It was eerily quiet in the dark, lightless room. Occasionally, a pleasant humming could be heard, accompanied by breathing, but that was it.

The breathing was faint as if it might stop at any moment, and the humming had no discernible notes.

The only change in this breathtaking silence came when the dark purple eyelids fluttered open, revealing the scarlet eyes that had been hiding behind them.

“…….”

Lucy opened her eyes halfway, scanning the dark room. She couldn’t see anything, but she could definitely feel someone holding her hand.

And that the touch was familiar.

As if drawn by the familiarity, Lucy reflexively reached for the large hand holding mine, and as if on cue, the humming stopped.

It was at that moment that the black shadow assimilated into the darkness turned slightly and looked at Lucy.

“Are you awake?”

A familiar touch. A familiar voice. Lucy’s guard dropped.

“……Liel?”

Lucy’s voice cracked as she said his name. But Liel didn’t seem to mind.

“Yes.”

His words were as terse as his reply.

“Did I…… pass out?”

Lucy asked, wincing and wiping her forehead. Her grip on Liel’s hand tightened.

“Yes.”

Liel squeezed her hand again. His answer was still short. But his voice was gentle.

It was a gentle voice, and it made Lucy relax.

“Cough, what’s wrong with you lately…….”

Lucy coughed in vain as she tried to unlock her throat, feeling Liel’s gaze on her.

Lucy looked frustrated, not sure why he was doing this.

After a moment, her eyes widened as if she realized something, and she said in a shaky voice.

“Here…….”

Is this his room?

Lucy’s eyes were clouded with fear. Even in the darkness of the room without the lights on, Liel could see every detail of her frightened complexion.

“Yes.”

He answered without hesitation.

Lucy frowned and looked around the room again. Her eyes, still unaccustomed to the darkness, did not reflect the truth.

“Did I pass out in front of your room……?”

Lucy hoped that this time the answer would be something other than yes, but Liel crushed her hopes.

“Yes.”

“But—”

It couldn’t be.

What she saw was not Liel, but another man. Though his eyes were the same color, his white hair was the exact opposite of his.

It had to be.

Lucy let go of Liel’s hand and wrapped her arms around her, goosebumps rising.

The demon’s glowing eyes were now deeply rooted in Lucy’s mind.

If this was Liel’s room, where the hell was that monster she saw earlier?

Lucy’s mind was not as flexible as it had been since she just woke up.

Despite her old friend’s suspicious reaction, she couldn’t recall the creature from earlier.

“Liel, this is weird. You may not believe this, but I saw a demon in your room…….”

“Lucy.”

Lucy being Lucy, it was only natural that she would not recognize that she had offended the monster.

“Huh?”

“Hold it.”

“……?”

“Hold it.”

Strangely, his tone was overtly forceful, but at the same time, it wasn’t.

Liel’s voice was still sweet as he held out the hand Lucy had let go.

“…….”

Lucy was speechless, and it was only then that she realized that both this room and Liel were strange.

She took a hesitant step back, not taking his hand.

“It’s…….”

Seeing Lucy’s behavior, Liel sighed, as if to say something.

Meanwhile, Lucy continued to move backwards, until she reached the edge of the bed. Any further and she would have fallen off.

“Not a good choice.”

What?

She wanted to ask, but Lucy’s eyes, slowly adjusting to the darkness, cut her off.

A blurry inkblot reflected in his trembling pupils. She noticed, belatedly, that his hair was not his usual color and asked.

“Liel, your hair…… what’s wrong?”

Lucy questioned her eyes.

Liel’s hair, which should be darker than black, looked unusually white and pale. Just like that one she saw before she fainted.

At that moment, the clouds parted and moonlight streamed in through the window.

Liel ran a hand through his hair and answered.

“This?”

Unlike Lucy, who looked confused, Liel’s expression as he swept back his white hair was eerily relaxed, and with a wave of his hand, his flat forehead and brilliant golden eyes sparkled as if resonating with the moonlight.

Lucy’s trembling pupils took in his snow-white hair and long, slashed golden eyes.

Without realizing it, Lucy’s grip on the corner of the bed loosened.

Even as she fell to the foot of the bed, she couldn’t take her eyes off Liel’s, his eyes that had terrified her.

Locking eyes with her, Liel grabbed her wrist.

“You seem to be freaking out a lot today.”

Even though he knew it was me, he said it as if it were no big deal.

His hand on Lucy’s wrist was too cold. Too cold to be human.

“What’s wrong with you, why?”

Lucy stammered, still in the same position she’d been in when she’d fallen backward, and Liel’s head tilted to the side.

“You don’t know?”

He asked with an innocent look on his face, while Lucy’s face crumpled as she didn’t understand his question.

Seeing Lucy’s puzzled expression, Liel smiled inexplicably.

“Really? You don’t know.”

That’s a relief.

What does he mean by that? Lucy couldn’t quite make out, but she knew one thing for sure.

She had finally arrived at the worst possible future, the one she hadn’t wanted, the one she had spent her entire childhood trying to prevent.

Why?

Had he unknowingly grown to like unnie?

There was no sign of it.

Lucy’s body began to shake, and Liel spoke up, his face sympathetic.

“Don’t be so scared. You’re going to have to look at this face from now on, even if you don’t like it.”

It sounded like he was going to keep me alive.

It was the first glimmer of hope in Lucy’s otherwise bleak future. Not wanting to let go of this glimmer of light, Lucy asked cautiously.

“Me, you’re not going to kill me?”

We may have fought, but we’re still friends.

A flash of emotion flashed across Liel’s face as he silently waited for Lucy to finish her sentence.

Lucy didn’t miss the raw emotion that was there for a moment and then gone. The fear inside her grew again.

“You’re going to kill me.”

Liel laughed languidly as if he had always done so. But his eyes still held a menacing gleam.

“I could keep you by my side for the rest of your life.”

“For the rest of my life…….”

Lucy mimicked Liel’s words without realizing it.

“Lucy.”

“H, huh……?”

“Why did you think I was going to kill you?”

Liel’s grip tightened, and soon he was forcibly pulling Lucy’s body toward his.

Lucy’s body, which was about to fall back from the merciless force, tilted towards Liel.

In an instant, they were so close that if Lucy hadn’t pulled away quickly, she would have pressed her nose against Liel’s chest.

For the first time, Lucy’s vision was filled with the wide expanse of her childhood friend’s chest. Lucy gasped at the unfamiliar sight.

“You should look at me.”

“…….”

She’s looking, but not at his face.

Liel’s outfit was pretty disheveled from being stuck at home for well over a week, and even now, his top was loosely fastened, revealing his bare chest.

It was a sight that even the most insensitive Lucy couldn’t ignore.

Unsure of where to look, Lucy decided it would be better to give in to Liel’s demands and looked up at him.

But as soon as her eyes met his, she regretted her choice.

She should have, too, because the way Liel looked down at her was so different from what she’d seen before. No, it was almost like he was a different person.

D, did he change his personality when he turned into a demon……?

It was certainly a possibility. If he hadn’t changed in the first place, he wouldn’t have needed to use his powers to stop it.

Gulp.

Lucy swallowed dryly, nervously. As if on cue, a lump rose in her throat.

“You’re not going to answer me?”

Lucy’s mouth closed, and Liel’s gaze was no longer on her eyes, but on the nape of her neck.

Not knowing where he was looking, she managed to answer.

“……Yes, I am looking at you…….”

It’s like a spell.

That’s what demons do, they kill and hunt humans.

Lucy’s voice was unsteady as she answered. It was inevitable. She was terrified of Liel’s sudden transformation, and she didn’t think she should tell him that she knew the original story.

Having to lie about it on top of her fear was enough to destabilize her mental state.

“You don’t like it?”

“What……?”

“Do you prefer black?”

Why is he suddenly asking about my preference?

“If you like black hair better, I’ll change it back.”

An unsure Liel lifted Lucy’s hand and brought it to his cheek.

“I’ll do whatever you want in the future, in exchange.”

“……L, Liel……?”

Lucy brushed her hand away from Liel’s grasp, and at the same time, Liel wiped the smile off his face, finally finishing his sentence.

“You have to love me too.”