, her golden hair wild as she ran across the grass, her heart pounding with excitement.
Behind her, footsteps thundered, chasing her through the open courtyard.
"Catch me if you can, Father!"
The Demon King himself, dressed in his royal robes, was running behind her with a smirk, his long black coat billowing as he reached out.
"You little troublemaker," he chuckled, his golden eyes burning with playful challenge. "You won't escape me!"
Beside him, Berent and Veronica joined the chase.
Berent, his powerful frame moving with ease, was laughing. "You better run faster, Princess, or His Majesty might just use his royal powers to cheat!"
Veronica, barely older than Aiko, grinned, her violet hair whipping around her. "He wouldn't dare! He'd be a terrible king if he couldn't catch a little girl on his own!"
Aiko shrieked with laughter, pushing her legs harder, her bare feet barely touching the cool grass as she ran toward the towering black trees at the edge of the garden.
For a brief moment, she thought she could win.
But then—
Arms wrapped around her waist, lifting her off the ground.
"You're mine now, little one!" the Demon King declared, twirling her into the air.
Aiko squealed, kicking her legs. "No fair!"
"All is fair in the games of royalty," he teased, placing her down and ruffling her golden hair.
Aiko pouted for only a moment before bursting into laughter again, wrapping her small arms around his waist.
She had never felt safer.
---
Flashback #2: A Grandmother's Story
The warmth of the fireplace flickered against the walls of Aiko's room, its golden glow illuminating the soft cushions and heavy bookshelves filled with tomes she couldn't yet read. The scent of spiced tea and lavender filled the air, wrapping her in an invisible embrace of comfort.
And in the center of it all, Aiko lay curled in the lap of her grandmother.
The woman, human, with silver-streaked brown hair, looked down at her with a gentle smile, her fingers brushing through Aiko's golden strands in soothing motions.
"You're drifting off, little one," her grandmother whispered.
Aiko shook her head stubbornly, fighting the pull of sleep. "No, tell me more! Tell me about the three pigs!"
Her grandmother chuckled. "You mean the three goblins and the dragon?"
Aiko giggled, adjusting herself in her lap. "Yes!"
Her grandmother took a slow sip of tea before beginning, her voice soft yet filled with the magic of storytelling.
"Once, in the depths of the Underworld, there were three goblins, each with a dream of building a great home to protect them from the dangers of the land. The first goblin, foolish and impatient, built his house out of bone and dry leaves. The second goblin, wiser but still lazy, built his house from sharpened sticks and brittle stone. But the third goblin, the cleverest of them all, built his house from obsidian and enchanted metals."
Aiko listened intently, her eyes flickering with childish excitement.
"But in the darkest caves of the Underworld, a dragon stirred," her grandmother continued. "With scales as black as the void and eyes that burned like the sun. The dragon came to the first goblin's home and blew a breath of fire so strong that the house turned to ash in an instant. The poor goblin ran and ran… all the way to his brother's home of sticks and stone."
Aiko's breath hitched.
"The dragon followed," her grandmother whispered. "And with one powerful strike of its claws—the second house shattered like glass. The two goblins had no choice but to run… all the way to the house of the third goblin."
Aiko held onto her grandmother's arm. "Did they survive?"
Her grandmother smiled. "They did. Because the third goblin was not just clever—he was brave. And instead of hiding in fear, he stood before the dragon and said, 'If you want to take my home, then you must go through me.'"
Aiko's heart pounded in her chest.
"And do you know what happened?"
She shook her head.
"The dragon… laughed."
Aiko gasped. "Laughed?"
Her grandmother nodded. "Because the goblin was the first creature to ever stand before it without running away. So instead of destroying the house… the dragon sat beside it. And the two became the best of friends."
Aiko's lips parted in awe. "Really?"
"Sometimes, the most powerful creatures only want someone to stand beside them."
Aiko yawned, her small fingers curling into the fabric of her grandmother's dress.
"Grandma," she whispered sleepily, "I want to meet a dragon like that someday…"
Her grandmother only smiled, stroking her hair as Aiko drifted into sleep.
---
A Door to Naomi
The warmth of the fire faded. The scent of lavender disappeared.
Aiko opened her eyes and found herself standing before a massive door, carved from polished black stone, its surface rippling like liquid shadow.
She knew this door.
It led to him.
With slow, hesitant steps, she reached out—
The door creaked open, and suddenly—
Naomi's voice. His presence. Their memories.
The memories of him flooded back all at once, vivid and powerful, pulling her into the moments they had shared.
She saw his uncertain steps as he first arrived in the Demon World.
The way his eyes widened at the Underworld's strange beauty.
The way he looked at her—full of trust, full of unspoken emotions.
And then—darkness.
"Where is he now?"
She stepped further into the void of memories, but this time, there was nothing to catch her.
---
The Castle Rooftop – Komori's Vigil
Above the castle, Komori stood alone, perched on the highest spire, the night wind ruffling his long black coat.
A single purple cigarette burned between his fingers, its smoke curling into the sky like ghostly tendrils, the embers glowing emerald green.
His crimson eyes narrowed as he looked out into the abyss of the Underworld.
"Something is happening."
He took a slow drag, letting the silence stretch.
"And I don't like it."
The smoke swirled around him as he exhaled, the flames of his cigarette flickering in the darkness.
Below, the Demon World remained still.
For now.