Jake froze, tongue tied, breath stuck in his throat. He looked up at his stepmother—Ann—her face filled not with anger, but concern.
"Ah… Ann, you're here," he managed to stammer.
She didn't even acknowledge the demoness who had been beside him seconds ago. Her gaze stayed locked on him. "What are you doing out here all by yourself?"
All by myself…? What is she talking about? Jake turned to where Malavika had just been—yet the spot was empty. Only the crater left from their impact remained. No wings. No demoness. Nothing.
"What's wrong?" Ann asked. "You're not out here drinking again, are you?"
Jake chuckled nervously. "Uh—umm—well—"
She didn't wait for his excuses. She stepped close, kneeling to his level, blue eyes locked on him like she could see straight into his lies. Her long brown hair fell over her shoulder as she leaned in.
Sniff. Sniff.
She inhaled sharply, checking for the scent of alcohol. Jake blinked. Why wasn't she screaming about the giant hole behind the house? Why wasn't she questioning the destruction? Why wasn't she losing her mind?
Was she half-asleep… or drunk again? She was infamous for killing bottles like water.
Before he could think further, Ann grabbed his wrist and pulled him up. "Come now. We need to get you inside for a bath—you reek."
Inside the house, Jake slammed the door shut and leaned against it. His pulse was still racing.
Where did she go? he thought. Was this a hallucination?
Am I doing drugs again? No. Couldn't be. The pain from the fall was real. Her voice was real. Her wings. Her eyes. Everything.
"Fucking hell," he muttered, running a hand through his hair. "What just happened?"
Maybe he was dreaming. Maybe he wandered into the woods high and imagined everything.
With that, Jake headed to the bathroom, desperate to wash off the chaos of the day. He peeled off his clothes one by one, revealing scars that mapped across his body—memories of fights he shouldn't have survived. He stepped toward the mirror, leaning in close, eyes sharp, searching every inch of his reflection.
Any sign of drugs? Hallucinations? Dilated pupils? Red eyes? Anything?
Nothing.
His mind was clear.
He exhaled—long, shaky.
Then—creak.
Jake froze. The sound came from behind him—from the closet. Slowly, he turned. The wooden door sat perfectly still. No movement. No shadow. Nothing.
He swallowed.
Still dreaming… it has to be.
He turned back to the mirror—and his blood turned to ice.
She was standing behind him.
Malavika.
Her golden eyes stared straight into his reflection, silent and unblinking.
Jake's heart stopped. He wasn't dreaming.
She spoke casually.
"You mortals live in such strange caves."
Jake froze. Slowly—very slowly—he turned around.
Malavika sat on his bed, legs crossed as she held one of his deodorant. Very real. Very present.
"So," she said with a smirk, "this is your home?"
Jake nearly screamed, but Merith dashed towards him, placing her hand on his mouth.
---
Ann's voice cut through the walls from outside. "Honey? Is everything alright?"
Malavika's hand slipped off Jake's mouth, her face softening into something almost… human—relief. "You mortals will be the death of me one day," she muttered, exhaling deeply.
"Malavika? H-how did you even get in here?" Jake asked, still trembling.
"You humans are painfully slow compared to my kind," she said flatly, sitting on his bed as if it belonged to her.
"But… I thought you could shapeshift. Why not just do that?"
Malavika's eyes flashed, anger breaking through her calm. "Why do you keep uttering such an insult?" she hissed, her voice sharp as glass. "I cannot shapeshift."
Jake blinked, stunned. "What do you mean, you can't?! You literally—"
"Do you not understand your own language?" she snapped. "My kind communicate through symbols and—"
"Okay, okay—stop!" Jake groaned, rubbing his temples. "Fuck… what am I gonna do?"
Malavika rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed. "You mortals are hopeless."
With an exasperated sigh, she rose and strode toward him. Her crimson skin seemed to shimmer faintly under the dim light. "Since I now reside in your abode," she said, extending her hand, "I will do as you wish. Come closer."
Jake hesitated, brow furrowed. "What are you—"
Her glare cut him off. "You dare question my intentions? Very well. It seems you do not require my shapeshifting services, then."
"Shapeshifting… services?" he muttered, confused but too tired to argue. "Okay… fine. I'll do as you wish. Just—just shapeshift, already."
Malavika's expression hardened. Her eyes locked onto his, and in one sudden, fierce motion, she grabbed him and pressed her lips to his.
Jake's mind went blank.
He—he was kissing her. A demoness. A literal red-skinned woman with horns and a tail.
His heart hammered. His mind screamed one thing over and over again:
Don't get aroused. Don't get aroused. Don't get aroused.
His hands clawed at the air for balance—then brushed against something smooth, warm, and soft.
Malavika's tail.
The demoness let out a sharp, startled squeal and instantly shoved him off. Jake slammed against the wall, pain bursting through his back.
"You insolent brat!" she roared, wiping her mouth in disgust. "How dare you touch me?"
"What?! You were the one who kissed me!" Jake shouted back, clutching his ribs.
"I wasn't kissing you, fool!" she snapped. "I share no romantic interest in you. My kind require a mortal's fluid to take shape. It was supposed to manifest—but it seems even that ability is weakened!"
Jake froze. Fluid? So that's why she didn't mention her shapeshifting earlier. She was embarrassed.
But there was no time to process that—because suddenly, her body began to glow. Her skin flushed brighter, heat rippling through the room. Smoke seeped from her pores.
Her eyes widened. "Not again—!"
"Hey, mortal Jake?!" she shouted, panicking. "Where do you bathe?!"
Jake just stood there, dazed, his brain melting. I just had my first kiss… with a demon.
Malavika snarled. "Answer me, you ignorant buffoon!" She struck him across the face, claws grazing his cheek.
"Huh?!"
His mind snapped back. "The bathroom—bathroom! Over there!"
But it was too late. Her body ignited, flames bursting from her skin, devouring her clothes in seconds.
Jake screamed, stumbling back. "Agh! Shit!"
He bolted into the bathroom. Malavika stumbled after him, every step leaving scorch marks on the floor.
"W-water!" Jake yelled, slipping but managing to grab the shower hose.
He turned it on and sprayed her down—steam exploding everywhere as fire met water.
Malavika drooped to the ground naked, steam filling the entire room, coming from her skin.
Jake's breath dropped, then a knock on the door. Ann's voice shot out, "Jake, what's that sound? Are you okay?!"
The young man shot back, "Y-yes, I'm fine," he said, "I... I almost slipped!"
"Slipped?! Should I help you?!" Ann asked.
"No!"
"Oh, sorry," said Ann.
"I'm sorry," said Jake, "I mean... Don't come in... I'm.... Kind of... Naked"
"Yeah... I understand," said Ann, "Well, I'll be leaving tommorow... So, I'll be seeing you tommorow"
"Yeah, I-I'll be seeing you too," Jake replied.
Finally the woman left, her footsteps fading away. Once the young man was sure, she was gone, his shoulder dropped, a breath of relief escaping his lips, now he had to face the almost naked demoness lying on his floor.
(At the Hero Association Headquarters—an enormous complex known for recruiting heroes of every rank and overseeing the nation's hero schools—a tense silence filled one of the top-floor offices.
A young woman, no older than twenty-three, sat behind a sleek metal desk. Her short black pixie hair framed her sharp face, her green eyes glowing faintly under the cold light of the monitors surrounding her.
Then—slam!
Her fist crashed against the desk, rattling the coffee mug beside her.
Something on the screen had frozen her blood..
Dozens of surveillance feeds flickered before her—streets, rooftops, and forest edges—but one particular image caught her attention. Blurred and distorted, yet unmistakably there.
The silhouette of a demonic figure, who looked like the demoness. From what it looked like, she had been spying on her and now this image was the last of her.
HERO RECRUIT
Amanda Fichter
Amanda stood rigid, fury burning behind her green eyes as she faced the middle-aged man in the dark suit. His calm demeanor only seemed to make her angrier.
"The fourth time," she snapped, slamming both hands on the desk. "This is the fourth fucking time this demoness has slipped through our cracks!"
"Miss Amanda," the man said evenly, adjusting his tie, "please refrain from cursing. It will only elevate your blood pressure."
"Oh, quit that bullshit already!" Amanda shot back, voice echoing off the metallic walls. "We've been screwing up again and again—losing potential heroes who are now villains! Don't you dare tell me to calm down!"
Before the man could respond, the office door burst open with a sharp clang!
A lady rushed in, clutching a tablet so tightly her knuckles were white. "M-Miss Amanda!" she stammered.
Amanda's glare cut toward her. "What is it?!"
The poor assistant flinched under the weight of her voice, but hurried forward, holding the tablet out. "W-We found her…"
Amanda frowned, snatching the device from her hands. The screen flickered—then her eyes went wide.
"No… fucking way," she muttered.
There it was. A crystal-clear image.
The demoness—standing beside a young man.
The name on the file below the image read:
Jake Solis.